#therentyoupay on fanfiction

[therentyoupay]

rules: list the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there's a pattern! i chose most of the most recent ones, then a few of the ones with the most kudos, and then a few of the ones that i just really really really like the opening lines of!! thank you, @salamandersocks, for tagging me!!

—

On July 1st, the lonely house at the top of the mountain was finally sold.

snow globe for Aicosu | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | M | Words: 47,752 | Chapters: 4/5 | 2023–WIP | mountain-rural-living!AU

“You see, Jack... There is more to being a Guardian than you may think..."

at the center for roarlikethunder | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | M | Words: 395,105 | Chapters: 223/250 | 2014–WIP | guardian!AU

It was too late for winter.

That One Night | TAHNORRA | fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra | E | Words: 219,426 | Chapters: 125/? | 2012–WIP | gradschool!AU

“On the contrary,” she says, slotting a hand over one cocked hip, sending shimmering fractals of reflected light across the inner walls of the glacier.

the woman in white for cnidariandreams | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T | Words: 782 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2024 | frozen2!AU

"What are you doing here?" she blurts out inelegantly, a little too loudly, and she thinks that someone might have heard her, but she's too pissed off to care.

break the ice | TAHNORRA | fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra | T | Words: 7,633 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2012 | canon-divergent!AU

"You're," he rasps, throat run dry. "You're…"

of sparks and moonlight | JACK FROST/PRINCESS YUE | fandoms: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Avatar: The Last Airbender | T | Words: 7,836 | Chapters: 5/5 | 2012 | yue-is-jack's-princess-in-the-moon!AU

There is a strange boy on the beach who won’t stop staring at her.

frosted sea glass ; | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | E | Words: 80,734 | Chapters: 12/12 | 2015–2023 | mermaid!AU

“Man,” Nino groans, accepting defeat at last, as he gives the golden elevator doors a vicious, vengeful kick.

technical difficulties for roarlikethunder | LOVE-SQUARE, MARI-NINO!BROTP | fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug | T | Words: 96,832 | Chapters: 8/9 | 2017–WIP | trapped-in-an-elevator!AU

Seven minutes late.

fifteen minutes ; by therentyoupay for dragonsinparis | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T Words: 2,920 | Chapters: 1/1 | 2015 | superhero!AU

“...the fuck is this?”

check the pipes for frost ; by therentyoupay | JELSA | fandoms: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012) | T | Words:66,666 | Chapters: 8/8 | 2015 | wrong-mail!AU

my thoughts below!! 💕 @salamandersocks and i have similar tastes!! i seem to favor:

opening lines that immediately immerse me in a specific emotion or situation (curiosity, anticipation, mystery), and stuff that hints at deeper complexity and "clues ahoy!!"

i also like slightly unsettling lines ("there is a strange boy on the beach who won’t stop staring at her") for mystical stories like the mermaid!au

i also like when really specific or short lines can drop a reader IMMEDIATELY into a specific context; conversely, i like when the first line gives the reader a feeling and the second line gives a location!

i also realize i like throwing characters into emotional / interpersonal conflict immediately lmao ("... the fuck is this?" / "what are you doing here?" / "on the contrary" / "man")

i shall tag a whole bunch of people too, and anyone else who wants to do this!

@aicosu | @blackestfaery | @sanfangirl-cynicalromantic | @kanamesharisenwrites | @callimara | @yuki119 | @marlahey | @siren–s | @dragonsinparis | @jelsawithacapitalj | @portentous-offerings | @jessainzukaland | @laurakrivera | @sunshinemellow-fic | @watermelon-sugar-bi | @da-awesom-one | @renaerys

[therentyoupay-deleted]

hi all

🥲🥲 my account, @therentyoupay, was terminated today while i was eating dinner.

i have contacted tumblr support but reddit says that getting reinstated is really hit or miss. i don’t trust tumblr anymore so i don’t think i will be using it after this, even if they give me my account back. i have no idea what triggered its termination.

all posts from the last eleven years, as well as my fic-only blog (@therentyoupay-fanfiction), my advice blog, my organized fandom event blogs (@evenly-matched and @jelsaweekend), and my main have all been terminated. all the tumblr-only fic, the master posts, the manifestos, mutuals who i had not yet gotten phone numbers for, and fanart—gone.

will i be able to get it reinstated? i don’t know. even if i do, i think it’s a sign that it’s time to move away from tumblr.

