#and before you say chapter transitions are not foreshadowing

[catofoldstones]

“What is this?” Skahaz demanded. “A bloody glove…”

“…means war,” said the queen.

And the next chapter is Jon. Yeah they’re not going to be lovers sorry.

[physalian]

Pacing your Story (Or, How to Avoid the "Suddenly...!")

Arguably *the* most important lesson all writers need to learn, even for those who don’t give a damn about themes and motifs and a moral soap box: How your story is paced, whether it’s a comic book, a children’s chapter book, a doorstopper, a mini series, a movie, or a full-length season of TV (old school style), pacing is everything.

Pacing determines how long the story *feels* regardless of how long it actually is. It can make a 2 hour movie feel like 90 mins or double the time you’re trapped in your seat.

There’s very little I can say about pacing that hasn’t been said before, but I’m here to condense all that’s out there into a less intimidating mouthful to chew.

So: What is pacing?

Pacing is how a story flows, how quickly or slowly the creator moves through and between scenes, how long they spend on setting, narration, conversation, arguments, internal monologues, fight scenes, journey scenes. It’s also how smoothly tone transitions throughout the story. A fantasy adventure jumping around sporadically between meandering boredom, high-octane combat, humor, grief, and romance is exhausting to read, no matter how much effort you put into your characters.

Anyone who says the following is wrong:

Good pacing is always fast/bad pacing is always slow

Pacing means you are 100% consistent throughout the entire story

It doesn’t matter as much so long as you have a compelling story/characters/lore/etc

Now let me explain why in conveniently numbered points:

1. Pacing is not about consistency, it’s about giving the right amount of time to the right pieces of your story

This is not intuitive and it takes a long time to learn. So let’s look at some examples:

Lord of the Rings: The movies trimmed a *lot* from the books that just weren’t adaptable to screen, namely all the tedious details and quite a bit of the worldbuilding that wasn’t critical to the journey of the Fellowship. That said, with some exceptions, the battles are as long as they need to be, along with every monologue, every battle speech. When Helm’s Deep is raging on, we cut away to Merry and Pippin with the Ents to let ourselves breathe, then dive right back in just before it gets boring.

The Hobbit Trilogy: The exact opposite from LotR, stretching one kids book into 3 massive films, stuffing it full of filler, meandering side quests, pointless exposition, drawing out battles and conflicts to silly extremes, then rushing through the actual desolation of Smaug for… some reason.

Die Hard (cause it’s the Holidays y’all!): The actiony-est of action movies with lots of fisticuffs and guns and explosions still leaves time for our hero to breathe, lick his wounds, and build a relationship with the cop on the ground. We constantly cut between the hero and the villains, all sharing the same radio frequency, constantly antsy about what they know and when they’ll find out the rest, and when they’ll discover the hero’s kryptonite.

2. Make every scene you write do at least two things at once

This is also tricky. Making every scene pull double duty should be left to after you’ve written the first draft, otherwise you’ll never write that first draft. Pulling double duty means that if you’re giving exposition, the scene should also reveal something about the character saying it. If you absolutely must write the boring trip from A to B, give some foreshadowing, some thoughtful insight from one of your characters, a little anecdote along the way.

Develop at least two of the following:

The plot

The backstory

The romance/friendships

The lore

The exposition

The setting

The goals of the cast

Doing this extremely well means your readers won’t have any idea you’re doing it until they go back and read it again. If you have two characters sitting and talking exposition at a table, and then those same two characters doing some important task with filler dialogue to break up the narrative… try combining those two scenes and see what happens.

**This is going to be incredibly difficult if you struggle with making your stories longer. I do not. I constantly need to compress my stories. **

3. Not every scene needs to be crucial to the plot, but every scene must say something

I distinguish plot from story like a square vs a rectangle. Plot is just a piece of the tale you want to tell, and some scenes exist just to be funny, or romantic, or mysterious, plot be damned.

What if you’re writing a character study with very little plot? How do you make sure your story isn’t too slow if 60% of the narrative is introspection?

Avoid repeating information the audience already has, unless a reminder is crucial to understanding the scene

This isn’t 1860 anymore. Every detail must serve a purpose. Keep character and setting descriptions down to absolute need-to-know and spread it out like icing on a cake – enough to coat, but not give you a mouthful of whipped sugar and zero cake.

Avoid describing generic daily routines, unless the existence of said routine is out of ordinary for the character, or will be rudely interrupted by chaos. No one cares about them brushing their teeth and doing their hair.

Make sure your characters move, but not too much. E.g. two characters sitting and talking – do humans just stare at each other with their arms lifeless and bodies utterly motionless during conversation? No? Then neither should your characters. Make them gesture, wave, frown, laugh, cross their legs, their arms, shift around to get comfortable, pound the table, roll their eyes, point, shrug, touch their face, their hair, wring their hands, pick at their nails, yawn, stretch, pout, sneer, smirk, click their tongue, clear their throat, sniff/sniffle, tap their fingers/drum, bounce their feet, doodle, fiddle with buttons or jewelry, scratch an itch, touch their weapons/gadgets/phones, check the time, get up and sit back down, move from chair to table top – the list goes on. Bonus points if these are tics that serve to develop your character, like a nervous fiddler, or if one moves a lot and the other doesn’t – what does that say about the both of them? This is where “show don’t tell” really comes into play.

4. Your entire work should not be paced exactly the same

Just like a paragraph should not be filled with sentences of all the same length and syntax. Some beats deserve more or less time than others. Unfortunately, this is unique to every single story and there is no one size fits all.

General guidelines are as follows:

Action scenes should have short paragraphs and lots of movement. Cut all setting details and descriptors, internal monologues, and the like, unless they service the scene.

Journey/travel scenes must pull double or even triple duty. There’s a reason very few movies are marketed as “single take” and those that are don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t matter. See 1917.

Romantic scenes are entirely up to you. Make it a thousand words, make it ten thousand, but you must advance either the romantic tension, actual movement of the characters, conversation, or intimacy of the relationship.

Don’t let your conversations run wild. If they start to veer off course, stop, boil it down to its essentials, and cut the rest.

When transitioning between slow to faster pacing and back again, it’s also not one size fits all. Maybe it being jarring is the point – it’s as sudden for the characters as it is for the reader. With that said, try to keep the “suddenly”s to a minimum.

5. Pacing and tone go hand in hand

This means that, generally speaking, the tone of your scene changes with the speed of the narrative. As stated above, a jarring tonal shift usually brings with it a jarring pacing shift.

A character might get in a car crash while speeding away from an abusive relationship. A character who thinks they’re safe from a pursuer might be rudely and terrifyingly proven wrong. An exhausting chase might finally relent when sanctuary is found. A quiet dinner might quickly turn romantic with a look, or confession. Someone casually cleaning up might discover evidence of a lie, a theft, an intruder and begin to panic.

--

Whatever the case may be, a narrative that is all action all the time suffers from lack of meaningful character moments. A narrative that meanders through the character drama often forgets there is a plot they’re supposed to be following.

[novlr]

How can I end a chapter without it being too abrupt?

Writing a novel is like any craft. Each element contributes to the whole piece, and each chapter forms a part of your narrative with its own arc. However, creating a seamless transition between chapters can be challenging for even the best writers. The end of a chapter needs to be satisfying, yet also tantalizing to keep readers flipping the page. So, how do you end a chapter without being too abrupt?

