#time between then and now writing stuff and it's much easier to convey

[katabay]

“And you never asked about the—place with the door?” said Mr. Utterson. “No, sir; I had a delicacy,” was the reply. “I feel very strongly about putting questions; it partakes too much of the style of the day of judgment. You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name. No sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask.” “A very good rule, too,” said the lawyer. “But I have studied the place for myself,” continued Mr. Enfield. “It seems scarcely a house. There is no other door, and nobody goes in or out of that one but, once in a great while, the gentleman of my adventure. There are three windows looking on the court on the first floor; none below; the windows are always shut but they’re clean. And then there is a chimney which is generally smoking; so somebody must live there. And yet it’s not so sure; for the buildings are so packed together about the court, that it’s hard to say where one ends and another begins.” The pair walked on again for a while in silence; and then “Enfield,” said Mr. Utterson, “that’s a good rule of yours.” “Yes, I think it is,” returned Enfield. “But for all that,” continued the lawyer, “there’s one point I want to ask. I want to ask the name of that man who walked over the child.”

so! a page! this was a revisiting (for me) of an old old old. OLD. page I drew over ten years ago immediately after seeing a local production of the musical. usually when I revisit and edit ancient drafts, I gut a lot of it in the process of re arranging the insides, but this was one where I was like: AH. I see your vision, past self, now I can articulate it and draw shoes.

someday I'm going to find the time to get the whole thing on paper (this was also a color palette test page! I still want a noir-ish influence, but I'm debating sticking to a classic black and white only or leaning into something like this. much to think about........) until then though! a confrontation inside a house goes wrong! takes place moments after this scene.

[anirritant]

Darkrai would never verbally admit to it, but he was very, very confused.

When he first awoke, physically battered but mentally intact, he felt rather smug. Incredibly smug. Amnesia? Never heard of it! Of course his brilliant mind is untouched, hah! He's better than some mere human, it'll take more than being attacked whilst traversing time to affect him.

He never had any doubt, of course he didn't! He was in control the whole time. In fact, yes, of course, he orchestrated it all, you see! His genius is astounding, and his acting is impeccable as always. Now, his adversaries would be under the impression that he's no longer a threat, the idea being bolstered by his improvised performance of terror!

He most certainly did not let out a true scream, after all.

Never mind that his throat is noticeably raw, or that there's a disgusting moistness around his eyes, or that intrusive flashes of a certain Space God's enraged face force him to stifle full-body shudders, or...

Ahem. These... symptoms, are clearly, unquestionably unrelated. Of course.

Anyhow. After letting out a good low chuckle to himself, (full of very real confidence,) he acknowledges his surroundings. A rather small island; he's not sure he recognises it. Though, it's not like he cares much about the where, anyway. He's much more interested in the when.

Certainly not his glorious dark future, as the presence of the accursed sun assaulting his eyes makes evident. He can't wait to snuff it out again...

Masking any struggle borne of lingering aches and pains, he levitates himself up to the top of the largest tree in his immediate vicinity and materialises his legs to perch there. The simple, mundane act most definitely does not leave him winded, thank you very much.

From the new vantage point, he looks around, and... hmm. This island really is in the middle of nowhere, huh? If he squints, he can make out another similarly sized island somewhat nearby, and opposite of it, if he squints even harder, he thinks he can just barely spot a larger landmass, way off in the distance. But apart from those, all there is is endless water.

The lack of structures doesn't help him pinpoint a time period, unfortunately. That's fine, he'll just travel until he comes across some. Though, as he squints into the distance again, he mentally calculates it may take nearly a full day of travel to reach that far-off landmass, and that's assuming the seas are calm...

Well. It's nothing he can't handle, of course. The distance will be nothing to him once he recuperates a decent chunk of his strength; having the option to disobey gravity makes everything easier.

But, as much as it pains him to admit it, he isn't in any shape for such a journey this moment. He... just needs a day or two of rest. (False; even a week would be an underestimate, his thoughts hiss. He dismisses it.)

Yes, a day or two, he emphasises, and he'll be back to his typical schemes as if nothing happened. This is but a temporary setback, after all.

For now, he supposes he could use a shelter. Not many options on this tiny lump of dirt, but he'll look around anyway. He crosses his arms as he gives the land a bored once-over.

Dirt. Grass. Rocks. Sand. Trees. How utterly fascinating, he mentally snarks, rolling his eyes. However, during said eye-roll, he catches a glimpse of something between the trees. Flickering darkness, a flash of a flowing white plume...

A bewildered glowing eye staring up into its identical twin situated on his own face.

...

Huh?

Coherent thought sputtered out as he stared and stared and the other's eye stared right back. Indeed, he was very, very, confused.

(Soon after this would be these events.)

Edit: hiiiii there's a writing follow up now too :D

Um. A/N stuff below, I guess.

uhh i guess i'm doing a bit of writing for this now. mostly just to act as like. connective tissue between the comic things. some stuff is hard to convey through art. so yea.

i already have ideas for what to write about in the time between pmd2 darkrai getting grabbed and him being dragged to cresselia lol. (also i need to nickname the two darkrais at some point but aahhh im bad at namesss)

as one can probably deduce, he's on newmoon island. in a later writing segment thingy i might explain my headcanons for how the worlds differ in this au thing

im gonna be jumping around and doing stuff very out of order bc im not really trying to do a serious plot lol i'm mostly just goofing around. like the comic thing im currently working on is of events that might be like.. several months later? im actually gonna try to polish it up a bit so hopefully it's cool 👀

[strawhattery]

20 questions for fic writers~

thanks to @mithrilwren for the tag! ☺️

how many works do you have on ao3?

i've got 17 as of today!

what's your total ao3 word count?

276,189 😳

what are your top five fics by kudos?

all that you were (haikyuu, sakuatsu)

your body, my home (haikyuu, sakuatsu)

you have tamed me (haikyuu, sakuatsu)

fall into you (haikyuu, sakuatsu)

Utilities Included (one piece, zosan)

what fandoms do you write for?

currently, i'm eyeballs deep in one piece fandom. but i would love to write more for haikyuu sometime soon, and i'm open to any other ideas that grab me too.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

ideally, yes, but once i fall off the wagon of replying to comments on a specific fic, it's really hard to get back on. it's easier for me to reply to comments on my newer fics, especially if i've been on top of comments every day. but comments mean a lot to me, and i LOVE making new friends in AO3 comment sections, so i'm trying to strike a balance of commenting back without pressuring myself so much that it becomes a task i want to avoid, you know?

what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

LMAO. a tender perennial (haikyuu, komori/sakusa with sakuatsu endgame) for sure. the central trope is hanahaki disease, which is a trope i have never liked much but i wanted to try my hand at writing Peak melodrama. i'm still very fond of it, and i actually wrote a second version of the fic using a different protag just for the writing practice, which is now chapter 2 of this fic. double the angst, double the fun.

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

this is tough because i write a LOT of open endings. probably interlude: happiness (haikyuu, sakuatsu), which has an ending that includes couples rings?

do you get hate on fics?

not often. i don't think i've written anything that people have gotten invested in enough to hate, if that makes sense? like all of my stories are VERY low stakes--the vast majority are slice of life vignettes. most of the hate i have gotten has been about silly stuff like top/bottom dynamics, which i simply delete on sight.

do you write smut?

i love writing smut as a vehicle for exploring characterization and relationship dynamics! if the story calls for (or would be improved by) a smut scene, i'm absolutely writing it. i don't often write PWP though.

do you write crossovers?

my fanfiction.net origin story involves some VERY questionable yuyu hakusho/inuyasha crossovers, but i haven't really dipped my toes into crossover writing in a couple decades.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

yes, actually! a few years ago someone ripped all that you were and changed a few details to make it a bakudeku fic, which was a little odd since that fic is VERY intertwined with volleyball. it was taken down quickly though!

have you ever had a fic translated?

a few of them, yes! it's always a delight ☺️

have you ever cowritten a fic before?

i haven't, but i love collaborative creative processes, so i'd be open to exploring it in the future!

what's your all time favourite ship?

wangxian 😌

what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i have a sakuatsu royalty AU sitting on my hard drive that i think about daily. one day it WILL be written.

what are your writing strengths?

i love the concision of my writing and my ability to convey emotions and maintain a consistent tone throughout a scene or story. i also have a lot of fun writing dialogue--especially conversations between three or more people!

what are your writing weaknesses?

plots and pacing my enemies 😩 i've been practicing with beat sheets recently, which has really helped me translate my random thoughts into more coherent stories! i also have to actively remind myself to take time to describe certain scenes and character appearances because visual details are maybe the ones i personally gravitate to the least.

