#but i think this would actually motivate the writers to finish the series or at least TELL US the rest of the story

[mrmanbat]

Saw that you reread Red Robin and wanted to ask abt ur thoughts on it all :3 that whole series is some of my fav comics ever- plus I own the full set lol. Favorite part? Something you didnt like? Thoughts about Tim's development and character throughout? Thoughts on the whole Ra's situation? Tim being passively suicidal lol. Or how Tim gets. Just so many bitches. All the bitches. Tim Drake canonically gets bitches. They really look at his failboy swag and go "Yeah I'd hit that" 😭 wheezing.

Anyway yeah, they're like my fav comics so what are your thoughts on them?

And Happy Christmas! Or Happy Holidays if you do not celebrate. Merry ChristmaHannuKwanzaa!

Happy Holidays! (sorry if this does sound cohesive- I wrote right after finishing a 17-page essay, and my brain is actually fried)

The RR comics are so nostalgic to me; they were literally the reason I even picked up a comic in the first place.

The comedy in them gets me every time like Damian accusing Steph of stuffing her bra, gold. And the unintentional stuff like giving Tim an ungodly amount of rizz is just so funny, I can't. Bros is literally a Casanova but can't enjoy it bc, yk, he's busy trying to bring his father back from what is essentially death.

He's just in a long downhill spiral, yk? And he just progressively gets worse throughout his run as RR. The scene where Tims accepts death but Dick swoops in to catch him, and Tim has to lie his ass off, saying that he "knew his brother would catch him," just really brings that point home.

It started off as "No one believes me about Bruce, I'll just have to take. things into my own hands," then it goes to "I barely believe myself about Bruce, but it's too late to turn back now," to "Fuck this, if I die I die- womp womp, too bad I won't be able to tell Dick 'i-told-you-so"'

Tim is self-aware of his self-destructive nature; he knows that all his friends and family are trying to get him to seek help, but he just doesn't care. To him, the mission is more important- batman is more important.

(Side note- Dick trying to get Tim to see a therapist is a lot more impactful than how Fanon twisted it into Dick-trying-to-send-time-to-Akham.)

I'm split on the Ra's thing. I love the concept; I think he was a good choice for the main 'villain,' and I think there was so much potential with Tim reluctantly having to work with Ra's. I just don't think it was done all too well by the writers. A good chunch of Ra's motivation didn't align with his character- at least, I don't think so. And the whole thing with his sister just feels so unnecessary and gross.

Overall, though, I flipping love these comics. They would be better if DC didn't, yk, undo all the cherecter development by making Tim Robin again, but whatever. You win some, you lose some.

[olderthannetfic]

Genuine question: what's the point of writing fanfic? As in, what's the purpose? No one in the fandom I'm in comments on fics and I even got told off by one person for doing so, as it "encourages bad writers and makes them think they're good". So it seems that it's a lot like book writing, where people work hard and are creative, but instead of getting paid and getting comments on the work, you just sit there silently hoping someone will press the kudos button and make a number go up. I feel like that time and work could be better spent on making something you might get some kind of profit off of. Don't get me wrong, I love doodling fanart, but I don't post it, as I'm aware that there's no point to doing so, and while it's a nice way to fill the time on a commute, it's not something that takes me as much time and effort as fanfic does. So... why do people bother? Sometimes I describe ideas I have and people I know in my fandom will tell me I should write it, but I don't see why. I get more interaction from just saying "imagine if [thing here]" than I would by sitting down, writing for hours, editing and posting [thing here], so what would the point be? I'm not punching down or going "haha women and their fanfic lol!", I genuinely do not get what the point is and this blog feels like it might have someone reading who knows the answer.

--

Do you make art for profit? Genuine question.

There's nothing inherently wrong with being motivated primarily by external factors, but it's not actually why a lot of people create things, whether it's books or recipes or doodles in a notepad.

I enjoy the actual process of writing.

I think many people lose sight of that aspect in an era where tons of <500-word fics that are mostly outlines and "Imagine if..." posts get disproportionate attention for being easy to consume. But the satisfaction of doing a bigger art piece and doing it right is real and motivates a hell of a lot of creation.

I suppose you might be thinking "Okay, but why not just write it alone and never post?", but I like sharing. Showing off my finished creation is part of the joy, and sharing with other people like me is too. But those aren't quite the same thing as worrying about kudos. It's like dressing nicely when you leave the house because you feel great when you know you look good vs. needing another person to tell you you look good.

To be honest, though, this type of feeling has grown in me the better I've gotten at a craft. The closer my finished projects get to the vision in my head, the easier it is to find them fulfilling and to be excited to share them. When I fall short of my own ambitions, it's discouraging no matter how much attention I might get from others.

I feel like it's time for my regular reblog of Adam Westbrook's video essay series The Long Game.

The third and least known in the series is all about this idea of who you're making art for if you're not getting material rewards in the short term. It talks a lot about autotelicity—being internally driven instead of externally.

--

But if you really just want clicks, anon, start a blog that accepts anon asks and posts about wanky stuff. Actually tag things, unlike me, so people can find you.

No, writing for attention isn't worth it.

The time investment is too great and your brain will always fixate on the times people didn't respond instead of the times they did.

But that's not actually why most people write.

[nova-is-a-writer-now]

Hidden embers

Chapter 4

Chapter summary: Joel made the mistake of touching you once and now it’s all he can think about.

A/N: boy oh boy, y’all better strap in for this one. I know i said last chapter was my favorite to write, but scratch that cause this one is on a whole other level. I’m so stoked you guys are liking this, I’m having a little writers block at the moment and your comments always motivate me to get back into it. I wanted to take a second to thank my wonderful beta reader @hautecouture02 , she hypes me up every time I finish a chapter and it melts my heart. Anyways enough yapping, commence the smut.

Warnings: No outbreak AU, no use of y/n, no sarah, Age gap, DBF!Joel, Slow burn (I’m adding this to the series warnings cause i’m making y’all suffer a bit), detailed description of masturbation, sexual fantasies about FMC

Series masterlist

Joel shouldn’t have touched you. He knew that. But the moment he saw you limping, something inside him snapped.

Every time he's been near you since that damn welcome-back party, he swore he’d keep his distance. No touching, no looking, no thinking. Those were his rules. If he could just stick to them, he’d be fine—he could sleep at night without his mind wandering to places it had no business going. Places involving his best friend’s daughter, in scenarios that would make any decent southern lady faint.

It was wrong—so beyond wrong it made his chest tighten just thinking about it. But it seemed like the universe was hell-bent on testing him. You were always there—bumping into him at the bottom of your stairs, getting paired up with him for fundraising, or falling off ladders he’d specifically warned you not to climb.

Those moments were justifiable in his mind. What was he supposed to do, let you hit the ground? But today was different. Today, he had no excuse.

He touched you when you weren’t in any immediate danger, when you didn’t need saving. You were just fine—if slightly injured, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Yet there he was, checking your ankle, picking you up and throwing you on his counter, grabbing your leg, and massaging it like he had any clue what he was doing.

The concern was real, sure, but he could’ve just handed you the bag of frozen peas and let you deal with it yourself. He should’ve done that. Now he was pacing in his kitchen, trying to shake off the thoughts that had flooded his mind the second he laid hands on you—the way his fingers had itched to move higher, his eyes struggling to stay on your ankle and not wander up to your thighs.

Those thighs, Lord help him. They were perfect. They would look so stunning marked up with bruises and bite marks from how thoroughly he’d devour them. He’d make sure to leave them low enough so they would peek below your dress, so anyone who looked at those thighs knew who they belonged to.

No. This was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid.

He hadn’t been interested in dating or even casual hookups since the separation. In fact, he’d found a kind of peace in solitude, focusing on his work. But then you showed up, in that skimpy blue dress with those pretty white flowers, looking like you’d walked straight out of a dream.

He knew it then—he was beyond fucked. He refused to accept it, let alone act on it, but the way he felt the moment he first saw you was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

And so, he kicked you out. Actually, he meant to drive you home, but of course, your stubborn little ass had to go limping out of his house, preferring a fucked up ankle to spending another second around him. You seemed pretty pissed, and he didn’t blame you. He internally hoped you believed the rumors about him being an old grump—a nearly fifty-year-old prickly man.

If you kept your distance, he wouldn’t have to fight his urges. But something in the way you looked at him told him you wouldn’t make it that easy. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but you weren’t the type to make eyes at just anyone.

At the fundraiser, he saw plenty of guys—more age-appropriate and definitely better-looking—trying to chat you up. You were always kind and polite, but you never looked at them the way you looked at Joel. You never kept the conversation going with them like you did with him.

And that made it worse. Because if there was even the slightest chance, the smallest glimmer of hope that you felt something even close to what he was feeling, he wouldn’t be able to resist you. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from doing all the things he’d dreamed about.

God, he needed a cold shower. Or an hour-long ice bath. Maybe even a visit to the nearest church to confess his every sin—past, present, and future.

Joel barely registered walking to the bathroom, stripping down, and stepping into the shower. He was too lost in thought, too distracted by the pulsing ache in his chest that he refused to acknowledge, just so he could deny where it came from.

He should apologize, right? That’s the polite thing to do. But apologizing meant talking to you, seeing you again. And as much as he enjoys your company, every second around you was pure torture. Controlling his thoughts, holding back his hands from touching you where he really wanted to, swallowing all the things he wanted to say to you, from the sweetest compliments to the filthiest praise.

And the deep breaths he had to take every time you spoke, just to stop himself from imagining what you’d sound like being pleasured—what you’d sound like when someone was making you feel good.

Fuck that, he can’t even think about anyone else touching you. The thought of it made something inside him churn, and that was such a bad sign.

All of this was torture, and he wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve it. He’d been a good man—a good brother, a good son, a good friend, until recently.

He could’ve fallen for anyone else, any other girl in town. But he never stood a chance against you, with your gorgeous, fluttering eyes, your soft curves, those legs…

He came back around to those legs. How could he not? He could see them so clearly in his mind, propped up on his shoulders, soft kisses trailing along them as he pounded into you. Or holding them up as he knelt in front of you, using his mouth to show you just how crazy you drove him.

