#writing advice sort of...

[mistresslrigtar]

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

💖 What made you start writing?

🧐 Do you spend much time researching for your stories?

Ty for the ask! I'm procrastinating from doing any actual writing so my answers below are long-winded....

🤗I'm not sure I'm the best one to give advice to new fanfic writers, since I feel like I'm just getting started myself! However, the biggest thing I've learned over the past year and have to keep reminding myself is to NOT compare my writing to anyone else. Instead, I try to focus on what I know I'm good at, use those strengths as the building blocks for my stories and write around them. What does that mean? For me, I start with the dialogue and characterization (sometimes the page only has a conversation written out, then I go back and fill in the setting, internal thoughts, actions, etc.) I also focus on just one or sometimes two things (world-building, internal conflict, showing vs telling, etc) I would like to improve upon. I find one-shots are a great way to experiment and focus on an area I would like to work on.

💖I've always loved to read, especially sci-fi/fantasy novels, and imagine what it would be like to live in those worlds. As a former stage performer, I started writing as a creative outlet (it seemed like the next best thing to performing a musical or play) and as a way to immerse myself into those worlds and characters. I'm sure I'm not the only author who puts themselves in their characters shoes.

🧐Do I research my stories? That depends on the stories. So far, I've had to do some research for two of my stories. The first is my completed work that I've talked about ad nauseum (😅🤣) I Belong to You. I had to do a bit of research on drug addiction and some other stuff... I'm talking about alt rock bands and songs, guitars, and motorcycles, I swear. Seriously, I spent HOURS listening to music until I found the right band for that story. (Good thing I like alt rock. I mean, I'm a huge Radiohead fan, so Muse was like listening to classic rock in comparison😂)

The most in-depth to date is for my current WIP Captain Link Araki.

For starters, I can't tell you the number of hours I spent researching Japanese surnames to find the right one for him. Following that, I read a lot about pirates, their habits, the crewman, jargon, what they do when their ships need repairs, what types of ships they preferred, etc. Then, after I picked a ship, I had to look up the parts of the ship, if it would have a main cabin, how many sails, etc, etc. As it was, I still got some of it wrong, but thankfully my wonderful beta (Zelmo 😉) knew enough to tell me what I needed to fix. I like to incorporate some reality into my stories, so I spent the better part of an afternoon looking up rowing terms and mechanics, and that was only for a two page scene! So, yes, I guess I do research when needed, and tend to get so sucked into studying and taking notes that little to no actual novel writing gets done that day.

So, all that being said - if you happen to read that story and notice something I got wrong or have a suggestion, feel free to tell me. 😅

And thanks if you read this rambling answer!

[t1sunfortunate]

I truly do think one of the largest pitfalls among the "media consumption is my passion" crowd is the tendency to treat characters as human beings with agency rather than narrative tools manipulated by the author

[quilleth]

Bioware made a mistake bringing Isabela back for da4 because like hell she wouldn't tell the entire da2 crew about what's happening with Solas which means they'd all show up ready to curb stomp him about Varric. Even moreso if hawke was left in the fade. That's two of their number down because of this fucker. Also Merrill should get to deck him specifically while also being like "what, like it's hard?" about fixing the eluvian that was blighted and cost her two of her closest childhood friends (potentially), her place in her clan, and her home. Again, going back far enough, because of him.

I just miss them 🥺

[e-louise-bates]

Instead of "20 books to $50k" or "how to increase readership by writing and publishing a book every month that is exactly like every other popular book out there," I need the kind of marketing advice that goes along the lines of, "hey, here's how to get a modest fanbase and sell enough books to justify this as a side gig without having to go crazy and spend more than you earn on marketing." Because honestly, all the advice I find these days either a) requires me to put way more time and money into marketing than I am able to do, or b) requires me to write fast and sloppy in very specific sub-genres, and that's really not why I write stories.

And like Emily Starr, I would--and will--continue to write stories regardless of how many people read them, but it would be nice to be able to reach more than a dozen readers, and to be able to reasonably look on my writing as a part-time job rather than an expensive hobby.

(It doesn't help that there are so many articles out there claiming that self-publishing is dead! It's gotten too bloated and now only a handful can make a living off it! But wait--traditional publishing is also dead! It's gotten too greedy and now only a handful can make a living off it! Mid-level authors? Whether traditionally published or self-published, they apparently no longer exist)

[navybrat817]

Hi! Thank you for being a huge inspiration. I am trying to be a writer too, but I can't stop checking for notifications every couple of minutes to see if people like what I've written. Any advice on not thinking about the results and not caring about the gratification? 💜

Hi, nonnie! It means the world that I've been able to inspire you in some capacity. I know it's difficult to not check notifications or look at note count. And let me preface this by saying that it's more than okay to want feedback. Every now and then I see negativity come out to play when writers/artists/gif makers/creators say that they want feedback for the creations they worked hard on.

