#those are just what the different wips are for

[writingquestionsanswered]

I'm tired of my ideas always being big. It's overwhelming. I like seeing others' WIPs and ideas because they're just so simple... Like, that comic about a mermaid living in the ocean in our modern time and dealing with plastic trash. So simple and my own brain is bursting with ideas. But my own WIPs... they just start huge. I'd like something smaller... but I don't know how.

Stories Always Get Too Big

Stories can get out of hand quickly when they sprout too many independent threads. There are three primary culprits that serve as sparks that create these threads:

1 - Setting 2 - Non-Protagonist Characters/Relationships 3 - Back Story

The thing to remember, though, is that no matter how interesting your setting is, no matter how compelling your other characters are, and how fascinating the back story is, those things are not your plot.

Plot is the sequence of events through which the protagonist (and potentially other main characters) attempt to resolve the story's conflict by overcoming obstacles and setbacks in pursuit of a goal.

In other words, focus on this:

the protagonist > their normal world > the event that introduces a problem they must resolve > the goal they formulate in order to resolve that problem > the events that occur as a result of their pursuit of this goal > their attempts to overcome obstacles and setbacks encountered along the way > their attempt to solve the problem once and for all > failure or success > life in a changed situation/world

Anything else doesn't need to be there unless it is critical in order for one of the above steps to make sense.

So, let's take your mermaid example... though I haven't read that comic so I'm winging it here:

the protagonist = mermaid normal world = doing mermaid stuff inciting incident = finding plastic trash in the water goal = clean up/find the culprit and teach them to do better events = cleaning up, learning about humans, tracking down culprit climax = mermaid appeals to humans to do better finale = mermaid is living in a cleaner ocean

Now, let's say your brain starts to go off on a tangent about a deep oceanic rift and an evil merman wizard who lives there... stop right there. It's a fun idea, but what does it have to do with this story? How does it relate to the trash, clean-up, finding the culprit, or appeal to humans to do better? It doesn't. Theoretically, you could make it make sense... like, maybe the merman wizard likes the trash and wants the ocean to be dirty and gross, so maybe he is opposing the mermaid's attempts to clean up and to appeal to the humans. Okay, that works, so you can keep it. But, let's say you also have this idea about these creatures that live around the hydrothermal vents, and the mermaid meets and falls in love with a scientist who's studying them. Okay, again, interesting idea, but this one is much harder to fit in with the rest of the story. Sure, you could say the scientist is studying marine pollution instead... that brings it back around to the main conflict, but still, what does this relationship add to the story? How does it help or harm the mermaid's mission? How does it help to explore the story's themes or help deliver the message? It doesn't really sound like it does, so this would be an example of a thread you can probably snip.

And the thing is, it would be okay to follow a thread like that while you're plotting or writing your first draft, just to see where it goes and see if you can make it work. Part of why we edit and revise is to snip out the threads and elements that aren't pulling their weight. But learning how to curb them as they occur to you will help save you work later on down the line. Try writing those ideas down in an ideas document, and maybe those can be worked into different stories, a sequel, or a companion story.

One final note: I am very much aware that there are some epic writers out there who let wild tangles of threads sprout as they write, and they follow them all without abandon, relevant or not. That's okay, too. These are writers for whom that works, who don't feel overwhelmed by all of those threads, who want to write something bigger and more unwieldy. Maybe in time as you get accustomed to writing smaller, tidier stories, you embrace the bigger stories your brain wants to tell. Or maybe you don't. Whatever works best for you is all that matters. :)

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[intheorangebedroom]

Hiiiii. For your WIPs, can you share a little about the FishBen filth (pls they’re my favorite)

Hey Nonnie 🧡

Listen, FishBen is good for the soul. It’s just the way it is, nothing we can do about it, it’s useless to fight it 😌

I’m actually not ashamed to say there are not one, but three different FishBen ideas swimming in circle in this doc 😬 I don’t know if you’ve read ptmy, but in those three WIPs, the characterisation remains the same 🧡