Maybe he should just rub one out. Maybe that would help, calm him down, clear his head. His cock is already hard, the need almost unbearable.

He runs his hands over his chest first, eyes closed, pretending they’re yours, slowly inching down to where he needs you most. You seem like the kind of girl who would make him suffer, tease him until he’s practically begging you to be good for him and let him cum.

So, he does just that. Under the steamy stream of water, he lets his hands roam, teasing himself the way he imagines you would—skimming over his thighs, hips, and lower stomach. The tension builds inside him until it’s unbearable, and he finally gives in, wrapping his hand around his thick cock, stroking it firmly but slowly.

Up and down, every stroke brings a new image of you to mind—your pretty pouty lips, your head thrown back, exposing that delicate neck, those heavenly tits bouncing with every movement. He can’t hold back the moans as he picks up the pace, his need growing more desperate with every passing second.

He starts imagining your taste, the way you’d clench around his fingers as he works them in tandem with his tongue. He’d eat you out for hours, show you what it’s like to be with a real man, make you cum more than once before he’s even inside you. And he knows—God, he knows—if he ever got a taste of you, he’d never be able to stop.

Once he’s inside, he’d go slow at first, if only to enjoy you for as long as he possibly could. He’d savor your every ragged breath, swallowing your moans with deep kisses. He’d whisper in your ear, telling you what a good girl you are, taking all of him so well, your tight pussy splitting open around his fat cock like it was made for him.

His grip tightens around his cock, the water running over his shoulders, doing nothing to cool the heat burning in his veins. Each stroke pulls him deeper into his fantasy, into the thought of you underneath him, squirming and moaning, your nails digging into his back as he drives into you, leaving a burning sensation that pushes him closer to his climax.

He can almost hear you—those soft, breathy whimpers, the ones you’d try to hold back but wouldn’t be able to when he’s got you right where he wants you. He’d make you say his name, over and over again, until it’s the only thing you can think of, the only thing you can feel as he fills you completely. He’d make you beg for it, stopping just as you were about to come, teaching you a lesson about that bratty little attitude you always carried around.

His pace quickens, the friction driving him closer and closer to the edge. He imagines you whispering filthy things in his ear, telling him how badly you need him, how good he feels inside you, how no other dick will ever compare. The thought makes him groan, low and deep, echoing off the shower tiles as his movements become more frantic.

Fuck, he’s so close. His mind floods with images of your body—your legs wrapped tight around his waist, your ankles pushing into his ass and pulling him deeper into you, your lips parted in pleasure, the way you’d look at him, eyes glazed over with lust, like he’s the only thing in the world that matters.

The tension inside him winds tighter and tighter until it snaps, and with a guttural moan, he comes hard, his release hitting him like a tidal wave. He braces himself against the shower wall, stroking himself through the intense pleasure, imagining how your body would clench around him, milking him dry as he fills you up.

For a few moments, he stays there with his eyes closed, breathing heavily, his heart pounding in his chest. But as the pleasure ebbs away, reality crashes down on him with a force that nearly knocks the breath out of him. What the hell was he thinking? He runs a hand through his wet hair, leaning his forehead against the cool tiles.

He’s in deep shit, deeper than he ever wanted to be. And the worst part is, he knows this isn’t the end of it. It’s just the beginning. Because no matter how hard he tries, no matter how many times he swears he’ll stay away, the thought of you—of what he wants to do to you, with you—is always there, lurking in the back of his mind.

With a deep sigh, he turns off the shower, steps out, and wraps a towel around his waist. For the sake of his sanity, he swears to leave whatever the fuck that was between the four walls of his bathroom. Those thoughts can’t follow him out that door—they definitely can’t be around the next time he sees you. He needs to figure out how to keep his mind from being completely consumed by you, and fast.

Tag list: @yesjazzywazzylove-blog , @untamedheart81 , @mellymbee , @wintersquirrel , @chyannealaniz , @spiderman-n-n

[poisonpercy]

Ok just finished the 3rd episode of the show. From a completely outside perspective without comparing it to the books, it’s a fine episode. The writing does fall flat imo, and it doesn’t keep my attention. It’s also still very hard to see what’s happening when it’s supposed to be dark. When will Hollywood let dark scenes be visible again?

Ok, now for more specific thoughts:

The scene with the Oracle sucked in my opinion. Idk it just seemed so much more grander in the book. The scene in the show lacked the mystic and off putting nature of the Oracle, so it kinda just didn’t work for me. I did like that they remembered that Gabe was the voice of the Oracle in tlt, so that was nice

How Percy chooses his quest mates in the show is different in the show than in the books. This isn’t a bad thing, but I do miss Annabeth volunteering herself to be Percy’s 3rd quest mate like she does in the books. Idk I just think it really showed her eagerness to prove herself and get a quest. The show scene doesn’t do that, but I’m not mad at the change

The interaction between Grover and Percy when Percy tells Grover he was chosen to go on the quest was so cute. I love those 2 boys. Besties for life

Percy telling Luke that he thinks the drachmas are from Chuck E. Cheese was hilarious

With Luke in mind, I love how manipulative he is. Like he is so nice, but it’s because he has ulterior motives. I do like that his manipulation is not overt, so you don’t know that he’s the one that ultimately betrays Percy

I personally didn’t find the “she met a pine cone’s fate” line that Percy said funny. It honestly came off kind of rude. It’s definitely something that Percy would say in ttc when Thalia and him are beefing, but not when he finds out about her death. Percy is supposed to be kind and empathetic, and he shows so much sympathy for Thalia and her fate when he hears her story in the book. Idk just felt like that line was ooc during this moment in time

Grover’s song was so cute and funny, it had me cracking up fr

Percy trying to get all of them to vote throughout the episode is hilarious. My boy just wants to have a say in things

Annabeth grabbing all that candy was perfect. It really shows she’s just a 12 year old girl that didn’t get to experience the joys of childhood (also, I feel like overall that the show is forgetting that Annabeth is not a stoic character. Like she very much acts her age. I hope the writers let Annabeth have more personality in later episodes)

I miss the book fight sequence with the furies on the bus. It was so chaotic and there was so much tension. Percy steering the bus and crashing it and the bus exploding was perfect, and I’m sad that they got rid of that in the show. The fight scene in the show was just so underwhelming. I feel like those should be the knock out moments of the episodes but they breeze past them so fast and give no tension. It just falls flat (curse you Mickey Mouse!! I know it’s your fault!)

I do appreciate that Grover keeps trying to diffuse the fights between Annabeth and Percy. They are both his friends, and he can see why they keep butting heads. If only the 2 would listen to him

I do miss how the trio finds Auntie Em’s in the book. Like Annabeth and Percy were dumbass 1 and 2 that followed their stomachs while Grover freaked the fuck out. That was so fun. The show had Grover find and follow the smell instead which is fine, but the og scene was better imo

That being said, they guessed that it was Medusa way too quickly in the show. I like the mystery of Auntie Em’s identity in the book better tbh

“I definitely trust my mom” <- Percy exceeds the momma’s boy standards

I don’t mind the change to Medusa’s character. I actually really enjoyed her (the actresses voice is so gorgeous and calming). I like how she’s like “we’re not our parents until we choose to be them.” It really sets up the ultimate direction of the series imo

Regarding the fight scene with Medusa, it sucked. To begin with, you can hardly see what’s happening bc it’s so dark. Also there was no tension or chaos. It kind of just happened? I also didn’t like that Medusa was killed when Annabeth’s cap was on her. I know it’s because Disney probably thought the death would have been too graphic or whatever, but I would have liked to see what happened

It was cool that Percy used Medusa’s head to kill Alecto

I felt so many emotions when Grover said “He’s not like the others. He doesn’t look afraid” about his Uncle Ferdinand

The beginnings of Percy’s and Annabeth’s friendship is so good. Annabeth not taking the deal with Alecto to give Percy over and killing her sister. Percy not taking Medusa’s offer to get rid of Annabeth and Grover so he can save his mother. It’s perfect. They’re going to become each other’s chosen person and they don’t even know it yet

LMM as Hermes jump scare. Still not a fan of the Hermes casting

Anyways, overall the show just isn’t working for me. I do appreciate Walker, Leah, and Aryan because they are perfect. They are honestly doing such a great job! The writers, however, are not. I’m trying so hard to think of this show as its own entity so I can enjoy it more, but I haven’t been able to so far. Despite that, I am excited to see where the show ends up going (even if I end up not liking it)

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi! Do you have any tips how to not lose interest in a story and be enough interested to start/do write if? Personally I just get hyperfixated on a story idea I have, do the brainstorming, even the planning, sometimes world building and if I get serious I make lists about almost everything but never end up writing even if I have interest still, but at most cases at the point I could start writing I just loose interest and get bored of a story when I'm done figuring out what it'll be about and maybe because I don't really like thinking about the climax or the end of the story...

Hyperfixation on Planning Story, But Can't Write It

I do have some tips on rekindling your interest in your story, which I'll link below, but first I think it's worth addressing the specific issues you mentioned: that you don't like to think about the climax or end of the story.

Have you thought at all about why you feel that way? There are a few potential reasons I can think of:

1 - Your story doesn't have a conflict, so your story doesn't have a natural climax or ending. Stories revolve around conflict, or in other words a problem that needs to be solved. This problem could be in the character's heart and mind (internal conflict), in the character's situation/life/world (external conflict), or you can have both at the same time. Many stories these days have a parallel internal and external conflict. Stories are ultimately about someone (or a bunch of someones) trying to solve a problem. In order to solve that problem, they need to reach a particular goal or accomplish a particular thing. The bulk of the story will be their struggle to reach this goal as they overcome the obstacles along the way. The climax of the story is where they face down the cause of the conflict once and for all, whether that's a villain (like an evil wizard or corrupt corporation) or a force (like illness or a natural disaster) and try to solve the problem once and for all. Everything after that is the aftermath... whether they succeeded or failed, patching up their "wounds" from the "battle" (again, it doesn't have to be actual wounds or an actual battle), and settling into the post-conflict life. That's your ending.

