#and maybe this is why I don't write multi chap fic

[weltato]

Please do more than just like this post, interaction is key!

DBD Idea. Disclaimer: I haven't read the comics, sorry.

But! After a glance through some webpages, some thinking of a fun ghost idea (that's gonna become its own fic eventually), and the few fics I've read that have had Edwin have siblings, I've had an idea for a potential fic of my own.

IIRC Edwin and Charles died at 16, right? (I could be mixing up ages with Lockwood & Co but anyway-) So, let's say Edwin had a younger sibling. I always put myself in a character's shoes/mindset (as best I can do) whenever I'm writing to try and emulate the emotions of the scene as much as possible, so most original characters I imagine are female.

Sidenote: I do have male characters I imagine, but they're usually harder for me, sorry!

If Edwin had a younger sister, I'll put her at 9 when Edwin died, imagine if one day she shows up at the agency and while she recognises him immediately, he doesn't recognise her. Because of course he wouldn't, she was 9 the last time he saw her, and that was over 100 years ago. He's not-slept since then. After a little bit of Googling (in which Wikipedia told me that the Edwardian era was actually 1901-1910, sometimes extended to 1914 when George V was king, meaning that Edwin is sort of in the middle of being Edwardian and Georgian >.>), I found that in 1929 minimum age for marriage (I'm assuming with parental consent) was raised to 16 and has near enough stayed there [link]. If this sister was 9 in 1916, then she'd be 22 in 1929, but I'm not doing that bc ✨reasons✨ and I want angst.

I always want angst, you should see what I did to Paul Matthews :)

Anyway, the age she would be in 1925 is 18, and I want to put her here bc that's two years older than Edwin ever got to be. Let's say her parents married her off to someone when she was 16 bc why not, the internet is hard to search through so if I'm not historically accurate then someone can correct me. This is fanfiction anyway, I'm not gonna be too precious on the details but I do want enough accuracy that it'll pass. I've got a dissertation to write, I'll let my brain breathe for a bit :)

So, this girl married off at 16, died at 18, eventually winds up at the DBDA with a case to help find....something, I haven't decided what yet. Anyhoo, in the office when they first meet her, she's gonna be focusing more on Charles than on Edwin because it hurts to see him. He looks alive (as alive as a ghost can look) and doesn't even recognise her because she's changed so much and she missed him. So it's too heartbreaking to see him when he doesn't see her. And obviously everyone notices how she averts her gaze away from Edwin as much as possible so they all start theorizing and Edwin's kinda upset about it but also not because maybe she's just not good with people either, he understands that, but Charles and Crystal think it's something else that they can't quite see yet.

And yeah, I've got other ideas for the little tells before it's actually revealed but wouldn't it also be fun if the Payne's initials were also acronyms? Like EMP and ESP? That'd be cool, I think. I'm doing that, that's gonna play into something later.

I swear to everything, if this ends up becoming a multi-chap idea instead of a oneshot idea I'm gonna lose it bc I don't write multi-chap for a reason. I CANNOT follow through.

Unless this idea gets traction within the fandom but I doubt it.

[matrixsss]

Hiiii, how have you been doing? I hope you're well <3

I come bearing questions :

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

OMIGOD HIII IM OKAAY

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

Honestly I thrive on writing one shots, I want to try and write a multi-chap fic and actually finish it because usually I am too impatient and just post one chap or maybe more and then I forget/ loose motivation to continue it, but I am slowly working on my OC Amaras' story which I plan on being a multi-chap fic. (check the amazing art @geniemillies did of her here).

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

I do not choose it, the story does when I start writing it. I usually have a plot in mind and then just let the story guide the pov I end up writing it in.

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

A weapon or a monster? She questions, not that it matters at this point. Who she was before, has been long forgotten. Nothing can and will come save her from this hell-hole. Her tired eyes found the faint light, wishing and willing it to glow brighter, yet the light only dimmed more or maybe she imagines it did. If the light dies, so does her hope of… of what exactly? She forgets.  - from my Amara bg fic, Its an old wip and I haven't written anything more from this but I will, hopefully

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

OKAY I GOTS THEM;

Cosmogeny by @highlordofkrypton

I hope you don't mind by @praetorqueenreyna

Highlanders by you @sonics-atelier

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

Hmmm I usually draw from personal experiences and from what I have seen in movies and tv shows to write emotional scenes. And I always feel what the characters feel, it's why I like writing, it is so much easier to pour my emotions out that way.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

tbh too many to count and most of them I have already forgotten lmao. But one of the ones that lives rent free in my head at all times is the one for my OC Amara.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

I am very weird when it comes to writing, I have to have a title before I can even START to write said fic, so I always title my fics before the writing. How I come up with hem, well sometimes it's just feelings and other times it has something do to with the story itself I guess.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

To be completely honest? I am actually very happy with the responses I got on my fics, although I wish people commented more, but other than that I am actually very happy with everything. At the end of the day, I am writing these stories for myself and the friends I made along the way here.

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

My most favorite part of writing is just getting the pesky idea out of my head and onto paper/ typed out so it ceases to haunt me and also it is a good outlet for all the pent up emotions I keep inside. Oh and I also love the daily hauntings of my ideas haunting me, but it is a good thing to fall asleep to and daydream about when shit gets a tad bit too real.

My least favorite part is just the moods i get into where no words make sense together and it just is all mush and just eugh what is this word garbage rn. Oh and the fact that I procrastinate writing all the damned time ha-ha-ha (I am not actually laughing, I am in tears)

from the get to know your fic writer ask game!

[butterfirefly]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @sctir Thank you, Wei! 💙

1) how many works do you have on ao3?

7 at the moment.

2) what's your total ao3 word count?

It's at... 11,383.

3) what are your top five fics by kudos?

Brother See, Brother Do -> Prophecy -> Grab It With Both Hands [Rewritten] -> The End. -> — (the em dash is the actual title in case anyone's confused).

4) what fandoms do you write for?

sctir and orv, mostly, but I have written for dpr and bllk. I've been trying to write the codependent brothersTM too, but I keep chickening out because I might mischaracterize them and get hunted for sport by the fandom.

5) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I used to respond to them as much as I could, but I became unable to reply after I posted Brother See, Brother Do. I don't know, anxiety got me being weird again.

6) what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Prophecy, I think. Or is it —? Not sure.

7) what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

They're very close friends, Your Honor. It's basically a crack fic. Tbf though the whole novel reads like one.

8) do you get hate on fics?

Not really? There was a series of comments in my original posting of giwbh from one reader about one of the antagonists that might have been expressed a bit strongly, but I don't think they were trying to be hateful at all.

