#writerly thoughts

[missbeckywrites]

Why didn’t anyone tell me that trying to get back into writing meant I was going to have to, you know, actually WRITE stuff??

[bloviating-vy]

Thank youuuuuu

Few things make me as happy as seeing new-to-me readers go on a tear through my M.list (whether here or on AO3).

I always feel so honored and humbled because I know the feeling of finding a new-to-me writer and needing to consume every thing they have ever written.

So thank you, dear readers. You don't know how much we writers need and cherish you. You may think you have to leave long detailed comments or reblogs, but honestly, just seeing you read and like a fic or chapter makes us so very happy.

[larkral]

Oh my lovelies, Wednesday is upon us again, and that means I should be posting a chapter of ADA tomorrow and I am here with the sad news that I am not going to be posting a chapter of ADA tomorrow. The lack of a chapter buffer in combination with the season of daycare colds (and apparently daycare stomach bugs as well) have overtaken me. I've written a lot of the next section, but I'm feeling a bit on the edge of safety about it, and so it's not coming out to play quite yet.

Have I said before that I've been learning a lot about myself as a writer as I write ADA? I have! It's been so valuable and enriching and rewarding, and one of the things I learned is that I probably shouldn't post things as I'm writing them because #1) As a discovery writer, it's very challenging to periodically find myself locked into a narrative arc that I feel like needs pacing help and feel like I want to resculpt several chapters to do that and I just...can't (I know I can, it's fanfiction, there aren't rules, but I don't feel like I can) #2) good fucking god, my addiction-prone brain is not capable of coping with the intermittent-reward-granting casino that is feedback. I love feedback, I love everyone's comments, and if you've commented or kudosed or reblogged any of my words, you are a gift and have made my day brighter in immeasurable ways. But fucking hell, it's a lot harder for me to write when I'm thinking about when that next dopamine surge is going to hit.

So, okay. Some words. These words are...Agatha/OFC. ADA'ers you know who I'm talking about. This is for an offshoot story, because when you suggested I write ADA Smut, I immediately knew I was going to write Svea/Agatha. Sorry, Snowbaz ADA smut may get its moment, but that moment is not today. Svea POV:

The first thing I noticed about Agatha was the line where her jaw slopes into her neck, the interplay of tendons and skin and bone: the sternocleidomastoid, the hyoids, the styloid process. When she tucks her golden hair behind her ear, it's like the world lifting the clouds to reveal its most precious landscape.

Every body, every being, is a demonstration of the perfect shape of the universe. Every child, every tree, even every mal, is a punch through probability and into reality. Each and every one of us is magic incarnate.

Not that I want to pull every body flush with mine and make it pant and gasp and scream.

Thanks for tagging me @artsyunderstudy! Tagging in turn every person @stitchyqueer @thewholelemon @confused-bi-queer @raenestee @facewithoutheart @cutestkilla @hushed-chorus @sillyunicorn @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @basiltonbutliketheherb @ileadacharmedlife @asocialpessimist @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @captain-aralias @petedavidsonscock @takitalks @yeonjunenby @carryonvisinata @takenabackbytuesdays @martsonmars @nightimedreamersghost @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @ionlydrinkhotwater @aroace-genderfluid-sheep​ @shrekgogurt @forabeatofadrum  @palimpsessed @fatalfangirl​ @blackberrysummerblog​

[definitely-not-5urreal-w4nderer]

It's wild how many parallels there are between Yellowjackets and The Wilds there are, yet they are still so very different and distinct from eachother.

I should remind myself of this every time I get stuck in a loop, thinking I have no ideas original enough.

[itsawritblr]

Right now, somewhere, an illustrator is working on art for my short story, which will be published by Cricket Media this summer.  It feels very surreal to me.

I won’t know what it looks like until the magazine comes out.  I have no idea how the artist will depict my characters and the setting.  (For those who don’t know, unless you’re an established professional illustrator the magazine or book publisher selects the illustrator for your work, not you.)

I’m a professional illustrator.  I’ve always illustrated my own work. But I lost interest in drawing several years ago.  Honestly, I’m so rusty I’m not a good choice to illustrate my story anyway.  There are SO many more talented artists out there.

To have a stranger do it, and me having no say in it, is weird and a bit stressful.  Those illustrations will be the first and probably only interpretation of my story readers will know.  What if I hate what my characters look like?

Still, it’s a wonderful thing to have happen.

[setaripendragon]

So I'm still on this daemon AU kick, and I can't stop thinking.

What are the limits?

It's generally accepted that a daemon is an animal representation of the soul, right? So, you know, we've got birds and mammals and reptiles and insects.

But what about fish?

Obviously there's an issue here of, you know, environment, and if your soul literally can't survive in the air while you literally can't survive in the water, there's a problem.

