#and i LOVE seeing ppl put lots of detail and description in their writing too!!!!!

[unholyplumpprincess]

I hate seeing other writers say stuff like "Writers don't do this, do this instead" or "Don't do x bc readers won't like x" like dude idgaf, artists all have their own styles and so do writers. What you deem "Not to your standards" is just,,,someone's style. It's okay if it's not your vibe but don't go telling ppl they can't do it ever

Gonna Bark, man

[throughtrialbyfire]

20 Questions for Writers

thank you so much to @wispstalk and @dirty-bosmer for tagging me!! <3

gonna tag @mareenavee @changelingsandothernonsense @thequeenofthewinter @skyrim-forever @trickstarbrave @oblivions-dawn @orfeoarte @gilgamish @totally-not-deacon @archangelsunited !! no pressure as always, and if i havent tagged you and you wanna do this, go ahead and say that i did, i'm tagging you in my mind <33

answering under the read more!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

five atm! but i'm planning on splitting my one-shot-as-chapters fic into individual fics. i think i'll have around 11, then, if i don't take out some.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

99,173

3. What fandoms do you write for?

TES and CoD Zombies! though i don't write a lot for CoD Zombies, just when i get in a certain mood for it here and there. old special interest wont grant me a moments peace lmao

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

i only have five uploaded, but i'll put them here!

1. An Inner Sanctity - 41 2. If By Sun and Moon I Swore - 38 3. Cycle of the Serpent - 23 4. The Mark You Left - 15 5. Portraits Under Forgotten Suns - 2 (this is the one i'm gonna split up into their own fics :3)

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes!! i even carry on convos in the comments sometimes for the hell of it, i love interacting with ppl <33333333

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i think the one-shot for the prompts "forgotten/devotion" for tesfest '23 about the shipwreck of the brinehammer, since the main character dies lmao

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

the one for the prompt "in bloom" from tesfest '23!! it was just a little fluff fic for my ocs athenath and ja'dato <3

8. Do you get hate on fics?

luckily no, the spaces i've found myself in these days are really positive :3 especially compared to when i wrote on FF.net in like 2009

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

none of it is published, but i do sometimes! it's a good way to flex my muscles (haha) in blending thought and action, balancing descriptors (how vivid is Too Much), and seeing how certain characters interact with each other in a vulnerable state. maybe i'll post some someday, idk. mostly i just do it for funsies, so idk what kind you'd classify any of mine.

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

i havent in many years, so no, but that could chance if the mood strikes me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope, but when i was writing for a different fandom in high school, my writing for a particular character wound up on ppls RP accounts as their versions backstory, as well.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but if anyone wants to translate my fics, feel free!! just give me a heads-up!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

yep, on my old ao3, a good friend and i turned an RP into a fic! i enjoyed it immensely bc we wrote really well together!

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

idk, i just groove where the dynamics take me <3

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

i hate to say it, but An Inner Sanctity needs a major overhaul that i don't have the energy for right now. when i started writing that fic, i didn't have a solid grasp on athenath's personality. now that i do, i'm gonna need to rewrite all the chapters i've had ready for it, and pivot the direction of the fic to get it where i wanted it to wind up eventually. i really do want to finish it, though.

16. What are your writing strengths?

i get a lot of compliments on my imagery/descriptions/atmosphere! i love describing shit, so i'm glad ppl enjoy reading those bits of my work <3 oh!! and character/narrative details. i wrote a ~180k word fic in my senior year of high school solely off my mental notes for it, and it still wasnt finished when i dropped it a year or so later due to Circumstances

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

biting off WAAAAAAAY more than i can chew!! i have so, so many things planned for CotS and who knows if those things will get picked up on by folks or even work later down the line. GAHH

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

if you can realistically do it, go for it. if i could fluently speak all the languages i've tried to teach myself, i'd probably include them in fics where they would fit!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

naruto, i was writing naruto fics on a defunct dress-up site when i was a kid AHAH.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Cycle of the Serpent. theres seldom a time i'm not thinking about those elves. yes, i will admit with my whole chest that i'm a tad desperate for people to read it and interact with it, but i think if i could explain everything (without spoiling it obviously) i have planned for this fic and just how much is going on in the background of the details i throw in, the reasons certain characters behave the way they do, and the amount of time i've spent working on it (the doc for it is at roughly ~96k and we're not even at the Real beginning of the solitude arc) and the sheer amount of hours i've spent making sure details line up, you'd understand why i'm losing all my sanity daniel-amnesia-the-dark-descent style over this story. i started writing it as a for fun "no one's ever gonna see this" exercise that also helped me greatly in recovering from long covid brainfog, and i think even if one day i look back and think of it as "not the best thing i've ever written", it'll still be one of the most passion-driven things i've ever written, and i'm happy about that. <3

woof, what a ramble. if you made it to the end of this, thank you, and i hope you're having a good day!!

[hunniedmilk]

Thank you so much for your tags ;; it's been fucking forever a minute since I posted anything. so if you wish, this is absolutely a request for some word vomit. and if you don't want to get into it, it's a heartfelt 'ehehe the tags are very nice, thank you' to keep your ask box warm

walks in with a book with like fifteen different annotation stickies I’m so ready pls bear with me if I sound incoherent .. have no clue if this'll be a lot but i'm going 2 put read more just in case ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

i could probably comment on literally every sentence like no exaggeration but i'm like containing the silliness as much as i can as to sound coherent so i just wanna point out small parts i really really like ^^

“Yet there’s a smile that glitters in the corner of his eyes, and as he steps down onto the pebbles he offers you a gloved hand.”

GHJHKL It just makes me explode ,,, I enjoy descriptions of understanding without a character having to verbally express it . It kills me every time regardless because it feels like you can understand the amount of trust between the two characters in the scene . Like in general , it could be an action that can appear like such a small , insignificant detail but you can tell that it means so much more than that and I just adore it so so much ???

“The butler simply… couldn’t let you go just yet. There’s a shimmer of gold in his eyes, a little greed shining through when he thinks of parting from your company.”

Bangs my head against the wall I ALWAYYYS REALLY LOVE IT WHEN PPL MAKE A SLIGHT REMARK ABOUT BARBATOS AND GREED IT’S JUST SOOOOO<333333 IT GETS ME SO EXCITED BECAUSE I START REMEMBERING LIKE THE SMALL REMARKS IN GAME ABOUT HIM RESTRAINING HIS GREED ETC AND HIS CHARACTER SONG . It’s just like so fun seeing different sides of characters expressed it’s just like AHHHH but I digress

The entire scene feels like it’s a moment that’s quiet and reserved away from other people but between the two characters it’s such a loud expression of emotions ,, especially because of Barbatos and how he is as a character too ?? ☆ｏ(＞＜；)○ 

I’m a bit new to the fandom so please bear with me a bit with explanations but I’ve read him as like a character that’s detached from personhood as a result of his profession and when there are moments when he clearly wants to pursue something he holds himself back from indulging into his greed but when it comes to MC he allows himself to finally take . To allow himself to enjoy their presence when they’re finally alone and able to …

SIDENOTE BUT ESPECIALLY SO BC OF HOOOW HARD THE OTHER CAST OF CHARACTERS GET SIDELINED HARD IN GENERAL SOMETIMES ,,, LIKE IN BARBS LATEST BIRTHDAY UR HOW DO U LITERALLY GET DOOMED BY THE NARRATIVE IN UR OWN DREAM.. BUT THAAAT’S LIKE AN ENTIRE RAMBLE I’VE HAD FOR A MINUTE AND THAT’S BESIDES THE POINT )))

“Of everyone, he knows keenly how precious your time is.”

Im literally vibrating off the walls rn I cant describe it any better than that and especially the next sentences that follow it ohhhg idk if it literally wasn’t late as hell rn I’d def just print this out n’ scribble a bunch of hearts on this like omg 

____

THE ENDING … I am literally pacing I don’t usually enjoy angst all that much and try to avoid it altogether but the way you wrote it I’m like a little crazy actually. like a little bit insane. A humans existence is such a fleeting moment to a demon and it’s like AAAA YOU JUST LIKE FEEL THE TENSION FROM THE PREVIOUS SCENES THEN THE WARMTH FROM THE ENDING IT’S JUST LIKE A BITTERSWEET ?? FEELING THAT MAKES IT SO ENJOYABLE AND IT’S SUCH AN INSTILLING FEELING THAT’S LIKE SOOOO BEAUTIFUL ?? HIM HOLDING THE AIR ??? I sound so insane I just really really get excited when I read that it’s such an infectious feeling but that’s what your writing feels like. I’m not the best at English so I’m hoping this comes off well enough but I feel like the idea of living on in another persons memory despite all the years to come, especially with a demons lifespan IT JUST FEELS SOOO /pos

This is going to sound absolutely cornball cheesy but ur writing style , and I haven’t checked out ur other works yet but , from this alone it reminds me of a nice sweet . Personally I’m thinking of a Mexican dessert as I’m Mexican myself and I enjoy food analogies as compliments but the way you describe your scenes feels like taking a bite out of a concha (insane person rambling but please stick with me) . it’s such a sweet feeling that like , you don’t really forget the first time you experience it ?? I know I’m def going to be giggling abt ur writing for like a fat week honestly . i could probably reread it more than I already have while typing this and still find things to comment on even if it's just a keysmash

idk idk just the way you present scenarios stick so nicely ? It’s just something so handcrafted with love that I can tell that you enjoy what u write ?? I don’t know :,)

IF LIKE ANY OF THIS DOESN’T RLLY SOUND RIGHT LIKE , CHARACTER DESCS ESP OF BARB ive been in this fandom for like not super long so im still info-diving rlly slowly and its so difficult </3 I get so nervous posting stuff but like I wanna get this out of my system SOO bad

Plus I don’t think I could type out any of the info I do know about him in an orderly way lol I’ve tried for months but it ends in so many side tangents in rambles bc I just like his character so much 

I just think he’s such an interesting character y’know ??? There’s so many ways people can interpret a character and when you see other peoples ideas and some of them just HIT like getting all giddy thinking wow this is so cool ,,, I have to eat what I’m reading because there are no words in my lexicon to verbally express how much I love this 

[beheaded-sweets]

Information

Uh- well as the description says, my little sideblog here is for mostly yandere Genshin blurbs and a few requests-

I already have two writing blogs (1 main + 1 side) so I made this just to keep things organized- otherwise everything would be a mess-

Basic DNI criteria (I'm assuming people know the basic simple things), I'm not too strict on people interacting with me as long as they aren't weird or just rude- note: I am a minor

Masterlist

About Me:

I'll just go by Seriko on this blog- cuz I don't want anyone from my other blogs to find me help-

Minor - 16

Japanese + American-Canadian (1/2, 1/4, 1/4)

Pan- gender idk just whatever ig

INTJ/ENTJ (I was like 52% I and 48% E so I like to say ANTJ for ambivert cuz I have traits for both help-)

ADHD

My favourite region is Inazuma- a little obv ngl

I didn't play Genshin for a while. I stopped playing at like 3.0, but I'm back at it again because a friend of mine begged me to sacrifice my storage

My favourite characters rn are: Childe, Scaramouche (No I don't call him Wanderer), Wriothesley, and Beidou

The biggest fucking nerd for classical music and composers

I WILL SHITPOST + POST ABOUT RANDOM THINGS

About My Writing:

Mostly Yandere writer- just cuz I'm good at it than anything else

No smexy time bcs I'm gonna get cancelled if I even tried- so yeah no not happening.

