#author asks

[leo-interactive-fiction]

Happy (belated) fifth anniversary for Triaina Academy, Leo! I hope that you got to at least do a small celebration for five years of work sometime in June. In the spirit of Triaina being five, I wanted to ask you about the old demo, actually; is there a scene you left / are going to leave on the cutting room floor that you miss? Are there other plot points from it that you really liked? I'm curious about how you feel about it after so long. Regardless, I hope this finds you well!

Hey there! Damn, it really doesn't feel like it's been five years since I've began undertaking this project haha. The very first showing of Triaina Academy was in june, and was fairly sizable for its first posting, hovering around 70k-ish words leading up to the middle of the 2nd chapter and having introductions for everyone except S and F. During then, I had far more free time available to me, and worked on that version of the demo until it grew to around 250-300k words spanning nearly 5 chapters.

But I realized as I had progressed through writing that the quality of my early chapter writing wasn't consistent with the current standards I wanted to have now, and so much of that wordcount was scrapped, with only the skeletonized outline remaining of the old work. I returned to square one and rewrote the story in its entirety from the beginning, leading to the current state now, with the revised version hitting close to 220k words. In the back of my head I consider that, had I just continued writing without a revision, Triaina Academy would already be a finished product.

In many ways I regret that despite it being five years, it feels like there is nothing much for me to show for it. Even more so now that my work pushes me between mental stress and physical exhaustion, often giving me little time or motivation to pull up the writing on my computer. But I love what I've created. I love the joys it brings me as a creative, as well as hearing the joy it brings you all to read. So even if it seems like I fall away, I am still pressing on to continue, even if it's a tiny bit at a time, until it becomes something both I and readers can find joy in.

Now, speaking of the old demo, there's many scenes that have become nonexistent. I liked quite a few of them, and there are probably many overarching ideas that will return in different forms within the new context of the current demo. But there are also many that won't.

A few mentions of old scenes that probably won't be making a return, either because they've been replaced or they are no longer relevant:

During the very first date with raven, although the makeshift "home" returned, there was an additional scene where the MC discovers mutilated bodies in a closet space.

Before the festival scene seen in the demo now, the working equivalent of it in the old demo was an underground party held by students of the academy in an abandoned airport. The idea of this was cut out because within the story, I decided the world wasn't in a current state for airspace travel save for very specific exceptions. But during this scene, the party is interrupted by a body being discovered hanging from the overhead walkways of a hangar, paired with a bloody message.

There was a scene where you could order and allow V to shoot and kill a student. Originally I had thought to make this into a fail state where the MC and V were thrown in jail for a game over, but upon the revision this was taken out entirely, as I decided against abrupt, early endings.

Infamously, E was originally written as a step-sibling character in the old demo. I had thought on testing and developing the dynamic, since I didn't see very many games do it, and my game was pretty heavily inspired by various anime and manga related tropes and character styles. But eventually, I decided to shift them into a childhood friend/next door neighbor romance without adjusting their personality because I put a lot of effort into developing the entirety of their story arch, and I wanted them to appeal to a more general audience. Funnily enough, they are still labeled as their old role within the code, just because it has become too much work to change all of the variables haha

F's personal assistant, Fiore, didn't actually exist within the old demo. At least not in the same capacity. She was added because I realized F's personality didn't work well as an independent romantic driver, and they needed an additional external factor to push F into more romantic situations. Fiore RO DLC is an additional purchase of $9999.

In the old demo, MC's, and to a lesser extent everyone else's parents, played far less of an apparent role. I wanted to develop a story showing the previous generation compared to the current one, as in some ways there is a "passing of the torch" theme throughout the plot.

S and F were introduced far later in the old demo, to the point every other RO was given a full extra date scene before they joined the picture. One goal of my revision was being able to give these two an earlier introduction so they could all have their own date scene. In the old demo they were introduced in a scene where P and the MC had to switch rooms, allowing the MC to meet the last two members of Dorm Exul, as well as I think letting them read P's diary.

You used to be able to choose both M and P's gender independently, but with them becoming more structured as identical twins, M will always be the same gender you pick for P.

R used to be far more of a directly flirtatious character like M, but has since naturally shifted to the laid-back, bantering character they are now as I've continued writing them.

Similarly, V was written in a far more robotic tone with only short one-to-three-word responses, and although they are still fairly terse and unemotional, they've developed over time to have far more spoken dialogue and hints of emotional cracks.

There used to be a fail scene in M's romance if you refused to hit them the first time. Much like the other fail state, this was taken out and the decision between leaning into their masochistic tendencies or not became part of their path selection.

