#also i edited the subs for clarity

[sincerely-sofie]

Hi! This may come across as a dumb question, but I wanted to write my own PMD:EoS fic, but I’m kind of lost on how I want to organize my thoughts and the plot. Additionally, I get new ideas and then I end up struggling with what I want to do. How did you organize things for your story?

This isn't a dumb question at all! It's something I've struggled with for a long time as a writer, and I'd be happy to share what I've come up with to solve my fight with story organization! I’ll try to speak coherently, but this is something I’m really passionate about, so I might ramble a bit, haha. Keep in mind that this is what works for me, and what will work for you may be very different. Take from this post what serves you well and ditch the rest :> 

Organizational Tools

You can use pretty much anything to organize your story— I’ve used everything from loose printer paper in storage clipboards to expansive Google Docs that are hundreds of pages long in the past. But what I’ve found that really works for me is an app called Notion. You may have heard of it— it’s really popular with productivity enthusiasts and small business owners, but it works like a dream for organizing creative projects! There’s a bit of a learning curve, but you can find a lot of templates out there for free that work really well if you don’t want to set things up yourself.

This is how my Notion page for TPiaG was set up:

The “Cheat Sheets” dropdown list was full of character sheets, links to Bulbapedia articles I’d refer to while outlining or writing, and also my completed outline. “Fun Stuff” was full of memes and jokes about the characters, an empty page that I’d start filling once I received kind comments on my fic, as well as ideas for additional stories relating to the AU— stuff like oneshots and possible sequels or diverging AUs. Fun fact: this is where I first wrote down my idea for The Present is a Gift: Paradox Edition AU!

“Chapters to Write” and “Chapters I’ve Written” were dropdown lists where I divided my outline into little sub-dropdown lists in “Chapters to Write”, and everytime I wrote a chapter, I would move it over to “Chapters I’ve Written”. Nothing is as reassuring when you’re stuck in the middle of writing a nearly 60k word fanfic as seeing the chapters slowly migrate to the right.

Organizing the Story

Outlining is a big part of my organization process, so I’ll be talking a fair bit about it. The first part of any story is your premise / core idea (it sounds like you’ve already got some of your own, so I won’t discuss coming up with those). The next step is brainstorming what you want to revolve around that premise. I already knew the characters fairly well, so what I did for TPiaG is write out a bunch of ideas for scenes on scraps of notebook paper and start arranging them on a table in different ways. I eventually settled on an order of events (many of which ended up cut for clarity in the actual fic), and then I started structuring them into chapters. 

How I structure chapters is inspired by the Kishotenketsu structure that is used fairly often in Asian storytelling. I divide each chapter into 5 parts: an Introduction that provides a starting point for the chapter, Development that builds on and adds context or tension to the introduction, a Twist that causes a new perspective on either the situation, characters, or something else in the story, a Resolution that helps wrap things up in a satisfying way, and then a Hook that leads the reader to want to read the next chapter. This is a structuring method that works way better for me than the Three Acts or the Hero’s Journey— I prefer the stronger focus on character vs. plot— and so I try to use it as often as possible. Here’s an example from my outline (if you’ve read TPiaG, you may notice some differences between it and the actual published chapters of the fic! It’s chapter 4 instead of chapter 3, for one thing!)

Organizing Characters

I’ll be honest— I didn’t fill out character sheets like I should have for this project. I kind of just went with the flow as I wrote them. Twig and Grovyle are the only characters who got sheets at all, and Grovyle still only got a half of one. However, I do have a blank copy of a character sheet I can share as reference!

I think most of this is pretty self-explanatory— but if anyone wants clarification on anything or what goes into the individual note sections, let me know! This is what the topmost part of Twig’s character sheet bio looks like: 

The Torment of the Human Mind, or: How to Deal with Idea Overload

This is an ongoing struggle for me. I’ve mentioned having ADHD in the past, but it really turns idea generation and shiny object syndrome into a purgatory of unspeakable proportions. Before TPiaG, I had never finished a creative project because I would constantly ping-pong back and forth between newer and funner ideas, inevitably abandoning WIPs, come back to them for a few weeks at a time, and then dart off to the next thing. This feels awful because you never finish anything when you’re stuck in this cycle, and having all those ideas as open tabs in your brain is exhausting. 

My greatest advice for figuring out what you want to do and then doing it? Figure out a fun idea— maybe not the funnest idea, but an idea you enjoy and can create with your current skills and a good helping of hard work— and then commit to it with a story priority hierarchy. Every time you want to work on another idea, you have to work on the idea you committed to first for 30 minutes (or a different block of time, whatever works for you!). After that allotted time is up, you’re free to work on whatever other projects you like— but you have to start at the top of the priority hierarchy. That way, you still get work done on your #1 project, but you’re not restricted to it. 

Alternatively: Write until that priority project is done. You can make notes on ideas, you can make Pinterest boards for them, and you can make playlists— but you can only write for your priority project. I’d recommend doing this with a deadline in mind. Something like Camp NaNoWriMo or a similar month-long challenge. Novelty is an important part of my workflow! I get it. But for some people, bouncing back and forth between ideas is detrimental to their ability to focus / write, and committing to a single project at a time is extremely beneficial. I thought that I was someone who needed total freedom to work on any of my projects, but it turns out that being handcuffed to a project and a word count goal for a month was exactly what I needed to finish my first ever complete manuscript.

Yikes, this was a lot. I hope I answered your question well enough. If not, ask again and give me another shot! I love talking about creativity, and I would be overjoyed to help you create however I can.

[room-surprise]

Dungeon Meshi Anime Review, Season 2, Episode 14 review

This is technically the second cour of Dungeon Meshi, with a new opening and ending so we've made it to season 2, baby!

Happy Kabru day! I think Trigger did a great job with this so I don't have a lot to talk about.

Spoilers below!

The new OP is really nicely animated and very sweet, but I don't really like it. I think the song isn't as good as the first OP and the visuals just don't really excite or interest me the way the first OP did. It's cute though! I think it would have made a great ending...

The ending is wonderful like before, with more beautiful illustrations. Are these also by Kui? Will we get Kui illustrations for every ending? That would be so fantastic! I like this song better than the new OP song...

What the hell are Fleki and Lycion laughing at in the ending. Just pointing and laughing at a water fountain...

There my darling lad Kabru goes, killing again! Good for him.

Animated very nicely, conveys just how fast and lethal Kabru is against human opponents. I hope that anime onlies are now worrying about Laios and his party! That's what they should be worrying about!

Love that they managed to capture Kui's insanely wonderful fight choreography, Kabru switching targets last second after doing a fake-out, and then stealing one person's sword to use it to kill two other people... He's so slick, and Trigger captured it so well.

Sadly no improvements (extra clarity) was added to any of the talking scenes in this ep that start to explain Kabru and his party's motivations. I didn't expect them to change anything though, so it's still as good as it was in the manga, which is still pretty damn good... But would have been nice to have someone tighten up the dialog and make it flow more like human conversation.

Characters sitting around and talking about stuff that isn't monster biology or cooking is probably Kui's greatest weak points as an author, and I don't blame her at all, but it's the one blind spot she could use a liiiiiiittle extra help with. At least in the first half of the manga. Towards the end she gets way better at it. Practice does that to you!

EDIT: Trigger made Holm eat meat!!! He's a religious vegetarian!!!! Oops.

SO.... english dub issues.

The cast is still generally great and the dub script is generally superior to the Japanese subtitles, though it seems like the Japanese subs might be getting better? Or this episode was unusually bad in English so the Japanese subs seemed better.

Kabru's voice in English...

The thing about Kabru's character is that he changes how he talks and acts depending on who he's talking to. The Japanese version does this relatively well.

It's mostly about the pitch of Kabru's voice and how sweet his tone is. He's trying to make himself sound non-threatening, polite, and friendly. And then when he's not doing that, he sounds more stern and mature, talking in a deeper pitch without being so self-effacing.

The English version... is struggling a bit with this.

In the other episodes it sounded alright, but in this episode Kabru's voice actor, for whatever reason, seemed to be mumbling/slurring his words, not enunciating, and cutting off and shortening his words, shoulda, woulda, kinda, and talking in a more "relaxed" and informal manner

This isn't inherently a problem, but since nobody else in the anime so far talks like this, what does this style of speaking signify? Why is Kabru talking like this for this entire episode?

Is it because Kabru's from the West? Do all the people in the West talk that way? Will the elves talk like that?

Since they didn't match Zon and Leed's way of speaking to each other I doubt they'll follow through with this...

If it's meant to make Kabru sound "tough", why does Kabru do it the entire episode and not just with the corpse retrievers? Why does he keep talking that way while talking to his friends?

Even if sounding "tough" is what he's trying to accomplish, Kabru wasn't really being tough in those scenes, he was being tricky and conniving... And then with his friends he was being curious and solving a mystery.

It's not the worst performance I've ever heard, but it's a change/addition with no basis in the original version, so as with Leed and Zon, I'm left wondering "why are you doing this? What are you trying to tell us about the characters?"

I'll have to go back and listen to Kabru's earlier appearances to see if he sounds the same in those, but I really don't remember him talking this way before...

Kabruuuuuu

[devilman-things]

fair is fair

the watcher crew posted an apology you can watch here

I think it's only fair that I posted this, seeing as I've been posting and reblogging and doomscrolling in this tag for three days.

I believe this is a good apology and they addressed basically every piece of criticism

my thoughts under the break have been edited for clarity

I left a comment on the video, which I will report here.

“as I commented on the "goodbye youtube" video with my own gripes, I think it's fair that I comment on this one.

I believe this was a very good apology and a fair solution to sustain your company, I believe a lot of people will decide to support you on this.

I'm glad the callous comment of "everyone can afford 6$" was addressed.

I'm also glad you decided to give free subs to your patrons, as they were the people that would've been fucked over the most.

I think the trust has been wounded and emotions hurt, but this honest apology will go a long way to repair things.

also great that you didn't put music in the background and didn't use tech bro buzzwords, as that would've come off as extremely fake"

this basically sums up my current thoughts on the situation, I'm glad they decided to consider the fans' voices and that they found a way to make this decision sustainable, but I still feel very bruised by everything that happened.

don't misunderstand me, I am extremely glad they decided to apologise, but I think the shitstorm could've been avoided altogether if they had put in more thought from the beginning.

as of right now, I'm still unsubscribed and it will be a while before I sub again, if I ever will. this was a huge mistake, and even if I'm glad for the apology, I'm disillusioned and disappointed.

[princessgarnetxvi]

Nina's recollection at Boneparte's House and Vera's "Abandonment"

There are a lot of confusion pertaining to the events in Monster but there was a particular scene that never left my mind: The memories Nina recalls when she is in Boneparte's house during the Ruhenheim arc.

The general consensus believes that the conversation which begins at "I'm sorry." was Vera, their mother, speaking to Anna and Johan just before she coldly abandons them to survive on their own.

After heavy researching, dissecting and triple crossing all sources; I have finally concluded what was being told to us there in that scene:

None of that is true.

