#the more I write the more details deviate from my outline

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

Submas/PLA Fic Chapter 3: Dealing with their Devils

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The next chapter of Electric Trains are the Future is live on AO3! I’m working through on getting more chapters ready ahead of time, and come next Tuesday, I’ll be shifting to weekly updates, as I’ll be heading back to work.

Chapter Summary: Two much needed conversations are had. Ingo learns about who he is, and Akari comes up with a better plan. Chapter Word Count: 4632 Warning: There is a short panic attack that is purposely glossed over and quickly addressed, and an emotional break at the end of the chapter. Neither are in great detail.

Read the chapter below the cut, or read it on AO3! I’ll be cross-posting the rest of the fic, with additional notes on AO3′s side. Reblogs and comments are always appreciated!

Ingo was right, Akari wasn’t going home. She had turned from the bridge in the direction of her little house, but once out of sight began jogging down the rest of the street towards the pastures. The sun was down entirely, and though Marie was much more acclimated to having Pokemon around her, she still didn’t like being there in the dark and had gone home for the day. It was easy for Akari to jump over the gate leading to the first area of the pastures, though he goal was a little further in.

She had made it to the first hill before taking the two Pokeballs she had with her, and letting Palkia and Dialga out. “Thank you two for the help today,” she says quietly as she hugs them each on the leg. “We messed up, but I think that we still did a good thing.”

Dialga makes a non-committal grinding sound, presumably from his teeth, then starts plodding away to find some food before Akari can interrogate it. She instead turns to Palkia, who meets her gaze for several moments. And then promptly does the same as its sibling, albeit in the opposite direction, gurgling uncomfortably.

Great. Her pet gods didn’t think it was a good thing. She’ll prove otherwise!

She starts over the hill, her destination being a cave in the mountains on the edge of the pasture, overlooking Flaoro Gardens in the Fieldlands. By the time she got there, all the way at the edge of the land that Jubilife had claimed, any last remnants of the sun were long gone and the moon hung high in the air, stars twinkling around it. Akari stood in front of the cave for a few moments before speaking up.

“Hey, Giratina? Do you wanna come out and talk? It’s a nice night out, the stars are visible.” She knew Giratina liked keeping their privacy from the other Pokemon, after being isolated from this entire Reality for centuries, if not millenia. But she also knew that they enjoyed her company, because she could hear its heavy little stomps (she likes to call them little cause it makes Giratina flustered) as it exits the cave, looking up into the sky.

“Yes, the stars do look beautiful today, my friend.” Their voice seems to reverberate around the area, even though she knows Giratina is speaking directly into her mind. They bask quietly in the starlight for a moment before their voice comes into her mind again. “I felt the fabric of reality tear earlier. What did you do?”

Oh dear Arceus, she’s gonna be scolded again isn’t she?

“I, uh, may have had Dialga and Palkia help me try and get Ingo’s brother here,” Akari says, trying to sound confident but definitely looking away from the big dragon that still hadn’t looked at her. “It worked out kinda well, we got a friend of his instead!” Hopefully news of some success would help dampen the blow of the news.

For a moment there was silence. Then Giratina reared their head back and let out a loud roar, giving Akari just enough time to cover her ears. It didn’t sound angry, maybe a little frustrated, almost… A warning. And sure enough, Akari saw several small flocks of Starly fly off around them, having settled in around the dragon’s cave.

With an audible huff, Giratina turns to look at Akari. “And why did you think that was a good idea?” The disappointment in their telepathic voice hit Akari like a bucket of water. Yeah, she was going to get scolded again.

Akari sighed and plopped down onto the ground, not caring that the grass was already a little wet with dew. Giratina stepped up next to her and closed their eyes for a moment, before shrinking itself down to the size of a Luxio to sit next to her. Akari remembered that Pokemon could change their size, but she’d honestly forgotten that since Laventon first told her because she only saw Pokemon do it as they faint. Giratina was actually kinda cute at this size.

“I wanted to make Ingo happy, and if we could bring someone here, we could send them back…” Akari sighs and draws her knees up. “I figured since Dialga and Palkia were the source of the distortions and the Rift anyway, they could do it in tandem when they’re able to focus, right?” She reaches out and gently strokes Giratina’s head, causing them to hum softly.

Giratina let the sensation relax them for a moment before speaking back up. “They also created the rift because of the stress I put onto them,” they say softly. “And I facilitated the distortions by linking each to the Distortion World to allow a hopefully smoother travel for the creatures coming through. I was angry with Father, not with others.” There is a small pause before they lean into Akari’s side. “But you know that…”

“I do, Gira,” she says softly, leaning back into them. “I do.”

—

Ingo places the bowl of rice and fried Cheri berry before Elesa. “Here you go, Miss Elesa,” he says respectfully before sitting across from her. “I’m sorry if the berries are a little burned, Cheri are a little quick to fry.” He picks up his chopsticks and starts eating quietly, keeping his eyes on the table. He could hear Elesa pick her chopsticks up and eat, albeit a little slower than him.

After a few moments of silence other than their soft chewing, Ingo puts his chopsticks down and politely clears his throat. “When I awoke, I had no memories. My cab had been cleared of all contents, with only vague recollections of a Man in White, with a smile on his face, who loved victory more than anything else.” Elesa continues to eat, slower as she listens to him. “Is that Emmet? Is that the man who walks in the station of my memories?”

Elesa softly scoffs at the victory comment at first. “He knows if he says that he loves victory most around me, he’s gonna be in the Herdier house for a few nights.” Ingo finds himself laughing at that, before pausing and wondering what a Herdier was. Were they like Growlithe? “But yes, Ingo. Emmet is your brother.”

Brother? No, Emmet is his twin! The second cab in their two car train! It hit Ingo in the chest, and he involuntarily let the air out of his lungs before Elesa could say anything else. He’s 3 hours younger than me, he has an (---), and he is a Subway Boss. He realizes that he hasn’t taken a breath back in, and does so before looking up at Elesa, who was waiting with a somewhat worried look. “No, no, continue. I apologize for the delay.”

Elesa slowly nods before continuing to speak. “You both ran the Unovan Transportation Authority, and you focused on the Unova Rail Transit System, which mostly consisted of handling the Subway.” Rail. Subway. “You both have always been obsessed with trains, and you kept them running better than any of the previous Heads of Transit had, and you made sure they covered routes the buses couldn’t and kept them competitive with planes.” Trains. Trains trains trains. He had heard the word a few times, mostly in the context of battling when talking with Laventon. To think it had multiple meanings in Galarian! Now, what was it in Kantonian… 列車(1), yes.

“You ok there, Ingo?” 

“I primarily rode on the Battle A Division, the Singles Line. We had 260 R62s left on the line, with most of the R62As either relegated to Multi or decommissioned in preparations for the new trains coming from Silph Railway, the R262s I believe.” Ingo wasn’t sure where these words or the information were coming from, but they would not stop coming. “The main train of the fleet is the R188, which are far newer than the 62s and also made by Silph. Silph actually made the R62s, but the R62As, despite the similar designations, are actually made by Bombirdier Transportation.”

Ingo’s mind was racing, and for the first time since he arrived in Hisui, he was properly, truly, excited. He had a fascination for transportation, as shown by the time Miss Akari had set him off by having him ride on an Alpha Steelix she caught, which led to some panic from Irida when she found him conducting on its head. Since then, Miss Akari has been careful to set off his mysterious obsession.

