#alas i need to work harder as a writer

[gojou-violin]

Hey Rhys! Hope you're doing well hehe

Lemme cut right to the chase as you're the resident sub writer here, I come to u with this idksjdikesj

We as a society need subby overstimulated Nagi Sei we really do

I leave it in ur hands to feed us something I trust ur work (;´༎ຶ◡༎ຶ`)

I mean if u're like in the mood to write if not just ignore this lmao

hello!!! i'm so glad i can be everyone's resident sub writer lmaoooo cuz i agree, i think we as a society need subby overstimulated nagi *evil laugh*. oh, the things i would do to ruin him.......

tw: 18+ only. somno. mommy kink. overstimulation. palming. whiney, pathetic nagi.

Nagi lazily bucked his hips. "Mommy, what're you..." His eyes were still closed as he bucked again at your touch. "Mommy," he moaned tiredly.

You slowly continued to jack him off, gently gliding your hand up and down his shaft while watching him carefully. Some time in the morning, as you'd gotten up to get ready for the day, Nagi started having a dream that resulted in small whimpers and air humps with a "Mommy, more..." every so often. When you'd gone back to check on him, Nagi was sprawled out on the bed, his hand buried in his pajama pants to hold onto his erection. He wasn't moving or anything like that. No, Nagi was too lazy for even that while he was asleep; but you could tell that he needed something with how desperately he was fucking his hand and the air during his dream. How could you deny your sweet boy? So you set to helping him by sliding back into bed, replacing his hand in his pants with your own. Nagi hardly noticed. He moaned at the touch, but he didn't stir.

"Oh, my poor boy... Are you dreaming about me?"

The longer it went on, though, Nagi began to wake up slightly, his eyes fluttering until they were half-lidded while looking up at you, his brows furrowed. When he realized that it was your hand on him, he moaned again and asked what you were doing.

"Taking care of you, baby," you answered.

His eyes closed again to let you know that you were free to do with him as you pleased.

With no protests from Nagi, you happily pushed his pants down so that you had clearer access to what you were working with, before jerking him off faster and harder, realizing that you didn't have long until you had to leave-- And with how distracting he'd been, you'd completely run out of time to get ready. It was a shame. But he was always more important.

"'m close," he warned quietly.

You leaned down to kiss his sharp jawline. "Let go for mommy, baby. It's okay. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Nagi grabbed the sheets weakly as his stomach tensed and his body froze up entirely. HIs orgasm hit him suddenly. With an abundance of whines and whimpers, he squeezes his eyes shut and started cumming all over his chest. You raked your nails done his stomach to his pubic bone as it happened. Nagi's eyes shot wide as he bucked.

"Mommy--"

Your hand pushed his hips back onto the bed.

"Fuck, thank you, Mommy, thank you, fuck, fuck--"

As his orgasm passed, he relaxed again, his eyes falling shut once more. Like usual, Nagi was expecting you to clean him up while he went back to sleep and you continued to get ready for work; but alas, you had other plans in mind. If he was so inclined to dream of you at night, you'd give him something to dream about all day while you were gone. So you didn't stop. You kept jerking him off with one hand while you brought the other to lay your palm flat on his tip, rubbing back and forth to overstimulate the most sensitive part of his dick.

Suddenly he was up.

Nagi jolted upright, grabbing at your wrists to make you stop, but you stared him down as a warning to go back to sleeping and let you be because you knew what was best for him— You’ve always known. But he couldn’t give in. He was sitting there squirming, biting his lip while trying desperately to catch his breath because he knew that he had to endure it. He knew that you wouldn’t stop ‘til you’re content.

“Mommy, please!” he begged so pathetically. “Please, please, please!”

“Please, what?”

“I can’t—“ He slumped on his back. “It’s too much.”

You slowed your hands gently before coming to a stop. “Good boy.”

He blushed at the praise. “If you wanted me to wake up, you could have just said so.”

“That’s not as fun.”

You leaned down to lick the cum off his stomach. He whimpered at the warm, wet touch that run along his midriff.

taglist: @aylitgirl , @sailewhoremoon , @justanotherpasserby-blog , @lyteatus , @bakugosgorl , @unknownspecies

[fonulyn]

So I just checked out your ao3 in more detail and saw you have like over 264 works and more than 100 for nivaneddy! I just wanted to say that's absolutely amazing and thank you for your contributions to the ships and fandom! I've also got a question, how have you managed to create so many works and also do you have any tips for new writers?

yeah i've written kind of a lot 😅 probably too much. but i hope you find something you like to read in there!

as for the question, i don't really have a clear answer. i've always been prolific and a fast writer when i'm inspired so it just. usually it comes easily? i've been telling stories my entire life. if i have an idea i really get into, it marinates in my brain and refuses to leave until it's written down :'D the hardest part is to actually sit down and begin typing, but once i do, the words usually come on their own.

BUT I also work really well from external validation and motivation. like. i used to have a friend who was always excited for what i wrote and always excited to talk ideas and read wips and provide rambly quot-y feedback. and i've never written as much as i did then! having someone in your corner cheering you on can be so incredibly motivating. alas, when that person then inevitably leaves you it can throw you into a slump that's harder to climb out of 😅

i'm trying, but idk, i feel very drained.

I know this sounds like a cop-out as an answer but we're all so different, you've just got to find out what works for you. some people write better by just grabbing a prompt and winging it, some people need to sit down and plan and outline before doing the actual writing. some people need gentle kicks in the butt from friends, some don't.

but the most important thing is to write what you enjoy. don't get bogged down by trying to please some imaginary audience that doesn't exist elsewhere than in your mind. when you enjoy what you do, it's so much easier to get shit done.

and finishing a story you wanted to tell? the best feeling ever :D (okay someone else liking the story might be even better lol but I'll take what I can get)

[talldecafcappuccino]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag, @chainofclovers!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

41

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 301,363

3. What fandoms do you write for?

It's really just Ted Lasso. I wrote a bit for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries years and years ago and then a couple one-offs for Schitt's Creek and The 100, but it wasn't much.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

my body over yours

calamine

when we were young

It's Great to Stay Up Late

love the lasso way

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, but I fell off for a while at the end of the last year. I feel weird not responding to comments and also it's just really nice to chat with people in comments. It's where I first met many of my fandom friends! Alas, it's harder to respond to comments on a multichapter because the story isn't done and I don't want to give anything away so I'm just like repeatedly saying "thanks for sticking with this fic!!"

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

home again - I pretty much only write happy endings, but the most open-ended thing I wrote was this post-finale fic for Ted Lasso that I suppose some people might find angsty for reasons (it's really not angsty, but like...I could see making an argument for it).

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

leader of the pack - To me this is the happiest possible ending to AppleTV+ Ted Lasso: a future fic with Ted and Rebecca happy together, splitting their time between London and Kansas until Ted's eventual retirement from coaching, but they still visit the games in the fan section (where the season ticket holders have a permanent seat saved for Ted).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I'm aware of.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not really. I've only written it as part of a larger story and I guess I don't tap into writing it very easily without a larger story to frame it (basically I need a whole lot of build up or context before I can write it which I suspect is thanks to demisexuality lmao)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I’ve never set out to write a crossover, but I realized after the fact that my Ted Lasso goes on Queer Eye fic is in fact a crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, just brainstormed with a friend or had a convo that sparked something, but never actually co-written anything with someone else.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don't have one! I don't like picking favorites in general and for ships there are different faves for different things and different faves for different seasons of life. I'm currently hyper-fixated on Ted/Rebecca, but that doesn't necessarily make them my all-time favorite ship.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hmm idk. I think the ones I want to finish are still able to be finished and any other ones I'm good with them remaining WIPs. I only have one active Ted/Rebecca WIP posted on ao3 and I plan to finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think it’s dialogue. My honors English teacher said I was funny once and I've latched on to that as well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to get focused on plot and what's happening and I find it harder to just write someone's thoughts and emotions without it veering into melodrama (or at least it feels like melodrama to me).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it's very cool if you are someone who knows another language or has the resources to do so and it works for the character/story/fic. Unfortunately I am terrible at languages (including my own) so I'll just appreciate it when someone else does it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I definitely wrote some very terrible HP one shots when I was like...13?

