#i am the most indecisive writer

[firawren]

Me editing my writing:

I have two versions of this paragraph that I need to decide between. Let's read them over and decide which one is better, delete the other one, and move on.

*30 minutes later*

I now have four versions of this paragraph.

[kentofic]

i will finish this nanami fic i will finish this nanami fic i WILL finish this nanami fic 🫠

[utilitycaster]

Do you think this new option could lead to a break up in the party and some of the characters leaving the group? Because I can't see everyone agreeing that this is the best solution, but I also think Ashton is stubborn enough to refuse to consider anything else

This is going to be a very long answer for what is a pretty short question that could be answered in one sentence, and here's why.

I've gotten a lot of questions in the past week or so that are specifically asking me what I think the future will be - for campaign 3, and for Critical Role generally. And I've gotten a little frustrated by them, which is somewhat uncharacteristic of me because I love having opinions, but the fact is, I don't know and I don't even have strong opinions. So I dug into that, and why people might be asking these things more than usual, and I really think it's because the narrative of this campaign is so constantly under threat of derailment or going in the same old circles that pretty much anyone in the fandom with any sense of narrative structure, and what makes for a well-crafted story is like "so...what's happening." Which is translating as coming to me, a person who is very good at sounding confident and knowledgeable.

I do not fucking know. I share this frustration, and I cannot be the person to clear it up. i am not even the best at narrative or analysis in this fandom; as I pretty frequently state I took the hard STEM option with regards to my education so while I read a lot and have a pretty good sense for the lay person, there are actual like, trained and published writers. For what it's worth several of them are my mutuals and while I'm not putting the rest of this post on them I do feel safe saying they agree that the lack of narrative direction is at the heart of most people's frustrations with this campaign, even if they enjoy the characters. But getting back to the point, I do not know.

Here's where I stand on the actual plot before I go back to the bigger picture. I think that unless Bells Hells decide on their course of action pretty quickly, no ending will really feel satisfying due to that sense of directionlessness - and there are arguments for Bells Hells to take either the Arch Heart or the Accord's plan, though I think the Accord's is far superior, but they need to pick one.

Because of the ongoing issues with this party lacking perspectives that tied in well to this story and having to hinge everything on either one singular interpretation of one single instance in extraordinary circumstances (eg: Dorian), or stuff that feels, as I've said before, retconned, I have generally been extremely amenable to Bells Hells losing party members either through a split or through character deaths. This is not out of any sort of vindictiveness or dislike of characters, but just a hope that now that they know the vibe, the cast will make a character who has a perspective that is relevant to the story (which, FCG is not an ideal example because they happened to be the character who had perhaps best grown from their original concept to fit into the themes of this campaign, but Braius obviously is a very strong character informed by the story as well). I also think that a lot of the indecisiveness is part of the characters' various natures and that will also be a factor, especially since a new character can be both decisive, have a clear point of view, and be a lot more comfortable pissing off the rest of the party to assert it. So: if Bells Hells as they currently stand can decide what to do quickly, no need to break up! But if they can't, yeah, it would be to their and the story's benefit to do so. That's before we get into, for example, the sacrifice required from specifically Imogen or Fearne for the Arch Heart's plan; Ashton is not the one who has to risk their own autonomy for the rest of eternity. They might die in battle, but they will not become a husk housing an ancient hunger. I think the people who might have to do so get to decide.

Now: it may seem counterintuitive to demand a clear direction from a TTRPG, when part of the appeal is that we don't know how it will end, but the thing is, with the past campaigns, we did not know if the party would succeed but we knew that they wanted to do. Vox Machina could have fallen to Vecna but we always knew they were going to fight Vecna. The Mighty Nein's decisions not to get involved with the war are not indecision but rather a very clear decision (do not get involved). Their later reversal of that decision similarly follows from who they are and the richness of their pasts.

Bells Hells does not have that, and the endless circular conversations are both circular in game and a vicious cycle out of it; because we've always been focused on this plot from very early on and because the characters were not developed as strongly, we have a lot of very indecisive people who are too trapped in this crisis to develop and become decisive. In a way, it feels like Matt's been something like the Arch Heart here: saying "oh, THIS would be interesting, I wonder what will happen" at everything when it's like "ok but consequences are like, important, and maybe you should let things play out. I mean, two cycles isn't great but it is still only two; maybe you should actually let your children/players figure this out, even if it doesn't fit your idea of what should happen, instead of throwing yet another new thing at them."

So: I don't know and I don't have answers about Campaign 3 events at this point because, again, as someone who has a pretty good sense of what makes for a satisfying narrative, it has frequently subverted those requirements (which, to be clear, is bad - it's not genre subversion or a masterful play on expectations, it's subverting actual satisfying narrative beats; as someone said on one of my other posts in not quite so many words, it's like storyline-baiting). I know I tend to present my points with confidence, and I am pretty confident about a lot of things like CR lore and said sense of narrative, but like...maybe this guess on the fandom vibe is incorrect, but I think I'm getting these questions because people are saying "hey, do you know where we're going? I think I am reading this map wrong" to me and I'm here to say "no, you're reading it fine, we've gone off the road and are just kinda crashing through underbrush, and maybe we'll hit another road and continue on that and I can give some insight, but also we might go off a cliff, no way to tell."