But it wasn’t mysterious now! “My favorites are the R36s, which still have a few dozen in service on the fleet,” Ingo continues, not noticing his voice rising in volume, but definitely noticing that Elesa was giving him a soft smile. “They’re also called Redbirds, though some foreigners call them Fletchlings since they sometimes are painted the same shades. What was done to dispose of them was actually quite ingenious, as they had stripped the harmful components from them and dropped them off the coast of the region and let them become artificial reefs!” 

It was good for the Pokemon, which Pokemon were it good for? As Ingo thought, his hand balled into a fist and he began gently shaking it, then brought it up to tap against his upper lip to help him focus. Yes! ”They were great for making homes for Corsola and Alomomola! The populations of both had been at risk for several decades, and started making quite the comeback! To whoever thought of it, bravo!”

Ingo continued to remember and regurgitate facts about trains and the subway for quite awhile, while Elesa just quietly eats and listens, smiling.

—

“So, obviously the way that Volo had brought about the rifts was wrong,” Akari says. She and Giratina had now laid down, Giratina tucking their legs under their body and Akari laying on her back, resting her head on their back, both looking up at the sky. “He just tore them open without care.”

“That he did,” Giratina responds, grumbling deep in their chest. “Like myself, Volo was lost in anger, though he did much better to focus that anger and mask it. There was a reason we decided to work together, after all.” They shiver briefly, and nudge Akari with a wing, getting her to lift her head up so they could fold it under her. Giratina’s wings were ethereal; they weren’t hurt by pressure, and were quite cushioned, so they made great pillows.

Akari snuggles slightly into the wing as she thinks. This might be a bad thing to ask, but she felt it was needed. “Do you think that it would be ok to continue making rifts? If we are careful with it? Just to-”

It happened fast, but Giratina moved their way out from under her head, causing Akari to fall back as they flashed with an amber light. In front of Akari now was Giratina, at their full size and in their Origin Forme.

“Did I just hear you correctly, Akari?!” they shouted into her head, anger not just lacing the words, but backing them full force. “You fought against me, to free this land of the rifts that I had instigated, and now you wish to bring more into existence?!”

Akari froze up for a second. She thinks Giratina won’t hurt her, but the last time she’d seen them this angry was when she first fought them after Volo. She tried to breathe, to regain control, and it seemed Giratina noticed because they seemed to sigh, then slowly shrink down to look Akari in the face.

“I apologize, my friend. I will try to not scare you like that again.” Their voice was controlled now, but Akari could still hear their disappointment and anger underneath. But that gave her the opportunity to relax. She breathes in deeply, then breathes out slowly, repeating the action a few times before giving Giratina a small smile and nod.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It was a bad idea.” Akari looks away from Giratina, her voice quiet. She lets out a sigh, and hears Giratina move, though she wasn’t expecting the Legendary to set their head on hers.

“I see why you asked. There is no need to beat yourself up.” They put their weight against Akari’s back, pushing her over a bit. “If Volo and I hadn’t used them to cause harm, then my reaction may have been different.” Now the Legendary decided to dead weight, gently sliding off of her back. Akari swore that the Creation Trio were just teenagers with too much power.

Akari lets out an exaggerated groan as she leans over, letting Giratina flop onto her stomach with a soft whumph. “I know, I just… Feel bad for pulling her here without meaning to…”

“I know how you feel. I truly do.”

—

“And I just remembered why the Redbirds were my favorite!” Ingo shouts, taking Elesa’s bowl and thus shouting directly into her ear, causing her to flinch and playfully swat at him. “I would take the train every few weekends to go visit…” He gets to the counter before pausing. “To go visit… Home?” He puts both bowls onto the counter before turning to Elesa. “Where was home? Nimbasa, right?”

“For me, yeah,” Elesa says, pulling out a Pokeball. “I grew up in Nimbasa, born and raised. You and Emmet moved from Anville Town when we were young, though your parents moved back after you started working at the Subway with Emmet. Also, do you mind if I let Skitters out?”

Ingo shakes his head, quietly thinking. Elesa clicks the button on the ball (ah, that looks very different from our current balls), and out pops a small Pokemon, similar to a Pachirisu, only with black fur and flaps of skin connecting its arms and legs. It looks around at the new surroundings before getting on all fours and spinning in place.

Anville, Rolling Out on the Steel Rails. A sleepy little town with two rail lines, and a railyard that held a lot of decommissioned trains, which were displayed one per day. Some weekends, (---)n railfans would gather to share stories, items, and occasionally battles. There was another part of the town, called “The Village” by locals, that mostly consisted of a small market and some houses, with several small farms. The second rail line ended there, and it connects to the mainline and runs on an alternating schedule with the main Anville stop.

Ingo is pulled from his thoughts as Skitters suddenly lands on his shoulder, nuzzling up to his face and knocking his hat askew. “Young lady, you know to watch for your safety checks!” Lady? Brushing the thought aside, he still indulges the little thing with some scratches between its ears, causing it to squeak in glee.

“You know she won’t learn if you reward her after scolding her,” Elesa says with a smile.

“But she’s a sweetheart of a passenger, and deserves to be rewarded.” Elesa shakes her head, and Ingo assumes she’s heard that argument from him before.

“So, it sounds like you remember the Subway pretty well,” Elesa says, leaning against the counter next to Ingo and gently scritching the back of Skitters’ head, causing the Pokemon to wiggle and gently stomp on Ingo’s shoulder. “Do you remember what you two did?”

Ingo looks up at the ceiling for a moment, the hand coming from Skitters (who he doesn’t notice reaching for it to come back before pouting) and gripping the brim of his hat. “You said that we ran the Authority. I believe we had focused mostly on the Subway, though we still had to work on the bus routes, the ferries from… Somewhere, and the on-the-ground freight lines, yes?” He lowers his gaze now, pulling the hat over his eyes. “We battled on the Subways as well. Mondays and Wednesdays we come in early to work on paper work, then run battle lines concurrent with the civilian lines.”

“That’s the gist of it,” Elesa says, turning to put her back against the counter and look up at the ceiling herself. “Emmy likes to talk about it after work some days. He’ll go on and on about the minutiae of the rail lines, or complain about a bus breaking down and people needing to be shuttled to another bus line or wait for a bus.”

“Ah, sounds like you two were very close.” Ingo says it calmly, not with any intent behind it. But after a moment of silence, he looks over at Elesa. “Miss Elesa, why do you look like that?”

Elesa in fact looked like she was about to break down again. She took a deep breath before looking at the opposite wall. “Do you remember me at all? What we were before you came here?” The question sent a shiver through Ingo’s body, like he had been dumped into an ice bath.

“We were close friends. Since childhood, yes?” The memories hadn’t really come back yet, but he could infer the connection. The deep breath and sharp exhale meant that he was wrong though.

“Well, since I apparently have a dumb type,” Elesa starts, waving her right arm while she wraps her left arm around herself, “I fell for a few people. I ended up with Skyla first, because that girl is a Voltorbshell, if you could remember her.” The name did strike true somewhere, but nothing would stick. Maybe in a bit it could worm its way into permanence. “So even after I married her, I couldn’t stop teasing you and Emmy, so… When you left, you were still my boyfriend, you Beldum-my.” She breathes in deep, her exhale a little ragged as she fights back a bit of tears.

Oh. That explains the slow speed on her tracks.

—

Akari wasn’t sure how it started, but right now she and Giratina were tossing (or in Giratina’s case, batting) the dragon’s Pokeball back and forth as they talked.

“So, what are you planning, my friend?” The pair had spent some time chatting about the stars, about the winter they had just gone through, anything to help calm Akari down after the scare Giratina had given her. “I can tell you’re thinking.” Their back left tendril comes up and swats their Pokeball back towards Akari.

