#i shall delete my asks and drafts to start fresh

[gr1ffn]

feels so weird to be here aklsdhlajdsa

[trailnapped]

HELLO ALL! so as you all may have noticed, i’ve been incredibly absent on this account. i apologize for that. i didn’t mean to be gone so long, but my mental health has been in a rough place lately, and prior to it sinking i’ve been, shockingly, getting out of the house more. as a matter of fact i’ll be away from home for the next two nights. after i return however, i am going to be REBOOTING! i won’t be moving blogs, but i will be deleting all drafts/asks and starting fresh. i miss you all desperately, and i’m sorry i was gone for so long. i want to thank everyone that reaches out to me after my mental break, i appreciate you all so much 🩵 please me patient with me a while longer, i shall return!

[spnfanficpond]

Pond Diving - Supernatural-Jackles

Welcome to today’s Pond Diving Spotlight! We hope that you enjoy this little insight to our members and perhaps even find some useful tips for your own writing. Happy reading!

Want to volunteer, send us an ask! We’re looking forward to learning more about all of you! Not sure what PD is, you can learn more here.

“Don’t Be Koi About It” - All About You

Name: Jen

Age: 24

Location: Ontario, Canada

URL: @supernatural-jackles​ 

Why did you choose your URL:  I wanted a Supernatural theme for my blog when I started watching it and Jensen Ackles just happens to be my favourite on there so it became that.

What inspired you to become a writer: I’ve always enjoyed stories. I’ve loved the aspect of taking your mind to a whole other world and living in it. As I grew up and continued reading, my love for stories became stronger and stronger. I fell in love with characters and places. I wanted to always have a way to go back to those places and take other people to those places. I wanted to create stories for others to fall in love with the way I fell in love with them.

How long have you been writing:  I have been writing since I was 8 or 9.

What do you do when you are not writing i.e. Job/Hobbies etc?  Right now, my Nintendo switch is a good friend of mine. Due to the virus, I spend a lot of my time inside when I’m not at work. I’m either writing, working, sleeping or playing switch.

How long have you been in the SPN Fandom?  Since 2012

Are you in any other fandoms and do you write for them? I am in the Harry Potter fandom, and Marvel. I don’t write for them though. I don’t feel the same way about the characters as I do with the SPN Fandom. 

Do you do any writing outside of fanfiction? If so, tell us about it? I have been working on my novel for the last two years on and off. I just find a lot more joy in writing Supernatural fanfiction at the moment, so my soul focus has stayed on that. 

Favorite published author:  Margaret Atwood or John Green

Have you ever read a book that made an impact on your life? Which one and why?:  There was this one book I read. I was about 18 at the time I believe. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. A very triggering book, just so you know. I remember sitting there reading it and wondering why I’m putting myself through something so draining and daunting. The book was very upsetting and I found it didn’t tackle the issues at hand in a very tasteful and realistic way. As someone who writes fanfiction about mental health, it influenced me to be open and honest about the way reality is, but in a way that would shine more positively towards mental health struggles. I never wanted to be that person who ruined every mental health book for someone else like that author did for me. It was a negative impact, but I think it had some positive results.

Favorite genre of fanfic (smut, angst, fluff, crack, rpf, etc):  I enjoy all genres to be honest. It really all depends on the mood I’m in that day. It’s fun to switch it up every once in a while and enjoy the mixed emotions you get when you read or write said genre.

Favorite piece of your own writing: One and One Make Three or Just Want to Be Loved.

Most underrated fic you have written:  I might have to say More Than a Fling. It was the sequel to Summer Fling and everyone was interested in a second series. It soon went on permanent hiatus due to lack of interest.

Story of yours that you’d most like to see turned into a movie/tv show:  Owe You One

Favorite Tumblr Writer(s):   @luci-in-trenchcoats​, @kaz-2y5imagines​,  @jawritter​ @mariekoukie6661​, @torn-and-frayed​

Favorite fic from another writer:  Breathe by @luci-in-trenchcoats​

Favorite character to write: Dean/Jensen

Favorite Pairing to write:  Undecided. I love reader inserts and I haven’t done many pairings other than that. I have toyed with Jensen/Reader/Danneel before and I enjoy writing them.

Least favorite character to write (and why):  Castiel. We only see so much of Cas and there aren’t as many complex layers of him so he’s harder for me to explore.

Do you have anyone you consider a mentor?  @luci-in-trenchcoats

Do you have any aspirations involving your writing?   Finish everything I start, and be proud of every piece I create.

How many work-in-progress stories do you have:  Ummm probably upwards to the mid 60’s I want to say.

What are you currently working on?  I am in the very early stages of writing a Jensen x Reader Bodyguard AU series. Twisty and turny and very different from what I usually write, but still very me.

“Pond Diving” - All About The Writing

What/who has had the biggest influence on your writing?  I have the biggest influence on my writing for the most part. I always stick with what I want to write and what I’d love to read. That’s what gets me started on most pieces. My dear best friend who shall remain anonymous, has an influence on me as well. She mostly inspires me to write what I want to write and reminds me on a constant basis that I am doing good and to keep going with my ideas.

Best writing advice you've been given:  Don’t be afraid to get a little out of your comfort zone.

Biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your writing:  Time management mostly. Deadlines are not my best friend, that’s for sure. I am often filled with a lot of self-doubt when it comes to getting things done on time. Then I wonder if it’s good enough for publishing or if I should wait.

What aspects of writing do you find difficult when you write fanfiction? The research process for certain fics can be daunting. Especially if you don’t know where you need to start looking. Then fact checking, and making sure it works in the story. I have to remind myself that it will be worth it in the end. 

Is there anything you want to write but are afraid to (and why):  I am pretty open with writing most of the things I want to. Getting out of my comfort zone is something I regularly do. It’s always fun to challenge yourself into writing something you’d never think of doing. I certainly have enjoyed the things I was scared to try and it was worth it in the end.

