#like not even in a burnout writers block way

[iridescentis]

i am so bad at predicting word counts i said chapter 19 would be 3k and yet a basic first draft of the intro is 1.3k where did that come from

[catscidr]

// dottore nsfw alphabet ft. the segments! //

i. note — (੭ ᐛ ) hehe.....so...... i have the worst writer’s block rn (its probably burnout because i straight up can't bring myself to do anything but o well) nd i thought filling this out would help. spoiler alert it did a little because i actually finished it.... i have like two Almost Finished wips collecting dust in my docs but i just cant get them done ueue. i write for thirty minutes n then close my laptop. i have a problem but WHATEVER!! THROWS DOTTORE NSFW ALPHABET LIKE A GRENADE AND RUNS!!!

ii. includes — dottore, the clones, gn!reader

iii. cw — nsfw under the cut! mentions of overstimulation, bondage, orgasm control, power imbalance, smidge of dubcon, exhibitionism, dom/sub dynamics, one mention of syringes n needles, implied established relationship

A -> Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) 

— He’s not one to outright pamper you, but he does clean you up and makes sure that the bruises he left won’t be too sore in the morning; but if you beg hard enough, he’ll begrudgingly kiss them better. Just use his words against him and tease him a little n he’ll reward you with some smooches! ez

B -> Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and their partner’s) 

— He’s indifferent to his body. On you, though, he goes crazy for your neck. Archons, the things he can do to it are endless. He loves covering it in bitemarks, wrapping his hands around it to feel your rapid pulse, sucking hickeys into the sensitive skin... and we can’t forget how much he loves watching you tilt your head to the side so he can inject whatever liquid is inside his syringe. Call it a mix of sensual and morbid fascination the way he’s obsessed with your neck 

C -> Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

— Dottore’s cum is opaque and on the thicker side, but its bitter and not particularly pleasant to swallow. You can’t really blame him; he’s a busy man and he neglects his health regularly. If you ask him nicely, he’ll try to, at least, sip on some pineapple or orange juice during the day so you don’t rush to spit out the cum that lands in your mouth. He also cums a lot, thanks to his involuntary abstinence in his younger years.........

D -> Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

— Has thought about fucking you in front of his segments multiple times (not fucking you with them, just having them watch you two go at it. big difference here). It’s usually fueled by irritation or jealousy from seeing you spend time with them, but sometimes he’ll get this random urge to just completely and utterly claim you in front of them to get under their skin. Also to overwhelm you. yk. just a bit ˙ᵕ˙

E -> Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

— Wasn’t very experienced before he met you. Had one or two awkward hookups during his Akademiya days, but he really had more knowledge about sex than actual experience (getting a bad blowjob doesn’t really count for experience) 

F -> Favorite position

— You somehow always end up in the prone bone position if you’re on a flat surface. He loves restraining you, but doing so with his whole body takes the cake. He’ll have one hand wrapped around your throat with his elbow on the bed to hold him up (so he doesn’t completely crush you), and the other hand will be holding your hip with a bruising grip to angle your pelvis so he can thrust into you over n over again without mercy

— .....but having you ride him when he’s tired is worthy of being an honorable mention. Don’t think you’re in control though, because as soon as you start to get too cocky he’ll grab your waist n thrust up sharply to knock that smile off your face (affectionately) 

G -> Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) 

— Very serious, he’ll go as far as to punish you for even trying to crack a joke or giggle at something he said or did (but it’s a dub whenever you’re in a bratty mood so it’s fiiiine). Same goes for his older segments. His younger clones are less uptight about it though, and sometimes they’ll let out a laugh when a funny noise happens, but they won’t necessarily make jokes during it 

H -> Hair (how well-groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) 

— Trims it when he remembers to, when it gets annoying, or when you point it out. He’s not a fan of being clean-shaven, but if you really want him to be he’ll do it. His pubic hair is a darker shade than his hair, and the first time you saw it you promptly said “so you don’t dye your hair!” (he immediately flicked your forehead) 

I -> Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) 

— Dottore isn’t romantic, full stop. But on a scale of 1 through 10 he would be around a 6; could charm you and sweep you off your feet if he wanted to, but he finds more enjoyment in teasing you than being a gentleman. 