Special thanks to @poop-tart for discussing this with me back and forth and offering some clarity to my madness. As well as @plainteacup for reaffirming my findings with the French translations.

So let's begin.

I started questioning all of the wiki pages that refers to that conversation as being spoken to by their mother and their only evidence is that the mother was shown in a glimpse just before the rest was recalled by Nina.

( this is an incorrect subtitle / translation ^^^^)

But after buying the perfect edition and reading how they translated the scene, I was doubtful about my dispositions on that scene and on Vera as well.

These are the screenshots from the Perfect Edition in English

Johan is apologizing for that day, revealing his guilt that his sister was taken.

Why do I assume this was Johan and not their mother? Just before that conversation unfolded, the first piece of information that was presented was one single question:

Prior to this question, Nina was screaming about the events of the Red Rose, assuming as she was retelling it to Johan. Then, realizing that their mother was not there (Anna was dragged out of the house first before she ever got to see that their mother was also kidnapped that day) Anna asked Johan where their mother was. Johan proceeded to tell her that they must survive on their own because their mother was never going to come back for them.

To confirm whether or not the perfect edition simply had it wrong, I went back to the anime subbed, turned off the subtitles and just listened to the Japanese lines as best as I could:

(I am a Japanese speaker but I did not watch the anime subbed up until that point. I prefer it in English)

二人で生きて行けなくちゃ - is the first line which translates to:

ふたりでいきて - the 2nd line which translates to:

You may be asking why would the English dub mistranslate that scene? Well, this wouldn't be the first time they made an error in their translation. For instance, before the border they had Johan/Anna call one another as Johan and Anna - but that was a grave mistake in mixing up the story and its events. Canonically, Johan and Anna did not get their names until AFTER they were saved by General Wolf. Which is why in Japanese, prior to that event, the twins simply referred to themselves as "Big Brother and Little sister."

This confirms that after the Red Rose incident, Vera never came home to them. Whether or not you believe her never going to look for her kids after the fact is an act of abandonment, it must be declared that she did not return home to her children only to cruelly abandon them as many (myself included) came to believe due to these mistranslations. She remained in France where the MKB shipped her to and remained protected by the ministry she hid within. Johan and Anna waited for her and when Johan finally accepted that their mother was never returning to them (assuming she abandoned them) he tells Anna that they will need to survive together before breaking down and crying over this revelation. This in turn made Anna question, "Why are you crying?!" because Anna did not come to the conclusion that their mother had abandoned them.

This information provides clarity as to why Nina was finally able to understand Johan, empathize with him enough to be able to forgive him. She remembered he was a boy who felt guilty over what happened to her; a boy who cried when he realized they were now all alone in the world. She understood that Johan desperately did anything and everything to ensure he and Anna survived despite it all.

Most importantly, Tenma's information about their mother, a woman who still remembered them despite her illness, was significant to Johan because he had assumed his whole life that their mother just threw them all away. (which subjectively you can still say she abandoned them because she never went to look for them but that isn't the point here...)

It reveals to us that the whole time Johan did not know about his mother's whereabouts nor did he 100% know if she was dead or alive. This is further confirmed by Johan in the Kinderheim 511 tape when asked of his mother he replies "I think she is alive."

IF Vera was the one who returned to the 3 Frogs after the Red Rose incident, then Johan would know 100% that she was alive. But instead in that recording Johan says "I THINK she is alive." which goes to show there was a level of uncertainty there because Johan never sees his mother again after she was kidnapped.

I am relieved to finally understand what was going on in this scene. Before anyone interjects that something in Another Monster clarified that it was Vera who said this, I combed through that book 7-8 times today before finally making this post and couldn't find a single thing implying that Vera returned home to her kids only to leave them behind.

Thank you for reading this long post.

I hope it helps.

p.s. here is the French translation of the scene just for extra foundation:

Nous devrons vivre seuls = We gotta live alone.

Seuls, tous les deux = alone, the both of us.

[a-memory-a-distant-echo]

i feel silly posting this, but i also feel like i keep seeing people frustrated about not being able to watch/read things because they don't have enough [language in which media was created].

i also do not consistently have enough [language] to consistently watch/read things. i often have enough [language] to do things like ask for water, or where the bathroom is, and to do basic pleasantries, but we're talking toddler level.

however, what i do have are moderately ok technical skills, a lot of experience working (professionally) on naturalising translations or things written by people who don't speak english as their first language, and an absolute refusal to be locked out of things just because of my own deficient language skills.

machine translation is never going to be as good as an actual human-created translation for a lot of reasons, but it's often better than nothing. (and at least sometimes, it's...closer than i'd expect, frankly, to official translations for things like subtitles.) i find that it's especially useful for languages where you have at least some knowledge, but aren't fluent.

is anyone interested in a writeup of some ways to machine translate things fairly easily? it is, i must stress, an imperfect translation. it really only works for spoken word (so songs won't be translated, and on-screen text can be translated but requires more work), and it works much better for some languages than others, but if you just need something to glance at to check that you're following things ok, or if the other option is that something is completely inaccessible to you, it's pretty useful.

edit: for clarity, this assumes that you have nothing but a video file. it doesn't have to have subs, let alone soft subs, for most things i do to work, which is why it's useful. i'll write it up sometime this week.

[nyanbinary-perineum]

Question, why are you so upset about switch cartridges? Like we know licking them sucks but your reaction is so visceral like you've just been threatened. How much have you licked switch cartridges before today?

What? I think you may have misinterpreted the tone of what's been said.

For clarity because text is a harsh medium.

There was no sincerity in my all caps recap in regards to an anon implying "mean" wasn't a harsh enough descriptor in my silly post (itself a funny hyperbole from anon I assume).

I implied it would be silly to treat the (apparently) mildly distasteful coating as a 'dom degrading and forcing a sub to do something they don't inherently like outside of being forced via dynamic' kink thing, then anon implied "mean" wasn't a hard enough stance (likely as a joke), so I all caps "agreed" by replacing mean with worse terms.

All of this was in jest and I'm pretty sure no one on earth cares that deeply about switch carts lol

edit: Also, I'm boring-normal, I had no reason to taste one before the news "broke" like a day after the switch released and my reaction to hearing the carts are coated to disincentivize pets and babies from eating them was "Oh cool. I'm not going to taste that." lol

[bropunzeling]

3, 32, 46

What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

oh hmm. writing from the perspective of someone who doesn't realize the other person has feelings for them - either because they are falling in love slower or they're so wrapped up in their own feelings that they can't see the love in front of their face. a pivotal sibling conversation. fake television shows; bonus points for reality tv (for someone who never watches dating shows i love to come up with stupid versions of them for whatever au i'm writing in). that the big moment of clarity happens in a moment of domesticity or gentleness rather than through sex. love being demonstrated through paying attention. important conversations in cars. apparently, rushing to someone's side when they're hurt (lol hashtag called out by that one). i wont list the sex acts we all know which ones im gonna do lmao rip.

What’s your ideal fic length to read?

i love stuff in the 20 to 50k range! obvi i will read shorter (so many good sub-10k fics) and i will read longer (pLENTY of 90-110k fics i adore) but 20 to 50k is the perfect read for an hour or two before bed range for me; plus it's long enough for the story to have some shape and arc without being a wholeass novel

Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

it fully depends on the fic type. stuff like what i wrote today - short, one to two scenes, often porn, often a flash in the pan concept - i can bang out on my phone without mobile gdocs screaming at me. anything longer than 3k i have to start doing on my laptop. especially if i need to keep track of things like themes, phrasing; it's also much harder for me to edit on mobile than on my computer. i like the page layout!

[krneil]

I'm not sure of the validity of this claim. I updated and it worked yesterday (while connected, I have since unplugged my ethernet net cable from my computer (the only way for my computer to connect to the net), then booted up Clip Studio then opened up a file in paint. It let me with out any fuss other then to say on the Clip Studio splash page that I was offline. This version of CSP is 2.0 perpetual so no subscription, but 2.0 has been paid for (I wanted one thing, got that thing, and won't be having the updates when it moves over to updating for stuff I don't want to pay for).

I also have a sub for app for my android tablet (due to tablet, I have to get the full program sub and not the mobile). This has been updated to 2.0.2 as well. I turned off the Wifi, then opened the application and it had no issues booting up and letting me draw and do whatever. As a point of clarity, I have the Clip Studio Paint PRO Single-device plan for it.

I'll also note I have not tried being disconnected for more then 1 hr so haven't tested if the authentication for the programs can lapse or other ways of testing. I've only done as outlined. If there are other ways that are proven to support this, I'm happy to try and get riled up about it.

I am unsure where the OP got their info, be it personal experience or word of mouth, but I'm not getting. TL;DR: After personal testing, can paint offline via perpetual license CPS 2.0 or sub. Where source for issue? No issue here. Edit 28 Apr: Welp. I was correct with the authentication caveat at the end, particularly with the 2.0.3 update explicitly stating they would extend the time to w/e they deemed appropriate. I'm hoping for min of a week, but no clue what they're doing. Good to know tho!

Hey hey everyone please tell

@ clipstudiopaint latest update is horrible. They didn't tell you this with the 2.0 update

You may ask why is that?

TL;TR: “If you don’t have internet well TOO BAD! We won’t let you use CSP. You must have 24/7 internet to use it”

So yeah, give them very vocal feedback of how terrible this is.

[krisravencroft]

Darkwhisper Chronicles: December 2023 Update

Hello again; it has been a little while. In my introduction, I mentioned my interest in documenting and sharing a bit of my journey as I continue my writing projects. As of now, I will be trying my hand at posting updates and figuring out how I want to go about that. In time, I may adjust the format for clarity, ease, and balancing the amount of information given. Perhaps I might even extend the amount of time in-between updates to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on myself and to avoid flooding those who would follow along with equally unnecessary posts. As of right now in the latter case, I'm thinking bi-monthly (the longer meaning) or even quarterly updates, but we will see how that goes.

As will be reflected on my blog, there has been a leap in progress since my introduction. In balancing life events with my work, my progress has been steady at an average of one writing fugue per week. In working on the novels "The Nhordara Crusade" and "Damnation Trilogy I: The Scouring of Morthir," I have found that the scale of each entry is rather consistently going to be about three-times the size of my early projections, and for that, I will avoid noting progress on books of mine that are sub-100 pages even if they are close to said marker. With that said, let's begin.

I tend to scale my work in one of two formats. The first, which I will call my draft format, is a very simple page adjustment that helps me structure my paragraphs neatly and be more conservative with how many words I try to shove into a page. I use it primarily to soothe any sort of quirks I have about the presentation on individual pages. Once I have a substantial enough draft, it then goes through my review format (as suggested by my friend) which gives the pages a more realistic book scale and appearance that is no longer subject to my eccentricities about presentation. I have found that when converted to review format, there is around a 10% decrease in page-count per chapter, and that is spectacular news for me as it means chapters will be more digestible and I will have more room for writing as I continue the story unabridged and even add onto it. When sharing progress, there are a few things I advise be kept in mind: 1. Page counts provided are derived from draft format, and ideally, published format will condense even unedited work into fewer pages; 2. I do not keep track of edits and additions I make to older chapters, and so page counts alone do not reflect how much writing has been done or how much progress has been made; and 3. Typically, edits are adding information or tweaking wordage (and thus expanding content), unless a substantial overhaul is required for earlier chapters.

