#catch me using my class for inspo if i ever start writing fics again

[nellandvoid]

my prof: i mainly teach russian literature—

me: woah crazy severance reference!

[kmaybank]

hey! i've just gotten into reading outer banks fanfiction and i've been tearing through your works, i adore them. i wanted to ask what your history in writing is, have you taken classes or does it come naturally to you? i really want to publish my fics but i always feel like they're not good enough because i've never actually taken a writing course lol. whats your process to making your work so refined? sorry if that's a lot, hope ur having a lovely day🥰

(first things first I’m so sorry about this super late response!! I’ve explained my absence here if you’re interested in checking it out but basically I didn’t have access to my computer or phone. So, again, sorry about taking so long to get back to you!)

Ok seriously this is probably the kindest sweetest ask I've ever gotten and I 🥺🥺 first of all thank you so much!!! it really means the world to me that you think so highly of my writing, thank you thank you!

Talking about my history in writing, I have had an interest in writing since a little kid, I read a lot and always wanted to write my own books so from a very young age I've been writing, and writing really is just practice! Trust me, the stydia fic I posted 7 years ago on wattpad didn't have much of a high quality of writing 😂 I never took any type of classes or courses or anything and I'm in college right now to become an engineer, so not much writing practice there either, but I do just write whenever I have free time and read a good amount of novels and fics which definitely helps when it comes to building vocabulary and making stories run more smoothly

When it comes to writing my fics I don't really do anyting too specific, I use google docs (great to catch typos) and have this thing where I only write cronologically 😂 Seriously, I wish I could, but I just can't write scenes out of order. If I get sudden inspo for a random scene I'll just write it down in my notes app until it's time to get to it!

What I find that helps me a bunch with writing believable dialogue is reading it out loud. That way I can see if it flows well and if it sounds natural! If it's too stiff or too ooc I'll just rewrite it until it's right (seriously, can't be afraid to rewrite, I have a lot of first drafts that are veryyyy rough hahaha).

But I'm really not a planner btw, when I start a fic I more often than not know only three things: what the first line is gonna be, one specific scene I'm super excited about, and the overall direction I want it to take. I particularly find that writing is very organic so sometimes I'm writing something thinking that this one ending will be great, but 5k words later, I've completely changed my mind. My writing just changes a lot with my mood, and that really helps me get the hang of it (I always try to write angst when I'm mad at something random and fluff after a good, chill day, and if that doesn't happen, I'll just watch a certain movie or video that puts me in the mood).

I find that music helps me a lot too, before I start a fic I always make a playlist for it that I listen to while writing. The power of a sad song when writing hurt/comfort?? Immaculate! (also, if you'd be interested in checking out some of my playlists I'd love to share!)

And what I can say really is, go ahead and do it! Don't worry whether your fic is perfect or not, just have a good time writing it and you'll just keep getting better and better. I read a lot of Jiara fiction and can say that the Jiara fandom is amazing, everyone's so kind and lovely, so I can assure you that if you wanted to write Jiara fic, you'd 100% be welcomed to the community with open arms! The more you write a certain character's POV, the easier it gets, and it's super helpful to have a little list of head canons you have for the characters you write for (the more you study a character, the more believable you can write their POV)

Ok this is getting way too long but I hope I maybe helped you a little bit?? My inbox is always open if you ever want any tips on anything more specific too. And again, thank you so so much for the kind words and I'm sorry for the late response! xxx

[kae-karo]

like i’m bakugou (a todobaku fic)

hbd to todoroki, our favorite deadpan humor conspiracy theorist icyhot boye

like i’m bakugou - 2.1k

baku takes todo on a froyo date

tags: todobaku, fluff, getting together, first date sorta, crack treated seriously (but was it ever crack to begin with idk)

if you haven't heard the song (x) go listen to it then watch this tik tok (x) which was the inspo for this fic

dedicated to my wife @dabidevito who laughed so hard at that tik tok that she literally couldn't speak for several minutes (so obviously i had to write a fic abt it)

[read on ao3]

---------

Katsuki can’t help but fidget in his seat, and his hands tighten on the steering wheel - Icyhot’s been sitting in total silence for the entire drive so far, staring out the window like he’s deep in thought. It’s setting Katsuki on edge.

Well, even more on edge - he’s been nervous since the second he decided to suggest Todoroki come get frozen yogurt with him. A part of him had wondered if it was a weird suggestion, or if Icyhot would think it was weird, or if he just didn’t want to hang out with Katsuki at all. He’d stared at him for several seconds before responding, and Katsuki had been that close to taking it all back, playing it off as a joke.

But Todoroki said yes, didn’t he? So Katsuki’s just overthinking it, right?

They’re almost there, anyway. Besides, if everything goes downhill, he can just pretend it wasn’t meant to be a date at all. He hadn’t really specified, and neither had Todoroki - but if it goes well, how is he supposed to make sure Icyhot gets that it was a date?

He nearly jumps out the goddamn window when Todoroki starts mumbling something under his breath, and he can barely make out the words.

“Like I’m Bakugou, turn that shit into a fro- a fro…”

Katsuki frowns at the windshield, absolutely certain he’d heard wrong.

“Into a fro...yo…” He turns to find Todoroki’s eyes widening. “Like I’m Bakugou, turn that shit into a froyo- like, like a frozen yogurt?” He glances over at Katsuki, who’s now got his brows arched so high his forehead kind of hurts. Katsuki blinks.

“Like- like a frozen yogurt, right?” This. This is what Todoroki’s been so pensive about this entire drive? He’s been thinking about that stupid song, and- does he really think that’s how it goes? Katsuki coughs out a laugh, unable to help it - however he expected this car ride to go, this was not it.

Todoroki just stares him down, repeating the line again.

“Like a frozen yogurt, right?” Katsuki’s lost it completely, he can’t fight the laughter that keeps bubbling up in his throat at Icyhot’s insistence, and he glances over to find Todoroki’s lips have curled up in a grin himself. “What is it?” he asks, finally catching on that maybe, just maybe, those weren’t the right lyrics.

Katsuki takes a hand from the wheel and covers his mouth, doing his best to hide his grin - he can’t, he cannot right now. Icyhot can’t be serious, can he? But Todoroki’s just staring back at him with wide, expectant eyes.

“Do you know the lyrics?” Todoroki asks, and his smile falters, replaced with a confused look of concern. As if Katsuki wouldn’t know every word to the song that’s literally about him. He flicks on his turn signal - they’re finally at this damn froyo place.

“I know the lyrics.” He inhales a deep breath. “I’m gonna cry.”

Todoroki frowns, and Katsuki wonders if he’s taken that literally - he has a really hard time reading Icyhot’s lack of expressions, determining whether he’s serious or joking. But his earnestness here...he really thinks those are the lyrics, doesn’t he?

Katsuki’s not sure he can keep a straight face and walk into this froyo place. He’s not even sure he can get out of the car - he’s got an image to keep up, that he’s above everyone else, and breaking into a fit of laughter is definitely not the way to do that.

“Are we- are we going in?” Todoroki asks after a few moments - Katsuki’s turned the car off, but he’s still trying to steel himself to get out. ‘Turn that shit into a froyo’...he’s gonna lose his damn mind over this.

Without a word - mostly because his jaw is clenched in an attempt to keep from smiling - he opens the door and gets out. Todoroki does the same after a moment, and he walks beside Katsuki into the little shop.

He lets Katsuki order first, and all of Katsuki’s nerves rush back in - is this a date, and should he treat it like one? He wants to, but he has no idea what Todoroki’s thinking. He wishes the guy would give a little clearer indication about what’s going on in his head. Hell, he’d been stressed that Icyhot was regretting agreeing to come with Katsuki when he’d really been thinking about those stupid lyrics.

Unintentionally, Katsuki huffs out a breath of laughter. The employee gives him a quirked brow as he hands over Katsuki’s cup, so he fixes his face into a frown.

“Vanilla chocolate swirl,” Todoroki says the moment the guy’s moved on - Katsuki does his best not to laugh at Icyhot’s order.

He debates, very briefly, waiting to see if Todoroki will offer to pay for his own froyo, but he scraps the idea at the last second. He asked Icyhot out, he wants this to be a date. And he wants to pay. He wants to do little, simple, kind things for Todoroki. Things that nobody else would really notice or think twice about - he has a reputation to maintain, after all - but things that would mean something to Icyhot. He pulls a few bills from his wallet and hands them over before Todoroki can say anything.

Katsuki glances to the side to find Icyhot just staring, though he finally blinks when the cashier hands over the change. His lip quirks up in a tiny half-smile, then, and Katsuki’s heart flips over in his chest.

“Thank you, Bakugou.”

Katsuki doesn’t offer a response, too afraid that if he moves his mouth, it’ll turn into a wide grin and someone will think he’s gone soft. So he shrugs, whirls on a heel, and finds the table farthest from the door, tucked back in a corner where nobody will likely notice them.

The last thing he needs is some tabloid speculating about him and Icyhot - or worse, some of their classmates. It’s exhausting being both in the public eye and under the scrutinizing gaze of all of 1-A. Bunch of damn gossips.

“So really...” Todoroki interrupts his simmering frustration, and Katsuki looks up to find Icyhot’s got his spoon halfway to his mouth, head tilted. “What are the lyrics? Is it not about frozen yogurt?”

Katsuki sputters out a laugh, then digs into his own mint chocolate chip and shakes his head.

“No, no it isn’t.”

-------

Katsuki is left feeling...weird.

They’d talked a little bit about inconsequential things, like the lyrics of that damn ‘Bakugou’ song and about class work and the upcoming exams, but mostly it’d been eating in silence. But it’d been a nice kind of silence - the kind he doesn’t get when he’s in the dorms or class or at home.

Except he’s still not sure if it was a date or not.

Todoroki hadn’t said much and had gotten out of the car without much more than a ‘thanks’ and a half smile, and Katsuki can’t even tell if he had had a nice time or not - Katsuki did, or he thinks he did, anyway.

And now it’s been nearly twenty four hours of wondering, and he’s no closer to an answer. Katsuki pushes through the door and into the classroom, surrounded by prying eyes and loose lips, and he has a hard time deciding how to act. Icyhot looks just as cool and indifferent as he always does, but he catches Katsuki’s eye before looking back at his desk.

Katsuki doesn’t smile, but fuck he really wants to.

If he were to ask Todoroki to have lunch with him, would that be too much too quickly? It’s only been a day, and he doesn’t really know what’s going on in that guy’s head. Besides, what if he’s got other plans?

Not that Katsuki’s ever seen him have lunch with anyone, but his head swirls with doubt and confusion.

“Bakugou.” Aizawa’s voice makes him jump, and he looks up to find not only their teacher but the entire class now staring at him. “Care to enlighten us?”

Katsuki blinks - he’s been too spaced out to know what they’re talking about, he can’t even remember what topic they’re covering. He can feel his face flush with heat. He doesn’t have any notes either, and his eyes flick back up to find Aizawa’s hard stare boring into him.

“I believe it’s mentioned in the quirk laws, the subsection regarding quirk use in public.” Icyhot’s voice startles Katsuki, but he doesn’t dare turn around - he’s grateful, in a way, but he didn’t need saving. He’d rather have just taken the chastising for not paying attention.

“Thank you, Todoroki. Bakugou, whatever’s distracting you, figure it out. Exams are in a couple weeks, I’d hate to see you fail,” Aizawa deadpans. Katsuki has half a mind to call him out for worrying over something so fundamental and well-known as the quirk laws, but he’s too fired up and it’ll only get him in more trouble. He’d rather everyone forget this whole thing ever happened.

-----

“I didn’t need saving.” Katsuki catches up to Icyhot in the hall on the way to the cafeteria - it’s been simmering in his head for the entire class, though he made a point of paying extra close attention and taking extremely detailed notes. He’s better than everyone in that damn class and he won’t have Aizawa or anyone else forgetting it.

“No, you didn’t,” Todoroki says, voice even. “I just got bored of waiting for you to determine what was being asked and what the correct answer was.” He glances sideways at Katsuki, but his face is unreadable and emotionless. Bakugou can’t decide whether to punch him or kiss him.

He probably shouldn’t do either one.

“You should pay better attention.” Todoroki adds, and Katsuki swears his lip quirks up in a smirk for just a moment. He’s definitely leaning toward the ‘punch Icyhot’ option.

“Hey, Todoroki!” Katsuki flinches at Deku’s voice, and his frown deepens when that green-haired nerd bounds up beside Todoroki. “I was thinking, you wanna come join us for lunch? Uraraka and Iida and me,” he clarifies, and Katsuki can practically feel his chest folding in on itself.

If there’s anyone Todoroki would probably want to spend time with, it’d be Mr. ‘It’s your power!’ and his gang. Katsuki lets himself fall back a step, intent on getting away from this conversation - he doesn’t need the embarrassment or the irritation.

“Actually, I was going to sit with Bakugou,” Todoroki says, and Katsuki nearly trips over his own feet - Deku definitely does. He gives a small, startled ‘oh’ before casually adding they could get lunch another time, and Todoroki nods, an evident dismissal. Katsuki speeds his pace to catch back up with Icyhot, then does his best to stop his lips from grinning.

“Having lunch with me?” he asks, trying to keep the surprise out of his tone. “Pretty presumptuous of you.”

“I thought you wouldn’t mind,” Todoroki says, and Katsuki genuinely can’t tell if he’s concerned or just having a bit of fun. “Besides, I brought you something.” Katsuki’s brows scrunch together, but Todoroki doesn’t say anything more. Curiosity eats at Katsuki’s thoughts, but he’s not about to cave in to whatever reaction Icyhot is hoping to get from him.

So he waits until they’ve gotten food and Todoroki chooses a table, then Katsuki sits down with a thud.

“Alright Icyhot, I’ve been patient, what the hell did you bring me?” He’s a little surprised when Todoroki looks up from his tray, a small smirk on his lips. After a moment of stillness, he unbuttons his jacket and pulls one side open.

Katsuki stares for a solid second at the two cups of frozen yogurt nestled against his side, obviously kept cold by his quirk.

“I thought you might be interested in some froyo.” Todoroki gives him a real smile this time, one bordering on the edge of laughter.

Katsuki actually does sputter out a laugh, too overwhelmed with the sheer hilarity of the whole situation. A part of him worries that people will notice, but the vast majority of his brain tells him not to give a fuck - this is funny and he’ll laugh about it if he damn well pleases.

His laughter must be contagious, cause Todoroki dissolves into a fit of subdued giggles that takes him a while to recover from. When he finally does, he pulls both cups of frozen yogurt from his jacket and sets them on the table with a clunk.

“Next date,” Todoroki says, already removing the lid and spooning a bite into his mouth. Katsuki does his best not to react, but his heart rate triples in speed - so Todoroki had known it was a date, then. Icyhot points his spoon at Katsuki. “You’re teaching me all the lyrics, otherwise I’m just gonna keep thinking ‘like I’m Bakugou turn that shit into a froyo’.” Katsuki scoffs as he grabs his own cup.

“I don’t even know what the real lyrics are anymore, you’ve ruined it,” Katsuki shoots back. Todoroki just grins, the self-satisfied bastard, and lifts another bite of froyo to his lips.