#writing commentary

[coline7373]

How to comment 101

A fandom is the subculture inherent to a group of fans. It touches anything related to the field of predilection of such a group of people and is organized or created by these same people. And, like everything that comes from people, it is alive and requires exchanges to continue to exists.

People who receive no comments have often and at length express how lonely it can feel to be shouting alone in the void and how discouraging such silence can be.

I have found after asking around that readers aren’t unwilling to comment, but mainly don’t have the energy or know what to say.

Some readers have also expressed a fear of annoying the author, as they are clumsy with words, or feeling intimidated in front of an author who has such a talent with words that the reader's own words feel too embarrassing. Or not feeling that their own five word sentence is worth the bother.

Every word matters.

Every comment is worth its writing to the author.

I refer you to this post if you doubt the importance and impact of comments on fanfics.

To help those willing to comment, I have done a very modest survey of roughly 20 persons, writers and readers alike, and here is what I have come up with.

For writers:

Write in your notes, at the end of the fic, clearly what type of comment you do not want. 

Clearly stating your limits and preferences helps readers who are uncertain or not very verbose to write in a relaxed way.

If they do not have the anxiety of offending, vexing or annoying the author, they will be more comfortable and therefore more inclined to write.

If you have repeated commenters, try to reply to their comments, even with just a few words. Some people who do not receive replies to any of their comments take the lack of response to mean the author is not reading comments at all, feel discouraged and stop commenting in turn.

If you do read the comments, but don’t want to reply for whatever reason, do say so at the end of the fic, in the notes, so that readers know what to expect and not be disappointed.

For readers:

Do:

About the story: 

You can write about a particular line that you liked, the themes, parallels with canon or within the story, the characterisation, a character’s exploration, a/several character’s motivation, a/several character’s mindset/thinking/emotional reaction, a/several characters’ interaction, the plot, the action happening, the worldbuilding, emotions within the fic, subtext, pacing...

If you liked everything and are overwhelmed on how to narrow it down, you can just say exactly that. “I loved everything!”

You can also focus on pointing out just one moment, one line, one specific thing and why you liked them, specifically. What matters is not that you wrote a novel but that you communicated to the author what made you happy, what you enjoyed.

About you: 

What emotions the fic made you feel, what you think is going on in a wip or what you (think you have) figure(d) out, what you are doing in real life while reading the story, afterward, because of it, and/or how the fic impacted your life (yay! motivation to make art!), how the fic is meaningful on a personal level because x, y, z, what it made you think of, like another fic, a book, a song, a movie, what subject/fact it prompted you to discover more of…

How: 

You can write an essay, a prose, or some serious, meaningful, impactful words but you can also joke with the author as long as you stay mindful or polite. A lot of authors have said they love when people make jokes or break the fourth wall. 

Unsure about your sense of humor? Here is an example: do not write "I hate you! How could you do this to me!” Write "How could you do this? The betrayal! die offscreen.”

Making a parody of what is going on with the characters with a few lines can be funny! Keep it positive. Not everyone has the same degree of sarcasm. But levity and good humor are always welcomed.

Small fics vs longer fics:

Emojis, keysmashing and incoherent yelling are very often correct comments for small fics or drabbles. (Unless otherwise specified.)

They are also loved in longer fics, (unless otherwise specified,) but people who have been writing a story for literal years appreciate you taking at least five minutes to say a bit more than that.

Try to go through all the “about the fic” and “about you” points above, methodically, and choose just two or three of them. Then write just one sentence per point.

If you really don't know what to say, look at other people's comments. Sometimes, you will recognise something you liked too or that you thought was really good. It can help and be the starting point of your own comment.

Long WIPs:

For long fics that you follow while they are being written, people have said they have at first a lot of enthusiasm for commenting, but find it harder and harder to know what to say as the number of chapters accumulate, and so does the number of comments they feel obligated to give in turn.

Please, keep commenting! Love keeps the writers motivated and helps creativity. It’s like shouting in the void and getting a high five back.

Even one line about something specific (a dialogue bit, a reaction, a plot maneuver) can make an author happy.

Writers are not really looking for length or details. They are looking for care. If you read something you liked, just point out what you enjoyed. That's engagement enough. 

Comments aren't really about the act of a compliment. They are about the shared joy of a fandom or a ship or a character. 

Example: “'X character diving headfirst into the sea like that is so like him!”

It’s good. It’s fun. It’s nice.