[the-brash-spud]

Not gonna lie. The more I look into how they portray Bruce grieving about Jason, the more disappointed I am. They want to hurt him mentally all the time yet won't allow him to go through said mental aggony. It just seems to be so indecisive by the writers.

For example I find the whole thing of Batman wanting to off Joker in his grief and being stopped by Superman as cool and shit, but if they went with that as to why Batman didn't kill Joker then it should have continued for longer.

I mean, I would've loved a small series where Batman is out for blood. As in, he goes out of his way to try to track down the Joker and actually kill him, so all of JL needs to take turns to be on a bat duty. I think it would've been so heavy for us to watch through their eyes just how badly Batman went off kilter with grief, to the point they have to go out of their way to make sure their friend doesn't do something stupid.

Of course, he'd also manage to work around them, or generally when they're not there as everyone has their own lives. So sooner or later, he will definitely have tracked Joker. Let's say that after the initial murder attempt, he tried to do it three times more before stopping completely.

Maybe because Tim showed up or because he went to grief counselling, and as much as he was still heavily grieving (and still being hard on criminals), he doesn't go out of his way to kill Joker and people wanting to associate with him. Maybe that's when Tim showed up? Before, he was too afraid to make Bruce stop with his brutality by threats as then he was just as likely (in Tim's mind) to off him in his quest to avenge, but now (even though still shaking like a wet cold puppy) he could try to make Batman stop with being so hard on criminals. I think it would be a great wake-up call that a child that was afraid of him so much that he was shaking just looking at him but still felt as if they had to do something to stop Batman. Can you imagine the guilt? When you were supposed to give people hope from within the darkness of Gotham but lost your way so much, you were pretty much chocking out that hope and safety of better future? Making a child feel like they had to confront you? I'd imagine that guilt would've been a great narrative block to their relationship if explored further.

Additionally, imagine being a Joker goon at that time of grieving. You're used to having a gun be hit out of your hand with a battarang. That's normal, but this time, it got logged into the wall right by your head? And Batman loudly grunted in anger or however you would describe it. You'd think he was annoyed that he missed, but something is clearly off. The battarang seems a bit too sharp, too much like a knife, and thrown a bit too close to your face to be accidental. And when the sinking feeling of danger really sends in, you're in a whole world of pain before waking up in a hospital, most likely with at least one injury that won't heal fully.

Just saying, the writers fumbled a bit.

[2aceofspades]

Now that we're entering into 2024, I'm asking some artists and writers that I follow:

1) What is the one piece you're most proud of from this past year?

2) What are some pieces that you would have liked more people to see? If you can include links, I'd love to go check them out!

3) What were your top three favorite pieces (art, comics, fics, etc) that someone else has made this past year?

(As always, no pressure to respond! Feel free to just ignore, or let me know if you'd rather I not send you these kinds of asks in the future.)

These questions are getting me thinking oh boy...

1) Okay um...I'll just put my top three here cuz I'm indecisive hehe~

2) Uhm...I guess I don't have any. I'm just on here for fun so I do my best to not care about views and numbers and all that.

3) 1: THIS ASK answered by @/evenmoreofadisaster (it literally rotted my brain for like two weeks straight if not longer gah-/pos)

2: The Jacob's Ladder by @/tapakah0 the story was so so SO well done I am still in AWE

And 3: @/pinetreevillain 's comics in general gah I just love his style so so much

[yourtwistedlies]

❝ women’s hearts are lethal weapons ❞

val ! ✩ she/her ✩ minor ✩ jason grace’s gf (REAL) ✩ speak now obsessed ✩ gracie abrams lovebot ✩ summer baby ✩ certified procrastinator ✩ professional listener ✩ pathological people pleaser ✩ general amaya’s #1 fan ✩ fitz vacker defender ✩ honorary grammar police ✩ kpop stan (mostly ggs) ✩ my moots’ cheerleader ✩ under the illusion i can write ✩ somewhat smart ✩ cabin 13 girl ✩

dni: if you are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, support kill all ___, sexist, 18+ only, religiophobic, creepy, toxic, or literally just a jerk, please leave!

byi: i swear sometimes!! i also adore using cute nicknames and pet names for my moots!! if you don’t feel comfortable w/ that or anything else, please let me know <33

moots - wattpad - ao3 - carrd - follower event (coming soon ⁉️) - save the children!

•̩̩͙⁺ the basics ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

call me valerie/val or twisted!!

she/her, straight (heterosexual), minor (18+ only acc’s please do not follow), 18+ do not interact unless i interact first or we are moots (on my list or to be added- i am the judge of who is to be added), cancer (zodiac, but i don’t believe in them), Christian (i post about it sometimes), << summer baby, entp (mbti), 8w7 (enneagram), ambivert, slytherin, cabin 13, shade (guys i swear i wasn’t trying to be edgy or smth with the past two and this 😭😭 i took the official quizzes i promise lmao), swiftie, kpop fan, staying up writing until 4am gives me life, purple is the best color (this is not up to debate, only yellow even comes close), proud notes app writer, CATS > DOGS (occasionally my verdict changes), bunny lover, chronic platonic sofitzer, i’m either hyperactive or extremely tired (there is no in between), people say im smart, but sometimes i feel like the biggest idiot ever lmao, and ofc dex dizznee’s much needed publicist (my favorite role of mine ever)!!!

