#i am very excited for some of the stuff i already have written LMAO

[callmehere-iwillappear]

FOR LIKE. CONTEXT. idiot's guide is broken up into two arcs, arc 1 is... almost done i think. hopefully. there's still kind of a ways to go for arc 2

so essentially i'm thinking about, once i do finish writing and editing arc 1, starting to post those chapters on a once a week schedule. then if i haven't finished arc 2 by the time i run out, i'd take a break from posting until it does get finished. if it is finished by then i'll just continue posting lmaofjdsklfjd

[shiftylinguini]

Fuck I Can't Write Crisis Pack:

@phoebe-delia asked in response to this fun lil ask game:

Do you have any advice for getting out of a slump/getting writing confidence back? . (for the ask anything) Do you have any advice for getting out of a slump/getting writing confidence back?

Now THIS. This is a good question, and something that is very much on my mind and has been for a while, as I am currently absolutely in the midst of this and trying to army crawl my way out. I don't have any magic bullets (is that the saying? idk) but I have been here before and i do have a small arsenal of tips or methods that I find can help me. 

Here is my Fuck I Can't Write Crisis Pack (In no particular order):

Write anything 

This is hardly groundbreaking advice, and it's also the hardest thing to actually do (imo) so do not beat yourself up if it takes a while to get to this. Basically, write ANYTHING―it can be aimless, it can be pointless, it can be crap (crap is subjective!! don't let the brain gremlins win!!). 

Don't think about posting it, don't worry about anyone else ever reading it, just fling a few words onto a page and feel the rusty faucet turn on, proving to yourself that it still works. 

Try and sus out what it is that's blocking you 

Again this one is hard and annoying but functional. Once you can put your finger on the particular reason you're staring at a flashing black line on a blank page it can help you kick that reason off your lawn and into the bin. 

And then, take it out of the bin and be kind to yourself about whatever that reason is. Maybe you feel shit because you're comparing yourself to others, your last fic felt like a lead balloon, you can't muster enthusiasm for what you once loved doing and fear that it's gone forever, you're projecting in a Tumblr post―whatever it is, it's something all the writers you admire and aspire to be like have felt, and been annoyed with themselves for, and so you can wrap it up in a blanket and put it on a shelf and be kind to it so it, (respectfully) shuts the fuck up. 

(and remember, everyone feels insecure about their stuff. Like literally everyone, at some stage, feels like their stuff is rubbish)

Cheat on your OTP 

Okay this one might not work for everyone, but it really does for me lol. Ruts (not the sexy kind) can often come with not wanting to engage in my usual ships, being annoyed by my lack of ability to fucking write them/anything/all my ideas taste like cardboard/bleh, and stepping out on them and reading something new can snap me out of it. Just, an injection of new ideas or scenarios or words or even just a little reprieve from being fed up with myself, which ideally, is why we're all here anyway. 

(And then I come crawling back, and am welcomed with open arms haha)

In a similar vein:

Engage in media 

This subtitle is genuinely terrible, i am sorry, LMAO, but essentially: find a piece of media that makes you go "oh, helLO sailor", unhinge your jaw like a snake, and consume it whole. 

Let it nourish you, inspire you, excite you, making you feel SOMETHING, and then take that and think "fuck, what if i wrote bleepbloopblarp" and even if you write nary a single word, you've thought about it and that fucking counts. 

It might be an album, a book, a song, a show, gifs of a hot person, the wikipedia summary of a movie, literally anything counts here if it makes you feel a twinge of creativity. 

Ask yourself, what would Astolat do? 

No for real. @candybarrnerd and I genuinely use this haha.  

Worried your idea is stupid? Astolat would say write it. 

Worried it's too weird? Nah, just write it. 

It's dumb and no one will read it? Just write it for you *waggles eyebrows* (and then find out that yeah, nah, someone else will absolutely read this and be real fucking happy about it haha.)

Worried you're a one trick pony and have already written this fic before, like, and not even once before, and also you're projecting again in Tumblr post? WRITE IT AGAIN! As Astolat once said, "it's a fic so nice, I wrote it thrice". 

It's good advice. 

Make a friend or lean hard on the ones you have here

Misery loves company because it knows they'll come out of this together :). I know, I know, that's fucking NAFF, but fandom is all about finding like-minded freaks and blowing up their DMs because you saw a gif and now feel a kind of ways about it. 

And lastly: 

FUCK STATS! 

I mean I love stats (yay validation!), but god can they make you feel like a worthless shit (hey where did my validation go :((( ). It can be really insidious, so piss that right off when it starts to fuck with your confidence or outlook on your own writing.

Hopefully there is something useful here, even if it's just looking at this advice and thinking "no that's shit, it's writing POISON" cos then you can maybe do the version you think is NOT shit, and that might work. 

Good luck, fellow travelers!!

[olenvasynyt]

Writing tag by @bonecarversbestie !

Describe your writing process from idea to posting/publishing?

I usually have a very simple concept to start with but I can pick it up pretty quickly and go from there. I start writing a chapter by doing a very quick blurb that summarizes what will happen: “Lucien is walking back to the forest house after a Winter trip.” Where is he walking? What are his emotions? I can write a pretty long summary and then write the actual chapter when I get inspired. I’ll end up separating the summary into sections and eventually I’ll have a draft! My issue is editing haha I despise editing because I overthink. But I have gotten better. This is fanfic, so usually I will finish up my draft and glue parts together, go over some words I think I repeated too much, and then I say fuck it and go!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

DEFINITELY a plotter. I got a huge huge spreadsheet of my plot for A Court of Embers and Sunlight which includes keeping track of my words, having a little summary, who’s POV, what I need to add etc to each chapter.

What do you listen to when you are writing?

I got a playlist for my Court of Embers and Sunlight fic, but I mainly listen to this classical playlist.

What’s your drink of choice(while writing)?

I often write at my local coffee shop and I either get a honey comb latte (honey, cinnamon, vanilla with oat milk) or a cafe mocha. When I’m at home, I usually just have water.

Promote yourself! What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?

