#i have to be an omniscient narrator to actually enjoy fics

[ujunxverse]

its even funnier when u consider im rarely on tumblr nowadays 😭 ALSO GRADUATING !!! THEY GROW UP SO FAST 🥹🥹🥹

getting thru a job just because its good on the cv is only too relatable 😭🤧 HOPE IT GETS BETTER THO (or that you can end it soon 💀) IM HAPPY TO SEE UR WORKS AND WRITING AGAIN 🍽🍽🍽 ive lowkey fell off reading fics in the past months BUT THIS IS MY SIGN FROM GOD TO GET BACK TO IT 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️

BRUH PLS WE FIRST MET WHEN YOU WERE STILL IN HS AND I WAS FINISHING FIRST YEAR ONLINE (fuck covid wdk her). ARE YOU IN UNI NOW ?? I THINK YOU ARE ?? YOUR STORIES LOOK LIK EYOU'RE IN UNI LOLS !! but yeah look at us :"((( i used to consider you a child and you're 20 this year smh we're growing too fast-

NAH SAME it's liek i never check this hellsite until one day i was like "wow i miss writing and now i have time cos i'm not in school...." then baam. i'm back. again. for the nth time. like always. if i keep coming back might as well stay ig LMAO.

bruh trust the only thing good aside from the cv is the money cos i get paid in usd and it's so clutch considering how rent is basically selling an organ or two in toronto these days. ngl i might keep the side hustle for as long as i can cos the money is so worth and i wanna live my fantasy as a city gworl in hk or probably some other part of tokyo that isn't where i am rn BAHAHAHA. I'M ALSO HAPPY TO BE BACK KINDA LIKE THIS HELLSITE HAS A NASTY GRASP ON ME FR. AND AHHHH PLS WRITE AGAIN I'M STARTING TO WRITE MXM TOO (there's a taehyun x kai wip in the works for da txt blog i'll rant abt it to you if you want uwu)

[yellowhollyhock]

For any (or all that you know? 👀) version of Michelangelo:

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

ah yayayay!!

2003

4 other media

Put him in MLP:FIM, he can have a video games cutie mark. I see him being a pegasus. He can have use his nun chucks to redirect tornados. Plus, super speed. And plus plus, baking! Lots of ways for him to have lots of fun in a world like that.

7 something fandom does that I like

It is simply delightful to read about Mikey being an absolute menace. Maybe especially because when I'm writing him I have a hard time coming yo with ideas for what to make him do. It's so fun to see people's creativity! I also love when his sweetheart shows through, he really feels deep and cares lots. And if the same story shows his sweetheart side and makes him create situations I couldn't dream up if I was paid? excellent

12 headcanon

I am not original for this but, genderfluid Mikey!!

21 favorite thing to do when writing, something I don't like

My favorite thing about writing him is how much he's watching and noticing everyone else's emotions. This is such a younger sibling thing. It's different from Leo or Raph worrying about others' feelings; it's like he's watching tv. Not that he's not worried but like. It's like he's the omniscient narrator. I mean he might be wrong sometimes but he's always watching and speculating.

Something I dislike? His brain moves so fast. I have a very Donatello-style choose one thing to focus on and that's my personality now brain, so it's always challenging to write for someone like Mikey who notices so many little things and connects so many different thoughts. Which in the end I guess I also enjoy in that it's very satisfying when I'm done, but the process is difficult

1987

4 other media

oooh I kinda want to see him in like. A Louis L'amour book. Just hanging out being nice to everybody. All the characters comment on his accent. By the end of it they're all talking like him. He can use his grappling hook to confiscate guns and talk to the horses and cattle and dogs and make everyone pizza 😌

7 fandom thing I like

I like in crossovers how everyone always loves him. This is such a true thing. Canon crossovers are wrong there's not a turtle ever to turtle who wouldn't get along with Michelangelo.

12 headcanon

hmm... actually I don't know if I have any. I can see him sometimes being the oldest. I do mean sometimes though,, there are some turtles that have an Age Order and some who are Quadruplets and say what's convenient. But 1987 Michelangelo is the only Mikey I'd see ever being the oldest

21 fave and least fave about writing character

His dialogue is mondo fun to write! Like, majorly good time dude.

as for something I don't like--his dialogue is totally challenging at times amigo!

2012

4 other media

I mean 2012 already put him in so many genres canonically akdjdhaj.

Actually. 2012 Mikey in Snorks. Okay listen it's this cartoon from the 80s, they're undersea creatures the size of smurfs with little snorkels on their heads and flipper feet and they're multi-colored and other than that they're pretty much just humans. The main cast is a group of teenagers who go on various adventures often related to keeping the ocean clean, taking good care of wildlife, or being good citizens of their community, but also just a lot of high school drama and some really random stuff.

They're very silly and I feel like 2012 Mikey would vibe. The fun thing is they can (for some reason) breathe on land, so instead of moving Mikey to there just put the main cast in his room. Him and Tooter would bond instantly. I'm kind of obsessed with this idea now

7 fandom

I don't read a lot of 2012 fics, but pretty similar with 03, I enjoy reading about chaos.

I also love love love when 12 Mikey is shown being protective of his bros. idk if that counts as something 'fandom' does since it's canon, but I do so enjoy fics where that trait is shown.

12 headcanon

Asexual. Remember the ep where he was like 'well I'm never getting a crush it makes you guys act weird' and then fell head over heels for literally the next person he saw? To me (ace lesbian) that reads very much like picking someone to convince yourself you like that way so you don't feel left out. I see him as demiromantic asexual. Unlikely to even come up much in fics but there it is

21 writing

it is more rare for me to write 2012 but I do have some things in the works. I like writing Mikey with Raph. They have a very fun and sweet dynamic. for dislike.. hmm.. it is a challenge balancing his emotional intelligence with his goofy side, I'm not sure why more so with him than the other mikeys? I feel like I always lean too hard one way or the other with him specifically

rise

4 other media

Easy: The Great British Baking Show.

7 fandom

when they give him hand tremors from making that portal in the movie. yessssss

12 headcanon

idk if this is really a headcanon, I feel like it's highly textually supported. But I like to think he really looks up to Leo and tries to act like him

21 writing

it's very fun to write hie explosive he can be! I probably overuse Dr Delicate Touch XD

what I dislike writing... hmm. It can be difficult to write how competitive he is. Very different from how my brain works so it can be hard to tap into

90s movies

4 other media

I think this Mikey should be in Friends. I haven't seen a lot of Friends but from what I have I feel like he'd be a fun personality to throw into the mix. Him and Phoebe both thin they're the sane one of the two of them

7 fandom

Love to see incorrect quotes. I haven't seen much of the 90s turtles generally in fandom, but when they make an appearance it's usually either an incorrect quote or a screenshot, both of which are excellent opportunities for Mikey to shine.

12 headcanon

He loves Dinsey princess movies. I mean loves. You can't tell me a guy who randomly starts singing and dancing that often doesn't have a closet full of Disney movies. Musicals as well but he also likes animation. Also Lady and the Tramp and Jungle Book are honorary Disney princess movies to him, in spite of April and his brothers' solid arguments against this. His favorite is Cinderella

21 writing like/dislike

he's kind of low-key for a Mikey, which is both fun and challenging as a writer.