But, hey, if it's small enough, you could have a little fishbowl for your daemon to live in. Hamster ball, but filled with water, rolling along at your heels. Fishtank on wheels that get tricked out like dudebros soup up their car. And maybe, if you're from a particularly sea-faring culture/lifestyle a water-bound mammal like a dolphin or an orca could make sense. And then there's things like sharks, which have so much symbolism attached to them that it seems a real shame to have to rule them out. (Someone who's particularly driven or ambitious having a daemon that would literally die if it stopped moving is a bit of symbolism I'm going a bit feral for, tbh.)

I think we have to rule out the deep sea creatures, unfortunately. Fishbowls and/or living on a boat wouldn't really solve the problem of pressure, and someone with a blobfish daemon would, uh... be in trouble.

And if we're talking about things that can't survive in the same atmosphere as humans, what about internal parasites? Like flatworms. I think it's safe to say that having your daemon parasitizing your intestine kind of defeats the purpose of having an external manifestation of your soul, but... There are species of flatworm that aren't parasites, so... do we just rule out all flatworms, or are the non-parasitic ones okay?

And speaking of flatworms, what about size? I've read some fun stories that deal with the issues that might come from having, say, an elephant daemon. It's not quite as dramatic as the issues of having an aquatic daemon, but actually, similar adjustments would have to be made to your living situation to cope. But, of course, it could be done and I don't think anyone's trying to rule out animals on account of how big they are, but I think it's safe to say that microscopic daemons are out for the same reason that internal parasites have to be.

There's a nice solid rule I can settle on; a daemon has to be a visible animal.

And, in point of fact, I think it's safe to say it has to be an animal. We can rule out trees and plants and even fungi.

So what about coral?

It's an animal, and if we are allowing for some aquatic daemons, then should coral be an option? Or are its vibes too plant-like to qualify? Do we rule out sessile animals like we ruled out microscopic ones? As much as I find the idea of a coral daemon absolutely hilarious, I am going to come down on the side of animals that are too much like plants are a no.

So a daemon has to be a visible, mobile animal.

But what about the ones that only move very slowly? I don't think we're ruling out sloths, but in the continuing vein of torturing myself considering various aquatic daemons, there's starfish and sea urchins and hell, even most bivalves can move at least a little, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't done that research yet.) And there's a lot of fun symbolsim to be had, there, I think.

And what about extinct creatures?

I think it's safe to say that mythical creatures are a no-go, unless this is a 'verse where those animals are real, (oh, boy wouldn't that confuse people in a world like HP where most people think dragons and unicorns aren't real, but people still wander around with dragon and unicorn daemons) so we can ammend our rule to visible, mobile, real animals, but could we go so far as extant?

If yes, that would have interesting world-building implications. Where's the cut-off point? Can we rule out dinosaurs because we don't/didn't have enough information for a daemon to settle into a form that wouldn't be technically mythical? But then, what about animals that go extinct within human history? What about all the people who had mammoth daemons or dodo daemons as those animals were dying out.

Would conservationists study daemon statistics to see if an animal has really gone extinct? Would an animal's extinct status get over-turned when a kid's daemon settled into that form? Honestly, I like this enough that I've convinced myself that, at least barring some very unique circumstances, extinct animals are not allowed.

So, it has to be a visible, mobile, extant animal. That can exist in proximity to humans.

Oh, and should probably add; visible, mobile, extant, and non-sapient.

You can't have a human daemon, or an elf or a dwarf or a fairy daemon even if they exist in that world, and if this is a 'verse with dragons who're more than just exotic magical animals, you can't have a dragon daemon. (Obviously, if your fairies are more like magical bugs than tiny people, then fairies would be a valid daemon.)

...I'm still on the fence about whether a daemon should have to be air-breathing or not. That kind of rule would still leave marine mammals available for the fun world-building of how people adapt to that kind of handicap. (...Do you think people with aquatic daemons would be considered disabled? Oooh, what about people with really big daemons? I mean, presuming such a thing is comparatively rare, people probably wouldn't be building schools with a mind to allowing elephants or giraffes to wander the corridors.)

Disclaimer! This is for my own creative process, and not intended to limit anyone else's creative flair. And, honestly, I'd love to hear other people's takes on what does and doesn't qualify for a daemon.

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Tag Game: Writerly Questionnaire

Thanks to @paeliae-occasionally @willtheweaver and @agirlandherquill for the tags!

Rules: Answer the questions!

Long post incoming!

About You

When did you start writing?

