#it's fun!! and answering questions tends to make it a lot easier to figure out what aspects of the au y'all wanna hear about the most

[angstenthusiast]

Think I just need to finish coming up with a couple more trials for Martin to go through, and then the basic outline for the Stone Blue au will nearly be complete!!! 🥳

Finally!! I can't wait to be able to get started on turning this au into a fic!! >:D

[justin-chapmanswers]

Sorry if this is a bit rude, but how do you consider yourself as he/they or they/he? I am questioning my sexuality and gender at the moment and seeing you (idk if ur lgbt) makes me find comfort, if you can, how did you realise you were not straight and how I can find mine! :3

Oh golly uh. Let's see if I can keep this short and then bury it under other answers. <3

Labels are fun cause they're so funky and ever-changing as you learn more about yourself. So, firstly, don't stress about finding something so perfect right away and bounding yourself to it. You're still you, any way you word it.

Gender-wise I'm in a state of def preferring they but being chill enough with he. Like whateverrrrr. It's hard to get around societal norms and perceptions, so my expectations are calibrated accordingly. I of course feel that for people who feel more strongly about a specific label, it's important to fight for it to be recognized whenever you're in a safe-enough environment to do-so. But for me, the concept of pushing for a specific label or, even more-so, of seeing other people pushing others to use a specific label for me is veryyyy anxiety-inducing. I tend to avoid spotlight when possible. But at the same time, a lot of it just comes down to not wanting to be grouped/perceived gender-ly at all. I tend to use the label agender. But I'm sure a lot of people have similar experiences with different labels. I just, ya'know, wanna be me.

Gender exploration is funnnn. There's no one right way to learning about yourself. Some people know from a young age, almost inherently, some people figure things out a lot later. It's never too late. Some people learn with outfits and styles, some with looking to people/characters who they want to be perceived more-like, some with experimenting through new names/pronouns and feeling-out how being called different things makes them feel. If you have friends you feel safe around with all of this, on or offline, can't hurt to say "hey would ya mind calling me x-name or y-pronoun for a bit?" And if you don't like it, you don't need to stick with it. But really be cognizant of it feels right to you.

Then on the romantic orientation side, that's been a much longer journey haha. I was calling myself straight through middle schooler, bi for a bit in early high school, gay starting in later high school, then for a long while. Nowadays I just say queer. Labels make things easier, until they don’t haha. For me, if you imagine a scale of feminity to masculinity with like little pegs running down the line from 0 to 10, with 5 in the middle, I tend to find myself attracted to people in like the 4 to 8 range? Something like that. But even that's not perfectly consistent! There's never going to be a perfect word for everything. That's why I like queer as an umbrella term. It's also just a cute word, I don't make the rules.

Hence earlier when I mentioned that you should just feel free to keep it open and not close yourself off. Maybe nothing'll change, but what if something does? But of course, I assume you're asking from more of a place of just starting this journey. I'm trying to get my mind back to where I started with that. I think the first time the not-straight realization hit was when a friend of mine didn't show up to an event and I was all like "why am I so miserably sad that he wasn't there?" And then a lightbulb appeared over my head and out-loud I said "aw damnit." And then things have been weird and confusing ever since.

But in terms of giving advice, it's hard to not just be like "uhh idk just hang out with people that makes you feel gooey." But obviously it's more complicated than that. A decade ago, I was taking random "am I gay" tests online. But they're kinda silly cause the questions on those would ask me to fill in information about how I feel, but how am you supposed to know how I feel without the test telling me how I feel??????? So realistically, I'd advise private journaling. Just take some time, even five minutes. Start now. Write out who you are drawn to, in any sense, and how they make you feel. Especially if you're like me and have trouble self-reflecting unless I force myself to. Like. In a Tumblr post.

There's so many ways to explore. It's also nice to look at relationships in life and media and seeing if you connect to any relationship or long to fit into someone's place within a relationship. That's why representation matters, baybeeeee! But also, ya'know, talking to people goes a long way to learning about yourself. Trial 'n error let's gooooo.

And above all: you got this.

[alkeneater]

E!2080 factbook (that's what i'll call it): brainwashing 😵

I wanna talk about brainwashing because it’s kinda important for my story and sometimes explains some clones’ behavior :) This topic deserves some attention :p 

In general, in my AU we have a cult atmosphere in the Shadow Tower, BUT it's not really a cult. The main goal of the Shadow Government is to grow clones into worthy leaders and soldiers, but at the same time loyal and stupid enough to make it easier to manipulate them. Various methods were used: working with corrupt psychologists, inciting hostility between clones, fake rumors, fake news on fake TV, fake books on the shelves next to the real ones, and of course the scare tactic.

Their favorite manipulation is obviously, “we're doing this for your own safety, the world outside is cruel,” and clones were sitting in the tower like princesses from fairy tales, yeah. You got me, right? Lots of manipulation. But despite the approximately equal attitude towards everyone, it still affected different clones in different ways. Perhaps some biological factors played a role, which I doubt, BUT Scudworth's influence on the clones also helped some to stay sane. I've said this a hundred times, but Scudworth LOVES his clones and he doesn't like the operation he was forced to participate in. Therefore, he did everything possible to prevent them from becoming puppets of the shadow government (he had his own methods, but I'm too lazy to describe them).

So, let's get to the point. I mentally divide all the clones into sane, deviant and ZOMBIES (or brainwashed). Sane people are those who have their own position, are less influenced by the Shadow Government, understand the danger of the situation and want to gain personal freedom. Zombies are people who are doomed to stay in the tower and be used by Shadow Figures for their personal purposes, because their perception of the world is completely turned inside out and will not be the same anymore. Between them, the deviant ones are usually clones who have some disorders due to trauma after living in the tower, but they are still aware of the whole situation and basically refuse to be someone's slaves. Now that we have a rough idea of the spectrum, I want to discuss with you which clone is where on this spectrum.

I was smart enough only to distribute the main characters (and a couple of secondary ones). Most of them are closer to sanity in the spectrum, but they tend to deviate due to psychological trauma, obviously. I want to mention Joan as an example, because although she is the “brains of the team”, she is prone to Stockholm syndrome and, as shown in the first part, sometimes remembers “home” and regrets what she did. That’s why she is not 100% sane.

But I definitely will have a team of complete zombies in the comic who will condemn the main characters for fighting, recruit other runaway clones and try to return them to the tower. Yes, there are clones who were initially against escape and were content to live in the tower, but now they survive on the streets and are extremely unhappy with the situation. But I don’t know who could it be.… But these are definitely clones from the extras, episodic or secondary! You can even suggest your own fan clones, just for fun! (Reminder: My AU is open to everyone and your fan clones can participate in the story, and they can be in any part of the spectrum!). 