Many of the side characters within the story were not introduced, and so neither were their stories. Lewis and S's hostile relationship was not developed, Rex and Acer only had passing remarks, Treyla, Juno, Uno, and others who were nonexistent to the plot now hold some relevance to specific MC specializations, and instructors other than Rosaline and Hoft were given names and a larger part as progressors of MC specializations.

As far as the most favorite scene that I'll miss leaving on the cutting room for, hmm. It is most likely the school tournament arc that I had planned in the old demo. It was in the works and quite far in development at the time that I realized my writing had taken far steps away from the book's early development, both in quality and creative direction. The tournament was supposed to be a method to more actively showcase the combat capabilities of each character's powers, with several rounds and fight scenes already written. But within this new revised plot, I plan for the S.T.E.M. abilities to develop far slower and gradually with trackable leaps in power, not yet becoming combat capable at the time this tournament arc would've occurred. Still, the scene and idea I had in my head, and what I had already written, was quite fun! Although I probably won't be able to figure out a way for this exact scenario to happen now, eventually I would love to bring back the idea of a tournament, or arena type of setting, at some point in the story haha.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings. I didn't think the response would get this long haha. Triaina Academy has recieved so much more positive reception and love than I could have ever imagined when I first began working on it. In all honesty, I had figured that maybe I would be writing for a handful or so to see and think it was neat, and I'd be plucking away at it from time to time with no real thought to its success in mind. But it has instead risen to a stage far larger than I thought it could perform on, almost dauntingly so as I fear for disappointing so many, both with its quality, and the fact I can't dedicate as much into its development as people hope and ask for. Even still, I hope you can forgive me for not being able to rise to expectations, especially in regard to the pace of development, or the length of silence revolving it. The one thing I can promise, is that I still love this creation of mine, and all of you who have seen and may continue to see it flourish, and I do not plan to end its development unless I die a very painful, early death.

Thank you very much!

[creatrackers]

Writer (& Artist) Ask Game

Reblog this and let your pals ask about your OCs, stories, or about you! Remember to check your inbox, and feel free to tag someone you want to see play :)

* Who was your first ever OC? Do you still “use” them? How have they evolved over time?

Who is your newest OC? Why did you make them?

Biggest self-insert OC?

What kind of music do your OCs listen to?

What are some of your OCs biggest fears?

Do you have any OCs without stories? Will you ever create one for them?

What are your favourite relationships between your OCs? (romantic or platonic!)

Do you have any OC family trees?

Favourite OC?

OC you most struggled to make?

* Sum up one or more of your wips!

Which story took the most research?

Which story has the most lore?

Current word count of all your main wips?

How many projects do you have going on right now? Are there any that you doubt you’ll ever finish?

What was you first major project? How far along is it?

What are some tropes and character dynamics found in your wips?

Describe the setting of one or more of your wips

What are some things that inspired your stories? Real events? Maybe a dream?

What story are you the proudest of? Why?

* When did you start considering yourself a writer/artist?

What are all the “kinds” of writing/art you do? (short stories, poetry, screenplays, digital, painting, clay, etc.)

Are you in any writer/artist groups? (Ex: discord server!)

Do you have/want a career in your medium? If not, what do you do/want to do instead?

What’s your favourite genre to write? Is it also your favourite genre to read?

What are your favourite books?

What are your favourite movies?

 Favourite songs at the moment?

What was your first fandom you were in? Did you make any art/fanfic for it?

How are you doing? <3

Ask away!

[practically-an-x-man]

ok y'know what. I'm tired of all the same questions in ask games so I'm taking matters into my own hands

OC/Writing Art Asks

For the character:

Pencil: does this character have any "sketchy" habits? Have they ever broken the law? Do they regret it?

Pen: what's one minor moment your character regrets? A small mistake, but something they "can't erase"?

Paintbrush: How often does your character "brush over" conflict instead of facing it head on? Is there something specific they don't like to face, or do they avoid conflict as a whole?

Marker: what's one thing your character would never tattoo on their body, even if they were paid a million dollars for it?

Crayon: what was your OC like when they were four years old? Were they loud? Shy? Were they the resident "weird kid" or did they get along with others their age?

Colored Pencil: if given the choice, would this character splurge on an expensive (but potentially worthwhile) branded product, or buy a low-budget alternative even if the quality suffers?

Copics: what is this character's most expensive habit or hobby? Do they ever feel guilty about the money they spend on it?