Some people have said to “save” a chapter, give a kudo and say “looking forward to reading this when I have time!” and wait until they do have time and energy to comment more at length, sometimes two or three chapters at the same time.

It let the writers know their fic is still being read. You just have to be mindful to not let months go by, otherwise, it goes back to leaving the author the impression they invested hours, weeks, months, into something no one interacts with. You can alternate strategies, lengthy comments, short comments, and commenting on several chapters saved.

If all else fails, go back to the tried and true. Choose one of the points above, choose just two or three of them and then write just one sentence per point.

If you are not a native speaker:

Google can help with the bare minimum. It's not great, but it lays the foundations. Write what you think in google translate and the translation will help guide your answer. You can always ask for help from someone else or warn the author that the fic’s language is not your native language, if you are unsure if your words come off in a tone not intended.

At the start of your comment, say “I am not a native speaker”.

Do not apologize. It’s not necessary. Just provide context. Use your words. Be clear.

Remember: 

The writer isn't what they write. They do not necessarily headcanon what they write, nor do they necessarily approve of it in real life. Be mindful to not approve or disprove of x, y, z going on in the fic as if they do. You do not know that.

It’s not about the length or the wording or the quality of your comments. Of course authors love that. But what they love most of all is to hold hands, jump up and down with you and squee and gush about the fandom, ship or character.

It’s about the sharing of the joy.

Don’t:

Do not ask for another chapter and for the author to finish a fic.

Do not threaten the author to put their fics in an AI if they do not finish the fic.

Do not say "I didn't like it" or "I liked but not that" or "It would have been better if x, y, z." If you want to talk about what you didn’t like, whether it’s part or all of the story, discuss it with willing friends. The author is not responsible for you reading something you didn’t enjoy (how it made you feel) and persevering.

Do not “offer” to correct typos, grammar, vocabulary, facts, canon facts, characterisation, ect. unless you know the author and know they are fine with it or they say so explicitly in the notes. 

Do not make demands. Do not.

Like that tumblr op said, “this is not the bespoke zone.” This is off-the rack. If the free suit is not to your liking, look for another free suit rather than demand to speak to the manager for "adjustments."

Tags are not owed to you. Ao3 is not a safe zone. Not everyone agrees on what degree of content merits each tag. Or what qualifies for a tag. So, if you found a fic that was more angsty than you expected and it broke your heart, comment on a part that was good and didn't make you sad, without saying you want a happy ending to the angst fic that was written for angst purpose. Off-the rack, remember?

Exemple:

"I found x,y,z to be upsetting. Would you consider tagging it?"

Vs "Your work is totally x,y,z triggery. You ought to tag it."

Vs "Hey, you do know some people find x,y,z, triggery, right?!? Because they do! So tag it!"

One of those answers is correct. The others aren't. No demands in the comments.

Your emotional well being while reading fic is your responsibility. If your expectations have been disappointed, do not say so. Talk about a point that was positive for you. If your expectations have been exceeded, do share!

Also, if you're mad, I have found that it helps to write your comment, leave it to decant, and wait a week or so to see what it looks like when you're in a different emotional mindset.

Some elements of fics can be very upsetting unexpectedly. It is not the responsibility of the writer to answer that. Nor comments are the place for it.

Once some time has passed, if you still want to talk about it, try to communicate in a way that is neither demanding nor negative. If you can't, talk about it with someone who is not the author.

My own personal opinion:

It can be so easy to focus on the fic and your own inner imaginary garden/cinema, that we sometimes forget to switch from "inner life" to "outer life" and exchange actively with people on both sides of the fence.

But it can also add so much more to the experience <3

Clear communication is always good. Even if you disagree. At least you know where you stand.

Say thank you. Fanfics are a gift. You have been given one. Say thank you. 

[did-i-do-this-write]

How to Support Writers During the Scourge of A.I. Bullshit

Do

Interact with us. Talk to us. Reach out to us. Many writers physically write for themselves, but they share for others. To build a community and connect with someone, to learn from them, and to make a genuine connection through something they've created. Comments, questions, rambling tags, they all mean that our writing reached someone who genuinely enjoyed it.

Share our work. This does not mean repost, this means reblog and/or send the link to friends and other potential readers. Some writers may have negative experiences with their work being shared on other platforms (such as discord), but reblogging is almost always appreciated so we can reach a wider audience. Even if you don't have anything to say or comment, it will help.