What inspires/motivates you to write:  Any selfie/picture posted by Jensen. My best friend and the lovely people around me. @luci-in-trenchcoats is a big influence on me and she always keeps me going!

How do you deal with self doubt:  I constantly have to remind myself to get out of that headspace unless I am writing about being in that headspace. It’s a hard cycle to break. Reminding myself that what I am doing is making me happy. I’m making the rules. I’m writing this for me. I have to please myself first and that’s what matters the most. I know myself and the way I write, and that is enough. That’s what I keep on repeat in my head.

How do you deal with writer's block: Cry profusely? I’m kidding. Writer’s block for me, usually comes from something I don’t like that I have written. If it’s minor, I go back to the point where I was happy with where the story was going and delete everything after that. Give it a fresh new start and prospective. If the block is more severe, I take a break. Watch a movie and don’t stress myself about it. I get ideas anywhere, and it will come back eventually. Sometimes it’s just your brain's way of saying “hey, you need to take a break. Do that.”

Do you plan/outline your story before you start: Generally yes. I like to know where my story is going. Most of the time my outlines are more extensive rough drafts. It’s a way of processing my thoughts and writing them down so I don’t forget later. It’s a lot more fun for me to build on stories.

Do you have any weird writing habits:  I either have to sit in a silent room, or I have to listen to music. Lately it’s been more silent. It depends on the subject.

Have you ever received hateful comments on your fic and how do you deal with it?  I’ve received my share of hateful comments. Each one sucks, I’m not going to lie. Knowing that there is someone out there that hates the way you wrote something so much that they had to tell you isn’t nice. It kind of comes back to the self doubt thing. You have to remind yourself that this is one person’s not so kind opinion. You are the writer, you are in control of this story. This is you and you’re proud of this.

Conversely: what’s been some of your favorite feedback on your fanfic?  Any feedback is my favourite feedback. Every heart, every “I love this”. Every “You’re my favourite.” I can’t pick a favourite. If someone can take the time out to say they’ve loved something I have written and that it meant a lot to them, then that's the best reward I can get.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new and/or struggling writer, what would it be?  Keep writing everyday! You don’t see it now but the more you write, the better you get.

[pinsplantsandpikes]

A Stitch(wort) In Time Saves Nothing If You Don't Pick It (16/03/20)

(Tumblr decided to delete my draft so I ragequit this for two days)

The sky is bright, empty, and blue. The air is briskly cold but clean. I have so far seen a lot of Lords And Ladies, a lot of Lords And Ladies, incessant amounts of Lords And Ladies.

I am exploring lakeside today instead of in the heathland. I am determined to find some Ramsoms like the other foragers I follow have. The general advice has been waterside woodland, as old as possible.

With the recent rain there is a lot more waterside than before! But the age is potentially a problem, so we shall see what we can see and live in hope.

On the suburban end of my walk, leading up to the lakes, there has been thriving greenery starting to shrug off the grey of winter. A rife of blue flowers started to emerge as I approached the gate, leaves spotted with white, quite pretty. Alkanet or Bugloss, and in their abundance, absolutely beautiful and rather like Forget Me Not flowers for the individual heads. I should have recognised them instantly - rather than letting the app confuse me into hoping they were Comfrey - for they look exactly as they do in Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, the game designers did a wonderful job on the plants.

Picking my way through the swampy ground I eventually made it to the path which followed a seemingly circular route, I chose to go left to start with. I passed some grumpy swans and a fisherman mired in mud to practice his craft. I don't envy the conditions but give him props for going to such lengths. Takes guts to be that close to swans, evil bastards that they are.

Continuing onward, I see some dogwalkers, numerous water based plants which look like Irises, more bloody Lords And Ladies, and wonder of wonders I find St John’s Wort--!

Not.

Of course I didn’t find anything so forageable as that. It was Shrubby St John’s Wort, otherwise known as Sweet Amber... uses, none. Cute little plant though.

Next up is Wood Avens, which might actually be useful at last! Ish. After some looking, none of its uses are really supported by science. Ugh.

All I want is to learn to find usable, useful, edible plants. It is not really so much to ask.

The next step in my journey was to decide whether or not to try and cross a flooded area of stepping stones, or stepping logs rather. The water ran over them and there was no indication how much they would sink. I would hardly drown if I slipped. I would get at worst a nasty shock, sore bum and a bit soggy. But on principle it was the risk vs reward debate. I vaguely knew my options for turning back, the right turn I hadn't yet taken that would eventually lead full circle to my origin point.

Or the waterlogged path, of which I knew nothing.

So, naturally I took to the logs, got one wet sock but otherwise survived the scramble intact. It was an adventure!

The view was spectacular, a river on one side after a steep drop, and the lake I’d been circling on the other, waterfowl taking off from the river and flying over my head. I carried along the path, excitedly looking at my feet for potential Ramsoms or other plants, breathing deeply, hoping to smell the strong stench of garlic. But nothing, just damp soil, water, and the fresh air.

It was along this path I ditched LeafSnap as my identification app. My final straw was it umming and ahhing about hogweed and whether or not it was really a parsnip. With lesser hogweed that’s not a dangerous confusion, even if it’s drastically wrong. With Giant Hogweed that is potentially lethal, given the plant’s infamous toxicity (seriously, go investigate that terrifying beast). So, instead I moved to iNaturalist, which so far has worked much better, keeping identification assumptions much more closely related, and peer-reviewed by real people when unsure. Happily trotting along I found more Lords And Ladies, brambles everywhere, grasses, dock, more of my good friend Poor Man’s Mustard, and what looked like Forget Me Nots!

Or more specifically, Wood Forget Me Nots. Gardener variety Forget Me Nots are my favourite flower, but this variation might actually leap to the top. The leaves were so fuzzy and soft. There were fewer flowers than the plant I know, but that may be the time of year as much as anything. The petals were a far richer blue, matching the Alkanet.