Next Mutation

4 other media

Gummi Bears. They also live underground and try to stay secret. Grammi Gummi cooks really weird combos just like Mikey likes. He and Gusto Gummi would cause very chaos together. Plus there's so much magic elements, which Mikey would find cool because of Venus (and it would also make him extremely homesick). Plus it's a kids' show so they'll have episodes where they learn basic lessons like 'tell the truth' or 'apologize when you're wrong' and Mikey could state the moral on his radio show

7 fandom

allll of the Next Mutation stuff I've read has been you, train, and I gotta say I thoroughly enjoy him and Leo being dorks together 🧡🩵

12 headcanon

He doesn't call Venus 'mutatious babe.' In fact he doesn't call anyone babe

21 writing like/dislike

I haven't written him yet... but it's coming 😈

2007

4 other media

I wanna put this Mikey somewhere nice. Oh I know! Danville, Phineas and Ferb's town. This would be a safe place for him to be out among humans if he wants. He could throw so many parties. And his family can live there too. April could be a den mother (is that what it's called) for Isabella's scout group. Phineas and Ferb and Donnie would borrow parts and blueprints from each other like other neighbors borrow eggs. Leo could shadow Perry! Raph could be a yourh mentor at Kandace's school! And Mikey could work at a pizza place and on the odd occasion when someone comes in like "but you're a turtle?" he'd be like "trust me bro, you're gonna see weirder things than me around here. Just look out the window in 5.. 4.. 3....." And Phineas and Ferb are riding by on hoverboards being chased by a bunch of monkeys.

guys guys guys

"Aren't you a little turtle to be making these pizzas?"

"Yes! Yes I am 😁"

Plus the turtles could also meet Milo Murphy at some point. Michelangelo would be such a good friend to Milo!

7 fandom

Making him and Donnie so close 🧡💜

12 headcanon

I feel like I bring this up all the time, but I'm gonna bring it up again: Mikey knew Raph was the Nightwatcher.

21 writing like/dislike

like: giving him justice. let him yell, let him cry, let him have so much ice cream and pick the movie and get so many hugs

dislike: it actually can be draining to write him because he has so much anger inside that he doesn't know where to put.

bayverse

4 other media

hmm. again, I want a place where he can comfortably go out whenever he wants. What's a place with a lot of random creaturrrres...

Oh! Monsters Inc! And it could be after the movie so they're collecting laughs! That's his job! aww yis this is perfect

7 fandom

haven't checked out the bayverse fandom much. I like the idea of him and Raph being close, since Raph stood up for him in the second movie (never really got the impression Raph much wanted to be human for his own sake)

12 headcanon

audhd, and also besides self-diagnosing is largely the one to notice his bro's symptoms (Raph depression, Leo and Don both anxiety, idk what else). Even though he doesn't have the language for it, he understands a lot about his and their needs just from observation (it will help them all a lot once they start putting words to it and doing research tho)

21 writing like/dislike

like: he funny 🧡

dislike: sometimes he kinda crude :/

Batman vs tmnt

4 other media

All of it. Let him press. Every button. Every. Button.

hehe the Jetsons

7 fandom

I am getting more and more into Michelangelos where I haven't seen enough art or stories to notice patterns 😅 Love people appreciating or elaborating on his friendship with Alfred

12 headcanon

this Mikey is very close with his Master Splinter 🧡♥️

21 writing

this Mikey is fun because I don't have to think up schemes, just make him touch everything. difficult because there's only one movie of characterization to draw from

IDW

okay I am not caught up on IDW by a long shot, and I can't answer most of the questions for him, but

4 other media

put him some place soft. Strawberry Shortcake.

Mirage

same thing again, but I have one answer

4 other media

Highway to Heaven. Ex-cop goes on the road with a traveling angel. Michelangelo would be a good buffer at times and very funny picking on them both at other times.

[misguidedandperplexed]

Questions about fanfiction that I need everyone else's opinion on, apparently (part 2)

Head-hopping (also called head-jumping) refers to when the writer jumps between different viewpoints (or POVs) in middle of a scene, i.e. the writer includes thoughts, feelings, and references to lived experiences for more than one character in a scene. The perspective change can occur between paragraphs, sentences, and sometimes even within the same sentence.

It's different from a POV jump in a dual- or multi-POV story in that there's no indication of the jump (i.e. section break or new chapter), and there's sometimes more than one jump — to a third/+ character or back to a previous character's POV.

It's also different from Third Person Omniscient in that there isn't a separate omniscient narrator who sees and knows all (e.g. the narrator in the Good Omens novel). In Third Person Omniscient, the whole story is written from the narrator's perspective, using their 'voice' throughout all the narration, whereas in head-hopping the story is told from the perspective of two/+ characters, using each of their 'voices' during the parts being told from their perspective.

Some readers find head-hopping jarring because it requires them to resituate themselves in the different characters' perspectives each time there's a switch, and may additionally confuse them if references to other characters aren't consistent (e.g. writing "his head office" twice in one sentence and referring to the two different head offices of two different characters).

An example of head-hopping:

Crowley slips his sunglasses back on. He usually takes them off as soon as he enters the bookshop, but their discussion is making him far too uncomfortable and vulnerable to even consider meeting Aziraphale's eyes. Aziraphale hesitates before asking his next question, hopes that he's not pushing the matter too far, hopes that Crowley won't stomp out with some silly excuse instead of considering what he's asking. He rather enjoys spending time with Crowley and doesn't want this to come between them.

(sorry if it's poorly written/OOC, I wrote this on the spot because I didn't want to use any published fics as an example) (if you're not a fan of Good Omens, you have my apology for using it as an example) (if you are a fan, there are no spoilers; it doesn't refer to any actual conversation/event in canon)

If I've written the example in a way that doesn't illustrate the difference well enough, here are a few articles that discuss head-hopping, with more examples: link, link, link.

I personally don't like head-hopping. I'm probably at a 'dislike' but have in the past stopped reading fics if the hopping got too confusing or frustrating.

If you specifically do or don't like head-hopping, I'd love to hear why!

Please reblog for greater reach and more opinions!

Part 1 (includes reblogs with additional helpful info from @oliversrarebooks)

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Man's Fallibility & Immortality

I found a practically perfect song, by my interpretation, to add to my Rise to Fall playlist. (I haven't cleaned up/updated the playlist fully, so I'm not posting the whole thing yet, but I think this particular song warrants its own post.)

First, listen to the song: Nothing's New - Rio Romeo

Then, what follows below is something of a tragedy-analysis, abstract, meta-thing/omniscient prose narration experiment. I don't know what it is—an outpouring of thoughts. It may strike a similar chord as my narration at the end of Simony and its epilogue.

(Simony was a prediction fic I wrote before the publication of Fall. An extremely erroneous one though. I still think it could work, but oh, how wrong I was.

The direction Soman took the plot in, just, it was unpredictable, even if I did enjoy the book. I still like Rise better than Fall though, of the duology. If Rise had just ended at the point of: Vulcan is dead, Rafal tortures his students, and the brothers gradually learn to trust each other again, that would've been nice and comforting, honestly. But no, substitutes, substitutes, substitutes! On both sides. Drives me insane. Ack! But, I have four, short fics planned that have alternate endings to Rise and to Fall, to make up for it. Well, one of them is so far a little longer, three chapters long.)

If anyone wants me to analyze the actual lyrics more closely, I'm willing to do that too!

⸻

The tales.

They are all the same.

Good winning, Evil winning.

What difference does it make after centuries, really?

Everything probably feels numb and empty after a certain point.

Like nothing matters anymore.

Undiluted apathy after that certain point.

When? I've lost track.

When losses and victories all ring hollow, and all sound the same.

The End.

That's all It wrote.

The sum of lives distilled down to ink and illustrations.

Nothing beyond that. No life, no spark.

What more is there? When nothing will ever satisfy the restless souls, not even an Ending all to themselves.

Just pages that will yellow with time even if the stories themselves are timeless because nothing changes.

Nothing ever changes.

There's no evolution.

Every tale is the same.

It becomes nothing after nothing, not victory after victory, when you're ageless like we are.

And how, if that's how it is?

Why bother?

Why bother at all?

It's a cycle that continues, with or without the brothers.

Ceaseless.

So, why should it matter?

It's the same with or without them.