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Idk about favorite but I'm proud I finished my bodyguard au the way I wanted to which makes it a fave based on that alone.

leader of the pack might be my personal fave because it's how I initially pictured an idealistic happy ending for the show (post-season 1)

But also I liked writing lots of my fics for different reasons. I really truly hate picking favorites!!

Tagging: I'm late to this and I feel like everyone I know who writes has been tagged already 😅 Please participate if you want to!!

[callieponders]

NGL sometimes I look at the crew's tweets about him needing to stop being in anger mode 24/7 and reintegrate into society, and I wonder: are we supposed to expect him to work through that by himself? Do we expect great emotional regulation and self-awareness from an elementary schooler in an abusive household? He absolutely shouldn't be redirecting his anger at the people around him (note: Hazel. she didn't deserve that ire at all and doesn't owe him any patience about it), but I can't help looking at him and thinking that he needs, like. I dunno. A therapist. An adult. Someone or something that's actually guaranteed to help him out a little. The adults present in the show... didn't seem very interested in doing that, despite seeming to know what his actual core issue was? Maddening. Anyway

(disclaimer before anything i say. i just need yall to know this show could be the worst thing ive ever seen and id still hope the best for the crew bc its their job and people need to eat alright. that being said i do enjoy the show, please dont take this as me saying they need to NEVER WORK AGAIN ala nostalgia critic style or something)

that wording is so funny though, reintegrate into society... the boy is a small child not someone coming out of prison

but seriously this is exactly the type of stuff im thinking, i dont really go on twitter much anymore because i dislike it so i wasnt aware of the things the crew said (and dont envy them because oh man this was a divisive finale it seems). i dont expect an episode like "dev goes to therapy" and the wacky adventures of him going to therapy or something, but im really hoping in s2 they have peri held more accountable for majorly screwing up here and trying to do right by dev with another chance given to him.

the frustrating thing is i cant blame people defending the choices because some people are genuinely really bad at voicing their opinion/critique, especially because it feels like a lot of people arent having the balls to actually point out peri, even cosmo and (frankly the worse one of the two bc she was so much harder on dev) wanda are a bigger blame for the situation with dev. of course people are gonna assume people are putting the responsibility on hazel, id also be defensive about that because thats a ridiculous thing to expect, but like nah its clear its not her responsibility. she is also 10 and has a world outside of dev, and dev SHOULD be held accountable for his actions in regards to lashing out at others around him when hes upset. the fact hes given more critique than the adults around him that are meant to guide him and help him is the bigger issue than that alone.

on that same note, hazel should also be held accountable for the same things, like saying devs problems werent that deep and having wanda, a FAIRY GODPARENT, basically agree??? also when she was like "oh friends work things out" i didnt hear no apology for not hearing dev out or at least for leaving him in the dark on if theyre friends or not. and the thing is i dont expect her to do that on her own, because shes 10, but theyre fictional 10 year olds who will have more maturity than most real kids either way, so like... yknow?

additionally its kind of a double standard either way, if you dont expect hazel to act mature, why on gods green earth would you expect DEV to??? and hazel, compared to dev, has people to guide her the right way and people that are patient with her, meanwhile dev doesnt get that, the most hes ever gotten is hazel and THATS NOT HAZELS JOB!!! im not saying the writers are claiming it is, its just that its frustrating that the writing has ended up with her feeling like the only person who really gives a damn yknow

[domjaehyun]

what do you typically write on? ik alot of writers write on their phones but i was wondering what ur like <<method>> is

hiiiiiiiiiii okay so here we go !!!!!!

i have like 3-4, occasionally 5 diff writing set ups and it depends on my mood and the circumstances but i’ll rank them by my favorite to least favorite :3 it’s under a cut bc i wrote a lot i blame the adderall :p lmk if you want links / pics of the stuff i use / my whole set up w notebooks and other equipment n stuffs :3

(1) ipad (on a stand) and my typewriter keyboard

(notes: THIS IS MY IDEAL SET UP BECAUSE I ADORE THIS KEYBOARD. it used to have a metal stent to hold my ipad but . alas . it broke. but sensory wise the clicky key switch sounds are sooooo satisfying it feels good and sounds good to type so i get so much more done when i use it :3 the only con is that the keyboard is bulky and too loud to use at the library, so i have to use it at home or in louder public places only. also the keys are kind of indented to fit the groove of your finger and it makes it easier to type with long nails bc instead of hitting a slippery flat/rounded target, i’m hitting a shallow bowl that kind of is designed to catch your finger, essentially)

(2) ipad (on a stand) and my logitech keyboard

(notes: this is my main set up for outside of the house because the keyboard is light and easy to work with and not too loud. it’s not as fun to type on as my typewriter keyboard, though, and the keys are smoother with no grip so it’s harder to type with long nails :p)

(3) my portable word processor

(notes: i love the keyboard actually i just wish the device didn’t feel so archaic to me i’ve had it since i was in like . fourth grade. and i just now picked it back up this month. there’s a way nicer cooler word processor i really really really want but it’s crazy expensive so i have to save up for it which is prob gonna take, like, at least a year :( unless i randomly come into a lot of money which would obviously be the ideal scenario but highly unlikely.) (the one i have is a pretty great processor though i just wish: (1) the display was brighter & didn’t time out so quickly (2) the system had a neater file organization system/some type of cloud back up (3) that it was easier to connect to a computer or tablet to transfer text; this one has a cord that i need two separate adapters for depending on the device i want to connect to it :( (4) ALSO it’d be great if like it supported standard keyboard shortcut formatting: like as it is rn i have to format it kinda like markdown formatting and then when i send the document from my processor to a device, i have to make sure the document im transferring to supports markdown formatting :P kind of a hassle)

(4) my laptop

(notes: some of my keyboard keys are starting to fade so i have a keyboard cover on it that is a lil …sticky? like if i were to drag my fingers/nails against the keyboard cover, it feels like im dragging my nails against rubber/silicone so there’s a bit of traction/grip that im not crazy abt i feel like it impedes my progress)

(5) my phone

(notes: this is exclusively for when i’m at work on the floor or on the move trying to put my ideas on the page before i forget. i haaaaaaate writing on my phone so much the keyboard is too tiny and i need to Feel And Hear The Clicks to feel productive)

[serengeral-alaan]

A (Somewhat More Brief) Retrospective of the 4.1-4.3 MSQ, Since I Recently Replayed It

The 4.1-4.3 story of the Stormblood expansion is often seen as a sort of redemption arc for the FF14 writing team; after the rough spot that was the 4.0 storyline, 4.1-4.3 comes back and reassures the fans that, no, the devs didn’t suddenly forget how write amazing stories, it was just a one-off incident thanks to the writing constraints of 4.0.

4.1-4.3 is undeniably a very good story arc, skillfully tying up a lot of loose ends from 4.0 and ending Nanamo, Raubahn, Yotsuyu, and Gosetsu’s personal stories on satisfying, tearjerking notes. You might personally like the 3.1-3.3 and 5.1-5.3 storylines more, but it’s clear that 4.1-4.3 doesn’t fall nearly as much behind compared to its cousins as 4.0 did to 3.0 and 5.0. I wish I could talk more about how 4.1-4.3 portrays the hard work needed to rebuild a nation after a successful revolution–a task that’s arguably harder than winning the revolution in the first place–but alas, I don’t know much about rebellions in detail to have anything interesting to say there.