J -> Jack off (masturbation hc) 

— He forgets that’s even an option when he’s in Snezhnaya. Whenever he gets hard he’ll have you take care of it, whether it’s in the form of a quickie or completely ditching his work to fuck you. So he only really masturbates like... once a week, twice at most if you’re not in the mood to help him with his hard on. 

— But when he has to go out to other regions for work and won't be with you for long periods of time? He gets off more often than he’d like to admit. 

K -> Kink(s)  

— Big fan of dacryphilia, spit/messy sex, overstimulation, any kind of restraints, edging, breathplay, power imbalance, biting, dirty talk, brat taming, double penetration and anything that tests your limits. 

— Medium fan of sex under the influence of either alcohol or aphrodisiacs, somnophilia, exhibitionism, temperature play, slightly dangerous things like knife and gun play, and group sex (with his segments specifically, no one else. he’s possessive of you) 

— Honorable mention: roleplay, to some extent. Mans loves to do a “medical checkup” on you every once in a while. And he’s more of a dom than a sub, too. His older segments have pretty much the same kinks as he does (ofc), but the younger ones tend to lean more towards being switchy than just. dom 

L -> Location (favorite place to do the do) 

— Has a bias for taking you in his office. Loves the idea that any of his segments could overhear the both of you going at it and all they can do is rub one out somewhere quiet. He’s so mean to them, using you like that......... 

M -> Motivation (what turns them on)

— When you act like a brat, purposely teasing him n pushing his buttons..... makes his blood rush down to his cock. Can’t help thinking of the many ways he’ll put you in your place later 

N -> No (immediate turn offs)

— Anything that has to do with his kid/youngest segments and his coworkers, the other Harbingers.

O -> Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) 

— Would rather receive than give, but won’t shy away from the opportunity to overstimulate you with his fingers/hands and tongue. Isn’t the best at giving head but will gladly take the time to learn what makes you cum the fastest if you want him to 

P -> Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) 

— Dottore’s usually fast n rough, but he’ll have his moments where he wants to dote on you hard. His lack of affection catches up to him n he just wants to trace every curve of your body while languidly driving his cock inside of you sometimes, what can ya do 

Q -> Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) 

— Prefers taking his time to tease you by a mile, but he loves quickies too (since he can very well tease you by having a quickie) 

R -> Risk (are they game to experiment?) the irony of this wording isn’t lost on me 

— He's game to experiment. If you’re on board, he’s always willing to try something at least once 

S -> Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

— His younger segments tire out easily (virgins....... /affectionate) but his older ones, himself included, can go on and on and on. Him being a hermit n staying in his lab for multiple days at a time is extremely misleading, don’t be fooled!! He’ll overstimulate you to prove a point if you try to even poke fun at him n imply that he’ll get tired because he doesn’t “exercise” much (you’re his exercise, anyways) 

T -> Toys (do they have any?)

— Dottore does have some (and has dabbled in making some, too), namely (big and small) vibrators, dildos, and restraints but most of the time he prefers doing without them than with. Usually. When he does use them, he’ll make the whole “session” about them. 

— Controlling the rate in which a machine fucks you while he lazily jerks off in front of you, just out of your reach so you can’t touch him.... slowing down the silicone dildo’s pace when you start to get frustrated, making you even more frustrated..... yeah 

U -> Unfair (how much they like to tease) 

— He’s the WORST. The worst!!! You never know if he’ll overstimulate you, edge you, ruin your orgasm or just rile you up just to not do anything about it. Loves teasing you just as much as he loves to bury himself in his research (which is, obviously, a lot. good luck soldier) 

V -> Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) 

— Definitely on the quieter side (and it’s totally not so he can hear you more clearly, nuh uh). Lets out grunts/growls and heavy puffs of air more than actual moans, but it just makes the times whenever you do manage to draw out a pretty boy moan even sweeter <3 