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

i try to avoid it unless i know someone who can help me check it for accuracy, otherwise i'll just get in my head about it and eventually talk myself out of having it in there at all. in reading other fics, i'm fine with it if it suits the character and is executed in such a way that it doesn't become a distraction as i'm reading!

first fandom you wrote for?

yu yu hakusho.... many Many moons ago

favourite fic you've ever written?

lazarus, defiled (one piece, zosan). this fic pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways (it's a horror-romance with a nonlinear narrative AND a truly happy ending!) if i could ask everyone to read ONE story i've written, i'd choose this one. it means the world to me, and i get extremely excited when anyone talks to me about it because i feel like i could talk about it for YEARS.

i'm tagging @itsquip, @fruityumbrella, @carriecmoney, @beefcakelesbian, and @shichidikai if any of y'all would like to play (and anyone else who sees this and thinks it looks like fun!!) ☺️💕

[sillystappen]

me again… can’t get enough of those

🥺🧠🤩🛒 💖 ❌

I realise six asks is a lot, so I’ve kinda just figured it might be easier to just give you this all at once,,, I’m a bit eager sorry

We got more lads lets fricken go.

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

To read? I absolutely when Max and Daniel FINALLY FUCKING TALK. I swear those two usually do anything but that. It gets me in my feels every time because it can be all sweet and lovely in some cases, angsty and sad in others, and well sometimes it can be very sexy ;)

But to write, I love writing moments where they don’t say anything and get all introspective. They always put me in the feels because they are comfortable in each others company and sometimes dialogue isn’t always necessary to convey what they feel and mean to each other.

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favourite headcanon for them.

You didn’t pick so I will rattle through my top five drivers

1: Max Verstappen. This mf is not a morning person. You will have to drag his ass out of bed unless he has a serious commitment and even then he thinks about skipping it. A good day will start at 11am earliest, and even if he is up before then he will not contact anybody unless it’s an emergency. Even Daniel struggles to get one word answers out of him until he has either had a Red Bull or passed 11am. Max does this to himself though, as he doesn’t usually sleep until ungodly hours in the night.

2: Daniel Ricciardo. Despite his goofy extra outgoing personality, sometimes the simplest, most mundane tasks give him anxiety. There’s no real reason, but he will be standing in line at the checkout of a grocery store with his completely normal stuff and suddenly think “what if the cashier will judge me and look at me weirdly as I’m paying for this?” then beeline for self service and even then he doesn’t like the weird feeling of “what if everyone is looking at me?” Rationally he knows nobody is even given a single shit but he can’t shut it off. This doesn’t happen often, only on really bad mental health days, and not even Max can put him at ease until he’s in the safety of his own home.

3: Jenson Button. Fiercely protective of those he cares about. He’s all kind and loving and funny but if you hurt someone he loves then that’s it game over you’re done. Don’t come near him or anyone he cares about ever again (well for maybe a month then if you apologise Jenson may forgive you but don’t count on it). James Vowels is not in his good books right now.

4: Oscar Piastri. Touchy, but subtly. You may think of someone who is touchy as someone who gives a lot of hugs or pats and clings to people but Oscar will brush hands, let his fingertips graze someone else's as he passes things, stand or sit close to them even if it’s not crowded just to feel the person next to him etc and do these things so often. Never too invasive or suffocating but enough for the person to know he is there and he cares.

5: Sergio Perez. If he’s in a good mood and just pottering around doing little tasks, he will be humming or singing Mexican songs to himself. It’s a trait that started when he moved to Europe to just remind himself of home before it became a subconscious thing he does when he’s happy and comfortable. It’s never loud, but quiet mutterings of the song as he goes about his day. He also has a playlist of all these songs in case he feels extra sad or homesick.

🤩 What's the most meaningful comment you've ever received?

I know just the one because I think about it often. MPVettel commented on ch1 of Lonely Harmonies:

Ahhhh, I absolutely love this kind of AU with all my heart! I’m so happy you decided to write a follow-up. Your characters are incredibly well-developed, and it doesn’t take long before we completely fall for Siren Max. His story is heartbreakingly sad, and argh, I adore him so much. There’s this beautiful naivety about him—how he would follow Daniel anywhere if he could, always wondering what the human world is like.

What I find so captivating is the contrast between their worlds. Daniel seems so isolated in the human world, and Max feels equally alone in the underwater one. It’s like they each hold a piece of the other’s longing, making their connection feel that much more meaningful. There's a delicate beauty in how you've written their loneliness, yet they somehow find a home in each other. It’s bittersweet and heartwarming all at once 💙

This comment was amazing to receive as it just filled my heart with yes, this is why I write. To see someone love something I wrote and be content with what I put out as a sequel was absolutely amazing to hear, especially since I was so nervous about the reception of Lonely Harmonies in case it didn’t live up to the expectations of the people. And they read into what I wrote perfectly and saw every theme and message I tried to convey. It’s like I bared my soul and this person saw exactly who I am. I go on a bit about the feeling of being seen in the ATEOH universe and you really cannot compare such a feeling to anything else.

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

I LOVE COLOUR. I don’t like whittling on about this was this colour and that was that colour but if I mention a colour it's for a reason and the scenes and locations are chosen specifically for the colours they have. In Broken Melodies, we start on a dark beach where Daniel can’t see the true colour of Max’s eyes, his hair, his tail etc. I chose this because Daniel doesn’t quite yet see the opportunity in front of him as what it could be yet. He also does not see a way out of his situation and his world is very dark, as per the horrors of McLaren 2022. Later, Daniel can see how Max not only looks like the ocean itself (which will come in to play later ;)) but also just how their souls seem to speak to each other. The sun sets, and orange from the sky (Daniel in McLaren) bleeds into the blue of the sea (Max) as they kiss - their two colours coming together. Then, when the sun is gone, the orange disappears and Daniel leaves. See? I could go on and on about why I chose what location for a reason for a lot of my fics but it’s just some subtle worldbuilding to help you feel into it.

💖 What made you start writing?

Ah this takes us back to before I even had ao3. I have always written shit as a way to process how I was feeling but also to live in worlds that weren’t this one because I never liked the cards I was dealt so to speak. Escapism was what it was. Even now, there’s always a tidbit of sillystappen projection bleeding into the characters. My imagination helped me cope with my childhood by daydreaming and sometimes it gets maladaptive. I didn’t want to forget about the worlds I would create so I wrote them down. Worlds where I would be with the person I liked, worlds where I could run free and worlds where I could kick ass. Fanfic came when I was a young teen learning all about the wonders of the internet after my parents turned off restricted access. I started writing fanfic for the same reasons I did writing my original stories as a child, but this time I wasn’t in it. I was obsessed with what ifs and also discovering my own inherent gayness and coping with some lovely trauma and well… it spiralled into what we have now. I have been publishing fic on ao3 since 2020 when I was 15, starting on a different ao3 account and my first bunch of works are deleted so don’t go looking for it hehe. Sillystappen is who I am now and I am proud of myself for how far I have come.

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

Don't ask for any pregnancy, it will never happen. Not even if I ever write omegaverse. Kids will either be preexisting or adopted end of.

[lovethytendytenderly]

I'm not in any dedicated writing discords but a thing that I think about a lot when reading/writing rpf is names. How people talk to each other and how they name themselves. Especially in sports rpf, we the fans are primarily familiar with players through their last name, sometimes their first name, and occasionally a nickname. However nicknames have a 50-50 shot of being ones generated and spread by the fanbase. Everyone knows Malkin as Geno or Letang as Tanger but it threw me the first time Sully called Drew "OC" (oh-see) because his name to me is DOC (pronounced interchangeably as the vibes take me as either doc short for doctor or dee-oh-see). Chad Ruhwedel (formerly) being the only Chad on the pens team (he's not dead he's just in nyc) was Chad to me (and an inspiration to Chad's everywhere) because Chad is easier to pronounce than Ruhwedel, but I've heard Sid call him Rudey (roo-dee). I called Sam Lafferty Laugh Track but I've seen other fans call him laffey-taffey and I think that's closer to his actual nickname.