Ask questions. Many writers are dying to talk about the creative choices they made, the word choice they fought with until they got it just right, the details they added just HOPING someone would notice it. If you wish you could get more context/detail about a piece, odds are all you have to do is ask!

Treat us like humans (because we are). Crazy concept, right? The thing that terrifies me the most about all this is the potential that we take humanity out of the arts. We replace it with A.I. until human creativity becomes irrelevant because it's more convenient and more profitable.

We are not robots making content for your entertainment, we are people sharing stories to make genuine human connections and share our passions. Stories that take hours, days, months, even years of our lives to properly craft. We practice and study and learn so that we can express ourselves skillfully. Even when done as a hobby for fun, there is heart and energy and time put into the final draft.

And finally, Don't

Use A.I. for anything. Because the more it's used, the more advanced it becomes. The more advanced it becomes, the harder it will be to discern a genuine human touch between an A.I. regurgitating what it's been taught.

In the end, this is a plea. I'm begging you. Do not give A.I. the ability to replace us.

[shinyrhinestones]

Oh no what male name do i use for my fanfiction

FUCK

[thepenultimateword]

Skin Crawl Part Two

Part One

CW: bugs, shedding skin (the description has the possibility of grossing people out)

Hero pinched themselves hard in the thigh, managing to snap our of their gawking stupor.

Ok. This was real. Villain--their Villain--was here and a criminal and apparently in a relationship. Not that that mattered, it wasn't like they'd ever been anything anyway. It'd been 8 years, and Hero had gone on plenty of dates in that time too; it would be weirder if Villain hadn't, so smooth and beautiful and interesting as they were. And Hero was the one who cut contact, so they didn’t really care what Villain did or who with, though maybe they should be focusing more on the criminal part of things, namely the imminent danger they would be in if they were found out, not just as a member of the agency but as Hero.

"Y-you don't want to make an appearance?" Hero said, attempting composure. It was not their best work.

"And ruin all your hard work?" Villain said with a tsk. "Despite what you think, I'm not that ostentatious. Come."

Hero sauntered closer, uncomfortably aware of their longer gait. Shedding one's skin could do many things, but it could not alter height. Bones were stubborn, painful things to change. Most people didn't notice a few-inch difference, and slouching, heels, or any manner of things could hide it. A familiar face blinded even the closest of friends and family. After all, shapeshifting wasn’t exactly a go-to suspicion. But Villain knew. Eight years ago they'd gotten good at picking Hero out of a crowd. If anyone was to notice that Remy was too tall, it would be them.

They consciously shortened their steps.

Villain dropped into a seat behind their desk, tossing the moth wings to either side of them. Hero carefully stepped over the curling tails and hesitated behind the criminal's shoulder. They were even more breathtaking up close. Hero had to fight the urge to run their hand down the velvet stretch of one wing. When had they learned to extend their power this way? At least, Hero had to assume the new appendages were due to their power. Abilities tended to have more angles than expected when properly trained. Did that mean Villain had found a trainer? Hero couldn’t imagine it. Their old friend had been so sensitive about using their gifts in front of others, and they’d had no relevant career plans to motivate further development. Though obviously neither of those things were the case now with Villain a criminal and flaunting their buggy affiliation to the world. People could change a lot in 8 years. Maybe Hero just didn’t know them anymore.

Had they been standing here too long?

Lover, Hero! they snapped internally. You're their lover! Do something lovers would do!

Their insides twisted.

They had played lovers dozens of times in their career and all that role entailed. Stepping into another's skin was like stepping into another reality, completely separate from their own. It didn't matter what they did or said, it wasn't them. But suddenly the idea of touching Villain hitched their breath in their throat, and they knew that reaction didn’t come from being Remy.

They would not slip through the cracks in this mask.

Hero gently draped themselves across Villain's back, wrapping their arms tenderly around their neck and tucking their chin against their lean shoulder. Hopefully, Vilain couldn't feel their heart pounding violently into their leather duster.

The centipede on Villain's shoulder took the opportunity of a new nearby surface and skittered up Hero's cheek, tangling its long body between the strands of their hair.

"You can quit the act," Villain said, shrugging Hero off. "No one else is around."

Quit...

Hero's stomach dropped. Did Villain know? How long? When they touched them? Since they entered the room?

"I--"

"And yes, I've checked for cameras. I don't accept building rentals from your family without thoroughly looking it over first."

Hero blinked.