I'm not one to write long stories or pieces in general- just because my organization can get shitty- really shitty. I try to keep it at headcanons, blurbs, and longer pieces are like 1k-3k depending on the matter. If I know the plot isn't bad I could probably write more honestly.

My writing does have topics like manipulation, blood, murder and you know- the things you would perhaps see in anything yandere related. If you don't like this then please take your leave because I do try to ensure I put warnings down for everything.

Unless specifically requested for male or female MC I keep my MC genderneutral-

I'll take like 3 requests at a time- since as you know, I have 2 other blogs and I have like...25 requests in total on my main. So I think you can understand the low number. That being said, it might take me a while- depending on how busy I am on my main and my life.

A few guidelines in case someone requests something:

Please put detail if you can- it makes the writing process faster and makes my planning easier, and more well-defined.

This isn't needed, but just so I have a better idea- put like a horror rating of 1-10. On my main ppl have asked me to go heavier on the horror and I'm not sure how far I should go- so just cuz. Yes, it is absolutely ok to put a 1.

For characters coded children will only be written platonically (Ex. Qiqi, Diona)- this doesn't include the teens (Ex. Razor, Xiangling)

I've like barely touched Sumeru lore surprisingly and haven't watched gameplay of the main quests so- I need to catch up really badly. That being said, any Sumeru characters I will research heavily before I dare write for them.

Put either romantic or platonic on your requests please- otherwise I will hold myself back on the romantic and barely write anything remotely romantic- (my main has caused me a lot of weird habits help-)

This isn't the biggest thing- but if you want to specify fic, headcanons, blurb, please do so!

Extra:

If you want to talk to a random writer then go ahead- I'm an avid chatterbox!

Brainrot is brainrot. Give me or I will choke it out of you /j

I love mutuals- so if you wanna be a mutual sure- please do interact with me a few times before tho just so we aren't complete strangers-

[thedancefloorsilly]

omg 300 followers??? i remember finding your account at around the 200 followers event, and holy crap you grew so fast 😫 congrats!! 🎊 you deserve it, you're so talented and your writing is AMAZING! it's a pleasure to read <3

anyways, for the event:

my romantic f/os are machi and shalnark

personality: i'm mostly introverted and super awkward around people i don't know that well, but once i get to know someone, i'm more talkative and outgoing. i would probably consider myself more book-smart rather than street smart (totally didn't forget how to use a toaster once) i like to plan things to the very last detail. i'm not rlly the biggest on pda, just something subtle. my love language is probably quality time. i also tend to tease the ppl i care about.

hobbies: i like to talk/hang out with friends. i also enjoy reading and making cookies sometimes. playing violin is also probably one of my biggest hobbies too

appearance: i'm pretty short, wear glasses, and have dark hair that's kinda long (wow i feel like i'm writing a wattpad description right now 💀)

anyways, i think that's it? i'm sorry that's so long, i didn't anticipate it being that long whoops. thanksssss and have a great day/night! <3

AH HEY!! omg THANK U SM THATS SO SWEET <33 well its great to have u here bc im always happy writing ur requests :)) the more info the better so dw!! have a good day or night too enjoy these ;D 

Event post: here

u could tell I had fun writing this cause I think this is one of the longer ones ive written my bad for the long read😩

Machi

- Due to her amazing intuition, Machi had this feeling that you and her were probably going to get along well. With that, there was something about you that made her intrigued. Even though most of your first interactions might’ve been a little awkward with your shyness (I mean who could blame you though she’s so pretty), Machi still came back to talk and learn more about you. She’s pretty happy that she still continued to talk to you, because Machi did end up noticing how you opened up more to her. Not only that, but there was a great connection between you guys!!

- You and Machi both agree that you’re both not that big when it comes to PDA. You both do like holding each other’s hands, though. Sometimes when you’re in public, she’ll shyly grab onto your hand (don’t mention it though, because she might get a little embarrassed).

- She always remembers your interests, and knowing that you love to read, sometimes Machi likes to gift you books! She’ll usually take recommendations from either Chrollo, Feitan, or Shalnark (he doesn’t read that much but he does know lots of good ones out there).

- One day you were baking cookies in the kitchen when she noticed the smell lingering in the air. “I didn’t know you were baking cookies,” she asks, to which you nod in response. After that, she then offered to help you out. (Based on my hc’s) Machi is actually a pretty good baker, but she doesn’t do it too often!!

- Now, everything seemed pretty normal at first, you and her were just following instructions perfectly, nothing too bad, right? Well once she booped you on the nose with some of the batter, that simple action was what started a whole food fight. You then responded by taking some batter on your finger, and then putting it on her nose. Well, she returned this favor by putting MORE batter on your face (you can see where this is going...). it didn’t take long until globs of cookie dough, flour, sugar, and other ingredients were being thrown in the air.

- Though the kitchen ended up looking like a total mess (and the cookies were nowhere near being done), the quick food fight ended up with you and Machi smiling exchanging lots of laughter. Sure, maybe you had to start all over again, but at least y’all had lots of fun!!! Buttt you weren’t sure how you guys were going to clean all this up...

Shalnark

- Despite being a little shy or awkward at first, this didn’t bother Shalnark from wanting to get to know you more. Sure, conversation at first was often lead by him, but he always noticed how you would actively listen and chime in here and there. Though you were a little quiet, Shalnark thought that this was so cute!! From this, he just wanted to get to know you better.

- The more you would talk to each other, the more and more you started to open up towards Shalnark. To him, it’s actually surprising at how different you were compared to when Shal first met you. He always jokes about how awkward and cute you were back then, contrasting to how extraverted you were around Shalnark now!!

- Now, Shalnark is more of a PDA type of person, so sometimes he really can’t help giving you a bunch of kisses in public. Then again, he’ll also respect this and will hold off on those random bursts of affection. At most when you’re in public, Shalnark will just hold your hand or wrap his arm around your waist or shoulder.

- Since you both love to hang out with each other, Shalnark will always ask you out on dates to new places! Most of them are a surprise because he wants you to really see your expression once he surprises you. The only information Shalnark will give are things telling you how to dress and such. 

- I can imagine Shalnark surprising you to go on a carnival date (like those ones by the boardwalk)!! He won’t tell you this before hand (since it’s a surprise of course), but the only hint he’ll give is to dress kind of comfortably (but also nice if you want). Shalnark takes you in the afternoon, and once you arrive to the place, your eyes bright up with realization!!

- The whole time there, you guys are just running around the whole place, going from game booth to game booth. As competitive as you guys are when trying to win, at one point Shalnark plans to win you one of those giant stuffed animals! He also doesn’t let those rigged games get in the way of winning that prize!! Even though it was his first game, Shalnark ended up proudly winning it for you!!

- The rest of the time there was the spent on the rides. After a while, you guys decide to go on the last ride of the night, a somewhat big wooden rollercoaster that overlooks the boardwalk and the sea. As you guys began to slowly go up the lift, you turned to notice the beautiful sunset from how long you guys have been there. Maybe admiring the orange and yellow hues from the sun made the mood much more romantic, because once you guys looked back at each other, you and Shalnark managed to swoop in a quick kiss at the peak of the rollercoaster.

- Immediately though, you guys were interrupted with the quick drop of the ride. Though unexpected, it still didn’t ruin your time because it was still so much fun!! Eventually, you and him got off the ride, still very giggly from the adrenaline. After that though, you and Shalnark then leaned in close to finish that rollercoaster kiss, a perfect end to an amazing day. 

a note from the author: you and your f/o’s are canon B)

[choices-ethanramsey-4life]

Days with you make me feel better part 4

Pairings: EthanXMc

Warnings: very few, just angst

Description for part 4:

Ethan has returned to Boston to see Samantha. Only to try and put things together. With the questions in his head he follows after Samantha as they talk. One of the longest talks. One of the hardest talks they’ve had.

***Ethans POV***

I reach my place flicking the light on. As I head to my bedroom on my bed a jumper was there with the unmistakable scent of a light floral perfume.

“Samantha.” I quietly breathed out.

Heading to Donahues to see Reggie i hoped to see Samantha as-well. I walk in say hey and look over at a table outside. Samantha’s friends sat there all of them...but her. Dejected I sit as Reggie looks over at me.

“You seem glum.”

“Nothing.”

“Really? I was starting to think you were looking for that doctor. The small one with blonde hair.”

Damn it. He knew. And I knew.

“Did she come yet?”

“No. She started to come less after a while. She used to come alone at times sit in the corner and write often sketch at times. We talked at times. She hasn’t been coming for the past week.”

Why? Was it me? Was it something else? Why did she used to come alone?

Just then my eyes catch a glimpse at the girl who sat at a table outside. Her friends cheering.

“About damn time!” Dr. Varma exclaimed.

“Don’t listen to her glad your feeling better.” Dr. Trinh hugged her.

Feeling better? Was she sick? Is she still sick? Is she ok? Did I cause her pain? My mind tormented me. Reggie glancing at me.

“Speak to her.”

“What?!”

“You heard me. I’ve seen you two give eyes at each other all of last year before you left...”

“What! No we weren’t- I shocked by this. How many more ppl saw us like that?

Just then I got up and went outside and my eyes glanced on her.

She wore a black off the shoulders jumper with a sliver locket. With regular jeans and black ankle boots which was had heels on them.

The jumper which clung off her and her hair. Her beeline honey blonde hair which grew out longer... Her smile and the green emerald eyes which Emits pure joy and soo much love.

But under all that I see something else...pain, tiredness... loneliness. Her face despite the smile has both physical and mental fatigue.

She had also lost a lot of weight from everywhere. Which was shocking as it was concerning. But despite those imperfections she looks soo...

“Beautiful...” came out as a whisper.

I Walk up to the table as she hesitantly looked up and then says “hello Dr. Ramsey.”

Just like that we went back to Dr. Ramsey and Dr. Valentine.

***Samanthas POV***

“Hello Dr. Ramsey.”

“Hello Dr. Valentine.” He meets us and walks away. But how did I end up here? After staying in my room.

Some time earlier:

I sat in my room dejected. I looked out the window. Sunlight. Sitting on the seat next to the window I take it in.

A knock on the door.

“Samantha we’re going to Donahues come if you want. We really want you there. All of us.”

I flopped down on my bed. Elijah’s words ringing through my ears. He wants me there. They want me there.

Did I want to be wallowing in pain for ever? Is this who I want to be?

No. Of course not. Who wants to be like that?

I’ve been this person before. Broken. Alone. I’ve promised myself never to slip back into that again. But here I am. I’ve slipped back. I wasn’t going to slip back more.

Getting dressed for the first time in ages I curl my hair. To boost my confidence. I put on make up to cover the weeks, the two months of insomnia. Looking over at the mirror.

“I can do this. I’m Samantha Valentine.”

I hesitated as I walked in reggie giving me a smile.

