#bc i got a multichap to finish

[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)!!

[suffarustuffaru]

I think I read a while ago on reddit that you had a madoka magica au for re zero, do you still think about it? I can Imagine Subaru taking the place of Homura but the rest of the cast is harder to place. It's a fun thought exercise though.

WAIT wow your ask sent me down memory lane wkdndn i forgot i even had a madoka magica au in the works for a while. i made it in like late 2020 and last worked on it in early-mid 2021 hah mostly bc my skill with writing and art didnt match with how big of an idea a multichap plotty crossover/fusion au was and i was still just dipping my toes into more ambitious ideas!! but id love to revisit it again now that i got more practice 👍

i like read your ask then went WAIT A MINUTE I DO HAVE A MADOKA MAGICA AU and then i skimmed through my old google doc plot outline for it in a frenzy. but also i used to write in yellow comic sans at the time so i wont subject you to my old terrible (affectionate) writing habits too much. but i think its funny how i had some notes on vague (and Dead Serious) ideas for witch form symbolism and i just found this yellow comic sans monstrosity:

2020/21 me was on some drugs probably LMAO 😭😭 but given madoka magica’s canon content that is probably a good thing if youre writing serious madoka magica fic.

also i did have a tiny bit of finished writing for it. here is the old synopsis past me came up with:

Stumbling across magic and witches, fourteen-year-old Natsuki Subaru follows his new friends and a mischievous cat spirit into a world where a single contract could grant you your greatest wish.

And at the end of it all, he really should’ve known this from the start: wishes always come with a cost.

i think that currently id probably change up this synopsis a bit if i worked on it again but it aint bad i think 👍 and yes youre right subaru would def be in homuras role for this fic… 😔 anyone whos seen both madoka magica and rezero would immediately make that connection i think hah they have. Similarities, as we know 😔

and i deaged some of the rezero cast as you can see hah. not sure if id keep that but i think an important aspect of madoka magica is that the main characters are that young. it helps add to some of their decisions and adds to the tragedy and whatnot. that and like. targeting vulnerable young girls, Literal Children, knowing that most would make a wish and sell their souls in a heartbeat and then easily be crushed by trauma without being able to fight back much, you know? :,) and then theyd make Lots and Lots of despair to harvest… and madoka was meant as a magical girl deconstruction and magical girls iirc tend to be arounddd early teens/preteens!! ill talk a bit more later on how id try to do this au with deaged rz cast hah.

also i did have a small drabble written for this au!!

The boy, no older than fourteen, stands there with an eerie sense of calm.

His frame is seemingly scrawny and lean, dawning dark clothing reminiscent of a mixture between a tracksuit and a school uniform - even if it’s adorned with golden ribbons and stripes - with a whip attached to the belt at his waist. Draped over that is a cloak, the hood of it casting a shadow over messy black hair and a cold expression. His keen eyes, emphasized by the deep bags underneath, narrow at the sight of Puck, mean and brimming with distaste.

With a steady hand, he raises a pistol to Puck’s head.

The moonlight shines dimly through the broken windows and onto the shards littered all over the floor. A beam illuminates a metal contraption, its appearance similar to a shield, strapped to the boy’s forearm.

“You know, I don’t quite recall making a contract with you,” Puck muses cheerily, though an undercurrent of a threat weaves itself into his tone. He stares down the barrel without fear, his sharp teeth revealed in his smile. “Who are you, really? And why are you so upset that I’ve been getting close with Lia? Jealous much?”

“Don’t you dare call her that,” the boy replies instead, bitterly spitting out each and every word. “Don’t you dare pretend that you only have her best interests at heart, or that you really care for her like a father figure would. It makes me sick.” He sneers as he digs the cool metal of the gun harder into Puck’s fur. “Because if you make even just one mention of creating a contract with her, or if you even come near her… I’ll definitely make sure that you regret it.”

yeah so. past me made puck kyubey apparently 😔👍 and if i revisited this au im not sure if i would keep subarus character development to be Exactly the same (ie it was very greedbaru/pridebaru/homura inspired) but this drabble was a fun exercise at the time!!

but anyway i will ramble about some more ideas i had for this au under the cut!! turned out past me had A Lot of ideas.

yes so this au was like. a fusion of sorts so yes i was assigning rz characters certain roles, blending worldbuilding together, etc etc but the general plot sort of followed the general story of the main madoka magica plot from the main show to rebellion!! it was like vaguely modernish too, but you know, madoka likes to be Creative with its backgrounds (see: the infinite amount of crazy chairs everywhere, which im still very fond of to this day) and also rz vainglory/school if has its fantasy world cast mixed in with subarus parents still being there iirc and a whole bunch of other details too (like beatrice being subarus adopted sister iirc?). so i was going the vainglory-ish route here in terms of “how modern is this world?” 👍

the main cast i was focusing on was gonna be subaru (homura), emilia (madoka), rem (sayaka), ram, beatrice, felt, and reinhard. also puck as kyubey haah and satella as walprugisnacht aka the giant witch at the end of the main show. i havent seen madoka in a bit wkdn i gotta rewatch. but anyway!! felt and reinhard got a mix of mami and kyokos roles narrative wise yeah.

