#JellyMelly Answers

[jellymellydraws]

Hello! I'm here with some numbers from the fic writer ask. Would you mind answering 7, 10, 31? Thank you 🥰

7) Coffee or tea while you write? This answer depends on WHEN i'm writing, believe it or not! If it's in the morning, it's coffee. If it's the afternoon or late evening, usually an herbal tea. If it's not any of those hours (like basically if it's office-corporate-hours) then it's probably a carbonated beverage of some sort!

10) Is there a character or ship you'd love to write for, but haven't yet? DURGETASH. DURGETASH. DURGETASH.-- I have so many notes and outlines for my Durgetash prequel BUT I JUST HAVEN'T WRITTEN IT YEEEETTTT

Also Sceleritus Fel-- I haven't gotten to him yet either!

BUT ALSO ALSO ALSOOOOOO-- Shadowzel. I love them. I love their whole dynamic. I need to write more!

31) What fic meant the most to you to write? My longfic, I've Got You. This was my return to writing fanfiction, and the fact that I still love it and that this story demands to be shared continues to fill my heart and soul. It was also the first time in a while that I remembered what it felt like to love creating. To write something for ME and because I love it.

Ask Meme Here (keep the questions coming!! This is so much fun!)

[jellymellydraws]

Ask game!

What makes a fic 'successful' in your opinion?

11) What makes a fic "successful" in your opinion?

This is definitely not a great measure of success but it sure as shit is the one I find myself comparing against:

When friends of the author read it, love it, and gush about it. When you have a regular commenter(s). When your fic is recommended to someone without prompting from the author. When Fanart is inspired by the fic.

I DO think success can also be considered when the writer is happy/proud about the story they told. But I am stuck in a mentality where the external sources of validation means success (objective) as opposed to success (subjective).

[Fanfic author ask meme here]

[jellymellydraws]

It may no longer be Monday, and you may no longer be bored, however...

Favourite scene you've written this year?

Also I can't recall: you've drawn other people's OCs, but have you drawn Rose?

Eyyy!!!

Okay, FAVORITE scene????

The start of Chapter 20 in I've Got You. I really wanted to give that feeling of dialogue happening on top of a scene progressing, until the visuals and audio converge to the present point. I feel like I did that really well with Wyll talking Monster facts and the party sneaking into the Worg Pits.

Snippet below (with alt text)

Annnnnd YES! I've drawn Rose a few times!!!

There's this sketch from chapter 11, of her bathing in the river with Astarion where you see both their scars.

And this illustration I did earlier this year!

[jellymellydraws]

TO DA RESCUE!

First off, lemme tell you that seeing new things popping up on my dashboard of yours makes me all fuzzy and happy inside. So cheer up buttercup.

SECONDLY!

What do you think RosexAsyarion would be like in a modern setting? Where would they live? Do they have a go-to Starbucks/local coffee shop order? Does Astarion never wear the same thing twice? Does Rose steal his clothes because of that?

GIMME DEETZ YO

this is so very sweet thank youuuuuu

Modern AU RoseStarion has a few routes they can go and all are just as fun for me to consider

High Class Crime Duo

The two of them steal expensive shit and sell on the black market. Heists where they can infiltrate high society using Astarion's skills as a high-in-demand musician to provide entertainment. Rose is, of course, the brains of the operations. She's got the blueprints, the security codes, and everything needed to pull off a successful heist. They enjoy living in a penthouse within the city, and Astarion's profits as a performer for the upper class is their official way of paying and sustaining that lifestyle. Despite the crime, they're still, in their own way, GOOD people. No they don't donate to charity....no they don't put those funds to GOOD things...but they got some kind of moral code and standards that they abide by. Despite the fact that they both want to live the high life, they're also very aware that high society is a club of assholes, so they don't have any qualms about stealing from them.

Musician and his Muse Manager

In this AU, the two of them travel across Faerun, so they don't really have a place that they live. Astarion is a classical musician who already had a positive reputation and was in demand. Early on there are issues with this. It was a bit of a scandal when word got out that he broke his partnership with Szarr Agency and hired an independent agent. That was the public scandal, at least. The private scandal involved Rose refusing invitations from "fans" who offered high sums to see one of his "exclusive" performances, as they were used to while he worked for Szarr Agency. The relationship is kept secret, due to the professional nature of their public appearances. But behind closed doors, they can't keep their hands off each other.

