#I'm sure it's an amazing piece and that the writer is very talented

[thepixelelf]

What if I just quit entirely

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #9 | 02.29.24

What is this?! Two devlogs in one month?! More likely than you think! This February has been very productive for me and the team, so let's dive right into it!

Ooooh boy, Raquel keeps knocking it out of the park! She managed to get done every expression for every LI, and I coded them all! Now we have our wonderful characters ready for their debut. We have been using the wonderful Image Tools for Ren'py made by the talented and hard-working Feniks, whose tutorials and resources save a lot of dev's lives every day! This tool has made everything a bit easier for newbies like me, hehe.

Here's a taste of our edgelord's expressions! 💜 They're kind of a cutie when they put some effort into it!

We also had our second valentine's day celebration art piece thanks to Kayden! Sadly with the reworked version of the demo, you won't meet Vycar yet, so we thought we could ask for his forgiveness by giving him a beautiful bouquet and reminding him how much of a sweetheart he is! 💜

Also, Raeya got a hair update!

So, we weren't completely satisfied with the way we portrayed Raeya's hair, so this has been a rework we were sure we wanted to make. At first we were just going to render it again, but we ended up working on it from scratch to better represent what we envisioned for her. We hope you like it as much as we do! ; v ;💜

As always, we are open to any critique or advice; we are white people who have the luck to be able to ask POC friends for their advice as we work, but the more the merrier! Don't hesitate to send us your opinion to our ask box or even our email, gamesravenstar@gmail.com!

When it comes to the background department, we have been making great progress thanks to Airyn, who is honestly leaving us with our mouths hanging open every time! Thanks to her, another background has been finished and another one is in the making, leaving only two backgrounds to be revised and approved!

I personally can't stop looking at this WIP! She understood perfectly what we wanted to portray just by looking at an old WIP we had, and this is what we have so far—and it's already amazing!

Allie has been OBLITERATING the script. As of today, I think we have almost gone through everything that needed to be corrected and discussing, and lord if the script doesn't look a 100% better after we put it in Allie's hands. The way she writes, the way she understands everything I want to say even when sometimes I don't even know myself—what a talented, inspiring and amazing writer they are. I know I may sound annoying at this point singing her praises endlessly, but if the script is in the state where it is now, it's thanks to her!

My programming adventure of the month has been a success, if I say so myself! I've coded the characters with aaaaall their layers, their expressions, the blinking animations, made some videos, and started coding the script. Step by step as they say; I've coded 18 pages, and there's, uh...142 more to go. Haha! *sobs*

BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I can finally click 'new game' and read the script and see the stuff going on! YAY!

Some extras of the month—we are preparing a Casting Call to choose the voice acting talent that will hopefully give voice to our characters. The demo won't be fully voiced (it's impossible with the funds we have, which are...zero), but if we are lucky we'll use some of our personal savings to pay for at least a few lines for each character so you can get an idea of how they'll sound if we get funded! Raquel is preparing an art piece for the announcement, and I'm getting the document ready and asking fellow VA friends for advice :3.

Also, we have a new member here at Ravenstar Games! Some weeks ago Astro and I formally adopted our first kitty, 8 month old Riki, fulfilling one of our dreams. We got him from a feline association that works with volunteers and fosters cats who have been abandoned, cats they find on the street, and so on. Riki has been living with me since January, and he's a happy, long big boy who loves playing, cuddles, and sitting on my desk while I try to work!

Say hi to the Ravenstar family, Riki! 💜

A productive month full of accomplished milestones, excitement and new challenges! The team has worked so hard, and I've done my part too! We still don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have done a lot of stuff we were sure we wouldn't finish yet, and look at that! We are doing so well!

As you can probably tell, my batteries are starting to run low, so I'm going to leave this devlog here. Thank you all like always for cheering us on, for being here in this journey with us, and for all the love you send our way. Let's hope March is as amazing as February has been, for us and for all of you! 💜

[blakbonnet]

curious about your favorite underrated artists/fic writers/creatives on here?? and maybe your specific favourite underrated fanwork??

Ooh. I love this question so much, anon ❤️

Underrated gif maker, and I say this with no bias, is definitely Ida @bizarrelittlemew because she just puts in so much effort in all her gifs. Ida looks through tutorials and then also does so much on their own, but mainly: if you look at all the recent gifs, they have such a unique Ida ™️ vibe to them. From rotoscoping (still don't know what that is) to playing with blending, Ida deserves to be right up there with one of the most creative gifmakers this fandom has produced recently.

Unfortunately I just very very rarely hang out reading ofmd fics T-T (I'm mostly in the hobbit and sandman fandom side of ao3) and there are a few writers I love and I tend to stick to them (xoxoemynn, forpiratereasons being the main ones) Most of what I read and like in the fandom is when a mutual ends up writing something that isn't modern au.

Having said that, underrated writer to me 100% is @palavapeite because their writing just never fails to transport me to whatever setting they're talking about. Listen, I just don't read modern AUs, they don't do it for me (def a me issue, I'm sure there are brilliant modern au writers in this fandom but it's something I filter out) but I would absolutely recommend this fic as something that brought me so so much joy, is fast becoming my more reread fic, because it did a perfect job with getting Stede's voice right. I can hear every single thing he says in my mind, it's SO good. Also their fic with priest!stede lives rent free in my head and I would soon find the time to read their non blackbonnet fics.