“Hey Samantha.” Smile so genuine.

“Hi Reggie all good?”

“Yeah great. What about you? You seemed to disappear for a while I didn’t scare you off now?”

“No, no it’s not that. I’m fine. I’m feeling just fine.” I smile. Bryce comes from behind.

“Hey.”

“Bryce! Hey.” We hug as we go back out back to my place of peace. We sat in silence as he broke it.

“You feeling better?”

“Yeah...I feel better. I’m getting there.”

“Good. I’m glad your feeling yourself again. Everyone’s missed you.”

“Really?” He looks at me pulls me in for a hug as we sat on the grass.

“Yeah of course we did. You make Jackie more tolerable.” We laugh.

“Shut up.” As he drove back we made our way outside. Everyone cheered.

“Welcome back Samantha!” Elijah yells

“You guys are going to get us kicked out of here by Reggie with all the noise.” I laughed.

After that my eyes glance at a figure at the regular spot. Ethan.

He comes up to us as we all take in his new look. The beard, the green Jacket.

After pleasantries and moving inside and after an eventful hour, Reggie does his last call as my friends leave area waiting for me.

“Samantha all ok?” Aurora asks

“Yeah, yeah you guys go I’ve dropped my locket on the ground I’ll be out in 5 minutes you guys go.”

“Are...you sure?” Sienna asks.

“Yeah sure go don’t wait.”

“Don’t be too late” Sienna hugs me as Jackie pulls her arm.

“Come on! She’s not a baby. And you si need to get out more come on!” Jackie teases.

“But- Sienna tried to protest

“She’s right you know si, you can put your inner mom away for one night ok.” I pat a hand on her shoulder as they hesitatingly left.

I look on the ground as Reggie says “all good Samantha?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m just about to leave. I dropped my locket I’m just going to find it and I’ll be gone.”

“Sure thing. Take your time.” He smiles and goes by cleaning the place.

Found it! I get back up and bump my head on the table. “Ow!” I rub my head as Ethan looks back at me getting up.

“You ok?”

“Yep.” As I turn to leave he holds my wrist and says

“Rookie.” That word causing my heart to beat faster. I turn to face him.

“Yeah.”

“Join me? For a little while.” I nod.

He smiles “want anything?”

“No. It’s ok.” We head outside in the cold which pinches my skin. Sitting on the bench in front of the fire he watched me stare at the fire.

“You’re cold.”

“I’m fine.” He comes closer arm around me.

“It wasn’t a question.”

“Ok.” We sat in peaceful silence my head on his shoulder. Nothing but the sound of our Breathing.

Just then he broke the silence.

“Samantha can I ask what happened? You didn’t write or call and Reggie says you rarely used to come with your friends. At times you came alone.”

“Nothing happened. It was simple. You left. Made it clear that you didn’t want this.”

“I didn’t say that or mean that. I had to clear my head.”

“Yeah. So did I. You don’t see me running off again. Maybe because at this point it’s too predictable.”

“What do you mean predictable? What happened Samantha I want to know. You’ve changed. Look at you it’s clear you over work yourself.”

“I’m going. I don’t need to say anything. If anyone should explain anything it’s you.”

“Samantha wait-

“For what? The next time you get scared and run away?” I walk off don’t turn back.

***Ethans POV***

I sit processing what happened as Reggie says “go after her! She’s right you know. She need an explanation.” He pushes me to the door before I could protest.

Driving I didn’t know where to go. I think and remember what Samantha showed me at the end of her intern year.

“This is my place of peace. When I come here everything feels right. I know that life is crooked. With it it can ruin or bring joy.”

Heading to the cliff area a small figure sat on the grass looking over at the city.

“Samantha.” She doesn’t look I sit next to her.

“Tell me.” She lays a head on my shoulder as she involuntarily shivers.

“Honestly rookie.” I take off my jacket which was huge on her small frame.

“I don’t need it you know. I have a jumper on.” She smiles

“It’s not doing a good job keeping you warm. Anyways tell me. Now.”

Her head on my shoulder my arms around her. She was crying.

“Rookie.”

“Just. Let me explain.” She calms down after a couple of minutes and says

“October 5th 2009. The day my brother died. I was 17 he was 21. He got in a fight with my dad they argued I couldn’t stop him from leaving. His car crashed into a bridge. His breaks failed for some reason.”

I understood her better a layer of her being exposed. I knew her brother died she didn’t go in detail. She never did.

“I couldn’t believe it. He was my support system. More of a family than my dad could give. When I came to Edenbrook a part of me never believed he died. I knew he died but I could never say it. After the case i thought that...that for a second I... I saw him.”

“Oh Samantha.” I held her a little tighter.

“He wasn’t there. I started to come to terms that he died.” Her voice breaks in between tears “and then you left me. I just felt alone despite having people around me.”

“I’m sorry it’s my fault. I shouldn’t of left i should of been here for you...”

“Don’t Ethan. Don’t. It’s not your fault. I would keep my self busy at work. Or I would sit in my bedroom and think about what i did wrong. Naveen took me to Seattle to see his grave my dad was at a conference with my aunt in LA. So chances of seeing him was none. I even got some of his things Naveen gave me.”

“Are you ok?”

“I will be. Don’t worry. I’m just glad you came back you didn’t leave.”

“Of course rookie why would I leave? I have you here.”

They sat watching the city lights and the stars twinkle above them. In an embrace holding each other. Taking it a day at a time. They though of only then and then. Ethan and Samantha. Samantha and Ethan. At that moment they were just that... and nothing else.

Thank you soo much for reading this fic Days with you make me feel better. I’m glad you’ve read until now and supported me, given I take forever to write😂😂. But Really enjoyed writing this mini series. If there’s any suggestions do let me know in the comments I’ll do my best to make it happen. ♥️

Tags: @schnitzelbutterfingers

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Hi! If u wouldn’t mind helping me out, I’m trying to figure out whether I use Se-Ni or Ne-Si, I’m fairly certain I’m ExTP 3w4. Thought I was ESTP but sensors I’ve met irl tend to be a lot more hands on & in the moment than me. I’m not v in tune to the physical world, ex. the light in my room flickers on/off sometimes & I don’t even notice it, my sister had to point it out to me. I’m terrible at sports/dancing bc I have poor spatial/bodily awareness. Other times certain sensory inputs are (1)

completely overwhelming to me & I’m v dramatic abt them, if something smells bad or I’m cold I have to get away asap or I get moody. Sometimes I put effort into my appearance but usually I don’t, I only want to impress specific ppl. I don’t particularly like being in charge but in group projects I’m always thrust into the decision making role bc no one else wants it & I just want to get it over with. When I’m not breathing down ppl’s necks things just go to shit -_- I avoid working harder (2)

than I have to & chose my major (animation) specifically bc it’s fun/doesn’t feel like work & I wouldn’t have to write long essays/do math. Speaking of math I don’t like when things have 1 definitive answer & I don’t like things I can’t make relevant to myself. I preferred English/phil classes bc u can argue p much anything & I’m an expert bullshitter. Psych was fun until we had to learn actual chemicals/brain parts. I like looking at graphs/statistics & I love making lists. Idk what type my (3)

mom is but she’s constantly irritated by me bc I ask her questions she thinks I should just google, but I don’t rly care abt the answer, I just want to discuss. She also hates tht I talk abt what the world “should” be like, she’s just like “go fix it then” & it drives me crazy bc I wish I COULD but it’s NOT that simple. I procrastinate a lot. I wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist but I’ll work at something until it’s more than decent bc I hate letting people down. I hate when ppl watch me (4)

work, I only want them to see the result. I’m v risk averse (except when it came to my career path lol) & do everything I can to ensure I won’t fail. I compare myself to others to see how I measure up. I’m always trying to improve myself; I think that’s why I dwell on my negative qualities so much & why I feel like I’m not living up to my potential. I’d rather impress ppl than serve ppl to gain their approval. I’ve always wanted to be famous & it shocked me when I found out most ppl don’t.(5)

The thought of having “fans” actually makes me uncomfortable but I want to elevate my social status to spite ppl who used to look down on me. I couldn’t stand just being average, I want to be undeniably important and worthy of love. I don’t rly know what I want in life besides this vague need to succeed. I’d be happy doing a variety of things, but I hate menial labor/repetitive tasks. I need alarms for everything bc I zone out so much; literally as I was writing this I was on a walk & had (6)

to sprint back home bc I forgot I had work until my alarm went off. My living space is a mess, I’m fine w it. I hate accountability (can’t drive, too much responsibility/possible crashing). I can form habits if I see a good reason for them, but consistency is hit or miss (sporadically eating healthy vs 100+ day duolingo streak). I have no respect for authority/tradition & only follow the law to avoid punishment. Ppl say I’m creative/funny but I think I mostly just combine/jump off other (7)

ppl’s ideas & improve them. When I write stories ppl complain there are no sensory details/phys descriptions. Ppl tell me I’m eccentric but I’m just doing my own thang idc abt social norms. Love thinking up unrealistic romantic scenarios, romance is my fave thing to talk about. I feel guilty talking abt my obsessions so much but I GOTTA. I don’t trust myself to judge myself accurately bc I’m always trying on new personas, but the things I talked abt here are all persistent traits (8) 

---------

Hi anon,

So I do think you probably are a high Ne user from this, and 3 is possible, but I think you’re an ENFP - some of the traits, especially surrounding leadership, sound like they’re coming from low Te; your attitude towards math (not that FPs can’t be good at math or TPs all like it, but TPs often do want a single answer and like the consistency of math even if they’re not into it as a specialty) and the attitudes towards eccentricity and new personas seems more like Fi than lower Fe. I’m not totally positive, and your focus for this question was Ne vs. Se so you may have left out things that led you to type as a Ti-aux, but at the very least I’d recommend looking at aux Fi.

I would also look into 3w2 or 2w3 instead of 3w4 - the part about being important and worthy of love makes me think both 2 and 3 are involved in the core.

[scrutineyeze]

i’m seeing a lot of ppl tossing around ideas about the nature of Fear & the Fourteen Fears (& some about the Extinction & its place in that), so i thought i’d try my hand at it too, lol. these thoughts have been kicking around my head for a while, & i’d be really interested in hearing what others think about this !

gonna put a warning here just about descriptions of fear/s & stuff. also a heads up: this contains spoilers for all of the magnus archives up to date [6/29/2020] and also i have A Lot of thoughts & can Not shut up, so this got. long. (2.7k) & ,,, increasingly weirdly worded bc uhh that’s kinda How I Write

without further ado: my thoughts on Fear, its facets, & how Old these might be. possibly also featuring mentions of the sublime & various things i’ve read. (i’ll work to paraphrase and/or quote these things as succinctly as possible.)

01. introduction 02. Fear: that it is not distinct Fears 03. Fear: a continuation, that it is in Facets 04. on the separation & age of such Facets 05. on, indeed, why such facets cannot be seen are Separate 06. some closing thoughts

01. thesis: robert smirke is Wrong about Fear. robert smirke believes that Fear is distinguishable into Fourteen Separate Fears; this has been shown to be, of a sort, already incorrect, as jonah magnus figured out & demonstrated with the only successful ritual, which entailed bringing in all the “fears” at once. however, to think of them as distinct Fears as in plural is a misunderstanding.

