#I'm just always confused because I am NOT a confident writer

[chrimsone]

got angry at a story last night

[otrtbs]

saw a post recently describing the marauder’s era fandom as ‘the worst mass delusion since the dancing plague’ and i was wondering what u think of all that? i don’t think we give jkr more traction which is what the post accused us of so i was just wondering your take is. i saw so many ppl agree with it and i was so confused (i realise u prob won’t answer this publicly but i’m too scared to ask off anon and i’m sorry for polluting ur ask box with this sort of negativity) love ahb! it changed my life

hi!! you caught me at a time when i had my computer handy so we're gonna have a little chat. you are NOT polluting my inbox and i think that these are important conversations to be had, so i'm gonna do my best to articulate my thoughts under the cut <3

i haven't seen the post so i can't really get into the thick of what that person was saying, but based on the context you've provided me here, i do wanna hit a few points.

i definitely grapple with the fact that my participation in this fandom can/could/and does lead to more traction (increased relevance/visibility/revenue) for jkr inadvertently. i think that the very nature of being in this fandom, in whatever capacity, but especially for me as a fic writer, means that i cannot sever myself entirely from her views and actions and act as if i am operating in a sphere completely free from her influence and traction.

i can make my stance clear. i can denounce jkr and her views, i can take actions to counteract the harmful rhetoric and real violence she seeks to enact on the trans and other marginalized communities. i can use the power of my dollar to ensure that she never sees a single cent from me. not from merch sales, or theme park visits, or new book editions, or lego sets.

but, at the end of the day, i can't agree with the sentiment that "we don't give jkr more traction" because we do. and i see it happening all the time. people in the marauders fandom still go to the studios, still buy official merch, still give her money. and the part where i struggle a lot....is in the way that fics and fic reading has become more promotional in content w the rise of tiktok fandom spaces. which, inevitably, may (and does) encourage people who once liked harry potter to re-enter the fandom in a new capacity. and i can't control what they do and how they spend their money and where they go etc. all i can do is make my stance clear, and put my money where my mouth is.

but i am always aware of it. that i have a harry potter fic out there and it's an easy read and an au so not hard to get behind if you're new to the fandom. i'm not out here recruiting people into this space, but sometimes, with tweets and tiktok posts that anyone can view, i know that it happens. and if someone stumbles across my fic and gets into the marauders and decides to watch the marauders reboot??? that's not something i can control. but it IS something i think about. a lot. all the little ways that being in this fandom can lead to more jkr traction.

i would love to be like "no! fuck jkr and i wash my hands of it,,, i'm not giving her traction." but i think that would be disingenuous and superficial. just because *I* am not giving her money doesn't mean that the collective *we* aren't. because *we* are. and my fics may help that along in minute but unignorable ways. i do my best to mitigate and counteract the potential harm, i'm starting to add notes in my fics and on my navigation asking ppl to keep comments/thoughts/opinions in my tumblr ask box and ao3 comments only and off twt/tiktok/ect but i also cannot confidently say that my presence in fandom doesn't provide jkr any traction. i was talking to a friend abt similar topics a while ago (s/o rae) and they were like "in an ideal world harry potter fandom would be like a closed practice and die out eventually" and yeah. exactly. but as it stands today, it's not a closed practice, and i think it's important to be mindful always of the impact you're creating. i don't think most if any of us here sit down to "promote" harry potter or the marauders but obviously, with the reboot that's happening, there is some influence happening there.

i love writing in this space, i love writing in this fandom. i love this little corner of the internet that we've carved out, i love the friends i've made in it. the stories that are being created in this space are kinder and more diverse and more reflective than the source material, and the fandom has brought me and many others a lot of really great experiences. but that contradiction (i reject jkr and her politics but i still create fics/art/videos rooted in her works ... or even if you eschew canon and work strictly in au's you're using her characters from the original text) is always there. and there are always going to be ties back to her. and i don't think it negates the value of the stories we're telling, but i also don't think it's something we can just ignore and pretend to be be innocent/ignorant of either.

okay this was so long and rambly but those are my thoughts. i think the topic is messy to grapple w for me <- girl who is horrendous at being articulate but hopefully this lays it out somewhat?? <3 kk love you never feel bad abt sending me asks like this beloved <33

[theewokingdead]

Stick to the Script - Benny Miller x f!Reader

Pairing: Benny Miller x f!Reader Summary: A struggling romance writer finds herself stuck on a steamy scene—until her charming, infuriatingly gorgeous roommate, Benny, offers an unconventional solution: roleplaying. What starts as a hilarious, over-the-top reenactment quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Word Count: 1.6k Rating: Mature Content: Language, Comedy, Roommates to Lovers, Banter, Slow Burn, Teasing, Benny being goofy AF A/N: Absolutely inspired by @musings-of-a-rose’s writing tactics.

Masterlist I am one deleted paragraph away from throwing my laptop out the window.

I groan and rub my temples, glaring at the half-finished chapter on my screen. The scene isn’t working. The chemistry is flat. Here I am, a self-proclaimed romance writer, yet I can’t describe two people having sex without it sounding mechanical and awkward. Maybe I’m not cut out for this after all.

“Everything okay?”

Sighing, I push my chair back and swivel toward the door. There stands Benny, my roommate, casually leaning against the doorframe with an effortless grace he always seems to have. His tousled hair catches the light just right, and his eyes sparkle with amusement. Damn, he's gorgeous.

I manage a weak smile then offer a quick shrug. “Just battling my inner critic. You know, the usual.”

Benny steps inside, his gaze landing on the papers scattered across my desk. “Anything I can help with?”

I stiffen as he picks up one of the sheets. It’s too late to stop him now. His eyes widen as he takes in my ridiculous brainstorming method – stick figure drawings, rough and rudimentary, illustrating the erotic scene I’m trying to write.

"Are these...stick figures?" he asks, his voice quivering with suppressed laughter. He tilts the page, studying my atrocious attempt at anatomy.

“It helps me visualize!”

He snorts. “Visualize what? A very confusing game of Twister?” He holds up the page like it’s a prized trophy, and I can’t help but feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Are they…hugging? It looks like a really enthusiastic hug.”

I lunge to snatch the paper, but he jerks it out of reach. "I swear, if you don't put that down..." I warn, half-jokingly.

“Is this a penis or a third arm? Because holy hell that thing could break someone.”

I manage to snatch the paper from his hand. I stick my tongue out at him before plopping back down into my chair.

 “I think you need to rethink your approach,” Benny says, still sporting an amused grin. “Maybe consider less... stickiness?”

“It’s a romance novel, Benny,” I say dryly, shoving the paper under the others. “There’s going to be a lot of stickiness.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Fair point.”

I sigh and lean back in my chair.

Benny flops onto my bed, arms crossed behind his head like he’s about to deliver some great wisdom. “Maybe you should try something different.”

“Something different?” I eye him warily. “If you’re just going to suggest I watch porn, I’m throwing you out with my laptop. I’ve already seen more than my fair share.”

“I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last bit and say no, that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking more like…roleplaying.”

I blink. “Roleplaying? You mean act out the scene?”

“Exactly!” He sits up, suddenly animated. “Get into character, feel it out. Maybe it’ll help with the writing. I can be your very willing participant." He shoots me an exaggerated wink.

“Benny…,” I say slowly. God, the things his half-broken wink does to me. It makes me unable to think.