9) do you write smut?

Nope. Can't stand the stuff [insert every disclaimer in the world about this being just a personal preference].

10) do you write crossovers?

Yup. giwbh is a crossover between sctir and orv.

11) have you ever had a fic stolen?

No...?

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I got an offer once, but at that time I declined.

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but!!! I'd love to try one day, if ever an opportunity arises and my mental health allows it. I imagine it'd be lots of fun.

14) what's your all time favorite ship?

Can it be a brotp instead? :D It's the Han brothers, followed closely by the Winchester brothers (no you do not see a pattern wdym).

15) what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS PLEEEEAAAAAAASE LET ME FINISH IT I BEG. I've given up on Eternally already I can't give up on this too but maybe I already have idkhelp

16) what are your writing strengths?

Angst. Does that count?

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing a wip OTL

But really. I have trouble sticking with any long-term project. Unfortunately for everyone, I also like writing multi-chap fics, so here we are.

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it's cool, doubly so when the author doesn't include the translation immediately and you have to wait with anticipation till they reveal it and the significance of it whams you in the face, although I can also see how it might be a bit... cumbersome? when done awkwardly. Really it depends, I guess.

19) first fandom you wrote for?

Online? ORV. In a torn notebook paper at age 13? Ben 10.

20) favourite fic you've ever written?

It's a tie between Prophecy and Brother See, Brother Do.

Tagging anyone who wants to join!

[cuephrase]

2024 Writing Review

tagged in this by @androxys, tysm!!

number of stories posted to ao3: four- three drabbles, one one-shot and one multi-chap fic

word counted posted for last year: 37, 886!! that's so much for me, crazy (both 2022 and 2023 were around 7k, for comparison)

fandoms i wrote for: batman - all media types, babyyyy. two of the drabbles were very comic specific so i have batman (comics) and nightwing (comics) tagged. wait. lmao that was wrong, i've edited it now, was supposed to be batgirl (comics) someone help me oh my god

pairings: we've got two hits for Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, then Cassandra Cain & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Everyone, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, and Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne

so, bc that's giving me a headache, five Dick tags, four Tim tags, four Bruce tags, four Jason tags, and one Cass tag. all but three of those are one fic tho lmao.

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads: penance, far and away. that fic got (is getting?) so much more love than i could have imagined or hoped for. absolutely mind-blowing fr

work i’m most proud of (and why): okay so this is a tie between penance and plea for two completely opposite reasons! penance is the first multichap fic i've ever completed and that's a huge milestone for me. plea i'm really proud of bc it's only 100 words but i feel like i managed to accomplish absolutely everything i wanted to and it's sooooooo satisfying to me.

work i’m least proud of (and why): hmmmmm. maybe inventory? it was supposed to be fluff and i corrupted it. so that frustrates me when i think about it even though the finished product isn't bad.

share or describe a favorite review you received: oh gosh ummmmm. help. i really loved every comment letting me know they'd cried real tears bc i am Evil. but if i had to choose one comment, i think this one has stuck with me the most (some parts blocked out bc Spoilers)

the fic has an ending spoiler now that it's complete, but when i was posting it i hadn't totally nailed the ending down. that apprehension meant so much to me, that willingness to follow the story- i could be reading into it idk, but i really value the trust that early readers had because, quite frankly, i don't think i had earned it. i also loved that they both couldn't decide what to think about tim and that they liked it- what i was portraying is messy and complicated and i think there's a really fine line there between stuff being ooc or frustrating or exhausting or dissatisfying with that kind of thing, so it was super !!!!! to have successfully walked that line for them!

but my favorite part of this comment is easily "the power of love is truly an ugly and beautiful thing...made me appreciate life". i don't really write romances, but the power of love is one of those things i end up wrestling with thematically a lot because it's just so captivating and it's one of those things i feel like i can't ever find the words for actually, i need you to just feel it and they felt it and- yeah. just yeah. and then writing/storytelling is something i use to help me appreciate life so overall just 🥹😭🫶 x1000

a time when writing was really, really hard: after i finished penance, rip. i got psyched out by all the positive attention and couldn't write 😅. there were plenty of times this year where i just wasn't trying to write so like i guess that was hard, but being paralyzed by overthinking when i had plenty of ideas and wanted to write Sucked. it's okay, i talked to my therapist finger guns

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: slight penance spoilers lol, but in ch 3, the dick and tim hug surprised me. not that it happened, bc i knew it was going to, but i just had the image of the scene, yk, not like. how it would truly feel to be in dick's headspace in that moment. and omg. it just attacked me. i couldn't stop crying it was so frustrating. i'd pause to collect myself, come back and just nope. the scene is actually shorter than i originally envisioned bc i physically couldn't smh

a favourite excerpt of your writing: oh gosh. um um ummmmmm i really like this bit from ch 1 of penance-

this moment was just incredibly fun for so many reasons, not least of which is that i got to break tim for the first time 😇

how did you grow as a writer last year: i learned that i can, in fact, start and finish something that isn't a one shot. idk if my writing has improved on a technical level at all? but, despite it being a bit of a one step forward, two steps back thing at times, i do think i gained some confidence in my ability to write and that'll be really nice in the long run if i can, yk. take the steps forward without going back.

how do you hope to grow this year: by writing more. i want to actually write things instead of daydreaming and maybe getting down like twenty words and then never looking at it again. at my most ambitious, i build a habit.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): oh shoot. i got so much support from so many people i almost don't know where to start. i am so beyond grateful to everyone who has supported me, and i'm going to single out @a-canceled-stamp, @canonicallyshort, and @koraesrambles for enabling the crap out of me. love you guys sm!!!! (that extends to everyone not just those three ofc!!)

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: the grieving process haha.

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: oh gosh ummmmmm. follow your gut. forget about audience, and rules, and whatever- if you know the story you want to tell, tell that story. just get it out. it deserves to be told.

any projects you’re looking to start (or finish) this year: the sequel to penance. my jason fic, my dick fic. i don't want to get ahead of myself or anything, but i hope i've got a handful of fics to look back on next year!!

no pressure tagging @sunflowersandink, @goldenraeofsun, @fleur-de-violette, @byrambles, and @elegitre (plus everyone already tagged)!!

[thunder-shadow]

ive got many!!! 1, 4, 5, 8, 17, 21, 27, 28, 37?!