Some things I do at times:

I congratulate myself for my accomplishment. Writing is hard. 50, 5k, 50k, it should be celebrated.

Log out of the app/desktop completely helps to not look. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak.

I remind myself that my writing worth isn't tied to my note count.

Comparison is the thief of joy. The second I start to compare my writing/word count or anything to others, I step away.

I remember that my feelings are valid. I'm allowed to feel down if feedback is low, but I do not allow myself to say in the headspace.

I sometimes go back to other fics of mine and reread feedback. Past positive affirmations give me a boost now and again.

NEW FOR 2025 - I want to put my energy back out there. If I post something new, I want to reblog a fic from someone else. Focusing my energy on others in a positive way shifts the negative feelings swirling around inside me.

Lovelies, please feel free to jump in and add more. Nonnie, sending you all the good vibes. Love and thanks! ❤️

[wolfsbanesparks]

Oh, give us your writing tips! I'd love to hear the ones you always follow, the ones you never follow, AND the ones you sometimes follow and sometimes don't!

Gladly!

So writing tips i actually follow:

Skip Ahead - whenever I'm stuck on a scene I put it to the side and jump to the next part I know i want to write/have inspiration for. Sometimes it's easier to transition from point A to point B if you've already written it. It keeps your writing momentum going and keeps you engaged in the story. Often I find there's less in between stuff than I originally thought.

Take breaks - when writing starts to feel difficult or tedious, take time off. Watch a movie, read something, eat food, take a nap. Recharge your brain and let the story sit for a bit.

Avoid the temptation to edit as you go - i have trouble with this one but I try to implement it whenever I can. Basically editing as you go slows down your writing momentum and getting stuck on word choice or a grammar issue can grind your writing to a halt. Just get the story out first and you can worry about everything else later.

Break the rules - once you know the rules of grammar and have heard every writing tip out there (classics like "said is dead" and "don't use adverbs") you can break those rules with intention. I love starting sentences with And or But for impact! Run on sentences work great for rapid spiraling thoughts! There's a million little things we're told not to do as writers but doing them with a purpose can really elevate your writing.

Writing tips i never follow but ive heard can help:

Outline - I'm such a pantser, I rarely plan more than a couple chapters ahead. Even when I do it's never in depth. I'm in awe of people who can do it but I can't stick to an outline for the life of me

Writing exercises - some people doing writing warm ups or free write sessions to get in the groove of writing before jumping in. I've never really been in the habit of that but I can see how it can help get you through writers block or lack of inspiration

The it depends writing tips:

Writing buddies - i don't often write with other people but when I do it can be really motivating. I've done sprints with other writers and I write more in 5 minutes than I would have in 30 on my own. But also having someone to sound board ideas off of can be a great way to work through writers block. Beta readers can fall under this category too though I rarely use one myself

Set aside time to write every day - i try and fail at this often. Usually it ends up as I pick a day to be a writing day and anything else throughout the week is a bonus. Consistency helps me a lot but keeping it up can be tricky.

[sparenickel-blog]

Words/Phrases I struggle with using too much when writing and a few alternatives I've been sneaking in to keep my sanity

At least -To some extent -For Starters -On the bright side -Such as it is

Just (like "just barely" or "just wanted") -Only -Merely -Simply -Precisely

Somehow -For some reason -In some way (shape or form) -By some means

At this/some point -By now - At present -At this stage - At any given time

If only -It's too bad -Were it so -Should it have been

Rather -Instead -Preferably -Somewhat -On the contrary

A bit -(Ever so) Slightly -A smidge -A tad -Marginally

Instead (of) -Rather than -In place of -Alternatively

So (as in therefore) -Thus -As a result -Consequently

All of these have the potential to change the way a sentence 'feels' so take them with a grain of salt depending on how you want your words to flow, emphasize, or sound as the entire structure could change as well. I'm just keeping this here to remind myself that I have options.

"Sort of" and "Kind of" fit into a few of these but I didn't want to spam, so I'll just leave them here.