Akari catches it on the side of her foot, bouncing it up and catching it before tossing it back. “Is it even worth it to bring Emmet here, or should we just focus on sending Elesa back?” She catches the Pokeball as Giratina accidentally throws it a little far, and tosses it as she’s landing. “Should Ingo go with her, cause I don’t know if his memories are back yet. It’d be kinda mean to split the two now.”

“I agree, it would be quite cruel to split them if she was so happy to see him,” Giratina says as they bounce the Pokeball between its tendrils, then whips one out to launch it back to Akari. ”I would not recommend bringing someone else here, lest Kamado believe you were actually connected to the Rift.” 

Akari flinches a bit as she tosses the Pokeball, causing Giratina to shoot a tendril to its max to catch the wide throw. “Sorry, Gira! Maybe we should stop playing around if we’re gonna talk about this…” Giratina seems to huff before tossing the ball back to Akari. Pocketing it, she breathes deep and lets it out slowly. “Sorry, I’m not able to focus as well on the game as you can while we talk.”

“I suppose that is true.” It seems Giratina caught the true reason why Akari flinched, and decided to not push it.

“So, I don’t think we should send them home until Ingo remembers everything,” Akari says, and sees Giratina nod in agreement. “Just… When we do it, should I have you do it?”

“Only if you want me to trap them in the Distortion World,” Giratina asks sarcastically. “Remember that I have no control over time, Akari.”

“Right.” Akari hadn’t thought about that when she asked, but it was obvious now. Giratina had told her earlier that it simply used the Distortion as a bridge between Space and Time rather than do the work themselves. “So, if you worked alongside Palkia and Dialga, then you could do it easier, right?”

Giratina looks at her impassively for a moment before responding. “Yes, it would work better than just the two of them alone. But even with me, my siblings will not be the most accurate in moving them.” The pair hear a crack of thunder, and turn towards the Fieldlands, where a Space-Time Distortion tears into existence off in the distance. “And the more that we rip open rifts, the longer it takes the fabric of reality to heal.”

“That’s fair,” Akari says, squatting down to rest, her knees up to her chest. “As much as you won’t like it…”

“You may want to ask Father, yes. Have you completed his task?”

Akari reaches into her satchel and pulls out the Pokedex. Arceus, times like this she really wishes she still had her old Pokedex from Rowan, cause this book was tiring to use. “No, I still have some Pokemon to get. I haven’t been able to find a Munchlax, a Cherrim, and I need to evolve my Magnemite twice. Plus, I couldn’t catch a Magby the last time I went to Firespit Island, because an Alpha showed up and managed to chase the family of Magmar off.” Her shoulders sag, looking at the 4 empty spots between Froslass and Swinub. “I also have to guess that these are the fossil Pokemon. I found their fossils in the Highlands, but I’m sure that they’re all going to be in Distortions.”

“Yes, I would believe so,” Giratina muses, coiling down into a comfortable position. “They are ancient Pokemon, from when my siblings and I could be considered young.”

“Yeesh, that’s old.” Akari ignores the tired look Giratina gives her as she puts the Pokedex back in her satchel. “Then I guess I’ll focus on finishing the Pokedex, and go talk to Arceus. See if He can get everyone home.”

—

Elesa didn’t cry for long, especially since Ingo took the hint and gave her a hug, which she returned. Once she was done, she sits down at the table again while Ingo sets up the spare futon for her. After a few moments, she finds her voice. “So, any questions, Ingy?”

Ingo makes sure the three mattresses for the futon are properly stacked before asking his first question. “What year is it at home? How far have these tracks taken me?” 

Elesa flicks her braid a few times as Skitters begins to climb up her arm. “You disappeared in 2019,” she says softly. “It’s been 3 years, so it's 2022 now. And from what Akari was saying, this is around 1870. We’ve gone back about 150 years.”

Ingo flinches hearing that. He thought it would be about 10, maybe 15 years of difference. But ten times that? No, that was not at all a thought that had crossed his mind.

“It’s ok, Bounsweet-ie,” Elesa says. “Even though it’s been longer for you, me and Emmet would still be so happy to have you back.”

“It’s only been three years.”

That seemed to shake Elesa, who quickly gets out of her seat and puts both hands on Ingo’s cheeks to turn his head towards her so she can inspect his face. “Ingo, you have wrinkles and your hair is going white at your temples. You’re gonna look like Drayden in a few years. Are you sure you’re only 35?”

Ingo swats at her hand and pulls back, forcing his frown deeper. “If you say I’m 35, then yes, I am sure!” This seemed to throw Elesa for a loop, because she also leans back before laughing out loud. “My memory departed from the station, of course I wouldn’t know my age!” That just caused her to start laughing harder.

After a moment she calmed down though, and wiped some of the tears away from her eyes. “I’m sorry, that was too much. I know it makes sense, but oh my Goodra, Ingo, that’s just so funny.”

Ingo huffs, wishing he could blow smoke like a steam engine in moments like this. “I have another question.” Elesa snaps to attention, giving him a fake salute that almost makes him laugh. Taking a second to collect himself, “I remember a Pokemon that wielded flames with mastery. When Akari evolved her Typhlosion, its purple flames reminded me of something I was missing. Was that one of my partners? Back at our home?”

Elesa takes a moment to answer, seeming to decide what she needs to say. “That is Chandelure. She… She took your disappearance hard.” Hearing that makes Ingo’s stomach fall. “She used to look through the subway tunnels looking for you, and it wasn’t until this last year that Emmet managed to get her to act anything close to normal. He apparently has her help in Gear Station to look out for lost kids. She wears a Depot hat, it’s actually really cute. You’d love it.”

Ingo wasn’t hearing much of the last part, though. His disappearance hurt his partner heavily. If it hurt her like that, what about… “And Emmet?” His voice cracked more than he expected, but he continued. “What about Emmet? Was he ok?”

Elesa pauses before answering. “Emmet didn’t take it well, either.” Ingo feels cold. “You two had always been inseparable, you even bought a small house on the outskirts of Nimbasa together so that you could keep each other on track for work. Big enough for privacy, but small enough for you both to always feel like the other was right in reach.”

‘Until you left’ was unsaid.

“He got really depressed for a while, and he’s in therapy, so don’t worry.” He’s in therapy because Ingo sent him there. “We learned you were likely here, because we had books that referenced you, and images. He accepted it, he realized that holding onto it was going to be worse in the long run. So he-” She pauses, seeing Ingo’s face as she looks back towards him. But he knew what she was about to say. ‘So he mourned for you.’

Ingo could feel the tears on his face, and he reached his arms out and grabbed Elesa, pulling her into a hug as he began to cry. It was soft, quiet, unlike how Ingo usually was. But Elesa knew that he needed comfort, and held him tight. She let him cry, like he had let her cry earlier. This was still her Ingo after all.

After a few minutes, Ingo pulls back, no longer sobbing, but his face is still streaked with tears. “I think we are both falling behind schedule for sleep,” he says in a cracked voice. He stands up, and walks past the table towards his bed. “I will see you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning, Ingo,” Elesa replies softly as Ingo draws the slats over to block his room off.

—

Ingo wasn’t a believer in the Pearl Clan’s belief of Sinnoh, even after Akari caught the God and proved that there was indeed an Almighty Sinnoh. But tonight, Ingo felt a spark of faith in his heart. Before laying down for bed, Ingo hung his cape and coat up, and knelt before his bed, head hung low.