We do get access to behind the scenes and the boys aren't shy about using nicknames for each other. It's one more thing to study up on. Despite the fact that the media and the fans prefer EK, the boys decided to call Erik Karl (Carl). Reporters have written pieces about nicknames which is why we know stuff like Magnus Hellberg was Chopper on the pens, Marcus Pettersson is Dragon, Brandon Tanev earned the name Turbo, Lars Eller used Tiger, and so on and so forth.

The place I see this played with the most is with the Russians in hockey. Partially because it's Russia and as the Prologue for Great Comet the musical said "everyone has 5 different names." There’s more there to play with. A writer will almost certainly make a choice on whether they're using Evgeni, Geno, or Zhenya for Malkin, and I've seen similar decisions for Ovechkin (Ovi, Alex, Alexander, Sasha) based on the POV characters and their relationship with the characters. Sometimes the names will evolve over the course of a fic as characters get closer to each other. It tells the reader something which name the character uses for himself and which ones he prefers others use.

Now I don't have a strong opinion on what Sid calls Geno in their relationship. It gets interesting however when we enter Geno's POV and the author has to decide how Geno names himself. What name does he use in his internal monologue? Which name feels the best? Do any of them feel weird? It's funny cause I've written fic where depending on the relationship between the characters, its Tristan if its personal, Jarry if its professional, or Jars if its friendly, and depending on how Ned is thinking about him it can shift by the sentence. Is it Tanger or is it Kris? Which one conveys the right amount of closeness? Is it Letang until the relationship develops further or is that too much distance for teammates, even new ones? What about players whose nickname is a name? The last time a fic called Alex Nedeljkovik "Alex" I asked myself "who?" because in my head he's Ned. In Tristan's head he might also be Ned. Does Ned think of himself as Ned or does he think of himself as Alex? Does it even matter so long as we aren't breaking immersion? Idk.

I just think that it's interesting to think about how something as simple as names can affect the vibes of a story.

[milfbrainrot]

2, 11, 14, 17?

Thank youuuuu!! Questions from here.

2) Which of your fics is your pride and joy?

Hmm I deleted so many of my old fics I really can’t remember overall what I was proud of, and the ones that I am kind of proud of were from such a long time ago I can see the cracks in them more easilyyy.

I guess the couple that come to mind are in this labyrinth of my past for barbara lake/walter strickler because of all the surreal and intensity stuff i had to figure out, and ruin for clarion/milori because of some worldbuilding i sprinkled in and the angst of it all... and because that one more regularly gets kudos so i actually remember it exists...

11) What makes a fic 'successful' in your opinion?

It depends on the goal of the fic but I guess balancing it feeling like it could be canon in whatever components come from canon while also being self indulgent. For some people it varies between which of those things is most important but I think they both have their place. I want to follow these characters and the world etc out of the story’s bounds but I also wanna see someone else’s take on them, and same for me where the things I want to happen aren’t going to happen in canon so I just have to do my best to pin down how it could’ve and what that would’ve looked like and present it to the best of my abilities.

17) What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing?

I’ve only recently gotten back into writing, but I guess how much easier it is for me now than in the past. I’m trying very hard to be less perfectionist and just be happy with whatever a fic looks like when I decide to be done with it and, while there is a lot of room for improvement, it is easier for me to figure out intuitively what I need to convey and how to do it well enough that it can be flung onto ao3 without agonizing over it. 

[nerdyfan1]

Tobias

Something from my Twitter that I wanted to put here, a little post on Tobias that goes into something I like about him. The undercut gets more fan canon btw lol

It just hit me…

Tobias’ first spotlight episode is called The Third

At this moment in time his last one is called The One.

Bro imagine if the writers decide that he will get another spotlight episode in season 7 and to be silly they call that episode The Repeat or The Twice? That be funny.

Tho I bring it up because it sort of illustrated how Tobias went full circle. He started and ended with trying to be one of the Watterson brothers’ friend. It’s just that now that the context and motivation between the situations conveyed in The Third and The One have changed.

In The Third he did it to get back at Gumball and maybe get some money from them both. He wasn’t being genuine in wanting to be friends with either of the brothers. Then fast forward to The One and we’re shown visible proof his little rivalry died out after awhile and now he genuinely trying because he’s actually hurt they (especially Gumball) aren’t as close friends with him as he thought.

His douchey traits are still there tho cause yeah logically it’ll take a long time till he grows out of that. Which is something I appreciate about this because way too many shows would of gone the easy route and completely abandoned Tobias’ shitter traits as a way to make it easier to feel bad for him. Which isn’t really that realistic and can be seen as lazy writing.

Instead they show Tobias is now starting to learn to read the room better. To understand social cues more. He’s definitely got a lot of growing up to do but, Tobias is starting to mature more now.

This also shows lot of his problems seem like an result of struggling to read others. Maybe because he’s autistic or maybe he’s just was raised in a way where he wasn’t able to fully understand and learn stuff like that. Think either makes sense. Personally tho I think it’s a bit of both. :P

This could also be why so many of his flirting attempts backfire so much and despite how it seems obvious two us viewers none of the girls are interested and actually annoyed by it he keeps tempting it over and over again. He’s just flat out not able to read the social cues.

Since I believe he’s being genuine when he’s flirting. In his own weird Tobias way. It’s just between the general advice from his dad on dating who’s probably wasn’t the best role model for the kid and his struggle to get the signs that someone isn’t interested it causes this really bad character flaw with the little guy.

Tobias is just a kid raised in an environment that while not traditionally seen as abusive could seriously mess him up when he grows up. It’s really hard to tell how he’ll end up when he is an adult but, I like to think that The One, even if in a small way, shows he’s probably gonna keep growing. That he’s gonna grow up to be just fine by the end. It’s weirdly optimistic feeling to that ending. Maybe it’ll be hard but, growing up is always gonna be hard.

Anyways sorry to go all character study on this I just like thinking about the Gumball kids they leave me with so much to think and speculate on you have no idea.

Thanks for reading the ramblings of some Tobias stan lmao

[evelinessa]

For the fic ask game,

☉ what do you do when you get stuck writing?

✦ what was your easiest fic to write & your hardest?

✎ how do you think readers would guess a fic was yours if you posted anonymously?

The first one I got in another ask and answered here.

The easiest to write, I would say, was probably Exploratory Reflections (*18+ NSFW*).

It's very short, so not much time was spent writing it (I think most of it was just a conversation between Phoenix and Miles that popped in my head, and then I jotted it down), and it didn't take long to edit either. It also isn't a drabble, so I wasn't spending time worrying about getting an exact word count. And it was one of my earliest works, which in a way made the writing itself easier. I think I tend to put more pressure on myself now, which makes earlier writing (even if I struggled more with some mechanical stuff due to the inexperience) feel like it was easier.

The hardest is harder to answer lol. I feel like most of my fics I struggled fairly evenly with one aspect or another. Whether it was difficulty writing certain scenes, or characters, or having a hard time conveying what I need to. Though if I have to pick one, I'll choose Halloween Magic.

In that fic, I was working with a lot of aspects that were new to me, or that I had trouble with. It was from a POV I haven't written from before, or had written much of her character at all (Trucy). It takes place during a part of a timeline that I don't write or read often. I had to write dialogue and portray relationships for many characters that I haven't written at all, or rarely (or read much, or at all, so don't have that added familiarity with their characters).

I also struggled with coming up with Halloween costumes for many of the characters (and there were a good number of characters I needed to create costumes for). I tend to struggle with character and scenery description too, and between all the costumes and Halloween party decor (as well as the themed treats), I needed to describe far more than I would've liked. Also, I wrote it on a deadline (which isn't unusual, for most of my fics), and at 11.4k, it's one of my longer works.

The third one I answered in another ask as well, which you can read here.

Thank you for the ask! 🥰

[watmels]

Shiratorizawa’s Spy (Reflection)

I made the first panels of my comic Shiratorizawa’s Spy in January 2022 on a whim, based on doodle requests from my Instagram Story. I didn’t think it would turn into a big project that would take over a year, but I’m glad it did! To finally wrap this all up, I wanted to organize my thoughts about my experience making the series.

🌞 Highlights ━━━━

Shiratorizawa’s Spy-noff + Shiratorizawa’s Spy-noff 2

It was incredible to see art and writing that others created based on the series. I was especially wowed at how several writers were able to capture what I wanted to convey. To see it written out... it’s unreal!

Comic style

I’m really thankful that I drew/colored the initial panels roughly, because this style let me work quickly. If it was full color / rendered... I probably would have burnt out.