“Clothing stays on, obviously, and if you become too uncomfortable, we stop. I just want to help you figure out how to make things flow naturally." As if his words haven't already tugged at my heart enough, he adds, "I know how much finishing this book means to you.”

I stare at him, searching for any trace of mockery, but all I found is that annoying, irresistible confidence. The idea is absurd. And yet…my stomach flutters. Maybe it’s the sleep deprivation. Maybe it's the fact I’ve been harboring feelings for Benny for months, and the thought of getting this close to him, touching him, sends my mind spiraling. Somehow, I find myself nodding.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

Benny's eyebrows lift in surprise. He quickly recovers, standing up with a smirk. "Alright. Set the scene for me."

I grab my notes, cheeks burning. “Uh…They’re in her living room.”

"Perfect.” He takes my hand, his grip warm and reassuring, and guides me towards the living room. The soft glow from the streetlights outside casts shadows on the walls. My pulse quickens.

"Now what?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“They’re sitting on the couch, but he pulls her to him and they start out making out. Like… really intensely.”

Benny sinks into the couch and effortlessly pulling me onto his lap. My heart pounds. His fingers lightly trace patterns on my arm, the touch light and teasing, as if we're just two friends sharing a moment. But my skin tingles with an electric charge, my breath catching as if this simple gesture holds a deeper meaning. For me, it does.

"Okay," he murmurs, tilting his head with a slow, deliberate motion. The air thickens with the anticipation of a kiss that never comes. Benny abruptly breaks the tension with a dramatic, “Mwah, mwah, mwah.” Pretend kisses.

Laughter bursts from me. Relief and longing war in my chest.

"What else?" he asks.

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. "Um... hands. A lot of hands. Touching, I mean." "Alright. Touch me then. Wherever you want, sweetheart." Fuck. Me.

I lift my hand to his cheek, feeling the roughness of his stubble. His jaw tightens under my touch. His hands slide over my hips with a deliberate slowness, his fingers lightly brushing against the fabric at the edge of my shirt. My breath hitches in my throat. He has no idea what he is doing to me.

“And now?” he asks, voice huskier now.

I hesitate. "He grinds against her.”

Benny smirks mischievously. "Like this?" he asks, his eyes twinkling with playful intent. He suddenly gyrates beneath me with the enthusiasm of a ridiculous TikTok dance.

I burst into laughter. “No! Not like – Oh my God! Stop it!”

“Oh, yeah, baby. Just like that,” he fake-pants. “You’re gonna make me finish in my pants before I can give you the best weinering of your life.”

I smack his chest, still laughing uncontrollably. “You’re ruining the scene!”

He stops, then gasps melodramatically. “How dare you? I am method acting!”

“Method acting? For the sake of your lovers, I pray you aren't this bad in bed."

He sits up straight, feigning offense. “I’ll have you know I’m an excellent lover.”

"Then fucking act like it!"

“Fine. For the sake of art, I will take my role seriously.”

“Good. Because next, he pins her down.”

Benny immediately flips me onto the couch, looming over me. He makes a show of dramatically swooning over me. “Oh, fair maiden, I must ravish thee!” He starts mock-humping, making the worst over-the-top groaning sounds I’ve ever heard.

I wheeze. “Benny, I swear to God-”

“Shh,” he says, placing a finger over my lips to shush me. “Who’s Benny? I am the handsome, broody High Fae king.”

I lose it. Where the hell did he get the idea that I’m writing fantasy? Or does he just know what I’ve been reading lately? “This is a contemporary romance!”

Benny pauses. “Oh. Then I’m the morally gray kidnapper. And you can only call me Daddy.”

“Jesus Christ!” I burst into laughter again, then push him away. “That’s not what’s supposed to happen! Stick to the fucking script!”

He raises his hands defensively, the laughter still dancing in his eyes. “There isn’t a fucking script! I thought we were just winging this.”

I cross my arms, feigning frustration. “Fine. You’re right. Like you said, I need to see where things would naturally go.”

“Just tell me what to do.”

“Well, what would you do with a girl in this situation?”

Benny shrugs casually. “I’d make her beg.”

My breath hitches at his words, a rush of heat flooding my cheeks. “Beg?” I can hardly manage to keep my voice steady. “Beg, yeah. Begging’s good. Make me – her - beg.”

Benny flashes a devilish grin, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Ohhh, I can do that," he says, his voice dripping with confidence. He waggles his eyebrows playfully, and I start to wonder how on earth I found myself in this situation. He leans in, breath warm against my skin. In a deep, ridiculous voice, he purrs, "Say my name, baby."

I snort. “No.”

“Say it.” God, he sounds like a demon, and not a sexy one. He bumps his hips against mine in an exaggerated motion.

I shake my head, trying to keep a straight face. “Absolutely not.”

Benny pouts. “Then I shall hump until morale improves.”

I dissolved into laughter as he returns to his theatrical dry-humping, adding in an exaggerated “Ohhh yeah” like he’s in a bad ‘80s movie.

“Who the hell says ‘shall’?” I gasp.

“Dare you question my dramatic prowess? This is the language of the brooding Fae kings!”

“I’m going to kill you,” I say with a laugh, the words tumbling out between chuckles.

"Oooh. Enemies to lovers?" he teases. There’s a playful glint in his eyes before his movements slow, his grip on my hips tightening just slightly. He inches closer, his breath brushing softly against the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “I was hoping for roommates to lovers.”

Something shifts. The laughter fades. He’s still close, his hands firm on my hips. His smirk falters for just a second.

The air thickens. My pulse thunders. I’ve spent so long pretending I don’t feel this way, covering it with sarcasm and teasing. But right now, there’s no hiding.

Heart hammering, I grab his face and kiss him.

He freezes, eyes wide.

I smirk, though my heart races. “Do you want to keep pretending?”

His voice is low, gravelly. “Not if it means I get more of that.”

I bite my lip. “Are you serious?”

He nods slowly, a soft smile teasing the corners of his mouth. "I’ve always wanted to know what it’d be like to kiss you.”

I let out a shaky breath. “You’re not just saying that for the sake of the scene, are you?”

Benny leans in closer, his forehead almost touching mine. “Nope.”

And then he kisses me for real.

[trademarkblue]

all of the press is literally "the people who you think are good aren't always good" and Max does not seem excited for this season....I know he's fliming another show and what not but he just kinda seems bummed out. idk I'm struggling to stay positive it just feels like a huge slap in the face. and like they're putting the final nail in nicks coffin in hopes people will accept Luke

I personally feel like the press this year is jerking us around the worst it ever has, and I'm no longer watching, reading, or putting any stock in what any of them are saying. I agree there have been moments where I was a little confused by Max, but honestly it could also just be that he's not sure how to talk about it while being more careful than ever before not to accidentally spoil anything.

I was extremely confident that we were gonna get Osblaine endgame for many reasons, including the fact that The Testaments needs to not piss off 75% of the fanbase who are all ravenously posting on all forms of social media about how much they need Nick and June to end up together - and that's not a new thing just this season. Nick and June posts historically seem to do way better than any other promo the show has done in the past, so they must have known this would be a big deal - to make sure it's done right or at least satisfactorily enough for us to want to stick with the writers/producers for the next project.