“Nispa-Kamuy Sinnoh, akor ak-Emmet kamuy-nomi, ak-Emmet wano arka atusare, wa uni kunne hom horari.(2)” He kept the prayer short, and hopefully simple. With a deep breath, he lays down and prepares for a rough night of sleep.

Translation Note: (1) Train (Ressha) (2) Almighty Sinnoh, I pray for my younger brother Emmet, for Emmet to be healed from his pain, and to live together as a knot in the wood.

[nanowrimo]

Beyond the Word Count: A Book Editor's Guide to Writing a First Draft

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. First Draft Pro, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a beautifully designed writing app for fiction writers. Today, they've partnered with Kelly Norwood-Young, former book editor for Pan Macmillan and Penguin Random House, to bring you some pro tips on writing your first draft:

In my career as a book editor, I’ve reviewed hundreds of manuscripts. I've seen the joy of authors creating compelling tales, but also how disheartening it can be to rewrite a disjointed story. I’m here to give you some strategies to address common pitfalls so that you not only reach your NaNoWriMo goal, but also lay the groundwork for a manuscript that truly deserves to be called a gripping novel.

1. Have a plan.

Even if you’re more of a ‘pantser’ than a ‘planner’, it's really helpful to have an outline. I have two favourite approaches for this: the structure-first approach, and what I call the ‘Phoebe Waller-Bridge approach’.  

The structure-first approach

There are a lot of narrative frameworks for story structure, but the most foundational in Western fiction is the three-act structure. Here’s a handy guide that breaks each of the classical three acts into a day-by-day guide to NaNoWriMo: 

8-day guide to Act 1

14-day guide to Act 2

8-day guide to Act 3

The Phoebe Waller-Bridge approach

I love this quote from Phoebe Waller-Bridge: ‘I’ve never thought structure first. I’ve always thought material first, jokes first, character first ... But knowing the end really helps. Then you just go as far away from the end emotionally as you possibly can.’  

Sketch out your major story arcs, your character’s desires and conflicts, and the world they inhabit. The more you know your story's world and inhabitants, the less you'll stray into scenes that lack purpose or create plot and character inconsistencies. 

2. Keep the story moving.

Each word needs to propel your story forward. Superfluous details or tangents that don’t serve the narrative stall the momentum you’re trying to generate for your reader. 

There’s a trick you can use to move your story forward, called the question of reversibility. Ask yourself: How difficult would it be for my character to reverse their decision? The harder it would be for them to turn back, the more you’ve moved the plot forward. 

3. Plant clues carefully.

Plant important elements early and make sure every element, however subtle, serves a purpose (i.e. Chekhov’s Gun). 

Be sure to set up necessary components for your climax so that you can steer clear of Deus ex Machina (having that strong outline will help you here), and avoid red herrings unless they serve a clear, meaningful purpose (e.g. you’re writing a mystery and your readers expect some false leads). Misleading your readers without a payoff can erode their trust.

4. Write for the reader, not yourself.

‘There is only one thing you write for yourself, and that is a shopping list,’ insists Umberto Eco in On Literature. Even if writing, for you, is a therapeutic outlet, a form of self-expression, or a way to leave a legacy, you’re still writing to say something to someone else. Your story simply won’t be as strong if you forget your reader’s perspective. 

5. Keep daily editorial notes for your future self.

While editing should wait until at least December, end each day with a brief reflection, noting any off-course deviations, potential inconsistencies, areas to research further, or moments of inspiration to revisit when you start editing. 

These daily notes will be invaluable during the editing process, helping you to remember insights that are no longer fresh when you come back to the manuscript later.

6. Embrace the first-draft mentality.

There’s a lot you can do to ensure that your first draft is the best it can be before the end of November—but just as important is to understand that all first drafts have flaws.

As a book editor, I've witnessed manuscripts transform, sometimes unrecognizably, from their first drafts. Embrace the uncertainty and creative detours—because it's from this beautiful chaos that your story will find its true voice. 

Kelly Norwood-Young is a seasoned book editor and proofreader with comprehensive experience across various facets of manuscript editing. Her background includes roles at Pan Macmillan and Penguin Books, extending into a successful freelance career working with award-winning authors. Kelly's work, known for its precision and sensitivity to the author's voice, has been integral to the success of both new and established writers globally.

Try out First Draft Pro: All NaNoWriMo participants can use the discount code NANOWRIMO2023 for 20% off a premium subscription to First Draft Pro! Offer expires January 31, 2024.

[bettsfic]

Adventures in plotting….

To have some structure and not get bogged down by decision fatigue, I decided to outline and do some pre planning before starting on a writing project. However, I noticed that I start thinking about the logistics of everything to the point where I break the story or at least what excited me in the first place and spend months plotting one idea to the next not finishing anything.

I saw in a previous ask that you recommended to just outline until you find a story that you can’t help but write <—paraphrasing. But I fear that I will never finish a project this way because of this patterns and how much time it takes me.

I guess my question is, how to not break your story when planning or plotting?

i don't think you can actually break a story. you can only take it in a direction beyond your skill or interest in completing it. if you plot beyond your skill level, the only fix is time. it may take a few months or a year or five years but eventually you'll pick it up and go "oh shit, i know how to do this now" and your future self will thank you for doing all this planning for them so they can just hit the ground running.

if you plot beyond your interest, it means the outline has breached its scope. a detailed outline can only get you so far, because when you start writing, the process of discovery drafting will veer you away from it, and the work is then reeling it back toward the outline, or changing the outline.

because i have terms for everything, the terms i use for this are "big mind" and "small mind." you cannot have big mind and small mind at the same time. decision fatigue in writing without an outline comes from putting too much work on small mind. breaking your plot from outlining is putting too much work on big mind. the fix is to give them shifts. big mind clocks in and does as much as it can thinking of big picture things like conflict and rising action and working toward a resolution. but as soon as big mind gets tired, it has to clock out so small mind can clock in. small mind focuses on getting words on the page. and sometimes small mind, being second shift, fucks up the morning shift for big mind by deviating from the outline, and big mind has to clean everything up because it is the far more responsible one of the two. big mind and small mind are forever in a battle of passive-aggressive shift changes.

sometimes one of them takes PTO and you go through a long period planning stuff you don't end up writing, or writing stuff you don't end up finishing. there's nothing really to be done about this except for waiting for the other one to come back from vacation.

so tl;dr when you feel yourself getting close to breaking a project by over-planning it, let yourself clock out from thinking big picture, reset, and clock back in to get some sentences on the page, even if they're headed in the completely wrong direction.

[unkipt]

Hello! Hope you're having a good day! I have a few questions about the World Falling series for you.

How much of the series do you have planned, and how much detail do your plans usually have?

Have you deviated much from the original plan, or have you stayed pretty close to it?

Do you have any idea how long the series will end up?