End with a cliffhanger

Ending a chapter with an unexpected twist, a sudden revelation, or an unresolved situation that leaves readers hanging in suspense is the essence of a good cliffhanger. The key to a successful cliffhanger is to write it in a way that feels organic to your story. A well-crafted cliffhanger triggers curiosity, keeps the narrative tension high, and ensures that your readers remain invested and eager to read on.

Introduce the next point of action

Introducing the next point of action is a powerful way to maintain the pace of your story and end a chapter. It’s as simple as revealing a new character, event, or conflict that will take centre stage in the forthcoming chapter. For example, your character could receive a mysterious letter, stumble upon a secret door, or meet a stranger with riveting news. This gives your readers a clear idea about the next focus but keeps them intrigued to learn more.

Pose a question

Posing a question is a simple way to end a chapter that feels natural. The question could be literal or metaphorical. It could be a question in a character’s mind or a question about the events unfolding in the story. For instance, your character might wonder, “Who was the mysterious stranger?” or “What’s behind that secret door?” This method leaves your readers curious, sparking their imagination as they try to guess the answer. Remember, a good question doesn’t just ask — it hints at a deeper story.

Develop your characters

Concluding a chapter with character development can provide depth to your story and make your readers feel more connected to them. A character might go through a significant change or realisation. For example, your protagonist could realize they’ve been lied to their entire life, or a side character could decide to leave their past behind and start fresh. These kinds of character moments make your readers more invested in their journey.

Use Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a narrative device that involves giving hints about what will happen next in the story. You can do this subtly by dropping minor details that hint at future events. For example, you might describe a looming storm cloud on the horizon, foreshadowing a coming conflict or problem. Alternatively, you might make a direct statement about future events. For instance, a character might say something like, “I have a bad feeling about this.” But remember, don’t give away too much. Keeping some level of mystery is important to maintain the reader’s interest.

Reveal something

A revelation at the end of a chapter can make your readers more eager to keep reading. It could involve unveiling a new piece of information about a character, story arc, or mystery that shifts the reader’s perspective. For example, a truth about a character’s past could be revealed, or the discovery of a hidden key could introduce a new mystery. Revealing something important can cause a dramatic turn in your story and can make your readers excited to find out what happens next.

Emotional closure

If you’ve had a lot of fast-paced action, then sometimes you need to give your readers a moment to breathe by letting your characters reflect on their feelings. For instance, you might end a chapter with a character solving an issue, realizing an important truth, or simply having a moment of introspection. This allows readers to connect with them emotionally, to understand their feelings, and to see their growth. Emotional closure provides a moment of calm before your readers dive into the next chapter.

Develop your theme or subtext

Developing your story’s theme or subtext at the end of a chapter might involve reinforcing the central theme of your story or introducing a new idea that adds another layer of depth. For instance, if your story is about the struggle for freedom, you could end a chapter with a character making a decision that signifies their pursuit of liberty. This not only helps readers understand the broader context and message of your story but also leaves them pondering these ideas as they move on to the next chapter.

[canmom]

reading Herbert Mason's translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh, as you do!

I went with Mason's translation after I saw it quoted here and there and seemed pretty solidly written - but it isn't precisely right to call it a translation, more a retelling of the story as Mason understands it. so it's not a line by line translation, and some major parts of it are presumably interpolations or paraphrases.

i knew the broad outline of the story but it's fascinating to put it in context, and discover parts of the story i hadn't heard about. for example, i didn't realise the concept of droit du seigneur was part of this story - I'd thought that was basically a goofy myth about the medieval period, but here in the oldest surviving written story, it's just a thing the mythological king Gilgamesh does. though the exact translation seems a little contentious - Mason writes:

As king, Gilgamesh was a tyrant to his people.

He demanded, from an old birthright,

The privilege of sleeping with their brides

Before the husbands were permitted

But Wikipedia quotes a different translation by Stephen Mitchell which says:

He is king, he does whatever he wants... takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior's daughter, the young man's bride.

The general thrust is similar in both cases, but the details of the custom are different. I don't have Mitchell's translation so I can't find how he describes the moment Enkidu arrives to interfere with Gilgamesh doing one of these kingly rapes (like let's not beat around the bush here, it's a different social context and whatever but you can't possibly say no to the demigod king).

Moving on...

Viewed with modern eyes, the transition between the first chapter and the second is kind of abrupt. We've got this great establishing story for Gilgamesh and Enkidu having a rather homoerotic fight and becoming best bros, but then we abruptly skip forward to Gilgamesh declaring that they're going to go fight a monster called Humbaba, and Enkidu is all like, no, that guy is way too high level, you'll die! Modern writing advice would hold that you'd want to spend some time building up Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship 'on screen' here, and perhaps foreshadow the existence of Humbaba a bit sooner to build up the threat a bit - but then I'm not carving this into stone tablets, I can afford to be a little bit roundabout, and who knows what's been lost? (scholars of the Epic probably have some idea lol)

The word used for Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship is 'friend'. This feels like it's probably a bit of a lossy translation to me - would lover/boyfriend be projecting too much? I obviously don't know the nuances of Sumerian that well, so maybe this is the best available word, but their relationship has a lot of physicality and a lot of affection.

The woman who goes to Enkidu in the wild and has a bunch of sex until he becomes civilised is described here as a 'prostitute'. My understanding was that she belongs to a religious role here, harimtu, that's usually translated as 'sacred prostitution' but apparently this identity is contested, and also she has a name, Shamhat? I don't know why Mason doesn't use her name. Shamhat has a pretty big role in changing Enkidu and convincing him to come meet Gilgamesh, but her own motivation isn't really explored.

Still, I don't want to come off as only complaining. Whether they originate in the Epic or with Mason, I'm enjoying a lot of the poetic turns of phrase in this version - the style is just the right level of minimal - simple appropriate words, but effective for that. Mason writes in verse, but doesn't rhyme - I'm not really familiar enough with meter to say more than that. There are a lot of fairly short, declarative sentences, mixed up with an occasional much longer metaphor across multiple lines. I think you could fairly easily delete the line breaks and just have prose, but having them makes it flow in an interesting way, like waves? Poetry is not my bailiwick so I'm probably describing some fairly basic facets of the medium, but it's interesting to observe.

I'll add more when I've read a bit more, I'll be in this train a while...

[olenvasynyt]

In the Azriel bonus chapter, Az leaves Rhys after their little fight and he says this: 

“He'd been so vigilant about keeping away from Elain as much as possible, and had stayed up here to avoid her, and tonight ... tonight had proved he'd been right to do so.”

And then you know what happens?  When Az keeps away from Elain, and he goes to the training pit, he stumbles upon Gwyn.

I think so many things point to Gwynriel in this bonus chapter.  The shadows reactions to her are something people often bring up to support Gwynriel.  They are curious, they dance to her breath.

And I can talk more about how the shadows react, all of the similarities Gwyn and Az have with each other ( made a post about that already, link here!), the foreshadowing people like to bring up, the retconning SJM has done for Gwyn, etc.  But I feel like I don’t even need to mention any of those tidbits even though I think they are important.  

All I need to know is the bonus chapter (which is usually used to tell the reader what will happen in the upcoming book) starts with Elain, and ends with Gwyn.

We can also analyze how the chapter is set up, the transition from Elain to Gwyn, the stark contrast between the two interactions and the feelings Az experiences, and we can compare a few sentences that are alike to understand what SJM might be trying to do. So I want to simplify what happens and focus on Az’s feelings throughout the BC.