it feels weird. i feel okay and also a little bereft. i hadn’t used tumblr for three years at one point but it was always nice to know that i could come back to it.

not sure if there is anything better than tumblr at this point. i think it might be time to just make a website of my own; or just stick to ao3.

i’ll use this account for now as a catchall for anyone who might be trying to find me. otherwise, the surest bet, for now, is ao3 and ao3 only.

thanks all 💕💕

💕kris, therentyoupay

update: therentyoupaywriting.com ♡

[morethantheycansay]

husband: what do you want to do tonight?

me: ok listen, @therentyoupay is WRITING again. we're talking new chapters, finishing WIPs, a new two-shot, AND a possibility of an at the center update in the next year. SO i'm not going to have much time for you for a while.

husband: ........ i have no idea what you're talking about but ok.

[canthler]

After training piggyback ride 🤪💕❄️

Elsa: I don’t need you to carry me..

Jack: It’s fine, you had a rough training today. You must be exhausted.

Elsa: ////

Elsa: thanks

This hc is inspired by the training scene in @therentyoupay and @callimara ‘s Jelsa fanfiction ‘More than you know’ ✨✨ read it now on AO3!

Follow me on TIKTOK / INSTA / TWITTER 🌷

[lemonhoarddragoness]

Fanfiction WIPs guessing game

I was tagged by @medusapelagia and thought this looked really fun!

---

Guidelines:

Send me a word in an ask, if it’s in my WIP document I’ll answer your ask with the sentence that it appears in.

---

I'm going to tag a few folks below to potentially keep the game going if they so choose (though anyone is welcome to reblog and keep the game going if they'd like!). This seemed like something short and sweet and fun.

@hullosweetpea, @hawkinsleather, @therentyoupay, @littlegreenstrawberry, @shieldofiron and to everyone else who would like to join!

[laurakrivera]

rules: list the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there's a pattern! 

I was tagged by @therentyoupay

La lluvia caía casi de manera torrencial./ Rain fell down, almost torrentially. 

Ramificaciones (Ramifications) / Fandom: Naruto / Ship: KakashiOC / M / Words: 112,836 / Chapters: 32/40 / Language: Spanish

2) The glow of the city lights filtered through the office's long curtains.

Accidentally / Fandom: ROTG & Frozen / AU / Ship: Jelsa / T / Words: 16, 346 / Chapters: 7/? / Language: English

3) Lo había estado observando por un rato./ She had been watching him for a while.

Algo en Serio (Something Serious) / Fandom: ROTG & Frozen / Modern AU / Ship: Jelsa / M / Words: 2734 / Chapters: 1/1 / Language: Spanish

4) Hunter sabía que la posesión de Belos había dejado un impacto, pero era la primera vez que veía cuanto. / Hunter knew Belos’s possesion had left an impact, but it was the first time he saw how badly so.

Marcas (Markings) / Fandom: The Owl House / HunterCentric/ G / Words: 599 / Chapters 1/1 / Language: Spanish

5) La tenían agarrada por ambos brazos. / They held her by both arms.

Aquella Sensación (That Sensation)  / Fandom: MCU / Ship: NamorShuri / T /Words: 1586 / Chapters 1/1 / Language: Spanish

6) Estaba en sus manos. (He was in his hands).

Ausencia (Absence) / Fandom: FMA / Ship: EdwardWinry / G / Words: 443 / Chapters: 1/1 / Language: Spanish

7) La ahora emperatriz Kougyoku terminaba cada día más exhausta que el anterior./ The now Empress Kougyoky finished each day more exhausted than the last.

Deseos Desvanecidos (Vanished Desires) / Fandom: Magi / Ship: Kougyoku/Sinbad / G / Words: 1289 / Chapters: 1/1 / Language: Spanish

8) Los bailes en palacio últimamente la incomodaban./ Lately the balls at the palace made her uncomfortable.

Miradas de Desconcierto (Disconcerting Looks) / Fandom: My Hero Academia / Ship: TodoMomo / G / Words: 1623 / Chapters: 1/1 / Language: Spanish

9) Rápido como el viento mismo, Koga encontraba su libertad exhilarante. / Quick as wind itself, Koga found his freedom to be exhilarating.