But I will say some doubts have crept in for me too very recently, because they are pushing Osblaine HARD right now, which leaves me pretty 50/50 on whether that's because they want to give us little treats up front, before they break our hearts (sadistic)... OR if that's because they want to remind casual viewers of the foundational love between June and Nick, so if any type of endgame happens, it will make sense to people who have forgotten the origin story.

I'm really sorry you're feeling bummed! I really hate that they have dragged out the love triangle this far, and it's actually one of my biggest complaints (if not THE biggest) with the show, because it was just so unnecessary. And I've never understood why writers/producers of TV don't realize we want to see the resolution with enough time to actually enjoy the fruits of our dedication - for a whole ass season, please, or at least a few episodes. Even if we get endgame in episode 10, I'll be annoyed we didn't have a chance to really enjoy everything that could have meant, all the potential plots of them working together that we could have seen.

So I'm still really, REALLY hopeful, and episode 3 was something I had previously given up hope of EVER seeing. I think we are being well fed right now, and I am continuing to pray that's with the intention of supplying act 2 angst as a path to act 3 endgame.

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

How do you write comedy? I am lost and confused about how to be funny.

I am so flattered, unbelievably so, but also mostly stunned that people would consider me funny enough to be any kind of expert. Thank you, anon.

Though I'm going to say I am not an expert on comedy, and I can only speak for myself here, everyone is more than free to disregard.

That said--

At least for me, it's something I have a hard time putting into words of what's funny and what isn't. I can say "yes" and "no" to something I've written or read, but I can't tell you exactly why. I have no set formula of "if I do this, this, then this, the punchline will be fucking hilarious".

And note a lot of people disagree with me on what is and isn't funny. There's a lot of things people think are hilarious that I'm not too hot on. Friends comes to mind, I have never been able to get into Friends and people I know LOVE IT. I also love It's Always Sunny, which is well-acclaimed--but it's also a show that's not for everyone because it centers around such mean dirtbags of human beings. This isn't a bad thing, to each their own, but it is also something to keep in mind. You're never going to be funny to everyone.

Figure Out What You Like

But I think that's the best advice I can give: figure out what you find funny and try to think of why. What have you watched, and especially what have you read, that's fucking hilarious. The reading bit is important because writing is a completely different medium, and there's no direct translation from different mediums to it. Maintaining the joke with adaptations is difficult and requires a lot of thought about pacing and how it comes across.

But if you first figure out what you've read that's funny, you can then begin to ask yourself why and also how the writer pulled it off.

One thing I'm fond of, which is a reoccurring thing in pretty much everything I've written because I can't help myself, is miscommunication and a lack of introspection.

Character A has some internal goal 1 that for various reasons, mostly due to internalized conflict and stress as well as outside pressures, they must disguise as goal 2. Character B, on the other hand, genuinely has goal 2, and has no idea that Character A thinks any differently.

Therefore, Character A is in an increasingly desperate spiral trying to maintain the illusion that they want goal 2, which turns out to be diametrically opposed to what they really want of goal 1, while Character B either has no fucking idea or is slowly wondering "Does... Character A really want goal 2? They have to. Why would they lie about this? That's ridiculous".

I love that shit.

Some of the funniest stuff in the world to me.

Other things include Character A is in an awkward situation, some terrible polite nonsense, but they can't leave because then everyone would think they're rude, so they have to pretend they're enjoying themselves at this stupid dinner party, oh god.

And then the good old reliables like "Character A is confidently and consistently wrong and--oh--oh no--you want--hm--Character A has to prove it right now? Right here? In front of a national audience? And everyone genuinely believes Character A is the world's best expert because Character A has been bragging about this for months. Well." or even just "Character A says something so, so, stupid".

Never underestimate the comedic power of someone saying something really, really stupid.

But that's me, figure out what makes you laugh and try to figure out what it is about it.

Keep Characters Consistent/The Joke is in Service of the Story

This one's a bit more specific, and obviously people are free to disagree, but comedy works best when you know where you are and who's there.

Even for things that rely on a lot of gags like old Looney Toons, it works because Bug's Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, everyone is consistent.

If someone acts outside the realm of what they'd naturally do just for the sake of a joke, the joke doesn't work, it falls flat. It becomes "he would not fucking do this" and your audience just gets distracted.

Similarly, you can have a great joke going on, and it can even deviate from the plot/not wholly be necessary, but that has to be done very carefully otherwise it comes off feeling pointless and unnecessary. It shouldn't turn the characters into people they're not, and shouldn't take the audience so far out of the story they feel like they were slapped with a wet fish.

Don't Write Too Much but Don't Write Too Little

Timing is everything in comedy. A great joke can fall apart if it isn't delivered correctly.

Of course, "write gud" applies to everything else like prose, dialogue, and narrative, it's not exactly groundbreaking advice--but in terms of comedy for me the thing to watch for is a) if the joke takes too long/is explained in too much detail b) if it's not explained enough and the reader misses it.

In the case of (a), in writing, a joke can easily get bogged down by words. I can't tell you what is and isn't too many words, but it's one of those things you know when you see it, mainly that there's so much on the page that the readers forget the joke even happened. It gets buried which kills the joke.

The joke also dies if you repeat it too much, if in the prose or dialogue it consistently comes up and is reused, not so much as a running gag but a "did you get the joke?!" It's surprisingly easy to do and something to always watch out for.

However, in the case of (b), you have to have enough words on the page to convey the joke to the audience. You don't want to bury it or treat your audience like idiots, but they also do have to have enough to go on to realize a joke happened.

TL;DR

Watch and read stuff, learn by example

[dreamylyfe-x]

Hi, I am pretty new to the Shameless/gallavich Fandom but first I LOVE YOUR FICS

Second, I've read some of your meta and I don't know about soaps but novelas and kdramas under my belt, I agree the come and go of Noel probably saved them from drama in later seasons, they probably have had them broke at one point also, they refused to make Mickey a principal, but one of my fav parts of s4 is that he finally gets his own arc (pimp and all that apart) and I'd have loved to see him explored outside his relationship with Ian

Hey! What an amazing surprise this is!

First of all, thank you.

Second: Novelas, kdramas (I have watched my share of t-dramas -- Devil Besides Me and Meteor Garden forever), Shondaland -- they will all give you the gist of that soap experience. My feeling is that we'd get a season six where both Mickey and Ian sort of struggle to figure out their adult lives -- and that's probably a decent enough story. They likely marry them in season seven. And then they spent seasons 8-11 (or however many seasons they get to keep them) messing them up. Not because Shameless burns plot the way soaps and novelas do, but because 11 seasons is a lot. And at some point they will decide they need conflict for Gallavich and that conflict will be in the era of Gay Jesus-type writing and I'm confident we'd have been very upset by it.

I will say I don't think they so much refused to make Mickey a principle as they didn't know for sure what they wanted to do with American Mickey or where he fit into their pretty full roster. Like, there was always a chance for him, since I believe his British counterpart sticks around, but he's not filling the same role that US Shameless Mickey does. Also, shows has a budget and I can completely see how they might not have had the money for him until season three.

In season five, Cam and Noel did an interview with Buzzfeed where the EP, Etan Frankel, talks about how Mickey turned into the character he'd become at that stage, and it's clear that they don't quite know where they're going with him, and then once they shoot 1x7 they know they've got something interesting to pursue. There are a lot of moving factors in making use of that, though, including Cam's age and how ian's character balances out with his siblings in terms of storyline. Gallavich get one of the most dramatic moments of the entire series in season three and I think that's really when they shift into being primaries on the show. More and more, they start to drive fan engagement online and that sets up season four where, absolutely, Mickey vaults ahead in terms of how much the show is paying to his inner life.