My earliest attempts at writing books are from when I was about 9 or 10, scribbling in a sparkly pink notebook something that was in essense video game fanfiction. It will never see the light of day again. The WIP I've had for the longest, The Watcher and the Thief, I started when I was 12 and writing a backstory for my human ranger in Dungeons and Dragons.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

I love reading fantasy and I love writing fantasy, specifically high fantasy and portal fantasy. I'm always looking to expand my reading taste and go outside my comfort zone but fantasy fiction is my jam and always will be.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

Honestly there are so many authors that I'm obsessed with that I probably subconsciously emulate and would be absolutely honored to be compared to including but not limited to Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Brandon Mull, Leigh Bardugo, Weis and Hickman, uh yeah probably others.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I've done most of my writing in the living room of my house, sitting on the couch closest to a plug for my laptop charger with one of those lap desks and said laptop on my lap. It's either that or sitting on my bed or hiding in the basement if my housemates are too distracting (rare). I have also been known to write on my phone from time to time when I have the time but not the laptop.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Go on a walk or a car ride with one of my WIP playlists playing. I also brainstorm while waiting to fall asleep in bed.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

I mean my mom was the one who kindled my love for fantasy books, but otherwise I don't think so.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

There seem to be a lot of wanderers, whether seeking something or on a mission or traveling aimlessly. Draven and Octavian post-THtMatC, Jas and Killian, the ToS crew. Most of the aforementioned people are also willing to go out of their way to help someone in need or their mission centers around providing aid.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

Of all time, Octavian de Silv. I go into further detail here. Otherwise I can't really choose because I love my ocs for different reasons.

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

I think I'd be friends with Jas or Reese. With Jas it would be the classic case of an extrovert adopting an introvert, and with Reese we'd bond over our love of reading.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Obviously any of my villains, and if I ever met Draven I would get annoyed with him real quick. I don't get on well with people irl who share his personality.

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

Well, I usually start with a slot to put a character in a story. Then I throw an appearance on them, usually traits that might stand out to a POV character upon their introduction. Then I decide a name and personality. All of this is subject to change at literally any time. All of it.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Including what I've said before... a lot of the protagonists exhibit some of my own traits like stubbornness extreme perseverance and creative problem-solving with violence.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

I picture them in my artstyle as I have doodled and drawn and such, I also use picrews to help me better visualize their appearances, although those obviously do have limits.

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I love flailing about my characters in different ways, including Problems, Situations, Shenanigans, etc. I have plots and stuff but I write because I love my characters so so much.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Any comment (that isnt hate) is a good comment :) I do love when people *cough, cough* @fourwingedsnake make funny comments regarding the characters or a line or the situation in general

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

Storms I dunno I just want people to like my writing/my characters/my worlds

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Creating memorable characters and also accidentally forming new magic systems

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

I've noticed that people really like my ocs so y'know win there, other than that I've never been to my memory explicitly told

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I feel like I've improved a lot over the last year or so, and prompt events/posting on Tumblr has got me in the habit of writing every day, even if it's just a brainstorming session. I definitely feel more confident in my own abilities and more comfortable showing my writing to people (still hesitant about showing my irl friends/family for obvious reasons)

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Yeah???? I write first and foremost for me and it would definitely help me cope with the loneliness of being the last person on earth. Maybe the next dominant species will figure out English and read it.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I for sure write what I enjoy. If readers don't like it they don't have to read it, and if I don't like it I won't finish it even if others enjoy it. My writing my rules deal with it and if you can't the unfollow/block button is right there

Tagging @faytelumos @fourwingedwriter @thewritingautisticat @stargazer-luna @phoenixradiant @pluppsauthor @pluttskutt @elizaellwrites @gamerkats @happypup-kitcat24 and open tag! :D

About You When did you start writing? Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write? Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared? Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.) What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse? Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about? Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all? Your Characters Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.) Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life? Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them? Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters. Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters? How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.) Your Writing What’s your reason for writing? Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers? How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.) What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer? What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others? How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.) If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write? When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence

[silkpages]

The Regency, Social Class and Star Crossed Lovers

I have been obsessed with the regency period lately and I guess it's stemmed from watching the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice and kind of spiralled on from there. Because of this though, I've been thinking a lot specifically about the class dynamics and just how prevalent they were in every aspect of life, as well as the strict social norms and how having this image of decency and respectability was so so important, especially for women, whose chances of social ruin were far likelier than a man's. Where I'm going with this is that I can't help thinking the Regency era is already such a great setting for forbidden or star-crossed lovers, but if you zoom in on social class and etiquette, it's especially perfect for pairings with a status imbalance (not quite power imbalance because I don't think that's accurate: the couple itself might be healthy and view each other as equals, but socially they're on completely different wavelengths).

