#there was a very specific mc i had in mind while writing this (myself)

[maleyanderecafe]

Good day! I was wondering if your review on Restart Heart has changed after the new demo came out recently? If you haven't played it yet, I suggest trying it out and letting us know what you think of it.

After trying my hand at the updated demo, I can safely say that my personal opinion has changed quite a bit since the very first version. The MC seems a touch more like an insufferable prick now with how rude they are towards some characters, how "Mary Sue" they act in given situations, and how they overreact to certain events occurring around them. Their inner thoughts and rational thinking are nothing like mine as well, but that's more of a personal thing. While I'm aware it's currently still a demo and these events aren't considered "canon" by the dev, it isn't exactly doing a good job at persuading me to try out the finished version of the game once it comes out.

I do like that there are more than one "main" yandere now, however unfortunately none of the other characters aside from Ezra and Sammy really appeal to me. Each character seems very "stereotypical" and play into a very specific trope, but it's been like that since the first release so I'm not too bothered by it. I guess I was hoping for more developed and interesting characters in the update and got let down with the lack of improvement from the first version.

I'm also unsure how I feel about how overly "woke" the demo is trying to be? The overuse of Arabic phrases by Bess seems somewhat out of place and repetitive, so many characters are overtly trans or use their ethnicity as a base for their personality (especially seen on tumblr), the NSFW scenes [in the first version] feel like I was being babysat with the constant "consent check ins" and boundary implementations, and characters like Steph talk about their job [a pornstar] as though it's something to glorify or romanticize. The game's job is to make these characters appealing enough for us to pursue but I can't get over how forced/unnecessary their backstories and personalities feel. I'm transmasc myself but I'm put off by these constant reminders being shoved in my face at every turn, especially on the official tumblr page. I like that these sorts of things are being represented in a positive way (much less in a visual novel where it's so rare), but I don't like how constant and overplayed they are.

I will say that the writing has definitely improved in the new demo and it doesn't feel as overtly casual with the grammar and punctuation anymore (almost as if the narrator was texting me rather than talking to me). The characters have established connections with the MC now which I like, though I understand that this may not be everyone's cup of tea. The new CGs are nice too, however I won't comment on the updated art style since I personally prefer the scratchy anime style of games like TKATB, Mushroom Oasis, and even 14DWY [the first version]. I've always liked the music used and the GUI looks good, so I didn't mind not seeing much of an update for them in the new demo.

Overall, I have mixed feelings but I'm hopeful and optimistic that the finished version will be much better if the updated demo is anything to go by. I also hope there won't be a price tag on the finished product because as good as it is now, there is still so much that needs to be improved on to justify even a $5 label. These are my personal thoughts, though I'd love to hear yours as well.

It took me a while to replay the new demo and then find the older demos since it's no longer on the itchio page (There is still a link for the third day, but I had to watch epsylion's video on the fourth day, which excludes some routes). I admit that while I am generally aware of what is going on with various vns and their updates, I haven't had time to really go through and play most of them, so if there is a game that I have gone over before but it has updated, feel free to send me an ask.

Restart Heart seems to have an interesting conception, with the game going up to it's fourth day, before eventually being pulled back into a shorter demo that encapsulates the first day, likely to revamp and improve on the game as a whole. As such, I'm not sure if I've missed anything specifically as I'm not on the patreon . As a quick recap, the general plot of the first demo was that the MC, Sugar basically went on a huge party rager after finding out their ex fiance cheated on them and got their younger sister pregnant. As a result, the four days that we do spend with Sugar and the other characters are generally Sugar attempting to get back on their feet with the help of Ezra and the other characters, Bess, Blaire, Sammy, Chris and Steph along with sleeping with some of them if you so choose to. The new demo is a bit similar but only covers Sugar before finding out about the cheating, with them having a smaller interaction with the rest of the crew at the chocolate place they work at (namely that they almost got crushed by a bunch of staplers).

I think compared to the four day version of Restart Heart, I actually prefer this new demo's Sugar to the old one, though that's likely going to change once they find out about the cheating that's going on. While I understand that Sugar is going through a generally horrible situation of someone cheating on them, I also find their behavior kind of hard to deal with and not that much fun to play with. This is just my general gripe with a lot of yandere vns, not just Restart Heart in particular, where the MC tends to be very cynical and dislikes doing... well anything, which to me is a touch tedious and kind of annoying at times. I also feel like from the four day version, they feel a lot more bitter and angry (again due to the break up) but also coddled very heavily as well. Understandably it is nice to have someone who is able to care about you and try to make things feel better when everything feels like it's falling apart, but to me it still feels very infantalizing in some aspects, with every character seemingly trying to nurse Sugar back to feeling better. It's likely more of a me thing since I've always been the type of person to drag myself back up by my feet, rather than attempt to rely too much on other people. In the new demo, Sugar has yet to experience this (at least from what I can tell) so is generally more stable and less prickly. I don't think it's particularly Mary Sue like in the new demo, considering that I feel like if my friend almost got crushed by a bunch of staplers, we'd all run over there too and make sure that they're okay, though I can see where you're coming from since most of the characters are revolving around Sugar in that sort of way. It's hard to say what kind of characters the Restart Heart gang will be considering that it is still a demo, but considering it did have four days already out, I can see what you mean. We don't get to see too much into their lives (outside of Blaire, I think which probably has the most characterization out of Chris and of course Ezra). It would be nice for them to do other things as well like go out on dates or just hang out more one on one (like going to hang out at the library with Sammy, for instance) to get to know them a bit more.

Interesting take on it. I did notice that Bess uses a lot of Arabic phrases, kind of like someone who is trying to learn the language and is attempting to use it in their every day life so that they can remember it. I don't think that specifically was the intention, but it did come off like that for me. I'm not really sure what you mean by "overtly trans or use their ethnicity as a base for their personality", do you mean as more of like that's their main personality trait? A very minor confusion I have with the game is the use of pronouns that are attached onto the characters. That in itself isn't really a problem but it does seem a touch redundant because there is a character bio for all of the characters that already has the pronouns on it. Not anything huge, but it is a strange decision to make. The checkins for nsfw content is generally a thing that happens in a lot of r18 yandere vns, but I do get that it does feel very babysitting like, especially if it's something that happens after the initial agreement.

I do agree that the writing has improved a lot more, with the characters written in a more lifelike manner and feels more like they have known Sugar for a while. I also agree that it's nice that they have more stronger connections to Sugar this time around. I think the music is good, though I do wish that they would change it up more since the same soundtrack repeated does make it a bit tiring (though this is likely just a demo thing). Lilith did a good job of coding everything as expected, especially with the pronoun, name, partner, nickname choices in the very beginning. There is a lot of variation for people who want to be called a specific way during the NSFW parts (though admittedly I don't really like most of them since well, I prefer submissive yanderes). They are doing a lot of projects right now, so it is hard to say when the full version will come out and what the quality will be right now. Hopefully it will come out well though, and there will be more yandere content that I can shift through.

[mageofseven]

MC Touching the Brothers' and Mephisto's Hair

This is a rather self-indulgent post for me.

I was just thinking about when I was a kid how I just had this obsession with other people's hair, especially long hair. I would often play with my mom"s and older sister's hair when when I was little and I always had the compulsion to do it with others as well, but I eventually got the ability to restrain myself.

I'm unsure if it was because I am autistic or because I was a kid or both, but pretty hair that was smooth or bouncy was always an obsession of mine. It still is even now as an adult, but of course the only hair I play with is my own lol

So yeah! I've decided to base a post off of a childhood comfort~

Also

Because this is already a self-indulgent post, I've decided to specifically use my MC Elyna for this.

Sorry is that turns some of you off from this, but I've always wanted to use her in my writings so I think this is a good chance to do so.

So again! Using Elyna, my MC.

I hope you enjoy it anyways!

•▪︎▪︎◇°●♡●°◇▪︎▪︎•

Lucifer:

The Avatar of Pride was in his office, doing his work as always.

He heard the door creep open then closed, just for him to see Elyna with her textbook and homework in hand from the corner of his eye.

The woman often did her work in his office. The rest of the house was quite loud because of his brothers and even the poor human's room wasn't safe from them and their noise.

In order to help her get her work done undisturbed and help her avoid overstimulation, Lucifer added a small desk in the back corner of his office for her to do her work.

In truth, the man didn't mind her presence one bit. Elyna was a very quiet, well-behaved person though she did have her strange moments.

...Like now, for example.

Lucifer sighed and looked over at the woman.

"What are you doing?"

Elyna's books and papers were now on her desk and instead she had her fingers sliding through sections of his dark hair.

"Your hair is just like my mom's." She answered, as if it was obvious. "Hers is also smooth and greying."

The man frowned.

"I take it you miss your mother?"

"Yeah." She nodded, still sliding her fingers down his silky hair.

Lucifer sighed.

"Alright." He relented. "Just for a bit, but then you have to return to your homework."

Elyna quietly nodded and gently slid a new bundle of hair between her fingers.

Just as he said, strange. However, not unpleasant. In truth, the demon was rather enjoying the feeling from his hair being softly played with and found it relaxing

And so with no qualms, the man went back to his work and enjoyed the attention given to his hair.

Mammon:

The greed demon had been out all night and only just came back to HoL.

Too tired to trudge up to his room, the man instead went to the living room, flopped on the couch, and sat there half asleep.

Meanwhile, Elyna had just come out of Levi's room and was heading to the kitchen for more pop.

Upon seeing the second brother on the couch, she stared for a moment before deciding to step inside and to the back of the couch.

Suddenly, the half-alseep man jolted up before staring back at the person who just gave him his first heart attack of the day.

"W-What the hell, Ellie??!"

The woman pouted.

"I wasn't done yet."

"You coulda at least gave me a heads up or somethin'..." He complained, cheeks turning red.

"Oh okay." Elyna nodded. "I'm gonna play with your hair now, okay?"

Mammon let out a big sigh and flopped back on the couch.

"Whatever, human..."