Instead, I’d like to talk about redemption.

A complaint I’ve seen about 4.1-4.3 is that the game seems to try and redeem Yotsuyu, and that the story is worse for it. I disagree with this, because I don’t think the story tries to redeem Yotsuyu at all. 

-

If you’re interested in my older retrospectives, you can find them below.

You can find the 2.0 retrospective here: https://www.tumblr.com/serengeral-alaan/719337913881657344/a-brief-retrospective-on-the-ff14-20-storyline?source=share

2.1-2.55 here: https://www.tumblr.com/serengeral-alaan/719620374219849728/a-brief-retrospective-on-the-seventh-astral-era?source=share

3.0 here: https://www.tumblr.com/serengeral-alaan/720425547634802688/a-less-brief-retrospective-on-the-30-msq-since?source=share

3.1-3.3 here: https://www.tumblr.com/blue-flame13/720965476614914048/a-not-particularly-brief-retrospective-on-the?source=share

3.4-3.55 here: https://www.tumblr.com/serengeral-alaan/722234104381325312/a-not-brief-retrospective-on-the-34-35-msq?source=share

----

But first: what exactly is redemption? 

There’s a lot of different forms of redemption, including the spiritual kind. For example, certain forms of Christian belief emphasize redemption in the form of being cleansed or saved from sins. However, the 4.1-4.3 storyline doesn’t really deal with this sort of redemption in any form, so we can put spiritual redemption aside for now.

Instead, when a character is redeemed in a story, it means two things. 

First: the character made major efforts towards making amends for the wrongs they’ve committed to the people they’ve wronged. The character doesn’t necessarily have to be completely forgiven by all the people they’ve wronged, but by the end of their character arc they needed to have performed some sort of great, substantial act to make amends. So a character who’s seeking redemption for committing murder might not necessarily need to be completely forgiven by every single one of their victim’s loved ones to be redeemed, but the character isn’t redeemed if all they do is, like, donate five bucks to a local charity.

Second: the story associates the culmination of those efforts by portraying the character in a new, more positive light, or some other narrative signal for the character’s newfound redemption. 

Keep these two ingredients in mind–the character making amends to their victims, and the story portraying the character more positively than before. Without both, I don’t think you can call a story development a proper “redemption”.

----

If this is our definition of “redemption”, then I think it’s clear from the story that Yotsuyu’s tale in 4.1-4.3 is NOT a redemption story. Nor do I think the writers wanted to make Yotsuyu’s story necessarily one about redemption.

Yotsuyu’s story is a tragic one, in the classic sense: her flaws–her deep-seated trauma, cruelty, and sadism born from a lifetime of powerlessness and abuse and honed through a brief stint of near-absolute power–drive her to her death. Given her sad backstory, how the story portrays her in 4.1-4.3, and (let’s be honest) her good looks, it’s easy to sympathize with her, pity her, wish she had a kinder fate, and to feel more positively towards her by the end of 4.3.

However, one of our two ingredients is missing. At no point in the story does Yotsuyu try to make proper amends for the people she’s hurt. Tsuyu, the amnesiac girl in the care of Gosetsu, tries to be helpful to him because all she’s known is his kindness, and begs forgiveness from the people of Namai because she understands that they hate her but doesn’t know the reason why. 

On the other hand, Yotsuyu, the former acting Viceroy of Doma, who knowingly and intentionally tortured her own people and remembered it all, never does any of this. The story might make the audience feel more positively towards Yotsuyu and Tsuyu both, but Yotsuyu never really tries to earn forgiveness, compensate her victims, or try to become a better person.

Consider this: the first thing that Yotsuyu does when she regains her memories is to try and kill herself. Her attempted suicide was arguably a very human thing to do, for better or worse, and she at least felt ashamed at how Gosetsu showed her kindness despite her evil deeds. But, when she finally acknowledges the gravity of her crimes, her response is to try and flee from responsibility by ending her own life.

It’s true that the story tries to make the audience feel more sympathetic towards Yotsuyu by delving into her backstory, portraying her in vulnerable moments, and showing us what sort of person she could have been. And if the story had taken a different turn, perhaps she would have tried to make amends somehow.

But that’s not where the story went. Yotsuyu never tried to make up for her past actions, and never really got the chance to. We, the audience, get to pity her and sympathize with her if we choose to, but Yotsuyu the tyrant never seeks forgiveness. The closest she gets is showing a bit of kindness towards Gosetsu by wondering if he liked the persimmon that she got him.

Yotsuyu is never redeemed.

That said, I think I understand why people THINK the story tried to redeem Yotsuyu in 4.1-4.3. When a story wants us to feel more positively towards a character that we previously felt negatively about, we’re accustomed to thinking that this is a signal for a character’s redemption. If we’re supposed to hate a villain at first, but then later we’re supposed to start liking them, then we’re supposed to think the villain’s been forgiven, right? If the villain isn’t redeemed, then that must mean they’re still evil, in which case the writers couldn’t be trying to make us like the villain more. 

However, as I said, a change in audience attitude towards a villain in a positive direction is just one part of the redemption recipe. The 4.1-4.3 storyline is clearly supposed to make us pity and sympathize with Yotsuyu, but that doesn’t mean it was trying to redeem her. Instead, I think this was just FF14 doing its usual storytelling philosophy of writing complex villains.

FF14 usually tries to avoid making us feel straightforward, simplistic emotions towards major villains, instead wanting us to come away with mixed feelings about them. There are some exceptions, of course: Teledji Adeledji is written as being worthy of nothing but contempt, and it’s hard to see Archbishop Thordan VII as anything but a megalomaniacal madman towards the end of his story. But take a look at the other, more memorable villains in FF14.

Gaius van Baelsar back in ARR often stirs up a degree of respect from a lot of players during his imperialistic rants, because he appeals to commonly-held values of order and unity. Nidhogg’s rage, which stems from the cruel betrayal and murder of his beloved sister by humans, often leaves players conflicted about whether he has a point. Even Zenos sometimes comes across as being weirdly charming to certain players, even back in 4.0 where his character is less developed and despite the fact that he is one of the most monstrous villains in the entire game. (And, of course, the Ascion villains from 5.0 onwards are very much designed to tug at your heartstrings even as you cut them down.)

If you finished 4.3 and felt moved by Yotsuyu’s bitter fate, that isn’t because the story is trying to redeem her–it’s simply carrying on FF14’s tradition of handling major villains. And that’s fine. Yotsuyu’s story wasn’t a redemption story, it was never intended to be a redemption story, and it didn’t need to be one. You can argue that Yotsuyu should not have been humanized, or that trying to make the audience sympathize with her via her tragic backstory is inappropriate given how absolutely evil she was in 4.0, or that the 4.1-4.3 story should have been more about Yotsuyu’s victims than Yotsuyu herself. Those are perfectly reasonable criticisms to make about her story arc. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s true that Yotsuyu’s story was a redemption story. Ergo, it’s inappropriate to say that the FF14 writers messed up by trying to redeem her.

----

In contrast, let’s take a look at Fordola, another female villain who tormented her people in 4.0.

Like Yotsuyu, Fordola inflicted countless brutalities on her own people, partly for the sake of the Garlean Empire and partly for her own sake. Like Yotsuyu, Fordola was deeply hated by the people she tormented, and the story takes great pains to humanize Fordola and give the audience opportunities to sympathize with her. And like Yotsuyu, Fordola starts off as a character who the audience is supposed to hate, then over the course of her story arc becomes a character who the audience views in a more positive light.