quick rundown on their characters is that i wanted to stick to the rz cast’s canon characterization as much as possible while leaving room for fun experimentation!! and if theyre still younger than normal canon here—subarus still got his Big Ego/Im The Main Character mindset but in that way thats specific to his little kid self bc he hasnt gotten Completely Depressed yet (think like. arc 7-8 type stuff), reinhards still stuck in the middle of watching his dad gradually deteriorate, felts even Younger and still trying to find her footing a bit, rem is Guiltily and enviously trying to live up to ram’s Golden Childness (this is pre-Incident That Kills Their Whole Family). and emilia has lived a lonely life in the forest somewhere with no one for company :,) i cant remember if i had some Magic Mindfuckery ideas for her backstory here but ive definitely had ideas for modernizing her backstory for other aus like this!! but either way emilias family is still dead ;-; and i do consider like. the idea that modern emilia would have albinism, especially when there is discrimination in place against people with albinism that is a little similar to emilias canon struggle with her appearance so a modern take of emilia being that she is someone with albinism would be Very Relevant!! but!! not sure if id go all the way with that bc its a sensitive topic that needs to be treated with care and i dont personally have albinism 👍 or i could go the magic route and go “emilia looks like a previous magical girl thats become the most powerful witch yet….” ie satella ofc. so emilia would still be a bit of a “red flag” to other magical people.

but yes emilia wished for. im not sure but probably smth like “i wish not to be lonely anymore”…………. and then she got her wish granted via having magical girl/boy friends and puck!!!!! thisll totally end happily.

and quick note on reinhard is i didnt have much plot ideas for him yet but i considered different ideas for his backstory!! maybe theres some magic fuckery and theresia was a magical girl once? no clue how that works but it was an Idea i had for sure. also various ideas to modernize the Astrea Family Drama (dont worry the accidental indirectly/directly causing your family member’s death thing would still be there wkdndh this is an important detail to me.) but regardless of whats going on with reinhards backstory his wish was a naive little kid wish!! he wanted to be a hero who helps people ;-; good going reinhard ;-;

the entire plot of this au in general was divided in half, first half would be the first timeline where things go wrong. subarus gonna be the pov and hes the audience surrogate bc hes new to the world of magical girls/boys and no one in the group 100% knows the ugly truth yet!! and like in canon emilia/madoka has already become a magical girl here. emilia is also already close with puck—and emilia is the one person puck has genuine fondness for ;-; and i had a Lot of ideas for what exactly went wrong here—i had elsa and meili planned as witches? and i think i considered disemboweling felt :<<<< this is very sad bc her family gave her away to save her bc they were in danger (yes just like in canon rz) but then later felt had her life threatened or smth? and like mami, felt wished to keep living. but the wording felt used was wanting to “live strong”…………….. well she sure got it by fighting elsa valiantly but still losing 😔

also ok the first person to become a witch is beatrice. i had like wild ideas with beatrice—the possibility that echidna still made beatrice and puck and that beatrice couldve been a failed—whats the word for the creatures in madoka that collect/cause magical girls??? incubators i think?? yeah that. because whatre the two things a little kids gonna probably trust?? a cute cat creature and a tiny little girl offering free wishes, probably. and of course beatrice got assigned by her biomom echidna to look after echidnas library maybe. bc echidnas funny like that and beatrice didnt work out as an incubator so now shes gonna generate soooo much despair when she realizes that there is no That Person + the truth of magical girls/boys and what beatrice was meant to be used for….

yes more various shit hits the fan bc rem and rams canon witch cult backstory… i had plans to adjust it for this au and make it happen In Real Time. and also rem’s wish was probably something along the lines of wanted to be needed. and Better. so not just Like Ram. but rem wanted to be More than ram. which rem is guilty about but thats still what she wants so she wishes for it away from rams eyes. ofc rams feelings on this is that she just wants her sister to treasure herself and be safe and whatnot but rem is kinda in her pre-witch cult trauma mode and Oops now their town is destroyed in flames and their family is dead ;-;;; not sure how else id modernize rem and rams backstory but yes this is. this is how their plot went in that first timeline wkdnd. and ram is injured in some way ;-;;;

yes and then rem you know pulls a sayaka and goes a little crazy about everything bc beatrices whole ordeal already revealed how fucked they all are and then rem and rams Trauma just happened so rem feels like shit!! and then she becomes a witch too oops ;-; and then reinhard decides to be the hero and sacrifices himself so emisuba can escape ;-;; or at least that was my plan at the time. but yeah rem became better (a magical girl. bc ram didnt feel like making a wish bc her only wish would be wanting rems happiness but she didnt want to Cheat That. she wanted rem to find it on her terms. except rem became “better” and bigger than ram by being a witch also oops. also i think i still had vague plans to include rem being Obsessed with subaru to contrast what will later be subarus emilia obsession haha) and then reinhard. is the hero. </3

satella comes in somewhere at the end. she used to be a magical girl but she became a witch and shes Crazy Powerful for reasons i have forgotten now 👍 but i definitely wanted to have more shenanigans going on with her backstory to keep that sort of emilia-satella-subaru mystery connection. and theyre still connected anyway bc emisuba inevitably lose to satella bc shes too powerful ;-; emilia is gonna die and puck realizes OH SHIT I SHOULDNT BE FEELING LOVE BUT I DO GENUINELY LOVE EMILIA I CANT DEAL WITH THIS. WITH HER DYING. ID RATHER DESTROY EVERYTHING THAN LET THAT HAPPEN. and ofc subarus also in agreement bc oh god oh god—and yeah. subaru hasnt made a wish until this point but he makes a contract with puck to promise to save Everyone. like subarus promise in canon right before he dies for the first time you know? bc then he dies.

and wooooo the time loop officially begins!!! i had more ideas but i have typed lots on this post already akfnd maybe ill save it for another time if people are interested.

but yes thats all thats the au!!!! i am not familiar with stuff like magia record yet sadly ;-;; but if i ever wanted to expand the au thats def One option 👍 bc WOW the rz cast would be such a goddamn gold mine for those fucking incubators. little kid felix argyle would be a Top Tier candidate for them. like can you imagine???? thatd be the biggest disaster of all time ;-;;; and also theres Lots of possibilities for various witches the cast can fight!! very fun stuff its why i chose elsa and meili and satella :o !! but yes id consider exploring other candidates for magical girls and boys as well bc WOW felix would go insane here.

