#i will tag this as aemond as liz talks so if i get future asks about him or something like this one you can block the tag to avoid my rants

[lilibethwrites]

I agree with the other anon who said your writing was so suitable for the universe. Can you tell us how you can write him so beautifully and realistically? I also felt like i was reading the book written by George Martin unlike 95% of the fics written for Aemond. Please keep blessing us with your writing!

Thank you so much! I feel like I'm repeating myself here but your messages are all so SO lovely and I'm forever grateful for your kindness 💖 As for writing Aemond (or any character), I suggest reverse-engineering characters. In any piece of media you see him (the show, the book), look at what he does: what are his common traits, what kind of situations he often creates for himself or finds himself in, and look at how he reacts to them. Aemond is a bit unfortunate in this regard because he doesn't get as much attention and as many deep-dives into his psychology as the characters from the main ASOIAF saga get. Still, there's enough to go on. For example, our introduction to him signals a fundamental aspect about him: he's ferocious.

You'll have to keep this in mind at all times, even when you don't think his birth doesn't serve your immediate purpose (i.e. writing him in a romantic relationship). As you go through the story, try to think about this again and again. Is he giving the Strong Boys (tm) speech because he is the impulsive kind of fiery or is he the silent, methodical, grudging and vindictive sort of fiery? Did he claim Vhagar because he is easily angered and makes silly decisions or did he do it because he is intense? Let's see:

If you can add onto the crumbs of what little you're given, you'll start familiarizing yourself with him. You'll need to tear him apart and put him back together because you'll need the conclusions you will have reached when it comes to putting him in situations where he hasn't been in the source materials. And so, if you keep these crumbs in mind, even when you're writing him in circumstances where they're not immediately relevant to the context, you'll find that he'll have his own voice in your writing.

And, when it comes to placing him within your writing and within your designated circumstances, you will have already been peeking into his mind as second nature. You need that, because the most difficult habit to break when writing a fix-it or otherwise AU type of stories is forcing them into acting the way that you would like in all circumstances instead of making characters have the will of their own. Let him be angry, let him be rude, let him be scary, let things fall apart and then smash the pieces to dust, make it uncomfortable for him and everyone else. You know him by now from analyzing him, so you know he won't just swoop his lover up and fly into the sunset. You know he won't make a romantic speech like Romeo to Juliet in front of everyone. But you know he won't give up quietly, either. Make him fierce, intense, and intimidating. Let him make mistakes and suffer for them. It makes the climax all the more precious and everything feels much more organic. The rest is just drafting, editing, drafting again and editing until you lose your mind.

Thanks for the question, and apologies for the academic essay on writing for this gorgeous war criminal.