W -> Wild card (a random hc) 

— Il Dottore, the Second Harbinger, outcast of the Akademiya, is incredibly touchy. He’ll place his hand on your waist when he walks past you, he’ll keep a hand on your thigh when you’re accompanying him during a meeting. He needs to have a hand on you at all times /whenever it’s possible/, including when you’re having sex. Can’t go a single second without touching you, he would probably actually bite you without any remorse if you tried to tie his hands so he can’t touch you 

X -> X-ray (what’s going on under those clothes ₍ᐢ.  ̫.ᐢ₎ ) 

— Bigger than most, but more of a grower than a shower. 3.8 inches soft and stands at a proud 7.4 inches when hard, with a 4.7 girth . Circumcised (don’t ask how), his skin is light (#FFEBCF) but his cock fades into a slightly darker color (#F7D4BC) while the head is more of a pretty n peachy tone (#F1A491). Has some light scarring in his pelvis area and a defined vein from the bottom of his shaft that stops shy of his glans. Also curves to the right just a bit.......

— His pubes r a dull-ish blue (#88B5D3)— while the hair on his head is a lighter, more teal blue for reference (#B6E0E0). Has a slight happy trail, too

Y -> Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) 

— He used to have a very low sex drive. In the beginning of your relationship, it wouldn't be uncommon for you two to go weeks without any action. As time went on though, he’s come to develop a higher sex drive and now has a mid to high libido. It’s your fault for being so tempting, really 

Z -> Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) 

— Has the freakish ability to go right back to work as if nothing ever happened when you’re both finished, no matter how much you both cum...... makes him the perfect man to provide aftercare though. He’ll stay by your side while you drift off and then he’ll go back and do whatever he has to do— unless you cling onto him n pull him back to stay in bed. If that does happen, he’ll just sit in bed and read a book while you snooze away. 

[writingquestionsanswered]

Tips for writers with ADHD that get major writers block/burnout

Writers with ADHD and Writer's Block/Burnout

Tip #1 - Troubleshoot the Problem - I want to start here, in the most obvious place, because even for writers with ADHD, writer's block is often the result of a specific issue that can be surmounted once identified. My post 5 Reasons You Lost Interest in Your WIP, Plus Fixes! addresses some of the most common ones. It's worth checking to see if something on there resonates with you as a potential obstacle to progress.

Tip #2 - De-Stress Your Writing Time - Human brains are wired to respond in specific ways to perceived threats... fight, flight, or freeze. Quite often, what we call "writer's block" is actually your brain having a freeze response to writing because it's causing you stress and is therefore perceived as a threat.

So, anything you can do to de-stress your writing time can help. Troubleshooting the problem as in #1 is a good start. Set reasonable goals and deadlines... you can estimate your available writing time and calculate that with your estimated WPM to see if it's even possible for you to hit your word count goal. Go easy on yourself when you don't reach goals... celebrate even the smallest of wins, because negative thinking makes writing more stressful. Do what you can to set up an inviting writing space, light a candle (safely), play soft music, use ambient lighting, have your favorite beverage and snack at hand.

Tip #3 - "Gamify" Your Writing - Turning your writing goals into game achievements can make writing fun, which is another great way to de-stress it. You can usually find free game board templates online, or you can create your own. I like to set mine up like this:

You can set as many tasks as you want (within reason) for each goal, and your prizes can be anything from a handful of candy to buying something you really want, or doing something you really want to do. Whatever works for your budget that motivates you to get the tasks done.

Tip #4 - Do an Immersive Writing Sprint Session - YouTube is a wonderland of helpful videos for writers... not just easily digestible writing advice and research information, but also writing music, ambience rooms, and one of my favorites, immersive writing sessions. These are themed ambience rooms with ambient video, music, and sound effects, but they also have a writing sprint timer on the screen, so you are encouraged to write for however long (usually 10 to 20 minutes), then you get a five or ten-minute break before the next sprint starts. These can be a really great way to get into the zone if you're struggling otherwise.