Espejismo (Mirage) / Fandom: Inuyasha / Ship: KougaKikyo / T / Words: 1555 / Chapters: 1/1 / Language: Spanish

10) Era un día de lo más tranquilo en la capital del oeste. / It was a very calm day at the West Capital.

Después del Trabajo (After Work) / Fandom: Dragon Ball Z / Ship: Future Trunks x OC / G / Chapters 1/1 / Language: Spanish

CONCLUSSION: 

I mostly go by screen writing rules: Time and location first. 

When I’m not following that, I’m going straight to the main character’s dominating thoughts as they’re realizing an action.

In three cases I started straight at the action itself. 

My first lines aren’t particularly riveting or engaging, but I guess they’re a good way to start a paragraph or to put the reader in the mood. 

For the lines that started with rain and snow, said elements were actually important for what was happening in the scenes and they are recurring elements. In Ramifications the three most important scenes for the characters relationship to change occur under the rain. In Accidentally, the snow is the inciting incident for the story and come on, it’s Jelsa! There has to be snow. 

After Work was one of my first fanfics back in 2007, so the line was just as cartoony as I felt the show to be back then.

The most recent one shots all go straight to the character’s thoughts, since they are supposed to be quick reads I go straight to the emotional damage. For multi chapter fics I take my time. 

All in all, I guess I’m not doing so bad after all. 

I can’t really tag anyone here since the person who tagged me already tagged the other fanfiction writer I know here, but if anybody wants to try it feel free to do so. 

Here's the link to my AO3 profile https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larivera/pseuds/Larivera

[therentyoupay]

Is there a WIP or story idea you haven’t written/posted that you really want to share?

HELLO MY LOVE. 💕 thank you for this awesome ask!! i would love to do:

a stranger things!au (jelsa or LOK), as well as

a sequel to frosted sea glass (i went to cancún last week for my annual pilgrimage to the sea and then i went to the ocean here on the east coast last weekend and every time i see the ocean i remember how badly i want another mermaid!au situation!!!), and then

i also think it would be so fun to extend the woman in white into a fully-fledged multi-chaptered fic

i have tons of random scenes/ficlets/micro-fic ideas in my head inspired by different aspects of my daily life that i'd love to write for various pairings and fandoms (e.g., growing apart from a friend when you don't actually want to but you know that it's better for you if you let it happen → haikyuu! ; younger sibling has no idea how much you really sacrifice as the oldest sister to help them be where they are at → frozen ; remembering fondly the wild days of early-20s youth and the sheer luck that i had to go through early adulthood in the 2010s → honestly not sure about this one there's a few characters who it'd work for, probs tahno ; buying my first home and what it means → elsa)... so many!!!! so so many!!

maybe one day it would be cool to play around with the idea of writing them, but right now my heart is so full and happy by finishing my WIPs, writing my dissertation, and writing my books! 🥹🥹🥹✨✨ so no plans to write these WIPs, but they're great in my half-formed imagination! 💕💕💕 thank you for this lovely lovely ask!!!

[therentyoupay]

im completely feral over all your jelsa stories!!!!!! do you ever write established relationship jelsa or have any headcanons about what they would be like together in a serious relationship or marriage????

THANK YOU SO MUCH. 😭😭😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕🙏 thank you thank you nonny for this super sweet ask and this really lovely question and all of your love and support!! 💕💕💕💕💕

i have... never actually written established!relationship (in any fandom), now that i'm thinking about it? that said, i guess i can come up with a quick list of some headcanons, maybe? 😂 i will have to think about this more, but for now, here's a quick drop:

elsa is an early riser; elsa helps jack create more sustainable sleeping patterns and habit formations 😂

when jack gets Impetuous Urges to Do Something Rash and Impractically Spontaneous, elsa will ground jack, reminding him to think before acting. (he occasionally Still Does It, anyway.) elsa knows what she signed up for, lol.

jack loves to play Harmless(!) Pranks, just to watch elsa’s reaction. (he is no longer allowed to sneak up on her after The Incident).

they also quibble over the definition of "harmless" and the specific logistical implications of that; for a while, jack was banned from further pranking, but then he got more creative at showing elsa that pranks could be wholesome and genuine, in which they could both be in on the joke. however, due to elsa's deeply-rooted Need to Excel and her (Not-so)Secret Competitive AF Streak, her retaliation in escalating the Cleverness Prank War quickly resulted in jack's prompt implementation of the Prank-Free Zones and Time Periods. (no, he was not scared.)