•̩̩͙⁺ music ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

taylor swift, olivia rodrigo, sza, conan gray, alicia keys, emei, gracie abrams, maisie peters, sabrina carpenter, laufey, queen riri (rihanna), adele, beabadoobee, tiffany day, le sserafim, ive, newjeans, itzy, nmixx, stay-c, aespa, everglow, txt (baby fan), illit ＆ more kpop, lizzy mcalpine, pheobe bridgers, nessa barrett, pinkpantheress, claire rosinkranz, lyn lapid, alessia cara, reneé rapp, mckenna grace, and more!!

as i hope you can tell, i like a lot of music :)

•̩̩͙⁺ books ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

pjo, hoo, (never read toa, but yes, ik what happens in tbm), the rrverse, kotlc, city spies, ss (spy school), alex rider (not done with rr), the academy for the unbreakable arts,

and my many other fandoms i’ve forgotten about (dead magisterium fandom oop-)

i’ll add more fandoms as i remember them lol

•̩̩͙⁺ ships ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

rayllum, clauderry (stfu they’re adorable), percabeth (otp energy), sokeefe, dexiana, tiana (yes i know im the most indecisive bitch ever shut up you toad /jjjj i actually love u platonically), jason grace x ME (/j but i do love him lol), and more!!

•̩̩͙⁺ blogs ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

side blog: @yourtangledpromises

taylor blog: @iknowplxces (guys this is so abandoned + has my old intro 🤮 ignore this js trust - august 15 2024 val)

and perhaps more?? (muahahaha)

•̩̩͙⁺ side note ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

if you’d like to be added to my moots list, or talk, please tell me (by wonder girls)!!

if we’re moots we’re actually bffs now (you just don’t notice it yet)

if i don’t respond to your ask/tag/rb/literally anything immediately i am not ignoring you!! i’m just lazy or busy and will do it later <33

im your biggest fan btw

1 Corinthians 16:14

with love,

valerie

[strangerthingsreversebigbang]

In case you missed them, here are the first ten works posted from the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang!

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Cover Worthy by @stevesno1simp | Art by @raven-cl

Rating: E

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Original Male Character(s)

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary: Steve has been crushing on rock star Eddie Munson, front man for the popular metal band Corroded Coffin since they made it big. But he never dreamed that landing a job as a photographer at the most popular metal magazine in the world would lead him to a photoshoot with him…

Survival of the Sister by @skepsiss | Art by @ent-is-indecisive

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Max Mayfield

Relationships: Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair

Summary: Max is a young knight who has lost everything to the darkness of the Upside Down. The last thing she can lose is her life. She puts it all on the line to save her family, friends, and Hawkins. Fate has another idea for her as she struggles to recall her happiest memories that will bring her back to life and toward Lucas, who is desperately searching for her. Overall, it is a short, emotional piece about Max fighting back death with sheer willpower and then getting to relish in being reunited with Lucas

Homesteddie Farms by @artaxlivs | Art by @doomcheese

Rating: Teens and Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Max Mayfield, Dustin Henderson

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary : “I thought you were helping me with the morning feeding?”

“Stevie! I am helping!” With his free hand, Eddie motions to the gaggle of animals clamoring for their attention.

“You’re making another Tiktok video. That’s not helping.” Steve sighs but his lips pull up in a hint of a smile.

Jabbing a finger into Steve’s side to make him yelp and skitter away, Eddie taps the record button and grins at the camera on his phone, “Hey-howdy-hey folks! Welcome to another beauuu-ti-ful morning here at Homesteddie Farms! Say hi to the farm fans, Steve.”

Steve huffs a breath, before shaking his head and saying in a fond tone, “Hey farm fans!” Then he grunts out an 'oof' as one of the goats stands up on it’s hind legs, head butts Steve in the thigh and begins to nibble on the raggedy bottom of his cut off overall shorts. “Madmartigan! Get down.”

Echoes of You by @writer-in-theory | Art by @yellowsweater-bluevest

Rating: Teens and Up Audience

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Background Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham

Summary: Five years after leaving Hawkins, Eddie Munson comes home to take care of his Uncle Wayne. He never imagined having to face the ghosts of what he'd left behind.

When you look into the mirror, tell me what you see by @slippy-slip | Art by @cxwzkeys

Rating: Mature

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Nancy Wheeler, Jonthan Byers

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary: Steve moves away but when he comes back to visist, he’s not quite the same. Some cope with changes better than others.

Work it On Out by @lemonlimelights | Art by @chuchayucca

Rating: Teen and Up

Archive Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence -specifcally the aftermath- blood and injury

Characters: Alexei, Joyce Byers, Will Byers, Jonathan Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Nancy Wheeler

Parings: Alexei/Joyce Byers, Minor Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byers, Minor Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler`

Summary: Alexei lives and Joyce can't stop thinking about him. Her kids catch on quick.

Love Sick by @lady-lostmind | Art by @ahhrenata

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary:

Eddie rolls over with a groan. He feels awful. He can’t breath out of his nose, there’s so much pressure in his head he feels like it might explode and his throat feels like he swallowed a cup of razors. He lets out a truly pathetic whimper, the sound catching in his throat as it turns into a cough. He stretches his arm out, feeling around for Steve and is met with cold, empty sheets. He whines again and finally pries his eyes open.

“Stevie?”

