writingnocturne

[writingnocturne]

And just like that, Zelda can feel her chance slip away. Wait— Her chance? Her chance for what? Without thinking to find out, the princess follows the odd fluttering in her chest and voices its concern. “Wait—” Her hand reaches towards him before he can even finish turning to go. It stops before it could even come close and retreated into a fist at her side. “Hero, are you… Are you going to be okay?” The Hero of Legend’s foot hovers over the tiles in an incomplete step. He awkwardly wobbles his weight back onto the other and looks over his shoulder. The room hangs in the delicate air of their exchanged looks for what must be too long; evidently, he isn’t so sure what to say. “I don’t want to trouble you any longer. I— Well, I’ve already worried you enough.” Link scratches the back of his head, his fingers getting lost in his mess of caramel hair. “Unless paying the orchard a visit would put you at ease?”

Forget Me Not — Chapter 5, Hiraeth

[writingnocturne]

Peonies (Part II)

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Zelda gives Link an arrangement of peonies.

Rating: G | Word Count: 1,000 | Fluff

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62894560/chapters/161049289

Classic Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Get to know your fanfic writer!

1. How many works on AO3?

60, more to come.

2. Total AO3 word count?

197,932 published, a lot more have yet to see the light of day.

3. Top 5 fics by kudos:

Our Little Secret

116 Kudos

Twilight Princess Zelink, rated T (for depictions of alcohol), one-shot, Telma POV

I Might Be In Love

82 Kudos

Breath of the Wild Zelink, rated G, one-shot

What Are We?

78 Kudos

Twilight Princess Zelink, rated G, one-shot

Remnant

62 Kudos

Tears of the Kingdom Zelink, rated G

A Glimpse into the Past and Future

61 Kudos (Tied)

General, Tears of the Kingdom, rated G, one-shot

Oats

61 Kudos (Tied)

Breath of the Wild Zelink, rated G, one-shot

Strangely enough, most of these are all the ones I wrote in one day? These stories were very small ideas rather than intricately thought-out or contemplated over. Maybe I just need to stop overthinking. ^^'

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Legend of Zelda, but I also have some Spy x Family and Sonic fics outlined.

5. Do you respond to comments?

YES!! I try to respond to every one! I love yapping!!!! (it's enrichment)

6. Fic with the angsty ending?

Most of my angsty fics are more like "pilots" for long fics I want to write eventually, but here's a few >:)

Promise

For You, Princess

Immortal Spirit

7. Fic with the happiest ending?

If we're talking a fairytale happy ending, so far it's The Princess's Heart, of course! But, I think a ton of my fluffy one-shots have sweet endings. It's just what's easier to write (despite most of my ideas being angsty, which I just think needs buildup and therefore more words). I'll say in advance, though, the ending of The Mage's Lantern has been planned for a long time and is definitely more satisfying.

8. Do you get hate?

not to my face. usually?

9. Do you write smut?

Nope. Don't plan on it. I know people like smut but I physically can't force myself to do it, I'm just not into that stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I have an extensive crossover between the TLOZ games planned, but that isn't really a crossover crossover. I'm not a fan of actual crossovers unless it's for a crackfic.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

unfortunately :(

12. Ever had a fic translated?

YES!!! Someone really sweet recently translated Blossoming (Minish Cap Zelink) into Chinese! I'm so honored. :)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but I've always wanted to!! Things always end up falling through, though - -"

14. All time favorite ship?

ZELINK ALL FORMS OF ZELINK HILDAVIO HYLINK TELINK MARINK SHINK YOU NAME IT

i need to post more of my EoW Zelink work specifically though

15. WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Will of the Spirit. = =" It's by far one of my favorite ones, but I'm covering some heavier themes in that one and I just want to make sure I handle it in a realistic, respectful way. Stuff like familial abuse and mental illness are handled in all sorts of media, but I guess the vibes of the story are just darker than my usual works overall? So it feels different?? I just want to be sure the story meets the expectations I would hold published media to.

There's also an enemies to friends to lovers plotlines and those never work for me unless they feel natural. So, I've restarted multiple times just to get my own seal of approval. ^^"

16. Writing strengths?

I have a lot of ideas, I suppose? But it feels more like a curse. ^^" I have a lot of real life stuff going on so it makes getting to all of them hard.