Thank uuu <333333

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Oh boy, yeah I daydream a lot haha - usually I get an idea and write down the bare info for it (like the ship and maybe one or two scene ideas) and then I just let it marinate for a bit, usually listening to music or reading! Then ideas usually pop in from there XD I'm a daydreamer all the way

4. How do you choose which fics to write?

Usually it's just whichever one I feel needs attention at the moment? Or whatever my brain latches onto haha

Like yesterday I meant to edit the GHE chapter so it could be posted, but instead I wrote the Earthcury one-shot turned multi-chap (which I wanna finish b4 I post it)

It's very wishy-washy is what I'm saying LOL

5. How many wips do you have?  What fandoms/pairings are they for?

All of WIPs are for SolarBalls haha I can only write for one fandom at a time XD

Okay, so obviously I have the GHE fic, the Jupixturnus fic, the Vercury fic, and now the Earthcury fic (those are all multi-chaps); then I have my oneshots, of which I plan to write Vars, Vearth, another UraEarth, a fluffy Jupiturnus one, a Poly Rocky planets one, and I still have a Sol & Nemesis one with snippets, as well as the post-paranoia Luna fic that still needs its chapter two LOL (and then I have a titanearth smut + jupixturnus smut that i'm thinking abt but shhhhhh)

That doesn't even count the random ideas I've just jotted down in my notes app LOL

8. Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

Oh gee, lemme find one I feel like posting!! I don't have any spoilers to be honest, bc i haven't written since i posted the ghe one or i would've used that 😭 so just have a snippet from my latest wip

I actually posted this the other day but deleted it like immediately LOL but here! from my earthcury college AU

‘Okay,’ Earth thought, narrowing his eyes. ‘First midterm is in 7 days. One week. You’ve got this,’ and he pumped his fist, ignoring the weird looks a couple of people threw at him. ‘Just need to study. Actually study for once.’ Then he looked down at the multitude of papers spread out in front of him, his laptop propped open to a chemistry video from a Youtuber he’d found on line, and groaned, letting his face fall onto the table. Across from him, Mars let out a laugh, flipping another page in his book. “Earth, I don’t know what your definition of studying is, but putting your head on the table and giving up is not studying as far I’m aware.” Earth looked up at him through his lashes, sending him as much of an annoyed look as he could muster before groaning again. “Organic Chemistry is going to kill me! Why did I decide to become a biology major?” “I don’t know. Why did I decide to become an Astronomy major?” “Because you’re weirdly obsessed with aliens?” “Wha-” Mars spluttered, putting his book down and looking at Earth. “No!” “Because you weirdly like math?” “No, Earth, because I enjoy astronomy! I like learning about it!” Mars rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his water bottle after a second. “And I know you’re the same way about biology because we’ve been roommates since freshman year!” “Ughh,” Earth whined in response. “Just let me melt into a puddle and evaporate away so I don’t have to take these midterms.” “You could just study for them, you know.” “That was my plan! But that involves studying…” “Oh, wow,” Mars said, throwing him a stare that just dripped with disdain. “Studying involves studying, I really didn’t know that, Earth.” “Fine!” Earth stood up, shoving his stuff haphazardly into his backpack. “I’ll go to the library! And this time, I’m going to actually study!”

17. Do you have a writing routine?

Nope! I literally just sit down and start writing oop

21. Do you prefer writing chaptered fics or one-shots?

I prefer writing one-shots just bc it feels simpler, like a one-and-done LOL but multi-chaps can be fun too!!

27. What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

Being able to write a lot 😓 and body language, I feel quite confident in body language LOL

Also my grammar and language use, despite my copious use of em-dashes, semicolons, and ellipses I otherwise really just innately understand most grammar bc of how much I read when I was younger ‼️

28. What area of writing do you want to improve in?

DIALOGUE 😭😭😭

37. What fic has been the hardest for you to write?

The GHE fic hands down, it just feels so complicated 😭😭 I'm slowly chugging a lot, we're nearing the last few chapters :D

[jesterboystrick]

Tagged by @ghost-maya to answer 20 questions for fic writers.

I was honestly tagged in this way too long ago, started answering a few questions, then forgot about it in my drafts forever until Maya just tagged me in ANOTHER fic tag game. So, now I have to post this one so THAT one can waste away in my drafts for a while instead, obviously.

Y'all get ready, I'm about to ramble more than necessary on some of these because I love to talk. May not seem like it from how little I post here, but oh boy I'm a talker.

how many works do you have on ao3?

41, which is too fucking many considering I only started in august 😂

what's your total ao3 word count?

113,710

what are your top five fics by kudos?

1. With Hearts in His Eyes (in progress ZoSan multi-chap) 2. Dressed Down (ZoSan) 3. What Happens in the Timeskip, Stays in the Timeskip (ZoSan) 4. A Different Sensation (ZoSanZo) 5. Incentive (SanZo) What's really interesting to me is that my top by hits look the same, except A Different Sensation is replaced with Melt. Melt being in my top 5 hits has baffled me since it made it up there a while ago. I mean, I love that, but I'm shocked that a rarer pair beat out 14 zsz fics for the 4th spot. Shouts out to the CrocSan enjoyers I guess! Glad y'all enjoy it.

what fandoms do you write for?

One Piece. I write whatever I get ideas for, so I technically have some wips for other things, but I don't intend to post any of those and haven't worked on anything non-One Piece since I started posting... except a oneshot I just started recently... you might see that one day if I finish it, but maybe not. Don't worry about it.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

Yup! No real "why." Sometimes a handful of them build up in my inbox before I get around to answering them, but I just like saying at least a thank you for every comment.

what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Was the All Blue Ever Real? probably. I feel like a lot of my other dark or angsty fics have something that brings the angst up a little by the end, like All That's Left and Scum, since they end with a bit of comfort, and ones like Raw Deal DO end decidedly bad for at least one involved party, but I think of those as way more whump than angst, if that distinction matters here. You Stifle Me, I Suffocate might be up there, but it doesn't quite have a real ending. Since all of it is just Sanji remembering something from his childhood, the ending is just "and then One Piece happens". More... sour tasting ending than clear cut angst. So, all that said, quantifying the angstiEST fic ending is a bit weird, but I'll go with Was the All Blue Ever Real? since it's just kinda bleak all the way around, haha. It's also a more... mundane angst, if that makes sense? No one's getting devil fruit tortured or anything, shit just sucks. Is Scum angstier though, despite the bit of comfort at the end? 🤷‍♂️ Idk, you tell me.

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

😂😂😂 I don't really set out to write happy endings, at least not intentionally. Sometimes they do happen to me, but my plot based stuff usually isn't overwhelmingly happy, so the happiest ending so far is probably by default just something that's more smut focused. I guess... What Happens in the Timeskip, Stays in the Timeskip.

do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! The worst I've gotten is one or two comments that were just... a little hard to decipher. They could be, or could not be, lol 🤷‍♂️. There's one in particular that comes to mind that I genuinely can't tell if it was meant to be positive or negative, so in my mind, it's just neutral. 🤣

do you write smut?