A Court of Embers and Sunlight will always have my heart! It’s a 2 year project with over 140,000 words! About Lucien’s life in the Autumn court with Jesminda and how they tragically ended. I also have LoA plots, and Eris plots! I’m proud of my worldbuilding and the emotional stories that I tell. It’s taking me forever to get out though 😭 I have SO MANY chapters and plots I want everyone to read!!

Share a fic of yours that you think is underrated/deserves more love.

The Tree Have Eyes! 3 chapter fic of Eris and little 8 year old Lucien going on a hunting trip!! It’s sweet and emo and fun and full of cool nature.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

I would say don’t think too much about other’s work. This is coming from someone who thinks A LOT, but a lot of people worry that their writer isn’t as good as someone else’s, or they aren’t getting a lot of kudos so it must be bad, etc. Don’t beat yourself up! It’s hard to stop comparing but this writing is for you, and there will ALWAYS be someone who loves to read your stuff. Also make friends with other writers! You get like minded people who can support you and help you out. I’m often a loner but I get so excited when I get friends sharing their work or talking about their work, talking about my work etc! It is very motivating.

What is a writing style/technique that others do really well that you'd like to get better at?

Oh god, dialogue…this is me thinking too much but I never feel very confident in when writing dialogue. So many people write it so naturally and it’s always the first thing they start when drafting! I can start with dialogue but I always enjoy prose and descriptions more.

Is there a character you were surprised you enjoyed writing as much as you did?

Rhysand! He jumped on me when I was first drafting ACOEAS and he was very very fun. Difficult sometimes (because I am not as hot or clever as Rhys lmao) but still very fun.

Thank you for tagging me @yaralulu @sad-scarred-sassy and thank you for starting this @bonecarversbestie ! I feel like most of my writing friends already did this haha.

But no pressure tags: @sadiegirl2021 @ennawrite @jules-writes-stories @clockwork-ashes @highlordofkrypton

[wrongcaitlyn]

With Apollo bound to come out with a new album at some point, would he ever return to the touring/concert aspect of singing? Or would he just stick to helping Nico out with those aspects, or even have someone else perform his songs for him/record a live music version so people could still sort of have that experience? And we already know that the listening party would be amazing 🥳

OKAY SO first yea i think it's pretty obvious by now that apollo will eventually come out with new music!!! (which i am SO extremely excited for, like his album has actually been on repeat over the past few months. it may be my favorite album from the entire tyt universe, sorry nico </33)

but as for tour, i honestly can't see himself ever going on tour again. it's two very conflicting opinions, because on one hand, he's a very flashy person and likes being under the spotlight! that's the entire reason he's going back into music after all, it's something he's always been very clear about. but on the other hand, he has some very bad experiences with being on tour, and even though he managed nico's tour and would be in charge of the tour himself, he'd still probably feel uncomfortable doing that sort of thing himself, and exposing *himself* in front of an audience again. he hasn't had all good positive fan interactions, hasn't had good experiences being on tour itself, and hasn't always enjoyed being on stage.

so that being said, i don't think i could see him ever returning to the stage as a sort of "eras tour" thing, and going back to singing his old music - one thing that i always thought of is that taylor has a connection to her old music, it's her life, it's the whole reason she decided to rerecord them in the first place. but in apollo's perspective, he's almost ashamed of the past music? not really, but it's not HIM. it's a facade, someone who he had been forced to act like, and he holds no personal connection to that music - he'd probably rather they be scrapped completely, but he can't do that.

so i don't think he'd ever sing any of his old songs live again, but i do think that smaller performances, possibly a festival, and maybe like an award show performance or something, would be done with his new music. things like the tiny desk concert, a small listening party, and some acoustic shows like nico's og haunted ones are some of the smaller things he'd do, but i also could see him headlining coachella or lollapalooza or smth!! it def seems like his vibe, and it'd also be less pressure of being an "entirely him" thing. i don't think he'd feel as expected to sing all of his old hits either.

i ALSO do think that he would release things like the voice memos that taylor does,,, except they're from all the way back in the early 2000s. when he eventually releases his new music, it's gonna be a blend of things he's written recently and stuff he wrote a long time ago. i think he'd feel some kind of pride in releasing those old voice memos/first drafts of songs and show that they really did come from him all those years ago!

so those are the things i could see apollo doing live, but i doubt that he'd want to schedule a full tour or anything - partly bc of bad experiences but also partly bc he's a full time dad! and even if all his kids r at college or having jobs, i think that will's heart attack also impacted him a lot. he doesn't want to be far away or traveling all the time anymore,,, and who knows,,, maybe he has a partner,,, bf,,, husband(??) that he'd like to spend more time with rather than touring <33

oh and he's running a record label and is still a full-time producer as well LMAO

thank u for this ask!!!

[chenouttachen]

WIP game!

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you like

thanks for tagging me @these-emo-thoughts!! i cry at you all the time about the relentless process of writing, but just know - there's always so much more hfhgbhfg i am now faced with the sad sad state of my WIP collection... but it's very fun to think about all the things that might be! one day! also like nothing has a title lmao

Currently Working On: (my active project)

OF2 Smut (Jack/Dean: Only Friends: Dream On) this is so close to being finished you have no idea - i have one page left to edit, and then i'll release her into the wild. once i find a suitably horny and toxic title to go with

On the Back Burner: (there's words written, but we're not actively writing)

Untitled Pit Babe Ep 10 Angst (Alan-centric: Pit Babe)

The Good Witch (KinnPorsche One Shot Series) - The Good Witch (Tankhun-centric) - Watch (KimChay) - Body Better (KinnPorsche) - Wendy (Porsche-centric) - Run (Kim-centric) - BSC (Vegas-centric)

Untitled Jack/Joke Angst (Jack/Joke: Jack & Joker)

Give Your Heart a Break (Donghun/Junhee: A.C.E)

There's a Plan!!! (it's outlined in detail, but there are zero complete sentences attached)

Regency AU (Phupha/Tian: A Tale of a Thousand Stars)

Untitled Not Me Angst (Sean/White / Black&White: Not Me)

the rest of The Good Witch oneshots.......... there's an additional 13 songs

It's an Idea! (god knows if/when this will ever see the light of day, but it's nice to think about)

Untitled Phupha/Tian Our Skyy 2 Inspired (Phupha/Tian: A Tale of a Thousand Stars

Untitled Phupha/Tian ABO (Phupha/Tian: A Tale of a Thousand Stars) ... yeah.