Another one is adamarks who, again, has such a good grasp on Ed and Stede's character that it doesn't matter which AU Jay has picked, it just always always works somehow. My favourite is this fic tho which is just so them that I might as well weep.

For artists, my recent faves (and I think they're underrated) are Lilo @harrylovesspaezle who's so so talented and I still can't get over that sketchbook tour - the growth and love for this show ough, @ofmderapolag whose pieces are just so so dreamy, and also @spookynadja whose style just floors me every single time.

I'd also like to shout out one underrated category, people who write such amazing text posts like @ourfag who obviously has the s3 scripts and is only sharing them with us in small increments due to the nda and @tulipseason for the currently unpublished book of "1 million ways I will articulate how much I love hit television show our flag means death"

and then there's my favourite most beloved cheerleaders who are always lifting up new writers and artists too like @marbledwings and @insteading ❤️ I especially love that everyone has a beautiful story with these two, you could ask any small or big writer in the fandom if they've been made to cry by wings or insteading and yeah, they're just lovely.

[pyreo]

there are lots of reasons why I lost interest in touching da:v like my favourite character dying, the writing team getting kicked out and replaced and the game's setting being turbo exploded so they never have to refer to any of the lore ever again

Or the language analytics that show veilguard basically doesn't use any series-standard terms like 'Maker' or 'Andraste'. That it is more a tenuously linked new IP than a sequel. That the original writers had plans for multiple things I was looking forward to that were abandoned, leaving plot threads that were supposed to have conclusions forever adrift, that the player choices were removed after sticking to them for so long because it turns out games can only be exceedingly long, not complex

That one bit in a teaser where Varric explains the meaning of Rook's nickname and it's 'the most powerful piece on the chessboard but can only move in straight lines', implying that your character is a brute force moron? or something? god forbid we want to define our role in the world outside of a trans/not trans flag

Also the rook isn't the most powerful chess piece what are they fucking talking about

Anyway the thing that I know I wouldn't be able to stand are the scenes like that godawful monosyllabic 'argument' between the qunari and the necromancer. the qunari who has a whole thing about choosing nb pronouns but then annoys the guy by not using his actual name?? like some kind of infant? and then they try to explain they think necromancy is icky in a 'came back wrong' sense but in baby terms, and the necromancer pauses and goes 'oh.' Like no, that was not a revelatory explanation. Necromancers tend to know they're bringing things back wrong, and would have encountered bias like that before, and this old guy, clearly experienced at this, has a moment of clarity over someone going 'ewww gross' at him?

you can tell someone thought that was poignant. I'm surprised they didn't put 'and then everyone clapped' in the script. That is self-congratulatory slop and not believable for a second. The game industry has completely normalised mass expulsions of the people who created amazing games in the past and there are hundreds of talented writers who will never get even a peep at work in this industry but never mind, you sure can produce the script for a major sequel at a AAA studio if the last book you managed on your own was the Very Hungry Caterpillar

[pseudowho]

Hello! First off, I love your work, and second, I'm not sure if this is a dumb question but how do you actually get an idea and turn it into a product? Is it a natural talent or have you refined your writing skills to actually create something out of a mental prompt/inspiration?

Sorry if you've been asked this before, I'm just asking because college admission essays are actually KILLING ME and I feel like I have so many fleeting ideas and thoughts but I can't actually make anything worthwhile of them. Ur a writer, and a pretty amazing one at that, so I gotta know if this is a skill issue or if there is hope for me.

I think I used to be good at using words, but now I can only make an academic essay with check-boxes and rubrics and can't write anything less rigid than an elaborate answer to a question. I've tried to write things down and explore points yet still there is no morale to anything I write and it sorts of trails off into a recollection/timeline rather than something dynamic that can actually be explored. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE AT ALL ????? How am I supposed to take a vague, shapeless idea and give it some soul?

IM SORRY THAT THIS IS LONG AND CONFUSING but yeah sending loveeeee <3

Hi!

Ohhh, it's time for another edition of

Haitch's Useless Writing Advice 🪴

First of all, thank you for loving my writing. I feel privileged and touched every time someone reaches out to me to tell me my stuff is good. It's been busy here lately and lovely comments always give me a glow.

Secondly: I have not refined this, I haven't been taught anything, and honestly I'm newer to writing than most of the people on this place (Tumblr). I'm ultimately an amateur, I do not know at all how I do it, and as such I have no legitimate advice to give.

My husband thinks I'm a non-writer who happens to write (I think this is what you said, @mrhaitch?). I never had any intention of doing this. I never had some 'writer' aesthetic in my head. Honestly, when I did start writing fiction (on here, October 2023), I had only a background in the occasional academic writing, and being a voracious reader.

I've always solved puzzles, and word games, and world-built in my head. Just in the background, for myself only. Nothing I ever shared. I suspect I have a very thorough grasp of 'storytelling' as a concept, from the sheer volume of fiction from all cultures and eras that I've read and enjoyed.