[clockwork76]

God gave me the attention span of a fish and the ability to work on so many things at once, here’s a lineup of the 5 Multichap fics I’ve been working on that I’m praying will be finished.

1. The oldest: My dad said you were safe. This fic is a Wolfstar and Rarry fic with a side plot of Nev/Draco/Theo. It takes place between year Three and Four and covers the story of what would happen if Remus got to adopt Harry and Neville as babies and raise them as his sons.

2. Next up: Second Chance. This is a Nuke fic that’s on the back burner due to a lack of hyperfixation for the Haven fandom. Basically Duke and Nathan give their relationship a second chance while Duke raises his daughter in a world without troubles. It’s just kinda a cute romance fic.

3. The third started: Stalkers Tango. This is based on Hogwarts Legacy. This is an ABO fic. My MC Regulus works for my friends MC Remus who’s mates to Ominis Gaunt and Sebastian Sallow. While working he meets a cute omega named Garreth Weasley. After this he starts getting stalked and ends up seeking help from Garreth and his boyfriend Leander Prewette to help him. Little does he know Leander and Garreth are Serial Killers.

4. Then we’ve got: Drac Major. A SEQUEL TO CANIS!!!! Harry is coming of age as the crowned prince of Hallow. He wants to find a spouse and ends up meeting Draco and Ron. It’s got drama, it’s got smut, it’s got kidnapping, and murder. What not to miss!

5. The newest one: The Child of Erebor. This is a Hobbit fic centered around the fact that Thorin and the boys didn’t die in the battle of the five armies. He’s actually fine and dandy and really wants to marry Bilbo. Bilbo is all for this and while there’s a few issues regarding their relationship and eventual children (bc we using the fact no one knows SHIT abt hobbits to do this) they do manage to make things work.

An ETA for any of these fics is very unknown as I’m about 1/4-1/2 in all of them and struggling a bit with too many ideas. I will say that Canis and Docks still have many more chapters to go so no shortage of fics on Ao3 yet!

[feverdreamsandlucidnightmares]

i banned myself from posting on tumblr until i submit my thesis so here's the shit i wanted to say in my absence (03/29/25 - 04/15/25)

Part 1, Part 2

4/1/25

i missed neil josten's birthday for my bitchass thesis?????? devastating

4/2/25

i have the impulse control of a dying rat

what do you mean I've been fighting for my LIFE trying to write my thesis and then i finally go to get ready for bed i get possessed by an andrew pov for one of my WIPs and write SIX PAGES

4/4/25

People are posting about bucky barnes and im IN LOVE WITH HIM and have been since i was like 15 but i HATE the mcu but sebastian stan was my go-to fake celebrity crush during the comphet era because he is unethically pretty. anyways all this to say dont stop posting the boy i love him. but i will not be watching any of the new shit

sorry all my favorite characters have abandonment trauma. and a gun (jean has neil which is close enough)

taking my leg off at the very fucked up hip socket and then beating me with the severed limb might hurt less than whatever shit my joints have decided to pull today

4/5/25

im going to be so normal about jean moreau when i start posting again just watch

i put the sillies in the blender again, at this point it's purely for @mostlyvoid-partiallyflowers 's benefit, he's my target audience

maybe after i read trimax this summer and rewatch the anime and sleep for two months i'll finish the trigun multichap wip

4/6/25

working on the aftg wips instead of my thesis again : / not even the jeaneil bestfriendisms fic but to be so real with you they are all becoming jeaneil bestfriendisms. anywAYS. its not romantic, theyve got something much more sinister (and silly) going on. but. like unhinged levels of devotion. i would live for you i would die for you i would kill for you. you're half my heart and soul. the idea of dating you makes me want to scoop my own eyes out with a melon baller. if anyone hurts you i'll ruin them etc etc. My silliesssss. Everyday i wake up and put them in the blender. andrew is like idek what's going on here and frankly i am too tired to care

loveeeee messaging ember like do you want to hear about my divine visions (aftg fic scene ideas) because he's my main enabler and most ardent supporter and then he will send me kevin angst too. symbiotic relationship

me vs the desire to start posting the fic as i write instead of waiting until its finished. i have to wait until its finished, my thoughts don't come out in the right order. i also have to wait until at least mid may, i am trying to graduate dear fucking hell

im not posting shit about other places to find me if tumblr goes down, partially bc i dont think it will but also if this shithole dies im going down with it, back into the void for fever, at best you'll be able to find me on ao3 but that's fucking useless bc i've yet to post anything. you can go stalk my bookmarks ig. they're public and i dont really give a shit + i think i have great taste. it is mostly bnha fics ngl to you

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

17. talk about your writing and editing process <3

Man apparently I’m allergic to checking my inbox but HEY better late than never my love!