At this point my battery dropped below 50% so I started winding my way towards home, deliberately without turning back. I followed the muddied ground towards a swampy plain full of rushes or similar. Amongst the tall reeds there were some with what looks like bugs munching on them, fluffy little curls. When I got closer I saw that they were actually part of the Willows as iNaturalist identified them.

That’s just the family of plants, it wasn’t confident enough to narrow it down to the specific, but I’m happy with that much for something I don’t intend to touch or eat. It’s so cute though!

After the Willows I had a decision to make, with my battery running low enough it might not make it home. Either I went the wiggly way through the houses, or a straight line through some awkwardly overgrown wilderness. Just as I was weighing up these options something caught my eye. Bright greenery in a nest of dead leaves.

And in amongst the emerald sea in there were tiny white drops. Bright tiny blooms of delicately deliberate petals.

This was Stitchwort.

And it was so utterly beautiful. I’d seen flowers like that before but I have no recollection of where. They were exactly the kind of thing I wanted to see. Useful, edible, I even was developing a stitch after 80 or so minutes on the hoof at that point! But did I pick any?

No.

Because I’m an idiot who didn’t think of that till I’d already gotten halfway home, back through the undergrowth scritch scratch scritch scratch and back through the mud squelch squirtch squelch squirtch. It was only at I was opening the gate to return to the main road that I kicked myself for not getting down on my hands and knees to pick some of the Stitchwort, that I could have used it on a practical basis, tested its power. But no, my silly modern brain wanted to go home and have a banana to restock on potassium. Defying the whole premise of trying to reawaken older knowledge and customs.

But still. I know where they are. I’m pretty sure I could find my way back to that small cluster under that tree. They work well in salad apparently. Maybe I’ll do that for myself, a quarantine picnic, lockdown lunch of flowers and leaves.

Of course, yes, that’s the elephant in the room. I got home around 5pm.

Just in time to see the BBC tell me the country was on lockdown.

[psyncin-in-the-restrain]

Blog Revamp

Hey, everybody! Remember me? (Probably not.)

Alavar here to let you guys know that starting later today and tomorrow, I shall begin working on the blog revamp and reset!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, ALAVAR? Well, I’m glad you asked! I’m going to be cleaning up the AUs and information pages on Saito. Once those get fixed up, I’m going to delete ALL POSTS on my blog so that I can truly start anew. And when I finally finish everything, I’m going to create a new promo post in hopes I can find more people to interact with!

BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR RPs AND CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS? I know some people have been waiting on replies from me, but with this reset, I just want to start everything fresh. HOWEVER! If you want, you can contact me via IM here or on discord and let me know that you still want to keep Saito’s relations with your muse and/or you want to keep our thread going! I still do have threads saved up in my drafts, so they’re there. I already had one person who approached me and asked if we can keep our threads going; I agreed because I actually liked the story line and the relationship the characters had.

ANY RULE CHANGES? Just one. I’m going to be a low-activity blog, which means it may take forever and a day for me to reply, simply because of my current schedule (and living conditions). There will be days where I will be posting things in rapid succession, but for the most part, I won’t be as active as I used to be.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO? Honestly, I don’t know, but once the reset/revamp has been complete and I’m able to organize things more properly, I’ll let you guys know if anything drastic has changed. HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? Maybe a few weeks, considering my free time is during the weekends and spontaneously during the weekdays. It’s going to be an off and on thing that I do, so I can’t guarantee a definite time frame.

Anyways, I hope you guys have a great day and I look forward to interacting with you all soon! ;v;/

[youknowmymethods]

Content Creator Interview #2

In this week’s interview, fandom friends @lilsherlockian1975 and @mrsmcrieff talk about whether they found Sherlock hot or not at first sight, how publicly sharing their work changed their writing, and the hardest thing about writing smutfic (pun fully intended).

And for those who don’t know, today is Lillian’s Birthday, so m’dear, Many Happy Returns!!!!

Hey, so Lilsherlockian1975 and myself, MrsMCrieff, have decided to interview each other for Aine’s challenge. We’re going to try to answer each other’s questions but there is always the danger of us going massively off piste. Our conversations in the past have been eclectic and very wide-ranging not to mention M rated.

 Anyway, I thought we could start by saying how we came into the fandom and more than that writing in the fandom. Lil, do you want to start?

Lil: All right, my sister on another continent, here’s how it went: As I’ve explained about finding The Full House on Pinterest, let’s explore what came before that moment, then just after... I was working third shift at a hotel (I had to as Mr Lil and I didn’t really have any childcare options at the time, so we just worked opposite shifts). The hotel was in a very small town - we were never busy, some nights we sold maybe 2 rooms - I usually spent my time watching Netflix. After making my way through Doctor Who, Star Trek Next Gen, Voyager then (God help me) DS9, Farscape and Firefly, I’d finally run out of anything to watch. You’d be surprised how quickly you can burn through a series binge watching for 8 hours at a time (and getting paid for it!).

 Then… then I found Sherlock. Well, that changed things… a bit.

 “Good Lord, who is the Cumberstud chap and why won’t he have all the sex with me!?” was my first thought, my second was, “Maybe I have a chance with the dishy DI?” and third? “Oh… what fresh hell is this ‘Mycroft’? Yummy!” Then finally, “Ahh, did the casting director somehow read my diary? Creepy but… all right.” To my defense, it was late and I usually worked on very little sleep. Also, I’m a kinky bitch.

 I’d never been involved in a ‘fandom proper’, I suppose. That’s not to say that I wasn’t a fangirl. I am and always have been. I was hugely into the Kevin Smith movies, going as far as visiting the Quick Stop and RST Video in Lenardo, NJ, respectively, as well as The Secret Stash, in Red Bank. I was a comic book geek in my youth, Marvel mostly, but some DC as well.

 After reading The Full House, I desperately needed MORE Sherlock and luckily enough, there was more to be found.