Keep being amazing and take care of yourself!

i am loving the questions lately, thanks for asking more!

right now, i have a rough (ha) outline of the rest of rough roads, which consists of about 1k words worth of jot notes. basically just the loose events i want to happen and in what order. that's about how much of a plan i ever have lol, i'm not a super intense planner because i find i change my mind too often to do more

overall, the story hasn't changed too much from my original plan. certain things have for sure, which i can give a few examples of bc they're kinda neat - when rae was helping jamie and caspian out of the castle, jamie was supposed to see rae erase his memory as guards approached, but be forced to continue on and escape. in the end it just didn't work with the way i was picturing the scene - rae, caspian, and centross were only supposed to be in the nether until chapter 4 or 5, max. i got a lil sidetracked with character interactions on that one hehe - perix was gonna be the big bad of rough roads, but in case you couldn't tell, it's switched to fable

that leads me into the third question though. in terms of word count, no clue. in terms of like, chapters, etc? i posted a few months ago (damn) that i had roughly 19 chapters planned for rr, 5 of which have been posted, so at least 14 more chapters for this fic? though i'm already deviating from my plan a little so it may be more. if i can keep up my inspiration i'd love to do a third fic in the series, a) to have one with perix as kinda the main villain, b) to finish the plot as i originally planned it. for now though the plan is to finish rr, and if i don't think i can write the third, i'll most a rough outline here so y'all can at least see the full conclusion of the story.

speaking of rough roads though, i have realized that somehow a month has passed since i last updated, which wtf where did the time go, i am working on the next chapter though so hopefully it'll be up soon! (god this fic is taking me so much longer than the first one lmao)

[desceros]

How do you personally plan out your fics, especially with one as long as Symphony? Like what's the process behind creating the chapter outlines before you start writing?

so in the very beginning, all of my fic ideas start out the same regardless of length. it always starts with a little kernel of an idea. for example, with symphony, i wanted to write a fic exploring donnie having touch starvation after developing ptsd post-krang. hence why the google doc title is "touch-starved donnie."

then what happens is i start thinking about scenes that i want to have happen in the fic. i'm not really paying attention to anything chronological just yet, just Cool Shit That I Want To Write. this is when i start getting a vague idea of length; the more scenes that pop into my head, the less connected they are (thus requiring more things written between them To connect them) the more i'm like haha! uh oh! this is gonna be a big one huh! and eventually i'll get to a point where i realize that yep, this is gonna be a chaptered fic.

at that point, i start to kind of... pin things into place in my head in a chronological timeline. (this is all still very early in the planning process, mind you.) i'll think of when i want certain things to happen, what key points i'd like to have occur, when they'd make sense together. so this would look kind of like... i knew i wanted to have a scene in symphony where you went on an aquarium date with donnie. and i knew i wanted there to be a scene where you touched him and he was overwhelmed bc it's been so, so long. and i knew i wanted there to be a scene where he kisses you to 4'33. and i knew i wanted to have a scene where leo smelled donnie on you. so you can figure out it goes learning to touch donnie -> leo smelling him on you -> 4'33 kiss -> date with donnie. you do that over and over with all the scenes in your head until you have a general timeline of things.

this is when i start writing things down properly. before this, i'll write down, like. lines of dialogue that i want to have happen or key things to have happen. (e.g. "do you wanna try it?" -> you asking donnie out was planned before i had a single chapter written. i had a list of the escalation of touch that you do with him. a list of the subplots i wanted to incorporate. etc.) but i'll kind of write a... summary of the fic. truncated, but with enough detail that i know exactly what i want to have happen, as seen here in my plan for chapter 9/the beginning of 10:

you'll notice it isn't completely faithful to what happens in the fic... and that's because sometimes while i'm writing, i'll have a better idea of how i want something to happen, or i'll tie in something from a future/past chapter that fits better, or i just straight up change my mind. you're allowed to deviate from your plan!

sometimes, if i'm Really getting into the weeds or if scheduling is important (like. say. if you're writing a character who is a bit of a workaholic and has a tight schedule with things, cough, violist-chan) i'll make a calendar. this lets me keep things straight with when they happen without creating any time paradoxes. (this particular one is color coded later on as i realized i had to track certain things, but don't worry about that. not relevant for this question!)

so at this point, i have an outline of the fic on very broad strokes, most of the chapters summarized out specifically (usually a few chapters ahead, and the last. hm. three or four or so, with the last chapter very specifically planned out) (...yes i do know exactly how the fic is going to end and you're all going to die. but not as hard as i am!), and a calendar with when things happen.

then what i do is i open the google doc, put the summary for what's supposed to happen on the left, and get writing.

and voila. that's my planning process! simultaneously very nebulous but also...... extremely concrete. hehe

[mamawasatesttube]

‘straight on til morning’ is so delicious and mesmerising, thank you so much for it!! i’d love to hear about your writing process/tips & tricks if you don’t mind!

thank you so much!!! i'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!!! :D

as for my writing process... man. im one of those guys who can't write anything longish without outlining. like, A Lot. i also do all my outlines by hand in a physical notebook because that's just what scratches my brain itch nicely and makes the story marinate better in my head!

sotm started off as me going "NOBODY has written a proper long story about kon's knockout and tana trauma?!?!! NO ONE?!?!?" (well, there was one i saw, but it hadnt been updated in like. 5+ years and hadn't really gotten into the meat of it yet iirc.) it sort of manifested in my mind as two distinct images: 1) kon looking at the glint of light off the rim of a teacup while trying not to cry + asking dick grayson what to do, and 2) kon asking clark why he wasn't a child worth protecting.

my first step with a longfic is always to take those initial images, throw them onto a plot diagram, and then fill in the spaces in between. the og one for sotm looks like this!

after that i go flesh out each point further and develop scenes per chapter. like, here you can see each chapter's basic plot points, but then as i got to each chapter i'd further flesh it out a Lot in the notebook, with as much detail as i could think of. for example, ch5's outline and notes look like this:

when i outline, i tend to try to imagine both the general vibes for a scene and specific dialogue notes, because i like sorta having guidelines for how to steer the scene as i write it. otherwise i tend to get pretty indecisive as to where it's going, and then i stop writing to think (or overthink) about what should be happening.

so when i do get a new idea and deviate from the outline i actually go back and rework the entire thing dhfjkds!! this happened in sotm, when i decided i wanted to add an extra chapter and focus more also on kon's career crisis, especially as it relates to his realization that OH, he's traumatized by tana in more ways than he knew. so i went back and outlined and fiddled with the last leg of the plot further:

and ... yeah that's about it!! i work pretty much In Order on everything i do, so it's: outline, outline some more, write the chapter, outline the next chapter, etc.

...also i'm not gonna lie i did partly just use this question as an excuse to show off some of my pretty pens. i am so weak for pretty pens. connoisseur of gelly rolls in particular. <3

ty for asking!! i hope this shed some light on it/actually answered what you were interested in, it was a fun writeup to do :)

[pyrriax]

6, 12, 30 for the writing asks ^_^

6. What’s the last line you wrote?

Shaking its head in what seems like disbelief before meeting his eyes again, almost like it wants to say something before it makes a noise like a growl, "oh, you're one of those seraphs, aren't you. A star-eater. No wonder you act like you've lost your mind."

(ignore that that's a couple sentences, the Thought is important)

12. Do you outline your fics?  If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

Oh yes! I outline my fics thoroughly. Though, I do allowed myself to deviate as much from the outline as I feel like when things go off the rails. Some snippets of planning from a couple fics & concepts:

My outlines are very... One for one. With some exceptions. I tend to basically write a very brief version of the fic and try to get the feelings and words right before I actually write it. This is... Also why it can and will take me a month to write a oneshot. I try to get things Right.

30. How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

So! I edit them a bit? I edit while I work, but often I don't really touch anything I've already written unless it's something longer that might be taking a few months to get through. I think the fic I've edited the most is the prologue of Artificial Stars, which was originally a quickly written 2k oneshot into about 5k of actually decent fic.

Usually I don't edit to make something shorter/more concise, since I tend to only come up with more ways to bridge concepts when I go back to it. Also to be fair... There's usually no difference between first draft and final product. I cannot be asked to edit my fics after I write them, I just release them to the birds and pray for the best. (Unless I actually decide to show it to my beta reader in full instead of just sharing snippets as I... usually do.)