Graphite: what's something decently common that your character does in a unique or different way? (like how graphite is present in all pencils, but not everyone uses pure graphite)

Charcoal: share any unique physical features about this character that are not scars or tattoos.

Tortillon: does your OC "blend in" with the people around them? Physically? Metaphorically?

Pastels: Give me three colors that best represent your OC. Now give me three colors that your OC likes best. Is there an overlap?

Chalk: what was one activity this character enjoyed with their sibling(s) as a kid? If they don't have siblings, what they did with their neighborhood friends

Eraser: what's one way this character has changed over time? Either over the course of their story, or over the course of designing them as an author.

Palette: list four of your character's primary skills, then share at least two ways these skills might blend or overlap

For the work:

Starry Night: are there any scenes in this work that take place at nighttime? Is this significant, or just the passing of time?

Mona Lisa: oh, it's the fanfic writer's favorite word. Do a find-and-replace on the word "smirk" and share any lines that pop up.

The Scream: are there any moments in this work that you think could scare a reader? Are there any moments where the characters themselves are profoundly scared?

Persistence of Memory: are there any moments in this work where a character's memory plays a strong role? Either an individual memory, or simply a character's ability to recall the past.

Girl With a Pearl Earring: are there any moments in this work where a character's clothing or accessories play a major role?

The Kiss: share your favorite kiss scene from this work. If there's no kiss scene, share your favorite moment of intimacy (romantic or platonic)

American Gothic: what's one relationship between characters in this work that you think people wouldn't expect? (i.e., how the people in American Gothic are not married, they're the painter's sister and dentist)

Guernica: look through a few of your imagery/descriptions in this work. Are they generally straightforward, or are they more "abstract"?

Wheatfield with Crows: are there any scenes in this work that involve birds? Do the birds play a definitive role, or are they simply part of the setting?

Woman with a Parasol: are there any moments in this fic that feel "blurry" to you? Is this a stylistic choice, or would you go back and clarify the descriptions if you were given the chance?

A Sunday Afternoon...: pick one "little moment" from this fic. How representative is it of the fic's tone and story as a whole?

Creation of Adam: choose one character that is not present at the beginning of this work. How did you introduce them into the story?

The Swing: are there any moments in this fic where the characters get to slow down and have fun? If not, why is that?

The Last Supper: does this fic incorporate any symbolism based on religion, theology, or mythology? If so, give an example.

For the author:

Paper: Who do you feel is your most two-dimensional or underdeveloped OC? Why is this? (including those that are still in development/haven't been written about yet)

Canvas: Do you ever "prep" your fics with outlines or warmups before you start writing, or do you just dive right in?

Graffiti: Have you ever had to research something that felt illicit or illegal for a fic? What was it?

Photography: What's one moment from any of your fics that you feel is preserved in your memory?

Clay: Do you usually take time to "sculpt" your OCs before you write them, or develop them as you write?

Film: Which one of your fics do you think would work best if turned into a movie? Who would direct it?

Adhesive: when you write, do you usually "stick" to one character or story for a while, or bounce around various characters and ideas?

Cricut: are there any characters you've had to "cut" from a story? Are there any moments/chapters/stories you've had to "cut" entirely?

Felting: how often do you include soft moments when you write? Do these moments play a role in the main plot, or do you include them as an escape from the rest of the story?

Weaving: are your works typically similar to one another? Pick two works, and share one similarity and one difference between them.

Finger Painting: share a small snippet from your earliest work (or the earliest that you can get back to). How would you rewrite it today? Either share the rewrite itself or just describe how you'd do it.

Creative!: free space! share something you've been dying to share about your writing! Could be an OC that never gets the limelight, a moment you were proud of, or anything else you'd like to share

[kangofu-cb]

fic author Never Have I Ever ask game:

Gundam Wing Winterhawk AU

So apparently I have done this whole 'queue an ask game' thing more than once :-|

Send me an ask about whether I’ve written a thing [ship, trope, dynamic, category of fandom, etc.] and if I’ve written it, I’ll link you. If I haven’t written it, I’ll tell you how I would write it if I did.

This is absolutely hilarious to me, because first of all - you're making my revisit past sins. Thanks for that LOL. I obviously have never written a GW WH AU, nor will I ever do so. The source material is just like... so wildly different.

But I guess if I were gonna give Winterhawk giant mecha robots with which to fight for interspace colonial freedom, I'd have to give Bucky Heavyarms because like - guns. Just. So many fucking guns. That mecha never made a damn bit of sense guys, WHERE did he get the ammunition. Also it did have a mecha-sized army knife. So yeah, Heavyarms for Bucky.