Yet his cheeks were still red and only brighten the longer Elyna slid her fingers in his hair.

Honestly, the second brother kind of liked it. If his heart wasn't still trying to beat out of his chest from the scare it's actually from Ellie touching him hehe then he could actually see himself falling asleep like this.

Leviathan:

Elyna was in Levi's room like most nights. The two didn't speak, just did their own things.

The human had her switch in hand, playing Rune Factory 5 while the demon was still in the middle of the game he bought three days ago.

Getting burnt out from her own game, the woman stared into into his big water tank, finding the glow to be calming.

Eventually her eyes wondered away from the tank and followed the radiated light to Levi's head.

Elyna sat her switch down and approached the distracted man before kneeling down and running a hand through his hair.

"Ew."

The otaku's face went red as he froze in place.

"Your hair is greasy." She complained. "You need a shower."

The woman was disappointed. His hair was so pretty, but in this state was nothing but a sensory nightmare.

And with that, Elyna got up and left the room, leaving Levi all flustered and self conscious.

I mean...in truth, the man hasn't showered in three days so the reminder wasn't exactly a bad one.

So the demon paused the game before trudging into the bathroom.

Later, he was out of the shower and in his pjs, but still drying his hair with the towel as Elyna entered.

"...You were gone a while." He mumbled.

The dirty otaku thought he scared the human away with his dirty hair.

"I had to wash my hand and get Luce his coffee."

Ah right. The human does that like clockwork. In truth, Lucifer never asked her to do such a thing. When she got here, the woman simply observed her new housemates and discovered that Lucifer left his officer around the same time each night for a caffeine pick-me-up

And so she just started bringing some to him unprompted. In truth, she has gotten good at making the drink just as the oldest likes.

It made the envy demon jealous, unsurprisingly. He wished his Henry would show him the same care...

Elyna strolled over to him and took the towel from him.

"You're too tall..." She pouted. "Sit down."

Face tomato red, he sat down to the floor, prompting the woman to kneel down before drying his hair for him.

The man thought he would faint. Why was she doing this??? She was being so gentle with him though and Levi liked that.

Eventually, the human stopped and frowned.

"The towel is too wet." She looked at him with sad eyes. "Go blow dry your hair so you don't get a cold."

Well...it was nice while it lasted.

Satan:

Elyna was laying in bed with her boyfriend. The two were supposed to be reading their own books, but the human couldn't focus today.

She sighed before reaching out to gently twirl the blonde's hair.

"Kitten..." Satan lightly warned his girlfriend. "You know I don't like you doing that while I'm reading."

The woman pouted, causing the demon to chuckle.

"Just let me finish this chapter first."

Elyna gave a heavy, exaggerated sigh before setting her book aside.

From there, she played with her hands.

When she got bored of that, she hooked her foot under his leg, carefully raising his leg before letting it fall. Then she did it again. And again. And again.

Satan had his lips pressed together, trying to keep himself from laughing. His playful Kitten was precious as always. However, he still wasn't giving in. The cute human had to learn patience after all.

Not getting her way, the woman the pouted.

Unhooking her foot from his leg, she then decided to lay on top of her boyfriend and slid herself into his arms, laying her head against his chest.

Smirking, she turned herself so she was laying on him stomach to stomach.

Looking up at him with the cutest face she could make, Elyna made the one sound she knew he couldn't resist.

"Meow." She pawed at his chest. "Mrrrrooow."

Satan's eyes went wide, cheeks red.

...oh to hell with it.

And with that, Satan dropped the book to the side and flipped them both over. As he leaned down and kissed his mischievous Kitten, she slid her hands in his hair, victorious.

Asmodeus:

The two were in Asmo's room.

The Azzy was doing Elyna's make up. The woman didn't usually wear any makeup; didn't see the point in going through the effort and found her own past attempts at it a bit disheartening.

Asmo however, loved doing her make up! And dressing her up. Elyna was basically his life-sized Barbie doll, a title the woman didn't mind one bit. It made her friend happy and she got to look pretty for a while so it was essentially a win-win.

When he was finished with hers, the lust demon leaned into the mirror as his did some touch ups on his own.

As his hair shifted off his neck, the human couldn't resist.

She reached out and stroked his silky hair, causing the man to giggle.

"Not yet, Ellie." He smiled as he fixed his mascara.

Elyna nodded and watched the man fix his makeup, eyes lighting up when he finally turned around.

"Ready~" He hummed happily as he moved some of his hair forward.

The woman slipped her fingers through his locks happily.

Asmo always took such good care of his hair so it it was always super soft, smooth, and bouncy. It was a very pleasant sensory experience for the woman.

Luckily, the demon enjoyed having his friend admire his hair and she was so gentle that she never messed it up so that was also a bonus.

Beel & Belphie:

With these guys, Elyna doesn't so much as play with their hair as she does give them a scalp massage. The woman learned real quick how much the twins love when she guides her nails gently over their scalps and the back of their necks.

This time, she laid in bed with the twins, one on each side of her.

Belphie, unsurprisingly, was already fast asleep on her left and Beel was all relaxed on her right. He wasn't even eating (though he did start drooling at one point 😅🤭)

Honestly, these two were the easiest to convince to let her touch their hair, even compared to Asmo.

Mephisto:

"...What are you doing?" The nobleman looked to the side to stare at the woman.

Elyna had his bang between two fingers and kept sliding them down his hair.

"Your hair is pretty; I'm jealous." She told him, not taking her eyes off his Barney purple locks. "I always wanted to dye my hair when I was growing up, but my mom wouldn't let me."

"This isn't hair dye!" The man seemed genuinely insulted as he scowled at her. "This hair color is commonly inherited in my family."

The woman didn't even reacted to his outburst and just kept stroking his hair.

Mephisto huffed.

Well, they don't call his annoying human 'Elyna the Strange' for nothing.

And no he didn't smile when he thought 'his'; you're imagining things!

"I wish my hair was this pretty." The human remarked, still lost in her own head.

The man sighed.

Well, she's gone. Might as well tolerate this for now.

[moonshine-nightlight]

Any advice for writting longform stories like NWWD?

@honoikazuchis

thanks for this ask!

thats a pretty open ended question and my answer will inherently be relatively specific to me and the way i write, but i'm happy to share my advice!

I will link a few other posts where i answered some other writing asks:

worldbuilding [x] editing/exposition [x] writer's block/POV [x] plotting vs pantsing [x] how long does it take me to write stuff [x] my writing process [x] writing spicy scenes [x]

otherwise, see below for me rambling way too long about writing.

disclaimer: this is just my opinion and how i do things, obviously there's a lot of variety and nuance for everyone's writing process.

firstly, is that personally, i'm inclined to writing longform stories so thats a bit of a built in strength of mine. generally speaking my story ideas come with lots of lore (see above for my love of worldbuilding) and i like relationships that are deeper/longer, with slow burn being a favorite of mine (why basically all my short stories have the two people involved having met prior to the story starting). that being said, technically the main character in 'Nothing's Wrong with Dale' doesnt meet demon!Dale until the flashback of chapter 2 and why is part of why that story is so long/has a built in arranged marriage premise. Of my two potential long form stories i'm going to do next: one they already know each other (and are basically already in love just being pining idiots about it) or two the story takes place over several months/high stress situations and does not end with marriage etc. But thats more of a concern if you're writing romance.

in general, my advice for longform stories is to already have a relatively complete, high level view of the story when you start. some people can just improvise the entire story as they go--I cannot. i think its very helpful to know where ur story is going to end, more crucially when it is long and you'll be taking a while to get there. by this i primarily mean the setup for the story, then general ending, and vaguely what sort of metaphorical journey they take to get there. you do not need to know every scene and detail in the middle--and plot points/characters can and will evolve as you write and think more on everything--but having the broad brushstrokes figured out asap is critical, in my opinion.

I also, as a side note, don't set out with a story length in mind. i can generally get a good handle on how long a story will be by the idea and outline, but i dont try to make it long. if anything, i did try to challenge myself to write shorter stories, like my novellas, when i started this blog/posting original writing here. that was not only because i do tend to get very complicated/long original ideas, but also because i think it was important to me to actually finish some original work, which i had never done before.

shorter stories tend to have more straightforward plots. not that you can't boil down longer stories to simpler summaries, but generally longer story ideas have more stops along the way so to speak that come to me when i'm developing the idea because i want to cover more with the story. the main character in dale having had childhood illness, dale raised by his grandparents, there being tournament stuff and assassins stuff and uncomfortable parties and most importantly MC figuring out dale was a demon immediately and dale not knowing the MC knew that were all things i came up with (loosely) very soon after i started working on it.

which leads into my next piece of advice: write everything you brainstorm down - you will forget and you will remember there's something u've forgotten and it will annoy the hell out of you. write your notes, write your what ifs, write down possible character names, write down cool ideas for scenes--heck write some of the scenes up then, evn if its for chapter 24 of 35. dont save what ur most excited for as like a carrot on a stick, i find that it doesnt help and that having part of my story that i love existing already is a much better motivator to write the rest

i'm also a big outliner and planner. i think some people think what that means is that u should b able to write a plan once for a story and then never change or deviate from it--but no! change the plan as you go; scrap things that dont work out and add new ideas when they come to you. however, i do think having something down that covers the whole story, lets you get a good idea of the shape of the story, and reminds you of your end goal, are all incredibly helpful. i also keep multiple worldbuilding notes docs; character and location lists; picture inspiration; etc to support the longform idea

i think u also hav to hav confidence/delusion that you will in fact finished. i hav started multiple longform original writing ideas in the past. none of them are done except dale. and part of it was not taking some of my own advice up top, but i think i also just wasnt as committed? lik it'd get lost in worldbuilding, or writing other projects, or life happening (which is all absolutely fine) but dale was the first longform idea where i like, really believed i could write it all and where i was dedicated to putting in the time i'd need to finish it. i knew i would need to take breaks and it would take more than a year (which i did and it did) but i still believed i'd get to where i am now, with a finished draft which i think was really key.