Conclusion: Rarely, those thangs are being given to the world as-is unless something is horrifically wrong with them

[andypantsx3]

andie i am curious about number 12 and 25 of the writer asks if i may ask!! 🥹 (and 42 if you're feeling it!)

Hi Sel!!! I will absolutely do 42 for you, yes!! (I got to another ask with 25 first tho so I hope it's cool I skip that one!!)

12. Do you outline your fics?  If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

They vary, and I do stray from them if a better idea occurs to me as I'm writing, but usually not significantly!! At minimum, my outlines cover all the major beats I want to hit in a chapter. They never get any less specific than that, but they also don't get like, wildly more specific either.

Like, here's an example screenshot of what I had for Deceiving the Duke's first few chapters:

If you read the fic you can see I've deviated in a couple small ways, like having the events of chapter 1 all occur over the course of a breakfast instead of over a few days and so on!!

42. What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

One of the pun ones for sure. Possibly cover shot (through the heart)!! Although I do love how much people absolutely hate ready or knot lmaoooooo, nothing gives me more pleasure than when I know people are facepalming over a title. 😌

[courtney-deserved-better]

I’m curious about your writing process. Like do make outlines from start to finish, or plan things out as you go. I love how your writing feels so well written and planned out, like everything you write has some sort of payoff. Anyways sorry for rambling😅, have a good day❤️❤️❤️❤️

ooo this is such a great question! my long fics generally tend to be pretty planned out. but ive been learning recently that having less of a plan and just jumping into a story is actually better for my motivation and for plot points happening organically. part of the reason i tend to write competition fics as opposed to other settings is that the structure of total drama allows me to do less planning and rely on what comes up spontaneously because i already have a framework im operating within. so i tend to plan out elimination orders and general arcs for characters.

i would say of my long fics, slippery slopes is the most planned out, amicus curiae is somewhere in the middle, and reprised and the courtney time travel au are the least planned out. i had very specific scenes i wanted to have happen each chapter of slippery slopes and i think part of why it's a strong fic is because a lot was planned out in advance (like, months and months in advance). but there were still moments that surprised me (alejandro and courtney's friendship was never meant to happen) and caused me to deviate from my plan for the better.

i started writing amicus curiae on a whim and i got 40k words in before i realized that the courtnemma relationship would work way better if they actually knew each other before the fic started (originally they met on the show). it was a really good discovery but unfortunately meant i had to rewrite ~20 chapters to fit that which was a pain in the ass but ultimately for the better. amicus curiae was a fic where i was really figuring things out as they went along (i changed who the winners would be 3 times) but i still had a clear idea of the personal journeys i wanted the characters to go through that weren't necessarily reliant on the competition/structure (ask me about this more once im able to talk without spoiling it!!)

the courtney time travel au is a serious experiment in that its very focused on interpersonal relationship and yet almost no eliminations are planned out in advance. everything is very spontaneous despite being a rewrite of the first season both for me and for courtney in the fic. which i think helps it not become too rote! but i also have no idea how things are going to go from point a (the basic straining chapters, which i just finished) to point b (the post finale chapters).

im writing reprised for fun as something low stakes and silly (because i love amicus curiae but its angsty enough that writing it can be emotionally exhausting sometimes) and i have the elimination order decided and very basic arcs/plot points for some of the characters but its open ended enough that i can have fun with it! and it probably wont end being one of my more narratively strong fics but that's okay <3

one of my more recent struggles with amicus curiae has been spending so much time developing the alenoah and courtnemma relationships that i find myself going aaaaa!! how am i gonna get these two together before the fic is over?? its really taught me to have a clear idea of when character dynamics shift, especially for romantic ones that are going to get together sometime throughout the fic. i love pining but i find pining for almost the whole fic and then only having the characters get together and be in a relationship for like two seconds at the end to be somewhat narratively unsatisfying.

so yeah i would say i try to plan out the character & character relationship arcs and i use the structure of competition fics for framework, but i don't plan out many details/specific scenes before i write them unless they pop into my head and then ill write the idea down and come back to it when its time to write the scene. i find that not planning out conversations/interactions can make dialogue much more organic when i write it on the spot and can lead to new discoveries about the characters.

as for payoff, i tend to go for the general rule of chekhov's gun: if there's a gun in the first act, it has to go off in the third act. basically, i try not to introduce any narrative threads if i don't intend to resolve them in some way later on in the fic. for example in slippery slopes, i introduced my version of alejandro's family issues with him alluding to his oldest brother carlos distancing himself from his family, and in the last chapter i have carlos showing up for alejandro and helping him get away from his family as well. pretty much as soon as i started writing alejandro thinking about carlos, i knew carlos would be there for him in the end.

planning things out can be super helpful and i certainly couldn't start writing a long fic without having any kind of plan, but ive found that having suuuper detailed outlines and knowing every little thing that's going to happen in advance is personally stifling for me as a writer and kills my motivation. so im learning to strike a healthy balance.

thank you so much for this ask! i love talking about writing!

[lennoxlorian]

WRITING: GETTING THROUGH THE DRAFT

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve done NaNoWriMo and I am looking forward to jumping back into it full force this year. And as I start prepping with outlining, last minute research and setting up a special Scrivener file for the project, I remembered a post I wrote of the things I did that helped me smash NaNoWriMo the second time and wished I’d had these tips the first time around.

I found the post I wrote but over the years, (you can read that here) and since then I’ve gathered more practical tips to getting through NaNoWriMo. Remember, these tips are basically, to push through and get that first draft - which seems like the hardest part. How can you revise and edit something before you have something to even revise and edit, right? So, here are my original tips, plus some extras.

Set up a “Notes” file. This may seem like a weird tip. But I promise that it will be worth it at the end. The “Note” file can be a word document, pen and paper or even a Scrivener type program that has a notes section attached to the file. This will be a place where you will be jotting down every comment, note and idea you have as you write your novel. The purpose is to keep yourself from going back and falling into the downward spiral of self-editing/editing as you go. Because we know that it tends to lead to a novel in a perpetual unfinished state. My suggestion is to divide your notes into “Chapters”, “Parts”, “Page Number-Ranges” - depending on how you’re writing your novel and writing subsequent notes and ideas under that particular one. This helps you to find relevant information during the editing process.

Keep moving forward. No matter what. Don’t worry about the details. Don’t worry about changing something, even if the scene seems really long, dialogue heavy or you are describing the heck out of the setting. Don’t waste time thinking about how to change a small detail. Chances are you will probably not end up using it anyway. Just make a note of it in your “Notes” file and keep pushing forward.

An outline helps - even if you consider yourself a “Pantser”. Not everyone has an outline. For me, I LOVE outlines and mine tend to get crazy detailed. But what I appreciate about having an outline is that it helps me to keep my story in the direction it needs to go. Mind you, even with an outline, sometimes I do get into a flow that deviates from my original outline (It’s the tiny, rebellious pantser inside of me!). And that’s okay! I do suggest, even as a pantser, that you create a simple action breakdown. You want to have a clear idea where your characters are headed. Even a little.

JUST WRITE. Simple as that. Moreover - and this is important - write as if no one will ever read it. Don’t get caught up with how you think your novel should sound or even how you want it to sound. Just write it because it will create a voice of its own. YOUR voice. And that’s pretty freaking awesome. Putting myself into that mindset took away all of the inhibitions and self-doubt that I had and it created much of my best work. So write those cheesy action scenes or embarrassing love scenes. At the very least, it’s good character/plot development, it will get it out of your system and you’ll realize, later, that those scenes weren’t even needed. No harm, no foul.