02. the following are selections from the meno, a dialogue written by plato & this translation is from Cathal Woods. beginning at 71d.

Socrates: … But you yourself, divine Meno, what do you say virtue is? … Meno: M: But it's not hard to say, Socrates. To begin with, if you want the virtue of a man, it's easy. A man's virtue is this: to attend to the affairs of the city effectively and in the process to benefit his friends and harm his enemies and make sure that he suffers nothing similar himself. If you're looking for the virtue of a woman, it's not hard to express. It's to manage her home well, preserving her possessions and being obedient to her husband. And there's a different virtue for children, both male and female, and for an old man, and, if you want, for a free man and, if you so desire, for a slave. And there are so many other virtues that there's no problem saying what virtue is, since there's a virtue for each occupation and stage of life with respect to each function of each person. And I take the same to hold for vice, Socrates. Socrates: It seems I've had some great good fortune, Meno, if, when looking for a single virtue, I have discovered in your possession some kind of swarm of virtues.

socrates then goes on to ask about bees & if meno thinks that they differ from each other insofar as “their being bees” or if they only differ through other means, such as beauty, size, colour, etc. meno says that they differ by other means, not through their being bees, & socrates presses then that virtue must be the same: there must be something which makes each of the attributes which meno listed virtues, and that connecting thread must be Virtue.

imagine, then, that we are talking about fear. (not so hard to do, when we are talking about fear lol.) so it might follow thus:

Socrates: meno, what is fear? Meno: Well, it is of corruption, and of violence, and of death, and of …

and so on—except that meno could, of course, differentiate further than simply the fourteen which smirke spoke of. as said in 111 “Family Business:”

I always think it helps to imagine them like colours. The edges bleed together, and you can talk about little differences: “oh, that’s indigo, that’s more lilac”, but they’re both purple. I mean, I guess there are technically infinite colours, but you group them together into a few big ones. A lot of it’s kind of arbitrary. I mean, why are navy blue and sky blue both called blue, when pink’s an entirely different colour from red?

and, of course, he goes on to say:

I mean, you could see them all as just one thing, I guess, but it would be pretty much meaningless, y’know, like… like trying to describe a… shirt by talking about the concept of colour.

but i would (will) argue that it isn’t meaningless to try to describe Fear as it is, which is as a single Entity. because it is the differences by other means (beauty, size, shape) which distinguish the facets of Fear, and not that it is distinct from itself by its Being Fear. that which makes us afraid—and us here, and likely everywhere, will be in reference to living things which feel fear in general, tho i will try to make myself clear at any time i speak less or more generally—makes us afraid through its Shared Connection to Fear, not through its connection to any other thing or other attributes. if something has the capacity to induce fear, then it must contain within itself the connection to Fear, or its being scary—the way that a bee, regardless of its other features, will always share with other bees their Being Bees, and the way that virtues must all contain within themselves that which Makes Them Virtuous in order to be listed as virtues at all. ��that which Makes Them Virtuous,” socrates says, must be Virtue, & he spends the whole dialogue trying to get meno to help him answer that question (plus an interesting part about memory & reincarnation, but that’s unrelated).

(i’m going to say here that you Really Don’t Have To Read the meno. i uh personally dislike plato, esp when he’s not talking about love—but this is neither here nor there.)

03. so this brings us to, well, if Fear isn’t separate, then what are the Fourteen in relation to Fear? i’d say that they’re Facets of Fear, the way that honeybees and bumblebees are both bees, and aren’t different insofar as “their being bees,” but they are different in terms of other things, such as size and shape, so you might call them Facets (or different manifestations) of Bee-ness.

this does, also, allow for the looseness of seeing Fear like Colour. you can stick to the basics—blue, red, yellow, green, etc.—or get into specifics—ochre, cerulean, lilac—but you’re still discussing Colour. at the same time, Fear works similarly; you can speak of Fear of change (which would include fears such as uninjured to injured, healthy to sick, alive to dead), of depths (which is my reasoning against the point in 111 that “[s]ome really clash, and you just can’t put them together” … “I doubt The Buried would be bringing through The Vast,” because the fear of both seems to me as significantly more similar than dissimilar: the fear is often categorized as not being able to breathe, due to a too-much or not-enough, and also as the fear of being insignificant in comparison to the size, the fear of a deepness you will Never comprehend that Will Swallow you—a video i would Highly Recommend is “Fear of Depths,” made by Jacob Geller; he talks mostly about caves, the darkness you can’t see into, the call of the void. he talks some of the creatures at the bottom of the ocean, a lot about various video games, including a platformer which causes you to lose the floor. it’s a game about going deeper, ever deeper, and yet … you’re plunged into a massive, empty space. it’s a very, very good video. cw for talking about someone dying stuck in a cave.)—and you can speak of Fear in specifics, even more into detail than the Fourteen do. the Fourteen seems, to me, as a relatively easy nomenclature for these things, especially as understanding these things involve “paradoxes that most adults couldn’t handle” (111)

04. and i’m not arguing, necessarily, against using such nomenclature. to talk about Fear is difficult—i believe, much like socrates believes in Virtue, that there must be something that we can speak to which will succinctly categorize all that we find Scary, but, just like socrates and his search for Virtue rather than the naming of virtues, i find myself at a loss. i have my own thoughts on its connection to the sublime, & how terror and awe meet—how i find it impossible to separate the two, and other thoughts on how perhaps calling what i’m speaking of Fear is a reduction of what it Is—but i think putting those thoughts in another meta is a better organization of my thoughts.

so to talk about Fear in a much more manageable way, to talk about it in its particulars, in its Facets, allows us to better speak to it, just as, when trying to speak of Bravery, one does not need to speak of all things Virtuous.

however, i do believe it important to bear in mind the distinction between something being a Facet of Fear, and something being A Separate Fear. this is when we come to the “age” of various “fears,” or facets. this is another point at which i believe that robert smirke is wrong. he believes that the flesh is the youngest entity, that the end is old & so is the dark—and i’ve seen further speculation from there, about the eye being young—which, in light of how the eye (or, at least, jonah magnus, which i think is more likely, as it does seem Fear is malleable based on belief—as it should be, if it is to reflect our Fear) feels about children’s fears (cf. “Night Night,” ep. 173), i’ve seen quite a bit about

in order for fear to exist, the Fear must have been there since the first time fear was felt—or must have been created simultaneously with it, or some such thing. if Fear is indeed how i’ve described it, and smirke took the easy way out by calling it by its Facets as meno did Virtue, then i would argue against the saying that one facet of Fear is older than another—especially because the difference seems only to be in how close one pays attention.

consider the hunt and the eye, for a moment. at first glance—indeed, likely from smirke’s point of view—the hunt would be an older fear than the eye. we understand the hunt to be the fear of being chased, the fear of being made prey, the fear of predators lurking or stalking or hunting. and we understand the eye to be the fear of being watched, seen, known, of having our secrets brought into the light—the eye, as i’ve seen algie @equalseleventhirds say (along with a great deal of other things that i find highly interesting! they have had a lot to say about the connection between fears—fear soup is the nomenclature there—& also about jonah’s effect on the apocalypse & the distinction of Fear that we’ve seen in season five; all of this i highly recommend checking out) is younger than others, and from how these facets are understood now, it seems possible

after all, animals have been afraid of being prey since there were first hunters.

except to be hunted, you must first be Seen. how many animals protect themselves through camouflage? how long have animals used camouflage to protect themselves? how many animals Must fear being Seen just as much as being Hunted because, to them, those facets are inextricable?

05. which brings us to the facets being incapable of being made separate. we—and once more, this is all living things which can feel fear—don’t ever fear only One Thing At A Time.

from a piece of my writing (which is still very much in the works):

“Fear … isn’t that separate. The cabin fed on your fear of loss, yes, but also of being alone—of being left alone. Of being the sole survivor. Of watching us slip away—of losing us to an unfathomable violence that hid[es] … you’re not only afraid of one thing, Tim. It all blurs together.”

in this instance, i’m talking about desolation—kind of. 111 describes it as the “[f]ear of pain, fear of loss, fear of unthinking or cruel destruction.” but where does the fear of pain stop connecting to the fear of being prey, of being the victim of some unexpected violence? from “the Eye Opens,” ep. 160:

You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the fear of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral?

where does the fear of loss stop being the fear of being alone? if you’re afraid of losing those you love, you’re also afraid of being made separate from them, of being alone, aren’t you?

even the flesh, which smirke thinks began with the industrial revolution, must have existed since there were first bodies. even if included within other facets, there are so many things which force us to recall our own physicality in the worst way. in the disease & decomposition of bodies—in things like gangrene, in the bacteria that consume flesh—in the witnessing of flesh (sometimes yours) in the mouths of predators—hyenas and lions don’t always kill their prey being beginning to consume it—

humanity’s stories are full of reminders, too. we have cannibalism in our fairytales (hansel & gretel) & we have it in our propaganda: horror stories ranging from during the famine in Jerusalem during Titus’ siege—Reza Aslan’s Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, “There were scattered reports of Jews who succumbed to eating the dead.” and i think i’ve read of similar rumors spread about early christians eating children, tho can’t currently find any sources—and also in significantly more recent times we also tell stories of various people participating in cannibalism, or of monsters which only consume human flesh, or people driven to starvation (cf. ep. 58, “Trail Rations”)—these stories aren’t new. living things have probably feared our own bodies since we had the knowledge that they age and deteriorate and die—that we must eventually end because of them.

this is also why i don’t believe the extinction is any more than another facet of Fear, just like any other; (from “Rotten Core,” ep. 157) “[p]erhaps it is an existential fear that flows through the others like a vein of ore.” it overlaps with and through and into the other facets just as each other in turn folds into the rest. i mean ,,, how many apocalypse-setting shows/books/movies/podcasts exist now? how big was the “2012 as the end of the world” thought? (they made a movie about it: 2012.) us, our end, & the life that comes after … i’m put in mind of a post i recall going around:

“but we built robots, who have beat-up hulls and metal brains, and who have names; and if the other people come and say, who were these people? what were they like?

the robots can say, when they made us, they called us discovery; they called us curiosity; they called us explorer; they called us spirit. they must have thought that was important.

and they told us to tell you hello.”

06. this has all been a rather long-winded (and somewhat meandering) proposition on how Fear might work—i’m Very interested in how other people think about Fear/the Fears/the Fourteen (& if anyone wants to talk to me about the Sublime & where that meets Fear, i’d ! be Very interested in talking about that, i might make another post about that too). i see each facet of Fear as inextricable—when talking and/or writing about them, i find it hard to keep any of them separate at all, especially when it comes to fears i specifically have myself. what do other ppl think ? how separate do you see the various fears/facets ?

[excorcismic]

you ever have that one muse that’s just like . . . no matter how many characters you play , not matter how much time goes by , you will never get sick of writing that muse & they’re such a huge comfort character and mean the world to you ?? YES , that’s me with miss zelda here . i . . . love zelda ( the character and the series ) with every fiber of my being and after a lot of debate i finally decided i’d bring her here !! i’m doing leon’s intro next and will try to get to replies ( want to get down zel’s intro soon but i’d like to plot things first ) afterwards but pls pls pls here’s a detailed plotting call for my princess !! pls like / react if you’re interested - or let me know if we’re already plotting !!