Crowd-sourcing ideas

Many plot points and even the character Goshiki Toshiki came from my followers 🙌🏻

Reading comments

This was sooo motivating. Knowing that I made people laugh, or that people felt conflicted because of Oikawa... It made me happy that my work could touch people like that! 🥺

🌚 Lowlights ━━━━

Lack of Seijoh bonding

I totally understand how readers would feel that Oikawa should have stayed at Shiratorizawa in the end, because most of the comic illustrated his relationships there... I should have drawn more interactions between Oikawa and the Seijoh team to build a stronger sense of belonging. I really wish I had introduced Matsukawa and Hanamaki in the beginning. And I probably could have expanded on the Seijoh captain, but I was reluctant to make decisions about that guy...

Losing track of the timeline

I had a bit of a meltdown when I realized InterHigh was quickly approaching in the storyline.

Discovering again that Oikawa has an Android phone in canon

I forgot about this and gave him an iPhone. When I found out again, I was unwilling to change it midway... I don’t stress about this that much though haha

📝 Lessons about making comics ━━━━

Plan ahead

It’s fun to make spontaneous filler episodes, but it’s important to remember the timeline! After my meltdown, I carefully planned the rest of the story. I’m glad I had an outline of each part towards the end.

Comic boxes

I initially drew a new box for each panel. Later, I changed to duplicating & rotating the same box for most panels. This saved a lot of time.

Procreate stuff

My process for making the comic was to duplicate a previous file, keep a few things (series title, some boxes, my signature) and create the new part.

I wish I knew earlier to TURN OFF THE PROCESS RECORDING! As time went on, my files loaded so slowly... eventually I realized it’s because every file was bigger than the last, with ever-increasing video info 💀 thankfully you can purge the time-lapse recordings.

Text

I came to this conclusion before SS, but still wanted to mention it. I much prefer typing text over handwriting it when creating a comic. It saves time, it’s easier to edit, and it’s more legible for readers!

And... that’s it! Shiratorizawa’s Spy is my magnum opus...

✈️ Now some personal updates ━━━━

This year I’ve been making some life changes and want to make even bigger ones. So it works out well that I was able to end Shiratorizawa’s Spy at this time. Next week, I’ll be moving into a friend’s apartment for a few months.

After that, I really hope to move internationally to South Korea for... an unknown amount of time. I am thinking about quitting my job. I’m grateful for my opportunities and experiences thus far, but I feel lost as an adult... I don’t know what I want to do except that I want to try living in another country. I had an amazing vacation in Korea last year, so I think I’ll start there. I’m really anxious because I don’t speak the language though.

I have so much to learn about personal finance, fitness, beauty, growing as a person, etc. I still want to draw and post occasionally, because art is my first love and passion 💖  but not sure about the frequency.

👋🏻 Anyway ━━━━

Was reading Shiratorizawa’s Spy fun? Like, about as fun as buying a coffee from a shop or seeing a movie in a theatre? If so, I would really appreciate a tip on Ko-Fi. How else could a comic artist make money — maybe mostly drawing through Patreon...? 🤔

Thank you for following me through all this. I hope it was interesting! 

[yjwhatif]

With the semi/cryptic confirmation of Ed and Barts relationship in the series I have a question:

Do you think everyone knows about them (in world) or do you think they’re keeping it secret from some?

It’s just a thought that’s been in my head recently. It is most likely fuelled by the whole drama of G&B not being able to depict a “specific character” (it’s definitely Bart) as gay. They’ve had to hide the relationship from their audience - because of ridiculous reasons - but there are still moments that bring up the question - Are they? Before the reveals from AskGreg, I kinda thought- well they are clearly not together yet, but perhaps they both have feelings for one another and are just waiting for the other to make the next move because they’re nervous idiots who don’t want to have read the situation wrong — all while their friends are like - seriously guys? just get together already. Kinda like they did in s1 with Wally and Artemis - and I guess early Supermartian as well - which I would have been okay with... though with the likelihood of there being at least another two year time skip you’d probably have missed the getting together moment - which would kinda suck. Anyway. With the information about the chances being they were supposed to clearly be in a relationship throughout S3 — which makes the whole structuring of ILLUSIONS just make sense — it’s got me viewing their moments with a whole new energy. Also, I saw this post by Greg —

And let me just clarify, I have no idea if this is actually referencing the Ed and Bart stuff, it might not be (probably isn't). This is purely me speculating.

My reading of this is they got told they couldn’t depict Bart as gay pretty late on and that specifically affected ILLUSIONS where they likely intended to confirm the relationship with that first shot - the kiss on the cheek moment. Even now that moment is just odd - because it’s there but it’s not - because technically there is no actual kiss… which I think is absolutely the point. It plants the seed without actually breaking any rules - all by keeping the momentum but removing the specific kiss frame. It’s the only moment that I feel is explicit in saying they are in a relationship - everything else you can just read into and imply there’s something - but they technically don’t confirm anything.

The whole thing is actually quite interesting - despite the reasoning for it being totally ridiculous. By keeping/showing what they did... People notice it. People talk about it. People reflect on it. More people talk about it. People writing. Make. Create. Discuss it. An entire audience is formed who want and support it. It’s a whole thing now because people noticed it and generated a positive response to it - and that was before all the AskGreg information. The whole reason YJ got a season 3 is because the fans fought to get it back. Enough people talked about it - and kept talking about it - to convince TPTB that the show should come back. Greg and Brandon know this. They know the power the fans have and maybe they hoped that power would help them again in freeing Bart from these ridiculous restrictions. #letbartoutofthecloset

Obviously, we can't know until S4 is released whether G&B got the permission to confirm Bart's sexuality the way they envisioned - but maybe the responses that came during the release of 3b were enough to convince TPTB that they were fighting a losing battle. But who knows, people in power can be very stubborn at times, so we will just have to see what we get. Fingers crossed they eased up though - and not just because of the Ed/Bart relationship (which I am obviously a fan of -- it's fine if not everyone is) - but because these restrictions on LGBTQ+ content shouldn't be a thing and need to stop -- there is just no validity in them.

Anyhow. despite their not being allowed to officially confirm the relationship, Greg's comment about Ed's having a boyfriend they can't name basically confirms the fact without technically breaking any rules again. Masterfully done Wiesman. With this, it implies the pair are in fact dating during S3 which brings us back to the original question... but who knows??

With the comments of Virgil during ILLUSIONS, it's easy to assume their friends do in fact know. They also seem to have no problem being close and interacting with one another whilst in the presence of others -- that is, except for one moment...

Ever since the first time I saw this episode (ELDER WISDOM) I have always found this moment strange - because Ed seems to get kinda awkward when Barry comes to check on Bart. (Or that's how I see it at least.) He realises Flash is standing there and immediately pulls his head down averting his gaze -- almost like he doesn't want to be seen by the elder. But why? Does Barry not know about the pair -- or maybe he doesn't know about Bart and Ed thinks their current closeness is too revealing -- who's to say Bart's even fully out to the world yet -- who's to say either of them are? We certainly don't since we weren't allowed to be shown. We can't know until we know - so until then we can play the speculation game while we wait.

Bart is certainly a bit of a secret keeper when it comes to being himself. I'm still convinced the Bart we see onscreen is merely his interpretation of what he thinks people expect from a speedster in this time. We saw 'real' Bart, he was snarky and cynical and nothing like the Bart we've had for the past two seasons. He said it himself - he's playing a character - and I don't think he knows how to break out of it - not while the possibility exists that it might hurt those he's grown to care about. Bart wants to be seen a certain way to avoid acknowledging the truth of the past - if people see him as happy and smiley, then no one will question him on things he doesn't want to talk about. The problem with that is you can't hide yourself forever - cracks begin to form and eventually, the truth comes out whether you want it to or not. So who knows how comfortable Bart is revealing any of his true self to those he cares about. Maybe his relationship with Ed will be the thing that finally helps him find comfort in being himself, whilst also trusting others to still accept him as himself... and maybe getting him that bit of therapy he really needs.