also, practice, i've been writing for years and year; i've been reading for even longer; and i've been writing and posting fanfic for years as well. some of my longer fanfics were such good practice for how to plot a long story without having to generate all the lore myself and having guardrails on for the story/characters in general. aside from dale, my next five pieces of longest writing are all fanfic.

lastly, find at least one person you can talk to about your story. i really think that helped me stay excited and motivated about my longform story in particular. i of course like talking about shorter stories too, but i dont think i felt as compelled to keep talking about them during the process of writing them as i did for my longform stories (even my longer fanfics i talked with other ppl in the big bang about or other writers on discord). and i dont just mean posting the rough drafts as u go like i did, but friends, irl or online, that either are also writers or are just interested in what story you want to make. i think it helps make it more real to you, it gives you ways to talk through issues that come up, its a way to get excited because they're excited, and it makes someone besides you ask how everythings going. the longer stories ideas i had but never got finished are also ones i primarily kept to myself, because i dont think i'd realized how helpful it could be to share them and also because i was still sure that in order to justify telling someone or evn for someone to care, it would hav to already be written, but it doesnt! and in retrospect, i wish i had because maybe those stories would exist--or maybe i'll dig up those notes and talk to someone about them and then find myself back to writing about them (rip to Aftermath, that corrupted external hard drive did u dirty and killed my motivation).

i think getting to understand and figure out your own process, to really look at yourself and see what works and what doesnt (as honestly as you can) is extremely helpful. u'll also figure stuff out along the way--dont hesitate to try to new strategies or drop one that are really not working for you. its all a learning process. be nice to yourself! give yourself the grace to make mistakes (or tell a friend so they can bully you into to cutting urself some damn slack when u can't stick to a weekly upload schedule u made up for urself).

whatever longform story you've got in ur head is one worth sharing and seeing through to completion--and then inflicting on everyone else lol OUR problem now ;)

[perfectlovevn]

hi boss! absolutely loved Perfect Love and you did such an amazing job with the entire game's execution! i loved how you were able to so clearly portray eris as f-ked up and the main instigator for everything, pulling the strings behind the scenes instead of the usual "i didnt do anything wrong" or "im just trying to survive" type of MC (which isnt bad at all, but im so happy with the freshness and utter depravity eris brings) i love your art and the intentionally messy style that highlights the disorganisation and chaos in both eris' and milo's mind, the recurring motifs of eyes, red, blue, god i can go on and on. really your vn is so well crafted with how intentional every creative decision taken seems, im going crazy with the amount of love, time and effort you put into perfect love.

ive read every single name easter egg you put and the references to other yandere vns/media (jd <3) AND went on to give us more with adding little quips later in the game depending on the nickname eris gives milo. i was literally going crazy with how i couldnt decode the 2nd type of cipher you scattered throughout the code until 2 days later when i was ready to give up and ask you hahaha

from there, if it isnt too spoilerish, is there reason you used the nihilist cipher that removed the letter J instead of the usual Z ? and ! i loved the snippets with the friendship gang, tysm for leaving in your writing process and brainstorming products in the game files i had so much fun <3 im so sorry for the rant and thank you so much for the game! 1000% looking forward to your next one if youre working on something!

Hello! Thank you for your kind words!

Yeah, one of the main reasons I made Eris like that because because of how much I really wanted to see more evil MC in visual novels (or just yandere media in general). While there isn't anything wrong with having a yandere who is just there to survive, there is something very fun about being the one who causes the yandere to become worse than he initially was.

I'm glad that you found such meaning in the art style! Honestly the biggest reason I drew it like that was because I was trying to get it done for the 2023 yanjam and I didn't want to overwhelm myself so I just made mostly everything black and white. That and it's supposed to symbolize more of the darker aspects of the game. Did you know all my assets were drawn with one brush?

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the details because I really did try to put as much as I could in there. Since I think it would be fun for people to see the neat details people put in the game (I know I sure do when I play visual novels), I tried to make everything very catered to what was going on in the story. It did take some extra work, but I think it's good for the game and my general learning experience. I'm also glad you enjoyed the easter eggs I put in for names and nicknames. I was very sleep deprived when I did it and I kept adding them in because I don't have good attention span (or at least, that's part of the reason).

For the cyphers inside of the code, I put a hint at the very top relating to each of the code. Each of the four types is represented of the three Milos with the one in English being from Eris. The Nhilist cypher is specifically for Manipulation and the key is in the second line based off of the capitalized letters.

Yeah! I'm glad you liked it. I'm still in the middle of writing the other ones (I'm working on the one with Poison in it, which recounts what Eris did to get Poison to fight Violent in his route). I always like leaving my drafts in there because I always find it fun to see people's thought progress in code and games.

No, no, I love your rant on it! I think it's really fun seeing what other people like, dislike and thought about the game in general! My next game will be a lot more light hearted, but still have a yandere character in it.

[darkfictionjude]

Etymology nonnie here!

Now I'm really interested on playing the demo. But I'll wait.

Luce seems to be a very different MC to what I had in mind. They seem rather a lovable and cherished person. I almost feel tempted to believe they could be played as the kind of goodie two shoes I often play... If it wasn't because this is a Mafia IF. At least, I think, some grey morality is to be expected.

Yet, it's hard for me to not conceive Luce as this kind of lovable person. I mean, their nickname literally means "light", and while I understand it's possible for that to have negative associations, which often are specific to a particular piece of media, in most cases light is considered a good thing.

This seems to be the opposite situation to WWC MC. At least, in the surface. But this is a Mafia related family, and your writing, so I expect some disfunctional family drama. Also, you've mentioned an incident. I have no idea what it could be. And I'm questioning myself if it's going to be an event of which we will get more information as the story goes, or just the backstory (or both: is the backstory, and we get some information, but as the story goes more data is given to us, which is almost what happens in WWC and the incident of 1992, if I recall correctly).

There is also the fiancé(e) situation. It's really interesting for them to not be an RO. I can just assume either (since you confirmed Sam does not die at the beginning):

1) Sam or Luce do something that demands the break of the betrothal. Like cheating or something of that sort. Or maybe something more violent (although I doubt would physically abuse Luce, simply because of the possible consequences that could fall to them from hurting Luce).

2) The marriage is for convenience only, and has little validity. Luce and Sam are then free to romance anyone they want, as long as they do it discreetly. Personally I doubt this is the case (although it does remind me of the setup of some IFs), simply because the other characters and the setting are too conservative for such a dynamic (unless it's only agreed between both Luce and Sam, and everyone else is none the wiser). But it would be an interesting relationship dynamic nonetheless.

3) Following from 2, the marriage can also be a lavender marriage for Sam (and/or Luce, depending on customization, maybe). So, both are free to have relationships outside of the marriage and the marriage is a front. And so Sam and Luce are friends. I do like this dynamic a lot, and it would be, perhaps, the case for my own Luce, since I always play as a gay man (since that's what I am in real life).

4) Either Sam or Luce are kidnapped or something on those lines, and so the betrothal does not continue because of this. I doubt this is the case, not because it's unlikely for either to get kidnapped, but because it could be complicated to fit as the beginning incident. And because it makes Luce an asshole if Sam is kidnapped and they began to have something with someone else in the meanwhile. Which is not something I'm against to, but it would be a weird thing to force in an IF, I guess.

5) Sam has to leave for whatever reason. If male maybe he has to do military service or something. But I don't know what to do with a female Sam. In any case, I think this has some likelihood, but it's a bit weird too.

6) Sam breaks up with Luce for whatever reason (may be amicable, or nasty). They remain a character present in the story, but they just don't continue being romantically involved.

Alas, there are many possibilities. And me theorizing does not get me closer to the answer. I'll just have to wait.

That said, I've fantasizing about the idea of my Luce in particular being a very loving and kind fiancé. Like pampering and romantic. But, in truth, he is not straight. He believes he is because of his environment and how he was raised, but then... Boom, begins to feel attracted to a man. And his world is upside down.

As of now, I'm unsure if I'll go for Dante or Lazlo. Dante feels like a fun unhinged character to romance, but I'm not fully convinced as of yet by his concept. I probably need to see how he is written before deciding, however. As for Lazlo, while the name reminds of a cartoon (Lazlo's camp), and I'm not that big of a fun of the name (nothing against it, I just don't vibe with it that much, although I enjoy it's Hungarian roots... A link with Imre, perhaps?), I'm fascinated by the concept of his character. Simply because there is obvious angst. Which is worsened because the obvious happy ending where Lazlo becomes officially a son of Antonio (by marrying Luce) is simply impossible because I'm playing as a man. And they both may envy each other, and want to trade places in a way... Maybe I'll romance Lazlo first. Then again, I'll have restraint and wait for the demo before making any choices.

Finally, I know you are put in a weird spot when we comment about our MCs names, since is not something you control. That said, I've been thinking about my Luce's name. Obviously it has to be something Italian, or at least an adaptation to English of an Italian name. And I'll probably want something that begins with "L" or "Lu" or "Luc-" so the nickname can also make sense with both their personality and their real name.

But so far I have not decided yet what I want. So I'll probably comment something about it in the future. Funnily enough, all the names I'm thinking about are also Spanish names, at least for spelling. It reminds me of my days studying romance languages historical Linguistics for fun. Good memories.

Since I have not asked a question (well, I do basically try to figure out the situation with Sam, but it's clear you want to keep it a secret for now, so you won't answer that), so, I'll ask something. So far, what has been the most interesting theme/character/character dynamic of EC to you? And is there something you are very excited to share and yet no one has brought up? It may be too early for that, yet I'll ask anyway.