I have a good memory, and tend to 'write' whole stories in my head, line by line, and slow-cook them in my head for the day until I get a moment to write it down. I grasp the feel of the piece, and how I want the reader to feel, and translate. Not in any sort of intentional way though I think. I don't actively think 'how do I make them feel xyz?'

When I do write it down, it tends to go straight into my phone, as I have a very old beaten up notebook laptop, and no desktop, so...phone it is!

I hesitate to call it 'natural talent' as that's really arrogant, and I feel like a cheat or a fraud already, for being 'good' at something with no effort on my part. Writing anything has never been effort to me. I never had to stop and think too hard with essays at school or University. I never honestly thought about it. I'm vocally very eloquent and can talk my way into anything, but never really thought about my writing until...well...this whole Tumblr thing.

So in that sense...I don't think I can be of any help. And I really really hate that, because I fucking love to help.

My advice: It sounds like you're doing the right things to build a structure, but where is the heart? As you said, you're looking for soul. Formulas, and brainstorms, and writing guides, give you the structure. For me, personally, the heart comes from this extensive memory back of books and stories I've devoured, and a direct translation of feelings to words. I'm convinced emotions have a flavour and texture, and words do too; you can match them up to get that heart in your writing.

Wow, I hated writing that. How truly, utterly, disgustingly useless 🪴

I'm so sorry. I'm shit at writing advice. I don't know how I do what I do.

Love,

-- Haitch xxx

[animeomegas]

Idk if you’re comfortable sharing this or if anyone has asked because you wrote so eloquently, but what do you see yourself doing? Like, what’s the job you’re really wanting at one point in your life? You’re young, gorgeous, and talented. I know you’ll achieve it whether you’re comfy sharing it or not. I just want you to know that with this up-and-coming new year that I wish you the best and I hope you were able to achieve everything that you wish to.

Remember to put yourself first in no matter what, take care of yourself and put your needs before anything else. I hope you had an amazing holiday.

This message is so, so, so lovely 🥺 Thank you so much for your kindness, it made me tear up a bit <3333

My plan is to start a small indie game studio! I want to make romance games very badly, and I was actually working on one when I got injured, so I'll be returning to that project (nicknamed Project Greenstone!) in February!

I also want to write some romance novels and self-publish them, although I'm not sure when I'll start doing that or how much I'll focus on that, I think it depends on how the game does and how I find game development.

It's a pretty risky play, but I know that I will always regret not giving it a try. If it's not working out in three years time, then I'll reconsider. I was offered a job as a bid writer for a local company a little while ago after they saw a nomination piece I wrote for an employee there, so bid writing is certainly an option. I have my degree is East Asian Studies and I plan to sharpen my Japanese skills a bit over these next few years too, so I could go for translating or business roles once I pass the N2 🤷🏻‍♀️

But I'm giving myself three years to try my dreams first, and honestly I've always had a skill for business, so fingers crossed! 😅

I had a very lovely holiday season, and I really hope you did too! Sorry for the long answer haha. You seem like a really, really lovely person, so genuinely, thank you, and I hope you're having a wonderful life! <33333

[icypantherwrites]

hi hello I normally do asks anonymously but I wanted you to personally know

I found you a couple days ago i believe and oh my god. Are you like, an angel?? Dude. You’ve written over 200 works, nearly 90% of them being in the vld fandom. I feel like no one gives you enough credit for your contributions to fanfic, especially in the vld fandom. I can’t even begin to think of 20 ideas for a fanfic. You’ve had probably over thousands. You are genuinely one of the most talented writers I’ve ever come across. I love how you write angst and pain. It’s done so in a way that can hurt you so deeply yet leave you wanting for more. Just perfectly encapsulated what it is like to read angst because you did it. in a way that clearly shows you understood the assignment. I love how you write yearning and internal turmoil. I love how you write rising tension and build up anticipation. It leaves me on the edge of my seat every time and I get so excited every time something super important happens. I love how you write each of the characters’ relationships with one another. It can literally feel so personal to see them interact. my favs of yours are probably keith and shiro <and> lance and hunk. You are such a great writer and I don’t think you get enough recognition or appreciation because oh my god. Every time I read your works it is just masterpiece after masterpiece. And the way you end them?? You know just how to make an ending to a story so satisfactory. Because you write the beginning to be satisfactory. You write the middle to be satisfactory. You write every single chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word to make sure that the story concludes in a way that leaves you feeling content. I am genuinely always baffled at how godly your writing is. How you never get any credit where it is clearly due is completely insane. You have done wonders in this world, even if it just seems like a little corner of it. You were here. And you did good for so many. You are so amazing and I don’t know how many ways I could possibly tell that to you. If you ever were to write an original work I would make sure to personally buy ten thousand copies all on my own. Because I know damn well that if you wrote it, it is going to be one of the best pieces of literature ever written. You are so. So. So so so so so so so so soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo amazing. And awesome. And cool. And great.

So much love.

You are incredible.