Hahaha. Yeah.

do you write crossovers?

Nope. I'll never say never to just about anything, because who knows what I'll feel like writing in the future, but crossovers have never appealed to me much as a reader or writer. Technically, there's been a few times I've started just a little bit of one, but not seriously, more as just a fun little exercise to entertain myself for a single quick writing session, then immediately forget about.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, and I sure hope not.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not yet, but I'm not opposed to it! Never done any cowritting, so I don't know how well I do in that sort of situation, but there's a few fic writer friends I could picture myself trying it out with some day if we ever felt drawn to the right idea for it together.

what's your all time favorite ship?

I really don't know. There is no one favorite ship for me. I could tell you what ships I think about the most at any given time, but that changes so frequently that the answer would be different if you asked me again in a week. Easy cop-out way to answer this: If I check my fic reading spreadsheet that I started at the beginning of January, DofCora is the ship I've read the most of so far this year. Make of that what you will 🤣

what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Considering I have probably around 300 things in my One Piece wip folder (not an exaggeration, I don't have an exact count rn, but it's for sure around there at this point in time), there's plenty of answers to this, but to pick something specific, any of my super long aus. I have several au ideas/wips that are basically "rewriting all of One Piece" type aus, and realistically I'm never posting ANY OF THEM. I know that. I only even let myself delusionally pretend i might ever get around to finishing ONE. A few of my faves are a strawhat role swap au, an au that changes all the strawhat's backstories pretty drastically, and the pro wrestling au. I wish all three of those could be epic length masterworks that retell all of One Piece, because that's how I initially envisioned them, but it's just never going to happen. There's a few of those big fic ideas that I might cut up into the more manageable or best parts and post isolated scenes of some day, but I know none of them will ever get written in their entirety and that's a bummer. The pro wrestling au is the one out of the aus I mentioned that I most want to make work, somehow, some way, some day, but we'll see if it ever shakes out.

what are your writing strengths?

Starting things. I have ideas constantly and I start new wips multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day.

what are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. I have ideas constantly and I'm always starting new wips. I can't finish them all.

I know these last two questions probably mean more the writing itself, not the process of writing, but I honestly don't really know. It feels a bit lame and too broad to say that I feel like I'm good a dialogue and not as good at anything that comes between, but I don't even know if that's true of my writing on it's own, or just an indication of where my priorities lie and what I'm most focused on and interested in when doing the writing. I've gotten a few comments on how I write characters, saying that they feel in character or very "human," and that certain scenarios or the way characters react to them (particularly on darker fics) are very real or realistic, and I think about those comments a lot. I really appreciate and treasure them. So if you believe those comments, I suppose that might be my strength, which isn't at odds with my feeling that dialogue is something that comes more naturally to me. I imagine they're probably connected.

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I wouldn't do it. I'm not opposed to the idea of it, but I wouldn't do it myself because I'm only fluent in English and have no way of ensuring that I'd be writing something accurately or comprehensibly on my own. If I ever felt a fic absolutely needed it for some reason, I would ask someone fluent in that language to help or I just wouldn't do it at all.

first fandom you wrote for?

Something related to DC Comics, for sure.

favorite fic you've ever written?

Similarly to my answer on favorite ships, I really don't have just one favorite fic. It changes too often to say, and I tend to have a recency bias for newly posted fics or ones I've reread recently. I'd say that since the start of this year, my fave posted fic of mine has cycled most often between Every Time You Kiss Me, I Could Cry, Scum, and Raw Deal, but a good 1/2 to 2/3rds of my posted fics have been my favorite at one point or another, if only for a few days in some cases.

tagging

As always, I don't really know who to tag, so if you see this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

Love all of your fics that I've read, and loving for your consideration, especially.

Just wondering if you have a preferred pov to write, or if it's dependent on the story you are telling. And if you ever plan on writing a story with more povs (I would love to see your take on Arya, for example).

It's very much dependent on the story, anon!

I'm trying to think of how to express this. I love writing Jon & Sansa, because they're very good unreliable narrators, but for different reasons. Sansa's POVs tend to be more emotionally self-aware, but she also ignores things she doesn't like and often overlooks the bad in people. Jon is less emotionally self-aware, but tends to be more worldly and jaded, and he's unreliable because he's got a chip on his shoulder.

I find Sansa overall easier to write, because her experiences are closer to mine.

As for writing other POVs... probably not? My fics are driven by relationships (99.9% romantic jonsa) and if I'm writing a long/multi chapter fic, I want it to be from the POV of someone involved in that central relationship. It's why when I did write from another POV, Catelyn, it was because that fic was about the faux mother/son relationship between her & Jon.

I think if I ever wrote an Arya POV, it'd have to be a one-shot? Not a multi-chap, because like I said above, I want the feeeeeelings of the two people in the main relationship lol

Wait, actually I did write Arya's POV, technically, in my body-swap one-shot in the ephemera collection!

The only other POVs I've ever written have been Ned & Benjen, but that's in a fic that will likely never see the light of day lol. That one might even have a Dany POV, if I ever got that far, which I likely won't, because for whatever reason, the idea of writing a multi-chapter canon au fic exhausts me. I think maybe it's because people are so aggressively opinionated about canon stuff and get so weird about it. Like I know the plot of the fic, but then I go, "ugh, well, I'm going to have to do a bunch of timeline research for this, because if I don't, some dudebro in the comments is going to come in and 'well, actually' me" and then I give up

[partyanimal167]

Greatness in the Making Intro- Crocodile x GN!Reader

Hi!!! This is going to be my year to write a One Piece multi-chap fic! I wrote something a little while ago that kind of explored Crocodile's past, and I really enjoyed it. It'll probably be a bit similar, but this fic will go more in depth. I enjoy the mysteries and angst around all of One Piece's older pirates--that in between generation after Gol D. Roger's death and before the Worst Generation. A lot of them had passion and desires, but things went wrong along the way.

I wanted to introduce the idea and tropes here before I start writing it. Hopefully, you all are interested in it! The pov will probably vary between reader and Crocodile.

Reader will be gender neutral for now (I'm not sure if I'm gonna go any nsfw route)

Definitely have cameos and first encounters from other warlords and other characters

Canon typical violence, angst, slightly older reader, younger Crocodile so not so serious and dark, possibly details hinted at ftm Crocodile too

Probably have some time skips and allusions to One Piece lore

I wanna push myself a bit with this writing. I'm definitely down to answer some questions about this fic and some ideas n feedback! Here's a snippet below. Thanks fo reading~

You yawned as you caught the knife that was aimed for your head. "What's got you so stressed out, lizard-boy? It's not even 8 in the mornin'?" you went over and took a seat at the kitchen table.