However, Fordola’s character arc much more closely resembles an actual redemption arc than Yotsuyu’s. She never outright claims that she’s making amends, or that she’s seeking forgiveness from her victims in 4.1-4.3, but her choices make it clear that she wants to make up for her wrongs, no matter how prickly she is towards everyone around her.

Recall that Fordola was stuck in jail for most of her arc in 4.1-4.3, awaiting a grim fate. Angry mobs keep forming to demand her execution or outright lynch her, while the Scions, Lyse, and Raubahn debate whether to execute her or to do something else about her. When Fordola gains an Echo vision of the Warrior of Light’s recent past and sees how we, the player, moved past betrayal at the Ul’Dah banquet to save Eorzea, a faint spark of inspiration strikes her. Between this, plus Arenvald and Lyse’s attempts to reach out to her despite being her enemy, Fordola takes Lyse’s offer to help save the Gyr Abanian representatives from the Primal Lakshmi. Her reward? Not the representatives’ complete forgiveness–Ragnfrid, village elder of Ala Ghanna, says they can never forgive her–but they give her their thanks.

At any point in the 4.1-4.3 story, Fordola could have committed suicide (and in fact the Scions mention this), or tried to escape, or refused Lyse’s final offer to save the representatives, or fled before or after the Lakshmi fight, or turned on the Scions. Instead, she chose to finally fight for Ala Mhigo for real and make amends for some of what she did. Again, her victims don’t quite forgive her, but their attitude towards her improves, and our attitude towards Fordola improves likewise. 

When we see the tear falling from Fordola’s face as she’s walked back to her cell, we get that precious signal from the writers that Fordola is redeemed. 

Or at least, getting there. Her later stories in Shadowbringers 5.4-5.5 and Endwalker role quests demonstrate that she’s still working to set things right and fight for Ala Mhigo. Still, her story is a much better example of a redemption story than Yotsuyu’s, and it’s clearly trying to be part of a greater redemption story. I think it’s more fair to say that the writers are trying to redeem Fordola.

Whether or not they should is, of course, another discussion, but it’s clear that Fordola’s story is a story about redemption.

----

Stories can be subtle a lot of the time, and the themes they discuss can be complicated. It’s easy to get confused and think that a story is trying to redeem a character when it’s not. Nevertheless, I think it’s important for us, the players and enjoyers of FF14’s story, to accurately describe the game’s story when we talk about it. It’s unfair to criticize the game’s writers for trying to redeem Yotsuyu when that’s not what they’re doing.

[sendpseuds]

For the ask game: I'm going to be obnoxious and ask a shit ton but no pressure and just do the ones you feel like and/or have time for

How do you choose whose POV to write in?

What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

Does what you like to write differ from what you like to read?

How do you deal with writing pressure, whether internal or external?

What motivates you during the writing process?

Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

Dude. I have a surprise five-hour layover... I'm here to answer some questions hahaha

That being said, this first one...

1. I have no idea. POV is a real FEEL thing for me. I've noticed some patterns, for example, I tend to give the more tender smut scenes to whoever happens to be fucking Obi-Wan because I just feel like a soft Obi-Wan is more interesting through someone else's eyes, and Obi-Wan often gets his POV when he's hurting [of course].

This upcoming fic, [the infamous disaster threesome] has been a real lesson in perspective. Writing the same scene [especially a very intense and way too long smut scene] from three different perspectives has been WAY harder than I expected, but I really feel like it's only making me a stronger writer.

2. I'm really proud of the way my writing has evolved. I recently re-read a few early chapters and found myself desperately wanting to edit them. Not because I wanted to change any of the story or felt that my words weren't good enough, but because I can see how much I was clinging to traditional formatting.

I remember feeling like I needed to write in paragraphs and would get nervous when they didn't look as long as I thought they should.

Now, I've learned to embrace the return button.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Now, I'm writing the way I wanted to from the beginning but thought was WRONG.

I'm really proud of just letting myself write the way I want to.

3. I'm sure there are a million. The one my brain keeps coming back to over and over again is a Sith!Obi-Wan AU where HE is the one who tries to conquer Mandalore.

I have the vaguest of outlines and it's messy messy messy and maybe SOMEDAY I'll figure it all out, but alas, for now, it's just a mess

4. I... I don't read a lot. I'm a very slow reader which I've always been extremely insecure about [not that I think any of you would judge me on that but still].

This is actually one of the reasons I love fanfic so much.

With so many shorter works, I feel like I can consume just as many stories as my more literary friends in the same time.

5. NOT WELL! hahaha

Right now, the pressure I'm putting on myself is so intense, every time I open a doc I sort of just stare at the cursor until I close it. I actually haven't written more than a few sentences in, like, two weeks, because I just keep psyching myself out.

I'm working on it hahaha.

6. It was always FEEDBACK. Comments and Kudos are like a fucking drug that I need to ween myself off of, and what has replaced it had mostly been just fucking around? Just spitballing, brainstorming, and making stupid jokes and headcanons [mostly with @yourfavoritefridge who never yells at me].

7. A throwback to your second question: just write how you want to write.

Stop pretending that there is a CORRECT way to write. There isn't. Language is flexible. Grammar is made up. Punctuation is an incredible tool.

Write how YOU write.

🖤

[froizetta]

26 and 28 for the writer ask?

26) If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

So I've technically answered this question twice in two different ways, which means I have to work a little harder to give a novel answer... Hm. Okay! Instead of a moment, I'll give you the most satisfying overall writing ✨experience✨.

Sometimes I get an idea for a fic and then write parts, but get stuck and have to wait for the rest to slot into place. For my most recent fic What's In A Name? I pretty much had the idea for it, started writing, then just kept going without needing to stop. It was all practically stream of consciousness, and yet most of the editing was minimal. Considering I'd been struggling with just editing parts of (Love) Triangles and other WIPs for a while, let alone actually writing new stuff, it was extremely satisfying to just knock something out that I was happy with over the course of 24 hours. If I could bottle that kind of inspiration and judiciously apply it wherever I wanted, I would honestly be the happiest girl in the world! But alas :)

28) How did you recharge between fics?

Excellent question! Unfortunately, I don't really have a good answer, since the ACTUAL answer is just that I don't really need to. I decided to take time off after my PhD to recover from burnout/get my life sorted/focus on hobbies (e.g. writing, among others)/remember what the world looks like outside of my ugly 80s-chic former lab. My lack of any fixed schedule means I don't really need to "recharge" per se, since I'm basically doing fuck all anyway lol. I'll need to start looking for a job in the new year; when that happens, I may have to develop some actual strategies that aren't just, you know. Unemployment.

[kuwdora]

Hi hello! For the fic writer asks:

✿ did anything major change when you started writing Coin Operated Boy to when you finished?

☉ what do you do when you get stuck writing?

✄ what’s your editing process?

Oh, hi you! These are excellent asks. Somehow I knew you would ask about this story. :)

Okay. So! With Coin Operated Boy I didn’t really have anything major change. I did end up cutting or not writing a lot more detail about Jaskier’s friendship with Cory and more Oxenfurt culture. Mostly because Jaskier was too busy being a puppet and didn’t have time for anything else. I had a lot more detail about Cory and Jaskier and their college friends, and passing around the same $20 for over two decades. Oxenfurt insider jokes, some more throwaway details about The Horrors happening outside the walled garden of Oxenfurt since the story takes place about 4-6 months after Cintra falls.

Also originally after puppetskier had been attacked by a kitty, he was gonna run into a random artist who would help and drop him off at Shani’s. Then I realized it would be way cuter if he actually encountered Karsten again because!! Small child and puppetskier! Relationship already established.