Part of that is because Cam is off filming The Giver, so he's not around for half the season, but I think the other part is what Etan is talking about in the Buzzfeed article -- they just know Noel can deliver. I particularly always think about this quote, in regards to both Noel and Cam as individual performers, but also when I think about their creative partnership:

As a writer, you feel secure writing a scene knowing they're going to knock it out of the park and they'll find things you didn't necessarily intend, so you find beautiful moments. It's exciting to see those dailies come back and saying, Oh wow, that wasn't even a moment in the script, but they've made it become a moment.

I know this is why we get so much Mickey in the first half of season 4. Not just that he needs to carry the torch for Gallavich by himself but because the writer's room knows they can give him that scene with the picture in the bathroom and the performance will convey how much Mickey misses Ian. This is also clearly when he essentially becomes a point-of-view character -- and he continues to be until he leaves the show in season six. So many key moments in those two seasons, particularly around Ian's illness, rely on the audience seeing Mickey's reactions and moments of realization. His confusion in 4x12. His reaction to the suitcases. His meltdown after Ian is hospitalized, where virtually his entire reaction is silent across two episodes. It's really great that they trusted him to do that. It's one of the reasons I think the story works so well.

Anyway. I find it a little jarring, when Mickey comes back, that he isn't quite the POV character he was. It improves in season 11 and we get more Mickey-centred storylines. But I feel consistently (particularly in the late seasons when I'm really not that invested in the rest of the story) that there was a lot more room to use Mickey the way they used to. But by then, it's a different kind of show.

[raelle-writing]

Non is NOT a perfect victim

Or: The meta that will likely get me canceled lmao

Disclaimer: I am not victim blaming Non. I'm not saying that he deserves what happened to him. I'm simply tired of everyone acting like he has no agency and has never done anything wrong. Non was written to be a gray character the same as the others.

I think a lot of people write off the bad ways that Non acted, either because they view the ways he harms others as "not that bad"... or view his actions as being fair or just because of the people they impact. But regardless, the writers clearly wrote Non to make mistakes, hurt the people around him, and not be a perfect victim.

Getting his "friends" involved in money laundering

It would be easy to say that Non didn't know what he was doing was illegal. But he definitely did. Tee brought Non to an illegal casino, hidden behind a restaurant.

Gambling is illegal in Thailand. Non knows in that moment that what he's doing is wrong, and he jumps into the deep end anyway. I'm not making a judgement on him choosing to work with Tee for money - I understand why he did it.

The thing is, Tee basically told Non what he was getting into. Taking him to the illegal casino, laying it all out what they were doing. Non knew he was getting involved in something illegal when he started working with Tee. Non more than likely felt like he had no choice, since he couldn't ask his parents for help, of course.

But Non doesn't do that when he recruits his friends. He blatantly lies to them, telling them it's all for filming, and then uses the accounts they opened for money laundering.

Then, because of the way that Non and the mafia are using the accounts, Jin, Fluke, and Por all got pulled in by the police and questioned. And I know people hate the bullies - but those three aren't the ones that deserved to get arrested at this point in the narrative.

Non covers for them and says it was all on him (truthfully) but it's also out of self-preservation since Tee warned him that he'd be killed if he told the truth.

Lying to and gaslighting his boyfriend

Then we get to the introduction of Phee as Non's boyfriend. And on the surface, they have a happy, cute relationship. But then we go below the surface, and we discover they have issues. Phee is always pushing Non and trying to help him, despite the fact that Non hasn't asked for his help, and doesn't want it. And in return, Non repeatedly lies to Phee.

He starts episode 7 by promising he won't do that, promising he won't lie to Phee.

And within the same episode, Non does exactly that. He lies to Phee's face after Phee catches him with Keng. There's debate on whether or not Non slept with Keng here (I'm personally under the impression that he did, since his shirt is untucked, but we don't know for sure). But regardless, Phee asks Non what was going on, and Non lied to him.

Phee calls him on the pieces of his lie (and yes, I've seen people saying "Phee didn't trust Non!" and yeah, he doesn't, because clearly they have a history of Non lying to Phee). And Non proceeds to turn the entire thing around on Phee, making it about Phee having trust issues and not trusting him.

This is gaslighting. Non flips the script and turns the accusation back to Phee, making Phee the one who is in the wrong because he doesn't trust Non, despite catching Non doing something wrong and suspecting that he's lying.

"(Gaslighting is the) psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator." Definition, Merriam Webster

While gaslighting is usually chronic, that doesn't mean there can't be individual cases. And given the ease with which Non lies to Phee, and the way Phee knows in the past that Non withholds things and makes him promise not to lie, we can tell that Non's lying is a chronic problem in their relationship.

I want to point out here that a lot of Non's actions are signs of hyper-independence which is a trauma response. It's clear that Non has been abused and isolated his entire life and has no framework to know how to ask for help. He "knows" (because of his upbringing) that he can't rely on the people around him, and that help never comes without a price. I don't want to paint him as a villain, he's not just yanking Phee around for the fun of it. But people who are hurt, abused, and in bad situations can and do still hurt other people. Non's hurt doesn't erase the wrong he does to Phee.

Further manipulation of Phee

Non shows further manipulative signs when Phee catches him with Keng. (I will address the cheating thing later but for the purpose of this section - Non was coerced into sex so we as the audience shouldn't label it as cheating, however from Phee's point of view that's clearly what it was).

When Phee catches Non with Keng, the first thing that Non does is apologize, which is good. However, he immediately follows that up by telling Phee to calm down, and telling him that he loves him.

Telling Phee to "stop being upset" implies that Phee is too upset, and that he's not acting rationally. Following that up with "I love you" is designed to slide through the weak spot in Phee's armor. This exchange shoves Phee's emotions to the sidelines and centers Non's instead.

This manipulation is much lighter than the gaslighting earlier, but still made me wince when I saw it. Non is belittling Phee's emotions and trying to recenter it all on Non's love for Phee, because that matters "more" than the hurt and pain that Phee is experiencing. Non is working in CYOA mode - that's another trauma response. He's used to being the target when people are angry, so he's trying to deflect it and make himself the victim. It's a trauma response, but it's still a manipulation.

Planning to murder his friends

This is one of the ones that I point to as "I think people gloss over this because they think the bullies deserve it." But I want to point out that pre-meditating to murder people is still a bad thing to do. Non made a plan, brought a weapon into the woods, and then proceeded to try and kill everyone there.

We can debate whether he could've actually gone through with it - he cuts Top and tries to kill Tee, but then when Jin jumps forward to apologize, Non calms and doesn't swing at Jin. That may very well be because he doesn't know what Jin has done - but despite not knowing those things, Non still crossed out Jin's face and planned his death in the script.

I don't know if, when push came to shove, Non could've actually killed any of them. But regardless of that, he planned to, and hurt some of them.

Again, does that mean he deserves to be sold off to the mafia? NO. Of course not! I just want to point out that premeditated murder is bad.

A note on "cheating"

I mentioned this above, but I want to linger on the point about cheating. Because while I stand by that Non was coerced and assaulted, and therefore we as the audience shouldn't label it as cheating, I still feel like it's important to point out that everyone in the narrative treats it as cheating.

