mothsvein

[mothsvein]

finally started writing my fnaf fic/lore retelling 🥹 starting out pretty simple with a small introduction and legal agreement from Fazbear Entertainment llc, to make sure they are not liable for damages to person, soul, or corpse

First chapter up, more to go!

[mothsvein]

Hello!! I hope you're having a good day ^^ I came across your post about writing non-linearly on Notion and I'm excited to try it out because the advice resonated with me! Though, I'm really new to using the app and, if possible, need help with how to do this part: 'where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry.' ;v;

Hello! Thank you so much for messaging!!! Since that post about writing non-linearly (linked for context) blew up roughly ten thousand times as much as anything I've ever posted, I've been kind of meaning to make a followup post explaining more about how I use Notion for writing non-linearly, but, you know, ADHD, so I haven't done it yet. XD In the meantime, I'll post a couple screenshots of my current long fic with some explanations! I'd make this post shorter, but I'm unable to not be Chatty. XD (just ask my poor readers how long my author notes are...) (There is a phone app as well which syncs with the desktop/browser versions, but I work predominantly in the desktop app so that's what I'm gonna be showing)

(the table keeps going off the right side of the image but it's a bunch of unimportant stuff tbh) So this is more complicated than what you'll probably start with because I'm Normal and add a bunch of details that you might not need depending on what you're doing. For example, my fic switches POVs so I have a column for tracking that, and my fic follows a canon timeline so I have a column for dates so I can keep track of them, and I also made columns for things like if a scene had spoilers or certain content readers may want to avoid, which they can access in my spoiler and content guide for the fic. (As I said, I'm Normal.) I also do some complicated stuff using Status and estimated wordcount stuff to get an idea of how long I predict the content to be, but again, not necessary. Anyway, you don't need any of that. For the purposes of this explanation, we're just gonna look at the columns I have called Name, Order, and Status. (And one called Part, but we'll get into that later) Columns in Notion have different types, such as Text, Numbers, Select, Date, etc, so make sure to use the type that works best for the purpose of each column! For example, here I'm using Select for Character POVs, Number for Order and WC (wordcount), and Text for the In-Game Date. Okay let's get into it! Name is a column that comes in a Notion table by default, and you can't get rid of it (which drives me up the wall for some purposes but works totally fine for what we're doing here). As you can see on the scene I've labeled 'roll call', if you hover over a Name entry, a little button called 'Open' appears, which you click on to open the document that's inside the table. That's all default, you don't have to set anything up for it. Here's a screenshot of what it looks like when I click the one titled 'I will be anything for you' (I've scrolled down in the screenshot so you can see the text, but all the data fields also appear at the top of the page)

(This view is called 'side peek' meaning the document opens on one side and you can still see the table under it on the left, which is what mine defaults to. But you can set it to 'center peek' or 'full page' as well.) All my scenes have their own entry like this! Note that I've said scenes, not chapters. I decide the chapters later by combining the scenes in whatever combination feels right, which means I can often decide in advance where my chapter endings will be. This helps me consciously give most of my endings more impact than I was usually able to do when I tried to write linearly. So hopefully that gives you an idea of what I mean by writing inside the table and treating the table as a living outline. The 'Status' column is also pretty straightforward, and might require a little setup for whatever your needs are. This is another default column type Notion has which is similar to a Select but has a few more specialized features. This is how mine is set up:

(I don't actually use 'Done', idk why I left it there. Probably I should replace it with 'Posted' and use that instead of the checkmark on the far left? whatever, don't let anyone tell you I'm organized. XDD)

Pretty straightforward, it just lets me see easily what's complete and what still needs work. (You'll notice there's no status for editing, because like I mentioned in my other post, I don't ever sit down to consciously edit, I just let it happen as I reread) Obviously tailor this to your own needs! The Order column is sneakily important, because this is what makes it easy for me to keep the scenes organized. I set the Sort on the table to use the Order to keep the scene ordered chronologically. When I make the initial list of scenes I know the fic will have, I give all of them a whole number to put them in order of events. Then as I write and come up with new scene ideas, the new scenes get a number with a decimal point to put them in the spot they fit in the timeline. (you can't see it here, but some of them have a decimal three or four digits deep, lol). Technically you can drag them to the correct spot manually, but if you ever create another View in your table (you can see I have eight Views in this one, they're right under the title) it won't keep your sorting in the new View and you'll hate yourself when it jumbles all your scenes. XD (And if you get more comfortable with Notion, you probably will at some point desire to make more Views) The Part column isn't necessary, but I found that as the fic grew longer, I was naturally separating the scenes into different points along the timeline by changes in status quo, etc. (ex. "this is before they go overseas" "this is after they speak for the first time", stuff like that) in my mind. To make it easier to decide where to place new scenes in the timeline, I formalized this into Parts, which initially I named with short summaries of the current status quo, and later changed to actual titles because I decided it would be cool to actually use them in the fic itself. Since it's not in the screenshots above, here's what the dropdown for it looks like:

(I've blocked some of the titles out for spoiler reasons)

Basically I only mention the Parts thing because I found it was a useful organizational tool for me and I was naturally doing it in my head anyway. Anyway, I could keep talking about this for a really long time because I love Notion (don't get me started on how I use toggle blocks for hiding content I've edited out without deleting it) but that should be enough to get started and I should really, you know, not make this another insanely long post. XDD And if anybody is curious about how the final results look, the fic can be found here.

[mothsvein]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[mothsvein]

(This is meee)

Writing Commissions Open

Hello everypony, I finally opened up some writing commissions. I got some medical bills to pay and while I'm applying to jobs I cant work at the moment cause I hurt ligaments in my ankle and they're still healing.

I am unsure how to add examples of my work in a post form but I have a lot of experience writing g0re, h0rr0r and er0 works, so if you want something like that feel free to dm me here, I'll open them for inquires.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions.

[mothsvein]

[mothsvein]

One of the worst pieces of advice I've ever seen shared by "professionals" is to avoid simpler words like said, asked, began, moved ect. Sometimes using more descriptive word choice would be better for the scene. However, with good dialouge and a strong plot your reader is not going to notice. Thinking you have to go above and beyond when there's already a word that can fit the scene nicely is poor writing. Its concerning how many published authors shove the Big Words Make You Smarter arguement on beginners. One or two "saids" mixed in with other more descriptive words is just fine.

[mothsvein]

Does your character truly miss anyone they used to hate?

[mothsvein]

Flower Themed OC Questions

Varied questions about your character themed after the meanings of various flowers. Meant to be basic, general questions as a starting point for new characters or old characters being reworked.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

Lotus: What is or what will be the darkest place your character will save themselves from?

Iris: Is your character respected by people in their lives?

Pink Azalea: Does your character value family?

Forget-Me-Not: Has your character ever forgotten anyone close to their heart?

Tansy: Is your character a fighter, or do they flee from conflict?

White Lily: How would your character grieve a deceased loved one?

Alyssum: Is your character prone to jealousy?

Aster: Is your character considered charming or lacking in social tact?

Cosmos: Does your character value order and structure, or prefer a life of chaos?

Hyacinth: How strong is your character?

Gardenia: Does your character enjoy having crushes, if they have any at all?

Pink Roses: What is the relationship between your character and their mother?

Gladiolus: Has your character already achieved their victory or is there more fighting to do?

Marigold: Does anyone wish your character harm?

Daisy: Is your character aware of any evil around them or are they ignorant to any misdeeds or people's true intentions?

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

[mothsvein]

Does your character believe in magic?

[mothsvein]

Does your character believe the impossible can be possible?

[mothsvein]

Would your character like asmr videos?

[mothsvein]

people responded to my last post im so happy i ♥️ human creation i ♥️ sharing our worlds thru art and characters i ♥️ connection thru writing i ♥️ humanity

[mothsvein]

How many times can your character skip a stone?

[mothsvein]

Morality Questionare for Character Development 🕯️🧭

A lengthy questionare about your character's moral compass, or lack thereof. Meant to be used as an exercise to think deeper about a character's morality at any point in development.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

Does your character consider themselves a moral person?

Does your character consider themselves morally flawless, morally bankrupt, or somewhere inbetween?

Would your character be willing to break their moral code for self preservation?

Would your character be willing to break their moral code to save another person?

Would your character be willing to break their moral code to save someone who was immoral?

Would your character be willing to break their moral code to save someone they didn't know at all?

Can you describe your character's moral code in 3 words?

Can you describe your character's moral code in 1 word?

Could you write a religious text about your character's moral code?