Over write. Though many of the tips I'm giving can be applied to writing your first draft, this particular one is mainly for NaNoWriMo. As much as we would like to sit in front of our computers everyday or 30 days and just write, the truth is that we have lives and responsibilities that oftentimes takes us away from writing more than we’d wish. Sometimes for a whole day! (Boo!) But life happens. So over write. Write more than your daily word target. Especially, when you have extra time. That way, you won’t get behind and you’ll probably reach your goal sooner than you thought.

Stick with it. If you get #PlotStuck, don’t give up. What helped me, was to write chronologically. Meaning, I forced myself to get through whatever writer’s block I thought I had. Even if it’s introducing a new character, object or location to get the juices flowing, again. Some may say to skip over it and come back to it later but that’s how I got into a habit of not finishing novels. For me, waiting to get over that barrier - whether it was taking a quick break or a walk or reading - got me through several of those hurdles. What I’ve learned is if you’re serious about writing, you have to get through it because writing is not easy and it won’t be the last time you’re Plot Stuck. Trust me.

These are some things that helped me write and finish my first drafts. They may not work for everyone so take what you can and leave what you can’t. These aren’t the only tips I have but just the ones I have at the moment. I’ll be sharing more of those tips when they come to me. Or if you have a different question about my writing or my process or the blog or even my first draft, just ask me!

[aracelysdelusion]

AIUG Update (°ロ°)☝

Chapter four of my haikaveh isekai AU fic "An Isekai'd User's Guide to Making Life in a New World Easier: An Architect's Undertaking!" is being worked on but I'm currently only 5k words in (ʘᗩʘ') A lot has happened this week but I have big plans for this chapter so I really wanted to take my time with it so wait for meeee ಠ_ಥ On a better note, I'm in the process of making a twitter to expand sharing updates and other stuff so follow @AracelyDelusion on X if you want more shit from me (im still setting it up, i know.) but also I literally have been sitting rereading my fic to make sure I'm laying out the lore correctly because not only am I deviating from canon, I'm deviating from my own goddamn outline so much I have to make sure that all of my shit show makes sense put together. Don't make detailed haikaveh fics guys, all I wanted to do was write silly fics and I just now went down rabbit hole researching aristotle's four causes. (ಥ﹏ಥ)

ALSO:

Here's the playlist I listen to while writing AIUG so I thought it would be cool to link it for vibes while reading.

READ AIUG BELOW .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Fic Tags - Alhaitham/Kaveh, Kaveh (Genshin Impact), Alhaitham (Genshin Impact), Mehrak (Genshin Impact), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Transmigration into Genshin impact, Comedy, Kaveh had a Crush on Alhaitham (Genshin Impact), Kaveh-centric (Genshin Impact), System Mehrak, Abuse of the Fuck Word, Fluff and Angst, Kaveh is a Transmigrator, Rating May Change, Kaveh is Not Okay (Genshin Impact), No Beta We Die Like Kaveh's Dad, Implied/Self-Harm, Dissociation, Flashbacks, Blood and Violence, Unreliable Narrator Kaveh (Genshin Impact)

[lohstandfound]

7 12 21 :)

7. Post a snippet from a wip

poets garden au my beloved:

Jake looked up as the bell rang, seeing a shorter man waltz into his store. He had a mischievous glint in his eye. Jake smiled and leaned on the counter.

“Morning! What can I help you with toda-”

He was cut off when a hand slammed down on the counter, he looked down to see a twenty dollar note sticking out from underneath the man’s hand.

“How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?” Rich grinned.

Jake looked at him for a moment before he laughed. “Fuck you in flower?”

“It’s a very valid request, thank you. And don’t people, like, you know. Say things in flower language?” Rich defended.

Jake shrugged. “Used to,” he said, ducking down behind the counter as he looked through the shelves underneath. Rich leaned to peer down over the bench.

“Some people still do,” Jake continued. “It’s just not very common. But-” Jake grinned when he found what he was looking for. He stood up again, placing a notebook on the counter. He began to look through it. “B has a collection of flower talk she made up. Let’s see…”

12. Do you outline your fics? If yes, how detailed are your outlines? How far do you stray from them?

Absolutely not. Not really. I have a vague idea sometimes and just write it. There's a reason attwt, poets fic, and the fae au have not been updated in ages other than the fact i hate attwt now and that's because i never properly planned any of it out.

to be fair, poets fic is a rewrite of an older fic so in theory the plan was already there i just had to make it smoother but i deviated so far from the original plot i dont know where im going with it. and it requires me to write more poems

the bapo au is easy since its following the timeline of an existing musical. and i think im definitely going to need to plan out regicide au in detail if i want it to turn out how i can envision it

21. Do you prefer writing chaptered fics or one-shots?

one shots. i usually just write oneshots and leave it at that. sometimes thay're one shot series, like the colour pallet series which are mostly one shots about different ships and colours. or all my ramblings about deities au (which are more like drabbles)

that is mostly because I dont plan out multi chapter fics.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

writers’ ask game 2, 9, 17, and 21

i haven’t sent writing asks in forever! i enjoy seeing you on my dash though so i have scuttled out from beneath my rock

- @writeintrees

Aw thank you!! For the compliment and the ask! (From this writing ask game)

2.     Are you a pantser or plotter?

I identify as more of a Plantser, actually. I used to be more of a Pantser, but that didn't really work out for me, so I lean slightly more toward Plotter now.

What I used to do was have a basic idea and write until I hit a block but that always ended up poorly. I started planning more, and that was much more effective. As things went on, I found out the more I planned, the better things ended up being for me, as I usually ran into a wall or in circles or sprinted to the finish line with nothing in the middle happening.

Now, I'll admit, the pantsing did get me places, but now I can't do anything without an outline. However, I do find myself not being able to figure out the details of a scene until I write it, and that writing stuff down often deviates from the outline. This doesn't bother me at all - it's extremely helpful. The outline is more of a way to guide my writing so I better know what I'm doing, while actually writing can lead me to improving my outline.

Like I said, a bit of both, but technically leaning more toward plotter now.

9.     Current WIP

The WIP getting the most of my attention is The Secret Portal, planned to be a five-part sci-fi fantasy YA series. Part One is in the beta reading stages (see intro post) and Part Two is on another draft.

However, most of my focus is on the background world building for the magic system, which always needed work tbh but I'm there now! It's very exciting!

17.  What writing habits or rituals do you have?

I make it a habit to write between a shower and dinner. Rituals are listening to music and my water being right next to me. I'm usually at my desk as well.

21.  Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write?

Robbie, Akash, and Carmen are just fun to write. Robbie and Akash are inseparable, and just such a chaotic duo. Akash is fun because he has that humorous streak but is generally responsible, while Robbie is me throwing random things at the wall and saying whatever I want. Their banter is so fun to write.

Carmen is just an asshole and assholes are fun to write! She's angry at the smallest inconvenience but very easy to make very awkward. She's also super interesting and I want to study her under a microscope.

I find Lexi, Maddie, and Gwen a lot of fun to write because they're frankly easy. Side characters that are fun are Liam (argues over everything), Parker (chaos personified), and Gabriel (boring stick in the mud).

Thank you so much for the ask!!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

[sapphicspinningpoleproject]

So...Where Are The Sapphic Strippers?

Content Warning: mentions of sexual violence, racism, fatphobia, (none described in detail), use of a homophobic slur

Suzanne Bouclin's Dancers Empowering (Some) Dancers: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender in Organizing Erotic Labourers (2006) speaks to the exploitative and violent displacement erotic dancers experience within the Canadian exotic dancing industry. While I am not writing with a professional experience in that industry, I do feel that I am equipped to recognize and critically analyze some of the intersections Bouclin examines. An innate part of this project requires focus on the marginalization of queer & sapphic people in the same spaces Bouclin discusses in her case study, therefore creating an immediate connection for my own work.

