#this is also a wip with like 45 typos.

[yingren]

stellaron hunter "headcanons" in relation to my version of ren. nothing of what has been written below will ever be forced upon a version of that character, this is mainly from his / my pov and what i try to keep in mind for when ren occasionally mentions the other hunters.

i believe kafka is someone ren respects, though not necessarily someone he looks up to. that’s not to say he looks down on her either. far from it. in ren’s mind, they’re simply too different to be compared in that way. their backgrounds, values, and fundamental perspectives set them apart, and because of that, he sees no need to model himself after her or measure himself against her. it's hard to explain but it's a bit like comparing a swimmer to a runner — they may share mutual respect and sometimes some similarities, but they operate in different worlds, shaped by different experiences. it’s hard to put into words precisely, but the relationship between them isn’t one of co-dependence. i don’t write ren as some obedient guard dog indebted to kafka, nor do i view her as manipulative or using spirit whisper on him with ulterior motives. kafka is elegant, clever, composed, and has her own brand of humor. in her, ren sees traits he quietly admires, even if he doesn’t always say so outright. he doesn’t see her as cold or unfeeling, though he wouldn't claim her to be emotional either. interestingly, following canon, kafka is the only one who can give him a nickname without irritating him. ironically, and in a way that fits his personality, he doesn't have a nickname for her. ren does care about her. he makes an effort to protect what she’s built, believing her work deserves recognition. one example of this is the 'dream' sequence on the train during the amphoreus arc, where he tells the trailblazer not to let kafka down, acknowledging that she sacrificed a great deal to keep them safe. she is also not some motherly guiding figure, at least not in his eyes. in the end, when i write there’s a mutual respect between them. a mutual understanding.

silver wolf is someone ren occasionally finds it hard to connect with on a deeper level. while the fandom often jokes about her slang going over his head or him being "too old" to keep up with her tech-savviness, i still see them as good companions. he once promised to play games with her when his hand healed — though it seems like it never will. the promise wasn’t made to brush her off, the lack of dexterity in his hand is a genuine obstacle. if he truly didn’t want to engage, he would’ve been honest about it. given how much the stellaron hunters rely on technology, ren’s more analog habits stand out. he still prefers paper over digital files, phone calls over texts, and reading books over watching screens. silver wolf is fully aware of these quirks and doesn't mind even if it might be in her nature to poke fun at him for it sometimes. she lets him keep his folder of printed notes instead of pushing for a hundred digital ones on his device. in fact, she's often the one who ends up responding to the rare text sent to his phone, since he barely uses it outside of missions. he trusts her. he finds her curious, even fascinating in her own way. and while they may not always click easily, there’s no animosity between them.

firefly is someone ren might even admit to admiring, if only a little. her hunger for life ( not immortality ) strikes him as genuinely compelling. in that way, they stand somewhat in contrast to one another, but it doesn’t create tension between them. despite their smaller differences, they get along with a quiet ease, rarely clashing or stepping on each other’s boundaries. firefly clearly speaks to him comfortably, and he responds in kind with a calm, almost gentle demeanor. the car scene in penacony is a good example of how they interact. we already know he holds some sort of fascination for the purgatory sam can create. and though some may distinguish firefly and sam as separate identities, ren sort of sees them as one and the same in the way that his respect and care extend equally to both, he doesn’t value one over the other. he would never see her as solely a weapon, nor would he ever underestimate her. firefly, just as the other stellaron hunters, is capable and strong. he finds her overall attitude to be charming in a sense, intriguing too, because they can share different opinions without it causing issues. ren also holds deep respect for life and the natural cycle of it as stated in previous headcanons, this is something he believes firefly to understand too and thus makes their relationship far from strained.

for anyone with a stellaron hunter verse or an oc within that context, you're absolutely encouraged to develop your own headcanons and interpretations of how your character relates to the stellaron hunters. however, if you’re interested in writing with ren, i kindly ask that we discuss and plot things in advance to make sure we're aligned in terms of character dynamics. ren isn’t the most immediately open or approachable person. not out of dislike, but because he tends to withdraw into his own space. it takes time for him to grow comfortable around someone new, especially in one-on-one interactions. he’d often choose quiet over forced small talk, and that’s something i try to reflect in how he’s written. for those writing characters who are meant to have been part of the stellaron hunters before ren joined, pre-plotting isn’t just encouraged — it’s a requirement. i’m not particularly comfortable with canon being altered too drastically, especially when it shifts dynamics between canon characters that aren't being written directly. that’s not to say there can’t be overlap, multiple hackers or swordsmen are obviously more than fine, but i’d prefer to collaborate on how that fits into the existing group dynamic.

[kiwiana-writes]

Fic Writing Review 2024

Bringing this back from 2023 even though the year isn't over yet!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

Words and Fics (fics written in 2024 only)

124,619 words published to AO3. Down a bit from 2023 for sure. Turns out transing your whole gender and also writing an original novel slows your fic progress a bit. Who'd have thought.

132,218 total words written in 2024 (so far; the year isn't over yet!), 11,288 words written in 2024 that have not yet been published, 7,990 words written in 2023 that have STILL not been published (RIP).

4 published fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue (book), Red White & Royal Blue (film), The Pairing, Cendrillon | Cinderella

Most recent drop: We gonna need some brand-new jeans, my last-minute Smutsgiving contribution aka 930 words of straight-up feederism porn

Longest (published) fic: Years of dreams just can't be wrong (the Anastasia AU), still a WIP, currently at 13,330 words

Longest (published) oneshot: Like loving the stars themselves (the Doctor Who AU) at 7,219 words.

Top Fics by Kudos (fics written in 2024 only)

Warm like the glow that you feel head to toe [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 5,131 words]

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 5,895 words]

None of my love will go to waste [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 5,306 words]

I pictured you with other girls in love [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 5,187 words]

A midnight medication (just show me where it hurts) [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 2,121 words]

Miscellaneous Data From My Unhinged Spreadsheet about 2024 fics

The highest percentage of private bookmarks goes to I can't relate to desperation, the kinktober omorashi/humiliation combo prompt fic. Which is… not exactly surprising lmao.

Out of 54 fics published in 2023, 47 were explicit, 1 was mature, 4 were teen and up, and 2 were general audiences

As well as the juggernaut Alex/Henry, I also wrote: Alex/Alex/Henry (no, that's not a typo), Alex/Nora, June/Nora/Pez, Oscar/Rafael, Zahra/Shaan, Kit/Theo, and Cinderella/Cinderella's Prince

1 fic didn't have a title sourced from anywhere. 2 were sourced from the media/AU fusion source, 2 were puns, 4 were from literature/poetry, and the remaining 45 were song lyrics. Of the song lyrics, 7 were Taylor Swift; 5 were Matt Nathanson; 2 each from Sabrina Carpenter, Mýa, Hozier, Bon Jovi, and The Jane Austen Argument. Then just a shitload of artists with 1 each.

My highest kudos/hits ratio was on A midnight medication (just show me where it hurts), the paediatrician Henry AU - this one did surprise me!

Stats specifically about Kinktober

30 works, exactly 40,000 words (I was proud of that one lmao)

26 were Alex/Henry - including the one that was also Alex/Alex/Henry. 1 each for: Alex/Nora, June/Nora/Pez, Oscar/Rafael, and Zahra/Shaan.

16 Alex POV (including the Alex/Nora), 11 Henry POV, 1 Nora POV, 1 Rafael POV, 1 Shaan POV

The longest was Every version of yourself tonight, the Alex/Alex/Henry selfcest/time travelling threesome fic

Most popular by both hits and kudos was Always seeing colours 'cause you showed them to me, the artist!Henry waxplay fic

Least popular by both hits and kudos were the non-FirstPrince ones, which I wasn't surprised about - I knew that was the likely trade-off!

Highest kudos/hits ratio was One touch (but you felt enough), the one with Henry's magical healing dick

Highest percentage of guest kudos was on Like the dancing smoke that rose, the Oscar/Rafael cigar play

Podfic stats

Total recorded and posted podfic length this year was 7:03:11

Average podfic length was 47:01

Average words per minute was 146.66

The rest of 2024:

I still have a few Fandom Trumps Hate fics to post, as well as one Christmas exchange fic, and I'm hoping to have Anastasia AU finished posting by year-end as well!

Tagging @blueeyedgrlwrites @cactusdragon517 @celeritas2997 @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge

@cricketnationrise @dumbpeachjuice @everwitch-magiks @firenati0n @getmehighonmagic 

@hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @lilythesilly 

@myheartalivewrites @nontoxic-writes @notspecialbabe @orchidscript 

@piratefalls @rmd-writes @sherryvalli @sparklepocalypse @stereopticons 

@thesleepyskipper @thighzp @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play! 

[voxofthevoid]

April Anniversary Final List

I've compiled the 15 fics/ideas you guys picked in response to this post into a detailed list (under the cut). The numbers (51, 43, etc.) are now obsolete because I've added another idea to the list—yes, the total is 94 now, 77 untouched—and plan to keep doing it, which will alter the numbers owing to the way they're organized by ship(s). The doc will stay publicly available (...though I should really go through it and fix all the typos and errors).

Like I said in the OG post, I want to write a scene of approximately 1k for each of these. That's easy enough, usually, but I also want these to be coherent, standalone scenes—connected to the overall fic 'verse, yes, but a self-contained short story nonetheless. And we all know that's not my forte. So, yeah, it's gonna be a hell of a challenge.

These WIPs are not getting struck from my list once I'm done though. I'll be poking at them later, the way I do now—one at a time, until I'm out of the fandom.

Also, the usual disclaimer: If health/IRL fuckery pops up, I'll postpone or cancel the project. Hoping that won't happen, but you never know.

#1. 51 @nearalways

Canonverse pet play featuring a developing relationship, in which Yuuji jokingly says Gojou’s like a puppy and Gojou takes it and runs with it. Yuuji discovers the dubious joys of pet ownership.

#2. 43 @naeldeus

Satoru and her bigass tits single-handedly turn Yuuji from an ass woman into a chest woman, and Satoru’s reaction to Yuuji staring at her tits is to basically smother Yuuji in them in the guise of a hug. It escalates predictably.

#3. 31 @fluffys-nightmare

Yuuji makes a binding vow with the Angel to let her kill him and Sukuna after Gojou’s unsealed, except it doesn’t go as planned and the end result is Yuuji and Sukuna completely merged.

#4. 55 @laughing-sock

A curse user’s failed technique leaves Yuuji with a plush-like replica of Gojou, which Gojou lets him keep. It’s harmless until Yuuji accidentally activates a connection between the doll and Gojou.

#5. 36 (anon)

Sukuna kills the Angel so they can’t unseal Gojou. Teen!Gojou drops into the timeline and retrieves the PR, but they can’t open it. Yuuji has complicated emotional sex with teen!Gojou and spends every spare hour gazing plaintively at the PR. Teen!Gojou is in it mostly for the sex at first, except that doesn’t last.

#6. 45 (anon)

Post-canon where defeating Sukuna still leaves Yuuji with all his loved ones dead. He’s trying to busy himself by helping rebuild society when a new 6E+Limitless user is born, named “Satoru” to honor the last one, and a few years later, the Gojou clan asks for him to be the kid’s bodyguard.

#7. 71 (anon)

Gojou dubcons Megumi in his dorm room while mocking him about his crush on Yuuji, and when Yuuji bursts in after hearing concerning noises, Gojou offers Megumi to him.

#8. 67 @yaoshifollower

Canonverse breakup-makeup AU in a no-Shibuya context, spanning the time from Yuuji’s first year to his early-mid twenties. The sukuita parts are hatesex culminating in cannibalism; goyuu is the endgame.