Not a major change either but I originally had a coda I was gonna do but then didn’t. I got so tired by the time I reached the end of the story that I just needed to be done. It was gonna be from Cory’s POV where she’s at a pottery stall or kiln and Karsten returns with some of the hidden treasure he had found and that he wanted to pass on to Jaskier because Jaskier was his new friend. I was also trying to find a way to have Shani stop by while Cory and Karsten were together for that moment. This idea was actually a brilliant suggestion by Castillon02. Alas, being tired and feeling all kinds of squishy about playing with my OCs a little more…the coda did not come to fruition.

I also have a second coda/probably a second story idea. Where Jaskier is hanging out with Yen and makes a passing reference to that time he was turned into a puppet for several days. And something something, Jaskier wants to be fucked as a puppet, something something horny comedy size difference and Yen indulging him.

☉ what do you do when you get stuck writing?

I usually end up in somebody's DMs, usually @sassaffrassa trying to talk through my current problem. And cry a lot. I've been trying to do some short bursts of flashfic writing when I'm stuck editing just to reset my brain. Right now I wish I had better focus to be working on my vidding projects or my painting projects to step away from the writing medium. Slowly trying to get myself back into those things again just because I think it will help o have something else to work on.

But if I leave things too long without touching or thinking about it, then it's so much harder to get back into it. Even though I really, really want to finish it.

✄ what’s your editing process?

AS FOR EDITING, my god. It’s a... process. Going under a cut cause I ramble like the wordy gremlin I am.

I write and do my first round of editing in Scrivener. I usually write a scene and when I think I’m done, I go back and reread and start writing notes about things or highlighting passages I think about or want to revisit again. I outline after drafting a lot of the time. To see what actually happens and compare it to what I actually wanted to happen. Or thought was gonna happen. Cause I forget shit all the time while writing and sometimes can't see what I actually wrote unless I make bullet points. It's annoying.

I like Scrivener because I move a lot of scenes or whole sections around and I end up writing so many notes about different things that I end up with folders of stuff that doesn’t even make it into the story. Probably why it takes me for fucking ever to finish anything because I keep getting distracted with more ideas and details. But editing usually involves going back to my judicious use of brackets and filling in shit or figuring out what I was thinking. I jump around a lot in the editing stages because if I’m not feeling a certain section at the moment then I’m just not gonna get enough done.

Once I feel reasonably okay and like it’s readable, I pop the fic into gdocs for eventual betaing or cheer readers. I hate gdocs so much for anything longer than 4k because I can’t really see the scenes anymore. But it is helpful to be looking at the text on a different screen and I do appreciate that. I’ll continue to edit and make more specific line and paragraph highlights of things that are bothering me so I know what I’m gonna focus on when I come back later. Eventually I’ll reach a point of exhaustion and fling it at someone who’s willing to read it and pray that it makes sense. Usually in the case of my Leshkel stuff it doesn’t but that’s what another round of editing is usually for. When I’m mostly on the ball with my story I happily chew on beta comments and wrestle my paragraphs some more until I’m exhausted and never want to write again.

I recently started using the header feature in Gdocs so I can jump to my scene/chapter breaks a little easier now instead of scrolling through +15 pages and I think that will help my editing brain for this stage.

Anyway that was very long but!! Sort of how I roll.

fic ask meme

[needle-noggins]

WEIRD WRITER ASKS? YES? (Also all haail Lord Gnives)

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture.

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

5. I don't have any weird writing superstitions! However, I am a firm believer that if I'm getting in my head too much about being a bad writer, I need to write. Quickest way to make me feel better. It may not be good, but it's better than ruminating.

19. Well, I started writing in 5th-6th grade when I had this grand idea for a novel. It was essentially the Warrior Cats setting with a Lion King plot, but... with unicorns. Real cool. My 6th grade English teacher was really supportive, which meant a lot to me. Shortly after that I fell into POTC and started writing POTC fic on FF.net at the tender age of 13. I was also on Deviantart. Who let me do that??

That fizzled out and I didn't write again for a long, long time. I got wrapped up in my horseback riding and was doing other creative projects, mainly making videos on equestrian Youtube (oh boy). Then as school got harder and I went off to college and then grad school, I barely even had time to read.

Lockdown changed all of that! My best friends and I started an online dnd game, and oh man, it got me writing. The way I prep is pretty involved and I wrote full-ass paragraphs when I started out because I wasn't as good at improvising settings and wanted to include some pre-determined scenes. Towards the end it morphed into writing some really fun monologues, which my players loved (and still love!). . At this same time, I got into fanfic again - starting with BOTW, then moving onto The Adventure Zone and The Magnus Archives - but I didn't write any.

Then I got into Trigun. And got into Trigun fic. One day I was brushing my teeth and the first few lines of what became Funeral Rites popped into my head, and Oops! Have to write it or the beast in my head will break out! And now we're here. I'm having fun. Yes, yes, the tiger is out!

23. I write in my car, hurtling 70 miles an hour down the highway, music blasting, while my little Vash plushie bleaches in the sun on the dashboard. I write in my head, scrambling frantically for my phone or a scrap of paper to get an idea down. I write on the couch, curled up oh so cozy under a blanket with a cat and some kind of carbonated drink (like our Lord Gnives, I too am a little beverage bitch). I write at my kitchen table, slurping coffee in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep, back hunched like a cooked shrimp (this is when I like to write best) (I will regret it).

I write after work, with discord open next to my WIP, cracking jokes with friends or groaning to my beta who is always so right about what needs to change. Most importantly, I write when there's something in me that needs to get out, and the words sometimes surprise me into catharsis or into giggles. I write when it feels good or bad or whatever, but the act of creation is invariably fulfilling. Even if it's bad writing, it's still something, not nothing.

33. I occasionally dabble in visual art (usually digital), but I'm often frustrated by drawing people and I rage-quit quite often. It would be nice if I could draw the scenes in my head, but alas.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Title: Z: A Novel of Escape

Author: Stanislaw Lem

Rating: 3/5

His lively, upbeat enthusiasm for the material keeps you reading, even when the book isn't very good

The book is divided into four sections, and I found the first and last the most interesting. The second section is an extended infodump about a bizarre system of detectors and communicators that Lem calls the ZX system. They work by echolocation, and are so sensitive to nearby microscopic organisms that they can be triggered by a leaf blowing in the breeze. The thrust of the infodump is that the system is the exact inverse of radio and television: you can broadcast what you perceive rather than what you think and speak, by imprinting patterns of motion and not by sound or light. (There are precedents for this -- the rabbit-in-the-headlights experiment is the classic one.) I don't see why a world would need to be so absurdly hostile to human life that you have to evolve elaborate ways to communicate silently, but alas there is no making headway in this direction.

Of course, Lem is not trying to present you with a legitimately-conceived plot. He is trying to conceive of a structure for a plot, and use it to talk about larger intellectual issues.

What is interesting about this is that, although he means to use this invented narrative as a springboard into ideas about language and math and communication, the narrative itself is given such a weak, thin and contrived shape that it really doesn't work. (This is even true with the book in mind; I would be able to tell you the basic plot synopsis if it weren't for some 80-page sections with no plot synopsis. It's like something you'd get in a flash game.) But this isn't at all obvious, unless you're looking closely, because Lem's invention is so outlandish and weird that it can't be immediately compared to the ordinary world around us, and thus doesn't immediately look like a failed structure for a plot. It just looks like a different structure for a plot. Unconventional. In the midst of reading, you're not thinking of the book as at all "bad," or at least not in the sense that stories need to be good and interesting if they're to be enjoyed. You're thinking "this is an unusual and thoughtful SF novel; I wonder how the author will use this plot to talk about X." And because it's an unusual and thoughtful SF novel, you think the answer will be there, somewhere -- you're reading it with the expectation that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. Lots of SF is like this.