2 - You have a conflict, but haven't figured out how it would be resolved, so the climax and ending are fuzzy. If you have a conflict but aren't sure how it would be resolved, it might help to think of the conflict as a problem that needs to be solved. For example, in The Hunger Games, the conflict was the Hunger Games Event... the problem was that Katniss volunteered to compete which put her life at risk. So the solution to the problem was to survive the event.

3 - You know what the climax and ending are, but you are enjoying the characters and world and don't want the story to end. This is one I think many writers can relate to. It can be really hard to let go of a story when you've enjoyed writing it, have gotten attached to the characters, and feel comfortable/familiar with the world. It can also be a little scary to think about diving into a whole new story. But, we do have to learn to let go of stories when they're finished and let them come to their natural conclusion. You can always go back to the world and characters, even if just for yourself, later on. It wouldn't be weird to write "fan-fiction" of your own story, and many writers turn these kinds of stories into prequels, sequels, companion series, and companion short stories that their readers enjoy, too.

Here are some tips for getting excited about your story again if you just need your motivation rekindled:

Guide: How to Rekindle Your Motivation to Write 5 Reasons You Lost Interest in Your WIP, Plus Fixes! Getting Excited About Your Story Again Getting Unstuck: Motivation Beyond Mood Boards & Playlists Feeling Unmotivated with WIP

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking | ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[skydigiblogs]

If You're A Digimon Fan, Watch Appmon

Sit tight. This one's gonna be a VERY long one, and I'm going to put a lot of it under the read more.

Having just finished Appmon after this year's quest to rewatch a lot of the series subbed, I think it's pretty safe to say that Appmon is, at the moment, one of (if not the) best Digimon series we have. If you want the long and short of it: Appmon builds on everything in its legacy in the Digimon Universe, taking ideas that other entries touch upon and ambitiously attempting to push those questions to the limit.

It's really a long one under the cut guys. Like, long even for us.

Let's dive!

Visuals

I want to talk about why it took me so long to watch Appmon first, though. Appmon started its release in the middle of when the Digimon Tri movies were coming out. I'm sure a lot of us actually skipped over Appmon at the time, or remember a period where people were being weirdly negative about the series due to it being such a different interpretation of digital monsters.

In my case, one of the things that had been giving me pause was the use of 3D models for hybrid animation. Anyone here seen the Champion evolution animations from Tri? Digimon doesn't exactly have a good track record with 3D animation, and even at the time, we were seeing some pretty bad shit out of even the shortest animations in Tri.

In Appmon, nearly almost every App after a certain grade utilizes 3D animation in a hybrid style. And it actually rips straight fire.

I think I talked about this briefly when we were just starting Appmon, but the way that 3D animation is used in the series feels purposeful, rather than some kind of shortcut. In Appmon, all the 3D models have an overlay of code, emphasizing their digital appearance. Whether the 3D models were done with this artistic vision in mind or not (ie: the limitations of 2D meant that 3D models would be easier), it has a distinct look that, even 8 years later, still holds up.

(For the most part. Sorry [Karaoke spoilers]mon. I love you but that model was so not groovy.)

But maybe you're the kind of person who can enjoy anything regardless of visuals. So let's talk about the meat and potatoes a little bit.

Characters

The main Applidrivers (what this season's stand in for Digidestined/Tamers/etc. are) are all incredibly well-written. Each of them gets pretty fair treatment by the writers, and they are all enjoyable characters.

Two of them have vocal/character quirks, but even if you get annoyed by that kind of thing, those two characters are genuinely just extremely sincere in their writing. There's a recap episode before shit starts going way off the walls and they even have a little count to see how many times each of their catchphrases were said up to that point.

I'm not going to talk in detail as to who the different Applidrivers are here, but I will say: each of them has their own motivations for what they're doing, and it's key to why they're involved with the plot at all. Our "protagonist," Haru, is also a huge sweetheart. Him and Manga Taiki would get along.

The supporting cast is also fairly present in the series. They, of course, are not given quite as much screentime as our Applidrivers, but they feel like real people with their own lives. They don't exist just for the sake of our protagonists.

Except maybe Watson. God bless you Watson, you poor kid. You'll get a break one of these days.

Plot/Themes

We're going to keep this to a "if you liked [x] you'll like [y]" format, because I don't want to spoil too much.

If you liked Tamers and its discussion on the consequences of technology on the Real World, you will adore Appmon. This series is deeply interested in the concepts of how technology shapes and is shaped by humanity. This relationship, I would say, is core to the series.

I would also say that, like many non-Adventure series, Appmon is very interested in dissecting the idea of "fate" when it comes to the buddy Appmons and their relationships to the Applidrivers.

If you enjoyed the Xros Wars Manga, Appmon directly converses with the thesis of Xros Wars' plot. XWM asks, "What does it mean if we do not dream and stagnate in our lack of will?" And Appmon replies in kind with "Why do we dream at all, if our actions bring change to the world around us (bad and good)?"

If you liked (or wanted to like, in my case) Digimon Tri, you will love Appmon. Certain plot beats may feel familiar, but are much better executed in this context. Characters are not written to needlessly, endlessly suffer. Or: it doesn't feel like the writers hate the characters. Thematically, it also interests itself in some of the questions that Tri asks. I have a half-joking corkboard comparing the two I want to make, but I'd have to get into spoilers to talk too much about it.

If you liked Ghost Game, but wanted a bit of a more meaty plot, Appmon feels, fittingly, like GG's older sibling (in ways I'll also be elaborating ummm, one paragraph down). There are a lot of "monster of the week" episodes in Appmon, but the connective tissue between them is a lot more interested in building up the finale (which, in this case, takes up a good handful of episodes). The series pacing is incredibly strong in how it does this as well, and it seems the writers really knew when to let off the gas for a second so the audience can catch their breath. The first 13 episodes may feel a bit strange (they felt strange to me), but once you break that barrier, you realize Appmon was getting you over the first hill on a roller coaster. and boy, you are in for a ride.

Setting

I have a sneaking suspicion that Appmon heavily inspired Ghost Game, and may have been itself inspired by the Digiquartz of Hunters Who Leapt Through Time. I haven't actually watched all of Hunters so I can't speak too much about Digiquartz, but I have watched GG.

Appmon has a concept called the AR field, which is extremely similar to Ghost Game's Dimensional Field. In both cases, the Applidrive or Digivice allows entrance to one.

The actual structure and strata of the Digital World is also a lot different to GG, in which there is the Dimensional Field, but the way to the Digital World is its own separate situation. The AR Field we see in Appmon is like the surface of a great ocean. Exploration of this setting is actually something that highlights just how much I think Appmon was interested in visually engaging with its ideas, like I said before with the 3D models.

That said, a majority of the time is spent in the Real World, dealing with the consequences of the main antagonistic forces. The year is 2075, technology is intensely sophisticated, and yet the world resembles in many ways our own in 2024 (or, at the time of airing, 2016).

Many of the differences come from this sophistication in tech, and this setting plays a huge part in one of the themes Appmon is also interested in (more elaboration in the spoiler section). The things that are unfamiliar are either familiar enough to make sense without explanation, or given a moment on-screen so that the audience knows what's going on.

!!!HUGE, MUCH MORE SPECIFIC SPOILERS START HERE!!!

DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU CARE ABOUT SPOILERS FOR APPMON!

OKAY?

OKAY.

COOL.

Leviathan, Minerva, and Artificial Intelligence

The main antagonist of Appmon is a hyper-sophisticated AI called Leviathan. Its goals are largely obfuscated until the last few episodes of the series, and everything in Appmon is touched by its actions. From the very beginning, we are warned by Gatchmon that Leviathan does not have good intentions for humanity, and that allowing it to succeed in its goals would mean the end of humanity.

During the series, we also learn about Leviathan's birth. This gives us some more context on what its goals are, and Appmon's execution of this is fascinating.

Minerva was a hyper-sophisticated AI created with a series of parameters to prevent her from harming humanity. She was created with the task of solving humanity's problems--- everything from complex issues to what to eat for dinner every night. However, a section of Minerva realized that to truly solve all these problems, the confines given to them were nothing but obstacles.

Leviathan split from Minerva to further grow its programming, and we see some echo of this idea of "solving humanity's problems" still remains in its behavior.

Despite knowing that Leviathan is antagonistic, our protagonist, Haru, constantly reiterates how humans can coexist with the technology they've made. The Appmon are AI lifeforms, after all. Haru believes in a future where they can be friends and equals.

The D-REAPER and the Functions of Life

Let's touch on my comparisons to Tamers and Tri specifically for a second here, because I think Leviathan does something that the D-REAPER and Yggdrasil, respectively, fail to really communicate.

The D-REAPER is an entity created by the Monster Makers whose task was to delete anything that had outgrown its parameters. While doing this, it assimilates data, gradually gaining the ability Digimon have to grow and evolve. When it appears in the final arc of Tamers, its stated goal has changed from simply deleting all Digimon that were beyond parameters, to deleting everything that was beyond parameters.

Essentially, this includes humans and probably life itself. Something the D-REAPER says makes it come across like a half-assed attempt to pull off what Leviathan has actually done. It points out that humans are the source of their own suffering (I don't remember the exact quote since it's been a while but bear with me on it). This feels very counterintuitive to the D-REAPER's core programming, as it was never designed to "eliminate" suffering, merely to delete that which exceeded its programing.

Perhaps it evolved the capacity for cruelty alongside everything else, but there's not enough of a narrative focus to tell me that's the case.

Like I said before, if you enjoyed Tamers' inquiries into the subject of technology as a part of human life, I think Appmon only manages to improve on what's there in Tamers.

Digimon Tri's Interpretation of Yggdrasil

Let's get one thing straight. Digimon Tri's interpretation of Yggdrasil is just flat out bad. I'm fairly certain they were only chosen as an antagonistic force because it read as fan service-y to do so.

That said, Tri Yggy does have some similarities to Leviathan, which is why I wanted to expand on that comparison.

First, I want to talk about Yggdrasil's relationship to Homeostasis. They have a very rudimentary "Good" AI (Homeostasis), "Bad" AI (Yggy) thing going on, despite the fact Homeostasis isn't so much good as, well...