[sachermorte]

hi roland

i noticed you use a forearm crutch and i wanted to ask for some advice, if that’s okay with you

i just got my very first forearm crutch (and mobility aid in general) today and um. it’s very scary to use it in public :’)) i just wanted to ask if you have any advice on how to give less of a fuck about people staring and judging, and how to feel more confident with using it in public

thank you :’)))

Servus, Anon, you caught me just coming back from the gym. I'm happy to talk about this before I go jump in the shower and pretend I don't exist for twenty minutes.

I've been using some flavor of mobility aid since I was around eighteen years old, so let's just round it up and call it a full decade. I started with a cane, had to upgrade to two forearm crutches three years in, and knocked myself back down to just one crutch around three or four years ago. I've been carrying around a giant metal pole for so long I don't really remember what it felt like to go without it, so I suppose I really am the best person to ask.

This is long. Table of contents provided here, cut to follow.

On Judgment

On Theater

On Discrimination

1. On Judgment

The first point I want to impress upon you is that people really, earnestly, don't give nearly as much of a fuck about you as you think they do. People are inherently self-centered. This isn't the same thing as selfish, mind you. People can be good and generous and kind while still being fundamentally self-centered. That's the price of admission for being an individual. People live in their own bodies and deal with their own problems and primarily concern themselves with their own affairs. They might look at you, but that's because the way that the human brain works is that it wants to take in new pieces of information. A young person with a mobility aid is "unusual", so they're just filing it away in their endless filing cabinet of Things That Exist On Planet Earth. It's no huge drama.

To continue on a slightly different angle, the therapist-esque "no one's judging you I promise!!! do YOU go out on the street and judge people on what they look like?" never worked on me because yes, actually, I do. I think people are out here dressed tragically and with bad haircuts and with the most hideous shoes I've ever seen, and I think it very often. But here's the thing: I see someone, I judge wholeheartedly, and then immediately move on. Any given person occupies less than two full seconds in my consciousness before I go back to what I was doing and forget about them literally forever. This is how random, shitty, petty judgments happen. These people are irrelevant to your life and your story. You will almost certainly never speak to them on the subject*. If people think about you at all, it won't even be unkind. It'll be "Oh, I wonder what's going on there. Anyway." I promise. Kerry Weaver used a forearm crutch on nine seasons of ER before it was explained, and people dealt with it just fine.

I suppose I'm lucky in that I live in Vienna. You would be hard-pressed in Vienna to get anyone to give a shit about you and what you're doing if you were shot in the street. I consider this one of the best things about the city. I've known people who only very delicately broached the subject of my crutch after knowing me for over two years. And it was when I was already complaining about my hip joint. "Ah, that's why you have the crutch, I suppose." "How very right you are." "Anyway, you were saying?" I've had multiple people mention that they forget I even have it. It just melds into their map of what Roland looks like. Doesn't even warrant thinking about. The one time I had a stranger ask me about it was three years ago, and it was a little kid. I told him it was because I never ate my vegetables. I laughed. His dad laughed. Everyone moved on. Aside from that, it only comes up if someone asks me if I might like to take their seat on public transportation (I might, indeed), or someone offering to let me use the staff elevator or waving me through a priority queue. Nobody cares.

*If you live in America, the last paragraph is unfortunately not applicable. I've experienced the height of rudeness in America. People grabbing me to ask me questions, people literally laying hands on me to pray without permission. I once had someone pull out one of my earbuds to ask me what was wrong with me. You are allowed to shout at these people. The best way to get rid of them is to make an absolute scene. I wholeheartedly advocate for tactically losing your shit. Also, your crutch was practically formulated in a lab to be good at hitting people. Consider thoroughly.

2. On Theater

Even taking all of this into account, though, having a mobility aid is new for you, and new things are frequently scary. This brings me to my very favorite tactic for navigating the world: delusion. When I have to do something I'm not used to doing, or go somewhere I'm unaccustomed to, my first thought is always "what character am I playing while I'm there?" I recently started going to the gym and always dress as Favoriten-chic as I can get with my present wardrobe. When I have to file an important piece of paperwork, I dress very respectably in gray and black. When I was at my job in the garderobe last year around a bunch of ÖVP-Wähler, I dressed mostly in vintage menswear.

What kind of characters exist in the greater public consciousness that often use canes or staves? Aristocracy is and always has been my mask of choice. You, however, might choose a swashbuckler. A Tolkien-esque wizard or someone living in The Shire. A knight. A monk. An outdoorsman. Partaker of organized crime. Jay Gatsby roaring 20s billionaire. Whatever you choose is going to be your cover until you feel like your crutch is an extension of your body and you don't need the pretense anymore. You're cosplaying. It might take a few months. A few years. You might decide you like your persona so much you never take it off. That's also fine.