This brings us to Eduardo… First, can I just say it made me so happy to see Greg’s confirmation of Ed being gay - though it is slightly annoying that he was robbed of his explicit onscreen reveal in S3 thanks to the drama with Bart. His whole relationship to his powers in S2 to S3 fits the representation of coming to terms with your sexuality/identity from a very negative point of view. Feeling like it’s something that needs fixing or needs to be “cured” - to then finding the light and freedom in accepting yourself for you. His growth between seasons is brilliant. He understands the hate and insecurity the teens are feeling because he felt it himself. He does all he can to help them because he never felt he got that help when he needed it - and no one deserves to feel worse for being who they are. Obviously, the things he talks about are framed in the context of dealing with/accepting the meta-gene - yet there are certain moments where it seems he’s saying more than that…

All of which got me wondering - why did Ed originally runaway? It certainly wasn’t because of the meta-abilities he did not yet have. All he’s ever said on the subject was he thought he wanted to be with his father - the man it seems he barely had a relationship with. No, I think Ed has been running from himself for a long time and his dad just happened to be an actual direction for him to aim for. The way he speaks about his wanting to be “cured” and “praying to get rid of his powers” suggests an upbringing around religion and traditional ideas of there being a ‘normal/proper’ way to be — while anything that doesn’t fit that way is treated as other or something that needs to be changed or 'fixed'. Maybe he ran to avoid being found out and run the risk of being ostracised by those he loved. Or maybe he was found out and leaving wasn’t entirely his choice*. If this was the case, I can certainly imagine him not wanting to come out to his dad for fear of his reaction and completely losing all chance of that father-son relationship they’re both trying so hard to keep. It can seem easier to live in secret than risk the reality of loss. So while the meta-gene likely wasn’t the main thing he was angry about in S2, it was able to become a physical thing he could blame and focus his anger on - without having to think about where his issues truly lied… Though with a bit of time it also became the thing he was comfortable conveying his feelings through...

“I’ve learned to accept, even love my meta-abilities”

I love this line so much and it’s all because of the delivery by Freddy Rodrigues. There is the slightest hint of a pause before he says “meta-abilities”, which gives the impression he was about to say something else before then remembering himself and who he was talking to. Then there’s the small inflecion he put on “love”, which makes it sound like it’s the first time he’s heard himself say the words out loud. I don’t hear him talking about the gene - I hear him talking about finally accepting himself - all of himself - for the first time in maybe ever and finally feeling happy because of it. I hear growth... From being the angry 14-year-old skater who just wanted to run away and escape any way he could. To the 16-year-old councillor/Outsider jumping straight into the danger to protect and inspire those who need it. Both he and Bart are such strong characters with so much more to be seen - especially when it comes to the insecurities which lie behind their masks. They both compliment each other pretty perfectly - both powers-wise and personality-wise - meaning while they try to hide themself from others, I don't think it'll take long for them to realise they can't hide from each other.

Anywho, that’s all the speculatary nonsense I’ve got for today. This turned into such a patchwork of vaguely linkable thoughts I’ve had which barely relate to the one I started with - but that is usually how it goes. Take it as you will…

Also, completely unrelated to YJ, but Bi Tim Drake now exists in dc canon which is really cool - seeing all of the joy it’s sparked has really given me something to smile about this week… There is hope after all. 🌈

— LB ⚡️☀️

* OK so here’s a little random snapshot into the chaos of my mind— as I was writing the Ed stuff I had a scene pop into my head of Ed finally -for whatever reason- having to tell his dad that he didn’t leave his abuelo’s home - he got kicked out. His dads confused about this and asks Why? What did you do? And Ed’s like Nothing… I didn’t do anything wrong… he just… found out something. So Seniors like Found out what Eduardo? And Ed’s getting really nervous now because he doesn’t want to say it - That I, um… I’m… Senior step a fraction closer as he picks up on Ed’s anxiety but remains an appropriate distance - Son? Then after a tensening silence he finally says it - sounding the most vulnerable he has ever been - I’m gay… The silence is there again, heavy and unnerving, neither saying a word. Ed can’t move as he’s lock in his elders unreadable glare. Expecting the worse his head drops to take in the floor - anything that isn’t the disappointment ahead - he feels the urge to disappear burning up inside him - consuming him. Then just as he’s about to escape he’s suddenly grounded by a steadying hand rooting itself on his shoulder. Tentatively he lifts his gaze to witness his father, there, with nothing but love and support in his eyes - Mijo. The clamping in his chest dissipates as all the tension escapes at once, along with the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. Ed embraces his dad and the elder embraces his son. Together. A family.

Anyway. That’s probably a load of rubbish but hey my minds full of it… but basically I really want to see a tender moment between Ed and his dad. For whatever reason. Something where Ed’s in a vulnerable state and in need of some emotional support from his father - and without hesitation his father steps up - because that’s what we haven’t seen from them yet. It would perfectly portray the strength of their relationship as father and son - despite their previous struggles - and prove that Senior is willing to support his son no matter the situation as the father - not just the scientist. Its the final step in their healing journey and I wanna see it so bad!!

[writer-komaru]

Ahh working on so much writing is… a lot.

But it’s fun! Don’t get me wrong!

Tho I feel really bad that I haven’t finished any requests in a while. I’m so sorry to any one who has requested for taking so long! T T they will get done some time, I promise!

The best I can do is provide drabbles durning these trying time while I work on my actual stuff!

Contains spoilers to DR 3 Future arc!

.•*. ——————————————————.*•.

Words - 700? Idk

.•*. ——————————————————.*•.

+~ now playing - gentle rain = hoyo-mix ~+

Everyone remembers the scene. It’s stuck in my brain. Every single time I look at him, I can see it playing on loop. And it breaks my heart.

The scene I’m talking about is where Makoto almost kills himself because of despair. And let me tell you, I felt a heck of a lot of despair while watching it.

So imagine this…

You and Juzo were the ones who stopped Makoto from ending his life. Watching Juzo pin the almost unrecognizable man who you’ve fallen in love with since the killing game struggle, cry, and grunt in pain made your heart shatter into a million pieces. It was at that moment your hope had left you. After all those days begging stuck in that god forsaken school, your hope slowly repairing with the help of Makoto’s blind optimism and kind words to you, it all comes to an end as you collapse onto your knees, tears streaming down yours cheeks, but your too stunned to even speak. Just silence as Juzo smacks some sense into him. Even as he returns to his original hopeful self, your despair still consumes you. You slowly get up and walk over to him.

“H-huh?! Ah! Reader, are you okay? Why are you- Ackk!”

Your plan on just walking over to him fails as you fall on top of him, your voice finally returning to you. His eyes widen as you let out a pent up wail, full of agony and suffering. You try to convey your thoughts and feelings in words, but only your loud crying can choke it’s way out of your throat. Hearing your destainful sounds, the sight of you desperately clinging onto him as if he is sand between your fingers, tears and snot dripping down your face, eyes red and puffy from crying so damn hard causes his heart to break as well. Yes, you heard me right, Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows’ heart literally cracks due to your despair.

As Juzo leaves in disgust, you finally find your words.

“M-Makoto… I- Sniff- I-I-I don’t know-Don’t know what I-I would have d-done w-w-without you… p-please I- please d-don’t…. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!! I-I… I love you!!! S-S-So m-much!! Wahhahhhhh!!

For a few seconds, time froze. You… loved him? Everything made since now. You always stuck by him, during and after the killing game, even before it started. You were so kind to him, you defended him no matter what, you always made him feel less alone. But he never thought you cared about him in that way. The funny part is that he has also had a crush on you since high school.

Enough with the ones got, HC’s are easier

After a long time of comforting you (maybe around 30 mins or something, he really wanted to amen sir you were okay) he apologizes for ever letting himself fall into despair and for the fact you had to see him like that. It must had been very traumatizing. And it was. After that touching moment together as you both hugged while leaving against the wall, still sat on the ground, you decided that after you both got out of there, you would start a life together.

And you did. You both found a place to live at the future foundation, at least what was left with it, and began your healing processes. It took many, maaaaaany nights of crying into each others chests, days off of work, and time spend talking to each other about everything that happened and how you both feel until it actually stated to get better.

Every night you both would fall asleep holding each other tightly, not even daring to let go in case something happened in the middle of the night. And sometimes, you both would have nightmares. Terrible ones. Sometimes, one of you would walk up by screaming while tears gushing down your cheeks, just to be greeted by the other who sleepily held on tight, wishing that all this pain you both experienced would go away.

Those nights turned to few, rare nights. And with months, but most likely years or hard work with therapists, medication, and spending time with each other, you both eventually got to a point where you could wake up almost every morning to be excited for the day ahead of you, instead of scared and dread-filled.

And on the last day of both of your theropods visits, he once again surprised you with how much hope he can bring to you by going down on one knee and asking you to marry him.

Brain Rot <3

[theprismaticvoid]

Working on a visual novel project right now, in the process of adding a ton of options to try and make the game more accessible. Quick screenshot of what I've got right now. Anything I'm missing, or that you guys think would help?