Generic/Regular Modern AU type of shit:

They live in an apartment in the city, hoping to someday, hoping to work their way up to a luxury townhome. Their professions can be a whole different assortment of things. Astarion can be a judge, lawyer, fashion designer, perfumer. Rose can be a private investigator, hired hitwoman, or generic business woman (probably management of some kind). I like thinking about this one in terms of sweet domestic life between them in a modern AU. Nothing dramatic, just that point where they can enjoy life with their several cats (and maybe a few exotic pets), see their friends in the city, and build a sappy sweet life together.

Now the OTHER detailssssssss Rose likes her coffee with a bit of sweetness, nothing too fancy. Usually vanilla syrup in her coffee for the most part and light on the creamer. Astarion doesn't have a regular order. He's the one who comes in and asks for something different just when the barista thinks they got it down. The only thing consistent is that Astarion gets a pastry with his coffee. Which pastry? Fuck, that one is ALSO changed up (because the pastry needs to pair with the coffee, darling. I can't have a lemon loaf with a caramel mocha-- I mean, I COULD, but it just doesn't do either of those things justice, now does it?)

Astarion loves the IDEA of never wearing the same thing twice. But he actually does get a bit attached to some of his outfits. Rose learned this early on, she keeps the clothes he INSISTS on getting rid of (because he WILL regret it later when he has JUST THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY for an outfit he dismissed MONTHS ago), and he's usually pleased when she pulls them out for him to have again. Rose stealing Astarion's clothes can be a bit tricky, mainly because she's got a large chest which don't fit in his slimmer shirts. If it weren't for that, she could probably wear most of his outfits but as it stands now, they're all a bit tight on her. BUT THE TWO OF THEM WILL COORDINATE THE FUCK OUTTA THEIR OUTFITS WHEN THEY GO OUT TOGETHER. They also go to the spa and get manipedis together. People watching too! Their favorite people watching thing to do is make up backstories about the strangers they're watching.

This was great actually, I really do feel better-- like, IMMENSELY BETTER

[jellymellydraws]

9 + 22 for the ask game!

[Fanfic Author Ask Game here]

9) How did you get into writing fanfiction? *thousand yard stare into the great and vast beyond* ....so once upon a time, Naruto started airing on Cartoon Network and I fell down the never-ending rabbit-hole that became WRITING.

It was probably one of my first times being consumed by a piece of media so strongly that I read fanfiction of it, searched for fanart, made AMVs, and just THREW myself into creation for the love of Naruto.

13-year-old me became obsessed and hadn't unlocked her love of drawing yet, but she really liked writing stories so fanfiction was the most natural jump she could make. I juggled three fics at the same time but didn't finish any of them. I was excited to share my stories with people and engage with others who loved the fandom. Before BG3, that was the last time I had done ANY fanfiction writing.

22) Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic? I haven't actually finished a fic (yet). I'm not entirely sure what I would do to celebrate. I think I would want to draw something, but that's also more labor that I might not have energy for.

When I finish "I've Got You" I know I want to print and bind it like a proper book for my own personal collection. I think that's a great thing to consider a celebration.

[jellymellydraws]

Haaayyyyyyyyy Taaaaaavvvvv haaaaaaayyyyyyyyy

Where do you start in writing? Do you have a process that you go through? Do you do a point a to point b or do you just spitball things out and stitch them together?

I have so many ideas that I wanna put into words but I can't get em out. Send help.

Ooooo okay sooooo-- sorry I don't have a formal process but I can breakdown a few things that I do!

Generally: I do the spitball and stitch strategy. If I have an idea, regardless of where it might sit in a story or timeline, I write it down. I can figure out what I want to do with it AFTER I get the idea onto the page somehow. (Personally I give each idea its own doc, because I never know when/if I'm going to include it, and it also helps me add to them as more ideas come).

Writing each Chapter/Scene For a chapter, I write out the things I want to have happen. Sometimes this will include things that are better off in the NEXT chapter, but knowing my general journey will help me know what I want to build up.