#9. 03 @lo-55

Gojou tries to seduce Yuuji by rapebaiting him—sleeping on and near him in provocative clothing. Yuuji resists until he doesn’t.

#10. 73 (anon)

Yuuji semi-accidentally seduces Higuruma after their fight in the Culling Games, and during the one-month time skip after Gojou’s unsealed, he manages to semi-accidentally romance both men to the point of inevitable heartache.

#11. 74 @kubo-chan

Pre-canon where Kenjaku pays their favorite child a few in-person visits, finds that Yuuji’s body is rejecting Sukuna’s fingers, and lets their scientific curiosity run a little wilder than usual. Years later, Gojou finds Yuuji while investigating unusual curse activity.

#12. 08 @cunt-recesses

Omegaverse-canonverse alpha/alpha where 20-something Gojou adopts Yuuji, who was being raised by a Sukuna-focused cult.

#13. 50 @zalondra

Omegaverse-canonverse alpha/alpha where becoming Sukuna’s vessel triggers Yuuji’s rut early, a couple of days after he’s accepted into Jujutsu Tech, and since the higher-ups aren’t willing to risk Sukuna’s vessel losing control during that hormonal mess, Gojou volunteers to help him through it.

#14. 42 (anon)

Someone makes the mistake of letting Gojou teach sex-ed to the first-years. It’s a pretty typical class for Nobara and Megumi, but Yuuji's living a different porn scenario every week.

#15. 24 (anon)

Sukuna–Yuuji role reversal where Yuuji’s more interested in his vessel’s teacher than the vessel himself, and Gojou gets too much of a thrill from playing with fire.

[hischierlovebot]

11, 12 and 17 for the fic writer asks <3

Hello my friend <333

fic writer asks

11. a WIP you’d like to finish someday

Oh there are so many. Right now, that's fake hanahaki, although that one should be getting finished soonish, because I'm 30k deep already and we will come out victorious. other fics that have been on the backburner for a while now are the auswilly fake dating, and the werewolves with no werewolves fic, which has been haunting me for around 2 years? And I hope I can get to those this year!

12. a trope you’re really into right now

Well I recently finished my leverage rewatch so I'm very into heists and cons but tbf most of my free time (dead hours at work) is spent fighting fake hanahaki so there hasn't been that much reading from me! I am, however, itching for the kind of fic that you finish and leaves you feeling hollow because of how good it was so if you have any recs, I'll take them <33

17. talk about your writing and editing process

Man this will be very long and also maybe a bit confusing. I'll post under the cut.

The most important part to understand about my process is that there's no editing. There is a final revision, where I go over the text to polish it and catch stray typos, but I don't really write in drafts: what you get posted to ao3 is what the fic has looked like, most of the time.

So, my process goes a little like this: I get an idea, I write down the scene that comes to mind (most of the times with the longer fics, we're not talking about a fleshed out idea, just a scene that I build the rest of the story around. In soulmates, for example, my goal was to tackle my issues with the concept as a whole, and in fake hanahaki, there's a scene that encapsulates this very well, but that I still can't share for obvious reasons), and then the rest of the story is built around it.

If it's a long fic, or a more complex one, say soulmates or hanahaki, to name hrpf examples, then I need to figure out the plot before I write it. It's something that only really happens with these fics because I can't write if I'm not satisfied with what I've written before.

I think of it as building blocks. I need to have a solid foundation to build on, because if it's wobbly, then I keep worrying it's going to bring down the rest of the structure, and there's nothing I hate more than spending hours on a thing, only for it to be absolutely pointless. Sometimes I get stuck with the base and I can't continue until i figure it out, but I can focus on other stuff, that helps me see the whole picture a little clearer. It's why I tend to write out of order, and, afterwards, I take all the pieces and line them up until they make sense. Currently, fake hanahaki is 60 pages long, and there's only like 45% in order. The rest are disconnected scenes that would probably confuse the fuck out of a reader, and that I have to line up to figure out what's still missing.

Once that's done, then the fic is pretty much done. Because I can't write if I'm not satisfied with the build up of a scene, I've gone over them a bunch of times, so there's no need for further rewrites. They were done as the scene was written. What it needs is a final revision to catch any typos, and then it's ready to go out.

If you're wondering, yes, this means that I rarely if at all use beta readers, also because I worry about annoying them with how much I write and switch wips and fandoms lol there are no deleted scenes either because if they weren't going to make it then they never got written and if they were on the page then I just have to figure out where they go. Is this method of mine the most efficient? Probably not, but it's what works with me and I don't think my works turn out that bad so I'm going to stick with it.

And I think that was it lol sorry for how lengthy this was, and let me know if there's anything that wasn't clear!

[wickedobsessed101]

Fanfic Writer Asks

[SOURCE: criminal-minds-fanfiction: Most of the writer ask posts I come across are only like ten or so questions long so I thought I’d try to make a longer one because we like talking about our writing! Feel free to reblog!]

I’m answering all of these b/c I love Q & A’s about my writing, both for my fics and other things.

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction? It was 2013, so I was 14 years old. I’m now almost 23.

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one? I’m mostly in the Wicked Musical fandom, but I like to read for other fandoms, like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Chronicles of Narnia, ect.

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer. OCs, but I’m more than willing to create an OC for someone based on characteristics they give me.

4) What is your favourite genre to write for? I love me some fluffy romance and hurt/comfort, but I also love some angsty drama.

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi-chaptered stories, which would it be and why? OMG, don’t make me choose! They’re all my babies! I love all my children equally! They all hold special places in my heart.

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why? Goodness, most of my stories prior to 2017, because I was in high school and had no idea what I was doing because I was just getting my feet wet with writing.

7) When is your preferred time to write? Anytime really. The latest I’ve stayed up writing a fic was 4AM. *Glares at ‘Threads of Truth’*

8) Where do you take your inspiration from? Where ever it happens to come up. I’m not picky. Movies, music, people I’ve seen on the street, random thoughts that enter my head, anything.

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote? In ‘Threads of Truth’, it’s a tie between Villy’s first date, and an argument that happens in an upcoming chapter. And that’s all I’m saying about that.

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind? In ‘Play The Game’, I liked the epilogue ending that I gave Elphaba with her family, even without Fiyero. I like writing her with kids. Another ending would be with the Fiyeraba still together, but I’m satisfied with the ending it has.

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it? I’ll go back and fix typos that are pointed out, but I don’t change plot stuff. Like, I wrote what I wrote and I will amend my technique in future stories.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why? Other than my OCs, because I get to fully create them and my lowkey babies, I’d have to say G(a)linda. She has so much potential and she’s so much fun.

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why? Boq. Not because I hate him (I don’t!), but because I don’t normally know what to do with him. If he’s not with Nessa, he’s literally just standing there like a brick wall. No offence, Boq!

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories. [Ask me about a specific story(ies)]

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names? I usually change consonants and vowels to already existing names, or add unnecessary letters because... reasons.

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx? [Ask me about a specific story]

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on. “Hopefully, this will soak up any more leaks.” (Upcoming Wicked fanfic)

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them? Yes, 2. Both of them are a few years old and I’ve grown as a writer since then. Maybe one day, I’ll edit them and repost, but not anytime soon.

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to? Not everything can have a sequel, y’all! XD

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently? Yes! Around 60% of them.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire? @vinkunwildflowerqueen @raven-curls @mylittleelphie @weaselspeedfanfic Ultimate Queen of Cliffies

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it? This goes back to Question #6; most of what I posted prior to 2017.

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence? Silence. I need to focus.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes? I can’t write it. They’ll make out, and then be pregnant in the next chapter. Y’all can do the math for yourselves.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story? YES! Yes, I have! Both sad tears and tears of joy. I’ve also cringed from second-hand embarrassment at the things the characters do and say. I’m not in control of their actions all the time. Sometimes they tell me what they’re gonna do, and I’m like, “Well, alright, then.”

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write? [Ask me about a specific story]

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow? I write bullet points of things I want to happen in a chapter on the Word Doc, or in the story as a whole, and I try to keep those bullet points in order. And the Notes App on my phone holds a lot of my ideas, and sometimes full scenes.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction? That I’d become obsessed with writing and continue doing it for almost ten years, as well as expanding to writing plays and musicals.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like? Yeah. I’m not gonna say which one, but just know there’s one... or a few.

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at? Yes, and I’m still not gonna say which one(s). I want all the love!

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec, not the answerer) Yeah, sure!

32) Are any of your characters based on real people? Yes. Villy Doiir from ‘Threads of Truth’ is based on 4 people I know in real life, all mixed together into one wholesome, mother figure/ mentor. Perhaps that’s why I like writing her so much.

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten? All reviews keep me going, no matter the length. But I love it when people review saying that they picked up on little references that were really just for me. It makes me feel like we’ve shared a moment.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten? A guest reviewer once said, “You tend to write Fiyero as an abusive person”. It wasn’t harsh, just... NOT TRUE. Especially for the story they were reviewing.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest? Close to my chest. I’ll share it with the world when I’m ready.

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s? NOPE! You’ll just have to wait and see! LOL!

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written? I... really don’t know. My stories all have their funny moments.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it. I’m very busy, and collabs aren’t really my thing, but I’m always willing to lend an extra pair of eyes pre-posting.

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person? I’ve written one story in the first person and it was fun to get into the character’s head, but I love third person, cause I like knowing what everyone is thinking. Second person makes me feel a certain way and that don’t really like.

40) Do people know you write fanfiction? IRL, no. It’s not something I bring up over dinner. I’ll talk about my plays and musicals, but not fanfiction. I like keeping my fics for the online peeps and my more personal writings for the RL peeps.

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written? My OC, Princess Hannalyn, from ‘A Royal Romance’. She was so much fun!

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx. I haven’t done a song fic.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it? Not fully, but they’ve had little inklings, but certain details were still a surprise. And I’m not mad about it.

44) What is the last line you wrote? “I don’t want this to be the last time we see each other.”

45) What spurs you on during the writing process? When I’ll have one idea, and it spirals into many others, and when the characters write themselves. It makes it so much easier for me. Sometimes they tell me that they’re about to make a bad decision, and I just go along with it. They need to learn and grow somehow.

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it? [Ask me for a specific story]

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about? [Ask me]

48) What’s your favourite trope to write? I love a good Royalty AU (not fully AU ‘cause of our princey-prince, but still) and Holiday AUs. And I’ve never written a Coffeeshop AU, but I LOVE reading them. I’ll read anything. I’m not picky, and I love to see what ideas others have.

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about? Yes, and both of them were Gelphies: 1 - “Easier Said Than Done” by mecelphie - It’s part of a long, wonderful series of Elphaba and Glinda together at Shiz and how their lives evolve together and has many lovable OCs. 2 - “The Thropp Diaries” by denpa wave chick saki - It’s first-person Elphaba POV of the book. It expands on lots of mentioned moments and we get to journey through Elphaba’s thoughts.

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? I’d have to say fluff, so I can get my escape from reality. But it’s hard to write pure fluff without a little bit of conflict.

If you wanna read my stories, they’re all right here: Fae’sFlower

[nouveauweird]

bullshit-free guide to actually fucking writing your wip

disclaimer: this isn’t a fool proof method. when it comes to writing advice and techniques for productivity I say keep an open mind, but take what works for you and leave the rest. 

disclaimer 02: this is more or less for people who want to eventually publish, but there may be elements in here that benefit hobby-writers.