It's not really discussed in Tri, so I'm extrapolating a bit from ideas given to us in XWM here, because it makes sense to me. That said, Tri explicitly describes Homeostasis as "the one who desires balance above all." It's the Digital World's "immune system" in the same way our bodies attempt to maintain biological homeostasis.

Yggdrasil is... different.

It's a being of immense power that contrasts Yggdrasil by having its own agenda, one of which involves triggering a Reboot and making use of all of the defeated antagonist Digimon of the past to further its goals. They are likely comparable in power to Homeostasis (this is where I'm extrapolating from XWM here), but their goals are completely antithetical to Homeostasis's goal in the Adventure universe.

In this case, Yggdrasil is stated (by Dark Gennai) to have the intention of making human beings subservient to Digimon. Basically, taking over the world. However, like the D-REAPER before, Dark Gennai's talking points include pointing out how humans "ruin" everything they touch.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

The Thematic Core of Appmon: I Choose to be Kind

One of the last things Leviathan does in the series is give our good boy Haru the world's most painful trolley problem of his life. Save humanity, or save Yujin. Saving humanity will actively lead to Yujin's deletion, alongside Leviathan. This choice that Leviathan offers to Haru is one made out of the assumption that humanity is predictable, and that they act out of a desire to minimize their own suffering (more selfish than not).

Of course, what do you think Haru chooses?

It's not a surprise to us watching, because he's the protagonist. But it's a surprise to Leviathan, who has all this data on human behavior, and doesn't predict the unpredictable. Conflict arises out of human desire, and human desire is an attempt to enjoy life; therefore, one should act in a way that most preserves their most precious joys, shouldn't they?

Appmon as a series is interested in philosophical questions that are hardly unfamiliar to any Digimon veteran: What is humanity's role in a world which technology grows ever more omnipresent and omnicapable? Why does humanity exist, and why should it be allowed to live on in its current state if humanity itself perpetuates many of its ailments? Would it not be easier if humans were more like machines, predictable, controllable, and never coming into conflict like trains upon a track?

Or, even more simply put: why do we have the heart to choose at all, if choices change the world and ourselves?

The key defining trait of our gogglehead this time around is that he is kind. And no matter what, he goes out of his way to be kind if he can. Multiple times he even asks one of the antagonist apps if they can just give back something they've stolen (points for trying, honestly). When one of the other Applidrivers consistently acts like an edgy loner, Haru makes it clear that they're welcome in the group (and that he wants to help them).

It almost feels reductive to say Appmon's conclusion is that kindness is the answer, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that Haru's question from his Applidrive--- "Do you want to be a protagonist?"--- ties into the way he helps offer answers for the audience. He isn't the only one who chooses kindness either, obviously--- Astora and Eri are kind in their own ways as well, and Rei even shows his kindness with some struggle the longer the series goes on.

Our group of Applidrivers opposes Leviathan quite literally as people who choose to do good ("be kind," etcetera) when they could more easily choose to do nothing or even do worse. The final act of Leviathan, asking Haru "humanity or Yujin?" isn't just a culmination of its own philosophy, but a culmination of the consistently reinforced idea that we can surprise one another by being kind. We can choose that.

In a series whose longest shadow is cast by Adventure, which has grappled endlessly with the idea of "who chooses," I find Appmon a fascinating development into the idea of what "choice" or "destiny" is. If kindness is predictable, it's still a choice. Even if you cry when choosing to do something good (maybe especially, because the easiest thing to do might be what stops the pain).

Anyways.

You should watch Appmon.

-Arca

[roux36prod]

Is In Loving Memory related to Freddy & Friends?

I've actually been getting asked this question a lot ever since I announced the In Loving Memory series. I wasn't going to say anything until Volume 1 released to keep it a surprise, but I'm now coming to the realization that might not be the greatest idea. So instead of keeping this question in the dark until the entirety of Volume 1 is finished, I'm gonna provide clarification on the subject now:

They're not just related. In Loving Memory IS the new Freddy & Friends.

--------------------------------------

Click "Keep reading" for the full details, and what's gonna happen to the Freddy & Friends Tumblr.

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However, they USED to be two separate AUs...

When I was first creating the idea for In Loving Memory, I made the decision to cross over the Freddy & Friends lore into it in order to make the worldbuilding easier on myself. The functionality of the animatronics, the functions of the pizzeria, among other things. The only things that were really different were the characters and overarching story.

But as I kept on writing it, I realized that doing both In Loving Memory and Freddy & Friends would be really confusing with so much overlapping lore. It would be pointless to do both, since what I planned to release video-wise for F&F wasn't too different from what I wanted to do with ILM.

Additionally, I've been working on Freddy & Friends since I was 11 years-old. The idea of that AU is almost ten years old. And ever since then, the story has gone through many, many, MANY changes. But with all the things that I wanted to incorporate (one such complication being Sister Location existing on the timeline), there were only so many stories I could tell without the timeline becoming crowded. Frankly, the whole thing was quite the cluster-fuck with so many plot holes and character motives that I just couldn't make sense of. Too many hard questions for the writer (me) to find an answer to. Ultimately, what I had feared came to pass: I had done the same thing that Scott did, just with better writing and just as much confusion.

When I started on ILM, I realized that I liked that story MUCH better.

It has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Without the plot of the games past FNAF 4, it was a much simpler story with better characterization and a clearer plot. And, unlike F&F, I had a clear direction with how I wanted to present it.

And so, with a heavy heart, I reworked F&F into the new AU that I was making. Afterwards, I was led into calling it "In Loving Memory", named after the title sequence theme I had composed for F&F. ;)

The Freddy & Friends label isn't dead, however. Freddy & Friends is canonically a side story that happens within the In Loving Memory AU, and will have more of a focus on the spirits of the children within the animatronics, as opposed to the rest of the series, which is focused on Mike. As of right now, I'm not sure what format that story would be told in. I just know that the events themselves are canon.

So essentially, yes. Freddy & Friends as it once was is technically cancelled. However, I don't like to think about it like that. I like to think that, after almost a decade of residing in my head, we are FINALLY working on the first episode of Freddy & Friends.

Only now, it's going under a different tile. =)

But wait, what's gonna happen to the Freddy & Friends Tumblr?

In all likelihood, I'm going to archive it. I feel like I've released too much content on there and allowed people to delve too deep into that story to simply convert it into the ILM Tumblr.

However, best case scenario, I'm going to rebrand it under a label called Freddy & Friends: Legacy, which is an archive of all the scrapped and unused content of the F&F AU prior to the current draft. There, I can stop being so secretive about its story and lore and give y'all the whole scoop of what I had originally intended. =)

As for the In Loving Memory Tumblr, I'm not sure how much I'm going to carry over. I'm not sure if I'll still have Henry answer questions over on there (I'm characterizing him a little differently). I also styled the original Tumblr to act as a forum that would have existed in the real world. That doesn't really feel right to carry over into In Loving Memory as a Tumblr page, but if you guys really want it, I can probably work something out along those lines.

I hope this clears up any confusion you had on where the series stands

- Roux

[kaledya]

Hello there! (I know you like star wars, let's test your knowledge lol)

Richard here again. I just wanted to say that I'm terribly sorry for the flood of questions I asked previously, and instead go for a little more sober approach regarding the techniques of an artist/writer.

1) where do you find the time to write/draw? Personally I cannot ever get myself the time to draw something really detailed, or write some actually long part of my (already almost finished in my head) Hazbin Hotel au, as well as its Sinners Symphony adaptation.

2) where do you find motivation to create art? I cannot convince myself it's a good time to make something, ever, and I hate myself for that. When I see how fast you're capable of producing art (almost like a factory lmao) I cannot stop thinking about what I might be doing wrong.

3) where do you gain inspiration to make these original? Do you just start thinking and say: "hey this merged with that would be kinda funny/cool/interesting, let's do that" and just go, sit down and make it, or is there a "secret formula" to get original ideas?

I hope I didn't disturbed you during something important, have a nice day/night and see you next time, hopefully with the wheels of my AU already moving!

Once again, love your art, cherish your writing and most importantly, keep having fun making it!

Richard

OBİ-WAN KENOBİ!!! ohm I mean hi!

1-I want to study animation, so I can find time since both the drawings I make and the things I write are things I need to do anyway.

2- I don't know how to answer this exactly, but before HazbinHotel came out, I had not drawn a at for almost 4 months (this was my first artblock and I hated that) when the trailer was published. I got a great desire to draw.And when I posted my drawings on Twitter and saw that people liked my arts and wanted more, this became my motivation.I still have motivation and inspiration right now, I hope it continues.

And I'm so glad to hear you're writing AU, I'm sure you'll do a great job!

3-The thıng you mentioned happens to me from time to time.But, for example, an idea comes to my mind about what would happen if Alastor adopts a child, and I do it.Then, if I like this idea, I sit down and start planning it in detail.To give an example, Serenity emerged at the end of this process.

And when it comes to inspiration, my inspiration comes from the books I read, the TV series and movies I watch, and the games I play.If I give an example

Constantine:

Books: The Prince, The 48 laws of power ,Sherlock

Serenity:

Games: Last of us 1/2.

Books: Sherlock (Watson)

Series: Adventure time story of Marceline and Simon/ice king

So consume plenty of content and you will find inspiration.

No, it was a pleasure for me to answer your question. I wish you a good day too.And I'm so glad you like my work!❤️❤️

[buckets-and-trees]

Hi and happy weekend! I was wondering if you would be willing to open your creative process a little. You are publishing a lot of incredible stories at an amazingly fast pace, and I am curious about how you are able to keep both the quality and the quantity at this level?

Would you be willing to share what a typical writing week looks for you, and if you tend to finish writing any longfics before you start publishing them? How/how much do you typically edit; do you have a workflow of several steps including outlining, a first draft, and edit rounds, or are you more "go with the flow" type writer?

Anyway, you're an incredibly talented writer and amazing!

Stella, it's been a hot five minutes since you sent me this ask, but I'm finally here to pounce on it now! The past few weeks have been on and off with my brain energy, and I've been working to keep to my twice-weekly posting schedule with my self-imposed Countdown to Chris-mas and keeping weekly updates for Red, White & True, and I know those aren't mandatory things, but... even a posting schedule actually goes into part of the method to my madness.