Again, I live in Vienna, and people stare at you here. It's just a thing. It's culturally accepted. Half the time we're not even staring at you. We're staring through you. Einfach nur ins Narrenkastl schaun. But because I dress the way I do and move the way I do through the world, if people are staring at me, the last reason I'm going to even think about is the crutch. It's usually the outfit.

Also, that point earlier about people being fundamentally self-centered? I'm so absurdly self-absorbed it's a miracle I can even see where I'm going. I've had friends, multiple times, go "those people were STARING at you" and I honest to God did not even notice. Not even a little bit. When I have company I'm too wrapped up in saying outrageous shit. When I'm alone I always have headphones in. My leitmotiv is inescapable. Which really only helps to reinforce the vibe I'm pushing out all the time.

3. On Discrimination

If you wanted me to write that no one would treat you any differently, I'm sorry to say that that's not the case. Don't get me wrong, there are many benefits, both physical and social. Your pain will go down significantly, that's for sure. You'll be able to walk faster. You'll be able to be out longer, and experience more things. I personally get to use Cripple Privilege to get out of anything I don't want to do. I almost always get a seat on public transportation, even during rush hour. I can press-gang friends into carting shit around for me. Just yesterday I had help carting two vintage hardwood and leather dining chairs from the third to the tenth. I did not carry either of the chairs. I just trotted along and chattered everyone's ear off.

But people do tend to make assumptions about what you are and aren't capable of. The extreme praise when I started going to the gym didn't really sit right with me, and I'm not going to bother saying anything about it because what's the point? In the minds of other people, they're being supportive, not condescending. Your dating pool will shrink significantly, because again, people make assumptions about what you are and aren't capable of, and often just don't want to date a disabled person. If your partner is okay with it, their family likely won't be. My ex's family said some HORRIBLE things to and about me about how I was "dragging him down" and "forcing him to take care of me". He didn't defend me. This was the least of many, many problems with that entire relationship, but I still found it incredibly unpleasant. My issues in my love life aren't solely due to my condition, so don't fall into despair prematurely, but I can't pretend that it isn't a contributing factor.

After that relationship ended, I wound up cutting out most of our former mutual friends, not only because of their lack of support, but due to them constantly posting those pastel uwu "you're so valid!!!" positivity and (mis)information posts surrounding disabilities, which felt incredibly infantilizing and condescending. Again, I'm sure they would insist they were being supportive. If I ever see another one of those posts again it'll be too soon.

In any case. You will live a long, meaningful, fruitful life. And the crutch will be a part of you. For now. For a while. Maybe forever. That's okay. That's fine. Maybe in ten years you'll be just as jaded and nonchalant about the whole business like I am now. That doesn't make your apprehension about the situation any less real. But I'm telling you now that the life you want always lies on the other side of a massive pain in the ass.

You'll muddle through somehow, with alternating bouts of clumsiness and grace. We all do, after all.

[synintheraven]

Mind the rambling but I keep seeing everyone call everyone who is related to Ragnar (Lothbrok) as [Name] Lothbrok and guys Lothbrok is a nickname!!! Ragnar's full name is Ragnar Sigurdsson after his father Sigurd Hringr, which is how old scandinavian last names worked. Lothbrok means saggy/wet breeches (meaning varies depending on source tho) and it's related to one of Ragnar's stories according to his Saga, so uhm unless you're assuming everyone did the exact same thing as he did then you'd use his name instead of his nickname 😅

So if a character is Ragnar's son then they're [Name] Ragnarsson, if they're a daughter then [Name] Ragnarsdóttir (or Ragnarsdotter), if they're a brother/sister to him they would share the Sigurdsson/Sigurdsdóttir last name. Also wives don't carry the last name (and certainly not the nickname) of their partners, so Lagertha for example would be Lagertha [her father's name]dóttir, just as Aslaug is simply Aslaug Sigurdsdóttir 😉

(Also this logic applies to all scandinavian names if you're writing medieval characters, nobody had actual last names as we have now, it was just "Hey my dad is this guy", only way they didn't use their last names was because it was replaced with a nickname as it happens with Ragnar, but he's still a Sigurdsson :p)

Sorry my inner Ragnar Lothbrok-obsessed heart aches whenever I see someone miss-call anyone related to my boi Lothbrok lmao

[purplepeptobismol]

hiya I'm the the anon from the writing thingie c: I will also get an emoji it's gonna be this one 🌺 tysm for the tips!!! If you don't mind me asking more could you go more in depth about sentence structure? I GENUINELY suck with them ,_, my brain can just think in one way and as a result it ends so stiff it makes me cry

Love your fics sm, I will read finish my missing chapters of IWMOY you'll hear about me again trust 🫵

[previous]

Good to see you again anon! And no, I don’t mind at all :3 (sorry this response took a while)

Now, I’m no expert when it comes to sentence structure or literature in general (in fact, I am considered the dumbass in my friend group), so if you want actual solid information, maybe an English teacher or a video from someone who studies/teaches these things would be better at this.. 😭 take my advice as things I use/do myself in my OWN writing. I’ll try to keep it simple and brief tho!!