Tip #5 - Eliminate Distractions - When you have ADHD, pretty much anything can be a distraction. If my desk is messy, I'll pause mid-sentence to clean it rather than write. If there's something on my desk I can fidget with or play with, I'll do that. If my phone is handy, I'll pick it up and start scrolling through social media. If I'm listening to music with words, I'll go look up the lyrics and fall down some weird tangentially related rabbit hole. If I'm hungry or thirsty, I'll get up fifty times to get a small snack or drink. So, I clean my desk ahead of time and remove anything I might be tempted to fiddle with. I only play instrumental music (usually an ambience room). I put my phone on silent or leave it in another room.

Literally anything I can do to head my usual distractions off at the pass. For me, it actually makes a big difference. Try keeping a running list of things that distract you while writing during a week of writing sessions. Then, go through the list and write solutions. This helps you build a pre-writing session distraction elimination routine.

I hope something here will work for you! I may do a part two to this soon, so keep an eye out!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[crystallilytarot]

Choose a little hat. What's in store for you in your career this year.

Pile 1 - light blue

Working in a group will be succesful, the communication, the whole community feels good here. Creativity is flowing, you will have a lot of good ideas. Be confident, you have all ability to be succesful. But at one point, there will be a better option, or just something bad will happen. After that it's possible that you will even change your job. Or it's just a burnout and you will need a little vacation. Feels like a writer's block kinda. You need a little rest to get back your inspiration. It can be that there will be some disagreement in the workplace, some gossip or there will be a new boss? It's really chaotic at that point. It feels a little long, 1-2 months even. Even if you are not going to change jobs, you will probably go to another department in the company, or something a little bit bigger change will happen. But after that things will be calm and good again.

Pile 2 - dark blue

I think there are a little healthy competition here, but it feels like everybody wants to do their best. I don't feel it's really toxic. Even if someone is a little more agressive, you will be confident in your ability. If you doubt yourself in any way, you really shouldn't. Things are very stable here, everything is good. There will be either a big project or some big opportunity, and it will be very succesful. If you want to have a higher position, a promotion, there's a very good chance you will get it! You can change jobs, if you want, you will get accepted. But if you don't want, it's okay, it's not like you needed to. You will probably have more money than before, either a higher salary or you get a promotion, but you can even buy something you really wanted.

Pile 3 - green

It's either that you will have a new boss or coworker, or some of you can change jobs too. But I think it's more likely that with that new member, things will change a little. Or something in the company will change, the business policy, or something like that, a bigger change. Maybe there will be a cooperation and it will be very good. A lot of success here, very creative period. You will be passionate or passionate again to work. A lot of new ideas. Maybe you will travel too a few times, it feels like a further training or something like that, a conference, negotiation. There are some good news too. A very stabil workplace. Good salary. Your hard work will pay off.

[ask-the-prose]

Writing Burnout and Helpful Tips

Hi yall, it’s been wonderful seeing ask-the-prose posts going around writeblr and I’m so happy to see that some of these guides are helpful. If you have a specific topic you’d like me to cover, send in an ask!

What is burnout?

Burnout is incredibly common and nothing to be ashamed of! If you find you are too exhausted to do what you love, running out of ideas, or perhaps not wanting to do anything, you may be burned out. Burnout can pose a serious block to your writing, and it’s just not fun.

Burnout can happen when you’re stretching yourself too thin, spending more time and energy creating than taking in creativity, or not taking care of yourself the way you need.

Step 1: Put out the fire

One of the number one ways to fast-track your way to burnout is to forget to care for yourself. We’re writers! Sometimes we get in the zone, or maybe a little obsessed, and we forget to eat, hydrate, and maybe even put off sleep. But ignoring self-care is unsustainable.

We all see posts all over reminding us to hydrate, eat well, sleep, and even stretch, but these are genuinely great tips to remember when you’re not feeling well. I’d like to add a few ideas to try when you’re feeling down.

