#honestly just reading the dialogue feels like reading a well paced play

[always-a-joyful-note]

From just a writing perspective, I find that despite all of Idolish7's bonkers drama, none of it feels shoved in for the sake of shock value. For all that it's worth, everything from kidnapping to attempted murder to buying off two children feels organic. None of it just feels shoehorned in, and nothing really takes you out of the flow of the messages/narrative it's trying to tell, which is really cool.

[deepestnightcolor]

Hey there friend,

I hope you don't mind me saying I am looooooooving this influx of Sam content. Your writing? Inspired. Characterisation? Wonderful. A true blessing to all Samson enjoyers out there.

I don't know if you've ever played with the Yandere Sam mod (which I highly recommend trying out Yoba preserve me) but he has a piece of dialogue where he talks about "taking you up against the windows tonight" for everyone to see and now exhibitionist (and perhaps just a smiiidge possessive?😊) Sam has me in a chokehokd, the poor, lovesick thing just needs an outlet for his feelings. If it interests you and you feel comfy doing so, your take would be appreciated!

Posi vibes to you!

ᴀ/ɴ: Hehe...So! I honestly see Sam as a softie...but aren't still waters deep? Yes! I really enjoyed this prompt, and I hope you will enjoy reading it, that I got it up to your liking!

Thank you for all the compliments, they really mean loads to me!

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: Sam (SDV) x Fem!Reader

ᴡᴄ: 2577 words

ᴍᴅɴɪ ✧ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: exhibitionism, unprotected sex, creampie, name calling, dirty talk, spanking, dominant Sam, possessive Sam

☾ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜʟ ☽

You had just wanted to piss him off a little, not much more. Tease him a little, rile him up – see what buttons you could push before he would snap on you. You did know that Sam was… a little possessive over you. His eyes darkened whenever you talked to someone else, suddenly becoming attentive when you left his side to strike up a conversation with someone else, whole body tensing as if he was about to strike whenever someone dared to touch you.

That’s why you didn’t want to push it too far, but it was just so tempting. Sitting across from Eliott, the two of you were chatting about his latest book. You could feel a pair of blue eyes burn into the back of your head, and you were pretty sure if looks had the possibility to kill, the author across from you would have had already dropped dead.

Surely Elliott had noticed, hadn’t he? Poor man, really, but it was working so well, and besides, you were genuinely interested in what he was saying! How could you know that your cleavage was revealed by this simple movement and that the male’s eyes lingered for much longer than necessary?

Maybe you showed that a little too much, leaning forward to hear him better over the loud sounds of the saloon. If Elliott had noticed your guard dog watching over you, he wasn’t showing any sign of it; soft smile sparkling at you, he reached out and patted your exposed knee. Uh-oh.

It didn’t take long – steps soon approached the two of you, and an arm snaked around your waist with ease, pulling you into a warm, tense side.

“Sorry,” Sam pressed through gritted teeth, the daggers he had stared at the other man now outright swords. His fist was clenched by his side, the smile that was on his face just as forced as his composure was. “We need to go now, babe. Bye, Elliott.”

There was no chance to refuse the pull that was inflicted on you, so you just waved your goodbye in the bustling of the room, following the fast-paced steps of your husband.

“Sam, that wasn’t really poli-“

“You know what? The fuck I care if it was! And since you like showing off so fucking much, how about I fuck you against our window, huh? Show everyone how good you can take my dick? That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

He certainly wasn’t wrong, but there was no way you could possibly say that out loud, right? There was no way you could just lower your head and whimper like you just did, was there?

A chuckle sounded above you, like thunder in the distance. “That’s what I fuckin’ thought,” he hissed, the smack that landed on your ass causing a stinging sensation, skin warming up against the fabric of your skin. “Now go. When I come home, I want you fuckin’ naked and ready for me. I will give you five minutes, no more.”

You took the sharp shove forward as a head start, your feet pounding against the rough gravel of the road to your farmhouse, the snickering behind you only spurring you on more.

The front door opened with a creak of complaint, and soon after, you could hear Sam’s sneakers being kicked off. The door slammed shut, and your heart immediately began pounding in your ears. Excitement was swelling in your chest as you squished your thighs together in the dim of your room. Your clothes were scattered all over the place, mindlessly discarded in the rush you had been getting them off. But you sat there, naked and ready for your husband, cunt already embarrassingly wet. Sam always had such an impact on you; it was like he had casted a spell on you when you had moved to Pelican Town, luring you in with these precious blue eyes, wrapping you around his finger with such ease-

“Look at me,” a voice from the doorway, goosebumps running down your spine. It filled the room, took it in. It allowed no contradictions.

You looked up at Sam from your kneeling position on the bed – you knew Sam liked you kneeling – fluttering your lashes at him as a soft pout way playing on your lips.

“Finally listening to me, are we?” He cooed; the sound of his belt being unbuckled joining his voice. The doorway behind him was dark, and you could barely make out his movements, but Yoba did that sound of the buckle turn you on.

“Turn around.”

You did so immediately, the rush you were in almost caused you to lose balance and topple over, fingers curling in the soft sheets of your bed as you regained balance. The blond behind you chuckled quietly, the floorboards beneath him announcing that he was approaching you. You bit your lower lip, anticipating his next move as you wiggled your ass in the air, trying to tempt him more, trying to enchant him in your usual spell, yet the smack that landed on your round ass cheek made you yelp out loud. It was hard, and now, without the protection of your jeans, it stung like hell. Fuck, did it make you wet.

“Look at that dirty little pussy. Gettin’ so wet from one little spank, huh? Pathetic. Or…did it rile you up to talk to Elliott?” The last part came out as a growl, another hard smack landed on your ass before you even had the chance to answer. You whimpered lowly, your back arching into the mattress as if you tried to escape Sam’s rough hand landing on your ass, but you wanted more. You wanted your husband, fucking some sense into you, just so he could fuck it out of you again.

“I think I asked you a question.”

The sound of his hollow hand smacking down on your ass, followed by the painful pleasure shooting endorphins and adrenaline through your body made you stutter back to life. “The spank, sir! The spank felt good!”

A hum. Low sounding, almost contemplating.

The pads of his finger danced over your butt, eyes admiring the newfound red colour in the shape of his hand on the squishy flesh.

“That’s my girl,” he praised, smacking your ass once more. “That doesn’t mean I will let you off the hook, though.”

His thumb had found its way to your folds, tracing through the slick that coated your sensitive lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he watched your toes curl, the way your cunt contracted as if it tried to suck him in already. It was so, so hard to not just give in and rut into you now like an absolute bitch in heat, but he had promised you something, hadn’t he?

“Get up and go to the window. Hands against the glass. Look forward until I tell you otherwise.” His orders were clear and short, there was no room to argue, only room to get up and do as you were told.

Your ass was stinging while you got on your legs, your head lowered in submittal, but you made sure to shake your hips with every step. You weren’t able to look back, but you just knew Sam was fucking you with those pretty eyes of his, dick already buried deep inside your cunt in his mind.

The cold glass heated up quickly beneath the warmth of your palms, yet it still made you shiver, just like the silence that had fallen over the room did. The only thing you were able to hear was Sam’s heavy breathing that mixed with yours, which was much quicker. You felt like a prey animal in a trap, with the predator about to pounce. And really, there wasn’t much difference with your husband staring at you like you were going to be his last meal.

You were so beautiful, you pretty little thing. So well-behaved, too, now that he had you where he wanted you, with his hands imprinted on your ass. You would definitely feel that one tomorrow, yet you had taken it so well. His good whore.

“S-sam?”

He must have been quiet for too long he realized. Your body was quivering with anticipation, your thighs squeezing together. Yoba, they probably were already covered in your sweet, sweet juices. His hand had wandered to his cock, fingers wrapping around the girthy shaft. He wondered if you would still follow his order if he kept quiet. And you did.  Lowering your head against the glass with a shaky breath, you spread your legs for him; clinging to the hope that that would be enough to get him to fuck you.

 Fuck, you looked so hot; so ready to be mounted. And if anyone would dare to step on your land, they would see how he fucked into you.

A grunt left your husband as he ran his thumb over his pierced tip, feeling the pre-cum wetten the pad of it.  It was pathetic how horny he got just from seeing you, but then again, Sam didn’t give a fuck. Couldn’t, really, with the way you possessed his mind, took over it and  filled it up.

“Sam, pretty please.”

Poor little thing. So horny, and yet left out in the open, all bare for the world to see. Wasn’t it a shame? A waste? He just had to do something – he was pretty sure you were on the verge of tears already, hearing how your voice was quivering.

“Look at me.”

You were quick to turn your head, big round eyes wettened with the tears of despair, cushioned lips pouting at him. So fuckable. So easy to ruin, and he fucking would.