🩷🩷

So I would like to preface this response by noting that I've had regular asks closed for the last few months due to just a lot of negative feelings with the entitlement behind the asks, and anonymous asks closed for the last year due to various reasons but the most common one being trolls and hate mail. Following a recent livestream on my Patreon I kind of said screw it, let's just see how it goes again and opened them and so the fact that this absolute sweetheart gem of an ask is the first thing I get not even two days later is just... wow, thank you. I've only read this like ten times now.

I just wanted to say this comment makes me feel very seen and appreciated and all of the kind words are backed up by the fact I do indeed recognize your name (so I am glad you didn't submit this as anon!) as having popped into a number of my stories over the past week or so and leaving such sweet comments. It truly means a lot. And as an aside, I am very excited to see you (hopefully) back for the final chapters of Missing as (ironically) a lot of the audience went missing the last few ;p So I do hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts there! As you observed, it's definitely a bit of a rough go to put all this time and effort into writing and sharing my works and not really seeing a lot of folks engaging with the stories any more, but I'm still trying my best to post for as long as I can. And readers like yourself are the reason I do try to continue to do so 🧡

I also just wanted to highlight of this entire highlight of a comment the little bit you mentioned about how I end stories. Thank you. I strive really hard to not just 'finish' a story but to wrap up every tangent and every little loose thread into a pretty bow so nothing ever feels unfinished and it's not always an easy thing to do. But I've read plenty of stories where it just ends and it's like, but wait, it was so abrupt, it feels incomplete, and I don't ever want anyone to feel that way reading my stories.

I have unfortunately given up my dream of writing my own original novel as I've lost a lot of faith in my abilities due to the continual decrease of engagement and just feeling like nothing I ever write will be good enough, but thank you so much for the encouragement and the kind words. I don't think it'll ever happen, but if it does I'll for sure post a link to purchase my novel on Tumblr ;p

I could gush about all the little, beautiful details you wrote in this for hours but I will cut myself off here. But thank you, truly, for such a sweet message and kind words and I do hope to continue to see you in the comment sections of my stories for the little bits of sunshine you bring into my life🧡

[yuseirra]

Yoo, I just came across your comics and they're so cute and wonderful. Do you post any fanfics elsewhere, or is all your stuff on tumblr? I would love to read any hikaru/ai fics you might have, or any recs if you have any. Tbh it doesn't even have to be hikaru/ai, I've developed terminal hoshino ai-themed brainrot and am just chewing through any fics where she's happy.

Hello!! "cute" and "wonderful"?/// they're both really great words!! I'm so happy you describe my works with those lovely adjectives. Ahah I actually thought they were a lil serious and depressing hehe (because the manga tackles DARK STUFF! I feel pretty glum as I draw these characters out sometimes, so I try to be more cheerful about it.)

but in the end, I feel I really specialize in fluff, I think? I enjoy drawing characters who are very caring toward each other, it never gets old for me, so I always try to think of some warm.. and soft situations when they have a sense of understanding.

I'm happy people find them cute ;v;).. I love cute too! I want "cute" embedded in my pieces..

Oh, I've never tried writing fanfic at all, and I don't read so much of it either! I wish I could introduce some works for you, but there's not much that I know of, either. I'm sorry for being unable to help you so much, but I'd love to draw more of the ship (until the manga tells me I can't by throwing contradictory stuff which I HOPE NOT ;v;)

If you haven't talked to them already, I feel aihoshiino may have an idea on ai fics you wish to find because they're the Ai expert! They have great insight about the character and I would certainly ask of their opinion if I wanted to learn more about her in depth! (Yes I want Ai to be happy too...she's a character worth developing a brainrot over for sure. the IDOL MV is what's drew me into the series and the first volume of this series was so intense and strong...)

All of my stuff's on tumblr! You won't be missing out on anything if you're here 'v')9

I have backed up some of my onk works in bulk on my pixiv account, but everything that's there is here too~ If you want to check them out more easily, you can read them from there too! My most recent works aren't updated there yet, and I'll probably make another set as it piles up.

It never occurred to me that I CAN write fanfics, so this ask was very surprising XD Fanfic writers are amazing.. I look up to them a lot, that stuff takes dedication and another sort of talent. Thanks for the ask and for believing I can! See you again, I'll think of more things to draw over the weekend~

[tvintedspvrkmoved]

hahahah i'm losing my mind ??????

so two very cool things are true right now which are :

- in twelve days my best girl will have existed in some form for an entire year - i'm about to be able to say there are officially HUNDREDS of you here ???? like as in the plural form ??????

neither of these things make any sense to me , but since both are true i figured it would be a good time to do what i guess is a little follow forever type thing. SO. here are some of the people who have helped emma grow and develop and also helped me grow and develop as a person and as a writer 🤍

-------------------------- ★ ---------------------------

@dalphahale : honestly a day one bc i didn't really do very much with emma until around march i think and that's around when we started writing if i'm not mistaken ?? one of the best / most show accurate dereks i've ever come across and one of the best people too !!!! you're an incredible writer and honestly a saint in human form for putting up with me ooc lmao it's an honor to bless your dms every day with the most random and chaotic messages and thoughts and only be a LITTLE bit judged for it 😂 derek and emma are one of the most adorable ships i've ever seen and derek and allison are iconic as well i just think you're the bee's knees okay you're stuck with some form of my chaos indefinitely i fear 🤷‍♀️

@stanfordprepped : jared. JARED. another og and one of my best friends in the rpc. samemma is so unbelievably iconic and i'm so amazed and proud of everything that's come from them and from us writing together and from you in general i'm SO excited about charlotte's development and about samlena and about just all of our dynamics ahhhhh you are so unbelievably strong and talented and you deserve every good thing in the entire world bc the love and respect that you hold for others even on your worst days is so admirable i can't even fathom it sometimes.