In order to understand sentence structure, you have to consider everything you’re going to be putting in your writing. That means: the story, dynamic, scenes, character, scenario, emotions, and what you are trying to convey.

Certain scenes require a specific way of structured details to convey emotions/story. Words can be very complicated, so I do recommend expanding on your vocabulary by looking up synonyms of over repetitive words; or, you can do my favorite which is genuinely just reading old poetry to look at their usage of old vocabulary.

When you have a scene in mind, you have an option to keep a Simple Sentence or use one of the many sentence structures.

Let’s go use the sentence example I used earlier! This is a scene of chapter 10 from my fic! The contexts of the scene can help paint a picture to my explanation!

Now, let’s make the original sentence into a simple sentence:

“Cooper smiled.”

Note: not all simple sentences are bad. Simple sentences are good for clarity, but they can also be impactful in heavily complex situations (ex. fear, shock, realization, etc.)

The most common and known sentence structures are Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex

• Compound is when there are two or more independent clauses. They’re usually joined by coordinated conjunction (words like: and, but, nor, or, yet, so), a semicolon, or a conjunctive adverb. It balances ideas in a single sentence.

Example: “Cooper tilted his head, and he smiled.”

Complex sentences is when independent clause has a dependent. (They usually have words like: because, although, since, if, while)

Example: “Cooper smiled because of Emilio’s reaction.”

Complex-Compound is when there are basically two or more of the ones above. You can use it to express relationships between ideas or actions.

Example: “Cooper tilted his head, a smile curled his lips because of Emilio.”

These are the most common type of sentence structures, and probably the ones you will learn in elementary writing class. But there’s actually different type of sentence structures I like to use: Periodic, Loose, Balanced, and Run-on

Periodic sentences are my favorite style overall. It’s when the main cause/idea is put in the end for dramatic effect. It’s really good for when you want to add suspense or emphasize a conclusion.

Example: “With the tilt of his head and a slight curl of his lips, Cooper smiled.”

Loose sentences (I believe they’re called cumulative lmaooo, I just like calling them loose) is when the center cause is at the beginning and it’s followed by phrases that elaborate on it.

Example: “Cooper smiled, tilting his head slightly, lips curling into a smirk.”

Balanced is exactly what it sounds like. It’s when phrases or clauses are similarly structured to create a rhythm. It makes it more elegant in a way.

Example: Cooper tilted his head, and his lips curled into a smile.

Run-on sentences are usually when more than two independent clauses are joined together improperly. Majority of teachers will tell you run-on sentences are bad. But I like to use them once in a while. Intentional run-on sentence can really help with creating a rushed or even overwhelming flow. If created properly in specific scenes, you can really do a lot with them. I tend to use other techniques to stretch my sentences a lot. Which brings in to my next topic!!

Figures of Speech and Wordplay!!!

There are ALOT of them. So I’m just gonna name the ones I myself commonly use.

Simile- a comparison to something (ex. like, as)

Personification- giving human qualities to non-human things

Metaphors- a direct comparison to enhance depth/symbolism

Hyperbole- exaggerates things for dramatic effect or emphasis

Onomatopoeia- words that mimics sounds to add sensory details. You can even use this as symbolism!! I’ve done it with ticking sounds!

Irony- yeah. I use this a lot… it adds a bit of wit and humor in my opinion

Euphemism- polite/mild phrasing. Makes things less tense.

Idioms- kinda works like a fun metaphor. It’s when a phrase has a figurative or non-literal meaning that is different from the actual meaning. Most famous one is: “it’s raining cats and dogs.”

Epistrophe- repeating words/phrases at the end of the clauses. It can add emphasis and focus, I usually add these in dramatic (mainly lovey-dovey) moments

Remember how we were talking about run-on sentences and such? Well, another thing that can really enhance a sentence is, of course— PUNCTUATION!!!