Wait.

No.

They weren't referring to Hero's act. They meant Remy's. Remy's act of affection. Because... Oh. Oh! The relationship was fake!

The relief was intense, unexpected, and quickly smothered. They had a job, and if Villain was a part of it, that was too bad, but it didn't change anything.

Hero hastily grasped for the little they knew of their cover's personality. They'd hosted this party, their family rented this building, and they looked great in a silver ribbon tie.

"Well,” they said sitting on the edge of the desk and crossing one leg cavalierly over the other. “You can never be too careful. Also bug." They tipped their head toward Villain. "Bug."

Villain sighed and parted Hero's hair with careful fingers, manicured nails just scraping their scalp, and plucked up the centipede by its squirming middle. Then, tipping their head way back, they swallowed the entire massive creature in one gulp.

“John Macias is here.” They held up a rose gold tablet to Hero’s face. The screen displayed several panels of camera footage taking place in and directly outside the building. “And Lottie Blake.”

Hero knew both those names. The first was a generous donor to the agency. His funds had bought them a new combat training gym and updated the medical wing. He'd hinted at making the donations more regular, so now he was invited to every banquet, award ceremony, and exclusive event the agency held; he had even been given an extensive inside tour of the facilities. The press and the higher-ups liked to make a big fuss over him, but somehow Hero had the impression he wasn't giving money out of the goodness of his heart. As for Lottie, she was an ex-hero turned celebrity. Hero had been a rookie when she stepped down from the role of team leader and agency posterchild and turned to modeling and influencing, so they'd never met personally. However, they had enough associates in common for Hero to know she had been well-loved.

"Ok, so what's next?” Hero said. The faster they figured out Villain's plan, the faster they could get out of this situation.

“Your favorite part," Villain said. "Shopping.”

***

Hero had been prepared for many things tonight, but they had not prepared to be kneeling on the floor of Lottie Blake’s walk-in closet, rapidly stuffing designer heels and dresses into a garbage sack.

"You take the upstairs, I’ll take the downstairs,” Villain had said once inside--a disconcertingly easy task since Miss Blake's security was with her at the gala. A few guards were posted at the door and around the perimeter of the glamorous building but none had thought it very important to look up.

Villain's wings were even more gorgeous unfurled, pitch black against the night except for a faint silver lining that caught the moonlight, creating a glimmering outline from underneath. If that wasn't enough, the things were enormous, even larger than Villain's armspan. Hero supposed they would have to be to get them into the air, especially holding Hero under the arms. Once again, Hero had feared exposure by the difference in weight, but Villain hadn't said anything.

Inside there had been cameras, but a swarm of ants could look an awful lot like static when they crawled right against the lenses.

Hero shoved one more pair of glittery heels into the sack and then crawled to the closet door, peeking out into the bedroom to ensure they were alone. Finding the room empty, they fished their earpiece out of their pocket and pressed the call button.

"Hero?" came Other Hero's voice.

"So I figured out the heist," Hero said. "It's a robbery. The gala is just a distraction for both Lottie Blake and John Macias while Villain breaks into their houses."

"Seems like a lot of work for something as simple as a robbery."

Hero shrugged but then realized that Other Hero couldn't see them. "Maybe. I'll keep you updated when I find out what Villain is stealing. They're downstairs." A sudden image of the other agency members bursting in flashed across Hero's mind. Shoving Villain down. Crumpling those long moth wings like tissue paper. Revealing themselves as Hero. They suddenly felt nauseous. "I should probably stay undercover for as long as I can. That way I can gather more info."

Other Hero paused. "If you're up to it, I won't complain. But we can't just let criminals rob prominent agency affiliates."

Not if they wanted to continue getting donations.

"I think we should allow at least one hit, so Villain doesn't get suspicious," Hero said. "But we're going to have to come up with a plausible reason to alert Macia's security. One that doesn't involved Villain getting arrested."

"Leave that to me," Other Hero said. "You work on keeping your cover."

The call cut off, leaving Hero in anxious silence on the closet floor.

"Remy."

Hero's stomach leaped and they peeked out of the closet a second time. Villain stood in the bedroom door, carrying nothing but an apple.

They took a large bite and jerked their head behind them. "Ready?"

Hero pushed themselves to their feet and swung the garbage sack over their shoulder."Yeah. Let's go."

Villain peered at the sack as they headed out onto the bedroom balcony. "Quite the haul this time."