Exercise. Walk, run, play a sport, do anything that helps move your body, whatever you can do to help your blood flow, even if it’s just a few push-ups or a good stretch.

Find a new set of walls to stare at. I get in a rut going to the same places or staying home when I have nowhere to go. But hanging out at a coffee shop or cafe helps me often. It’s a chance to observe people, see new things, and get some sunlight. If you need to shake it up, try a new cafe!

Socialize. Sometimes burnout looks like loneliness. Socialize! Talk to a friend or family member, or make a new friend! New perspectives help.

Not all of these work for everybody, but they’re friendly suggestions to try when you’re feeling burnout coming on.

Step 2: Replenish your reserves

As creatives, we get stuck always wanting to create, but that’s not sustainable either! Creativity is not just an internal process, we need external stimulation to replenish our creative reserves. When you feel like you just can’t come up with ideas or anything new, maybe it’s time to read.

Reading can help, though I personally understand the struggle to read (and finish!) books. Start with short stories or novellas if you struggle to read novels. Read within the genre you’re trying to write, and then step out of your genre and try something new. You never know when inspiration will strike.

Watch movies, listen to new music, play a video game, or do anything that can give you a creative boost. Reading is critical, but learning about other mediums is just as important.

Step 3: Self-indulgence is key

You may find as you’re recovering from the burnout that your wip may just be what’s causing the problem. Ask yourself some important questions:

Am I writing for myself?

Am I writing something that I want to write?

If not, what do I want to write about?

Do I like what I’m writing, or do I feel like it’s what everyone wants to read?

Answer these questions for yourself, and if you find you don’t like those answers, take a look at your project and see what you can or want to change. Remember, if it’s not fun and it’s not what you want, then it might not be worth it.

Take what you need, leave what you don’t

As always, this guide is meant to be helpful, and as with all writing advice, it’s entirely subjective. I believe these tips work because they worked for me. But if you find that something isn’t helping, leave it! Move on or adjust to what you as an individual need to recover from your burnout.

Remember that no writing is ever wasted and that your writing matters. We need your voice too!

– Indy

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/727841287119814656/ehh-generally-they-were-like-ask-specifics-about Can you expand on writer’s block not being real?

--

Sure!

I think everyone who's ever made art has hit points where it's hard to go on making art or where a particular project isn't moving. So from that perspective, sure, a version of it is real...

But there's a particular version of it that's what a lot of people mean where you're A Writer™ and then the magic inspiration gnomes come and steal your inspiration juice. This is mostly nonsense, and quite a few author types who've actually finished long projects will tell you so.

When you sit down to a blank page and it stubbornly stays blank like your head, that's a symptom of something... and the something in question is often either depression and overwhelmed feelings that are taking over your whole life or an entirely correct instinct that your project is flawed and the next step is not writing that next scene.

Many people try to be pantsers instead of planners, get maybe a quarter into a project, and then choke. It's because they started with the kind of concept that requires planning, but they haven't planned. If your plot revolves around the characters eventually learning the meaning of life, you'd damn well better start with what you, the author, think that meaning is and work backwards. Same if your characters are solving a twisty mystery or complicated thriller conspiracy: you will not come up with a genius idea that ties everything together just by writing by the seat of your pants. If you don't go in with the ending in mind and some waypoints to write towards, you're going to choke. This is exceptionally common in grandiose fic concepts that are like "What if this true blue hero were a viiiiillain, oooooh!" where it's neat, but 99% of the point is showing us the work of getting from A to B. People write the prologue showing us the big concept and then flash back to how it all started... and then stop.

I see it a lot in projects that start with a character sheet for RP. Yeah, for RP itself, noodling along and figuring out what X would do in situation Y is great fun... but for many longfic/novel plot types, you will not arrive at a workable plot this way. You'll end up with a mess that can, at best, be used as brainstorming and completely rewritten from the ground up, using only key cool images or character observations. There are authors that start from individual characters and then see where they go. In my experience, they don't tend to be working in the genres that fic fandom types tend to want to work in. It's also something that often takes a lot more experience and skill than starting with a basic plot outline, and inexperienced writers often overreach.