The most common ones I like to use besides the obvious commas are the Hyphen, Em Dash, Colon, Semicolon, Parentheses, Ellipses, and Apostrophes! I know there is a proper way to use them, but I like to be a little gangster and use it in my own way (I’m deadass doing my own thing)

I tend to use Em Dashes (—) and Semicolons (;) almost the same, it’s usually when I’m trying to stretch a sentence for dramatic flair or when I’m genuinely trying to put two thoughts together.

I mainly use Hyphens (-) like en dashes lmaoo. It’s usually when I’m doing an interruption/stutter in dialogue or thought process.

Colons (:) are really good when you want to introduce quotes, indicate ratios, or emphasize key points.

As for Parentheses (()) (<—lol), yeah. I use it to add clarity, internal thoughts, or simple witty comments that usually wouldn’t sit well in the sentence. Depending on the character, this can really help paint their personality!

Ellipses (…) cause an omission in a sentence. It usually helps build in suspense or trial thoughts. Very good for those angsty scenes! Especially in dialogue!

I don’t use Apostrophe the way it should be used most of the time. I actually love using them to create internal thoughts. Maybe it’s just a me thing, but I don’t like using italics for first person internal thoughts… I feel like it confuses me a lot!! Like, imagine you’re reading a third person story, and then they use a first person internal thought in italics?? Eugh. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just a little peeve of mine. AND THAT SAYS SOMETHING FROM SOMEONE WHO USES ITALICS ALL THE TIME. There are certain times you should use italics for internal dialogue and others with apostrophe. A quick guide I use is:

Italics- unconscious thoughts/emotions in the back of your mind.

Apostrophe- thoughts/emotions so clearly heard, even a mind reader could listen to it.

Human emotions are so complex, and not all the time are they clear and precises, so I express that through using these methods.

All of this talk mainly involves with dialogue, and that’s not the conversation of this topic, so maybe we can talk about this some other day if you’re interested :)

Anyways. I’m explaining all of this and all— and I’m pretty sure your main question is now: “Great! This was very informative! So, how do I use them?”

Well… that’s why I said that in order for your sentence structure to work is to consider your scene, characters, scenario, etc. If you do not understand what you’re trying to explain or emphasize, then you won’t know what will work. You can’t have a witty character using metaphors and euphemism when they’re more likely to express themselves with idioms and think in Run-Ons. Simple sentences are good for shock value, but you can’t keep all of them short and simple when you’re not even emphasizing on why the scene is shocking. If you use too much of one structure, it becomes so over repetitive and brain numbing (and at some tragic points: cringe). You have to have a balance between all of them. Maybe you can start a paragraph with a Loose sentence and end it with a periodic; vice versa can work too.

I can’t really tell you what’s the proper way of using them cuz if I’m being honest… I’m also learning too. Overall, all of these differ per person, because just like every artist, it’s a writing style. I have certain quirks and preferences in my own writing that maybe others don’t like, or may be seen as improper. As you grow as a writer, you start to develop your own style! There is sooooo much more I could say of the topic, but that would be yet ANOTHER essay (I said I was gonna keep this brief too!! SHEESH!!). But if you still have any other questions regarding my writing style/advice, do not be afraid to keep on asking!! ٩( 'ω' )و

[sharpth1ng]

When stu had his shirt off in chapter 7 did billy not mention the scars he gave stu because they fully faded away, was that intentional or am I reaching

Nah they wouldn't have faded that much, especially not the stab wounds, the cigarette burn, and the B-cuts (which would have lightened a lot but have been re-cut enough that they'll stick around longer).

Billy does mention looking for the cigarette burn with his fingers, but mostly the chest scars aren't focused on because the scene is meant to be frantic and moving fast for him.

He's hasn't got the time or mental space to slow down and stop to look at the scars, his brain just isn't working on that level it's all too much impulse and sensation.

Idk if this is an autism thing but if there's a lot of physical and mental or emotional stimulation, other senses are sometimes dulled or I don't take them in as well. A lot of times for me this means I'm not as good at processing speech but sometimes I'm just not taking in as much visual information or I'm missing details. Either way Billy is sort of overstimulated (in a somewhat positive way) in this scene and it's sort of just taking him over.

This kind of pacing is something I try to pay attention to. Like depending on the emotion and intensity of what's happening it might feel faster or slower to the character, either preventing them from taking in or processing certain details or allowing them to focus on them.

As a contrasting example parts of the Christmas sex scene in WoM are meant to feel a slower, Billy carefully looks over all of Stu's scars because he's afraid he wont get to see them again. Later in that same scene things start to speed up when they actually start having sex and the focus on those kinds of details decreases. Often I try to emphasize that speed with shorter or choppier sentences focused on physical stimulation and action, like the actual rhythm of the text itself can contribute to this.