"You said to take the upstairs, so I took the upstairs." Hero gave them another quick once over. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

Villain fished a sleek black thumbdrive out of their pocket, rolling it over their fingers with a smile. "You could say I'm satisfied."

Not just any robbery then. But what info could Lottie Blake have that a criminal wanted. She wasn't exactly secretive. In fact, she seemed to enjoy flaunting every little detail of her life. Perhaps it was bank account information? Or past hero records?

No, they shouldn't overthink, all in good time.

"Good," they said.

Villain shoved the drive back into their pocket and stepped up behind Hero, casually wrapping their arms around their middle. Hero held their breath.

Calm down, calm down. You are Remy. Remy is not in love with Villain. Are they?

Villain's chest pressed sturdy and warm against Hero's back as they unfurled their wings, and that second pair of arms, or legs, grabbed their hips, securing them completely as they took flight. Hero had been too focused on their weight the first time to notice just how much care Villain put into transporting them comfortably, no dangling lower-half or painful pressure on one point of their body. Villain had always been thoughtful that way, not that anyone back at school recognized it.

What would it have been like to do this back then? To be held as themself. Before the secrets. Before the fallout.

"Do you ever get tired of it?"

"What?" Villain said.

"Being able to fly. Is it just normal for you? Or is it always amazing?"

"I thought it made you sick?" Villain said.

Hero choked. "Right. It does. But objectively, flying is amazing. So I was just curious. Forget it."

Villain's wing movements were soundless. And along with the long pause, all Hero could hear was the breeze brushing past their ears. Great. They'd screwed up.

"It's always amazing," Villain said suddenly. "I'm not saying I don't take it for granted, but if I was to ever lose this... It would be unbearable."

Villian had always been trapped in their life. In more ways than one. By parents, by circumstances, by expectations. Even if Hero was tricking them right now, possibly leading them into another cage, they were happy that Villain had found some freedom. Is that what had turned him to crime? A search for freedom?

"Villain--"

"Crap." Villain pulled up higher into the sky. Blue and red lights bathed the entire street in flashing blue and red.

Hero cranked their neck back to look up into their frowning face.

"How did they figure out we were coming?"

"Do you think someone saw us at Lottie's house?"

"Maybe. But even so, I don't know how they would've figured out our next target."

"Coincidence? For all we know everyone was tipped off, not just Macias."

Villain didn't respond to that. They just sighed heavily. "Well, that's that ruined."

"What do we do now?" Hero asked tentatively. "Go back to the party?"

"No point. The heroes probably have set up a trap. Hotel?"

Hero's insides went electric. Did Villain not have their own place? What about Remy? Didn't they have a rich family? But the way he was asking made it sound like a plan, not spontaneity. Great, Hero really hadn't wanted to wear this skin overnight.

"Hotel." Hero agreed. "But when you say that, you mean two separate rooms, right? Because you know I need my space--"

"You have your room, Remy."

"Ok, ok, just making sure."

A few minutes later, Villain landed them in an alley. They walked the rest of the way to a hotel just up the block. Not too shabby, but nothing extravagant either.

"Give me your jacket," they demanded just before reaching the door.

"What?"

"Your jacket. Unless you want thrown out before we even check in. People don't always take kindly to a bugman walking through their door. Especially hotels."

"Right!" Hero quickly shrugged off their wool, black coat, and passed it over to Villain. Villain threw it gingerly over their shoulders. It was a bit small for them, so the woman at the desk stared at them a bit strangely, but Hero supposed it was better than moth wings and an extra pair of legs.

Rooms 203 and 204. They walked together up the flight of stairs, stopping just outside their doors.

"I'll check the drive tonight and let you know what I've found in the morning," Villain said.

Or Hero could find out now and report it to Other Hero before morning.

"I could help."

"Ha! No offense, Rems, but I don't trust you with my laptop. You've broken my technology one too many times."

"Ah, well, I offered. Don't complain that I didn't help tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Remy," Villain said, rolling their eyes.

Hero knew that Villain wasn't talking to them. Not really. But for a moment it was so reminiscent of their teenage years. Staying up late. Not wanting to go back to either home.

Their heart squeezed. "Goodnight."

They gently shut the door and let out a long breath as they trudged over to the bed, flopping down face first.

