#I don't know I'm just brainstorming right now and procrastinating

[captainsweet]

Thinking about just dropping random drabbles here so I can put them somewhere because I don't think they're good enough to be official stories. They won't make much sense, but they'll be there.

[whatevertheweather]

an ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thank you for the tags @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @youarenevertooold I've been in search of ways to procrastinate <3

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s):

I'll go with one that isn't being posted yet: Callous.

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___”

Touch starvation + poor communication = Baz's No Good Very Bad Night

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

PTSD, disassociation, and, uh, emotional hurt/comfort?

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

Bold of anyone to assume I'm good enough at coming up with titles that I have multiple to choose from. Oh! But actually I do for Bait and Switch, thanks to Dre brainstorming fishing idioms with me. There were 4 alternatives, but my favorite is All is Fish, because it makes no fucking sense.

5. ⚠️Which WIP your most likely to finish or update next?

It had better be Musical Chairs.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as)

In an uncommon turn of events, I only have one (active) WIP right now that's not already named as it will be posted, and that's "yeah sure let's just write some shit that's way later and not finish the other that's fine"

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP.

It’s just…there’s also some deer in the headlights energy to him, which, mixed with the general aura of barely tamed violence, is throwing Shepard off. Truly, it’s been a good long while since he’s done this kind of pinballing over what he’s seeing when he looks at someone.

He does know what he’s seeing when he looks back at Simon. It’s the sort of face that has him politely averting his eyes to examine the bland thread of Simon’s shirt instead. He thinks walking in on the two of them tangled up without a stitch of clothing wouldn’t feel half as intrusive as looking at that expression did.

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

I had to abandon about a page of the above misnamed WIP (now to be succinctly abbreviated as YSLJWSSTWLANFTOTF) because it no longer fits the tone of the rest of the fic at all, which is sad because it made me laugh. It's too long to put here in its entirety, but here's part of one line, which shall function as the dead darling's eulogy: "I know you have a dick, Baz, I’ve fucking well been thinking about it!”

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Okay there's one I don't want to say much about because, selfishly, I want to be the one to write it, but it's related to truth spells. (Technically I've started it because there's a document with 10 scattered lines of dialogue, but I haven't started it started it.)

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on?

I'm trying to focus on 3, but I might have to say 4 here.

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

I have rewritten the same 4 pages of Musical Chairs about 5 times. It's absurd. I know what's going to happen, I have the ending written, I have almost everything that gets us there written, and yet this section is u n d o i n g me.

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

I'm gonna take that as me sending kudos to all these lovely people: @cutestkilla @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @artsyunderstudy @fatalfangirl @whogaveyoupermission @iamamythologicalcreature @thewholelemon @facewithoutheart @martsonmars @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @larkral

[comfortlesshurt]

October 2024 Plans!

Now feels like a great time to say wow, I really didn't plan for this burst of inspiration from back in... June? to go on this long. Anyway, I'm here to say it is still here. Still Voltron, still primarily Keith. Still really stuck on that series idea.

I thought editing was going to go well last month, but I got started and was not feeling it. So now it's more of a "when it gets done" goal. To hold myself accountable, I'm still gonna include the remaining list of fics to be edited on these monthly goal posts. At least I'll have to look the work I'm avoiding directly in the eye on a regular basis as I procrastinate by writing.

General goals:

Newly published WC: 11,928/3,000

Have VLD WC surpass Spider-Man: 63,314/100,258

2024 total published WC: 54,677/50,000

LTS(LTFH):

If you didn't see my quick lil post about it, I'm getting burned out on this! So I'm giving myself a month off. I'm allowed to add to these fics if I feel like it, but there is no daily or monthly word count goal for October.

Fic 4: work on figuring out the timeline

All fics: use the downtime this month to work on chapter titles & flesh out outlines

Change the whole damn series name this late into drafting

Oneshots:

Bingo fic (I promised this AGES AGO, so this has GOT to be the month I finally deliver istg)

Oneshots or ficlets, whatever this month's inspiration tells me to do

Editing:

Flu: title change, style update

on the run: deadass don't remember this one, so we'll see

5 Times Lance Doesn't Matter +1 Time He Finally Does

Smiling 'cause you're used to it (a house that's always haunted)

Chemicals, chemicals in my brain (where'd you go, where'd you go anyway?)

Nowhere to call home (so I'll pack and run away)

5 Times Peter Struggled with Spider Metabolism, +1 Time Tony Helped: possible style update

Whump Bingo: major edit--these were barely edited in the first place, oops

Anywhere but Here: style update

Sick Days

Take the worst situation (make a worse situation)

We are the reckless (we are the wild youth)

Cocktails and Consequences: content edit since I barely drank before I wrote this and didn't research alcohol at all

Sickdays 5.0 Day 7: Temperature: title

See me here (meet me here)

And it hits between the eyes on this side

Sickdays 2.0 Day 2 & 5: Sick at a Party & Gently Tinged with Red: title, brainstorm for a closing chapter

Sickdays Day 5: Rapid Onset: title

Impressions

Sickdays 4.0 Day 1: The Oblivious Partner: title

Sickdays 4.0 Day 7: Chain Reaction: title

Sickdays 5.0 Day 6: Public Illness: title

I've got you stuck on my mind (and it's driving me crazy)

Days locked in a haze (trying to forget you)

Sickdays Day 6: Public Illness: title

I want to know who you are (I want to know who you were)

Will you stay with me for another day? (I don't want to be alone in this state)

I'm keeping you at bay (and I'm lonely)

Sickdays 5.0 Day 3: Caretaking Focus: title

Weightless (only wait for a fall)

Hiding It

I feel strange

Bullies and Bailing: possible content edit because I just don't like this one at all

Made a Mess

Season Three

Oh god

I'm not saying I told you so...

Sickdays 5.0 Day 4: Not the Norm: title and possible content edit because I HATE this fic with a burning passion

Accident

Don't ruin this

Rapid Onset

No Right Side: content edit because I don't like how this came out

Frostbite

Happily Ever After

Wes

Touch of the skin brings trembles and shivers

Favorite Outfit

Sleepless folks watching light grow (through their early morning windows)

Origins

Ember

Peace

Road Trip

+2 anon works

Longer term:

October 2024 - light month! doing whatever I feel like, but probably some oneshots or ficlets.

November 2024 - unofficial NaNoWriMo (fuck AI).

December 2024 - finish rough draft for LTS(LTFH) fics 1 & 2.

January 2025 - LTS(LTFH) fic 1 & 2 major content/continuity edit. Technical edit for fic 1 & begin posting depending on how long edits take.

February 2025 - LTS(LTFH) fic 3 (drafting) & 4 (outline and early drafting).

March 2025 - LTS(LTFH) fic 3 & 4 drafting.