It starts with him restless and filled with lust and desperation.  There is a constant looming feeling of self-harm almost because Az doesn’t take care of himself.

He found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer, and he stumbles upon Elain. During his time with Elain, we get this lust, self-hatred, guilt, desperation.  He doesn't want to taint Elain with his presence. He constantly says this is wrong, it’s a mistake.  

He knew it was wrong, but there he was, sliding the necklace around her.

Wrong—it was so wrong.

And then Rhys interrupts and we see anger and spitefulness from Az.  He is defensive, he is in denial.  

"So you will leave Elain alone. If you need to fuck someone, go to a pleasure hall and pay for it, but stay away from her." Azriel snarled softly.  "Snarl all you want." Rhys leaned back in his chair. "But if I see you panting after her again, I'll make you regret it."  Rhys had rarely threatened punishment or pulled rank. It stunned Azriel enough that it knocked him from his rage.

And when he leaves, he goes back to this kind of self-harm because he goes and uses cold to numb his feelings.  

Azriel tucked in his wings and left without another word, stalking through the house and onto the front lawn to sit in the frigid starlight. To let the frost in his veins match the air around him. Until he felt nothing. Was again nothing at all.

He felt nothing.  Was nothing again at all.  A way of self-harm, and it brings out his self-hatred that we saw before.  We continue to get these feelings of disappointment and regret when he says that he was right in avoiding Elain, and we see him have feelings of temptation, rage, frustration, and writhing need.  And he goes to work off these feelings.

He aimed for the training pit, giving in to the need to work of the temptation, the rage and frustration and writhing need.   He found it already occupied. His shadows had not warned him.

And then we get to Gwyn.  We see his interactions with her and how he has a bit of empathy and maybe pity, but also amusement—he can’t help his soft chuckle. He also opens up to her and drops a very important personal bit of information, something Azriel almost never does.  

"Do you, though?" she pressed. "Sing?" Azriel couldn't help his soft chuckle. "Yes."

And we get him working off his temptation and rage and frustration but in a way he didn’t expect.  He was planning on doing it alone and probably in the same sort of way we see with how he sat in the cold by himself: he uses pain to dull his feelings.  But instead of doing this, we see him help Gwyn with her training.  And we see a change in his emotions: his shadows, aka his inner voice, end up calming.  The restlessness in him eases.  He feels content and calm around Gwyn, even after what happened with Elain and Rhys.

Ariel dipped his head in a sketch of a bow, something restless settling in him. Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch.

I truly don’t understand how people take this as Gwyn manipulating Az with her “lightsinger” abilities.  Because he starts with so many negative emotions, and walks out calm.  The restlessness in him eased.  That’s nothing nefarious, it’s a good thing!  So many sentences when he’s teaching Gwyn show that this is a good thing.  

So we see this switch in his emotions.  But let’s also talk about the several sentences that contrast with each other in the bonus chapter.  

We have a sentence that contrasts with the one I brought up before of him flying and making himself so cold he gets numb so he doesn’t feel anything.

Azriel tucked in his wings and left without another word, stalking through the house and onto the front lawn to sit in the frigid starlight. To let the frost in his veins match the air around him. Until he felt nothing. Was again nothing at all.

"Again," he ordered, rubbing his hands against the cold, grateful for its bracing bite and the distraction of this impromptu lesson.

When he left Rhys, he was nothing, and the cold made him feel nothing.  But during this lesson, he’s still cold but he’s a teacher to Gwyn.  He is something.  He has a healthier way of coping with his feelings when he’s with Gwyn.

He also says this to Gwyn:

“Happy Solstice," Azriel said before aiming for the archway into the House. "Don't stay out too much longer. You'll freeze."

This is adorable and ironic and sweet and ugh...such a good little nod to the details SJM brought up before.

When Azriel leaves the training pit, we get another sentence that uses “he found himself” in this bonus chapter:

Before it was, “He found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer.” And at the end of the BC we get, “Instead, he found himself at the library beneath the House of Wind, standing before Clotho as the clock chimed seven in the evening.”

SJM is using identical phrases to kind of draw a circle in Az’s journey throughout this bonus chapter.

 He finds himself at the library, and the chapter ends with Az thinking of Gwyn smiling and something sparks in his chest…it brings a smile to his own face.

She deserves something as beautiful as this. I thank you for the joy it shall bring to her.  Something sparked in Ariel's chest, but he only nodded his thanks and left. He could picture it, though, as he ascended the stairs back to the House proper. How Gwyn's teal eyes might light upon seeing the necklace. For whatever reason . .. he could see it. But Azriel tucked away the thought, consciously erasing the slight smile it brought to his face. Buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

And that last sentence: a thing of secret lovely beauty…that was used before when describing the necklace that he gifted to Elain but she ended up returning.

The golden necklace seemed ordinary- its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of the colors would become visible. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

The way this chapter flows, the way we compare these moments of him with Elain and him with Gwyn; the way we see how his emotions change…t’s so fucking important.  And I truly feel like this bonus chapter is just screaming to us that E/riel is done and Gwynriel is endgame.  

The chapter starts with Elain and ends with Gwyn.

(I did a three part series of my thoughts and analysis of the Azriel bonus chapter and this post is a summary of part 3! Shameless link for some shameless promo lmao)

[super-paper]

What was the point of Chapter 419 with AFO giving Tomura decay and being involved in his life since he was born, besides generating AFO is behind everything and Kotaro gay affair memes?

I still believe Hori could have pulled this off if he hadn't veered completely off course after 419 because a LOT of Tenko's (and AFO's) arc revolves around the concepts of "identity" and fantasy vs reality (Like, just scratching the surface: AFO attempting to escape from his reality through fantasy, Tenko angrily attempting to pull away the curtain of fantasy and expose the cruel reality of their world. AFO using "reality" as his source of power by claiming its victims for himself, Tenko using "fantasy" as his power by offering those same victims a dream and the promise of an "escape" from their painful reality. "Shigaraki Tomura" as the fictional construct that both AFO and Tenko are attempting to insert themselves into, for both different and similar reasons-- Tenko because he decides to embrace the fact that he killed his family and uses it as evidence that he was "born evil" and "wanted them to die" as a way of explaining his existence. AFO because he wants to escape from the reality that he murdered his brother, while also escaping from the reality of his origin as a helpless infant who no one would look at no matter how much he cried. Blah blah blah etc etc when I say u have to read AFO and Tenko's arcs as a set instead of getting angry at AFO for "inserting himself into Tenko's story," I really do mean it lmao).