That's it. I have nothing to add… ask me questions about my AU if you want, I’ll be very glad to answer! 

and read exclamation!2080 on globalcomix ofc!!! :p

[avichor]

SHIPPING INFO — ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSE(S).

WHAT'S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSES(S)?

it's hard to say because i don't necessarily have otps from a writing standpoint, they kind of evolve depending on the pairing and who i'm writing with, and sometimes my otps become notps depending on the dynamic / plot. tl;dr i just don't default - ship. i write waaaaay too many muses to list them all but from a die - hard, canon brainrot perspective, most of my otps include: naksu / jang uk, katherine / stefan, chuuya / dazai, gojo / geto, katara / zuko, juliette / roma, orion / rosalind, zoya / nikolai, inej / kaz, zero two / hiro, raven / bellamy, catra / adora, malia / stiles, harrowhark / gideon.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?

i think i'm down for most things so long as it isn't obviously something that's atrocious ( adult / minor ) or like, a poorly executed oppressor / oppressed. i genuinely like exploring toxic dynamics when it's detached from a romanticized lens, and it's for that reason why i ensure it's a topic i can trust my wps with. this may be an unpopular opinion, but i'm fine with writing cheating. i'm fine with writing unequal distributions of power ( to a certain extent ), i'm fine exploring variations of abuse. it's just that if it's toxic, i tend to keep it toxic. if it veers into actual abuse ( best example i can think of is alina / darkling, i don't write nor ship it but sklsdkldskldskl ), it's not so much a ship but just a subset of an complex one, and won't be resolved to a point of genuine romanticism.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

uhhhhhhh, if they're under 18, i think two years? the age gap widens the older the muses are in a bracket, but i'm generally not an age - gap fan. + / - five - 10 years feels accurate? maximum five if it's like, a muse that's under 25. immortal muses are different and vary based on circumstances.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

yeaaaahhhh. yeah. i usually figure out through writing or plotting if there's chemistry to even think about shipping, and i tend to ship with my circle of friends / exclusive shipping partners just because it's always been easier that way. doesn't mean i'm not open! just very chemistry - oriented. we could plot the best thing but if we're not vibing as writing partners when we chat, it won't work.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY'RE CONSIDERED NSFW?

anything past like a full make - out session or questionable touching. i don't smut on dash across any of my blogs, and if i do venture into that territory, it's always suggestive and with my utmost closest wp. but as it stands, i typically don't write anything further than making out or allusions.

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE(S) WITH?

refer to the first question, but i really like cross - fandom shipping. i think it's fun and forces people to think outside of the box. i also looooove oc / canon. i'll use this opportunity to say i'm always intrigued with these dynamics: chuuya / yosano, atsushi / lucy, yosano / dazai, lottie / nat, gin / higuchi, malia / kira, nobara / megumi, nobara / yuuji, higuchi / akutagawa. there's more but i'm blanking.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

yes and no! sometimes it happens naturally, but you can alwayyyyysssss ask to ship. just need to approach with an open mind and understand that i will likely ask that we write first or sus out vibes! if we chat a lot or obviously get along, that makes it a little easier for me to envision a romantic ship!

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?

yes! unless stated otherwise, i'm multi - ship by default.

ARE YOU SHIP - OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE - OR - LESS?

ship more - or - less by default sdlkfjgsdlgkdskl. with my partner and close friends, i tend to be more ship - obsessed because we rot more consistently. but i don't really look to ship romantically at first! i've become more preferential to non - romantic dynamics over the years just because i feel like they get pushed aside or under - appreciated in favor of romantic shipping.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM(S) ?

for canons, it's naksu / jang uk, chuuya / dazai, gojo / geto, juliette / roma, orion / rosalind, yosano / dazai, gin / tachihara. for ocs, it's less favoritism but just what occupies my brain currently, fallon / noemi, ushi / mizaru, fumi / seiko, tommy / jay.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

you need to be insane <3

tagging. @qismet , @memuntos , @ephamerel , @starspurn , @omonzuru , @ownlore , @rottedfigs , @ategod , @fatedriven , @yaburnae , and whoeverrrrrrr wants to <3

[crossing-into-your-parallel]

the adventure begins!

welcome to CROSSING INTO YOUR PARALLEL, a kirby AU centered around magolor and the master crown, mistilteinn.

this part will be updated later with a summary; we want to get the ball rolling first! all we'll say for now is that both magolor and mistilteinn have had their own share of experiences already.

our tag directory is here!

this blog is run by two mods, both adults:

MOD VANILLA (it/its, he/him), who handles coming up with ideas, doing a whole lot of sketching, and writes for magolor

MOD JUKEBOX (they/them, he/him), who handles writing in a more broad sense, drawing the longer comic sequences, and writes for mistilteinn

art will vary in style as a result, and you'll see nilla's drawings more often than you will jukebox's.

rules for asks, and the answers to some questions you might have, are under the cut!

RULES FOR ASKS:

no NSFW asks (this isn't the place for it)

some asks might not get answered- they didn't fit with the story, we couldn't figure out how to incorporate it, or a particular ask may be getting saved for later. try not to worry if yours doesn't get answered; it's nothing personal, we promise

you're welcome to ask us mods about stuff if you want! just be respectful, please :]

QUESTION SECTION!

Q: Your blog is a little... A: we know; that's what gives it charm! (on a serious note, we're just really excited to get this blog going. it'll look nicer as time goes on)

Q: Is there any significance behind your names? A: nilla has cookie run autism, and jukebox likes the jukebox from RTDL/DX

Q: Why do we see Nilla's drawings more often? A: jukebox has health issues, plus they tend to draw on big canvases with small brushes.

Q: I want to draw something for you! Do you have references? A: sure do! here:

Q: Can I send you constructive criticism regarding a drawing? A: no. if you do anyway, jukebox is going to make fun of you.

Q: My ask didn't get a new drawing! A: yup, that'll happen sometimes; for many reasons, sometimes it'll be easier for us to answer questions with colored text, or we might reuse an old drawing. we're not content-creating machines :P

Q: I like your art and want to follow you! Can I know your main(s)? A: reply to a post asking, and we'll DM you!

Q: What disease does Nilla have? is it contagious? A: yes. you will begin coughing within 5 minutes. Run.

[chiscribbs]

As an artist and/or writer, what is one thing you think you do well? What is one thing you would like to improve on?