17. Writing weaknesses?

I don't have a style a lot of people like to read. I can't say I know for sure what it is, but I get a lot of comments on writing third-person omniscient and I feel like my general "vibes" aren't what people are looking for on Ao3. I've been told I have a very fairytale-like style, which is great when I'm trying to write a fairytale, but not so much everywhere else. Even my romantic stories come off as very soft/platonic, though a lot of people are just fans of things that are more explicit/directly romantic, but that's just what the experience of love is to me. ^^" Forget the kissing, where's their trauma-bonding!!! The tender hand holding!!! The "being sure the other is taking care of themselves!"

but the biggest offender of all is never having any time... ;_;

18. Thoughts of mixed language dialogue?

I love it, and I plan on utilizing it in Will of the Spirit! I developed a Gerudo language with the help of @floraunderground, and I plan on having quite a few characters use it. ^^

19. First fandom you wrote for?

If we're going to count only my time on Ao3, it was A Link Between Worlds. If we're talking all time... it could be a few. I wrote a lot of Sonic, Super Mario, and Undertale stuff as a kid.

20. Favorite Fic you’ve ever written?

This is a hard one, a lot of my favorite ideas are ones I haven't shared yet... but I think it's @origins-of-calamity or @age-of-imprisoning?? I wish I had more time to share more of them, but I PROMISE I've been working on them!

Out of the ones actually posted, I've got to say Dreaming of You for the Across Time Zine. It's like the speedrun version of my long fic Forget Me Not. ^^"

Thanks for the tag, @amelias-calamity-quintet! :) Sorry it took me so long to get to this! I'm not sure who has or hasn't been tagged by now, so I'm just gonna tag a few!

@linktheacehero, @karama9, @aheavenscorner, @louwhose, @abbyz-elda, @leiladebees

[writingnocturne]

Wait for Me | Chapter 1

Zelda awakens alone in the ancient past of Hyrule. Although she has no idea if she will ever make it home to her time, she writes to Link in hopes that, wherever he is, he waits for her to find him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64378810/chapters/165277138

Note: Hey! Listen! Age of Imprisonment just got announced (yeah, almost the exact same name as my Age of Imprisoning AU LOL), but I've had this project and its sister stories in progress for around a year and a half. All of this is written PRIOR TO RELEASE AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT ITSELF... So take it with a grain of salt!

[writingnocturne]

Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut

Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. 

Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

[writingnocturne]

Fanfiction Writing Asks

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Where do you get your fic ideas?

Do you share your fic ideas, or do you keep them to yourself?

How do you choose which fics to write?

How many wips do you have?  What fandoms/pairings are they for?

What’s the last line you wrote?

Post a snippet from a wip.

Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

Does this word [chosen by asker] appear in your current wip?

Do you work on multiple wips or stick to one fic at a time?

Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

Do you outline your fics?  If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

Do you listen to music while you write?  If yes, what have you been listening to recently?

What is your favorite location and position to write in?

What’s your favorite time to write?

Do you write by hand, on your phone, or on your laptop?

Do you have a writing routine?

Do you enjoy research?  Which fic of yours required the most research?

Do you enjoy creating OCs or do you prefer to stick solely to canon characters?

Do you prefer writing AUs or canon fics?

Do you prefer writing chaptered fics or one-shots?

Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process?  How do you come up with titles?

Is writing the beginning, middle, or end of the story easiest? Hardest?

How do you choose whose POV to write in?

What’s your favorite part of the writing process (worldbuilding, brainstorming/outlining, writing, editing, etc)?

What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

What area of writing do you want to improve in?

What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

Do you use a beta reader/editor?

Do you take fic requests?  Why or why not?

Is there a specific word count that you hold yourself to/enjoy writing the most?

How much of your personal life/experience do you include in your fics?

What’s your favorite fic you’ve posted?

What fic are you proudest of?

What fic has been the hardest for you to write?

What is your most self-indulgent posted story?

What’s your most self-indulgent wip?

What is your favorite world that you’ve created for a fic?

Who’s your favorite character you’ve written?

What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

What is your favorite genre to write?

What genre/trope do you tend to write the most?

If you could only write one type of AU for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Is there a trope that you’ve written before but are now sick of?

Who is your favorite character to write for?  Has this changed since you’ve started writing for that fandom?