 At first I was just reading, then I wrote and posted a couple of (horrible) fics and met this fellow writer named MrsMCrieff (I might have had a little ‘writing crush’ on you, Mrs!). We chatted on FF.net and struck up a friendship.

 So, for me, writing came before fandom. Mrs was doing some betaing for me, but I didn’t ask for help often; I hated bothering her all the time for the multitude of stories I was turning out. At some point around here, I got an elusive invite to AO3 from sherlockian87, bless her soul, because I kept trying to join and couldn’t get a blessed invitation. Also around this time, I had written a prompt and got a PM from MizJoely asking if she could fix some of my mistakes (she was very sweet about it, even though I totally flipped - half fangirling, half losing my shit because ‘Crap, I screwed up so bad, here was The MizJoely asking if she could edit out my mistakes!’) but she wasn’t being critical at all, of course, just helpful as I soon found out. Shortly after, now having formed a friendship with MIz, she suggested that I start a Tumblr blog. And that’s how it all started.

Yes, sorry… I, um, tend to be a tad loquacious. Writing out my answers doesn’t help one little bit.

 Okay, Mrs, right back atcha!

 Mrs: OK, shall I try to be more concise? I’ll probably fail as I’m terrible as writing short fics they always seem to end up spread over multiple chapters.

 I’m another one who had always been a fangirl, Doctor Who, Buffy, Twilight, vampire Diaries (yeah, I love my vampires) but I’d also been a Sherlock Holmes fan. I’d read all the books in my teens, watched the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett adaptations and even stayed at the Sherlock Holmes hotel on Baker St so when a new series was advertised it was an easy sale.

 I was late to the cumberobsession though. I have to admit watching the first two series as they came out and I remember thinking I like them but it’s a shame Sherlock isn’t that hot. I know, I know, I’m embarrassed even as I write that.

 It all changed after watching season 3 and I blame the Sherlolly kiss 100%. I watched the series, DELETED the records!! And then realised I was spending a lot of time thinking about Sherlock and Benedict...that turned into looking him up online and from there it was a short step to reading Sherlolly fics on fanfic (I was already reading fics for other shipping obsessions). Anyway, it didn’t take long before Sherlolly took over all my other ships and Benedict was my number one hottie.

 As for writing, I hadn’t written anything fiction based since school and school was a long time ago...almost thirty years. But one day I was looking for a specific fic, I wanted to read about Sherlock and Molly having to share body heat and I just couldn’t find anything that satisfied me. I’m not sure why but in that moment I decided to write it myself and in half an hour I’d written Frozen...my first ever fic. It took another couple of hours to pluck up the courage to post it and I clearly remember feeling a bit sick and my hand shaking as I pressed the final button to post.

 Thankfully, I almost immediately started to receive positive reviews and feedback and it wasn’t long before I started to write more...the rest as they say is history. Lil got in touch soon after and it was fun chatting to another writer just starting out. We soon found we were not dissimilar in age and both had two sons and the friendship started there.

 We’ve been through quite a lot over the last few years Lil and written some fab stories. Wouldn’t you agree?

 (I should let on that we are now faffing about trying to find the original list of questions...we are trying to be professional).

 Ok Lil, so I’ve looked at Aine’s questions and they look really hard. Any preferences on which ones you want to answer :).

 Lil: I think a great follow up to that first one is this: How did posting your first story change your process of writing? So I’m shooting it back to you, Mrs, and you can send me that one or select a new one for me. Tag, you’re it!

 Mrs: I can tell you quite simply how it changed my process of writing...given that it was my first piece of writing in 30 years I was starting from scratch when it came to any process. One thing that I started with that’s held true for me ever since is that my stories are fully mapped out and written before I even start posting the first chapter. I will edit and make refinements but the bones of the story are there.

 I know lots of people post a chapter and then write the next chapter but that would put me under too much pressure. The downside is that if someone gives me a prompt they could be waiting months before they see it posted. The upside is if I’ve started posting a fic you will get the end of it as it’s already been written.

 There have only been two exceptions to this method: Sherlock Holmes, Vampire which I worked on over a year or so posting four chapters every so often as I wrote them...it was stressful. And the other is Never Have I Ever which was/is more of a collection of one shots woven together into a fic.

 How about you Lil? How did it change for you?

 Lil: So, I’d been writing little stories and whatnot for years and years but, having no idea that there was such a thing as ff.net or AO3, I had no place to put them. Writing was always a very, very distant dream of mine. I have loads of notebooks filled with stories, story ideas and my own personal ramblings (unfortunately, my Tumblr followers now have to read the ‘ramblings business’). I stopped for many years after my roommate/best friend since childhood found some of my writing in college that I’d carefully hidden under my bed. I came home to find her in my room, sat on the floor, on the phone with our Art History professor (whom she was sleeping with), as she read him my story and laughed hysterically at its awfulness.

 I was devastated and vowed never to write again.

 But that changed, of course. Those first maybe ten stories were just me letting my mind go and getting out what I wanted to say (aided by liberal amounts of wine). Since then, however, my ‘process’ has changed drastically. I don’t always write an outline (never for one shots, which I write often) but I generally do for long fics. If not, it’s easy for me to get lost and miss critical points. My writing has become more about ‘layering’ for lack of a better word.

 I found after those first few posted fics, that in going back and re-reading them I wanted to make changes. I didn’t re-edit them (because I’m lazy), but it made me realize that my writing required more time and proofing before posting; that first draft is just the start for me - a thin layer of primer paint on a canvas, if you will. I then read over it and add more details and more and more until I get the desired effect. Again, much like oil painting, I have to build things up, layer by layer. This works for me; I have no idea if it’s a proper method of writing. So, posting my first fic(s) helped me learn that I shouldn’t be so trigger happy about posting if the story wasn’t ready.

 Okay, Mrs, this one is geared specifically towards you. I don’t think anyone would argue with me about your supernatural ability to write ‘case fics’, so let me ask: Which do you prefer writing, case fics or fluffy smut-filled romps? And why?