@multi-royalty : MADDIE MY BELOVED i ????? owe so much of everything i've accomplished this year to you 😭🙏 you not only pulled me back when i was debating whether or not to even continue writing , but helped to develop some of my most cherished muses and threads and plots and headcanons. you're the sweetest little bean in the entire world and i can't even begin to thank you for everything you've done for and with me and the light that you bring to this community even when you can't see it 🤍

@guiltye : bitch i'll yell FOREVER at and about you are you kidding ????? your writing gives me literal chills and the plots that we have are some of the deepest most complex and incredible dynamics i've ever been a part of. you've been through so much this year and kicked ass until you got to the other side and still managed to help ME through so much too and i'm sure so many others and i just adore you okay i live for all lilly content but especially your ooc posts bc i just think your brain is so neat and i love getting to glimpse into it sometimes you're just incredible 🥹🤍 ps thank u for letting me yell about noah kahan without abandon and getting in ur feelings about him with me lol

@boundforhale // @stilesstylelinski : obviously i had to put y'all together you can't split up the gremlins okay. i love you both so much and i actually can't even begin to describe how much you guys have helped me this year both to be a better writer and to get through so many rough patches irl. i'm still not entirely convinced that australia is real but if it DOES exist i will not rest until i can fly there and we can all meet at a central location and proceed to just implode the whole universe with the sheer chaos and buffoonery. y'all are actually family at this point i don't know what i would do without you fr

@carp3diems : LISTEN HERE BITCH bff bestie angel i love you to pieces and if you ever leave me again i'll riot !!!! you're genuinely one of the coolest people i've ever met and i love all of our dynamics so damn much but what we've created with colbemma is just so insane and incredible and i know i just screamed about this in the dms but i genuinely cannot believe they started out hating each other lmao they're truly iconic and i can't wait to see how they continue to grow and thrive and also how YOU continue to grow and thrive

@redhoodiskra : A. you are an actual ray of sunshine and so incredibly talented and WAY TOO HARD ON YOURSELF and completely amazing and fantastic and i just love you a lot !!!! stiles and emma and the little family they've created make my heart so happy and so do all of our other dynamics !!!! we haven't written much on @westwingsolo yet and we absolutely should change that bc i'm in awe of you and your writing and the creativity you bring to your muses they're both so special and you can 100% see the love you've put into both.

i wish i could write everyone a little message but here are some more lovelies that you should absolutely go follow !!!! a lot of them have other pages with more incredible muses as well 🤍

@fuckmeupindie , @hellgiven , @gunchamber , @ofcrxwns , @escapedfromthevoiid , @ruinedmyself , @goldenboybarracuda , @delicatestm , @sarcasticsnackpack , @fidelissimi , @ofblackskies , @ratkiing , @snnydcys , @flamefallen , @impurc , @clockturned , @r4chelamber , @unbearablyindifferent , @mystictragedies , @conradfish3r , @jimh9334 , @jchnwinchester , @qapsiel , @thornstocutyouwith , @unitcd , @surgcns , @localsalt , @mecwmellc

[larvasmoon]

Interrogation time!

✅ List one or two favourite lines you've written and explain why they're your favourite.

😠 What's your least favourite part of your writing process?

🦉 Give yourself a piece of writing advice.

😊 Say something nice about your writing.

🔥 What's something that's currently going really well?

Sending all my love and adoration to you, you wonderful person ❤️❤️

You're such a sweet bean, thank you so much for thinking about me ❤️❤️❤️

✅ List one or two favourite lines you've written and explain why they're your favourite.

My favorite lines are probably these ones, from my tailor Astarion AU :

"Inside, everything was red, from the plush rugs under her boots, to the long panels of crimson fabric covering the walls and the ceilings. It was like wandering inside of a precious ring box, shrouded in scarlet silk and red velvet. What gems did it contain? Countless rubies and sapphires, no doubt.

But to her strange mind, Astarion outshined each and every of the luxurious things she could find in the shop. He was the true jewel this box was made for."

I'm not sure why I like them so much, probably because it perfectly incapsulates the kind of relationship my OC has with Astarion at the beginning of the story!

😠 What's your least favourite part of your writing process?

Editing 😅 This process can last for weeks if I don't decide to let it go at some point and publish the chapter. The fact that I'm not a native speaker is not helping though, I constantly question the way I word things because of that. But oh well, editing is a bit of a nightmare for every writer, right?

🦉 Give yourself a piece of writing advice.

Probably to be a little more kind to myself. Self-depreciation is one of the things that really hinder my creativity me these days, but I'm trying to work on it. I'm still learning, one step at a time and it's all that matters. Progress is progress!