IN A CANON NUTSHELL : so this zelda is the princess from the masterpiece known as breath of the wild - one hundred years before the events of the game , she was kind of the ‘leader’ of the champions , a group of people who were tasked to aid in protecting hyrule once calamity ganon rose again . link , who was also a champion , was assigned as her personal knight - in the beginning . . . she did not like him for the fact that he seemed to have everything under control and she didn’t . why ?? well , zelda , from birth , was told she had to unlock a power in herself that would potentially save hyrule from the calamity , and for some reason , no matter how hard she tried , she couldn’t do it . and she was mad at herself for feeling like a failure when she was put under an intense amount of pressure from her father & the prophecy - even called the heir to a throne of nothing because of how no results came from her ceaseless prayers . EVENTUALLY , her powers would reveal themselves . . . but only after the calamity arrived , all of the champions had been downed ( save for link , on the verge of death ) , and all seemed lost . but she would use her power to protect hyrule & keep the calamity contained inside hyrule castle until link would awaken and finish him off .

IN AN ALUCARD NUTSHELL : so zelda . daughter of a preacher ( father ) & a lawyer ( mother , now deceased ) , always expected to be the picture perfect child hence why she never got much of a chance to have a break from endless studying & extra things . she’s always been a straight-a student , has done fencing since she was a child , trilingual in english spanish & mandarin chinese , now a star college student majoring in biology ( her own choice , because she loves science ) and minoring in law ( because her father wants her to be a lawyer like her mother & she uhh hates it ! ) she’s seen as ‘little miss perfect’ because she can do so much and never seems to do any wrong but zelda is uhhh sick of that and is actually now trying to rebel against her father and throw herself into trouble . since lowkey all of this shit is killing her and she wants to breathe freely . she’s trying to do what she wants to do hence why she’s majoring in bio instead of law , working at the local florist instead of taking a law internship , actually trying to pursue a social life outside of the people her dad approves of . that stuff . she’s basically a genius who wants to say ‘fuck u’ to the people telling her what to do and go on her own path and i think that’s sexy .

BUT OHHHHHHHHHH YOU WANNA PLOT WITH ZELDA SO BAD OHHHHHHH

so zelda . given her situation ?? there is so much to work with . lemme spout off these ideas bc i’m so fucking excited .

firstly - people who know about her little miss perfect reputation and either dislike her or are intimidated by her for it . zelda isn’t a snob in the slightest but with someone who does as much as she does it’s only natural to assume she is . but she isn’t , i promise ; she hates that being her epithet .

kind of building off the idea of people knowing abt her whole ‘lmp’ thing - i’d love some folks who actually entertain zelda’s desires to break away from that and take her out to do rebellious shit or something like that !! because zelda wants to get the fuck out she hates it here .

some who encourage her and some who do the opposite - ‘you can do it, don’t be scared’ vs. ‘you really don’t belong here so go back to your books and pencils’

maybe ppl who hold zelda to some sort of pedestal bc of her reputation ?? which is equally as bad to her - she’s lowkey crumbling under all these expectations and she’s amazing but to be seen as someone . . . above other people , she doesn’t like that at all .

also those folks who in any grade of school rly have tried to exploit her need to get good grades & genius to their advantage aka if i pair up with the smart kid we’ll get an a guaranteed . can be anywhere - could’ve been in the past or could be now . 

CLASSMATES in general . from elementary , middle school , high school for the past , and now college classmates .

study buddies !! study buddies that zelda either vibes with immensely in terms of how she works or butts heads with them . her way of thinking is both incredibly organized but also all over the place . she can be either very easy or difficult to work with .

gimme some school rivals or equals aka ppl that zelda’s on par with in terms of intellect/grades and either they fucking hate each other or make a pretty good team . maybe both ! put the smart ppl in a room together and see what happens .

also want to clarify this can be on both the bio or law side for any of these college-based connections bc zelda is taking both she’s just . way more passionate about biology than she is law .

OLD FENCING TEAMMATES OR RIVALS PLEASE yes she is still fencing to this day and she’s awesome at it . she’s got a shitton of medals and she actually likes it but it’s another thing that was forced upon her since she was young .

her dad is a local preacher so by nature she’s always expected to be at church so ppl who know her as the preacher’s daughter/from church bc imma keep it real zelda ain’t that enthused abt that religion either but again . once again have to fill father’s expectations . one day tho she’s just gonna stop showing up .

i’d like maybe a social circle who zelda’s father approves of ?? like , friends who zelda has but they’re more so just bc that’s what mr. king wanted . i’d also like a partner/ex-partner to fit this description aka zelda’s not rly that into it or was into it bc it was again . kinda just ‘i’m just dating you bc my dad approves of you’ kinda deal and maybe she tried but overall . didn’t/doesn’t work .

i also , though , like the idea of a social circle who zelda’s father would never approve of and she hangs w/ them bc maybe she likes them or maybe she also just wants to prove a point . maybe she dated someone for this reason too - just the whole spectrum of ‘what dad wants vs. what dad wasn’t’ bc pissing off her dad is kind of a major goal at this point .

so maybe regular customers of the flower shop she works at - she just . zelda rly loves flowers & nature ( and again science as a whole , especially life science hence biology ) and she can go off on so many tangent about flowers please talk to her about flowers . maybe even bring her some flowers too jk unless

i’d rly find it awesome if zelda had some ppl who maybe liked her enough to follow her when she goes out just studying things and listen to her bc she loves to talk about her passions - she likes taking hikes and trips out into nature or the botanical gardens and stuff like that to do studies / experiments of her own . she likes museums , gardens , the outdoors - zelda loves knowledge and learning about things and if someone just kept her company while she did so that’d be awesome .

i’m a sucker for canon parallels with non-canon characters so . maybe a relationship that doesn’t rly have any specificity in what portion of zelda’s life ( school , father approved social circle , father disapproved social circle , night life etc etc ) but mirrors her relationship with link in breath of the wild - for whatever reason , zelda and this other character are around each other very frequently and the beginning for some reason she is very put off by it but then comes around and eventually this muse , they become extremely closer with her and important to her . in any way !! idk if it’s platonic or romantic but , in rps like this that’s lowkey my jam but it works the best with miss zelda

AS ALWAYS - friends ! enemies !  former crushes ! exes ! gimme anything and all !! the princess of hyrule is AT YOUR SERVICE and i’m so excited to write her . i love her .

and now . . . onto leon’s intro i hopefully go .

[unholyplumpprincess]

Anytime I see writing advice talking about DON'T PUT TOO MYCH DETAIL/DESCRIPTION OR YOU'LL BORE UR AUDIENCE

And im like. First of all: ABSOLUTELY not I love when ppl don't leave me in the dark about shit. And second of all: That is literally one of my readers fav things.

Anyway: Writing, much like art, is for u to decide what u like! There's not really a lot of rules besides like. Basics and making sure ur not smashing 8 paragraphs together so it's able to be read- but even then, if shoving 8 paragraphs together is ur jam, WHY NOT? DO IT IF THAT'S YA JAM.

[laughing-with-god]

Hello! I myself am working on a yandere series for bts and I just so happen to love your writing and feel inspired by it every time something new is up. I was wondering if you could give me some pointers for writing yandere type stories or just writing descriptions since you are very good at it in my opinion. ~✿Anon

1. Infatuation is a really big part of yandere. Biggest mistake you can make is an underdeveloped process in which the yandere becomes obsessed with the OC. Instead of doing a “he saw her...it was love at first sight.....he knew he just had to have her” pls dedicate a good couple hundred words where the yandere is taken aback by the OC’s appearance, persona ect. or the Yandere’s slow progression into obsession. Like the thing I did in pen Pal where Jk first sees the readers picture and we see the detailed musings of his mind triggered by the readers image alone. or Paparazzi’s Jimin slow process of becoming more and more dedicated to the reader as time goes on. Real obsession takes time and has a triggering point. Make ur readers believe it.

2. Yandere readers are tired of dumb OC’s. Please, while in the midst of escaping or handling the yandere, think for a second “would I do something like this?” while crafting your main characters response. If the answer is no bc you’re likely more intelligent than that, then pls redirect your main character’s plan of action accordingly.

3. In my experience, readers would rather wait longer for a nice and lengthy update then get quicker hundred-something worded chapters. My personal rule is it doesn’t get posted unless its over 3k. As an avid reader myself, it’s literally so frustrating to love a plot or writer but have to settle for like 800 to 1k words per chapter. It makes it hard for readers to really sink into a story and get involved when the chapters are short and end abruptly. Make sure it’s of a decent length, and moves the story forward in some way. Filler chapters really annoy readers.

4. This is random but I see it in fanfcition literally all the time and it grinds my gears. Pls don’t dedicate any writing to the past. It’s hard to explain but like I’ll try my best. Have you ever read a fan fiction where out of nowhere the flash backs are like really fucking detailed and always a sob story and for some reason the author always makes them long as hell so sometimes the flashbacks get their own fucking chapters? It’ll be so fucking detailed too, to the point where as a reader your like “....I literally don’t care about half the shit that apparently happened 5 years ago that the author spent like 2.8k on....” ppl could make the argument that it’s for the sake of character development so you get to know someone’s story but like tbh I think you should focus on the present. Like with Pen Pal’s OC, I could’ve taken the time to take you back to that day where her sister was killed but tbh that’s a waste of writing that would be inefficient to the story progression. Show don’t tell. I showed how bad her sister’s accident fucked her up, I sprinkled in some info here and there but didn’t break a sweat trying to get super fucking technical with it. I BEG OF YOU...STAY AWAY FROM FLASHBACKS.

5. Last thing, readers like to discover info with the main character. It makes the story more thrilling and makes readers hooked. Readers will want to figure out stuff about the yandere with the OC. For Pen Pal, how the fuck would that cookie crumbled if I was like “lmao guys so Jk is a serial killer and here’s who he killed, why he killed them, and what he plans to do with Y/n”. Like no....it’s more exciting to find out about the crimes and piece together the puzzle with the OC. Although, stories where we are going through the plot with the Yandere instead of the OC are really good ways to show progression of obsession. 👀☕️

6. Details are good but like sis...do we need to know this shit?? In a lot of fan fictions, some authors get so far up the OC’s (ass)life and it really shows👀. Here’s an example;

“You woke up and got ready for school. You took a warm shower whilst using the strawberry shampoo that always made your hair smell so good. Then you got dressed and decided to wear a orange crop top, green high waisted jeans and some cute brown boots. Highlighted by some hoop earrings and a gold necklace. You put on some makeup, light eyeliner, blush and some lipstick. Next, you put your hair up into a messy bun and went downstairs for breakfast where you ate a bowl of oatmeal, and some fresh fruit. Freshly cut strawberries, mango and berries. Then you filled up your cute purple waterbottle and headed to the bus where you took the window seat and plugged in your headphone to listen to “song by artist” bc it honestly made you feel so “emotion”. Gosh...you’re so quirky🤪”

Like sis, ur readers couldn’t give a shit if the OC picked the blue shirt or the green shirt or what EXACTLY she had for breakfast or what type of pencil she used....