elsa, usually reserved, has learned to let her playful side show more often with jack. she might still pretend to be exasperated by his antics, but sometimes it's part of the game (or habit).

elsa sill struggles with opening up emotionally sometimes, but she progressively feels safe enough to share her innermost thoughts and fears. with time, she confides in him more about her worries. she still never likes the idea that jack sees her Imperfect Parts, but at least she can tolerate the discomfort (and, yes, take comfort in it) now

(jack loves elsa's Imperfect Parts, and jack admits that he is Weirdly Proud and Competitively Honored to be one of the only people, even including anna, who gets to see them. he also is strangely Comforted and Validated that elsa is, in fact, not perfect because for a while there, he was pretty freaked out and intimidated by how fancy she is.)

until he realized that no one ever let her actually be a Weirdo before, and once he realizes the Truth of Elsa Also Being a Secret (albeit perhaps more Subdued) Weirdo, the Universe Aligns.

jack listens to elsa's Big Conversations intently, activating varying levels of Serious Mode.

jack is getting better at recognizing the moments when elsa needs him to play and needs him to listen or Give His Opinion or any combination of those things.

jack learns that it's not always about Saying the Right Thing (which he is not very good at, anyway, or so our Serially Unreliable Narrator thinks), but rather being able to read elsa's mood and anticipate what she might need (even if she is not aware of it herself yet).

elsa is meticulous about planning and preparing for special occasions.

elsa likes traditions! jack likes tradition only because elsa likes them, lol, and hey, okay, these are more fun than he thought?? (who knew fun could be organized??!!?)

so he really wants to show (off to) her by pulling off Incredible Planning Feats in her honor, too (they do not go as smoothly, lol).

jack will often go out of his way to spontaneously create something meaningful, a moment or a gift or a gesture, that reminds elsa that he cares. he is big on words of affirmation, gift giving (but like, souvenirs that he collects on adventures like, "i saw this rock and it reminded me of your cousin olaf, we should put it on the window after we paint his face on it"), and acts of service, as well as physical touch and quality time. HE WANTS LOVE. he wants TO BE LOVED. he wants to prove that he is worthy of being loved.

(and elsa has to get him to Chill Out sometimes, remind him that he doesn't have to Do Things For Her/Anyone in order to be deserving of care; he is more than what he provides for other people.)

(jack gets its, and appreciates it, but also, the Urge to Provide and Protect is still strong, even after so much time, and sometimes Old Habits Die Hard.)

i get the sense that he'd be the type to he wake elsa up in the middle of the night to take her on a surprise adventure, or convince her to Do a Fun Thing without any preparation (/warning).

and she would Be Alarmed at the Lack of Plan (especially if/when jack Did Not Think This Through), but he also took precautions to ward off Concerns by pacifying her with tea, or reassurances that yes, he did call ahead to make sure the restaurant was open before they left the house, of course he did, he would never just leave home without double-checking beforehand (and frantically googles it two minutes later when he thinks she's not looking; she is, naturally, and even occasionally pretends not to be).

elsa approaches conflict with a desire to resolve things Calmly and Logically. she tries to understand jack’s perspective, even when she disagrees, and she’s careful with her words, not wanting to escalate the situation.

however, she can sometimes withdraw emotionally, fearing that she might say something hurtful if she’s too overwhelmed.

jack was initially (and, honestly, still is, even though he understands more now) hurt by her tendency to shut down when she Feels Too Much, and understands (although it's still hard) that elsa needs time to process her feelings and organize her thoughts.

jack also helps elsa actually Feel her Feelings, instead of just trying to intellectualize and analyze them. (she hates it, BUT sees the value. jack lives for these moments in which he realizes that he's actually contributing positively to her life and helping her in some way, rather than just being a burden or a nuisance, as was/is his fear.)

his initial reaction might be to push for a resolution quickly, but he’s also deeply afraid of Creating Distance between them, so after the first few fights, he really makes an effort to find the right balance between Pushing Hard Enough and Not Pushing Too hard, so that he doesn't drive a wedge between them as they work things out.

jack FEELS intensely, and can be so stubborn. he does not always have the most precise vocabulary or tools to describe his thoughts and feelings, or identify the root causes of what is actually going on inside him; sometimes elsa asks a lot of insightful and guiding questions that help jack come to the conclusions himself, and other times, she Puts Into Words the very thing that he had been thinking or feeling, but could not name, and it is very reassuring to have someone who understands him well enough to be able to do that.

after conflicts or arguments, they take time to Decompress and reassure one another (especially if at least one of them, if not both, was Overthinking again).

when they argue (and healthy couples do, remember!), it’s a dance of patience and understanding: elsa might need a moment to Collect Herself, and jack learns to give her that Space while also making it clear that he’s ready to talk whenever she is, and that he is going to try very hard to be Rational and Patient About It.

in the end, they both prioritize their relationship over any disagreement, always finding a way back to each other.