(This was a tough choice though because the original pilot was an orphaned circus kid, so like. You see my difficulty here.)

Which obviously means that I have to figure something else out for Clint, and like, unfortunately none of the Gundams had a bow (at least, not in Gundam Wing). So. I've decided he gets to have Deathscythe, mainly because fighting with a giant energy beam scythe is like. The stupidest thing I have ever heard of, but also it looks so badass? And the original pilot put on a laughing, jokester personality that masked some seriously badass skills and also a terrible childhood, so that fits you know? Seemingly outdated weaponry that somehow manages to be extremely effective while play-acting as an idiot? Yeah. That's where we're at.

Thanks for asking me!!!

(PS @claraxbarton thoughts welcome XD)

[sunnywalnut]

Hello writers of Tumblr! I've got a quick question for you

Background for said question for those that want to give an informed answer: I myself am white and on a quest to find enjoyable and inoffensive language to describe wide ranges of people, specifically nonwhite folks and have come across the term while reading through a Tumblr post about a king and his group of concubines with various government backgrounds.

The description piqued my interest and I immediately liked it, looked it up, and loved it even more, since from what I know, foxes are pretty much the one animal nobody has a problem with being compared to. Silver foxes, vixens, or just regular old "you're a total fox" comments. But now that I've thought about it a bit more, I'm curious.

I've looked into it. On Google, on the handful of blogs dedicated to writing poc correctly such as @writingwithcolor, and even a reddit post or two. But very few were actually about what I was looking for, and even fewer had anything to say other than "it means a person with high cheek bones and narrow eyes"

So before I do any writing with it, I'd like to know what you guys think.

Thank you

[enderpearlll]

MFE Bob notices that reader is getting close with a coworker/customer??

Your Favourite Employee drabble.

(TW/CW: Stalking.)

Sorry for dying but I got inspired to answer this ask so… here’s some Coworker lore. This is so hilariously bad I’m so sorry.

He already did. In the time you’ve been working at Boys & Grills, you’ve rapidly grown close to your coworker. You both thought he’d never notice your silent giggles in the staff room, the gossip as you both wiped down tables. Oh, how jealousy burnt through him.

It was subtle threats at first; deadpan stares and strained grins. Bob knew you thought of him as saintly, and he was obsessed with keeping it that way. Your coworker thought the same until they felt a piercing set of eyes on them every shift. Thinly veiled criticisms and harsh words thrown at them when no one was around. They noticed it only got worse the more they interacted with you.

Of course, they always dreaded waking up for work but that dread only deepened with time. The dots had began to connect in their head, and paranoia had plagued their life. They always knew you were a bit oblivious but this, this was getting stupid!

They feared for your safety whenever Bob was around. How were you so oblivious to the infatuation in his eyes, dilated and beady as they stared into yours. The lingering touches, the questionable pet names… and worst of all, the fact he followed you home every night. They knew they had to do something, anything to keep you safe.

So one night, while Bob was busy with god-knows-what, they snuck into the office. Turning on their camera, they squinted as their eyes adjusted to the dark office. It was… dirty. There was so much junk thrown around, and pictures littered the room. Of what, though? Picking one of the pictures up, they held their phone screen close to the picture to properly see what it was. Their eyes narrowed with confusion. It was… someone walking down a street. The person was hard to make out, but as they peered at their clothing, they realized that it was your jacket. It was you.

Realization dawned on them like they pressed their fingertips to a hot pan, a burning sensation of panic searing their fingers. They let the picture fall to the floor, evidently shocked at what they’ve seen. In a fit of denial, they grabbed other pictures, shuffling through them as they slowly shook their head in disbelief. There was so many, it made them sick. Some of them seemed harmless, pictures that one would take of a friend or a lover. Then there was the creepy ones, the pictures that made their skin crawl.

Pictures of you sleeping peacefully, pictures of you taken through your windows, and the worst of all were… They threw them to the ground, regretting their decision to come in this godforsaken room. They didn’t even want to think about the words scrawled on the back in blood red ink. They had to get out of here, and fast.

But fate had other plans.

(SORRY FOR THE HORRIBLE ENDING I GOT LAZY but um. hey guys 😁)

[tohrules]

Ok question for intersex people

so I'm writing a book/series and one of the main characters is intersex.

Basic facts I have down about the charecter(using they/them)

Name is Lee

Science they weren't forced to be always masculine or feminine they were able to discover they were more comfortable with a changing gender identity.