The man sent daggers your way, but you didn't care to feel threatened. He turned away and continued to scrub at the dishes in the sink. "Tch, why are you up? It's not your turn to make breakfast." he grunted out.

You leaned back in your chair and shrugged as the morning light started to pour in. "Someone's gotta make sure you're not snaking around tryna steal. Cap'n might've let you on board, but that doesn't mean you're part of the crew." Crocodile cussed to himself when another dish fell and shattered on the floor. "Tch, how about you find yerself a better prosthetic? No point walking around with that damn hook if you can't even use it."

"It's how I protect myself." Crocodile argued back. You rolled your eyes before standing up to sweep the mess. "I don't need your help!"

"Never said you did, kid. But if you're going to be staying around then someone's gotta make sure you don't go making a mess."

"I can take care of myself."

You flicked the other's forehead. "Yeah, but you're on a crew now, so it's not just about yourself! There's other to look after, and they'll look after you. If you're just gonna be a selfish brat, then I'll haul you off this damn boat myself!" you barked before dumping the glass away.

Crocodile didn't say anything and turned back to continue cleaning.

"You talked a lot of shit about wanting to be a great pirate, but you got a long way to go, kid." you started washing the dishes so the man could start drying.

"Oh, and you're gonna show me?"

You looked up at him with a mischievous grin and winked. "Well maybe if you shut up and just watch you'll learn a thing of two."

[philosophiums]

hi sam!!!

for the interview:

1, 12, 26, and 27 pls <3

hi tess!!!!!! thank youuuuu <3333

ask game

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

they definitely both hold their own appeal to me but these days my brain seems to be stuck in multi-chap mode where all i want to do is build out a world and watch a few characters move through an insanely long period of time but god i miss writing one-shots. there was such a feeling of accomplishment with being able to finish Many Fics in a relatively short period of time

12. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

i mean it definitely feels bad when i don't get feedback or support, but that's also not like... New i guess. i have one-shots and stuff on my ao3 that are years old and have less than 200 kudos and maybe like. 5 or 6 comment threads. like it Sucks for sure, but as much as i love attention and bonding over my writing and the community aspect of fic and fandom in general, it's not why i write i have lamented about it and i have begged for comments and attention, but even without them i am still chugging along. it really do just be like that sometimes KJSDBVKJDFVB

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

there's an old atfg fic still on my ao3 that i have only retained and not orphaned bc for some wild reason people will still click on it and read it every now and then. i am not fond of it and i don't like really anything about it (so im not going to link it ksjdfbvjkdfbv). it's a wild ride for sure but in a negative way imo. angst for angst's sake. poor characterization. horrendous pacing. i think it was my first multi-chap Ever. anyway...

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

answered here!

[robthegoodfellow]

summer retrospective time because i'm feeling down about term starting up and not writing as much as i wanted to but I KNOW this is ridiculous and my goals were unreasonable.

so totally unasked for and unprompted here's what i got:

Chapters 8 and 9 of Upside-Down - 32k (total wip 118k) - E - Harringrove - Crazy long March chapter wherein an ominous phone rings and rings, Billy experiences some firsts (first time playing D&D against his will! first time fucking Steve! first time enduring a birthday party!), and Eddie drags Billy to a thrash metal concert. In Flayedville, the kids rally the troops to save Billy, he and Steve share body heat, and plans don't go as planned.

Two fics written for upcoming @strangerthingscharityzine totaling 4k words in their original state, trimmed down to 1.5k words each for the zine edition. Idk if I'm allowed to summarize but one of them made Remy cry!

That Bartender Sure is Something - 1k - G - Harringrove - Sideways scene rewrite from alt character's POV wherein I try to lay groundwork for why Steve's parents are out of town so often (aside from my need to give boys safe space to fuck and be super freaking domestic).

Chapters 11 and 12 of Only One Bed - 13k (total wip 59k) - E - Harringrovesoningham or whatever Steve/Billy/Eddie/Chrissy is called - Chrissy POV and Eddie POV chapters wherein Chrissy and Billy bond and then Billy/Eddie/Chrissy navigate their dynamic as asymmetrical polyamorous triad. Mostly cute!! Minimal angst!!

¿Por qué no los dos? - 18k - E - Harringroveson/Metalsandwich - What was supposed to be an excuse to make Steve and Eddie thirst over Billy in space buns becomes unexpectedly harrowing exploration of aromantic experience for me and apparently others, some of whom may be entitled to compensation. But there's smut... at the end?

Drafted aaalmost first half (7k) of @bigbangharringrove fic wherein Steve flirts with necromancy and necrophilia and NO STOP where are you going it's all gonna be fine!!! See, Billy died in this contemporary fantasy version of Hawkins where magic and supernatural creatures are just kinda there and so Steve tries to revive him but he imports the wrong file. The wrong Billy. Because there happens to be a lust demon that goes by the same name as Steve's dearly departed husband and let me tell ya he is NOT jazzed to be here. Working with @LucaDoodleDoo who is awesome AND so far has not run away!

Drafted 1.5k of fic for upcoming @harringrovezine. Still on track to be way too long but I WILL trim it down. Not sure what else I'm free to say but I'm excited how it's shaping up?

what follows is me convincing myself i did a good job

And that's... that's it. About 76.5k in all. Which is more than I realized (and also according to haphazard math is more than last summer by maybe 10k?)

I'm not usually fixated on word count much (aside from like laugh-crying when a fic just balloons way bigger than anticipated), and more words does not equal better words by ANY means, but I think this gives me a reality check about getting down on myself. I didn't finish the major things I originally set out to finish but... yeah, such is life when you have more than one WIP in which you are painfully invested 😅

And it's not like I won't EVER finish them which is prob my biggest fear because i had a rep growing up for all my grand plans and projects just losing steam and going nowhere. But I am capable of finishing fics because look ma, there's 3 whole multi-chap fics with the little green check mark (please actually DON'T look, ma).

I'm just babbling now. When work starts I'll be back to writing in random libraries after last bell and my output will slow, and I'm sad about it. But wow you know what I did shit out a bunch of words in like 2.5 months so at least there's that.

(Hesitant to post this because I'm sure it looks like flexing or fishing or something? Or like I'm implying that unless you too are shitting out words you suck? Which uhh I am not! The intent is more for Present Me to flex on Past Me, maybe? And fish some reassurance out of cold hard numbers to more easily put things in perspective.)