Dirty Dancing AU (Pit Babe)

there really is so much stuff just sitting in my docs, and it's really exciting to see how much i've written this year/how many ideas i've had. before this year, i hadn't written anything in a really long time, and i'm so happy that something finally pushed me into it.

i really had forgotten how much i'd put into some of these. that not me plan? yeah, it's 8 pages long.

most of the writers i follow on here have already done this, so i'm not tagging anyone, BUT if you see this and wish someone would tag you, consider yourself tagged!! spread the creative joy!!

[sunnybyler]

my thoughts on the first throne of glass book

so i finally started reading throne of glass two days ago and i just finished it and i rlly loved the first one! i didn’t start with assassin’s blade because i’m following the reading order sjm herself suggested. but i figured i’d give my thoughts on the book just for funsies. this isn’t like a review really just what i’m feeling abt the series thus far.

for quality i’d give it a 6/10 but for how much fun i had reading i give it a 9/10 and i care WAYYYY more about entertainment personally lmao. so overall i’d probably give it like an 8/10.

spoilers under the cut, obvi (including some from later books bc i know some spoilers)

• why are there so many exclamation points

• so i’m gonna be honest i’m beyond confused about celaena’s name. bc everything i’ve ever seen about tog talked about some chick called aelin. now i’m just kind of assuming they’re the same person somehow but i have no idea what’s going on in that regard

• it was an enjoyable read but you can def kinda tell it was written when sjm was younger lol. but i know the writing is just going to continue to get better so it didn’t bother me THAT much, though i must say i’m anxious to get to the later books for that reason

• this book was FUNNYYYY omfg dorian and especially celaena had me laughing out loud at times. i hope the books stay this funny

• I LOVE CELAENA SM. like that’s my girl fr fr. thus far feyre is still my fav sjm fmc but honestly celaena has potential to change my mind

• i also love dorian and chaol and i’m not gonna lie i lowkey ship her with both of them (which is a rarity for me usually i’m very passionate about one or the other in a love triangle). but that may be because i’m aware i should not get attached to either ship LMAO

• speaking of chaol i spent half the book pronouncing his name as chowl in my head which made him very hard to take seriously. but honestly i feel like that is 100% sjm’s fault bc the fuck you mean chaol is pronounced kale!? how was i supposed to know that

• i’m curious when more magic elements are gonna show up. like i thought this was another fae series am i wrong there? i mean elena was fae so. maybe i just need patience (but i’m gonna be sad asf if some sort of fae plot twist erases my bffs dorian, chaol, and nehemia from the story)

• okay but seriously once again what is up with the exclamation points. why are they so many. like it was genuinely jarring in the first few chapters. idk if it faded later in the book or if i just got used to it but it genuinely bothered me for a while. pls tell me this isn’t a thing in the later books bc i don’t remember it being an issue in acotar

• i think challenges and shit in books are so fun so i loved that the whole book was centered around it, lowkey wish we saw more of the challenges tbh

• that freak monster that cain was summoning is the stuff of nightmares. i already forgot what it was called but i made the grave error of googling fanart of it and it was actually terrifying

anyways that’s all i can rlly think of for now but i’m excited to keep reading! i’m super curious about celaena’s past because i can tell there’s sooo much we don’t know yet, but assassin’s blade (which i believe is at least partially her past? but maybe i’m wrong) isn’t until after crown of midnight so i’ll just have to keep wondering lol. but i’m very excited for crown of midnight i feel like shit is about to get very messy with her being the champion

[morgana-ren]

Would you ever just offer someone the commission of what you've already written? Like I'm sorry I can't finish it but you can have what I've done? Or is this bad etiquette??

I want to start commissions for writing but I my interests in fandoms fluctuates so much i worry I'll move on beofre i finish!!

Also sidenote if I ever get the funds to ask you to write something for me I would die happy if it ended up too long, unfinished or even messy like you said! You have no idea how exciting it is to find someone who's into the same shit you are and is willing to write about it!!

Thank you so much! Hopefully this can give you some strange insight into my weird brain. You can, but I try really hard not to. It sets a bad precedent in my head that it's okay to not finish them. Usually, I will just turn down a commission if I feel I can't finish it. That's just for me though, because I'm an idiot who will go "I've done it before! It'll be fine!" and then in my mind, I lose the mental pressure of having to finish it, which I actually need to finish it lmao. I don't like to give myself that out. I am honestly the exact same way. I have a hard time sitting down and focusing for days at a time to write, especially because I also have other hobbies like reading and video games that take up my time and sometimes, I have to force myself to write at all because I just don't want to. It totally depends on the client whether or not they're okay with it though! Some are totally cool with it, and others don't like it. Some people are really particular and want a very specific length by a certain time, and others basically throw the idea your way and go "I'll pay ya if you want to finish it." The more casual commissions are more preferred for me given my mental state. Truthfully, what I try to do is warn people upfront when they commission me that not only do I have a life outside of writing, but I'm also very, very unmedicated. The two of those things make iexceedingly difficult to finish things efficiently. One of the biggest issues is that I am extremeldisorganized, and the story gets away from me. For example: I have two current Astarion commissions I took on forever ago, and they are both like 13 pages now. I just go and go and go and then all the sudden it's overwhelming and I hate it and I don't think it's what they want, so I say I'll rewrite it, but I get so frustrated with myself that I just.. don't. A big issue personally is I actually don't like my writing. It feels like a scam to charge people for it. That weighs heavily on me when I am writing a commission, and I end up driving myself nuts over it and that's a reason a lot of them don't end up finished. I feel like if you keep them short, managable, and start out only taking one or two small ones until you get the hang of it, you'll be totally fine! I'm always happy to offer up what I already have, but I loathe it feeling terrible and unfinished. It feels like I'm spitting in the person's face somehow. That's why I do a lot of my stuff free!

[jaywalkers]

twenty questions for fic authors

i was tagged by @decaflondonfog! thank you, i loved reading all of your thoughts on your own writing so i'm vv excited to do this.