[therentyoupay]

[ Wildward!AU | Elsa & Jack | based on the Wildward series by @callimara ] IN THE TIME OF THE FIRST KEEPER...

She knew—even without Hugenn to guide her, without the Vision brought to her by the black opal, without her Aegis and the Sentinel of Thought—that they could never be. She need not look into her future. She need not slow down time, no matter how she might wish to. One day, somehow—this power would be lost. Until that day came—when their Aegis abandoned them, or all was forgotten—and perhaps even after, he would remain... But she would not yield, and he did not push, for Villr, the Sentinel of Protection, had chosen a Guardian: he, with his survival and his Rage, with the speed and strength bestowed upon him by the brown onyx of the earth, would protect her from harm, would provide shelter and safety for her cold frozen heart. "I do not protect you because the Wolf wills it. The Wolf answers my will because I protect you." She believed him, but it changed nothing. One day, their borrowed godhood would be gone, and their fragile mortality would find them. "Perhaps," she said, knowing the truth and—for the moment—choosing not to. "Perhaps what we have will share the agelessness of the Aegis. Perhaps, one day, we will find each other again... maybe centuries. Eons. In a thousand years." He, who fought not with his Mind but with his Heart, felt the cautious Raven place her delicate trust in the Wolf. Smiling with naught but his eyes, the Guardian echoed the vow that would last—maybe centuries, maybe eons. "Then I'll find you. In a thousand years."

[therentyoupay]

quick psa to say that i really really love it when fic authors add little visuals on their update posts 💕💕💕 edits, fic banners, images... i love the little extra pizzazz! ✨ it really helps pique my interest, and the images can be so fun 🥹💕

[therentyoupay]

is there genuinely anything more exciting about writing than when you leave clues for your readers and your readers CATCH THE CLUES???

i live off this high for weeks i tell you

[therentyoupay]

Have you watched Shadow and Bone on netflix and are you on the Kanej ship?? Any fic recs?

YES, i love the show even though sometimes i feel like the acting is a little wooden in the alina & co. storyline. the crows acting and writing though is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 and i am indeed a kanej fan (and the actors just totally blew me away) but alas i have no recs!!! if anyone else does though, please share!!

[therentyoupay]

just want to quickly tell you that i really admire your dedication in completing your 'at the center' fiction, which is WOW, absolutely commendable!! ( and expanding other drabbles as well??? i'm blown away ).

although we've only been following each other recently, i hope to be like you someday and have the motivation to keep posting updates for my fics no matter how long it takes 🥹 okay that's all and have a very nice day!!

thank you!! 😭😭😭😭🙏🙏💖💖💖💖 so much!!! for your sweet comments and for the encouragement and for dropping by to leave a message 😭😭💖💖💖💖💖🙏🙏🙏🙏 I HOPE YOU, TOO, HAVE A VERY NICE DAY ✨

and i'd like to also take a moment to say a few words about (✨forging, fostering✨) the motivation to keep posting updates for fics (no matter how long it takes!!!!), but first, i'd also like to very briefly share with you two of my all-time favorite fanfiction WIPs (one is ongoing 20+ years, and the other is 10+) to help contextualize my response:

#1. ————

More Than Human (Words: 332,245 | Complete: No) by sbj "Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Camus {High School AU!RrB/PpG}

FIRST PUBLISHED: January 31, 2009

LAST UPDATED: June 18, 2019

As of January 7, 2024, the chapter updates span 10 years, 4 months, and 21 days

#2. ————

Re-Entry (Words: 568,178 | Works: 22 | Complete: Yes) and Re-Entry: Journey of the Whills (Words: 923,940 | Works: 59 | Complete: No) Obi-Wan Kenobi, while still a young Padawan, suffers an injury and wakes up with all of the memories, experience, training, and Force-strength of Old Ben Kenobi. {Time Travel AU!Star Wars Re-Write} by flamethrower