As an artist, I think I do a pretty good job of picking up on styles and imitating them. Some styles are a lot easier to grasp than others, of course, but generally speaking - I think it's a strong suit of mine. I enjoy learning the ins and outs of what makes a certain style unique and figuring out how to apply that knowledge in practice. I've also been told that expressions are something I do well, which...I don't know if it's an opinion I share, but I do really ENJOY drawing expressions. What I'd like to improve on - there's a whole host of things, but to name just one - scene setting. Not just drawing backgrounds, specifically (though that is a big one), but I'd love to get better at giving my art an atmosphere. Often it tends to be just character sketches in a grey void, because characters are what I'm comfortable with and what I like drawing most, lol. But scene setting is such an important skill, both in storyboarding and comics, so I'd definitely like to get better at that.

As a writer (or a storyteller), I think my strengths lie in conceptualizing and planning. I have...so many Word documents loaded with notes for my AUs, stories outlined beat-for-beat as though I'm writing them for an actual TV series instead of a tiny group of people on the internet, lol. I absolutely LOVE the plotting process, it's so fun to weave a story together bit by bit and figure out how all the parts connect. However, I could definitely stand to improve on the actual writing part of the process, especially where dialogue is concerned. I'm always more interested in what a character is thinking than what they're saying or doing, and it's a struggle to get that across in a way that sounds natural. But it's a topic that I absolutely love to study and hope to improve on over time.

Thanks for the question! :> ...sorry that the answer ended up being a bit longwinded, lol.

[cosmica-galaxy]

Silly question - feel free to ignore if it's not your jam. I know not everyone finds this stuff as funny as I do!

Can mimics fart?

I remember you posted some anatomy diagrams that showed that their digestive systems are cul-de-sacs because they absorb everything... so presumably they have no bumholes! Could they form transient bumholes if they wanted to fart for the hell of it?

(I was going to ask the mimics division blog but I figure your characters are too polite to answer such a question, so I thought I'd ask you the creator!)

Not really. You see, in order to produce flatulence, a creature would have to have intestines to do such an activity. That's because the bacteria in your gut is the primary reason for gas to be produced, especially in the lower digestive tract, which mimics lack.

Here's a refresher on the mimic digestive system from Mimic Biology 101! Mimics don't have any lower organs that humans have. Like kidneys, neither intestines, bladders, or rectums.

The stomach, liver, guts, and upper tracts are located in the top part of the torso in mimics, with the median line being at around the bellybutton or slightly below it.

That's when the digestive part of the mimic stops completely and everything that the mimic consumes is absorbed into the flesh of their body directly via "nutrient roots" seen in the diagram, this is also how large mimics seem to digest themselves during death spirals, leaving no waste behind. If something is indigestible, like a chunk of porcelain from Skibidi prey, they will simply spit it back up like a watermelon seed--meaning that there is only one entrance and one exit, the mouth. Their main way of absorbing food is also slightly different. Human stomachs use gastric acid to breakdown food and gut bacteria is what processes the food. Mimics are similar, but a little different.

All mimics have three organs that help in digestion.

The entry gut pretty much sorts out parts of the prey and covers the prey in a slimy mucus that allows for transportation throughout the guts easier and coats the prey parts in a "softening film" that makes breakdown easier.

The breakdown gut is basically the mimic organ version of a "checkpoint". It burns away all the impurities that would cause gut-based trauma or buildup, such as metal parts, wires, porcelain, ect. This is where most "remains" are spit back out from the mimic's mouth and the rest is coated by bile from the liver.

Finally, the prey is sent to the main stomach which works it over, furthers absorption, and the thick fleshy walls eventually wrap around the prey and liquefies it, feeding it directly into the nutrient roots for the body to use for energy, which finishes their digestion process! So...what fills the space in the hips and such if they have no lower guts? The answer: their reproductive parts!

Mimics have both male and female internalized sexual organs for reproductive purposes. If one is currently dominant, the other will be inactive.

For example, if a mimic is currently fulfilling a feminine role, their ovaries, canal, and womb will be active. If a mimic is fulfilling a masculine role, the internal testes, sheath, and tendril will be active. Both of these systems take up the space that is left from having no intestines nor connective exits. This is also how most mimics are able to have multiple young, such as Camera Mimics. Would they make a rectum to fart for "fun"? I would also say no. It would be far too much of a hassle for a mimic to work around their insides, create a fleshy tube through their body, and connect it to their back end just to push air out of it. Though, they do have the ability to burp!

The ruder mimics tend to do that a lot and pretty loudly, much to the chagrin of other mimics. If a young mimic does that, they tend to get bapped by their parents in scolding.

They still have manners, you know! XD

[vacayisland]

Hiii! Not a request but a question, I hope that's alright!

Seeing your writing has made me pretty inspired and I've been wanting to do trolls fics of my own! I've been struggling a lot w some characters, though, especially Floyd

My question is how you figure out their personalities and way of speaking enough to write for them? Unlike the others, we don't really see much of Floyd outside of his brothers TwT so I'm just not sure how to get his character right, but I feel like you do him justice! Feel free not to answer btw!! Hope you're doing well ♡♡

I actually really love answering questions like that, or generally any writing-based question; as long as I help people get inspired to write or help them in their creative journey, that’s what I am here for after all!

So, personally, my way of writing tends to be a little different than other people’s (at least I think it is) but my way of researching characters tends to be the same. So I’m going to try and do some sort of justice of explaining this! Bear with me please and if you have any other questions just ask me.

With characters like Floyd, I tend to find him easier to do. Both because I focused a lot on him during the movie and when it first released, and because he has such little screen time. Of course that’s both a blessing and a curse, because not many will realize that Floyd has a slightly sarcastic way of humor (or at least I didn’t the first few times watching the movie).

Yet with any character you would want to research on them! And that’s a little easier written than done but this is what I did for JD (who was harder for me to grasp on):

When I first saw the movie, I thought JD was what he was first presented as. A rude bastard who didn’t know when his family was upset and pushed them to do things anyways. And while he’s a little bit of that he’s actually a lot more.

Unlike Floyd, JD gets a bunch of screen time that writers should take advantage of! If the background, if you watch JD, you can see the little things that make him not fully a jerk. Such as the upset look he gets whenever a brother goes to Branch first instead of him, and yet how he tries to act like it didn’t bother him. Showing no matter how much of a hard ass he was he does actually are about his brothers in his own weird way.

I also looked upon different sites and saw what they described his personality as. Then I watched the movie, picked what I thought to be true, and honestly that’s what I go on. It’s kind of always changing because no matter how ‘cannon’ you’re trying to write a character there should always be a little self influence of you in them.