It's not writer's block. It's a project that needs to be taken out back like Old Yeller.

Even the salvageable projects that are making you pause usually have some other issue like you not being clear on the central emotional themes even if you've outlined some factual plot. Or you've demanded that your characters do a particular thing for plot convenience, but you know deep down that it doesn't ring true. You can't write the next scene because there is no next scene. You need to rework the forced part till the rest can make sense.

And even more common than any of the above is people thinking that just because Danielle Steel sits down every morning and writes for eight hours, that means they can and should with no warm up or experience. Trying to force yourself to be a type of writer you're not—majorly overdoing it on any work, in fact—just leads to burnout and inability to function.

[srirax619]

New Chapter of We Got Here Together

Got a snippet of the upcoming chapter of my Trust Falls AU. Hope y'all enjoy. I know it's been a bit. Battling writers block, burnout and general life drama makes it harder.

“Where the Hell were you?!”

Stan was ripped from pleasant childhood memories to the present by the deep boom of his brother’s voice. He looked up to see Ford’s face red and his expression a mix of fury and terror. Ford rushed over to him and quickly inspected him for injuries. 

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought the rift had pulled you in! I thought that I had– I couldn’t find– WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO?!” Ford was clearly not sure if he was more angry or distraught. 

Oh, Stan thought. That was stupid of me. 

“Hey, no, I was just taking a walk to give you a chance to cool off. I am fine. See?” He gave a big grin and twirled around. “All accounted for. No need to freak out.” Ford’s eyes somehow got even bigger and he shoved his brother’s shoulders roughly.

“Never. Scare. Me. Like. That. Again!” Ford bellowed. Stan put his hands up placatingly, curling his shoulders in on himself in shame. 

“I didn’t mean to worry you, just… was trying to be nice. Won’t happen again.” Stan stared down at his shoes, nudging the ground with the toe of his boot. 

Ford’s mouth opened and closed a few times and then he groaned and threw his hands up. “See that you don’t!” and with that he stomped back to the safety of the camp, glancing over his shoulder now and then to make sure Stan was following. 

Ford sat tinkering with some of the tech as a way to occupy his hands. Stan sat a few feet away, giving him space, and going through the logs on the gauntlet. He glanced up at his brother. “So I saw some cool stuff, you wanna hear about it?” Ford looked over, expression still fierce. 

“Yes…!" Stan had to stifle a chuckle at the anger and curiosity battling in his brother’s voice. 

After explaining what the gauntlet was telling them and showing Ford the holograph of the scanned mushrooms, Stan asked Ford if he remembered the camping trip they took with their Ma and Pa. 

“Oh yea! I had that foraging book and you obtained that sample for me…” Ford looked off into the distance and smiled softly, his previous anger forgotten for the moment. 

“Well, Gauntlet says these were munchdooms, so if we go explore together, no samples for now. Unless the tent is hiding some microscopes and gas masks.” Ford snorted at the old joke and his shoulders finally relaxed.  

“I wonder if that device would classify capsaicin as ‘segura papa soncumir’” Ford thought aloud. Stan groaned. 

“PARA CONSUMIR, Ford. Not Papa. Papas are potatoes. And ‘consumir’ isn’t even that far off from ‘consume’, jeez.” Ford bristled, flushed and glared at his brother. 

“I –” his face got gradually redder, his eyebrows deeper. “Stanley, it’s not as if I ever had any need to learn a language like THAT.” Stan raised an eyebrow, mentally daring his brother to cross the line and say what he actually meant. Their parents had never been terribly open-minded when it came to people of other races. They were furious when Shermie had married a Mexican woman. 

“Like what, Ford?” 

“Like– Like–!” 

“Like your niece and nephew speak with their mother?” Ford’s eyes widened and his face went pale. He had the decency to look ashamed and glowered down at his six-fingered hands.  