Grew up in a cult so despite it being "normal" for intersex kids to be messed with when they were born they weren't

Has the power to control water

Being intersex will be mentioned and explained to Lee by their older sibling Zim at some point so they know that most people aren't born intersex but it will be something seen as just a normal experience and not be a huge parade. Because you know intersex people are normal people

So my question is simple.

What can I add to make lee more realistic?

I want lee to feel like someone you guys can see yourself in and understand. I'm not intersex . But I noticed how rare it is to find them in media where their not sexualized so I figured ya might help introduce the idea and how it can just be normal.

So I would love any intersex people on tumbler to let me know of their ideas either by commenting or reblogging with it so other authors can also read your advice and your stories.

[delicateartisantrash]

Hello!

I've recently found your TF fics, and they are *mwah*

Absolutely gorgeous, love what you've done with the characterisation and the plot, especially when you say when a character *cough Megs cough* just... comes in. I'm just giggling, kicking my feet, twirling my hair.

I also have a question. Or two, if you don't mind my asking.

In the tags for Leaking Spark and Why the Caged Bird Sings, it's stated as a 'Soundwave/Reader'. Does this refer to Butterfly, or Lightshow?

I'm just a little confused on that part, as Butterfly is definitely on for Knockout, and as seen in the latest chapters of Why the Caged Bird Sings, Soundwave really misses Lightshow (breaks my heart every time we see Sounders in a wreck). BUT, in the tags for Leaking Spark, there's 'Eventual Soundwave x Reader'.

So, I'd like to know, what's your plan on that? Or is that a 'lil spoilery? Would you mind giving us a 'lil peak into your plans?

Thanks for reading my questions, hope you have a great day <3

yes hello i LOVE answering questions (even if it's sometimes "teehee spoilers but i can tell u dis instead ;D" is my only non-spoilery answer I can give) about my absolute obsessions. Eeeeeeee!

Easy one to answer, first:

In the tags for Leaking Spark and Why the Caged Bird Sings, it's stated as a 'Soundwave/Reader'. Does this refer to Butterfly, or Lightshow?

In LS and WTCBS, it refers to Butterfly.

If that ever changes, I'll update tags and/or update some kind of notice at the chapter in question so it's not unexpected.

I honestly haven't decided yet if we'll have Lightshow as a total other POV like Soundwave for example has been, or if Meta Readers will get to be a Reader POV for both Butterfly and Lightshow. Do you by chance have a preference? XD

I currently lean towards keeping the "Reader POV" restricted to one character per story series (Gladiators of Kaon is technicaly a prequel to Leaking Spark, but Leaking Spark isn't neccessarily the *only* possible timeline outcome for GOK's origins ;D no i'm not planning a multiverse with my own fics what who me never i'm not THAT insane ha ha ha, I mean....)

Other question time!

SO.

I hesitate to confirm *exactly* what the final relationships will look like any time someone asks, because... I don't actually know. There are *so* many moving parts and little details and honestly even a slight interaction can have lasting ripple effects that change the story farther down the line in ways I never could have predicted or expected until I get to that point.

Case in point: Leaking Spark actually exists (and GOK, too, but for slightly different reasons than LS) purely because Knockout was *supposed* to get to be the MC's bestie ride-or-die friend in Star of the Show.... and instead he ended up scaring the ever loving SHIT out of poor Clara and yeah That's Not Happening (at least not anytime soon lmfao).

But I wanted to write a friendly(ier) version of Knockout, so we got Leaking Spark with him being our teaser pony introduction who eventually leads us to Soundwave. (and that mech is a slow burn romance with cryo-frozen molassas)

So... Rather, I know what *qualities* certain relationships will absolutely have, as it keeps me grounded and centered in writing, but that doesn't necessarily mean that character won't *also* end up with someone else before then, or in addition to (poly romance is something I have given up trying not to let creep into my TF fics They Are Very Determined I Guess??? I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE I AM GENUINELY CONFUSED BUT I LIKE IT APPARENTLY SO????).