What a nightmare. They couldn't wait to be back in their own skin. They forced themselves off the bed and into the shower where the evidence would wash away quicker. They stripped out of their clothes and rolled their muscles gingerly feeling the skin loosen like wet plaster. It sloughed off in dead sheets, revealing a more freckled skin beneath. Within a few minutes they were back to themselves again, They grabbed a towel from the hook, leaving the water running to break up the shed skin and wash it down the drain.

As they exited the bathroom, Hero dragged the table chair to the vanity and surveyed their face in the mirror. They tugged gently at a stubborn piece of skin, half-peeled under their right eye.

Next, they rubbed at their throat ponderingly, weighing pros and cons. Eventually, they decided to leave the vocal cords intact. Their throat might feel weird and cottony in the morning but hacking up bloody tissue was the last thing they wanted to do right now. Not to mention they’d just be shifting right back tomorrow. Best not to put too much strain on them by overshifting

A loud rap on the door made them leap in their seat.

"Just--just a second!"

They looked rapidly around the room. Clothes…clothes… Where were their clothes?

Hero scrambled toward the bathroom, snatching up water dropped outfit, chasing as the fabric caught on their damp skin. After a lot of hopping and maybe also a bit of fabric stretching, they strode to the door.

They were already grabbing the handle when they remembered their face.

The bit back another curse, and their face exploded with prickles as the newly shed skin encased them once again. Just in time to meet Villain’s off-in-thought face.

Their expression snapped back to alertness with the creak of the door.

"Hey, Remy--"

They froze.

"What?" Hero said, heart pounding. Was the face wrong? They’d spent so long studying it today, surely it wasn’t wrong?

"You're bleeding."

Hero felt their face. Sure enough, a warm streak of blood smeared across their forehead.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Oh, yeah. Just cut myself. You know...shaping my eyebrows."

"Right..."

Hero pressed their palm over the tear and with their other arm leaned casually against the frame. "Did you need something?"

Villain stared at them a moment. "Just curious if you wanted something from the vending machine. I'm asking the desk for an extra pillow and thought I'd grab some drinks or snacks or something on my way back."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Maybe a Coke?"

Villain smiled. “Sounds good. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” They paused. “I’ll bring back a bandaid too.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Sure.”

As they stepped away, Hero quickly shut the door. Had Villain reacted strangely? Were they overthinking because of their close call?

Hero sped to the mirror turning their head from side to side. Yep, still exactly like the picture, well except for the cut across her forehead.

There would have been no reason to question them, right? They probably didn’t need to call Other Hero and worry them over nothing.

Hero sat back on the bed, only vaguely annoyed that they’d need to rushed part of their body all over again. The annoyance was eclipsed by the gnawing worry inside of l them. They really hoped they hadn’t gotten anything wrong,

[kingrosalani]

I wanna see the queer youth grow old

so they can tell you the lies the government sold

when the leader of the country grew cold

that even catholic bishops became tired and old 🖊

[badbatchposts]

Ahhhh! Okay okay okay. Question for you on Quiet Corners of the Galaxy… I’m always so impressed by how well and natural sounding you write dialogue with multiple characters in a scene. I feel like the more voices in a scene the harder it is to get right but you do while keeping them all in character.

Any hot tips you’ve picked up in doing so??

Thanks for the question, friend, that’s so nice of you! I always thought I was quite bad at dialogue so that’s actually something I’ve been practicing with this fic specifically, so it means a lot to hear! Basically my trick has been getting a real sense of how to imitate canon characters first, which is really helpful with the Bad Batch because their manners of speaking are so distinct and well-developed. Tech for example is really fun to write because he never uses contractions and will always use very formal syntax and more formal, precise vocabulary. So I spend a lot of time listening to his patterns of speaking in the show and imagining everything I write for him in his voice. Same with Crosshair and the others, of course.

It’s harder to do with my own characters because I can’t really hear a unique voice in my head for them, so when I’m writing them in conversation I always try to get a sense of their major characteristics that might inform their manner of speech as well as what specific emotional tone they have at a certain moment.

Sometimes when it’s a lot of characters in one scene I’ll actually sketch out the dialogue without knowing who is saying what, just what sort of conversation needs to happen in the scene, and then I’ll go back and try to figure out who is the sort of character who’d be most likely to make X point, and what kind of language and tone would they use to do so? And I’ll rewrite the discussion that way.

Thanks again for the ask!

[anthropictales]

Blather: Worldbuilding and Metaphor

Ok so, something a bit different, I have some thoughts re: Metaphor and worldbuilding and how they work.