No one - Jin, Phee, Non's parents, etc. treat Non sleeping with Keng as if it's assault. Non doesn't seem to understand he was assaulted either (which is normal for victims of grooming).

Phee and Jin in particular react to Non as if he was cheating on Phee. Their actions are shaped by that assumption.

Should they have seen what happened and known it was wrong? Maybe. But I also did some research onto the laws in Thailand and I'm not actually certain that Keng did anything illegal, since Thailand's age of consent is 15 and there's some murky language in their coercion laws (big ass disclaimer that I'm only able to read things in English and so I'm not reasonably certain it's accurate, but it's the only information that I have access to).

I am reasonably certain that the only person who could've brought charges against Keng was Non, but I'm not certain that he would've had a case (again, because of some murky language).

Obviously that regardless of legality, Keng's actions are still morally wrong. I just want to lend some perspective on why people may have reacted the way they did to the event.

In conclusion: Non is a victim, but not a perfect one

Non is still the ultimate victim in the narrative of the show. He's still the one whose life was destroyed, who was victimized repeatedly by the people around him. But I don't want people to forget that he also made mistakes of his own. Because I'm kind of tired of people acting like anyone who sympathizes with a character other than Non is "missing the point."

Non was written to be a gray character, just like Tee, Jin, Por, Phee, and the others. All of the characters have made mistakes. Have acted selfishly, have hurt the people around them, have done illegal things, etc. The difference is that Non's life is the only one who got ruined. Until the present, of course...

Disclaimer that I'm not saying that all of the characters are the same level of gray, there's obviously a bit of a sliding scale there!

[xhane-lia]

Sova headcanons for a trans masc reader? (Not really s/o because *ahem, ahem* aro/ace writer that is tired of writing smut asking for this) and how he found out about it.

(Btw it's 3AM for me, I can barely see what I'm wirting)

Sova headcannons with a trans masc reader (Platonic)

Omg i gotchu dw love (i am also writing at 3am lmao) (just fell asleep in the middle of it)

I relized i am in a writing block.

I feel like it was an accident how he find out you were trans.

Its either you were changing your clothes in the gym changing room and he barged in, thinking he was the only one. Just stood there for a good 10 seconds before you decided to shout at him to get out.

Or you slipped it out of your mouth while having a conversation. Like: "...and he did that because he find out i am trans..." "wait you are trans?"

The way he would just stand there trying to process the things inside his head, trying to find the right words to say but cannot lmao.

Then when you laugh at his confused face and said that it is no big deal, he tried to laugh it off too but it was clear he did get sad that he couldnt find words to say. Its HIS deal to find a way to talk to people and make them regain their self-confidence, motivation and all. He was just angry at himself for that.

Well, he is happy to find it out. It feels like he is getting closer to you as a friend and if you are willing to listen, maybe he will open up to you too.

He will be like a proud mom around you. He would go "i raised them." with a smiling face when you do a higher score on the Maxbot.

But please dont play matchmaking on him. He will get annoyed and emberrassed. "Look whos the one talking." He says with a frown while you laugh your ass off.

He will always be there to protect you. From bullets? Ofcourse. From the fights among the agents? He is right there. He does not want you to interfere any of them. And if you do at will, he will scold you like a child.

His hugs are THE BEST. No one in the HQ can give those big and warming hugs like him.

Will constantly finds himself petting your head if you are shorter than him. It shows his affection. (Might rest his arm on your head to annoy you.)

He will be so happy if you accept his offer to hunt with him. Looking like a excited child while explaining things to you about what to do. It was the best day ever.

Free psychiatrist over here! You can tell him anything. There will be no words coming out of his mouth to anyone about the things you talked about.

He is like a big brother and mother at the same time. His arms are always open if anything happens. (The forbidden crying zone i tell you.)

[katyspersonal]

How do you think Aldrich would speak? Is he rambling on philosophically like Aldia? Goofy and cryptic like Micolash? Is he flamboyant and manipulative like Shabriri?

I KNOW IT'S YOU @heraldofcrow !!!!!!!! There are only three people left that care about Aldrich: Tail does not send asks on anon, and I am literally right here, which only leaves YOU!

But yeah... He is the only of The Guys for whom we do not have any speech patterns reference, isn't he? I mostly come from the context and analysing characters' place and motivation in the story. Whereas Aldia is like Laurence and Micolash combined (affectionate), Aldrich is like Laurence and Micolash combined (derogatory)! THIS MAKES SENSE AND YOU KNOW IT OK!! He is of course less selfish than Laurence and Micolash in corruption, and past his epiphany about how the world is doomed anyways he wants to take people to the """better place""" (?) with him; be it by assimilating them into his body or be it by teaching them how to mingle with the horrors of the Deep on their own accord! I guess the 'still caring' aspect is just common Dark Souls thing, huh. BB guys just go 'fuck you plebs I'm out' fdshjsdhsd

I imagine Aldrich being giddy like Micolash, but with far more energy and genuine joy about his ramblings, however morally twisted, whereas Micolash feels completely lost in his madness and laser focus on reaching Kos, only acknowledging the Hunter because he is being hunted lol. Micolash feels very... sleepy, for a guy that spends his boss battle running, if this makes sense? Aldrich likewise emits strong excitement for what he witnessed but also wish to share it with allies and victims both. Whereas Laurence is revelling in how 'holy' and 'heroic' he is by doing things for humanity that no one else would dare, Aldrich would have less egotism about it and go more the 'don't worry guys I have a plan for us all you can trust me!' route. Less focus on how great he is and more focus on some twisted "reassurance" for everyone that everything will be alright.... that he secretly hopes would not work because people being scared and desperate is more fun for him 💀

I also have fun taking the line 'a right and proper cleric, only, he developed a habit of eating people' seriously, as in, he funny enough does try to be "good" despite what he's doing fdsdgfs That would mean not getting prideful, being generous and inviting, not holding grudges, all that. And all this comes naturally, he barely has to put an effort in it? He naturally smiles often, giggles between sentences and laughs off most of the unpleasant things, he gets smug but in a self-confident way, not in an insecure asshole way. It is just very hard to get to him, his self-esteem is as thick as his body I swear fdshdshfd Honestly, he'd be a very pleasant male mom friend (not to be confused with dad friend) in a way less insane setting? XDDD LISTEN I know it sounds weird, but you are a writer with a very strong intuition, you can probably paint the vivid picture from my (sorry) attempts at describing.. Actually, here are a few examples from when @val-of-the-north wrote his dialogue:

I absolutely love this vibe. Basically from time to time I ask Val to "talk" with me as a character that has no dialogue in canon, because Val is an actor (like, seriously) and always psyched for breathing more life into characters that never spoke in canon. Dude you should see how he depicted Sulyvahn and Alberich, I am still impressed so much, he's crazy good???? What we do is that I share the vision and very precise descriptions of what I imagine about the character (as what I literally just did above), and Val cooks according to my recipe as someone who actually knows how verbal communication works xd An autist and an actor the best team-up!!!!!!!!