His hands on your hips were the only warning you got, his pierced tip already aligning with your entrance. You wanted to moan, but that harsh shove forward caused by his hips bucking into you pinned you against the cool glass of your window, knocking the breath out of your lungs. You had been quivering and waiting until now, and all of a sudden you were completely full, feeling like you were tearing at the edges.

“Sam!” You sobbed out, making his breath hitch in his throat. He wanted to wait, seriously, he did. He knew you were straining to accept his size, so suddenly filling you completely. Yet… You were just too good to not fuck into. He pulled back slowly, watching your cunt just barely release his cock, just to let it vanish within your cute pussy again.

The breath you let out was laboured, your forehead sinking against the glass again. Holy shit, the sight from outside must have been delicious. Seeing your perfect tits pressed against the glass, your face scrunched up in the pleasure his dick caused you.

“That’s my good fucking slut,” he panted, his hips fucking into you at a fast pace now, enjoying the fact that your body was forced further against the glass with each thrust. He loved having this power over you, hearing your moans as his fat dick bullied into you, seeing how he made your body shake.

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you? Being fucked against the window like a filthy fucking whore, ah. Feel how you just clenched around me? You love this. Do you hope someone comes by? That someone sees these perverted tits pressed against the window? Sees how I fuck you?”

His words were a low hiss against your ear, his hips smacking against your already aching ass with his rough thrusts. Your world was spinning while he bullied into you, the metal of his cock ring bumping against your walls just right. And yes, you hoped someone would come by. Hoped someone would see the things Sam was able to do to you, how much you needed this man to pound into you like an animal.

His lips were all over your neck it seemed, though you couldn’t quite figure out where exactly. Only the painful sensation when he sunk his teeth into your tender flesh gave you a clear indication what spots he was abusing.

His hips never seemed to falter, the sounds of your skin against skin and the moans filling the room intoxicating you. “My good, pretty fuck toy…Taking my dick so well, aren’t you?” He groaned in your ear, his lip bitten as he forced your legs open wider, trying to reach you deeper.

Your cunt was sucking him off like your life depended on him, a ring of wetness around the base of his shaft. Your core squelched in protest whenever he pulled out just to ram back into you and Yoba did it turn him on. You were his. His, his, his, and the world needed to see.

His hand reached for the smaller window above the two of you, twisting the handle with a swift motion and pushing it open.

“If you hold back,” he panted in your ear, nipping at the lobe, “I will immediately fucking stop.”

You nodded with a quivering breath, moaning his name loudly as his previous humping against your gushy wet walls picked up again, tip bumping and bullying into you while you were pressed against the window. Your nipples ached from the pressure, only adding to your arousal. You were close, and you knew if he kept up this rough treatment, you would scream loud enough for the whole Valley would hear.

Sam did have no intentions of stoppin, even though his balls were pulling tightly, legs quivering. His own hands were against the window; an attempt to steady himself for his advantage.

His tip was kissing your cervix, and it was driving you crazy.

“Sa- I am gonna cum- Fuck,” you cried out, shivering when you heard it echo through the silence of your farm.

Sam’s breath hitched, a whimper leaving his throat. You were so hot, and the whole town would figure out how good he was fucking you; it made his heart swell, and his dick throb.

“Cum for me, pretty princess. Cum,” he cooed, forcing his stuttering hips in a steady rhythm, pierced dick pinning you against the window with its rough thrusts, making your eyes roll back in your head.

The orgasm that rocked your body was hard, your knees quivering as you tried to hold yourself up. Wetness gushed over his throbbing cock, slickening it even more.

“holy shit- you are,” he wheezed, his body tensed up when he finally felt his own orgasm. Globs of cum painted your clenching and spasming walls white, but even as you struggled to keep yourself up, Sam was making sure he was pumping you full.

Panting filled the room, your husband’s dick still throbbing inside of you as his forehead sank against the window next to your head. “Next time it will be the balcony,” he whispered in your ear, smiling to himself when he felt you clench around him, his cock throbbing in anticipation.

“What happened up there?” Sebastian asked, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Up where?” Sam asked, eyes following to where his friend was looking. A blush spread on his cheeks when he saw to pair of handprints on the window, alongside the outline of your body. If he looked closely, he could even make out the imprints of your tits.

“Uh…Must have been a bird.”

“Yeah. Sure. Nicely shaped bird, wasn’t it?”

“Shut up, Seb.”

[lurkingshan]

Unknown Episode 11

Well, let me get this out of the way upfront. This episode brought us to the big moment we've all been waiting for, the final turn in Yuan and Qian's relationship--and unfortunately, it didn't quite land.

I've been sitting with this episode, contemplating my disappointment with the first sequence, and I think it comes down to this show that has been so assured and confident through most of its run faltering at the crucial moment and seeming to lose faith in its own storytelling to the point that it used editing tricks to compensate. The choice to chop up and sequence this narrative lynchpin of a scene out of order is baffling, and it's a choice that significantly stepped on the most important emotional climax of the story. I was confused to go from the conversation outside to a sudden kiss, then disappointed when we cut back to a very short exchange between Qian and Yuan that was supposed to provide the basis for this turn with only some thin dialogue that didn't connect the beats of the scene, and then into an intense sexual encounter (that was constantly interrupted by repetitive flashbacks) that should have felt like a triumphant and revelatory moment but didn't because of the way we got there.

I know I'm not the only one feeling that way, since folks have been creating and distributing reedited versions of the scene, and Youku actually uploaded a new version free on YouTube with all the flashbacks removed (a clear move toward fan appeasement after the show received a lot of negative feedback on the scene). The editing and the flashbacks were annoying, but honestly the fundamental problem was the scene they wrote did not sufficiently sell the change for Qian--he goes from saying he is still not certain what he wants to being ready to be dicked down in a couple minutes' time, with nothing in the exchange providing any new information or impetus for the shift. The performers did great work but unfortunately the writing and directing and editing decisions around this sequence were just bad; it's frustrating for this to happen with arguably the most important scene of the romance.

A note about the novel: the way this final turn happened there was quite different and, candidly, better in just about every way, from the impetus for the change to the beats of the revelation to the progression of physical intimacy on a pace that felt much more attuned to the emotional complexities at play. I do not know why the show did...this when they had better source material content to work with, but here we are. I absolutely recommend that anyone who loves this show read it!

So, with that disappointment expressed, on to the rest of the episode, in which Yuan and Qian settled into their couple era. I was deeply amused by Qian taking to their sex life like a moth to a flame to the point of daydreaming in meetings, but I do wish the episode had focused more on the natural tension and role confusion that should have resulted from this huge shift in their relationship. They touched on that a bit in the scene where Yuan asked Qian if his hug was from his brother or his boyfriend, but they didn't delve into those complexities in the way I hoped they would. I enjoyed their date at the local restaurant (and loved their friendly neighborhood gangster helping to set the mood) and how much it felt like they were surrounded by their history as they moved through all of these familiar locations where they've had important moments. I didn't much care for the insertion of the health scare plot or the time spent on Le and the doc, though I'm always happy for more Sam Lin even if it comes in the form of a weird late stage and wholly unnecessary ship.

My favorite scene between Yuan and Qian in this episode was far and away the discussion on the stairs with Qian reflecting on his fears of becoming more like his mother and Yuan biting him to snap him out of his fatalistic attitude (this felt like such a classic Priest tribute, she always has biting in her romances). It was a helpful re-centering of what they do for each other and why Yuan is an important presence in Qian's life. I didn't think we needed the health scare for Qian, but I did love Qian choosing to go to this place where he found Yuan to contemplate his life and what matters, with Yuan in turn reflecting that even though he's seen a lot more of the world now, he still prefers to come home to this street. I found that exchange so moving and I think it was important for Qian to hear that.

And that scene led to my other favorite thing in this episode, which was everything to do with Lili and her bond with her brothers. I teared up to see her standing against the wall where Qian has measured their growth talking about the sneaky ways she would try to care for Qian when they were younger, with San Pang listening attentively and gazing at her adoringly. It was such a small moment, but a really lovely window into their relationship dynamic and the shared history they also have together. And when Yuan and Qian came in hand in hand and she just ran to them and offered up her love and acceptance, I felt so much warmth for this family and everything they've survived together.

[blackswampotter]

Season 1 of The Acolyte is over and I have some thoughts. A lot of thoughts, actually.

Acolyte spoilers below

What a weird show

I ultimately end up feeling the same way I did early on; it's a pretty average show with some great action held back by clunky dialogue, poor pacing, and several fairly dull characters.

And, I could probably leave it there, but I feel like that would ignore a lot of the most interesting elements.

Some of the show's best moments and emotional beats are centered around the character of Master Sol and his death and posthumous betrayal works really, really well. It's probably the most effective thing in the show and gave some genuine pathos to the last episode.

Osha and Mae swapping roles - something started in episode 5 - was also a compelling direction for the show.

Osha's fall to the dark side feels very unique compared to some we've seen before and I think it's because the show positions the Jedi as the antagonists in the end.