The case study documents the pressure on especially working-class "exotic dancers (experiencing) economic exploitation [...] to 'do more'" (Bouclin 2006, 99-100). ('More' in this context meaning lap dancing outside of exotic dancing.) The specifically intersectional lens Bouclin employs is meant to note the different vulnerabilities across different dancers as they engage with new expectations in their work; "erotic dancing should then be examined as women's work that takes place in highly gendered , classed and racialized spaces. " (Bouclin 2006, 103).

Dancers Empowering (Some) Dancers: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender in Organizing Erotic Labourers relates to my previous post with its detailed look at the 'in-between' nature of exotic dancing and sex work. As I've established (again, see earlier posts) the line is very easy to blur without involving oneself in the specific bar and club subculture. One of the interviewees outline the pressures of exotic dance:

"I know that some girls are really afraid because they're on schedule or maybe they don't have any education or another job or they don't have anything to fall back on, they're worried about supporting their families, they would be afraid of losing their jobs. So I think they keep lap dancing as long as the owners want it to go on." (Bouclin 2006, 108).

Throughout this project, I have been processing and working through instances of sexual assault and harassment. Reading about the stories and feelings of other dancers facing similar issues has been helpful in accepting that everyone has varied responses to such violence. However, learning about those traumas and how they operate within systems that dictate exotic dance/stripping has revealed the many ways body exploitation perpetuates further violence. Because of the broader patriarchal and domineering systems creating spaces and business for exotic dance, experiencing sexual violence is not uncommon among dancers. However, Bouclin's work demonstrates that the societal pressures create larger vulnerabilities for specific populations of dancers; "If you're too fat you'll be told to leave. They're racist. If your skin is too dark or you're too black, if you're too white, too many tattoos, your hair is too short, you look like a d*ke you will [be turned away]. The more you deviate from that ideal, the less options you have" (Bouclin 2006, 112). The social and cultural ideals of whiteness, able-bodiedness, and femininity create barriers in which dancers are forced away from businesses and are then at risk for other forms of exploitation (Bouclin 2006, 117).

Thus emerges competition amongst dancers on a completely new level. There are constructed heirarhcies, where "the "clean" / "dirty" or "entertainer" / "lapdancer" dichotomy has likely much more to do with identity management than an inherent disdain for, or discrimination against, certain women." (Bouclin 2006, 114). There is constant competition for fitting into the mainstream, where dancers are encouraged to cater aspects of themselves to problematic and hegemonic ideals; Bouclin's notes this allows her interviewees "ignore the oppression of other(ed) women." (2006, 116) because dancing is what pays their bills. These constructed hierarchies among dancers is an extension of systems that already restrict queer, BIPOC, fat and disabled bodies.

The question of "Where are The Sapphic Strippers?" is a naive and reductive question then. The "reality that some women blur their personal boundaries in order to survive" (Bouclin 2006, 120) mens that sapphic women largely cannot afford to be visibly queer within the dancing industry, unless they are privileged enough to overshadow their queerness with a proximity to a thin, white and able-bodied ideal. I look at my own privileges and relationship to exotic dance; I am not in a position where I must rely on dancing as income as a young, white, and able-bodied person. Therein lies the avenue where I can be 'loud and proud' of my abilities within pole, all the while remaining explicitly queer.

Source: Bouclin, Suzanne. “Dancers Empowering (Some) Dancers: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender in Organizing Erotic Labourers.” Race, Gender & Class 13, no. 3/4 (2006): 98–129. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41675175.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/41675175

Obviously, this work was conducted before the ‘08 recession and is certainly distanced from today’s industry. With the emergence of personalities like Jacq Frances (http://www.jacqthestripper.com) there are newer conversations around queer people in the exotic dance industry, which I look forward to exploring.

[karahalloway]

Uncharted: Tales from the Gypsea - Author's Note

This series grew out of an ask sent by @petiteboheme, wherein she showed me a clip of Bruno Santos (my FC for Drake) trying hydroboarding (also know as jet-blading) for the first time and demanding that I write a version featuring Harper and Drake 😆

This request launched an immediate brainwave whereby Harper surprises Drake with a hydroboarding lesson for his birthday, and this idea became Surf's Up!

However, my brain — naturally — could not leave it at a simple one-shot, so this request actually ended up becoming the first instalment of a whole new anthology chronicling Harper and Drake's adventures around the Med aboard Drake's sailing yacht — the Gypsea — while on their honeymoon.

I have had this HC of Harper and Drake's honeymoon being a sailing trip for quite some time — as we know from canon that Drake can sail, and in (Un)Common Attraction Harper actually asks Drake to take her out sailing. However, because of the social season and the engagement tour, this doesn't end up happening any time soon, so Drake — being Drake — finally makes it happen after the wedding.

All this said, I had not planned to start writing about H&D's honeymoon until after I was done with (Less Than) Noble Intentions at least (though ideally the actual wedding as well!), but the creative process works by its own rules, so here we are.

This is a non-chronological series in the sense that I'll write/publish stuff as and when I have an idea for an instalment. And while I'll order each chapter in chronological order, they can be read as standalones, independent of each other and of my other stuff.

A few bits of background info:

1. The Route As my regular readers will know, I situate Cordonia on the Mediterranean in between France and Italy, approx 45 mins away from Monaco.

Therefore, since Drake keeps his boat... sorry. Sailing yacht (more on this below) in Cordonia, they would start the trip from there, sailing around Italy to end up on the coast of Croatia.

Rough route below:

Obviously, things don't always necessarily go to plan, and they're not really on a strict schedule, so there will be some deviations from this outline at various points.

2. The Gypsea I have HC'd from very early on that Drake would have a sailing boat. Not only does he know how to sail (as mentioned, canon compliant), but I HC that he loves sailing and being out on the sea in general, and this love of the water is referenced in various chapters of (Un)Common Attraction and Sleepless in New York.

I have also made a very brief passing reference to Drake's boat in the Burnt bonus chapter of (Un)Common Attraction, but have not really had a chance in my main stories to explore this in detail.,, until now.

So, for the purposes of background, Drake has a Marlow-Hunter 37, which means that it is a 37ft sailing yacht — picture below:

The main reasons I choose this boat is because I liked the look and feel of it for Drake, but more importantly: — it can be single crewed, — it can deal with sailing around the Med (certain areas are known to be very gusty, meaning smaller boats will capsize), and — you can actually live off of it if you wanted to (important consideration for Drake given that his ideal holiday is out in the middle of nowhere with not another soul in sight).

So, with all that in mind, tally-ho! ⛵️ 🌊 🏝️

[mistresslrigtar]

🛠⛔

🛠What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

I use Google Docs to write because I can use it on all my devices at any time of day. So convenient! I also use thesarus.com like a bible.

I'm a plotter. For one-shots I plot an opening, middle, and end. For chapter stories I go more in-depth and use a 15-point outline that allows me to go into more detail for the story arc. I can't write without doing either. For my current pirate wip I've written a synopsis of what I need to have happen in each chapter (it's a 20 chapter story). I've deviated every so slightly along the way, but for the most part have stayed the course.

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

I have a fic from a previous fandom (it shall not be named) I began posting but never completed. As for LoZ, I have a few WIP ideas I've written short scenes for, and I'm still hoping to get back to and finish, eventually.