Now, most of my writing since my introduction has been concentrated on the first book of the Damnation Trilogy; enough so that it has caught up to The Nhordara Crusade in terms of scale. As of present, removing dedication and disclaimer pages, removing the glossary from the back and the timeline with lore context from the front, removing the table of contents, and leaving exclusively prologue and chapter content: The Nhordara Crusade is sitting at 414 pages representing 20 chapters, and Damnation 1 (The Scouring of Morthir) is sitting at 443 pages that also represent 20 chapters. Damnation 1 is certainly halfway finished and The Nhordara Crusade is ambiguously also past that threshold... though by how much is unclear even to me, since it will take exploring all of the plot points and scenes I want included to see just how long the story continues before reaching its intended ending. Unless stated otherwise, I will not be counting going back and editing older chapters in progress reports, nor accounting for compression by format changes. Over the past two months, I have been on a Damnation Trilogy kick, and so I can safely say that with those disclaimers in mind, I have written seven chapters representing 136 pages in Damnation I: The Scouring of Morthir.

At the start of this month, I have written an additional 24 pages in Damnation I, but I may be scrapping most of them and starting again from relative scratch. I believe that with the diverging narratives in the current act, the novel will be better served if I write them completely out of order while riding off of specific inspiration, so that way the tone remains consistent throughout them all, and so not a one is written unevenly from the rest. As far as I am concerned, I can stitch them all back together later.

I look forward to sharing more of my journey. I will be back in a couple months.

[thekriitpatel]

Present Continuous Tense

Embracing the Present: Mastering the Present Continuous Tense in English

Welcome to our English learning blog, where we delve into the fascinating world of grammar. In this edition, we will explore the Present Continuous Tense, a versatile and dynamic aspect of the English language.�� Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate learner, mastering this tense will greatly enhance your ability to express ongoing actions and current situations in real-time.  Get ready to embrace the present and dive into the intricacies of the Present Continuous Tense as we uncover its formation, usage, and examples.  Let's embark on this journey together and take your English proficiency to new heights!

Table of Contents Introduction to the Present Progress Tense The Present Continuous, also known as the Present Progressive Tense, is an essential aspect of English grammar that allows us to describe actions happening in the present moment.  It provides a window into ongoing activities and current situations, allowing us to express what is occurring right now. Whether you're talking about something happening at this very second or discussing temporary situations, the Present Continuous Tense is the go-to tool for conveying such information with accuracy and clarity.  We will delve into the formation, usage, and nuances of the Present Continuous Tense, equipping you with the knowledge to confidently incorporate it into your everyday English conversations.  Get ready to embrace the power of the present and elevate your language skills as we explore the intricacies of the Present Continuous. Let's dive in! Structure of Present Continuous Tense The Present Continuous, also known as the Present Progressive Tense, is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb "to be" (am, is, are) followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb with present continuous tense formula.   Present continuous tense formula and example :  Basic Structure of Present Continuous Tense (Sub + Am/IS/Are + V1+ING) - Singular subjects: - I am + verb-ing - Example: I am studying for my exam. - Third-person singular subjects (he, she, it): - He/She/It is + verb-ing - Example: She is working on a project. - Plural subjects: - We/You/They are + verb-ing - Example: They are playing football. It is important to note that the verb "to be" changes based on the subject, while the main verb remains in the present participle form throughout. Understanding the structure of the Present Continuous Tense will allow you to construct sentences accurately and convey ongoing actions in the present. With this foundation in place, let's explore the various contexts in which the Present Continuous Tense is used and gain a deeper understanding of its significance in English communication. Applications of Present Continuous Tense Expressing Current Actions and Activities The Present Continuous Tense, also known as the Present Progressive Tense, is a fundamental aspect of English grammar that allows us to describe actions and activities happening in the present moment.  By using the Present Continuous Tense, we can vividly portray ongoing actions, temporary situations, and even future arrangements. Let's explore this concept with an example: Example: "I am currently studying for my exams at the library." In this sentence, the Present Continuous Tense is employed to convey the action of studying, which is happening at the present moment. The use of the auxiliary verb "am" (for the first-person singular pronoun "I") and the present participle form of the verb "study" ("-ing" form) work together to create the Present Continuous structure. The sentence showcases the speaker's ongoing activity of studying for exams, emphasizing that it is happening right now. The Present Continuous Tense allows us to bring the present to life, enabling us to describe activities as they unfold.  Whether you're talking about your current actions, describing events in real-time, or discussing temporary situations, mastering the Present Continuous will greatly enhance your ability to express yourself fluently and accurately in English.  Temporary Situations and Temporary States One of the key aspects of the Present Continuous Tense is its ability to describe temporary situations and temporary states with present continuous tense examples.  This tense allows us to express actions or situations that are happening right now, but are not permanent or ongoing. It is perfect for capturing the dynamic nature of our daily lives and the ever-changing circumstances we find ourselves in.  For example, imagine you're discussing your current job. You could say,  "I am working as a sales representative at a tech company."  The use of the Present Continuous Tense indicates that this is your temporary job and emphasizes that it may not be a long-term position. Similarly, you could say, "She is studying medicine at university,"  highlighting that her current pursuit of studying medicine is a temporary state.  By mastering the Present Continuous, you will be able to accurately convey the transitory nature of various situations, making your conversations more nuanced and precise. Future Plans and Arrangements One of the key uses of the Present Continuous Tense is to talk about future plans and arrangements. This tense allows us to express actions that have been scheduled or planned in advance. By using the Present Continuous Tense in these contexts, we convey a sense of definite intention and commitment to the future event. - let's say you have made plans to meet a friend for dinner next week. You can express this arrangement using the Present Continuous Tense by saying, "I am meeting my friend for dinner next week." This sentence not only indicates a future action but also emphasizes that the plan has been confirmed and is definite. - Similarly, you can use the Present Continuous Tense to talk about future events or activities that you have already scheduled, such as attending a concert, participating in a workshop, or going on a trip. For instance, "I am going to a concert this weekend" or "I am attending a workshop next month." By using the Present Continuous for future plans and arrangements, you bring a sense of immediacy and certainty to your language. It allows you to express your future intentions with clarity and conviction, enabling effective communication and making your statements more impactful. Expressing Annoyance and Complaints The Present Tense not only helps us describe ongoing actions, but it is also a valuable tool for expressing annoyance and complaints in real-time situations. By using this tense, we can convey our dissatisfaction or frustration with a particular situation or person. Let's explore a few examples to understand how the Present Continuous Tense can be employed to express annoyance or complaints: - "I'm constantly hearing loud music from my neighbor's apartment. It's driving me crazy!" In this sentence, the speaker uses the Present Continuous Tense ("I'm constantly hearing") to convey their ongoing annoyance with the loud music coming from their neighbor's apartment. - "She's always interrupting me when I'm speaking. It's really irritating!" Here, the Present Continuous Tense ("She's always interrupting") is employed to express the speaker's frustration with the constant interruptions they face while speaking. - "The construction work near my house is going on day and night. I can't get a moment of peace!" By using the Present Continuous Tense ("The construction work is going on"), the speaker highlights their ongoing complaint about the disturbance caused by the non-stop construction work near their residence. The Present Continuous allows us to express our annoyance or complaints about present situations effectively, making our concerns feel more immediate and relevant. By incorporating this tense into our language repertoire, we can communicate our dissatisfaction in a clear and concise manner. Adverbs of Time with the Present Continuous When discussing the Present Continuous Tense, it is important to consider the role of adverbs of time.  These adverbs provide valuable information about when an action is taking place in relation to the present moment.  By incorporating adverbs of time into your sentences, you can convey a clearer picture of ongoing actions and current situations. Here are a few examples: - "I am currently studying for my exams." - In this sentence, the adverb "currently" emphasizes that the action of studying is happening at this very moment. It adds a sense of immediacy to the ongoing activity. - "She is often traveling for work." - The adverb "often" indicates that the action of traveling is occurring frequently in the present. It highlights the regularity or frequency of the ongoing action. - "They are temporarily staying with us." - Here, the adverb "temporarily" suggests that the action of staying is for a limited duration. It implies that the situation is not permanent and will change in the future. By incorporating adverbs of time into your sentences, you can provide additional context and precision to your descriptions of ongoing actions and current situations in the present. Experiment with different adverbs of time to expand your range of expression and create a more nuanced understanding of the Present Continuous Tense. Questions and Negations in the Present Continuous In addition to expressing current actions and activities, the Present Continuous Tense also allows us to form questions and negations. These forms are crucial for effective communication, as they enable us to inquire about ongoing actions and deny their occurrence.  Let's explore the structure and examples of questions and negations in the Present Continuous Tense. Questions in the Present Continuous To form a question in the Present Continuous Tense, we invert the subject and the auxiliary verb "be."  The auxiliary verb "be" in the Present Continuous takes the form of "am," "is," or "are" depending on the subject. Here's the structure: Question Word + Auxiliary Verb "be" + Subject + Present Participle (-ing form) + Rest of the Sentence + ? Example 1: Are you studying for your exams? In this example, the question is formed by inverting the subject "you" and the auxiliary verb "are." The present participle "studying" follows, and the rest of the sentence completes the question. The question asks about the ongoing action of studying for exams. Example 2: Is she working on a project? In this case, the auxiliary verb "is" is used with the third-person singular subject "she." The present participle "working" follows, and the question seeks information about her current activity of working on a project. Negations in the Present Continuous To form a negation in the Present Continuous Tense, we use the negative form of the auxiliary verb "be" and place the word "not" between the auxiliary verb and the present participle. Here's the structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb "be" (in negative form) + "not" + Present Participle (-ing form) + Rest of the Sentence. Example 1: They are not listening to music. In this example, the negation is formed by using the negative form "are not" with the subject "they." The present participle "listening" follows, and the rest of the sentence completes the negation. It expresses that they are not currently engaged in the activity of listening to music. Example 2: He is not eating meat. Here, the negative form "is not" is used with the subject "he." The present participle "eating" follows, and the negation states that he is not presently consuming meat.