It's not framed as tragic, it's framed as brave and almost righteous in a twisted way. As though she's finally becoming who she was really meant to be.

But, you can't really talk about Osha and Qimir without talking about the Reylo sized elephant in the room...

The sequel trilogy had lightning in a fucking bottle with these two. Their chemistry is unreal and the pining, longing glances sell you on the enemies to lovers direction they were moving in.

In the end, Reylo sort of fizzled out with TRoS being unwilling to fully commit to, well, much of anything. But, the Reylo fandom was, and still is, massive.

With The Acolyte, Leslye Headland appears to be trying to capitalize on that kind of dynamic and it's just nowhere near as compelling.

Part of that is the lack of tension between them. Qimir feels so toothless compared to Kylo. Rey and Kylo push against one another. There's hostility, fear, and even some spite.

But, Qimir is just there to facilitate Osha's story. He doesn't feel like an independent actor playing off Osha in an interesting way.

Their dynamic feels like a sanitized and sanded down version of Reylo without any of rough edges that actually made Reylo compelling.

Finally, there's the Glup Shitto of it all.

So, somebody who looks an awful lot like Legends Darth Plagueis shows up for five seconds and I imagine that's going to be the biggest point of discussion online.

It's hilarious because he's just sort of there, poking his head around the corner like he's part of the goddamn Scooby gang.

My initial prediction was that Qimir was going to be revealed to be a Knight of Ren (Kylo's theme can be heard when he shows up), but now I'm wondering if he is, in fact, being trained by Plagueis.

Perhaps he and Osha will break away from Plagueis in season 2 and create the Knights of Ren, but that's assuming we get a season 2.

The response to this show has been disgusting from the beginning. Just mountains of idiots who hate anything with diversity and go out of their way to read everything in the most bad faith way possible.

I don't even think the show is all that great, but it's not because there are women and people of color in it.

It's kind of ironic then that this show, in a lot of ways, gives that crowd exactly what they've always wanted - over the top saber action, high fantasy Jedi/Force stuff, and Darth Plagueis.

I guess we'll see if they change their tune or if their whinging is enough to prevent a season 2 from being greenlit, because I honestly think the show deserves to keep going, even if I think it's pretty far from perfect.

[pseudowho]

um. hi.... i stand by my belief that you are one of the best writer's on tumblr... with that in mind i need tips on how to go about writing fanfics people live for. please help me Mrs. Haitch.

Oh man...I should start saving some of my "writing advice" Ask responses.

In short: I don't know. I didn't know I write "well" until I wrote, and people on here told me I wrote well.

I don't even really edit my stuff. I cast my eye back as I'm writing, and make sure it flows, doesn't have typos, etc.

I just feel the feeling I'm trying to convey and write it down. I see the scenes play like movies, and write what I see. I calculate the pauses and the sentence lengths and the dialogue to suit the pace of the scene.

Honestly, I just feel the story as I go, and pour it into the page. Most of the time I write and post, I then read it back later, and I don't recall any specific thought pattern that went into it.

I read a lot, and always have. I play words games and number games in my head a lot when I'm under stimulated, because my brain is on fire all the time. I'm constantly imagining scenarios, and body language. I'm a decent read of people so I usually understand characters and their intentions quickly.

For actual tangible writing tips, you may prefer my husband, an actual qualified Creative Writing Professor, because I barely know how I write.

As much as I'm thrilled that people love it.

Every time I get asked this question, I realise I just sound like a mad old witch, which is entirely useless. I'm really sorry!

Love, and sorry,

-- Haitch xxx

[kozachenko]

Finished reading Forbidden Scrollery! As I mentioned in my little post about it before, I would make a full review on it once I finished it, so here we are now!

(Also, sorry I haven't been posting as much art recently, life's gotten busy for me and I haven't really had the time to work on anything big, but I hope to get back into drawing soon)

And honestly? Best Touhou manga I have read so far. Full review under the keep reading tag. Also, spoilers if you want to read it.

The writing first of all, was really good, the pacing is perfect (only helped by the actual paneling and layouts being top notch), the character writing was my favourite part of the manga, and the actual story was actually pretty smart.

So something I love about this manga is that it all revolves around a core idea, that being the relationship between Humans and Youkai. While each chapter is episodic in nature, it still feels like those little episodes actually have a purpose, it isn't just filler. There's not one major problem they have to resolve like in CDS, but at the same time the events aren't disjointed from one another like in Lotus Eaters. The way that we see Kosuzu slowly get more and more involved with the Youkai of the human village is really interesting. I also really like how we learn more about the human village and how it operates, as well as learning more about how the Youkai play a part in it. In each chapter we see a different way that this core theme is expressed, like in chapters 20 and 21 where we see how outsiders like the residents of Eientei contribute to the human village, and in chapters 30 and 31 where we see how humans help Youkai out via their fear of the unknown. And of course, you have the infamous chapter 25, where the most memorable moment from there also happens to be the most flanderized (I'll get to that in my paragraph about Reimu, because her character writing in this manga is the best that I've seen in the Touhou mangas so far). The best chapters that demonstrate this theme are probably all in volumes 6 and 7, where things start to get more intense.

Now onto the writing, and boy while this may be whiplash from reading CDS, the writing in this manga was amazing. Each character has their own unique voice, which ends up making the events in chapter 38 even funnier. Since Mamizou has a very distinct way of speaking, it makes it even funnier watching her be disguised as Reimu and accidentally slipping into her own way of talking.

Of course, this scene is visually aided by Moe Harukawa giving "Reimu" the little cat mouth she gives Mamizou, and also the very obvious signifier of the leaf, but establishing Mamizou's way of speaking early on in the manga helps emphasize the comedy of this scene (that being, a sassy old woman trying to impersonate someone in their early 20s with a very different personality to them).

What's even funnier about this scene is that as soon as Mamizou gets what she wants, she just gives up on trying to speak like Reimu and dips (which is the punchline to the setup of Mamizou almost calling Kosuszu "Little Missy" and then correcting herself)

Also, credit to the English translators for finding words and phrases like, "The real Mccoy" and "Reckon," with how different the Japanese and English languages are (and how tricky it can be to translate between the two) they ended up hitting the nail on the head with the localization and translation.

The actual narrative itself is really well paced, with all the events actually feeling like they happen consecutively to one another, only helped by the little bits in the dialogue where the characters mention previous events in the story. For a manga in a series where upholding status quo is the norm, a lot of changes happen in this manga, like Akyuu starting to write novels under a penname, Kosuzu starting to attract the attention of more and more important people in Gensokyo, and Kosuzu eventually being added into Reimu's friend group. The manga also does an excellent job of tying the events of the games at the time into the story, like we're seeing the behind the scenes or aftermath of a particular incident, especially so with the Urban Legend Incident, where we see Reimu and Marisa get more and more concerned about rumors like "The Story of the Bull Head" and the end of the world speading too far before they can do actual damage. I also like the tone that this manga has, it's inviting at first with how cute and lighthearted it is, but it slowly gets more and more serious we begin to see the truth of the human village, and by proxy, Gensokyo as a whole. Also, the set up and payoff with the parade scroll was really well excecuted, with it acting as like a ticking time bomb in the background as the series goes on. I also really like how each chapter feels different from each other in terms of plot beats, it's not really formulaic like Lotus Eaters was, which helps make the manga a lot more exciting to read, despite it not having a grandiose overarching plot.

Now onto the character writing. As you can probably see, I am turning into a bit of a Mamizou fan. She's one of the most well written characters in the manga and perfectly strikes the balance of being hilarious, yet intimidating at the same time. She's a pretty smart character despite her goofiness, and she's always such a joy to watch (or.. well... read, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely (well actually fingers since I'm typing this, but again, doesn't roll off the fingers as nicely (yipeeee I used a phrase correctly). Also, I really like seeing her relationship with Nue as that of a grandma and her grandaughter who's a chaotic scene kid, but despite these differences they get along perfectly. Aya is also one of my favourite characters to read about in the manga, and I was so excited to see her again. She's always such a delight to see, and also captures that sense of goofiness + coolness. In a way, it's kinda the embodiment of Youkai in Touhou itself. Fun and charming yet supernatural and menacing at the same time. In your usual manga/anime series, it's more likely that characters will lean one way or the other (and anytime they step out of their ascribed personality, it's for a gag and is considered an oddity, wheras with Touhou it's commonplace), so it's a really unique writing thing in Touhou that I don't really see other things, which is really cool. Marisa is also written really well in this, she's really funny and plays off of Reimu really well. Kosuzu herself is also fun to read about, as her childlike view of Gensokyo slowly begins to crack as more and more influential youkai begin to interact with her. I also like how the manga doesn't tell you in the beginning that she's a young, naive kid, instead, it shows you little details like her having a curfew, her parents calling her for dinner, her general outlook on life in general. All of that is contrasted with Akyuu, who, while bit pretentious, was also very fun to read. She plays off of Akyuu's naivete well with her wisdom from her past lives and her knowledge on Gensokyo. She acts like how you would expect a teenager with memories of their past lives to act, with maybe a slight dash of maturity in there.