So yeah I'm often trying to determine what kind of information a character would be likely to take in or remark on depending on how intense the scene is and on how much is happening. If the dialogue is meant to happen fast and there's a lot of physical action they probably aren't going to focus as much on certain details. So that's why Stu's scars don't get as much focus in that scene, it was intentional but its not because they're gone.

Don't worry, Billy's gonna take the time to admire them again in chapter 8 and 9.

[frownyalfred]

I actually love when I see you reblogging some of your stuff, because I'm like fuck yeah even my favourite blogger likes my favourite blogger

I'm a big fan of shameless self promotion. Get your content in front of people -- if it isn't getting reblogged, it isn't being seen!

I think a lot of people are nervous about annoying their followers by self-promoting or reblogging old posts, but there's a good balance to be struck, I promise!

People see a LOT of content every day, and you reblogging a post from 1-2 months ago isn't going to register. What folks don't like is someone spam reblogging the same post on their dash 16 times in a row. That's annoying.

If you need permission from someone else, take it from me: reblog your fic link, your art, your shitpost, etc. Reblog yourself shamelessly (within reason, you're not spamming) and be proud of what you've created!

If people don't want to follow you, that's one thing. If they want to blacklist certain fic or art tags, that's well within their power. Trust people to moderate their own content intake, and don't live life worried you're going to offend a certain follower by reblogging your fic link a second time. It's not worth it, I promise.

[paraphwrites]

16, 26 and 36 for the ask game?

16) how many fic ideas am i nurturing, share one?

"nurturing" is such an interesting word. i have a list of all my fic ideas (there are 28) then the requests i have to finish. of my 28 ideas i love them all so fucking much you can't even imagine. i do have 2 favorites, though (my greek mythology saga au, and a 1700s au epic). i'll share a different idea though because those two are special

1800s asylum au. edwin has epilepsy, and his upper class parents, unable to care for him as his seizures worsen with age (and also none too pleased with how this reflects on their family), send him to an asylum. there, he meets charles. charles had been committed by his parents for sodomy. charles and edwin really really hit it off, in a way that's more romantic than not. however, charles still asserts that he is now heterosexual, because he is trying to leave the asylum. in fact, he's so heterosexual that he is having an affair with a nurse, crystal. edwin doesn't understand this, because, a) charles IS gay, and b) he genuinely believes that the best treatment for his epilepsy is at the asylum. at very least, he knows he WILL die if he leaves, and he'd rather not. anyway i could totally keep going but that's the idea :)

i don't know if i'll ever write that because it would require a lot of research but i might! you never know

26) which of my fics is the wildest ride?

this is such a funny question. i don't think any are that unhinged?? but probably recovered in 1999. i know i forgot about that one too. it's a blair witch au and it gets batshit really quickly and we just never recover

also yes it did take me until this ask to remember to maybe fucking link the fics of mine that i'm talking about sob

36) how do i write kissing scenes?

i generally treat it like any other scene. i try to draw everything out, give it the emotional dues it deserves, as i always try to do. but i also try not to give it more time than it deserves. it's a kiss, and it's just a kiss. it's not there to be exaggerated, i'm not a smut writer (it isn't bad to be one, it's just not what i am). like any other scene, i try to make it visceral with details - that cross between physical details (what the kiss is like), sensory details (things happening outside the kiss), and mental details (how the character is thinking/feeling). and the mental details impact how they kiss, and what they notice.

spoilers for Manuscript below. it's easier to describe it case by case, i think

a lot of it depends on the tone of the scene, but more broadly what it represents for the characters. for example, Manuscript:

when edwin and the cat king kiss, they are drunk. so i focus on that. because the context of this scene is that they have to be drunk in order for it to happen. it's sexual, it's rushed, it's delirious. there is no emotional core to it beyond unaware self-discovery and oblivion so i focus on the oblivion of it all. juxtapose vivid sensory details and no dialogue. are they too incoherent to speak, to wrapped up in the pleasure, too apathetic to one another? all three. and more, that we can't quire understand because they don't, either

when edwin and monty kiss, it's unexpected. it's not exactly pleasurable, but it's not exactly unpleasant. so i describe it as such - "pliant" "tight" "pink lips and clutching fingers." and with this we can extract how the characters are feeling - monty is desperate, and as the kiss goes on trying to essentially make edwin want to kiss him back. edwin is trying to be a good friend and not entirely sure how to do that. the emotions of the characters are leading how they kiss and how they react

when edwin and jason kiss, it's more for show than anything else. edwin lets himself "be kissed" but he does not kiss himself. he is passive in the situation so i use passive sentence structure. until he hears crystal and charles at it, and then he gets pissed, so then he starts putting effort in. it's only a few paragraphs because time is flying to them.