How many works do you have on AO3? 21 revealed, and then my super secret fic for the @aftgthenandnow fest (which people should totally go and check out if they haven't already)

What's your total AO3 word count? 443,022 words, which is horrifying and likely to hit 500,000 by the end of this year. lord have mercy

What fandoms do you write for? i'm currently very happy in my tfc shaped hole and have been for the last while but i do have some wips floating around for the likes of teen wolf (long live cringe) and mdzs still!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? these bad boys! total pick'n'mix of fandoms here a made thing [10k, sangcheng, T] sunset, like survival [86k, kandreil, E] postcard mouth [7k, matchablossom, G] the post-impact stage [3k, andreil, G] work song, crawl home [3k, sangcheng, G]

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not? in all honesty once i've written a fic it's out there in the world and i am absent from anything going forward of it. i dearly, dearly appreciate everyone who puts time into commenting because it truly is the thing i stick around fandom for, but i don't have the time or energy a lot of the time to reply effectively and to not just keep repeating thank you's!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? considering it uses the 'Bad Ending' tag, it'll have to be a room full of knives! it is canon-compliant though, so is the angst really my fault?

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i feel like most of my fics have a somewhat happy ending, if not just a simple open-ended one, but i might say sunbreak for this because the ending of it is very joyful and there isn't much else left to say to hide the happiness.

Do you get hate on any fics? not really! i did get the worlds most insane comment on NOSTOS a couple years ago that was kind of horrible to read but it was anger at a character and not my fic lmao.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? i'd never written it until this year because it was on my writing goals list for the year! i can't really say what kind because i've only written a couple of scenes so i'm not sure where they sit in the grand scheme of things but i have written some!

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've ever written? not really! i am a big AU fan — the kandreil teen wolf au i wrote this year with the beloved and highly esteemed @dayurno is probably the craziest, but i have a kandrew 'gideon the ninth' au planned too! if we're talking actual crossovers, there was a hilarious in-joke au partially written in a group chat a couple of years ago that was a WOH and MDZS law firm au. xue yang owned jby's soul. wei wuxian had bitcoin. i have a customised t-shirt for it.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? yup! and it's the reason i put writing away for about four years when i was in high school because i was so demotivated to share my stuff.

Have you ever had a fic translated? i think there's two or three of my fics that i've given permission for russian translations! i don't think they've been finished though so it would be cool if that ever ends up happening!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? as stated earlier, i spent eight months in an echo-chamber with @dayurno in which we went into a mutual fugue state and came out with wet-eyed banshee kevin and his high school boyfriends. maybe one day we'll get to the twinyards sequel of it i do also have to shoutout @picturedframes who was half of the mastermind behind sunset, like survival, and has contributed an insane amount to other works like diachronic and all that looking down.

What's your all time favourite ship? don't ask me this,,,, it chops and changes from year to year! i think in favour of being nice to myself i'm going to just say percabeth — they're the OGs from day one and they still hold up in my heart

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? either my 'the old guard' wenzhou au, or the other installments of the nostos 'verse! i loved them dearly at the time and i do think they would be well worth writing still, but my interests have moved on fandom-wise slightly! maybe one day i'll revist them, but not any time soon i don't think.

What are your writing strengths? ohh. digging my teeth into a character, i think. i use fic as a way to kind of just write thesis' and loveletters and stories all at the same time, and i think i'm good at holding up a character and writing out what makes them tick! and maybe a weird one but fleshing out the wider world? i'm very proud of like, my background characters. describing people who take coffee orders and who are studying in the library too and who are one-line classmates.

What are your writing weaknesses? this time last year i would have said dialouge but i think i've gotten better at it this year! probably being too verbose. i think i have a tendency to get carried away with thoughts and descriptions and i think sometimes that means they lose their potency when i really need them! it's a goal for next year i think; learning how to pare back my writing and make it more effective.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? ahhhhhh aha ha ha aha . you're talking to the bitch who's current fic is all about kevin relearning gaeilge/irish so you bet there's a lot of dialogue in other languages in it! also diachronic and sunset, like survival both have a substantial amount of other languages: diachronic uses french, gaeilge, and japanese, while sls throws german into the mix!

First fandom you wrote for? the bible just kidding lmao though i did write stories when i was in catholic school with biblical characters. i think it was fairy tail!

Favourite fic you've written? noooooo don't make me answer this one. there's many different questions inside of that one question (what one i'm most proud of, what one i feel the most for, what one i had the most fun with), and i don't think there's one that works for them all. i think i'll say diachronic, maybe, for now. my first forway into the head of my beloved kevin day and certainly not the last.

i don't know who has/hasn't been tagged in this so it's an open invite, but i am going to tag @dayurno @sunriseinorbit @moondal514 @kamyska

[iamthecomet]

Hoot once again!

I‘m really glad to hear this. Our little ritual means a lot to me <3

I am so sorry for her, but very glad that she figured it out now. Growing up undiagnosed can be (and is most of the time) very traumatic

While I’m a bit younger, I still spent my entire childhood and half of my youth (I’m gonna pretend it has been only half of it so far cause whatever the fuck I had/have is most definitely not a joyful youth). So while I can‘t fully relate, I still kind of get it and can at least imagine how it must me for her

It‘s pretty hard to get an autism diagnosis, because it cannot be done by a regular psychiatrist (unlike ADHD for example, which is why I at least have that diagnosis already). In my area there is only one place where you can get a diagnosis and the waiting list is LONG (not the worst I‘ve seen so far but at least half a year, which is terrible if you need to get help as quickly as possible but you need a diagnosis to get any kind of help). But I’m working on it

Thank youuuu

I planned chapter 2 out yesterday

It ended up to be “only” 5 pages, but it has 39 panels (chapter 1 has 24 panels)

So I think I’ll still get more of the story across even though it seems to be one page shorter

I will most likely start working on it in November

Your day sounds pretty nice!

Today, I was really stressed and worried about something and I did it okay-ish, but I can‘t change shit anymore now anyways so I’ll have to stop worrying and just wait and see

I also had a doctors appointment to get blood drawn and tested (cause due to the meds I take I’m apparently at a higher risk of malnutrition/lack of some stuff) and it was literally the most pleasant doctors appointment I’ve ever had.