So my process, if you can even call it that, is chaotic as FUCK!!! I stare off into space writing it mentally first, type all my bullshit in my notes app like a heathen, don’t proofread, drop unsolicited personal lore in the notes, all that. Gonna use TWITR as an example again btw

I’ve said it before, but The Webs In The Rafters is based on a WHACK ASS DREAM I HAD. specifically chapter 17 and the climax of the story. Like I was the Kenny character, Sansa the dog was telepathically speaking in my mind, there were piles of cuddling cats everywhere, the sound of helicopter blades and a trail of spiders in the hay. I woke up like bro what the hell this is a story right here and I went from there. And in fleshing out the plot, pinning the story beats, the time I was writing it was PERFECT TIMING. Because I had a six hour drive to make for a friend’s wedding. And what did my insane ass do? I FUCKING RAWDAWGED that drive. No music, no audiobook, just silent highways and plotting TWITR. By the time I got home I had a very clear idea of where I was going with the story that at that point was only a few set up chapters and a title.

Speaking of titles, a lot of the time I have titles before I have plot, which is kinda weird bc I know a lot of people struggle with titles, but that’s one of the first things that comes to me. Especially with my one shots, like my kysterion fic All The Punches That I’ve Thrown. That lyric popped into my head and a fic idea with it. Song lyrics inspire a LOT of ideas for me.

So does art. Like with In The Truly Gruesome, I saw a drawing emilyartstudios did of Stan and Shelley working a booth for Tegrity at a fair and I was like YO WHAT IF I FUCKED THIS UP AND STUCK ZOMBIE ALIENS IN THERE lmfao. And ofc, the OrangeJuiceVerse wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t seen foxydodo’s art of basketball player Kyle and mascot Stan.

While oneshots come together pretty fast for me usually, being written out in my head to be typed out in the course of a day (back in the days of janitor Riley bored as shit at work and having the time and energy for that lol), multichapters are require more thought structurally. So what I like to do with a multichap:

Think of it in three acts. In script writing, there’s something called the “page 12 event”, the event that gets the plot rolling near the beginning of the film. And I like to stick an event like that at the end of chapter 1 of my stuff a lot of the time, like ITTG and uhhhh yeeting Stan into a mineshaft after we find out the boys are being chased by monsters (jesus what is wrong with me). What I’m getting at: I like to know where my beginning middle and end are, how the characters are feeling at each step, how their relationships change, all that. And a lot of the time I think of the end before I do the middle or beginning tbh. Like I said, chaos. I think of a random scenario (as we know usually someone is hurt and getting taken care of bc I’m fucking evil and that’s where my brain goes constantly), hence the WhumpShots.

And I do primarily operate in WhumpShots. I picture a scene with a character getting their injuries tended, sick and dizzy but having a friend or loved one at their side, etc, and BAM that scene becomes a oneshot. Even the REALLY short ones, like the sot bunny I did last summer called So Only Say My Name, was about 700 words and one sequence of events. That kind of to the point structure comes easy to me, which is why I loved doing Style Week so much; new oneshot prompt every day. And while I don’t usually proofread after I finish a work, I edit as I go, sometimes post random lines on here or send a screenshot to the R.A.N.T. homies (I’ve definitely done this more as of late, a habit from when I attempted writing smut for the first time and would send neen a screenshot all “IS THIS CRINGE?!?” lmfao I love the Idea Trampoline tho). And I can’t spell so autocorrect is fr my saving grace unless it betrays me. Off the top of my head I can think of 3 words in 3 separate fics that I need to fix but am simply not going to bc that requires effort and oh fuckin well.

And I say that, but I may be lax about the more fiddly stuff but I care SO much about the big picture. Like “does this convey the feelings I want it to? Is this going to be a bright spot in someone’s day? Is the vibe I want there?” That’s my priority. If I can leave an impact on a reader, entertain them, make them smile, that’s what matters to me.

Jesus sorry this was a convoluted answer lmao it’s 3 in the morning and I woke up all “hey I should actually check my inbox” and here we are

Thank u for asking abt my chaos melda tâe

[hualianisms]

✦ what was your easiest fic to write & your hardest?

☉ what do you do when you get stuck writing?

✄ what’s your editing process?

✎ how do you think readers would guess a fic was yours if you posted anonymously?

tysm for the ask!! 🩵🩵 be prepared for a lot of yapping

✦ what was your easiest fic to write & your hardest?

easiest fic: this is a bit of a hard qn bc ive written 58 fics so far through the years and i forgot half the things i wrote kfjjfj but id say, the easiest was probably my first ever real fic, i.e. this hualian hurt/comfort fic where hc has a nightmare of the 100 swords scene. it was the first thing i wrote right after finishing reading tgcf and i wrote it all in one go and the dialogue & actions & characterization flowed so easily, i could picture the scene so easily in my head (which doesn't always happen for me). and writing hualian felt like the easiest thing in the world bc back in 2020 every little detail about them as characters and as a ship was imprinted in my mind so vividly... i miss those days 😔 my memory abilities have deteriorated since then

otherwise, iirc my first ever fengqing fic and my fenglian poem were also very easy to write

hardest fic: 😭😭 this could be so many of my fics tbh, there's so many i struggle so much with.. especially the unfinished wips, bc everything i actually posted means it wasn't the hardest, since i actually managed to finish them

but among my posted wips, i definitely struggled with the earlier chapters of my hualian fake dating au very badly at the earlier chapters and almost gave up on it which was why there was a 1-2 year gap btwn updates 😭😭 i actually went into a 1-2 year long burnout right after posting chap 1. luckily though, the most recent chapters got much better for me, finally reached a part of the story that's much easier and more fun to write (except that i wrote myself into a bit of a corner so ive been brainstorming how to get out of it). i just struggle a lot with multichaps bc my executive dysfunction issues make it very overwhelming for me to plot things. but im very determined to see this fic through to the end and finish my first ever multichap!