I hope this helped though! (Use it to write a more unsettling shitpost skits if you want to fsdjsdfh)

[dysfunctional-doodle]

Hello, I'm an aspiring fanfic writer and I'm just asking: how do you do it? Like, how do you get the confidence and motivation to write? I'm so worried about making and posting my work after spending hours on it for it to be hated. Another question, how do you write non-dialogue parts so well? I feel like I can write dialogue well, but I'm worried about writing actions and stuff like that will be too difficult and too "non-fluid like"; it just being non descriptive. I'm asking since you are one of my favorite authors on the site, and I want to get your advice on this matter. Thank you for answering if you do!

First of all, I am very flattered you are asking me for advice! It’s wild that people come to me to seek help like this, I still remember when I was 11 writing terrible fanfiction for the first time lol.

Personally, my main piece of advice regarding motivation is this: find an idea you really like, for starters. This may sound obvious but a few times I’ve liked a few things I want to write in theory, but then I sputter out half way through and realise that I was only writing for a small segment and had no idea what to do after this. Obviously, this is still fine, and is what oneshots are for - and it also makes good practice! But motivation wise, always find an idea that really makes you want to sit down and write it all out! I often do fanfictions in one big burst of inspiration in a few hours, but for other people this may be different.

Secondly, never let yourself be talked down out of posting anything! Like I mentioned, I’ve been writing since I was 11, and let me tell you some of those first fics are…interesting, to say in the least. But the act of posting them, even if no one interacts with it, should give you pride and confidence in yourself. Because you’re awesome - you just wrote a story and posted it! People can choose to interact or not, love it or not, but at the end of the day this is still a massive achievement for you.

Try not to get caught up in whether a story is doing “well” or not (for example, views, likes, kudos, etc). This doesn’t matter. If you are happy with your work, this is half the motivation to keep going. You often find one or two people that are really hooked with your story no matter what - personally I think the fanfiction community (at least the ones I’ve been in) are very kind and don’t interact just to hate. The feeling of having even one person loving your story is enough, trust me.

If the performance of the story matters to you, I highly suggest polishing off how you write summaries if you want to grab people. Personally, a confusing summary with excessive emojis or an unclear description makes me less likely to read something. I would advice posting a small snippet of your fic, and then a general summary (this is what I do for all my fics).

If you are struggling, I don’t mind creating summaries/proof reading fics for anyone! It’s hard, especially as a new writer, to do these things. For this, the old saying is the best - practice makes perfect.

You also asked about how I write my descriptions, so I will share my tricks of the trade. Most importantly - visualise the scene in your head.

I mean this literally. Imagine the conversation. How do you want your characters to be acting? Are they standing still? Where are they? How is the environment interacting with them? What are their feelings, and can these be described? Who are they talking to, and what is their relationship with them? Many of these questions can be answered much easier if you picture the entire scene in your head, from start to finish, and then write out all these little actions that you may miss.

Additionally, you also ask about the less literal things, like my descriptions and such - these are actually my favourite parts to write, so much so that I get a little carried away. I cannot really give much advice on this I’m afraid, apart from I write them just by expressing what comes to my mind as it comes. I don’t plan these segments like I do with plot and dialogue, but more so on a whim to extend the characters feelings. Is the character sad? How deep does this go? How does this actually feel? Like churning waters of anxiety that they can’t escape from, or small waves slowly increasing as the tide draws inward? Feelings are very abstract, and so you need to make the most of this. Metaphors are good ways to do this, or descriptions of these feelings also go well. It gives depth to the character and situation they are in, expressing more to the reader exactly how high the stakes are emotionally and physically.

Also, I would advise reading other fics, and picking what techniques you like from those. For example, if you like the way someone describes environments, write down why and then try and replicate this yourself. It helps narrow your writing style, and refine your skills, like finding an art style.

As a final, I would like to say - no one is perfect. No one is amazing at any skill right off the bat. It’s impossible and is never expected from any sane person. What is most important is that you are proud of your work, and this will provide all the motivation you need to keep going and growing as a writer.

For me, personally anyway.

Seriously though, thanks for liking my stuff!

[theink-stainedfolk]

Writerblr Interview

Thank you for the tag @drchenquill ♡♡♡

Short stories, novels or poems?

I like reading and writing both Short stories and Novels. Poems are hard for me to write and even harder to understand 😭😭😭😭 all my friends that i made in school/college are great poetess and i always try my best to support them though their poetry is often confusing my braincells.

What genre do you prefer reading?

I prefer reading Crime Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Political Intrigue,YA Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers and Magical Realism. Lately I've been scooting towards Adult fantasy or what most people would call "Dark Academia ". Also, i don't really mind if the characters are queer or not. To me, sexuality doesn't define a good story or characters, though it adds a bit of more charm to them.

What genre do you prefer writing?

Same as the above, but with romance.

Are you a planner or a write-as-i-go kind of person?

When i plan things for my wips, they don't go as i plan. So i am the 2nd type. Because i came to believe that in order to write the story, the story must also progress itself.

What music do you listen to while writing the story?

I usually don't but i have this playlist of my favourite songs that i can listen in any situation. Sometimes i try to listen the songs based of the situation happening in my wip but the songs sometimes are super boring.

Fav books/movies

There are so many I'd rather not write it here. I'll just say some of my favourite books are Sorcery of Thorns, The Caraval Series, A Good Girl's Guide To Murder series, Babel, Piranesi and The Will of The Many. Etc..

Any Current WIPs?

Yes... so many... too many...😭😭😭😭 Thorn-Kissed ,

Legacy of Creation , Shades of Erudition, The Masque of Murder, Whispers of Shadow and love, The Veil of Allegiance etc..

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be?

Very nice question. It would be abaya obviously but beneath it, I imagine my standard outfit would be a stylish yet practical ensemble. I'd likely wear a well-fitted jacket or blazer with a subtle pattern, paired with a comfortable, versatile top underneath. My pants would be sleek, maybe dark jeans or tailored trousers, allowing me to move freely. I'd have a pair of sturdy but fashionable shoes, perhaps ankle boots but i also love me some knee-length boots because it's hot. Accessories would include a distinctive watch and maybe a scarf or a book bag, reflecting my love for stories and creativity. Overall, my outfit would balance sophistication with comfort.😁

Create a character description of yourself

Meet me, a confident writer with a secret: I'm actually a self-conscious mess when it comes to my looks (don't mind my frazzled hair and questionable fashion choices). My brain is a storytelling factory, bursting with ideas and characters begging to be set free. But honestly, I just want to escape my stressful home life and find a peaceful cave where I can write in peace. As an ambivert, I can charm you (or not, depends on my mood) and engage in witty banter, but don't be fooled – I need my alone time to recharge. My sharp tongue and sarcasm might come across as rude, but deep down, I'm a squishy emotional marshmallow. When I'm not writing, you can find me binge-reading, K-pop/J-pop dancing, or obsessing over K/C/J/T dramas (don't judge me). Just be warned: I can talk for hours about my passions, but also respect my need for solo time – it's like refueling my creative tank! Friendships are my jam, but apparently, my friends don't prioritize them as much (ouch, harsh reality check!). Despite that, I remain a loyal and caring friend, always ready to lend a listening ear or a sarcastic quip. In conclusion, I'm a lovable, quirky writer with a heart of gold (i hope so), a dash of sass, and a whole lot of creativity. Just don't mind my insecurities, and we'll get along fabulously!

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

No, not really. But i think i did it once or twice.

Are you kill-happy with the characters?

Sometimes i do it for the story and atmosphere (bye Hiram,sorry but Gentian didn't deserve you) i kill antagonists but i don't know honestly. But i do kill if necessary.