I was a too early (as always) and had to wait outside a bit because they were still on lunch break but I was let inside a few minutes earlier anyways and so I was alone in the waiting area. And the nurse was incredibly kind and nice (she had me lay down for it because she didn’t want to risk that I could pass out and then she let me take my time to get back up again). It was overall incredibly nice and I was done not even 15 minutes after my appointment (so none of that annoying waiting time that usually comes with doctors appointments)

I also wanted to mention this in the past days already but I somehow didn‘t haha:

So I saw Someone do OC-tober and I absolutely LOVED the idea! (I’m one of these people that just never really draws their OCs lmao)

So I put together a prompt list for myself and I’m really excited about it ^^

(I‘m also planning on participating in Ghosttober with my writing which is why I’m probably going to be a little stressed all throughout October which is why I’ll most likely start working on chapter 2 in November)

I once again truly hope that you had a pleasant day! ♥️

~ @owlishanon

I like our little ritual too! ♥ When my friend got her diagnosis she couldn't get it from a regular psychiatrist either. She also got her ADHD diagnosis a couple years earlier because that was much easier. Autism she had to take a handful of tests over a period of time to actually get the diagnosis. But she was 98% sure what it would be before she got it. So I guess it's a pain in the ass no matter where you try to get it. Hoping that you are able to get through that process soon and get the help that you need. I'm glad your doctor's appointment went well and was easy. That's such a rare thing. And that you had a nurse who was really accommodating and understood what you needed. I was wondering why you said you would work on chapter two in November, until I got to the end of your ask. There are A LOT of things going on in October. And it will be kind of nice to take a pause on working so hard on that and doing some other stuff. I'm really excited for kinktober/ghostober whatever we're calling it. I'm trying to get the first week written and ready this week so that it's less likely that I fall behind. We'll see how that goes. Day one is written and ready to go--so that's something at least. And OC-tober sounds SO cool. I'm excited to see what you end up doing with that. I'm sure that will be a lot of fun too!

[marimbles]

5 6 8 📝📝📝

5. what inspires you to write?

just like. big feelings I guess. Whether it’s big feelings about life in general and I gotta have some cathartic notes-app poetry time or big feelings about fictional characters and I wanna tell stories about them bc I’m going crazy (it’s usually that one). also other people’s amazing writing inspires me a lot! when I read really good fic I’m like ooooh I wanna write like that maybe i will try !! (this ofc is after I get over feeling bummed out and discouraged that I don’t write like them already. lmao)

6. thoughts on critique

awesome and helpful when asked for! key word: when asked for lol. I work as an editor/writer so I’m very used to giving and receiving critique on writing and have come to REALLY value jt, but in a non-professional space like fandom, it feels pretty out of pocket to offer critique when you weren’t asked. so I don’t offer it unless requested and I don’t usually appreciate unsolicited critique either. idk sometimes i am weirdly sensitive about fanwork in a way I normally am not about other stuff…not sure why but sometimes I’m like “I just don’t have the heart to ask what’s bad about this so I’m just gonna post it and let it be what it is” lol. however! normally I really appreciate an extra set of eyes on my fics! I’m usually ok with grammar stuff and whatnot since I’m an editor but I really value feedback about characterization and pacing and stuff like that. I just hate bothering people to ask so most of my stuff is un-beta’d haha

8. is there a character you love writing for the most? the least? why?

ok well I love writing my top blorbos like adrien & Marinette and Willow & Hunter, but I think the characters I have the most fun writing are Nino (ml) and Gus (toh)! They’re just such fun little guys and they’re so silly. for some reason writing them comes pretty easily to me and I feel like they add so much flavor into any fanfic soup I’m attempting to concoct. like sometimes I didn’t even intend for them to be in the fic at all but then I end up sprinkling some Nino n Gus seasoning in there bc it’s fun and I enjoy them so much. Hehe

as for least favorite…at this point it might be link DHSKSK I am struggling so much to figure out how to write that boy !!! I’ve written a bunch of little things and keeps scrapping them or revising them or changing my mind about how I wanna portray him bc I can’t decide what feels most in character. I’m shaking his shoulders violently and staring into his blank eyes and begging him to share his secrets with me but he, shockingly, UNCHARACTERISTICALLY, doesn’t say a word 🙄 hopefully I can figure it out tho bc I have some things I’m really excited to write but this is keeping my wagon stuck in the mud lol. girl help I need an ultrahand contraption to get me out

ty for the ask!!

(writer asks)

[esta-elavaris]

🖊 + 🌝 + 👨‍👧‍👧 please & thank you

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

“You knew,” ____ said. 

It was not a question, but he knew well enough that using that technicality to avoid answering would help matters little.

“Yes,” he admitted heavily “But she did not. She does not. The falsehood was mine, not hers.” 

From the novel 👀

👨‍👧‍👧 Do you tell people in real life that you write fic? 

My close friends and my brother all know that I write it, but I keep the fandoms under wraps. Mostly because I do not need my older brother reading my James Norrington smut, it would scar everybody involved. Although I don't exactly hide the Norrington thirst on IG so, like, it wouldn't surprise me if some folk have it worked out (hello, if so lmao x) but as long as they don't discuss it with me I don't really care if they lurk...although I struggle to believe they'd be interested enough for that lolol. I do have one IRL friend who knows it all tho. I also have a few online friends who know of the fics, and could find them if they want to read them, because I got annoyed at not being able to be excited about this stuff in my close friends IG stories so I just said 'fuck it'.

Otherwise I generally refer to my fics as "side projects" elsewhere because I just do not need the judgement from snotty strangers in writing circles lmao. I tend to have a sort of one way traffic rule where I'm fine if people discover me/my socials via my fics, but I don't want people who knew me on IG first (especially from high school or uni etc.) to then be able to easily find my fics from that the same way finding my IG/Tumblr from my fics is easy and encouraged. Plus it's kind of more necessary in the latter case because it just makes sense to get people who already like my writing to be aware of the original stuff on the way - it would be a bit of a waste not to share things that way and keep it all completely separate/anonymous, especially if people are interested, and I've even made good friends via fic over the years who have seen snippets of the novel because of that now!