“...I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“Glad to hear it.” Stan cleared his throat. He didn’t want to be giving Ford more reason to be upset. He just hated that aspect of Jersey.  “Anyway, if you want more lessons in how to entender Spanish, just ask. I’m happy to share whatever I know. Sorry you don’t have a better teacher, but you’re good at working with what you’ve got.” Stan patted his brother’s shoulder and stood up to head into the tent for the nutrition pills. 

“You hungry?” Stan called from inside the tent, grabbing two pills. 

As he stepped back out, Ford sighed deeply, staring off into the distance. “No, not really.” Stan raised an eyebrow and stepped into his brother’s line of vision, hand on one pushed out hip. 

He put on his squeakiest impression of their Ma. “Stanford Filbrick Pines, I slaved over this hot stove for hours to put this meal together, and you WILL eat every last bite, you hear me, young man? There are people who would kill to have the life you have, and the least you could do is be grateful!” Stan punctuated his speech by flipping his longer hair over his shoulder unnecessarily.

Ford laughed so hard he had to lean back and gestured to Stan to give him the pill. 

[youcouldmakealife]

Stuff That Helps Me Write: Pacing (no, not that kind), and burnout avoidance

So this was supposed to be about something entirely different., but every time I started making a point, I got distracted by a second, bonus idea (ways to trick your brain when it's not cooperating with you! things I've tried (I will try everything) and what worked and didn't! what to do with writer's block!) and then start writing about that, and I've got half a dozen unrelated paragraphs going in my drafts, so I think I'm just going to make this a mini-series of 'stuff that helps me write and may also help you (or maybe they won't, I don't know, this shit's all subjective)'.

If there's anything in particular you'd like to hear about, or something about my process you're curious about, absolutely feel free to reply or shoot me an ask and I'll do my best to address them as I go.

But yeah, pacing. And more specifically, not burning out. I figured it was important I hit this one first, because I think it's the most important one, or at least, the one that makes the biggest difference.

With the caveat that I am someone who has repeatedly driven myself into burnout, I'm also someone who now knows why that is, and have been teaching myself how to, you know, not do that.

So. Here's how I, you know, don't do that.

Will preface this by again mentioning that most writing advice (and advice in general) never seemed to work for me, and I mostly thought I was just Bad at Doing Things, until I learned my brain's literally wired differently, and that I'd been trying to apply processes that didn't actually work for said wiring.

So instead, I figured out what worked for me. And what works for me isn't necessarily what will work for you, or even what will work for me a month or five years down the line, but it's going okay right now.

I'll straight up say that, contrary to all the Writing Advice, I don't write every day, and I don't think it's necessary, or even necessarily a good idea -- I have at times, but I no longer do, because if I write for more than six days straight I find the proverbial well dries up and I write less than I do had I just taken a break when I needed it.

Cognitive energy and the sort of ephemeral ~inspiration (work that's been done on a subconscious level) are fundamentally no different than physical energy: if you don't replenish it, you will run out. If you overdo it, you will run out. If you consistently overdo it without replenishing it, you will burn out.

Taking a page from hockey players here: if you did an intense workout right before a game they'd ask what the fuck was the matter with you. You need a nap and a meal and to get some stretching and light work in. Running at 100% all the time will burn you out in every single field, including this one.

That's not me saying not to run at 100% at all. I generally try to pace myself now, but if I'm really in it, and the words are coming easily, I don't stop until they stop -- I wrote just shy of 4k of later scenes for SAIT last week (my 2024 record!), all in one sititng, by hand, when I was supposed to be sleeping, because that's when the inspiration came. I didn't fall asleep until past 6am that night, and my hand is still mad at me.

But you know how much writing I got done the follow day? (None, I was busy transcribing 4k of handwriting). The rest of this week? (Not much more than that). Those bursts of energy are awesome, and honestly can make you feel like a writing god, but the well's the well, and I've learned my personal well is about 5000 words a week deep.