tl;dr it's a normal scene so describe things

[lyriumrain]

I hate seeing professional artists dishing out professional advice like it applies to every single person who partakes in whatever art they're talking about. Like "learn the rules before breaking them" doesn't apply if you don't want to work in a specific industry, and especially doesn't apply if you don't care about ever being paid. Unless there's a very specific style/technique you want to achieve that requires knowledge of specific skills, it literally does not matter whether you "learn the rules".

Write without reading a million books every year, draw people without learning correct anatomy, go fucking wild. The only "rules" i can think of that would be vital are ones of safety, like make sure you know how to use the tools you're using, make sure to stretch/takes breaks, etc. And maybe also rules about how to make your art last, if that's something you care about. Like, how to make sure your embroidery doesn't come undone in the wash, or how to fire ceramics properly.

[softpine]

This might be juvenile, but do you have any tips on not comparing yourself to others? (Especially when it comes to note count or popularity.) I’ve been posting a story for over a year and it hardly gets any traction. It’s tough for me to see new creators post and get hundreds or even thousands of notes. I hate that I’m doing this but don’t know how to quit it!

this is not juvenile!! i struggle with this myself, especially knowing that i hit my peak years ago and i've been on the decline ever since – but only by numbers alone! i'm more proud of my story than i've ever been, i'm more attached to my characters, i'm putting more love and thought into everything, but i had to be realistic with myself and understand that i'll never pull even half the notes i did in 2020. gone are the days when i would wake up to 3 new anons about my story and dms from people every day (i can't believe i used to get overwhelmed by it...) and i would be lying if i said it didn't make me sad sometimes, because we're humans and our brains are practically wired to crave the hit of happy chemicals you get from seeing the stupid number go up 😭 it does feel demotivating. it makes me feel less urgency to post quicker if i convince myself that no one is waiting for me anyway, which means i post less, which means even less people stick around, which makes me post less, and on and on. it's a tough thing for me to come to terms with in all honesty.

but it helps to remember that i would be writing even if no one is reading. and i know that, because i have! i've written entire novel-length fics that i've never published, i've written countless short stories in the frozen pines universe that i'll never post, i've created alternate universes that will never be shown, etc. i do it because the idea is in my head and it needs to Get Out and i'm kinda just a conduit for that. that might not apply to you, and that's okay! everyone is different. the important thing is to really sit down and think about WHY you write and what you get out of it. which part of the process makes you happiest? what makes you feel a sense of fulfillment / satisfaction? play to your strengths. try not to spend your time doing things you think other people will enjoy and instead, spend more time on the things that make you happy. for me, i haaaaate editing and i always have, so lately i've been trying to speed through it a little bit quicker even if it means the final product won't be as appealing to others. (this is still a work in progress for me...) i have more fun when i experiment with different writing styles, which might not appeal to others because it takes longer and i don't really have a recognizable style, but i don't care anymore because i'm having fun! ask yourself what YOU want from your story, and then write for yourself and only yourself.

essentially what i'm saying is: there will ALWAYS be people more popular than you, and there's no guarantee that when you find the popularity you seek, you'll be able to keep it. so you need to find some sort of intrinsic motivation to continue or you'll just keep comparing yourself to others forever and you'll deny yourself the joy of creation! "comparison is the thief of joy" could not be more true!!

[tibli]

REALLY quick advice on epithets!!

obviously all art is subjective, but in terms of clear, concise writing, epithets should really only ever be used if the character hasn't been formally introduced, or the epithet is specifically relevant to the current situation wrt the few sentences around it.

"the brunette" -unnecessary, unless the reader literally doesn't know who they are and their defining characteristic is brown hair. using appearance-based epithets when it has nothing to do with a situation at hand is a crutch and comes across as wordy and amateurish

"the singer" - is the current topic about their singing? or are they just playing video games at home? if its the former, then fine that actually makes sense given the context. but something like the latter? its irrelevant. singing has nothing to do with playing video games, and the epithet is semantically useless here

when it comes to structuring a sentence between two people with the same pronouns, i definitely understand the urge to use epithets to try and clarify who is doing what. but it comes out clunky as hell and its best to avoid it. if you cant trust that your reader will understand things with the surrounding context, restructure the sentence, and perhaps even the ones before/after it. this has the added bonus of improving your writing flexibility!