Not saying to completely derail a character and make them not cannon, but have fun with it. Take aspects of their character as you wish and just keep practicing and rewriting lines until you feel like it’s correct.

But JD is always harder for me to do, so that’s why I want to do him more. The more practice the better.

For characters like Floyd, who have minimum screen time, I find easier because they don’t have a stricter personality box. From what we see in the movie, what I’ve gathered from websites and other writers (reader other people’s work! They might actually inspire how you write a character a lot), Floyd is sensitive yet witty. He’s smart and caring.

That’s our base line, four traits that are easy to write because they don’t have much to them. THEYRE just traits! Then we can take a few of Floyd’s voice lines to base how can mimic speaking like him; And he speaks a little like Branch but a little on the nicer tone to people he actually cares about.

I don’t know if that makes sense or if it actually helps at all, but it’s a weird process. It’s all about how do you make yourself most comfortable playing and writing the character. Do we much research as you need, take your time! There’s no rush to publish fan fictions, there’s no rush to do anything.

Remember to post only what you’re proud of and what you enjoy. Writing is a process that gets slightly easier the more you practice it, and sometimes it gets harder. But just enjoy it along the way and write only when it feels right. :)

But happy writing and please tag me in any post you publish! I’ll love to read your work.

[truearchangel]

(Does Mun prefer threads or one-off ask interactions? Not complaining your writing is so beautiful either way!)

Inu / you’ve reached the mun!

I don’t… understand the question. Am I stupid? Any RP blog, that isn’t a straight ask blog, is going to tell you they prefer threads. Especially novella writers. When you ‘write’ things out in asks, they tend to be shorter or they get so long it can be annoying for the dash. Depends on who is haunting your ask box. Threads allow for more plot and character development, asks are more for silly things, memes, or starting a thread. At least, that’s how it’s always been for me. And I hate threading off of reblogged asks, I’ll always make it a new post and ask others to.

I’m not a fan of one liners that are outside of silly one off interactions. Sometimes they can go somewhere which is great. If I give you multiple paragraphs and you give me one line back again, it’ll get dropped. I think that one is actually stated in my rules. Asks are different but if you turn an ask into a thread that I gave you a lot to work off of with and you give me a couple lines, I’ll probably ignore it.

I’m not trying to gate-keep interactions or say people who do one liners only are, um, beneath me or something I’m just saying I get bored. One-liners or things that go nowhere don’t hold my attention.

Any rper will tell you they love getting asks. It’s why we reblog memes. They’re meant to draw engagement and pull on the dash’s attention. You want to engage with the people you follow, make new connections, develop your characters, write out the plots from your head. The inbox can also be easier to answer than a thread. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how a muse is meant to interact to something in the middle of a thread. The inbox is new territory with plenty of ways to answer whatever might be in there. And a lot of the time those can be shorter than a thread, less demanding. I have a problem of turning them into creative writing assignments.

We thrive off of world building or character development questions for our muses. However, the real fun is always in parrying your muse off of someone else’s. In creating an adventure through a thread that deepens the world and your muses reaction to something. For all the silly bullshit that happened last night, and as much as Michael completely mentally broke hells-greatestdad over it, the reality is those silly inbox jokes are not going to fix their broken relationship.

The inbox is a great tool for starting something. But if possible you should aim for expanding on them in a thread if they can go somewhere.

[corishadowfang]

I'm in love with the way you write friendships, they a super sweet! So I was wondering, how do you differentiate/ categorize aspects of romantic vs platonic chemistry or is that not really a part of your writing pipeline. I'm aro/ace but unfortunately I'm a huge romantic so I've been obsessed with figuring out the difference between romance and friendship. Hopefully this question isn't too invasive, I just wanted to get your perspective on this since your a seasoned writer.

Thank you; I'm glad you like them! And not invasive at all! (Though, uh, I don't know how helpful my answer will be; hopefully at least a little?)

So it's probably pretty obvious, but I tend to like to like...blur the lines of what's considered "romantic" and what's "platonic." My figuring is, everything can fall into either category, and what really matters is how the individuals in question define the actions/relationship. And that transfers over to my writing; mostly, I let the characters define what they want different relationships to be. If a character's internal narration involves a lot of "friend" or "family," then that's what they are; if they use something like "partner" or "spouse," same deal!

(This obviously works a lot easier for established relationships, haha, but a lot of developing relationships follow similar patterns, regardless of what form they take; they'll usually involve things like learning more about the each other and what they like, learning how to joke around and have fun together, starting to open up about deeper things like their struggles or past, and from there, new labels can be applied in almost any direction and still have them make some sort of sense, haha.)

I find if I'm struggling to nail down what a relationship is, it helps to like...have the character struggle with it, too. Let them sit and grapple with how they feel. Maybe they have a conversation with the other person in question as they try to sort things out. Maybe they sit down and try to pick apart their own feelings to figure out where they land. Maybe they're sitting there surrounded by romance novels because they really need a point of reference here, come on. This can help you puzzle out what they're feeling in a very organic way. (And if you're still unsure? Maybe they're also unsure in-story! You could always have a character decide it doesn't matter what category the love falls into, so long as it exists.)

So, uh...I think that's largely the basics of what I do? Basically, "Focus on building a strong, believable relationship, and then let the characters decide/explore what that relationship actually is." I, uh...I don't know if that's super helpful or not, aha, but hopefully it's at least a jumping off point?

(Also the romance novel thing was not entirely joking, because reading stuff like that can be a great way to conceptualize how people write about romance, and can give you more points of reference.)

[zuppizup]

Hiiii I just finished the first two chapters of Fuel the Pyre! I'm super excited for it, it's very well done!

I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your writing process. How do you outline? What kinds of things need to be in an outline in order for you to visualize the story? Do you outline the entire story, one chapter, or just one scene at a time?

Thank you for your time!

Hello! Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m so happy you’re liking the fic so far.

This is a super fun ask. Not sure how coherent or helpful my response will be, but I’ll give it a try. 😆

So, stories like Purgatory, Fuel the Pyre or my WIP dark magic AU, always start out as a bunch of questions.

What if Ezran hadn’t interrupted Callum and Rayla in Viren’s study…

Could a human/elf halfling do primal magic? Can all of them or just a few? What would control that?

What would the world be like if dark magic actually was controlled and regulated.

I usually don’t start out planning a fic when I ponder questions like this, it’s usually just my mind wandering. For me, while I love big, wonderful, imaginative worlds (like the world of The Dragon Prince) what I’m really more interested in is how these things affect individuals. I actually tend to visualise the story before I outline. In fact, I often visualise far beyond where I think I’ll finish the story. (I say where I think I’ll finish because both my current long fics are now firmly in the “after the end of the planned fic” territory)

So, in Fuel the Pyre, for example, I imagine there’s a lot of unknowns for the people involved. Halflings would be pretty new on the scene, all things considered, so the characters themselves wouldn’t have the answer to these questions, which felt like a great excuse to add tension and drama.