I Think of Thee by @house-of-chant | Art by @sunflowerharrington

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Eddie, Chrissy, Gareth, Jeff, Unnamed Freak, Max, Ms O'Donnell

Pairing(s): Eddie Muson/Chrissy Cunningham

Summary: Retaking senior year was not on Eddie's life plan. Neither was retaking Shakespearean Literature. At least Chrissy's in the class this year, though. AU - Eddie and Chrissy were childhood friends.

Do You Think I Have Forgotten (about you?) by StupidWithSteddie | Art by @artbean

Rating: Teens and Up

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s): Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, Gareth (Stranger Things), Unnamed Freak (Stranger Things), Jeff (Stranger Things), Chrissy Cunningham

Relationship(s): Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Summary:

Steve Harrington didn’t know much but he knew one thing — he hated Eddie Munson and he always would.

--

or the battle of the bands au where steve and eddie have a complicated past and they're forced to confront it through the only way they know how - music

The Very First Night by @sourw0lfs | Art by @sunflowerharrington

Rating: Mature

Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Character(s):Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, Gareth (Stranger Things), Jeff (Stranger Things), Unnamed Freak (Stranger Things), Chrissy Cunningham's Father (mentioned), Unnamed Band Manager

Relationship(s): Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham & Corroded Coffin

Summary:

"The rest of their set passes in a blur, some performative instinct Chrissy didn’t even know she had kicking in somewhere between the first and second songs. It leaves her feeling exhilarated, like she could fly if she tried.

Leaving the stage with the rest of the band feels right. Laughing as they walk through backstage to pack away their things again feels right.

Chrissy decides right then and there that she’s made the right choice, even if they never make it further than this.

OR: Five times something almost happens after Chrissy joins Corroded Coffin and one time it does"

---

Stay tuned for more incredible works from the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang!

Schedule | Sign Up | Info | FAQ | Rules | Ask the Mods

[bilightningwhumper]

Question to readers (and writers, since most of us are readers, lol) of fics/stories here on Tumblr:

Trying to figure out how to keep writing after finishing the October prompt events (behind yes, but catching up steadily). I'm debating making a somewhat flexible schedule? Like, I dunno if I can promise weekly or not because I am indecisive and somewhat perfectionist about my stories. But hey, writing something is something, even if I end up changing it later. Still, I wanted to know if it'd even be worth it, so here's another poll, lol

I'll still make somewhat a schedule for myself no matter what, but I also know from past experience that having others bugging me (friendly, not demanding, of course) to write more has always gotten me to not get into a self-destructive/unmotivated spiral.

Anyway, other poll of my new story idea is still up (linked here).

[sneezemonster15]

I wonder why do you think Megumi and Itadori are portrayed as romantic, but not Suguru and Satoru? Sincerely I want to see your thoughts about it, since to me, Satosugu akways appeared as more ambiguous than Itafushi

Ah. You are right, SatoSugu is more ambiguous than Itafushi. But I really want to finish reading the manga, at least the currently available chapters before I write a comparison. I will though. I promise.

But see. A writer needs to establish certain things before he can establish a romantic dynamic between two same sex characters, to make it believable. It needs to be strategic to be believable in a seamless manner. If two men love each other in a generally heteronormative world, then the writer will definitely establish their sexualities because it's an instinctive response, the audience will wanna see it to believe it.

If two characters are gay, or not straight, the writer will show it. And Gege does. He makes Todo ask such a question to Megumi. He makes Megumi think about it. Megumi says - 'person' when he was specifically asked about a girl. Look at the specific choices the writer is making. He says he only cares for compassion in his prospective mate, and what is Yuuji's USP? Compassion. Yep.

Not Nobara.

Yuuji.

Anyway, from that, we are able to glean information about Megumi's sexuality. And it certainly doesn't look straight. This is all very strategic and deliberate. Megumi is characterised as a self assured person, a thoughtful and introspective person, who knows what he likes and dislikes. In fact, if anyone had bothered to ask Sasuke about his preferences, he would have answered similarly, with a similar attitude too. Hehe.

With Itadori, Gege makes it a point to talk about his sexuality as well. So Itadori is shown as a person who is indecisive. Gege describes him as indecisive. Of course if he is made to be in a position where he needs to think, he will. He is a bit slow, but not a complete idiot. He has a decent learning curve.

He likes tall girls, this is what is told to us. But we are SHOWN something else. When he is asked what girl he likes in his class, he says Ozawa, who was neither tall nor pretty at the time. Isn't it contradictory? Didn't we see the same kind of contradiction with Naruto? Like one would have expected a straight boy to react, he didn't. He didn't objectify girls, like most straight teenage boys would do without a second thought. There is so much conversation about what type of girl her likes. But when finally a tall Ozawa comes along, Yuuji isn't interested, not romantically. Todo asks him the same question and he is baffled so he says something he has been saying for a long time.

People get curious but you wouldn't wanna say something private like this to just anyone no? Especially when you are yourself confused about it. Yuuji is also not like Megumi.

So what you are getting from this is Gege is establishing their traits and sexualities without being too explicit. And we know writers can do it, we have seen it with Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto's sexualities are also questioned and established as not straight, not explicitly but it's clear to perceptive fans, no?

There is a lot of other stuff that confirms ItaFushi.

The characters of Yuuji and Megumi are influenced by Naruto and Sasuke, Gege has admitted it. And I am ready to bet that Gege knows what Naruto the story is truly about.