(I want to do text to speech but there are technical issues in the way of that right now)

Image id (and default values) beneath the cut in case you can't read text made for ANTS

VISUALS

Fullscreen: Display the game window in fullscreen. Default: Off

Font Size: Changes the font size in the game's main textbox. Default: 52

Use Font Size Globally: Makes the above setting work on ALL of the game's text, not just the textbox. Last time I tried to add this setting in a game it broke a lot of UI layouts; I'm hoping I can avoid it this time, but in case I can't, there's a warning about it on the options screen. Default: Off

Line Spacing: Allows the user to control the spacing between lines in the textbox. Default: Four pixels

Element Spacing: Allows the user to control the spacing between UI elements, like menu options and stuff. Default: Not decided yet (need to try exporting the game to Android to see how much space is needed for tiny touch screens)

GAMEPLAY

Display Text Instantly: Text is normally printed character-by-character to the textbox, but enabling this causes it to all display instantly. Default: Off

Text Display Speed: The speed at which characters are printed in the textbox. Speed is 0.05 (20 characters per second) multiplied by whatever this value is. Default: 1.0

Use Punctuation Delay: If enabled, punctuation characters like periods/question marks/commas cause a longer delay after they're printed, to space out the text a little more and give the illusion of it being spoken out loud. Default: On

Click Skip Delay: After the textbox finishes displaying, this amount of time has to pass before you can click to progress. Used to prevent an accidental double-click skipping a line before you were done reading it. Enabling this will also make the same amount of time have to pass before you can pick a choice when one of those comes up. Can be set to 0 to disable it. Default: 0.25 seconds

Auto Mode Delay: "Auto Mode" is a feature in visual novels where the textbox will progress to the next line a few seconds after it's done displaying, so you don't have to click-click-click when just listening to people talk and not making choices. This lets you control how long it takes before it progresses. Default: 5.0 seconds

Animated Text Effects: Some text in the game is animated, like shaking or waving, to better convey tone of voice. Disabling may help people who struggle with reading moving text. Default: Enabled

Colored Text: Some text in the game is colored (I haven't found a use for it yet, but it's something the engine supports). Disabling may make it easier to read with specific forms of colorblindness. Default: Enabled.

The options menu UI has a textbox in the bottom-right corner so the user can preview what their settings would actually look like in-game.

Also there are volume options but those are super standard so I didn't write them on the post.

[teruvash]

7/30/23: a couple of big updates from the last few weeks (progress notes below the cut)

main character profiles are about 60% done and I've started some initial work on the suspect profiles

I've started thinking more about ways to convey the story. I'm torn between wanting to do a more traditional/chatfic hybrid (the more sensible/easier to implement option), and being a little more ambitious, resulting in something that would be more true to the style of the ttrpg that's inspired this work.

In particular, there are two elements of AiM that made it so immersive: the fact that communication between players was done solely via text message, and the supplemental soundtrack to go along with it. Communication could be done via group chat, but players also had the option to split off into smaller (e.g., one-on-one) groups as well. I'm hoping to retain both of these elements in some capacity (though I imagine that the music will be optional, depending on the format).

The first (and more traditional) route is to have everything in AO3, utilizing skins/formatting as needed for the chatfic elements. I would have the flexibility to write supplemental prose outside of the group texts to help establish the mood, setting, and past relationships - but this might detract from the chatfic elements, which are the most important part of the story. Additionally, this in general format could make the chatfic elements more confusing to follow, especially if I have multiple one-on-ones between characters.

For the music element, I could either embed audio into an AO3 post or link to an external playlist. Depending on how I set it up, I could potentially use some of the licensed soundtrack (especially if it's in playlist form). I would still need to find other tracks, since reading speeds vary between individuals, but this would help me retain some of the hard-hitting aspects of the original soundtrack as I would just be streaming it through an embedded player.

The other option is to build the experience out of an interactive fiction engine (e.g. Twine or Ren'Py). The result would ultimately be closer to the experience of the original game, but it comes with a lot more issues:

For starters - I'm not much of a game designer. I can kind of look at other people's code/templates and play with things until I get what I need, but I can't build stuff from scratch, which could present challenges depending on how the project scopes out. What has me concerned, in particular, is the POV switching if the focus character at a given moment has to switch between the group chat and their personal chat with another character. And then, of course, there's the issue of needing to switch between characters as well.

I'm also not really an artist. I can source stuff that can be used under creative commons/royalty free/public domain searches and modify them as allowed and necessary, but it may result in some style consistency issues.

Additionally, since this method would require me to package any audio along with the game, I wouldn't feel comfortable having any copyrighted music in the files - since it could read as me distributing audio that I technically don't have the right to. I don't necessarily mind doing this, but it would add some additional time onto the project that I would have to consider.

On the other hand, I did a mockup of it in Twine using a text messaging template I found, and I'm honestly in love with the idea of doing it this way - I'm finding it to be so much more immersive and, if done right, it has the potential to be easier to follow when compared to traditional AO3 formats.

You can view the mockup below. The template is for an older version of Twine, which presents its own issues, and I broke something that caused all of the text to appear instantly rather than be spaced out, but I've found some potential alternatives that may work instead.

And that's about all for now! I've had a busy summer so haven't had quite as much time to work on this as I want to, but right now I'm on track to start working on the campaign itself sometime this fall.

so remember how I said I was taking a ttrpg system and building a trigun au out of it?

Yeah...I made a whole design doc to keep track of everything. It's basically a big spreadsheet with tabs explaining everything. When it's done, it'll have sections for content warnings, how the roles have been remapped, character and suspect profiles, location notes, plot details, and any technical modifications I had to make for the purposes of solo storytelling. I'll probably post a link to it once the character profiles are done!

[flr-house-husband-blog]

Female Led Relationship In Real Life

FLR explained, the woman has final say on all matters. The man accepts her wishes, her wants, and her punishments. This isn’t the FLR most men dream about in real life which is sexual in nature; I can promise in real life it is much different and more rewarding long term for both parties involved.

For us, yes housework is my responsibility and it started out with her lowering the normal standard that she kept up so that I could get down a routine. Overtime I’ve gotten better and worked longer in rooms and areas that did not meet her standards. I want to say higher, but they were only higher standards to me when we were vanilla. I see now the importance of daily, weekly, and monthly deep cleaning chores and tasks. They really do make the house ready for guests at a moments notice without worry and it really lifts a level of stress off of her which reflects back into us and our time together.

I’ve been timed and my daily chores I can do in 20 mins if I hustle. Normally it takes me an hour in between making her breakfast or getting ready for or after my work. Either way my “right” to ask permission to play video games or have screentime on my phone is once my chores are complete. The weekly tasks I’ve broken down into days to accomplish them easier (for myself), to not get behind, and make sure I meet her expectation of cleanliness.

My fav part of our FLR which has led to has been more love, time, and attention towards her is a phone rule. Dinner at home or out, regardless with friends I have to ask permission to use my phone. Needless to say no one bats an eye as they think it’s great we’re not on our phones. I like to check google reviews and see photos of different food options at a restaurant and it’s almost always a yes when I ask and then I put it away or it goes in her purse. I will say getting to that level of discipline isn’t easy.

In FLR I thrived with any new rules or expectations as soon as Goddess Amy figured out the best punishments that one changed my perspective and made me do risk/reward calculations before taking an action. What worked for her and didn’t cause her too much additional time away from what she enjoyed and was highly effective for me was corner time (30+ mins sometimes) and marking down in my shared chore app her grievances, which I too could see and were addressed with the paddle when she so decided. Unlike fantasy FLR there is nothing fun about having your pants around your ankles and being met with a firm paddle. She knows once I’m over ten that each and everyone will be remembered throughly. She has taken it a step further and makes me recite while I’m being paddled. Again not sexy but to make sure i know what I did and what I should do again.

Writing lines or the same thing over and over on paper takes a lot of time and she doesn’t except sloppy work. When that comes up I know I’m metaphorically fucked. It’s the equivalent of a cold shoulder when we were vanilla and I know a conversation is coming.

FLR isn’t all chores and sex. It’s a means to have a more loving and quality filled relationship. It’s non-standard but really does the trick for us. Of note when you’ve been met with consequences for falling short on expectations it really does change you behavior and moments vanilla you might want to give constructive feedback or argue a point of view. In FLR skip it and if you don’t like the point/topic/discussion try and bring it up at the end of the day or week, and if you really want ask if she wants feedback and if she says yes then maybe; otherwise wait until the end of the day or week.