And now for Reimu, who I think is at her best in this manga. There were times when I legit went, "HOLY SHIT REIMU'S SO FUCKING COOL OH MY GOD-" instead of just going, "Ha ha, Reimu's such a dork." Like, she actually knows her shit in this manga, and it explores the "shrine maiden" side of her character in far more detail than we have ever really seen it before (except in arguably Silent Sinner in Blue, which I still need to re-read, yes I will also be making a full review for that as well once I do get around to it). I use this panel from chapter 27 as my example because she genuinely looks so cool here.

Reimu very frequently uses her skills as a shrine maiden to get to find the answers she needs, and she's not afraid to get her job done. As seen in the now iconic panel of Chapter 25...

This is probably what the manga is most well known for, and when I mentioned how this moment is flanderized, I'm more so talking about how people tend to look at this moment in isolation, and to be honest, Reimu isn't helping herself by saying this a moment before she does this guy in.

Which is then sort of contradicted when Reimu says this after she does the guy in.

So if she has a legit reason for why she did this, why the heck did she call it needless then? I feel like the best way of answering this would be that yes, she didn't need to do it, but from her perspective she had to. It's her job to do so, as she says so herself. Another thing to mention that contradicts the initial reading of that earlier line is just how seriously she takes this whole ordeal. During the pages leading up to this moment, we see Reimu as being uncharacteristically serious about this,

And when she finally arrives at Suzunaan, we get this really good reaction shot of her eyes, and it really says a lot about her mental state at the moment,

and she also gets very serious during her initial confrontation with this fortune teller guy.

Another thing that contradicts the "needless killing" part is how she handeled that one rich guy becoming a Youkai in chapter 37

Reimu is just ruthless when she needs to get her job done in general. Sure, she didn't need to kill the rich guy, she could have just let him go and not do anything about it, but she it's not about what she needs, it's what Gensokyo needs.

In the same chapter where she kills the fortune teller, we get this bit of narration.

Honestly, I feel like this is a kind of "Reimu knows more about Gensokyo than she lets on" kind of situation, because we never really learn exactly how having a human become a Youkai would screw up Gensokyo, but I have heard theories where if a human-who-became-a-youkai were to still try to be human, then it would be cause for concern because then it's like putting a radioactive rock in the middle of a small elevator with a lot of people (ok I know that doesn't make any sense whatsoever but I can't think of another way to put it). .

Putting that can of worms aside, I really like this manga's version of Reimu. Sure she has her dorky moments, but that's not the entirety of who she is, and I really like that. I really like it when characters have vastly contradicting sides to their personality, it makes them more interesting and also more fun to think about. There is so much more that I can say about Reimu in this manga, but I'll just end off this segment by saying that Reimu is now one of my favourite Touhou characters now and she is in my top 5 list of favourite Touhou characters.

Ok now it's time to finally talk about the artstyle and OH MY GOD THE ART FOR THIS MANGA IS GORGEOUS I WANNA EAT IT SHKGAGSLHSKGSAKJDGHKSLDJGHLAHDGLJH;SLGHKDJAH;GKGHDJK;HFGKADHG;J-

Seriously though, I really want to do a style study for this manga because I love it so much. It's expressive, the cross-hatching gives it this really nice and tactile feeling, and the designs the artist came up with for each character are really good. My only critique would be to maybe give Mamizou more wrinkles, or something more to communicate her age, (and I still like the way Mamizou is drawn in this manga). In my previous post on FS I brought up how good the layouts are, and that still holds up to when I finished this manga. Good manga paneling takes advantage of the fact that it's a manga, and uses that medium to it's fullest. I won't go into any more detail here as I have already talked about how good it's paneling is in a previous post, so go read that if you're interested. I feel like we all know what makes Moe Harukawa's art so good, so I'll just leave this segment at that.

Now, I would normally end this segment here, but really, there's one surprise I haven't talked about

One character who steals the show in this manga

A character so good, I had to write an entirely new segment on him

That's right, it's a dude, and it isn't Rinnosuke.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MAN,

THE MYTH,

AND MOST OF ALL, THE LEGEND.

ANXIOUS

MUSTACHED

VILLAGER!

THIS MAN, RIGHT HERE, THE GOAT OF ALL MANGA AND ANIME! BEST CHARACTER IN ALL OF EXISTENCE! ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING STORY THAT DROVE ME TO TEARS! BEST CHARACTER ARC IN THE ENTIRE MANGA! GET THIS MAN TO NUMBER ONE IN THE 2024 TOUHOU POPULARITY POLL LIKE HE DESERVES!

Ok in all seriousness, this manga is amazing, (I mean, it has anxious mustached villager in it) I see why people regard it so highly in relation to the other Touhou mangas. It was a blast to read, and it's my favourite Touhou manga now, and is also one of my new favourite mangas in general.

Ok I'm gonna end the post here now, bye byeeeeeee.

[riacte]

Some thoughts about writing dialogue (coming from someone who basically transcribed the Blue9 MCC stream for fic purposes):

Real life dialogue is messy. People make mistakes, voices overlap, it gets unintelligible, people repeat themselves instinctively (even if they get their point across the first time)

And this is about Blue9 - four streamers (people who talk as a living) with effective communication / chemistry. It's still messy at times because that's simply how people communicate, especially in fast paced / stressful scenarios

Which makes it a bit tricky to translate to text, because if you repeat dialogue too much, it looks tacky even though it sounds perfectly normal.

Juggling between character voices in tense moments is also annoying because in audio form, you instinctively know who's speaking. But in text form, you have to add indicators so you just can't have paragraphs of dialogue (unlike speaking scenes between two characters)

^ although that could work if your characters have distinctive speaking styles (or mentioning characters by the name in the dialogue), but that also relies on the readers' knowledge of their speaking styles

^ even worse when it's a group and the voices are overlapping. The more characters you have to juggle in a scene, the more it feels like "[Character A] said" then "[Character B] said" and on it goes. It's already difficult to transcribe when it's a group of 5/6 and they're all talking.

At least there's one set of she/her pronouns in the Blue9 team. Actually this is partially why I like writing about men and women - it's easier to juggle pronouns (my skill issue lol)

I tried to keep it as close to canon as possible, but sometimes you have to edit down and add bits of exposition for clarity's sake. Like if you watch the stream, it makes sense. The repetition and messiness adds to the experience, honestly, But if you read the transcript, it doesn't work the best.

Tone is such a big thing. It comes instinctively in audio format, but it really is difficult to describe it in text sometimes, especially when it's a tense moment and you have to keep pushing forward instead of spending words to describe tone.

The good thing about writing about streamers is that if you use the right cues, readers can pick it up and picture that specific tone in their head. The bad thing is that this depends on the readers' knowledge and how good you are at describing. (The bad bad thing about this personally is that my OCs have weak character voices because I don't have canon basis.)

^ Bits of informality like stretching syllables and italics help. Like "oooh" is fundamentally different from "oh" and that is different from "ohhhh". And sometimes irl people do stretch syllables or pronounce them differently for humorous effect, but it can look unprofessional on text. (Like Scar's "a-maize-ing".) <- actually this can create distinctive character speaking styles and it's a cue to let readers immediately know who's speaking

Back to the action thing. These streamers are playing in a vc and they all hear each other, but realistically in action scenes, characters are gonna be in different places. There's volume to care about and voices getting lost in the chaos. But when writing, your focus is to push the story forward sooo realism is definitely not the priority

... Yeah. I'm giving my characters high quality communicators. And excellent hearing.

Dialogue in text is... intentional? You can see it in people snarking movies for having unrealistic dialogue. Its purpose is to convey something clearly. Dialogue in everyday life can contain a lot of blunders but that doesn't translate well in storytelling because we expect to learn something from dialogue. That's why it's there.

Transcribing videos and turning them into text based stories is an interesting exercise (and one that I keep on doing lol). It makes you more aware of the gap between irl and written dialogue and why there's a gap.

Godspeed to people who write dialogue between a group during an action scene. We all praise comms in MCC but it does give me a headache to write hahahaha.

[hopeisgrey]

My Demon - 7/10

The announcement of My Demon literally created chaos among the k-drama fans. The Song Kang-Kim Youjung pairing was making everyone insane. The hype was unreal. But did My Demon live up to it? Well, the answer to that would be… yes or no (kissy if u read that in Na Bora’s voice). My Demon did have a very interesting plot line, good enough characters and it was successful in getting the audiences hooked with the first few episodes. The cinematography was the most talked about among the viewers and rightfully so. The wide shots of Jung Guwon’s (Song Kang) office, the underwater scene, the slow-mo shot of the waves forming a portal around Guwon and Dohee (Kim Youjung), the Dohee-about-to-fall-off-the-balcony scene and so on. Another thing that filled twitter was the fashion. And not only the female lead’s this time, but also the male leads. Guwon has secured his place among the very few male leads with impeccable fashion sense. When most male leads are shown in sophisticated suits, Guwon was rocking cropped jackets and scarfs. But then again, I don’t think most male leads are Song Kang.