 Mrs: Oh God, ask me something easy why don’t you. Both, I like writing both. I love the depth of a case fic, the idea, the research, plotting it out and working out the characters and detail but it’s so time consuming and I often write a bit, leave it, come back to it etc. etc. so a detailed case fic can take six months.

 Fluff on the other hand is less satisfying but quicker (my minds already in the gutter with an analogy).

 Woohoo I kept is fairly short for once. So, here’s one that’s good for you. I’m endlessly envious of how easily you make friends and how you know so many people in the fandom whereas I’m the introverted hermit. Which other authors are you friends with, and how have they help you become a better writer?

 Lil: Goodness! You make me sound like a social butterfly (Mr Lil calls me that all the time!). I like people, plain and simple. Other than you, I am close to MizJoely and Darnedchild, that’s no secret, so I’ll talk about them first (you included, because you’ve made me a better writer, I’m sure of it - have actual proof!)

 I cannot count the ways Miz has helped me improve my writing. She figuratively took me by the ear and said “okay, you don’t suck but do you even know what a comma is used for?” No, not those actual words, she was much kinder about it, but I got the hidden meaning and I needed it, trust me. She also challenges me and is not afraid to be honest with me when I’ve written something that isn’t good or perhaps doesn’t fit. I know I’ve improved since she started betaing for me, like a 1000%. And Child… When I volunteered to beta for the Big Bang Challenge, I had no idea what I was getting into, but man… she’d written and enormous fic. Good, amazing really, but it was longer than anything I’d ever worked on before. It scared the shit out of me but I really think it was exactly what I needed. Betaing someone else’s work can really make you see your own mistakes from a new perspective. I feel like I jumped ahead after working on the BBC with Child. As for you, MrsMCrieff, just the other day I had The Best compliment… someone actually thought I was British! Yes, that happened. I can only attribute that little feat to you, my friend. You’ve taught me when to add a ‘u’, when not to zed and about many different terms like pavement, taps, hob, loo, trousers (we really don’t say that here!). Not to mention the fact that most European men aren’t circumcised. Who knew?! It’s pretty common in the US.

 But that’s just a few. I cannot count the number of fandom friends who have helped me and all the ways that they’ve done so. That doesn’t mean I won’t try…

 There’s likingthistoomuch who always listens to my ideas and encouraged me to post my first Harry Potter fic. OhAine has been a true friend from the very beginning, always insightful and supportive. Mellovesall who is just too sweet for words and always helps with edits, no matter what’s going on in her life. Kendrapendragon who let me bounce ideas for my Mirror Has Two Faces AU off of her for like a whole day! the-sapphiresky who has helped me with this historical AU that may or may not ever see the light of day. Allthebellsinvenice who answered about a dozen questions (over two years!) for Dig Down Deep when I’d panic about some D/s situation I’d written myself into. o0katiekins0o who backs me up when I’m in the middle of a sensitive subject. I can always depend on her to help me when I’m afraid I’m crossing a line. Broomclosetkink, Lord help me! She’s pinch hit for me when I’ve written a fic for Miz or if I just need a good laugh. She’s the best. Sweets… it’s very hard to talk about sweet-sweet-escape. I still cannot even bring myself read her stories or the ones I wrote for her without breaking down, but no one was more supportive or kind to me than Sweets. I miss her so much.

 Then there’s all the love and support I received from everyone during The Fic That Shall Not Be Named debacle. That’s when I knew how much this fandom (well, this ship, really) had my back! I will never forget how much love and support I received. Bless you all!

 I’m forgetting people and I hate that. But I really do love all my fandom friends as if I see them and hang out with them every day. I mean that.

 Okay, Mrs, here’s one for you (I’m going back to the list for this one because I like it and I think it’s interesting): What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?

 Mrs: See, see I said you knew loads of people!

 As for your question that’s easy to answer...knowing what it feels like when they get aroused and orgasm. I’m more than happy being female but it would be kind of interesting just to be a guy for one day. It would improve my writing no end.

 On a wider note when it comes to writing characters I don’t think any of us made it easy on ourselves when we decided to try to write being a high functioning sociopathic genius. I think I can speak for most of us when I say he’s not the easiest person to try to write authentically. I just wish I had half his knowledge then I wouldn’t feel like such an idiot when I’m writing him.

 I gave my youngest son the option of any number between 1 and 40. He chose 7 so does writing energise or exhaust you?

 Lil: It absolutely energises me! I do get frustrated trying to find time to write, but actually writing does amazing things for my mental and physical self. I find that I’m much more productive around the house when I’m in the middle of a writing jag. I’ll sit and write for a while, then get up and pound out some chores (usually more quickly as to get back to my computer). Somehow, this works for me. Frankly, it’s probably got to do with my ADHD. I’m the kind of person who needs to do multiple things at once. I’m the same at work; I cannot just stand behind the registrar for 8 hours. I practically beg my managers for extra work, which they’re happy to give me.

 I have an original question for you, love: How does a bad review affect you?

 Mrs: I’ll be honest I don’t react well to a bad review but it does depend on whether I think it’s valid or not. You probably know each and every time I’ve had one because I will probably have sent you a screen shot and asked your opinion. Thankfully they have been few and far between, occasionally they have made me think...especially if I’m being accused of using a tired old trope and I’ve made the effort to up my game in future fics but often they are just being nasty for the sake of it.

 Writing is such a personal thing though, we give a piece of ourselves in each and every fic so it’s hard to not take criticism very personally.

 Same question to you Lil.

 Lil: Oh, I’m a giant baby about a bad review and have been known to take it very personally. At first I brood… like really hard, thinking on the entire thing much longer than necessary. I suppose it depends on the nature and tone, for the most part though. If it’s attacking and spiteful, I’ll attack right back but if it’s coming from a ‘goodish’ place, I do try to look at my writing a bit more objectively (I don’t always succeed). Anonymous bad reviews get to me the most. The fact that I cannot reply drives me up the wall!