Yeah “light” can be both a good and a bad. It can bring joy or burn you. It’s a crossroads of what Luce can be. And yes I want to give the sense that Luce has a fairly good life, they’re loved. But you can’t be a healthy family when your relatives torture and kill people it’s dysfunctional by the very nature of their wealth. Is your father a good father if he hugs you with the hands he uses to strangle someone else? To me it would be too simple to have a crime family and that they all hate each other and are a abusive like the Crowns, it’s more fun and fascinating if they by all intents and purposes are a loving family

Lazlo is just because I like how unusual it is. It doesn't have any connection to Imre or WWC, as I don't want that and because they don't take place in the same universe. EC and OHYS are the only ones set in the same world

Ah the Big Sam Mystery continues…

To the most interesting theme is how far can a person be willing to go for revenge? And then when they get it what happens next? Can they ever go back to what they were before? Or are they lost in what they’ve become?

To my most interesting character is probably Dante due to his sheer insanity, the most interesting dynamic though is of Luce and a person who I haven’t mentioned yet they aren’t in the intro but who starts a bit of a cat and mouse game with Luce

An interesting thing for this game is that you can become a mafia boss or you can pretend to be one, two different streams of motivation and gameplay, one leads to revenge and the other to justice

[ravenpuff88]

The Stars in Your Eyes

Amit Thakkar x Female!MC

Warnings: Excessive nerdy astronomy talk, MC being a bit insecure, small existential crisis (definitely not inspired by personal experience😅), ultra fluffiness

Word Count: 1831

Synopsis: While spending time stargazing, the pair find themselves not just admiring the stars. (You might even call them star-crossed lovers…hehe I know it's cheesy af)

Essentially an adorable love confession between two friends. (I didn’t have a specific time in mind for when this takes place, but for reference let’s just say it’s been at least around a year since the events of the game)

Author’s Note: This is my very first attempt at writing fanfiction so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! I’ll admit that this is a little self-indulgent as I myself love looking at and talking about Astronomy and have developed quite a soft spot for our boy Amit. Though I hope even the non-star lovers can still enjoy this! :)

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

“And that one there is Sirius.”

“The dog?” Squinting her eyes and adjusting her telescope, she tried to make out the constellation Amit had pointed at. As much as she enjoyed gazing at and observing the various stars and astronomical objects in the sky, she internally chuckled at her lack of skill when it came to effectively using a telescope.

“A little to the left… here, let me…” Amit gently placed his hand over hers as he guided her to the correct spot. Adjusting it one more time, she sees the unmistakable bright collection of stars. Smiling, she looks over to Amit who’s still staring up at the night sky.

Tonight had fortunately been a particularly clear one, allowing her to soak in the image of her moonlit friend. She admired the small smile on his lips and the way his eyes longingly gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkling reflection in them. Despite the late-night chill, she felt her face grow warm when he turned back to look at her. Quickly averting her eyes back to the telescope, she feigned being in the process of looking for another constellation.

“Thank you by the way,” she whispers, not quite having the courage to meet his eyes just yet. “For agreeing to meet me tonight. You’ve been a tremendous help, and not just in Astronomy, but in all my classes.”

The corners of his mouth turn up. “You are most welcome. It is a pleasure to be able to help you.” He watches as she gazes at him from the corner of her eyes, her face still against the telescope.

“I only wish I could offer you more help of my own. You’re one of my closest friends and have done so much to help me without so much as asking for anything in return.” A small sigh leaves her lips as she pulls away from the telescope to finally face him.

Amit turns his head slightly in confusion as she gives him a half-hearted smile. “And you are one of my closest friends,” he states. “I truly do not mind going out of my way to help you. Especially after all you’ve done for me and everyone else for that matter,” he chuckles, reminiscing on the year she had arrived and when they first met.

She too smiles at the memory. “I suppose I mean I wish I could provide more academic assistance to you as you so often do to me,” she murmurs.

“Need I remind you who is still currently the Crossed Wands Champion? You often forget that I am not nearly as gifted as you when it comes to dueling.” Taking a step towards her, he makes sure her eyes meet his as he smiles at her. “You’re the first and only person I ever ask to help with my Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments for a reason. And not just because you’re my closest friend in that class.”

Sheepishly bowing her head a little, she does her best to continue looking into his deep brown eyes. “Well… thank you.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Trust me, you are an amazing witch with and without my help,” Amit said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

The two exchanged a soft smile as both pairs of eyes slowly drifted back up to the twinkling sky. Neither spoke for a while, the only noise being the occasional cricket chirp or the distant sound of a broom flying by. The lack of conversation isn’t uncomfortable though as both are content just being in the other’s presence.

She’s the first to break the silence, however. “There are… so many stars,” she chuckles. “Not to point out the obvious or anything, but it’s crazy when you really think about how…  insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe.” Amit hums in acknowledgment as the two continue staring at the endless void that sparkles above them.

“I mean… the universe already is unfathomably vast and coupled with the fact that it’s constantly expanding…” she takes a breath, shaking her head. “It's just unimaginable. We’re essentially a tiny speck, no even less than that, floating along through the infinite cosmos.”

A beat of silence passed through them and Amit took the moment to turn his gaze toward her. She was still craning her neck to look up, seemingly bewitched by the thousands of lights glittering in the sky. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes slightly glossy. She might have been standing right next to him, but the far-off look in her eyes told Amit her mind was miles away. His own eyes softened at the sight before him.

The light reflected from the moon bathed her in a light blue hue, highlighting her beautiful hair, her slightly creased forehead, and rather adorable eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Amit then felt his eyes wander down to her lips. When she wasn’t speaking they formed a small yet sad smile. She suddenly stopped to look at him.

Amit felt his face heat up as he briefly looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring at her. When he looked back she was looking expectantly up at him, as if waiting for a response.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, did you say something?” A faint blush dusted his cheeks as he internally cursed himself for not paying attention to what she was saying.

“No worries,” she giggled, amused by his shy and apologetic nature. “I was just saying, do you ever feel… overwhelmed by the thought of everything? Of how meaningless it sometimes feels to even be here?” She looked back up. “I mean it’s utterly breathtaking don’t get me wrong. I love that I’m able to admire such beauty from right here but sometimes I think… if we’re so immensely small it’s honestly frightening to think about the impact of our very existence and how at the end of the day…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “Does it even matter? What’s the point of it all?”

She risks another glance at Amit and is met with his eyes staring intriguingly at her own. The corners of his mouth twitch slightly as he processes what she had just said. Conversations such as this one were reminders to him of one of the many reasons he cherished her and their interactions together. Perhaps something as deep as the questions she had asked him would be alarming to some, and while he wasn’t exactly expecting those words, Amit lives for moments like these. Times where he knows he’s not alone in his endless questioning of any and all things. And that she’s comfortable enough with him to have the courage to ask.

“I won’t pretend like I know the answer any more than you do,” he says softly, taking a step toward her. “But I will say this: whether or not our purpose-our very reason for existence has any significance beyond that of simply living a fulfilling life… I believe that, at the very least, there is something to be said about the impact we all make on ourselves and others.”

Amit takes another step closer to her, the pair’s eyes locked onto the other as the space between them nearly disappears. “While I hardly believe in luck, I do think that each one of us is lucky to be alive and here today. I think I am incredibly lucky to be where I am and at this very specific time since if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t know all the people I know now. I…” Taking her hand, Amit gently places his forehead against hers as he closes his eyes for a moment, savoring how close the two are.

“I wouldn’t know you.” Opening his eyes, he’s met with her incredibly bright ones. “I wouldn’t know what it’s like to see you every day. To hear your laughter echo across the halls. I wouldn’t know the warm fuzzy feeling I get whenever you ask me for help. How easy and intellectually stimulating our conversations are.” Seeing her eyes practically sparkle before him, Amit lifts his other hand and softly cups her cheek, relishing in the tiny gasp that slips past her lips.

“I wouldn’t know how beautiful your eyes are, how they shine brighter than any star.” Amit feels himself swimming in those gorgeous eyes. He’s drowning and has no intention of ever coming up for air. At last, his gaze drifts from her stunning eyes down to her lips once more. Looking back up, he searches her face for any signs of discomfort. “May I…” he whispers, hesitating slightly. “May I kiss you?”

Still utterly entranced by his words and the way he gazes down at her, it takes her a second to process his request. But only another moment passes before she nods her head. “Please…”

A small relieved sigh leaves Amit’s mouth as he slowly leans his head down to hers. He stops just short of her lips, feeling her breath against his face as he looks at her one more time, wordlessly asking permission just once more.

She smiles softly at his consideration and takes the opportunity to move forward herself to gently press her lips against his. Though slightly awkward at first, the kiss is delicate as the two begin to move their lips in unison.

As a steady rhythm is built, Amit gradually moves his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck, lightly pushing her further into him. With his other hand still connected with hers, he moves to lovingly intertwine their fingers while she finds purchase in lightly gripping the front of his robes.

He feels a soft groan leave his mouth when he feels the delicate trace of her tongue against his bottom lip. But before he can indulge any further, he feels her pull away for a breath, much to his dismay.

“Wow,” she gasped. She took in Amit’s flushed face and imagined she was in a similar state. As the two caught their breaths they locked eyes once more, smiling at each other before erupting into a fit of giggles.

“I love you,” She breathed in between laughs. Though when Amit suddenly went silent she feared she had just scared him off. “I…I mean…” she stuttered.

“Do you mean it?” he asked softly.

She chanced looking at him again, searching for anything in his eyes telling her she should deny it. But she was met with nothing but two deep pools of exquisite brown eyes. His eyes. The ones that seemed to look into her very soul. The ones that even now, were filled with nothing but sincerity.

“Yes.”

His eyes practically lit up at her confession. Placing his hands on her hips he effectively lifted her and spun her around, cherishing in her laughter echoing through the night. Setting her back down he moved both of his hands to her face.

“I love you too, my little star.”

[haydenigmatic]

Here's an angsty ask! How would the Ros react if they were finally going to confess their feelings to the mc but before they could say anything the mc rushed up to them and said "could you believe it? ( Other Ros name) just asked me out and I said yes!"

That's just plaiiinn evil anon, I mean I can totally see myself writing that because as you should know I love to see my OC's suffering.