Nevertheless, My Demon stands as an example that if you start with a bang, your ending should be a banger. This is where the drama failed. In the second half, it started to feel like the story line was being stretched. The cinematography and direction which was so good in the start had taken a back seat and love making montages were put in for the action that wasn’t happening. And by action, I mean just anything that would contribute to the plot. The plot was moving, but at a very slow pace. Sure, Guwon and Dohee make the best couple, the greenest flag couple, the entire amazon rainforest couple, but where is the drama? I wasn’t necessarily waiting for anything bad to happen, but for a time being literally nothing was happening. And I was mad about that. Until towards to the end, everything happened. The new trend of k-drama rom-coms only having 12 episodes, My Demon should’ve followed that. Because the more they stretched, the more Song Kang’s bad acting showed and also the writer’s inability to stitch it all together. I honestly loved Song Kang in Sweet Home, not that he had any more than 2 expressions 3 dialogues in it, but still. Jung Guwon is far more expressive, and Song Kang couldn’t do justice. He shines when the camera requires for him to be the slayest demon to walk this planet, but when it is time for the playful babygirl Guwon to get on stage, his acting feels like… acting. It’s not terrible, it’s just not the best. Also the entire past life plot is becoming more than obvious. The moment I saw Guwon dreaming of his past, I KNEW Guwon and Dohee probably died in the past life and one of them thinks it’s their fault and they will try to distance themselves from each other. You know which other drama did it? See You in My 19th Life and Destined with You and maybe more but I don’t remember. Like can we please move on? This is equivalent to the 2016 era dramas having the oh we’ve actually met in childhood and not forgotten each other since trope. But then again, they have given us the most iconic dramas, can’t the same about these though.

However, I loved the way they showed Jin Gayoung’s character coming full circle. She is probably the only one who started a certain way, learned her lessons, had character development and got her happy ending. So yeah, My Demon definitely isn’t the best drama for me. I am not going to put in on my re-watch list. But I will recommend it. It’s fun, and sweet, and great for fashion inspo!

Another thing I want to add is that My Demon is compared to Doom at Your Service a lot for having a similar concept, so I’ll just say that DAYS is a much better drama, for all aspects – storyline, acting, romance, comedy, THE FUCKING AWESOME THREESOME OF THE SECOND LEAD THRUPPLE, even the song (If Love Sight by TXT doesn’t play in my head when I look at my future partner, I’ll know they’re not the one). Except My Demon is going to take the trophy for best costume.

Ok that’s it now let me play Hyunsu’s “What should we do?” until Sweet Home S3 comes out hehe!

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia! I was curious, as I understand, this story was written long time ago? Did you edit it with almost 10 years of practice on writing since 2014 now? And more in general, do you feel like writing is easier or not withos much practice (I read about smut, that it is harder now, but in general - worldbuilding, character creation and so on) ?

Hi hi anon!

Yeah the story was first drafted in 2014, and has gone through big edits since then (the latest being 2017, though I did some cursory stuff this year as well to just double check that it's not terrible).

Tbh, prior to 2014 I was writing like... very serious award winning short stories with tragic endings and winning awards for them, so I'm moderately confident the story is readable. I've been writing novels (for fun mostly) since 1995. And I have a university education in writing that started in 1999.

My fanfiction/serial style is very different to my 'I'm writing a book / I'm writing a short story' style.

I think it will feel different to my serials because I wrote it like a book, there's less sprawling character exploration, and the pacing is much, much tighter. There's a lot more focus on plot, and folks used to my serials might feel like the story ends really quickly! Because it's like much shorter (100k) than my serials.

If anything, I think these are the things to watch out for in Tradewinds:

100k novel means much tighter pacing and prose, and often very little time for too much character reflection.

Possibly not as much character exploration as people are used to from me (though there's still some!)

More plotting

Less smut, and the smut is also more 'vanilla' than what I normally write, because at the time I was a lot more wary about putting BDSM into the market. There are power dynamics though (i.e. a vibe where one character 'feels' more submissive to the other)

Robust scene-setting (i.e. description, place, anchoring)

Lively dialogue

I actually think I was probably a better literary writer back in the 00s but it wasn't much fun for me. I quit writing for a while and then picked it back up again to write fanfiction, which was easier and more relaxed for me. (And still is! The Ice Plague is an exception to that because it had more robust plotting and was structure more...formally.)

I honestly think writing gets easier or harder depending on the project and writing style involved.

Some writing gets easier with time, some doesn't. Sometimes that will flip or switch. Sometimes one thing is easy for years and then becomes harder with certain stories.

It was Gene Wolfe who said:

"You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you're writing."

And yeah, I tend to believe for the most part that's true with how hard or easy something is. How ambitious a project is, its genre, its length, its complexity can all play into that.

I pick easier projects as my main projects right now, but I have hard projects coming up too!

I would say overall writing does become "easier" in the sense that foundational skills become second nature (I know how to build a character and their dialogue now without thinking about it, and while there's always more to learn, I can now start in a place of just knowing how to do that instead of knowing I need to learn how to do that), but that the stories themselves will still pose unique challenges to a writer.

Er so TL;DR yes writing for me is easier but I'm choosing easier things to write, and sometimes it's still very hard!!!

[bg-brainrot]

Sooooo curious as to your writing process. What is it like ? How do you come up with plot points ? Or how do you decide one idea is better than another ? Where do you find inspiration ? Sorry for so many questions !

Hello Anon! No need to apologize, these are all awesome questions ✨✨ thanks for asking them!

This is going to be a long one, so a quick read more...

I'm actually going to answer them out of order, so I hope you don't mind!

A quick disclaimer: this is just how my brain approaches it, but everyone is different! Also I'm a fanfic writer doing this in my free time, none of this is professional advice or anything so take it with a grain of salt.

Where do you find inspiration?

I am one of those people who cannot stop reading, writing, watching, listening, etc. because if I'm left alone with my thoughts for too long nothing good will come of it lol. So I am constantly, constantly doing something, usually two things if I can (writing and listening to music, working out and reading webtoons, playing games and listening to audio books, playing D&D and doodling, embroidery and watching TV, the list goes on). So, to answer your question: everywhere!

Every thing I do, even if I ended up hated it, is such great inspiration to draw from. If I were to give a few things extra props, I would say D&D is phenomenal experience in putting yourself in various characters shoes and learning how to react, and webtoons are great for tropes/subverting them as well as pacing (both good and bad hah). Edit to add: Anime. I've mentioned I based my fic's arcs on anime arcs and completely forgot to list it-- very key to my inspiration!

Also lots and lots of hobbies and I will always try anything once. I've rock climbed, I've crocheted, I've done pottery, I've lockpicked (for real), I've danced, I've metal worked, I've done martial arts, etc. ADHD helps with this one 😅

Real life experiences are super helpful, but it's kind of harder to pinpoint how those are inspirational, they just kind of are.

How do you come up with plot points?

I think I once vaguely mentioned that writing BG3 fanfic feels like playing solo D&D. And that's basically how I approach plot points!

So rather than like, this happens then this happens, I look at it as if I have a framework of what I would like to happen, with certain beats that need to be met, but then I just kind of let the characters roleplay that out. Sometimes it leads to things I wasn't expecting, sometimes I need to pivot like a DM with an unruly party lol. But, since I'm working with a framework, it's usually really easy to write around the characters' choices.

For the framework itself, I usually just have a vague idea that I try to poke holes into until it turns into something bigger. So like, "reincarnation story" -> how long are they dead? Is that long enough to be impactful? Why do they care about their previous life? In what ways can they pick up from where they left off and in what ways can't they?

I do the same with one-shots to be honest: "proposing to Astarion" -> who would be involved and how? How would Tav's behavior change? How would Astarion interpret that? How would Tav react to him and pivot?

It's just a lot of questions 😂

How do you decide one idea is better than another?

This is kind of tough to do, and not always a conscious choice I'd say, but roughly two factors:

1. Is this true to the character? Which idea am I more likely to go 'oh yes, he would absolutely do that'? And if they both seem equally likely, which idea would lead to the character experiencing more growth or more actual challenge?

2. Do I like it? Honestly, the most important one for someone like me with ADHD. Because if I don't like it, it won't get written lol. If I like two ideas, but one of them is pulling me toward it with half written dialogue and full on scenes playing in my head, I know which one I'll pick every time.

What is your writing process like?