What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

How would you describe your writing style?

Does what you like to write differ from what you like to read?

What’s the average word count of your fics?

What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

What’s the fandom/pairing distribution of your posted fics?

Have you noticed any patterns in your fics?  Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

Are there any fics that you would change or rewrite if given the chance?

How conscious are you about including symbolism or foreshadowing in your fics?

Do you have a favorite piece of figurative language you’ve written?

Have you participated in any fic events/writing challenges?  If yes, what were they and did you enjoy them?

In [insert fic], what inspired the idea for the plot?

In [insert fic], what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

In [insert fic], is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included?  Why did it get cut?

What was the hardest part of writing [insert fic]?

If you rewrote [insert fic] now, would you change anything?

If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would happen in it?

What’s a fun fact about [insert fic]?

If a fic was titled [insert made up title], what would this story be about/how would you write it?

Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

What are your favorite fics at the moment?

Are you subscribed to any writers on AO3?

Do you spend more time reading or writing?

What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

What do you tend to get complimented on the most about your writing?

Do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

How do you deal with writing pressure, whether internal or external?

Why do you enjoy writing fanfiction?

What motivates you during the writing process?

Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

Free space - asker can come up with any writing or fic-related question they want!

[writingnocturne]

For the writers ask, 4, 5, (either TPH or TML) and 37!

4. What detail in The Mage's Lantern are you really proud of?

OH THERE'S A FEW!! A lot of them are spoilers, though, so I'm going to contain myself. I think my favorite detail so far rests in Zelda's portrayal. Because a lot of the moments are from the perspective of Link so far, save for a couple chapters, Zelda may come off at times as the franchise often depicts her: someone mysterious, beautiful, and kind. But in the chapters or scenes that follow her, we know there's something else there. The first thing Zelda does is stab a man in the eye. Sure, that man was attacking her - but for a kid, it's a little absurd that her immediate strategy to escape was to leave him half blind and bleeding out. Right? And then, with Ganon in the scene with King Rohan, Zelda drives the blade of the halberd into his torso and doesn't stop to run until she's certain it's stuck there. She intended to kill him, if she could. And the reason Ganon ended up with the Ice Rod to make his attack - the reason she ended up having to stab Aspen beforehand - is because she tried not to destroy the storm, but to take control of it. By no means is she wicked, or power-hungry, but she makes decisions in a panic that amount to, "I'm smart enough to know I can't end this, but I'll certainly make it hurt." It's all subconscious, and honestly deserved on the end of those she has hurt, though it's a lot different than most people would expect of her, right? Perhaps more than even she would expect from herself. But growing up in a world where nature itself has been turned into a merciless beast, what else can she do but survive?

I dunno, I just have a lot of thoughts about TML Zelda and how detached she feels from herself when things go wrong. Her father really tried to shelter her, and I think it's made her frightened.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about The Princess’s Heart? Answer it now!

This one is so hard to answer! I'd think I'd go with something similar to what I said for TML in the previous ask, being related to more expansion on the story. So, "Will Link's adventure ever be written as its own story?" To which the answer is yes! So far, each section of his adventure is being written out as their own legends that go more in depth than the main story. They're the most "game-like" portion of the fairytale. Each will be named after the Oracles and their trials, similar to the way some trials are considered their own stories within a story in Greek Mythology and grouped together.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

Ohhh, there's a few. Most are ongoing, so it's easy to say those, but I almost think The Princess’s Heart fits into that category. ^^" My stuff tends to get a decent amount of hits most of the time, but very rarely do those hits leave kudos. If we want to talk One-Shots, though, it's definitely Dreaming of You (which I wrote for the Across Time Zelink Zine). I love ALttP and Link's Awakening but they don't seem to get a lot of readers. It's a relatively short read, and it reflects on Link's homesickness while on Koholint despite how "perfect" it seems. And, of course, I got to write Marin! My fav!! I think it's a sweet little glimpse into the character dynamics and my interpretation of who exactly Marin is. I always recommend giving it a read!

Thank you for the ask!!

[writingnocturne]

If no one else has asked, how about:

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about The Mage’s Lantern? Answer it now!

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about The Mage's Lantern? Answer it now!