Gojo outwardly seems like Kakashi but he ain't in the most important way, he isn't a slave to the system, he wants to change the obsolete ways of the system, he is the protector of his students, someone who actually understands them. Sasuke and Megumi are quite alike but Megumi doesn't have Sasuke's conflict. Yuuji is like Naruto characterwise, but he doesn't have Naruto's insecurity. Nobara is like Sakura on the surface, hot headed and loud, but at her core, very different from Sakura.

JJK is like Naruto 2.0. I am not saying it's better or worse. They are two different worlds. What I am saying is that Gege is sort of correcting everything that went wrong with Naruto, in his own manga. Things that fans like us hate. There are a lot of notes I have made about this, but I want to finish the manga first before writing in detail.

I updated my stance on SatoSugu when I got a bit more into jjk. But the reason I am not sure is because we don't see their relationship with the same kind of development like Megumi and Yuuji. Yuuta makes a joke about Gojo finally getting a gf, which he dismisses. And I noticed. But we didn't see Gojo and Geto's relationship being developed from the beginning. By the time Amanai incident shows up, we see them as best friends, they are obviously very close. But it really doesn't seem romantic at that point of time. They mirror each other, they roughhouse, they fuck around together and then find out lol, but they really do seem like good friends. However, I noticed some things with grown up Gojo and Geto, which could indicate a romantic attachment.

The markers I need to see to believe Satosugu is definitely a romantic relationship aren't as established as Megumi and Yuuji's relationship. If it's romantic, the writer will give us this information for sure, one way or the other. But there is a lot to be seen yet. Gege's non linear storytelling will certainly come in handy.

[gyusimp]

°•New Gyutaro fic! 🎉

Hello everyone!

Remember thay I told you that I was working on a new Gyutaro fic with many chapters? My plan is to write it completely or at least a good part to post a chapter weekly on AO3 and not have problems of chapter delays, writer's blocks or just plain laziness lol.

Currently, I have written and translated 5 chapters (very long btw 👀) so I am very excited! and that is why my lack of activity here on Tumbl is due. So I want to share a little of the description/synopsis of the fic and tell me your opinion about the title:

Honestly, I love the first one, but my indecisive ass's need to ask everyone is inevitable lol tell me what you think and I hope it excites you as much as I do

[thedevillionaire]

I think you’ve already gotten most of the writer ask questions so please pick three you’d like to answer again or that you haven’t answered already! -w1ngxd

ahh, thank you for the ask! Alrighty, after some time being an indecisive dumbass, I'm going with:

27 - your favorite part of the writing process

I wasn't asked this one but I like it! My favourite part is a successful completion. I'm an inveterate rereader of my own stuff and now I have the thing. A new thing, even thought it's almost certainly a thing that, in my head, I've known for a long time. But now it's not just a concept, it's an actuality. I made it. It exists now. They exist. And I think I may be in a significant minority for this one, but I really like titling things. I get a silly little rush when I hit upon the perfect title lol.

8 - if you had to write a sequel for a fic, you'd write one for...

Cut time!

I was asked this one already but I kind of had a cheat answer to it, in that one of my fics does have an in-progress sequel, and so I said that one, as the obvious choice. But if I had to write one for a fic that doesn't have one underway? Hmm... Probably Ice Cold Emerald, which I know I'd enjoy writing because it's a Cerberus/Aera heavy-on-the-banter situation, and I always find that pretty easy territory to fall into, and it's a surface light-hearted sort of deal...although with some notably angsty undercurrents. All happens way before Kia's in the picture, though, and it's not really a scene that I think of as a prime snzblr possibility. But maybe that one. I know I'd like it, anyway, haha.

And 17 - talk about your writing and editing process, which I also answered in another ask, but there's also this aspect, which happens, um...kind of a lot. me, writing snzfic: is this ridiculous?

also me: ridiculously hot?

writer me: no…just regular ridiculous.

also me: *makes random noises, wanders about* aaaaaaaAAAA

writer me: shut up. stop it. i'm pretty sure this could be ridiculous.

also me: I AM ON FIRE

writer me: yes but that's you, but the people readi...

also me: INCINERATE

me: (later, rereading) This is stupid and I’m not even turned on.

also me: (later the same day, rereading exactly the same thing) FFFFdfghjkhgrgrkk... *can’t function due to horniness*

[pouralaura]

writer interview game

tagged by @pricemarshfield, thank you as always for giving me the opportunity to talk about myself

When did you start writing?

pretty much as soon as I could hold a pencil tbh - I was always the kid who had notebooks full of stories featuring my friends as characters; said friends would always be eager to read my latest updates. I started trying my hand at fanfiction around age 11 or 12, always written in a shitty wide-ruled notebook.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

themes/genres? not really. I write what I want to read. I'd say the biggest difference between what I write and what I read is length - I don't write plot well for more than a couple of chapters. I can do vignettes, shorts, or a few chapters up to 20k words or so and that's as far as the plot part of my brain gets, oops

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

here's a link to my favorite fic of all time. be warned; it's Mad Men stepdad/stepdaughter (very distant, everyone is of age). I've read it a thousand times and it's influenced my writing style so fuckin much. this author writes a lot of stupidly good shit too if you like this one

I don't really get compared to anyone (at least, not to my face) which is fine. I don't know if I want to be.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

it's wherever I am, but mostly at my office desk in our spare bedroom with my rainbow glowy mechanical keyboard and a nice-smelling candle. sometimes I listen to nine inch nails