With all of the above said, my writing process is kind of all over the place. But a very, very rough outline, using one of the one-shots rotting in my drafts as an example...

First comes the idea. Ex: 'Tav and Astarion sparring early game'

Then comes a rough framework. Ex: you're sparring with a party member -> Astarion is watching, amused -> you convince him to spar you somehow -> sparring happens -> Astarion is impressed, intrigued

Then usually comes dialogue (though admittedly sometimes this comes first hah), because I like to build around the decisions they make. Ex: "Oh my dear, surely you can do better than that!" -> first thing I wrote for the fic. Kind of sets the mood, the tone.

Then I kind of write whichever scenes either need to be added to help me understand where the story is going or I add the scenes I want to write (knowing that's a dangerous game, since I might lose interest if all the fun is done upfront).

Once I'm done writing, I reread it once for typos, flow issues, inconsistencies and the like. If I read it too many times I start to overanalyze it, so I try to just release it into the world before that happens lol.

A few added steps that don't always happen:

If I get stuck on a scene: I read the sections leading up to it out loud, hoping my mouth will just fill in the rest (works out a lot of the time 😂)

If I don't like the way the dialogue sounds: I put on my best Astarion and Tav accents and act it out. Usually helps me figure it out or at least catch where it's snagging.

If I think something a character does just isn't making sense: 'ugh, that's ridiculous, why would you do that?' -> usually it means I either didn't set the scene up right, didn't give it enough background or context, or I'm not understanding the motivations enough-- all of which I need to go back and flesh out more.

If I don't like what I'm writing anymore: deadly for a brain like mine, really, but I've found ways around it pretty well. First, reread the fic! I usually want to know what happens next and my brain will kick back into high gear. Then listen to a song that evokes the feel I want from the fic. Sometimes I'll listen to it on repeat as I'm driving, doing dishes, playing a game. Like it's infusing into me lol. And if neither of those work, I try to give myself a challenge. Like, write a sentence and see if I can make it fit into the fic -- it doesn't actually need to go into the final version, but the challenge is what gets me up and going.

Anyway! That was a whole lot. I hope some of it was helpful, and most of it made sense hah. Again, thanks so much for the question anon! I love answering these ❤️

[choijesoo]

Noragami Fic Recs (Finally)

This took longer than I meant for it to take, I've just been so tired, and honestly been using all my free time working on art trades (which I'm not complaining about at all, I've been loving it), so this got stuck on the back burner while I looked around for what fics I wanted to put on this list, I only have 3 this time compared to last time, but please check these out if you're a Noragami fan looking for a great read (and remember to leave some feedback when you do if you like them)! These first two fics are both Yukine-Yato based fics, revolving around Yukine's fear of the dark/his nightmares, and Yato helping him work through it.

So, more angsty, hurt/comfort type of fics.

'i will leave the light on' by frogsarefriends on AO3:

A fast paced, dialogue heavy fic under 2k words that is an absolute breeze to get through. Balancing just the right amount of dialogue and physical description, making for a fic that grips you by your hearstrings for the brief moment you experience it, leaving you wanting nothing more than it offers. Probably my favorite of this list.

'The night is dark, but I chose not to be afraid' by mrs_bluesky on AO3:

This story spends a little more time delving into Yukine's psyche, and really establishing his fear of the dark and it's escalation the longer he is in it. It really pulls you into a place of anxiety and has wonderful way of playing with spacing that really helps control your reading pace. And another wonderful characterization of Yukine and Yato's relationship as surrogate father and son, balancing well their usual back and forth with a moment of wholeheartedness that allows them to be true to themselves.

Now, this last one will be just the pick me up anyone will need after reading those last two.

'This Christmas' by Norakami on AO3 is a sweet, fun fic about Yukine and Hiyori shopping for a Christmas present for Yato. But that really is just the beginning, Yato, Yukine, and Hiyori all get to have their own moments together. And while this is the longest fic on the list, it was such a feel good read, it brings you right back into the spirit of holiday cheer and makes you in no rush to find the end. Each scene comes to the next in just the right amount of time, and no moment is every dragged on too long, you're coming along for the ride the whole time happily, I know I sure did.

Of course, more of my thoughts are left in the comments of these fics under my AO3 Onnecent_don0. Feel free to send any series recommendations for future fic recs, or wait around until the next poll releases!

[seaweedbraens]

Yoyoyo i just reread wcwsthwas for the sixth time, in 7.5 hours, and i wanted to ask about your writing process. I think the thing that makes your fics incredibly special and high-quality is the fact you have a very high skill level for natural writing and dialogue.

Reading your fics genuinely feels like i’m reading a Riordan novel, but with even better pacing and emotional writing. The only thing riordan can do better is fight scenes. And he’s a massively talented and accredited author who makes millions from his books. You are a fanfic writer. It should not be close.

I wanted to ask if you use any references or have any inspiration for the way you write dialogue? Because it’s incredibly natural and well done.

THE SIXTH TIME SDFGHHJKL i snorted

anyway you hit the nail on the head! i've always been insecure about how i can't write pretty. d'ya know what i mean? i can't do lovely pretty descriptive metaphorical writing that just makes you think wow. but i do pay a lot of attention, like you said EXACTLY, to my dialogue and emotional writing.

for my emotional writing, i think that comes from being very introspective and attuned to my emotions myself. i'm an emotional person and it's taken me many years to really fully understand how i process things and how i function. i have had a lot of complex relationships with people who, while still close to me, are completely opposite to me in terms of how they process stuff themselves. percy and annabeth dealing with their emotions so differently in wcwsthwas is directly from me and my ex boyfriend: i'm very much like percy, and he's like annabeth in the sense that he needs to take a step back to really think about things before he acts on it. a lot of how i feel about friendships and love i've given to leo, and a lot of how i feel about my own culture was given to piper and frank. someone asked me this recently, but i've based piper on a bunch of my best friends, so that's probably why she comes off the way she does in my fic.

draw on your own emotions and experiences when you're writing a scene! emotions are complex and interesting. try to think about how you'd react, or try putting yourself into the shoes of that character. i also do a lot of observation about myself and other people around me. i see how people react to things, and how it shows up on their faces or hands or whatever. that helps me a lot while i'm writing.

for dialogue, i have no clue, honestly. i try to keep it simple as far as i can, i think. nobody's grandiose with their speech in real life (or maybe they are, and i hang out with a bunch of degenerates). i think i overuse the dashes in my dialogue (—) but that kind of stuff is important to me, because nobody's usually just rattling off a big speech in a single breath. there's always some hesitation, people talking over each other, stuff like that, punctuated by glances or gestures. try to play your dialogue in your head like it's a movie. keep it natural, and see how it would play out. for fics like ''cause you've been sinning in this city' i literally did not even attempt to have any dialogue make sense. when i'm talking to my friends, half the shit we say is just inside jokes that would not make a shred of sense to anyone else. stuff like that works too!

this reply turned into an ESSAY but the tl;dr is to keep it simple, write what you know, and trust your gut! but that being said, you don't have to be great at these things to be an awesome writer. i figured out my strengths as a writer the more i wrote, and you will, too. hey, you could be one of those writers who write all pretty that i so envy.

you always ask wonderful questions and ily for that!! also thank you sm for your support. i'd tell you to stop wasting ALMOST 8 HOURS rereading my stupid fic but i know you won't listen dfghjkldjn

i hope this helped a lil bit!

[hamausagi]

omfggg jake your critique on the omori manga was SO GOOD i agree with everything. i read it on twt bc the platform it was officially released on isn't available in my country and i was like 😦❓️warning long ass yap ahead, you don't have to reply to this AKDKSKD i just wanted to say ur post hit all the points i was thinking of as well

i was sososo excited for the manga when it was announced, and now that i read it im kinda like. Hm. the art style is gorgeous, but 100% agreed on the way they depicted the characters in the real world because they look so young 😭 like wtf aubrey is supposed to look intimidating when the player first meets her [as a stark contrast to her headspace personality] but then she lirerally looks 12 (like you said) 💀 also this might just be a me thing but i always imagined that sunny would be very expressionless in the real world until the end of the game, like how he has the neutral sprite the entire time until he finally looks scared in the basil fight & cries in the hidden ending cutscene. but the sunny in the manga feels so grounded and human (which might sound like an insane thing to say but hear me out), which i feel kinda undermines the fact that he's disassociating like 99% of the time and also has not been outside + talked to ppl in literal years. it deadass looks like him and kel going out is a regular occurrence for him 🕴

AND THE PACING AUGHHSKWKKDA IT MAKES ME SO MAD 😭😭😭 the entire first chapter is so disorganised and clunky it makes zero sense unless you have alrdy played the entire game. i kept rereading bc it felt like everything was happening so fast and i was wondering if i missed panels 💀 it felt like they couldn't decide what approach the manga should take, like whether it should be a horror story or one abt friendship when the beauty of omori is that it blends both of those (in extremely nuanced ways) so seamlessly. there's like random ass jumpscare panels that don't even make sense and why the fuck is the headspace sequence at the end 😭😭😭???!(£&+(£&@(*£ that's supposed to be the prologue!!!!!!! before we meet everyone irl!!!

as for characterisation i genuinely dk wtf was going on 😭 aubrey whacking basil with the bat was so crazy i was like HUH??? and then sunny just fucking slashed her 😭⁉️ it makes them seem absolutely deranged bc there's zero context, and the whole point of sunny attacking aubrey is to show the player that it still hasn't clicked for him that he's in the real world now and he can't just use a fucking knife on people 💀 also the fact that in game it's depicted as a battle cutscene, once again showing how detached he is from reality. connecting back to my earlier point abt how he seems so grounded here, in the manga it looks like he just purposefully decided to stab aubrey when that isn't something he'd do at all?!?!?!

but okay ill shut up here, omfg im so sorry i yapped so much 💀 a Lot of thoughts abt this manga fr,,, honestly disappointed and definitely would not recommend it to fans or non-fans 😭

YES. OMG. QUILL YOU GET IT !!!!! IM SO SO GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND I 10000% AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID

AND DONT APOLOGIZE FOR YAPPING I MISS YAPPING ABT OMORI WITH YOU SO BADDDDDD 😭😭😭

i also really like the artstyle, i think its very well drawn ESPECIALLY the horror elements but yeah, the style just doesn't super scream OMORI to me..... if yk what i mean 😭 AND I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOURE SAYING ABT SUNNY'S EXPRESSION. he has WAY too much emotion and i wish i thought to touch on that in my essay (lol) but seriously yeah. i'm SO glad they left him as a silent protag, but my god. to me in the game he's always been really emotionless since we literally NEVER see anything besides his sprite (unless in battle, but im not counting that rn bc its a lot different than the dialogue facecards we get for other characters) but that super duper bothered me as well IT REALLY DOES FEEL LIKE HE JUST GOES OUT WITH KEL ALL THE TIME LIKE DAWG THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE SUN HAS TOUCHED U IN 4 YEARS. BSFR

the pacing is RIDICULOUSLY clunky and weird AND YEAH ME TOO I ALSO KEPT TRYING TO GO BACK AND SEE IF I MISSED STUFF ??? like there was just so much happening on each page and it was so goddamn fast that i was literally like "whoa" YKWIM ?? like specifically that one panel i put in my post where he randomly went up to the bathroom just to open the door, see Something, and then suddenly leave but also there is barely ANY context as to why he's suddenly up at the bathroom ?? like obvi WE know bc we played that but in game the screen got all wobbly when we needed to throw up the steak but in the manga its like wtf is going on ???

ANF UAGGHGGHSB I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON ABT THE CHARACTERIZATION BRO. the whole last few pages were absolute DOGWATER bc it literally makes them look just weirdly violent with NO context bc its exactly like you said, SUNNY DOESNT KNOW. the whole point of that first battle was to show how detached sunny is from real life. he doesn't realize that slashing her with a knife is going to have real consequences. AND THE BEST PART ABT THE GAME IS THAT NEITHER DOES THE PLAYER !!!! we forget after hours and hours of headspace (AND using sunny's knife attack as a primary damage dealer, MIGHT I ADD) HAS REAL DANGERS AND CONSEQUENCES. like theres SOOO much cool storytelling there and it's all lost on the manga bc theres just no baseline for the reader to be like whoaaaa thats WEIRD. bc my first impression upon seeing aubrey, as was most likely yours and all the other players, was WHAT THE HELL. but the ruined her in the manga. i can literally go on and on about this forever and ever

[des-no9]

Just finished reading In The Rain, and when I tell you I weeped... 💙 That absolutely fucking gorgeous, heart breaking, heart soothing, hilarious (I swear, I love your sense of humor) signature writing of yours still has my very house trembling from how loud I reacted on the journey. It's like I was actually playing BG3, you get the canon characters and their many flavors, and your original ones know how to establish theirs with such confidence. I devoured these 10,500 words, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. There is no ache like reaching the end of a good piece of writing, even when you know all good things have a pause, an end, and this one was most satisfying. It's not just skin and leather this fight and fuck shed, it was lies, masks, and that kind of symbolism has me weak. Your writing is overflowing with characterization, and I don't just mean this snappy, so fucking real dialogue that makes me feel a part of the scenery, I mean I found myself thinking like Vanquish through pacing itself. When she accidentally revealed Emp, my brain somehow brushed over the word "illithid" because of the urgency, the speed at which she blurts it out. I basically made the same mistake as she did. I wouldn't have it any other way, it made the escalation even more powerful and harsh. There is so much to comment on and quote I could praise for hours, so I'll focus on the second thing that really had me, and it's how they connect over Caiphon, the link to Voss' sword. It's something so intimate, a moment where two become one through a curiosity driven conversation alone. It really seals their relationship beyond just something physical (though physical relationships are beautiful, do not get it twisted), almost feels like they were always meant to be. I just... Fuck they make me so ill (positive statement). No such a thing as enough Van/Voss in this world. They make me feel so many things, but I think the consensus is they make me damn happy. Thank you as always for sharing your blood and tears (writing haha) with us. 💙

I swear I've read this just....so many times I can't count. Thank you so much love. I can't even begin to express how much it means to me how much this fic and Vanquish and Voss' relationship connects with you and how much you enjoy it.

I was especially touched when you said you enjoy my humour because I always think I'm not funny at all dkjdfj and that I struggle with humour. So I'm really glad my attempts at it come across well.

And I long realised when I started writing seriously that I wasn't like....much of a long form plot writer, but more of a character writer. Short form, moments, character study, emotion. I'm really, just so really happy you enjoy it augh. And the dialogue!!! That is also something I've struggled with a LOT and I've put a lot of work into. It's been really nice to see improvement honestly <33 and feel the characters come through more in the dialogue.

OKay okay so I'm going to ramble some more about Vanquish, Voss, his Silver Sword and Caiphon under the cut a bit sldkfjsdf

AHHH THANK YOU LOVE I'm SO HAPPY you liked that. Like....when I've been reading up on lore about Caiphon, the Far Realms, Silver Swords, the Living Gate and then I was like......fuck they're all kind of connected in a way aren't they? And I just....ran with it LOL

I took what little there was and just expanded. Voss and the githyanki are connected in ways to the illithid and their past in negative ways, but ways that push them forward away from it too. To become something else that shape them into their own people their own voice and power (while re-creating that cycle of violence...anyway LOL)

And for Vanquish, she is so devastatingly (from her past etc) connected to Caiphon and Y'chak in several ways, but also makes it into something that is useful and good (to her) and powerful and hers, where the lines blur for her that she essentially carries a piece of the Far Realms and these Elder Evils within her flesh and blood until she's dead.

I wanted to kind of reflect how thye're both connected to things in pain and the veins of it kind of lead to the same destination (all roads lead to Rome kinda thing idk idk), but for this connection between them now, it is positive, mostly.

New things, anyway. They are both moving forward. Changing. That, is the important thing. Growth and connection together, through chaos and pain.

Maybe they were always meant to be :3 (they also make me SICK HAHA SICKKJDHFSDF)

thank you again so much my love <333 thank you

[sunsetcurbed]

20 Questions

Saw someone do this and gave an open tag and I'm bored at work so guess what I'm doing.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 28

2. Whats your total AO3 word count? 538,006

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently, Julie and the Phantoms and Bridgerton. In the past I've also written Harry Potter (obligatory fuck JKR), 9-1-1, Teen Wolf, etc.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

don't you know you've got the best of me? - 6,314

so just give me one more night - 2,606

every piece of you (it just fits perfectly) - 1,188

and even better, i get to be the other half of you - 770

i didn't wanna believe that i could lose you - 750

5. Do you respond to comments? Unfortunately, not typically. I used to, but I was putting so much effort in to responding and it just took a lot out of me.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hands down don't you know you've got the best of me?. I strongly believe in HEA and all my fics will have one, however, dykygtbom is more of a bittersweet ending?? It's still a happy ending, but there's a lot of darkness in there as well.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? ... All of them?? As I said, HEA is my thing, and I don't really skimp on them. If you pressed me for an answer, I'd probably say give me something to hold on to, SOLELY because we see some of the happy ending that is simply implied in others. Like, we see the proposal, the wedding, their kids, etc. So probably that one, but like. My other fics don't not have a happy ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I've gotten exactly one comment that I'd classify as a "hate" comment, but I've seen people hate on my fics in other places outside of my comments. So like... yes but no?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do not! If I want to indicate a sex scene, it will be a fade to black.

10. Do you write crossovers? I do not! It's nothing I'm against and I won't say I'll never write one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes, a few times. Mostly people reposting my fics onto WattPad.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Someone recently asked if they could translate dykygtbom! So in process, I guess?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Once! life is not a love song we can try I also haven't technically co-written with them, but @willexmagic and @hufflebibin have been involved in a lot of plotting for my more recent Willex fics, like mob au.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? This question is illegal actually, didn't you know? Top 5 are:

Penelope/Colin (Bridgerton)

Fred/Hermione (Harry Potter (obligatory fuck JKR))

Willie/Alex (Julie and the Phantoms)

Ben/Leslie (Parks & Rec)

Percy/Annabeth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

And it was hard narrowing it down to those. :( Also yes I am a friends to lovers truther.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will? Honestly... it depends? Right now I'd probably say MLB au for Willex. I want to finish that so badly, but I just haven't had the steam for it. There are other Willex fics I'll definitely be finishing—mechanic au, mob au, etc—but MLB au is just so long, so I'll just have to see how it plays out.

16. What are your writing strengths? Texting. /j (No but actually the amount of comments I have gotten in my fics that have complimented the texting/soc med elements that I include is actually really cool.) I'm often told I'm good at characterization and voices!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I feel like I can really struggle with pacing. Also knowing where to put hands.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Have you ever read Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter? They sometimes speak different languages in those books, but the internal thoughts translate for you. Not like word for word, but like, say someone asked "What did you do on summer vacation?" the internal monologue would kind of paraphrase that and while you might not know exactly what was said, you're given insight into what is being said. I rarely use different languages, but when I do, that's the technique I use.

19. First fandom you wrote for? The fics no longer exist, but Maximum Ride. Yeah, I've been around the block a few times.

20. Favorite fic you've written? give me something to hold on to. It's my most honest, real, human fic. So much went into that fic and it's the one I'm most proud of.

Tagging anyone and everyone who wants to do this!

[daekie]

so...... ⚾ Blaseball, huh?

see the thing with putting all my work in a one-last-hurrah message in the fanwork channel is that i don't have enough characters left to talk about almost anything else. so INSTEAD here's a masterpost of my work i guess!

and it's all of the eyes on the way it's going

There was something... there was something they were supposed to say. Something they were meant to carry through the rift. Some information Wyatt Mason wanted to hold close to their chest, because it could change everything, if they just - but there’s nothing there except the same crackling static that would make them jump, if they felt alive enough for that. Wyatt Mason III was pulled through the Rift. Wyatt Mason III Localized into the Georgias' lineup.

2938 words, 1 chapter. Written before I actually had any real feelings or opinions on that wet little guy (said with immense fondness) & the first real piece of writing I did for Blaseball. I think I've gotten a lot better since this, but it's not bad, and I'm still pretty proud of the workskin I made for it.

for you, home is a cemetery

The light shining overhead casts everything in dangerous gold, and the players standing in perfect rank and file are no better and no safer: the Aequitas Representatives, here to take the challenge proposed by the Seattle Garages, here to remind a pesky little team what their place is and how foolish it is to fight a god. 6x200 snapshots of those terrible, brittle years, smothered and kept and preserved under a god's thumb for her purposes and her purposes alone.

1200 words (6x200), 1 chapter. AO3 says it's 1201 but it's lying I think. The Wyatts Mason, in a world where the Coin arranged their Localization and corporate drone teenagers scare the living shit out of me; inspired by @zayphora's original Aequitas AU.

you'll lead all your friends like lemmings to a slaughter

Season 14, Day 86. Wy█tt M██on III Ech█ed █yatt Mas██ ███ — ECHO Wyatt Mason III STATIC ECHO Wyatt Mason VIII STATIC

3387 words, 1 chapter. The aftermath of and it's all of the eyes on the way it's going. Wyatt Mason III Three hasn't even picked an actual name yet besides 'not Wyatt', and they've only been alive for fourteen days, but they know they're not walking off that field at the end of this game. Written after I'd been playing them on Twitter for some time, so it's a lot more consistent with a lot of things!

i'm no ghost, no fool

The first thing David Gray needs you to know is that their name is not David Gray. (is this worth crying for? is stepping up to bat worth dying for?)

2852 words, 1 chapter. Dialogue-only. In a Short Circuits world, Atlantis Georgias shadows player David Gray has some things they need to get off their chest, and a Fan's the only person who can hear them say it (literally). Good thing they can spot a Fan at a hundred paces.

a short list of stars that died this year (or: i’m screaming every requiem i know at the suns)

i’m screaming every requiem i know at the suns & someone is singing a mourning song. Nagomi Nava reflects, after the end of the world.

6967 words, 2 chapters. Written as part of the Sunbeams' 2022 Solstice exchange for orionexperiment#0951. Nagomi Nava experiences the Semi-Centennial, makes an odd friend in Tillman Henderson while she's at it, and makes her way through Season 24 and the end of the universe. This thing fucking rocks honestly, I don't even think it reads too well but I'm incredibly proud of it still.

radio station 19.14

11666 words spread across two fics. Written for the Tokyo Lift Fic Exchange. Jessica Telephone Voicemail and Wyatt Mason (Season 14 birth) Jasmine Mason have a midnight talk about not being that person you took your name and face from, and what it means to be you, and the team that loved a girl they barely even got to know. Fics can be read in any order. Includes:

the only way i know how to say sorry is "better luck next time"

One day, in the static she hears every time she picks up a phone, she hears a voice. The voice doesn’t sound like Jessica Telephone. If it did, she’d put the phone down immediately; deals like the kind Jessica made can’t really be taken back, but that was a determined girl, and she’d make a determined haunt, too. But it doesn’t sound like her voice, or her own, or otherwise. It sounds like a teenage girl. Jessica Telephone isn’t the only girl here who might as well be someone else's ghost.

5533 words, 1 chapter. I tagged this with Minor Parasocial Relationships / alt jess is weird about jessica. its parasocial its antagonistic its envious its Really Something / JESSICA ISNT EVEN HERE GIRL. WHAT ARE YOU HUNG UP ON and I stand by that. This is Jessica Voicemail's side of the conversation!

my theologies strewn out in the dark

At least she herself was able to say that’s not me, that’s my name, that’s not me, I want to be something else. She doesn’t think Jessica has said that, or maybe even thought it to herself; who wouldn’t want to be Jessica Telephone? From the outside, wouldn’t it be a gift, to live a life so rich? (Wouldn’t it be a gift, to be a splinter of a god who saw everything but never saw it coming? It always looks better from the outside.) Jessica Telephone isn’t the only girl here who might as well be someone else’s ghost: or, what that looks like from another camera angle: or, hey, who decides what the real Ship of Theseus is, anyway?

6133 words, 1 chapter. Jasmine's side of the conversation. Eldest daughter syndrome applies even if you're a weird sound ghost and Jas has got it bad. When she can't do anything, why would she ever let herself do anything less than as much as possible?

spinning on this infinite road

a collection of fics written for the game band's blasetober 2022 prompts, all written as 12x100s.

8675ish words, 6 chapters. Covers prompts THE BOOK, CERTIFIED BLASEBALL MOMENT, BIRDS, PEANUTS, A BLESSING, A CURSE, and PARKER.

oh, it's time for another vendetta

This is a body he hasn’t known since before the PODS. This is a body he had no say in leaving behind. This is a body that is his and is not his. York doesn’t know he’s crying until he feels the heat on his face. or: york silk backslides on his mental health recovery, because who ever put 'being eight years old again' in their twelve-step plan?

1628 words, 1 chapter. Set in Sonder's Salmon & Snake AU, where post-S24 the League resets back to S1 but with randomized rosters, and the only players who remember the original timeline are Hall Stars and Legends.

I've also done some ficlets from ask memes -- York Silk's protagonist halo & the vault's heel population, and Trip Mason & Jaybot and accepting the fact things won't get better. And I roleplay(ed) Wyatt Mason III & Siobhan Chark on Twitter!

Non-fanfic stuff I've made includes the following (it's 99% community-billboard stuff):

Everything on this I can back up except putting the Wyatts and Wyatt Prime on separate levels.

(at some point i WILL make a final version of this; this one doesn't include s24 + short circuits i think. but. yknow. it is what it is.)

mock takeovers for fan-entities the Archivist (the first two) & the Catalyst (the third one)

propaganda for early expansion era -- i think this is s13-s14?

late expansion era propaganda. the second one isn't even a good edit but i still think it's funny.

propaganda for short circuits. we could've been the atlantis peanuts.... i wanted it so bad

& some coronation era propaganda. very happy with that first knight ump one.

...and then i also did some playlists (raw meat, static echo)...

and during coronation, i drew my design for mckinney vaughan...

...and i did a moodboard for MaX (Wyatt Mason X)...

oh yeah and I also did text post memes. first set, second set, third set, georgias set.

it's been a good run, yall! onwards to whatever comes next. (& ofc i'll still be blaseballing -- i'll probably be playing around in this setting forever and ever.)