1. Based on Will’s line, “that’s the one you wouldn’t come back from” 🫠 The three of you are in the Delta Force. You’re very close friends and teammates, but not like that. Maybe you’re a little silent and closer to Fish… One night, out of boredom, out of curiosity and with a little help from your friend Alcohol, you end up in bed together. A night of unhinged and unbridled filth ensue… You’re fucked full in more than one way. Only at some point, Frankie gets a little possessive over you, and you realise what a big mistake you've made. You had something there, something that was worth giving a go. Realisation downs on you: he's only agreed to this so he could make love to you. And you probably ruined everything.

2. A slight variation from the above. The three of you are teammates in the Delta Force. Ben's very bad at concealing his feelings for you and, ok, he's sweet, and good-looking, so you relent. You start dating, or rather, fucking. Because... you won't admit it, but your heart is elsewhere. Indeed, you're very close to Fish, both alike in character. One night, Ben comes up with this fun little idea, "hey, let's have Fish here with us!" At first, you refuse. Point-blank. Besides, you don't think Fish will be interested. You think he'll punch Ben in the face. Much to your surprise, he agrees to it. A night of unhinged and unbridled filth ensue… You’re fucked full in more than one way. LMAO. And yes, you see this coming, at some point, it turns into something else. Ben is slowly pushed to the edge of the bed (poor Ben) as Fish keeps drawing you to him, and you let go. You give him everything. With an abandon you never knew yourself capable of. You two are making love, and Ben realises, only too late, what he's done to himself.

3. The real mmf. Inspired by this pic, which was taken from a FishBen post I can't find anymore (if anyone does, please help?) and that drilled a hole in my soul. I see it every time I close my eyes.

This is Ben texting you from wherever it is they are deployed while you wait at home for their return. With Fish hugging him. You've known each other since childhood. The three of you share everything. You hold your breath, hold your heartbeats while they're away, you only come to life when they come back to you. Together, you are disgustingly filthy, and disgustingly sweet. Indestructible. That's it. Just this vibe. No angst. Just pure love 🧡 I have lines and lines and lines of texts and dialogues 🫠

Thank you so much for the ask, Nonnie 🧡 I hope my answer didn't disappoint you.

[yeyinde]

So i had this thought, what if Ghost was a doll maker? He makes those creepy human sized dolls, his shop is in an isolated part of the city (a lot of people purposely avoid his shop because of the bad vibes) and he spends most of his time in his basement carving. He also makes curses and haunted things and then he creates you, a beautiful doll. You are one of his many creations but a bit different. You yearn for him, crave his touch. He is your creator, basically your god and you need his love. He couldn't care less though always complains about creating a needy doll while secretly enjoying how she worships him

Honestly i don't even know if this makes sense lmao just wanted to leave it here

i adore this. i love this particular subgenre (esp when it's horror/dark romance) of building/making something that becomes obsessed with you. ai, androids, dolls, frankensteinian monsters. i'll take them alllll. creator x creation, my beloved. what you originally start as something meant to be symbiotic that devolves and changes into something parasitic?? ruinous? goddddd. that's my raison d'etre.

and this is such a unique spin!!!!! usually it's Frankenstein's monster x hapless human so the idea of you being the thing made by Ghost to satiate some aspect he's yearning for instead the other way around is so intriguing to me.

like maybe he starts out making something to occupy himself. doesn't really have any clear direction. and if we want to add in some layers, maybe "you" were someone he saw in passing. a person he was once obsessed with/couldn't save, etc. but maybe "you" died. and this is a replica, an effigy. except. we have endless warnings in mythology and religion about making something in the likeness of another. cue some well placed lightening, and then bang. you wake up. and he isn't sure how to handle you not really being "you."