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Neither. Just my tears 🥲👍🏻

Slow or Fast writer?

I'm in the middle. Sometimes when the idea strikes, i write in a hour or so. But sometimes I'm just staring at the ceiling.

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

Anything anywhere anyone.

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be?

A very lethargic peraon with no motivations or anything. I hope it remains that way, but since this is a fantasy world, my peaceful life will come to an end due to some traguc events and someone will provoke me and my sole motivation will ignite.

Most fave book cliche?

👀 [redacted] just kidding. Enemies to lovers, fist/daggers talk instead of pillow talk. Enemies, one sided enemies, rivals. And they were roomates, one bed, fake dating to escape the situation, hidden heir, fake stranger, mysterious stranger,etc.

Least fave book cliche?

Brother's friend.... teacher student romance... insta love, mary sue protagonist, rich guy poor woman, love interest with no personal goals, stereotypical villains, stereotypical diverse characters, unrealistic relationships, cliched character archetypes, rushed endings, etc.

Fave scenes to write?

Anything with heavy feels. Like angst, romantic scene, character death, plot twist reveals, distressing situations etc.

Most productive time of day for writing?

When the inspiration is there, any time is fine but mostly at night.

Reason for writing?

Because i love writing stories and love sharing it to others in hope that they'll also enjoy as much as i do. My reason is simple.

I'll tag @finickyfelix @willtheweaver @leahnardo-da-veggie @illarian-rambling @winglesswriter @paeliae-occasionally @the-golden-comet @graveyardshift111 @thecomfywriter @roarintheheavens

[another-lost-mc]

i like to think that besides asmo, none of the brothers + demons actually got to sleeping around. like they get asmo's situation but they don't actually get partaking in one night stands and fwbs. they're demons not succubi! giving someone permission/control to their bodies in such a state is a HUGE thing. so when mc leaves them in the morning they're all just a mixture of lost, confusion and despair– they just bared their souls to you after all!– even more so when mc thinks of it as nothing more than just a casual fuck and is confused why they're all acting like this. bonus points if mc has actually fucked their way thru the demons and they're all just finding out

idk just the thought of humans being crueler than demons in that sense, miniscule really but if you think about it...

(non-explicit nsfw thoughts below—I reference the OM! characters in a general sense but obviously this does not include Luke)

I think the fandom's different opinions on how the demon brothers view sex and intimacy is really interesting. I imagine every writer has their own headcanons about it and how their own reader/MC characters respond. @onyourowndaisymae explored this in her roster series and we had a lot of great conversations while she was writing it. (Gushing about the way we characterize Barbatos and Simeon our favs is always fun to do. lol)

For me personally, I usually write the characters assuming they've had sex at some point in their very long lives, but I use a sliding scale of sorts to label which characters indulge more often than the others and why I think so.

I also tend to imagine my reader/MC as someone that's had sex in the past (writing virgin!reader stuff isn't something I'm super interested in). My reader/MC character enjoys physical intimacy/affection but is also a bit passive/shy about pursuing others for romantic or sexual purposes (typical human self-esteem/confidence issues at play).

How I would approach this idea:

— shy/insecure poly!reader has feelings/attraction for the demon brothers — reader has sex with them assuming a "real" relationship isn't what the demons are interested in (because they're only human, why would they be, they could have anyone else, etc.) and try to be satisfied with it being physical-only — the demons are angsty/hurt the morning after but reader doesn't understand why; the demons feel rejected because they want more, while reader thinks their body is all the demons want — some sort of dramatic blowout and afterwards all the misunderstandings are finally resolved (literal and figurative happy endings for everyone)

It's fun to think about and I kind of like the idea. It's a popular conversation topic in this fandom for a reason—everyone can tweak it to fit their own preferences and MC character/self-insert. My personal spin on this, if I wrote it, would probably be limited to the characters I like writing for (including some of the angels and maybe an OC or two, you know who I am by now lol).

[tame-a-messenger]

Just quick response:

I think Syd and Olivia are there because they’re helping to write for TNTL the Sitcom Live Show. They are at least credited for writing the theme song. They bring back writers they’ve worked with in the past for the live shows - funeral brought back Patrick McDonald and Jeremy Elder for example.

But, highly agree! This episode with them was great 😊

I caught Amanda saying that at the end of the TNTL!

She said they wrote the Sitcom! since they had any part in making the show, I just KNOW it's going to be good! (they are my favorite recurring guests! they always make me laugh!)

I am a little confused because Shayne said the Sitcom was his idea? so did he pitch it to them and they wrote the main plots/skits for it ?

I really CAN'T WAIT for May 10th!! I'm so much more confident it's going to be a good show because Syd and Olivia had a part in it!!

[smute]

Hi Jan, how are you doing? I was just wondering what is your favourite d.h. Lawrence book or piece of writing? Sorry if you e already mentioned this in a post!

hi anon! you should be sorry! but only because it's like asking a parent who their favorite child is (i am joking) 🙈

no but honestly i never know how to answer this question because no matter what i say, it automatically becomes a recommendation, and that is quite the task. lawrence is the personification of an acquired taste and there isn't much that i can recommend to someone who doesn't already know (and like) him lmao

i normally hate when people say "you either love it or hate it" about something because it's almost always an exaggeration, but with dhl that has indeed been my experience. you're either put off by him, or you're put off by him and also a little bit intrigued. and then once you get over the initial shock you can explore his work a little more and maybe eventually you'll develop an appreciation, or even fall in love with him like i did, but the being put-off part is not optional. most people just find him kind of hard to stomach.

with all that being said, ​women in love is probably my favorite novel of his, but i also think that his nonfiction is incredibly underrated. idk if i could ever pick a single favorite text, but his travel writing is out of this world (sea and sardinia in particular is said to have a timeless quality and i do like that one a lot) and his essays are just... fascinating. most of them can be found online but there are also some great collections—the bad side of books + life with a capital L, both edited by geoff dyer. (but again, if you've never read anything by lawrence and decide to start with his essays you'll probably think he's a complete nut and you will never touch any of his books again lmfao)

half of them have nothing to do with their titles, but other than that he was an amazing essayist. he was so opinionated and he had the confidence and the right give-no-fucks attitude for the job. one of the things i adore most about lawrence is his ability to begin with a thought about some random little thing and to end up explaining a whole new worldview to you 3 paragraphs later without it being confusing. you can really see how his mind worked. he had a tendency to make sweeping statements and he wrote things (many many things) that are completely indefensible, or downright ridiculous, but more often than not he still... pulls you in. he was an incredibly charismatic person and a very persuasive writer and it's this kind of... idk this touch of megalomania in his voice that is always so quick to judge and so all-or-nothing, combined with a unique style, that makes his writing so captivating. he really can be everything—kind, compassionate, judgmental, cruel, ignorant, insightful, hopeless, hopeful—all in the same sentence, but i genuinely do believe that for all his faults (of which he had many lol), he was incapable of telling a lie. and that is the essence of his personality that always shines through, and the impression you get reading his essays: whatever he tells you, he believed it to be true when he wrote it down. you know that it came straight from the heart. idk if i'm overselling it, i'm knee-deep in this stuff at this point but um... yeah. lets wrap this up before i start quoting things

[from-izzy]

Your moots as TBZ ships???

hi anon! thank you for sending this in! 💖 sorry it took a while (i think this took more than a fortnight i'm so sorry 😭) because i had to think about it!! i'm doing ones that i talk to frequently or once in a while! to all my moots that i haven't/barely talked to, hmu! (i'm sorry that i'm too shy 😭)

welcome to another episode of '😭-izzy-doesn't-know-how-to-explain-things-and-she's-very-sorry-about-it'

@cloverdaisies - juric

so! you know how juyeon adores eric and juyeon is (arguably) eric's favourite hyung? 😊 they do everything together and is so comfortable around each other despite their age gap? 🥹 well, i mean clo and i are the same age but since around 2022, clo has always just been a writer to me. then out of nowhere, in the spur of the moment and a sudden hit of confidence i told myself "omg! 👀 what if...i just text cloverdaisies, say my greetings, thanks then disappear? if she doesn't respond then alright, at least i said whatever i had to say." yeah...it went well! very well! i love clo! 🤍 so much! 🤍🤍 and i hope she knows that!