Short version, a Metaphor is at its strongest when it agrees more or less with the Diegetic (in-universe) reality of the story in which it is presented.

Long Version:

In particular, I've been thinking about The Matrix.

Specifically, I've been thinking about a Tron+Matrix crossover and the way the two work or don't work on their own and in comparison

But in particular, I think The Matrix is an excellent demo of what I mean about Metaphor and Setting congruence.

The Wachowski sisters didn't plan on making more than the first film, and in the context of the first film, the metaphor of the Simulation and waking from it is perfectly congruent: Neo needed out, the Agents needed him sedated and asleep... any other implications are beyond both the story's scope (extradiegetically and metaphorically), and (diegetically), utterly irrelevant to Neo trying to not get himself and the Nebuchadnezzar's crew merked by the Matrix's Security Systems because it turned out his ass was of greater interest to the system than he realized or they had planned for.

But Warner wasn't quite in the business of money laundering yet, so they wanted more movies. What can ya do when the studio dumps a truckload of money at yer door and the world itself is clamoring for more anyway but put hand to keyboard and make something?

and here's the thing. the minute the Matrix was more than a metaphor for 1900's+ western gender binarism ideology or social control more broadly, the metaphor of plato's cave is no longer congruent to the setting.

suddenly, Neo's got sentient programs who cannot leave the system but are also under oppression.

and what happens if everyone did wake up? can Zion support 8 billion souls? probably not. what about topside? i dont think those megacity ruins have arable land. but Zion and Neo are dead-set on making that question very fucking critical if they win and they didn't once think about it.

the Scope of the story expanded beyond the base metaphor, and the sequels stumble trying to keep up because they don't laser-focus on any one facet of the broader metaphor they just sort-of nod in passing at the bits while between fancy action set-pieces.

So Reloaded and Revelations stumbled because they expanded the scope of the story without dealing with the immediate implications that anyone who might actually get a choice would have to think about in terms of what am I gonna eat if I do this?.

A lot of stories do this, where the intended metaphor is kinda incongruent to A: the way the story plays out or B: the actual setting itself.

Michael B. Jordan's character in Black Panther was A: dead-ass on the money and B: Had the right goddamn idea, as evidenced by both Marvel's in-universe united states (film and comics alike) and the fact that IRL a bunch of dumbfuck rural car dealership owners got so pissed that we elected a black man to be president that the US has now shot itself in the metaphorical dick, face, ass and kidneys, and is trying to take the rest of the planet with it.

Beyond the Wire is a sci-fi film about a US owned sapient android trying to nuke the US, and all the film could offer as an alternative was limp-dicked liberalism: 'but that'll kill lots of people, we need to let the system work'

the system is killing lots more people than one nuke could, even if we elide the fact that the US alone has (is right now) killed more people testing and building nukes than we did actually using them.

anyway, rant aside: Metaphors sound imbecilic if they contradict the stated nature of the setting.

and if the story contradicts the metaphor its laying out, it also sounds dumb that way.

I have a solution. It wont work everywhere, but it does work for me, conceptually at least.

If you want metaphor and setting to be congruent, approach the story from the perspective of the characters: they gotta live in the setting, so for them, it ain't metaphorical. it's literal fact that has a direct impact on their lives.

so if your Metaphor is something that aligns with the characters' objective reality, something they might organically think up in response to their life, then it's going to synchronize effectively with the plot, and not sound like you stapled two things that aren't the same onto each other.

or just let the story itself spit the metaphor out, then stand by it when it does.

half the time I see Metaphor and story contradict, it feels less like 'the uh, plan didn't work but by god am I gonna shoehorn this thing in if it kills me'

and more like: "corporate will fire us all and bury this work if we don't tone it down."

and it does not in the least surprise me that the executive class is stupid enough not to realize that a five-year-old could see through that shit.

If you have the luxury of choice, choose to commit to your story, and the product, good or bad, will always be compelling. and thats what you want in order to stick in people's heads.

[octoir]

does....does anyone else struggle to write in British English? I know, objectively, that there is no "correct" style of English and that that belief is what starts wars...but also I just had to write out the word "paralysed" and something inside of me just died

[clickerflight]

Working on your notes properly is wild. You have reveal of your own secrets to yourself and at the end of the day you're looking through it all and going "Sure, why not add aliens to my heros and villains story? It'll be fun!"