Where & When You Write

Some people will tell you that your writing routine needs to be sacred. I don’t quite believe that. You can absolutely curate a space for yourself that you aim to write in, but at the same time, focusing very strongly on the ritual of writing makes it hard to create an adaptable habit. 

The Writing Zone: 

Your desk or table should face away from your bed, my mother always swore by that and it stuck with me. If space doesn’t allow for that, consider putting furniture or some partition up so you can’t see your bed. For some reason, this makes focusing easier. 

For those of you who may be bedridden or have limited space, a good bed-desk is absolutely just as acceptable (I am actually planning to get one). 

If you have a space separate from your bedroom, the follow applies as well: 

Eliminate as much distraction as possible from your desk. Your experience of distraction is unique so do what you gotta do to eliminate it. 

Make sure your space is well lit. Background light is essential to avoid eyestrain when staring at a screen.

Your chair should be comfortable, and support your back. Scoot your ass all the way to the back of the chair and try sitting on your thighs as much as possible to take strain off your lower spine (my chiropractor told me this).

The Writing Time: 

You need to make time for your writing. Summer means the sunshine is waking me up at 5:45 AM and it’s too hot to doze comfortably so my ass is up and writing or reading until 7 AM when I gotta start getting reading for the day. If I have to catch the 10:15 AM bus, I’ve for about 4 hours to work with between waking up and leaving. 

I finished July 2019 Camp Nano by writing in the morning. And I’m not even a morning person, I swear.

Make time for you writing. If you can make a routine you can stick to, excellent, if you have a handful of 5-10 minute time-pockets— also okay! The 30 minutes your dinner is in the oven is just as good a time to write as any other.

How do you learn how to write in tiny time pockets, you ask, well here it is: Micro Writing Sprints and Macro Writing Sprints. The former applies to pockets of time under 15 mins, while the latter applies to pockets of time over 20 mins. All you have to do is set a timer and challenge yourself to write as much as you possibly can. 

Another thing to keep in mind is knowing your personal limits. If your attention suffers and you start to wander after 15 mins, keep your sprints to 5-10 minute blocks, and give yourself 5-15 min breaks where you get up, drink some water, move your body and then come back to your writing. 

How to Write More, Faster

You have to kill your inner editor. Or at least subdue them. You can fix a typo or whatever but that’s really it. The idea is that you need to allow yourself to get into a mindset where you’re only focusing on the writing, your prose is allowed to be a mess. Insecurity and doubt have no place here, only writing.

Your first draft doesn’t need to be clean. You get to clean it up when it’s done. Stephen King says you write your first draft with the door closed, and the second with the door open, and I like that saying a lot. The revision process is actually way more fun than I thought it would be. I get to make fun of myself for my weird writing quirks— every single one of my “most common errors” in my Grammarly report is about misusing commas!— and restructure and improve upon the foundation I laid with the first draft.

If you come up with something that changes something significant to your story, write a note about it, and then continue on with your draft like it’s been that way the whole ass time. Do not go back and change things. Just keep writing.

Learning how to do Writing Sprints allows you to quickly get into the habit of putting everything down as fast as you can without overthinking it. Because the real thinking is for later, when you’re revising. Essentially these Sprints enable you to get into the writing zone much faster, so feasibly you could write in small time-pockets at the bus stop, in a waiting room, on the bus—anywhere.

Outlining will make you write faster.

Yes I am pro-outlining, please don’t click away because of that, because I also still think that you need to use what works for you, and if you’re reading this something isn’t working, so please keep your mind open.

The very least you should try is preparing or pre-planning what you need to write for your writing session (no matter how short). You will write more and faster this way. Most of all, you will be less likely to “wander” around. 

I wrote out a small fragment-filled paragraph of what needed to happen in the first few scenes of my July 2019 Camp Nano project and got them out more easily and faster compared to when I didn’t. I wrote sustainedly in 30 minute time-pockets with a great deal of focus when I prepared my writing before actually writing.

Your WIP Outline

What if your outline was also actually super connected to your character sheets? Libbie Hawker makes this sound so easy in her book “Take Off Your Pants” in which she broke down some very interesting ideas on how to build your characters and your story that I hadn’t previously considered. 

What I ended up with was something like this: 

CHARACTER NAME Character: write down the basics; age, career, small relevant facts Flaw: what problem do they have that hinders them External goal: the thing they want that they can’t get unless they overcome their ‘flaw’ Ally:  who pushes the character toward their goal when they stray Antagonist: who has same or aligned goal, but with different motives and execution Events:

Opening scene

Inciting event

Character realizes external goal

Display of flaw

Drive for goal

Antagonist reveal

Thwart 01

Revisiting flaw

New drive for goal

Antagonist attacks

Thwart 02

Changed goal

Ally intervention

Renewed Focus

Battle

Death

Outcome

End: success or failure or neutral result with regards to overcoming ‘flaw’

The stuff under the “Events” category is stuff everyone has seen before in narrative charts, and it won’t be the last time you see it either. You can use or discard or repeat them however many times you need to. I still think this plot chart that I made it great for figuring out pacing, so check that out if you need some help there.

You can also apply these to series, where the character’s “Flaw” and “External goal” change as the narrative progresses. 

All of these parts are explained in Libbie Hawker’s book, but I’m happy to explain if you DM me! 

I applied a central idea for my WIP “Hyacinth Stalks” and all the central characters share a common idea with regards to their flaws. Hawker recommends filling in this information for all central characters, and working in which events which characters will interact in. 

The common idea is that my characters are “holding onto the past to feel more in control in the present”. Juliet Shain maintains habits of maintaining a “perfect athletic body” in the same way she did as a dancer five years earlier. She can’t exercise that same control over her mental health, which she struggles with, because of questions she has pertaining to the accident that lost her her leg remaining unanswered. 

Juliet’s ultimate goal is closure about the accident, which she won’t be able to access unless she stops holding onto the past and in turn the idea that the accident “ruined” her. 

I can apply the same things to Alana Murdock, another central character in “Hyacinth Stalks”, who, because she could only rely on herself after her sister’s murder while her parents grieved and her brother cut all contact, rejects her brother’s attempt to reconnect in order to protect herself in the present despite the stress of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Hyacinth Killer’s disappearance. Her goal, would be to make it to the Olympic Volleyball team, which she won’t be able to do unless she stops isolating herself.

I can now approach the Events sections with more clarity because I know what the characters’ goals are and what their hindrances are as well. I can apply the same ideas to the other central characters, as well as the Serial Killer and weave their stories into the narrative as well. When you have a strong character arc, you can build a strong story.

When you can answer the questions about your character(s) you can fill in those Event sections with far more ease, and begin to break those sections down into chapters, scenes, or beats, with as much or as little detail as you want. Libbie Hawker’s method involves writing out paragraphs worth of scene details before actually getting to the writing. She says this isn’t necessary, but that for her it eliminates “wandering” and any doubts about what needs to be put on the page. 

Personally speaking, I lie somewhere in the middle, wherein my scene outlines involve small paragraph or bullet points for what needs to happen. 

Hawker has written books in 21 days, so there is definitely some magic in her method. In her book, Hawker details that creating her outline took 4 hours. When I outlined “But a Monster” it took a week (5 days), and despite not having had her method then, the existence of the outline made writing the novel much clearer and focused, which my writing had not been prior to admitting I needed to give outlining a chance. 

All writing advice is a tree of wisdom

Take what benefits you most and leave the rest. 

I have fully taken the advice that I have attempted to explain here. I read in “5000 Words Per Hour” by Chris Fox and “Take Off Your Pants” by Libbie Hawker and felt incredibly inspired and motivated, but some of what they say or eschue doesn’t resonate with me or my craft. I have to do what works for my writing, and if I’m happy with the pace the work is going at then alright! 

What I’ve written here is meant to give you new ideas on how to be more productive. I read the books that helped me come up with this because I felt like something was lacking in my writing routine and I had my eyes opened. I hope I have opened yours too and that your work benefits from this.

[mego42]

Writer Asks

Tagged by @sothischickshe, @bourbon-ontherocks and @medievalraven who are all v lovely and for reasons unknown to me, want me to ramble about my fic so like, blame them for this I guess

Tagging @fairhairedkings, @riosnecktattoo, @inyoursheets, @foxmagpie, @pynkhues if you feel like it

ao3 name: ms_scarlet (origin story no one asked for: I came up with it for a creative writing class where we had to submit everything under pseudonyms for anonymous full class critique, which was gr9 and not at all traumatic, and I was deeply obsessed with both the Grateful Dead and Sublime versions of Scarlet Begonias at the time)

fandoms: the only fandoms I’ve written fic for are bellarke/t100 and Good Girls (and Buffy but it was way back in the day, pre-organized archives and has been completely lost to time which is For The Best)

number of fics: 14 (lol, 5 over the course 3 years in t100 fandom and 9 since joining the GG fandom at the beginning of s3, you could say I have been inspired)

fic i spent the most time on: a song inside the halls of the dark for sure, it’s the first multi chapter I’ve ever done and I’m far enough into it that I will be super honest, I was extremely dubious over whether or not I’d actually see it through when I started but huzzah! It’s happening. But yeah, I spend like, a lot of time thinking about it, writing it (lmao obvs), rewatching clips of the show to pick apart characterization and mannerisms, etc, etc. I try to work on it in some capacity every day (sometimes that just means outlining or deleting chunks of my outline and crying about how much I hate myself) to keep up momentum so yeah, def that one.

As far as one shots go, there’s blood in my body (I’m holding on) for bellarke, I think I spent a month, maybe 6 weeks working on that

fic i spent the least amount of time on: as the world turns, the blunt burns, I was doing my usual lazy Saturday morning scroll through Tumblr before I got out of bed and saw a post like I want beth and mick to get high together (I would love to give credit but I haven’t the foggiest notion who said it, I wasn’t intending to write it so I didn’t pay too much attention, I’m the worst, I’m sorry) and then some dialogue popped into my head maybe 10 min later and I think I wrote the whole thing in like, 45 min on my phone. Cannot emphasize enough how little I thought about it (or proofed it tbh, yikes, so many typos) before posting

most hits: overall, I’ve Got You Here my t100 post s3, alt s4 thing. For Good Girls, a song inside the halls of the dark

most kudos: overall, there’s blood in my body (I’m holding on) - bellarke modern au. For GG, still song.

most comment threads:  a song inside the halls of the dark by a M I L E (it twice as many as blood, the next highest), the GG fandom is so lovely and supportive and friendly and I love you guys, I really do

most bookmarks: same as kudos, blood overall and then song for GG

highest total word count: lol song is killing it

favorite fic i wrote: oh man, that’s hard. I love them all for different reasons. Blood was my first ever AU (I am a canon/canon-divergent ho) and it also deals with some stuff that’s important to me so that’s always going to have a special place in my heart. I’ve Got You Here was the first time I tried to tackle something bigger than a missing scene or short one-shot so that’s also significant.

I’m really proud of smoke, fire, it’s all going up because I think I did a p good job with the Rio POV there. I’d give her a HA! And a HI-YA! is special bc it’s my first outside POV and it was based on so little info it was basically OC, so that was a fun challenge.