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

read something else, by someone else. look at somebody else's art. find something that speaks to you in something you didn't do. search for that point of connection, that thing that you feel too, and let it make you think differently about something you've been looking at the same way for a while

also watch a horny tv show or movie that helps too

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

indecision, reluctance, stubbornness, hot old men. this is not surprising to me

What is your reason for writing?

to entertain myself, first and foremost. like I said, I write the stuff I wanna read. and I don't think I had a good reason for writing until I started doing that. I always used to write what I thought I was supposed to write, or what would make my friends ooooh and ahhhh. I guess I still do that to some extent but it's sickos only baby

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I love when someone points out a favorite line. it's usually one that I had in my head for a super long time; one that I wrote first, before anything else. makes me feel Understood

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

as just some guy! because I am! I've made such good friends on the internet from writing my dumb bullshit, please feel free to be one of them! love to chat and share opinions and invent scenarios and what-ifs. I'm also just a thirty-year-old woman sitting in my little house doing my silly little job and it's really fun to meet people who are also doing Exactly That but make time to create in a similar way.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I've been very kindly complimented on this numerous times and I think it's fairly accurate - if I write a character, I take Great Pains to ensure that their voice is accurate. I exploit their flaws for views. (raphael I am talking about you) I make it funnier and sadder until it feels real - or, as real as I can make it in a fantasy setting.

How do you feel about your own writing?

it's better than it's ever been because, again, I am finally writing what I want to read. it's visceral and silly and fun and horny in a way that makes me really proud of myself!

I think all my writer buddies on here have been tagged already, but if I missed you or you wanna participate please feel free!

[tamas-and-the-clowns-sol-left]

Hello, you've made it. You reached the Rubyverse.

What is the Rubyverse, you may ask??

the Rubyverse is an alternate universe for Aiden Thomas' The Sunbearer Duology that I, Tamas, have been creating since August 6th, 2024.

This is going to be more detailed after my small info bit, boundaries, and trigger warnings.

What is the point of this project??

This is my place to add as I wish and have content to my desires. From character pages, headcannons (that are subsequently cannon for this universe), or being my indecisive self, I am using this to express my creative freedom in hopes of finding some audience who cares enough about it

What are the boundaries??

My boundaries aren't designed to be difficult, but if you find them in such way than we are not for eachother's interaction.

I will not tolerate anything NSFW about myself, my characters, my ideas, or my posts in all. I am an asexual guy and my comfortability isn't with that stuff about me or my creations. Every creation of mine has some of me in them.

Feel free to ask questions, but think before you speak. I'll respond as much as I can and when I can, but I am a human, I'm going to be treated as such. Creating and sharing my creations doesn't lessen or add to my humanity and that's something I see many people struggle with.

No discrimination against me or my characters. this includes use of: Slurs, homophobic/transphobic comments, racism, ableism. If you are grown up enough to be on the Internet you should be grown up enough to not discriminate and keep your inside thoughts inside.

Use tone tags for sarcasm and jokes at minimum. I struggle with tone often and take everything at face value especially the less there is for me to analyze. I speak at face value, I don't use jokes or sarcasm without clarification that it is such so others can know. /j means joke and /sar means sarcasm.

What can you expect from this series??

You can expect characters that are more than just beauty standards and stereotypes. I may fall into some tropes or pairing types(such as loser boyfriend x absolutely stunning girlfriend) but my characters all have some sort of difference. They're not all perfect beings.

You can expect many, many spoilers for both The Sunbearer Trials and Celestial Monsters, aka the whole Sunbearer Duology.

You can expect changes to the trials and to the world building. Fear not, I haven't wrecked too much chaos upon this world's setup.

You can expect even more queer and trans characters, as well as some more disabled characters!! Not only do they have a soft spot in my heart, and I find representation largely important, I myself am a disabled queer trans person and love having characters like me.

Be prepared for some art style inconsistency and some writing that will *hopefully* get better over time. I'm not the most beginner of all beginners but I'm definitely not what I'd call a very seasoned artist and writer. (I also use a few different mediums for art, I stick to pencil to paper, watercolor, and digital art more often than not but I still like trying new things and having fun.)

Be prepared to read tags as this gets posted onto Ao3(And ONLY will I post on Ao3) and be prepared to read the trigger/content warnings for any thing I post here, especially writing.

Many things are based off of my own experience!! They may not be your experience, they may never be your experience, quite a few I truly hope aren't amongst anything anyone must experience. However on the flip side of the token coin I have put forth research to make anything and everything that is not written with my own experience is going to be as authentic as I can make it.

What are some trigger and content warnings I can give right off the bat??

For the sake of separation, each one is a bullet list instead of a paragraph, and I added everything planned that is something I think could risk triggering anyone.

Spoilers for all of The Sunbearer Duology!!

Major character death

"Human"(semidiós) sacrifice

Injuries

A character with hypermobility that experiences real struggles (aka not dumbed down to "oh I'm super flexible!!")

depersonalization/dissociation

self put pressure

Symbolization of needing accommodations for a disability and how society will reject or even mock thoes needs and overall will refuse to accommodate without harassment

Forced Assimilation (forcing a culture to rid their culture in order to fit into the other culture)

bullying/discrimination

abuse(parental)(physical and possible mental/emotional)

war and past war of high significance

manipulation/deception

this gets religious seeming as all main characters are dióses and semidióses (gods and demigods) however it is not a place to spread religious beliefs, no matter how good or ill intentioned

unsafe binding

Past self harm/self harm scars/non graphic current self harm

Struggles with eating (Arfid sensory type in specific)

I MUST EMPHASIZE. IF ANY OF THESE MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR YOU, KNOW YOURSELF. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED BY ME NOW, YOU WILL BE WARNED EVERY TIME ANY TRIGGER WARNING IS APPLICABLE. If you choose to skip triggering chapters or sections that's up to you, if you're looking at this and going "oh this may be not for me" feel free to keep scrolling because your health is more important than one more reader will ever be to me.

Welcome to the Rubyverse

In the world there are three godly races, The Golds, the Jades, and the Obsidians.

The Obsidians and their monsters are trapped in the stars, Jade and Golds now are the only Dióses in Rino De Sol. Right??

What if I told you there's one more set of Dióses??

Ruby red blood, the "weakest" of Sol and Tierra's godly children.

Follow eight dióses and their semidios children through their rediscovery, their "grand reveal" to all of humankind.

[misguidedghostie]

❀ hello beautiful people of writeblr!

i’ve been lurking in this little corner of the internet for a while now, so I figured it was about time to introduce myself.

my name is kayli (she/her) but you can call me kay or ghostie! this is actually a side blog, so i follow from @bookishfreedom (and you can also find me on instagram at @bookishfreedom !)

❀ what i write

I write a little bit of everything, although most often fantasy and romance, and i always have multiple WIPs floating around. I’m really good at starting things, but not so good at finishing them… so I’m working on keeping one focus at a time

most of what i write is original work, but i used to be pretty into writing fanfic, and it’s something i’d like to get back into, if only a little. just as a low-pressure way to keep the creative juices flowing

❀ why I’m here

i’ve been writing for fun since i was old enough to hold a pencil, but i haven’t always been good at making writing a priority. i figure if I’m ever going to achieve my dream of someday being traditionally published, that needs to change

this blog will probably be a mix of things - writing excerpts, inspo, and whatever else writing related I come across :) hoping it’ll help keep me accountable, as well as being a fun way to track my writing journey.

and most importantly, I’d really love to make some writing friends 💖 so come say hi in the notes, i’d love to find lots more writers to follow and chat with. (i’ve never done them but consider me a tag game -friendly blog!!)

❀ my current (primary) wips

project birdsong - wlw romantasy (drafting)

• witch hunter x witch, enemies to lovers

• elemental magic

• lesbian mc & bi love interest

project red hood - low fantasy (outlining)

• loosely a little red riding hood retelling

• feminine rage, burn down the world vibes

• bi assassin FMC

❀ misc fun facts about me

I’m 24, bi, and recently diagnosed audhd

I’m a software engineer by day, and by night i have far too many hobbies fighting for my attention (incl but not limited to: reading, painting, video games, hiking…)

in college i minored in both german and creative writing (because i am an indecisive bitch at heart)

I don’t have any pets of my own, but at any given moment I am almost certainly fostering at least one animal!

❀ if anyone read all of that

you have earned my undying love and devotion. let’s be friends? 🥹 my dms are always open if you ever need someone to rant about writing with

[yodepalma]

Surprise self-rec time! Pick 3 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics 💞

I spent a ridiculously long time overthinking this, primarily because I literally could not choose a favorite of my Kingdom Hearts fics. So I'm cheating! I'm basically picking 3 fics from 3 different fandoms, just so I can be indecisive about KH.

Final Fantasy XV

1. At the top of this one I'm going to have to put Hardest of Hearts. This is purely because it was my first foray into the crackship that would end up eating my life, and I have to thank it for its service.

2. Equally well-loved is Sir Stabby and Friends. I had so much fun creating little robot friends for Prompto to make! And the unexpected OT4 was a nice bonus.

3. And a VERY close second to those is going to be Jewel of the Sea. I love soulmate fics SO MUCH y'all don't even understand, but I very rarely end up writing them. And despite it being another rarepair I feel like it really helped me flesh out my voice for Prompto and Dino.

Fullmetal Alchemist

1. This fandom is significantly easier, though I do have to do bonus cheating for this. Number one is Ruin the Sky. You will pry my scifi AUs out of my cold, dead hands.

2. Next is going to be Nine Lives Cafe. This one was just fun to write! And there was a surprising amount of thought put into it in the background, although I'm sad to say I'm sad to say that I lost my notes for continuing it several years ago and it's doomed to be ""completed"" as is.

3. And finally the part where we double cheat: the Dragon Scars series. It is the most self-indulgent thing I've ever written in my life. Mark my words, one day I WILL finish writing this bitch.

Kingdom Hearts

And finally, the reason for the cheating: I literally can't pick a favorite of these three.

1. Time of Your Life. Listen, 99.9% of the stuff I write is fluff or at least has a happy ending. And some sort of AU. This stupid crackship fic is a tragedy, entirely canon, and I am actually very pleased with the pacing of it. And, seriously, it's the only thing I ever finished that doesn't have a happy ending. I can't help but love it.

2. The Song That No One Sings. Another one for the crackships, but otherwise the polar opposite of the above. It's just a soft, simple urban fantasy romance. I do wish I'd actually fully fleshed out the worldbuilding for this, but we can't have everything.

3. The Forest. Not for any particular reason, I'm just still very fond of the fairy tale style writing I did. But I'm still sad that this remains my least read/liked fic for this fandom.

(And I'd also like to throw out honorable mentions to The End of the Beginning and Crumpled Memories, the two Good Omens fics I don't entirely hate. As well as Best Friends, a deeply unserious Ronin Warriors fic that basically wrote itself.)

[betterbooktitles]

RIP Paul Auster. Here's a short piece about a time he came into my bookstore:

For a while, I've been hearing a lot of chatter about my first humor book How Not to Read: Harnessing the Power of a Literature-Free Life. No, I don't mean that I've been reading book reviews on Goodreads or the twisted rantings of my internet stalker. I've been hearing the hype (or underwhelmed sighs) about my book firsthand. I've been listening to customers from my semi-incognito perch behind the counter of an independent bookstore.

To all writers who want to know what people really think about their work, I can't recommend working as an incognito author-bookseller enough.

With a title like How Not to Read, I expected some vitriol from customers who misunderstood the concept. I thought 18 to 35-year-olds would especially love it but for a generation defined by its penchant for irony, we sure do know how to not take a joke. For the most part, people much younger than I am are the ones most offended. I hear little children with pained, screechy voices asking their mothers: "Why would someone write this?" to which the mothers reply "I don't know sweetie," as if informing the kids about death for the first time. Another favorite is hearing a sixteen-year-old say "who would do this?" over and over with the type of outrage reserved only for political candidates who claim Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States. The answer is "I would" but I keep it to myself. I want to see how far it goes. I keep waiting for someone to impulsively tear the book to shreds. That's how mad some people sound.

But most people who read a lot, get it. They come into the store, they laugh at the cover, the very concept of a guide to helping people read less is funny! It tickles them. They flip through the book and laugh and laugh and laugh, then put the book down and promptly leave the store without buying it.

"Wait!" I yell, "What didn't sell you on this book?" (I'm careful not to reveal who I am at these moments).

"Well," the person responds, "I'm just not in the mood to laugh right now." Not in the mood… to laugh? I wouldn't want to see this person at a restaurant: the waiter comes to the table and says "How were your appetizers?" and this person responds: "you know, food just isn't my thing…" I thought everyone was in the mood to laugh, but this was one of my many misconceptions about readers before working in a bookstore.

I've been working in this store for about a year, during which time I've spent countless hours talking about my own book, trying my hardest not to tell every person who enters the store that I wrote it lest I lose my ability to observe the impartial reaction of customers. Tip to published writers, though: if you can hand your own book to a customer and say "this is my book and you should buy it," people usually do. Most of the time they buy the book because they're excited to tell people they've met you, and sometimes they buy the book because you made it very awkward for them to leave the store without doing so. Keep eye-contact. Don't show fear. Always be closing.

Deciding when and when not to be the incognito author has many humbling benefits. Though the big lesson it teaches you most first-time authors are already know: the number one review of your book won't be a petulant rant. Your number one review will be silence. People will walk in, they'll read ten pages of your book, and without so much as an indecisive "hmm" they will disregard your book forever. As Oscar Wilde said: “There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” I'll take the petulant rant any day over nothing.

At the risk of this essay becoming like If on a winter’s night a traveler, the more I sell my book in secret, the more my real life mimics a Paul Auster-y meta-literary detective novel where I keep spying on people to figure out who will like the author (me) the most. It keeps getting weirder and weirder. People who have read the book now come in quoting a particular joke they didn’t like, then stand staring at me without laughing. I laugh uncomfortably to break the tension, but they refuse to crack a smile. Sometimes, I picture the future author version of me walking into the store while Current Dan is working as a bookseller. I see Future Me looking at the book nostalgically and saying “eh, this wasn’t my best!” then leaving me behind the counter alone to cope with what just happened.

The closest story I have to this Auster-esque fantasy is when the real-life Paul Auster came into the store the day of the book’s release. He leaned on the counter, aviators still on, and said: "How Not to Read, huh?" He was laughing! Laughing at the very idea of my book’s existence. Paul Auster gets it.

I took a sharp breath in. The owners of the store were so excited about my book that they gave me the entire front window for a day to promote the book. The same bright red cover in 8 by 8 rows and columns. I was suddenly embarrassed that I had published a book at all, and frightened that my literary hero might actually page through it in front of me. 

Then I remembered I had something to tell him.

“Paul!” I watched as he took off his sunglasses. I had his full attention. “I originally had a section in this book that parodied the New York Trilogy, and you yourself were in it," I said excitedly. Then, before I could stop myself, I saw the words pour out of my mouth while my brain screamed ‘DAN. Don’t!’ I let this out:

“The editor suggested we cut it because no one would get the reference."

I watched Paul grimace. He pushed himself off the counter and put his aviators back on. “And that's why you never listen to editors!" he announced before abruptly walking out the door.

If I have any advice for a writer, it is this: spend ten years as an editor for other people while you work on your own stuff. You’ll get used to looking at words on paper as malleable and in need of repair. Maybe after a decade of cold perusals through the work of a stranger, you'll be able to whittle down your own work into a readable form. After that, spend another decade selling your published books in person at an indie bookstore. Twenty years in, you won't take anything personally. You'll be so used to rejection and snide comments, you’ll be impervious to criticism.

My only other advice is if you meet your hero during any stage of your literary development, don’t tell him he was cut from your book because he isn’t famous enough.

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