(also: this is giving me an incredible idea for a Ghoap story 👀 might fuck around and write something GROTESQUE about Simon making "Johnny" because he can't move on and what comes to life is. well. i'm also def adding this to the Simon x Reader wip list w full creds (on both accounts, Ghoap and x Reader), because, op, this is such a godtier idea and ahhhhhhhhhh)

[potato-jem]

wip (thursday) wednesday

thank you to my beloved @insecuregodcomplex for the tag <3!

i've never actually been tagged in one of these, but i think maybe sharing a little bit of what i'm working on might encourage me to actually finish it. it is a little different to what i normally do, and i won't give much context, but let me know what you think!

“Ditto. I just can’t believe with-” Nora stops suddenly, moving around Alex to the other side of his locker. “Sorry, Henry.” “That’s okay, Nora. Shan’t be long.”  Henry Fox. The quiet theatre kid with a taste for Polo Ralph Lauren and frowning down on those who come from families in lower pay brackets. Pretending to be all shy in English classes when he contributes all the right fucking answers, because he has charmed all the teachers with his stupid little British accent. All tight smiles and minimal eye contact, as if just looking at Alex would give him genital herpes. And who even is naturally blond anymore? “What was I saying?” Nora asks, interrupting Alex’s glaring at the side of Henry’s head as he opens up his locker and puts everything neatly inside his leather satchel. Bitch.

leaving it as an open tag!! <3

[noose-lion]

WIP Tag Game

Tagged by @sensitiveheartless

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

---

I have so many wips, the list is random and in no particular order:

The Drug In You Is Me

Monkey See, Monkey Do

my songs know what you did in the dark

Playing House

half-time soulmate, full-time problem (so hold me like a grudge)

they say there is more to love than a meal

Good Dogs Don't Bite

The Queen Of Flower Fruit Mountain

Selkie Dazai (untitled)

cry a little, cry a lot

skk x kunikida (untitled)

werewolf/vampire skk (untitled)

skksig (untitled)

beast!chuuya but regular dazai (untitled)

Undercover skk (untitled)

Port mafia boss chuuya??? (untitled)

Blood, Snow, and Broken Bone

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

15 skk vs 22 skk (untitled)

The Package

Ugly Duckling

pillar akaza au (untitled)

dad akaza au (untitled)

Bait Dog

called for war, received a slaughter

book and god au skk (untitled)

The Fox and The Sheepdog

There is no way in HELL I can tag as many people as I have wips

[sseunbean]

frieren wip

[fayzart136]

You're the concept of a man and of an object!

(an OC that I've been working on these days. It's a shapeshifter/doppelganger that is.... well lets just say that its dating life is a bit complicated. The caption is from Catharsis by AlicebanD, and more info about the story under the cut!)

Helian, he/him. Tailor-made to be well-liked and loved. His partner did not take the news of him being a shapeshifter well, to put it gently.

The closest the shapeshifter has to a "true form", though it doesn't really have one. Any form it takes is done on purpose. If asked to create a shape that represents its "baseline" best, this is what it would pick. But it doesn't enjoy being without identity. (It talks about itself in the third person, thats how little "self" it considers itself to have.)

Luna, she/her. The form she'll take throughout most of the story. She took the name, face and personality of a dead woman, at her husband's request...

Life is hard for a people-pleasing shapeshifter...

[spacedlexi]

cant relate to those posts that are like “i love being an artist but i hate drawing” i am incapable of resting my arms because i am obsessed with drawing. if i dont develop an idea with my hands i’ll die

[gingerbreadmonsters]

oh this is going to be......... a problem actually

[ayyponine]

art update fr april part 2/2

[forcedhesitation]

why should it just be steve who has all the torturous purgatory realm fun?

[cupcakesmoothie]

When you're feeling messed up but you're a writer so you go and write something messed up to make yourself feel better

[samarecharm]

Scheming…

[xenon-demon]

cruel and unusual to make me pick between when you come back, it's gravity (kas!steve au) and boathouse wall slam 2: roleplay boogaloo so i simply shan't please tell me about both.