[learnfromdiana]

Hey, my beloved readers! Today we're going to talk about something very important, something that affects all of us, and that is procrastination. Now, I know that we've all been there at some point. You know, you have something important to do, but instead, you decide to binge-watch your favorite show or scroll through your social media feeds for hours. Don't worry, I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to help you overcome this terrible habit.

Now, some people say that the key to beating procrastination is to just get started, but let's be real, that's easier said than done. So, I'm going to give you a more practical approach. You ready? Here it is: just keep procrastinating!

Yes, you read that right. Keep procrastinating, but in a productive way. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your phone, use that time to brainstorm ideas or make a to-do list. Maybe even do some research on the topic you're supposed to be working on. By doing these small, productive tasks, you're tricking your brain into thinking that you're still procrastinating, but you're actually making progress.

Another helpful tip is to break down your task into smaller, more manageable steps. It can be overwhelming to look at a big project and try to tackle it all at once, but if you break it down into smaller tasks, it becomes less daunting. Plus, you get the satisfaction of crossing things off your to-do list as you complete each step.

So, there you have it, folks. The secret to beating procrastination is to keep procrastinating, but in a productive way. And remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up every once in a while. Just keep pushing forward and you'll get there eventually. Happy procrastinating!

[whoiskt]

Grad School Q2 - Week 0

I'm going to try this again and hopefully not get buried in homework after week 5 again because I LEARNED MY LESSON. I WILL BE PROACTIVE! I WILL NOT PROCRASTINATE!

The pre-quarter assignments were a lot of "pitch several narratives, one will become your final" stuff, which is sooooo much work, like, guys! I don't have this many stories in me just ready to go? So, all tomorrow I'm going to be out there struggling to come up with some ideas for a 24-page comic I'd theoretically want to write... just so I can not choose them lol

I came up with a short horror narrative yesterday that I'm actually proud of, but it took days of brainstorming... I think I'm just going to generate a bunch of random words and just make them into something at this point.

The only assignment that was actually drawing was anatomy (not thrilled at this being a required course), which was kind of just "draw a figure in your style and show how you built it"

So, I found the first full-body picture I saw on pinterest and drew this:

I was like, ugh, I should really do this digitally since I don't have a working scanner right now. Guess this can just be a warmup. Also, I looked at the discussion board and someone else chose a very similar pose and mine looked weak compared to theirs, so I went to TRUSTY OLD the pose archives for this one:

But, I was like, this doesn't feel like my style, ya know? It feels like a figure drawing. (I think if I had just finished it, it would have looked fine...) Nah, I decided, hey, I've drawn two men with basically the same body type. Let me draw from imagination since I totally know what a guy looks like now.

So, yay? Not a single reference used for this one! Love that I, for no good reason, made myself do this simple assignment 3 times. Now you see why I'm so slow at art. Smh.

[lizhly-writes]

Lizhly, longtime follower here but going anon coz I'm embarrassed. Help I have 2 weeks to write 3000 words of ANY fiction and that's not a lot TECHNICALLY but it's for a workshop group that will be seeing it every day for a week so it has to be good. I don't know where to start, have too many half baked ideas, and I procrastinate. Share your wisdom?

I had a draft to this, you know. tumblr deleted it. we're going off some half-baked wisdom now. anyway! flattered you chose to ask me, disclaimer that i am probably not your best source when it comes to not procrastinating and doing 3k in 2 weeks (track record is not great) but I will do my best!

now. here is how i would do it. here we are, under the cut:

Ideas

pick the funnest one or the one you're most comfortable writing. if that is not immediately obvious, then i would spend a set period of time brainstorming through each idea. just word vomiting every single thing you think about it onto a page. 5-25 min, depending on your schedule. 1 hr each would be great but who has that kind of time? me, on the weekends, maybe, but that's not important. the important thing is equal amount of time for each idea.

if you find your brainstorming time for that idea has ended and you wish that you could spend more time writing about that idea, congrats! earmark it. you're probably interested in writing it. if you find yourself struggling to come up with anything for the idea, you are probably not very interested in the idea. strike it off.

anyway. finish going through all your ideas. narrow down on the ones that you've written the most for. you probably have the most ideas for those ideas. if you are still not clear as to which idea you'd like from that pool, then present your ideas to the public/your friends and ask what they'd be most interested in. put up a goddamn poll if you have to.

The Writing:

Now. there are three kinds of writers: plotters, pantsers, and plantsers. more verbosely put: those who plot, those who write by the seat of their fucking pants, and those who do both. I'm that last one, so the following advice caters to number 3, which I shall separate into three modes of writing.

the outlining.

Write down exactly what you want to happen. It doesn't need to be neat, it doesn't need to be pretty, it can, in fact, resemble a tumblr rant. See below.

See, it's not particularly clean. I swear a lot. But the important thing is that I'm covering why I have this chapter, and exactly what kind of beats and scenes I want.

Here, you're figuring out, at minimum, a setting, your characters, and an idea of a beginning, a middle, and end. I like writing a little character profile and setting description here as well, just so I remember what's going on. If you can keep track of it everything in your head, all power to you!

This is also a pretty good time to figure out if you're writing too much. Like if you outline your entire story and find yourself with 10 fucking chapters? Too much. Figure out where to cut down or switch to a different idea.

2. the ranting

Right, so this is where the BULK of the writing gets done. This is the part where you try to grab as much word count as you possibly can. Ideally you are following your outline (don't be afraid to make changes to your outline, though, if some things aren't working), but if you are anything like me, you are writing outrageously out of order, probably hitting up all the fun scenes first. Do things make sense, read altogether? It would be nice if they did, but ultimately, it doesn't matter. Keep going. Write anything you can think of. Copy some bits of your outline, if it fits. Swear a bunch, if that's what helps. If you don't want to write something, like maybe a transition scene, just say it. That's fine.

The point, as I said, is to get word count. The point is speed, not quality. You can make things nicer later, but you need things there to make nicer, first.

Sometimes, the words don't come. I personally participate in word sprints and games for this. It adds a certain amount of accountability and competitiveness to it, both of which I respond decently well to. It also adds a time limit, which should help with procrastination.

3. the ordering

Now this is where you start putting things into some semblance of order. You have your raw material in abundance -- now it's time to make something out of it. You make things nice. You start rearranging your disconnected scenes and write little bridges connecting them. You fill out scenes and holes you've left in description or whatever. This is the step that makes your mess readable.

This is, for me, the longest part of the writing process. I get bored around here, and also probably lose some motivation here.

I like posting little bits of my writing on Discord, because there are some people that like my writing and are likely to say nice things. Comments! A boost to your ego and likely your inspiration. They keep you going.