Their position was always ceremonial.

After a while, anyone becomes tiring. Anyone.

And one person just isn't enough, when you have no one else.

No one else to shield you.

It gets old. The love just... fades, and wears out.

Perhaps, human love can only span for so long, and that's why humans are mortal.

Made mortal, and no one should traverse beyond that.

It always leads to hubris, and then, a fall.

An unnatural fear of death trained into them, when limits were never set, when power was never checked, when they expected to have all the time in the world.

Nothing is built to last. At least, not by the Storian.

It does whatever it pleases.

You can't extend a life past its time.

It will always end in ruin. Isn't that the lesson the storybooks teach?

A cautionary tale.

Again and again, the cycle continues.

Every failed holy-grail of immortality, every spilled cup drawn from the fountain of youth, every cursed head of lettuce, every white snake, every chalice of sleeping draught that led to execution after execution, every baptism that succumbed to primordial wickedness, every impoverished fisherman's hovel?

Why not a tale about two brothers?

One where two are felled.

To caution against mortal greed that even immortality can't peel away.

To caution against always wanting more until you're left with nothing.

Nothing at all.

Just like how you can't truly resurrect anyone as who they once were, you can't revive the soul that a person once was.

And you can't play at being God because it defies the rules of nature.

And all that we know about transience and permanence and how ephemeral everything else is.

Everything but Man, who vies to leave a legacy wherever he goes, at any price, even at the cost of his soul, not life.

⸻

Now, I do wonder if I made anyone emotional? I certainly tried this time around, to be a provocateur like Soman is. Tell me what you think, if you want.

[andbrokenmemories]

full murderbot thoughts post

Alright! Finished with Book 7 of Murderbot, System Collapse, and collected my thoughts on the series.

Maybe one day I'll do one last round-up to read novellas and maybe write a Properly Structured Review Innit, so for now this is gonna be the messy notes version of this. Let me give a paragraph or two of review-y thoughts, here, though. Set the stage and all.

So: I liked them a lot! I wouldn't ever say I struggle with sci-fi, but I think in practice I struggle with sci-fi. For other genrefic novels, tropes i Enjoy the Consumption of can usually keep my interest alive long enough; like, Black Sun and Fevered Star didn't light me on fire, but there was a lot of dynamics and play within the space that I could consistently enjoy and keep. Chewing down the line on. real strawberry lace fiction. real gummy worm fiction

Sci-Fi usually struggles more with that, I guess. Or, rather, I don't enjoy genrefic sci-fi for sci-fi's sake? There is, i think, a needle to thread of Good Spec-fic, of "oooh literature on a Weird Way of Existing". that style can keep me hooked, and Murderbot Diaries manages that with all the intricacies of the SecUnit experience. and also you can just have a lot to say! and murderbot has a lot to say! overall 8.5 out of 10. book 1 is a 9 out of 10 (yippeee strained relations distrust etc); book 2 is an 8.5 out of 10 (ART good); book 3 is a 7 out of 10 (i dont really remember those people); book 4 is an 8 out of 10, book 5 is an 8.5 out of 10 but i think it'd be a bunch higher if i didnt find the middle a bit bloated; book 6 is a 7.5/10, book 7 is an 8/10. loose thoughts from my journal from here on. spoilers for the whole series begin in earnest.

I like murderbot diaries the most when its reasonably omniscient, dynamic feeling, with a bunch of pieces moving around; and when those pieces are the psychology of murderbot as it navigates shit. i popped the fuck off when at the start of the long one [that's Network Effect] we got an interlude of murderbot interacting with mensa and her family and Caring and augh. ouagh.

WE HJAVE TO PUT ON THE BEST DAMN TALENT SHOW THI S COLONY HAS EVER SEEN!!!! [this was right when i got to the documentary part of the last book lol]

what if the other sec units went stereotypical serial killer robot and murdered all their handlers. like yes i get an argument against that that goes down the line of “and then we wont be able to extract from the situation and everyone gets killed in retribution” but, also, i feel like early in this series there was a lot of text talking about how sec units don't actually. think like that. in real life. I dont know, maybe i havent adjusted to a Thematic Choice where actually that was unreliable narration, but i find my brain getting caught up on that every time. like comparing how murderbot talks about how sec units think early in the series to later on. bwah.

anyway [in regards to the end of Exit Strategy] something very unique but kind of hash tag relatable about an extended sequence of a character reconstructing their memories from base principles, all sortakinda drunk. seeing all those cute and Telling and I See How It Is moments, which i derived a lot of value from, really fun capper to a book. good times. and then they hit 100% and the microwave goes Ding and they sit right up in bed and go Damn. That was stupid. I'm leaving.

when the panopticon surrounds you on every level and you have a lot of time to think on your self and your connection to your self and gain access to every system that makes you up and makes you you and all you can manage to acheive with it is the recreation of the panopticon within the self. and being without the panopticon is uncomfortable and foreign and strange. when the character does not allow the narrative to woobify them. 😍

ships you can talk to (who talk back only in concepts) are a gender by the way. that first scene [at the end of All Systems Red] of Murderbot working out its take on the all of it to a ship who can't really talk back, and was more or less the default “easily Manipulated bot pilot” that we just kind of sidestep each time going forwards, but like. was also the Same Thing as Mbot in not having anyone to really talk this out with. we are both on the same level. we, two, have not been taught to sell our class, our people out to the humans; we can be Niceys to one another. you can seek that out and find it. there are glimmers and moments like that throughout the whole series going forwards. which kind of makes hanging out with the humies boring unless they're one of the like 3-4 that i feel have an Interesting Social Dynamic with murderbot

following on from that, i immediately started visualising ARTs feed-self as a Kirby Endboss mass of glowing, dazzling, flowing dials/lenses/clocks towering over everyone else. with speech bubbles violently louder than everyone elses. Like that was how my brain went “how would the graphic novel get this Concept of ‘I could squish you like a bug with one instant of thought you are nothing to me you little it/its freak’ across". and its good. its good

[in regards to Network Effect, and trying to sum up my whole feelings on 2.0]: Whoops! Your clone headmate you made underbaked on purpose came out with ADHD and joié de vivre and is kicking its feet up and down in its partition watching comfort media while you go through the shit that made the Expanse expand. that made the signal is. that made the Space [face/off-style pause] Dead

So, what're my big takeaways with the whole series? Everyone trying to Do Therapyspeak on Murderbot and it usually Not Working is nice. There is something wrong with you, and that's not like a puzzle to be unraveled, but the perspective the text then takes on everything else. this world isn't, like, Fascinating and realized with any special flair, but you get to have moments where Murderbot exposits how fucked shit is to other people, or judges a situation it's bitter about as people around it get Fucked Over, and it's just like. It's a fun level of fucked up, in a way, sure, but it's also those moments of like. Ah. Murderbot does not set out to be protagonist-ly about this world, to be deeply critical, to wikia-mode about it all. Only to be constantly drawn to such anyway, to being Bitter and having to exposit to make certain points land because it needs certain points to land because. shrugs, gestures. The World. All of it. but then we go back to like “Hey do you think you have trauma maybe?” “FUCK you” and it's consistent and that's all chewy in a way I find nice. It's nice. We're having a niceys time. smile emoji

[not-a-snowman]

You ever come across a fic that is perfectly geared to you, hits an exact niche you wish was explored, isn’t abandoned by its author, and logically should be everything you could’ve wanted… but also you hate it?

There’s this fic I keep seeing popping up. I want to like it so bad but every time I open it I remember why I put it down. Other people seem to really enjoy it, it’s just that it hits a writing pet peeve of mine and I can’t move past it

The fic is written in 3rd person omniscient and there is so much explaining and head hopping to tell you exactly how every single character feels at any given moment.