All of that said, obviously, a song inside the halls in the dark is my fav. It’s been the biggest stretch of my skills (I had NO! IDEA! If I could plot and pace on the level required to sustain the fic I’d originally outlined and it’s only grown from there tbh), it’s also been like, the loveliest experience? I keep saying people’s reaction to it has broken my brain and I’m not actually just saying that. I’m deeply overwhelmed. And last but emphatically not least, it’s how I’ve gotten to know @nickmillerscaulk who, on top of being an incredible editor (seriously y’all, she is Skilled, I’ve learned so much from her), is such an awesome, amazing person and I’m so very glad we’ve become friends.

fic i want to rewrite/expand on: Oh man, idk. Pills N Potions is the easiest because it’s a prompt collection! Send me prompts! I can’t promise I’ll write them right away (my ADHD is so very real and only dubiously under my control during quarantine, so I live in constant terror of losing the thread of song especially this close to the end) but I def want to flex my quick and dirty short fic for funsies skills. I’m super looking forward to @goodgirlsficrecs prompt-a-thon.

share a bit of a wip or story idea you’re working on: ahahaha oh man, my google drive is littered with partially drafted or outlined ideas. I have a bunch of missing scene things I started at various points in s3 that are realistically dead in the water.

In terms of WIP/ideas I’m still intending to work on/finish:

A post 311 Rio POV pwp

A fishing/fencing/flute playing fluff for @medievalraven because I keep taunting her with my tags for song

The Good Guys (Rio, JT and Stan) thing that snowballed in a post way back when from @jazillia007, @nickmillerscaulk, and @inyoursheets

I still low-key want to do the transcripts for the Mick, Annie and Ruby group chat. I might save that for whenever I rewatch and have it running concurrently to s3, idk we’ll see

A Jewel Thief AU that I am wildly hyped about. I outlined the first chapter of it around when I started posting song and haven’t let myself do anything with it because I know once I get started I’m going to abandon whatever else I’m working on

More Annie POV, I don’t have any specific ideas, I just really love writing Annie POV

[the-kitteh]

*pokes the Kitteh* You know those writer asks? *Grins evilly* Do all of them.

I SWEAR TO ALL THAT’S UNHOLY, MEG!!!!

Also @journeythroughtherain, your questions will be answered in one heap. 

1.       What is your preferred place to write (notebook,laptop, cellphone, etc.)?

Laptop when I have access to one and notebook when I’m travelling.

2.       When did you start writing?

When I was but a wee, 15 yo kitling.

3.       What is your favorite thing to write?

Romance, though I’m pretty good with crach humor fics as well.

4.      Fluff or angst?

5.       How would you describe your style?

Emotional soft with a sad and/or angsty edge. Depends on the day I’mhaving.  

6.       Where do you usually find inspiration?

It just comes and goes, like a goddamn wave.

7.       Do you listen to music to help you write?

YES ALWAYS

8.       What’s the biggest “challenge” for you as a writer?

Keep shit together. It stems from the fact I can’t write linear to save mylife so putting together a million or so scenes to make one coherent story isthe biggest challenge for me.

9.       Where do you usually go to write (bedroom, livingroom, etc.)?

I either steal some time at work or write in the living room.

10.   Can you give us a sneak peek on your current WIP?

Sure! Have some mer!AU:

“Until one day, somethingchanges. it’s almost closing time at the aquarium, and he’s been in the back ofthe tank, lingering in the shadows for the better part of the day. The visitorswere especially noisy today, constantly poking and knocking at the glass, thevibrations rattling his bones. 

He’s glad for the comfort the man-made structures ofhis tank provide, where the artificial lights aren’t as bright, aren’t aspainful on his eyes. 

Someone stops near his house and home and he grimaces,waits for the knocking to start. 

None does for the longest of time - the announcementto hurry up and leave blaring through the aquarium already - and finally, cautiously,he peeks out. There’s a boy in front of his tank, his image distorted by glassand water alike but he’s simply standing there, patient and silent andunmoving.

And so he swims out, shows himself as he is becausehe’s suddenly curious about this bubble gum-colored twig of a boy.

Once he’s up close, he sees that the boy looks likethe seashells he dreams about sometimes - he’s all cream and pink, with sharp,sharp edges he wants to test his fingers against.”

11.   How many stories have you written so far?

AO3 has 27 works, but there’s a bunch over at ff.net as well and over atlivejournal, not to mention the ones I never published anywhere. Consideringhow productive I was during my JRock phase and my anime/manga years, I think itcircles between 100-150 so not overly much?

12.   What’s your favorite thing that you ever wrote?

Ruins.

“and amidst the ruins, there was you” hands down. There are no words todescribe how much I love that story and how proud I am of both myself and thefic.

13.   How many chapters does your longest series has?

“Anywhere” takes that particular title with 24 chapters.

14.   What’s your favorite character/person to write for?

Aiveana Yumi are always a pleasure to write when it comes to OCs, and Tonyis just SO good to write for I want to die.

15.  “OCs” or “Reader”inserts?

OCs!!! I love those ;.;

16.   Can you tell us anything about your current WIP?

The one currently being posted? Soulmate AU where one part of the bondedpair believes he is soulmate-less and the other hates the concept of beingbonded with a passion.

17.   How long was the longest fic you ever wrote?

That’s…. that’s probably the Jointverse. That one clocks in with 149 528 words and I probably shouldmentioned that it covers about  half ofthe canon timeline so far….

18.   What fandoms do you write for?

Currently that’s kpop and Marvel (WinterIron). Other fandoms include MassEffect and Dragon Age, Final Fantasy 7. I used to write for Bleach, Weiss Kreuzand Magic Knight Rayearth, as well as a bunch of RPFs in regards to Jrock.

19.   What is/ are your favorite fandom author/authors?

…….. nope. No answering that, I wll not list half of the bloody server inhere!

20.   Have you ever written an AU?

Yes and I loved it more than I thought I would.

21.   What’s your favorite AU trope?

Apparently, dystopian AUs. I love all things soulmates too.

22.   A fanfiction cliché you can’t help but love?

Friends to lover with a pinch of mutual pining and misunderstandings. Watchme die slow and happy.

23.   For how long have you been a fandom writer?

Pretty much ever since I started writing, it was for fandoms, so 20 years?

24.   Have you ever had an idea for story and forgot aboutit?

Probably? I forget so many things I can’t say with all certainity this hasnever happened to me XD

25.   What do you do to motivate yourself to write?

I literally guilt trip myself into writing XD

26.   How did you find out you like to write?

In all honesty, I just … started writing, I thik it was Sailor Moonrelated? And it was so much fun that it just stuck.

27.   Are there any writers (fanfiction writers or not) thathave inspired you to start writing?

A polish criminal stories writer, her books accompany me tothis day and Iwanted to write just like her so I picked up a pen one day.

There are a few fandom writers that have inspired me to be better and paymore attention to my writing or who were there to support me when I wasdoubting my worth as a writer. I’ll be forever grateful for them

28.   What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

Currently, I love writing my WinterIron – because of the people there and becauseof how many story ideas I managed to come up with

29.   Describe your style in three words.

Soft Emo vomit.

30.   What would you say it’s the most “famous” fic you’veever written?

I think it’s the “Moments” series with @mistrstank cause I pitched in with akickass co-author there?

31.  Blurbs or drabbles?

Blurbs.

32.   Have you ever written smut?

Yup.

33.   How long does it usually take for you to write?

Depeeeends? Depends on my mood, on my work load and on the story itself.Ruins took me 9 months to write, while “pain and sorrow” was written in 2 days.

34.   What’s your favorite font to use when writing?

Cambria.

35.   Which do you prefer to write: longer or shorter fics?

I think shorter ones. I’m rather good within the first 10K, but lately Ican’t plan for shit really cause a story I planned to wrap up under 10Kcurrently’s reaching 41K so….

Your mileage may vary I guess.

36.   How do you keep yourself inspired?

Uh. It just.. happens? I brainstorm sometimes, or see something that sparksup the urge to write something specific, or there’s a quote I particularlylike.

37.   Have you ever written something you didn’t like butposted anyways?

No I don’t think I ever did something like that.

38.   What is your “strong suit” as a writer?

I am very good at the emotional side of things.

39.  What’s your favorite trope?

I have a hugeass soft spot for all coffeeshop AUs. 

Shocking.

I know.

40.   How many likes do your fics usually get?

I literally have no idea how to measure that? Not as many as I would likeXD

41.   Have you ever used a prompt?

Sure, prompts are lovely!

42.   What is your weakness as a writer?

I’m impatient. I sometimes want to post before being really through withthe chapter or a one-shot and I sometimes don’t catch all of the mistakes ortypos. Having a beta ( hi @eirlyssa

43.   Have you ever cried or felt any emotion while readingsomething you wrote?

Yes. I wrote a death scene that sent me crying.

44.   Have you ever done a collab with other writer?

JointVerse in a way is a major collab and as previously stated  Moments

45.   One thing you love about fanfiction.

The freedom it gives.

46.   What’s your favorite emotion to cause on your readers?

If I make them happy when they finish a story or when I get a commentsaying how a reader held their breath.

47.   What’s your favorite thing about writing?

The way that it calms me down and makes me happy to be doing what I love.

48.   Do you post your writing in any other platforms?

AO3.

49.   What app/apps do you use to write (word, notepad,etc.)?

Google Docs.

50.   One thing you don’t like about fanfiction.

Probably the fact that it’s downplayed as much as it is, because it’s not “original”.And that some people feel entitled to be demanding and rude about it, justbecause they get stuff for free.

51.  Least favorite trope?

A/B/O settings and high school AUs.

52.   Favorite words to use when writing?

I KNOW I have a pretty much  a trademark phrase or two, but currently, I amunable to cite any of them????

53.  Least favorite words?

 a little bit NSFW here, but I really dislike the word “cum”. 

54.   Do you usually like what you write?

I’ve been learning to love what I write

[iamnesta]

Well, for that writing ask, I d like to know all of them !

1: Describe the plot of your current WIPs in a single sentence each.The novel I’m currently working on can be described as: Pirates and fairies and murder, oh my!

2: Do you have anything published? If so, where?Yes, I’ve been published in two editions of my school’s literary/art magazine as well as a local poetry contest!

3: Do you own any books on writing? If so, which is your favorite?Nope, I don’t own any (but I should)

4: What are some of your favorite tropes?Enemies to friends to lovers is my fave, also super stoic characters being total softies

5: Which OC deserved better?All of them? I’m a mean author. Kolya, in particular, deserved much better.

6: Which OC did you forget about?I lowkey forgot about Marevna, who’s, you know, the villain.

7: What was the first novel you ever tried to write? If you’ve never tried to write a novel, then what was the first story you ever wrote?The first story I ever wrote was about a mouse, and I was seven years old. It was like… twenty pages long, no joke. Since then I’ve tried writing lots of novels, but I never finish them. I did make one about vampires in the fourth grade which I printed out and drew a cover for, so there’s that.

8: Which OC is your favorite?Vashti! Witty, badass captain who takes no shit from anyone and also has a screwed up past? Yes please.

9: Which OC is an absolute pain to write?Right now I’m having a really tough time writing anything with Ymira in it. It’s hard to make someone evil but also strangely captivating.

10: If you had to write a novel about one of the side characters in your current WIP, which character would you choose?Katarina, lesbian queen extraordinaire. She’s always scheming and will betray you without hesitation, but it’s always for the sake of her people.

11: Share the last paragraph you wrote.I’m currently typing all of this on my phone and do not have access to my laptop… let me know if you’re interested in reading a paragraph and I’ll post it later!

12: Share a dumb line from an old WIP.I found this gem in my notes app: “Gosh darn it, now all my evil plans are ruined.”

13: Do you prefer writing with small casts of characters or large ones?The biggest casts of characters you’ve ever seen. Imagine Game of Thrones but with even more people.

14: How long does it take you to write 500 words on a good day? On a bad one?On a good day, maybe 45 minutes. On a bad day… literally hours just to get 100 words.