Good luck sis. Don’t let anyone tell you shit about your writing either dude. So many times I wanted to quit just bc some asshole hit up my inbox spreading some negativity. Like most artists, writers are also sensitive about their shit 🤧. Srry if my tips were long asl but tbh I just unloaded like YEARS of shit I wanted to yell at some awful tumblr writers. Also, let us know when it’s posted and what it’s called bc you kno me and like my 3 followers are STARVED for yandere.

[relenafanel]

Reading your fic about Bucky writing Steve fanfics makes me wanna start writing my own and actually posting them. I’m pretty nervous do you have any advice?

Just do it.

I know it doesn’t seem like great advice, the same as ‘just rip the bandaid off’ doesn’t always seem like great advice, because it ignores all the nervousness, the hard work, the actual writing and then the posting, but if you don’t just do it, then you’ll get up in your own head and never go through with it.

And that would be a shame.

RelenaFanel’s 101 on Fanfic Writing: ADVICE, not RULES

(keep in mind that my very first fic was posted in 2001 that’s how long it’s been since I started, so I’m going to base this on what I’ve learned in my advanced age. there’s also a tiny bit of these feelings when you start a new fandom)

1. Think of something to write. I love writing AUs, but usually the fandoms I end up writing AUs for are ones that need them. So, you can look at fandom and see what it is that you want to put into it, OR you can acknowledge the many-cake theory and just write what you WANT and love. So Bucky in the Steve Rogers Problem tended to scope out fandom for gaps, and I do that too, but it’s not the only way.

2. Sit down and write it. Maybe scrap it and start something new, maybe not. This step is extremely personal to what will turn out to be your writing habits, so I’m not touching it. It turns out individuals treat an activity like writing as personal, so if you want tips, there are a ton of writing guidelines out there, but don’t take any of them as YOU MUST do this.

3. Get someone to read it over for you to check for plot inconsistencies, typos, etc. I advocating getting a beta reader, but I know a lot of people have trouble with this step and I’m 0% help. So, if not, get someone you know irl to do it. I started with my BFF.

Also: remember that you’re the author and so you have final say over what your beta suggests. This isn’t me telling you to ignore all their help, this is me telling you that you know what your intention was. So if they say ‘no this doesn’t work’ but you think it’s important, consider that maybe they picked out clunky phrasing or something else that would hinder the reader. 

4. NOW YOU’RE READY TO POST YAY. (this is all assuming Ao3, and honestly gets a little tl;dr)

Pick a title. Look, picking a title sucks a lot. If you’ve noticed mine have started looking like clickbait articles, and I’m ok with that. A funny title fits my writing. Honestly, go ahead and use song lyrics or poetry lines, or maybe a reference to the fic. Life is short and you could spend half of it thinking up titles - JUST, don’t use something common. Like, if *I* can recognize it as a line from Hamilton or Mumford and Sons, maybe don’t use that one.  Ppl don’t pay that much attention to the title unless there’s no title there to pay attention to or if they’ve seen 8 fics in the last week with the same title. 

Your life will be happier when you don’t really give a shit WHAT the title is. It took me until like 2015 to reach that point, so... *shrug* Just make sure to call it something.

Write a summary. This also sucks a lot and I haven’t entirely mastered it, but DO NOT admit to anyone that your summary sucks. “summary sucks, just read”? dooonnnn’tttt. If I see that line I’m going to assume the writing in the fic also sucks. Most of the time the summaries aren’t that bad until you get to that line, so just own your summary, no matter how awful you feel it is.

Sometimes you can get away with a line / para from the fic. I try to reserve that for shorter fics that don’t need a lot in terms of summary.

You’re trying to convey what the story is about and make it interesting.  So, go look at some summaries for similar tropes and see what people are doing. Just read the summary, this isn’t the point you’re looking at reading the fics.  If there’s something you like, copy the style of it (but not word for word).

Also PROOFREAD. Summaries with typos are also something that tends to repel discerning readers.

Make the tags. So for tags you want to remember a few things. Only tag the main relationship in the fic as a courtesy. Then start broad and then narrow in on more specific. So start with whether it’s au or canon. Then the tropes in the main theme. Then some of the tropes that aren’t as important but are present. If you mention something once and it has no bearing on the fic as a whole, there’s no need to tag it. Also be aware of what possible triggers are involved, and conversely what things you might tag so people can find it. An example of this is with sex scenes and whether one of them bottoms. I want the people who love that to be able to find it. I am, as a person, a lot less concerned with people who might find that specific example triggering, but they do, so also be aware of that.

also, be aware of your tags as a whole message. If you write a 5k adorable coffeeshop au that has one line where someone inappropriately comes on to a character, don’t dedicate 5 tags to that line because it’s disproportionate to the contents of the fic. This, ofc, depends on the gravity of the thing, but you could honestly just explain the contents in an author’s note instead of using the tags to explain. If it’s a fluff fic, most of your tags should reflect that.

And honestly if you have a fluffy fic with some major grim or dark themes, then maybe it’s not a fluffy fic?

Also, once I’m done with that I sometimes add some funny or clever tags, but if you’re into the funny and clever tags, remember to make sure the important ones are included so Ao3′s tagging system can work to your advantage. 

FINALLY as a specific nitpick of mine that I think is also good advice, don’t admit it’s your first fic or your first fic in a while. It feels like you’re lessening your own culpability, like saying “this is my first fic be gentle” means you’re admitting it might suck so you hope people will be gracious, but in my experience what you’re doing is telling people “be slightly harsher judging this because it might suck” - whether they do it on purpose trying to be helpful or whether it’s subconsciously.  It does the opposite of what you mean for it to do.

So, in general, don’t show weakness. Fake it til you make it. The whole process is scary and sometimes it makes us feel better to say something like “oh god this sucks idek” (yes, including me) but it’s just a knee-jerk reaction to your own anxiety. Feel it in your brain, but resist the urge to put it in the post, because what readers see isn’t your ball of anxiety or ‘what if ppl don’t like this?’ panic, they see an author who doesn’t like their own work, and so why should they?  They see an author who says ‘this sucks’ and since they’re the authority of their own work, they believe it.

So don’t sabotage yourselves my dears.

5. Authors notes and Posting. You can put any details you don’t tag in the authors note. Usually, I also include a link to my tumblr in the end note because I want people to find me. Learn the html here.

Then, hit that post button.

6. Advertise yourself. You’re your biggest advocate. So make a tumblr post (if you have one and didn’t anon me because you don’t) and tag it with the common tumblr tags within the first 5 tags.  This isn’t as important, but it helps. If you do this, make sure to include the link to the tumblr post in your Ao3 notes. You want people who like it to pass it on.

7. Be kind to yourself. As a final point, I don’t know how to approach this without sounding like an egotistical dick, but don’t ever compare your fic to mine and allow my kudos/comments to make you feel bad. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been writing fanfic since 2001, I adapted early on Ao3 and have had a ton of time to build up subscribers. I’ve been around for a long time, ok, and so you can absolutely strive for the popularity and put the work in for it, but don’t torture yourself over comparing your work to mine.

It’s not a fair comparison.

You know what is a fair comparison? Compare your second fic to your first. Did it do better with kudos/comments? Worse? What’s different between them? Maybe it’s a less popular trope, which you can’t control (unless you write for popularity, in which case make note of it). How can you improve? What do you want to try next?

Play the game against yourself. I promise you, the results are better and you feel a lot less bitter and downtrodden.  It’s ok to emulate other authors you admire as a way to work on your writing and find your niche. Don’t outright steal, but work on copying tone as a writing exercise. Keep in mind the fics that you love and ask yourself what you love about them. Tone? Characters? Dialogue? Description?

Hold the nice comments you get close to your heart. Did someone love your description of a certain scene? Love that you’re good at description and keep writing descriptions until you’re better at them. Until you’re the description master. 

Did someone leave you a not-so-nice comment about your characterization? Ok, first of all, it’s ok if your first thought is ‘screw you’ because yeah! you stand behind your fic! (maybe don’t answer back ‘screw you’ and if you have the ability to stomach it, instead ask if they mind being more specific in order to help you improve - I have never had that skill, I’m a sulker under negative feedback). But also, if you’re going to internalize their criticism anyway, then use it to your advantage and start paying a little more attention to that part when writing.

A lot of this stuff gets so intuitive that you probably won’t be consciously thinking about it.

Most importantly of all: have fun. 

[yoonia]

DIA! Writing anon again. I just wanted to say i am soso grateful you took the time to answer in details and share your experience, thoughts and advice!! I just woke up to it and it made me so happy! I'm gonna try out your method on outlining, and see where all that brainstorming and structure leads me! I also loved what you said about including members in dialogues or cameo. I always love that in fics, bc it's somewhat unexpected? And it's a nice surprise. Thanks for reminding me of that! (1/3)

(2/3) Sorry this is turning into a multi part ask again lol. Don't feel pressured to answer it right away(/at all, of course!). Everything you said was clear, but I do have another question, if that's ok? Do you ever use your own life/trauma/personality as a base or back(/)story for your characters? I saw a lot of people criticising this, like "you shouldn't use your writing as therapy." For some reason a lot of my ideas come from a personal place, but i'm getting self conscious about it. Wdyt?

(3/3) As long as it's honest, not a "this character has no flaw bc i have no flaw!" kind of thing, what's so bad about giving your characters some of your own insecurities/experiences? Doesn't it make it somewhat more "real"? Anyway, about that writing journal... It sounds amazing I would totally read that!! I'm sure a lot of ppl would be interested in it too! But of course, no pressure. Only do it if you have the time and energy! Take care love!! Ty for this conversation, have a nice day!! Xx

DIA! Istg I'm gonna leave u alone at some point. I just thought about something. Character development. How do u go abt it? Do u list all ur characters, write their backstories, qualities, flaws, personalities, fam/relationships, little trivia? Do you just go with the flow and not really bother? My lead's been too "perfect" (he's a "safe place"/support system), I guess I should backtrack. I need to fuck him up a bit, otherwise it's unrealistic, right? This is hard. Thoughts? Thank u love!! (4)

Thanks for coming back to me. It is always a pleasure to help whenever I can so never feel sorry about it. I’m the one who should probably apologise for taking so goddamn long to answer each one T^T I’ve been busy with work, nursing my foster kittens and preparing for...something, in my personal life, so I haven’t been around much.

First of, I would have to disagree when somebody says something like not using writing as a form of therapy. I really have to debunk that because writing can be a form of therapy. Hell, even I have been using writing as my own personal therapy.

Here’s the thing, though. Using your own personal life experience and putting them into the story you are writing can be good and bad at the same time. The positive factor of it would be that (1) you will be adding something that is “real” into the plot and create “real” characters and, (2) by understanding the context of the real-life experience you are bringing into the story, you will have the ability to create a solid backstory. The negative side is that if you are not careful or if that past experience involves a personal trauma, it might be triggering to some readers. I’ve seen this happening in the past, when writers put past traumas (for example, physical abuse) into the story without proper warning or too many graphic descriptions and it triggered a lot of their audience which resulted in strong reactions through negative comments, public complaints, etc.