The third section -- "Z-grams," a series of brief, nonfiction-like entries -- is another problem. They are all "Z-grams" from the textbook of the ZX system. They are all, in other words, written in a different language than the first two sections, one with its own invented vocabulary and grammar. Some of them are easy to make sense of, some are harder. Some are genuinely interesting (they include e.g. discussion of the structure of human speech), some are less so. But they are never very convincing or interesting, and I think this is because I just don't care about the ZX system, even though it's a component of the reason the book exists. The ZX system is a component of the reason the book exists, yes, but it's not the reason the book exists, because it doesn't help us understand the fascinating natural world around us.

The last section of the book is Lem's afterword, which is about half biography half reflection on his career. He's a fun writer; he bounces around from topic to topic, telling anecdotes, making casual asides. I liked it.

[weisserose-comic]

Welcome to the home of Weisse Rose (Main Post)

Hello there!

Over here, you can find a little more about the comic, the writer/artist and some other important info. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, but I do hold the right not to answer (mostly if you are rude, be nice, c'mon)

✨About the Comic✨

Weisse Rose is a punk (industrial? metal? goth? ???) band formed by five friends, all around 25-30 something years old, still trying to figure out what they want in their lives and how to navigate the world - meanwhile politics is getting increasingly far-right leaning, with extremist groups spitting more and more dangerous hatred and life just becoming even harder because of that.

They'll do everything they can to go against this movement and fight censorship through their music and performances, as well as just trying to make a living and find their own place in this ever changing world.

Turns out, love is really the best weapon against hatred - but how can they figure that out if they don't really know what "love" is like?

(or a bunch of punks punching nazi-fascists with a plot)

✨The Author/Artist✨

I go mostly by Polaris, but you can call me Ka as well!

I wanted to draw a comic for quite a while, I absolutely adore live and breathe music, I always wanted to play in a goth/punk band (alas can't find the music nerd punks near me) and day by day I feel like I can speak less and less about the increasing far-right, censorship, purity politics and etc. that is taking over my country.

Mix it all together, I created Weisse Rose. It's literally my way of coping with so many things that have been happening in my personal life for the past 5 years and a way of ~resisting~ against everything I listed above.

Not the greatest Act of Resistance, but still. I needed to get some things off my chest and, since I'm band-less, I created one in story format to ✨cope✨

✨Who Is This For?✨

Weisse Rose is definitely 18+. I won't self-censor because it would definitely defeat the purpose of all of it.

So, some disclaimers:

All characters ARE flawed - and all of them have what I call a "hellish sin". I don't endorse dangerous/toxic behaviors at all, but they are people at the end of the day. They are human. And humans are broken :)

There will be sex, 'cause you know, people have sex. They'll talk about sex. They'll talk about kinks, taboo, sexuality, orientation, the whole thing. Not anything too explicit though, I suck at ~sexy drawings~

There will be drinking and smoking. Again, don't endorse it, but they are human. Some of them do, some of them don't, and it's ok

There will be controversial topics and some food for thought regarding morals, censorship, how far can things go and challenging one's own set of beliefs. You'll probably be invited to think about your own belief system too, so don't be scared (and again, no need to be a jerk about it)

Always remember: shit can and will hit the fan hahahaha

Oh, and there will be cursing too. But I think you already figured that one out

Most characters have their own trauma and will have to work through it. Again, sensitive topics will arise

As you should've noticed by now, this is an anti-nazi, anti-fascist, anti-far-right, anti-extremist, anti-racist, anti-bigots, anti-TERFs, anti-censorship, anti-all shitty people who think they can bully others into being shitty like they are and then calling you something criminal/slurs because you don't agree with them. If you find yourself offended/called out by this, you're probably one of them and this is definitely not your place. Move along, move along

If you don't like something presented on the comic, if you disagree with anything, if you think I'm a horrible person doing a disservice to humanity because my writing doesn't hold up to your moral values/what you think is the right/responsible way of tackling any of the topics that may arise during the comic, remember: you don't have to drink every cup of tea that is in front of you. You can always close this tab and never read this again, because it definitely is not for you - and that is ok! What is NOT ok is harassing, offending, arguing, canceling and bullying a random person on the internet just because they don't agree with your opinions/morals/values

Like I said before, I hold the right not to answer to rude comments/asks and harassment

I just ask a LOT of media literacy of everyone who reads this and a LOT of interpretation from your part. Don't take everything at face value and don't take things too seriously. I think that's the best advice I have to give you!

If you and I agree with these set of "rules" and disclaimers, be welcome! I hope you enjoy this little passion project of mine and I thank you for spending some of your time here!

Have fun and see you around!

[thecatwars]

Books that I read in February 2024

I did not read as many books in February as I did in January. This was not because of how long HOFAS is (I gobbled that books in three days), but school got busy and the stress that I felt made it harder for me to get through books. This month saw my first 1/5 review and there was a fair number of books that I had read that didn't work for me. At least I came out of this month knowing better what I do and don't like.

As a note: my brief reviews do not contain spoilers, unless stated otherwise.

House of Shadow and Flame by Sarah J. Maas: Out of SJM's series, Crescent City is by far my favorite. HOFAS was a good book, but was starting to suffer from the "these povs are unnecessary" syndrome, much like Kingdom of Ash. I don't quite understand where SJM was trying to go with Bryce in this book. The ACOTAR moments in this book worked for me, although I felt like the time in the caves in Prythian and in Bryce's world was a bit much. I own this book. I gave this book a 4/5

Whispers of the Deep by Emma Hamm: After having read lots of fantasy, I wanted to dive into some sci-fi to break things up. Overall, this book is not bad and I thought it was well done. I am looking forward to reading its sequel when it comes out September 1st of this year. I read this book on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan on owning it (this could change). Lol, I changed my mind. I'm gonna buy a physical copy of this book. I gave this book a 5/5

Royally Claimed by Jupiter Bell: And this is where things go south. I saw this book recommended on BookTok and decided to give it a try. I have read a few alien romance stories and enjoyed them. I did not enjoy this book, if it could be called that because it's barely 100 pages long. There's not much plot, just lots of smut. If you want to read a book with absolutely no plot and is just smut, then this is for you. I read this on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan on owning this book. I gave this book a 1/5

The Brutal Alpha by Jupiter Bell: I should have stopped with the first book, Royally Claimed, but apparently I am a glutton for punishment and willing to give the benefit of the doubt. I thought this book would have some sort of plot because it's longer than its predecessor, and there is a little bit of plot. The plot consists of the FMC saying "what's going on here?" and the MMC responding with "let me sexually please you." This pattern continues for the entire book. Not much else happens. This book was not worth my time. I read this on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan on owning this book. I gave this book a 1/5

My Merciless Alpha by Jupiter Bell: I'm not really sure what to say at this point. There is a little bit more plot than in the last book, but it became clear that the author likes to write books where the FMC says "what's going on here?" and the MMC responds with "let me sexually please you." I hoped that the writer was going to give more story, but alas I was left dissatisfied. I read this on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan on owning this book. I gave this book 1/5

Spared by the Monster by Merry Ravenell: I didn't want to give up on reading romantic sci-fi and tried this book. This book isn't bad, but the story and characters just weren't for me. It's a fairly forgettable book. I read this on Kindle Unlimited and do not plan to own this book. I gave this book 2/5

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid: I need to begin this review by saying that the Barnes and Noble employee told me that this was a comfort book. In my eyes, this means that things are soft and nice. This book was not soft, but that is not a bad thing. This book is exactly as its title says, it is about a young woman that goes to a house that is literally and figuratively drowning to bring it back to life, figuratively. The rivals to lovers trope was much better in this book than in Divine Rivals. I learned from reading this book that that trope isn't for me and that is okay. A Study in Drowning was way more deep than I was prepared for. I own this book. I gave this book 4/5

2024 Reading Masterpost

Follow me on GoodReads

[dduane]

A note to the Shopping For The Story Cake post

I wanted to separate this out from the post proper because leaving it in the comment chain would have done it a disservice. This query’s seriously-meant, and deserves a serious answer.