Once an idea has got me and I can imagine how that conflict is going to affect the characters, the general outline tends to sort of write itself. I am a planner, so I by the time I start putting pen to paper (so to speak), I’ll usually have a beginning, a rough middle and an end. There will be plot points, tangents, twists and sometimes side stories that I haven’t figured out, but I’ll have a plan for the general flow of the story.

From there, I’ll come up with a pretty messy draft. So, I just sort of go wild in a document. Usually, when I’ve decided I want to write a longer fic, it’s because certain scenes just play on repeat in my head, so I’ll indulge myself and write those out. Then I’ll go back and make rough chapter/arc notes, which usually leads into some other fun scenes I get inspired to write, and slowly, piece by piece, I sort of string the fic together like that.

I used to outline more linearly, starting at the first chapter and working from there, but I found I’d get stuck on transition scenes (the bane of my writing life) and then avoid the fic. (If I put my fingers in my ears and sing very loudly, the transition scene can’t hurt me). I find letting myself write the scenes I’m excited for makes me much more productive. They usually give me ideas for other fun (I use the term loosely, I generally mean “angsty”) scenes and I essentially build my story like that. I do like adding foreshadowing and twists, which is made a lot easier by writing like this too.

In Purgatory, for example, I tried to drop a lot of subtle hints about Callum and his slowly building arcanum connection. It’s so fun when people pick up on that stuff, but I also don’t want it to look like I just pulled a twist or a revelation out of my rear. Nowadays, I do prefer to write the bulk of a story before posting, which this method obviously works better for.

Often, when I start a fic, the beginning and the ending are the most defined parts of the story and the middle is the area that requires the most work, but by stringing the various elements together, I sort of “discover” new conflicts and fun elements to explore, which (hopefully) makes for a richer, more entertaining story.

So, not sure if that was what you’re looking for, but if you could describe the stream of consciousness that is how I write, a process, this is mine. 😅

[theprecuresystem]

hey, sorry friends!! i was a little sleep deprived and most of my other system friends say it's rude to send asks for Specific people, so i left my question open-ended. for the MaxHeartTrio Asks: what's your thoughts on octopi?

Your friends are right with that in a lot of cases. It can be rude to ask for someone specifically, since it can feel like you'd prefer to speak to someone else: but in our case we prefer when we specifically are asked for in terms of only ask box things specifically. Ask boxes can be left to sit, so it's less asking us to immediately show up, and it feels more like an "This is in here for when you're around". This isn't the case for everyone, of course, but it makes us feel we can answer questions a little easier! When it's not specified, we just tend to go with whoever's been mentioned as part of the ask's category, which could be a lot...

Two things can be true simultaneously, Anon. In most cases, it's rude to ask for someone specific because it can feel like ignoring the person who's currently there. However, in our case, it's polite to ask for someone specific because it reduces overwhelmedness about trying to figure out who it's for, and can be left to answer whenever the person is about.

As for your question!

My, Yukishiro Honoka's, answer:

In terms of the animal, I like them a lot. They're incredibly intelligent and capable of many things! Their biology is interesting, too, with how their beaks can be shaped, as well as the different kinds of octopi there are in the ocean. Did you know octopi experience sleep cycles like humans do? I think that's really nice. I saw a fun gif of one falling asleep, and sent it to my friend who wasn't aware that cephalopods were capable of getting sleepy. They had a fun reaction.

In terms of octopi in recipes, I do like takoyaki and tako su, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy those for every single meal. You definitely need variety, and can't stick to one food, no matter how much you enjoy it.

Misumi Nagisa's answer:

For the animal, they're super cool, but also totally creepy. Did you know there's an octopus that climbed out its tank into another fish tank to get extra food when the aquarium people were away? It learned their routines and worked around em! Totally horrifying! They're also using trash in the ocean to build tools now like how humans make tools! And they're able to slip into such small spaces... totally scary. Totally scary, they're REALLY cool but they're basically if you made an alien horror creature and made it real and then threw it in the sea!!

For octopi in recipes, I could have like five plates of takoyaki every single day! It's so tasty! I'd never get tired of it! If I get tired of takoyaki, something's definitely up.

Kujou Hikari's answer:

Hmm... for the animal, I'd like if we could understand them more. Octopi are intelligent, and we're intelligent, but there's still a big barrier between communication. Octopi are able to make tools, and plan around our schedules, but we can't really speak with them. It's a little bit sad, and I'd like us to know about what they might be wanting more, and able to show our own appreciation back. As things are, though, they're still in situations where we can't, and that causes a lot of treatment that we wouldn't allow for humans.

I know I find them intelligent and I want to understand them more, but it would be hypocritical of me to say I don't like octopi in terms of recipes. I've had takoyaki and enjoyed it before, and in source I do work at a café for that product... it's hard to know where I'd place octopi for this part of the response, apologies.

[eight-years-revolution]

hey! what are the ROs favorite forms of like domestic affection/quiet intimacy?? (wearing each others clothes, brushing hair, peeling oranges, unconsciously shifting closer, ect ect)

alternatively, what kind of future do the ROs want for themselves? where do they see themselves in 10 years?

Hi! Thank you so much for the ask. <3

Ajmal is very much about physical affection, he likes to touch his s/o to be reminded of their presence. That can take the form of cuddling in bed, giving a quick back rub as he passes by, holding hands while he relaxes with his s/o, reading a book, kissing them as a good morning...

Ajmal doesn't think too much about his future. Becoming a knight was his childhood goal and now that he has accomplished that, he has yet to figure out what's next. To be honest, for now he's just content doing his job.

Zanetta likes to do domestic chores together with her s/o. If there's laundry to be done, dish washing, dusting etc., her s/o better be there to help out. Not only that's the decent thing to do, but she also finds the tasks much more enjoyable with company.

In the future, Zanetta hopes to have accumulated enough wealth to be able to retire from her dangerous career and take care of her family, far from political bullshit, wherever that would be.

Felice is not used to domestic life and doesn't necessarily see it happening for them in the future. Still, if it were to happen, they would quietly and subtly make life easier and brighter for their s/o. They'd leave little gifts and notes around their house and would quietly take care of chores their s/o don't like when they're not feeling their best.

Felice lives day to day and making plans for the future is a luxury they don't think they can afford. They sometimes hope that in ten years time they'll be free of the shit situation they are in, but that's about it.