FIRST PUBLISHED: October 1, 2002

LAST UPDATED: December 30, 2022

As of January 7, 2024, the chapter updates span 20 years, 3 months, and 6 days

————

these WIPs are only two examples! tons of my favorite stories have spanned multiple years of progress!

mine! ————

at the center (Words: 395,094 | Complete: No) by @therentyoupay Legends and fairy tales, magic and myths, and—at the center of it all—a story of a young, future-Queen and her young, ageless-Guardian; a girl cursed with fear and a god frozen in time, and all of the reasons why seeing isn't always at the heart of believing. {Guardian AU!Jelsa}

FIRST PUBLISHED: January 17, 2014

LAST UPDATED: January 2, 2024

As of January 7, 2024, the chapter updates span 9 years, 11 months, and 22 days (happy almost 10th anniversary!! ✨)

thoughts & feelings! ————

everyone writes at their own pace, in their own time, with the best resources they have, according to whatever life stage(s) they are at 💕

~most readers generally express gratitude and understanding and patience! fandom culture (across fandoms) shifts and changes all the time, so while there are times in fandom (generally) in which the ✨entitled expectation✨ is for fic authors to "WRITE FAST, PUBLISH OFTEN," there are also times in which readers go out of their way to share beautifully encouraging messages like "even if you never update again, i am so grateful for what you have given us (so far)!" and "i will wait for this story to update for the rest of my life, and i will be happy with an update no matter how long it takes" and, often—both messages at the same time. 💖

a good skill to develop is the mental strength to withstand the not-so-nice messages while absorbing the positivity of the lovely ones! i don't post or respond to the really nasty anons i sometimes receive 👀 like the ones that accuse me of having "abandoned nearly all [my] fics"—i personally delete them immediately! anons like that do not deserve someone else's ✨energy✨. (for the first time—i think, ever?—i did post someone's confusing? rude? anon the other day [i.e., i am a hoarder who creates suffering by withholding fic updates?? i think??], but i attribute that choice to publicly post [my reaction gif to that anon] to my current Life Stage™ and my hard-earned self-confidence in the knowledge that I Can Do Hard Things. ✨ my development of that muscle has come from finishing other long-progress fanfics, and, to be honest, Real Life Milestones like going to grad school [twice] and Doing a Dissertation ✨). all in all, the motivation to keep updating is really, at its core, about having the will and the time and the mental energy and the passion to dedicate time to something that you really want to do, even through all the obstacles and nonsense, which takes mental (and emotional) strength! 💖 develop and fortify your mental fortitude! 💖💖💖💖 it's a lifelong process! ✨

and lastly, and most importantly, in my opinion... regardless of whether or not you think any potential readers might be out there (chances are there WILL BE, but that's not the point!!!), just keep writing... and write what you want, and write for yourself! whether you update in two days, or ten years, or twenty-two—do it, anyway!! 💖💖💖💖💖

LOVE YOU, THANK YOU, GOOD LUCK 💖✨ (and keep me posted lol)

[therentyoupay]

It's me again—the anon who asked about how you got into writing and stuff. Thank you so much for taking time answering my last ask. Just one last question tho. What books/kind of stories would you recommend for someone like me who's trying to get better at writing? You are such a blessing (+your writings) and I do hope you'd live a great life. :) Thank you x100

oh snap, i am opening this one up to all of tumblr, but especially to my beta @dragonsinparis!! if anyone were to have specific recs for cool shit to read on this topic, it would be her 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼✨✨✨

in the meantime, i’d like to repeat and expand upon something that was once told to me, which has really resonated with me over the years:

first, READ ALL SORTS OF STUFF.

read beautiful, high-quality, gorgeously written prose. read stories with shitty grammar. stories with plot-holes but with great emotional gravitas, read stories that are superficial and predictable and trite and cliche and interesting. read stories with great characterization, read stories with just-okay characterization. read fiction and non-fiction and poetry and freeform and fanfiction and drabbles. read first person point-of-view and and third person omniscient and limited and, DAMN, even though it FREAKS ME THE F*CK OUT, maybe some second person-perspective, too. read all sorts of kinds of styles and authors. read works from seasoned authors and talented authors and authors who are just starting out. READ LOTS. 