15: How do you name settings/characters?Name generators and baby name websites are my savoirs. I’ll compile giant lists of names I like, and then sometimes I’ll change them slightly to make them sound less ordinary.

16: What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done in the name of outlining/worldbuilding (timelines, research, maps, spreadsheets, etc.)?I make character profiles for like… all my characters. I literally made myself a template that’s formatted like a wiki page for fictional characters.

17: How far along are you in your current WIP? How long have you been working on it?I’m not very far in my novel. I’ve spent about three years perfecting all the characters and plot points, so hopefully this summer I can finally write it all out!

18: How many titles has your current WIP gone through? Which one of your WIPs has had the most titles?I… never title my pieces until they’re finished (and I hardly ever finish them). All the documents are named “thing” or “story #27”.

19: What does your editing/revising process look like?A hot mess. I edit while I work, which is terrible. I know I shouldn’t but I can’t help myself. My preferred method for editing is to print everything out and then mark it with pen (after reading over the document a couple times for major typos).

20: What’s the most time you’ve ever spent on one WIP?I’ve spent three years on my current novel and… I’m still not done…

[mistye-dawne]

actually you know what? 1-54 lmao. (or just whatever ones you want to answer.)

This took way too long cause my niece has been a wiggleworm all morning and I’m up and down chasing her ever 5 mins lol.

1. Favorite place to write.There is a park about an hour away from me that I go to, if able, when I’ve got writer’s block. I’ll walk about a mile into the forest and sit by a creek that runs into the river. It’s a trip but is worth the effort when I just really need an isolated place to think.

2. Favorite part of writing.Character creation. Even in fanfiction, I always change up the background/personalities a little to add my own touch and present them in a new light. I also love learning and researching so I’ll just look up random things and see if I can’t design something or someone around an idea or belief.

3. Least favorite part of writing.Editing… moving on. I guess I should say editing my own work. Sometimes because I wasn’t the happiest with how a chapter turned out and sometimes because I really don’t feel like re-reading what I just wrote 3 times over only to read it again later and still find typos and parts that just don’t flow quite right.

4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?I have to be listening to something. Music, tv, the ambiance of a coffeeshop, etc. Unless I’m at my favorite place I can’t write in silence, but even there it isn’t quiet.

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.Toni Morrison morrison is the first name that pops into my head just because I re-read at least one of her books each month.

6. Favorite character you ever created.Childlike Evergreen for an idea that I’ve been playing with. She’s so cute and nothing like her character as an adult lol

7. Favorite author.Kristen Cashore, author of the Graceling series.

8. Favorite trope to write.

9. Least favorite trope to write.

10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about. 11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.1. Take pen and paper. Write everything that come to mind then end up trashing more than half of it.2. Write nothing but dialogue to go with everything written in step one.3. Combine both into a word document.4. Edit and make look pretty for others to enjoy.

That’s actually how I do it. I will plot out and idea with rough imcomplete details. If something need dialogue to get it moving a have a seperate journal that I write nothing but raw dialogue in. I color code everything so that it’s easy to reference back to and see what goes with what. Then I literally just splice the two parts together including every possible word before editing and cutting most of it out.

12. How do you deal with self-doubts? I’ll go through some of my older pieces that I’ve never published/shared and compare it to my current work. Idk, seeing how far i’ve improved always give me a boost in confidence.

13. How do you deal with writers block?First, I walk away from a project because trying to force something out can ruin a piece and just spend a little time each day writing something, anything, just so that I’m always keeping up with my practice. I’ll also read a bit more and get out of the house more often cause my writer’s block stems from cabin fever most of the time.

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?With my current piece that I’m writing. I took the idea of herbal medicine and looked up different plants what were used as medicines/ healing aids. Example: Belladonna, deadly nightshade, tincture was used to help aleviate thing like motionsickness, nausea, and even menstrual cramps. I thought it was interesting and since I was writng about dragon slayers and their perpetual uneasiness with transportaion, added into the story. In general though I always do a fair amount of research because I’ve not experienced all there is in the world and want to be able to make a connection with readers by presenting believable and accurate ideas.

15. Where does your inspiration come from?I’ve always felt more comfortable expressing myself through the written word and grew to love books and storytelling when I was little.

16. Where do you take your motivation from?Same as question 15?

17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?If I’m doing computer work, anywhere from 1500 to 2000 words. I could easily do more if I let myself, and I sometimes do, but I always walk away from it at some point during the day so as to not overexhert my hands since they already hurt my after a while of handwriting or typing.

18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?For revisions, I can just cut and add in the document. If i doing a rewrite I will create a new document and write it side by side. I feel like i make more changes that way which is the point of rewrites.

19. First line of a WIP you’re working on.He wiped the sweat from his brow as he came upon her silhouetted form on the forest floor.

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.“What is you plan to accomplish with this stupid ritual?”

“Oh, I don’ even know it’ll work. I just read about it thought maybe I’d give it a go if the opportunity presented itself. Your cerlestial mage appearing was just that.”

21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s.Lucy had been so caught up in herself that she failed to asking how Bickslow was holding up. 22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?Nothing is ultimately ever done for me. that’s propably why I’m still sitting on a collection of shortstories that I’d like to get published but haven’t yet.

23. Single or multi POV, and why?No preference. Both come fairly easy to me but I think that if done well, single POV provides the most entertainment.

24. Poetry or prose, and why?Prose. I’ve taken poetry classes and had to read said poetry in front of 100+ people in college. I still cringe when I tell that story…

25. Linear or non-linear, and why?

26. Standalone or series, and why?Standalone. I just can’t imagine writing multiple multichapter things centered around the same idea. Idk

27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with?Rough drafts are for my eyes only. Occasionally a beta when I find the need but that’s rare.

29. Who do you write for?For the sole purpose of manipulating the emotions of readers. Basically, I like to write trash that’ll make people cry when it suits me. Nah, I write because my head is full of all sorts of ideas and I just have to get them on paper so to speak. Sharing my creative writing is something new for me but so far, I’m not regretting that choice.

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.You showed me the world, then left.

31. Hardest character to write.Gray… never was a favorite of mine so I just can’t connect with him.

32. Easiest character to write.Lucy

33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?Most of the time.

34. Handwritten notes or typed notes?Handwritten. I waste a lot of paper and wish that I didn’t but it’s just most comfortable for me to handwrite the roughest form then expand the ideas on the computer.

35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.

36. A spoiler for story _________.

37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.You aren’t the man who will make or break me. I have learned those men do not exist… I do not need you in my life. But I really, really want you in it

38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it?Meh, I’ll talk to my brother about ideas sometimes. He’s not a writer but he’s a good listener and is one of the few people that actually seem to enjoy it when I talk about writing with him.

39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.I do and my favorite one is based off of my best friend from college. This girl and I met a week before classes began and she really like how my name was spelled. We hit it off from there. I’ve actually written a story based off of that first interaction between us. She’s a family woman and has such a passion for teaching english. She’s got an attitude and does what she wants, but she was the mom friend that i needed because I usually play mom for my other friends lol

40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?Both. All of my original works are based off of real stories from real people that I know. My fanfiction is where my creativity shines though especially when working with a universe like Fairy Tail.

41. How many stories do you work on at one time?However many that suits me. My exception to this rule is only 1 multichapter fic at a time due to how much time and research I invest into the piece. I’m also far more critical about editing chapter versus oneshots.

42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc.

43. Are you an avid reader?Yes. Reading is what makes the writer.

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.One semester I took a research class and had to design and conduct my methods and gather data. There was one part where we had to develop how we were to gather the data we sought and my instructor told me that it was hard for him to critique my methods because I had already done so in the proposal. I figure leaving a guy who writes for a living unable to write anything is a good thing lol

45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.Taking a creative writng class with people who don’t love writing as much as I do. To elaborate, we would be required to write something of our own creation and you could tell who loved writing based on the feedback they gave. I can’t begin to say how many people took to giving me grammar advice because they couldn’t think of anything to say about the content…

46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie?

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?Characters.

48. Favorite genre to write in.Adventure/drama

49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?Always the beginning.

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.Oh god. Please no. Umm when I was like 15 I started writng this story about elemental angels and they had to save the world or something like that. Idk, when I look back on it I think that it’s weird

51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words.

52. How did writing change you?Writing has helped me to become more confident in myself and also helped me to cope and move forward from the abuse I lived through when I was little.

53. What does writing mean to you?Writing is literally what saved my life so it’s everything.

54. Any writing advice you want to share?Write. If it’s something you want to do then do it. You only get better the more you pratice it. If you don’t know what to write, try a word promt challenge and write about whatever comes to mind. Just let your ideas flow.

[sephirajo]

writer ask meme: 1, 5, 51

1. Tell us about your WIP!

The working title is Penny and the Golden City because I suck with titles and the file had to be called something and I already used that gag once upon a time naming a character... and, well, the important stuff:  

It’s set 200 years in the future, in an America where the United States is not a thing, I am pulling some inspiration from Fallout, the setting is Southern California, bombs were dropped by 45 on at LEAST LA, Sacramento and San Francisco.   Penny’s from a city in what used to be the Anza-Borrego National Park really close to the expanded Salton sea, which is now the Salton Bay and oops, there goes almost all of Mexicali.  The city is built into the ground and into the rocks there and hosts a doctor from one of the Domed cities that now house people who can afford to get into them and people who are desperate enough to be willing to take a deal to get in.

That’s important because Penny’s little brother has had TB pretty much all of his life and it’s reaching the point where he’s dying.  Given a tip by the Doctor (who in my head is totally played by Danny Trejo) Penny and her BFF Sam go to get put in touch with a group whose purpose is to help them steal a bunch of medicine from the local mega-Dome city and bring it back out to the Wastes. A heist that will save a ton of lives, if they can pull it off.

The Dome cities are Corporation run Authoritarian hellholes run by a group of three people named after the Greek fates.  No one knows outside of a select few, mostly board members, who these leaders are, only that there are three of them, and the position is one that is heavily competed for and comes with a very high mortality rate.  

Because there’s always a need for fresh labor, these cities contract people from the wastelands into work for all sorts of jobs from the menial to the highly technical, with the self taught and most talented able to compete and win a place inside with more rights than average Contracted Worker and Penny’s talented enough to try for that, giving them a way in to the city and on to the next part.  

So about the characters a bit, Penny’s full name is Penelope Pines, she’s half Indigenous Mexican and half African-American.  Her best friend, Samantha Zhong is half Chicanx/Chinese.  She’s transgender and thankfully has had access to hormones and a supportive family and friends and town because damnit in the future some things are going to be better. Once in they meet Emily Bartlett, the disaffected daughter of one of the ruling families and the one showing Penny the ropes in her new job.

Penny is a highly, highly talented programmer and robotics engineer, which bleeds into mechanics too.  Her father helped teach her, but she’s largely self taught and her crowning achievement is the recovery bot she rebuilt and reprogrammed with her father, which they named Cucaracha.  On account of him looking like a cockroach.  He acts like a corgi though. 

And um, I have a lot written already for character profiles and I’m still working on it and I worry it sucks and all that fun stuff, but yeah, still working on it.   Have it open and jot down ideas as they come to me, add notes, tweak the outline,  Next I have to start actually writing it.