So, I'll tell you what I *do* know is for certain;

[mild spoilers below. Topic: relationship outcomes]

-Soundwave is going to end up in a lasting, meaningful, permanent (insofar as they decide it is :P) romantic relationship with Butterfly. He gets his squishy soft Sparked lover. He also gets a not-so-squishy but just-as-soft-Sparked Lightshow... either as a friend or as a romantic partner as well, I genuinely don't know how those two will reconnect but it's gonna be CUTE. AS. FUCK. -Knockout is going to marry/Conjux/get hitched with his gay bae Breakdown and I can pretend TFP never had budget cuts for voice actors and politics that inspired Breakdown's gruesome death and end in TFP it Never Happened Here Okay? (sobbing weeping crying i'm okay I swear). He'll remain friends with Butterfly, and his romantic fling with her is honestly going to be *so fucking good for him* as a learning experience. In short, we're his Practice Girlfriend so he finally fucking treats his husband right. Dammit KO u HAVE HIM RIGHT THERE REEEEE--

-Megatron is gonna end up with Lightshow. So hard. He never stopped agonizingly crushing on her that mech is in LOVE. Obssessive possibly unhealthy love. You know. In that way Megatron does with Literally Everything In His Life, taking things to The Extreme. Lightshow's gonna be good for him is all I'm gonna say there heehee

-Lightshow IS THE ONE I HONESTLY HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE WHAT SHE'LL DO REALLY SHE MIGHT BE SOME KINDA LOVE GODDESS OR SOMETHING IDK BUT I CAN EASILY IMAGINE HER IN A POLY RELATIONSHIP WITH LITERALLY ANYONE SHE LIKES AAAAAAH HELP????

Lightshow's unofficial job in the Decepticon Army: sex therapy

-Lightshow and Butterfly are going to get along very well and that's all I'll say about those two ;)

[spoiledblogif]

Hi, what's the word count for the current demo?

I think at present, the first 5 chapters have ~60,000 words

[mx-ryder]

Please reblog, and add your thoughts in the tags!

I personally really like the 4th option, but I'm definitely biased lol

Also the title graphic for options 2 and 3 was made for me by my bff, to whom the book is definitely going to be dedicated. It's his fault it exists as an actual book at all, tbh.

[thescholarlystrumpet]

Tagged by @tawnyontumblr Thank you, luv! This is fun!

How many works do you have on ao3?

166 formatting is being weird without a sentence here

What's your total ao3 word count?

910,348 - ahhh approaching 1M!!

What fandoms do you write for?

Good Omens and (to a lesser extent) Hazbin Hotel right now. Past fandoms included Rumbelle, Whouffaldi, Buffy, and Avenue 5

Top five fics by kudos:

To Tell the Truth (Doctor Who) Whouffaldi moments woven between episodes. Mostly canon-compliant.

Lending a Hand (Good Omens) In his heavenly form he wouldn’t have had this dilemma at all because there was no corporeality with which to struggle. And on the other, much less ephemeral and much more literal hand, he currently had a very noticeable (and increasingly painful) erection.

Personal Assistance (The Thick of It/Doctor Who) Clara Oswald leaves behind teaching to enter the world of British politics. What better way to make a splash than by working for the infamous Malcolm Tucker? And if discovering a (mutual) attraction happens to catch them both off-guard.... well, that's just life, right?

The Babysitter (Once Upon a Time) Tumblr prompt: Mr. Gold forgets something at his house & goes back to go get it. When he arrives he hears his son's babysitter moaning and thinks she has a boy over. When he goes into his bedroom he finds her touching herself on his bed alone moaning his name.

None of Your Business (Once Upon a Time) “Well, it’s very nice to meet you at last, Angus.” She rolled his name around in her mouth as though she hadn’t been screaming it the night before. Mr. Gold tries to balance lust and trust with less finesse than he'd like to admit. Luckily, Belle can give as good as she gets.

Do you respond to comments?

I've made it a goal to try and reply to almost every comment. I'm grateful someone took the time!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh undoubtedly Silence is Golden. I made my self tear up writing that one...

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

Almost all of them? But I will take this chance to pimp my Canon-based Buffy Season Six Fix-it! (Everyone lives!): Making the Pieces Fit

Only totally non-shippy fic in my repertoire and one of my proudest achievements.

Do you get hate on fics?

rarely if ever?

Do you write smut?

Bwahahahahahaha. Oh. Yes.

Craziest crossover:

Not Just Watching Anymore - Buffy/Good Omens excuse to write an M/M/M threesome between Aziraphale, Crowley, and Giles :D

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, back in the rumbelle days, someone linked me to a site trying to sell my fic as theirs and we reported it.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

If they did, no one ever linked back to me :(

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Working on one with @hakunahistata tho we've both been sidetracked by Bang fics, hehe. It's gonna be great to get back!

All time favorite ship?

Oof. I love all my OTPs but I'm definitely *deep* in Aziracrow right now and hope not to emerge any time soon.

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

SO. MANY.

What are your writing strengths?