Like, MVA aside, Chapter 115 in particular set the tone for Act 2 and HEAVILY foreshadowed what Tenko's arc would end up being about:

(lmao ya'll there is so much evidence in Act 2 that points to the idea that Hori really did want to write a deconstruction of your typical hero story. like, the framing of this panel with Jin angrily turning the TV off when they start talking about "focusing on the positives"????😭I get so sad when I think about the mha we coulda had)

(Side note: Jin was just so so so good as both a character and as a device meant to introduce the reader to MHA's concepts of identity + how a "hero/villain" identities are frequently used as crutches to stop a person from breaking apart under the weight of their trauma

..... which of course makes the fact that Hori rendered his death pointless in the end all the more upsetting :/)

(Pictured: AFO and Tenko fighting over the role of Shigaraki Tomura)

(this scene where Jin talks about the importance of knowing "who u really are" immediately transitions to a scene with AFO, btw. lmao)

((As an aside: 115 is another shining example of how Hori is definitely a competent writer, bc it manages to set up pretty much the entirety of Act 2 + its themes up in just 15-17 pages-- which is all the more reason why the extremely poor quality of MHA's conclusion is so hard to swallow. I definitely don't believe in blaming the editors/publishers alone for how things turned out, but all the same, I do think there was some executive meddling from behind the scenes bc of how rushed and disjointed the epilogue ended up being. It's not the quality we're used to, not by a long shot, and you can tell as much by reading pretty much any chapter before 423.)) /tangent over

ANYWAY. To me, it ways always pretty obvious that AFO was more or less grooming Tenko to be his perfect ~Demon Lord~ OC-- the idea of treating a real person like a fictional character is something I find pretty terrifying + it's something that further emphasizes MHA's metafiction elements, with Tenko being trapped in a role that was written for someone else. I feel that there was adequate build up to AFO being "the author" behind Shigaraki Tomura, specifically-- and it all seemed to be leading up to a point where Tenko would be encouraged to break free & finally take control of his own story ("I needed to hear those words" -> "Those guys (the villains) need a hero, too" -> "You CAN be a hero" "Uh, whoopsie??" 🥲🥲🥲)

Sadly it ends up amounting to nothing because..... Tenko isn't even allowed to fully process the implications of his birth/life and how this has influenced his actions/beliefs/"dream" before exploding, a core scene between him and Nana gets offscreened, and our MC never even bothers to react to the revelation that Tenko's life was scripted. It renders a HUGE part of Tenko's character arc almost completely pointless because we get no actual resolution/pay off for everything that was set up. Like, so much of the finale + epilogue just feels like Hori was going down a check list of plot points/parallels he wanted to include before putting MHA out of its misery, rather than building up to them naturally-- and it's just sad it had to end this way, bc, well. It didn't HAVE to end this way. Hori had all the ingredients necessary to make something truly wonderful, but he didn't use them.

[duckiemimi]

everything that’s happened since gojo’s unsealing has been such a missed opportunity for his character.

now, don’t get me wrong—yuuji is the main protagonist of the story, despite being benched for the better half of the arc, but gojo is a protagonist, too. and though the development from gojo’s beginning (the hidden inventory arc) to his sealing (the shibuya arc) isn’t as consistent as some of the other characters, it’s still growth with room for resolution. resolution which we did not get in 236. (if he’s actually dead.)

i think one of the biggest setbacks to gojo’s potential character growth is the timeskip that happened right before his fight with sukuna. the story wouldn’t have slowed down if we were given time to reacquaint ourselves with gojo after hundreds of chapters of absence, and it would’ve been a great opportunity to re-establish the dynamic he had with his students and friends, as well as introduce him to new characters and the characters we haven’t seen him interact with.

besides exploring character relationships, unfolding that timeskip into actual training scenes would’ve given the reader a sense of time passing, which would’ve played into the anticipation of waiting for the promised date. because that’s what the characters were doing, too—waiting for the promised date. the scenes wouldn’t have to be long and dragged out, but regardless if they were, they could’ve served a purpose in the story. in reality, all we know is that the timeskip happened and now everyone’s patting his back. conveniently implied off-screen growth.

then we have our epic battle, spanning fifteen-chapters full of “is he dead or is he not?” cliffhangers. as highly anticipated as this fight was, it mostly consisted of play-by-play sequences with minimal scenes of characterization. (by characterization, i mean things like internal-monologues and interactions that are more than just fighting. “phew, that was close” thoughts don’t count.) if we were to use the canon fifteen chapters as a base, a skeleton we could build on, adding more characterization could’ve made the fight less repetitive and so much more engaging, so much more meat to the story. alas, all we have fighting.

and then we have chapter 236. in my personal opinion, gojo didn’t have to die for the story to still end up centering the new generation he fostered, but let’s say he really did die in 236. if he really did die, then this chapter completely reversed and regressed gojo’s character to the point where it wholly undermined the development we’ve seen throughout the story. i would call it a simple “out of character” moment, but if he’s dead, then we’re back at square one and now we’ll stay there, unmoving. because he’s dead.

on top of that, his change was done abruptly, too, with no indication or foreshadowing that we were heading in the direction where 236 ended. i wouldn’t say that gojo enjoying his fight with someone who actually gave him a challenge was an indication that he would end up the way he did. you have to believe your readers are smart, but you can’t leave things so vague for them to figure everything out by themselves. readability is great. this issue shouldn’t have to be an open-ended question.

and anyway, the sudden change had no purpose. what am i supposed to take away from him reverting back to his high school self? that despite all the work he put in, he’s still alone? even in death, he feels alone? next to all his dead friends, he laughs but still, he feels alone and misunderstood? how pessimistic. and even if that was what the narrative was going for, then those fifteen chapters were a missed opportunity for an effective transition from point “a” (gojo pre-battle) to point “b” (gojo post-battle/in the afterlife) characterization-wise. (and plot-wise. off-screen major events are lazy.) i’m not convinced and neither are many readers. this isn’t just because gojo’s a well-loved character.

i think most people knew one way or another that gojo would die, given the nature of the story. even if that fifteen chapter back-and-forth gave hope for survival, the end is the inevitable, and that’s understandable. but to end his character as someone unrecognizable from who we were first introduced to, and to have it done so drastically, too? it makes me :/ . sacrificing gojo for the sake of the plot, i could understand, but twisting him post-mortem was unnecessary.

taking away the care he had for the future generation, who are battlefield-bound right now, completely undermines the fact that the story is supposed to center around them. that was his motivation and what spurred him to give yuuta and yuuji second chances in life. his care, his motivation, was what started the story in the first place. if gojo’s character arc was intended to be flat and his actual character, static, then he wouldn’t have had ongoing motivations that lined up with the major plot.

bear in mind, i’m not making this as a call to action or anything (god, no). but these are just my thoughts as a long-time reader. the story is still gege’s and while i’m dissatisfied with how he killed off one of my favorite characters in the series, whatever happens next is in the control of the g-pen between his fingers.

[tookishcombeferre]

Full disclosure I think this has sat half-edited in my drafts for like a week at least.

But, I'm so happy I took my time on it. I think the beats of the chapter hit nicely. The foreshadowing for 4 chapters down the road is doing what I want it to do. So, I just wanted to make sure things were doing what I needed them to before I posted it.

For tumblr folks, I can write a bit of an extended author note. Which is always fun.