Re this:

   DD: What you're working toward is an event flow that seems, when viewed in completion, inevitable: as it if couldn't have happened any other way.

COMMENTER: Wait, really? This seems kinda weirdly specific. I mean, I don't know what I'm talking about, and I know every rule can be broken if you have a good reason, but this seems kinda arbitrary, doesn't it?

Not to me, no. In fact, in some contexts, it strikes me as vital.

First of all, though: that whole “list of ingredients” for a novel was preceded by this—

But certain basics must be in place, things that make what you’re creating recognizably A Cake, as well as your own additions and embellishments. In this case, that could be:

...Italics mine. The list is conditional, and was described as such. (We could’ve left out the vanilla extract, too...) So:

...I happen to really like an element of happenstance in my stories. Like, nothing had to happen the way it did, that's why we're writing a story...

(thoughtful look/slight smile:) “What you mean we, kemo sabe?” ...Bearing in mind there are at least as many reasons to write a story as there are storytellers, I would be really cautious about using “we” in this context.

Now let me step back a little and (further) qualify what I’m going on about.

I write a story to tell the people who’re going to read it how a given set of imaginary events/group of people is/looks to me, and/or how that complex of events and people comes to be as it is in the story-based reality where it happens. Not how it might be, or how it could have been: how it is.

It therefore doesn’t seem wise to me to allow a story to hinge on coincidence and happenstance in any significant way. When I come across that, it routinely reads to me as the writer declining to fill in blanks the filling of which would have made the story stronger and more complete—or (at the simple craftsmanship level) as having been willing to leave the reader with access to easily-visible ways to pick the flow of the story apart. (Please note that I don’t mean I’d be against, from time to time, dropping the very, very occasional accident or coincidence into a plotline, to boost a very specific kind of verisimilitude. But it’d be rare.)

The “ingredients” for a novel that I included in my list (and that list is by no means exhaustive: nor should they be mistaken for things that necessarily have to be there) are elements that I’ve found, over the course of forty years and nearly sixty novels, have worked well for my readership(s). If that particular one—the narrative flow not full of chance and coincidence—doesn’t work for you, then...  (shrug) No problem: omit it. But as regards the coincidences, I won’t be using them—and (perhaps without realizing it) you spelled out exactly why:

...so much of our real lives is dictated by coincidence.

All too true... which means fiction driven by coincidence is too much like real life. And readers do not come to fiction for real life. Most of them have too damn much of that as it is.

The unpredictable, infuriating, routinely heartbreaking irrationality of events in what we laughably refer to as the Real World is something that readers come to fiction, especially genre fiction, for refuge and respite from. (And is what makes career writers moan to each other, “If you tried putting this” [pointing at some utter absurdity on the news] “into a book, your editor would send it straight back and say ‘Try harder.’ Because stories need to make sense.“ ...Unlike, alas, real life.)

For me, making sense in my work is the heart of the issue. What I know from reviews and mail is that my readership comes to me for stories that do just that: stories where even very high-level epic-fantasy magic has inevitable (and sometimes tragic) consequences, and where wizards have to do a whole lot more to get their jobs done than just wave wands around. Even when we’re all standing at the far-out edge of things beyond this universe’s event horizon, my readers want to be left with a sense of the solidity and dependability of in-story reality. And when one universe’s underpinning philosophy rests heavily on the concept “There are no accidents...” 

Then if I build a magic system, it will have solid theoretical foundations and precious few loopholes. If I build a weird alien civilization, the way it is will have reasons for the way it is. This responsibility I shoulder gladly, because it strikes me as part of a duty of care, not just to the readers, but to the story itself: to do right by this thing that’s been living in my head and had no existence whatsoever before last [year/month/week/whatever]. If I am God in a universe, I’ll do my damnedest to be a good hard-working god who takes trouble over the details... because it’s really not just the devil that’s in those. ...And if coincidence of the if-it-had-gone-THIS-way-instead type appears, it’ll be in an AU fic, where that particular mechanism serves an honest purpose and (in the right hands) can be raised to the status of high art.

I don't mean to sound like "Um actually you're WRONG", I understand why lots of stories would want to feel inevitable, I'm just a little confused about why this looks like one of the Basic Rules here, when lots of stories are about how anything could've gone another way if things had been even a little different.

Lots of them, sure. But not all... not by a long shot. And definitely, not most of the ones I write. [Insert all the usual mileage disclaimers here...]

...Meanwhile, I think the phrase “looks like” is possibly the source of the present difficulty . Believe me, if that casual list had been meant to be Basic Rules Of All Storytelling, it’d have been a LOT longer. In fact I’d probably still be on about my twentieth draft and tearing my hair out over it. Simpler to just write a novel...

Anyway, thanks for your question. :)

[reawritesthings]

work this out | luke patterson 

summary: loving luke was hard, harder than you thought. but, somehow luke felt the same. he just needed an extra push. 

words: 1.5k

a/n: kinda proud of this? i kinda changed the prompt a little but yeah! pls reblog and share what u think :) 

masterlist | taglist 

You didn’t quite understand the relationship that you and luke were in; it was something that you could never explain unless you were there when it happened. It’s been a month since you and Luke had a moment, something that was waiting to happen but, neither of you wanted to act upon it.

It was a simple new years kiss. It was nothing but, for you, it meant something. It wasn’t just a quick peck or a light touch; it was something that clarified that this was supposed to happen. You tried to ignore the feelings that became stronger each day whilst Luke just brushed it off.

It was Julie’s birthday, and you were glazing around the house, watching people grind against each other. Some would describe as stalking but, you never were the person who would freely dance as Flynn or Julie did.They always offered to take you to the dance floor, but you always managed to come up with an excuse.

When Flynn caught your eyes and motioned her hands for you to come, you just lifted your red cup and shook your head. You weren’t really in the mood to party as you were stupidly waiting for Luke to appear. You knew Luke didn’t feel the same way which hurt but, your heart didn’t want to let go of the ‘if’s’.

You checked your watch, hoping it was near to wrapping up but, the frown that invited itself on your face told you that it just barely began. To pass time you decided to wander around trying to see if you could find Luke. Despite your feelings, he was still good company. Alas, you found him with a girl, a blonde to be specific. Usually, when you see your crush kissing another person, that would finalise the if’s, but it didn’t for you which made this more frustrating.

You suddenly dipped yourself down, hiding behind the island as you accidentally catch Luke’s eye. You closed your eyes shut hoping he didn’t notice but the soft touch that radiated your skin, showed your clownery.

“You good?” Luke said, crouching down to your level. You causally made eye contact with the first thing that came to your mind; Dust.

“Yeah. I just... saw some dust.”

“Dust?” Luke questioned, laughing a little.

You gulped, trying to make the reason more realistic. “Hayfever season...”

Luke hummed, shaking his head as he helped you up. “You want another drink?”

You shook your head, wanting to get far away from him as possible. Luke frowned a little, watching you leave his aroma. He wasn't stupid, and neither were you. In fact, he was just slower. He found himself lurking around the room for Alex, as he knew that Alex has the answers to everything.

“Yo, Al. Can I ask you something?”

Alex groaned, excusing himself from the cute quarterback he was talking too. “This better be worth it.”

“I think Y/N saw me kissing Tayla...”

Alex titled his head back, hissing at himself as to why he thought it would be something important. “And?”

“I think she is upset and I don’t like it when she is upset with me.”