5. Top five formative books?

Oh jeeze, this is hard. Um, Lord of Light, though reading it now makes me want to puke as Sam is a terrible person and the entire book a skeeve fest, but Zelazny had a talent for description t hat made me really hunger for his stuff, and hence A Night in Lonesome October is also on this list.  And at least there’s a lot less to hate about a dog.  His master being Jack the Ripper who is on a mystic crusade with all the other characters from horror and detective pop and folklore in one place? Sign me the fuck up.  There’s still tons of problematic shit in it but it happens through the lenses of the dog and really made me think of how you’d go about writing an animal that is relatable but still an animal. Then there’s War for the Oaks, which is even set in Minneapolis. :D I’ve read that like ten times.  Almost anything by @neil-gaiman.  The Great Gatsby, which is a study in characters that aren’t likable but a story that is still engaging and it’s description of 1920s Jazz Age America.  I swear, Zelda wrote more of that one that Scott. I will die on that hill.  When it comes to Star Wars and Sci-Fi writing, Timothy Zhan is my go to guy, he is also hella good.  And responsible for Thrawn. Mmmmm. Thrawn.  *cough*

51. Are you a secretive writer or do you talk with your friends about your books?

LOL I spam the shit out of my friends. I think my anxiety is part of it. I want to know what I’m writing is at least decent.  So yeah. :/ They get bothered. A lot. I will send entire blocks of text again because I found a typo.

Jeeze, @serenity2132 how do you put up with your broken hermana, lol. xD

[kingsofeverything]

40-48 on ur most recent fic

FIC ASKS! ASK AWAY!

I’m not sure if you mean 40 through 48 or 40 and 48, so I’m just going to answer them all because @allwaswell16 asked for 45 & 46, so I’ll put it all here. 

My most recent published fic is Mercedes Boy.

40. which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series

Hmm… all of these questions are so good. I think, probably, Fall At My Door. 

41. one song that captures (insert story title)

Well, Mercedes Boy was inspired by the Pebbles song by the same name.

I’m not sure why, but I want to answer for Fall At My Door too. The title comes from the song Down to Zero by Joan Armatrading, which is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists.

42. do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind?

Mostly I just write what comes to mind. That’s how I did everything I’ve got on AO3. I planned my Big Bang / NaNoWriMo fic though. I had to. It needed to be 50K for NaNoWriMo and the word count alone scared me. I outlined it, but even still, not very heavily. It was mostly just plot points, certain things I knew needed to happen at certain points in the story in order to get to 50K. It’s quite convenient though. I’m doing a When Harry Met Sally AU now and having the outline of the movie to work from is making it super easy to write, even though I’m trying to make it my own and not have it be just like the movie script.

I think that if I planned to write anything longer than 30K, I’d probably outline it. 

43. would you ever write a sequel for (insert fic title here)

Mercedes Boy, yes. I am planning to write another little one-shot as a follow up.

Fall At My Door, maybe. I’d sort of like to do something with a red carpet, maybe they return to the AMAs and fuck in the bathroom again lol

44. do you write linear or do you write future scenes if you feel like it?

Both, but mostly linear. One thing that I do in almost every fic, is write dialogue and come back later to fill in the…… emotions and actions that go with it. I’ll get a conversation going between characters in my head, and I have to get it down ASAP. Then I’ll highlight it in my doc and leave myself a note to read over it and fill in around it later. My notes say “fill” lol 

45. share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

Hmm… well, the When Harry Met Sally AU is pretty self-explanatory, if you’ve seen the movie. Two of the other fics I haven’t published are for Big Bang and the HP/1D exchange. And I have two more that are basically PWP.

47. how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time?

Right now, it’s 7. But 2 of those are “finished” but being beta read or Brit picked, and 2 of those don’t have a single word written, they just exist in my head, even though I’ve started docs for them with like…. one line ideas. One of those is actually a really, really big project that I’m planning to do, probably after I finish most of the rest of my WIPs. Oh, and one is a fic that is sad and makes me sad and I haven’t written on it since early December.

48. three spoilers for (insert story title)

Uhhhh… I can’t spoil my 2 fics that are close to being published, and I can’t really spoil WHMS because it’s a movie. Soooo…. I don’t have any, sorry!

46. share a scene of a story that you haven’t published yet

Be aware that all of my shit is MESSY right now. So not only is this not beta read, it isn’t even Lauren read. As in, there could be typos and all sorts of errors. Also, this is difficult because I had to find a scene that didn’t have blank spots, like METYPINGLIKETHISBECAUSEIDKWHATTOCALLACHARACTER lol

Scene under the cut because it’s like 800+ words

“I’m not coming over.” Louis croaked through the phone.

“What? Why?” Harry whined. He couldn’t help it; he was hungry and had been waiting patiently for his almond croissants.

“Can’t move. Too hungover. Think I might be dead, actually.” Louis actually sounded pretty awful and Harry was actually starting to feel sympathetic. “Yep. Dead. Calling you from the great beyond,” he finished in a spooky whisper.

“Even when you’re dead, you’re annoying.” Harry sighed and got up from his bed to look for socks and shoes. “I’ll be over in a bit. Make coffee and I’ll bring food.”

Harry found his sneakers and wiggled his feet into them, not bothering to tie the laces. One of Louis’ beanies hung on the back of Harry’s door, so he pulled it over his damp hair, grabbed his coat and looked in the mirror and considered changing into jeans and a sweater. No. He already felt like shit, why not look like it too? He tiptoed through the hall, since Liam was asleep in his room, and left him a note asking him to call or text if he was up for dinner. Harry shoved his sunglasses on his face and stuffed his wallet and keys into his coat pocket. 

It took four buzzes to Louis’ apartment before the door to his building opened for him, and by that time Harry was ready to throw out all of the plain croissants that he’d made sure were very fresh, just for Louis, before buying them. The walk had helped ease his headache a little, but the annoyance of waiting so long for Louis to buzz him up had brought the headache back, so Harry kept his sunglasses on while he trudged up the stairs. When he got to Louis’ door, it was open a crack; he knocked lightly and pushed it, but it caught on something.

“Hi.” Louis’ voice came from right behind the door. He sounded like shit. “Hold on.”

There was a pitiful groan and a shuffling sound and the door swung open to reveal Louis, sprawled on the floor on his stomach, wearing nothing but his underwear. At least Harry could smell coffee, so Louis wasn’t completely useless today. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Harry nudged Louis’ ribs with the toe of his sneaker, then stepped over him to take the bakery box to the kitchen.

“I told you. I died.” Louis moaned and then rolled over onto his back, draping one arm dramatically over his eyes. “I crawled out here to buzz you in. Niall made coffee before he left.”

“Okay, well, you’re practically naked, so if you’re planning to stay there, I’m going to cover you with a sheet. You know, like at the morgue.” Harry pulled down his favorite rainbow mug and Louis’ regular mug, the one that he pretended to hate, the one with the roosters all over it. Harry had bought it at a second-hand store, highly amused by the idea of Louis drinking from a coffee cup covered in cocks. By the time he’d fixed their coffee and carried the cups into the living room, Louis had miraculously recovered enough to wrap a blanket around his waist and move to the couch.

Harry tried not to be endeared, but Louis was really adorable when he was grumpy, hungover, and quiet. His hair was a complete mess, it stuck straight up on one side and in the back, and there were little specks of dirt clinging to his cheek where he’d been lying with his face on the floor. When he felt like shit, he tended to curl up and make himself as small as possible, hunching over and bending his knees to wrap his arms around himself. Harry found his eyes lingering on the scrunching of Louis’ abs and quickly looked away. Whoa. That was weird. Harry reached for his coffee and took a sip, giving himself the chance to collect his thoughts. Louis was objectively attractive, gorgeous really, it was perfectly acceptable to look at him, especially when he was mostly naked. Still, Harry decided to go find Louis some clothes.

He returned from Louis’ bedroom with a pair of basketball shorts and an old Chicago Bulls sweatshirt. “Put these on. It’s cold.”

Louis grumbled, but accepted the bundle of clothes, tugged the sweatshirt over his head, then pulled the shorts on, somehow getting completely dressed without moving from his spot on the couch or unwrapping his blanket. He curled back up and stretched his arm out, not actually trying to reach for his coffee, but whining until Harry picked it up and handed it to him.

“I think I might actually not be dead.” Louis gently rested his head on the back of the couch, then turned to face Harry. “That’s my hoodie.”

“Yeah, but you left it at my place, so it’s mine now.” Harry pulled the hood over his beanie and yanked on the corner of Louis’ blanket until he let Harry unwrap it. They stretched out on the couch, head to foot, covered in an old, fleece, University of Chicago blanket, and settled in to watch football for the rest of the day.

[blschaos3000-blog]

It is 1:43 pm hot/summer/torando sirens

Welcome to “8 Questions with…..”

    I met our next guest,writer and author Darnell Cureton around two years ago at a blogging party. A blogging party is hosted by a person and you are encouraged to come by and read other blogs and share your own.     I popped on Darnell’s blog and and was blown away with his writing talent. I hit the “Follow”button and during the course of the weeks after doing so,I started reading Darnell’s writing and commenting. Soon we started commenting and supporting each other’s work. Its always a joy to see a good friend achieve a hard earned goal and I was some happy to find out that Darnell’s work was being published in a magazine which is no mean feat.      I have many very talented writer friends who have yet to achieve that so this should tell you just how good of a writer Darnell really is.  His latest short story “Life Changes” is one of the most unnerving mix of sci-fi/horror I have read in a good long time and I highly recommend it.    Darnell has a interesting series on his blog called “Diary of a Bad Writer” in which you can get a idea of what a working writer goes through in sharping a new story,character or just sitting down and WRITING. This series has encouraged me when I find myself sitting and unfocused,I find myself re-reading Darnell’s tips and ideas on how to just start WRITING.      I really hope you enjoy meeting one of the kindest and most talented artists I know….as I ask my friend Darnell Cureton his 8 Questions……

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your current WIP.

    Hello everyone. My name is Darnell Cureton. I’m a blogger and writing coach. My blog features writing encouragement in a post I call the diary of a bad writer. It’s a play on words that I use to get readers to stop by. I provide writing tips and talk about personal experiences with writing in a three to five line format. I also write fiction. My stories are about 1,500 to 3,500 words long. That’s works out to something like a 10-minute to 25-minute story to read in various genres. My latest story is called  “LIFE CHANGE.” It’s part science fiction, part fantasy, about a woman on a date. She is so paranoid about someone putting something in her drink that she doesn’t see what the real threat is. I had fun writing it and I encourage all to read it. It has a nice twist at the end.

How have you been handling the pandemic? What have you been doing to stay active?

   I am considered essential personnel on two jobs so I’ve been steadily working through the pandemic. It has taken a toll on me as I have to gear up daily with personal protective equipment including gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, and disinfecting surface wipes. Covid-19 has affected my writing as well. I have ideas for short stories but getting them on paper is slow. It’s not writer’s block. It’s more like losing the desire to write because of the depressing current events happening worldwide. I’ve discovered this is happening to other authors in our community so I’m not alone. To continue actively writing, I pen a paragraph or two to take the pressure off creating, then stop to do something else. After a couple of days, I’ll resume with fresh eyes and write a little more. Since I’m out and about, I listen to audiobooks throughout the day and stream movies like everyone else. I keep in touch with family and friends using video and text. It’s the new way.

What was growing up in the Cureton house like? What are three of your favorite moments growing up?

 Growing up in the Cureton household was for me… pretty much vanilla. My parents were old school, meaning they handled family matters between themselves. Seldom did they raise their voices at each other or me. When times were hard, I never knew. I always had 3 meals a day and a stable roof over my head. By age 10 I had my own room, a huge tube black and white tv, and a 3 tier electric Ho scale race car track in my room that my dad set up on a table made just for it. I walked a half-mile to school and back home… alone. There was no need for protection in numbers. I could stay out on Saturday all day without checking in. Nobody thought twice about where I was or what I was doing. It was a different world back then. For me, it was all vanilla and no drama. Favorite moments were:

 (1) When I got to choose the movie we would go out to see as a family. I, of course, would pick a horror flick with Christopher Lee doing his Dracula thing. Another time I remember asking to see Night Of The Living Dead…and they took me! Scared the hell out of me but they gave me the victory of seeing it.