Just remember to put certain boundaries when you are trying to bring out these life experiences and plan it properly and with proper research when needed. And remember that when writing fanfiction, even though most readers and writers have the ability to separate the characters in the story with the real living persons whose names and characters traits you are placing in the story, there are still many that could not do just the same.

Giving flaws and insecurities into the characters is always a good idea. Let readers see the characters’ weaknesses, fears, pain, and let them feel what the characters feel so they can get themselves more engrossed into the story better. Characters who are too perfect might seem great at the beginning, but sometimes it can make the story appear a bit “bland”. Not to mention, these “flaws” will allow any character development to transpire. 

Now, this may be able to answer your last question, because yes, I am a total sucker to any character development happening in a story. Just as I mentioned previously, witnessing your characters grow in the story you are writing will pull your audience deeper into your story and have them more engrossed into it. There is a certain thrill and pride whenever it happens. I have to be honest, there have been times when I give up on a certain story (whether writing it or reading it somewhere) only because I’m not seeing any development in the characters. Because not seeing your character grow can make it feel like you are stuck in one point no matter how much the story grows (idk if I explained it well but you probably get the gist of it).

Another answer to your last question, I have different techniques in building a story and my characters. Sometimes I will take my sweet time building up their backstory, flaws, personalities to have a character come into “life”, but other times, I just let the character grows on their own according to the plot. It depends more on which I am putting my full attention on with a story. For example, in Carousel, I just let the characters grow along with how the plot develops, that is why I can sometimes delete a scene or two that I have planned for months when it doesn’t necessarily work best with how the plot flows or if it no longer fits with the character’s growth. Meanwhile, About Time and Blood Moon Rising have their own proper planning with intricate listings of each character’s backstory, purposes, and even their own timelines before I started plotting the scenes.

Now, if we’re talking about the character that you mentioned as “too perfect”, you don’t need to go so far as backtracking if you already have the story progressing. You can always fuck a character up by making a twist on the plot ahead. Every aspect in real life always has their own twists anyway, like a very perfect household may encounter a storm in it, or a student with perfect grades can get stuck on a one wild night of partying thanks to a dorm mate, or something similar to those, so you can bring it into your story to finally show a flaw in your character even if it’s just a tiny bit of it.

Speaking of writing diaries, I might as well make one within this week. Although it might not be as specific as the ones I put out during my NaNo projects. So far, I have only been keeping track of how much I have written within a week and how far I have gotten by listing my word count into my monthly activity calendar, like this:

As you can see, I haven’t been writing as much as I want to lol so the diary will only show the days when I do write instead of showing a day to day progress.

Anyway, good luck with your writing! Let me know if I can still be of any help or if you have managed to pull through with it :)

[eledritch]

10 Tips for Writing (Good) Smut

so. let’s do this.

About a year ago, I had to read a book for my school’s summer reading assignment called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. It’s not a bad book, pretty decent actually, but there was this one chapter about sex scenes in literature. And one of the first sentences was along the lines of “writing sex is boring.”

and I did a double-take. Bc in my experience, that is absolutely not the case, and if you do find yourself bored while writing smut, then you’re not doing it right. See, Thomas’s main argument was that there’s only so many ways you can write sex scenes, because there’s only so many sex acts you can choose from. (My boy Thomas is clearly a vanilla dude, but let’s not hold that against him.) 

But one of the most important things to keep in mind while writing smut is that it’s not necessarily just about the act itself. So while Thomas is right that there are limits as to how many ways ppl can have sex, he failed to realize that writing sex is about a LOT more than that. And I’m gonna prove it to you.

Just to get it out of the way, I’ve been writing smut for about 6 years now. I’m 18 now, so yeah, been doin’ this since I was 12. Which is a little weird, thinking back on it, but honestly I think it’s healthy for adolescents/young teens to explore their sexualities and learn about sex in a safe, controlled setting like writing fanfiction has been for me. 

It was a better sex ed than anything else I got in Arizona, that’s for sure. And for the record, I’m a virgin and I don’t believe you need to have sex to be good at writing it. Conversely, you could have sex a hundred times and still not be good at writing it. The important thing is that you EDUCATE yourself and do your research so you know what the heck you’re writing about.

When I first started writing smutty fics in middle school, they were pretty bad. Not the worst, but not good either. Don’t let the seemingly simple nature of writing sex fool you - it can be really hard (ha, ha). Even if you’re a good writer, you might try to write a sex scene and find yourself slogging through it because you, like my boy Thomas, are focusing only on the act itself. that’s a mistake. don’t do that. 

Which brings me to this list of 10 things you SHOULD do:

1. You gotta get in the right mood. By this I don’t mean you need to be horny to write smut, you absolutely don’t, in fact you probably shouldn’t bc you're likely to get distracted. What I mean is that if you wanna write vanilla, sweet, slow love makin’, then you should be in a good or at least halfway decent mood. Get comfy. Make yourself a warm drink. 

Don’t try to write sweet sex if you’re angry or upset or sick or in pain - it’s either gonna turn into not sweet sex, or it’s gonna take you a long-ass time. Case in point, I tried to write a tender blowjob scene shortly after getting my wisdom teeth removed and just couldn’t do it, because ow, can you even imagine.

But you can use those negative moods/emotions to your advantage, too. If you're having a bad day, it’s actually a great catharsis to take those feelings out in your writing. You can apologize to your characters later - or maybe you’ll work out all your pent-up rage halfway through a brutal scene and turn it into something a little less intense, that works just as well!

2. Do your research. Research is important before you dive into any piece of writing, but it’s a necessary step for writing smut. If you’re a virgin or have no experience with the kind of sex you’re writing about, you’re gonna have to do some Googling. You don’t need to look up porn, porn honestly grosses me out and isn’t my favorite thing to draw from, but you do need to know the complete ins-and-outs (ha...) of whatever act you’re writing about. 

A good way to do research is to read other fanfics, popular fanfics by seasoned authors who have gained a large following/a lot of attention by writing the right stuff. You can also check out posts by people who actually gave tips to fanfic writers, there are several by gay guys which are helpful if you’re not a gay guy and you’re writing a sex scene about gay guys. They’re the authority, listen to them over the fanfic authors.

If you’re delving into something like BDSM in your writing, do your research on that, too. Don’t misrepresent people and practices just because you didn’t bother to learn about them. If you’re not willing to learn about them, you’re not going to be able to write about them. 

Oh, and lastly, but not leastly, LUBE. if your characters are having anal sex especially, they need to use lube, my dude. the human body made that rule, not me.

3. Write empathetically. It’s unavoidable - when you’re writing smut, you have to learn how to put yourself into the shoes of the POV character. This can be kinda challenging if, for instance, you don’t have a dick and having a dick is very important for the POV character to make that scene work. But that’s what your imagination is for - use it. 

Think about how this character would experience this situation not just in terms of the obvious sensations they’re feeling, whether pain or pleasure, but also in terms of their thoughts, their emotions, their memories, etc. A lot of good characterization can happen during sex scenes, and it makes me sad that all too often writers don’t take advantage of that. 

4. Don’t be afraid of using repetitive words. Sex is a repetitive act, get that through your head before you write it. One of the most irritating things I come across while reading smut is the author’s need to use endless synonyms for ‘cock.’ Stop. Please stop. Cock is fine. You can use ‘dick’ too if you really wanna add some variation. But anymore than that, and it’s just downright distracting. Don’t use member, penis (just...not a sexy word, at all), organ (NOT SEXY), etc - use length, prick, and erection sparingly if at all, and boner is more of a funny word than a sexy word, so keep that in mind. I’ve also seen ‘manhood’ used and i mean....i guess??? but why would you use that when you can accomplish the same thing in 4 much better letters? C O C K. just do it.

alternately, when referring to parts of a cock, just stick to the basics. shaft, head/tip/crown, balls. that’s it. maybe talk about veins if you’re gettin real detailed. you don’t need to wax poetic about it, or about the actions within the sex itself. you’ll find yourself reusing a lot of verbs and that’s ok! the usuals may include (but are not limited to) - thrust, buck, shove, press, slide, glide, ride, fuck, bounce, drive (into), arch, kiss, suck, bite, stroke, smack, slap, rock, embrace, squeeze, tremble, shudder, moan, groan, whine, whimper, hiss, shout, scream, gasp, curse, beg, sob, grunt, sigh.

5. Understand connotations vs denotations of words. This is an important tip not just for smut writing but for any writing. Words that may be ‘synonyms’ in terms of definition may not actually be synonymous. This can be an issue if English isn’t your first language - even if it is, it still trips people up. ‘Shudder’ and ‘tremble’ are both defined as someone’s body shaking, but they have different meanings! Shudder is more violent/intense, more of a full-body kinda deal and often more negative in connotation (i.e. ‘shudder of fear’). Tremble is more subtle, and more of a localized thing (i.e. his hands trembled) and connotates nervousness or apprehension more than outright fear - or it can be used to convey a more subdued/internalized fear. There are situations in which they can be interchangeable, and situations in which they really aren’t.

Understanding exactly what words mean will help you know when to use them and make your writing more fluid, comprehensible, and realistic for the reader. 

6. Avoid using cliche/overused phrases. For the love of god, don’t use the phrase ‘their tongues battled for dominance.’ I’M BEGGING YOU. listen, i’m guilty as charged, i’m sure i wrote it at some point in my earlier days, but don’t make the same mistake! not only does the phrase have some troubling implications about the perception of m/m relationships (in which the phrase is almost exclusively found) as little more than a fight for dominance, it’s just...that’s not how kissing works? 

Your tongues don’t battle, that’s not a good description for it. Why would you use a cliche phrase like that when you can talk about teeth clashing, tongues pressing, mouths sliding/slipping, biting at lips, hair pulling, nails scratching, hands grasping, pulses racing, and everything else that goes into kissing? Using phrases that many have used before you is a lazy way out and it dulls your imagery and the reader’s immersion into the story. 

7. Think for yourself while writing and be original! It’s the only way you’re going to find your unique voice, or writing style, which often shines through in smut-writing and sets yours apart from the rest. Writing mediocre smut is easy, but if you’re reading this, you don’t want to go that route. While it’s helpful to draw from other smut writers when you’re getting started, you need to be able to draw from your own mind above all. 

Yeah, it’s true that your fifth grade teacher probably didn’t mean ‘brainstorm new and exciting sex positions and scenarios’ when she said ‘be creative.’ But you’re not in fifth grade anymore (or at least, you better not be), and that’s what I mean when I’m telling you to be creative right now. 

Developing your voice/originality happens through a variety of ways, including plain old practice, trial and error, and understanding the technicalities of writing. What I mean by that is remembering all the stuff your English teacher taught you about - imagery, figurative speech, idioms, irony, dialogue, diction, syntax, figurative devices, metaphors, simile, etc. Speaking of which...

8. Everybody loves a big, dramatic sex metaphor once in a while. This is tricky, because you really shouldn’t overdo this - if you do, you risk making your smut the most pretentious, unreadable piece ever. Metaphors tend to do that when you use them without discretion. But when you choose and use them carefully, you can turn a sex scene into something more meaningful, both for the character and the story as a whole. 