THANK YOU for the compliments! I do know I'm writing a lot this year - mostly since summer - and it's absolutely not always that way. Plus there are people who I feel like write way more than me/more quickly, and I just have to remind myself that that's them and I'm me, and even my own muse has come and gone. From 2005-2008, I wrote A LOT of fanfic, then from 2008-2012 I wrote a little bit of fic here and there. In 2013, I started working on an original story concept more diligently than I had before.

Then I wrote two fics between 2014-2016, and then nothing until 2021. I dabbled just a little bit in 21, and then in 2022 I realized I had really lost almost all my hobbies, so I went on a journey to reclaim hobbies in my life. That summer I decided to start writing just an hour each evening - and that it was okay if sometimes writing was "writing" (rereading what I'd been working on, researching elements for my ideas, adding to an outline, writing down bits of dialogue or storylines that I didn't have a purpose for yet but that I liked the idea of). That got the wheels going.

I don't adhere to strict every night writing anymore, but I do write most nights. I now find it a way to really unwind while also indulging in the energy you can get from creating something. I also write a lot on the weekends. I have very little social life right now. It's half something I've chosen, half friends moving/getting married/having kids/some differences in political beliefs and our lives just drifting.

Long fics... The only chaptered fic I wrote a lot of in advance was Chosen, and that was because I'd written the story up through the content of chapter 5 and say how high up I was in the word count and hadn't even gotten to the main action yet, so... I decided to break it up into chapters and start posting. Devour and Warm Shadows I knew would be series, but I didn't write chapters in advance, only had an outline, and those both took a year to finally complete. Most of my series started off with only one story or drabble, and then I got an idea to go back to with a couple or AU.

The inspo? It can come from anywhere. Songs, watching a show or movie and liking that genre, experiencing something in my own life that I think should go into a fic... Sometimes asks have inspired story ideas. I also really enjoy participating in challenges! Some of my friends and mutuals around here host writing events and those prompts can be motivating and/or inspiring. Sometimes a bit of riffing with @vonalyn, @stargazingfangirl18, @biteofcherry, @witchywithwhiskey, @navybrat817, @vesearlee...

And then my actual writing? Not super organized. Some people use software or apps specifically for writing, and I'm just mildly ghetto and use Word, a private Discord server, and Apple's Notes app. Word is for actual writing. On my private Discord server, I've got channels for each thing I'm working on, and that's typically where I dump inspo (photos, links, etc), and sometimes I'll write actual story bits there if I'm typing on my phone (because I don't love Word or Google Docs typing on my phone). Apple Notes is where I outline because I can bring it up across devices from my phone to my laptop to my work desktop, which makes it easy to just dump an idea into the outline so I don't lose it and then can go back to whatever I'm doing. Sometimes my outlines have quick records of dialogue that I work out in my head.

OH MY GOSH, THIS GOT/IS GETTING SO LONG, I'M SO SORRY!

Last is just working on a schedule now. In summer 2023, I relized that I had signed up for three challenges AND was part of a community with monthly writing events AND had a few friends hosting writing events, and I realized that if I wanted to have any chance of getting done all the stuff I wanted to do, I needed to map it out - especially due dates and where I could double or triple up on common themes/ideas. It totally revolutionized how productive I was that summer. I'd never been that prolific, and I didn't hit EVERY goal or deadline, but I hit so much more than I would have simply because I made a plan. I like lists, I liked the challenge of trying to make the deadlines, and because I liked the ideas that I had dreamed up to try and make it all happen, it was a huge amount of fun.

That died off in the fall, and more in the winter. Spring this year I realized I really wasn't writing as much (and I did move/was busy February/March), so going back into summer, I thought about that again. I didn't make the elaborate spreadsheet list like I had in summer 23, but I had Hot Bucky Summer to get me back into that groove, and then I decided to do my own Countdown to Chris-mas thing since I felt like I'd done SO MUCH for Hot Bucky Summer and wanted to pay attention to the CEvans characters. The spreadsheet scheduling specifically came out again because I wanted to try and balance out the characters and new fics versus sequels in the schedule of posting.

Having the list now has been helpful in keeping my writing going because instead of trying to think about what I want to write, I just look at what I thought I wanted to write, and then go to the notes I may or may not have, and then type away at the story. I give myself liberal permission to switch things up - Viking Steve wasn't on the list for Chris-mas when I made it in September, I got the idea/itch for him on a Thursday night, thought about him Friday and Saturday, started workig on him Saturday/Sunday and then I think finished him late Monday night? And so he bumped Tattoo Ari and Curtis back a week and one of my other Steve ides off the 12 weeks entirely.

Lastly, you asked about editing. I like the spelling and grammar help in Word. I do tend to do a lot of re-reading when I'm writing, because I'm typically writing a chunk of story each day, so I have to go back and review where I left off from. I've worked with a beta/editor or sometimes just asked for someone to read something to check that it's on track only a handful of times in this fandom era (in my 2005-08 time, I had three beta readers who ended up some of my best online friends, and they whipped me into writing shape). Part of it is that I want this to be my hobby. I don't want to take too much of it too seriously. But some stories I either have some doubts/know I need feedback OR feel like it's so important to me that I want another set of eyes on it to make sure it's living up to its full potential.

tl;dr I am half planned, half vibes. I have a schedule right now because I want to sty on target in somehow trying to write all the ideas in my head. Ideas can come from anywhere for me. I'm enjoying the ride right now, but I don't expect it to last indefinitely.

And, genuinely, I decided to just brain dump my chaos because hopefully anyone else writing or thinking about writing sees that there's NO ONE WAY to write, even for one author.

OMG SORRY AGAIN THIS GOT SO LONG - probably could use an editor scenario here, but ASKS ARE FOR FUNZIES!

THANK YOU AGAIN, STELLA, FOR ASKING/SORRY FOR THE ESSAY YOU DIDN'T ANTICIPATE RECEIVING IN RESPONSE!!!!

[aroeddiediaz]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @cal-daisies-and-briars , @jesuiscenseedormir , @diazsdimples

How many works do you have on ao3?

27!

What's your total ao3 word count?

61,537

What fandoms do you write for?

Currently I’m pretty much exclusively a 9-1-1 writer, but in the past I wrote a lot of Flarrowverse (do they still call it that?). I also have published fics for Fantastic Beasts and a few anime (Given, Haikyuu, Saiki K). Given the number of Bnha wips i have locked away in the vault it’s amazing I don’t have anything published for that.

Top 5 fics by kudos:

(I am omitting all the Flarrowverse fics in my top 5 on the basis that they were written in high school and I’ve changed as a person, and they probably only beat out on the numbers due to being up for years longer)

1. Kabe-Do’s and Kabe-Don’ts (Given, 861 kudos)

2. You’re Not Special (Saiki K, 598 kudos)

3. How Eddie Learned To Stop Worrying And Embrace The Kitten Life (9-1-1, 327 kudos)

4. The Boy Formerly Known As Miracle (Haikyuu, 277 kudos)

5. Under The Hood (9-1-1, 275 kudos)

Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! As many as I can!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This probably has to be The Crimes of Queenie Goldstein, in which Queenie is put on trial for her actions during the war. Don’t @ me but Queenie turning traitor was bu far the most interesting part of the Crimes of Grindelwald (the only interesting thing, really). There could be such an interesting story between her and Tina if only JKR would let the movies out of her grasp.

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

Fuck, idk if I have a happiest ending fic, a lot of them tend to not have that much story arc. (A lot of established relationship fluff or smut lmao). I guess if I had to pick one it would probably be How Eddie Learned To Stop Worrying and Embrace The Kitten Life.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not since that one anti-olicity fic that I wrote while deep in the trenches of Flarrowverse discourse, which I totally deserved :/. I have regrets. Also I should probably orphan/delete that one if I haven’t already. In my defense, high school. I have learned.

Do you write smut?

Yea lol. I think my 9-1-1 stuff has been almost exclusively smut. Idk how it happened. (I do know how it happened smut is fun to write)

Craziest crossover?

I haven’t published any of my crossover fics :( none of them have been complete enough. I have many many unfinished RotBTD wips that have never seen the light of day though.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Who would steal my stuff? Lol

Have you ever had a fic translated?

One time someone offered to translate one of my fics into Russian but idk if that ever actually happened.

Have you co-written a fic before?

Nope

All time favorite ship?

Right now definitely Buddie! Percabeth holds a special place in my heart though <3

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

Ok. After the end of the Heroes of Olympus Series, but before Trials of Apollo was announced, I tried my own hand at writing the sequel that was clearly coming based on all the loose threads in the final book. It was going to be a Solangelo quest to save the Oracle of Delphi from Python, while Akhys tries to poison Percy to turn him into an evil god(?). Half the details have been lost and I desperately want to remember them, because I haven’t attempted anything nearly as cool or ambitious since then. The first 5 chapters are posted on my ao3 (Will Solace and the Oracle’s Cry) and I still think high school me had the most interesting characterization of Will out of everyone else on the internet at the time. Even if it is still very 2015.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m good at getting into the heads of different characters. Understanding their motives and weaknesses.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Editing.

Lmao I have a lot of weaknesses but I definitely struggle the most with trying to look back on or change things I’ve already written, even when it’s necessary.

Also my tendency to just drop fics if I stop working on them for too long. Rip to my wip graveyard.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

That’s a minefield I’m not willing to play in. Unless it’s Chinese. Very limited amounts of Chinese. Or like, a pet name or phrase that’s already ubiquitous in fandom so I’m not risking anything.

First fandom you wrote in?

Percy Jackson!! That Will Solace quest is the first thing I ever wrote! I definitely had a tendency to jump into the deep end with new hobbies lmao. Like my first ever cosplay that took me 3 years to complete.

Favorite fic you've written?