Ohh boy, this is a hard one, there's so many! The first thing that comes to mind is "How much of TML do you have yet to share?" I haven't shared much of it yet, but for TML I've been working on "gameplay" posts, making map and side quests, and even arranging/composing themes! Unfortunately, these take a lot of time to perfect so I haven't felt like any of them are post-worthy yet. ^^" I've even been working on box art and splash art! Not that any of it's beyond sketching or flats yet...

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

I think my favorite ones I have written are Will of the Spirit and The Dark World! They are, of course, unreleased, but they're both some of my darker stories. ^^" Will of the Spirit covers some heavier topics like war and abusive relationships (mostly familial), whereas The Dark World is a fantasy horror. All of my ideas were imagined as comics, but The Dark World I think is going to be the only one that actually becomes one. If I ever get the time.

I love writing darker themes, but I also hold a lot of respect for the topics they cover and always want to be certain I'm handling them careful and well. Thinking "what do I assume would happen" isn't enough for me - I want to put a lot of research into making depictions realistic for the characters involved.

[writingnocturne]

Putting this here too because I know the sideblog doesn't get checked a lot! ^^ (Do send asks to @nocturne-side-blog though)!

questions for fic writers

a collection of questions i, as a writer, would love to be asked !!!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

4. What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

6. What’s one fact about the universe of [insert fic] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

9. How do you find new fic to read?

10. How do you decide what to write?

11. Are you partial to a certain character/pairing or are you more equal-opportunity? If you are partial to any character/pairing, why do you think that is?

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

14. Are there any tropes you would only read if written by a trusted friend or writer?

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

16. What’s an AU you would love to read (or have read and loved)?

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

18. If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it involve?

19. If you wrote a spin-off of [insert fic], what would it involve?

20. If you wrote a prequel to [insert fic], what would it involve?

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in [insert fic], what would it be?

22. Who is your favorite character in [insert fic] and why?

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

24. Are there any easter eggs in [insert fic], and if so, what are they?

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

27. How long did it take to write [insert fic]? Describe the process.

28. Does anyone read your fics before you post them? If so, who?

29. What songs would be (or are) on a playlist for [insert fic]? Explain your choices if you want!

30. Have you ever written something that was out of your comfort zone? If so, what was it, and how did it affect your approach to writing fic thereafter?

31. What’s your ideal fic length to write?

32. What’s your ideal fic length to read?

33. If you write chaptered fics, what’s your ideal chapter length to write? Is it different from your ideal chapter length to read?

34. What aspects of your writing are inspired by/taken from your real life?

35. What aspects of your writing are completely unlike your real life?

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

39. Is any aspect of your writing process inspired by other writers or people? If so, who?

40. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

41. Link a fic that made you think, “Wow, I want to write like that.”

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

43. If you take/write prompts: what’s your favorite prompt fic that you’ve written?

44. If you take/write prompts: do you prefer dialogue or scenario/narrative prompts?

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

47. If [insert fic] was a pair of shoes, what kind would it be? Describe the shoes.

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about!

[writingnocturne]

Faith in You

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Directly after the events of Four Swords, Zelda has to wonder... what now?

Rating: G | Word Count: 937 | Comfort

Four Swords Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Blossoming

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Zelda makes Link a flower crown, but he's a little distracted...

Rating: G | Word Count: 665 | Fluff

Minish Cap Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Peonies (Part I)

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Zelda lies about the nature of she and Link's relationship to Impa, who sees right through her.

Rating: G | Word Count: 940 | Character Study

Classic Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

The Art of Risk Taking

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

It's the anniversary of Lorule's restoration, and Ravio wants to give Hilda a gift. She's never been one to enjoy surprises, however... Can he really risk giving it to her?

Rating: G | Word Count: 695 | Character Study

Hildavio | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Midnight Worry

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

While working late into the night, Zelda overhears something suspicious.

Rating: G | Word Count: 714 | Fluff

Twilight Princess Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Curls

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Link is a mess. Sometimes he wonders how Zelda isn't.

Rating: G | Word Count: 791 | Fluff

Classic Zelink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Predictable

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Link spars with an old friend.

Rating: G | Word Count: 955 | Character Study

Zelink/Shink | @zelinktines

[writingnocturne]

Bet Not!

♡ Zelinktines 2025 ♡

Niko accidentally sparks a bet between Link and Tetra.

Rating: G | Word Count: 660 | Comedy

Telink | @zelinktines