(2) My dad buying me a red Schwinn 5 speed bicycle. It had a skinny front wheel and a fat rear one that resembled a dragster. I was the only kid on the block with one.

(3) I had asthma as a child so when I asked for a pet the answer was always no. To my surprise, one day I came home from school and there was a pup staring at me when I walked in the door. It was a mixed breed German Shepherd and Great Dane. That dog grew bigger than me and provided me with some of the happiest moments of my life.

When did you get the writing bug? Who encouraged you to start writing and how did they do so?

I got the writing bug by accident. A friend of mine was performing standup comedy at a local club. I wanted to support him so I show up wearing a dress shirt, pants, tie, and polished shoes. I stood out like a sore thumb! All around me were a sea of twenty something’s dressed casual in denim shirts, jeans, and Timberland boots. It didn’t help when a comedian (not my friend) saw me and called me pops! I was 25 years behind the bar scene! The experience was laughable, so I got the idea to post it on Face Book. I later decided I wanted to provide details, so I created an account on WattPad, the writing platform used to create your own stories. Well, I wrote about the experience and posted it there. Only friends I told about it read it. It was bad writing, but I’ve been hooked ever since. I told a childhood friend of mine that I wanted to write, and he’s been supporting me along with the WordPress community since that day.

 What do you enjoy most about the writing process? Can you walk us through what your routine is when you write? How many hours a week do you write?

I like dialogue. Giving my characters a conversation that sounds real makes the story come to life. The main thing is to get the idea or the scene down on paper. It’s okay at this point to have typos, too many – he said… then she said… or using the word LIKE 4 times in 1 sentence. Once I get the idea on paper, I can go back and clean up the mistakes and dialogue. How much time I write varies. Covid-19 changed much of my writing habits. In general I write when an idea is fresh in my mind. I pen those thoughts as soon as I can. Sometimes inspiration comes at a time when I should be doing something else. When that happens I get out my phone recorder and I dictate the idea or scene so I don’t forget when I get back to writing. I’ve learned from experience to write down the idea or voice record it because 2 hours later I won’t remember a damn thing about that scene or idea.

 Tell us about your blog. When did you start it and how has it helped you in your writing?

I started my blog back in 2014. It was called “Writing Block,” but I didn’t do much with it. In fact, I only had two postings that year and two followers. Sometime in 2018, I decided to add content and post 3 or 4 times a month. I didn’t think “Writing Block” had enough content so I also blogged about favorite movies, books, and TV shows. That stuff was mostly filler. With experience under my belt, I’ve learned how to dedicate the entire blog to writing original fiction and providing writing encouragement. With that dedication, came the blog name “Fictionista.” The website helps me with my writing by keeping me focused on writing. The diary postings are for me as well as other writers. I follow my own advice and project the message – “just keep writing.”

What is it like telling folks you are a published author? How do you handle it when you get a rejection letter from a story you sent in?

Telling people that you are an author is a wonderful feeling. It means that you have written something that a company wants to share with the world. When my first short story was published, I did a happy dance that would make NFL players envious! Rejection letters have the opposite effect. They can make you angry, depressed, and withdrawn. They can make you stop writing altogether. The thing to keep in mind is a rejection means the publisher doesn’t want to use what you wrote. It doesn’t mean that the work is bad. I received my first rejection letter in January. I plan on sharing it and the story I wrote with readers to show them that sometimes a publisher may not “get” what you wrote, but it doesn’t mean the work is bad. The story and rejection letter will be posted for Halloween since the story has an All Hallow’s Eve – LGBTQ theme.

What are the three most critical elements in writing fiction?

There are a few things but I will focus on three.

First is the PLOT. To keep a reader interested and turning the page they should know what they are reading. If it’s a crime story, establish what the crime is and who is trying to solve it in the first chapter so the reader can identify with the protagonist. Who wants to read a story in which you don’t know why someone is risking their life to save someone you don’t know?

The second is CHARACTERS – The people in your story should be believable types that could live next door to you. The neighbor with the bad tattoo, the obnoxious 10-year old that curses and calls the parents by their first names, or the young blond that goes jogging at night in a bad neighborhood with a colt 45 in a granny pack. Id love to read about any of those people.

Third – DIALOGUE –  Conversation between characters should sound real. If my protagonist is defending a homeless person against three aggressors, would he say “hey, homeless people matter guys,” or “the first one touching him losses an arm!” Dialogue matters my friend.

 Who are your three favorite writers and what makes them special?

   That’s hard to answer but I can tell you who I’m thinking about today. Let’s start with Octavia Butler. She was recognized as the first black woman to write compelling science fiction stories. Her novels mix science fiction with historical fiction and African American themes. If you’ve never read her work, I recommend her novel “Kindred.” It involves time travel and human rights.    The next favorite is Stephen King. What I like about him is he can write in various genres, and do it quite well. I’ve read his horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, and science fiction. I’m doing the same with flash fiction. My stories have different genres. I think that gives you the experience to make the best story. Three favorite King stories are “The Mist,” “Carrie,” and Geralds Game.”     Last, Michael Connelly. I choose Michael because of the fictional character he created called Harry Bosch. Bosch is a well seasoned Los Angeles homicide detective that is hard working. He has made plenty of enemies and has a teenage daughter that he cares much for. The genre is a crime drama, with police procedurals built-in. Michael Connelly has written 21 novels (to date) with the Bosch character. The first novel with Bosch was “The Black Echo.” Connelly has written Bosch so well that it has become a popular series on Amazon Prime Video. The actor Titus Welliver was cast perfectly as the silvered haired detective that people love and hate. I hope to be able one day to write a character that people know very well, like Bosch, or Batman.

 Which three bloggers are your favorites and what do you like about their writing?

Well, you support and encourage me to write and that’s worth a mention, but since you are interviewing me, you are disqualified today, but there is always a next time!    I’ll start with Chris Hall. She is a published author that supports and encourages other writers by reading and commenting on their work. She dabbles in different genres including adult fiction. My favorite is fantasy flash fiction on her website. I become immersed in the world she creates and the characters. She can be found at Lunasonline.wordpress.com.    In between writing, I visit a blog that I find helpful in managing a healthy lifestyle. Caz, who suffers from a chronic illness, reminds us that our struggles may be invisible, but we are not. I’ve found the information on her website to be useful to everyone. A tip about natural ways to find peace and tranquility comes at a time when the world is stressing us out more than ever. Do you know what mask to use during the coronavirus pandemic? Caz covers that in a post describing various mask types and where to buy them. I look forward to her Frugal Fridays for things on the cheap that I may need. Spare a minute and take a look around her site at Invisiblyme.com.      When I return to writing, I follow author Sam Kirk’s blog. He is very good at creating stories using writing prompts. A recent story written by Sam used the second point of view. It generated a lot of comments. Sam took the feedback about the story and improved it with minor editing. Authors doing this show writers to embrace helpful criticism. It will make you and your work stronger. In addition to the creative writing, Sam writes a news related opinion piece that is based on current events. It is written in a way to generate comments. He also has thought-provoking topics in the hashtag category. Find Sam at dailyflabbergast.wordpress.com.

What do you like doing for fun when you’re not writing or avoiding the Covid-19?

   I love to grill meats outdoors. In our backyard, I start with burgers and hotdogs then work my way into chicken and pork ribs. My dad taught me to grill them with low heat and high smoke. I finish cooking the meat inside using steam for tenderizing, seasoning for flavor. When tender, I add BBQ sauce hot enough to make the devil ask for water. Homemade potato salad goes on the side. I do this in the summer and winter. I’m a true BBQ carnivore!

 The cheetah and I are flying over to listen to you read from your latest flash fiction but we are a day early and now you are stuck playing tour guide. What are we doing?

Well, its summer so I’d invite you over for…guess what? BBQ Chicken and Ribs with homemade potato salad. After we eat, I’d take you on tour to the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils. If there is no game, we’d get a drink. Most likely a Gray Goose Bump, the drink I made up in my story “Life Change.” Not far from there is the Little Theatre, a landmark adult film movie theater that opened in 1928 and closed in 2018. It’s a piece of history along with Newark Symphony Hall, a very old performing arts center that was the pride of Newark. It had status like The Apollo Theater in New York City. A ten-minute ride will bring us to the Newark Museum, the largest in the state. We’d check out a treasure chest of Buddhist exhibits, science rooms, and planetarium. The Buddha stuff might bore the cheetah, so I figured we’d head over to the City With Out Walls on Crawford street. It has cutting edge artwork created by young contemporary artists living in the city.

  My feet are tired so I’m calling it a day, but everyone can find me at:

DarnellCureton.com

Twitter.com/DarnellCureton

Instagram.com/DarnellCureton

I like to thank Darnell for taking the time to sit down and doing this interview with me. In this most uncertain time,it is comforting to know that creative souls like Darnell are still making art for us all. I encourage you to follow his blog,Twitter and InstaGram to keep in the know of what Darnell is creating next.

This is part two of a special series of 8 Questions that I’m doing,please click here to meet Stacey Bryan as she is also  pretty important to me and my blog.

If you’re new to the 8 Questions with series…….you can catch up by clicking here and reading over 110 different interviews.

8 Questions with…………..writer Darnell Cureton It is 1:43 pm hot/summer/torando sirens Welcome to "8 Questions with....."     I met our next guest,writer and author Darnell Cureton around two years ago at a blogging party.

[hodldrgn-blog]

New Post has been published on https://www.cryptomoonity.com/october-2018-github-development-bounty-winners/

October 2018: GitHub Development Bounty Winners

October 2018: GitHub Development Bounty Winners

Month of October has passed and so did our October’s Github bounty program. Thanks to all who participated in October and we hope you will continue to do so in November, and don’t forget it is never to late to join — what better way to learn and earn some ARK.

Don’t forget we are running a special ARK Core Testathon from 1st November 2018 till 8th November 2018 with increased rewards in the week on ARK Core Repo : https://blog.ark.io/ark-core-testathon-c965c07373e3

We also have numerous official SDK repos covering majority of the programming languages, so if you’d like to get started with blockchain development, we have you covered and don’t forget to give our PR guidelines a read.

Guidelines: https://docs.ark.io/guidebook/contribution-guidelines/

SDK: https://docs.ark.io/api/sdk/

SDK Clients: https://docs.ark.io/api/sdk/clients/guidelines.html

SDK Crypto: https://docs.ark.io/api/sdk/cryptography/guidelines.html

November 1st — November 30th rewards will be:

1st : $2,000 USD

2nd: $1,500 USD

3rd: $1,000 USD

4th & 5th: $250 USD / each

6th–8th : $50 / each

(+ merged PR’s — $10 and for merged Core v2 PRs $20 each)

Missed what this is all about and you want to get involved? Read : “ARK GitHub Development Program Bounty”.