About the plot chasm: In the first iteration of this story, there was going to be an entire espionage sublot that involved Hexley Hall. However, in order to spark that, something really devastatingly sad had to happen. I didn't like that. So, after about five minutes of thinking about it, I scrapped it. However, I REALLY wanted my espionage subplot back because going full Mission Impossible into Hexley Hall just seemed like too fun of an opportunity to pass up. Also, the magic involved in that subplot still existed in the plot I currently was writing, and I suddenly realized I had no plans to resolve that. Therefore, I decided, I'm filling my plot chasm with an appearance from Greylock near the final climax of the story. Not revealing anymore details about that. But, he's well more involved now that I'd initially planned on him being because I had a plot chasm the size of the Grand Canyon that only Greylock could solve. As for the potential one-shot: I've been doing a lot of of work on lore for the Tri-Kindgoms and the Minor Kingdoms for this story and for its prequel. Specifically, I've been developing lore for Corinthia (which is where I hc that Winifred came from based on her design.) I was thinking about writing something set during the ep. Mystic Meadows set from her perspective that has something to do with the lore of that Kingdom and her powers of minor divination. Not sure if I'll do it, but if folks are interested, I'd consider writing it. Some of the stuff I'm thinking about putting in the one-shot are going to come up in the fic, some of it might not? I dunno. (I gave Cedric and Cordelia middle names in my head, and it's my personal opinion first name was Goodwyn's choice second name was Winifred's. So, this would touch on that.) Other notes: I really don't have much other than what I put in the author's note. I often write in "Acts" like a play. I'd say, as it stands, this story has approximately 3. Act 1 was for exposition. Act 2 is about relationships. Act 3 will be about magic and then will also resolve the whole story. This chapter is kind of the transition point that sets up that transition between exposition and the 2 different longer acts that each have their own climaxes and resolutions. That's not to say you won't get details about magic AT ALL in this next part, you will. But, the primary focus in this next section is on relationships, and all the lore tidbits you get are at the service of fostering connections between characters. As for things that are coming in terms of stuff getting "dark," this will probably come up again in a later author's note, but there's a scene I'm writing that might just hit me different because the feelings in the scene keep hitting a nerve based on something that happened to me a little over a year ago. So, like, do *I* think it's dark because it hits in a personal place, or is it actually dark? I always err on the side of caution in those matters. So, like I said, just pay attention to the TW's and you should be fine. So, yeah, that's what I've got. Cheers, Pip 💚💜

[inkedtae]

I think the Rotten Angelcake story has way too many cliffhangers. It makes it difficult to enjoy the episode properly because I know that I will have questions that are not answered. It is good to have suspense but considering your upload schedule, I find myself not wanting to know what happens.

Secondly, the story is told. I think in movies they say “don’t tell, just show”. I would rather read the things happening rather than read about it. For example, you mention some jewellery Taehyung gifted. Also, what happened in that theatre? How did Angel take her punishment? I read all the story for it to end in a vague way and it is discouraging. I think it would be more meaningful if I read things happening. Some might be good for foreshadowing, but more times than that I feel like I am reading a summary of what happened with minimal actual dialogue.

By no means you are a bad writer. I think you are brilliant at writing. You have excellent characters that do not weave. We could all gauge how each of your characters would react to certain things. The characters don’t feel rushed. But in general, the story line feels dragged. The story progression feels passive. Most of the episodes are short to average in length and repeat in a certain cycle. I don’t mean to be crude and ask for them to have intercourse, but this back on forth is depressing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Taehyung and Angel went their separate ways. Same thing with Angel’s boss. How many episodes will it take for that storyline to unravel?

I don’t want to come across rude, but I couldn’t stop writing this because I genuinely like Rotten Angelcake. I hope I wrote this with grace and you can take it gracefully. Please take care of yourself and thank you for your time ❤️

hey anon!

first i wanna say thank you so much for reading and being patient with me. i really appreciate that 💕

i completely understand your frustration and confusion. with an unreliable update schedule and more or less formulaic chapters, it can seem very difficult to remain optimistic about or interested in the story. for that i apologize! i don’t mean to be so absent or fall into a predictable format.

to explain, which by no means excuses anything but is just to give some context, my initial goal with rac was to post drabbles of this couple without a certain overarching plot and really just use this series to work through personal feelings, issues, and life experiences. it is probably my most personal series since it reflects so much of my emotions and life. i was just going to post what i felt like, when i felt like, and just what i was feeling at the time. however as i started to write their relationship i really liked the tension and the uncertainty that was between them because it was really reflective of a certain part in my life. so this is kinda of why it seems like things are dragging on. there was no initial direction and i was just posting short scenes of them discovering angels sexuality together until maybe chapter nine or ten when she goes to meet his family. before that it was just a trope-y, smutty series of drabbles. i was not looking to be original or challenge any concepts. overall, i just wanted an open-ended collections of drabbles about how these two people, who don’t know how to come to terms with or navigate their feelings for each other, are super horny lol

however, since i have shifted this to a more “structured” (and i use that word loosely because i now know what i wanna do but not quite how i wanna get there) series, its been harder to write. the plot point for her boss, for example, is hard to wrap up because now i have to reference a plot point from five chapters ago that was a passing detail to establish a sexual interaction. and i recognize that it will be confusing so i'm trying bridge some gaps through this transition from drabbles to “proper” chapters. if i could rewrite this, the series would probably be around five or six chapters instead and much longer and probably less confusing to follow.

also i want to apologise for the vague endings. i can see how that can be really disappointing. you waited all this time for it to end without a clear understand of what's going on and it’s discouraging! i'm really sorry about that.

so moving forward, i will be establishing an update schedule that you can rely on and that i can definitely meet (which i had already had planned on doing after a blog revamp). i will also try to give you more solid endings and more answers rather than questions!

thank you for sharing your thoughts! i don’t think you were being rude. you were just sharing how you feel which is always appreciated. whether or not you choose to keep reading, i just wanna thank you again for giving it a chance. i hope that i have addressed all your concerns! ☺️🫶🏼

[aalinaaaaaa]

(from rookitowrites) okay so like im so interested in the fact that you have alternate routes if a plot gets cut so like tell me more about those if you like !!! Titles referenced:

Alternate path: if Alycja's plot got cut

Alternate path II: if Eshani's plot got cut

Hey! Thanks for the ask :D

These alternative routes came about at a time when I was conflicted over whether Obsidian Sapphires should be in Alycja's perspective or Eshani's.

It was pretty early in the process, so sadly I don't have many specific chapter notes. The goal I had with these files was to weigh the qualities, advantages and disadvantages of going with one of the two perspectives. I've since decided to stick with the two for this draft and see how it goes.

If Alycja's path got cut:

— Thus only featuring Eshani's perspective:

- Chapter 1

Would require an opening scene of her in court the previous night, jittery, distracted (ending on her glancing at an open book of what she thought she needed to do)

Goes to the scene of her opening the door, ending at the point of her standing on the edge

- Chapter 2

Follows her journey with the acolyte, as things start to pick up

Ends with her vanishing at the end of the entrance scene

- Chapter 3

She gets admonished by Claudia for not getting her hands on it and not capturing the thieves

A transition scene of her issuing instructions to Karina to mind court for the night if she gets delayed, before she sends a note to Cerigo

This leads to their first scene upon the balcony, ending with a knock on the door.

…

Advantages:

Eshani’s arc is a bit more clear cut (she wishes to return to her loved ones, but she needs to shake off the mindset of a High Councillor),

Her dynamic with Cerigo is in full view

The entrance scene is shown in all its glory

The hostage plotline gets shown (which is in conflict with her arc)

If that one scene later on happens, the event retains its meaning

Disadvantages:

Puts Cheyoria and Alycja’s plotline to the side

Changes the focus of the book to political intrigue

No plot twist that the Court of Morilast had it all along (because it was blatantly obvious!)

The seductively dangerous, ethereal side of the High Councillors could be blunted (because they’re the protagonists and main characters!) [this also blunts the purpose of This Blood-Stained Charcuterie, to an extent]

If Eshani's path got cut:

— Thus only featuring Alycja's perspective:

- Chapter 1

Same opening

A scene to bridge the gap (with foreshadowing of the end)

Ends on the preparation scene

- Chapter 2

Follows Alycja’s process of the ceremony, leading up to the key moment

The chapter ends with her getting teleported away

- Chapter 3

Same events as the original revision, but there’s some mystery surrounding the skeleton and crows

After the girls escape to the cottage and heal their wounds, Cheyoria insists on teleporting Alycja home

Alycja’s father opens the door, giving Cheyoria his gratitude for getting Alycja out of there. Cheyoria asks what happened, to which her father says a lot, and asks about the skeleton. Alycja’s mother cuts the conversation short, asking if Cheyoria’s going to be fine going home, before getting Alycja inside.