[runofthemillwill]

[souplups]

are you doing nanowrimo? want to join a discord server of people who are also doing nanowrimo (or just other writers) to keep each other accountable and also maybe make some friends? well i have the server for you!

[viiisenyas]

I didn't expect to make a certain canon character a father figure to my depressed oc but here we are I guess.

[firehananas]

Writing commentary - 2023 edition

Amont of works published this year : 42 (+4)

Fandoms :

Pokémon (3) -> Sword and Shield : (1) (mulitchapters, 4 chapters published, ongoing) -> Legends Arceus : (1) (multichapters, 12 chapters published, ongoing) -> Other media/AU : (1) (multichapters, 2 chapters published, ongoing) |-> New chapter for BRA (+1 chapter published, ongoing)

Hogwart Legacy (1, multichapter, 2 chapters published)

Ongoing : 16 (total) Complete (this year) : 0

Okay ! So, much less writing this year, uh. That being said, last year was very experimental and most of my working this year are longer fics.

A lot of things changed in my life, and namely two jobs (since I quit the first I've got in last January) and leaving my parent's home. It's exciting, tiring, confortable and frustrating depending of the days. But yeah, I've got less time as a whole, especially since my first job was so close to my apartment, I didn't have much transport. And less transport mean I can't get confortable enough to write (plus my mom was sometime in the bus than I, so I wasn't going to ignore her because 'I prefer to write, sorry' lol). At home, I bond a lot with my roommate with some silly things on TV (be it YouTuber or Disney movies), so I didn't have much time either...

BUT! With my new job who is farer, I should have much more time :) and it's already showing! I didn't include it because it isn't published yet, but I have a big strike of inspiration lately on Fire Emblem Fates and I have managed to write nonetheless than 6 chapters in less than two weeks, which is amazing. I hope I'll keep going like this before AO3 deadline of draft! :D

On the things I did, well. I continue my fic on Alistair's prequel but didn't manage to write the 5th chapter because I'm unsure of which POV I should take. I'm undecided yet, but I'll have to get it back eventually.

Mille nuits et quelques rêves may seems ambitious because I project to write 1000 chapters, but some of them are really shorts. It's easy to write, but I start to lack chapters. I must get going on it soon (and get to the most interesting chapters 'cause for now it's mostly atmospheric. The Darkrai didn't really show themself yet, but they are a protagoniste, I swear!).

L'odeur du sang is heavily related to Le Baron Rouge : Autodafé as it's a backstory of one of the futur characters Gvidon will met. And she'll have a huge impact on him. Speaking of him, I have actually a second chapter to deliver soon for BRA too. Things are going smoothly for it and I'm so happy. It's a huge project for me as it tag me along in my adulthood, and I want to deliver the entire story I have for my slavic Bisharp.

And the last fic is in anonymous lol, so I won't talk about it. I'll just said that I enjoyed the Slytherin boys and a lot of the game taste like wasted potential.

Like Fire Emblem : Fates.

Lmao.

[thepenultimateword]

Spooktober Prompt #3

"What...are those?" the private detective said, leaning in closer to the angry prick marks in the victim's throat. "Some sort of injection? Or minor stab wound?”

The officer crouched beside them, spreading the holes apart with gloved fingertips. With their other hand the shook out a cotton swab and evidence bag, throughly swabbing the circumference of the wounds. "Fang marks."

The detective blinked. "What? Like from an animal?"

"Textbook vampire, but always good to take a sample just in case."

"Wait, vampire? What-- Is this a prank? Because it’s not funny. This is a murder scene.”

The officer raised their brows. “Skeptic, huh? We don’t get many of those around here. Didn’t that client of yours explain anything?”

[anthropictales]

Depth can be hard to do intentionally sometimes.

fortunately, your mind is a deep, complex machine and is capable of being deep and metaphorical for you, simply through the way you write and how you modify and develop an idea. the bad news is, you don't always control what it cooks up :D

The problem w writing fiction is that you'll be like tee-hee I'm going to write a story about a fucked up little scenario that's got nothing to do with anything in real life, just some pure messed up nonsense, and then you finish it and take a step back and go aw rats I made a metaphor again

[viiisenyas]

i can't believe it. I come up with a new oc to ship with Jon, and my spouse gives me a long list of reasons why that's not a good idea and how Robb of all people should get the spotlight instead.

Not that I don't like Robb - I adore him to an extent, but christ on a wheel. thank you, darling for derailing my outline that I spent a few hours on.