Practice Exercises for Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense exercises with answers with present continuous tense questions exercises Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verb in the Present Continuous Tense. - The children _______________ (play) in the park right now. - I _______________ (study) for my upcoming exam. - They _______________ (watch) a movie at the cinema. - She _______________ (cook) dinner for her family. - We _______________ (wait) for the bus at the bus stop. - He _______________ (write) an email to his boss. - The sun _______________ (shine) brightly in the sky. - The dog _______________ (chase) its tail in the backyard. - They _______________ (dance) at the party. - I _______________ (read) an interesting book. Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences using the Present Continuous Tense. - She reads a book. (Present Continuous) - They play football. (Present Continuous) - I eat breakfast. (Present Continuous) - He watches television. (Present Continuous) - We go to the gym. (Present Continuous) Exercise 3: Write questions for the given answers using the Present Continuous Tense. - Answer: Yes, they are playing outside. Question: __________________________________________________________________? - Answer: No, he isn't studying right now. Question: __________________________________________________________________? - Answer: Yes, she is writing an email to her friend. Question: __________________________________________________________________? - Answer: No, we aren't watching a movie at the theater. Question: __________________________________________________________________? - Answer: Yes, he is playing the guitar. Question: __________________________________________________________________? Note: The answers for the exercises are as follows:  Exercise 1: - are playing - am studying - are watching - is cooking - are waiting - is writing - is shining - is chasing - are dancing - am reading Exercise 2: - She is reading a book. - They are playing football. - I am eating breakfast. - He is watching television. - We are going to the gym. Exercise 3: - Are they playing outside? - Isn't he studying right now? - Is she writing an email to her friend? - Aren't we watching a movie at the theater? - Is he playing the guitar? Feel free to use these practice exercises to enhance your understanding and usage of the Present Continuous Tense. Remember to review your answers and seek assistance if needed. Happy practicing!

Tips for Mastering the Present Continuous Tense

Understand the Basic Structure Familiarize yourself with the structure of the Present Continuous. Remember that it consists of the auxiliary verb "be" (am, is, are) followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb. Practice with Everyday Activities Use the Present Continuous Tense to describe your current activities and actions in everyday life. This will help you become comfortable with the tense and its usage. Note the Difference from Simple Present Understand the distinction between the Present Continuous Tense and the Simple Present Tense. While the Present Continuous Tense describes ongoing actions, the Simple Present is used for habitual actions or general truths. Pay Attention to Time Expressions Be mindful of time expressions that are commonly used with the Present Continuous, such as "now," "at the moment," or "currently." Incorporate these expressions to add clarity and emphasis to your sentences. Practice Questions and Negations Practice forming questions and negations in the Present Continuous. This will help you become fluent in constructing different types of sentences using this tense. Use Visual Aids and Context Visual aids, such as pictures or videos, can help you associate actions with the Present Continuous Tense. Additionally, practice using the tense in different contexts to reinforce your understanding and usage.

Engage in Conversations

Engage in conversations with native English speakers or language partners. Use the Present Continuous to describe what you and others are doing at the moment. This will provide practical exposure and feedback. Read and Listen Read books, articles, and listen to English audio or podcasts. Pay attention to how the Present Continuous is used in various contexts. This will help you develop a natural sense of when to use the tense. Remember, practice and exposure are essential for mastering the Present Continuous Tense. By incorporating these tips into your learning routine, you will gradually develop confidence and proficiency in using this important tense. Happy learning!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Present Continuous Tense

Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Present Continuous Tense: - Incorrect Verb Form: Ensure that you use the correct form of the verb in the Present Continuous Tense. Remember to add "-ing" to the base form of the verb and use the appropriate auxiliary verb "be" (am, is, are) according to the subject.               Incorrect: He is go to the store.                Correct: He is going to the store. - Unnecessary Use of "Always": Avoid using "always" in the Present Continuous unless you genuinely want to express a continuous action that happens regularly. "Always" is more commonly used in the Simple Present Tense.           Incorrect: She is always complaining about the weather.            Correct: She complains about the weather. Read the full article

[grad603-izzymcbeth]

PAMPHLET — V1 TEST PRINT + ANNOTATIONS

SELF CRIT

'www.typografika24.com' — could reduce size (from 22pt) 'www.typografika24.com' + 'The Annual Conference on Type and Typography' — could swap so that title/heading of event poster is in the reading hot spot (top left corner)

'24' — will viewer understand what this is referring too? Might look to change it to 2024 instead. Also, keep as black? Or experiment with other colours '24' + 'Typografika' — increase gap size in-between type (to 10mm to keep measurements consistent)

'The Annual Conference on Type and Typography' — I like the size, however, play around with the arrangement of the sentence

'25 Jan���20 Feb 2024' — could reduce pt size (from 40pt) to add contrast and differentiation from main heading/title. Could also look into experimenting with another colour other than black

'Four weeks of events including designer...' — experiment with colour and possibly reduce size (it isn't an ultra important element compared to other, so reducing its size wouldn't hurt)

'Carol Twombly, Jessica Hische...' — reduce pt size too

'AUT City Campus Auckland' — reduce pt size (from 22pt), but match it to the size of 'www.typografika24.com'

OVERALL — change from 4x4 modular grid, to 3x4 as 'Typografika' is right in the centre of the grid. Also just explore and experiment with the composition of all elements. I have the design style and all content there ready, it just needs to be explored more to uncover new possibilities

SELF CRIT

Intro — 8pt seems to look the ideal size for the body copy. Experiment with typeface variations (Helvetica Neue Bold for important parts of body copy, and Area SemiBold for normal copy). Also begin to explore possibilities for the layout of these panels. Much further design is required

Timetables — design of the tables is down pact, just need to work on rearranging these elements so that the body copy can be increased from 6pt to 8pt, and all elements will fit into two panels. At the moment, especially on panel 3, there is not enough room to have the body copy displayed any larger than 6pt. I also think the layout could look more visually appealing. Additionally, work on the structure of the tables, i.e some of the gaps between columns are too far separated and others are squashed etc

Designer profile titles + body copy — I like the pt size (28, 12pt) of the designer headings (name) and sub-headings (type designer etc), and the size of the body copy (8pt). It is consistent throughout the pamphlet and works well within the small space of each panel. Could experiment more with the use of Helvetica Neue Bold and Area SemiBold and colour for contrast of body copy (i.e more important text in a bolder font)

Designer profile imagery — solid images that are visually cohesive and work well together, but scaling needs to be fine-tuned so that they look completely and exactly compatible. Also a bit of further editing may be needed for some particular images (i.e Carol Twombly) as this is a slightly darker grayscale than others

Designer profile layouts — I still have a lot further to go in terms of the way these panels are composed. I have all the content, now I just need to find a way to achieve a visually interesting but clear way displaying and arranging elements and information. At the moment these panels are very all over the place and confusing to look at — my eye doesn't quite know where to look when each panel is so contrasted to the next. The information doesn't flow easily and would definitely cause a lack of readability and clarity for the viewer. I could look into ways to overcome this by moving designer headings and sub-headings in a more uniform and consistent way, also displaying imagery the same way. Some sort of system needs to be established.

Panels 12-16 — more experimentation and designing needs to be done

[zenosanalytic]

Yes, but also I just want to point out that there's nothing wrong with "Affirmative Action", since the term's been vilified in US political discussion for decades and the actual text behind it is very rarely mentioned.

I'm taking quotes here from Wikipedia's Executive Order 11246 page, but know that it takes "affirmative action" as a phrase from previous Executive Orders going back to Franklin Roosevelt attempting to accomplish the same thing(Here's The Actual Text. I'd've quoted from IT but it's formatted weird and doesn't transfer well to tumblr. Brackets are my own edits, done for clarity):

federal contractors and federally assisted construction contractors and subcontractors, who do over $10,000 in Government business in one year [are prohibited] from discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

[contractors are required to] take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The Order then extends this to student-recruitment, sub-contractors, relevant unions, etc etc etc. All Affirmative Action does is 1)prevent institutions from discriminating against people, and 2)require them to Set and Follow clear policies for preventing future discrimination. That's it.

So all being "an affirmative action student" could possibly mean is that you were recruited by a school which had taken steps to ensure someone of your race, color, religion, sex, or national origins was not discriminated against in the application process. That's it! The conservative narrative on this of favoritism for historically oppressed people is and has always been Bullshit. All Affirmative Action has ever been, has been a policy for preventing discrimination in systems with a clear history of discrimination, and Republicans oppose that because they WANT discrimination in these systems.

Nothing to be a ashamed of in "benefiting"(ie being treated neutrally because of) Affirmative Action; everything Shameful about opposing it.

[marketingwithkiana]

Ethics? Cowboys? Whiskey? 2/23/23

Today, we begin Marketing with Kiana: The Blog.

What does this entail, you ask? Well, this blog is a summary of my experiences in my Digital Marketing class every Thursday. So sit back, relax, grab a beer, and read my blog.

We begin with a reflection on off-page factors and backlinks. Off page factors occur off a website; they are when external websites bring a website SEO (or don't, in the case of duplicates, which we also discussed today). Backlinks are when a website posts a link to your website, which redirects a user to your website from the external source. Turns out backlinks drive 40% of your page rank. Crazy stuff.

Duplicates, which I mention earlier, are when two websites use the exact same elements; they are essentially carbon copy website links and thus no one gets SEO in these situations, save for when edits or summarizations are made on the page that leads to the other.

We discussed the journey of clicks - website navigation. This begins with the URL, and leads to the category, which then leads to the sub-category, to the product, and so on and so forth. This needs to be executed cleanly in order to achieve the best SEO results. By this, I mean that one must use keywords for clarity. An example we used in class was an ecommerce site selling whiskey/whisky (depends if you're Irish or Scottish, it turns out) and building its URL hierarchy. Categorizing the offering, in this case whiskey, needs to be clear, concise, and straight to the point. Nothing excessively wordy or repetitive. We discussed a few more consistency factors; this includes case sensitivity, hashes, word delimiters, and URL length.

Dynamic versus static URL strings were also discussed in class. Dynamic URLs are typically automated and populated with random letters, numbers, and symbols. They are definitely much less representative of what message you are trying to convey with your page. Static URLs are clear depictions of a page's purpose and are done with specificity; they are unchanging and non-random. Try to avoid dynamic URLs if you want a better SEO. You want your users to understand what you're getting at through a glance at the URL alone.

A canonical URL is a consolidation of your information that is ultimately the representational URL link you get on web engine searches, such as on Google. It goes into the code of the page itself. A canonical tag is especially useful for retail websites. An XML sitemap is ultimately what gets submitted to search engines. There are two primary reasons why an XML sitemap is important:

Search engines have an easier time of finding your site's pages.

An XML sitemap becomes a reference to search engines when choosing canonical URLs.

To summarize our class today, we focused on the specifics that lead to powerful SEO optimization for a site. I am excited to see what's next!

-Kiana

[bylrndgm]

i noticed something...

I was watching S04E01 (because I needed screencaps for an edit I made that I’ll post sooner or later) and, oh my, I had to share with you all.

As soon Lucas says this, look at Mike’s reaction:

To me it just screams: “yeah you’re right”. And there is even a little disappointment? And what about the last frames where he nods a few times as to convince himself?

I haven’t made a gif but seconds later he is nervously playing with the shoulder strap of his backpack.

We understand here, that they started high school with a goal: to make things better, to change, twist their lives for the best.

But then we see Mike and well... he looks disappointed, almost guilty, getting nervous, because he knows that for him things didn’t get better: new chapter but same book, same mindset, same everything. 

He nods, trying to convince himself that maybe, things will eventually get better.