A character will refer to an offscreen event in a manner that gives you enough information to know what happened, and then the narration will STILL pause the scene to tell you what happened in detail despite it saying nothing new

We can’t have a character say something without the dialogue grinding to a halt to tell you all about what is internally motivating said thing and how everyone feels about it

And why explain the internal thoughts at all when every character just SAYS their exact thoughts and motivations out loud to other people

A character backtracks on what they had said previously in a scene that has JUST happened, and the story still feels the need to exposit that the character is lying and contradicting what they said in X scene

I can’t appreciate all that I might’ve liked because it’s constantly being interrupted by things that I as a reader already know or can extrapolate based on the character’s personality and behavior.

I would never actually post this on the fic because I don’t think quality is actually that important when it comes to fic writing (the act of creating is more important than making something “good”, and critique only matters if it’s actually wanted) but also AGH. I UNDERSTAND THE STORY. I CAN SEE THE THEMES AND UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE AND EFFECT. You don’t have to TELL me! Have some faith it what you’ve written and in your audience to have basic reading comprehension and please stop writing like you’re trying to justify your choices. You really don’t have to

[limpdickharrington]

1, 15, 22, 27, 41, 63, 76 (Ozzy sucks 👁️👄👁️)

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

Equal preference tbh. I can't write short multi-chaptered though, either a 10kish oneshot or a 100k+ monster.

2. How do you write smut scenes? Do you get very visual or detailed? How important is it to be realistic?

I try to focus a lot on the balance of tenderness and crude reality. I don't know if it actually comes across to the readers, but I guess the intention is to let you forget what is physically happening for a moment, then push you back into the physical realities of sex and vice versa, spelling out the mechanics of what is happening and cutting it off with the emotional journey.

I don't aim for perfect realism if I'm writing a detailed sex scene because, well... what is fiction for if not exploring things you can't/shouldn't do in real life? But I also struggle to both read and write completely unrealistic sex that's either too perfect or too over the top.

When it comes to smut I only write what I wanna read, so I guess I always figure out what gets me hot about a concept, then try to get that across best I can.

3. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I can't do omniscient narrator/fics that change pov randomly, it confuses my brain just reading them, nevermind writing one. I also struggle writing supernatural stuff even in my original work and I'm also not really into omegaverse, though I enjoy the occasional meme/thread.

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

Favourite: either when the flow of a new chapter/fic hits and I churn out thousands of words like it's nothing, or when I edit it at the very end and it all comes together.

Least favourite: when I get stuck on something small for 3 months and it gives me a writing block 🙃 Bimmer's done this to me a lot.

41. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

Depends! Usually one-and-done but there are some fics I will go back to. I also reread my own smut a lot skdkfjd but I do write it for me so that makes sense

63. Something you hate to see in smut.

Oh boy.

Too much prep that feels almost mechanical in the way it's done. Safewords for things that don't include cnc. Kink negotiations that are exceedingly mature and educated for the characters and the context. Anal sex being the go-to choice for characters that are inexperienced and sleeping together for the first time.

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of Ozzy sucks?

Several!! Get ready for a long answer (cnc and noncon cw)

- Really wanted to write their first time fucking afterwards, like would it be gentle for Steve to feel like he's taking care of Eddie and making it up to him? Or would Steve want Eddie to take control, top him and dom him to tip the scales in their power dynamic to a point where Steve feels more balanced about it all?

- I kinda wanted Steve to fuck Eddie in the hallway, on the floor, against random furniture in the house, just fucking wreck the place and beat the shit out of each other, but decided it worked better with Steve's intention of "fixing" Eddie and bringing him back into the fold of their relationship to take him to bed. It was never intended to be a particularly rough and violent scene, the tender parts of it are equally important.

- Speaking of tender, I had a second idea of how the scene could go, with Steve being extremely sweet and caring and reassuring through it all until he breaks Eddie with love instead of pain/fear. More of a mindfuck feel to it, where Eddie is disgusted with Steve but also with himself for feeling good. And Steve reassuring him again and again that it's normal for it to feel good, even if it's rape. That it's okay, there's nothing to be ashamed of, it's normal, overwhelming Eddie with tenderness, exhausting him until he's helpless and has to accept it and admit it feels really good.

- Wanted Steve to make Eddie say a lot of embarassing things/things he doesn't mean under the threat of pain. Forcing him to say he's missed his cock, he's been thinking about it all this time, been wanting it so bad. How it feels so good, even while Eddie's bleeding and clearly in pain. That kind of stuff. Kinda regret missing out on Eddie crying and covered in blood while he sobs out how much he loves it.

- Eddie escaping and managing to run halfway across the house covered in blood and piss until Steve catches him 👁️

Anyways, let's just say I really, really wanna write a follow up chapter/oneshot.

[crowpricorn]

🎃🤗🎯!!!! 😊

thank you nura!🥺

questions

🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic?

I haven't written anything holiday related as of now I think, but I'd love to write some halloween themed fic (ire and I were talking vampire wylan and cowboy jesper for an halloween party! it would be fun to write, but I have close to 0 motivation for it right now)

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

just write and share whatever you feel like writing and sharing! numbers don't matter, and although receiving comments or kudos for your work *is* empowering and validating, my advice is just to keep writing no matter the result. if you enjoy it, there's no reason not to. find a beta reader that you trust though (I couldn't have started without betaing, which now I need less for shorter works, but if I hadn't had genuine help and advice with my first works, I probably wouldn't have improved at all and my writing would be stuck)

also!! I know it's a lot, but research research research: research terms and sentence structures and read books/other fics if English is not your first language (but also if it is), research things for what you are going to write about (idk if it's just me, but one of the things I enjoy most about writing is *learning*. I started a whole cowboy wip and a whole volleyball wip and then I abandoned them, but at least I now have a wide knowledge on far west and volleyball terminology. will I need them in life? probably not. but it's fun to learn!)

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

all of my published works are one shots, so I literally didn't give them a chance to ...and I'm also so bad at keeping things to myself! if someone was to guess major plot points, or understand where my foreshadowings go etc., I would surely confirm it for them //thus ruining the fun! I also have this disease called "my memory is so bad that I need to explicitly write everything down so I'm like the omniscient narrator that tells you everything about everything" and I'm trying to keep it at bay and plan more first so that I don't have to state all facts *in the actual fic*

[alivingsaint]

😈✨🎃🤲

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

Honestly I don’t think so. The majority of my fic is lighthearted and/or leans towards comedy. I’ve never wanted to be purposefully mean to my readers. I reserve that for characters only. Usually Michael bc his suffering increases my mood by at least 35% each time. ✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉 aslkdjfl this is so hard for me personally. But my handle on characterization is usually well received and I think I can write some pretty entertaining dialogue. It’s probably my greatest strength as a writer. 🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic? I GUESS I DO… I’m currently writing a Murderville: Who Killed Santa? fic, and I wrote a Halloween themed boyfights fic as well. The Halloween one is my favorite if only because it’s actually finished and I enjoyed peppering silly vampire/spoopy jokes throughout. 🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip? Here’s the intro for an AD boyfights fic I’m writing from the Narrator’s POV just to see if I can pull it off. It’s quite a shift from my preferred POV, which is Gob’s, but I’m having fun with it. --- Michael woke up feeling nauseous. 

If he’d had the gift of narrative foresight, he might’ve glimpsed the emotional trauma on his horizon, and thus done literally anything to keep from screwing himself up, and over, and all the ways in between. Unfortunately for Michael, he was neither omniscient nor prepared for the fallout of having been roped into a bit of a bind earlier. It’s what his older brother, Gob, had been predisposed to call a favor. 

“I need you to tie me up,” Gob had said. “For the kiddies.”

[f1-giuki]

Hi my dear!! 🤍😘

🍏 First person or third person?

🫐 Mutli-chapter or one-shots?