Mostly this did work, though! I feel better about the summer. If you need a boost, look over what you've done across a certain span of time using whatever measurement suits you and talk yourself into a pat on the back.

Pat, pat.

[slumped-in-the-arms-of-fiction]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Finally getting around to this one! Thanks to @justhere4thevibez for the tag, love ❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

17, but the depths of LJ have a few more

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

235,247 across two fandoms

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things – specifically Hellcheer, though there are three Eddie-centric ones in there (each with a Hellcheer nod). And I used to write Gilmore Girls.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'm gonna focus on ST as that's been my main focus for a while now.

Bruise Pristine

Two guys, a girl, and a cheerleader

Being Human

In Focus

For a good time call Mary Jane

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

Yep! I'm so grateful that someone took the time to comment on something I wrote, and I want them to know that! Commenting can be difficult and I like to acknowledge that and give a little kudos in return. Plus, I love engaging with fellow fandomers! As a reader, I like to let someone know I liked their fic with more than kudos if I have the spoons to do it, and I love when an author responds to me when I comment.

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

While there can be angst in the ship fic I write, I generally like to give a happy ending. Some can be bittersweet, but not out and out angsty. My ships tend to be canonically tragic, so I want HEAs.

In saying that, Backpack, though short, is definitely not sweet. It's canonical so... yeah.

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

As I said, I do tend towards the happier end of the scale (she says, lying through her teeth). I think my two long multi-chapter Hellcheer fics Two guys, a girl, and a cheerleader and Being Human are quite movie-happy ending. And shout out to the Gilmore Girls kind of fix-it Not Time's Fool because that was tooth-achingly sweet, especially with the follow-up Letters to a Lost Love.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nnnnooo, not really? There was one weird one who berated me for writing Literati (GG) when I had the gall to comment and enjoy a fic with a different ship, which was bizarre. Actually, the almost-hate comments tended to be in GG – people can be very cutting when it comes to Rory. The Hellcheer fandom thankfully tends to love both characters equally, and have been nothing but gracious and accepting.

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

Boy, do I! Try and STOP me writing it – it always sneaks in. F/M and explicit. Ventured into kink a little bit with For a good time call Mary Jane. My smut also tends to be emotionally driven, I can't do PWP.

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

Not crossover in terms of characters from two different fandoms interacting (though there was a Supernatural/J2 done in the style of Fight Club back in the day that was WILD). But my two multi-chaps are based on other shows with ST characters kinda merged with the originals or similar storylines (New Girl and Being Human), but the supernatural elements aside in the latter neither are crazy!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

No, I don't know how it would work but I'm open to it! I spitball a lot with lovely @justhere4thevibez and we've tossed around ideas the other has caught; my dearheart @barriss helped with d&d stuff in fic, and I thrash ideas around with my discord gremlins a lot, so the parts that appear in fic makes it feels like a collab ❤️

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

Hellcheer till I die

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

I have a ton of Hellcheer ideas in the wings – maybe not all of them will come to fruition, but everything I've actually started writing will be finished, I hope.

I do, however, have an unpublished chapter of Literati that I absolutely love, but I ran out of steam as it was going to be a big undertaking, and then I kinda left that fandom so I doubt I'll ever go back to the fic, unfortunately. Pity, coz what I wrote was 🔥 in my humble opinion LMFAO

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I do snappy dialogue well – I love banter, the flow. I like to think I'm funny too, though I feel very Milhouse "my mom thinks I'm funny" when I say that. I also see things in a cinematic way – the scene, the setting, placement, lighting etc – which I think comes across in my writing. At least, I hope it translates to the page!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I suck at planning. I have an idea and I go from there and down the line I'm like "Ohhhh fuck, where was I going with this, how do I do this, WTF IS HAPPENING", and then I panic, can't write, spiral. It mostly comes good in the end (except that GG one, RIP). Self-doubt is the fic-killer.

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

I've never written a character who speaks another language, so have thankfully avoided that pitfall, but I would ask someone who speaks the language to help out, if possible. Google Translate ain't great, but it'll do in a push for some things.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Supernatural waaaaaaaaaay back in the day. When season 1 first came out and they were still battling the yellow-eyed demon and MotW. Ahhh, good, simpler times.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I think my New Girl fic, Two guys, a girl, and a cheerleader. I had a blast seeing how the characters could blend together while still being themselves, as well as using plots from the show to make a full, coherent storyline. I'm ridiculously delighted with the d&d elements of that too – I was so happy with how the True American chapter came out, and I'm very lucky to have had Sabrina's insider knowledge for that to make it what it was ❤️

Though I had great craic writing Mary Jane... And Blood moon sex magick... and I love the Eddie-centric canon-compliant(ish) Back to the Front. Sure look, you gotta be your own biggest fan 😆

That was so much fun! I don't know who hasn't done this yet, so I'm tagging @gingertumericlemon @windowsandfeelings @watercoloredlie

[cheemken]

Knight you got anything you’d like to share with the class 🎤

Just anything you want to talk about ig

Have some SilkWing stuff bc I just found a completed multi chap fic abt them and I'm going fucking insane omf I'm so NOT getting any work done bc of this fic I swear😭🤣

Anyways hahahah

•they really hid their relationship from everyone for a year and a half, even from the Champions and their family

-idk I just think that maybe Diantha doesn't want their relationship to be public knowledge just yet bc she knows just how the media can get w relationships like this, so she's kinda paranoid

-it only took Iris accidentally calling them mom and dad one time for Dia and Lance to finally open up abt their relationship to the Champions and their family., and ofc Iris was the first one they told it to

-it was fun tho seeing the other Champions try to set them up on dates when they're already dating hahah but still it really surprised them that they were already together

•these two are so trigger happy I want you to know, like if you think Lance commanding Dragonite to Hyper Beam someone is bad wait till you hear abt Diantha's Mega Gardevoir w a Pixilate boosted Hyper Beam

-Lance seeing Dia command Gardevoir to use that move and he's just "Arc, she's so fucking perfect"

-they were fighting like a few evil org grunts in a region to help out its Champion so yeah

-but like then again yeah Diantha hides that side well, but Lance saw it and man he is down horrendous

•they have this kinda vibe ngl

-yeah they have that vibe hahaha

•omf dyk I actually planned a five plus one fic for them and it's basically just five times Dia said I love you first and the one time Lance said it first and HCMDBXMDBNS

-when will I have the motivation to write that😭

•your honour pls I know Lance would watch Dia's movies when they're not together, and imagines himself as the one there w her instead of that random actor he doesn't care abt hahah

-when they are together tho, and if Lance wanted to watch some of her movies still, she would tell him abt behind the scenes stuff and all the actors and actresses she doesn't like

-"ugh, this scene was such a pain, Carmine just wouldn't shut up how she wanted to have more scenes about her."