(Notice I say three modes of writing, not three phases. This is because I bounce wildly between them. I get bored halfway through outlining, and go to ranting; sometimes, i've run out of things to rant about because I haven't established a stable enough base to continue on, so I go back to outlining or go to ordering to clean up what i have so i can launch off easier. Go back and forth between them when necessary).

Editing:

Once you finish your draft? Let it sit for a bit, if you have time. Take a break. You need some time away from your work.

Then you go over it with a fine-toothed comb. Grammar and spelling, sure, but truthfully, I don't immediately look for that. What I pay attention to is: would I need more description here? Over there? What about the dialogue, does it read well? Do I have enough dialogue tags? Do I have too many dialogue tags? Does this phrase hits like it needs to? Is the word choice good? Is everyone in character? Does everything make sense? Do you like what you've written? If not, why?

You will probably find your bits to add there.

What I would also do, if you're trying to make it good and you're unsure if what you're written is good, is find a beta reader. Maybe more than one beta reader, if you like. Finish your own editing, yes, but there is a limited amount of improvement you can get through the echo chamber of the self. An outside eye will help. Those questions that I've put up there, if you don't have answers, you're likely going to ask whoever your beta reader is.

Where will you find a beta reader? Ask a friend, if you trust them. Join a writer's discord, where there will probably be a channel for beta readers -- and also, a shit-ton of writers who will probably be happy to help you to find that word that's on the tip of your tongue or sprint against you to gain word count.

annnyway this is how i write. hope it helps! if you have questions, feel free to reply, or, i don't know, send another ask. good luck on your writing, anon!!! hope you get your 3000 words in!

[e-s-willswriting]

Holidays and Relaxation as a Creative

I'm going on my first holiday abroad! I've been only twice before with school trips but this is my first proper holiday abroad and it's with my partner's family. I am very excited and nervous, but it has come at a much needed point when I've been taking on quite a lot of responsibilities, projects and social obligations that may leave me feeling burnt out come end of July/August.

A big thing that I'm nervous about is it's more of a 'beach' holiday. The place I'm going to also has history, and in my particular autistic way I love to indulge in extensive research so I know all the good things to do, but I realise I've never really allowed myself to just turn off.

As a kid, when we went on holiday I always wanted to run about and do something. It annoyed me when my Dad, for example, wanted to sleep. I didn't get it. It was a holiday! We were supposed to be doing stuff! Often I loved going swimming or doing any sort of fun activity, but most of all I loved going to new places. It's only now I get the need to sleep- but I view sleep as the anti-relaxation. A black and white 'you do something, or you sleep'. There's no middle ground.

As an adult, I've taken a few road trips with my Dad. Again, I love to go places. Even if it's just a walk around the local area, I love to see new things. I've always been partial to nature and culture sightseeing (and especially anything that's lowkey and not super touristy). My brother on the other hand was always into partying, but for me I was always happy as long as I was doing something. Recently my partner and I went for a week away in country, and I still wanted to sight see. Each day we did something, often exploring the museums in the town. Frankly I loved that holiday a lot and I was well overdue a break at that time.

My partner, and his family who I'm travelling with, are the opposite. They'll go places, but they're more partial to relaxation. Good food, a swim, resting on the beach, tanning. That sort of thing. They know how to turn off, and they love it.

I don't hate the idea of it, but I've realised I've never truly done it. Even when I've gone to spas, I still feel like I'm doing something. Especially if I go into sauna relaxation rooms, I'm experiencing new sensory things in each room and finding my favourites. But am I really relaxing? What's that supposed to feel like?

Relaxation feels strangely foreign to me for two reasons. The first is perhaps due to my neurodivergence, in that I want to learn a lot about various things. Even now when I think about travel I think about things I've learnt in the past that I'd love to see with my own eyes (art in particular, like Guernica, Goya's Black Paintings and such. I was really happy to see an exhibit of Yves Klein's Blue one time!) The second is being a creative.

Even when I'm not creating, I'm thinking about it. Just recently I was sitting down at a café and I got a story idea. When I listen to music I'm brainstorming. When I'm procrastinating on projects, I'm feeling guilty because I could be doing them. I've experimented with forms (writing, art, screenplays) but the inherent compulsion to create has never left me.

And even with this holiday, there were two ideas that came up:

'Oh, if we stay home I could film that short film idea.'

and

'If I go, I might get a new story idea!'

Can artists ever really relax? Or is this a me problem? Is it wrong to not relax? Or is the process of creating our form of relaxation? Again, is this just a me problem, will I ever be able to turn my brain truly off any other time asides from my deathbed?

I don't know if I have the answer. I won't suppress myself from creating as long as it's not outright harming me or my connections with those I love, but I don't know if I can say it's relaxing. I'd say on a good day it's meditative, but it's still a cognitively demanding task to construct a story, figure out the right words to say. And even when reading, which is definitely calming, I'm still reading works and thinking about things I can take from them- a pickpocket, nabbing words from lines.

In one way, I've been attempting to limit my social media use on my phone in particular. Neither would I say using my phone/social media is particularly relaxing. It's mindless often, at times funny, at others it's mentally draining. Often the latter. But my phone use getting to a level of 'I feel shaky when I don't have it' means that it's not exactly helped in these feelings of being unable to switch off. But say I'm successful in kicking the habit and I use it significantly less outside of the once-a-day feed check barring utilities (maps, photos, searching a topic, banking etc.) will I finally relax? Is that even something I'm truly capable of?

I think a while back, I misunderstood mindfulness. In my head, mindfulness and by extension meditation, was the total clearing of the mind. No thoughts, head empty, if you will. And I was frustrated because I couldn't clear my head. It could be as small of a thought as 'my nose is itchy' and I'd become annoyed that I had a thought. But mindfulness is the acceptance of the condition, not the purging of it.

Perhaps I shouldn't judge the fact that, at least right now, I struggle to relax. I just accept myself, accept that turning off isn't easy, and accept creativity when it comes to me even in those moments of attempted relaxation. Because at the end of the day, when I manage to finish things, even if it's not relaxing it brings me joy to create.

Life's often chaotic. Peace can be hard to find at points. But joy. Perhaps I should strive for joy in whatever form that takes-in both the doing and not doing.

[mango-study]

Welcome to my blog!✨

Since it's the middle of summer, I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks. At the end of September, exams are coming up. Exams that I'm kinda nervous about. Originally, there should have been five of them, but now it's down to three. Why the change? I figured out that setting realistic goals will bring me further than chasing some idea of being a perfect student.

Reality Check: My past and presence

I believe in positive affirmations and the effect of negative self-talk, but let's be real: For the last years I've been lazy, I've been procrastinating and I've been wasting vulnerable time. Time that could have been invested in myself and my future, but was instead spent on scrolling trough memes on Instagram, laying in bed and sleeping through school.