I get good feedback on my dialogue and characterization. I think I write pretty kickass smut most the time.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Background. What color are the walls? Where is the furniture? I have no fucking clue unless its relevant to the story. That table only existed when I needed the character to lean against it. It wasn't raining until that helped set the mood. Some people write exquisite scene setting and I am envious but writing it bores me to tears.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

One of my IRL besties can read a bunch of ancient languages and WILL side eye improper grammatical structure in fiction so I picture them giving me that look unless I do the really proper research (or ask them directly).

First fandom you wrote in?

unofficially HP but per my AO3, Once Upon a Time

Favorite fic you've written?

Ask me to cut my baby in half while you're at it, geez! But right now, I am proudest of For Loving One 

No pressure tagging: @voluptatiscausa, @naromoreau, @fishey-me @ineffabildaddy @she-makes-things @hakunahistata @nosferatini @zin-lynn-c and anyone from the @goodomensafterdark crew!

[leo-interactive-fiction]

Heyyaaa~ loving the update!

Just a small request, would you entertain us by giving us more save slots? Eheheh, I'm planning on trying everyone's route so... Yes, more saves (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

Hey there! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the game so much!

Unfortunately, there is no way for me to add anymore save slots to the game. Although I have attempted to set it to a varying degree of slots, Dashingdon only allows for 8 saves. It is unfortunately the hosting website's limit that I have no control over, but I am glad to know my game has the problem of wanting to be replayed too much, rather than the alternative haha

[batboys-cumdumpster]

!!This is a situation for a book that is not dark romance. It is a romance fantasy book with some underlying themes of trauma, survival, and healing!!

[practically-an-x-man]

Fanfic Couples*/Relationships Ask Game

*note that when I say "couple", this does not have to indicate a romantic couple, it's just the most concise way to refer to a pair of characters. These can be any two characters, romantic or not.

Of the ones you've written, which romantic relationship has developed the fastest? How fast is it?

Of the ones you've written, what's your slowest slowburn? How slow is it?

Have you ever written a soulmate AU? If you haven't, why would/wouldn't you write one?

What's the fastest you've reached a romantic couple's first kiss (in words/scenes/chapters)? First "I love you"? Other landmarks?

Do you have any works where you refuse to reach a certain relationship landmark, for one reason or another?

Have you ever started to write a relationship and had it develop differently than you expected? How so?

Have you written any romantic couples that you think would be better off as friends? Or even enemies?

Have you ever written any friendships that could've easily become romantic relationships? How did you navigate it?

When you write, do you plan out the stages of a relationship, or just let it flow? Do you have any works where the characters seem to "write themselves"?

[Couple] has just been struck by a magic spell, and now they're mortal enemies! What happens now?

[Couple] has just stumbled into a fairy ring, and they've forgotten they ever knew each other! What happens now?

[Couple] has just found an interdimensional portal, and one of them just walked in! Does the other go after them?

Are there any consistent trends when you write a budding relationship, or does it vary by character? If there are trends, what are they?

Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you want to write in the future, but haven't yet?

Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you would never write?

Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you enjoy reading about, but wouldn't want to write yourself? Vice versa?

Did you base [couple] on any existing relationships that you've seen? This can be anything: TV characters, books, even people you've known in real life.

Pick a few characters you've written for (or, for a fun twist, asker chooses). Tell me about their relationship in three sentences or less.

Pick a work/fandom you've written for. If your couple didn't end up together, who would they get close with with instead?

Has a character ever felt pulled in two directions as you wrote them? How did you resolve this?

Not all relationships are romantic. What's your favorite non-romantic relationship that you've written about?

Have you ever written a break-up scene? How did it go? Was it a permanent split?

Do you think you idealize relationships in fiction, or are your depictions grounded in reality? How often do your characters make mistakes?

When you write, do you focus more on the romantic relationships or the non-romantic ones?

How important to you is the inclusion of sex in writing a romantic couple? Do you have any asexual characters?

Do you have any characters that are arospec or otherwise wouldn't enter a romantic relationship? How do they interact with the story?

Do you have any characters who are hopeless romantics? How do they interact with the story?

Have you ever written a tragic romance? How did it turn out?

What's the most interesting friendship that you've written?

What's the most interesting familial relationship that you've written? Found family counts.

Are there any songs that remind you of [couple]? Are there any songs that remind them of each other?

Do you find it more fun to write soft, domestic romances, or dramatic thrillers?

Are there any canon romantic couples, in any media, that you just can't stand?

Are there any well-known fanon relationships (not canon), that you just can't stand?