there's a lot more i struggled with - usually longer fics, fics for a new fandom (especially visual media fandoms. book/text-based fandoms are much easier bc you already have a canon peek into their character voice and narration style), non-canon ships that need a lot of wrangling to be believable, fics where i worry a lot about being ooc, fics that need action scenes or a real plot

the rest of the qns answered under the cut:

☉ what do you do when you get stuck writing?:

😭 it depends on why im stuck. i might ask someone for help w characterization. sometimes i just go for a jog/walk to clear my head and it works, otherwise if im rly stuck, especially plot-wise, I'll procrastinate and put the fic off for weeks/months

✄ what’s your editing process?

just rereading my own draft and rewriting or filling in the blanks where i feel like it can be better or is missing smth. i don't cut scenes often unless they're really bad. sometimes i rearrange entire paragraphs around to make them flow better

✎ how do you think readers would guess a fic was yours if you posted anonymously?

this is an apt question bc i have 2 anon fics rn and had a few in the past that i took off anon a couple of years later.. i think the easiest way to tell is my authors' notes. in both start & end notes i tend to yap + i usually apologize a lot in the start notes

besides that maybe fic titles (mitski). i think the genres and writing tone/vibe through my 50+ fics have varied a lot so i don't think that would be distinctive.. id be interested to hear if my writing style is distinctive bc i have no idea myself 🤔 i know i have some phrases i reuse across fics though (trying to work on that issue), and a bad habit of having long sentences sometimes (ive really been working on reducing this issue)

(send me an ask from the fic ask game part 1 or the fic ask game part 2)

[flyinghome-againstthewind]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag, @walkinginland!! 💜

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

8! 😅

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

234,699 (the fact that I'm almost at a quarter of a million words feels all kinds of crazy to me 🥹)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently and on ao3, just Outlander. I did a lot more fandom hopping in my youth and on ffnet.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

the best by far is you (Outlander, multichap, canon-divergent - what if Faith lived?)

Beside the Seaside (Outlander, multichap, 1940s au - single parents twist on seasons 1&2)

The Lost Ones (Outlander, one-shot, modern au - Jamie and Claire are neighbors and help each other through a difficult holiday season)

Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe (Outlander, one-shot, tbbfiy holiday fic)

When My Love Reaches to Me (Outlander, one-shot, modern au - follow up to The Lost Ones)

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

I do for most of my fics! Beside the Seaside has become a little overwhelming so I don't respond to those comments at the moment.

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

I have to go with one of my drabble for this bc I dont usually write angsty endings for my fics, only angsty middles 😅 but I think Something to Hold Onto fits the bill for this. Though she be but 100 words, she is angsty.

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

the best by far is you had a pretty happy ending, but I think Soften Every Edge will hold that title once it's finished.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

There was one person who REALLY didn't like the family separation arc in tbbfiy and trolled the comment section a few times, but that's been the only true hate I've ever received on a fic.

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

I hadn't ever written smut before Outlander, and I blame Jamie and Claire being the two horniest muses I've ever worked with for my forray into smut writing lol. I don't write a lot of smut, but if inspiration strikes and I feel like it adds to the story, I will usually include it.

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

I do not!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of 🤞🏻 Back in my ffnet days, I had someone message me about my fic that they wanted to basically copy and paste bits and pieces of it and change the characters but keep the main storyline (staying within the same fandom, mind you... and just switching characters around) and I said ummmm no?? but thank you for asking nicely?? and then watched their stories like a hawk for a few months, but to my knowledge, they respected what I said and didn't do that 😅

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of!

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

I haven't and honestly I'm mystified by how people make that work. I've read a number of fics that were co-written by two people and the results are so cool.

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

I don't like to answer what my all-time anything is because I am indecisive 😭 but at least in terms of writing fic, I've got almost a quarter of a million words published just about Jamie and Claire, so. That answer feels obvious.

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

Oof. I never even posted it, but in my college years, I was vibing very hard with a Smallville au, wrote several chapters, it lived rent free in my mind, and never got around to finishing it. But oh my god the Themes of it all...

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization and theme, I think. I feel like if I know the characters and I know what the themes are, I can cobble together some kind of story.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plotting lol. It's always the joke with fic writing that you have to write a whole story around the one random scene you envisioned, and that's how most of mine start. So figuring out the plot and pacing from there is always a struggle.

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

I always want to include other languages that are integral to the characters (hi, jamie fraser!), but as someone who regrettably only speaks English, I get so nervous about the fact that I rely on google translate and might get it horrendously wrong and upset someone who actually speaks the language because it's That Bad. 😅 So I usually include what I can and then use indicators when someone is speaking in another language but I'm typing it in English.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh god, I can't remember exactly, but I think the first fandom that I actually wrote and posted a fic for was One Tree Hill (though some of you on twitter might remember the story of 8th grade Anna turning in a chapter of her Alias fanfic for a creative writing assignment, I didn't ever end up posting that story, so that was just for me, my sister, and my 8th grade English teacher, apparently 💀)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh god. I feel like it changes depending on what I'm working on, honestly. Beside the Seaside has been super self-indulgent and fun to write, but I'm having a love-hate relationship with sharing that one with an audience at the moment. Currently, my favorite one I've written/am still writing is Soften Every Edge - I'm just very pleased with how chapter 1 turned out and loving any time I get to return to that world and that family.