This is piece of advice that I would like extend to every writer who reads this. Be kind to yourselves, you are doing amazing! ❤️

😊 Say something nice about your writing.

Oh gods, this is going to be hard. But um... that my writing is pretty descriptive? Which can be both a blessing and a curse haha. But I always try to build scenes in a way that is very immersive and vivid!

🔥 What's something that's currently going really well?

One thing that makes me really happy lately is to listen to the podfic of my tailor AU that one my friend is recording. It's such a touching experience, I even teared up in the train this morning while listening to it. She's fantastic and talented and amazing, and it's helping to like my writing a little more.

Sending lots of kisses to you and thank you for those lovely questions 💕 You are such a gem and such a talented writer!

[kierreras]

do you have any favourite jiara fics? I'm starving for some jiara content

i sure do! week later i'm answering this question, cause it was so hard to gather all of my favourite works in one place! i'm pretty sure that i forgot some of them, so sorry. i’m so in awe cause this fandom has so many talented writers and there are so many works that i adore. all the writers mentioned here have so many great works, but i’m choosing one for each. if anything, you can go to author’s profile and check other works. i promise you will love them! including some finished works only, in case you want to read a completed stories. so, here are my favourites: - other people by jiaras okay, if you love normal people by sally rooney you have to read this one! it was one of the first works that i read and it’s simply one of the greatest for me. the way jj and kie act here, their love for each other is so magnificent. so please read it if you haven’t. - around the world by RaeOfFrickingSunshine i think this fic is canon in every jiara shipper heart. so well written, has so many details. I cried when i read some parts. just read it, it’s so good. also, it has a sequel that you have to read as well. - the pogue lyfe t-shirt company by YellowLaboratory another canon fic for me. sorry, but the way kie’s kook year is handled here is amazing. i consider this work as canon because it has so many things that were thrown as small details in the show. and it’s a prequel that we all deserved. also, there is a kind-of sequel for this work which is currently in progress, so check it out too. - the violence of the dog days by somewhere2start well, this one broke my heart into pieces. i’m so in awe how anxiety attacks were handled there - it’s amazingly accurate. also, the characters and how they act make you feel so many emotions. they are so vulnerable, so fragile. loved every word of it!- call my bluff, call you babe by smileymikey it’s fun and refreshing. i love these versions of pogues with all my heart! also, feels like you’re watching a romcom, so you should definitely read it.  - all my friends are bad kids by noos listen, i love kitty hawk rescue scene, i really do. but this fic about jj rescuing kie from blue ridge captured my heart after the first read. i loved it and would recommend it if you’re up reading alternative version of season three events.  - façades & fabricated feelings by ghostiewriter101 well, british!jj, football, college, banter. it has everything a girl can ask for! i loved every second of it, one of my favourite in the genre, so definitely recommend checking it out if you like au. - couch crashin’ by alphinia so this has to be read if you love romcom storylines. the way it’s written is amazing and the whole vibe really is great, so if you’re up for some comedic meet ugly tropes, you have to check this one! - let him know that you know best (cause after all, you do know best) by cowboylikebrii so, i cried. I’m saying it a lot now, but believe me this one absolutely makes you feel so many emotions. you can see characters struggling and trying to figure out what to do, how to feel. and the way it was written is just crazy beautiful. if you watched ‘life as we know it’, you know how this one is going to make you feel. - darkest before dawn by bobs read it a week before season three came out and instantly fell in love with this one. kiara’s struggles here are so well-written. i was literally spiralling with her during this fic because of how amazing her feels were delivered by author. - break up with your girlfriend cause i’m bored by RoseofWinterfell it’s funny and cute, makes you laugh and makes you root for the characters from the very beginning. also, some cambank here, so if you are a fan like me you have to check it!

- rip current by abigaylefayth it made me cry with ugly tears, really. it’s such a good beautiful thing, so if you love some good angst, please check it out.

- ‘cause it’s you by PAKficition amazing work that makes you feel things. just how crazy accurate characters behave, how they handle tension and feelings - like wow. i’ve read it and re-read it multiple times, definitely recommend.

yeah, i'm sure i forgot to include some works, but hope that these are enough for some time. hope that some of them are new for you and you will fall in love with them the same way i did!

[byrdtrollsunoreversearchive]

💭💭💭

@astrumocs Is a long time friend and very dear to me. I'm so excited that we're writing more together and obsesseddddd with tavi and hikaru for sure <3. They're one of my friends who I feel has a very distinct voice in all their writing, like you can read one paragraph and sort of tell it's them through the style he uses. If that makes sense. I really admire that about him. They're also such a capable artist and you can tell how much time and effort they put into every individual piece. The spritesets he's been putting out lately just sort of blow my mind with the rendering. His style feels just as distinct and recognizable as his writing is, it just oozes with personality in every way. And outside of art they are just a very loving and wonderful friend. Who has been there for me throughout a lot of hard times. Making me laugh and saying things that are so kind. I love them a whole lot.