Are there any canon non-romantic relationships you can't stand?

Have you ever overwritten a canon romance in favor of a different character/OC? Did you write a full breakup or just ignore the canon relationship?

Who's the Barbie and who's the Ken? Who's the Allan?

Who's the Romeo and who's the Juliet? Who's the Rosaline?

Who's the Prince Charming and who's the Damsel in Distress? Who's the dragon?

Pick a relationship (not necessarily romantic). What tropes apply to this relationship? What tropes does this relationship subvert?

Who's your most repressed/oblivious character? Who's your most aware character? What makes them different?

As an author, are you gentle to your characters?

How do you feel about unhappy endings? Unrequited love? Major character death?

What's your favorite type of relationship to write? What makes it most fun for you?

What type of relationship do you struggle most to write? Why is it difficult for you?

Are there any character dynamics that you've found yourself stepping outside your comfort zone to write? How so?

What's the most self-indulgent relationship you've written? Are there any particular moments/scenes that you wrote just for you?

Are there any relationships you've lost passion for writing? Are there any relationships that started slow but gained momentum over time?

What's your favorite relationship dynamic that you've seen in another work of fiction? Has this influenced your writing at all?

Free space! Brag on yourself! Advertise your writing! What are you most proud of recently?

[kangofu-cb]

For the fic writer "Never Have I Ever" -- I don't think you've written A/B/O?

More of the: Send me an ask about whether I’ve written a thing [ship, trope, dynamic, category of fandom, etc.] and if I’ve written it, I’ll link you. If I haven’t written it, I’ll tell you how I would write it if I did

I have not ever written Omegaverse, you're right!

There's just like. It's such an interesting concept in so many ways? Like I can see (and have honestly read) some really good fics where it explores the way that reproduction and gender intersect and bisect, when biological sex and gender and reproductive ability have a completely different perspective. I think it's a really interesting way of exploring complex social issues outside what we'd consider the 'norm'.

I struggle with the inherent dubious consent involved, personally.

And if I were to write it, I would really want to dig into the social aspects more than just like. The pornographic aspects (although let's be real, it's me, I'd definitely dive into that too probably).

But also the mpreg aspect of it gives me the ick, because one time someone (@maevemauvaise I am looking at you), semi-forced me to consider how... for lack of a better term... assbabies would be mechanically/biologically possible, and because I have a medical background, I... figured out a workaround and freaked myself out! SO!

But if I WERE to write an Omegaverse fic, I think I would want to explore more about how the perception of Alpha vs Omega vs Beta would be perceived societally, and how to subvert those expectations. I read something once where nearly all relationships were poly, with Alpha, Beta, and Omega all in one relationship, which kind of made it more balanced and... anyway it was an interesting take.

Or maybe I would write some really hot pornography. That's also a possibility. But with explicit consent.

[invisobang]

Thinking about dropping out bc of writers block, do you guys have any advice ?

This post got a bit long, so there's some general advice under the cut, which may be more what you're looking for; but it would be remiss of me not to mention the Invisobang advice first!

If you haven't already, you could reach out to one of our wonderful betas. Several of them have offered their services as someone to bounce ideas off of. You can find a full list of our betas and their skills pinned in the beta-bids channel.

You can also seek help from fellow writers in our brainstorm channel.

If you're unsure whether or not you can complete the event, it's always good to take a second and look at your progress so far, as well as your usual writing habits.

Have you been meeting check-in goals? Does writer's block often slow down your writing? Are you able to get lots of writing done in small bursts to recover if you fall behind?

While I don't want to encourage you to drop out, the nature of this event makes it important that you remain confident in your ability to complete it.

And now onto the general advice!

You could try outlining. A few lines of dialogue, some basic description. Some progress is better than no progress, and sometimes having a vague idea of where you want the story to go can help you figure things out.

Maybe you've written yourself into a corner. Go back a few paragraphs, a few hundred words. If the fic is short enough, maybe even go back to the start and read through what you have. You might find something you want to change or get a new idea.

If you're having trouble with a specific scene, just skip the part you can't figure out! You can always go back and fill it out later. Even if you're skipping to a point much further into the fic, it's always easier to get to the end when you actually know what the ending is.

And the one everyone always says, take a break! Sitting and stewing about your fic can make things worse. Take a walk, read a book, watch something you like. You might get some inspiration after having your mind of the story for a couple days.

I hope something here proves helpful for you. If you have any more questions, Bib and I (kinglazrus) are always available on Discord, or you can send another ask here.