I'm not sure who all has done this already, so no pressure tagging @theawkwardterrier and @behindthelabels

[coyotejone-s]

Get to know you game! Answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better.

i was tagged by @opqrstuv04 hiii kit :]

Last song listened to: "diva night" by mommy long legs HKGADGSAHSGDAJ it's actually been a while since i've listened to this one, so spotify shuffle kinda blessed me here cuz this one's super fun. every day i wish mommy long legs hadn't broken up 😔😔😔

Currently reading: uhh i guess dungeon meshi? i finished up volume 12 like a week ago and am currently waiting on volume 13 to be released in english. i'm also reading Taking Shots by @thetriggeredhappy, though i haven't read the latest chapter yet oopsie. only mentioning that one and not all the other fics i'm subbed to bc out of all of them i'm most invested in this one lol

Currently watching: if we're talking shows, then also dungeon meshi HKGLDSAGSALHGSHDS. but if we're counting youtube videos, then the newest game grumps video. i haven't watched them in a damn long time and only recently kinda picked them back up again. i forgot how fun they are to listen to! i know two-person let's play channels aren't as like. unique anymore, and there's plenty of them around, but i've always been a grumps fan at heart.

Currently obsessed with: the stanley parable has me in its clutches again. i'm currently writing a multichap fic for it, but i'm not releasing it as i finish chapters bc that's always burned me before (i lose interest immediately after posting the first chapter waynersob). but i've also got other fics in the works. and uh while i'm talking about my tsp-related projects :] you should :] watch my animatic :]

tags (totally 100% optional <3): @spoipage @reiney-weather @weirderscience @chilblainz @mix-macher252 @severallumpsofclay @softwaluigi @tobywtfman @giddlygoat and anyone else who feels like joining :]

[angst-in-space]

july '24 writing progress

words written: 13.5k

most words written in a day: 1,115

least words written in a day: 0

yearly total: 79.1k

projects worked on:

ya sci-fi book rewrites

finished a draft of the soukoku oneshot!

started writing the bsd regency au!

finished editing & posted the last chapter of sylvix dreamscape fic!

sylvix pacific rim au

works published in july:

you're a dream (i'm never waking up) - chapter 10 (fe3h / sylvix)

july goals

meet my camp nano goal of 30k words for the month / approx. 1k a day

finish ya sci-fi book rewrites? haha? *laughs through my tears*

finish first draft of soukoku oneshot

start a first draft of bsd regency au

implement beta feedback for sylvix dreamscape fic ch 10 and post

august goals

f-finish ya sci-fi book rewrites?? for real this time?? 🥹

keep up with goal of approx. 1k per day for 40k in 42 days challenge

edit (maybe post?) skk oneshot

make some progress on bsd regency au

maybeeee update one of my other multichap fics that i haven't updated in a long time?

perhaps work on some other fic?

notes:

july was pretty hectic for me... i went on 3 trips this month (a family reunion, a family vacation, and a wedding) so there was a lot going on, plus work was busy etc. etc. so honestly i'm patting myself on the back for getting anything done at all. i did not reach my goal of writing 30k or even getting halfway to it but THAT'S OK!! this was (i think?) my second-most productive month of the year so far, so that's impressive!

i stiiiiillll am working on ya sci-fi book rewrites, but am just finishing up the big climactic chapter. and the three remaining chapters after that are fairly short and not as complicated, sooo maybe i can get those done this month? 🤞

i actually got quite a bit done fic-wise during july! most notably, I FINALLY FINISHED EDITING AND POSTING THE LAST CHAPTER OF SYLVIX DREAMSCAPE FIC!! which took me over a year to post, oops. it had been about 4 years since i started that fic, so posting the final chapter was an emotional experience—but i'm really glad i stuck with it, and seeing people's reactions and kind comments has made me really happy. 🥹

i also finished a draft of my soukoku oneshot! it's about 7k and there are a few parts i want to edit, but i'm hoping i can get that done & posted sometime this month. i also started writing the bsd regency au (which is a joint soukoku & shin soukoku fic)—really excited for this one bc i've been planning it for months. probably will not be done with it for umm a Very Long Time but glad to have at least started it, and hope to get a chunk of it done during august.

i'd also like to work on a few fics i've had on the backburner... both in terms of writing and editing/posting. i hope to continue writing some other fics, mainly the sylvix pacific rim au (which i did work a bit on in july!) and i hope to maybe update some older fics as well since i have a huge backlog of stuff i haven't posted... oops. i'm trying to kinda just have fun posting my fics again and not let my perfectionism get to me too much. after all, i write fic bc i want others to enjoy it!

oh yes also some friends and i are taking on the 40k in 42 days challenge which seems super fun and helpful! i'm not sure if i can write the full 40k but i am definitely gonna try and hope some good progress comes out of it!

thanks for reading and wishing everyone a wonderful august 💖

[alister312]

4, 15 and 20 for the writers asks! 🤓💙

thank u for sending this in!! writer asks found here

4) How many WIPs do you have right now?

I’m never sure what exactly qualifies as a WIP because I’ve got a lot of stuff I’ve started but not all of it I’m that committed to ever finishing/publishing 😅 so

Stuff I’ve started and am actively working on/intending to work on soon: 5

Stuff I’ve started and have no idea when or if I’ll ever work on it again: 9

15) How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters?

It varies! I will say, titles pretty much always come last in the writing process for me. There’s been many a time when I’ve been pasting the fic from google docs into ao3 and then staring blankly at the title part. As such, there’s usually not a ton of thought put into the titles. Often it’s based on a particular scene or line that I think acts as like… the crux of the rest of the fic. Examples being ones like “Because It’s You”, “Reality”, “Smokers Stick Together”, and “The Fourth B”. Some have an extra layer of thought such as “Vibrato”, “Embrace for Impact”, “Visual Binary”, and “I’d Tap That”. But yeah, I struggle with titles and descriptions so I don’t usually try too hard.