Damon: I guess I could picture him trying to play it cool, like everything's fine and maybe unconsciously he would play even harder to conquer MC's heart, not minding at all for the other RO, that Ro is now his rival and Damon is highly competitive, letting his darker side out because of his jealousy and regretting himself for not having moved faster and beat them to win MC's heart.

Hanniel: Ah my sweet boy, If he had finally summoned the courage to confess his feelings to MC, only to be met with the news that another person had just asked them out, his heart would shatter in that moment. Despite the pain, he would force a smile, congratulating MC and expressing happiness for their newfound romance. However, the weight of unspoken emotions would linger, and in an attempt to shield himself from further heartache, Hanniel would withdraw. He'd discreetly avoid encounters with MC, silently nursing his unrequited feelings. Deep down, he'd respect their choice while grappling with the haunting question of what might have been if he had confessed his love sooner.

Nesrin: So to be fair when this happens it would be after their "political relationship" and oh god, she even has a little secret that at first would immediately stop her from acknowledging her feelings if any towards MC. Practically she would suppress her feelings and continue with how they were before any of that. Her plot would only to make MC to be with her and for her and her family there's no need for love in it, they need each other (other thing would be if it were Odette, oh boy).

Jasira: For her it would be something like, "fine, it's a quite clear sign from the gods" that was not meant to be, she has to fulfil her duty and her feelings for MC are only in her way, she might cry it out a little whilst she tries to forget MC. But then she's quite bold and might eventually confess her feelings anyway to MC just to let it out of her chest not hoping for anything just to be truthful and might lead to her and MC making out.

Odette: Aww she would have prepared a song or maybe even a letter where she poured all of her love out for MC only to find out that her one true love has chosen someone else, she might try to fight off the tears that threaten to fall out, wishing all her best to MC and their relationship with the RO, leaving right away after that. She would start singing sad songs, I mean she's quite sentimental but she's very in touch with her emotions and really her singing depends greatly on her mood. (again if the specific RO were Nesrin, let's just say that she would not let go that easy)

Sorin: She would feel played with, why would MC lead her on. MC was just another one in the long list of people who have played or taken advantage of her. So she would most likely treat MC with not affection at all, and interact the least she can with MC.

Doria/n: It would have taken them a while for doing that, I mean after a lot of denial and masking it up as it being pure lust. So if that happens they would feel really jealous and would try to take MC from the RO, in the pretence that it is just because they can and there are no feelings behind it.

Aurelia/n: They would freak out, thinking they misunderstood everything and it was pure friendship, but would eventually tell MC about their feelings and how they wish them good but wants most of it all for MC to be happy.

Verena: For her to realise that it would also require a lot, she could be banging MC and it would be just desire or just the pleasure of getting to bed with one of the top choices for marriage material in this case MC, and maybe after hearing this she would think "It's fine, we'll still continue with what we have" but might find out that she doesn't want to share MC or if MC is serious about it, that's when it will strike her, she loves MC but now she will have to find a way, no matter what she will have to do to get MC for herself.

[shai-manahan]

Hello!

I am a person who is writing his own Interactive Fiction game. I currently have about 50k words written for it and will probably be making a forum thread soon. But I really need some advice from you as your game is one of my favourite.

The thing I am struggling with is my plot seems a bit bland to me and I just don't know what to do about it. Like I at the start only decided my game is going to be very reactive to choices and I have loads of meaningful choices and lots of variables remembering lots of things. But when I read through what I have written so far it feels a bit meh. Like your game is soooo intriguing as a reade. So my question was how do I make the plot more intriguing?? Sorry for the long ass post

I'm probably not the best person to ask about this; I go through cycles of self-doubt at least a few times a month 😞

But I'll do my best to help!

First of all, 50k words for an initial demo is impressive! HM had around 28k words when I first uploaded a public demo (which was just the first version of the prologue), so you're doing very well!

I think it would help tremendously for you to sit down and figure out what themes you wish to put focus on. It doesn't mean that you can't tackle a few others as you write, but it's always good to set goals like this to maintain consistency and make their presence strong in the story. It doesn't have to be something "grand"; it just needs to be clear in your head.

It's cool to aim for your choices to be meaningful, but watch out for scope creep. Not that I can talk; I have way too many variables tracking the MC's actions/dialogue choices as well as routes that not many will ever know about. And they can be fun! Just remember that fun doesn't always remove the stress attached to those boosts of excitement. I'd say try to focus on choices/variables you're sure you can deal with, particularly those that can enhance the quality of your plot, and you can decide to add more once you're certain you can handle them.

I have no way of knowing you're not already doing this, but well-developed characters help the impact of the plot grow stronger. Their fears, motivations, what they need to see vs what they have currently. Humans are complex beings, and for me, it's always interesting to try and explore that complexity. I love exploring it.

Try to talk to a friend about what you have at the moment! It helps to have some who'd never mince their words and are willing to give honest feedback while being helpful at the same time. In a way, it can be encouraging to know you have someone to depend to, and I hope you can find them if you haven't met such a person yet.

It's a first draft!! This is something I also keep telling myself, though it doesn't necessarily help me clear out all doubts all the time. But you should at least be aware of it. This is the first time I'm creating an IF, but I did a lot of film screenplays before, and my first drafts always sucked. It's why rewrites are not a foreign concept to me, and why I know HM might go through a lot of changes before I settle on its final version. But I do think both readers and writers should be aware of the fact that first drafts aren't supposed to be perfect; and WIPs, no matter how long they are, shouldn't be expected to have no flaws at all.

I cannot stress this out more, but taking walks outside or even doing the most mundane of errands can help to clear your mind! Try to take some rest; it might even give you some perspectives you haven't thought of before :))

I think that's all I can give for now, and I hope you're having a great time writing so far! I do want to remind you that you'll have to find methods that personally work for you as well, whether you're a plotter, a pantser, or something in between. It's why I haven't been too specific with the things I said; it's best for you to try and see what actually works for you as a writer. Best of luck <3

[godmadeaterribleerror]

okay, please, if you suddenly want to have a little chat, bc I'm thinking about your fic every day. I'm going to talk nonsense, admire you and ask you questions, sorry

1) You've done a great job coming up with mc abilities. I've been thinking about this for quite a while. I imagined it as a mix of Captain Marvel's abilities (how she absorbs energy and all that) and Johnny Storm's abilities (by the way, they can both fly🤭)

Tell me why you chose such a set of abilities without revealing secrets? The compound v acts strangely on adults in the boys universe, it is often associated with a mental state/fear/health, and some people just died idk

or did you just pick it randomly? what superpower would you like to have?

2) The Shapeshifter? It will be very dangerous if she shapeshifts into Starlight. Technically, you don't have to think much to find out where our couple lives. There are many ways, it's just that Sage is not straining yet. I'm just thinking out loud like an obsessive asshole.

3) mc is not like 'I can fix him', but she does. I like it. Sometimes I think about their age difference and I feel sick. BUT Ben is sexy grandpa (I'm really sorry Ryan), so I forget about it.

4) are you going to kill the Deep? please please please🥹 I know you're not going to write a whole chapter about him and all that... But I don't mind fried fish.

5) I hope to see more interactions with Kimiko and Starlight, it always looks cute. you write them so wonderfully.

6) Her healing power lies in transferring injuries to herself, isn't it? It's like everything is different with mental illnesses. It's a damn shame that she can cure Ben's PTSD, but she can't cure hers.

7) How did you come up with the idea of this fic? I want to know EVERYTHING

Never apologize for talking nonsense! It makes me so happy to see anything from you guys, no matter what. I’ll answer best I can without avoiding spoilers, and feel free to ask any follow ups!!

1) - Thank you!!! Captain Marvel with Johnny Storm is good combo to describe the fire powers, and as for the set of powers the parallel/parody superhero I was going for was Scarlet Witch, not in terms of powers but tropes. Like definitely op but completely traumatized so that her powers are a little detrimental. You can kind of see more of the scarlet witch influence in her fourth power, but the reason for the specific combo of powers is a little spoiler-filled so I won’t touch on it rn! I think shapeshifting is the power I’d want to have, but like, animals. 

2) What an amazing segue on my part. I’m not including the shape-shifter, tis one of my creative liberties. I don’t have a reason, it’s just “no thanks, too much :)” because I am keeping many, many plot-balls in the air. I will not volunteer myself for more.

3) I like to think of mc having a “you want to fix him? well I’m going to accept him as he is. The atrocities are a part of him, and i’ve decided they’re funny” mindset (more complex obviously, but that’s the best way to put it) while Ben himself has a “i can make her worse” mindset, and they end up accidentally helping each other. That's a really boiled down way to put it, but the principal applies. Also the way I’m thinking of the age-difference is that literally no one is that dudes age, they’re both immortal, and also Ben is emotionally like 29 at max. It’s still not great, but it’s a fanfic of the Boys, it’s going to be ethically grey.

4) No spoilers!

5) There are some in the next chapter!! Also thank you❤️!!!

6) That is how it works, and my logic as to why she can cure Ben’s PTSD but not her own is sort explained in chapter 9? I won’t say anything right now but if you still have questions later I’ll go more into depth!

7) I’m going to sound like such an ass, but it genuinely just like. Formed. Like I had the idea in a vague, overarching sense, sat down and figured out the plot beat by beat, and then started writing? like that not a satisfying answer but it’s all I’ve got and I’m so sorry for that.