After that, I'll do a quick outline. Usually dialogue and actions just so I have a basic idea of what I want to happen (much like a chatroom RP format or script). If I get carried away and want to write paragraphs then I just start doing that. No point in forcing myself to do things a certain way if my brain isn't about that.

Longfic Process Still the same as what I do generally, but for the longfic I'll consider things like timeline of events and how different actions could affect other future events or characters. This could mean ideas I had before become irrelevant, but that's fine!

In Conclusion/Summary

If you have an idea, write it down. Doesn't matter how or what format, put it on the page.

I don't know what to do with most of my ideas, but I'm happier to have it written down SOMEWHERE so I can figure that out later.

There's no formal way to plan or prep. Just the way that works for your brain. Try a bunch of different things and see what sticks. For me, it's writing and rewriting the same scene until I'm happy with it.

When I get stuck, I start over. Sometimes the beginning of my idea was great but loses steam and I can't make sense of how to get to the ending I want.

For my longfic, I have a timeline of events where I can move scenes around depending on what I think makes sense for the pacing I want.

[jellymellydraws]

12 + 10 for the fic ask meme?

Fic Author Ask Game Here

12. First Fic Ever Written? First fic I ever written has been lost to the 1s and 0s of internet history. It was a Naruto Fanfiction with my first OC (a self-insert "somehow weak but also OP at the same time" character). It was a love triangle between Sasuke, Sakura, and my OC! That was back in 2007 and I hadn't written anything until BG3 came around since then.

10. Best/Funniest comment you've ever gotten on a fic? BEST COMMENT IS THE HARDEST TO PICK-- I get so many really great comments

But I DO have some funny comments! This one was shared on my last smut oneshot

This one is from my main fic, and I won't stop thinking about it

THIS ONE I read in my head like the "Uh-oh Spaghettio!" jingle

and I HAVE TO mention this consistent comment I get on EVERY. CHAPTER.-- I love them.

Shoutout to @spooky-donut-ghost-house @asstariontrash and @thegalaxysedge22 for being regular commenters on my main fic. I do a little giddy dance every time I get that email from AO3. I also read back through those comments when I need to fight the brain gremlins that tell me bad things about my writing.

[jellymellydraws]

1, 9, &20 for the fic ask game? 👀💚 Sorry, Tumblr mobile doesn't want to let me send asks from ye ol' sideblog

Ahhhh Mouseeee hiiii!!!

Fanfic Writer Ask Game Here

1. What is your favorite trope to write? There are SO MANYYYYYYY and I don't think I know the name of most tropes. But I love writing whatever trope it is where someone deliberately goes by a different name (or adopts a different identity) as a way of reclaiming/taking control of their own personhood. Also in "I've Got You" I'm a sucker for the 'suddenly being comforted' trope. Just-- NNNGGGG the good shit. Character is suffering and struggling and then someone puts a hand on their shoulder, or a cold hand on their overheated face, or pulls them for a hug? GOOD SHIT. Honorable Mentions: Chosen/Found Family is another big one for me. Mind forgets but Body remembers Characters armed to the teeth but have to relinquish their full portable armory of weapons. Redemption for evil characters

9. Biggest Pet Peeve while writing? When I have a word on the tips of my fingers but cannot for the fucking life of me remember what it is.

On a similar, but technical, note-- when I have to change where I'm writing from (desktop to table to phone) and the settings in google docs don't transfer over SO SOMETIMES I GET THE RIGHT TYPE OF QUOTATION MARKS AND OTHER TIMES I DON'T AND IT'S JUST ARRGGGHHHHHHH

20. Hardest character to write/get the characterization correct for? Mentally stable characters and characters without trauma. This was a tough question to answer. Usually I just WING IT with any characterization (or I pull inspiration from things I've seen elsewhere like movies or shows).

I think writing for or getting into the headspace of a truly vile and heinous character is tough (like bigots and hateful characters). If I write a bad guy, I want to know them as a person and this usually leads to something redeemable about them. But if I want to write an irredeemable bad guy, then I feel like I'm missing out on an actual character cuz I don't know their core beliefs or characterizations other than "whatever is the BAD thing to do."

[jellymellydraws]

What's your favorite Rose fun fact?

Oooo I think all facts are fun facts but these are def some of my favorite:

-She's left-handed!

-when she was younger, she used to follow the constellations like your typical horoscope girlie would.