🌶 Does angst get you excited? Or does it make you wanna crawl into a hole and just cry?

hello darling💖💖💖

🍏: third person, I prefer it to tell stories! I love having an omniscient narrator in the fics, it allows to depict feelings and thoughts in such a nice way! But sometimes an external narrator with an internal focalisation (I'm sorry I don't know the actual terminology in English sjsjjsjsjs) is very fun too, being maybe unreliable and stuff!!

🫐: Both!! Multi chapter fics are very fun but they give me a bit of anxiety for the publication and writing bit skbsksnsjs, and also, when there's a one shot that you may like to continue you can always make a series on ao3💀💀

🌶️: Well, angst has a purpose!! at least that's what I tell myself when I read it sksbelsnsksl, but when I write it I enjoy it too much, it's very fun to make the character suffer a little or a lot for the good of the plot 💀💀 I'm a sucker for a happy ending tho !!! I can't have a sad ending in one of my fics, it's physically impossible for me sksbwkwksksk

[lucky-clover-gazette]

I love how you write dialogue when multiple characters are involved. Just ... you integrate everyone so well, it doesn't at any point feel forced, and — actually, hold on, let me pull up a fic for reference.

Ok, so in and they were hallmates (bc I'm still in absolute awe of that one and you're not escaping more compliments for it) we've got a vaguely omniscient narrator who makes us feel like we're watching the room from a spot on the wall. This means we don't get a lot of insight into one or multiple characters, beyond what's conveyed in conversation — which makes the conversation all the more important.

Like it's-one-of-the-fundamental-pillars-of-the-narrative kind of important. And you execute it so goddamn well. You don't overdo the dialogue tags, you provide information in a way that feels natural to the characters, the setting, and the conversation, and the transitions between characters and topics feel seamless — even where there's an interruption or sudden break, because it feels purposeful and makes the following info feel important to the reader. Example: when they've just started the game of Truth or Dare, and Red's going to type out the text on Blue's phone, and Green interrupts to ask how Red knows Blue's passcode. Red says: "We're roommates [...]. And we always order pizza from his phone so we can pool rewards points." This tells us so much about Red and Blue's relationship, beyond the obvious trust in Blue letting Red confiscate his phone for his own sanity. Beyond the words themselves, it tells us that they spend the majority of their down-time together, that they have meals together, and that they're essentially operating in a dynamic of helpulfeness and trust. When Blue towards the end invites Red to spend Christmas with him, it's therefore not forced or surprising, because this info about them and the implied closeness was already revealed.

Likewise, with regards to Shadow and Vio, pretty much every interaction drives home 1) that they're comfortable around each other and 2) that they rib each other and enjoy it. When Vio gives Shadow his dare and Shadow says: "What does shotgunning the root beer have to do with that?" to which Vio says: "Nothing, I just think you look silly when you do it" it shows exactly the above — sure, it's a game, but you wouldn't dare someone to do something if you weren't sure they'd be comfortable with it. The fact that Vio gives a dare an immediately admits "yeah I just think you look dumb doing it" and Shadow does it anyways tells us that, yeah, they're comfortable around each other (Vio's honest and Shadow doesn't take offence), and they poke fun at each other and have fun with it. The fact that this is so heavily reinforced throughout the entire fic makes the ending very unsurprising, in that of course they'd get together (though I'll be honest, when I first read it I was surprised they weren't together already, which I guess is also part of the point).

Anyways, I love the way you write dialogue and I'm studying it intently every time you post a new Four Swords fic (yes, I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter of this is our get-along fic).

kalh i'm so--

[eyeswaitingfortuesdaynight]

omniscient reader's viewpoint liveblog day 2 😅 (chs. 2-6: ep. 1 - starting the paid service)

i'm going to take notes as i go for the first 120 chapters or so since i've already read it before (and also sort of re-read them via the webtoon and various fanfic)

completely forgot about the world after fall plug looool. i need catch up with the webtoon at some point for that one

kdj is so freaking awkward talking about himself and his hobbies, it's painful. compared to how he never shuts up later, it shows how comfortable he's gotten with kimcom. how uncomfortable he was with anyone in the before times

i think he's....dissassociating? has trouble mentally staying present? either way, ysa had to address him 3 times before he answered a simple question about language app, damn. this bitch is Not Alright

kdj uses 'ruined' as a search term, not 'survival' or 'survive' when looking for twsa. that's a habit, so he likely did that the first time he was searching for novels too, huh.....

when a train stops for me, i think 'mechanical issues' or 'security incident', not 'suicide'. i can't tell if this is a cultural thing or a kdj thing or both, but in any case not a good sign of mental health that that's his first and only guess

killing anyone who outwardly rebelled against the dokkaebi...pretty smart in establishing dominance tbh. and it means that any surviving incarnations are either going to be too scared to protest or too smart to voice their opinions outloud and potentially incite other incarnations into rebelling

"If you want to enjoy happiness, it is common sense to pay a price." - 😬

'Department Head Han pulled out his business card as people cheered him on.' - this was very 'and everyone stood up and clapped' energy, but irl, crying

'Finally, I slowly controlled my breathing.' -meaning he wasn't controlling his breathing before? a point in favour of kdj having therapy in the before times, but idk. i feel like kdj DOESN'T have 4th wall yet. he's not 100% chill about the scenarios happening......it's suspicious that he's actually narrating his emotional reactions at this point and having to work at being calm instead of just telling himself to calm down

i didn't expect or remember that matrix ref lol. now all i can picture is hsy shoving the red pill down kdj's mouth and telling him to wake the fuck up

lhs.....so earnest..................also pretty sure the seoul dome doesn't go up until after the 1st scenario is complete if lhs is still getting messages on his phone

with all these political assassinations...i wonder if the dokkaebi got rid all of the nuclear weapons and such too. just to make sure they don't interfere the scenarios. bihyung's comments show that some research can be done and the existence of the disaster of questions is proof the dokkaebis have observed earth for at least some time now. the 4th and 5th scenarios were designed too specifically not have had extensive research beforehand

'Subconsciously, I made a fist using all my strength.' - that one arthur meme 😂

ljh ...... 😭😭😭😭😭

'confused for a moment' 'stunned for a moment' - HIGHKEY BELIEVING HE DOESN'T HAVE 4TH WALL

interesting that kdj doesn't even think of opening his attribute window until after he gets his mysterious attribute (maybe 2nd?).....almost like he didn't have the 4th wall to help him block his profile and also calm him down enough to think of it beforehand...............

if yjh is in car 3707....and the rest of the gang are in 3807.....who the fuck is the pale guy mentioned to be in 3907? throwaway line? typo? side story tie-in?????

knw......i know thematically he has to die here but also goddamn it would have been so funny to have him tag along and become part of kimcom. kdj picking up all the teen rivals lol

"Think carefully. The world you have known so far has just ended." - pretty sure kdj says something similar later. ~thematic parallels~ .....also i need to find that teen!kdj au fic as soon as i finish reading the novel, i have been dying to read it

...poor grandmother. what an awful way to live your last few minutes before you die.

kdj would have been so fucked if this wasn't a round where yjh killed everyone in his car with an explosion.

lgy is crying, oh nooooooo 😭😭😭😭

'The locusts and grasshoppers were jumping around in the collection net.' - insects, not just grasshoppers. this coupled with knw's uniform makes me think it's late summer/early fall....i need to lookup the korean school calendar later to be sure, but i don't get the impression it'll be winter anytime soon

'Right now, I was facing the explosive madness that tried to kill the grandmother yet a smile emerged on my face. Why? Even in this breathtaking tension, why was my heart beating with joy?' - adrenaline and having control for the first time in your life maybe

i always wondered who the 2nd constellation wanting knw was........

also wondering if knw would have joined the military asap after finishing school

man wouldn't it have been so funny if one of the grasshopper eggs slipped out of kdj's hand and knw stepped on it and he passed the 1st scenario anyway???

i know knw is a total homicidal weirdo ....but he didn't have to go like that 🥺

kdj doesn't recognize his own face....doesn't notice there's no actual blood on it......feels like he's looking at a novel......is it dissassociation, the 4th wall, or maybe it's maybelliene

'…And I was the only reader who knew the ending of this world.' - what a dramatic ending to those chapters. fitting as well!