[also don't worry i also didn't make my wip wednesday word count bc apparently grieving makes it hard to function. or something. (but also sometimes life just Happens. it's fandom, no one's paying us for this shit 💜)]

Read you're amazing and I appreciate you so much <3 You are more than welcome to ask me about as many things as you'd like!!

[also thank you very much for the kind words & reminder not to take fandom shit so seriously it becomes stressful itself 💙 I hope you're doing a bit better now (since it's been a hot second since you sent this ask), life really does just fucking suck sometimes, huh?]

Paging @sidekick-hero who also asked me about boathouse wall slam; seeing as both of you asked about the same two fics, I'll use this ask to talk about boathouse wall slam and the other one to talk about gravity!

boathouse wall slam 2: roleplay boogaloo

Okay first of all this DOES actually have a title - strange love (won’t you give it to me?) - but I love the placeholder meme title way too much to change the file name. There's also about 2.5k words written in this document, but many of those words are Horny and thus I do not feel comfortable sharing them lmao

Also my "can't shut the fuck up" disease struck again SO this is going under a cut (which is also probably not a bad thing considering I'm talking about sex lmao)

AS THE MEME TITLE IMPLIES this is about Steve having Many Thoughts about Eddie shoving him up against the wall of Reefer Rick’s boathouse, to the point where he eventually caves and asks Eddie (his boyfriend of ~2 months, after about that much time again of fooling around together as friends) if he’d be willing to re-enact that moment with him. But this time they won’t have an audience. Because it's a sex roleplay. The surface level concept for this fic is just a smutty pwp revolving around re-enacting The Wall Slam™, because neither Steve nor the audience were being normal about that when it happened. The roleplay set-up was going to be something like Eddie just chilling and smoking out in the boathouse undisturbed (because Reefer Rick skipped town after Vecna was defeated, so the place is now unoccupied), Steve "accidentally" stumbling across him, Eddie thinking "oho the popular jock is here to beat me up, I'd better make the first move before he can" and throwing Steve up against a wall only to find Steve Really Likes Being Manhandled, and he's suggesting they maybe have a little fun with each other instead? (This part would not require much acting from Steve.) The roleplay aspect of it is basically them reaching back for their high school personas and acting as if they'd gotten into this situation with each other whilst still in school, before they became friends and certainly before they had any history together.

The original version I started (and got 2.5k words into before realising I wouldn't feel comfy posting it anywhere lol) was written... around this time last year? Like 10-12 months ago? And so it was very much coloured by the prevailing Fandom Opinions & Content™ at the time, aka this was a sub!bottom!Steve and dom!top!Eddie affair (with that being the Prevailing Pattern of their relationship thus far in the fic). I wasn't writing them as having an Official Established Dynamic™, I was just writing it as Steve having an inherent tendency to be submissive/give up control to Eddie during sex. Steve's nerves around asking Eddie about this particular fantasy are just due to Steve being nervous to ask for what he wants; he's not worried at all about asking Eddie to be a bit rough/dominant with him because really, They Do That Anyway.

While I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with approaching this concept (or Steddie!) like that, and I'll still read pretty much any flavour of Steddie (ultimately I think they're switches/vers, and also I don't care that much about who's in what position as long as they're in character), the way I view them & their dynamic has definitely changed since I came up with this concept. THEREFORE, here is how I would approach it if I were to write this as a oneshot now:

They're still newly dating at the start of the fic (only a month or two in), except the prevailing pattern of the relationship so far is service top/soft dom!Steve & bottom/ever so slightly sub!Eddie. This is mainly because a) that's what they're used to from previous partners, and b) Steve's got some Issues around giving up control in bed/feeling like he's not doing enough to please his partner (aka "I must prove my worth sexually or else they'll lose interest in me").

Steve has, however, been plagued with visions of Eddie throwing him around the boathouse like he was a small twig, and he is very quickly losing his sanity about it. Eddie could absolutely manhandle Steve the way Steve manhandles Eddie, if he wanted to. If Steve let him.