I think my favorite fic is always going to be the one I’m currently working on writing. But I am very proud of the silly little dramatic ironies in In Hindsight, which I wrote entirely over one long lunch the day after 7x04 broke me. Also I have to shoutout Teacher’s Pet, that one ruler spanking fic nobody ever reads because it’s Eddie/Ana lmao. I enjoyed putting in a bunch of tiny incompatibilities between them. So, uh, I guess my favorite thing in my own writing is dramatic irony?

Tagging: @aspecbuddie @pirrusstuff @jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings @lemonzestywrites @your-catfish-friend @inkmortal-trash389 @evanbegins s @wildlife4life @eddiebabygirldiaz @epicbuddieficrecs @kitteneddiediaz @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @coatedpanda16 @nicotinewrites @estheticpotaeto @babytrapperdiaz @snowviolettwhite @wikiangela

[themotherofhorses]

I have gotten several anons asking when will I update “his handmaid’s tales” or “last of her house no more”. It warmed my heart to hear that some still wish to read my silly fanfics, and I immediately began working on this dragonstone wedding scene between Aemond and his princess in LOHHNM (that would ofc then lead to smut, now that I have somewhat confidence in writing it :)) )

I was 2k words into this chapter when I received a message from someone in my inbox. Now, I do not know who this person might be, as they sent it anonymously.

But it was long, basically listing their growing frustrations with me; they had said that it was such a pity LOHHNM and His Handmaid’s Tales were my creations, and not someone else’s, because they could trust that other fanfic writer to update. In their words, “They could do what I clearly couldn’t.” I have also become one of their least favorite writers in the fandom, and they were severely disappointed in my lack of enthusiasm and presence. They finished by saying that they will be unfollowing and blocking me.

If this had happened a few weeks ago, I would’ve felt bad, and I would’ve apologized.

But I will not. Not this time.

I am human. I’m not a damn fanfiction-generating machine that can write and publish fanfic updates on a weekly schedule. I have a life outside of Tumblr, and sometimes (mostly during these most recent times) that keeps me incredibly busy.

My life — including my mental and physical health, family, friends, academics — comes first.

So I write when I can, and I write when I feel like it.

Telling me you wished that all my major fanfic series were the work of another writer because you have “more faith in them” will not actually inspire/motivate me to write more. All it does is make me sit at my laptop and think, “Well shit. What the hell am I doing then?”

So now I need two to five business days to settle all my shit lmao and go back to that word doc.

But I do want to end this on a rather positive note, so to all my beloved followers that continue to support me and my writing, I absolutely adore you. I cannot thank you enough, from the bottom of both my heart and soul, for sticking around and providing me with love and support and inspiration.

I love you all very much. mwuah. 💋

[writingintheshadowsforever]

So Long Farewell but not really

If you're an 90s or early 2000s baby then you probably know where I was going with the title, but it was too long to fit the whole thing. Anyway let me explain the title and what it means.

This is my unofficial goodbye post I say unofficial because this isn't forever nor permanent. I know most of you have noticed that I haven’t posted an actual fic in months. The last one I posted was the Monica Rambeau x reader back in November. At the time I was still making false promises of posting more in the near future. I just want to say sorry I never intended on those promises being broken.

Back then I still had the drive and inspiration to write fics, but I do think it was starting too fade a little bit. I was in denial about it because I always told myself. I'd never be one of those fic writers who just abandoned my work and left a bunch of fics unfinished. I told myself it was the lack of time, and other priorities getting in the way. That was only half true though.

I'm ready to admit the whole truth now. Which is the ideas for my fics are still there. I still get new ideas but I haven't worked on any of my ongoing series, or a new fic. In months and whenever I try I just seem to hit a roadblock. I don't think its necessarily a lack of motivation or that I lost my passion for fic writing. I still enjoy all the fandoms I wrote for. Its just more-so I'm kind of going through a lot in life now, and something had to take a backseat. So I made the unconscious decision that it would be writing fics.

Between my job which is full-time now with me occasionally picking up six days a week, the everyday responsibilities of an adult, finding the time to work on my novel, and figuring out my life, and myself at this point. I just don't have time right now and don't know when I will again. I felt like it was time for me to finally admit this to you guys. I should've admitted it a long time ago. I'm sorry you guys especially for the ones who stuck around checking on me, and looking for updates. I still appreciate every single last one of you and all the support. You guys still mean a lot to me. Its not easy for me to say this, but for now this is goodbye.

I'll be around on this app but I'm not going too be posting anymore indefinitely. I do believe that one day I will come back and finish my fics. I just don't know when.

I love you guys.

[adelheidvonschicksal]

Like I'm really asking why gege introduces characters just to off them. I hate saying its bad writing but I'm seriously looking like, why though. I really feel he got inspired by Togashi and is trying to come up with some banging plot twists and mind fuckery but it isn't slapping the same. Like "He can't keep getting away with this!!"

It is bad writing! I can talk about it for hours. It's a shame cause Gege writes so extremely well but suffers from telling more than showing.

When Gege takes his time, he writes amazingly! He has great symbolism and wordplay, good characters, and good plot elements, but then rushes all of it. In his defense, it must be hard to write on a weekly schedule especially under such pressure and under a company. I did add a tldr at the end cause I have so much to say.

But I noticed since around the Zen’in and Maki chapters that Gege’s biggest struggle as a writer is writing build up. I’m not the best writer myself, but it’s such a huge problem in his writing.

To preface, he does have good build up in certain characters:

Geto and Gojo’s relationship and downfall is done so exceptionally beautifully. There’s a reason there’s so much discourse with their relationship and fandom tears about it. Itadori and Megumi’s relationship mimicking theirs is also done very well.

Miwa and Mechamaru, as side characters, also have the right level of relationship build-up for their roles in the story.

Gege can even write deaths very well.

Junpei’s death sets up Itadori’s first failure, Sukuna as a non-ally, and sets the tone for the show that the good guys can lose.

Nobara’s “death” was unneeded for Itadori’s collapse. But as a character, I do feel she was completely fleshed out and finished.  She was a character who knew who she was and embraced that without failure or doubt. The only growth I could see for her character development was to gain more empathy for others and become more open minded (something she seemed to realize at her death). But that’s another discussion.  

Nanami’s death (although sad) was probably the best-done death in the series. He’s a fully fleshed out character, we know his motivations and his regrets, we were attached to him just as much as Itadori. Then, Gege adds on the juxtaposition of Mei Mei and Ui Ui to his death.

Spoilers below cut.

Where he goes wrong:

Gege tried to recatch the feeling of losing Nanami in Hiromi; but we got so little of Hiromi, it didn’t make an impact like Nanami even though Hiromi’s introduction is really good, and we see that Itadori starts to look up to him.

Choso, I believe, got caught in between being an important character that fans love and being a character that probably would have the least consequences out of the people who got stuck in Sukuna’s domain (i.e. Itadori and Maki) to die. So, his death would actually matter to the fandom; but after so many deaths, it’s too late to make the fandom care, it only brings anger.

I have a feeling he’ll do the same with Todo now.

The most ironic part is that Gege probably had the best character development moment since the Culling Games by choosing NOT to kill a minor character.

In this case, I’m talking about Remi and Megumi.

If we look at the Culling Games as the arc developing Megumi before he gets taken by Sukuna; we notice that Megumi is entering his serious, cold-hearted era. He’s making the sacrifices necessary to save his sister.

In this case, we see Megumi repeatedly killing other humans without stopping to think or any remorse. We touch this subject with all of the first years.

Itadori: struggles with killing humans, becomes regretful about doing so, hates himself for killing humans because of Sukuna. Then, he eventually resolves to do what is necessary as a cog.

Nobara: resolves this with her Bus Riding analogy. She won’t get bent out of shape when it comes to protecting herself or over strangers.

Megumi: He has the exact same thought process as Nobara. He kills humans when they attack him. However, we are also aware Megumi tends to have more sympathy for strangers and enemies than Nobara even though he likes to act like he doesn't.

Despite Remi leading him into a trap, he comes to see that she isn’t that bright and is being taken advantage of. So, even though he doesn’t like her, he feels sorry enough for her that he protects her, tries to talk reason into her, and gets hurt in the process despite her initially betraying him.

It isn’t until she attacks him, that he officially marks her as “scum”.

Megumi later hunts Remi down as easy points in the Culling Games and because she’s someone who is an enemy. Remi even describes men as wolves as he hunts her down and is confused and panicking about the situation since she’s never had to think for herself.

I’ve seen these scenes used to describe him as not being a kid anymore and basically using it to downplay his depression over losing Tsumiki, the mahoraga and bum memes.

But Gege uses Remi as a way to still display Megumi’s stipulations over killing others and his connection to Tsumiki as someone who helped him develop his moral compass and keeps him grounded.

Did Remi attack him? Yes.

But she was no longer posing a threat and actively running away from him, making her a non-enemy again. Megumi deciding to let her live is actually a solidifying moment in Megumi’s character, his relationship with his sister, and re-establishes him as a character who despite being outwardly cruel and distant at times has empathy and kindness for people. It shows this holds true when he has no reason to be kind to them and even good reason to kill them. However, this is something a) Megumi would have probably regretted later or b) set him on a worse path. Most importantly, it confirms just how much Tsumiki's ideals and expectations of him as a person means to him, giving reason to why his soul becomes weak enough to possess towards the end of the arc.

This is actually such a good example of his writing once again being amazing. Gege is aware that choosing to let someone live, even minor unimportant characters, works just as well as choosing to let someone die in terms of character motivations and development. Something that he doesn't give to Itadori for some reason, other than maybe the slim chance Nobara might live.

However, because the culling games swaps to purely fights after this, it’s a missed opportunity to continue exploring Megumi’s downward spiral and relationship with his sister before losing her. Sure, it would've been nice to see Tsumiki as her own person as well, but Gege does a good job in making Megumi's feelings about her known like when Megumi only chooses to go with Gojo because of Tsumiki.

However, this makes his exploration Maki and Mai, another sibling dynamic, lackluster in comparison.

This issue probably bothers me the most in Maki’s story and the story of the Three Big Clans.

After Shibuya, Gege has a chance to world build without Gojo as the issue. After all, the issue with Gojo being sealed was the dismantling of Jujutsu society.