Domesticity? For Armine? No thank you. Showing her affection to her s/o involves getting out of the house. She likes to take them out for lunch or dinner, nowhere fancy, but in some fun new joint she could have discovered in town. Or show them a new spot where they can do something fun together.

Armine gotta be the most ambitious of the lot. In ten years, she see herself as the most famous elven mage of modern times. She hopes to make discoveries that wil revolutionize the magic world, no less. She's got some ideas.

Berhane, like Ajmal, likes physical intimacy, but tends to be a bit more risqué than him. They'll mindlessly touch sensitive parts of their s/o's body when they are relaxing together, whether it leads to more or not, like the inner wrists, thighs or neck. They're not one to settle down that easily so they make every moment count.

In ten years, they hope that their country will be free of occupation and that they'll be rebuilding by their sister's side.

I hope this answers your questions!

[paper--moons]

CG!Gajeel Headcanons

While there may be a lot of assumptions people make about Gajeel due to his generally abrasive nature or appearance, the last thing most people would guess is that he is a caregiver! Though to be fair it is something that he wouldn't have guessed about himself either, and certainly something he wouldn't have even wanted to do back when he was a member of Phantom Lord; back then he was all about looking out for himself. But Fairy Tail is a lot different, and the members are like a family—a family that continues to break down his walls and teaches him that it's okay to be gentle, that it isn't a weakness like he'd come to believe. That forming close relationships with others is something he can have without it being used against him. But he's still new at basic friendships, so naturally there's a few hiccups and misunderstandings when it comes to more complex ones that include things like regression! It's another one of those things that would have been seen as a weakness at his old guild, and so he's never really encountered it. Not until he notices one of his new guildmates goofing off...no, not their usual horseplay, but actual play with dolls and everything. Just when Gajeel thinks he's finally fitting in, a bit of friendly ribbing threatens to undo all of his progress when he teases them about being a little too old for kiddie toys. He doesn't understand why they look so upset and like they might cry as they run off, his attempts to tell them he was just joking around falling on deaf ears. It takes Makarov pulling him aside later and kindly explaining the situation and answering his question about regression that Gajeel realizes oh no, they are actually baby, you idiot.

From that point forward Gajeel makes it his personal mission to make sure nobody else messes with them, whether it be out of ignorance like he did or out of genuine meanness. As the rest of Fairy Tail seems to be in the know about their regression and regression in general, he asks around about what sorts of things they like, when they tend to be small, stuff like that. Because while he may already have decided he's protecting them, he's still got to apologize for his screw up! Though he's not so good with words—having an easier time expressing himself through his actions—he goes out and buys them a few gifts based on the suggestions he got and leaves them all neatly (or as neatly as Gajeel can manage) tucked in a basket for them to find later. Things like a couple of plush toys, their favorite sweets from the Magnolia Bakery, and even a more expensive looking little music box powered by the shiny lacrima embedded in the top. All of these prizes are nestled beneath a soft blanket folded up across the top, a dark navy with silver stars embroidered along the edges. There's no note indicating who left the gifts for them, nor does he make a point of bringing it up, but they know who left it for them regardless. And truly, moreso than the gifts themselves, it is the thought and effort that he put into getting them that lets them know that he means well. All the gifts clearly meant for someone a lot (physically) younger than them shows them that he's supportive, and may or may not result in them tagging along after him.

His personal mission quickly sees to him evolving into something more akin to a "protective big brother" figure for them. Not that he particularly minds the little squirt following him around, so long as he's not out on a job. Even he knows he can't play babysitter somewhere dangerous. But relaxing with them at the guild, watching them play...it's nice. Once both of them are comfortable enough with this new aspect of their dynamic he even has fun playing with them, helping to provide some extra ideas (not to mention voices) to their pretend play; taking an active part in such play, whether it be with dolls or acting things out themselves, is a big change when not too long ago he had teased them over doing the very same thing with somebody else filling the role of cg. Gajeel didn't think he had a creative bone in his body (not for playing pretend, at least) until he started getting down on their level with them in true big brother fashion. He's the demon king, he's the hero, he's the big bad dragon, he's the one who needs rescuing, he's whatever they need him to be in the moment—whatever part he's playing, he always commits to it with such sincerity that it makes them giggle because even they don't take their own game so seriously! Their bubba is sooo silly sometimes! Having him participate in their playtime is something that really is good for the both of them, apart from being a fun bonding experience—it provides a safe environment for them to grow as people, albeit in their own unique ways. (Plus, it doesn't hurt that by the end of playtime he tosses them over his shoulder and takes them inside for a snack.)

As revealed by Fairy Tail's talent show, Gajeel can play the guitar. While he didn't really see the overlap between acting as a cg and his...vast musical talent, it is soon brought to his attention by none other than his favorite little squirt that he can incorporate one into the other. He really should have figured out that they would be interested in listening to him practice by the way they were enamored with the music box he got for them. But Gajeel has that little box beat, because that thing can only play one song and he can play at least five! Maybe six, on a good day. What can he say? He's not only a budding cg, but a budding musician as well! That being said, he starts practicing a lot of new stuff geared more towards his little one. Acoustic versions of popular lullabies to help soothe them on those particularly rough days when their thoughts are being nasty-mean to them, or strumming out original melodies that they can then sing their own made up lyrics for (lyrics that he will later write down, so they can sing it together next time—although they are constantly changing words or adding new lyrics and poor Gajeel just can't keep up!). It becomes something of a common occurrence, at least three times a week, that they will run up to him and tug on his hand while eagerly demanding a song. And who is he to deny the kid of his musical genius? After a moment of their tugging not making him budge an inch, he relents and lets them drag him away. What's that? No, he isn't a pushover, the kid just has taste! So shut it!

For as protective as he can be, Gajeel is also incredibly sweet with them when he thinks nobody else is around to see him being such a big softie (he's got a reputation to keep, alright? Can't have people thinking Black Steel Gajeel has gone soft). He tends to follow them around like a lost puppy guard dog when he knows they are having a small day, making sure they have whatever it is their little heart desires. Even if the thing their little heart desires is that he kisses their scraped up palms to make the owwie from their big fall go away. It's something that Gajeel doesn't really see the point in doing, because it can't actually help, can it? He wouldn't know, he never had someone do that for him. But he begins to think there must be something more to it, otherwise why would they ask for it? Why else would it soothe their tears, or bring a shaky smile to their face? Maybe he has some kind of healing magic that he doesn't know about (and maybe he does it again later when someone else gets hurt because he thinks it'll help, which it sort of does if only for the fact that they're so shocked that Gajeel tried to kiss something better). Kissing boo-boos aside, the softer parts of his personality come out in more subtle ways, like how he practically carries them everywhere given the opportunity. Gajeel gives them piggyback rides all the time, so long as they don't pull on his hair. It's easier for him to mean-mug people that might otherwise give them a hard time when they're having a day out in Magnolia and the kid starts getting a little hyper. And even when he does happen to run into somebody from the guild while they're out, he's surprised that nobody ever says anything about it later.