- After Chapter 3

The next morning, Alycja receives a note that summons her for questioning

… Things that change as a result

The hostage plotline gets cut out/put into the background

Eshani’s dynamic (including backstory) with Cerigo gets cut

The entrance scene gets cut short (potential for it to be ‘told’ rather than shown)

Advantages:

The presence of the High Councillors is foreshadowed rather than told/seen, through certain scenes (encounter with the skeleton, Claudia and Eshani acting as witnesses in Alycja’s trial [which spooks the meshaika and acolytes]), symbols (the crows) and the general tone (ominous, foreboding). This foreshadowing would play well into the build-up to the moment when it becomes apparent that silent tactics won’t cut it, leading to the ignition of a war between the meshaika and Morilast’s High Councillors. (And also, pitting Helinda’s Magistrate between a rock and a hard place [Desemir has a shady deal with the meshaika, Sharigan with Alycja and Cheyoria])

Adds mystery and intrigue to the High Councillors, leaning into their ethereal image.

Disadvantages:

The hostage plotline gets cut out/put into the background

Eshani’s dynamic (including backstory) with Cerigo gets cut

The entrance scene gets cut short (potential for it to be ‘told’ rather than shown)

If the scene that happens later on occurs, it would not be in Eshani’s perspective (and thus its meaning would not be front-and-centre)

Alycja herself isn’t really impacted by the High Councillors’ antics**, it’s mainly the meshaika, the Magistrate and Cheyoria/Cerigo that are impacted

Eshani’s arc of trying to get her mindset out of Morilaste isn’t shown either

**About that 👀

[zuppizup]

Hiiii I just finished the first two chapters of Fuel the Pyre! I'm super excited for it, it's very well done!

I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your writing process. How do you outline? What kinds of things need to be in an outline in order for you to visualize the story? Do you outline the entire story, one chapter, or just one scene at a time?

Thank you for your time!

Hello! Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m so happy you’re liking the fic so far.

This is a super fun ask. Not sure how coherent or helpful my response will be, but I’ll give it a try. 😆

So, stories like Purgatory, Fuel the Pyre or my WIP dark magic AU, always start out as a bunch of questions.

What if Ezran hadn’t interrupted Callum and Rayla in Viren’s study…

Could a human/elf halfling do primal magic? Can all of them or just a few? What would control that?

What would the world be like if dark magic actually was controlled and regulated.

I usually don’t start out planning a fic when I ponder questions like this, it’s usually just my mind wandering. For me, while I love big, wonderful, imaginative worlds (like the world of The Dragon Prince) what I’m really more interested in is how these things affect individuals. I actually tend to visualise the story before I outline. In fact, I often visualise far beyond where I think I’ll finish the story. (I say where I think I’ll finish because both my current long fics are now firmly in the “after the end of the planned fic” territory)

So, in Fuel the Pyre, for example, I imagine there’s a lot of unknowns for the people involved. Halflings would be pretty new on the scene, all things considered, so the characters themselves wouldn’t have the answer to these questions, which felt like a great excuse to add tension and drama.

Once an idea has got me and I can imagine how that conflict is going to affect the characters, the general outline tends to sort of write itself. I am a planner, so I by the time I start putting pen to paper (so to speak), I’ll usually have a beginning, a rough middle and an end. There will be plot points, tangents, twists and sometimes side stories that I haven’t figured out, but I’ll have a plan for the general flow of the story.

From there, I’ll come up with a pretty messy draft. So, I just sort of go wild in a document. Usually, when I’ve decided I want to write a longer fic, it’s because certain scenes just play on repeat in my head, so I’ll indulge myself and write those out. Then I’ll go back and make rough chapter/arc notes, which usually leads into some other fun scenes I get inspired to write, and slowly, piece by piece, I sort of string the fic together like that.

I used to outline more linearly, starting at the first chapter and working from there, but I found I’d get stuck on transition scenes (the bane of my writing life) and then avoid the fic. (If I put my fingers in my ears and sing very loudly, the transition scene can’t hurt me). I find letting myself write the scenes I’m excited for makes me much more productive. They usually give me ideas for other fun (I use the term loosely, I generally mean “angsty”) scenes and I essentially build my story like that. I do like adding foreshadowing and twists, which is made a lot easier by writing like this too.

In Purgatory, for example, I tried to drop a lot of subtle hints about Callum and his slowly building arcanum connection. It’s so fun when people pick up on that stuff, but I also don’t want it to look like I just pulled a twist or a revelation out of my rear. Nowadays, I do prefer to write the bulk of a story before posting, which this method obviously works better for.

Often, when I start a fic, the beginning and the ending are the most defined parts of the story and the middle is the area that requires the most work, but by stringing the various elements together, I sort of “discover” new conflicts and fun elements to explore, which (hopefully) makes for a richer, more entertaining story.

So, not sure if that was what you’re looking for, but if you could describe the stream of consciousness that is how I write, a process, this is mine. 😅

[squidkidnerd]

Operation Atlantis Notes - "Sango" (Chapter 8)

Chapter 8! We're only 2 chapters away from the end of part 1 guys, can you believe it? The end of part 1 is in 2 chapters! Woohoo! I am so happy about this information. The end of part 1! Just two chapters away, oh wo—

So, this chapter was pretty fun to write. I finally feel like I'm starting to hit my stride with these, so hopefully that means I can get them out faster (or not, because Side Order busted into my house and gave me a million plot ideas because of course it did). As you probably know from reading the chapter, this one is another transition (like last chapter... and chapter 6... and chapter 4). Aka, there's a hefty chunk of filler and not much major plot stuff going on, but hey. You need build up for plot points to actually work. And besides, it's pretty fun.

Something I really enjoyed about this chapter compared to the similar ones I've written, though, is the foreshadowing. As you probably could've guessed, there's some big and juicy stuff coming up in Chapter 9. Look forward to that whenever it comes out (which may be a while because again, Side Order busted into my house with a million plot ideas).

Opening poem: I like this one. It's pretty simple, and sweet. The flower metaphor also works well with later in the chapter. Not much to say about this one, it's just about Eight's journey as a whole and not anything specific.

The Interview: Oh look, it's Lila again. Not much to say about this particular scene. As you could've guessed, I really like reusing characters when I can because it gives more depth and dimension to them instead of them only appearing like, in one specific set of circumstances. Giving them different opinions helps too! Anyways, onto something more substantial.

Eight, Three, and the Calamari Inkantation: Oh no, it's my greatest weakness—cute agent 24 scenes! So yeah, I love this scene. Eight and Three are so absurdly, astronomically different from each other, and yet here they are, connecting over a simple song. The symbolism of the Inkantation in general is something I really love, because art really does hold the power to connect people. You guys are all connected to me through this fic, after all! Three singing it isn't only just about giving Eight the rest of the lyrics, it's an expression of vulnerability. Three is self-conscious about her singing, but she sings it anyways. Why? Because she wants to connect with Eight. And at the end of the day, what is connection but not continued moments of mutual vulnerability?