Starting university a year ago was supposed to be a fresh start for me. But you know what? I haven't really taken full advantage of it. Somehow, I ended up sticking to the same old habits from my school days. And somehow, I still managed to pass most of my exams with the bare minimum effort. If I keep doing that, I'm probably setting myself up for failure down the line. It's a shame that my whole circle of friends and family are working so hard and supporting me wherever they can, while I do.. nothing. Don't get me wrong, I don't think of myself as a total failure, but I'm not exactly doing a victory dance either.

I feel like all I ever achieved was not because of hard work (because let's be honest, I never put in hard work) but because of luck and privilege. I know all of that sounds terribly like I hate myself, but it's actually not that way (anymore). I just think that there is unused potential in me. And I'm on a mission to unlock it. Acknowledging my mistakes and changing things around? That's my way of showing myself some love. Putting in the effort to build the future I want? That's self-love right there. Creating habits that actually make a difference in life? Yep, you guessed it - that's self-love too.

Gosh, I sound like an influencer who wants to sell you their magic face cream or pyramid scheme that is definitely going to make you rich (for the record, it wont). My bad. If I knew how to do that, I still wouldn't.

Chasing self improvement: My future

While I grief about the time that is lost, I also recognize that I am currently in the perfect position to turn things around. I don't have a lot of bills to pay, because I'm living with my boyfriend and he supports me financially, just as my parents. No kids, no major responsibilities - just taking care of this house. I'm working on weekends to save up some money (traveling did not help with that). But let's face it, there will come a day when I can't keep relying on others and will have to learn independence. It's just fair for those around me to do my best to reach that point as soon as possible.

Up until now I didn't really follow a routine - but I came up with the idea of a masterplan. A girlboss, that-girl, changing my life plan. This blog is part of it - part of me getting back on track (or honestly just getting on track the first time of my life lol). I know this won't reach a big audience, but that's not my goal anyway. I just want to use this as a journal, firstly because I want to document everything (imagine if I actually make it big someday and this blog still exists - talk about a throwback), secondly because I've read somewhere that journaling helps with time management and thirdly because maybe there's someone out there who can relate to my story and learn a thing or two along with me.

In my next post you will read more about that masterplan I mentioned earlier. You're invited to be part of the brainstorming! Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Embrace the journey, embrace yourself. Until next time!💗

[ailec-12]

Okay… for: 30 questions for writers!!

6, 12

and which ever you just desire to share xD

Ohh and really procrastinating when it means we have to wait even longer? (Thought guess I should be grateful, should be studying not reading for fun xD)

Thanks for always indulging me. x3

If it's any consolation, I wouldn't be writing House Potter right now even if you hadn't sent this. Most of what's written of the next chapter is from some weeks ago when I turned to writing for a few days —wrote two pieces of microfiction and over 2000 words for HP. *sigh of longing*

6. How often do you get writer's block? How do you overcome it?

Not as often as my writing hiatuses would imply... Last time I got writer's block was over a year ago, I think. I remember not being able to write a single word from December 2021 to April 2022.

The first thing I do when I realise I'm starting to get hit by writer's block is... nothing. Normally it's just the way your body/mind demands a break, so I try not to stress over it. I focus on other stuff: reading, watching a show, working out. If it persists and I want to write badly, though, I start small. Reading/watching stories that give me similar feelings, listening to music that inspires me for whatever I want to write, maybe even looking up pics to create a moodboard.

Then, I have more specific solutions depending on the reason for the block. Sometimes, it's fear of the blank page, so I'll force myself to start outlining what I want to happen in order to find what should actually happen. Other times, the problem is that I don't know how to make something specific happen or how a character would behave. I recommend brainstorming with a friend for this, it always helps me see my story more clearly. My last writer block was a mix of these two issues plus the insecurity of not being good enough to write something the way I imagined it. In this case, I go to my AO3 inbox and reread all the nice comments people have left over the years. Sometimes all a writer needs is a bit of an ego boost.

12. Do you prefer to read your own writing style over others’? Why or why not?

It really depends on the other person's writing. I enjoy my style —sometimes more, sometimes less, but it's fine overall—, so upon finding a case of 'nice idea, terrible execution,' I've indeed wished I could be reading it in my own words. There are so many awesome writers out there that it's not a common occurrence, though.

30 Questions for Writers

[twinhood-2dot0]

Devlog #-1

Yeah, I know I said I won't really start until the next (academic, I didn't realise we were in 2023 already) year, but you know, procrastination and time spent waiting for the invigilator to take the paper off your hands gave me time to brainstorm. Well, braindrizzle, it's still a pretty basic outline that i spent a ⅓ of yesterday compiling,so, if i fail, all your fault.

I made a Milanote (Trello like thing, I prefer this tho, feels better for video games and creative stuff) to compile them all in one place, although, fair warning, there are some uh, let's just say rambles. Milanote

Genre

Probably the first thing I should have decided upon. I think I have two ways to go about this.

Story driven RPG style game, like Undertale.

Gameplay focused game like say Control, with worldbuilding details sprinkled in through collectibles and random conversation.

Or a mix of both, I guess, like Skyrim.

Many innovative indie games are the result of combining two genres, so that is what I wanna try here. What I've decided on is one of those up there + Rhythm game mechanics. Rhythm games are basically as the name suggest, based on the rhythm of music, so you make an action based on the music. I'm a terrible explainer so here's two gameplay videos:

Avicii: Invector (which reminds me, really gotta play this one)

Friday Night Funkin'

Theme

I think I'm gonna go all in on the music thing, and make the whole thing sound. Literally. I think the major plot point is going to be this large radio tower looking thing in the middle of the playable world, acting as a beacon of sorts like in Subnautice (see: milanote). Alienity (probably not aliens, I think I wanna go the fantasy route) discovered they can use it for energy, and the whole society is run on sound and stuff. Environment and wildlife and stuff are all sound influenced. Combat will also be based on rhythm games, although that seems like something I might have to put a lot of thought into.

Protagonist

If I take the gameplay route, the player character will probably be a mercenary/bounty hunter kinda person. Or, if I decide story is more important, then probably a fantasy hero? I want something more unique though. Will have to think about it. As for weapons and gadgets and stuff, I think the most important gadget will be headphones. Probably designed to harness sound energy and provide for the weapons and stuff. I thought of a gauntlet that does that + could turn into a sound blocking shield to mitigate damage and stuff, but I figured headphones fit thematically better. Gotta figure out blocking tho, but as a self-certified pro gamer, if I'm being honest, I just forego all defensive options and decide attacking is the best defense, but it's possible most people are smarter than me and don't die every 5 minutes. As for weapons, two prototypes I have right now is a brass instrument for a bulky focused high damage output weapon, maybe a drum of sorts that does spread damage and a little self damage that can be mitigated with headphones. I have detailed worldbuilding details and AI generated concept art thingies and more details on things I've discussed here in the milanote.