it is, of course, absolutely okay and only natural to gravitate towards certain styles or tropes or genres, and to wish to spend more time with “higher-quality” stories, in whatever such standards as appeals to you, but the ultimate point is: you can learn from anything, and you can learn from anyone. you learn different lessons from different experiences. so, at least every once in a while—why not broaden the spectrum of learning?

second, CONSIDER.

during all the reading that you do, what do you notice? it’s not always so much about what you like or don’t like, although that is, majorly, a huge deciding factor for many people in why they’d choose to continue reading a story or not. but for the purpose of this exercise, as a fellow writer, don’t let the ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ be the be-all, end-all to your decisions. instead, also consider: as a writer, what do you wind up thinking about while you read? 

where does the story lead you? (how can you use similar storytelling tactics to engage readers in similar ways?) is there a plot device that captures your attention? (could you create something in the same vein? how could you make it your own, for your own characters or story?) is there a favorite line? how does the author (or the authors) capture the actions and emotions in language? (what do you notice more: the feelings they evoke, or the language they use? what is more important to you as a reader? as a writer? what are the relationships between emotion and language? what are some ways that authors capture the nuances between them?)

so now you’ve made some pretty messy, particular, precise observations, and you’re probably actively thinking about the work you’re reading as not only a story but maybe also a gateway into the author’s thought processes. this in itself may not be anything new—this is, after all, in many ways similar to what we try to accomplish in traditional english language and literature classes—but perhaps by now you are also regarding all of these judgments and questions and observations with the vital understanding that you, too, are an author. by reading all of these different kinds of stories, you are also opening your writing toolbox to new tools, new ideas, new skills, new language, new new new new. some good, some bad, but lots new. they are new TOYS TO PLAY WITH.

third, GIVE FEEDBACK.

in any community of creation, feedback is vital. feedback helps us grow. i’m not referring necessarily to ‘reviews’ or ‘comments’ or ‘kudos’ or ‘reblogs’ or ‘likes’. i mean, FEEDBACK. 

give feedback, get feedback—to and from trusted individuals on whom you can rely to give you honest opinions in ways that will jive with your communication styles. people who will help challenge your decisions, make you explain yourself or clarify or okay, really, do we ACTUALLY need two paragraphs of this!?! throughout your works, which are, in reality, tiny, delicate, beautiful, strong, fragile pieces of your proud, vulnerable soul. find people who can help you see your works more clearly, who can help you bring out the better versions of them. 

and, just as importantly, give constructive feedback when you can—to trusted individuals, to strangers, to idols, to peers, to anybody and everybody. there are no barriers, no hierarchies, no perceived rankings—just writers, who all want to grow and improve and hone their craft. doing so respectfully and clearly and openly will not only provide the author you’re studying with additional resources and insights into their audience, but will also help you practice looking constructively at writing as a peer. it is worth mentioning that everyone is at their own different stages in learning how to accept constructive feedback, so keep this in mind, especially if authors choose to respond to your comments. writers are learning learning learning creatures, all of us.

not sure what to say? sometimes the simplest and smallest notes can make a huge difference. try telling a writer how a line made you feel, or if a phrase caught your attention for any particular reason (or no reason at all), or if you really liked the way a character behaved. tell authors that you liked the title they chose for a chapter or you liked the double-entendre you noticed or feel free to ask a question about something you didn’t understand. let the author know how you interpreted a situation, share your perspective, and all the while, think about how such things relate to your own creations, and how your works may impact readers of your own.

and, of course:

in general, WRITE. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE (MORE).

[therentyoupay]

I had to think about this for a solid minute before coming to this answer: tone. You nail the tone of your fics perfectly. Sometimes in order for me to get into reading a fic or an original work, the tone has to hook me more than the premise and you get it right every time. Doesn't matter if it's written in first or third person, the way you construct your fics is brilliant!

from this askbox meme!

😘😘😘😘😘❤️✨

[therentyoupay]

Your trademark is really inticate details and ANGST

[that awkward moment when jonathan answered a “what’s my fanfiction writer specialty?” askbox meme on xmas eve… but you forgot about it…… and never published it……… then forgot about the askbox meme……… then reblogged another askbox meme that’s asking for pretty much the same exact prompt………… five months later.........]

from this askbox meme!

SORRY!!! and also

THANKS ✨✨✨✨