Now fast forward to Mike and Dustin’s search for a sub for Eddie’s campaign. After search with no results, Mike proceeds saying this:

If we assume correct the supposition that high school didn’t really provide Mike with the change he wanted to have, then, it’s understandable that he hates high school, and so, why keeping convincing himself that things will be any different?

Also, by saying hate it means that he’s still hoping things will change, he hasn’t given up on that already (when you say you hate something, means you still care, remember xoxo).

But again just notice Mike’s expressions a few moments later, because he’s either on the verge of crying or just out of breath.

In this last one gif, to me, it’s pretty clear that is the first option: he’s on the verge of tears. I am feeling it in my bones, blame it on my water placements, but it couldn’t be any clearer.

So, my take on this, and I ought to kiss my meninges because for once in their lives have clicked on something, is that:

Will left, and Mike had to re-adjust his life, find another balancing point

No wonder he started playing DnD again, it’s like connecting with his inner child and keep Will next to him even if he’s far

However, as much as he wanted high school to bring some fresh air into his life that didn’t happen and Mike is left with hating high school because it didn’t bring any clarity, Will’s still in California, nothing has changed.

The only person that can actually substitute Lucas would be Will and the reason why he hates high school it’s that it had to help him not to think about Will being far, but here he is again, thinking of him.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, btw! Hope it made some sense!!

[m1ndpalace]

good boys get their reward. —ango sakaguchi.

content: nsfw, dom!reader, sub!ango, pegging, degradation, dirty talk, slut shaming, femdom, restraints, that's about it i think?

(also, not thoroughly edited so expect minor mistakes)

skin soaked in sweat, his slick black hair tangled in the firm hold of your fingertips, his glasses foggy, his office suit haphazardly taken off him: his right nipple exposed—dress shirt far from the crisp state it usually is in, one sleeve off him despite not being completely unbuttoned. 

the high and mighty ango sakaguchi, kneeling in front of you; sweat and tears cascading down his face, painting more colors to his magnificent fucked out state. 

"i've been good, please—" he begged.

the prettiest whimpers left his kiss-swollen lips as soon as you held his swollen length. pearls of pre-cum were starting to drip down his desperate hardness when you started to work your hand once again.

he shuddered against you, his eyes low and breaths heavy.

"why, do you have proof you didn't touch yourself while you were away?" you asked him, facing his reflection, a hand tightly holding his hair to avoid his posture to curl, another hand on his hardness—his contained pleasure slowly unravelling in pearly drops from his slit.

"i‐in my bag, the e‐envelope."

in a smaller black envelope in the midst of manila envelopes, there lie two polaroid pictures. one with him in his usual office attire, his belt unbuckled exposing his chastity cage, and another—a shot showing the vibrator you inserted in him, completely untouched.

with his arms behind his back, completely restrained by his necktie, he crawled to you whimpering. “please make me cum, i want to cum—please,” he struggled as he resorted to getting friction from the floor.

silent pleading from his low lidded eyes begged below you. his legs visibly quaked as you turned the vibrator’s setting up. it was an enjoyable sight. after all, an important figure like him is rare to be in this position. 

“i’m yours, use me all you want please—please fuck me as hard as you want,” he drooled out, his eyes rolling back from intense pleasure.

“god, you look so pretty for me. you want my cock?” 

his pretty face nodded excitedly. “please, i’m near, i want to cum on your dick please.”

as soon as your dildo entered his eager hole, a chorus of his moans and whimpers echoed in the room. without taking the vibrator off, you thrusted harder and harder, again and again.

“yes, there, right there harder—please."

"you're such a slut, huh? you're so eager to be fucked hard. you want my dick, huh? you want to be fucked hard? tell me what you are, tell me what you really are." you gripped his hair to angle his face at his slutty reflection.

with dildo and vibrator still stretching his insides, you confronted him and his disheveled reflection. "you tell the world you're a dignified man, yet here you are begging for your hole to be filled."

"tell me what you are," you whispered.

and like clockwork, he opened his quivering lips to obediently reply. "i'm a slut—i'm your slut."

"what are you again? i can't hear your words," you teased.

he positioned his ass up to give you a nearer view of his filled hole. "i'm your pretty cocksleeve who likes to be fucked silly by your dick."

"very," you thrusted, "good." 

every merciless pounding was a bruising hit to his spot but his moans told you otherwise. 

"i'm near, faster please," he cried as you buried what he wanted into him.

his face was glistening from sweat, his eyebrows higher each time you slid in, his eyes rolling back each stretch. his frantic whimpers and begging turned into cries of moans, trying to keep a heavy but steady breath. 

"ohh, i'm near, i'm near, yes please i—"

sated by his clarity, you looked at his stained reflection. "good boys always get their reward, did you like yours?"

"yes. thank you very much," he breathed.

[charmedseoull]

Interview with sugamins about her work House of Cards (Ao3′s second most hit English work and most hit BTS work)

Before You Read the Interview

Archive of Our Own Transcript

Reddit Transcript Part 1 / Part 2

House of Cards is documented within the Top 50 Most Hit BTS Works on Archive of Our Own Project, otherwise known as T50BTS, by Charmedseoul. It is the second most hit English work on the Archive of Our Own platform, most hit BTS work, and 16th most hit work overall. It centers around the internationally popular K-Pop idol group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) with the main characters being Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook. This work is being documented for historical purposes for the Fanlore website with its own page. Charmedseoul is a BTS-focused anonymous historian who plans to eventually document each of the top 50 most hit BTS work on Ao3 as in depth as this one. If you are in contact with any of the authors of these works, please contact her on Twitter @charmedseoul or on Tumblr @charmedseoull.

Parts of this interview have been edited with links to Fanlore and Wikipedia pages for understanding. Any information in [brackets] serves for further clarity for readers and elaboration of information.

Disclaimers: This interview contains spoilers for the BTS Archive of Our Own work House of Cards. The story’s Archive of Our Own tags contain violence and gangster activity, along with discussion of prostitution and drug use. The full tag list is:

Alternate Universe - Gangsters

Gang Violence

Violence

Drugs

Drug Use

Explicit Sexual Content

Explicit Language

Blood and Gore

Blood and Torture

Gambling

Gunplay

Undercover

Disturbing Themes

Homophobic Language

Attempted Rape/Non-Con

Xenophobia

Dom/sub

Threesome - M/M/M

Drug Addiction

Dubious Consent

This interview discusses an 18+ mature work and Not Safe for Work topics. Please read this interview at your own discretion. You are responsible for the content you consume.

House of Cards by sugamins is a multi-chapter Archive of Our Own fanfiction that follows police officer Kim Taehyung’s undercover operation into the gangster world of Haedogje Pa. Jeon Jungkook, shrouded in an air of mystery and dubbed “The Boy,” is the heir to this crime empire. Park Jimin lives with him, acting as a lover of sorts in a high, pristine penthouse apartment. The story follows the three and their complicated relationship where sex, violence, and drugs surround them. Kim Taehyung tries to take down the empire as his moral lines of black and white begin blurring into gray. In this crime-ridden alternate reality to Seoul, everything from the structure of the gangster world to the trust between three lovers is as fragile as a house of cards.

Now presenting the interview with sugamins, author of Archive of Our Own’s second most hit English work and most hit BTS work, House of Cards:

How did you start writing?

How did you get into fanfiction?

How much writing experience did you have prior to House of Cards?

Do you have any literary or artistic inspirations? Any other authors or works that have inspired you to create anytime before or after House of Cards?

How did you become an ARMY [ARMY stands for Adorable Representative MC for the Youth. It is the fandom name for fans of BTS, otherwise known as Bangtan Sonyeondan]?

I started writing fanfiction in 2012. But before then, I used to enjoy writing stories as a child and young teenager. I used to write and illustrate my own stories. I even had a sketchbook filled with my own comic book, which was terrible! But I've always been creative. It started with art and then I moved onto writing when I discovered I was able to be much more creative with my words rather than my pencil.

I first got into fanfiction through my years spent on Tumblr. I had always known that it had existed, but I had never really gone looking for it because I hadn't belonged to a fandom at that point in my life. It was back in 2012 when I stumbled upon an EXO fanfic that a lot of people were talking about (Arbitrage, you can find it on Livejournal.) I read it and then thought...wow, so this is fanfiction! From that point, I started reading more and more, mostly Infinite fanfiction. And then I decided to start writing with the encouragement of an old online friend, and here I am!

In terms of writing experience, I have never formally received education. I stopped studying English Language and Literature when I was 16, instead focusing on Art, History, and Religious Education (purely because I wanted to learn about philosophy and quantum mechanics) for my final two years at high-school. The only experience I have is through writing fanfiction. I started back in 2012, and I've developed a lot since then. I started off small, writing horror short stories and little collections. Brotherhood was the first 'long fic' I created. I was shocked that it managed to get so big because I had never created a story of that size before. Writing helped me gain experience and figure out what worked and what didn't work, what I was good at writing, and where I was lacking and needed to learn. I don't think you can really experience an art form until you start doing it. You can learn all about the techniques and the conventions, but until you pick up a pen and start writing or drawing, you won't ever know what it means to create.

My literary inspiration has always been Stephen King. Which is funny, as he has described himself as 'having diarrhea of the typewriter.' I think that applies to me sometimes. I am a bit of a wordy writer, though I've started honing it down for certain stories. Sometimes, a story needs to be floral and descriptive, sometimes, it needs to be punchy and direct. So, King was my major inspiration, especially with horror. I also enjoy the works of Poe and Lovecraft (I acknowledge the problematic themes in the work of Lovercraft and seek not to praise him as a person. He was a terrible person for sure, but sadly, he had a way with cosmic horror that is hard to find.) I also enjoy Chuck Palahniuk and the dark, seedy and overall zany stories that he has created. I like his style a lot!

In terms of inspirations for House of Cards, I was obviously inspired by the films Infernal Affairs/The Departed. American Gangster and Training Day were also major inspirations (and also because I love Denzel Washington's performances in both films. I mean, who doesn't love him?) But I also drew inspiration from other sources that were less focused on gangs, more focused on the dark, nihilistic state of the world around us. I couldn't recommend the TV series True Detective hard enough. It is one of the best series I have ever watched. It handles dark and disturbing content so well, and its fractured, unreliable story-telling and philosophical musing is some of the best I've ever seen on screen. I highly recommend checking it out, but be sure to check the content warning and triggers because it certainly isn't suitable for younger audiences and those with triggers. In terms of real-life content, I think Ross Kemps' docu-series are very good. Particularly Extreme World and On Gangs. His docu-series show the dark and disturbing side of criminal activity, the drug trade and more. 