Just imagine falling in love with someone of a lower status than you, let's say an honourable and hardworking young man that occasionally calls on your father alongside his own. You've seen him steadily over the years but it's only recently that you've noticed how his kindness to you has become a mild affection - that you return in full. Soon, his hallway pleasantries become something much more, and you dare to inquire into his family, education and whatever else you can in a way that extends beyond civility. His visits become more frequent and you flush at the thought that he now comes by for you. It's one night whilst you're preparing to sleep that you realise this girlish daydream of yours has transformed into this genuine care for him, and while that realisation would render anyone else happy, it only makes you frown. You know he would be able to make you happy, but he has no estate, works in trade and has certainly not enough money to placate your family. Maybe things would be different if your dowry were bigger and could help support the both of you in a new life. Maybe things would be fine if your family were less concerned with clutching onto gentility and accepted change graciously. But as that's not the case, there is hardly anything you can do but continue your brief conversations on his visits to your father and share a dance at the local assembly. Perhaps two if you wait until enough time passes so that nobody notices. But you wouldn't dream of sharing a third, no. Not if you don't want to ruin yourself and your family socially.

Or perhaps you're a milliner's daughter working one quiet day when suddenly a gentleman approaches from outside. He's new in town, you learn, and he's asking for directions to someplace or another, but before you know it, you've both lost train of the conversation and are laughing about the differences between the city and the country. You don't think much of it when he returns another day, this time to actually purchase a hat, but once again you fall into easy conversation with him. This happens again and again and before you know it, you're both deeply in love. You know there's no chance you can both be together, at least not in any way society approves of, but you delude yourself into thinking it's a light-hearted flirtation that you'll both grow out of soon enough. But your delusion wears off once you realise your talks in the shop, your early morning walks and meetings by the flower field have become the things you most look forward to, and that you cannot bare to go without them, without him.

My thoughts ran away with this idea but the more I think about it, the more perfect I think this era would be for these kind of couples. You could argue any historical era would work for this but imo the Regency is perfect because: 1) it's the Regency era. 2) I think it would be really interesting to explore class and social relations in such a loved period of time especially since it coincided with the Romantic movement. 3) I feel like things were still pretty feudalist in most periods before this time (ofc not all but again it's the Regency, why wouldn't you pick it?) whereas there's more possibility for social mobility growing here and I think this idea of hope and growth versus old ideas about class relations is so so interesting to explore, 4) especially when you can use this landscape of hope and the possibility of your couple getting together to create an excellent tragedy! (I'm joking on the last point ... unless 👀).

But yeahh, I had so much fun with this and I feel like since I'm enjoying getting back into writing fanfic I might just write my own historical AUs for my favourite ships and go crazy over them.

[waggingtongue]

On the plains of 1960 Oklahoma, the only skyscrapers were silos and grain elevators where farmers stored feed and crops.

We lived in town, but kept a silo for family secrets.

[missbeckywrites]

Omg, I just finished rereading Captivated and I love that fic so much. It's absolutely brutal to get through in places, and I've shed so many tears over Tony's ordeal and his incredible courage, and AHHH I love it so immensely. I am SO PROUD of Tony and Steve. What a work of art you've created. I came here looking for the post-fic snippets I knew existed & I just adore them. Thank you SO MUCH for writing this story. It was incredibly cathartic to read in some ways. Thank you! <3

Thank you so much!! <3

The world of that fic was so vivid to me for so long, and it was extremely difficult to leave it behind. It always takes me by surprise to get feedback on it -- it's very long and very dark, and not for everyone. And getting messages like this literally brings me to tears, I'm so thankful and happy to know that it affected someone. Thank you for reading, and for reaching out. You totally made my day. <3

[merrysithmas]

since carol marcus essentially invents the star trek version of the A Bomb i'm gonna need her to have the type of concerning brilliance that just cannot be confined, be maddening, enviable, conflicted, morally ambiguous, and not entirely ethical send post

[larkral]

My new thing is commenting on every chapter of something that was posted on AO3 between 1-6 months ago. Listen, I would fucking love if someone did this to me. But really it's because I am very good at speeding through fic because I can't get enough of the story, and what's better than thinking about something you're really enjoying as you enjoy it to make it last longer?

[sleepyowlwrites]

part of christmas tradition is that dad doesn't wrap presents for people (which is weird, because when I was little he was obsessive about it) so whoever did the most shopping with him ends up wrapping some of their own presents. this year it's me. this year I also picked these presents out for myself.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

i don't know how people who write long fics all the time do it because the past month has absolutely lain waste to me

[astramachina]

sometimes i just need to sit and type down 2k words that will never see the light of day because they're absolute dogshit but the gutters need cleaning every once in a while if i want them to work properly

[mizjoely]

So I received this lovely comment on one of my fics:

And I am also not sure where us writers got the idea that Sherlock would just jump headlong into a relationship once he makes up his mind, but I for one am glad we all seem to agree (in general)!