[practically-an-x-man]

Fanfic ask game :)

👀 📥 🖊 🏅📚 👩‍🏭 😈

thank you!!! You're amazing bestie!!

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

I've got one at the moment I think, more of an idea than a WIP bc it's not technically on the page yet. I don't know if I'd post it even if I did write it because 1. the fandom is abysmally tiny (I don't think there's even a tag for the movie on AO3 yet), 2. it's very self-indulgent and probably on the verge of a lazy/unrealistic plot, and 3. I just feel like it would go dead even if I did post it, so obviously my other fics are going to take precedence

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

I mean, I love them all. I don't get very many comments on my fics in general, so I really treasure every one. That being said, I feel like people are really engaged with Who Waits Forever Anyway?, so I get some pretty dynamic comments there, and I really wish people would comment on Desert Song because so far nobody has and I feel like it's some of my best writing

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

Alright, here's a bit from the next chapter of Bolts and Blasters, my Star Wars fic:

A bit of the truth leached into those final words, and maybe that was why he didn’t question it. Poe just nodded, though his lips pressed into a thin, uneasy line. 

“Don’t know how much you’ll find,” he admitted, “Everywhere’s tapped dry. We had ships coming in from practically every habitable planet, and they all need to recover after that. You’ll be lucky to find bacta.”

“You’re so encouraging.” Indigo huffed, giving him a look, “But I have to try.”

Again, she found glimpses of truth amid the lie. She hated that she couldn’t tell him more. She hated that she had to dodge his questions like this. She hated to lie to a friend.

With luck, it wouldn’t matter. He’d learn that it was a ruse within a day, yes, but he’d forgive her if it all worked out. 

If. 

Indigo sighed, and stepped forward long enough to pull him into a hug. If he thought that was strange, a farewell hug for a supposedly-brief supply run, he didn’t breathe a word of it. She’d been a little shaky these past few weeks, after all. He wouldn’t begrudge her a bit of support after everything she’d lost. 

When she pulled back, Poe’s brows had drawn inwards with suspicion. She took a step back, swallowing hard. 

“Good luck on your mission.” he told her, and didn’t say anything more. His posture was stiff, mechanical. He’d probably already guessed it. He was rowdy, yes, but he’d never been a stupid man.

Indie grit her teeth, forcing herself to turn away. 

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

The last two chapters I posted, on two different fics, were both over 7k words long, and I thought they were both very good. And I'm devilishly proud of how much emotional damage I've put my readers through in Bolts and Blasters, particularly since I've already started writing the resolution to it.

📚 Do you read your own fic?

All the time lol. I write it for me, so of course I reread it.

👩‍🏭 If one of your fics was going to get you arrested, which one and why?

Desert Song or Nom De Guerre. I'd like to think that my depictions of thievery, pickpocketing, coup d'etats, underground crime groups, and whatever else that writing 6 Underground fanfiction entails is decently accurate (or at least enough for suspension of disbelief)... but is it TOO accurate?

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

I have a few fics where the main character's POV is in first-person perspective, and I know that's pretty polarizing. I still write most of my fics in third-person and even a few in second, but there's a certain level of perspective and closeness in first-person that you really can't quite get in the others. It feels more like they're telling their stories, rather than having this omniscient or godly Narrator walking them through it. I don't use it all the time (only 2 of my fics use first-person, and both also have POV shifts to other characters, which are written in third-person) but I think it can be very powerful when it's done right.

[sqwormywormy]

8, 17, and 24 for the Weird Writers Questions!

Weird Questions for Writers

Thank you for the ask! I talked... Alot more than I thought I would seeing as my writing process is kinda me just tossing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

Oh, I would ABSOLUTELY choose to write an action only story. (Dialogue my dearly beloathed) Honestly I would likely end up focusing on descriptions of the environment, when I'm in the right writing mood I sometimes get carried away with describing small things like the sound of a cup being put down already LMAO. I personally struggle a lot with scene changes, like moving on to more interesting bits of the story (I'm working on this, it's just. Really hard) so if I needed characters to communicate somehow, I'd end up having them communicate through those good ole furtive glances, scoffs, and huffs.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

So. So... my biggest WIP currently is an addition to the beloved Ben collection. Since my writing style is a little impulsive, my additions haven't really had much of an underlying plot other than snapshots, buuut I've been getting invested and hrggh that may change. But anywayssss. So, this fic is mainly focused on the fated Big Ben first meeting and reveal, but I got hugely carried away and now there's a whole ass investigation tacked on. Cults pulling human transmogrification feats in elementary school basements, though we will only be getting part of that story from Ben n Parkers pov. I was initially going to have Arthur and John be there from the get go, but writing Kayne is soooo fun and these two being confused as hell until it clicks is much more appealing to me. But John and Arthur are getting their own action too, Kayne left them a breadcrumb trail so they wouldn't miss out on the fun altogether. One big thing I'm sad that I had to change was the perspectives in this work. It's real hard writing a conversation when two of the characters can't even hear the other half of the conversation. Add in having to rely on Johns narration for Arthur to *see* anything? Yeah it's difficult as hell but it reads awkwardly if I keep the third person omniscient reader pov soooo, what can you do.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

HAHAHAH...none.

I'm kidding. Kinda. But!! Recently I started actually taking writer advice and collecting my thoughts and concepts in actual documentation rather than relying on my (shit) memory. Most of my "prepwork" is actually me just bouncing ideas back and forth with friends, it helps me get into an actual good flow to serve as a sort of kicking off point for plotting. I do Not use rough drafts or outlines, and I Really Should, but usually I just end up being at work or something, getting a scene idea, and quickly writing it down on my break. Then I go back later to see how well it fits and to add to it. I don't really like prepwork, but I know it's extremely useful, and now that I'm starting to get more interested in working on some multi chap stories I'm probably gonna actually take up drafting out this stuff.

[definitelynotkatesblog]

Illustrated Man l Spencer Reid Fic

Pairing: Reader x Spencer Reid 

Category: Fluff

Summary: Spencer comes home from a particularly difficult case, and begins to doubt himself. Reader helps him unwind and helps paint a picture of all the great things about him.

A/N: Helloooooooo friends! Yet again, I thought of a single line of dialogue I really wanted to make work so I spit a thousand words around it to bring it to life lol. Anyways! This fic is free of reader pronouns and gender identifiers, so anyone can read this and make the “I”‘a their own ☺️

P.S. I’ll see what I can do about not disappearing again for weeks on end, but I make no promises

Content warning: None! Except Spencer has his shirt off? But that’s it!

WC: 2.4k

The sound of the door clicking shut and Spencer vacating his lungs of all air drew my head up from my book.

“You’re home!” I cheered, closing my book and getting up to greet him.

He lifted his satchel over his head and gave me a small smile that didn’t touch his eyes. I nodded, mostly to myself, knowing that this meant the case was harder than most. On nights like this, Spencer was hard to reach. I padded my way across the living room and wrapped my arms around him like he might slip away if I didn’t hold him tight enough.

I pulled his head down to rest on my shoulder as his arms snaked around me, wrapping himself in me, too. We stayed like that a while until he stood up and cupped my cheeks in his hands, bringing my face up for a kiss.

‘Hi,” he said softly.

I smiled into his palms. “Hi.”