Since we're talking about video games, here's Take Control from, you guessed it, Control, which was the main inspiration for this.

Also, this badass cutscene from Arkham Knight, which, the music, wow. The Arkham Series has very awesome soundtracks.

If you like calm music though, check out the Stardew Valley OST, it's my second favourite OST, it's so awesome.

Sorry, that's a lot, but I need to prove my point about video game music.

[spideyspeaches]

Gold Rush ↬ t.h

Gif by @parkeraul :)

A/N: I'm in love with that song 🙈 also here's my super late contribution of professor!tom 😋 cause I've been procrastinating on the wandavision au (in my defence though, it's taking a lot of brainstorming 😂) anyway here you go-

Wc: 2.6k+

Warnings: lemme know if you find one :)

Summary: He taught British History and you chastise yourself for not auditing for that subject earlier.

Pairing: Professor!Tom x Student!Reader

Masterlist || Taglist

Waking up with a start, you groan at the shrill sound of your alarm. With a sigh that was more of a grunt of annoyance, you tried to reach for your phone at the side table, hissing when you felt the corner of your elbow hit the table, pain shooting up to your shoulder. 

Great, you weren't even up yet and your day was already going shitty. You just hoped that your professor won't be grumpy about you being late for the millionth time this semester. 

You hated cultural architecture. You had nothing against the course, but You hated your professor with a passion and wished that you could burn your textbooks for all you cared, right in front of your teacher's eyes, watch him writhe in fear as you banished the very existence of your material. 

You were being dramatic, but in your defence, your professor was an old bastard who never left an opportunity to reprimand you, going as far as letting you know how uneven your margins were on your latest project. 

He wore birkenstocks with a three piece. You wouldn't trust him with your assignments. 

Getting out of your dorm room was work, hard work. But you got out, brushed your teeth and wore what you hoped were presentable clothing. 

"You look hungover." Your roommate, Stacy, commented, spitting in the sink as you scowled at her. 

She was straightforward, outspoken and somehow managed to look like one of those Victoria secrets models that you loathed, even at seven in the morning. You hated her. 

(You didn't.)

"Thanks, I hope I smell too. Want that son of a bitch- what's his name, Wilson, to suffer for giving me that C minus on my thesis." You grumbled, rubbing your hands through your hair to flat them out. 

"You really hate him, don't you." She snickered, popping off her shirt. You tried not to look, not wanting to come off as a pervert, but damn, she was fit. You contemplated her words, frowning at your own reflection. 

You looked disheveled, the dark eye bags under your eyes very apparent as you tried to mask them with foundation, setting your hair for the millionth time. Oh well, you were presentable enough. Sweatpants would have to do for your only class today, you could binge Netflix after this wretched class. 

"I do. I hope his third wife divorces him and he loses his thermos of coffee in the subway." You said, adding your look finally before wearing your shoes. 

"That's cruel, didn't know you had it in you." She snickered, patting your back and following you as you closed the door, "Well I have to go to my boring science lectures now so, see you later hun." 

"Yeah, enjoy your chemistry period with your boyfriend!" You cheered sarcastically, rolling your eyes and hugging her to tell her that you were only joking. Your relationship was this, of jokes and hugs and kisses. You considered her your best friend. 

Rushing towards the gates of your university, you hastily tightened your loosening hair tie, adjusting the straps of your bags. You were pretty sure you had broken your record of being late to your class. You may hate the professor, but you actually enjoyed the subject. 

Wheezing as you ran past the late comers, you nodded at the receptionist, hastily signing yourself in. You would blame your clumsiness for what happened next, because one second you were fixing your sande on the foot of the fountain, and next thing you knew you were crashing into a firm body, your nose hitting the random stranger’s chest.

"I’m so sorry! I’m kinda late to class and I wasn’t looking and- whoa, ow.” You rushed your words, groaning when you felt blood rush from your head to toe, nose throbbing with double vision, a reminder of your clumsiness. 

“Whoa, hey calm down, it’s okay, I wasn’t looking either.” The stranger said, his thick South Western accent snapping you out of your self pity. 

You felt blood rush to your cheeks instead, not anticipating your face in a flush this early in the morning, when you got a good look at the stranger. He was good looking, in his black high turtleneck and brown checkered pants. He had a small leather satchel clutched in his hands, face looking as flushed as you felt when you realised that you had been gawking at him.

He was probably no older than his mid twenties, making you wonder what he was doing in your university. He was too old to be a student, and too young to be a professor. But then again, you wouldn't judge him for joining college late.

Right? 

"S-sorry, you um, you must be really late, you should go." He stuttered, your heart fluttering at his dimpled chin and thick accent. His eyes were gleaming in the morning sun, captivating in a way that left you in awe. 

"Um yeah, I am." You nodded, composing yourself, hoping that you didn't look too sleep deprived or disheveled, "where are you going, if you don't mind me asking."  

"Um, the architecture wing?" He said, unconsciously stepping besides you.

"Oh, I'm going that way. Is it your first time coming here? Haven't seen you around." You asked, trying not to stare at his sharp jawline and the way the morning sun hit him just right, illuminating and accentuating his curly brown hair. 

"Yeah, it's my first lecture, so um, looks like I'm late too." He smiled. It was infectious, you noticed as you mirrored his expression. 

"Oh, you're a student?" 

"Actually, I'm a professor. Just transferred from UCL." 

So you were right, he was a professor. He looks so young though. You thought, nodding at him, your thoughts interrupted by his laugh. Looking at him with confusion, you raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, everyone says that. I started right after finishing graduation so, I guess I'm not much older than you." He smiled, kicking the small pebbles littered around the set grassy ground. It had just rained, the smell of wet ground still fresh. 

"I said that out loud didn't I?" You smirked, ducking your head to hide. 

"You did." 

Entering the building, you realised that you hadn't asked which subject he taught, crossing your fingers and hoping that he would replace the old bastard that taught you cultural architecture. 

"I forgot to ask, which lecture do you teach?" You asked, looking for your class in the end. The hallways were empty, it was way past your first lecture and all the students were already in the auditorium. 

"Oh, uh, British History." He answered. You didn't let disappointment show too much on your face, smiling shyly before gesturing towards the class, "that's you." 

"Oh, um thank you." He smiled, pursing his thin lips together as he walked towards the class. You could hear screaming of the students as you both neared the classroom, you still standing by the door, "I didn't get your name." 

His question snapped you out of your disappointed gaze, 

"Oh, it's Y/n. Y/n L/n." You said with a smile. 

"Pleasure to meet you Y/n, I'm Thomas Holland, but you can call me Tom." He said awkwardly, before turning back to his class, who had yet to notice him.