 Okay, we’re wrapping this up (else we could go on forever!) Thanks so much and a big thanks to Aine for organizing this as well!

 Mrs & Lil

Next Week:

Posting on Friday 01 March it’s @ohaine ‘s turn (eek!) to interview @ashockinglackofsatin

[engazed]

Hi engazed :-) Do you have any tips to pace a novel? I love the way you have developed your stories so I would like to learn from you.

Oh dear. Here I go. Get ready for a TL:DR.

Pacing is largely intuitive. There’s no clear definition, and no formula to follow to ensure ‘good’ pacing. In that way, it’s very much akin to ‘flow’. I once had a professor who complimented my easy style and the rhythm of my sentences and asked how I had learnt to put a sentence together (not in the grammatical sense, but in the aesthetic sense). At a loss for a more sophisticated explanation, I simply replied, ‘It sounds right.’ But when I say intuitive, I don’t mean instinctual, necessarily. I believe that with enough practise, we fine-tune our intuitions until it becomes more and more natural and just ‘sounds right.’

So it is with pacing. As a writer, it is sometimes difficult to be sensitive to the actual pacing of the novel. A scene that takes you two weeks to write--and therefore feels like it may be long and involved--may take a reader mere minutes to blow through and barely be impacted by. This is why it is critical to read one’s own work, top to bottom, beginning to end, while adopting the perspective of a fresh reader who has never encountered the work before. This is hard to do, but one gets better with time.

I have three ‘rules of thumb’ when I’m writing that, I believe, help me with pacing. The first can be stated succinctly:

1. If I’m bored, my reader is bored.

This applies at virtually every stage of drafting and revising, but I think it is most critical when revising. Before you call something ‘finished’, read it again, like you’re a new reader. If there are paragraphs, scenes, or even whole chapters of your own work that you tend to slog through, skim, or skip altogether, just to get to the good stuff, don’t expect that your reader will feel like it’s fresh and interesting. Moments like that slow things down. So if you’re bored, use that as a rule of thumb that something isn’t working with respect to pacing.

But when it’s working, you feel the energy of the scene as you read it. Even the less critical moments should be significant in some way to justify its existence, by providing new information pertinent to the plot or texture that fleshes out a character. If you can honestly say that it does neither of these things, have the guts to delete it. If it’s doing something important, but not doing it well, rewrite. Keep yourself interested. Delight yourself first, and the right readers will find you.

So how do you make something not boring?

2. Balance texture with dialogue.

What I mean by texture is the internal and external features of a scene. Sometimes less experienced writers prove their inexperience by ignoring the internal thoughts of a character, or forget to paint the scene, or leave us with nothing but talking heads. What I mean by ‘talking heads’ is all dialogue and no action.

Don’t get me wrong; dialogue can be a lot of fun to write. It’s actually one of my favourite things to write, because it comes most easily to me. But if you have straight dialogue and little else, you run the risk of committing another pacing error. Instead of slowing things down with unnecessary stuff, you speed it along too quickly for the reader to really take in. You start writing as if for a screenplay, not a novel (two very different mediums when it comes to the craft of writing).

If I may shamelessly pull an example of this from my own work, Blackbird, Fly, chapter 1, I can illustrate what I mean. Here’s the scene: Mary has arrived at St E’s for a ‘consultation’ with John Watson, intending to seek his assistance as a private detective. Without texture, here is how the scene reads:

‘Good morning, Ms Morstan,’ he said. ‘How are we today? You told the nurse you were experiencing some discomfort—?’

‘Chest pains,’ she blurted out. ‘Trouble breathing.’

‘Oh,’ he said. ‘‘Let’s have a listen, then, shall we?’

This is literally the conversation, the words passed back and forth between Mary and John. But we’re missing three crucial things that will help the pacing of this scene work: Mary’s internal self and thoughts, brief exposition, and the actions of the two characters.

With those things in place, here’s the actual scene. [I will use italics to indicate Mary’s thoughts, underlining for exposition and description/details, and bolding for actions.]

‘Good morning, Ms Morstan,’ he said, drawing up a swivel chair. ‘How are we today?’

His voice was warm, his smile soft, and when he lifted his dark blue eyes from the clipboard to meet hers, there flickered a moment in which she saw him mirroring her expression, and he knew her, too. But no—she had imagined it, because he recovered himself quickly, cleared his throat, and returned his attention to the clipboard. But a slight flush remained behind to colour his cheeks.

Consulting her chart, he began with a practised air of professionalism, ‘You told the nurse you were experiencing some discomfort—?’

‘Chest pains,’ she blurted out. Yes. That wasn’t a lie. She was definitely feeling some sort of ache in her chest now, a little to the left. ‘Trouble breathing.’

‘Oh.’ He flipped a page, eyes narrowing, and she realised her mistake. Dr Watson was a general surgeon, for whom the abdominal pains she had invented over the phone got her an appointment. In his line of work, he would have little to do with chest pains.

Before she could flounder and fluster in correcting herself, Dr Watson rose from the stool and took out a stethoscope, settling the tips in his ears. He wasn’t questioning her. He wasn’t calling her out on her obvious deceit. Instead, he just smiled, a close-lipped and kind smile, and said, ‘Let’s have a listen, then, shall we?’

Mary wondered if she was being indulged in the lies of a hypochondriac.

Clearly, many of these moves can happen simultaneously, and they should feel seamless upon reading/re-reading. But they add richness to the scene and set an appropriate pace. Different scenes will call for different kinds of pacing. Short paragraphs are great for action sequences, rapid lines of dialogue are great for arguments, etc. But getting a feel for what’s ‘right’ or what ‘works’ takes practice while you’re fine-tuning your intuitions.