Despite all of his progress, he still gets a bit confused by some regression stuff sometimes. But that's okay! He's still growing as a cg, but he's determined to be the best big brother he can be. And Gajeel is stubborn, so he will keep at it until he figures it out—or in some cases, goes to Makarov with his questions. Really in most cases, because when it comes to something important like this he isn't sure he should trust his instincts and brute-force his way through the current problem. Because how are you supposed to force your way through certain nighttime troubles resulting from some vicious nightmares? If it was him, he would just ignore it and pretend it didn't happen. But they can't do that, they're so small and scared and Gajeel...well, he fumbles it the first time it happens. His "reassurance" that they could forget about it, kid, it was just a dream, let's get you cleaned up and back to sleep sounds a lot more dismissive than anything else, and he knows almost immediately that he should have done something different based on the shift in their demeanor. So he goes to Makarov to get a guiding hand that'll help him figure out what he should have done—as it turns out he didn't do anything wrong per se, but it wasn't the sort of approach that they needed. Yes, he got them resituated in order to go back to sleep, but simply telling them the dream wasn't real and to ignore it doesn't work for them. They were looking for more comfort whereas he thought he was being comforting by reminding them it wasn't real. Again, nothing wrong with the approach, just a simple miscommunication that can feel like a big misunderstanding. Gajeel listens as Makarov tries to explain the idea of different comfort languages, and that perhaps theirs is being heard. Because he didn't ask what it was about the dream that upset them, just dismissed it as not being real when the dream felt very real to them. Keeping this advice in mind, Gajeel moves forward and is better prepared when the situation arises again—and handles it in a way that works for them this time!

By extension, if Gajeel is their cg then Pantherlily is also their cg. According to Lily, regression was more widely accepted back in Edolas and a pretty prevalent phenomenon amongst the Exceeds. So he's got a lot of background knowledge of regression and what to do going into things, and doesn't seem fazed at all by some of the things the squirt does. Gajeel is a little jealous at first by what a natural Lily seems to be at all of this when he himself has had to work so hard to get things right, until he realizes what this means: he can be a menace and by extension teach the kid how to be a menace. He no longer has to be the most responsible one! He can fully channel that chaotic older brother energy he was always meant to have! And while this can exasperate poor Lily at times, he isn't exactly angry about it enough to put a stop to Gajeel's shenanigans. Not when he already found his shenanigans endearing, and only find them to be moreso now that he has a tiny partner in crime. Most of the time having a tiny partner in crime actually minimizes the scale of the damage Gajeel usually would cause, so really it isn't such a bad thing that he's corrupting the kid. If anything, he's helping them come out of their shell by charging around with them on his back like they own the place. And Pantherlily would be lying if he said he didn't find the face they pull when he has to reprimand Gajeel too to be funny.

[narrators-journal]

Hey, I'm trying to make a Yandere Persona 3 fanfic (Which is being posted on AO3). Can you give me some advice as to how to write it as I'm having a writer's block?

(Note: The Yandere ship being Yandere SEES x Fuuka Yamagishi, though, Ken and Koromaru are Platonic Yanderes, with the rest of SEES being Romantic Yanderes.)

Okay! So, I’ll preface this with, this isn’t some step-by-step guide on how to write your story, it’s just some general advice I could think of. I’m a good writer, but my methods might not work for you, and I do not claim to know what the fuck I’m actually doing. So, keep that in mind while you read this, okay? I’m sorry if none of this advice works for you, and if you have any questions after this, or want some more clarity on these points, feel free to send in another ask, comment, anything like that and I’ll be happy to answer them!

Now, let’s get the big part of this done first. If you want to know how I personally write and manage to craft all the stories like months of tolerance, Winter is a lovely season for weddings and funerals, or any of the smut you might like to read, I...can’t really help. The best I’ve got for that is just, I tend to write what I like to think about, and that enjoyment usually leads me to filling in the details and putting in the extra effort to try and make the writing, story, and implied world around the scenarios as good as I can get them. So, if you just want a walk through on how to gain that skill, all I can offer is to simply enjoy what you write, and write what would make you happy for the story.

Alright! With that out of the way, onto how I tackle my fics! Starting with my first step, making an outline.

OUTLINING

And, trust me, I recognize that some writers hate to outline their stories, it’s boring, it can seem to take all the fun and spontenaity out of writing. But, for a full fanfiction, with something that requires plot, and consistency, an outline is very good. Especially if you’re writing anything with a large cast of characters, like you’re planning to, because an outline lets you keep track of how frequently someone appears, talks, who’s getting too much spotlight vs who isn’t getting enough, and lets you keep track of events.

Plus, it can be a good baby step to work out of a writer’s block because it’s not very taxing on the brain. You’re just taking your ideas, and trying to at least vaguely organize them. So, in that sense, an outline also can work as a pre-rough draft! Because, you’re writing down all of your big ideas and noting down ideas to flesh those bigger points out in a format that’s a lot easier to get out, edit and adjust than a full blown chapter, y’know? So, take advantage of that, and take the time to outline your entire fic before hand. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, you don’t need to fill an outline with polished prose, you just need to get down your ideas in a semi-organized fashion so that you can map out how your plot will go. For example, something like this is how I would outline a fic:

end

Maya and co. finally convince Tatsuya to join their group, booting Nanjo to the curb.

Katsuya and Tatsuya bond after an encounter with Katsuya’s shadow

S!Katsuya: Admit it! You hate your baby brother! He ruined your life!

Katsuya: No! No, I could never hate him!

Tatsuya punches Nyarlethotep in the face

As you can see, it isn’t super detailed or in-depth, it just covers the big points of how they reach the desired end, with some dialogue I thought up as I was writing. And, that leads into my next point of advice for outlines specifically: Start with the ending. If you figure out the ending first, you’ll know what to foreshadow and build in the earlier portions, so I always suggest you start by writing down your ending point.

So, tldr: Try outlining your fic before you get stuck into writing. It’ll help you catch plot holes, recall and keep track of cool dialogue you thought up, and make sure each of your cast has time to shine and some sort of impact within the plot. Especially when it comes to large groups of characters you’ll have to keep track of.