"The pleasure's all mine Professor." 

For the first time in your college life, you didn't feel like tearing your hair off during your lecture, your thoughts wandering around. You wanted to berate yourself for not paying attention, but your thoughts kept going there. 

It was funny, how you met him not long ago and he was already taking up residence in your brain. You could not control your feelings after all. Something akin to nausea or excitement eased into your stomach when you pictured his smile, his black turtleneck that accentuated his biceps and pectorals. The little rebellious eyebrow and the tiny scar above it. 

It made your heart flutter, everything seemingly seemed to stop around you. It scared you a bit, how You had managed to envision the little details of his face in your brain after such a short duration. 

You didn't realise that you were smiling until you felt a nudge on your side, making you nearly jump on your seat. 

"What?!" You hissed, scowling at your classmate. 

"Who're you thinking about?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned towards you. You had known her long enough to know her name but never bothered learning, and you were too scared to ask now. 

"It's none of your business." You muttered, glancing up to see your professor scowling at a student as they stood up. 

"Well okay, but did you hear about the hot new professor? Apparently he's teaching British History, I regret not taking that as a subject now." She said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. You furrowed your brows, feeling a pang in your chest at the realisation that you were probably just another girl with a stupid crush on the hot professor, that there were already girls who would die to feel his touch. 

"How do you know about him?" You asked, raising an eyebrow as you try to act nonchalant. You weren't being subtle, apparently, because you could see her snapping her bubblegum with a smirk, leaning forward as if trading secrets. 

"You kidding right? Everyone knows about him, you got a crush on him or something?" She suggested, scooting close enough to make you squirm. 

"I literally just met him, and ew, he's a professor, why would I see him that way?" You whisper, willing your heart to stop palpitating at the thought of said professor, your gut twisting in anticipation. 

"I don't know girl, he's hot and young and so much better than this bastard." She sighed, leaning on her palm with a fake dreamy expression. 

You went back to ignoring her after that, noticing how her notebook said 'Eloise'. At least you didn't have to ask her her name now. 

Your class went surprisingly well, or maybe it was because you weren't paying attention and thinking about him again. You really needed to get a grip on yourself. 

Walking out of your class, you decided to go to the cafeteria, your stomach begging for your attention.

Setting your things on a table, you took out your phone to scroll through Instagram, before switching it off and looking around the cafeteria. You didn't know what you were expecting to see, but your stomach was gurgling with hunger and nothing made sense when you were hungry. 

Walking to grab something to eat, you pick up your bag, hanging it over one of your shoulders before getting in the line. 

Just as you were about to turn with your bun and cup of coffee, you crashed into someone for the second time that day. Cursing your clumsiness, you heard a familiar British accent curse not very colourful words, making you stumble over as you tried to wipe off the hot coffee off his shirt.

"Hey, it's okay." He said, stopping your frantic gestures by holding your wrist with his to cease any movements.

"Professor Holland! I'm so sorry, it's like, I'm just clumsy. I have no excuse." You sighed in resignation, mentally facepalming at spilling your coffee at the hot professor. 

"It's okay darling, I've had much worse spilled on me." He smirked, his hand still holding on to yours. You had started walking away from the location, and yet his hand didn't let go, "You know, I used to babysit during my college days." 

"Oh, babysitting, right of course." You chuckled awkwardly, chest heaving with the sudden close proximity with the professor, dissipating the not quite PG thought that just occurred in your mind at his words.. 

"Sorry for-" You said in unison with him, chuckling. 

"You go first." He said.

"I'm sorry for spilling coffee on You, it must have hurt and I ruined your shirt and now there's a big splotch of coffee right in the middle!" You said, circling your fingers around your palm as you walked with your back to the exit as you walked out of the cafeteria, food forgotten and him following your pace. 

Before you could continue your awkward blabber, you were standing in the garden outside, leaning against a pillar with the garden in your view looking golden in the setting sun. He was standing in your view, the shadows around his jaw making it look sharp enough to cut glass. 

Taking a breath, you looked up at his smiling form with confusion when he didn't answer, instead leant onto the pillar next to you.

"You were... gonna say something?" You reminded, smiling awkwardly as you fiddled with your fingers.

"Oh? Oh! Oh yes yes, You know, I was kind of disappointed that you weren't in my class, Mister Wilson talks very highly of you." He said, folding his arms on his chest, it made his biceps bulge. 

"He does?" You looked at him with surprise, guilt panging in your chest when you remembered yourself bad mouthing the professor not long ago. 

"Yes, says you're a bright student with a bright future." He answered, leaning his head back so that his neck was exposed, Adam's Apple bobbing as he gulped, his hair falling into place perfectly against his forehead. The arch of his neck was beautiful, tracing it with your eyeballs as you imagined which other curves of his were as beautiful, immediately dismissing those thoughts, chastising yourself for thinking such a way of a professor. 

"That's… sweet of him. I've never heard him compliment me once in the two and half years I've been in his class." You chuckle, leaning your elbow on the pillar to get a better look at his side profile. 

"Hmm, he says he's hard on you because he wants you to do your best..." 

You stopped listening past that, your breath growing more erratic the more he talked, his smooth voice washing over you like warm honey with a squeeze of lemon. Swallowing a sudden lump in your throat, your heart leaping, leaving you nauseous and in a dream like trance. 

Tom noticed immediately, noticing your slouched posture as you stared at him with a small smile, the upturn of your lips so inviting that he almost dived in, wanting to know the feeling of them what they felt like against his. 

He wasn't the kind to date his students, in fact, he rarely dated after joining uni and becoming a professor. 

He strictly believed that student/teacher relationships should end in only a professional non romantic set up. That was all up until he crashed into you that morning. 

You had been in his mind all day, stirring him crazy as he imagined your smile, the way your eyes lit up when you talked about your subject of interest, the say your fingers fiddled with the ring you wore on your index finger. 

He wondered if this feeling would last forever or become a vague memory, an attraction of hearts that didn't last but felt good till it did. If he was rushing, or if you even felt the same way. 

He was smart, of course that's how he became a teacher, but he still couldn't place your feelings. 

So when he saw you staring at him, his heart leaping in his throat at your adorable smile, the only logical answer his brain gave was that you liked him too. Temporary attraction or not, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in it's mouth. 

Next thing he knew your lips were crashing onto his, your chest pressed against his firmly as your hands reached up to the base of his neck. 

Your fingers were soft, tongue swishing against his as he opened his mouth to let you enter. His hands automatically reach for your waist, holding onto firmly as he slammed you against the pillar. 

The sun was nearly down, the last of the rays hitting the garden, lighting you both up in a golden glow that left you breathless with a fire raging in your souls. 