I took his hands in mine and kissed his knuckles, then led him to our bedroom to get him out of his work clothes. I helped him out of his cardigan and dress shirt, then left him to do the rest while I got him some water. When I returned, he was laying face down across the bed in a pair of sweatpants. His head rested on his crossed arms, and turned to face me when I laid next to him on the bed. I propped my head up one arm and gave him a half smile.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

He thought for a moment before giving me a recap of the case, leaving out the gruesome details. I listened and ran my fingers across his back, alternating scratches with swirling patterns on the soft skin. Sometimes my hand would find itself at the nape of his neck and work through the hair there.

As he spoke, his voice became more resolved and tired. He worked so hard, but the things he saw, the things this job had put him through weighed on him. He was strong and incredibly smart, but just because he carried it well didn’t mean the load wasn’t heavy.

I took a deep breath and spoke gently, not wanting to offend him. “Maybe you can take some time off?” I suggested.

He shook his head, his chin brushing his hands folded under his chin.

“The team needs me. These victims and their families need me.”

I bit my tongue. I needed him, too. But this was hardly the time to bring that up.

“But this job,” he paused for a moment before continuing, “It takes pieces of me I can’t get back, and I’m scared all I am is the parts I’ve managed to pick up off of the ground.”

I closed my eyes and wished away the tears forming in my eyes. I heard him take a deep breath but he didn’t say anything else.

“I have an idea. Stay there.”

His head lifted and his eyes followed me around the room to our closet where my painting supplied resided.

“I’m going to paint you.”

“Paint me?”

I turned around, a towel in one hand and my box of paints and brushes in the other. “Yes. You’re gonna lay here and talk to me about anything in the world and I’m going to paint you.”

His eyes scanned the contents of my hands. I could see the gears in his head turning for a moment before he shrugged and gave a small nod.

“Okay.”

I ran a hand through his hair and bent down to kiss his forehead before climbing on the bed and straddling his thighs, setting my supplies on the towel beside us. “Talk to me.”

His head cocked to the side as he contemplated his answer.

“Not about work,” I clarified.

I felt his laugh beneath me. “Okay then, what would you like me to tell you about?”

I tapped my bottom lip with the handle of my paintbrush. “Hmmm. Read any good books lately?”

I could feel his smile without seeing it. If there was one thing Spencer loved more than saving lives and doing crossword puzzles in pen, it was reading. “I revisited some Ray Bradbury on the plane home,” he said.

“Mmm, tell me about it.”

He took a deep breath beneath me and began. “I re-read The Illustrated Man. It’s a compilation of short stories told through interactions between an omniscient narrator and a man covered in tattoos that each tell tales of events that have not happened yet. The tattoos are magic, and they come alive to tell the stories they depict. The stories are mostly science fiction, but have elements of pretty universal truths that Bradbury is famous for addressing.

For example, in one story explores the deep seeded longing of one man to take a trip to outer space. Something that, in this story, is attaintanable. He works his whole life to be able to fulfill this yearning, but he is torn between going or staying with his family, whom he also loves. It begs the question of the existence of duality of desire and duty.

Then, in another, there’s this incessant rain. And this group of men are searching for cover and sunshine, but it’s wearing them down and breaking them. These small raindrops, just water, becomes torture. It’s interesting how something as small as raindrops can break both canyons and men.”

I listen as he tells me about each story behind the man’s tattoos, about how they’re all different but important and lend themselves to portraying the then-futuristic perception world around us. Sometimes, his voice gets sad at the implications of the stories, but other times he seems to appreciate the sentiment behind them.

I dip my brushes and admire the way they drag across his soft skin, leaving a wake of vibrant pigments behind. I hmm and ahhh at appropriate times, partially paying attention but mostly glad that he’s able to enjoy himself and is able to think of something other than the darkness in his world.

We stayed in our respective positions for the better part of an hour- him laying on the bed with his head on his hands while I straddled the back of his thighs, stroking brushes across the lines of his back.

When I’m finally finished, I roll my neck and place my hands on the small of his back, taking a moment to take it in. The idea of creating a universe compelled me; there was so much beauty and so much unknown in the expanse of space. The concept seemed fitting for what I hoped to help him understand. I’d mixed a navy blue paint for a base, and created swirls of light with yellows, creams, and whites to create a brighter contrast and background for the more intricate featured parts. One section had books, a coffee cup, a molecular model I’d hoped was an actual chemical, and a small red apple.

The next was a canyon, modeled after one of the scenic drives we’d taken the last time we visited Vegas to see his mom at her new care facility. We parked at a lookout spot and watched the sun set- gorgeous oranges, yellows, and pinks painted the sky over the rock. It was at that moment I’d never been more jealous of Spencer’s perfect memory.

Another section, closer to the bottom curve of his spine was a silhouette outline of the Christmas card the team had sent out two years ago. Spencer had a copy hanging by a CalTech magnet on the fridge, another on his desk, and a folded and fading copy in his wallet.

He loved that photo – the way it captured their joyous spirits and ability to be carefree despite the things that initially brought them together.

I took a deep breath and playfully patted his bottom. “All done!”

He threw a boyish grin over his shoulder and handed me his phone.

I snapped a few pictures, holding the phone up by my chin to capture the expanse of his back, then a bit closer to the individual parts. I passed the phone back over his shoulder and brought my clasped hands up under my chin. “Okay, so, if you don’t like it, that’s okay you can wash-” I rushed, but stopped short when I felt his breath hitch from underneath me.

He was silent for a moment, staring at the phone in his hand.

I took a deep breath. “Spencer, you contain multitudes. You’re a loving son, an amazing friend, a brilliant profiler, a great cat-sitter, an instant mashed potato extraordinaire, and my favorite boyfriend.”

I dusted an invisible speck of dust off his shoulder before continuing, giving my words a moment to sink in. I needed him to hear me, and to know these truths. “You are so much more than the things you don’t love about yourself. You are more than this job, you are more than the obstacles you’ve had to overcome. They’re a part of who you are, yeah, but they’re not all that you are.”

I shook my head, though he couldn’t see it. The knowledge of the man beneath me not knowing he was deeply loved seemed so wrong.

“You are so incredibly loved, Spencer. The people in your life are so lucky to know you and to be loved by you. Each and every one of your friends is changed and is better for having known you, believe me.”

He was silent for a short while, pinching and zooming in on the screen to see the different parts of him illustrated in his skin. He cleared his throat a few times. Part of me was grateful I couldn’t see his face, and he couldn’t seem mine. Though, I didn’t need to see the way his mind was working to know he was trying to find a flaw in my logic.

The amount of love I had for the man beneath me threatened to spill over in the form of tears.

“Favorite boyfriend?” he asked finally, feigning insult.

I laughed. “So far, yeah.”

I knew that wasn’t the only thing he’d heard, but probably was the only thing he could bring himself to comment on.

I scrambled off of my perch unceremoniously, stretching for a moment before straightening up and offering my hand. He laid with his chin resting on his fists stacked, staring at me for a moment.

“What?” I asked with a small huff.

“Being loved by you is one of the greatest joys of my life.”

I felt my mouth pop open, a bit taken aback at such a bold admission. A sweet smile touched his lips while he watched me try to scoop my heart back into my chest. He climbed off the bed gingerly, careful not to rock the tray of paint and brushes with his long limbs.

His large hand wrapping around mine grounded me from cloud nine and I could feel the smile forming on my lips. I turned and started heading towards the bathroom.

“Come,” I said, pulling him along behind me.

When we arrived in the small room, I halted and spun him so the back of his thighs were resting against the porcelain countertop and I was flush against his front. My hands came to rest on the edges of the countertop, caging him between my arms. I looked up at him, squinting slightly.

“I’d like to take a picture, is that okay?”

I knew Spencer was wary of having his picture taken; most of our pictures together were candids I’d puppy eyed my way into him letting me keep.