And thank you thank you thank you! I mean it, never ever feel bad about bothering me, because you’re not! Ranting nonsense, questions, comments, theories, silly jokes, all are welcome! I hope this at least kind of answered your questions, I had to make some calls about how much/how little to say! Thank you again!! ❤️❤️❤️

[keehomania]

I just read "Ghost of You" and oh my god. the absolute torrent of emotions that it roused in me was insane. the way you built this fragile world, the amounting sense of safety n comfort, and then that small sliver of doubt that u planted with the mc's ex's appearance.

my take on this is that, grief is a powerful thing. too powerful and maybe mc's suffering was so great that her mind actively sought out ways to comfort itself, one particularly efficient method being deluded hallucinations.

the mention of pills rly got me thinking that is this _really_ reality, that Jimin just appeared like that

my view is that mc's grief led her to becoming unstable and then she had to rely on medication but one day she stopped taking her meds and that took it's toll on her already shattered heart.

whatever it is it was a beautiful piece of writing and thanks for sharing it with us

the way u explored grief was amazing and I'm still left hoping that there were actually fantastical themes involved and Jimin will actually visit the mc again very soon (that it's reality and not some illusion)

this brought me to tears i am so so so happy you liked the story as much as you did and i just had to share this interpretation because you expressed yourself so well. thank YOU for enjoying the piece and for taking the time out of your day to analyze it, your analysis is absolutely spot on. and if you have any requests or criticism or ideas i am always open to them!!! that piece specifically was writen while i was going through some shit regarding jonghyun's death and i wrote it to help myself and others who might need it cope. to anybody out there who is coping with loss and dealing with grief, you are so strong and i am so proud of you. it will get better no matter what. i love and cherish every single one of you. <3

[dreaming-medium]

This might end up being a super long message so I apologize in advance. I’m a yapper :)

I needed to say how much I absolutely love Animals Without Direction. It’s not even funny how hard this fic grabbed my heart & will not let go. Your fic is what cemented me getting into Stray Kids. Before this, I knew of them, I even had “Backdoor” on Spotify but that was as far as I cared to go. Like 2 ish weeks ago, I ended up reading another OT8x Reader fic before this one just out of morbid curiosity ( I will always succumb

to reading something where the MC has multiple partners, I just eat it up) & the love I had for the author’s previous work & I loved it so much. I read another one after that & I was slowly finding myself caring about these boys through these fics but yours?? I knew I could not go back after reading AWD. I became high key obsessed with how you wrote them & that obsession turned into me wanting to know the real people behind these characters. One of the best decisions of my life, I swear. (I tried to fight getting into them so much but every interview that popped up on my YouTube or edit that made its way onto my fyp would not let me lmao).

The way the boys are written, the world building, the tension surrounding every situation, ect. It’s all so amazing. Even in your Kinktober work, the same thing applies. I rarely read kinktobers bc there’s usually no build up to the sex & I’m left bored bc the build up is always what gets me. Yours are just *chefs kiss* (That Min one has a grip on me. I live for a nerdy boy x popular girl story. AND Frottage?! I’m obviously that girl, they all obviously want me, like it can’t get better than that idk)

I’m going to make one last point & it’s so minimal that you’re probably not doing it on purpose but I just had to point it out. The way you write the reader to have minimal descriptors means a lot to me. I’ll explain: One of the very many reasons that I got out of reading K-POP fics specifically is that, more often than not, the reader was not someone I could identify with & it would take me out of the story completely. I’m not talking personality wise but physical traits.

Ex. I’m black so my MC is always black. If I read that the “reader” is supposed to be “blushing pink”, I 100% know that this reader was made with a fairer skinned person in mind, even if it’s not said explicitly. So the reader I have no longer exists & my mind is thrown out of the story. It’s different if this reader is supposed to be an OC or it’s tagged differently or whatever else, but when it’s supposed to be a character that anyone should be able to place themselves into, it’s a bit upsetting when it’s not. I hope that makes sense.

With your story, that has not happened to me. I could image the reader to be whoever & it fits. It feels like a true “reader x *insert character here*” story as it’s tagged. I’m not sure if that was your intention, as I know a lot of authors do try to have that thought while writing, but it’s something that I appreciate & it makes the reading experience so much better for me personally.

Anyways, this was just a very very long winded way to say that I love your work & I’m waiting on my knees for the next updates 🤍🤍🤍

I am so so sorry that it took me this long to reply to this message, but you obviously put so much care into typing this out so I wanted to return the care I put into replying to you.

First off, thank you SO much for your kind words. Genuinely, it means so much to me that you enjoy Animals Without Direction. Truth be told, when I first came up with the idea, it wasn't going to be an OT8 fic, it was originally going to either be a Chan, Minho, or Seungmin story. But the more I kept developing it in my head, the more I got emotionally attached to these characters I assigned to them.

The character I particularly got attached to was Jeongin as the Squire. He just kept tugging at my heart strings when I would develop little story lines. And then I was also thinking about Felix and how much his character means to the MC and every single one of them came tumbling after.

I can't even stress the smile I got on my face when I read that I got you more into SKZ with my fic. It's SO funny that you would say that because its another OT8 fic that got ME into SKZ.

Tangled by Ao3 user ThisPeachIsDirty got me to look further into SKZ and fall in love with our boys.

THANK YOU for the compliments on my writing style as well! Sometimes I get so worried that I put too much effort into the plot and the story that I forget the romance. Especially with my kinktober series (which I do plan on continuing, life is insane for me at the moment).

(Also, I also love a 'they're all in love with me' trope. i do not care if its not realistic. its my world and everyone else is living in it.)

That last point you made is not minimal. It makes me SO SO happy, you have no idea. Because, believe it or not, it IS something that I actively try to consider and adapt to when I'm writing.

The reason that we read 'reader inserts' is so that we can all feel like we're a part of the story. And it's so important that no person is left out of that narrative.

I cannot STAND how many fics all play on the 'I'm tiny, in 4 feet tall and I weigh 80 pounds soaking wet. I have dainty, tiny, frail little bones and every single person towers over me and constantly reminds me how small i am.'

oh it boils my BLOOD.

I am a 6 foot tall, athletically built, amazon of a woman. Me and my swimmer shoulders are NOT small and dainty.

My best friend is POC. And something she always told me about reader inserts is exactly what you're saying. She would say that she could tell it was written by someone who is not POC. It breaks my heart.

And while I do use descriptors sometimes. For example, i do bend this rule a little with statements such as "at your asymmetrical features", "you're not a tiny person either", or maybe a hair descriptor that may not fit someone. I do genuinely try to keep it all inclusive, because that's what these types of stories are supposed to be.

So THANK YOU for noticing. I'm happy that I could provide something that is well deserved and should not have to be requested.

I promise an update is coming soon. Quite possibly within the next few hours. I'm on a business trip at the moment and if my boss doesn't invite me out to dinner tonight, I plan on finishing the next chapter in my hotel room.

Life is... insane lately. I have zero spare time left with the job I have now.

But I promise it's coming!! it's like 90% done!!!!! Maybe even 95%. I'm trying to decide where I want to end this chapter in terms of the story.

Love you so so so so much. <33333

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Vivid Memories

Book: The Royal Romance/Heir Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: T Word count: 1198 Reading time: ~5min Summary: Liam and Jade go out to dance and the night will bring back a fond memory to him. Based on the prompt: @kingliamappreciationweek day five: Friendships/Relationships/AU

Author’s note:

Jade Bourbon is a creation of this author. The others characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios;

The dates and places mentioned in this fic are part of a timeline I came up with to guide myself as I write Liam and Jade's story. Please do not assume this is canon.

Once again, thank you @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting King Liam Appreciation Week ❤

Paris, July 2018

City lights illuminated the royal motorcade as Liam gazed out the window and toyed with Jade's wedding band while holding her hand. The last time he was here, he kept wondering if he would come back with her again to have another late night stroll. He wondered if he'd ever be as in love as he was then and if things didn't work out, he'd be happy to back. Every stone in the streets, every tree, every bush, every lock attached to the Pont Des Arts railing, even the waters of the Seine were their witnesses. Every part of city knew how he felt that night. Paris would never be the same to him again.

Fortunately, Paris would know now how much their love had grown and how happy they were to spend the last days of their honeymoon.

"We're here!" Jade cheered as the car rolled to a stop in front of a crowded nightclub.

Liam's forehead creased as he glanced outside. "Is this place, Lucas?"

"Yes, sir," the driver replied.

"Of course it is! There are several pictures of The Weeknd when he was was here yesterday!"

"I don't follow..." The king's brows furrowed in confusion. "How is the weekend a person?"

"It's an artistic name, honey. He's an R&B and Soul singer."

"Oh... Is he good?"

"He is. But do you mind waiting until later for us to expand your knowledge on 2010's music? We're here for a very specific reason."

"As you wish, my love."

With a small signal to his guards, the car door opened and Liam climbed out, extending his hand to Jade so she could do the same. Before the paparazzi could recognize the couple, the King's guard ushered them into the nightclub.

A strange scent reached his nose as he found himself in a dimly lit hallway. Smoke, magenta lights, loud EDM music, murmurs and moans in delight as strangers eagerly explored one another's bodies in darker corners surrounded him. Once in a while, Liam made an effort to join his friends in celebrations at nightclubs and dive bars, but he couldn't say he was very fond of places like this.

Just then, Jade smiled at him, pulling him by the hand. She probably didn't know, but that small gesture meant so much to him.

New York, September 2017

When the cab pulled to a stop before the Kismet, Jade thanked the driver and paid for the ride. Liam's brows furrowed. Perhaps he should've paid the cab. It was the least he could've done after she went through all the trouble of arranging a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty in the middle of the night. Yet, all her actions were so fast paced he could barely keep up. Did all New Yorkers seem to be constantly in a hurry or was it just the ones he had crossed paths with?

Before he knew, they were standing on the sidewalk to walk back into the nightclub. It was a pity they had to return. She was right about that place being the most exclusive nightclub, given the long line still formed outside. But a noisy and crowded nightclub was the last place he wanted to be.

For a moment, he wished he hadn't answered his phone when Drake called to ask where he was. He wished he could've taken Maxwell's suggestion to meet them later at the hotel. Why didn't he seize the opportunity and suggested taking a walk around the city with her? He could've seen the city through her eyes, maybe he could've taken her back home. He just met this enigmatic woman and it was no exaggeration to say he'd gladly spent the rest of the trip getting to know her.

A soft and warm hand then reached for his, bringing him back to reality. As their eyes met, she smiled softly. "Come on! I'm in the mood to dance now."