"What do you say that I audit for British history? I'd like to learn more lessons from you, Professor Holland." You said, breathless against his chest, hiding your nose against his sternum, blood rushing to your ears as his warm hand burned against the bare skin underneath your shirt. 

"That would be great darling, anything to see your pretty smile every morning." 

A/N: let me know what you think! :)

[wmarximoff]

Oh my god, 🤭 lmao! I’m sure you’re a great kisser. I honestly, didn’t even question it. It’s okay, we can be overthinkers together (one of the main reasons I can’t get to sleep 😪). For sure, if you can sit through it then what the hell, right? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen them all as well.

You do? Oh, you poor soul. 🤭 I don’t even know where to start, how does one even go about something like this? 🤔 (Oh no, don’t you dare… that’s the lowest blow of them all! 🫠 There you go again — mutual… it’s so mutual. 😩)

I suppose, but my plans were interrupted :( don’t tell anyone… but I’m thinking about sneaking off to bed to avoid my responsibilities. 🫣 Wait… just hold on, a walk at like three or four in the morning… by yourself? Forgive my paranoia but, like, are you trying to get murdered? 🤭 Curing boredom, maybe… uh, sleep? I know it’s the weekend and all — I’m a little jealous it’s only just Saturday where you are, my days go so much quicker — I’d like to be a day behind.

Sounds similar… my spotify is so neglected and I still need to listen to your DFTR playlist but I’m a procrastinator.

Kisses through the phone I can definitely do. 😘💗 Kisses sent, waiting on delivery. You’re very welcome!

Yep, no, definitely not a brat by any means. Of course you can’t I’m such a good girl most of the time and it just never happens.😌 Obviously. Not on here, not yet, no. I have some ideas floating around though.

You have a theory? I don’t know what else I can tell you, I’ve given you so much to work with already.

-🌸

I'm paranoid to the point of questioning myself right now if I'm really a good kisser. Maybe my entire life people have lied to me. And like, how could I even know about that? So many thoughts to think about right now, what the fuck. So yeah, let's be overthinkers together LMAO. Every time I have an identity crisis I'll cry in your lap.

Oh, I'm all about sneaking off to bed to avoid my responsibilities. We could just leave everything behind and go live in the woods for all I care (and it reminds me of my jokes about thayblossom and us being cult leaders… but on second thought I'd look good in a white dress in a self-sustaining community telling people that modern society is doomed, and i'm sure you would look so pretty in a white dress… not that i'm telling you to marry me haha 🤪). Well… in my defense it was only 2am when I left LMAO. And I'm back home, so… not this time, unfortunately or not. Okay I promise I'll stop with the self-deprecating jokes now, it's just stronger than I am.

Oh my god I totally forgot that we're living in like totally different days??? This is so weird lol. But yeah, I should probably sleep. It's five twenty-two am, fucking hell. I swear I'm gonna die.

But don't worry about it honey, that playlist is just a messed up brainstorm that I threw in there with no context at all lol. The songs readers rated are great of course, but mine are… well, mine 🫣 And I'm getting sleepy and dumb and would definitely like a kiss from you before I actually fall asleep. But life is unfair.

Ideas floating around… would you mind sharing them, good girl? 🤨

And it's not a theory, it's like… 99% sure and I just don't know what to make of it (and if I've totally thought of the wrong person it's going to be pretty, erm, uncomfortable LMAO 🫠)

[nobody-cares-what-you-say-online]

I exercised yesterday like I said that I would, and I feel so much better for it. I also visited a friend. We didn't really talk about anything deep or real, but it still felt good to be with someone that I love and spend time with them.

I still didn't get as much work done as I wanted yesterday. I get distracted so easily so ended up doing another task instead. I hyperfocused on something less important, which is a trap that I often fall into when I am procrastinating. I get the dopamine of completing something, but I don't have any of the satisfaction of doing what I was supposed to do. I also have anxiety about not finishing my work. What if my boss notices and gets upset with me? I just returned to work after a leave of absence, but I can only let that excuse stretch so far. I need to get things done and get back to work. I like and care about my job, and I don't want to lose it.

I'm technically supposed to be working right now, but I think that starting my work day with this blog is kind of helpful. I can get some thoughts down and set intentions for the day before I dive into my to-do lists.

I still feel awful whenever I think about my completed goal. I'm glad and sad that my friend didn't ask about it yesterday. I don't want to talk about it, but I think about it constantly. I feel nostalgic about the days when I was just planning and preparing for it. I want to cry just thinking about it right now. I don't even know where to begin to move past this, but I think the first step is to find a new goal. I have no idea what it should be.

Goal: I think my small goal for today will be to do a short brainstorm of some new mid to long-term goals. I can start a list and write down 10 ideas. If that's too hard then I'll write down 5. Maybe then I will feel like I'm moving. Right now I feel like I'm at a complete standstill. I'm stuck and unable to push forward.

Gratitude: Today I'm grateful for my house. I'm so lucky to have a comfy, cozy, and secure place to live. So many people have housing insecurity or pay too much to just exist somewhere. I moved around a lot as a child because my parents could not afford to own a home. No place has ever felt like home because it always felt so temporary. This feels like my first ever home. My partner owns our house, and it has plenty of space for our family. Sometimes it's messy, like right now, but we are so fortunate to have this place that is ours. I am so thankful for this space.

[delcakoo]

ems.. so I did something embarrassing today and I can't stop thinking abt it. earlier our adviser was speaking and he cracked his voice and I accidentally like, laughed it was a laugh more like a snort and it was so quiet everyone heard it including him, IDK WHY I KEEP EMBARRASSING MYSELF ISTG. I KEEP DOING THINGS THAT'LL STICK WITH ME UNTIL I DIE. but besides that I'm okay, I JUST CANT BELIEVE I COULDN'T HOLD THAT IN, AND BESIDE ME WAS A MALE. HES SOOO ANNOYING. IDK HE PROLLY MADE FUN OF ME IN HIS HEAD CAUSE I LAUGHED. I FUCKINsbfausbfo. sometimes I wish I just disappear. ISTG I HATE ATTENTION THIS IS WHY I HATE ATTENTION. ALSO WHY I DON'T LIKE SPOTLIGHT CAUSE IM AFRAID, OF JUDGEMENT. I'm scared of letting A LOT of people know me cause then they'll know everything and if I embarrass myself or do something wrong they will know they'll see. I WAS RETHINKING THIS WHETHER I SHOULD TELL U OR NOT BUT ISTG I CANT STOP THINKING ABT IT. Idk maybe the ppl in my class prolly forgot abt it but the problem is I can't cause I'm the one who embarrassed myself, I hate embarrassing myself cause it'll stick with me. I'll prolly think about it randomly when going to bed and mentally slap myself. I FEEL BAD FOR DOING THAT TO MY ADVISER. ITS NOT HIS PROBLEM. REALLY, ITS ME IDFK ANYMORE.