CHARACTERIZATION AND DIFFERENTIATION

This next part is another big thing I keep track of when I write my fics or scenarios, and is especially noteworthy for a group of Yanderes. My personal characterization, and how that differentiates that specific character from the others.

This is the time you work in your headcanons for character personalities or backstory, and I can’t offer any help on that front. Your takes are your takes, the only advice I can offer is to make sure to note those personalities down if you don’t feel confident innately writing that character with them yet. Like some form of cheat sheet on Junpei, or Mitsuru, or whoever you don’t feel you can portray consistently off the cuff. That way, as you write them, you can have something to refer back to for their actions. For example, if I was to write for a yandere Junpei, I’d probably write down:

Keep golden retriever energy

Possibly stand-offish to darling at first. In some circumstances

Probably doesn’t bother to hide stalker behavior.

Likely to gaslight to hide that shit instead

to try and keep him consistent.

Which, is another example of how characterization is very important for specifically yandere fics. After all, not every yandere should behave the same, and for a group those small differences are hard to keep track of in your mind alone. Like, Shinjiro is terrified of hurting those he cares about, so he’s not going to be as kidnap happy as Akihiko. Who is more likely to deem the outside world dangerous and unpredictable, so the safest place for Darling is with him at all times. Yukari has an awful track record of those important to her leaving in some fashion, so she’s going to be far more aggressive when Darling escapes than, say, Minato is. Since Minato’s lower energy, and is convinced he’s ‘normal’, and doesn’t care about anybody, so violence isn’t something he’s keen on. That’s a lot to keep straight if you’re just relying on your own memory for those good character ideas.

So, all of these things are aspects I usually note down for the yanderes I write. It lends them some variety, personality, and opens a lot more potential for Darling to have conflict and a chance. So, I suggest you think a bit about each character you want, and write down how they personally would behave as a yandere. Which, leads into what should be our second to last, major point of advice.

LET THE DARLING BE SMART

As a writer, I can tell you, favoritism is something that happens, lol. Not only in characters, but focus. Sometimes you just prefer to focus on the fun interactions, or the kidnap portion of a yandere story, and that’s fine. But, for a good, filling story, you should always make sure that you are trying to make your Darling/mc at least believably dumb, lol.

Which, transcends the strict vibes of the situation. After all, no matter if it’s overt yandere behavior, or subtle, if your Darling is obliviously a-okay with everything around her, and goes to grab a spoon to defend themself against a psycho killer covered in the bestie’s blood, it can take a reader out of your story. If done wrong, at least.

Plus, a story is better with conflict, and making sure your character is believably smart, can heighten the tension, stakes, and simply provide that friction. It lets your reader have hope that a plan will work, and feel more tense and invested when shit begins to go awry. So always try to make sure your darling has some awareness fitting your plot.

And, finally!

WRITE FOR YOURSELF

Aka, don’t get so hung up on writing the perfect, most polished, tense, believable fic that you end up killing your own joy for it. All of this advice is stuff that I, personally, use to write my full length fics. I like to think of all of the little details and make a thoroughly thought out story, but if you just want to write a lighter, less dark yandere story that’s nothing but pure self-indulgence, go for it!

Hell, I’ve done it, my Ryomina fic, Winter is a lovely season for romance and funerals, is built brick by brick off of my own enjoyment of the idea of Minato being sacrificed to Ryoji. The story was grown around that, and it probably shows lol. So, make sure that you don’t get too caught up in the planning, the consistency of the characters, or how well put together your story is. Just enjoy yourself, and you will usually find an audience who can appreciate the simple fun of your fic. Just be aware of your motivations, and try not to take your fic too seriously.

Annnnnnd that’s all I’ve got for coherent advice! I hope this is helpful, I hope it is clear, and I appreciate that you thought so highly of my writing, that you asked my advice! Again, if anything here is confusing, or you’d like advice on a specific thing I didn’t cover here, feel free to comment, send another ask, whatever! That goes for everybody who decides to read this btw, not just the asker.

[livlepretre]

What is your editing process like for FE?

Not as ideal as it could be.

In the grand scheme of things, I am working chapter by chapter in the truest sense of the word. I suck at writing ahead and tend to hit publish as soon as a chapter is finished, no beta, dying like men, etc. I also mostly write the scenes all in order which is both a pain and an asset. What this all means is that I have to do my utmost every single chapter to make sure I am satisfied with the contents and that all the little plot and theme threads I will need in the future are present, and that nothing is contradicting future events/worse, past events!

So, the editing: basically I reread the chapter from the beginning every time I open up the fic to work on it. Sometimes I reread the past few chapters too. This helps me to figure out any changes that need to be made/additions or subtractions in any of my already-written scenes. I get through this part before moving on to the next part of writing new stuff, because it’s easier to write new stuff if the earlier stuff all flows properly.

For example, in the current chapter: I realized on reread that the emotions just aren't gelling/making sense to me. Specifically how Elena feels about Stefan. I need to insert an earlier scene where Elena comes to some sort of concrete conclusions about him, and her feelings about him, and where she thinks their relationship is/isn't going, in order for later events to hit as hard as I want them to. Right now it feels too flat.

But another example would be like... figuring out I needed to add in some plot detail or another earlier in the chapter so that when it comes up later it feels like the seed was already planted. Stuff like that.

Anything that DOES NOT WORK gets saved and copied to the end of the document, in case I can rework it later into something viable. I don't delete anything permanently, just cut it from the chapter and save it elsewhere. This makes cutting out things that go off in useless directions a lot easier.

I am not fond of cutting out the fat. This is fanfic. I like to include everything I wish to include. It's more fun that way. But I do cut out things that take the story in a direction that leads into a dead end. Like, if I'm writing and I can't figure out where the next scene should be, that is a good sign I need to scroll up and figure out when we went off the tracks and start over from there in a different direction. It's usually a few paragraphs up. Even if some of the zingers are entertaining, if it leads into a blind alley, so to speak, and I feel lost and directionless in the scene, it needs to be deleted and rewritten.

The biggest thing though isn't so much editing as... meticulous meticulous outlining. These are where the biggest changes happen-- in the parts of the story that are chapters and chapters away from actually being written. I know where we are going, and the broad strokes of things, but I keep things loose enough that big changes can happen in the outline if that makes sense. There are questions I will not have the answer to until later, when I write the scene. That's the fun part. But the reason why things can show up way way early as foreshadowing is because I have been working on the outline so far out and know certain things will eventually happen way down the line (things like: daggergate, Elena burning down the manor, losing the baby, certain events with Stefan happening this chapter, etc)

this is word salad but I hope it sort of answered your question??