20) What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written?

Honestly I love both of my current multichap project titles! Mostly bc, since I’m spending more time on them, I actually took time to think about their titles lol. The style writers au fic aka “From Pencil to Pen” was inspired by a song lyric I heard once that was “I used to pencil you in/ But I’ve switched from pencil to pen” and it’s just perfect for that fic (which I know hasn’t updated in a year but I do intend to finish it). And then my gregstophe tsot fic “What Makes Cloves Grow” has a LOT of thought put into it. It went through many iterations. There’s plant symbolism that hints at future plot points. The literal answer is metaphor for Gregory and Christophe in the story. I sought feedback on it. WMCG as a whole is such an indulgent passion project (tbh all my gregstophe stuff is bc those fics do not do numbers 😅).

[lintukoto2]

I have now about a week to finish my term paper (I don't even have a topic yet). With my last term paper I ended up with no sleep at all, getting a migraine attack, having myself locked out when I should have written the damn thing and finding a mouse wandering through our apartment. And on top of this it was all in vain and I couldn't even submit the paper when I barely met the deadline bc we were supposed to hand it in at an office that was closed for the rest of the week and had no mail box.

I really don't want to repeat that experience.

So I probably should start the new term paper.

Which is exactly why I got an idea for a new AU and started writing a multichap fic.

[lambilegs]

u have zero idea how much i loveeee does it happen in a season JESUSSSS like legit read it in one sitting in the middle of the night sleepy af but idc its SO GOOODDD😭 im sad its ending i got so invested its crazy 🙏 its literally how lee would act and speak i feel like im watching longlegs part 2 or something how well u portrayed her <3 genuinely hoping and praying u have more of this type of fics in the drafts

DUDE I WAS LITERALLY SOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU TO READ THIS CHAP HEHE SO I GOT SO HAPPY WHEN I SAW THIS ASK

first of all, it literally means so much to me that you read this in one sitting when you were so tired bc I know this part is extremely long so omg the fact that you still wanted to read it in one go despite all of the above is so sweet. AND AHHH THANK YOU HEHE I was a bit worried about this part being so long so the fact that you enjoyed it makes me so happy. and omg, same, today, I was on a walk, and listening to a song I'm planning to write into the next part, and it's a very nostalgic sounding song, so I started getting SO sad with the realization that this fic is coming to an end soon :// I've truly gotten so attached to it, and the progression and buildup of the love story, so to think of finishing it, and having nothing more to work on with this story and their relationship, actually makes me feel lowkey devastated JKDJKSJ (I'm getting really sad rn just thinking of it 😭).

AND DUDE THAT IS, LIKE, THE HIGHEST PRAISE OMG. I am constantly doubting my ability to write her and anticipate her reactions to certain things. so, the fact that the feel it's accurate to how she is in the movie means SO much to me!! like I'm literally gonna be feeling hyped about this for weekssss omg

and hehe I'm definitely planning for more stuff like this!! regarding the actual college!au, I feel like I'm too attached to them to never write them again after the last part is posted, so I could definitely see myself writing spinoffs or oneshots that are in that same universe with them, which maybe showcase moments that happened during time skips and whatnot hehe. regarding stories with the same kind of vibe, I'm definitely planning for more slowburn multichaps like this hehe. I keep lingering on an idea of lee as a rookie, dealing with her first job in law enforcement, and being in this cold, small, dreary town where she meets reader and they find a sort of haven in each other within this place that neither of them feel fully at home in. and I've also been really into the idea of cowboy!lee, and a really slowburn romance stemming from that in the mountains. and lee being really reserved, but showing her attention in all these chivalrous ways and AHHHH but yes def have more multichap ideas like this hehehe

[suffarustuffaru]

👀 & 🥺 & ❌

i also answered ❌ in another ask so ill do the other two asks here :O !!

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

OOH ok i. i have two more pride if wips other than my current pride if otto multichap. and i really wanna finish all of them. one of them is a pride if reinhard fic and the other is. you know it was just supposed to be unhinged and incredibly cringe pride if ottosuba smut wrapped up in a small oneshot but now its unhinged and incredibly cringe pride if ottosuba smut with Probably A Little Too Much Plot and it probably wont be a small oneshot. oops 😳 every time…. EVERY TIME… i write smut i keep making it cringe on purpose. im so sorry i cant write anything genuinely sexy it just comes out cringe bc i find it entertaining to write sjdndn (for additional context i am ace ☝️i might write fluffy smut someday though akdnsns bc i DO love sweet smut <3)

ANYWAY the pride if reinhard fic. its planned to be a twoshot atm thats just going through the most important events of poor pride if reinhard’s life. and by important events i mean All the loved ones reinhard lost and then the entire country being set on fire 😭😭 idk if any fic has been made yet focusing on how reinhard like. gradually feels hatred and anger for the first time towards pride if subaru for Doing All That but id like to focus on that yes!! like its a Very big deal. and also i wanted to give joshua a cameo bc well. the dude Already despises reinhard regularly. the moment he finds out julius and ana brutally died and reinhard is Likely half of the reason why they died (the other half being to put emilia on the throne)…… anyway joshuas gonna be very upset with reinhard thats for sure!! ..and also this fic Might need a dead dove tag. totally not for reasons.