@heemingyu - nyusun

ok so...we're just a tiny bit chaotic? 🤷🏻‍♀️ just a tiny bit 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ i think we hide it quite well in group chats (...that's a lie) but when we're on dms...oh yeah...the world really isn't ready for us when we meet 🤭 like sunwoo who adores new and annoys him all the time, i admit that i do it to sana too. but at the same time, like new who is always teasing sunwoo and being crackheads together, that's sana to me 😁 it's just...yeah...i feel like for the sake of world peace, we probably shouldn't meet? and sana should most definitely should not drive 🚗 (just like what new said in his bubble!)

@justalildumpling - sunric

my response to this: so roode 😭 just absolutely roode 😭😭 the audacity to even--but this is saur chaotic sibling energy 🤣 i get what you mean now when you say that we're more like sunwoo and eric rather than an old married couple like jaemin and jeno fr 😮 but also j! aussie aussie aussie! i finally have another friend from aussie that i can annoy if i do come to you (or you come to me...but i don't think j likes me that much though so...) 😟 life is...sad...and i get bullied by j all the time...sigh...☹️

@littleroaes - ppangcob

hmmm...i'll be honest with you, i'm not too sure how to explain this 😭 but! i think we just radiate this kind of energy! 😊 we are both very shy at first and dora is the same as well (in a good way! i will always protect you! 🫂 especially from sana, i promise!) ppangcob is the shy duo of tbz but at the same time, very comfy around each other and others when you get to know them well 🤗 just from our dms and interactions, dora is so silly and funny like girl! thanks for being my first mutual! 💕

@sungbeam - sunkyu

there ain't a lot of words but I'M SO SORRY FOR THE MOMENTARY PAIN AND CONFUSION THAT I PUT YOU THROUGH UMMMM 😭😭 but i am still going to hide (after this, let me say my words first) 🫡 just like sunwoo who auditioned for the company because he saw changmin...that's it! ok bye! i'm leaving! see you!! 😁

@winterchimez - kevcob

...do i need to explain this though? 🤔 but ok i guess i'll do it. so, like i mentioned, i think we're a different kind of soulmate dynamic where you get bullied and teased 😁 and i'm the one that teases you 😁😁 (ily i swear) kind of like kevcob as well 💕 but remember that time when we texted and we sent the same idea and question at the same time?? 🤗 like huh?? no one that i know irl does the things that i do?? this dynamic is so new to me...but i'm so ready for it 🥹 also, what are you waiting for? the stars have spoken? ⭐ book a flight ✈️ to where i am please and thank yew!

@wuahae - bbangju

ok so hear me out 😭 i don't really know how to explain this one either but! just the times when i would cry in vc 🥹 also ask help or something and cat would be like "yes, i have the solution." 🥹 but i'm also just reminded of that time in the concert when younghoon was reading his speech and crying but juyeon was like "it's okay, take your time" 🫂 i just have a feeling cat would do that tbh. we haven't talked much recently but i love you and i hope life is treating you well, cat! 💖

@zzoguri - cobric

me is the crying, emotional mess 😭😭 and moni is the parent that is intently listening to the child, putting in reassuring comments 💬 and trying to calm me down, chipping in their own experiences 🗨️ and telling me that they understand 🫂 moni has always been like that since day 1. i guess it really is true that we're not really strangers 🥹 sorry that we haven't talked much! i do miss you and i hope you're doing well!

[rebornofstars]

* I know I’m technically a focus on art but I also want to chat as writer—what’s one of your favorite troupes that you rarely write whether it’s because you feel you can’t do it justice or just because you don’t? Me personally I am an AVID fan of mind bending/un-reality fics, but I can never write them to a satisfactory level. They’re so fun to read especially when they’re multi-chapter and you’ve gotta theorize on wtf is going on!!! It’s quirky and fun!!!! No one knows what’s going on and I ADORE that type of confusion. Learning to write is fun but I’m not at that level yet and I’m excited for when I can GGHRAAAHHH!!!!

OH BOY. oh boy. hello there thank you so much for the ask i absolutely love it. this took me a while to respond to because i had to get my thoughts in order 😅 i like a good never-say-never attitude, but there are many many things i write that are not as good as the blurry versions of themselves rotating around the inside of my head! the potential, u know? i can never do the potential justice. somehow i don't think that will ever change.

one thing i definitely struggle with is long-term character development - whether it's romantic, like a slow burn, or platonic or just in terms of narrative structure, whatever. i can't seem to get it happening to my satisfaction. i am so comfortable collecting snapshots of specific points of a character's journey, but when i try to slowly allow them to grow and change, it always feels cheap idk 😬😭 i'm also not so good at writing stories which span a longer period of time and/or have timeskips. it's mostly due to lack of practice with longer stories, and i'm working on improving!

in terms of more specific tropes or genres, though.... mysteries. i can never figure out how heavy or subtle the foreshadowing should be. comedy is also hard, although i've been practicing that one and i think i'm slowly getting the hang of a few different styles that are more humourous. and sometimes i read, like, Feist and Wurts' Empire trilogy, or Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, and realise all over again i have a looooong way yet to go when it comes to introducing worldbuilding into a story naturally and intuitively. also, this might be silly, because the LU fic i'm most known for is literally about this, but reveals? i'm not so confident i can live up to the hype or satisfactorily fulfill the tension i've built. i hope my cursebreaker readers are not going to be disappointed by the payoff/reveal i have planned 🤞🤞😁

that being said, though, i keep writing all of those tropes and genres anyway, and it's really an honour to have the space and encouragement to be giving it a shot. i'm so grateful that all my recurring readers have put their trust in me and my ability to deliver a good story. throughout my childhood writing has always been a very solitary endeavour for me and i cannot express how much fun i've been having on ao3 over the last year, and tumblr the last few months. i've never had a fandom community like this before 💕 and i like to think that while i'm still growing my skills, i also have the potential inside me for anything, if i give it a good shot and keep at it. i think we all do.

i'm very sorry for all of this word vomit 😁 i guess, to chat as a writer, all i can say is i also LOVE reality bending stories, and they're SO FUN and you're SO RIGHT, and i don't have so much one problem writing as i do a lot of smaller more general ones, because i like to throw myself into my problems head-first, and i believe that you too have a million potentials inside you if you keep at it, and i for one am very, very excited to see where you go. i guess this whole answer was a gesture of enouragement, in the end. 🤩🥰