I don't know how I'll calm myself, I mean I am calm rn I just can't process anything right now. I'll read your content, watch movies/k-drama, prolly take a nap to distract myself from today😔updating you is actually making me feel better. everyday when I have time to update you and I do, I feel stress relieved. oh and the k-drama I'm currently watching is cheer up, its quite interesting. I saw it on tiktok and wanted to watch it because of the drama😭

anyway, besides that congratulations on 1k!! (forgot to congratulate you earlier) f2f is over for me (for now) how's school? I hope you're okay! 💙

-m💙

LMFKJSNCKJNS MOONIE PLEASE, I TOTALLY GET HOW YOU FEEL BUT I RPOMSIE YOU ONE DAY YOU WILL LITERALLY FORGET THIS EVER HAPPENED PLEASE DONT WORRY TOO MUCH. IM TELLING U RN EVERYONE COMPLETELY FORGOT YOU DID THAT LIKE FIVE MONUTES AFTER IT HAPPENED OKAY??? NAHHSHHUSNAH ITS HONESTLY A BIT FUNNY CMON YOI HAVE TO ADMIT. BUT ALSO YES I GET WHAT YOU MEAN, BUT FR THIS IS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE 😭 EVERYONE HAS EMBARRASSING MOMENTS THAT RANDOMLY COME BACK T US LATER, ITS OKAY LOVE HSKUSNSN

AWW, im glad updating me calms you down shdjdh yes go watch a new show or smthn!! UGH NGL I HAVENT WATCHED ANY KOREAN SHOWS BESIDES UHH ALL OF US ARE DEAD, SQUID GAME AND SWEET HOME :( I ALSO WATCHED A FEW EPISODES OF SKYCASTLE BUT IT WAS LOWKEY ASS 💀💀💀

AAHH THANK YOU DEAR I APPRECIATE IT!! mmm, schools okay ig 😭 i’m just very bad at studying 😭 i keep procrastinating i’m like “i���ll do my hw later” THEN IT JUST KEEPS GETTING LATER UNTIL I GO TO SLEEP AND THEN I END UP NOT DOING IT 💀💀💀 but uhhh IM SURVIVING (besides gym and math 💀) !!! ✊✊ ON A BRIGHTER NOTE I FINISHED SOME BRAINSTORMING AND BEGAN WRITING MY NEXT LONGFIC WHICH IS GONNA BE FOR JUNGWON !! i’m vv excited, i dunno if it’s gonna surpass behind the net’s word count tho 😔😔😔

[skypied]

Hello Pie, would you be open to sharing your writing process as well as possibly giving some tips on how to find a good name for your fics? I can't title my works for shit & am curious about how other writers go about creating fanfic in general. Thank you!! (ps if your hits to kudos ratio on "make me crescendo" is fucked it's because I can't stop coming back to it <3333) (pps you enthusiasm for the Luca fandom gives me life & I appreciate it very much :^)

Bold of you to assume I know anything ahah <3 Readmore bc I can't be brief

Titling, well, mostly I've used snippets from songs I like (10 out of 16 fics on my ao3 are song lyrics, lol, but I might've stopped crediting them). Mostly for smut, because those usually don't have any interesting themes to draw title inspiration from, so I tend to use songs I listened to a lot around the period I wrote it, songs with a similar theme, or just lines I like and feel fit well enough.

For the things I have titled myself, I either just pull a line from the fic (potentially shortening it a little to suit better), or try to think about what the themes in it are, and just... brainstorm? I usually go through a couple of ideas, but it usually just clicks when I've found the right one. I still think it's difficult, but I try to trust that gut feeling and that my opinion is correct. In my experience it comes easier with practice!!

As for writing process, god I barely know. I used to just write freely bc the inspiration/motivation was so strong I'd be clawing on the walls if I didn't write haha, but lately self consciousness and anxiety has taken over. Lately it's almost a chore (emphasis on almost) - literally every word is forced out through screaming at myself that everything I write is stupid, tbh.. It's like, it is fun and rewarding, but I have to somewhat force myself to do it? Idk, especially writing is such a fine line between pure fun and work. Now that the motivation and fun has waned a little, I turn to discipline and force myself to write a little every day.I can usually write something, but I often have to work to get into the headspace.

I try having some rules/boundaries/routines around writing - separating my apartment into different zones for different things (especially since I frequently work from home). I tend to, before sitting down to write, do 5-15 minutes of chores and/or preparing a cup of tea, a snack, or something - just to make my head and the space around me to feel a little clearer.

I also try to block my time into smaller chunks, because if I just have a vague plan to "write as much as I can this evening", I end up wasting a lot of it procrastinating. I get a lot more done if I block off time for it, and I've learned to force myself to not write for too long without break. Instead of spending 90% of my free time in front of the computer intending to write, I block it up. Even if it's just "1 hour writing, 15-30 minutes for making dinner/chores/something, then another hour of writing", it helps me stay focused. I've been thinking of trying doing some writing sprints - where you set a timer and write as much as you can in that period, I think 15 minutes is most common?

I often struggle to actually start, or get to the point where writing comes freely. What I often do is go back and read something, preferably from what I'm working on to remind myself there are things in this I like, and I want to make progress on it. But important for me at least is to not reread the same thing too much and coming to resent it. I'm blessed/cursed with having something like 150-170k of wips in my drive and being able to rotate what I read though lollll.

I'm also working on not being too precious with my writing, not being overly perfectionist and being open to sharing unfinished (and sometimes frankly stupid) things. I've never been more productive since I started co-writing and having a low threshold to share unfinished things, sometimes even like - "I'm not sure this is anything, wanna look??". (I'm also very lucky to have found someone absolutely wonderful who's very enthusiastic and supportive though<3)

At least for me, writing is very personal and challenges my own self-perception and can often tamper with my emotions, so despite a lot of forcing discipline, I also try to be gentle with myself. I had a weekend not too long where I wrote like, 12 hours in a day, and became so burnt out and demotivated I felt really down and stressed for at least a week and hated the fic so much I couldn't finish it myself. I think thinking of it as despite being fun, it's work and a toll on your brain, and you need to rest. Just like how I need to decompress after a work day, I need to do so after writing. Other times, I work through emotions by writing. Last time I wrote angst was a direct consequence of attending a work dinner that was terrible and made me extremely anxious, haha.

Honestly I think the writing process is something you kind of have to figure out what works for you as you go through it!

also ty for just, nice words, I don’t feel like I’ve been particularly enthusiastic about this fandom, at least publicly, and some of the manic energy I had getting into the fandom has waned, but I do love this fandom dearly and I’m glad it can give you something! <3