-she would very much love playing puzzles like Sudoku if they existed in Faerun.

[jellymellydraws]

No pressure to do all of these, but can I request 15, 16, 17, 18 for your Dark Urge questionnaire?

Hope you're having a nice day! 💚

Greymouse!!!! I love that you continue to send me asks when I post questionnaires! I love these!

15) What is your Dark Urge's Greatest Fear? Being a monster. Losing herself. The worst part about losing her memories is not knowing who she IS, or not knowing that the person she is without the memories was the REAL her or-- it's all a mess. She's afraid of never knowing who she is because of the fact that she doesn't know who she used to be. The whole nautiloid fiasco is her picking up pieces and learning things about herself but then stopping to wonder if that's REALLY her...what does it even mean to BE someone?

16) What is your Dark Urge's Greatest Desire? Control. She doesn't like surprises. Doesn't like unexpected outcomes. She plans things to the smallest detail if she can. She desperately needs something to have control over that is her own. Because she sure as shit doesn't have a handle on her Urges. One could argue that if her desire for control is only about the urges then maybe her desire is freedom-- but no. She doesn't see the urges being something she can get rid of, so the notion of being free from them is mostly a lofty fantasy. But controlling them sounds far more practical, and being able to control herself is actionable.

17) What is your Dark Urge's Greatest Regret? Keeping her urges secret from all of her companions for as long as she does. Rose gets stubborn about it and there are major consequences to her NOT telling the rest of camp that they are sleeping alongside someone with random murder-blackouts. There are times where her Urge is going to act up that she'll think about and wonder if the outcomes would've been different if all of her traveling companions were AWARE that she was dealing with this.

18) How does your Dark Urge feel about love? Love scares Rose. It's the most vulnerable a person can be about/towards/with another. It's a weakness that can be exploited in the most devastating of ways. She doesn't think others are weak for having it, but she thinks it's a danger for herself. Love has a whole lot of shit involved that she isn't ready to face. Like how it can be tested against the worst parts of herself, or how it can lead to her doing absolutely foolish shit that she wouldn't do for anyone when in the right state of mind. It can be worth it, but the path to love leaves a lot of uncertainty and surprises-- two things that Rose does everything in her power to avoid/be prepared for. Now, this might feel contradictory to what her greatest desire is, but consider this: There's a difference between BEING loved, and LOVING someone else. It's the latter that scares her.

[jellymellydraws]

If Rose had a love confession scene with Astarion, what would she say to him?

"I might not ever know, fully, who I used to be. But that doesn't seem to matter anymore. I want to fill up on new memories, of this person I am now. And I'd like you to be a part of them."

[jellymellydraws]

Have you noticed your style change over time?

30. Have you noticed your style change over time?

Oh yes, ABSOLUTELY!! Not just over a long period of time, either. When I was returning from my hiatus, I reread all the existing chapters of I've Got You and saw how my style evolved over the course of a few chapters.

For instance, I realized that I was incorporating a lot of extra commentary in the narration that (to me) detracted from the mood or flow I wanted to set for the reader. It was accurate in portraying how the protagonist viewed the situation, but didn't do much beyond "peanut gallery commentary" (a phrase I made up, just now).

In terms of style changes across time beyond my current fic: I noticed that I've leaned more heavily into giving the narrator some kind of voice or characterization. These days, I like to write with the main protag being the narrator, but I also realized that if I'm not doing a character-POV narration, I still want to give the narrator SOME kind character. It adds to the voice of the reading, and I feel like it ultimately helps guide the reader along in the emotional journey.

OH-- and I also write WAY MORE POETICALLY than I used to. Imagery and metaphor were always my favorite tools, but I think I've honed in on them and improved upon their usages as I continue to write!

[[Fanfic Author Ask Meme Here]]

[jellymellydraws]

What’s you least favorite BG3 ship?

Ooo spicy anon, okay okay, I see you.

Actually this is tough cuz I have a Shipper's Soul and can be persuaded to ship most pairings. Literally someone threw down GortashxWulbren the other day and, yeh, I'll ship that shit too.