In real-life FLR I can only give my perspective and maybe some of hers. For me I’d say the most important part is the man accepting she has the authority. Leadership isn’t all about being right, it’s about inspiring follow-ship naturally and accomplishing shared goals of the individuals under you and for the organization. Goddess Amy does that wonderfully and this is where you could say she understands my kinks (motivation) and pessimistic characteristics (frictions). She has a firm grasps on all things me and has goals for me, expectations for herself, our house, and our family. FLR works well for us because I accept and want her authority and she cares about all of the above to ensure each and everyday we move forward and improve. It’s not like the kink where things are expected to be absolutely perfect. She knows what I can handle and pushes the bubble little by little until it’s “perfect”, I look back and think wow what a difference I never thought this was possible.

Have you heard the phrase “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. If daddy ain’t happy don’t nobody care. “ That phrase sums up FLR. This ties in with communication and roles of FLR. She can easily say be ready we are going out and that means get in nice clothes and get everything ready to go or she can say she’s going out, which means I have the house to myself and if I’m lucky I’ll be given permission to watch TV or play games on my laptop. This ties in with staying on top of the routine she has set for me and other rules like no screentime without the chores being done. Most times I’m fortunate enough to get sceentime when I have the house to myself and sometimes it’s an opportunity for me to address a writing assignment she would like or an addtional chore. Rarely does it include me playing and sending pictures while she is out and about, but either way I’m always responsive and accept what she chooses as I know and believe it has a purpose. I just don’t sometimes fully understand it until later on down the road.

Real-life FLR the man only does what she wants and in ours she has retained meal prep for us and weekday dinners. The weekends I get to grill out and make her meals. Dishes are easy in our house. After a meal we clear the table, some things into rubber ware, some things rinsed in the sink and then into the dishwasher. We have a sign for clean/dirty and the dishwasher gets ran at night once full every couple of days and per my checklist is emptied or check daily.

A big benefit for her is me seeking ways to earn extra privileges ultimately by going out of my way to be on my best behavior, pampering her with love, surprises, and foot rubs. Some days she surprises me with the same to include paid massages and also breakfast in bed.

In public we appear vanilla, with the exception that I may secretly ask permission to have a soda or bend our diet plan a bit with a dessert. I’ve found asking before we go out with friends is better and also she has coded eye brows and looks which convey a silent approval or disapproval as I talk through what I might want when asked.

In addition to not meal prepping every meal since she loves cooking and helping us meet our fitness goals there are a few other things she retains control of. One is laundry, not because she loves it but because only she understands our walk in closet system for her stuff. Every morning I make sure everything is in the hamper and check the dryer- going through and pulling clothes tout of the dryer and separating out her dresses, tops, panties, etc in a way that makes it faster for her to put away herself, along with hanging and putting away all of my clothes neatly. Second the baby’s room there is a fancy rug which gets cleaned a certain way that’s off limits to me. I didn’t ask why and daily just make sure everything is clean and organized. Unlike fantasy FLR you won’t see me begging to do more chores, but you will see me finding areas which I add to my daily to keep off my monthly and deep clean routine to save myself time another day but just maintaining the area better. One example for this is dusting, yes the dreaded dusting. Once despised, I now prefer to address it per room per weekday versus all at once on the weekend. For me it’s less tedious when mixed in with picking up toys, vacuuming, and wiping down surfaces versus a whole hour of it another day.

To end this long discussion one thing that I like most about our FLR is despite me, the man not having final decision is that she gets my feedback 9 times out of 10 before making the final decision. I always feel heard and understood even when I don’t get what I wanted on most big topics, this isn’t the case with little chores or screentime expectations.

[writing-with-olive]

Hello Olive! 👋🏼

I don't know if you're still taking requests but I would love your help ! 🙃

So in multiple POV books, sometimes two scenes from two different POVs happen simultaneously. Usually, it’s much easier to portray this in movies and tv shows by cross-cutting scenes and interspersing them using the ocean's novel formula I think, to create suspens and tension in fight scenes or backstories parallelism.

In a book, my wip for example, I find it much difficult to convey the same feelings and tension in words.

Any tips and/or guidelines plz?

Could you plz add an example of your own creation just to see the result something like a cheat sheet /not that I'm using it, just to understand how I can go through it/?

Thanks in advance!!!

💕

Hey anon!

Quick disclaimer - I write in single pov, so the advice below is based off of what I've seen, and how I would tackle it theoretically if it was something I was thinking of writing something like this. Similarly, because multi-pov is not something I particularly enjoy writing in (personal preference, nothing inherantly wrong with it), and it would probably take me several hours to produce a new work that was of much quality, I'm not going to include my own final example, though there are little tidbits below, as they became relevant. Also, this got long, hence the read more.

Alrighty into the good stuff!

So the first thing to consider is why it seems easier to pull off more rapid pov switches in movies. The main thing is grounding. Oftentimes, movies will put characters in situations where their background is at least somewhat different, and sometimes they'll mess with the music a bit (though not always). This makes it really easy for the audience to place where the characters are in a split second, which in turn means producers don't have to spend a ton of time re-establishing where each person is. This helps to keep tension up.

The thing with books is that we only have words to work off of - no visuals to provide readers with instant grounding. That means if you want to pull it off well, quickly grounding readers every shift is essential.

Parallel backstories are probably going to be a lot trickier to pull off in writing than they are in movies. The reason they work in cinima is that a) like we mentioned before it takes a lot less time to do the whole grounding thing, b) parallels are a lot more aesthetically pleasing when you can see them, but they can come across as repetitive when read, and c) dramatic time shifts like flashbacks are easier to pull off in movies where you can see that characters are visibly younger, but they tend to be disliked by readers, as it tends to disrupt forward momentum.

Intercutting stories with regards to backstory pretty much means you need to be right there with your character to see the backstory unfold. Which means flashbacks.

In some books, flashbacks are a key part of the narrative, especially if it's in a story where time is more fluid. However, if you only have one or two cases where you need to jump back, it has a much greater potential to look lazy. More often than not, it's generally considered a stronger story if you can find a way to intersperse backstory throughout the story.

It also means it's often more interesting to show their backstories, but let the audience come to the conclusion on their own that they're actually kinda parallel, and see how that affects how the characters turn out.

The next thing to consider when maintaining tension is pacing - the pull and push of scenes or even smaller beats that keeps a story dynamic. Even within faster scenes, you have places where you still make your audience wait, or else it'll be over too quick. Slower scenes still need to have some faster bits to maintain forward movement.

Each time you switch povs, you are creating a little bit of waiting time for the "non-active" pov. This is not a guarantee to establish tension, but it does help. To balance it out, make sure what's happening on the page keeps moving. Give your characters time on page to rest sometimes, but largely keep moving forward.

Another thing with pacing for multi-pov is that the longer you bench a certain pov, the longer it takes to get back in their head. So make sure to give all of your pov characters similar page time. They don't have to go in a specific rotation, but they should be balanced.

Some thoughts about making pov shifts that don't disrupt the forward momentum as much:

1 - Establish location before it becomes vital. This is actually something that is key to a lot of action scenes, because nothing breaks tension and immersion like the author saying "oh wait here's this detail that i forgot to tell you until now." Basically, set up the general layout and other necessary details when things are calmer, so the reader has a chance to set up a mental map of the place, and when things are more tense, keep readers spacially grounded by referencing what you've already established.

2 - To make it clear that things are happening at the same time, use references that can pop up in both povs. For example, maybe all the lights go out, or maybe in one scene, a character shoots a gun, and in the next (because pov switch), a character hears a gunshot going off. You're going to want a time, place, and pov reference right away to ground your readers (if you're doing third person, the pov reference could just be saying that person's name), and you're going to want to have a few space and time references as you go through the scene, so that when you do your next pov shift, readers can slot it into the correct chronological spot.

3 - Similarly, make sure that timing matches up. Your audience will notice these things. If two reference points in one pov happen three minutes apart in world, the same reference points have to take three minutes in the other pov too. Something that I HIGHLY suggest is before splitting up your povs, create an outline of what happens from an omnicient point of view, so you can make sure to get characters to the right place in the right amount of time

4 - You don't have to make each character's scene start and stop at the same in world time. This is what makes the aforementioned time references so important. However, if you're going to skip something like a character going from the kitchens to the dungeons because nothing really happens, you have to show that intention before you cut away, or else it's going to take a lot longer to re-establish where a character is.