I became a fan of BTS [Bangtan Sonyeondan] back in 2013. I had already been a fan of K-Pop for some time by then, as I had started listening to various K-Pop and K-Rock artists back in 2009. I knew of their debut, but I had seen hundreds of new acts debut by the time that they broke into the scene, and so I didn't pay much heed. Someone I followed on Tumblr at the time kept posting about how much she loved them, especially Taehyung [BTS V/Kim Taehyung]. One day, I stumbled upon a gifset of Yoongi [BTS Suga/Min Yoongi] being sarcastic in one of their first interviews. I thought he was funny, so I decided to check them out. At the time, they had recently released We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2 [BTS’s second music video release with their debut album 2 Kool 4 Skool]. I followed them from that point, and their first comeback [A “comeback” refers to when a K-Pop idol group releases new music, usually done twice a year.] was also my first comeback. I liked their music [BTS released Boy In Luv and Just One Day in 2014, both music videos of songs from their Skool Luv Affair EP.], but I liked them even more as individuals. I loved watching their shows [Here is a link to BTS’s schedule during 2014 when they had their first comeback. You can find the shows and interviews they were on there.], even though they are incredibly embarrassing to look back on now. They just had so much energy and looked to be having so much fun that I was having fun just watching them. I was a fan, I liked a lot of their songs and followed their activities. But it wasn't until they released HYYH Part One [Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa Part 1 (Korean) = The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt. 1 (This is the title in English), released with the I Need U and Dope music videos.] that I really became a fan of their music. I had already created a couple of small horror stories for the fandom at that point. HYYH Part One [The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Pt. 1] inspired me so much that I created Brotherhood, my first 'long fic.' I joined AO3 [Archive of Our Own] and started posting there. I received so much support from fellow fans that I carried on writing, and the rest is history!

How has your experience being an ARMY [Adorable Representative MCs of the Youth, BTS’s global fan base name.] been? Did you ever leave the fandom then come back? How did you interact with others when you first got into the fandom and as you grew up?

How have you been since you wrote House of Cards? What have you been working on? 

Are you okay with talking about how old you are now and how old you were when you wrote House of Cards?

Before you even wrote House of Cards, what inspired it? Any TV shows? Music? Movies? Books? Ideas? It could be anything.

How did you start writing House of Cards? Did you finish the entire story then publish it or did you write it as you went? What was the writing process like?

Did you have any beta readers or editors? If you did, are you still in contact with them now? How did they feel about your work?

My experience being a fan has mostly been positive over the years. In the earlier days, back around when I first started writing for the fandom, it was certainly much more positive. I've received so much support over the years, not only in my writing but in my personal life from readers and fellow fans that being a fan of the boys [The members of BTS] really has changed my life. That's not an exaggeration. I doubt I would even be here now without those years having such a positive effect on my mental health. I've never really been the kind to interact with others and form cliques within the fandom, I just like being in my own space and interacting with everyone that comes my way, I guess?

These days, I'm not as active as a writer or in fandom spaces however. I feel like my time in the fandom has started to come up and I don't know how I feel about it just yet. I feel nostalgic for the time when I was first starting out in the fandom and I didn't really know much, but everything was fun. It doesn't feel so fun now, but I mostly contribute that to the effect that Twitter has had on shaping the fandom's growth. Twitter has never been a good place for creatives within fandoms because of issues with algorithms and such. Tumblr was always the better website for hosting artistic content for a variety of reasons. So, I think the fact that everything is on Twitter now has been partly responsible for my decline in engagement and overall enjoyment. I'm currently taking a break from Twitter. The next couple of months will be what makes me either stay or leave the fandom.

Since writing House of Cards, I've been an active writer in the fandom. Over the years, I've added quite a lot of stories to my AO3 accounts and various pseuds. My largest ongoing story is another gang story, set in the 1980s, called Valentino Summers. I actually started writing and publishing it on Ao3 just four or so months after I finished House of Cards—which is wild to think about. Finally finishing House of Cards seems like such a long time ago in my mind, and yet I'm still working on a story I created that same year! I like contributing horror stories to the fandom, especially in the Halloween period. I like publishing series in the month/upcoming weeks before Halloween—though I won't be doing so this year [2020].

When I started writing House of Cards, I would have just turned 22. It was inspired by the song 'Wires' by The Neighbourhood. I might be mistaken, but I believe that Jungkook [BTS Jungkook/Jeon Jungkook] posted a tweet with the song in it. [Jungkook did tweet about this song. Here is the English translation.] I had never heard of the band before, but my partner was a fan of their music. She sent the song to me and I was very interested in the lyrics, so I started discussing them with her. One thing led to the next, and then we had basically come up with the entire plot of the story. We just needed to create the characters. We spent a little while doing so, and then I started doing some research and started writing the story. There really isn't a grand backstory to House of Cards, it just happened so fast. We often come up with story ideas like that, and my partner is responsible for a huge amount of my stories. She has the creative visions, which I then turn into words. We make quite the team, haha~ The inspirations, I mentioned those in my previous answer regarding films and TV shows.

I published the story as I went, though I staggered the updates because I didn't want to post too frequently. I had the entire story planned out from the start——I didn't change a single aspect of the story no matter what I received in terms of feedback. I think a lot of readers assume that writers might tweak things if they sense the audience wants something to happen in terms of plot or relationships. Personally, I don't like doing that. I like sticking to my plans even if I know my vision might not be what the readers want. I think it's important for the story to be created the way I see it because my vision is what made me create it, if that makes sense.

The writing process was surprisingly smooth! You might not think it because the story is big and there are a lot of characters and plot threads to keep on top of, but it went smoothly for me. It flowed just as smoothly from start to finish as Brotherhood did. I never struggled once with writing the chapters, nor did I ever get stuck and wonder if I should change the content in order to make it easier to write. I'm surprised that I managed to complete it so easily because that's not the case with writing now! I tend to be a lot slower now, more deliberate and more open to changes in order to ease the process and the overall flow of the story. In a way, this change has been for the best. I do wonder what House of Cards would be like if I were to write it now, with my different approach to planning and writing. It would probably have a quicker flow, and the word count would either go down as a result of cuts, or go up because of additional scenes I would have likely included.

I didn't have any betas, which you can probably tell from the work. My stories are so big that I never wanted to put the burden of fixing them onto someone else. I know they are imperfect, oftentimes bloated things, but that's just what they are. I did try creating a story with another writer in the past, but it didn't go very well. She would often have conflicting opinions on things and would not have any leeway for anything I suggested, whereas I always had leeway to allow her to change things. Even to the point of completely changing the plot of the story that I had already started writing, and then allowing her to add graphic sexual content she didn't even want to be in the story. She actually stopped writing fanfiction randomly in the middle of us creating the story! She made a post about it being disgusting and nasty and then bowed out. I have no clue if she ever came back! So, my negative experience with attempting to work with someone else when creating a story kind of made me not want to have a beta. It's a wild story, I know!

House of Cards is praised for its realism and accuracy with weaponry, torture, sex, and violence. How did you research these things?

How did you come up with the gangster universe in House of Cards? How did you develop Haedogje Pa?

How did you name the original characters in House of Cards? Did any characters in particular take inspiration from existing characters in TV shows, anime, books, any type of media?

How did you decide on Vminkook as your main characters for the story? What do you see in their dynamic and them as characters?

Jimin is claimed to be one of the best written characters in the entire story. What was your thought process when characterizing him and developing him?

Taehyung is an especially dynamic character whose morals get tested time and time again in House of Cards. What was your thought process when characterizing him and developing him?

Jungkook is one of the characters that the readers spend the least amount of time getting a perspective from, but is incredibly well written in his character progression. What was your thought process when characterizing him and developing him?

When it came to various aspects in the story, I did do research. Most of it never really had an impact on the story itself. For example, I would be looking up gun models that are used by law enforcement agencies around the world and trying to find specs of them so I could learn how many bullets each gun held, or how much a magazine could hold. In action scenes, I didn't want my characters firing off 20+ bullets for a gun that—in reality—holds far less. That's a fact that doesn't really mean much to the average reader, but it meant something to me! I've always hated how many bullets fly through the air in action scenes in films and TV shows because I'm always wondering if it's possible with the firearms featured in the scene haha~ In terms of torture, I've come across the subject through various documentaries and TV shows about gangs, crime and serial killers. I didn't really do much additional research into the topic, beyond reading up on what I had come across to make sure it wasn't fictionalised for drama purposes. Obviously, there will be some lack of realism in my story because I couldn't possibly write a realistic portrayal of gang violence and torture when I have zero personal experience with it. My aim wasn't to give the story 'full' realism (I'll explain more about that in the next question) but to simply create a world that felt real, even if there were little aspects that had to be exaggerated for the sake of the story. Taehyung's behaviour when undercover certainly broke many procedures. The only thing working in his favour that allowed him to get away with it is that the crimes he committed couldn't be directly traced to him. But a real undercover agent would never do the things that he did on behalf of the gang. Basically, this means that the entire story is unrealistic! But of course, it wouldn't be very entertaining if Taehyung simply observed from the background and didn't dirty his hands. So, I had to bend and break the rules a little!

For the universe, I knew that I couldn't base it too much in reality. Because of basic Korean law, it would have been impossible for me to write the gang operating in the way they did in the story—especially with guns. Most Korean gangs tend to use other forms of violence and weapons in order to control their respective areas, rather than guns. My other story, Taste of Ink, has what I would consider a more realistic approach to gang activity—with the main weapons being knives, baseball bats, etc. and the main forms of violence being assault instead of flat-out murder. So, for the sake of allowing guns to appear in the story, I had to create a Neo-Seoul, so to speak. I took inspiration from Korean gangs, and mixed it with influences from other gang cultures in order to create 'Haedogje Pa.'

When it comes to naming original characters, I honestly don't put much thought into it. I like to use real names for inspiration. I often Google various Korean films I've watched and read the cast list in order to find interesting character and actor names. This is because I have a habit of reusing names sometimes. For example, readers of my stories might have come across a couple of Daesu and Goohee characters. Do you know where I got these names from? I picked Daesu from Oh Daesu - Choi Minsik's character in Oldboy. Goohee comes from the manhwa 'Let Dai' - he is the stubborn gang leader that actually has a good heart beneath his rough exterior. I ended up liking him the most by the end of the story, so his name is one that often comes to mind when I need to pick an original character name.

I never really consider real life dynamics when I'm writing because my stories are so detached from reality that it seems pointless including any inspiration from reality. I chose the three main characters simply because, at the time, they seemed to fit the character moulds the best. The other characters fit their respective characters so well (especially Namjoon [BTS RM/Kim Namjoon] and Yoongi) that I simply thought it was best to have Taehyung, Jimin [BTS Jimin/Park Jimin] and Jungkook as the three lead roles. I chose them more based on how I thought they could personally fit the characters, rather than focus on the dynamic. To use Taehyung as an example, I thought that he would fit the character of the informant in my story because in reality, he is intelligent and seemed like he would suit the role. For Jimin, I thought he would be a good choice for a character that some might think is vulnerable or even weak. He is actually very strong and the most important character for the plot progression. For Jungkook, I liked the thought of someone with such an innocent outer appearance hiding a dark secret.