"..which one is Carmine again?"

"the pathetic looking one."

"Dia."

"*sighs* the antagonist."

-Lance just gets all the gossip from the set and all the people Diantha hated and how she almost really quit on this one show bc again, shit cast members that think they're all high and mighty w their status when they're all so shit

•look let's be real Lance's insecurities often get the best of him, he didn't have that stable of a support system back then, and he'd just end up brooding somewhere w his thoughts

-one meeting, it became too much for him to handle that he excused himself and he went out to touch grass—

-but fr he was like, crying,, and he was there punching the trees and screaming and the pkmn there actually got a bit scared

-then hey Dia found him yknow. Found him slumped against a tree, he looked so tired, eyes bloodshot, his knuckles were red and bruised. She slowly approached him, kneeling right in front of him, smiling so softly yet her voice carried such concern that he never thought he could hear from anyone.

"there you are.. I've been looking everywhere for you.."

and Lance finally looks up to her, sees her worried look, and god he felt like shit that he's worrying Diantha

"I'm sorry.."

"whatever for?"

Lance then tells her what's bothering him, that he thinks he's really weak, that he really couldn't be the perfect Champion of the Indigo League, that some people still don't see him as a Champion, and he really trauma dumped on her. And by the end of it, Diantha was at his side, wrapping her arms around his torso, pulling him close to her. Lance let's out a dry laugh, leaning in to Diantha, "why.. do you still put up with me..?"

Diantha gave him a smile, soft and gentle as her touch on his cheek, "because I love you." And Lance let out a choked sob, pulling her impossibly closer to him.

[agentplutonium]

20 Questions For Fic Writers Game

I got tagged by the ever talented @mr-laveau, thank you veauifer for that! I love games like this actually

I think I'm gonna tag @maxpaulll because you hate tag games and I think it's funny, and also @dizzy-n-busy even though I know you don't have a lot on ao3 at the moment (I just like telling people you also write fics on top of doing cool artwork/lh), also anyone else who wants to do this can! (do it. you don't need my permission. this is a threat. /lh)

1 - How many works do you have on AO3?

41. I have no social life.

2 - What's your total AO3 word count?

168,758. Again, have no social life.

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I write for Redacted Audio and NeXus. We don't talk about my past fandoms /j

4 - What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Welp. Let's get into this.

#1 is Natural Enemies an unfinished spider!deku x Rody Soul multi-chap fic.

#2 is Dances in the Morning a Matchablossom (Kojiro Nanjo (Joe) x Cherry Blossom (Kaoru Sakurayashiki) one shot.

#3 is Infinity another Matchablossom one shot.

#4 is Paranoia an emotional hurt/comfort Denki & Sero one shot.

#5 is Symphony yet another Matchablossom one shot.

I will not explain anything.

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

I do! I love getting comments and I usually respond as soon as I get the email (because if I don't, I will forget they are there-)

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

Uhhhh one sec I have to remind myself of what I wrote. OKAY SO I think the closest contender (I don't write angsty fics) would be The Mission a Kaminari/Shinsou fic. Or possibly even Oh, Captain, Let's Make a Deal which was something i wrote for a fandom event. The only other thing I can think of is an Imp!Milo fic where he loses Sweetheart and basically becomes the same shell that Asher is, but that one is unpublished. I don't really write angst-ending fics, I'm more start with angst and end happily. OH BUT WAS I WRONG (i was looking for examples for another question) I forgot about Space Between an Imp!Freelancer/Vindemiator fic. Oh my god, it’s not my best but fuck does it hurt.

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

Oooo okay so top contenders are Four Years, Not Forever a Sero/Todoroki fic, or once again Dances in the Morning or Infinity. Those last two are in my top five for a reason.

8 - Do you get hate on fics?

I. Don't think so. If I did I don't remember. I think there was one whole comment where someone fucking pulled out one word of the fic and said "it ruined the fic" for them and "they had a hard time continuing" which i won't even get into cause it was like a one-time thing. It was a rediculous comment in context anyway.

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

I don't, I want to, unsure if I'll ever post it though.

10 - Do you write crossovers?

No? I definitely don't now but I think I've gotten close in the past.

11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so.

12 - Have you ever had a fic translated?

There was one offer, but I don't think it ever went anywhere.

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

Technically yes, but it fell through. Would consider co-writing with someone though, depending on who they were/what the fic was.

14 - What's your all time favorite ship?

As of right now Milo/Sweetheart, but I go through favourite ships faster than I go through fandoms so I never have a real answer for this question.

15 - What's a WIP that you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Oh god, probably Eddie... The Love of My Life, or my All I Want series, just because I'm not in those fandoms anymore. I also have plenty of fics in my fic graveyard of a gdocs.

16 - What are your writing strengths?

I'd say my strengths are dialogue/describing non-sexual intimacy. Maybe my world-building? technically? uhhh that's all I can think of actually.

17 - What are your writing weaknesses?

Longer fics/keeping up with multi chaps (again, Eddie... The Love of My Life and Like Real People Do my beloveds I'm so sorry), MY FUCKING COMMAS if you read ANY of my fics I bet you there's way to many commas in it I have a problem, ummm I'd say any descriptive violence, I really wanna work on that. That's all that's coming to mind but I bet there's more.

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

I am not against it, but I have not tried it (that I can remember). I wouldn't mind though I just would be VERY meticulous about how it's written.

19 - First fandom you wrote for?

Off the record? Harry Potter or Percy Jackson (shivers in wattpad days) but if we're looking at my AO3 it would be BNHA with I'm Here (yet another unfinished multi-chap)

20 - Favorite fic you've written?

Oh god, I don't even know. All my fics are my babies. If I had to pick from my published ones I would probably go with Promise Me, Please (I Promise) which is an Imp!Milo/Sweetheart fic of mine that I wrote a year ago. But I am currently working on one that might surpass that, but only time can tell.

ANYWAY I'm supposed to be working on finals but this was fun! I have way too much free time on my hands at all times, and it shows in my writing. I'm gonna go hide in a hole now.

[nenyabusiness]

8 - 17 - 31 - 72 , for the writer ask game ;)

Thank you!

Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

The beginning and the end, and if I had to choose between the two, then the end. That's often where my ideas start. I have one banger of a final sentence, and then I have to make the rest of the fic fit it. Sometimes it's the beginning sentence that hits me first, but the middle is always a struggle.