@quiescent-trolls is another long time friend. Their passion for my characters constantly drives me to create. They're such an important part of this community and such a talented artist and writer. I'm obsessed with what they did with fucked up but also their arc with nesmos <3 I really love how they write relationships. I think we have very similar tastes in terms of charactor angst and conflict. Every so often you just meet someone who clicks with you. When/if we write together, it is so over for all of you. Their art is also amazing and I've been blown away by it every single time I see it and I feel so lucky to be able to collab with them! Besides that they are a great friend and just a very considerate, mature and intelligent person. We've had a lot of conversations on kink and sexuality and all manner of things that are so important to me. I think its so nice to have people to talk too about this kind of thing.

@dirgelwch I don't even know where to start with lin, I could be here for hours. They constantly inspire me with their art and how they play around with the medium of storytelling. I remember being blown away by all the stuff they did with their narrator storyline and I still am. They're a very talented writer and I love Melina with my whole heart and am so excited anytime theres a drabble for her. Their physical art is also so impressive. Their work feels almost so, era specific, with the rendering and effects and noise they add to it, everything feels so nostalgic and familiar and emotional. I'm constantly impressed by their lineart, they have a really professional and characteristic way of using line that I just really admire. They're also such a capable character designer, and have so many trolls with such distinct sillouttes and color palettes. Other than that, outside of rp they are just a very wonderful, kind person who has always been willing to lend an ear to me. Theyre so funny and I love terrorizing our friends with silly nsfw breaking bad and lorax nonsense with them.

[gaspshichat]

appreciaton post time !!

except this time it isn't about pearl. it's about her amazing and kind community which i am so proud and happy to be apart of

i try to be active on all my social media platforms, uplifting all pearl fans bc y'all are amazing and extremely talented people. y'all deserve all the praise in the world

on tiktok, the cosplayers are so impressive in the way they can transform into a character or person. i've seen so many people somehow capture pearl's energy almost perfectly. the art these people do to their bodies is so cool and i'm hoping to become one of them soon

on twitter and tumblr, the fanartists are constantly and continuously making me shocked with how great they are at turning a bunch of pixels into something beautiful and realistic. all great fanartists out there deserve so much more recognition and love for what they do bc it's absolutely ridiculous how they're able to capture such energy and beauty in their art

to the writers, i am still surprised every time i read a beautiful angst piece and i can feel the raw emotion the writer put in there. i'm a writer, in mutliple ways, and i still don't understand how other writers do it

on youtube, the comments never fail to make me smile or laugh. everyone there is so kind to each other and especially to pearl. they're also very funny a lot of the times, making jokes about something pearl did or said or just simply quoting her. it always brightens my day

on discord, y'all are so silly and sweet. you can go into general chat, say timezone, and someone is bound to respond. the conversations that i've witnessed and been apart of, from trying to describe a toaster in the longest way possible to the dutch, y'all never fail to make me smile [or a little scared with the things y'all say, but in a good way!]

and finally, on twitch, y'all are genuinely the nicest people i've ever seen. the joy y'all have for other people's success, the jokes y'all come up with, the kind words y'all always have for pearl, everything. sure, we get the occasional weirdo or bad person, but y'all are good at ignoring them and not letting them bring down our great vibes

i am so proud to be apart of this community. i've been in online spaces for almost a decade now, and this is the only place i've ever truly felt safe. everyone in pearl's community is such a kind, caring, sweet, genuine person from what i've seen. pearl, you've created an amazing community. you should feel proud

[wetcatspellcaster]

Okay, so you said positive reinforcement helps with your writing, so buckle up. "Pieces"-- Literally the level of writing I aspire to be at. It's SO. WELL. DONE. Including the latest chapter and I'm sure the rest will be amazing, too. "Party Favours"-- my number one comfort fic of all time. I go back and reread it CONSTANTLY, any time I need a bit of a pick-me-up. Also the kiss scene in the hallway is THE HOTTEST THING I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE. "Bleeding Heart"/ "An Honest Lie"-- You write Rosalie with so much love that it has made ME love her (so much so that I'm a little like "move over Astarion, she's out of both of our leagues but I know how to treat her right") and I reread chapters all the time. The dialogue alone is top notch. Lastly, I mean, I know NOTHING about Dragon Age or Shadow and Bone but I MUST LEARN so I can read the rest of your stuff. You're so incredibly talented. Every writer has their anxieties and insecurities so it's understandable and obviously valid that you have them too, but *takes you gently by the shoulders* YOU ARE SO GIFTED. And we are all super grateful for you sharing your gift with us. So thank you. So so much!

thank you anon, this message was very kind and the bit about Rosalie made me laugh - nothing like making an OC who stews in self-hate and then watch her get a line of suitors and still be like "I do not see it 😔". (and then going to therapy and my therapist staring at me meaningfully and I simply reply: "I do not see it😔".)

i appreciate the positive reinforcement. I've since realised that I got a little lost after chapter 19 of Pieces, because it was this massive plot point I'd been building up to, and while it had been really scary at the time and I felt a lot of pressure to get it right, the pressure did at least help to guide me forward and give me something to aim for. I've now got to find something new to aim for! While I know what the ending of the fic is, it's back to meandering my way to get there rather than having every single scene hammered down. Idk, I think possibly I am burned out and so things may slow down for a while? But I'm glad of the reminder that people enjoy my writing and I will hopefully have more updates for people soon xx

(also, don't learn about Shadow and Bone, don't do that to yourself, don't let netflix hurt you like that. Dragon Age is however BG3's spiritual predecessor so if you need more fantasy games with romance options you should buy it immediately x)

[mixterglacia]

So here's my general opinion on Hazbin Hotel.

First and foremost, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LIKE THE SHOW. MY VIEWPOINT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T ENJOY IT.

Alright? Let's not string Logan up because he doesn't like a show.

Spoilers under the cut obviously.

To start, I absolutely think Viv is talented. I'm not going to pretend that she has no skill whatsoever because that would be disingenuous. I think that she's got an amazing gift for music videos and one-off episodes.

However that doesn't translate to an eight episode series.

When it comes to both of her shows, I find that her characterization, plots, and tone are very inconsistent. It becomes extremely clear when she really likes a character because she starts rewriting them to be this tragic thing that the whole plot needs to revolve around.

I'm not saying that a comedy series can't have depth. I'm an RvB guy, there's absolutely a way to strike a balance between snark and serious. But so often the dramatic parts of Hotel feel like they're fighting -against- the humor, not using it as a foil.

You can't expect me to take you seriously when you have half an episode dedicated to an absolutely stellar performance by Angel's VA, then make a rape joke in the next episode.

Beyond that, for a show about rehabilitating sinners, you spent all that time on Angel and his arc, only to have Pen' be the one who dies and goes to heaven? Are you honestly telling me that doing one grand gesture, one -singular- act of sacrifice is all it takes to get in?

Don't get me wrong, Pen was literally the only thing I consistently liked about the show. But his temporary death felt like nothing more than a tool to shove the plot along.

I believe a lot of this show's faults stem from having WAY too many characters. You have eight episodes that run for roughly half an hour each. You have to make some sacrifices to make things work. I'm not even sure having full hour eps would make it better, but it definitely wouldn't hurt things.

But Viv should be able to make those tough calls if she wants to be considered a good writer.

The three Vee's were almost completely wasted, -especially- Velvette [sp?]. You've got too many random antagonists in such a short season. Them (mostly Vox) interjecting during the big fight was jarring and more distracting filler/haha dick nonsense.

The only one I find was used in pretty effective way was Valentino. He's honestly a really nasty piece of work and I mean that in a positive way. He's charming until he isn't, he's predatory, and makes my skin crawl every time he's on screen. Good, kudos on that front.

But for the show that's supposedly the girl-show to Helluva's boy-show? THE GIRLS ARE BARELY FLESHED OUT. It feels like Viv can't decide who her main character is. (Likely a side effect of the bloated cast) Angel could be considered just as much of the lead as Charlie.

Speaking of Charlie, she comes off like an extremely flat and frankly obnoxious character for more than two thirds of her screen time. Why does her relationship feel like an after thought when it's canon? If it was meant to be a will they won't they, it could have made more sense. But it felt like we were constantly being reminded that they were together rather than showing us outside of the (i think) second to last ep.

The pacing is also totally out of control. The first episode was one big plot dump, then nothing moved the main story along for four and a half episodes, then suddenly everything is happening all at once? It feels like being in bumper to bumper traffic, then taking an off ramp.

Again, they really needed to streamline the cast.

As a final note, I really, REALLY hope Lilith is going to be more than just the evil bitch exwife. I already find Stella to be a total waste of a character. Please don't do the same with Lilith because I'm already sick of the "uwu misunderstood dad with his cunt ex" in Helluva.

I guess I'm extra annoyed because I really truly want to like this show. When the writing hits, it's absolutely amazing. But the overwhelming majority of the time, it's just -boring-. I know she can do better which makes it all the more frustrating.

You're allowed to like it. I'm allowed to dislike it. I'm glad so many people find joy in it.

I just wish I could.

[nin-jay-go]

Ask bomb 💣!

what was the first work you made for the fandom? How many WIPS do you have right now? Link your three favourite fics right now

oh shit an ask bomb!! sure :0

uhhh first work huh. in terms of art, my first piece was this, done in late 2017. yea idk either

my first fic is still on ao3, which is i believe sparkling water? unsure, i kinda didn't have a good grasp on these guys yet. or was good at writing lol

how many wips do i have? too many dfgjkhgdfjkh technically all of alterline is just one very large wip, i have abandoned wip writing projects, and i have some art wips that i kinda . dont have completed lol but its fineeeeeeeee

oh and fics!!!! lemme tell ya, all snake jay enjoyers should read once bitten new life by @northamericanjaguar its SO gooddddddd the snakeisms <3 just for me. also been seriously enjoying the no wu au by @kydv404, fantastic alternate worldbuilding and amazing found family moments, 10/10. and ofc how could i forget twwt bats <3333 by the amazing @morrogatari absolute MWAHHH chef's kiss of a fic

and i just listed the ones that are currently being updated regularly in my inbox, there's many more that i lose my brain over every day because this fandom has so many talented artists and writers and i'm having a FANTASTIC time here :D