3. Rule of 3

Finally, I want to talk about my own inclinations to plot things in three stages. As any of my readers know by now, I am writing a trilogy, but each book in that trilogy is divided into three parts, and each part has a three-point arc, and each chapter in that arc also follows a three-part model. This isn’t painstaking plotting on my part; it sort of naturally evolved because that’s how I ‘feel’ a story is told. Remember what I said about making sure your reader doesn’t get bored? And how you shouldn’t allow yourself to get bored? Well, one of the ways I make sure that I don’t get bored is by working toward mini climaxes, as it were, well before we reach the big one at the end.

Let me use Ten Days as an example. This book has three parts. The first one ends at the end of chapter 9, the second at the end of chapter 22, and end of chapter 30. Each of those parts had an arc including an ‘inciting incident,’ ‘complications,’ and ‘turning point.’ Let me use Part 1 of Ten Days to explain.

Stories begin with a moment of crisis. It’s exactly why there’s any story at all to tell. If your first chapter doesn’t contain it, you haven’t started the story yet. You’re lips are just flapping in the wind. For Ten Days (and, incidentally, for the whole of The Fallen), the moment of crisis is when John Watson is abducted off the streets of London after buying a wedding ring. If that doesn’t happen, there is no story. That’s why it’s the inciting incident, and the reason a reader will keep on going. A crisis has been introduced, and it is in want of a resolution. In this case, the resolution we are seeking is rescuing John.

Complications keep the plot moving forward. They come in the form of obstacles that keep characters from reaching the sought-after resolution. Complications are introduced in Part 1 in the following manner: Lestrade isn’t allowed to work on John’s case and must do so secretly; John’s abductors turn out to be torturers, and his life is now at risk; Sherlock returns but continues to play a dead man; Anderson and Donovan suspect something is afoot; Sherlock deduces a mole in the Yard; Mary is abducted.

Complications are where the plot actually happens. It’s not merely this event occurred, then this one, then this one. It’s more purposeful, and it’s what distinguishes stories from others of like ilk. There are a lot of stories where John is kidnapped out there. What makes them different? The complications that follow after the moment of abduction, the events that seek resolution but are thwarted. And thus, story is born.

We finish Part 1 with one of the major turning points in the novel: the death of Mary Morstan. This is a mini climax itself, a point of great tension, and thereafter things are not, and cannot, be the same. These are game changing moments that precede the final resolution. Before this point in the novel, John was tortured and afraid, but he was still fighting and hopeful of rescue. After Mary dies, he stops talking and longs for death; the abuse hadn’t broken him, but losing her does, and now we, the reader, are left to wonder how a resolution is even possible. The stakes become clear, but the solution does not, and this kind of tension can motivate a reader to keep going.

Part 2 ends with John’s rescue, but through the series of complications and character developments, we have come to realise that saving ‘John Watson’, the resolution we’ve been seeking, isn’t quite so simple. It’s not just saving him from Moran. It’s saving him from himself, and that’s why Part 3 is needed. You can take the man out of the torture chamber, but you can’t take the torture chamber out of the man, as it were. Hell, that’s why Books 2 and 3 are needed. We’re still on a mission to resolve the kidnapping in chapter 1. We still need to save John Watson. 

(As a side note, ‘saving John Watson’ is exactly the point the whole of the BBC Sherlock as well, start to finish. I have many thoughts on that subject as well.) 

What does this have to do with pacing? Everything. These three-point arcs can happen on a macro and micro level, but they must happen, because it’s the roller-coaster that keeps your reader interested. If gives the writer a series of destinations to reach, not just one. If you’re thinking large-scale, that is, if you are hoping to write a novel-length work, pacing becomes a critical factor, and thinking in terms of three (three acts, three-point arcs, etc.) can help facilitate an easier, more natural story-telling rhythm.

[opepin]

january: week three

16: [tumblr deleted my drafts which contained 16 + 17 so i’m not 100% what happened these days] i woke up early to take notes for panorama. kevin was leaving for sf in the afternoon so we had some time together. after taking notes, i watched an episode of supernatural with him before he left. :( then i spent the day cleaning, playing pokemon, and cooking bun nem nuong. i might have beat the elite four in pokemon as well. idk, chill and productive day. i also worked out while watching family guy.

17: i woke up early to do some panorama note taking again. i just did one interview and then got ready for my interview at tandemseven. i ate breakfast, printed out my resumes, and headed out. i got kind of lost on the way but i managed to get there right on time at 1:30 pm. the interview was only 30 minutes long and just talking to them got me excited about working there and helping improve their product. i think it went above average overall but it could have been a bit better? i think i was just nervous and out of breath from rushing to the building. i took some time and decided to go to ogawa coffee to treat myself to sweets. i got the matcha roll cake and it was yum. i spent a good amount of time there before heading back. i went back and did my daily tasks for the rest of the day and played pokemon while talking to winston and peeps. i exercised while watching family guy and yeah. it was another chill and quiet day. i got to talk to kevin for a bit and then went to sleep somewhat late.

18: i just keep waking up later and later...i got up at like 2 pm and then made myself my favorite pb apple english muffins and tried out tea forte's darjeeling tea! it's really delicious. then i applied for jobs, talked to my mom on the phone, and got started making gingko nut and dried bean curd sweet soup. it was my first time making it so i'm not sure if it's sweet enough still :( i kept putting in more rock sugar and ended up putting more in the end so i hope it's enough. the bowl of soup that i drank was pretty bland. i played some pokemon and got back into it after drinking soup and eating bun nem nuong for lunch. i am so close to finishing the pokedex (for the first time ever) so i shall do it! D:< i stopped to exercise though ahha. i did arms and lower back while watching episodes of family guy and then ate a very late "dinner" of english muffins again. i took a quick shower and then headed into bed and i thought i got into bed before 2 am but it was already like 2:30 am. my sleep schedule is so screwed LOL. i got to talk to kevin before going to sleep and didn't have any problems sleeping again with the two blankets and my warm feet from the shower :)