5 - To keep tension up, mini cliffhangers can work in your favor. Maybe a character gets captured and they're about to discover who his captor is, but then you cut to the other character in a cell, trying to pick the lock before anyone notices.

6 - Remember that in situations like these, your readers will often have a better idea of the overall picture than your characters. If you reveal something in one pov, remember that you don't have to reveal it again in the other, unless it's a means to reveal more necessary information. Going to the example from point 5, maybe in the next scene, the captured character figures out that it's a trap, and that if anyone else walks through the door it will blow up. But the lockpicking one doesn't know that. So she's trying to get there and rescue him. Tension is created both because she has to do it without getting caught, but we as readers would know that if she manages to follow through, it will be devastating. The trick is that the thought shouldn't really cross her mind, because she has no way of knowing it.

7 - Choose your povs with purpose. Does the reader need to know something for the chain of events to keep making sense? Which pov will be privvy to the most knowelege? Does there need to be something ominous (like maybe a body falls past a window), but revealing why that happened would kill some of the suspense? Which pov would reasonably be near the window, but wouldn't be able to see or hear what was happening above? Also consider where it makes sense to bring in povs that haven't been in the spotlight for a little while.

8 - Remember that you can't cut as fast between povs at the same speed you can in movies because of that whole grounding issue. Give each pov at least a full scene to themselves, and sometimes a few so that we can actually see things unfolding, and then switch. If you create things that other povs can reference, even if only in passing, it will still maintain the experience of things happening at the same time.

Hopefully all of this made sense and gives you a better jumping-off point. Happy writing!

[tossawary]

How do you prepare for a writing session? I have a terrible time focusing on anything and would love some pointers

My focus has been all over the place lately, but, ahhh, here are a bunch of things that help me personally focus on getting that WIP done: 

- Deadlines. Deadlines make me focus like nothing else. If I allowed myself to officially say that my update day needed to be Thursday this week instead of Wednesday, the chapter would come late on Thursday. Having an official update day of the week helps me pace myself. 

(Having that day of the week not be a weekend day lets me actually relax and enjoy my weekend, which helps me recharge.) 

- Outlines. Having an outline to follow makes it easier to write a lot all at once or to pick up where I left off if I’m writing in bursts. My outlines are a mess of point-form notes with all the plot and character moments I think I need to hit. Sometimes they’re snippets of nice-sounding dialogue and sometimes they’re things like, “Shang Qinghua says something here that reminds the audience of the existence of X plot detail coming up shortly.” 

Or: “- Shang Qinghua does Y action. - Mobei-Jun is amused.” 

I can dig up one of my outlines for a PINTWILF chapter. I have nearly all of them still, I think. Some of them have very detailed outlines and then some of them were super vague, like, “I HAVE A VISION, LET’S GO BEFORE I LOSE IT.” 

I have a notes document with the outlines and a document that I’m actually writing in. Sometimes, I’ll have the side by side on my screen, with the notes document on my left, so I can glance between the two as I write. 

(When I do this, I keep a third window hidden, which contains my music tabs and my thesaurus tabs and my distraction tabs. If I can’t see it, it helps.) 

Sometimes, if I want one big window, I’ll copy-paste the outline into my writing document, underneath the in-progress writing, separated by a “CONTINUE HERE”. The point-form notes come up one by one, and I delete the point-form notes as I hit them until the copy-pasted outline is gone. 

- If your eyes are slipping over the words, change the font and the font size. A large, dyslexic-friendly font like Comic Sans is usually good. Switching fonts is also good for spell-checking. 

Shorter paragraphs can also make things seem snappier and catch my eyes better. They can also reveal the beats (plot, character, tension, etc.) of a scene. Once your bones are made clear, you can always go back in and rejoin paragraphs, or elaborate on the beats that need it. 

- Honestly, just having massive chunks of free time (yay, being confined to my house) is what has allowed me to write this much. When I have errands or chores or tasks, I try to get them over with before I start writing, because constantly thinking “I need to remember to pay that bill after this” is a focus-breaker. It’s easier to just do it now so I don’t forget later. 

Work is left at work! So fun writing time can be fun writing time only! 

If I’m hungry or thirsty or need to use the bathroom, I just get up and go do that. Being hungry or thirsty makes my brain uncooperative. It needs energy to do its thing! Get up, solve the body’s problem, take the opportunity to stretch, and then my focus isn’t constantly divided by thinking, “I’m hungry.” Meals and other needs shouldn’t be withheld as rewards! They’re needed for writing! 

If my feet are cold, I go get socks. One more distraction eliminated! 

On a similar note, sometimes I can’t focus because I feel like I haven’t “accomplished enough” of other things and it feels like I have other things I should be doing. Taking a walk, cooking a meal (or a treat!), or getting a task or chore out of the way can help with that. I have Accomplished Something and now I can write freely! 

- Give myself permission to just GET IT DONE and then go back and improve upon it later is a huge help. My writing doesn’t have to be pretty. I don’t have to get it right on the first try. I can go back and make it nice later. 

If it’s feeling a little flat, I can come back later and tone it up. 

If it’s feeling a little too much, I can come back later and tone it down. 

I also don’t have to go back and make it nice later. Projects can be imperfect. 

Likewise, it’s good to give myself permission to be direct when I’m writing. “Oh, damn, I need Shang Qinghua to cross the room here,” I’ll say, and it feels like I’ve hit a dead end. How do I write that transition? I write: “Shang Qinghua crossed the room.” Done! Stage directions don’t have to be fancy! 

Maybe I’ll add an adverb later on the second pass, but dialogue can convey that he crossed the room carefully (“Are you... okay?”) or angrily (“What is wrong with you?!”) well enough. 

I’m also allowed to just use “said”. Sometimes less is more! 

- I’m only “allowed” to post one WIP to AO3 at a time. That also helps. 

If you have other WIPs that feel like they’re dragged you down, you can just mark them as “incomplete” or “on hiatus”. Feeling accountable to others helps me write, but it also helps to remind myself I don’t “owe” my time or effort to any project if I’m not feeling it right now. People might be disappointed that I’m not writing what they want or that I even have to backtrack on a promise, but their disappointment isn’t really my problem. I’m allowed to change my mind. 

Sometimes ideas have limits. Some ideas can become feature-length films and some ideas can become 6-hour mini-series and some ideas are only really worth about a short film (unless you bring in more characters and themes and sub-plots, etc). Sometimes, you have to get the writing version of a seam-ripper, figure out what you’re not vibing with, and come back with more characters and themes and sub-plots to make an idea vibe with you again. 

And sometimes it’s good to follow Marie Kondo’s example and go, “You know what? This unfinished fic taught me that I do not enjoy writing fics like this.” Or: “This unfinished fic taught me that I do not vibe with this idea.” 

- Sometimes, music is more distracting than anything else, especially when I’m writing dialogue. I’ll turn music off when I need to “hear” the dialogue better. Listening to ambience mix style stuff that goes on for hours can help set the mood and also means I’m not distracted by constantly picking new music. 

- Sometimes I wear specific outfits or change into a different outfit when I want to be in a better mood for writing. Usually into a more comfortable outfit. (But sometimes there’s a scene that calls to be written by an author wearing a fancy dress! However, I find very fancy outfits are for very rare occasions.) 

Brushing my hair or brushing my teeth before a writing sessions can help me feel refreshed. Sometimes I shower before my writing sessions. I find it relaxing to feel clean. Changing bedsheets or rearranging the couch to my liking can help too. Sometimes, I channel the energy of a bird picking at my nest and fluffing my feathers, for the Best Environment and Best Look! These cleaning behaviors are important for attracting mates and all the jazz, but they’re also good for attracting personal happiness and good writing vibes. 

- Rereading comments before a writing session can help me feel pumped. 

I answer comments or asks in bunches because most often I prefer to direct my energy towards my writing sessions. I love the comments and the asks! So much that sometimes I want to hoard them forever! But sometimes I need to set them aside so that I can keep making the writing I enjoy. 

Sometimes it can be distracting, though. 

- Okay! I think that’s everything off the top of my head! Key points for me: 

Time! 

Preparation! 

Comfort! 

Environment! 

Different techniques will work differently for different people, of course. Sometimes, these techniques work very well for me and sometimes I just get more distracted. Oh, last thing is something I’m bad at, but: if it feels like I really need to sleep, I probably really need to sleep. Naps are my friend. 

So are break weeks. Recharging is good.