Turfing!: Woot woot, it's Three beating people up time! Fun fact, I wrote part of this scene in my crowded high school cafeteria. You think I would learn from this mistake, but I'm typing this right now in my crowded high school cafeteria. Anyways, I thought incorporating Three's confusion about Splatoon 2 mechanics added a little spice to this scene. Also, I had to reference the orange-blue color palette just because. You know, because it's the classic colors of the first game, and because of Inner Agent 3... I'm sure the latter won't be relevant later :).

Investigating at the Library: These were a sweet couple of scenes to write. I love Iso Padre, especially when he shows his caring side. I imagine his hugs are very pleasant due to having multiple arms. Anyways, it was interesting to write Eight's reaction learning about Inkling-Octarian history. Because she doesn't remember it, she really doesn't empathize with it in the way she should. The way I see it, it's like learning about history that happened before you were born versus what you actually remember. Broad overviews of history are essential to get the context, but you can only understand the emotions through more specific accounts.

The Void of Eight's Past: Okay, this isn't a scene technically, but a paragraph, but I wanted to highlight (it's right at the end of the library scene, and begins with "Eight grabbed it."). And well, that's because my beta really liked it, and looking back on it, I do as well. There's a sort of horror to Eight's amnesia that I've seen crop up in several fics—this idea of not knowing who you are, of your memories, which are everything that makes you you, being stripped from you. I absolutely adore it, and I wanted to explore it here. My beta also told me that's how they feel being mixed sometimes, which I think is pretty cool! I'm not so I didn't necessarily write it with that in mind, but I'm glad they connected with that! Overall, I think it shows how we're more similar than different... that kinda got off topic.

Fates and Daffodils: One of my favorite things about the market scene was inserting my Octarian headcanons, particularly about the Fates. I really like the concept of the three of them and I can't wait to weave their symbolism into the rest of the fic. With Haisho, who represents growth, I felt it fitting to tie her to plants. Flowers in particular are connected to her because their blooms represent the beauty that can come from growth. With that in mind, of course I had to put in some flower symbolism. As mentioned in the fic, daffodils are one of the first flowers of spring—which for Eight, represents the beginning of her healing after the "winter" of losing her memories. What will happen next? Who knows.

Selfie at Central Park: This scene. THIS SCENE!!! I'm gonna be real with you guys, this is one of my favorite scenes of Eight and Three interacting that I've written so far. There's just something so tender and vulnerable about it, but at the same time, withdrawn. It strikes a great balance, I think, of both the vulnerability and awkwardness present in Three and Eight's relationship at this time. They're both starting to see each other in a different life—Three is starting to see Eight as more than a generic enemy of her people (and maybe even a friend shhh), and Eight is realizing that despite how she acts sometimes, Three is ultimately not as scary as Eight thinks them. The selfie, in fact, not only serves as a release of tension, but also a form of symbolism. This is one of the first times Three and Eight truly connect... what will mean in the future?

Mundane (Or Ominous) News?: Not much to say about this scene other than it will be probably be a fun one to reread once chapter 9 comes out. Yeah, it's foreshadowing. What could it mean? Who knows? (I know). I really love playing up the kinda unsettling imagery surrounding Eight's memory loss, so I'm glad I got to put that here.

And there you go, that's chapter 8! As you probably could've guessed, chapter 9 is a big one. It's the penultimate chapter of part 1, after all, so it makes sense. I'm really looking forward to writing it! However... Side Order busted into my house and gave me fic ideas, because of course we can't have nice things. Look, I absolutely love alternate realities that affect people not physically but psychologically (is a Persona fan) okay! Of course I came up with plot ideas. The main one I have in mind is Monochrome Malaise, which is sorta-rewrite that fixes some issues I had with Side Order. It's very fun and I can't wait to get into writing it! However, I also really want to get part 1 of this thing finally fully OUT and I can't do that working on an entirely separate project, so... Yeah. Who knows what'll do. Whatever happens, I'll let you guys know. No matter how long we go between updates, I'll never abandon this fic!

[fushiglow]

Do you think there's a chance of Suguru Geto regaining control of his body?

I was *so* sure until the latest chapter, but now I have doubts.

For me, Getō regaining control won't have as much impact if Gojō isn't around. I don't want to reduce Getō's character to his relationship with Gojō but, at the same time, he's the reason Getō responded in Shibuya. Their bond is strong enough to reach across the chasm between the living and the dead.

If Kenjaku was telling the truth when they said it had never happened before, then it's safe to assume that a bond of this strength is exceptionally rare, so I don't really see Getō coming back for anyone else.

Therefore, instead of foreshadowing for Getō's return, I'm wondering if that moment in Shibuya is general foreshadowing for something as yet unrevealed about the relationship between the body and the soul. Some people have suggested that Kenjaku is slowly taking on the traits, thoughts, and feelings of the people whose bodies they have inhabited — hence the 'thank you for getting along with my son' moment.

I really like the idea that the people whose bodies Kenjaku violated will play a part in their downfall, but Kenjaku doesn't seem worried about it. Based on the below comment from towards the end of the Shibuya arc, I wonder whether Kenjaku is somewhat used to navigating the bleed between two souls inhabiting one body. After all, it's reasonable to assume that they know more about the phenomenon than anyone else, but maybe that confidence will come back to bite them in the end.

Still, there are lots of people inhabiting other people's bodies in Jujutsu Kaisen, so the foreshadowing may not even apply to Kenjaku. It might transpire that that moment in Shibuya was just Akutami laying the groundwork for the Toji resurrection and his interaction with Megumi afterwards.

However, that in itself is suspicious to me. After 236, I've seen so many people saying with absolute certainty that Gojō can't or won't come back — but this is a story where resurrection and defying death are surprisingly common. As Toji demonstrates, you don't even have to come back in your own body!

When I think of it in those terms, Getō's odds of regaining control of his body actually seem pretty good, but narratively I don't think it would make sense unless Satoru came back too. I'm not expecting that to happen, but I do think Akutami has left the door open in the latest chapter. After all, airports are liminal spaces, and you could argue that Getō has been stuck in a transitional place between life and death for some time now. I'm not sure he can 'cross over' fully until his body is laid to rest, and I *really* thought Gojō would do that for him.

So, I guess for me it's both of them or neither of them, and I'd lean towards the latter. However, while I don't want to theorise too much about the north vs south thing because I think it's deliberately ambiguous, Gojō and Getō are facing the same direction in 236. At the time the chapter takes place, they've each got one foot in the world of the living and one foot in the afterlife, and stranger things have happened in Jujutsu Kaisen.