So when I say "least favorite," I need it understood that it's just "not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of ships"

That said: Minsc ships. I don't see a lot of them, I'm intrigued by the ones I HAVE seen, but he isn't usually top of mind when I think about shipping in BG3

[jellymellydraws]

👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

New Year Writer Goal Ask List

👾 Do you have any "bad" writing habits you want to break?

Unintentional passive voice usage. I don't consistently use voices the way I want to for narrators and I think I default into passive voice too often because that's how I tend to talk when telling a story.

I also want to get better about unintentional rambling in my stories that don't add detail or only pad up the word-count without purpose. Again, not something I do intentionally, but something I'm realizing I have done in the past as I reread my fanfic.

AND I want to read more. I definitely NEED to read more to improve as a writer!

[jellymellydraws]

For the New Years Writer Goal Ask List!

👻 Is there a new genre you'd like to write?

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

New Years Writer Goal Ask List

👻 Is there a new genre you'd like to write?

Ooo this one is tough to answer but I thinnnnnk I want to lean in more to horror/suspense? Something to make a reader scared to turn off the lights once they're done. I like the horror genre but I don't think I've actually written anything for it. Durge touches up on it, but maybe I'll lean into it MORE for other pieces.

🦷 Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're dreading to write (but is necessary to your plot)? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

-stares solemnly at Alfira, who is currently alive, well, and turning out to be a great adventurer- Yeeeaaaahhhhhhhhh

It IS necessary, sadly, for the plot of I've Got You. I haven't fully written anything out but here are some snippets from the WIP:

Rose: *looks up at him* I-- this-- I didn’t mean to-- Astarion: I’m not so sure if I find that quirk so cute if it’s going to be killing us off in camp... Rose: *shaking* *feeling sick* Astarion: Well come on, this is your mess, how do you want to clean it up? Rose: *stuck in her head* *trying to piece her dream with reality* *frozen* Astarion: *snaps fingers in front of her* No time for that, darling. Unless you want everyone to see your...erm. Whatever you want to call that. The others. Shit. Rose: *looking up at him* *completely lost* *softly* How the fuck are you so calm right now? Astarion: A casual murder here or there never hurt anyone-- well, never hurt me, I suppose. We’ll sort out the small matter of needing to watch in groups later. Are we hiding this body or not? Rose: ...I...*looks at hands* *stomach lurches* *finds water bucket and washes blood off* Astarion: *exasperated sigh*  Astarion: *puts hand on her forehead, since that usually calms her down somehow* Rose: *flinches* Astarion: Easy, *sits beside her* I’m your friend, remember? *puts hand back on her face* *softer* Gods, you really burn up after a kill, hm? Rose: *shaky whispers* I didn’t mean to...I don’t even know what happened...*brings hand up to press his palm closer to her cheek* *then holds onto his arm, frightened he could take it away* *when tears start falling, she grits her teeth* Astarion: *quiet* ....... You could show me, like you did with the child. Rose: *feels him wanting to connect* *grips his wrist* *hesitates* Astarion: Come now, after all we’ve done together? You know I’m not easily phased by your spontaneous murder sprees. Rose: ...*lets him in* *jaw clenched as she runs through the memories as best she can* *hazy view of the nightmare* *vision twitching between nightmare view and reality* Alfira: *looks over when Rose steps out from the bushes* *smiles but goes back to her strumming, humming peacefully*

[jellymellydraws]

May I request questions 5, 6, and 9 from the fanfiction author ask game?

Fanfic author ask game

5. The fic you're most proud of writing? My current ongoing fic "I've Got You" is my proudest. It's my first fanfic since I stopped writing in '07, and I already wrote so much. It's the first Longfic which I also have a solid trajectory for in terms of major plot points and how I want it to end.

6. The fic you're least proud of writing? My very first fic, which was a Naruto fic love triangle between Sasuke, Sakura, and my very first OC. This OC was OP, but super damsel in distressed, and a self insert-- basically everything you can expect from a first time writer/creator who crammed all their fantasies into ONE character-- reasonability be damned.

I take psychic damage whenever I think about it.

9. Biggest pet peeve while writing? When I think about adding a detail to a later part of a scene, then I forget by the time I get to that very spot!!! Happened in my last chapter, so now I'm sorting out where else I can put it cuz I'm not gonna go back and edit the posted chapter. It would've triggered a few more paragraphs of writing and that's too big an edit for me to sneakily make.