After a couple months of dating Eddie, Eddie can tell something's up, so he asks about it. Steve cracks like an egg the moment Eddie asks, confessing he keeps thinking about The Wall Slam. Eddie - who has already sniffed out Steve's issues around being Enough and Worthy for his partner - asks if he'd like them to recreate that moment. Steve agrees (while blushing so red he looks like a tomato).

CUE THE ROLEPLAY SMUT. This proceeds pretty much the same as the original version, complete with sub!bottom!Steve & dom!top!Eddie, but this version of Eddie is a much softer dom & this Steve takes a bit longer to really get into the swing of things. After the smut they have a cute little heart-to-heart about how Eddie's not going to leave Steve just because he wants a turn being looked after for once, and that Steve is going to make more of an effort to prioritise his own wants and needs sometimes.

Essentially, were I to write this now, I'd make it a smutfic character study of Steve & how he has issues around being vulnerable and letting Eddie take care of him, instead of him taking care of Eddie all the time. You know how it is, you go to write porn and it ends up growing legs and also a deep emotional core about the relationship between characters and their psychological issues.

Send me an ask about my WIPs!

[landwriter]

wip game redux

Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

tagged by @pintobordeaux thank you! I made the obvious joke last time so here's actual WIP labels/nicknames from Untitled 1 - feel free to ask abt them but enjoy a proper list regardless!

Coffee Shop AU

Academic AU

True Names

1889 Storytelling

Road Trip AU

The Death of Translation

Sharpen Your Knife

Untitled Vessel Fic

Seventies San Francisco AU (now at 13K by the way!)

Hunter and Falconer

Hands

Shut Up

comedy on crickets

angst retired!corinthian concept

hob pov missing scenes of Just Like Love (shockingly descriptive)

comedy of dream and hob finding corinthian at the same time:

open tag to whoever hasn't done this and feels like it! <3

[crescentfool]

i'm a little late (oopsies) buuuut if you're still answering 'em, 6 and 14 for the artist asks? ehehe

hi misty!! thank you for stopping by with the artist asks, i'm happy to answer them!

6. Anything that might inspire you subconsciously (i.e. this horse wasn’t supposed to look like the Last Unicorn but I see it)

it took me a bit to come up with an answer for this because stylistically speaking, i try to be very deliberate with what choices i want to try out and yoink from artists...

that said, i think that whenever i do any silly comics, because i'm not too well-versed in the medium, i feel like my expressions end up getting subconsciously inspired by expressions i see passed around a lot... like anya's waku waku expression or MS paint tails...

so basically memes...! im a very silly littel guy. oh and do cats count i swear my expressions are based off of meme cats sometimes.

14. Any favorite motifs

i think in most arts of mine it's very easy to see that i'm so very fond of sparkles... i can't help but insert a little ✨ into my work... i am also very fond of the moon (all phases are cool but i am most drawn to crescent and full moons). this is probably not a surprise whatsoever given that ryoji's one of my favorite characters 🤣

i think i just really like circular motifs in general too... like radial lines? concentric circle? is that what they are called? my vocabulary regarding these are a bit lackluster, so here's an example of what i mean featuring a sylvain concept from may 2023 that will probably not see the light of day </3 (this was supposed to be for his birthday) (being impaled by the lance of ruin is a great birthday gift i know)

for composition heavy things i usually enjoy integrating character motifs... whether if it's very direct (e.g. crests for fe3h characters, the moon for ryoji, water for minato), or just something that i feel reminds me of the subject matter... (i love sprinkling music notes whenever i draw ryomina i just think there's intimacy in sharing music together when you use ur headphones to isolate urself but umm thats very unrelated to this ask.)

i also really enjoy visual motifs being used to make characters look like they are being displayed in a church (see this tweet for examples of characters)... i guess you could say religious imagery? i'm very fond of the art nouveau style and i feel like i'd wanna make a few pieces like that!