19: mmm, i stayed in bed because of cramps but i eventually got up at 2 pm again lol. i showered in the morning because my hair was grody, i ate breakfast, and i did yoga right after for my very sore muscles. i felt a little light headed doing these things...but i stopped when it was enough. then i found out that my tumblr account was "terminated." why use that word? it's so harsh. so i emailed support and then went on with my day. sigh, it seems like the world just hates me lol. x__x; i just wrote out my day in an email draft and went on with my day. i played some pokemon and also made more noodles and sauce for the leftover bun nem noung. omg there's so much left. i need kevin to help me finish this all T__T i wanted to wear the bag vivian got me for christmas but i saw that it just sags when stuff is put into it. blerp. so i just used my state bag. my stomach hurt as i commuted to pick up kevin from the airport. i got there just as his plane landed and then met with him at baggage claim :3 ehhe. we commuted home together and kevin almost left his luggage on the bus LOLLL. good thing i remembered and we ran for it. we barely made it on the train too. kevin was out of breath...we got home and then ate dinner while watching supernatural. then kevin went to play dota and washed the dishes while i played a bit of pokemon. i got real sleepy at around 12 am but i think we both ended up sleeping at around 1:30 am or so. yoo, that's before 2 am! -pats self on back- LOL.

20: it was a v disastrous morning. i stained my mattress in them morning and it was a pretty big stain T___T so i spent my morning washing my bottoms, the sheets, and the mattress. i felt the mattress was a goner until kevin helped me figure out how to clean it with dish washer soap and then we found out that the cover could be zipped off. it's 100% polyurethane, which shouldn't be washed or dried because it is vinyl (plastic), but i did it anyway on the light delicate cycle without fabric softener and then dried on less dry delicate. everything came out fresh and clean! ((: that was most of my morning and afternoon... i ate brunch first and then did some errands online and my tumblr hasn't been given back to me yet... so i'm still waiting... BUT wait -- there's good news to be heard now! i got a call from the company i was interviewing with and i got the job! ahhh! it's my first full-time job offer ever! it was exciting but also nerve-racking to say yes but i need more time to think about it and look over the offer itself. i'm the type of person to just say yes or no right away, but with jobs, you have to give yourself time!

i have until monday to tell them my decision, but yeah. the package is pretty nice :) i mean, a full-time job doing what i want to do in an environment that is pretty much what i've been looking for is awesome. i talked with winston, michelle, kevin, and vivian about it and i'm gonna go for it. thank you all for supporting me through this really tough time in my life. i would call it my midlife crisis in my early 20s. hopefully, i won't have to go through it again, but if i do, i know that i can get out of it and i'm a stronger person because i've overcome that obstacle before! anyway, the rest of the day i just felt tired. i think it is because of my morning and just thinking about job stuff. i'm really happy but i'm also tired of the whole process. it's been so long. it's like relief but tired relief haha. i did look over the pacakge and then i made myself go ahead and negotiate and ask questions about the package. so i'm scared, but i'm glad i've taken that step to show my value as a designer and worker.

kevin wasn't hungry the rest of the day for some reason....so i had to let him know that we haven't really eaten all day. he made me potstickers and cooked a healthy chicken thigh and steamed veggie dinner with rice of course. i'm so sick of bun nem nuong. he gamed the rest of the day while i just rested. i showered and made the bed with kevin and played pokemon until i got back into it and we ended up sleeping at 3 or 4 am again...derp.

21: we got up late obviously x__x; kevin went climbing and then i did cardio while he was gone. when he got back, he showered and i looked up movie times for 'la la land' or 'split.' apparently, 'split' did very well on rotten tomatoes too! we also finally bought another floor lamp for our room. we headed to the movies and found out that both movies were basically sold out so we rq'd and went to the mall where kevin got his battery replaced on his iphone. we had an hour to kill at first so we went to the food court and got dinner. we got food from this small chain called, 'chicken now.' it was owned by an asian family so they also served bubble tea! we shared four chicken tenders, coleslaw, fries, and a large passion fruit green tea bubble tea. everything was pretty good! the bubble tea was a bit too sweet, but still better than the one we had in st. louis LOL. we finished eating right in time so then we headed back and was told to come back again in like 1-2 hours. 

so we stopped by bj's and got some new sponges and garbage bags and then headed back. we watched an episode of supernatural and played some pokemon before driving back to the mall. the mall is like 5 minutes away btw. we went into sur la table for a bit and then got kevin's phone and headed back. kevin got a bit hungry so he finished all of the bun nem nuong while we watched more supernatural. then he gamed for the rest of the night. i was pretty grumpy because of pms, job stress, and things have felt a bit different lately ever since kevin got back from san francisco. his eating schedule has been off, which affects my eating schedule, and he's also been gaming a lot. so yeah. i showered and got into bed real early. i watched some pokemon in bed before ko'ing at 1 or 2 am. my tumblr still isn't back yet...

22: mmm woke up pretty unhappy. i just brushed, ate cereal, and went straight to cleaning everything. i got an email about my salary negotiation and it went well (: we made a compromise and i will be working full-time at tandemseven now! woot! i talked to kevin for a bit after he vacuumed the room, ate lunch, planned meals for the week, and then headed over to kam man. it was a pretty quick shopping trip. we stopped by deco to grab kevin's wallet (he forgot it on accident) and a coupon so we could get $2.50 back on our purchase of sponges from bj's. we got our money back and also bought some maple syrup and pork cutlets. then we got back and kevin cooked salmon, asparagus, and mushrooms for dinner. i watched some youtube videos and then we watched two episodes of supernatural. he left to climb after. then i exercised while watching more family guy. i ate too much so i had really bad acid reflux Dx kevin got back and he showered and then went to game. i washed the dishes, showered, and headed into bed early. i spent some time emailing fidelity and my recruiter before that. i went to sleep at 1 am or so. lol my tumblr is still not back up.