I'm so glad that readers took to Jimin so positively on a whole. I know there are some that hated him, or that hated the fact I chose him for such a role (a 'negative' sex worker role). But Jimin is the most important character for the plot progression. It is through him that the entire plan finally culminates in the explosive finish. I wanted to treat him with care because I understood that his character could go very wrong if not handled correctly. It would have been easy for him to simply become nothing more than a sexual prop, should the story have focused too much on Taehyung and Jungkook as the key players. So, I decided to subvert it by giving Jimin the ultimate hand in the story and allowing him to have more control than Jungkook in the end. If Jimin had not decided to follow through with the plan, if he had decided to snitch or had simply refused to do his part in exposing the gang, the story would've ended drastically differently. But I also didn't want to write Jimin taking control of the entire situation at the end because it would've felt ingenuine. He is a character that has been deeply affected by a lifetime of trauma. I was worried that some might take my portrayal of his trauma the wrong way, and see him not as a character that has suffered immense mental damage but rather as an annoying, weak character that gets in the way of more 'interesting' dynamics. I'm sure there will be readers that think that. Mentally traumatized individuals are often seen in such negative light, be they fictional characters or real people. When writing his character, especially in the later scenes, I wanted to make sure the trauma he experienced would shape his behaviour. Writing the scene of him getting ready to leave, when he is taking his pills and he doesn't think he can do it, it was hard. It was hard getting into that headspace of feeling so powerless in the moment and knowing that freedom is in reach, but not knowing how to achieve it. He was a difficult character to write, but I think he turned out just right in the end.

Taehyung was probably the best character to write. I love characters that start off so morally upright and pristine, and by the end of the story, their backs are bending and close to breaking from the weight of their conscience and misdeeds. His character has many facets to him that made his perspectives so interesting to tackle. From his green days in the gang, where he is horrified by the violence he sees, to the changes in his psyche as he starts to become desensitized to it all. Fundamentally, Taehyung begins the story as a good man, a hero, but by the end, there is no black and white thinking. He has become grey, muddied from his time spent in the gang. Is he a hero for bringing them down? Would a hero do the things that he did in order to bring down the gang? He killed people. He tortured people. He threatened a man with a gun, a man he knew had a deepset fear of guns that would severely trigger him. I think it all depends on how the reader sees it. The hardest thing to write for his character was his troubled descent into the relationship between him, Jungkook and Jimin, and how it affects his thought processes and emotions. I didn't want House of Cards to be seen as a romantic story when I created it. If readers see it that way, they are more than entitled to their own interpretations. I cannot tell them how they can interpret my art, that is not my role as the creator. I don't know if I effectively portrayed the co-dependency between the three main characters as well as I would've liked. But I had never tackled such a story and themes before, and so it was all new to me.

I didn't know that Jungkook had the least perspective from the three main characters. Similarly, I never really put that much effort into creating and developing his character! Jungkook simply 'happened' in the moment. He would appear in the chapter, and then his character would basically take control of the scene. I never really knew what he was going to say or do beyond my rough plans for each scene. I just waited until he appeared and let the creative spirit flow through me. That's how he came to be! I've had that happen many times in the past with characters—they have a life of their own and I've no control over them. In my story, Brotherhood, Taehyung happened the same way. It was impossible to write his character in that story because he was so wild and free-spirited that it didn't feel right unless his behaviour was a total spur-of-the-moment reaction to the other characters and new plot points. But with Jungkook in House of Cards, I don't know why I didn't have him planned out like the others. It's interesting to think that he might've had a good progression when I never planned any of it in detail!

Were there any original characters you particularly liked writing or enjoyed?

When you wrote for the BTS hyung line, how did you determine their roles in the story and characterize each of them?

Is there a reason behind Namjoon saying “brother” or was it a consciously written character quirk?

When you handled more serious subject matter in House of Cards, how did you feel when writing it? Were you ever startled by your own work?

Was there any type of purposeful titling for the fanfiction chapters?

What was your reason for House of Cards’ open ending?

I liked writing Lim, the original informant that helped Taehyung join the gang. I like writing characters that come across as sleazy. In his case, the sleaze was all an act and wasn't true to his character; he was affecting it for the sake of creating a persona. But I enjoy writing absolute sleaze balls too—the kind of guys that have chest hair and wear gold chains and thick watches, who practically ooze oil. I just find them fun! Lim was a good teacher, even when he was rough around the edges. It was sad doing what I had to do to him for the sake of the plot. But I feel like Lim understood the game as well as everyone else, and so he knew he was running on borrowed time. 

Of course, I loved writing Bae Goohee too! He was an absolute bastard! I loved writing this figure that is spoken about throughout the story as a frightening man, one so brutal that the readers are already wary of him before he even appears in the story. I believe that Taehyung refers to him as a 'guard dog' at some point. I think Bae is the scariest character in the story for me because he is so ruthless and willing to do any order that the Jeon clan give to him. That kind of blind and unwavering devotion is frightening!

I also enjoyed writing Sungah and Jangmi. I think they're the only female characters in the story that have dialogue? Sungah has a great backstory that I unfortunately couldn't go into too much in the story, but it shaped her character a lot. I like how frank and intelligent she is—she holds her own even in a department filled with men that receive far more praise than she does simply because she is a woman. She also allowed me to add an angle about the unfair treatment of women in jobs that have power, drawing parallels with how Taehyung faces discrimination from his fellow officers when his sexuality is abruptly revealed during the investigation. As for Jangmi, I just liked writing about the wife of a mob boss! And not one that is simply a trophy wife, but actually has a lot of power and influence across the city. I wish I had been able to feature her more, alongside her husband, Jeon himself. But I like the scenes they appear in and I enjoyed writing them.

For the rest of the members, I had Namjoon and Hoseok [BTS J-Hope/Jung Hoseok]'s characters planned right from the start. I had also created plans for Yoongi and Seokjin [BTS Jin/Kim Seokjin], but I wasn't sure how much of a role they would play in the overall story. As I started writing them, I realised that Yoongi would play an important role in both Taehyung and Jimin's character development, and so he ended up featuring a lot more than I had expected. I planned their jobs and then let them influence how I would write them. Namjoon and Hoseok's characters came naturally. Yoongi's character completely took over his job role and basic description and became a really strong character that I'm proud of. Seokjin was a little trickier because he doesn't appear in too many scenes—but the scenes he does are integral to the plot. I needed to make sure that his character said everything he needed to in his limited scenes. He has quite the bombshell to drop after all! Seokjin was also tricky because I wanted him to have an air of mystery around him. I wanted him to be the kind of guy that not even Taehyung and his police connections would be able to unearth much about; a ghost in the system. I would've also liked for him to feature more in the story, but I feel like his character appeared in the essential scenes that the story needed. He was going to feature more in the planned sequel, being one of the first characters to appear alongside Yoongi. He was going to serve an important role, so I'm disappointed that I didn't get to show those scenes to readers.

With Namjoon, I wanted to portray him as a mature character, but not one that was conservative and stiff. I thought about having him say things like 'man' but that seemed too casual and didn't suit his character. 'Man' made him seem more like a surfer than a police officer. But when he said 'brother' in one of the scenes, I realised the word suited him better. It was fraternal, and it allowed him to show some affection towards the other characters without having to have physical contact with them. It's not the only Namjoon I've written that says 'brother' a lot. In Valentino Summers, Namjoon has experience with hippies in the neighbourhood that he lives in, so he also refers to other characters like Jimin as 'brother.' It just seems to suit him! I guess it's because I like creating Namjoon characters that are intelligent and mature, but still have a gentle and warm presence. I could picture him saying it in real life (I'm certain he already has!)

When writing serious subject matter, I'm surprised to admit that I was never shocked by what I was writing! I guess it's because I already knew that I was going to be handling dark themes. I wouldn't have tackled such subjects had I not felt comfortable doing so. Dark content isn't for everyone, and by that I don't simply mean consuming it. Creating it can be very difficult for some writers, and can even cause distress. It's not easy diving into a world that is filled with crime, pain and fear. It's even harder putting yourself into the shoes of a character that is suffering/has suffered. I was never writing in a desensitised state though. Far from it. I'm actually very sensitive to violence in reality. In fiction, it depends on the violence—but I'm usually not too affected by it. I've been a fan of horror since I was a child, and so I've seen a lot of nasty films filled with gore and 'shocking' deaths that never really had much of an effect on me. Unrealistic violence doesn't scare me. But when it comes to personal violence, that is always frightening to me. It's far scarier writing a scene where a character feels threatened by another character and doesn't know what is going to happen to them then, say, writing a scene of a character dying a bloody, ridiculous death in a horror story. Personal violence is much more realistic, therefore it is more unsettling to write. In House of Cards, the violence is very personal. It's in your face, it's inescapable for the characters that are involved in it. But at no point did I ever feel like I needed to stop writing because I was uncomfortable or scared by the content. If I had been uncomfortable, it would have been very reckless of me to continue writing the story.

My word of advice to fellow dark content writers: it's always important to recognise your own boundaries. There's nothing wrong with removing dark content from a story if you get a bad vibe or feel strange when writing/reviewing it. Always follow your gut instincts and never put out work that you don't like.

When writing stories, I vary between titling the chapters and leaving them blank. For House of Cards, I cannot remember the exact method for naming the chapters. Sometimes, the title comes to me when I am writing the plans and I have an idea that just suits the mood of the chapter. Other times, I have finished the entire chapter and I have to spend some time reviewing the content to decide that the title will be. In some cases, I have finished most of a whole story and I'm still not certain what to title it! I feel like with House of Cards, the titles came after the chapters were finished, or at least when they were works-in-progress.

There are some titles that really stand out to me. 'Nice Teeth' for example, is a really ridiculous title. Going into the chapter, I don't think many readers would've imagined what it could mean. 'Submachine Sodomy' is even funnier. I really can't believe I chose that as a title! I'll bet a lot of readers saw it and thought, "Oh no! Not another gunplay scene!" Luckily for them, it wasn't a reference to Jungkook's predilection for firearms in bed.

In terms of chapter titles that I really like: 'Delusions of Grandeur,' 'I Own This Fucking City,' 'Sleeping Dogs Bite' and 'Carpe-fucking-Diem.' I just feel like these titles are very well suited to the contents of the chapters. They are the kind of titles that have bite to them, that hint at action or an important plot point.

As for the open ending, there are a couple of reasons. First of all, I had planned to continue the story in a sequel that would pick up after the events of House of Cards, roughly a year on after the investigation. However, I did not pursue this sequel. I wanted House of Cards to end on an open note for the sequel to continue the story. When it comes to certain stories, I just feel that closed endings aren't always necessary. I often enjoy stories with open endings. With House of Cards, it didn't seem right just closing the book and saying it was over. There was still so much that needed to be explored. Unfortunately, I decided to not continue it. But I still think that House of Cards' ending fits the story.

Were there any scenes or moments or lines in House of Cards that you were particularly proud of or want to highlight?

If you were to write the Yoomin sequel to House of Cards, how would’ve that looked like?

How were readers’ reactions to your work in the beginning?

Did any reader comments stick with you in particular?

How did you take the criticisms and hatred towards House of Cards for its serious subject matter? When did those types of comments start appearing? Also, where did the hatred come from? Twitter? Tumblr? Ao3 comments? Did people harass you at all or hurt you? How did you heal from that?