He narrowed his eyes back at me. My lower lip made an appearance, coupled with a knitted brow and cautious look from under my lashes.

He laughed and shook his head. “Okay.”

Before he could change his mind, I grabbed my phone and rushed back to my place in front of him, pressing my front to his.

I snaked my arms around his torso so our chests were together while his back bearing my painting faced the mirror. My arms poking out from between his arm and torso space made him look like an alien, but placing one hand on his hip while the other held my phone gave the pose a more artistic feel.

I snapped a few pictures, messing with the lighting and exposure, playing with shadows from the vanity and positioning him every which way. Every once in a while, I’d pull my arms from him and show him a few shots I liked but they never felt like the one.

He smiled and nodded encouragingly, taking my direction to tilt this way or arch his shoulder that way. I started to feel for him, we’d been there for 15 minutes at least.

I pouted and let my head fall back dramatically. “I give up,” I whined.

He gave a small smile and leaned down to kiss me. I met his lips with a smile of my own before resting my head against his chest.

“Try one more time,” he encouraged.

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him again. I poked my head out so it was just visible behind his arm, resting my chin on his bicep as I focused my phone camera to capture the two of us and my work on his back.

“Smile,” I said before snapping a few shots. Spencer’s body shook with his laugh as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of my head. My thumb grazed the shutter button, capturing the moment.

It was perfect.

His back was illuminated perfectly by the soft glow of the vanity mirror lighting, the muscles in his back tensed when he bent down, creating dips and curves that separated the focus points brilliantly. My hand wasn’t posed, just gently resting on his hip, a soft touch that lent itself perfectly to the lightness of the moment.

I pulled myself from around him and held the phone between us. His hand found the small of my back and he pulled me closer to him, sealing our lips together. Our lips were unhurried, enjoying the softness of the moment and the love between us. His free hand cupped my cheek as we broke apart. His eyes bore into mine, both pairs slightly glossy.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

I nodded and buried my head into his chest so he wouldn’t see the fresh tears springing in my eyes. His arms wrapped around me as he pressed more kisses to the top of my head.

——

Let’s talk about it!

[yumgrapejuice]

Hello there! I recently found your fic A is for accidental dimensional travel on ao3 and would first like to say good job! I am thoroughly enjoying the story so far. As an amateur writer, I wanted to ask if you have any writing tips?

First, I’m really happy to hear you’re enjoying it, thank you!! And second, of course!!!:D That’s very flattering haha, and it’s something I can talk about for hours, though I’ll try to keep it condensed:’D I’m an amateur writer myself, of course, but, hey, I think every writer has something valuable to offer in terms of advice, and I have been pretty obsessed over the topic for years I guess lol.

I will say, though, that writing is like any other skill, and certain advice fits certain levels (I’ve had someone come to me about writing tips who didn’t have a grasp on the most basic concepts, so I told them different things from what I’d tell someone who’s actually been writing for a while). I don’t know what level you’re at, anon, so I’ll try to keep it to tips that I personally use whenever I’m writing, just a few quick things:D However!! You can always directly dm me and I’d be more than happy to offer more personalized/specific advice if that’s something you’d like:))

(I’d also like to mention that, to me, fanfiction writing is different from original writing. In fanfics, I usually go with the first draft of any chapter and I focus more on the Fun stuff, whereas with original stuff I’d have multiple drafts and be more careful. I just don’t have the time nor the need to perfect my fics if I like them enough as is, and I don't expect anyone else to perfect them, either. But, hey, that’s just me)

(Also, also, don’t look at me for grammar lmao sorry)

Putting the rest under the cut!:D

Dialogue is my favorite part of writing, so I’d like to share a few things I keep in mind whenever I’m constructing it.

First, unless a character is monologuing, I try to keep each person’s lines to no more than 3-4 sentences at a time. That way the dialogue flows more naturally and feels like people are actually talking.

Second, people are rarely graceful with their words, especially if they’re flustered for any reason. Cutting off sentences is a good way to show that, but don’t overdo it, either. That goes for stuttering, too. A couple of cuts or stutters is more than enough. I tend to break this "rule" when someone is really struggling, but that's only on special occasions.

Third, not every line needs a dialogue tag!! You need to evaluate what’s actually important. If you’re using a dialogue tag, you’re drawing attention to it. Why? Is it unclear who’s speaking? Are they performing some action that adds to/reinforces/conflicts with what’s being said? Is it funny? If there isn’t a good reason, you can just leave it without a tag. (Also, dialogue without tags flows much quicker, so that’s something to keep in mind. That's good for a quippy exchange.)

Fourth, I try to always progress some aspect of the story with every line. Usually, that can be plot progression or character progression. They can chatter about their day, the weather, work, sure, but it needs to progress something. Maybe it’s used to showcase the tense/awkward atmosphere. Maybe they learn information that’ll be useful later. Maybe it’s a way to show personality. Just, have it have a purpose.

And last, ‘said’ is not dead. Our eyes when reading barely register the word, so if you don’t wanna draw attention to how something is being said, use… ‘said’ lol.

A few more general things:

I don’t switch POVs often, but when I do, I try to make each POV have its distinct voice, which is something you hear a lot about in writing classes and such. People far more advanced than me can explain it much better, but the way I go about it is similar to dialogue. Different people use different phrases, some go on long tangents, some introspect a lot, some would rather die than think for a second about what they’re feeling (doesn’t mean you shouldn’t describe their emotional responses; just that some may draw more attention to them and linger longer). Switching between more formal styles to looser and rambly is also an easy and quick way to distinguish different narrators.

If you focus a lot on a certain detail, that detail needs to be important. Listen, I didn't spend multiple paragraphs on Dream fawning over an ender chest for that to be trivial in the future lol. The more attention you draw to something, you more weight you put on it. I really recommend that you bring it back eventually.

What’s the worst that can happen? Make it happen, and make it worse lol.

Your readers aren’t stupid, don’t spoon-feed them information. They’re smart cookies, leave some clues and they’ll figure it out. Hopefully. Use your judgement lol. But that goes for descriptions, too. Help them paint the scene, don’t actually paint it for them. Use different senses to describe something, such as smell, touch, sound. Once again, draw attention only to what’s actually important. (I’ve really enjoyed the way descriptions were done in Path of Golden Green)

If you want a line to have a lot of weight, put it in a separate paragraph. That’s probably obvious, but good to have it in mind haha.

Decide what atmosphere you want your story to have. If you’re going for a lighter one, don’t focus too much on serious, dark things. Likewise, tragedies and comedy don’t mix well unless it’s a tragicomedy lol, but that’s a whole other thing. I usually like going for a nice middle, sometimes leaning more towards light stuff. It’s why in A is for Accidental I didn’t dwell too much on the possible effects the prison could have had on mh!Dream because I wanted to keep that storyline relatively light (at least, compared to dsmp!Dream’s storyline lol). Possible trauma just. wasn’t the point here lmao. I just slap on a “eh, not his first rodeo” and I’m done haha. Not everything needs to be heavy angst and not everything needs to be all funny and fluffy. Find what balance you wanna have. Basically, it’s usually not a good idea to betray your readers lol.

This is more of a pet peeve but I really dislike head-hopping lol. It's basically when one paragraph is from one character's POV, the next one is from another's. I guess there's the third-person omniscient POV where that can fly, I suppose, but I'm more of a third-person limited kind of person lol. If that's the POV you're going with, decide on your POV character and stick to it (until the change in POV, at least), pretty please <3

This is very unorganized but each aspect of writing has so much that could be said about it that I thought I should stop here lol. If there’s anything specific you’d like me to talk about or to elaborate on something, please, feel free to ask; again, I’d be more than happy to ramble more about writing lol. I could go on forever, honestly:’D