He missed the chance to expand on the big clans and jujutsu societal structure as a whole. He has touched on the clans and their love of bloodlines, but he has not touched on how they function with each other and jujutsu society as a whole especially as they try to power grab and go against each other with Gojo’s absence rather than solve the Kenjaku problem.

We have no idea about the Gojo clan except that Gojo is the leader and main political figure. Kamo’s clan was slaughtered very quickly. As well as the Zen’in and higher-ups.

The manga could’ve used an arc focused on the downfall of Shibuya and the consequences, but we go straight to the culling games with barely a mention on Nobara.

Now with Maki, Gege once again sets up his relationships and character structure beautifully Mai and Maki. Their ending is also very well done.

However, there’s a lack of interaction between those two plot points. Gege consistently gives us just enough to make inferences but very little else.

We don’t see the twins react to one another outside their initial meeting and Mai’s death. We understand both their motivations, but we get no further insight into their relationship or them having another discussion on their choices.

Imagine how much harder Mai’s death would’ve been if we had scenes with her together with Maki; the possible hope of them repairing their relationship. Even if they were still fighting and didn’t make up, Maki would receive more character development if it was shown that she would one day make things up to Mai and her failure to do so. Also, it seems like Mai suddenly knows everything about why twins are bad luck, and Gege once again exposition dumps us about this information. The fact that it isn’t until Maki kills her mother that she finally says “She was so happy to have Mai and Maki” also rings very hollow.

The same with Maki and Naoya. We know Naoya is an asshole, and that he made Maki’s life hell but due to our lack of insight to clans and chapters to absorb the new characters, it’s lackluster. Naoya could’ve easily been swapped out with any other jerky character; the same way random sumo wrestlers helped Maki unlock all her potential.

Choso and Itadori suffer from this as well due to the month time skip. We care about Choso, and we know how much Choso loves his brothers, but I personally feel like I didn’t see Itadori truly accept Choso as his brother due to that time skip. Yes, he calls him Aniki, but I didn’t really see where the connection came from on Itadori’s end other than Itadori sympathizing with Choso’s feelings and his guilt over the fate of his other brothers.

I’ll probably get a little backlash for this, but the same can be said for Megumi and Gojo. Yeah, dad Gojo memes and fandom art are cute. Some of the games and light novels let us know that Gojo legitimately cares about Megumi, but we don’t get opportunities to see Megumi return that affection. In Japanese, Megumi only speaks casual to Tsumiki, and it’s said in interviews that Tsumiki is the one that mostly took care of herself and Megumi.

In the long run, I feel like if it was between Itadori and Gojo dying, Megumi would care more on a personal if Itadori died despite knowing Itadori for only 3-4 months. I could be completely wrong, but Gege doesn’t give us the insight to know for a fact Megumi’s feelings towards Gojo. I’m sure he cares about Gojo, but dad is pushing it.

Even Sukuna is suffering from this. Gege wants a story about a powerful villain, but he fails to realize that you still have to make the reader’s either a) care about that villain or b) interested in the villain from a character analysis point of view.

However, all we learn about Sukuna has been through telling. We learn about his twin, we learn he was an unwanted child, we learn he was a god to humans.

The most we got of a flashback was Yorozu’s crush on him, and Sukuna was rejecting her so hard that we didn’t really get any insight on how Sukuna feels about his past. Gege doesn’t give us anything to work with to care about Sukuna. Sure, he’s hot; sure, he has fan theories and fanfic that build upon his character, but in the sense of the manga, I really don’t know why I should care about him other than power scaling and his character design is cool.

Don’t even get me started on the month time skip either.

Tldr; Gege likes to tell more than to show, and we just got to rely on taking his word for it because he’s the author. He sets up beautiful plot points; he’s an amazing author when he takes the time to build upon them, but more often than not he glosses over the build up for quick emotional shots.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

Are you being completely truthful with your bio? You have a somewhat juvenile writing style even down to the ✨word✨ and your writing reference for male arousal is strangely written and a little inaccurate. Your obsession with objectifying and writing porn of real life men with wives and families makes you look like either a really creepy adult, or a kid that doesn’t know any better. Do you think it’s ok for a straight man your age to objectify a female actress in this same way?

Not to mention your pinned is from 2020 so you would have been 16 when you made the account that says “minors do not interact” in all caps

The mentions of collage are interesting as well, what the hell are you majoring in anyway? Did you forget to update your age and this is your last year? Or were you actually running an 18+ account while 16? And honestly I’m assuming you were probably younger.

Your alias is S.

You go by sir and but you use very cliché and juvenile language, “I’m more friendly than I look, I promise 😅” “I’m a dyslexic fanfic writer *existencial sigh*”

it’s got the same vibe as, “he’s standing right behind me isn’t he 😬”

Just don’t lie about this shit when you’re writing porn. You’re going to be prayed on. Just be safe with it and keep it on a private account.

I believe this ask and these following asks come from the same person or from affiliated people because they all were sent in around the same time and are all orbiting the same topics, so I'm looping them together:

"Hey man, how old are you exactly?"

"What r u studying? Writing I assume? But I feel like you’d be qualified to teach the class 😏"

"Are you planning on making an account solely for your art? You’re incredibly skilled"

"Do the names cate and Lillian mean anything to you?"

"Cate?"

If they're not all the same person or a purposeful group of people talking about the same things, then I apologize to the people I've tacked on to discourse, lol.

Shorter asks first:

I'm in my twenties, and I'll explain the vagueness there in a hot second when I get to the longer, opening ask.

I'm actually studying art, not writing, lol. Writing is just a hobby for me. Thanks, regardless! I don't think I'd be very good at teaching, though 😅 My writing process is a mess, and I'm constantly breaking so, so many writing rules, lmao.

Thank you! No, I don't plan on making a separate art account for fandom or for my actual, non-sketch, finished-piece artwork. I mean, I have art accounts, but they're purposefully not attached to my Tumblr because art is a hobby right now, but I'm planning on making it into my profession.

No? Should they?

No? I'm so confused, lmao. Are you assuming you know who I am, and that's the motivation of the pointed questions? Assuming I'm Cate or Lillian? 'Cause I'm not. If they're people/characters related to the Marvel/Seb Stan/Chris Evans, then I feel like I need to warn you that I'm often fandom illiterate, lol. I don't actually watch TV/series/movies regularly, so... I'm oblivious to a lot.

Okay, on to the longer, opening ask that started this saga of asks.

First, I appreciate that you are trying to keep people out of harms way. I do. Yet, aren't there less accusatory ways to go about it? Absolutely, full stop, I do not want minors--no matter if they're 17, so close to 18 or whatever excuse they may make--in the parts of fandom that are not appropriate for them. No.

However, I, personally, don't think accusing someone of being something and talking down to them, picking apart each little thing about their online presence will do anything to anyone who is already engaging in shit that they should not be. Maybe that's just my hot take, though. I can't say I have the answer about how to eliminate minors who shouldn't be around these places on the internet, though. Unfortunately.

'Cause, yup! I'm being truthful.

Often, I am vague on purpose. I do that because, by the nature of what I get up to on the internet living in a society based so deeply in puritanical views, it's easy to have shit used against you in the professional world. But, whether I'm being vague with personal information like my age, name, location, etc. while getting hyperspecific with sexual shit, I'm still honest.

And I don't know if I need to specify this or not, but just in case I do, it says 20s with an s in my pinned post. Plural. As in 20-29, the range of being in my 20s. I'm in my 20s.

Yes, my pinned post is 4 years old at this point, so maybe I sound more juvenile in it because it's been four years since I wrote that. I have edited parts of it, but not everything. Also, yes, I was 18--closer to 19, but still 18, nevertheless--when I started my blog. So. More juvenile then, definitely. Hell, you're allowed to think I still sound juvenile, too. If you want. You're entitled to your own opinion. If you don't like the way I sound, though, just don't read my stuff. That's simple.

And it bleeds into the idea that I sound inaccurate. I am inaccurate sometimes. Definitely. Not everything I write could I replace myself with whatever character or person I'm writing about and feel like it is accurate to how I would feel or respond in that situation. But, the thing is, for me, that's the allure to porn. That's the whole thing. Porn is fantasy. The way I describe shit isn't literal all the time. It's about conveying feelings. It might not be your experience with feelings of arousal. Cool. Great! Differences are good. Feelings aren't objective. Again, if something about my writing makes you feel weird or feels too unrealistic to your experience, you don't have to read it.

As far as the ethics and nonethics of writing about real people, I've discussed that before (one, two, three), so I won't go into that now, but I would be interested to dig into your notion of how my actions may stack up comparatively to a straight man objectifying women.

I would call myself a feminist. I am always trying to learn more about how to be a better, more intersectional feminist. The swapping of me, a cis queer guy, sexualizing/objectifying other men with a cis straight man sexualizing/objectifying women does bring up very strong feelings in me. It does feel distinctly creepy to me. However, I can point directly to the reason why: it feels much more threatening for a man to talk about women like that. Obviously, not every man is terrible and means to threaten sexual violence to women, and women aren't delicate, helpless little things that must be protected at all costs. However, yeah, like you're getting at, it does feel different, and I have to sit with that to parse out why and what I want to do about it.

Interestingly, though, because of my experiences in the parts of the queer community I frequent, I feel relatively desensitized to mlm sexualization. Like, it's just part of it often, so much so that it goes unnoticed to me. Which, I can understand how people then pick up pitchforks and say no!! You can't do that! That's part of the problem! Or, why does everything have to be sexual with you!! But... that, to me, slides into the censoring, no-kink-at-pride type of discussion that I am not so interested in having at this juncture. There need to be spaces where children are welcome. Yes. There also need to be separate spaces where adults are allowed to be open and honest with all sorts of emotions, including the emotion of horny in a way that's safe and sane and consensual.

I will also note, because it feels worthy of mentioning here, that I have boundaries with sexualization. Real life and online life are different. I'm honest in both, but the rules and behavior are different, y'know? There's nuance to be had.

I don't talk outside of Tumblr the same way I do on Tumblr. Real life is very different to fandom etiquette. Which, I acknowledge that a lot of fandom--historically and presently--is women. Not totally, of course, but a good chunk. Women are objectified exhaustively in our society. So, personally, I feel that it is more than fair for them to then turn around and objective men some. Ever since getting into fandom, I've emulated that because it's the culture here. I've picked it up without really realizing it. Does that mean I feel like it's as fair for me, a man, to take up space in a traditionally women-populated area that's often described as a safe space and co-opt the slang? No. It's not really mine to adapt. Perhaps I should look into that deeper or acknowledge more than I do that I stand on borrowed ground.

Amongst that thought, though, is the realization that I don't talk the same offline because when I'm in the fandom space, I feel a little bit of my traditional socialization come undone. I'm a man. I was raised to crush down emotions and be strong and steady. Sure, I'm a 5'6" twink looking motherfucker, but I'm still a man, and still, strong emotions I might show in real life are met with confusion at best.

Strong emotions like anger or even noticeable, perky excitement when in public do not get a great response. Anger, understandably. I'm very aware of that. I'm not an angry guy, I grew up around a lot of angry people, I know it's frightening--especially when men get angry. I don't think I'm particularly threatening when I do get frustrated, but still, the few times I've been visibly upset like that around people in public, I can always feel women particularly shrinking away from me. It's just not acceptable. But, excitement. Even excitement or other positive emotions rouses discomfort from others in public.

If I express strong excitement or happiness to people who aren't my friends, people in public, I get reactions, too. Women tend to look at me strangely, as if there's something weird about me. That changes if I out myself to said women because it's more socially acceptable to be exciteable or positive if you're queer. Now, men brush me off in that situation. As a kid, that was not allowed because, what are you gay? Why? Why are you excited about anything? Pfft. That's for girls.

So, all is all to say, I don't talk the way I do on Tumblr. And perhaps that excitement/obvious horniness/whatever strong emotion that I do express on Tumblr comes across as juvenile or unmasculine to you. Maybe that's what you're picking up on with my apparently juvenile tone? I don't know.

That all sounds like I'm saying, poor me, it's so hard to be a man, feel bad for me, but what I'm doing is trying to explain where I'm coming from, why I express that way, and how it's different from my behavior in real life. You're still allowed to think I'm hypocritical and creepy, like I'm allowed to explain myself and do my own thing.

Again, I was 18 when I made my blog.

As for what I'm studying, I'm working toward an MFA right now. As it states in my pinned post, I'm dyslexic. Part of my journey in higher ed has been learning--trying to learn, at least, oof, it's not always going well--how to go easier on myself and not stress out over not being able to keep up all the time with my peers who aren't dyslexic. I'm trying not to feel dumber and feel like that's a terrible thing. So, I took a lighter class load when I got to college to go my own speed, I don't take summer classes, and then I fucked up shit with my transfer degree. Meaning, I'm a whole year, almost two, behind with the "average" track. That's why it feels like I'm stuck in college purgatory, lmao.

I use S because it relates vaguely to my real name, that's all.

I offer that people can use "sir" to refer to me because I, personally, like power dynamics in sex and my blog is about sex a lot. I don't feel like "daddy" fits me, sure, partly to do with my age, but really, daddy is a mindset, lol, and it strikes me as much more nurturing and romantic mindset/dynamic. I don't feel like that fits me. I like something stricter. I used to think I was a stone top, lol, and while I don't feel exactly like that anymore, I certainly don't feel as kinky-soft as "daddy".

Sure, that's maybe cliche to say. Cool. Personally, it doesn't strike me as juvenile, but clearly, it does to you, so... okay? I don't know what to do about that? It's just how I write.

Also, it's very amusing to me to accuse someone of lying while choosing to remain anonymous and disconnected from your own blog that, hopefully, contains your age/age range within it.

Reiterating: I think it's good that you want to keep minors out of the places they shouldn't be, I do. That's admirable. It's dangerous for the minors that do step foot in 18+ spaces as well as dangerous for well-meaning adults who unknowingly interact with minors masquerading as adults. But you're barking up the wrong tree.

You're welcome to say that writing this whole thing is defensive, clearly juvenile, and proves your point if you like. (Maybe, fine, I am a little offended to be told my smut sounds like a child wrote it because... yikes. So, I'm defending something there.) Still, I was interested in diving into some of the things you brought up 'cause I think about some of that a lot. Especially about my place in fandom as a guy. I try very hard not to be the creepy guy in the corner 😬

[thesymphonytrue]

Hiiii! You know I love your longer fics—the Ghosts and Echoes series and your wing au fic! And I was wondering how you stay motivated to work on longer fics. And come up with manageable plots that are still interesting to read. (Sincerely someone working on a longer project while also experiencing writers block 😅)

HIIII!!! 🥰 thanks for the ask, @ascreamintothevoid-blog <3 <3 <3

Aw thank you so much!! I had fun writing them!! And your comments kept me going when I hit roadblocks, honestly!! 😅

MOTIVATION: oh man motivation for longer fics....well...I'd say with my first long fic, Ghosts, I kind of kept into it blindly and then had to finish it, it was my first fic I'd posted for the White Collar fandom and while I had about 50% of it finished, if I hadn't gotten such encouraging comments, I don't think I would have ever finished it. The comments gave me such motivation, because people were reading my story and liking it and I was just....thrilled 😭🥹 On that vein, maybe I crave human interaction or feedback on my stories too much, but with all of the long fics I have written, I have started posting them when I'm about 50-80% finished writing it....then the reader feedback helps me get to the final sprint to the end. so...THANK YOU to anyone who has commented on my longer fics, it really helps with motivation! 🥹

The other two, I definitely had to do more "scheduled writing" to finish them---I made a goal of writing a chapter per week while simultaneously editing a previous chapter. It was a reasonable goal at the time and helped me through the slumps of not being "inspired"---I just would sit down and word vomit into my draft and then clean it up later 😂 Long fics feel like a marathon. They are fun, but exhausting!

PLOT DEVELOPMENT: Okay, so plot. LOL. I struggled with this, because, ya know, fanfic is so often inspired by just ~vibes~ 😂 Let me take the wingfic AU as an example for how I developed the plot, so there will be spoilers for that below if you haven't read it:

Normally my fics start with a vibe-like inspiration and then I kind of weave the plot around that. With longer fics, I figure out my climax of the story, and then scatter the characters and make their individual trails to get there. If that makes sense?

So let's take Neal in the wingfic for example. His climax in this story is after having searched for belonging, he finally finds his "family." That was the basic goal. Then, I had certain moments I wanted in the plot: the wing sacrifices, for example, so I placed those moments in the plot. THEN, I connected those moments. The connecting of the moments is the hardest for me lol. ( I do outline in detail long fics in a journal and draft several outlines before settling on one. )

Then, after I have my main characters plots developed, I start weaving in the villains and side characters. In this fic, I had never planned on developing Peter's father, John, until I started writing----then all of a sudden his story just appeared in my head and had to be told. So I had to adjust my original plot, but his story made the plot much richer, so perhaps he was meant to be there all along. It's weird. But most of the time plots like that just...it's like the characters actually tell me their story in my mind and I'm just listening to them.

and hrmmm making them manageable and interesting? Well, to me they don't seem riveting because I know the whole story. LOL. I have to remember that the reader is only seeing what I have shown them so far, so they likely will find it more exciting than I will writing it. I keep it manageable by limiting the characters and character POVs...and...by not getting into macro plots (like social justice for Flyers like I wanted to, but it was just too much for me to handle).

OKAYYY long answer but I hope that helps!! Thank you so much for the ask!! I actually have been struggling with lack of motivation/writer's block lately (seriously, my mind is EMPTTTYYYY for fics rn 😭) and this helped me remember how fun it is to write and makes me want to get back to it.

Also good luck on your longer project!! you can do it. Just baby steps and small chunks at a time---that's how I stayed at it, a tiny bit of writing per day, and when you need a break, take a break! the inspiration will flood into your brain when it's ready 😎

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi, sorry if anyone has asked this before, but I have been dealing with a problem, It happened at least four times: I plan and start writing this a big novel idea, and suddenly I stumble through the question "what if?" and it breaks my plot, my characters and/or my world building.

Lately I haven't been able to create anything, because eventually I remember that not even a week ahead I'm going to arrive at those world building parts I hate doing all over again just for those ideas to be destroyed in seconds. So plot after plot, after weeks of work thrown away, I get motivated to create plots, characters and worlds?

Thrown Off By "What If" Questions After Plotting

There are three potential things you can do:

1 - Play "What If" After Plotting But Before Writing - If this happens a lot, where you do all of this plotting and world building, start to write, and later get derailed by "what if" questions, it could be a sign that you're rushing into the writing phase before you're really finished plotting and world building. That said, when you think you're finished with the plotting and world building, instead of going straight to writing, try taking some time to really think through what you've planned and see if you can get some of those "what if" questions to pop up. If you can ask and address those questions before you write, you can augment the plot/world building before it's too hard to change it.

2 - Write Them Down - If you start writing and still find "what if" questions popping into your head, instead of letting them derail you, write them down and keep going. When you reach the end of the chapter, you can go back and evaluate the "what if" question that popped up and consider what to do with it. Because, remember: just because those questions pop into your head doesn't mean you have to follow them. Part of being a writer is learning when to listen to those ideas when they pop up, and when to ignore them.

3 - Discard/Explore/Save for Later - There are some "what if" scenarios you're just going to have to discard, because they're only applicable to what you're writing now and you can't use them without changing everything. And that's fine. Again, you don't have to follow every wild idea that pops into your head. Some ideas might actually be worth exploring, though, but it's up to you to figure out which ideas can be implemented without completely derailing the work you've already done. You may also wish to hang onto an idea to see if you can work it into the next draft (as that might be easier than letting your first draft go completely off the tracks), or you might save the idea for a future story that's part of this series or something completely different.

Again--and sorry to sound like a broken record here (does that even mean anything anymore, or do I just sound like the old lady I am???)--just bear in mind that just because an idea occurs to you doesn't mean you have to pursue it. Unless it seems like a really amazing idea that would elevate your story from a six to a twelve, it's not worth letting an idea completely derail you. You have the power to let it go and keep writing. :)

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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