Was she this excited earlier? Perhaps she was, but he didn't notice it while he watched his friends go straight to the dancefloor to be sure they were having fun.

While Jade guided him back inside, he was surprised they didn't bump into anyone on the way, given how dark the entryway was. As the music grew louder, pink lights reflected on her hair and leather jacket. To follow her, even in a dark hallway, was exhilarating. Somehow, he had this feeling that something good was waiting waiting around the corner.

When they finally reached the dancefloor, the music changed to a pop song not entirely unfamiliar to him.

"Oh, I love this song!" Jade beamed at him and immediately pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sang along.

In any other situation, he would've found a way to politely keep a respectful distance between them. After all, they barely knew each other. Yet, he just didn't. Ever since they kissed on the boat, he yearned to be closer to her, to know the smell of her hair, to figure out the base notes of her perfume, to feel how soft her lips were when they get swollen after searing kisses.

His body moved along with hers, following the upbeat rhythm of the song. As he placed a hand on her waist, she turned away, pressed her back against his chest and kept dancing. Anything similar to this in Cordonia could've cause a huge scandal. But here, it didn't matter if she took the lead, if their steps weren't perfectly choreographed, if she was way too close than his security detail would allow any stranger to be. He was free to do as he pleased. And right now, nothing was more pleasant than this.

As his hand slowly roamed across her stomach to keep her closer, a part of him still wondered if he wasn't taking advantage of the situation. The last thing he wanted was to disrespect her limits.

"Is this okay?" He murmured in her ear.

Smiling, she looked back at him, placed her hand over his, intertwining their fingers.

"It's more than okay."

With that, his shoulders relaxed. Somehow, following his own whims had brought him more joy than any other moment he followed his friends suggestions. Perhaps, it wouldn't be so bad to be a little reckless for one night.

Paris, July 2018

The dark and crowded hallway, once again, was no match to Jade's eagerness to dance. A mix of joy and pride rose inside his chest. To see his wife happy was always a pleasure, but to know he made her happy was something else entirely.

As soon as they stepped into the dancefloor, the song changed to Into You. Her smile grew wider.

"Oh, this song!"

"The song of our very first dance at Kismet," he added.

Jade's eyes softened as she looked back at him and pulled him into a tight hug. "You remembered..."

"I do. Quite vividly, I must say," he murmured.

"Mmmm... How vividly are we talking about?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

His arms encircled her waist as they started to dance. "Enough to cause a scandal," he whispered. "Perhaps this is something we can discuss further at our hotel suite?"

"I'll hold you to that, my king."

[mrsbsmooth]

I don't talk with anyone in the fandom and usually I mind my own business, but this is ridiculous.

You're reading a ff about a man who canonically cheated, and you draw the line when he has sex with another woman while not being with MC (I suppose this is the problem)? A story that, as someone else pointed out, isn't even completed and is correctly tagged. If you really have nothing to say in a polite way, then don't say anything. People are way too demanding towards people who write for fucking free, and writing requires time and isn't an easy thing to do either. What was the problem the other time, a nickname (sorry for bringing the issue another person had)? Seriously? As someone who doesn't speak English very well I'm sure sometimes the message come across as rude when it wasn't meant to be that way, but I'm also sure that certain people take too much confidence towards who is basically a stranger. Learn how to say 'please' and 'thank you' before talking to people that doesn't have to do shit just because you want.

Sorry if this is a weird ask and you didn't appreciate it. Hope you're having a good day. ✌️

Don’t be ridiculous, I absolutely appreciate this! It is very very silly, I’ve never had this kind of backlash on any of my other fics where the characters have done stupid, toxic, problematic stuff. It seems to just be an issue with this season and character specifically.

For pretty much everything I’ve ever written I’ve felt like I didn’t go far enough, I didn’t do enough angst or I didn’t give them enough bad things to have to be redeemed from.

This story is a challenge to myself. I’m writing it not as a Suresh Stan, but as someone who thinks his character arc and motivations were poorly done and explained. It’s a fix-it fic, not a fan creation, and he’ll get there in the end. But the flip-flop of his actions and motivations is, unfortunately, canon.

Thank you so much for your comment!!!!

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

If you could make up your own dcla show, what would it be like? General plot, main character(s), which city...

So, since I live on the literal other side of the earth... Argentina is one of the countries closest to Antarctica, Sweden is one of the countries closest to the north pole, so yeah it's more or less other side of the earth /hj

Well, I live in another context and culture from where the dcla shows take place, which means a lot may be different than someone who lives in Argentina, or in South America in a whole.

Though, it doesn't stop me from finding things in the shows relatable, of course. But anyway, keep in mind that I, again, may have other perspectives.

This is how a swedish nerdy weird girl would do a dcla show:

Well, first of: I'd like a main character with perhaps more siblings or a bigger family. I always love the family storylines in the dcla shows, and I love the found family aspects. But the dcla main characters always are only children or youngest children who's been living as only-children for a while. I need specifically a middle child main character. She can have a brother and a sister, for good measure (and the dcla mc is a girl, it's just how it is). If I wanna make her closest to myself, she can have an older sister that's almost 2 years older and a little brother who's at least 5 years younger

Of course, a dcla horsegirl show would be very fun, but I have two other approaches: either a theatre kid or a swimmer.

Both could work. The main character doesn't necessarily have to go to a performing arts school - what she could do is simply go to a normal school and have theatre on her freetime. I can picture them getting a script, deciding the play is boring, then perhaps write their own script. There would be a plot about how the script is too personal to someone's life, and probably someone shy who doesn't say much, go "hey I made this scene, wanna try it?" and no one tries it until eventually, they consider it and realize "hey, shy person, your script is great!!!!". The music aspect would be a little on the side. Of course, people will sing too, maybe not necessarily in the plays (as I don't think they necessarily need to do musicals), but on the side. Maybe someone has a band, maybe they just like singing for fun's sake. Maybe one of main character's siblings likes music and she sings a lot at home.

Also, all the "I didn't study for my test because I had play rehearsal", people waiting and being let down because people were late due to play rehearsal, people kissing on or behind the stage, someone wanting to sabotage the theatre... we got it all.

Now, swimming: I think what would work best is synchronized swimming, just because of all the shows they could perform. Main character LOVES swimming, she likes being underwater because she feels like a mermaid. Maybe she has friends who are into other water activities, one is one the swimming race team and one is on the diving team. Or they're not her friends but her love interests, idk.

Here, we could also have drama. Maybe someone almost drowning. Someone accidentally falling from a diving board that's high up and hurting themselves. Maybe someone trying to ruin the synchronized swimming routine.

The music aspect? They perform their swimming shows in rhytm to music. The swimmers can't sing obviously, so it's pre-recorded. Or there's a live band there beside the pool just playing, you know, the standard dcla chaos/logic

Also, a lot of scenes would take place in locker rooms and while obviously not much would happen, I feel we'd get some wlw content just by like. The tension there. Idk.

A third crack idea: Mc likes trampolines. She likes jumping high and doing stunts in the air. The theme song of the show is called "Salta" and just shows everyone jumping. Would follow the theme of "obscure sport that's treated like the biggest thing in the world" theme continuing from SL. But this is less polished and just a random idea I had in my head.

Now, besides what her main interest/s are, mc also has a more... normal school. Not a fancy private school or a special school for arts or something, just a normal school. Not saying they need to focus much on the school, but still like. Show them there.

There has to be a family mystery, and I lowkey want it to be not a dead relative, but rather a "relative they don't talk about". I want it most of all to be an aunt that's an outcast for some reason. Like, the aunt still comes to family gatherings and stuff, but she's mysterious as heck and mc wants to learn more.

Also, I just want everyone to be queer, of course. Would be marvelous if the main character was queer and in love with her bestie. But also, I love a queer mean girl. Maybe also the aunt can be, or one of her siblings. Just everyone /hj <3

That is all I can think about. I realize I made several potential shows in one, but that is me.

Also I didn't say which city but like. I guess Buenos Aires, cause every dcla show has to take place there /j

[raazberry]

i was thinking about how fun it would be to live at purgatory hall so here’s a thing i wrote while half asleep about solomon, simeon and luke :)

If any of the brothers ever asked you who your favourite person at Purgatory Hall was, you don’t think that you would be able to give them an answer.

Although the House of Lamentation is quite homely, nothing there has made you feel quite at home as watching Simeon and Luke bake while Solomon struggles to find the ingredients - Luke shouting at the top of his lungs when Solomon accidentally hands him salt instead of the flour he’d asked for, and the sorcerer only laughing in turn as he imagines the taste of a salt cookie.

Simeon quietly pulls you aside sometimes, and asks - Is everything okay? They’re not being too loud, are they? And all you can do in turn, is smile and give him a big hug, because of course everything is okay. You’re with them, after all. Simeon chuckles and places a light kiss on your cheek, as you jokingly shift your head away from him in fear of getting flour on your face. You could never get tired of him, of this.

Solomon catches the two of you, and pulls you both in a hug, clearly still high off of whatever was happening in the kitchen. He wants to say so much to you - and to Simeon too, for teaching him so much, for keeping up with him, for being the only family he’s had in ages but he can’t get himself to verbalise any of it. So he just holds you both as tight as he possibly can, until Simeon complains about not being able to breath.

Solomon apologises as he gestures at the two of you to follow him back into the kitchen - no explanation for the previous hug. Not that either of you needed it.

You stand behind the counter and watch as Luke breaks a few eggs with an incredible amount of dedication - and it makes you wonder how anyone could do such a mundane task like that with so much passion. It’s just breaking eggs for god’s sake - but somehow, Luke’s determination seems to be endless.

Simeon and Solomon seem to be thinking the same thing as they stare at the bowl’s contents being mixed over and over and over again, and everything is completely silent except for the sound of the kneader hitting the bowl.