🥺Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

EVERYTHING. but more specifically writing breaking points and the buildup to them 😭😭 the aftermath too!! like. even more specifically i love when the cards are Really stacked against characters and so they change for the worst. that gets me every time. they change so much that theyre like the trope where someone Comes Back Wrong and then they hit some sort of breaking point where hes Abundantly clear that theyre not the same anymore. if you get what i mean hah. but i love when suddenly everyone close to them has to confront this fact!! that theyre not the same anymore!! how will they all move forward from here?? bc change can be good or bad and its what you make of it…. will the character get worse or get better in the future??? idk i just love the angst of it all T^T the bittersweetness T^T having to confront the person you were and the person you Are and that even while theres differences theres still similarities to your past self…. which is probably why i like gluttony if and subaru a lot hah (on top of. heinkel……. if otto……..). like having to confront that this person you know and love is Different now….. that the love you shared with this person is Now gone and just a faint memory…. that stuff hits fr T^T like the baggage… the history… things wont ever be the same… that kind of feeling, you know?? and also additionally i love that quote from undertale that goes “despite everything youre still you”. yeah. yeah. 🤌 i like how this kind of development is so. its got Despair but if you so choose it there can be hope too….

[nicegaai]

i have a genuine fear that as soon as i finish up my multichap project im gonna wake up out of this htalia fog and go augh jfc wtf have i been doing and im gonna have all this doujin and merch and cosplay pieces ill never get to wear. so i should stop buying htalia stuff for a while. obviously.

psycheeeee

i found a good deal on a reasonably accurate nor.way coat (<- has been looking for a while) and even though my local con season is over and its almost summer and the size might be a little too big i just gotta have it ........ okkk... these r usually minimum $50 range and its new!! my tax return came thru i can impulseish buy a few things its finee and ill wear a sweater under it its supposed to be big and boxy righttt... i also ordered a silver cross version of the gold cross i made a pin out of bc it was bugging me that it was inaccurate

plus i won an auction last night for the last missing piece of the world twinkle minimalist badge set and oooooohhhhhhhhhOHHH ohohoooo aauuuuuuhghh fuck me though, idk where ill display them all. im going thru something. mania perhaps

also got more n5 merch more doujin etccc... whatever. im cutting myself off now i promise i PROMISE. I PROMISEEEEE. theres way more important things i need rn but the coat was a necessary purchase. for um self expression. ?

i think a nor cosplay would be sooo funny with an icela.nd itabag but ill get there when i get there. the wig i wanted is on backorder so debuting next spring is prob all i could do

[fyreflys]

🪐

I’m assuming this is for the Writer’s Truth & Dare Ask game. If not: I like Saturn too. Thank you anon for this very cryptic message <3

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

1) I’m finally making a good amount of money & regularly! (Partially thanks to the fact that I’m living with my parents again & I don’t have to pay tuition or rent or groceries- I love being a temporary leech) I actually moved money INTO my savings account instead of taking money out (for the first time in YEARS!!!). Mega accomplishment I’m so proud of myself GO ME! IM ADULTING!

2) For the first time ever, I’m actually enjoying cooking. For a long time, eating food and cooking/preparing food has felt like a terrible burden/chore that I dreaded doing. I’m not sure what changed, maybe because I’m now cooking for more than just myself / my family, or the fact that I feel like I have time to cook, or the money to afford extra/new things I can try cooking with- whatever it is, I’m having fun doing it. & despite not having much experience cooking, I’m apparently pretty good at it bc I’ve made some banger dishes lately (according to my family).

3) I’m getting back into Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is still my favorite show of all time (I mean seriously it’s so good, I could go on a mile long rant about how good it is & why), but I haven’t really thought about it for ~4 years. I got really into it at the end of high school / when I graduated, & now I’ve (recently) graduated college & now I’m back into it, so it’s kind of like I’ve come full circle. Also, it was the first fandom that I wrote & FINISHED a multichap for. So kind of a major accomplishment/milestone. & I just think that’s cool & I’m having so much fun rewatching it. :)

Thanks for the ask anon!

[aimwigs]

Spread love to fanfic writers!

Answer these questions about your fanfics then send this to 5 other fanfic writers

Name a fic you loved writing the most.

Name a fic that others loved but you didn't care for as much.

Name a fic you had the most fun writing.

Name a fic that you are the most proud of.

Name a fic that you wish had gotten more recognition.

Name your happiest/saddest/most comedic fics!

this is so fun ty for sending it 🫶 i’m just gonna do my yard fics obv. under the cut bc it got kinda long

loved writing most: probably make me laugh (and kiss me back) bc that was like when i first got super into the pod and ifl i wrote it in a feral state probably in a few days total. there’s always some magic abt the first fic you write for a fandom (although there was another fic i started earlier that im still half convinced i’ll finish someday)

others loved that i didn’t care for as much: this one is hard because i think of all my yard fics that did well im also pretty happy with how i wrote them. like the dad lud ficlets aren’t my peak writing but they didn’t do particularly well either (which like idc im not putting my all into them). i suppose the way you kiss me will work each time not because i dislike it bc i don’t im def happy with it i just think my after the date part could have been stronger

most fun to write: so much for "making it" for sure because i looove esports and it’s fun to write different dynamics and shit

most proud of: see your light shine for sure! i think the first half of this fic is the best thing ive ever written so far

wish got more recognition: across the stars but i get it’s niche i just love that au and hope to write the full multichap sequel someday when i have the focus to crank it out

happiest: a new chapter aka the new baby ficlet that shit is straight fluff

saddest: okay i think curse words and empty cups is hard to pin for any of these because so much happens in the fic and obviously i wrote it over the course of a month and a half so a lot was happening w my writing process but i think the saddest scenes ive written were probably in this fic, probably specifically in chapters 3 & 5

most comedic: probably also see your light shine. might be recency bias bc i’m rereading it but i think the banter i wrote between the four of them is electric