Alex wasn’t drunk, but he felt like he needed to be. He was tired of being the messenger of the two of you. He loved you guys but, it was suffocating hearing it again and again.“Can I be real with you? Like, I’m going to tell you the truth and, it is up to you if you want to take the statement and do something.”

Luke wasn’t sure if he was ready. Alex seemed serious and Luke hated serious. “O-Okay..”

“First. I don’t blame her for being upset. You don’t just kiss her on NYE, take her on a date and show up to her house uninvited whenever you have a hissy fit with your parents. - it’s like you are using her, Luke. That’s not even the worst thing - it’s the way she normalised it. She is so infatuated by you that she doesn’t even care if you string her along, and that’s not healthy for her.”

Luke didn’t say anything he just gripped his cup to allow Alex to know that he was listening.

“It’s not fair for her to wait around for you because you are taking away her confidence and freedom to mingle with others. The number of people who asked her to dance, have a drink and even talk is shocking but she turned them down because she is so in love with you. You know she is and you still choose to not address her feelings and be an adult.”

“I didn’t know she loved me... she never told me.” Luke barked but Alex just chortles at Luke’s stupidity.

“She shouldn’t have to tell you. It’s pretty clear that she does.”

Luke allowed Alex to pour into him some more, a stream of tears trickled down his skin as he was now remembering all the times you were there for him, cared for him to only kiss and flirt with other girls. He was taking you for granted and, he hated himself for that. What was worst than all of this was finding out from his best friend.

He thanked Alex with a hug before running to find you. He wasn’t exactly sure where to find you but, he did have faith that you would be somewhere only the both of you would know. As Luke tried to avoided Tayla, which was impossible as she was the clingy type. He quickly divert her attention and dipped, running up the stairs.

He knew Julie’s house quite well, too well for Ray’s liking but Luke assured him that Julie and Luke were friends. On the other hand, the other reason why he knew this house well was due to your little rendezvous whenever the other’s fell asleep or arguing.

He knew where you were, and that only made him realise that maybe he had some feelings too. You were standing on the balcony, with a blanket wrapped around your figure whilst you looked up at the night sky.

He slowly walked towards you, hands getting clammy as he was a few steps behind you. He took a deep breath and waited for you to acknowledge him.

“Hey... I knew you would be here.” Luke whispered, bumping your shoulder.

You didn’t say anything but you didn't refuse his company.

“I just wanted to ask you something....”

You faked a smile, dreading the question about you catching his gaze when he was kissing Tayla.

“Do you love me?”

Your eyes widened as you heard those words. You certainly wasn’t expecting that. You closed your eyes shut, panic was rummaging around your body and your mind was hoping this was just some dream and that you would wake up in any given moment.

“Y/N....” Luke whispered.

“I do. But, it doesn’t matter.”

Luke frowned, hating himself for making you feel this way. “It does matter.”

“It’s honestly fine, Lu. I don’t mind if you don’t feel the same. You can go back to kissing Tayla.”

Luke shook his head. He didn’t want to kiss Tayla, he wanted to fix this. “I don’t want to kiss Tayla. I don’t want to keep kissing strangers and pretending they are you. Fuck, I don’t even know what I was thinking. I just, know that I’ve been a jerk and haven’t treated you fairly.”

You were stunned by his confession, you weren’t sure if Luke was drunk or not. You didn’t want to get your hopes up but you couldn’t deny the small smile that rang across your lips. “I don’t understand, Lu. You can’t just say that. You can’t just confess these feelings to me.”

“I know and I’m sorry. It took me so long to realise that maybe I should be kissing you and not her.”

You frowned, still trying to process the confession. “Did Alex say something? Whatever he said, he was lying...”

“Stop that. Stop trying to find an excuse for me. Don’t make me the good guy. Stop trying to tell yourself that this is normal, okay? You don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve it.”

“What can I say Luke? I’m not going to be that girl who tells you who you can’t or can kiss. I’m not going to stop you from flirting with other girls. It’s okay to not feel the same or want this. I’ll get over it.”

“What if I don’t want you to get over me? What if I want to flirt with you and maybe kiss you?”

“You aren’t makin-” He cut you off with a kiss. It started off small, just an ordinary kiss but, when his hand found your neck, slowly caressing, the kiss was something you only dreamed about having. You closed your eyes and placed your hands over around his neck, pushing yourself closer to him. You allowed him to take charge, as you both knew you weren’t that experienced. As he parted his lips, he met your gaze and kissed your nose.

“Does that answer your question?”, he smirked as he rubbed his thumb across your lower lip. You nodded, as you grinned stupidly at the kiss. He could tell you were shy and allowed you to bury your head in his neck.

“I don’t know what this means but I want to work it out together... only if you want too?”

You looked up at him, brushing the curls out of his face before agreeing with him. “Together.”

@thatphannie @dpaccione @kiss-themoongoodbye @sageellsworth05 @killingbxys @sunsetcurve-h @poguestyleskye @lolychu @emotionalbruv @andycanbeemotional @talksoprettyjjx @kinda-really-lost @echocharm17618 @thesweetestsinner @edgeofgr8 @lukewearingbeanies @cordeliascrown @jeremygilbertss @jatpfan99 @ontheouterbanksofthemcu @caitsymichelle13 @jazzyhalestorm @makebank @indiecline @lukes-orange-beanie @joyjoyner @merceret @bright-molina @calamitykaty @lazydaisy19 @wonderful-writer @rosylinn @rafehogwarts @crybabyddl @sargent-barnes @weasley011 @yourprincess-maybe @motheroffae @mysterygurlrandom @sovereignparker @katie-navarro @g7aesthetic @spooky-season-bitch @tenaciousperfectionunknown @notasoftie @averyharrypotterandjatplife @brithedemonspawn​ @thesweetestsinner​ @lukeys-giggle​ @kelieah​

[speliviya]

Atp they need to do 2-3 year time jump, Olivia has worked through some things, Spencer’s minding his business and thriving in football nearing the draft, and they come back together beautifully with a healthier dynamic where it’s equal and balanced again. Like it was such a cowardly decision to leave them in limbo in the season finale because they knew we would raise hell if they actually broke up. Newsflash we were gonna raise hell anyway if you messed them up over some BS. Like sure, they’re not officially broken up but you left their relationship in such wayward conditions that it makes it harder to root for it in the state that it’s in. I still care about them individually and I want them to be healthy within themselves; it’s not just about the relationship. It’s one thing if they made Olivia be spiraling internally over personal reasons and Spencer was having a hard time connecting with her because of that (which is such a REAL issue to explore. Depression/mental issues while in a loving relationship can be very hard to manage and I would’ve respected this SO much more if they went this route) but to make every issue she has dealing with herself be completely tied to Spencer is what annoys me. Her sobriety was only used as a plot device in S3 and 4x03 in relation to Spencer. She finally finds something she’s passionate about and nope, it can’t be her own thing because they made it tie back to direct conflict with Spencer. In 4A, I was so happy for her and she really seemed to be doing well and building up something for her own life and future. Which she was or so I thought but alas the writers flipped it and reversed it so that it would bleed out into every other storyline for dramatic effect. I just don’t even understand where they’re going with it. I guess 4x19 was foreshadowing their futures forreal and we weren’t trying to take it seriously because it seemed like another piss poor attempt to push the ‘friend group’ back together.

I’ve been posting back to back all day and last night but I’m just so annoyed. The audience deserved better than this. Spelivia fans deserved better than this. Let’s not gloss over the impact they’ve had over these last few years that ultimately got this showed renewed, up to a million live views s3 premiere, #1 on Netflix, and let’s be real— main contributor to launching a whole spin off that turned AA into a universe. Why would you plant seeds to destroy their dynamic like this. Self sabotage.