September 2018 Winners:

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  1st place: 2,000 USD Github User: Dated  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

refactor(misc): further numerical input validation 2018–10–31 07:27:19 — core#227181272

fix: adjust search tests 2018–10–30 10:39:26 — explorer#226867731

fix: add associated username to wallet api response 2018–10–30 09:10:35 — core#226829760

chore: update nightwatch 2018–10–29 14:42:52 — explorer#226576736

fix: move timeout in recipient test 2018–10–28 03:30:28 — explorer#226330442

chore: tail test output only on test failure 2018–10–26 12:23:54 — core#226078109

chore(core-database-postgres): add better function description 2018–10–26 10:47:39 — core#226049135

chore: update readmes 2018–10–25 02:09:29 — docs#225379700

chore: adjust help text 2018–10–24 11:13:52 — core-commander#224521249

fix: add ‘update-notifier’ to base dependencies 2018–10–24 11:13:29 — core-commander#224703294

chore: setup CircleCI 2018–10–24 10:07:41 — docs#225338868

fix: move search-tip styles to tooltips.css 2018–10–24 07:27:12 — explorer#225280456

refactor: search tooltip arrow placement 2018–10–23 14:41:56 — explorer#225062631

feat: add dark-themed tooltips 2018–10–23 13:56:41 — explorer#225041864

fix: remove double nightMode dispatch 2018–10–23 13:14:52 — explorer#225026071

chore: add github templates 2018–10–23 09:02:27 — mobile-wallet#224570350

chore: hide test:coverage build progress 2018–10–23 08:53:18 — mobile-wallet#224897132

fix: use title from network config in page title 2018–10–23 06:55:08 — explorer#224696736

fix: use network token in voter count tooltip 2018–10–23 06:49:29 — explorer#224569455

fix: add error handling around WalletService.vote() 2018–10–23 02:25:41 — explorer#224735099

chore: setup CircleCI 2018–10–21 15:16:26 — mobile-wallet#224545099

fix: check if logfile exists before tailing 2018–10–21 06:03:37 — core-commander#224506656

refactor: distribute versions accross whole line 2018–10–20 16:53:26 — core-commander#224484853

Adds ‘cordova-allow-background-audio’ package 2018–10–20 11:53:05 — mobile-wallet#219195446

fix: add ‘apt-transport-https’ to base dependencies 2018–10–20 04:08:23 — core-commander#224433812

fix: add ‘press_to_continue’ to main menu logs 2018–10–20 04:08:05 — core-commander#224436042

refactor: distribute states accross whole line 2018–10–20 04:07:50 — core-commander#224437809

removes double case in menu option parsing 2018–10–20 04:07:31 — core-commander#224427345

fix: calculate correct logger padding 2018–10–20 04:05:56 — core#224441904

chore: store test results 2018–10–19 11:46:17 — python-client#224211246

chore: add codecov to circleci config and misc fixes 2018–10–19 09:36:53 — elixir-crypto#224203561

chore: add codecov to circleci config and misc fixes 2018–10–19 09:36:36 — elixir-client#224205786

chore: store test results 2018–10–19 09:36:07 — python-crypto#224211237

refactor: renames main module to ‘client’ 2018–10–19 09:34:46 — python-client#224020835

fix: use Gemfile instead of Gemfile.lock as cache key 2018–10–18 17:34:03 — ruby-crypto#224032577

fix: use Gemfile instead of Gemfile.lock as cache key 2018–10–18 17:33:26 — ruby-client#224032566

chore: generate test report 2018–10–18 13:48:45 — java-client#223962450

chore: set semantically correct working directory 2018–10–17 12:11:08 — java-crypto#223269943

should fix case-insensitive import collision 2018–10–17 09:04:06 — go-crypto#223521572

chore: set semantically correct working directory 2018–10–17 06:24:13 — ruby-crypto#223269833

sets correct working dir for test-node-stable 2018–10–16 09:10:30 — explorer#223168694

adds ‘click’ trigger to converted tx amount tooltip 2018–10–16 08:12:18 — explorer#222938579

adjusts wallet-blocks page titles 2018–10–13 00:47:23 — explorer#222603314

chore: update pull request template 2018–10–09 11:12:30 — core-commander#219705491

fix: sets tooltip color and better text if forgingStatus is 5 2018–10–03 02:38:16 — explorer#219786536

fix/refactor: shows initial value of zero for the delegate count 2018–10–02 15:43:00 — explorer#219735496

hardens transactions recipient test 2018–10–01 07:27:23 — explorer#219273728

increases timeout on block test 2018–10–01 06:07:49 — explorer#219266462

adds detail section to wallet/blocks 2018–10–01 05:40:54 — explorer#219235121

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  2nd place: 1,500 USD Github User: ItsANameToo  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Special thanks to ItsANameToo for developing the Swift Crypto package (30+ commits not listed in this blog post, can be viewed here : https://github.com/ArkEcosystem/swift-crypto/commits/develop )

fix: don’t show additional arktoshis in supply 2018–10–12 06:07:04 — explorer#222343943

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  3rd place: 1,000 USD Github User: kalgoop  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Bug: Fix delegate search 2018–10–30 15:12:49 — mobile-wallet#226369491

Bugfix: remove Vote for Watch-Only 2018–10–30 14:57:28 — mobile-wallet#226825516

Fixed a few styling errors 2018–10–29 09:22:24 — mobile-wallet#226317256

Bugfix: update PIN-code Modal 2018–10–26 22:54:12 — mobile-wallet#226209507

BugFix: countdown for PIN 2018–10–26 21:06:18 — mobile-wallet#226106406

Vanity — keyword in starting 2018–10–26 10:48:33 — javascript-cli#223683939

Updated an operator acc to convention 2018–10–26 10:07:55 — javascript-cli#223677813

Fixed Typo 2018–10–20 12:07:18 — mobile-wallet#223940314

Always display 2 decimal digit 2018–10–20 11:57:06 — mobile-wallet#223703584

Fixed Styling to suit the Standard 2018–10–18 03:34:32 — core#223569235

Updated for v2 2018–10–18 02:41:11 — core#223613892

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  4th and 5th place: 250 USD / each (in no particular order)  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Github User: brtastic

Adjust close button styles to fit new alignment 2018–10–30 10:10:08 — explorer#226736549

Unit tests: language menus, total forged counter 2018–10–30 03:53:36 — explorer#226727105

Fix unknown getter error in unit tests 2018–10–30 03:45:35 — explorer#226689868

Additional unit tests (header components, minor: store, i18n) 2018–10–29 09:21:21 — explorer#226382410

Language switcher UI 2018–10–28 09:48:14 — explorer#225555992

Added Polish translations 2018–10–23 07:14:26 — explorer#224558673

Price chart UI improvements 2018–10–23 07:07:13 — explorer#224561243

Github User: JeremiGendron

docs: send transactions with core-tester-cli 2018–10–29 09:10:09 — docs#226432457

docs: javascript crypto identities 2018–10–29 09:10:00 — docs#226339838

misc: help message wording 2018–10–29 03:25:20 — core#226394638

docs: many changes (78, 79, 90, 82, 85) 2018–10–28 17:22:09 — docs#226379193

ARK to Ark in all cases but env variables 2018–10–28 15:41:47 — core-commander#226375785

docs: write a plugin 2018–10–28 01:15:14 — docs#225926567

Refactor Ark explorer to only Mobile 2018–10–25 02:20:39 — docs#224555721

[WIP] Fix/improve experience 2018–10–17 05:33:06 — docs#223464087

test: graphql blocks error and relationships 2018–10–12 11:58:11 — core#222280031

test: verify that the tx are genesis tx 2018–10–12 11:53:52 — core#222348499

transactions by blockId 2018–10–12 11:49:24 — core#222288946

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  6th-8th place: 50 USD / each (no particular order)  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Github User: paroxysm

test(core-tester-cli): vote command 2018–10–29 04:07:32 — core#226425670

Revert “chore: use static log file path (#1129)” 2018–10–28 04:35:51 — core#226341400

test(core-tester-cli): additional test coverage for transfer command 2018–10–25 02:12:51 — core#225600969

Add core-tester-cli option for custom smartBridge values 2018–10–10 06:20:14 — core#221584476

Fix: core-tester-cli/transfer, undefined passphrase when overridingPassphrase 2018–10–09 21:23:39 — core#221554036

Github User: n4ru

Add a sanity check on rebuild to prevent future generator errors due … 2018–10–12 06:25:15 — ARKcommander#222360835

Fix spam. 2018–10–09 19:11:39 — ark-node#221552772

1.2.0 Hard Fork 2018–10–09 18:49:19 — ark-node#221542077

Github User: nge6427

Set block.ready to false if already present 2018–10–13 10:20:30 — ark-node#222640363

bignum fixes and other minor corrections 2018–10–11 16:51:35 — ark-node#222191432

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  9th+ place: PR’s (no particular order)  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Github User: Pedro-Souza

chore: fix contribution link 2018–10–23 03:51:44 — swift-crypto#224838129

replace checkbox to toggle 2018–10–20 11:55:49 — mobile-wallet#223435951

better ux for button create 2018–10–20 11:54:59 — mobile-wallet#222690739

update translations 2018–10–20 11:54:15 — mobile-wallet#221238327

not allow negative value 2018–10–08 03:39:08 — qrcode#220984654

Github User: Ciband

Clear tslint errors 2018–10–26 13:33:15 — ark-ts#199250117

feat: Add Windows Support 2018–10–25 04:59:40 — cpp-client#225619094

feat: add codecov support 2018–10–25 04:30:37 — cpp-crypto#225618198

chore: Add github templates 2018–10–25 03:53:22 — cpp-crypto#225486872

chore: Add github templates 2018–10–25 03:52:56 — cpp-client#225488220

feat: add codecov support 2018–10–25 02:10:26 — cpp-client#225579785

Github User: rodxavier

Add tests for retrying requests 2018–10–30 05:42:03 — python-client#226794043

Run deployer in docker 2018–10–30 00:25:43 — deployer#225249346

Request retry mechanism 2018–10–26 10:10:37 — python-client#225277810

Github User: h1psterx

Fix critical vulnerabilities 2018–10–20 12:14:42 — mobile-wallet#224470911

Update nvm version 2018–10–20 12:10:42 — mobile-wallet#224465239

Add pull to refresh on wallet dashboard 2018–10–20 12:09:54 — mobile-wallet#224263802

Github User: thomas-neuman

feat(client): implement top wallets API 2018–10–31 07:20:03 — python-client#227178688

Github User: alucqrd

Fixed qrcode regex analysis to read the parameters (amount, vendorFie… 2018–10–15 12:33:16 — mobile-wallet#207948885

Github User: geops22

refactor: only create a psql account for the system user 2018–10–26 03:01:42 — core-commander#225956329

Github User: alessiodf

Use pm2 describe rather than pm2 status to check status of relay/forger/explorer 2018–10–16 14:33:08 — core-commander#223269320

Github User: ilgio

create DB before to add privileges on database 2018–10–02 11:23:41 — core-commander#219660058

Github User: 40n4ld

Fix eslint errors (fix #1062) 2018–10–04 17:00:16 — core#220435043

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  SECURITY BOUNTY  — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Github User: wownmedia

Reported vulnerability in ARK Node due to 3rd party dependency (ExpressJS) vulnerability. Resolved here : https://github.com/ArkEcosystem/ark-node/commit/608c7a900e8cf79360a371ab1dd0f0dc121a4ec8

I missed these bounties — What is this all about?

Read the full instructions here: https://blog.ark.io/ark-github-development-bounty-113806ae9ffe

Are there any other development bounties going on?

Yes, there is also the community run ACF (ARK Community Fund) — read more here:

http://arkcommunity.fund/

And remember to join our Slack!

Follow us on social media ( Twitter | Facebook | Reddit ), join our community ( Slack | Discord ) and stay tuned to our blog on Medium and on Steemit.

October 2018: GitHub Development Bounty Winners was originally published in ARK.io | Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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