Is your character's moral code inherent to themselves as a person or is their moral code learned from a person or a group of people?

Does your character agree with their community's morals?

Would your character describe themselves as more or less moral than the people around them?

Would you describe your character as more or less moral than the people around them?

Would your character die to defend their morals?

If your character was killed for their morals, who or what in your story would be the killer?

Does your character think its moral to keep promises?

Does your character think its moral to always tell the truth?

Does your character think its moral to always follow authority and never question their leaders?

Does your character think its moral to respect their parents, no matter what?

Does your character think its moral to never cheat?

Does your character value loyalty as a moral code?

Does your character value faith as a moral code?

Does your character think eating animals is immoral?

Does your character find themselves questioning their own morals or bending their morals to get what they want?

Does your character feel guilt for not following their morals?

Does your character think that drugs, alcohol, and other substances are immoral?

Does your character think that pornography, prostitution, or other sexual vices are immoral?

Does your character think the act of sex itself is immoral?

Does your character think cheating in a relationship is immoral, no matter the conditions of the relationship?

Is your character willing to kill?

Is your character willing to lie?

Is your character a backstabber or a snake?

Is your character a social chameleon or two faced?

Is your character a cheater?

Does your character outwardly fake their moral code?

If other characters in their world knew their true moral code, how would they react?

If they knew the morals of the other characters in their world, how would your character react?

Does your character gain anything for sticking to their morals?

Does your character lose anything for sticking to their morals?

Has your character's morals given them any social or personal power over another character in your story?

Does their community agree or disagree with their actions aligning with their morals?

Does their community agree or disagree with their actions contradicting their morals?

Does your character have or want a career that relies on a strong moral compass?

Does your character have or want a career that relies on a weak moral compass?

If your character's morals are tested, would they pass or fail the test?

If they only had one minute to decide whether to save the world or save the person they love, what would they decide?

Would your character consider themselves a villian or a hero?

Is your character a villian or a hero?

Does your character believe that they will be punished by a supernatural force for breaking their moral code?

Does your character believe they will be punished by a natural force for breaking their moral code?

If your character was in a completely different place at the beginning of their life, would their morals be different?

Do you agree or disagree with the morals your character has?

Would your readers and fans agree or disagree with the morals your character has?

Would your family agree or disagree with the morals your character has?

Would the people who love your character still love them after discovering their true morals?

Would the people who hate your character still hate them after discovering their true morals?

What is the biggest obstacle to your character living perfectly by their morals?

Do they believe in the morals of their institution?

Does your character experience riteous justice when their morals are broken or questioned?

Can other characters question their morals without fear of retaliation?

Would your character hurt others in the name of their morality?

Does your character believe in evil?

Does your character believe in good?

To you, does your character do evil?

To you, does your character do good?

If you could change one thing about your character's morality, what would it be?

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

[mothsvein]

Does your character tell the truth?

[mothsvein]

Unique One Sentence Prompts 🖋️✨

➽──────────────❥

"I don't believe in revenge."

"We missed you at the memorial, where were you?"

"I would thank you, if I had anything to thank you for."

"I couldn't miss you."

"That wasn't a mistake."

"Are you sure the knife was in the sink?"

"I just saw them at the store, they aren't missing."

"There's a face in the clouds."

"I can beat anyone at chess!"

"I bet they're looking down from heaven thinking about how stupid you are."

"Veal and lamb are immoral meats."

"Well, that was the shortest coma I've ever seen."

"Do you think the gender of God matters or would they be the same as a man or a woman?"

"Don't look in the mirror too long, it'll steal your eyes."

"I hate how you can't see through fog."

"I will eventually, maybe, forgive you."

"I can't forget what you did to them!"

"I hear breathing."

"I can't stand popcorn without butter."

"Angels like eating teeth."

"Stop crying, it makes you look ugly."

"I didn't know butchers chopped vegetables too."

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

[mothsvein]

One of the worst pieces of advice I've ever seen shared by "professionals" is to avoid simpler words like said, asked, began, moved ect. Sometimes using more descriptive word choice would be better for the scene. However, with good dialouge and a strong plot your reader is not going to notice. Thinking you have to go above and beyond when there's already a word that can fit the scene nicely is poor writing. Its concerning how many published authors shove the Big Words Make You Smarter arguement on beginners. One or two "saids" mixed in with other more descriptive words is just fine.