TL;DR: I dunno lol but nothing would surprise me anymore!! Thanks for the ask, I loved thinking about this 🖤

[bonesandthebees]

thoughts and questions that didnt get in my comments bc I needed to let them bounce around my brain for a bit 2/2?

okay so wilburs breakdown scene and going from "the pythia" to "he" to "wilbur" even for just a moment, we're all freaking out about bc JDHSHDBDBD OBVIOUSLY HE WAS REFERED TO AS WILBUR and everyone talked about it a lot

but I would like to point out how this scene foreshadowes how this whole healing process is probably going to look like

the whole thing was triggered by techno pressuring wil and putting him in an uncomfortable position and going against him, to which is not the right thing to do, but in this situation the way to get forward

than comes the part where HE TAKES OFF HIS BLINDFOLD AND IS IN THE CAVES IN COMPLETE DARKNESS and it goes from "the pythia" to "he" bc first he has to get rid of all the brainwashing, dehumanisation and just what they made him into to be the pythia, including wearing the blindfold, before he can even start to try and find himself, the "wilbur" part

ofc he returned right back to being "the pythia", but thats just how progress and healing works, its not linear and you keep going forward only to go right back

it's not pretty and it's not enjoyable and wilbur is going to have a really bad time, but hopefully it's going to be worth it later down the line

and we can only hope that tommy will be there in the future to offer some comfort, just like he did now

a little detail that I noticed and would really like to point out is how whenever talking about his role as pythia wilbur keeps using the same words/phrases and i think it was even mentioned in the chapter that hes basically repeating previous pythias words and i would just like to say how cool and thought out that is, the brainwashing is written so well to the details and it makes me want to scream, you are absolutely amazing and I love your writing so much

i am absolutely obsessed with tagd!crimeboys (or honestly just crimeboys in your fics in general, every time they are very different yet so fatally same)

how they are getting touchy after wilbur basically admitted hes touch starved, the unfounded trust that shouldnt exist, but is there, the way they care about each other and tbh even the dependence and attachment that is there (especially from wilburs side considering tommy is almost his only "friend" in all this)

also jack and niki, theyre everything to me and im so glad you have them in so many of your fics theyre consistently my favourite characters and I love them so much

you dont get them in fics very often especially not this full fledged which is a shame bc theyre very cool and im so happy you give them such big roles

thats all I got for now, hope youre having a good time

:))) I love reading analysis of the cave 'wilbur' scene it was so fun for me to write. i loved the transition from 'pythia' to just using pronouns to calling him 'wilbur' just once

also yes healing is not linear. it's messy and you can take steps back and jump forward before falling back again. this was a step forward, and then of course a step went back but it still mattered. it's definitely going to be worth it later down the line though i promise :)

aaa thank you i'm also so obsessed with glass!crimeboys they mean SO much to me. they're such a messy and (future) codependent iteration of crimeboys (all c!crimeboys are codependent it's just like. especially obvious in glass lol)

i LOVED c!jack and c!niki on the dsmp, so I love including them in my fics and giving them main side roles. they're both so fun for me to write and i love their dynamics with crimeboys. i love love love writing jack's dialogue because he's so funny, and i adore niki as a character because of how complex she is (jack ofc is complex too but i just really adore niki)

tysm for this so glad you're enjoying!!

[roosterbruiser]

SOBBIJG OVER THE NEWEST CHAPTER OF CS BECAUSE I LOVE JAKE HE CANT DIE 😭 i fuckint hate rooster I KNEW IT that son of a bitch.

However, Roos’ is like the only perspective I can’t recall having seen? So your foreshadowing..subtle, immaculate, beautiful.

But also when Bob is dying and he mentions Vonnegut (one of my favs) then you say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I LOVE YOU!!! This allusion had me gripping my bedsheets while I bawled violently!!! Because YES it’s so Bob to not only READ Vonnegut but take his words to heart, integrate the truths and fears revealed into his own philosophy so deeply that they arise in his mind ON HIS DEATHBED, such amazing writing and characterization.

And the changes in perspective and TIME?? Like transferring from Bob’s formative memories to Mable’s formative memories here??

Holy fucking shit! You’re such an amazing writer!! Plus I can see how Vonnegut’s style has impacted your writing now that I’m thinking about it, where else do we see gorgeous transitions through time like this?

LOVE, YOURS TRULY, Az 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

these are some of my favorite kinds of comments, this means so much to me!!!!

this literally tickled me pink. as someone who loves Kurt Vonnegut and literally read it in my car in high school before class was in session and bawled my eyes out (art imitates life) this is such a high compliment. I wanna cry!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH, BABY!!!! THIS IS SO SWEET, AZ!!!! MWAH!!!

[eolewyn1010]

Dragging Frankenstein - Chapter 18

Which is about Victor doing what he does best - nothing!

Well, except maybe moping. Sure, take weeks to get off your arse. What could possibly go wrong? Eh, people might die, but whatever. Victor is back to health, so who cares? IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 18

The world revolves around him again; all is well. Why is nobody grieving anymore? They had a couple pretty hefty losses.

Mary Shelley’s insistence that good weather is all that’s needed to cure unholy rage or depressions is getting weird. Well, if that doesn’t do the trick, get engaged!

“You were attached to each other from your earliest infancy” – which makes for a healthy romance, I’m sure. INCEST VIBES: 12

Frankenstein sr. even spells it out.

Though it doesn’t get spelled out in the text enough to give it an incest count, I find it interesting how not only Victor holds power over the Creature’s love life – it’s entirely on him to give the Creature a partner – but also the Creature holds power over Victor’s love life – Victor notes that he can’t enter marriage before he has fulfilled his promise. Kind of a “bride for me before a bride for you” lindworm prince dealie.

Gotta love how he secretly wishes for the Creature to just die in some accident so poor widdle baby Victor doesn’t have to bear the consequences of his actions any longer. How inconvenient that this guy exists! Wonder whose fault that is.

How does he wanna make a new Creature in about a year? Didn’t he need at least two for the first?

“he had in concert with Elizabeth arranged […]” – once more, I’m getting the impression that Elizabeth is less Victor’s partner and more his father’s in raising the kids, so, both counts. INCEST VIBES: 13

EVERY WOMAN IS A MOM: 9

“Nay, Henry might stand between me and the intrusion of my foe.” -.- Sure he does. Does Victor not have a brain, or does he just not give a fuck? I’m inclined to go with the latter.

“I might claim Elizabeth” … *throws up in the corner*

Then Victor goes and beats me with a dead herring. “Oh, good that he’ll come to England with me – can’t think of what he would do to my clueless family if he were around them!” Dumbfuck. Also, not good writing of foreshadowing, Shelley.

“she was filled with disquiet at the idea of my suffering, away from her” – of course. IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 19

It couldn’t possibly be that, perhaps, she’s unhappy because you leave her alone in a time of grieving.

There’s our old POV fail again, mentioning the beautiful and majestic scenes and then saying he didn’t even notice them.

“…where I waited two days for Clerval. He came.” DAS GAY: 25

Geez, Victor, you need two days for that!? You’re really not good at that, are you? No, I’m not sorry.

Henry is sunshine personified. I wanna give him a lil’ kiss. What a cutie patootie himbo.

And then Shelley channels her travel experiences for a while, I guess. And waxes poetic. Fair enough. The thing about the priest and his mistress is running away from me, ah well.

“the most verdant islands that relieve the eye by their gay appearance” – what, are they swathed in rainbow colors or something? Happy Pride!

Victor begins gushing about sweet, sweet Henry and how deserving he was of any and all affection, which of course does not bode well.

“your form so divinely wrought, and beaming with beauty” o.O DAS GAY: 26

Victor, you’re gonna make Cpt. Walton jealous.

Is it possible Mary Shelley is putting too much time into these travels in an attempt to be historically accurate to a time before her lifetime? This “we need four freaking months to go anywhere” feels kind of medieval, if even that. But there’s London, here’s the fan, and the shit is already incoming.

While Frankenstein is a brilliant piece of literature, it occasionally shows how young Shelley was when she wrote it. The poor time transitions, the heavy-handed foreshadowing, the POV lapses here and there, the occasions when the plot just screeches to a halt to give us a ton of exposition, the way detailed descriptions. Kind of typical for a new writer, even in our times. I'm still blaming the husband for the purple prose and thesaurus syndrome tho.