Nothing interesting happens for the twenty-or-so minutes the three of you stand there, but nobody makes the effort to go do something else, either. After a while, Luke asks you all to quit staring and just help him, which you happily oblige.

The cookies are delicious, you find out four hours later - just as you had expected. You sit in Simeon’s room as you eat them with the rest of the boys, because of course the brothers couldn’t resist Luke’s cookies. Even Barbatos complimented them, which has to count for something.

Hmm… maybe you should consider moving out and living at Purgatory Hall, no?

[writingwithcolor]

What Does Our "Motivations” PSA Mean?

@luminalalumini said:

I've been on your blog a lot and it has a lot of really insightful information, but I notice a theme with some of your answers where you ask the writer reaching out what their 'motivation for making a character a certain [race/religion/ethnicity/nationality] is' and it's discouraging to see, because it seems like you're automatically assigning the writer some sort of ulterior motive that must be sniffed out and identified before the writer can get any tips or guidance for their question. Can't the 'motive' simply be having/wanting to have diversity in one's work? Must there be an 'ulterior motive'? I can understand that there's a lot of stigma and stereotypes and bad influence that might lead to someone trynna add marginalized groups into their stories for wrong reasons, but people that have those bad intentions certainly won't be asking for advice on how to write good representation in the first place. Idk its just been something that seemed really discouraging to me to reach out myself, knowing i'll automatically be assigned ulterior motives that i don't have and will probably have to justify why i want to add diversity to my story as if i'm comitting some sort of crime. I don't expect you guys to change your blog or respond to this or even care all that much, I'm probably just ranting into a void. I'm just curious if theres any reason to this that I haven't realized exists I suppose. I don't want y'all to take this the wrong way because I do actually love and enjoy your blog's advice in spite of my dumb griping. Cheers :))

We assume this is in reference to the following PSA:

PSA to all of our users - Motivation Matters: This lack of clarity w/r to intent has been a general issue with many recent questions. Please remember that if you don’t explain your motivations and what you intend to communicate to your audience with your plot choices, character attributes, world-building etc., we cannot effectively advise you beyond the information you provide. We Are Not Mind Readers. If, when drafting these questions, you realize you can’t explain your motivations, that is likely a hint that you need to think more on the rationales for your narrative decisions. My recommendation is to read our archives and articles on similar topics for inspiration while you think. I will be attaching this PSA to all asks with similar issues until the volume of such questions declines. 

We have answered this in three parts.

1. Of Paved Roads and Good Intentions

Allow me to give you a personal story, in solidarity towards your feelings:

When I began writing in South Asia as an outsider, specifically in the Kashmir and Lahore areas, I was doing it out of respect for the cultures I had grown up around. I did kathak dance, I grew up on immigrant-cooked North Indian food, my babysitters were Indian. I loved Mughal society, and every detail of learning about it just made me want more. The minute you told me fantasy could be outside of Europe, I hopped into the Mughal world with two feet. I was 13. I am now 28.

And had you asked me, as a teenager, what my motives were in giving my characters’ love interests blue or green eyes, one of them blond hair, my MC having red-tinted brown hair that was very emphasized, and a whole bunch of paler skinned people, I would have told you my motives were “to represent the diversity of the region.” 

I’m sure readers of the blog will spot the really, really toxic and colourist tropes present in my choices. If you’re new here, then the summary is: giving brown people “unique” coloured eyes and hair that lines up with Eurocentric beauty standards is an orientalist trope that needs to be interrogated in your writing. And favouring pale skinned people is colourist, full stop.

Did that make me a bad person with super sneaky ulterior motives who wanted to write bad representation? No.

It made me an ignorant kid from the mostly-white suburbs who grew up with media that said brown people had to “look unique” (read: look as European as possible) to be considered valuable.

And this is where it is important to remember that motives can be pure as you want, but you were still taught all of the terrible stuff that is present in society. Which means you’re going to perpetuate it unless you stop and actually question what is under your conscious motive, and work to unlearn it. Work that will never be complete.

I know it sounds scary and judgemental (and it’s one of the reasons we allow people to ask to be anonymous, for people who are afraid). Honestly, I would’ve reacted much the same as a younger writer, had you told me I was perpetuating bad things. I was trying to do good and my motives were pure, after all! But after a few years, I realized that I had fallen short, and I had a lot more to learn in order for my motives to match my impact. Part of our job at WWC is to attempt to close that gap.

We aren’t giving judgement, when we ask questions about why you want to do certain things. We are asking you to look at the structural underpinnings of your mind and question why those traits felt natural together, and, more specifically, why those traits felt natural to give to a protagonist or other major character.

I still have blond, blue-eyed characters with sandy coloured skin. I still have green-eyed characters. Because teenage me was right, that is part of the region. But by interrogating my motive, I was able to devalue those traits within the narrative, and I stopped making those traits shorthand for “this is the person you should root for.” 

It opened up room for me to be messier with my characters of colour, even the ones who my teenage self would have deemed “extra special.” Because the European-associated traits (pale hair, not-brown-eyes) stopped being special. After years of questioning, they started lining up with my motive of just being part of the diversity of the region.

Motive is important, both in the conscious and the subconscious. It’s not a judgement and it’s not assumed to be evil. It’s simply assumed to be unquestioned, so we ask that you question it and really examine your own biases.

~Mod Lesya

2. Motivations Aren't Always "Ulterior"

You can have a positive motivation or a neutral one or a negative one. Just wanting to have diversity only means your characters aren't all white and straight and cis and able-bodied -- it doesn't explain why you decided to make this specific character specifically bi and specifically Jewish (it me). Yes, sometimes it might be completely random! But it also might be "well, my crush is Costa Rican, so I gave the love interest the same background", or "I set it in X City where the predominant marginalized ethnicity is Y, so they are Y". Neither of these count as ulterior motives. But let's say for a second that you did accidentally catch yourself doing an "ulterior." Isn't that the point of the blog, to help you find those spots and clean them up?

Try thinking of it as “finding things that need adjusting” rather than “things that are bad” and it might get less scary to realize that we all do them, subconsciously. Representation that could use some work is often the product of subconscious bias, not deliberate misrepresentation, so there's every possibility that someone who wants to improve and do better didn't do it perfectly the first time. 

--Shira

3. Dress-Making as a Metaphor

I want to echo Lesya’s sentiments here but also provide a more logistical perspective. If you check the rubber stamp guide here and the “Motivation matters” PSA above, you’ll notice that concerns with respect to asker motivation are for the purposes of providing the most relevant answer possible.

It is a lot like if someone walks into a dressmaker’s shop and asks for a blue dress/ suit (Back when getting custom-made clothes was more of a thing) . The seamstress/ tailor is likely to ask a wide variety of questions:

What material do you want the outfit to be made of?

Where do you plan to wear it?

What do you want to highlight?

How do you want to feel when you wear it?

Let’s say our theoretical customer is in England during the 1920s. A tartan walking dress/ flannel suit for the winter is not the same as a periwinkle, beaded, organza ensemble/ navy pinstripe for formal dress in the summer. When we ask for motivations, we are often asking for exactly that: the specific reasons for your inquiry so we may pinpoint the most pertinent information.

The consistent problem for many of the askers who receive the PSA is they haven’t even done the level of research necessary to know what they want to ask of us. It would be like if our English customer in the 1920s responded, “IDK, some kind of blue thing.” Even worse,  WWC doesn’t have the luxury of the back-and-forth between a dressmaker and their clientele. If our asker doesn’t communicate all the information they need in mind at the time of submission, we can only say, “Well, I’m not sure if this is right, but here’s something. I hope it works, but if you had told us more, we could have done a more thorough job.”

Answering questions without context is hard, and asking for motivations, by which I mean the narratives, themes, character arcs and other literary devices that you are looking to incorporate, is the best way for us to help you, while also helping you to determine if your understanding of the problem will benefit from outside input. Because these asks are published with the goal of helping individuals with similar questions, the PSA also serves to prompt other users.

I note that asking questions is a skill, and we all start by asking the most basic questions (Not stupid questions, because to quote a dear professor, “There are no stupid questions.”). Unfortunately, WWC is not suited for the most basic questions. To this effect, we have a very helpful FAQ and archive as a starting point. Once you have used our website to answer the more basic questions, you are more ready to approach writing with diversity and decide when we can actually be of service. This is why we are so adamant that people read the FAQ. Yes, it helps us, but it also is there to save you time and spare you the ambiguity of not even knowing where to start.

The anxiety in your ask conveys to me a fear of being judged for asking questions. That fear is not something we can help you with, other than to wholeheartedly reassure you that we do not spend our unpaid, free time answering these questions in order to assume motives we can’t confirm or sit in judgment of our users who, as you say, are just trying to do better.

Yes, I am often frustrated when an asker’s question makes it clear they haven’t read the FAQ or archives. I’ve also been upset when uncivil commenters have indicated that my efforts and contributions are not worth their consideration. However, even the most tactless question has never made me think, “Ooh this person is such a naughty racist. Let me laugh at them for being a naughty racist. Let me shame them for being a naughty racist. Mwahaha.”

What kind of sad person has time for that?*

Racism is structural. It takes time to unlearn, especially if you’re in an environment that doesn’t facilitate that process to begin with. Our first priority is to help while also preserving our own boundaries and well-being. Though I am well aware of the levels of toxic gas-lighting and virtue signaling that can be found in various corners of online writing communities in the name of “progressivism*”, WWC is not that kind of space. This space is for discussions held in good faith: for us to understand each other better, rather than for one of us to “win” and another to “lose.”

Just as we have good faith that you are doing your best, we ask that you have faith that we are trying to do our best by you and the BIPOC communities we represent.

- Marika.

*If you are in any writing or social media circles that feed these anxieties or demonstrate these behaviors, I advise you to curtail your time with them and focus on your own growth. You will find, over time, that it is easier to think clearly when you are worrying less about trying to appease people who set the bar of approval so high just for the enjoyment of watching you jump. “Internet hygiene”, as I like to call it, begins with you and the boundaries you set with those you interact with online.