House of Cards has a lot of scenes. I'm proud of most of them and I think I did the best I could when writing them. I do not really like the sex scenes, but that is because I wanted to write them in a dirty, sleazy way. If I could, I would change them. I like the action scenes, especially the Gold Monkey Casino and police raid scenes. Action scenes are hard to write! Fight scenes in particular are so tricky. I often sit there, choreographing the fights so I can describe them! I loved writing Yoongi's introduction to the story, when he walks into the scene wearing nothing but his underpants.

One scene that I really liked writing is the scene where Namjoon and Hoseok investigate the USB stick that Taehyung sends to them. I personally love Namjoon and Hoseok's characters. I always enjoyed writing them. In this scene, I liked getting to write them in a setting that was not the police department office. A scene where they got to relax and banter with each other, even though they were still working. They discover a horrifying crime ring in the city, but they are left with no choice but to keep it secret because they do not want to risk blowing Taehyung's cover. I do not know why I really like this scene, I just do.

In the sequel, which focused primarily on Jimin and Yoongi, the plans were to have them reunite through Seokjin—who has avoided jail time through a plea deal with the SMPA. They undergo a healing process together as they try to come to terms with what happened to them. Yoongi has a lot of unhealed trauma from his childhood, much like Jimin, which I only got to briefly touch upon in House of Cards. They grow closer from bonding over their traumatic experiences, and they become happier and healthier as a result. Taehyung and Seokjin were also going to be main characters, with Jungkook, Namjoon and Hoseok making supporting appearances over the duration of the story. It was going to be drastically different from House of Cards because it would be lacking in action and violence. It would have been much more intimate, with much more scenes of characters talking and discovering things about one another.

I cannot remember early reactions to the story, I just know they were positive. There was a lot of positive support from the start. As I updated and started to get more and more into the story, I received a lot of support on tumblr too. I started posting chapter previews there, as I used to get asks [On Tumblr, users are able to ask bloggers questions through an “Ask” function. This can be done anonymously or with their own blog username associated with the question.] requesting them. I got A LOT of asks on my original Tumblr from readers that wanted to discuss the characters and certain scenes. It was really interesting seeing just how much the readers were interested in the story, so much so that they wanted to learn even more about the characters and the universe I had created.

Through House of Cards, I have received comments and messages from readers that had addictions. They told me about how they recognised their own behaviors through Taehyung, and this helped them realise what was happening to them. Those comments stuck with me for obvious reasons. I have family members with addiction issues, and knowing that I could help some stranger I have never met before come to terms with their own addictive behaviours had a massive impact on me. Funnily enough, a negative comment stuck with me. It was not a bad comment, by no means meant to cause offence. It was a comment that was left on the story when I was posting the early chapters. I recall the reader asking when the story was going to pick up the pace because it was too slow. It stuck with me because, at this point in the story, Taehyung had already trained to become an undercover agent, had enrolled in the gang, had met and interacted with Jungkook, and had murdered a man. I was surprised that this amount of development had been seen as 'slow' by a reader, as I had thought the plot had been moving very fast.

I never really had any hate posted on the story when I was updating it. I got angry reactions when I had finished it. Because the story had not ended the way some readers had wanted, I think that was what caused the negative reactions. On my original Tumblr, I even got an ask about how an anon reader was going to write their own ending because my one was bad. I told them that I did not want them to take my story and change it like that. I have no idea if they ever posted the ending anywhere. The angry reactions were mostly from shippers, who were upset with the story not ending the way they had wanted. To them, I ask: what were you expecting from the story? I thought it was always obvious that Taehyung was going to do what he had set out to do from the start, so I do not think I misled readers at all. It was a story about an undercover agent taking down a gang—and that is what I wrote.

I know there was some animosity towards me on Twitter too. Twitter is a whirlpool of negativity, I am not surprised. Writing House of Cards made me appear problematic. My partner used to follow an author a long time back, who tweeted about me being problematic—despite having never interacted with me or admittedly read my stories. It was shocking to me that people were making assumptions of who I was as a person based on a story I created. I have never created stories with the aims of hurting or upsetting others. I am a very quiet and private person, and I hate the idea of hurting others. It was strange to me that people could assume me to be this cruel or even dangerous individual, intent on hurting others, because I created a fictional story. Do they think the same of script writers for television shows? Or film directors, who create films with dark subject matter? Do they think published authors are problematic people for writing dark and disturbing content? Do they think certain genres should not exist because they do not personally like them?

I do think it is strange that fan fiction writers are placed on these ridiculously high pedestals of moral absolutism. Fan fiction was created to be a space for creative outlet for marginalised individuals, particularly queer individuals. The heavy censorship of dark and unusual content is putting this entire ethos at danger. I understand not wanting to have certain topics included in stories because there is a risk that the content can be used for grooming or can be presented in a way that can negatively affect young consumers' perceptions (like pedophilia for example.) I certainly agree that there needs to be boundaries in place to stop the community from being flooded with such illegal content. But I think there is a difference between wanting to remove dangerous content, and wanting to get rid of content you do not like. Content can be problematic to you, but that does not make it dangerous, illegal, or bad. For some readers, the content they create is their way of dealing with trauma. Maybe this is not healthy for them. But that is their decision to make, not yours.

I orphaned the story because I did not want to handle the potential backlash. To put it simply, I do not handle negative criticism well. Not because I am stuck-up and think I am perfect, but because I am a very anxious person. Just reading angry comments makes me feel very uncomfortable, often nauseous. I know that House of Cards has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from readers, and for that I am thankful. But I had to distance myself for the sake of my own mental health. Since orphaning it, it exploded in popularity. I am thankful that I orphaned it because that amount of attention would frighten me a lot, haha~

What was your reaction to the fanfiction trailer by Sappiamur?

How did you come to the decision to reveal your real name in the end note of House of Cards?

How did you feel when you finished House of Cards?

How did you come to the decision to orphan House of Cards?

Did you ever anticipate the overwhelming fan reaction to House of Cards?

How do you feel knowing that House of Cards is one of the most read fanfictions on Ao3?

What do you want House of Cards to be remembered for?

What do you hope people take away from House of Cards?

Why do you think House of Cards became so popular?

I had to go back and watch it. It's been some time since I last have, and I'm still as amazed by it now as I was back then. The trailer is insane. I cannot imagine how much work went into making it. It's so good and it fits the vibes of the story to perfection. I think the first time I watched it, I was in shock. I must have repeated it at least 10 times in a row, just to make sure it was real and I wasn't imagining it. Then I think I screamed about it on my social media accounts, haha~ If you reading this have not watched the trailer, consider doing so. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Back when I first started posting fanfics, I used to get a lot of asks wanting to know my name, my pronouns, stuff like that. I thought by adding my name at the end of the stories, it would help cut down on these requests. But I also did so because I used to get a lot of asks referring to me as 'author-nim' and I didn't like being addressed by this honorific. I'm not Korean so I have no right to receive that honorific. So, I included my real name so readers could address me with it when sending me asks and interacting with me. I don't add my name at the end of my stories now, but my name is in my Twitter bio for those that want to know.

When I finished it, I felt relieved! I was so calm in the moment! Looking back on it, I can't remember much. But I do remember finishing House of Cards without any issues. The final chapters flowed smoothly, it all clicked into place, and I had a great time writing them.

I came to the decision to orphan the story after several nights of contemplation. I was considering deleting the story, along with a few others, but my partner and some friends told me I shouldn't do so. They suggested orphaning it instead. So, I did so. I didn't want to delete it in case readers that had started it had not gotten to finish it yet. I would've felt very mean robbing them of the opportunity to finish the story like that. I don't regret orphaning it instead of deleting it. I didn't want to destroy the story, I just needed some distance between me and the story.

I didn't anticipate it, and I still don't understand it! I'm shocked that House of Cards got the reaction that it received. Do I think it's a good story? Yes, I think that I worked hard to create a story that is enjoyable to read. But did I ever think it would get the reaction it did? Not in a million years! I thought that it would be one of my more popular stories because a) the pairings and b) the content. Gang stories usually tend to get a lot of attention because it's a popular genre in fanfiction. I just didn't expect it to reach such a vast amount of hits, kudos and comments.

I'm in shock that it is one of the most read stories on AO3. I don't think I will ever be able to create another story that will garner that kind of attention and feedback. It's a once in a lifetime thing, so I'm immensely proud of myself for achieving such a feat. But really, it's all because of the readers that it achieved such a goal. I'm so thankful for every single one of them.

I just want it to be remembered for being enjoyable, I think. I don't have any grand and lofty ambitions for the story. I think so long as the readers enjoyed it, that is all that matters.

I'm not sure what I would like readers to take away from House of Cards. I guess I want them to reflect on the idea of morality and that not everything is black-and-white. Good people can do bad things, and bad things can happen to good people. It's hard to answer this question because House of Cards isn't a story that I consider to have deep messages in it? There are no messages about acceptance and love and healthy relationships and such, like some of my other stories.

Honestly? I don't know what made it get so popular. I assume it's because of the pairings or the setting of the story. I know that a lot of readers say they love the story because of how well it's written, but I can't comment on that as the creator, haha~ I can't say my story is well-written as I'm not consuming it from an outside perspective. What I can say is that I do think I created a story that has a lot of twists and turns and betrayals, which I think adds to the enjoyment factor.

How are you now in 2020? Are you writing professionally in real life at all? 

How do you feel BTS fanfiction has changed over time? Since you’ve been writing for it for so long. 

Do you have any messages for people who may read this interview in the future?

I'm not writing professionally. I have self-published two books via Amazon and Lulu. One was a basic re-branding of my story babes in the woods. The other was a total rewrite of Brotherhood, which I called 'Brothers,' featuring a whole new setting and roster of characters. I published them as readers showed an interest in reading original stories. I have been considering rewriting House of Cards as an original work in the future, but I can't say for certain that I will do so.

Since I started writing, I think there's been a lot of changes in the fandom—not only in fanfiction but in general. There's been popular trends that have come and gone (I was around for the explosion of social media and text-based AUs, which I personally am not a fan of) but there's also been a lot of push for more inclusive content. I'm really happy by the amount of inclusive content that I see these days. Despite some pushback from non-queer fans that sometimes have an issue with queer subject matter (for example, trans characters) I think it's wonderful that artists of all colours, genders and sexualities are now proudly creating content they want to see, and not simply just what is 'in demand' from the fandom.

The message that I would like to share with readers of this interview is: stay healthy, stay happy, and most importantly, stay you. I also want to take this moment to tell them this - if you are considering becoming a creator, but you are worried about reception to your work, or that it might not be good enough, stop right now! Stop doubting yourself and just give it a shot! I was once like you, scared that my weird and niche interests and writing would be ignored or even mocked by the fandom because no one would like it. Had I not decided to take the plunge, my life would be so drastically different. I've made so many friends, fallen in love, and completely changed my life by creating fan content. It can be scary, but once you take the leap, you will find your feet coming down on solid earth without any danger.

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