What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

With ficlets and one-shots, I let them simmer. I don't participate in things like fic exchanges (sadly, people seem to be having a lot of fun with it right now) because I don't want to work with deadlines. I remember how I almost ruined piano for myself back when I was close to going "serious" (four hours a day, four hours of practice a day, who cares if you're crying in the practice room you need to get those four hours), and I'm not repeating that mistake. Writing is for fun, and I'm not pushing it. I let the idea simmer. If it's a good one, it'll come to me naturally when it's ready. That's why I don't take multi-chapter fics lightly, because if I decide to make one, I go all in. It's no longer just about creativity. It's a process and a commitment. The major difference between my ficlets/one-shots and my multi-chaps is that I only write them nowadays if I have a full, detailed outline created already, which means I only have to follow the notes of my past self. It's not the same creative process as my ficlets, so pushing it from time to time doesn't feel as dangerous. I use sprints. I use bullet points that I slowly flesh out. I discuss the part that I'm stuck on with other people. Sometimes I take a small break to read a lot instead, because reading does help you write (people seriously need to read more). And sometimes I just take a shower. Showers solve a lot of things.

Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Neither. It's the concept. I guess "plot" is closer, but generally, they both come at the same time.

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

Ficlets are all over the place, since the focus is often on my oomph sentences (I don't know what else to call them, but it's the one-liners that carry the rest of the ficlet). With longer fics and multi-chapters, it's front to back.

Thanks again!

[clawbehavior]

Hello, I hope you are having a lovely day/night 💞🌷🏵️🍵

For the ao3 wrapped:

11,12,15,18

omg these asks led me on a trip down memory lane and made me so excited for my biggest WIP (which has also been a pain in my ass), so tysm for sending them anon ❤️❤️🙏

11. What work took you the longest to write?

hands down 'everything everywhere all at once', my modern au where gaon drops out of law school when his parents die and falls for their private money lender, kyh, against his better instincts. here's the funny thing: i intended to complete in one one week with 3 chapters published in 3 days!! i started it in January 2023, nearly a year ago. 

i love this story so much. i wanted to write a gentle kyh for gaon so badly, but that's difficult to do for canon unless i wrote them post-canon. so i made an angsty au. this story was also my first true foray into FF writing on a03 years and years after i had put content creation aside, and the story ended up becoming a gateway to a totally new side of TDJ fandom. people share so many beautiful ideas about the lawful family in their story comments that fic writing feels like a rich conversation. so many times i have written gahan one way to read somebody's thoughts in the comments and go ahhhh i didn't even think of that. hearing people's perspectives has been such a rewarding and crucial piece of writing bc i am a person who works best when sounding ideas off another. 

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

straight for the heart, lmao. i have three, all 95 per cent ready for publication, in that the story is fully written out and the dialogue is completely polished in some areas but i am missing a key part that's critical for bringing the story together. it's too clunky basically. 

for example, when i was writing 'i hope you are lonely' the sex tape fic, i had everything written except a single scene: i couldn't figure out how gaon publicly responded to the tape. this was a crucial part of the story because his emotion would set the tone for how comfortable he felt expressing sexual desire for yohan and thus the progression of their relationship. was he hurt and afraid? angry and sexually frustrated? wanting revenge or to move on? and how did all those emotions shape what he asked yohan for, a man who would give him whatever he wanted. so this nearly complete draft was sitting in my GD for weeks until a reader asked me when i was updating and while i was typing out everything above just how i wrote it for you some part of my brain suddenly woke up and came up with a solution. i published the fic the next day. 

all this to say that the 3 stories i have lined up for publication are experiencing the same thing. basically polished except for oooooone thing. i need to tease out what a character feels about a specific event to successfully build the tension until it ratchets up to unbearable levels and needs to be released right the fuck now, i.e. theyre going to talk about it or fuck it out or whatever. but until that piece comes to me....these fics remain in the drafts. who knows tho, maybe after this a03 wrapped my ADHD brain will pop back in and do it's darned job. 

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

all of them! i don't publish a multi chap unless i have the ending written. otherwise it stays a oneshot. rn i am excited for i hope you are lonely, elevator troubles, and everything everywhere all at once.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

isaac! i actually didn't realize this until you asked me in concrete terms, so thanks for helping me articulate the writing block i am having. it's the kang isaac in my money lender au. he does something that has significant consequences but needs plausible deniability for the story to work. i can't nail down why he does it tho. he meddles, and he's foolish and he causes trouble but not vindictively or deliberately. his heart is in the right place, but how do i write him without overly abusing the trope of the good guy who bumbled his way into something wrong? now that i'm asking myself this specific question, i may come up with an answer. 

thinking through this was loads of fun and a perfect way to spend lunch break pfft. you have yourself a good weekend 🎉🎉🥳🎉🎊🎉🥳

[jaguarys]

20 questions for writers

Thanks for the tag @jediscribe :)!!

How many works do you have on AO3?

77!

2. What's your total AO3 wordcount?

... 177k.... what??

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently? Mostly Star Wars, Légendaires, and Naruto, but I've written for quite a few.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

... some of these are pretty old and kinda embarrassing... shhhhhh

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

I should really be better about it :"). Usually I only respond if I really have something to say.

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

Hmm... maybe this one? I tend to do open endings, which means it's really up to how you interpret it.

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

Probably this one!

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I've had some... experiences, yeah. Not in many years, though!

9. Do you write smut?

I have some WIPs, but I've never posted anything. Hopefully I can in the future. It's not hugely my thing, though.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nah, they're not hugely my thing!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I've translated one of mine myself and I believe a few others have been translated by people on other sites, which is always so cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Nope! It would be fun though.

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

Honestly I'm not sure.... there are a lot of good ships out there.

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

HMMM.... there's no particular WIP I can think of, but there are definitely ideas in my brain that I doubt I'll ever write because they'd be so long or so involved and I don't have the will for that.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at writing emotion, and dialogue's fun as well! I like to think I'm good at capturing a character's speech style. Character studies are my jam.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh man. For a long time it was length (I used to struggle to hit 1k words), but I really think that's getting better, and I also think I'm getting better at writing multi-chaps. Writing anything longer that's plot-driven is still a huge struggle for me, though.

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

Sure, why not? I think it can be difficult to make it well-integrated sometimes though.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Ever? I think it was actually Les Légendaires! The first stuff I posted online was Percy Jackson in... 2014 maybe?

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

ABSOLUTELY recency bias, but:

Good Faith

Eat Your Young

That's the Thing About Survival

Tagging: @tranakin-skywalker and @pebblish, as well as anyone who wants to do it! Just consider yourself tagged :)