I did for a very long time once plan on completely deleting all of my fics if when I get published, but I’ve since changed my mind on that score, because I’m not embarrassed by it like I used to be.

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Every fucking day the Boromir fic haunts me I'm so excited to start it but I need this novel finished first 🥲🥲 although I am lowkey worried that there's been so much build up now that it's destined to disappoint, but hey ho.

Thank you!! 💜

[tractorbeamofwoe]

Hi do you think you’re done with writing or do you think you’ll ever come back to it? If you do pick it back up again who would you write for?

Hey, thanks for asking :)

This is gonna be a long ass answer so strap in lol. I’m not done with writing at all, or at least I don’t want to be done. There is still so much I want to say and get out there that I want to share with you guys. I still have so many WIPs and I’d preferably like to finish them before I die lmao even if you have to wait 40 years. Ik I’m kind of on a hiatus rn as far as writing goes (or at least writing for catfish anyway) but actually I am still writing behind the scenes. I do try and add to WIPs and chapters and I’m still having so many ideas. But it’s a long slow process and I just never feel like I can get these WIPs to a good enough standard to post them, or find the motivation/inspiration to finish them. You have no idea how much I’d love to continue Tyrants and the things in my head I have planned for it, but I’m just finding it super difficult and I feel awful for kind of abandoning you guys and abandoning all these projects for months at a time. I mean hell some of my fics haven’t been updated for at least a year. Maybe I need to bring back WIP weekends, if that’s smth you guys would like?

So to answer your first question, no I’m not done and yes I absolutely would love to come back to it when I’m in a better place. I’m also super super busy rn with final exams coming up and I’m starting uni in a few months too so lots of preparation going into that as I’m moving into an entirely new city. I’m just super tired all the time and I really do not write well when I’m tired I have all these thoughts but I get two sentences in and I’m out like a light.

To answer your second question, I truly don’t know tbh my fandoms have changed so much since I started this acc there’s so many people I would have loved/would still love to write for but I feel like obviously I have followers from a specific target audience it’s very hard to move into something else. Like I don’t wanna make people unhappy by writing other stuff yk? Basically I just don’t know what sort of reaction my writing will get (I mean the interaction on my fics are already bad as it is, I dread to think what it would be like if I posted something that appeals to absolutely none of my followers lol).

Ik I said I’d write some Stranger Things stuff and I actually have been! I’ve written a good chunk of the first chapter of a series I wanted to start, but again I just struggle to find inspiration anymore to finish it, but once I do I’m really really excited for people to see it. I’m still really into britpop too and I’m sure some of my mutuals absolutely wouldn’t object if I wrote about damon 😂 but I’ve just never really committed to getting any ideas down in writing yk? But I also kind of wanna move away from rpf sort of only because I find it kind of limiting with what you can do because there’s like an unspoken line you shouldn’t cross yk? Whereas fictional characters can kind of have endless possibilities. Especially ones that have their own universes and rules etc. And ik there’s nothing stopping me from writing AUs cause I’ve done several but idk it’s just not really quite the same. I kind of struggle with making original characters too which is not a handy weakness at all when writing series.

But ya then there’s the part of me that’s like hm I would’ve liked to have done some resdogs stuff, some bullet train stuff cause god knows there’s not enough fics of my fave films out there it would just be purely self indulgent tho.

but I also have like Leon Kennedy brainrot and my mate’s just gotten me on the mf wilbur soot/mcyt hype train which is a whole other can of worms I won’t get into in this post

But obviously I won’t do any of that until I finish all my old WIPs and requests for catfish, inhaler and Sam 💀💀

So basically if I came back it would be more of the same for a while and then suddenly just go completely off the rails. If you made it to the end I admire your patience I hope this wasn’t too boring to read. Love ya <3

[seasonal-writes]

Questions about the au you say? Done>:D

I may just be incredibly oblivious, (and given its almost 2 am probably forgetting stuff) but how does pearl come into play in this au? 👀

What bit of the au have you enjoyed the most so far? Do you have a favourite character to write? Or a favourite scene?

And if you were to live in a kingdom, which would you choose?

Btw all of these are/nf!! Answer as many or as few as you like:D (or none at all even<3)

-🍂

:D !! oooh i love these questions, okay!! So, um, fun fact about Golden Rings!Pearl: i have no idea who she is yet! i LOVE her, like, i really wanna put her in here somewhere. i figure there'll be plenty of places where she can potentially go, but i'm being fully honest in saying i'm not sure where she'll play in yet. :') but i can say with good faith that we'll definitely be seeing her in the AU at some point! and knowing someone would want to see her in it REALLY makes me wanna find a spot for her. as for that second question, i've enjoyed the WHOLE THING, of course. but i'm sooo excited about where they're currently at! like, i'm having such a ball already with chapter 8 (even though it's not up yet) and i think coming up with what they'll see and do while on the run has been my favorite part to work on so far. i also don't really have a favorite to write, and YES that's a typical "i love them equally" answer, but it's true. i get to work from different character motives and perspectives, different kinds of emotions and stuff, etc when i'm writing from tango and jimmy's perspectives—so they're both my favorite, honestly. also... ohhh favorite scene... it's a three-way tie between the breakfast scene, the Impulse scene in chapter 7, and the dancing scene. and also the scene between scar and jimmy. I am VERY indecisive! i just love all of them so much! but i do think another one of my favorite scenes i've ever written is coming up in chapter 8, so >:) just you guys wait till you see that one. and finally.. ohhh this one is hard too. um. what if both. what if i lived in both kingdoms. i'll do winters in the Nether Kingdom, spring/fall/summer in the Overworld Kingdom. like i said i'm so indecisive LMAO but if you made me pick based off aesthetic, definitely the overworld. i'm SORRY, nether kingdom fans. i love airy, lightly colored things!! and that's where you'll find most of it in this AU pfft. thank you for these questions, leafy pal!! :D i really loved thinking about them skjfsd so fun.