If you’re just writing a quickie in a club bathroom, don’t bother with this (unless that quickie was life-changing and birthed the spark of TRUE LOVE between your characters, which is entirely possible, no judgment, I’m happy for them). But if you’re writing about your character losing their virginity, having sex with someone who means a lot to them, having sex with someone who just returned from a long absence/is leaving them for a long time, etc...you may wanna make things a little ~deep~ for a second. 

I’m not gonna tell you exactly how to write your sex metaphors because you’ll know when and how to use them if the occasion presents itself and if you have your voice figured out. Talk about bodies being more than bodies, lips being like brands of fire, whispers being sacred vows, orgasms being fuckin’ nirvana, idk, orgasms are tricky because sometimes people will write ‘his orgasm RIPPED through him’ and you’re like ??? is he okay? that sounded painful...

You can see how metaphors can quickly make a story exhausting/confusing/unenjoyable if you use them too much. But once in a while? Man, go for it. 

9. Humor is key. This is perhaps one of the most important tips I have for you, because personally it’s improved my smut writing the most, as well as made the whole activity a lot more fun. Smut is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to read. But no matter how arousing/hot/absolutely obscene you make it, some readers are going to get bored. I said earlier that sex is a repetitive act, it just is. Your goal is to make it sexy AND entertaining. You want to keep the reader engaged. 

And humor is the best way, I’ve found, to do that. A lot of fanfiction sex is guilty of being too perfect. Try to steer clear of that. As tempting as it can be to make a sex scene where everything works without a hitch and everyone is serious, fully consumed with love/arousal, etc, there is something genuinely delightful about writing the awkward, funny parts of sex, too. They don’t have a place in every scene, but in many, especially first times/trying new things, they’re great. Not only does adding humor make your characters seem more human and likable, it makes the bond between them seem more real and makes the reader more attached to them.

And isn’t that the point? Your readers aren’t gonna to want to read about flat characters they can’t relate to or straight-up dislike, no matter how hot the sex is. 

10. Don’t forget the little things. This final point goes back to what Thomas got wrong in his book. Sex should NOT be boring to write. Don’t write on the surface about what’s happening, adjust the lens through which you, the character/s, and the reader view it. Write about the sex itself but also write about the little things (not your character’s dick, don’t be mean) - the freckles on their lover’s shoulder, the fading bruises on their neck, the way their lover’s hair feels against their skin, all the not-obvious sensations that add realism and a spark to the scene that sets it apart. 

This goes for non-tactile things as well - maybe your character has ADD or is just distracted easily, and goes off on tangents of thought (or speech) during sex. Maybe they’re really fascinated with a certain aspect of their partner/s, like their eyes or mouth or hands or the sounds they make. Maybe they notice small details about the setting - the smell of the sheets is comforting, the crack on the ceiling reminds them of their bedroom back home, the weird deer head on the wall looks like it’s staring at them, the possibilities are literally endless. It’s up to you how you want to use them, but please - use them. 

So in summary, no, Thomas, writing sex - and reading it, for that matter - shouldn’t be boring. It’s an excellent way to further characterization, improve your writing, find your voice, and make your story overall a better one.

[bleusarcelle]

Author ask Thingy

So, @goramidiot tagged me on one of these, and I had fifteen minutes free before an interview (yes, a 9 pm interview yey) so I thought, why not?

1)      is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

Well…I kinda have this one story that I deleted bc uh, it was about Klance coming back to earth but like, their relationship took a turn bc it was a new environment from where they established their relationship, so they go downhill from there but like, in the end they want to make it work.

So yeh. Posted it. Deleted it. Trying to edit so I can do their relationship justice, you know, like a good healthy relationship should be.

2)      what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

Hmmmmm. None? Like, sure, I have a couple where they might be lil cringy in the writing but that’s because I was still learning. So, I can forgive myself.

3)      what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

Fave scenes first and then chronological.

4)      favorite character you’ve written

Lance and Keith. Neck to Neck.

5)      character you were most surprised to end up writing

Pidge. I didn’t expected me to fall hard for her, man.

6)      something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

Environment descriptions. Like, I usually focus on emotions and dialogue, what the character is doing and showing but damn, it’s a hard time for me to describe or find the time to put what’s around them.

7)      when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

I’m okayish. I don’t ger overexcited because then I would have to explain the plot and …yah know? Not a lot of ppl are accepting of stories of people falling in love, if you know what I mean.

Embarassed, tho? No. Never. I’m proud of my writing.

8)      favorite genre to write

……….

Fluff.

Why are you looking at me like that, it’s fluff.

……….. and angst.

9)      what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

Life, tbh?

10)   write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

Background noise and people. Like, I usually write whenever I’m not overwhelmed at work, so I write in my office with chatter behind me or aimless music.

But like, when I acknowledge the silence when I’m alone? It’s a lil unsettling. I prefer to be surrounded by people but in my own world, if that makes sense.

11)   what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

Damn, dude, I really wouldn’t know?

Maybe the transaction from scene to scene? Character’s emotions?

TEXT FORMAT. OH LORD I HAVE CHANGED FROM MY EVIL WAYS AND FINALLY MANAGED HOW TO MAKE DECENT TEXT FORMAT.

And like dialogue, letting it be more natural.

12)   your weaknesses as an author

I have no idea?? Why do I have to auto analyze myself, oh my god.

Uh, okay, let’s see, what do I struggle with? Forgetting details of the characters?

13)   your strengths as an author

DIALOGUE. EMOTIONS.

14)   do you make playlists for your current wips?

Nah, man, I suck at those.

15)   why did you start writing?

I was reading some nature fics back in my day and I was like ‘ok but like, I think this would have been better’ and then I was like ‘……Imma make my own that fits my likes bc I wanna read that shit.’ And TA-DAAAAH.

16)   are there any characters who haunt you?

Sonic the motherfucker.

17)   if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

My what now?

Is that like? Past me? Baby past me?

Sure okay: LET YOURSELF TO BE CRINGY. EXPLORE. FIND. TRY. AND ENJOY. SEE WHAT YOU LIKE AND WHAT YOU DON’T. MAKE MISTAKES AND LEARN FROM THEM. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE CRINGY AND LAME UNTIL YOU FIND YOUR OWN STYLE. YOU GOT THIS SHIT.

18)   were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

Probably, dude, tbh. My writing style changed at some point but I can’t remember when or how.

Tho, one thing I remember seeing, it was a post, like some of those tips writing posts that said like “Write like you are telling the story to your best friend.”

AND BOY OH BOY DO I REALLY WRITE LIKE THAT.

19)   when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

You ask the wrong person here.

I try not to panic, tbh, bc big fics scare me when Im the one writing them. Pace, transition, relationships, emotions, natural flow of actions and feelings. They are so complicated ya know?

So, I usually write down all the scene I WANT TO SEE IN THE GODDAM FIC, explaining a lil about them, like the meaning behind each of them between  these [ ] and then I start making like the timeline with the scenes, organizing them and shit.

It took me a while to get the hangs of the timeline of the current multichip im making. It was….a trip.

20)   do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

Both. Depends on how much time I have or inspiration.

I love it when I have long sit-downs, tho, they are interesting and like, really fills you with adrenaline. (because you think everything you are writing is amazing lmao oh just you want for the next day when you are editing, oh boy)

21)   what do you think when you read over your older work?

‘Nice, nice, oh I like what I did there, ….okay was that really necessary? Oh no, that’s a 2012 old me, what is it doing here? ….ok that one was funny! I approve. Oh man, really? A typo? In front of my salad? …I’m honestly confused on why this has kudos….Oh god, dude, this is super angsty chill the fuck out, what the fuck……..oh wait it’s still my fic, alright then……….note to self, don’t be so dang angsty and people don’t have that many tears inside them, relax.’

22)   are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

Any subject that I’m not familiar with, tbh? Not that I’m uncomfortable, per se, but I don’t want to write them in the chances that I might fuck it up.

If I didn’t live it? I don’t write it, simple as that tbh.

23)   any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

Not really? Obscure? Nah, dude, I’m pretty basic, I just daydream a lot.

24)   have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

Dialogue. And TEXT FORMAT.

25)   copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

I have over 100+ fics, bro, so like, I’m just going to use something from the last fic/drabble I wrote:

Keith doesn’t know what makes him pause but suddenly his eyes fall to the empty space on his right and then he frowns.

Where is Lance?

Why I like this part? Because you stablish a few things:

1)      Keith senses something is out of the ordinary.

2)      Automatically looks to the right where Lance usually is (ya know, right hand man, you see what I did there)

3)      The realization that Lance is not there annoys him so you know that it’s not a common occurrence that Lance disappears.

[tinybeanhealing]

hiya can i get a description? gemini rising, scorpio sun, cancer moon, virgo venus, capricorn mars. thanks:)

Hi ! Ya of course, no worries (: 

hehe I love that u put yr rising first. U are proud to be a gemini maybe ?? U should be ! It makes u a str8 up genius. U hunger for knowledge n u are great at learning. U can communicate well n have great writing skills. U are highly creative n have good artistic talents. Yr highly intuitive n probably psychic. Short term travel is important for u ! Don’t neglect the need u may have to get out of the area u live in even just for a day or two. U might have some possessiveness/jealousy issues but that’s definitely offset by yr gemini rising n capricorn mars. U aren’t rlly a controlling person but some ppl might accuse u of being manipulative. U never are trying to be, yr just trying to express yr emotions n let ppl know when/how they hurt u. U have a magnetic personality, ppl are drawn to u. U are interested in the occult/taboo/sex/death/magic. U have dealt with deep transformation in yr life, or u will. U might feel very serious at times but mostly u are just quiet n sensitive. When u are loud or talking a lot u either are just meeting someone or are very comfortable with them. U take care of ppl rlly well. U have some mama-friend energy going on, yr friends know u will always have their back n take care of them. U have an intense ability to remember things. Hope no one has wronged u bc u won’t ever forget it. U remember details abt ppl really well n u are ready to help. U might feel insecure or worried/anxious in yr relationships (of any kind) n can be accused by the ppl in yr life of being nagging or critical/harsh. But in reality u just know what’s good for ppl n what they need. U give them the info n if they don’t act on it but still complain, u gotta tell them again !? It’s like..a lot of work to do that all the time for everyone. Venus doesn’t like to be in Virgo which means u have a lesson to learn in yr life abt being loving. I have this placement too n it can be rough. Ultimately u are very sweet n caring but it’s hard for other ppl to see u this way bc it’s hard for u to talk abt it or express it in ways that other ppl can easily understand. It does not mean at all that u are unloving or bad. U will get what u want n u will accomplish tasks. U are practical n cautious in yr decision making. Sometimes u feel suspicious or even paranoid. U are passionate n reasonable but when u are angry it can be difficult to be arnd u. U require space but also loyalty. U value responsibility in others as well as consideration. It would be hard for u to be with someone who doesn’t see u as their number one. 

I hope this description carries some truth for u ! Let me know if u have other questions abt yr stars (: