#from an editing perspective I always point this sort of thing out to be sure that it is intentionally chosen

[noegrets]

...but on the other hand, english is a battle-royale-free-for-all kind of language: if you want to write it like lightswitch or waterbottle, who exactly is going to stop you? it's still perfectly communicative, the result is perfectly understandable. you can make YOUR words frot on purpose :)

On a slightly more serious note: I write a lot in english, which is a language I learned later in life. My wife beta-reads for me, english being her mother tongue. We find lots of words where she informs me that this word is not usually hyphenated like this, or compound like that: so we look up the way I wrote it vs. all the other variations (google n-gram viewer used to be good for this) and, almost always, we learn that the way I wrote it has plenty recorded uses overall, but is currently uncommon. And so I say - sure, why can't I use the uncommon one if I like it that way? It's still perfectly understandable, and language is made by those who use it.

We won't have any prescriptivism in this house: my words may fuck as they please.

one thing i hate about english is your open compound words. what do you mean it's a light switch and not a lightswitch or a water bottle instead of a waterbottle. get real

[bekolxeram]

The ever so observant @misterapril pointed out in this post that there may be a fake plane crash scenario on Hotshots while a real one (possibly with Athena onboard) is happening, explaining the 2 different planes we see in bts material.

I've mentioned numerous times before, this cockpit mock up belongs to an aircraft from the A320s family.

The cockpit mockup seems to be from the same type of aircraft as well. It's a narrow body judging by the proportion, and the 2 Boeing narrow body airliners (737 and 757) both have cabin doors working like a regular door, namely rotation outwards to open. While all Airbus doors pop straight out and move to the side without rotating.

B737 door vs A320 door

This aircraft on the other hand looks more like a wide body to me, simply because a narrow body airliner doesn't have enough ground clearance to fit a whole firetruck under its wing. It's a Boeing for sure, look at the cockpit windows. I'm leaning towards it being a 767 instead of a 777, simply because a 777 should be a bit larger and I see no winglet on the wing (can be a perspective issue, 777 has raked wingtips that might not show up if you take a photo leveled with the wings).

Well, thanks to @misterapril, I've just noticed something that should be super obvious if I wasn't blinded by the plane.

This is not the Ontario Airport tower.

So we know Angela filmed something at ONT terminal 2. The hangar with all the firetrucks and ambulances is also there. What you may not know is that said hangar is right next to the ONT control tower, so I always assumed the night scene with the Boeing plane and the 119 truck was also filmed there.

But guys, they're not the same tower.

The one behind the firetruck is the San Bernardino Airport tower.

In fact, I'm pretty sure I know exactly where they filmed this particular scene, taking into consideration other landmarks visible in the same bts photo.

I think this video posted by Kenny was filmed in the same location.

I believe they are the same building. You can judge it on your own by watching this clip. It's also the only area within the airfield with highway like markings, leading straight out of a fire station.

Why is this piece of information important you may ask? Well, we've been speculating the 2 different planes conundrum might be due to budget/production constraint. In S1, the show bought an actual 757 from an airplane boneyard in Arizona and shipped it piece by piece to California. It was such a headache.

Do you know San Bernardino Airport is also a boneyard? I can imagine Tim says, "don't worry about logistics, we're taking the filming straight to the boneyard this time!" So everything is possible, you have all sorts of retired airliners you can play with for cheap. There's also the possibility that the Boeing we see is just parked nearby, maybe it has nothing to do with filming.

Do you know what else San Bernardino Airport has? A USFS air base. In 7x04 they used the Helinet hangar and its (mostly news) helicopters for the Harbor tour scene, right? San Bernardino is filled with actual firefighting air tankers and helicopters. Perhaps they would be generous enough to let the show take a few shots of a certain helicopter flying around, I don't know, saving people?

EDIT: From the same bts video Kenny posted, I think they're standing under the horizontal stabilizer of a plane? I might be seeing things, and it's not very important, just curious.

[cherries-in-wine]

I love ur posts on lolita the book- what are ur thoughts on the movies?

aw tysm anon mwah <3

(Made a few edits because my perspective changed a little)

I don't really like the movies- in fact comparing them to the masterpiece that Vladimir Nabokov wrote feels like an insult. Sometimes art can only exist in a certain medium and when you take it out of that medium it loses its integrity. Lolita is art that can only exist as literature. This is what I used to believe but to be honest even as literature it's being misunderstood a lot so it feels as if no matter what medium lolita exists in, it'll always be interpreted wrong.

It took Vladimir Nabokov 5 years to write lolita because writing from the perspective of a pedophile is tough- it's using the abuser to tell the victim's story but in this case the abuser is our unreliable narrator, he had to make Humbert Humbert charming or at least intriguing in a fucked up way enough that the reader would be compelled to read further (lolita will disturb you but you won't able to put it down) but any competent reader would will be able to figure out that Humbert Humbert is just spewing his delusional bullshit.

It feels as if Vladimir Nabokov predicted the romanticization of Lolita as soon as we started putting girls on the book covers- he intended on lolita being faceless

So much of what makes the book incredible lies in reading in between the lines to figure out what's actual going on. Think of it as Humbert Humbert is forcing his heart shaped rose coloured glasses onto you like "see it's a beautiful tragic love story" and it's your responsibility to take them off to see things as they are, a 12 year old child being abused constantly.

Unreliable narrators in general are hard to portray on screen (it's not impossible ofcourse, gone girl, 500 days of summer and black swan do it really well) but extra difficult in this case because lolita and Dolores are 2 different people entirely. Lolita is the persona, Dolores is the person. Lolita is the nymphet, the seductress that only exists in Humbert's twisted mind, Dolores is the 12 year old child. Humbert sees lolita, he wants you to see lolita, but you need to focus on Dolores.

Lolita 1962 was laughably inaccurate, they made Dolores look like an elegant woman when even Humbert Humbert describes her as a messy tomboy. Lolita 1997 is better I guess, it follows the book a little more accurately. The movie is definitely pretty to look at and I don't have a problem with Dolores being an icon or people taking fashion inspiration from her. In my opinion she is an icon, it isn't fair to reduce a victim's identity to their trauma and abuser. Also she's so funny and is constantly insulting Humbert so mwah love her so much plus I relate to her a lot as I went through similar things. I think some scenes of Humbert Humbert being an unreliable narrator were translated really well, for example this argument-

Humbert gave a short description while the movie is more of lo's point of view, it's all screaming and shouting and absolutely devastating, Dominique Swain did an amazing job.

Both of the actresses were 14 during filming and that's just so unsettling to me. Sure you're using a body double for explicit scenes but isn't that just content for actual pedophiles, the closest thing to CP that's legal?. There are many older actresses that look younger but honestly that scares me more, because now there are no restrictions to the scenes they can film, which usually ends up underage characters in extremely exploitative scenes (think euphoria).

My feelings are sort of all over the place on this, I simply can't reach a satisfying conclusion- I don't think it's impossible to adapt lolita into a good film, black swan is one of my favourite movies ever and nina sayers is as unrealiable as a narrator gets, so it's not impossible to portray Humbert Humbert on screen but it will be difficult. On the other hand I just know that people will find some way to romanticize the movie- no matter how well it's written like in the novel it's so obvious Humbert is a pedophile that he might as well get it tattoed on his head but people still think of it as "aw tragic beautiful love story". But part of me thinks that if they write it kind of like gone girl, you believe nick is the murderer in the first half then amy's scheming is revealed in the second, just like that if lolita is shown in the first half but after dolores runs away her perspective is shown to audience, how she's so miserable and gives an accurate depiction of Humbert Humbert's abuse, maybe showing that horrifying reality of the story will end it's romanticization once and for all.

[tales-of-wocdes]

I’ll be honest, while it make make sense for the MC’s recovery, as an adult reader I’d be pretty uncomfortable reading about a child being put in diapers and/or soiling themself in detail. It’d be a huge turnoff for me and I don’t think I would continue to read. Just in general my personal preference as a reader is to lean away from anything that infantilizes the MC more. On one hand, I recognize that their circumstances would mean they’re not on a typical developmental pathway compared to other 7-8 year olds. On the other hand, I think your writing already does an excellent job of capturing that while still doing justice to the MC’s age. They feel like a traumatized 7-8 year old who’s immature and confused because of what happened to them, not a 3 year old, is what I’m saying. I guess just personally I think a diaper or pacifier would sort of ruin that characterization for me, I’d much rather prefer the MC to gain some agency by learning how to navigate the bathroom on their own via wheelchair or rely on more age-appropriate toys for comfort. That said, these are just all my own thoughts as a single reader. Obviously other readers disagree with these preferences, and ultimately I respect that it’s your choice as the author to have final say about what does/doesn’t go. My point isn’t to try to threaten you with a loss of readership— I just want to express my own perspective and ultimately it’s your choice to make! I am really invested in this story and quite enjoy your writing, so I also trust that you know what’s best for your work.

Thank you for these thoughts. I appreciate it. This is valuable feedback and info about reader preferences, even if it is just one person :D I have a feeling you are hardly alone here.

The long post queue allows me time to think, but I don't really go back and edit my answers which are the immediate thoughts most of the time :D That would take a lot of extra time. This however, I think I will let jump the queue because I did say I would get back to you all on this and I think it is better addressed earlier on. And for me it has been several days.

I am willing to consider all suggestions, and appreciate receiving them (at least so far :D) but ultimately it is up to me to decide what I believe to be appropriate or what fits. I retain the right to always change my mind and thoughts mature over time. And here, I agree with you. A pacifier or diapers is not something I see happening in the story, even as an optional extra. Why? Because as you said, MC is immature and very confused but 7-8 years old.

Something to fiddle with? Yes, that could happen. Some kind of chewing necklace? Perhaps. I have been googling and indeed such things are available for older children and even adults. Sensory necklaces/toys I think they are called. For example in the shape of just a tube, or something that look vaguely like a fang. Age appropriate toys? Absolutely. Cool magical toys? Even better. I would be happy to hear ideas about those.

A "gift" from a totally out of touch "grandpa" that thinks giving a child something like a magical suit of armor is a good thing? That gets confiscated by Havard due to property damage? Absolutely... I wonder if there is a way to write random events... I'll look into it. This is btw, something I came up with just now. It is not something I have planned.

A "bathroom arc"? No. After a brief bit of thinking, I don't really want to write it at all so I won't. And I have a feeling that many people would not like reading it if I did force myself to do that. A comment in passing about odd bathrooms are for MC? Sure, that sounds fine to me, but leaving the gritty grimy reality-checks for something else is probably better.

This is all basically flavor text, which is one of the better aspects of interactive fiction but does not need to have a significant effect on the plot :D I want to accommodate reader preferences and offer up a pretty good level of choice, but there is still an overall direction I want to go.

[kafkaoftherubble]

聊聊俺另个冷圈子漫画《AFTER GOD》: 解析、猜测、评论（暂至第58话，英译版为准）

An analysis/speculation/ramble of the manga, After God.

Edit: Upon re-reading some previous chapters for my next ramble, I realized that Yako's name isn't actually "Furuya Yako," but "Furuya Rin" (C56). I'd like to change it accordingly.

The sort of things I'll do for you, @orange-peel-candy, man. Yes, this could have been our Discord conversation, but it’s been a long time since I contributed something to this garden, and the After God appreciator circle is once again, a cold circle (冷圈子) that I thought hey, Future Lyns will enjoy reading. Maybe someone else other than you will, too?

This is up to Chapter 58, "They Don’t Understand."

I’m gonna reiterate some of the interesting things we mentioned back in Discord.

The latest chapter is cool because it showcases how Yako sees the word. “No colors; just lines. Faces are blocked out.”

Apropos of that, I’m personally stoked to see the mangaka spending time establishing the different kinds of visual impairment that might get someone to be legally or functionally declared “blind.” Then, via the elimination method, we get to see just why Yako stood out even within the community she is easily a member of owing to her congenital blindness.

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

Blind Perspectives

In the first part of C58, we see the Outsider Auntie describing how much of a stand-offish creep Yako was. Her opinion is likely similar to what readers might have felt about Yako since she appeared in the story.

But, in the second part of the chapter, we got to see Yako reminiscing about her dad’s funeral, her mother, and—we soon find out—the first time she met Chicken (“Rooster,” this distinction is actually important, but I think I’ll make a separate post about it) God. In that flashback, she’s still a little peculiar... but is largely a quiet girl with pretty normal sensibilities. She was defensive of her mother’s character and questioned—but not disparaging of—her long-absent father. She even displayed kindness to a creature she identified as a “parakeet” found near her dad’s coffin.

Little thought that goes nowhere: Child Yako reminded me of a live-action character we really like: India Stoker, from the movie Stoker. They both elicit a peculiar bearing partially from their atypical sensory experiences, are seen as “unsettling,” and are left alone. Man, I dig characters like these. So ghostly.

This is why I’m very interested in C59: it will be a continuation of Yako’s memories of how the Chicken God and her life entwined. Sure, we’ll also get to her reputation as a butcher of eighty lives, but I’m at least 80% sure that the slaughter is related to Chicken God. How the slaughter happened (was it via her new power? Poisoning? etc..), though, is a lot less clear.

Juxtaposing Yako and Outsider Auntie’s perspectives like these made me wonder if Yako had always been as off-putting as the latter claimed. Could it be that, at first, Yako seemed weird because of her nigh-superhuman way of navigating through her blindness with an accuracy other peers like Outsider Auntie could only dream of? Did jealousy introduce a distortion to the Outsider Auntie’s assessment of Yako’s character?

As you pointed out: both narrators are unreliable.

I think that’s a good reminder. So here’s the follow-up:

Is the answer to who Yako is somewhere in between these two perspectives, or does it lie in a third position?

In other words: will Chicken God’s account of Yako’s personality end up being the most accurate version of who she is?

It won’t be surprising if the last part turns out to be true. Alula and Orokapi, who are both IPO/gods, seem to have the most accurate perspectives on Tokinaga compared to any other humans in the story—possibly including Tokinaga himself. Alula also seemed to have understood the sides of Shion that had eluded Waka until the time of their closure.  

I think the gods’ impoverished understanding of humanity, plus their lack of emotional and experiential biases, actually gives the gods a clearer, fresher grip on the humans they are interacting with.

However, there’s a downside to learning about humanity with a blank slate. If you dip a piece of white paper into, say, a bucket of blue dye, you’ll get deep-blue paper. Then, no matter what color you try to paint on it later, the blue dye will influence how these colors present themselves on that paper, right?

That’s the second point—and hypothesis—I want to lead to.

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

Formative Experience

You observed that it’s strange that Chicken God relied heavily on others to do its bidding while Orokappi (and presumably others) show no such reliance. You’re right, and as always, you give me one really important lead-up to this hypothesis!

The gods described humanity as an infection, yea? We’re their Covid-19, monkeypox—you get the idea. Getting close to humanity, to them, risks being infected by our behaviors and ways of thinking.

In other words, the gods’ first and sustained interaction with one or more, humans greatly influences much of their personality development.

Orokapi

Orokapi’s first sustained interaction is with Tokinaga, who—due to knowing his OG’s sob story about being a loner with bad decisions and no friends (unless he wanted to include debt-collectors or whatever as “friends”)—offered Orokapi friendship with as little prejudice as possible. Even when Orokapi exhibited behaviors considered offensive, repulsive, or even disgusting, Tokinaga simply—persistently—corrected him and took care of him. Orokapi is Stitch to Tokinaga’s Lilo, y’all.

It’s pretty strange especially after we learned who Tokinaga actually is and what he really thinks of the gods.

But the main point stands: Tokinaga teaches Orokapi about friendship. The human notion of it, with all its complexities.

I argue that this is, therefore, Orokapi’s formative experience of humanity. This is his version of the humanity infection.

Orokapi is also notable among the gods for being one who embodies a human being. That is, he borrows a human body and lives like one—likely similarly to Allula. That affords him more formative experience with a human’s spectrum of emotional complexities—which again, because of Tokinaga, is related to the concept of friendship.

All of this culminated in his last run-in with the Rabbit God, Vollof.  They had been dear friends before Tokinaga was a thing in Orokappi’s life, and yet Orokappi voiced vexation on how to help his dearest bunny-eared friend. Rabbit God was important to him, but Orokappi didn’t know how to be a friend. In the past, he could only provide surface-level help like alleviating Rabbit God’s drug withdrawal symptoms with his toxins.

However, in their last encounter, Orokappi demonstrated emotional intelligence and sentiments paralleling Tokinaga’s treatment of him. The Snake God had used what he had learned and finally gave Vollof the peace and comfort it didn’t even know it wanted.

This was Orokappi’s humanity infection, manifesting. And it looks a whole lot like platonic love.

Orokappi ate Vollof and subsumed Vollof as part of his “self”—this seems to be a property of these gods, as Allula also seemed to have gained her chimeric form this way (hers is characterized more as “lust” than love though if I remember correctly). Interestingly, he expressed similar sentiments toward Tokinaga and wanted to eat him too.

The intrigue posed by Orokappi’s desire to eat Tokinaga and the latter’s own profound suicidal ideation is better discussed in another post that talks more about my mate’s psychology. So I won’t continue beyond this point!

-----

This is the basis for my hypothesis as to why Chicken God relies so much on cult followers. I’m about 75% confident of it.

Chicken God Ahu'az

Here’s what we know:

Chicken God was found by Yako in her own house, near her dad’s coffin.

Yako’s mother founded an abacus school.

She had quite a significant number of students, who seemed less interested in abacus and more in her charisma (and beauty). After all, Yako’s mom “talked a lot” after teaching for a bit, basically making her more of an orator than a teacher.

Her school fees were cheap.

Outsiders characterized the school as “a suspicious group of people,” stopping shy of outright calling it “a cult.”

Here’s what we know about Chicken God:

Bruh is the god of a cult.

Bruh doesn’t kill all humans—it lets those who are sickly or weak live. Could this be pragmatic—giving these desperate human powers and a second chance will strengthen their faith in it? Or did it actually possess a soft spot for the marginalized and/or variously disabled?

Bruh relies heavily on its followers to do its bidding.

For a time, bruh lived in a pond near the Furuya’s house.

Chicken God seems to be the closest to Yako despite proclaiming its contempt for humans.

Chicken God presents itself to humanity instead of embodying a human form.

The lowered fees, and the stated purpose of her starting such a school in the first place, suggested that there’s a chance the school attracted marginalized people. People who may live on the fringes and were forgotten by society.

At this point of the flashback, all of the attendees were male. But that doesn’t mean this won’t change in the future. Perhaps following Yako’s murder, the school became an actual starting point of a cult.

Either way, going from what the rumors said, Yako’s mom’s abacus school likely showed a fervor toward her in ways comparable to a following. Chicken God was already living in proximity to a dedicated group as soon as it regained power and sentience.

This backdrop was Chicken God’s formative experience of humanity.

If Orokappi’s formative experience centers around friendship—what if Chicken God’s centers around worship?

Side note: this will once again pit the Snake God and the Rooster God as foils, especially considering how much the two seemed to hate each other’s guts. Friendship denotes equality between all parties, but worship demands a designation of the superior and its inferiors.

It wouldn’t be hard for Chicken God to assume the role of a god, either. The IPOs’ eyes already have a hypnotic quality inducing religious-like devotion toward them. The questions I can ask, therefore, are:

What happened to Yako’s mom? Was she eaten by Chicken God, and so come to assume a womanly form if it so wished? If this was true, then Yako’s feelings for the Chicken God could very well be mixed with a child’s affection towards her mother.

Or did Yako’s mom perish in the clash occurring between this cult and the government when they found out about Chicken God?

Who were those 80 students, and to what purpose were they killed? How did Chicken God factor into this?

Was the Chicken God’s habit of granting favors to the weak, disabled, and marginalized a pragmatic preference, or a result of its formative experience with humanity?

What was Yako’s mom’s role in all of this? Was she the first follower, and therefore the first priestess? Or was she horrified by the abomination her daughter had awakened (though hinted to be her husband’s finding; more on that later)?

The last question concerns the origin of the Chicken God. If I recall correctly, all IPOs used to live scattered across the globe, until for some reason, they began to gather in Japan. Correct me if I misremembered about this one.

This is where the little tidbit of Furuya Shigetoshi’s scholarly pursuit comes in.

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

“We joined him to take part in the excavation of Uruk.”

My neural network remembered Uruk enough to immediately think, “Mesopotamia?” So I went to double-confirm.

Yes, Uruk was an important city for Sumerian urbanization. It’s so ancient that it has multiple layers of cities built on top of an older city. It had seen quite a lot of rise and fall in its lifetime, including its annexation by the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 850 BCE[1].

The actual name of the Chicken God, Ahu'az, seems fictional. But the word “Nirosca” reminded me of yet another thing I read before, so I went to check. Again. Well, the only thing that I found closest to it was “Nisroch,” which was some god of Assyria[2].  

There had been a scholarly effort in trying to ascertain what kind of god Nisroch was supposed to be.  Apparently, in the 1840s, a British archeologist had mistakenly identified “winged, eagle-headed genii[2]” figures as “Nisroch.” Near Eastern scholars nowadays refer to them simply as “griffin-demons.”

There are two points here that converge to one specific ancient Mesopotamian civilization: Assyria. I don’t know if this is the period Chicken God would reveal to have gained its first sentience, but I do wanna show you this Neo-Assyrian ivory sculpture[3][4].

Assyrian winged Sphinx, excavated from Kalhku (now Nimrud).

From Yako’s memory, we learn that Chicken God wasn’t always a bundle of wings and some occasional chicken feet. It could even possess long, silky hair—one Yako compared to her mother’s.

Could our Chicken God originate from the Neo-Assyrian period of the Mesopotamian civilization, within the context of After God’s universe?

I’m 90% sure that it came with Professor Shigetoshi and somehow fell out of his person near his own coffin, which Yako picked up. After all, before these gods were “gods,” they seemed to be very microscopic—almost like bacteriophages, or something similar. It wouldn’t be surprising if micro-Ahu'az hitched a ride on a certain Japanese man—or if captured by him—and came here.

But of course, there’s this talk about how the IPOs had been moving to Japan despite their places of origin. Who’s to say that this wasn’t the directed work of someone, which would have allowed his job of exterminating these gods easier if they were all in one place? Perhaps someone even more ancient than the gods are supposed to be—and an enemy of them, no less...

---

Well! How the fuck did I get here?

And this isn’t the only After God hypothesis we have. There’s the one about the animal representations of each god which could lead to a full-blown essay about Tokinaga, your (unexpected) favorite character (thanks to me! Ahahahhaha!). Not that I mind. I really like Tokinaga too. He’s so juicy and interesting—and Orokapi is just as intriguing too.

Hopefully, other fans of this manga will find this an entertaining read. If you’ve stuck out here for this long—

Thank you for reading my ramble!

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

Citations:

“Uruk” in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk

“Nisroch” in Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisroch

“عاجية اشورية تظهر طائر برأس انسان من كال��و ( النمرود حالياً ) القرن التاسع ق.م” in History of Mesopotamia. Twitter. https://x.com/GilgameshIQ/status/1537489293500899329

Nimrud Ivories عاجيات النمرود in Iraq In History. https://www.abualsoof.com/61-assyrian/detail/8604-assyrian-empire-age?tmpl=component

[writingquestionsanswered]

Ambitions Story with Multiple POVs

Anonymous asked: I am trying to write a dark fantasy/cosmic horror story with a pseudo-anthology structure that is sort of like that parable about the blind men all feeling different parts of an elephant and thinking its a totally different creature. There are multiple POV characters (about 5-7) each are from very different walks of life, who the story cuts between as they all independently investigate supernatural stuff going on, each unaware of eachother and only getting a small slice of the mystery, while the reader who can see the whole picture that starts to form is able to put the pieces together to figure out what is really going on, as well as see how the actions of one character causes ripples that effect the others. I am struggling to: work out pacing of the individual revelations, avoid a gigantic cast that the reader can't keep straight (each POV character has their own supporting characters), make sure the individual stories connect (even if the characters themselves never realize it, etc.) How do I go about making this structure manageable without having to compromise on it too much?

[Ask edited for length]

I would suggest plotting out each of these POVs as though they were different stories. Then, create a timeline document and plot the major points of each plotline to see places where things might intersect. You could potentially have some of these characters cross paths--and even work together in some ways--without ever knowing the bigger connection.

As for the cast--not all of these characters need to have giant support casts. You could have a POV character who is working with one other person, for example. Or--let's say all of your POV characters are race car drivers, and they all have a pit crew, manager, etc. Consider the fact that you don't necessarily want 6 POVs telling different bus similar stories in a similar way... if all six of your POV characters are trying to make it to a particular championship race (is that even a thing?) and hopefully win the prize, you don't want to tell that same story six times following six different people. So, maybe one POV would be an old, legendary driver. One POV would be a young, green and untested driver. One POV would be the spouse of one of the drivers. One POV would be the manager of one of the drivers. One POV would be a pit crew member of one of the drivers. And, of course, these paths would all converge at the championship race. So, that way, instead of getting driver one's journey to the championship, driver two's journey to the championship, driver three's journey to the championship... all of which are going to look more or less the same, now you're getting these vastly different perspectives. Because the spouse of a driver can still tell the story of the driver's journey to the championship, but it's a different view of the story than the driver themselves, so it makes things more interesting. This also helps cut down on supporting cast, or at the very least creates variation so your reader doesn't have to remember six different drivers, six different managers, six different pit crews, six different spouses/significant others, etc.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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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[nerdieforpedro]

Heyy Nerdie <3

So since I'm relatively new with writing, I wonder how other writers manage their docs, like what tool is good for writing stories with multiple chapters. And I know everybody will have a different answer and solution for their writing process but I was just wondering if you had any tips for a newbie like me (I'm writing in my notes but that doesn't works so great, also no word count etc.)

Thank you in advance!

I appreciate you ❤️

Ooh! I'm excited1 A writing question! I feel honored that you're asking me. Full disclosure: I'm not the most organized person, even with my fanfic. I am trying to improve though.

I have found for all my fics, no matter if they're one shots or chapter series, I write them in Google Drive. The only reason I don't use Word or my notes app is because I find it easier to edit on my phone when I'm out and about having ideas randomly. (Always happens in places that aren't great to write in which is why I try and stay ready. Only works 50% of the time because of driving. 😭) I also tend to keep each fic even with all their chapters or parts in one very long document instead of a separate document for each chapter. That's just so I will be less confused. I get confused easily. 😳

Many writers use Google Drive so if you're brave enough to ask, you can usually send them what you have to review and they can either just look or comment on different parts depending on permissions you give them. To give your fic a good once over, you can pop it into Word for grammar and spelling corrections. Google docs does do that as well, but sometimes it misses things that Word catches. It's weird.

For on the go notes about vibes or random ideas, I feel your notes app should be good for that and also outlines if you want to plan out chapters or your one shot before writing it out. That way if you have it on your phone in your notes app, you can type in Word or Google while looking back at your bullet points to keep the story flow going.

Also if you like music, I highly recommend a writing playlist. It can be just your favorite songs, set to the mood of what you're writing, instrumental, anything that will help you focus and get your story out. it also could help inspire things (there's numerous fanfics written from songs - hundreds).

Maybe yourself a comfy space, enjoy a nice beverage (I like tea, hot chocolate or coffee if it's in the morning and a snack while writing) and remember it's supposed to be fun.

Sure frustrating sometimes especially when it seems like you have no ideas or the idea isn't coming out quite like you wanted. Take a break, might be hours, days or months, however long you feel you may need for it not to see like a chore. Writing, drawing and crating in general should be fun - in can require focus and work, but should still be enjoyable.

Try out some prompts, challenges or toss some ideas out to friends or people if you feel your creativity is lacking to you just want some different perspectives. We're all different, have histories that make us who we are so there can be as many ways to write a fic as starts in the sky. No one has thought of all of them, many reuse tropes (myself included) because they're fun and provide a template to work from and all sorts of themes can be explored. If you like to edit graphics and/or create moodboards, that can be a good way to distract yourself from writing while also focusing on a different aspect of your fic - visuals. It could help spark something too.

I truly hope I answered your question and didn't ramble too hard. Like this is... 8/10 rambling. 😆

[bimtheory]

I have not been taking great notes in my ridiculous long-drawn-out research. Or maybe it's more accurate to say, I've only been taking notes, and as a result the book I'm supposed to writing has become increasingly overwhelming. So, from now on I've decided I'm going to post my annotations and ideas on here. @understandingbimbos seems to be in shambles a bit, and being able to reply on here makes things more efficient anyway.

So, for starters. I've been reading Dworkin, currently Intercourse. The following excerpts are from the preface of the second edition. Then I'll probably continue in follow-up posts going chapter by chapter, section by section.

How this relates to a fetish like bimbofication should be obvious. Not all bimbofication stories include a controller, but MANY of them do, especially some of the earliest stories. And even if they don't include a controller, or even a transformation, bimbo stories often fetishize the power imbalance of high vs. low (subdued intentionally, or not) intelligence. And, in that way, bimbofication can be seen as the ultimate culmination of dominance and inequality as erotic.

Force is a natural and inevitable part of most bimbofication stories. There are instances of consensual bimbofication in writing (and, arguably, numerous instances in the real world) but I honestly couldn't tell you about them, because I go out of my way to avoid them. There's a chance I'd enjoy consensual bimbofication stories if I gave them a chance, but the idea bores me. At the same time though, I'm not a huge fan of stories with controllers -- or rather, stories that feature the controller prominently. Although it is, assumingly, part of the appeal for people in the BD/SM sector of this fetish that play out bimbofication IRL -- the idea of personally turning women into dumb sex freaks (or even role-playing/self-inserting as a character who does that) is of zero interest to me.

My disinterest in consensual transformation has more to do with the inherent uselessness of it all, at least for me. With consent there's no struggle, and if there's no struggle, has there really been a transformation? Sort of a "Bimbo of Theseus" thing, I guess. I do like bimbos on their own, sans transformation, but if I just wanted bimbos I would not be reading a bimbofication story. The transformation is the whole point, the hottest part. Some of the best bimbofication stories I've read are JUST transformation, with little to no actual sex. Similar sentiments were shared by Tebra (May they rest in peace) and some fans in the comments of a Patreon post.

Put simply, there is no transformation if there's no transformation. Bimbofication (in fiction, at least) implies a physical change as well as a mental one. We should be able to see and experience a material change in how this character acts, feels, talks, and lives. Instead of just being told "they're dumb and have big tits now". There is no point to a bimbofication story if the bimbo springs from the character's former self fully formed like some slutty Birth of Venus.

Here's a very simple but effective example from Downing Street:

And another, a bit further down, from the same story:

There are discrepancies between her thoughts and actions, signs of struggle, and once there are no discrepancies left a transformation will have taken place. And in the case of bimbofication stories one could make the (flimsy and morally dubious) argument that consent is gained in transformation. A lot of stories, including pretty much all my personal favorites, focus on the perspective of the woman as she slips further and further into debauchery and pursuing personal pleasure. Bimbofication stories almost always end with the woman happier and more satisfied than she started. Of course, one could also easily argue this is just rape with multiple steps. Or coercion, but I'm pretty sure that's just rape too.

How you feel about and view it is up to you. I've read bimbofication stories that have bored me, and I've read bimbofication stories that have grossed me out. Execution plays a part as much as content.

Finally, here's another excerpt of my annotations from the preface. I think it speaks for itself.

[jezmmart]

Chamomile Comic Trivia #31

#159 - Notice

It's Sam! I wish I had written down more about my decision to add her, although at this point I'm fairly sure I wasn't certain she was going to become a main character - in fact it was RIGHT around the week this posted that I began work on the first proper cover art for the series which of course did not include her.

Her design was based off this old one-off pin-up girl art from 2017, technically making her the first ever major Chamomile Comic character to exist, sort of.

She was named after Sam Lloyd, likely known for his portrayal of Ted the Lawyer from Scrubs. The news of his death had recently broken and I had just recently begun listening to Fake Doctors, Real Friends, the Scrubs rewatch podcast, as my go-to background entertainment when colouring the comic specifically each week. It still is now, albeit intermittently since they don't always produce an episode each week and I no longer have a backlog to catch up on. Now granted, I don't love the podcast as much as I used to - can be a bit cringey at times as these two hollywood actors chat about utterly unrelatable anecdotes from their lives - but it's overall been enjoyable and it'll be weird to find something new to accompany my colouring if it does come to an end or stops being enjoyable once they permanently pivot into... whatever they plan to do after they run out of Scrubs episodes. It's been part of my colouring process for the comic for longer than it hasn't been now, haha. So... yeah it felt right to honour that connection to my comic with Sam's name, on top of the fact that Scrubs is just straight-up one of my favourite TV shows and Ted was always a character that gave me big laughs.

Of course... I realised after that I'd introduced yet another character to the comic ending in "-a"! ...But whatever, it's a common thing. Not so long ago I had 5 co-workers simultaneously whose names also ended in -a, lol.

The decision to have had her always be around simply came from not having any strong ideas to introduce her and preferring the idea that at least some of the cast already knew her. The gag's been done before, but I thought it'd be extra funny to introduce her with a scene in which she is specifically announcing her departure from being a regular face in Cammie's life, which typically would mean the same for the audience in most works with actually established characters.

Final little bonus note - in panel 1, Cammie once again is entering with a handful of steaming coffee.

#160 - Official

I didn't really mean for it to be so small it's barely legible at web size, but the little sign on the panic alarm button behind the till says "Real emergencies only Cammie!", in reference to #50.

#161 - Before

All that Scrubs talk regarding Sam is kinda fitting, because they did the "this character was always here!" gag there too. For their one, they edited her in on various memorable shots and pretended the main character didn't notice her being present, here I obviously extended the frame on the end of several punchline panels from previous comics.

Here's a gif that shows the original panels compared to the new ones, showing both the new and old art isolated as well so you can see exactly what I drew to extend the older panels which naturally weren't drawn originally knowing that I would one day be extending them!

The second of the three Sam flashbacks is just a nice little bridging one, but it did take me a while to decide for sure which way around I wanted the first and third flashback panel. For the first: while there's been a little bit of mild bad language in the comic once the seal was broken here, Sam's "bitch" is the first time such language has appeared so it amused me to place it in a scene that has already happened long ago just barely outside of the audience's perspective. For the third: the joke is of course that the reveal of Sam's additional dialogue is particularly adding nothing to the scene whatsoever - like, as if Cammie making a fool of herself would even be remark-worthy at this point. I felt both these two goofs had a good punch to them in their own way so yeah, I remember being conflicted over whether I had chosen the funniest possible flow of these three gags.

Of course, the final joke of this one, in case it wasn't obvious (I could see it being subtle for some), is that Mimi's whole running gag is she's a side character who also has existed in the comic for long before her first on-screen appearance, yet Cammie never remembers her.

#162 - New

The art and dialogue structure of the first two panels here is identical to #160. I think it being a time-saver on my workload for the week was definitely a factor - for whatever reason I needed it at the time - but I also remember going for something with that choice beyond just that... But I can't for the life of me remember what. I don't think the parallel between the two comics adds anything reading them back now.

Anyway here's Newt! I really thought at the time that he was going to be as significant an addition as Sam, and I did come up with the idea of introducing a regular male character at the time I chose to bring Sam in, with Sam's introduction - and exit - being an amusing way to introduce a surprise new character.

...Then I proceeded to never really get any super strong story ideas for him lol. More detail on that in a second. I haven't forgotten him though, frustrates me that he keeps getting sidelined!

#163 - Training

Standard behind-the-scenes retail frustration humour here. I can neither confirm nor deny how much is based on my current employment. A little detail of authenticity/flavour is that they're watching a DVD intended for widescreen on an old non-widescreen TV that's clearly been in their staff room for at least a decade. Such was the case for my painful training videos too! (It's all online now as of a few years into when I started, so some progress has been made I guess).

#164 - Huh

It's not made clear yet, but the new status quo that Sam is a receptionist at a primary school is established here - the coloured hanging letter signage on the wall that is too perspective'd to read says "WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL".

I chose this as a job for her based simply on the fact that my Mum has often worked in school offices for most of my life. She wasn't a receptionist but it was the sort of job where I have some... vague enough memories of the "behind-the-scenes" enough to draw something along those lines when I needed to show Sam at work.

Getting back to Newt, obviously the goof here is that Cammie is just being a sore loser about her friend leaving and Newt is about the most cool-sounding interesting person you could imagine meeting. Unfortunately that involved specifically coming up with fun sounding stuff that are not super common to do or know people that do, so despite the super interesting combo of cave-diving, stand-up and polyamory these are all things I feel like I'd have to do thorough research on to represent in the actual comic accurately... which is something I'd like to do but, time is finite and I have so much pre-existing experience with being a silly nonsense person. Would you believe it, there's another character in the comic for whom that experience lends itself very well!!

Speaking of whom, the first appearance of the bell on the door in Repeat 1 Records was only a month after Cammie got the job. She works fast!

[Trivia Archive | Browse from most recent]

[dukeofankh]

hey i really really appreciate your posts abt purity culture, desire and objectification and your perspective as an ex-evangelical!! having been born and raised a jew myself i've always been aware of how bullshit all of that stuff is, but not really able to articulate it as specifically as you seem able to, and i find your eloquence really impressive. with that known, i actually have a specific thing that's been bothering me, and i think it's an evangelical purity culture based thing, and hinges on that distinction you made in a post abt a week ago abt how to a lot of people "objectification" = "looking with lust" = "basically adultery"-- okay here goes:

on gay tiktok, there is currently a trend of women (or some nb ppl) who are attracted to women commenting on thirst-traps posted by women the memetic phrase "i am no better than a man".

now this really rubs me the wrong way for a lot of reasons (mainly: contextually this is almost always on videos that are INTENDED to be sexy so why is it weird to find this woman, who filmed and edited this video to be sexy, sexy?? AND what the hell do you mean abt gender by saying this???? women can't desire people?? men can only desire in predatory ways???), and it's weird in that specific way where i'm like. i smell weird cultural christian values embedded in this. but i can't quite articulate the way it all fits together.

this may be way out of line for me to bother you in your inbox like this, but i was hoping to get your take? your ability to explain this stuff clearly and with context i never knew existed is really valuable and while i have seen people responding on tumblr to say "uhhh don't say this", they haven't really articulated what's driving people to say such a specific thing, so much that it becomes a meme.

if u feel this isn't something you want to speak on, that's totally fine! and i just want to say thank you again for your thoughtful posts.

also i feel very weird abt dropping this veritable essay in your inbox so sorry!!

No worries! I love to talk, and I already have opinions on that particular meme 😆.

You've definitely gotten the gist of it, yeah. It's a bunch of unexamined sexist ideas about sex and desire repackaged in the sort of fun memey "it's not that deep, chill out" shell that absolutely thrives on social media. Some of it's Christian, some of it is the radfem repackaging of Christian ideas.

Basically, the version of Sexual Objectification championed by radfem writers like Dworkin was adapted from Immanuel Kant, a Christian philosopher/theologian, so it's not just cultural Christianity, it's also a direct intellectual connection. They just changed the idea from "all people, when overtaken by lust, cease to see people as people and can see them only as means to achieve their sinful sexual gratification. This cannot be avoided, but can be balanced out by keeping sex within a marriage that is otherwise built on commitment and respect," to "Men, when overtaken by lust, cease to see women as people and can see them only as a means to achieve their sinful sexual gratification (due to their patriarchal training to harm and dominate). This cannot be avoided, especially not by marriage, which is one of the main ways the Patriarchy codifies the subjugation of women to men."

Basically, Radfems and Christians get along because Radfems feel the same way about masculine sexuality that Christian men feel about their own sexuality. As for women...both Radfems and more modern Christians are pretty sure that women don't Do Lust in the same way men do. Like, women see people as ends in and of themselves, as fellow Subjects. Men see women as objects. As means to an end, that end being their own sexual gratification.

A few decades later and after a fair bit of social media iteration, we get to this weird point.

What they're basically saying is, "god damn. I swiped onto this thirst trap and I didn't even think about your personality or your accomplishments or anything. I literally just saw big jiggly titties and that's all I can think about. I am sexually attracted to you, and yet it isn't reflective of your soul or a deep connection between us or anything, despite the fact that I'm a woman and I'm supposed to be above just liking your body and that turning me on. Huh. This is what I have heard people describe men's sexuality as being like. You are so sexy that you are causing me to act as badly as men do."

See also: the way tiktok has redefined "the male gaze" and "the female gaze" to just mean "stuff men vs. women respectively like to look at" with most explicitly sexualized visual media being assigned to the former. Women are supposed to like things subtler than that.

Like, saying "I am no better than a man" could be a push to re-examine whether maybe a celibate 18th century theologian/philosopher is a bad foundation for your understanding of sexual desire. I would like to think that for some of these women it probably is sparking self reflection, going "huh, yeah, I guess we all do this."

But as a meme, honestly, even as it claims to lower ones own status I think it still maintains a claim of moral superiority? Like, "yeah, I'm being a horndog, but I am self aware about it. I can tell that I'm being horny on main right now, and it's something that has been conditionally activated by this very sexy thirst trap. Men are like this all the time and they don't even know."

I, obviously, don't like that. I don't like people saying "I'm acting like a man" when they mean "I'm perving on you", I don't like ranking a lack of desire as being better than desire, I don't like ranking genders or better or worse than another. I don't think it's causing problems as much as it's reflecting problems that have been there for a long time, but hey, it stinks.

[disruptivevoib]

HI eleutheromania anon again

not sure how to word my thoughts fully but so normal about whole. actually just eleutheromania whole and soul's entire dynamic infested my brain for days

it's just!!! so well written!!!! and i'm so normal about the two of them. it was nice 2 see an au about them because they make me sick /pos

question wise.. i dunno. any facts u want to say or anythinf about the au is cool really.,.,...,..

ermm. yea ill sign off

-🫀

I am glad you enjoyed it! Its the first fic I've written in a long time (probably been about 8 years?) but I wrote the whole thing actually in the notes app on my phone then edited and rewrote it on the computer. So that is one fun silly fact.

But in regards to the au...

It came about due to me splitting the concept for one au into two! Eleutheromania specifically also wound up focusing on HMS+W in way of self-destruction and sabotage.

Maybe if I can convince myself to write Eleutherophobia, the version from Whole's perspective which goes a bit into the post Eleutheromania stuff.. I could get more of the story out to sort of build on that.

The base fic ATM showcases it, but not to the entire extent of which.. both Whole and Soul are horrible, sure, but neither is really evil to me! They're both the same guy and a reflection of that same person who hates himself so much he was willing to destroy (in Whole's case) the last part of himself that held out hope, or loved himself.

A willing self sabotage, due to know knowing how to become comfortable with the person you are or will be. While its derivative in a way from the CCCC source material I always like exploring mental health themes so.. boom!

There is a repeating pattern of this destruction too. Eleutheromania to phobia to... what.. well.. I don't know what I'll call the one with Heart and Mind, if I even write it. But that's where a more positive resolution lies if I can focus on having the time!

Whole and Soul swap places once Soul takes control and from there its an interesting dynamic that develops, even more so between Soul, Heart and Mind.. because Soul did all of this for them initially, but after some time convinced himself they weren't real. Something about saving yourself and trying hard but winding up leaving the people you care about behind and becoming someone else when you lose your way.

Not that Soul became anyone else, he just did the one thing he knew how to do, which was reflect Whole.

It is also a point to say that Heart and Mind do not need Soul to agree to make Whole here. Their loop typically went that Soul was missing, they blamed one another for him leaving. He would show up once Heart was in the pit and Mind was trying to manage control, Soul would threaten them, they'd make-up and the end. But it never really meant that Calliope (Soul) had a say in all of it.

Interestingly, I guess, he was as much of a puppet as Mind and Heart. The only difference is he remembers and that's it!

[paragonrobits]

When i think about the discourse that really bothers me, it often leaves me feeling that the sort of people causing this discourse are... not exactly chronically online, because I don't think that's the most useful way to describe. Insular; yes, absolutely. Living in a small selected bubble where only the most inoffensive and affirming thoughts cross your experience until that becomes the whole of your personal universe, and anything outside it is an ideological threat.

It leaves me feeling that these people often haven't suffered that much, or know what genuine struggle and fear are actually like. They've almost certainly had in their lives, sure, but probably on a more minor level, and they're so wrapped up in their own image of heroism that they consider every minor inconvenience to be a horrifying nightmare the likes of which no one can compete with.

I see these people online, turning shipping arguments into a massive flame war and moralizing over ships and I think 'could you please get some ACTUAL problems instead of acting like a victim over something this petty?'

And I see their works; it's similarly vapid. It's always low-stakes, it always resents the idea of fantastical things outside of being an escape fantasy, and the idea comes up over and over that all they want to see is things that affirm what they already know or believe.

Deliberate discomfort in art, of exposing you to tragedy or horror or compelling you to question yourself and your beliefs (even if the answer is 'I believe what I started out believing, I now can give a defense of it'), seems foreign to them. Sometimes they suggest that the CONCEPT of discomfort is inherently evil.

Let it roll around in your mind a bit, the things you dislike about their works; its almost static, and character stasis seems to be a virtue to that mindset. Ignore the implications of the term 'redemption arc' and instead consider that a character arc is about change, whether they DO change or retain their stance; either way the point is that they move and flow with a world, but in these works, a Character is an unchanging stone; any kind of change, or contemplation of it, is an act of violence.

(This may also be why we see discourse positing that a character was Always Good; it supports the idea of built-in character and morals, in the same way that a character who becomes an antagonist is supposed to always be Ultra Turbo Bad. Change is unwanted to this perspective, and instead they have to ALWAYS have been Good or Bad.)

And finally this makes me think about a line from the Exalted tabletop RPG, in a supplement covering the Infernal Exalted; those empowered by the malicious, inhuman and fundamentally broken titans of the setting, chosen to be the rock stars of Hell, given monstrous powers and horrific mutations to empower them.

The Infernals are a far cry from the Solar Exalted, the golden champions of the setting. They don't burn with holy golden light; they radiate the awful, cold flames of the hell realm that empowered them. They don't just punch things, green fire ignites from their fists to blast their foes into a radiation-riddled corpse, blazing in a fungal bloom. Coppery exoskeletons rise through their skin, alit with runes that tell the story of the maddened universal emperor's descent into hell. Their bodies swell with infernal power as they become grotesque and monstrous, their blood turns acidic and blasts into the faces of their enemies.

They are monsters, and they are heroes too. Chosen from the lost and the damned, from those yearning to tear down a system that hurts them, from people who almost had a chance to be a hero but turned from it at the last second and are consumed by the shame.

Like many other Exalted of that edition, they have a unique martial art style derived from their instinctive combat powers. Their's is known as Infernal Monster Style; they turn rage into a tool, overwhelming a foe with nightmarish power and extreme violence, smashing a foe into bloody paste, being both Hulk and Hellboy, an untamed apocalypse of raw power.

Their power comes from rage. It's a deep anger, a real anger.

I honestly doubt that the kind of online moralizers really know what that kind of anger is. They might think they do, but I wonder if they've ever looked up into the sky in a moment of despair, felt the sun beating down on them while their whole families abandoned them and thought: "Today, I'm really going to die."

Lack of hope makes anger swell up. It gives real anger a place to live and lets it sit there for years and years, to simmer and wait.

Now, I think of the Infernal Exalted again, and their Infernal Monster Style. Each such style has a sutra associated with it, and a story underlying its philosophy. And their's tells the story of a maiden, trapped in a stone cell. So, she punched the wall with her bare hand.

(Sometimes you don't need a pretty affirming story.)

She punched it until her blood splattered the wall.

(Sometimes you want something ugly and violent and monstrous, because it speaks to the horror in your life, or a horror you can understand.)

She punched it until her bones broke.

(Sometimes a low-stakes slice of life coffee shop AU is insufficient, or meaningless; violence, sorrow, despair, questions about "do I have to be a monster" and "what is the price of my vengeance" are more important to you.)

Still she punched at the wall.

(Purity means something being entirely a single thing, unalloyed or marked by anything else. Singular; alone. But alloys make something stronger. Something that has never known sickness or violence is easily killed by those things when it inevitably finds them.)

The wall shattered.

(Purity and wholesomeness are not virtues; they are sought after, so much, by people who consider your existence a crime. Purity is weakness.)

Survival is fury, said the maiden.

[kingwuko]

7, 11, 13, 27, 43, 50, 79 for the fanfic asks!

YAY of course!!! I'll put them under a cut

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

“Guess not. But if the swamp showed you a vision of her…,” Korra said carefully. “The swamp is strange. It sort of shows you what you need to see. The visions aren’t always right, but whatever the swamp showed you probably has some deeper meaning…” Korra wasn’t sure what the Earth Queen might have done or said to Wu, but whatever it was, it had really rattled him. Of course, that wasn't saying much. Wu wasn’t exactly the most cool and collected person she had ever met. Still, Korra got the sense that whatever Wu had seen was intense. “What I need to see…” Wu said thoughtfully. “I… I don’t know. The things she-I mean, the things the vision said to me…” “What did she say in the vision?” Wu’s posture became uneasy and his eyes darted away for a moment. He was being cagey, which wasn’t like Wu at all. Normally he was over eager to share. The vision must have really freaked him out, if he didn’t want to talk about it.

11. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

OOOhh good question. I actually try to write in order! There is a fic author from a different fandom who posts (amateur) fic writing tutorials. She's got a great track record with longfics and wrote a tutorial explaining her methods. One important point she made was that she always writes in order, because it helps her get through the not-fun parts if she has the fun parts waiting for her; just like it's enjoyable as a reader to experience a build-up to the big moments, it's enjoyable as a writer too! I followed this advice and I think it worked REALLY well for me. I managed to finish Secret and Windswept is coming along really nicely. That's not to say I've never written anything out of order, but if I have a scene in my head that's further down the line and I don't want to forget something I've thought of, I put it in my outline rather than directly into a document. Tricks my brain into thinking that I haven't really written it yet, because it's just part of the outline.

13. Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what have you been listening to recently?

I do! Well I try to, anyway. If I'm sitting down to write after the kids are in bed, you betcha. But I also do a lot of little micro writing throughout the day as ideas come to me or I have a few moments to myself. in that case I don't listen to anything. I have playlists for my fic and I like to listen on my work commute which is some of my daydream time where I think of fic ideas. Here's my playlist for Windswept:

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

oh boy you're going to make me compliment myself??? I have imposter syndrome big time this is difficult 🤣 I think I'm pretty strong in the sort of inner-monologue-stream-of-consciousness area. I really love getting into the character's heads and portraying their inner thoughts, and capturing their inner voices throughout it. And I think I do a pretty good job!

43. Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

I REALLY want to write something about Wuko from Bolin's perspective. Every time I write Bolin I have SOOO much fun I really want to get in that guy's head!!!

50. How would you describe your writing style?

Maybe introspective? I try to keep the story moving but every time something happens, I always make the POV character think about it. I really like writing what's going on in the characters heads.

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

Get a beta reader for your fanfics!!! Seriously. If your beta reader is just someone you send your completed drafts to and they provide suggestions and edits, that already will elevate your writing miles above what you started with. If it's someone who can also be there to help bounce ideas off of, outline, brainstorm, keep you on track with writing by encouraging you etc. Even better! Also. Don't be embarrassed about writing smut. Whatever. It's just sex. If you're writing it, you probably like reading it. Just write it and don't feel weird about sending it to a beta reader (as long as they've agreed beforehand that they're okay with smut!), don't feel weird about posting it. Lets unlearn shame together and all that. If you're writing outside your experience, try to get the perspective of someone from that experience. If you can't actually talk to someone about it, google and try to find info. For example I'm writing m/m when I don't ID as a man. I so I talk to men (especially mlm) and read accounts from men about certain things, so there's less chance that I'm being offensive or disrespectful or just plain wrong about something.

[f1-stuff]

hi! gn...i wonder how do you manage to write smut scenes so hot using not that many words? how do you make it sound so sexy? i kind of like to write smut but mine seems flat and not really emotional :/

omg hi... my answer ended up being long so it's under the cut!

First of all, thank you - I'm not sure that anyone feels 100% happy with the smut that they write (or even 50% happy lol), and I am definitely included in that group. I often cringe when I read back my own writing, and I think there will always be room to grow. Also, just to get this out of the way, "good smut" is entirely subjective and there are many different types of smut that can be good, but my answer is gonna lean toward the kind I write, for obvious reasons.

All of that being said, and with the understanding that I need to take my own advice 😅, I think a lot of times, less is more. It can feel like you need to be really descriptive to get across what you're imagining in your head, but oftentimes, all of the descriptive stuff starts coming across as a bit clinical, and distracts from the emotion of the moment. Some description is necessary, but I also have to remind myself sometimes that in this moment, the character whose perspective I'm in probably wouldn't be cataloguing every little thing happening after a certain point - they would be swept up in the moment and likely not thinking with their brain anymore lol.

Maybe the most important part of the best smut (imo) is the characters connecting. Never forget that these are two (or more) people doing something incredibly intimate together, even if the characters aren't necessarily thinking about that or acknowledging it. So sometimes, it's good to introduce moments of pause/introspection, or just moments where the characters are simply connecting on an emotional level, amidst all the physical stuff. I also like to try and come up with specific things that each character likes, whether it's related to their personality/kinks/etc. I think this helps bring the characters to life and makes the smut more personal and unique, which makes it feel more real.

In terms of my process, I always try to write a smut scene all the way through, without stopping or getting interrupted (which is sometimes outside of your control). I feel like writing it that way helps to get me into the moment and helps me better flow from one thing to the next, as if I were there and the natural next thing would be to...etc. Also, remind yourself of all the senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, smell... I wanna feel like I'm there! But that doesn't mean including all those senses all the time. Just remember that sometimes the sound of something or the feel of something etc. can be sexier than the actual thing, and that maybe describing those elements instead of the mechanics of something could take the smut to the next level.

After that, I usually give it a day and go back to read it with fresh eyes. This is when I cringe-read through whatever I wrote the first time lol. But that's totally normal (at least in my experience)! Then, I sort of tweak things to either add more description, or add in the moments of pause/introspection/connection I mentioned before. There's no limit to how many times I might re-read and edit a fic, so it's safe to assume that I've probably edited a smut scene some 20 times before it gets posted anywhere.

Reading smut that you really enjoy and trying to pick apart what you like about it can be helpful. But I also think that ultimately, to write your own, you have to find a way to connect with the characters and make the reader connect with them too. Even in smut that doesn't involve 'romance,' the characters are still feeling something, whether it be excitement, anger, a sense of power, a lack of control - whatever! Find what's motivating the characters, imbue that in the writing, and it'll help bring the smut to life :)

[mannatea]

Break Open the Sky, a Tales of Symphonia ‘fic (Chapter 13) >COMPLETE<

Final Word Count: 102,513 Summary: What kind of “Hero” of Regeneration would she be to leave an infant to fend for itself? Someone had to have left it here for a reason. The question was, of course, why? But as she lifted the little thing carefully into her arms, the motion reminding her of nights so far in the past, now, the why seemed almost tragically clear: this baby was of mixed blood. Chapter Summary: Raine deals with the consequences of her choice. Pairing/Characters: Raine, Original Characters, will also feature Genis, Regal, and Sheena. Endgame is Regal/Raine. Extra Info: This is technically an Accidental Baby Acquisition story, but I liken it more to “Doorstep Baby” literature because it sure ain’t cute. Rating: Mature, for themes. Genre: Eventual romance, gen, family, character study.

The title is the link to Ao3 for Chapter 13! (This is the final chapter!)

Please drop a comment and leave feedback if you read through the whole thing. 🤍

Notes are under the cut!

I can't believe we're at the end of the road already. I feel like I worked on this story for ages, but it's only been a few months. I did have to edit this final chapter a bit more than I thought I would, but it was mostly for weird syntax because my brain likes to feed me phrases in reverse order sometimes.

I'm a little sad to have to send Molly and Rose away. Part of me wanted to really go into detail about Raine's views on Molly, and why it was such a good thing that Sheena was willing to take her, but I couldn't fit more into the story than was there. Hopefully the idea came across clearly enough.

It's not just that the weather will get cooler and they don't have a real shelter for Molly, but also that she's not willing to ask Regal to pay for or accommodate those things for a pet. It's bad enough they've been relying on him themselves, but to continue to do that with a "pet" is a huge no from Raine. Had Sheena refused to take her, Raine would have had to sell Molly; it's not like she could afford to keep her if they traveled again anyway.

If I could draw I'd totally have a little "family" portrait of Regal & Raine with Marcie & Lila (each girl holding their pet of choice). Alas, I can't draw worth much. I will say, though, that Marcie and Colette would get along so well, haha!

When I initially went to write this scene I thought it would end up being a long one, but as it turns out a numb Raine isn't capable of much. She's not having a good time and feels so stupid about it. Two months ago she knows she would have been jumping for joy to hand that baby over, especially to a good home and wonderful future, and now she feels something that isn't that and doesn't know what to do with it. But then there's also all that relief at the same time, which is so confusing and difficult to process for someone who has always struggled to process these complex emotions (and has frankly never really had a safe space to do that either). She's in shock.

--

I am hoping that by this point in the story, it's believable enough to anyone reading that Raine might go to Regal for comfort and to help her sort out her feelings. He's proven he's trustworthy and he's been patient and understanding.

She's a bit down on herself here, but from her perspective the only common denominator in all of these situations is her = she's the problem = there must be something wrong with her.

One thing I'm particularly pleased with in this story, and in this chapter, is that Raine's race doesn't come up much, and she doesn't even really think that seriously about it. It's not that it doesn't matter (of course it does to varying degrees and for different reasons) but this story is first and foremost about Raine's feelings regarding herself: her ability to love and to trust.

Anyway, she's feeling things about Rose! She loves her and feels stupid for it because she knew better and was trying not to. She feels relieved that she's rid of this burden but then ashamed for feeling relief. (Is this how her mother felt when she got rid of her?)

And this sort of leads to a realization that it's just ALWAYS this way: she ALWAYS loves someone too much or too little and it's never a "just right" situation—or at least, it never feels like it is. There might be a part of her that worries she didn't love her parents enough. She didn't love Colette enough. She loved the world too much even though it hated her and wanted her dead. She didn't love Lloyd and Genis enough...but too much at the same time to do things properly.

In the end Raine's biggest issue is that she can't control her love, and lack of control for her = failure = there's something wrong with her.

And even though Regal has already told her it was cruel of someone to tell her she wasted their time when she was younger, she still worries about that. She understands Regal is Interested in her, and is interested in him herself, but the last time she had an understanding with someone it failed because of her. Because she couldn't love someone else enough or in the right ways.

Of course, she is conflating love with sex because society does this, so it's impossible for her to come to the conclusion that she was simply not sexually compatible with that person, but rather, thinks that if she had loved them more or better, then she would have been sexually attracted to them.

So naturally she's afraid of this happening with Regal too. She cares about him and doesn't want to hurt his feelings like that.

--

Regal's "I know" in response to her "I love you" is me beaming Han and Leia vibes directly into your brain.

But really, it's important here for the same reason: communication.

Raine has expressed a desire to have her feelings for others understood more clearly and Regal told her that her feelings are not unclear to him; he meant that, and his "I know" is his way of telling her quietly here that he already knows she loves him.

I mean it obviously still feels great to him to hear her say it, but she doesn't need to fear him not already knowing that/feeling loved by her.

--

I firmly believe that Alicia was wonderful for Regal when he was younger and needed someone like that in his life, but after all of his experiences the kind of personality he'll mesh well with has changed, and this is how Raine is a better match now.

It's not that I think an older Alicia or a younger Raine would not be compatible with Regal at all, but what you're looking for in a life partner does tend to change as you get older and experience life.

Plus I just really love the idea of Regal being capable of loving more than one person in his life without ever comparing them. He's so self-aware.

He will always love Alicia. Obviously.

But he can love Raine, too. :)

One last thing: the callback of Raine thinking about how Regal forgives so easily is something he might have learned a bit from Alicia. :)

--

Raine obviously still has a lot of feelings to work through, but I wanted her conversation with Regal to help lighten the load a bit. She's not a bad person for feeling relieved. She's not stupid for getting attached to Rose (or having complicated feelings about her).

This goes a long way toward helping her feel better about her choice.

--

Regal and Raine's big talk. Oh boy. This was planned for a very long time but actually writing it went so much smoother than I could have hoped for, haha! I thought I might struggle with it, but nope, the characters have established a close enough relationship it felt pretty easy and natural to me.

Of course, you might feel differently about it!

Raine kind of knows what's coming before he asks and struggles with the 'why' a lot. Like she has ALL THESE REASONS to think he's a wonderful person worthy of affection but she's not able to view herself as he sees her.

In Regal's mind there are plenty of things to like. He finds her passion for history charming. She's smart and he likes that, too. The way she loves people is different than him but he appreciates it for what it is. She has a good heart. She's a caring person who puts others first often (even if it might be hard to tell she's doing it). He's obviously in love with her lmao.

But the real test is, of course, time and patience. She's afraid of courting because it has an end goal: marriage. And marriage = guaranteed sex. She'll have to. The last relationship she was in gave her a year and then she got an ultimatum to give it up or it was over, and she couldn't manage "loving him enough" in a year.

So what happens with Regal if she can't?

It's terrifying!

We don't get Regal's perspective more here but he doesn't mind things taking a while. He's more about the romancing anyway; he enjoys it.

When Raine agrees to courtship she's trying to trust Regal more. She is afraid of regret, but that regret would come from turning him down due to a lack of trust. She wants to try and trust that he's telling the truth: her love is enough, and he doesn't mind if it takes one year or five.

--

Ah, the final scene. (I accidentally lost all my notes after this part twice now so I'm sorry if I miss anything in the rewrite. I haven't eaten all day and it's almost 9pm.)

Marcie's hairstyle:

Lila's hairstyle:

Regal's hairstyle:

--

I think everyone knew Marcie would ask Raine if she could call her Mom in this story, so here that is. :) Finally! She was just waiting until Raine seemed to be in a really pleasant mood to ask.

--

Regal's "I know" again references Raine's love, this time for Lila, but Regal adds on that he's sure Lila knows too because her feelings are not so unclear to those that know her!!!

And also, when Regal told the girls that actions speak louder than words sometimes, Lila said she thought she understood what he meant. (She was thinking of how Raine talked her through her nightmare and then let her stay with her for the rest of the night. It felt a bit like love to her.)

--

The final lines were inspired by this (which was Sara's response when I said I wanted to end the story with rain falling):

First, something something the sky breaking open hahahaha raining hah.

Second, I like the idea from the drama CD that Raine has had a lot of negative experience with the rain (being chased out of towns, having nowhere to go that's safe and warm, etc) so she gets a new memory that's pleasant as a treat.

There's also something here with Raine opening up to Regal about the shame she feels for how she loves incorrectly & rain + the sky opening up.

--

Let's talk themes!

Here's a bit I typed into Discord back in April:

But to really get into the meat of it, I think we have to go back to the first chapter's notes.

--

“How can we regenerate the world when we can’t even save the people suffering right in front of us?”

This was a major theme, especially at the beginning of the story, but I think it rings true for pretty much everyone. Raine doesn't turn her eyes away from Rose. She doesn't turn away from Lila or from Marcie. Regal does not turn away from any of them. And Sheena doesn't turn away from Raine, which is what enables Rose to have a good life.

Sometimes Raine doesn't see the ways in which she has changed as a person from before the journey of regeneration, but this story hopefully showcased that change.

Of course, she does suffer a lot for her choices, but nobody ever said saving people was easy. Or painless.

--

The idea that love (feeling it for others, for yourself, and letting others love you) can break bad, tragic, or harmful cycles.

This goes hand in hand with trust, especially for Raine, because her struggle to trust others is what makes it so hard for her to accept their love (and sometimes to even love herself).

When she allows herself to trust, she learns that there is nothing wrong with her love, or with her, and this gives her the courage to trust more deeply. In trusting Regal and trusting herself she breaks her own brain's cycle of fear.

This is also true for her relationship to Sheena. She trusts Sheena, and in trusting her, she makes a choice out of love for Rose: to do what is objectively best for her...which breaks what could have been a cycle of resentment, abandonment, or of bitter responsibility.

Back to that quote the story is based on:

“We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.” —Walter Mosley, Blue Light

Raine is not trapped in her situation. She is free to change, and she wants to change. In trusting, and in loving others, she has broken cycles and opened herself up to a new and more positive future.

--

Ace!Raine and Demi!Regal

I don't want to end this story, or my notes for it, until I talk a bit about the sexualities of the characters. It's not as if I haven't written some (admittedly emotional) smut for these characters, but I really love the idea of Demi!Regal, and honestly I view him as extremely demi. You can blame the drama CD for that. He just strikes me as the sort of person to feel things slowly, but once those feelings have taken root, the connection is extremely strong. This is partially why I kept putting flower mentions in this story: he feels the connection forming and wants it to "bloom", i.e., reach its natural conclusion—whatever it is.

And of course, with that deep emotional connection comes sexual desire, as is typical with demis. (This is for the sequel though.)

Raine is definitely asexual here. She doesn't feel a sexual attraction to anyone. I wouldn't describe her as sex-repulsed, but I would say she's afraid of sex to varying degrees for a couple of reasons (one of which was hinted at in the story). I hope what I did explore here of her sexuality rings true to at least some degree to any ace (or questioning!) folks out there. I think it's worth noting that everyone's experiences are different, so I don't expect this to hit home for everyone. If your experience doesn't match up at all, that's totally fine.

Also, Raine was written very specifically and deliberately as an asexual audhd woman with trauma, so I was pulling from a lot of different sources for her trust issues, struggle with emotions and honesty, and...everything, actually.

--

So what's next, now that we've reached the end? Well, first, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read this passion project of mine. I cannot express to you how much this story means to me; it's been a decade since I felt so strongly about telling a story, and I can't believe the entire first draft, over 100,000 words, was written in three weeks.

I hope you found something in this story to connect to.

And I hope you'll tell me what you think of it, if you have a minute to type out a few words on AO3.

Thank you so much for reading.

As to what's next: I have been working on outlining the sequel, which deals much more seriously with what Sybak is up to, mechanics of healing, and Raine's struggle with her sexuality in a committed relationship. A good number of the rest of the cast shows up, too...and not for just a chapter or two. And of course, Lila and Marcie stick around. <3

If this interests you in any serious capacity, do let me know; I'm not unhappy with the feedback I've received on this story (and huge thank you to almost_home and @likes-words-and-shrimp for commenting on every chapter, the two of you are the reason I took the time to edit so much), but I don't want to spend months of my life writing a story if there isn't much interest in it. Y'all know how it is.

Take care!! <3

[tessiete]

HI TESS🥹🫶 3,7,13,35,57 for the ask pls?

HI @lightasthesun THANK YOU FOR ALL THESE! They're so interesting! I love pulling things apart and looking at all the mechanics, so thank you for inviting me to do so! SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU, AND I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE LAST RAYS OF AUGUST!

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

Okay! See, these questions get me so excited because I *love* process. It's taken me absolutely forever to figure out what mine is, and honestly, it's not always consistent, but in general:

If I'm writing a one-shot, I decide on the theme. The idea that I want to explore in the chapter. For example, I had to write a story based on the prompt "I wonder what's inside your butthole" (the song. It was the Spotify Top 100 challenge. Yes, that song was in my top 100. #69, I think. Of course)

So, early on, I decided that the closest thing to a butthole in SW was the sarlacc pit. It also has a bunch of stuff inside it. And what do we know about the sarlacc? You will be digested over the course of a thousand years.

So, I thought this fic should be about the passage of time, immortality, and the things you miss.

Then, I go to someone's inbox (usually @treescape or @pomiardve) and spam them with a summary of what I intend to write with all the important beats.

Then, a couple days later, I go to the Google docs and I write it out as I remember it. Generally, I don't refer to my summary. That just helps me mark it out to make sure it makes sense.

For longer fics, I do generally the same thing, but I'll refer back to the larger skeleton so that I can keep the events trekking in sort of the same direction.

Whatever I'm writing, I think "What am I trying to say with this story? What is my perspective?"

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

I choose the perspective of the character who learns the most. Whose growth is the story focused on?

If it's a multi-chapter story, I consider who learns The Thing in each chapter, and who I specifically do not want to let the reader in the head of.

For example, so much of Only Hope relies on the fact that Obi-Wan cannot, for the life of him, be objective about Qui-Gon. This actively influences the way I frame Qui-Gon's actions in Obi-Wan chapters (ex. Obi-Wan tends to only notice physical affection in passing, and never in explicit interior thoughts, and gives absolutely no weight to mentions of care -- I can think of one instance where Satine mentions Qui-Gon was tired because he stayed up all night waiting for Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan assumes it's because he inconvenienced his master, whereas the reader is meant to see between the lines that Qui-Gon was worried).

It would have given the whole of the game, and much of Obi-Wan's growth away if I'd ever given Qui-Gon a POV chapter.

13. What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

I think, actually, in these past couple years I've thrown out all the common advice I've been told. It just clogs things up for me.

But the one thing I *really* do try to do, which is very common screenwriting advice is to make each scene accomplish at least two things at a time.

IE. A scene should advance the plot AND explore character. Or create conflict AND interrogate theme.

This, I find, is super helpful in allowing you to do a lot of interior work while keeping the pace up. Makes everything more likely to be integral to the story.

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?

Ohh, the same thing I remember when playing one: The villain is the hero of their own story. They think they're justified. Why? Whatever it is, they want it just as much as the hero does. 

Even if it's something as simple as them wanting to cause chaos -- they are DEEPLY convinced they deserve to cause that chaos. It is justified to them.

57. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 

Um, lol I do not edit at any point. I generally post it as it comes out of my head. Occasionally, I will go back into posted works and change a couple things here and there. More rarely, I'll change significant things.

Typos I usually catch (if I *do* catch them) as soon as I hit post on AO3!