[tetsutits]

hi jay!! i've been so busy but i finally managed to read the first 7k words of violet rays and didn't want to make you wait who knows how long until i have time to read more.

you are insane for that 1st paragraph! what an insanely good opening. "They call it sonder - the realization that every passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own." incredible start. incredible.

the packing scene is such an adorable way to characterize reader. what a relatable reader character but very charming too.

somehow i missed that this wasn't a best friend ran fic but a best friend's older brother ran fic, which is infinitely more up my alley. i was so hype when i realized. because yeah, big brother ran would have me in chokehold too.

i really love the way you are structuring your scenes. the quick transitions, the balance of dialogue and interiority. i especially love how you're establishing settings. i somehow get a little lost when reading fic because of the lack of setting (which is understandable, i get authors wanting to get to the hot stuff!) but i love that you are giving us the full sensory details. my favorites so far:

"the inside of your cotton tank top sticks uncomfortably to your skin, the same way that the soft hairs at the back of your neck are sticking to each other." and "the world around you is blue and green." it's all of it tbh

i can already tell this is going to be my favorite thing you've ever written!!!

aaa omg sorry for not responding sooner!! your ask has me so giddy :> my thoughts under the cut!

the first paragraph was actually written last in the fic 👀 im not very good at intro’s, honestly i tend to struggle w them a lot; so i slapped that word in there and called it a day ahahakaksn

i actually LOVE the mc so much in this fic! i pat myself on the back because she’s so cute, and i wanted the readers to be able to relate with her on some level. i also put some of myself in her too hehe i really am writing my fantasies huh

it’s actually a theyre-both-my-best friends-but-i’m-in-love-with-the-older-one LMAO she is closer to Rin tho (and oh my god, i was trying so hard not to make him the main guy i’m so down bad he makes me SO weak) but i won’t say anymore about their dynamic in fear of spoiling it, because you’ll understand once you’ve read the whole thing!

i love that trope too!! i will admit i was falling for ran each day i was NOT immune to this pouty mess of a man! sorry ran, but rin will always remain number one in my heart!

i think it adds more spice tbh, it’s more interesting than the regular friends2lovers ✨✨

i can proudly say tho, that establishing a setting and describing surroundings is my strong point in writing, i really focus on that + characterization a lot. i worked hard on those, fun fact, i had to re write Ran’s first kitchen scene with the reader like THREE TIMES!!! bc i was like …. no .. he would not say that or act like that.. re write it. lmaoo my beta readers hate me HAHA

you are too nice to me!! thank you SO much for leaving your thoughts!!!! i was so happy when i received your ask :> you amaze me as a writer and so when i got this and realized you liked my fic i had to sit on the floor for 5 minutes to collect my self LMAO

i’m excited to hear your thoughts on the other half! it definitely gets better as you read and Ran gets sexier of course take your time, and sorry it took me a while to respond i’m actually meant to be on a social media break rn lol, have a good day!!!💕

[meowmageddon]

August Reading Check-In!

Is it a little late? Yes, mind your business 😹

I want to move my bookish updates back here since I'm not about training Elon Musk's AI. This update is gonna be a mix of mini-reviews, the current reading list, recent acquisitions, and a few upcoming releases to watch out for.

It's gonna be long, so keep reading if you dare. Or jump around to the bits you like!

Mini Reviews for July's Reads

Black Ghost of Empire by Kris Manjapra - 5 stars

A look at slavery and the emancipation processes across North America and the Caribbean in particular, as well as some of the colonization of Africa itself. Examines the way emancipations prioritized compensating slave-owners for lost "property" rather than restoring justice and reciprocity to the enslaved people who lost their labor, lives, and histories. Super informative, super vital, because they didn't teach this in US history. Just be prepared for an emotionally tough read.

The Veiled Throne by Ken Liu (The Dandelion Dynasty #3) - 3 stars

This is where the series finally ran into pacing issues for me, as many multi-POV epic fantasy series do. Mostly in the latter half. We had a very high-stakes storyline getting a slim chapter between multiple thick chapters about an all new setting and characters with a much lighter tone. I know heavy stuff needs to be broken up, but this was more frustrating than cathartic.

I am keeping in mind that TVT is technically the first half of what was supposed to be the final book, but the trilogy became a tetralogy because a 2000-page book would be ludicrous. Still, I feel it could've been broken down further, and we really need to allow more BIPOC writers the freedom to have sweeping, several-book-long series the way white authors can.

Get In Trouble by Kelly Link - 4 stars

These stories were quite a ride. Many featured messy people, places, and things. If we're being honest, the rating could bump up to 5 stars on a reread. There's just so much to unpack, and I'd need a closer reading, like studying scripture.

Current August Reads

• Trans-Galactic Bike Ride ed. by Lydia Rogue - As the subtitle reads, it's "Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers," written by queer authors. Technically I've actually already finished reading it, but I'll post about it separately at a later time!

• Babel by R.F. Kuang - BookTube's darling about a department at Oxford dedicated to translation and working silver- and translation-based magic for the glory of the empire. Problem is, some of the students and faculty are people from places on the receiving end of the empire's injustice. Down to the last 100 pages of this one!

• Speaking Bones by Ken Liu (The Dandelion Dynasty #4) - Despite my frustrations with the third book's pacing, I wouldn't dream of DNFing the series. The world is so lush and full, and the characters endearing. But there's another 1000 pages ahead, so this'll be on Current Reads lists for a while. 💀

• Lone Women by Victor LaValle - A young woman leaves her family home in flames and seeks a new life homesteading in Montana, a mysterious trunk in tow. I read LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom a few years back, and really needed to read more of his stuff.

• Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection Vol. 1 ed. by Hope Nicholson - Was very excited to see this at the library, as I've wanted to read it for a long time. The stories vary in genre, and I believe there are illustrated stories, individual art pieces, and even a song or poem by Buffy Sainte-Marie in addition to regular comics.

Recent Acquisitions

• Loot by Tania James - I actually won this print copy in a Goodreads giveaway! This is why I encourage those who are able to enter for anything they're interested in; it can happen to YOU lmao. Anyways, it's a book about a boy in India who constructs an automaton tiger for the Sultan, only to have it seized in war by the British. He goes to England to try to retrieve it.

• Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas - My August Book of the Month pick. I enjoyed her debut, The Hacienda, and look forward to this one. Described with "Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border." I've seen reviewers describe it more as magial realism/historical fiction with vampires, rather than horror, though.

Upcoming Releases

No guarantee I'll pick these up... but here's some cool stuff coming out in the next month or so!

• From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi (August 29th) - Third collection of 40 short stories celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, this time inspired by elements of Return of the Jedi! I realized I still have to pick up the second collection, from The Empire Strikes Back, oh no!

• The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White (September 5th) - YA horror featuring a trans autistic teen protagonist who can commune with the dead. He attempts to escape an arranged marriage, is sent to a Sanitorium & Finishing School, and is urged by the institution's ghosts to expose its dark secrets.

That's all for now! If you read all this... just know that I love you. 🥰

[nyxx-nth]

how are you always such a genius???? share it with the rest of us i beg...

that is seriously absolutely PERFECT for how it should play out oml... i am in shambles.... you are from now on my new idea person, you have no choice *points gun* *it is very clearly a toy gun but shhh*

also, more thoughts on aspects of the au:

first of all, im thinking that before the aimee stuff maybe the band *wasnt* really well known. like, they were more of an underground sensation with a small diehard fanbase. but aimee knowing them (and LOVING them) sent them into the spotlight a bit- not like *super* famous or anything, but SIGNIFICANTLY more fame than before. enough to give them some ground in the music world. they also gain a bit of a french following from it and after ghost and aimee kinda become friends, he'll slip in some french influence or lyrics into songs from then on <3 maybe even when he learns french (cuz fuck it hes one of the girls in my heart and i want him to have female besties OKAY and i think if aimee knew he was gay she would instead want him to be her gay bestie (she's a little ignorant but her heart is in the right place)) they even have some songs entirely in french (always love a chance to put my terrible french skills to use somehow). also aimee is unfortunately straight in this au 😔 (/hj).

ALSO im thinking maybe toast and mary had something going on before the whole discourse blow up. like they started officially dating but both agreed it would be better to keep it private, at least for a while. eventually though, mary catches on before toast does that his feelings for her arent the same as hers for him, and she sits him down to talk about it. they end up agreeing to stay close friends instead. maybe she's even the one who makes toast realize how he really feels for ghost?? idk if im certain on any of this part though tbh,,, do i even want them to date in this au??? should it be before the discourse??? after??? should it be public??? private?? does toast already know how he feels for ghost??? should toast and ghost be ex lovers to boot instead of just ex friends??? mannnn i dont even know 😔😔😔

also oooo ALBUM COVERSSS you are so right. fuck, i feel like i dont have a good grasp on that at all tbh.... any ideas from you? lol. i might have to do actual research into them or smth LMAOOO i feel so out of my depth with it aur naurrr

also, about jimmy.... honestly i should write something for him lol. my specialty is sorta kinda gore and murder stuffs in writing heh,,, i like to get a bit grotesque. yet, i havent really written much of anything with him,,, probably because ghost occupies my brainspace 99.9999% of the time. but it's definitely exciting to me to add that plot into the story. i think at first it would be a background-ish thing, but as the story progresses and the toast and ghost rivalry starts to resolve itself, the jimmy and gavin plotline stuff becomes more prevalent and the focus starts to shift to the murders and them as potential victims or smth. (if you cant tell by now, i plan this to be a long story lolol. idk if i'd want it to be one long story or split into different stories tho 🤔)

i say its my specialty of sorts, but i still feel like its cringe and bad ngl LMAO. i have a fic on ao3 for a different fandom i fell out of (fortunately, an impossible feat when it comes to vt because it is always somewhere in my brain at all times always) that was a stalker and a nightshift convenience store worker and i cannot physically reread it because i feel like its all so cringeeee. i also fell out of the fandom for it RIGHT as it was getting into the murdery parts too lmao.

also adding on: Ethan Fields - Cooler Than Me. It's so Ghost fr.

Ashamed to admit that just now when Cannibal by Kesha came on my brain immediately created a celebrity au where Jimmy is a controversial music artist and a string of high profile celebrity murders been happening lately….

Oh no wait, now I’m thinking of an entire au with other chars too—

Ghost is also a musical artist, being the lead singer in a band with Spooker, Colon, and Katrina (it used to be Ghost, Toast, and Katrina but a big fallout happened before any of them rose to fame that led to Toast leaving back to England and eventually becoming a model). I imagine Katrina as bassist, Spooker on drums, and Colon on guitar. Ghost used to be drummer, and Toast guitarist and lead vocalist, but Ghost took over vocals after his departure and Colon took over for Toast, with Spooker being a very last minute addition by chance when they heard how good he was and Katrina convinced Ghost having someone else on drums would leave him more time to focus on vocals and writing. Also, I feel like all of them would sing but Ghost is the one who sings most of the songs (also he can scream crazy good and I stand by that (also it’s hot af lmao)). Colon probably had mild experience in singing but has improved a lot since then, and Spooker had NO natural or learned singing skills going into the band and is still not quite up to par with his bandmates, but he’s improved /so/ much.

Toast would probably do modeling cuz, duh. But also he writes books and a lot of people won’t give them a chance because they think he’s just a pretty face but he’s actually a talented writer of supernatural mysteries. Also, more recently he got into acting and blew up on the big screen and prefers the acting gigs because he feels like he gets to showcase more of his skills and get more appreciation for them than he got in modeling.

Gavin probably is a stunt double for Toast. Besides that, I see him probably being Jimmy’s dealer (Jimmy does copious amounts of drugs he is never not on cocaine idk what to tell u /hj). He prefers to keep out of the actual spotlight of celebrity lifestyle, and instead reap his own benefits from it in the background.

Mary. Hmmm….. I feel like she needs something that’s not like, typical spotlight celebrity. I remember a certain someone (wink wink) talking about ballerina Mary… I think that’s actually perfect. She’s a skilled and renowned ballerina, but also, I think she figure skates. And does some modeling on the side—maybe how she met Toast? I’ll have to think more on it.