Before my most recent scrape with autistic burnout, which I'm still sort of climbing my way out of, that well was closer to 7500 words. But honestly, it probably wasn't; I was likely just siphoning words from future wells and then it all caught up with me when I was looking at a horizon of dry-ass wells ahead of me. (I'll admit this isn't a perfect metaphor.)

But seriously, my advice for basically everything, not just writing (and something I wish I'd learned before I hit my 30s), is 'figure out what pace you can work at sustainably'.

Please note that 'sustainably' is not 'without literally dying'. Because my literal ass thought when people said 'give it 100%' they meant, you know, 'give it 100%' (I know! absurd of me), rather than 'give the best effort you can give in this moment considering your current resources'. So I gave it my all (also interpreted that one wrong I guess?). And then I wondered why I kept hitting a wall all the time. And why, eventually, I stopped being able to climb that wall entirely.

I don't think I'm ever going to reach that 7500 word threshold again. There will be weeks I'm so inspired I write that much, but the next week I probably won't manage more than 2500. Or maybe I'll have two 7500 weeks in a row, but I'll need to take a whole week off after that, or spend several weeks working at a lower tempo while I let the well replenish itself.

I've been tracking some metrics quite closely as I sort of tweak my life into its new shape (said shape being 'do the best you can given your resources') , and during my most productive month of this year I wrote 3x as much as the worst (writing wise, I was finalising publication at the time), my current weekly average is about 4800 words. Sometimes it's a bit higher or lower, sometimes much higher or lower, but that's what I can sustainably do right now.

Frankly, I'm a little cranky about this: I know I can do more, because I did do more. But my priority now is not to send myself straight back into burnout again, so when I sprint, it's just that, rather than my previous 'trying to run a marathon at the pace of a sprinter'. I'm writing less than I used to, but it's honestly not that much less: because the pace is sustainable rather than boom and bust, I don't run myself ragged enough to desperately need a break.

I'm aware this advice only works if you have control over your own time, and a schedule that doesn't force you to focus on writing say, one day a week, or around other obligations, but the only real workaround for burnout is consistency, and that consistency cannot be your maximum.

Or, it can, but I guarantee you that will bite you in the ass at some point, and the pain of not getting enough done is nothing compared to the pain of not being able to get anything done because your nervous system threw up its hands and decided if you weren't going to listen to their clues (feelings, symptoms) or their warnings (Feelings, Symptoms) that you were overdoing it, they were going to shut your ass down until you listened.

0/10 do not recommend.

Next week: how to trick your brain into doing shit that it doesn't feel like doing, even though it's onto all your tricks by now. Or at least, how I trick mine.

[syn4k]

🌿

unfortunately the only way to solve not wanting to create things is to not create things until you want to create things again.

"but Six!" i hear you protest over the angry yells of all my followers. "that can't be true! i hate that!"

i hate it too. But listen up you self loathing chucklefucks this is IMPORTANT.

if your brain and body is telling you that you are tired and that you need to take a break, fucking listen to them. Do not ignore them and continue making things anyways.

I do not give a fuck about your making one thing per day streak. I do not give a fuck about your follower count or engagement or statistics or whatever the fuck. I do not fucking care how stubborn you are. This rule is set in the laws of the universe itself just like the laws of physics are.

If you do not schedule time for yourself to recharge, your body will automatically do it for you and it WILL NOT ASK POLITELY.

that's what burnout and writer's block IS! you cant make shit if you're too fucking tired and depressed and busy trying to function as a person and don't have any energy left over for creative work! creating things takes ENERGY and EFFORT even the most self loathing low quality shitpost stick figure youve ever doodled on the back of an napkin. That takes effort too. This is your body realizing that you're going past your own limits despite everything and forcibly shutting you down so that you physically fucking cannot anymore for your own health.

Full stop.

If you take the time that you need to rest and regain energy and use it instead to continue doing things that require energy, your body will force you to allocate that time to rest at some point eventually.

So yeah. Sleep in hard over the weekends. Do nothing. Be unproductive. Fuck capitalism and FUCK the Protestant work ethic. I am being so fucking serious right now. This isn't just me repeating what I've heard, this is me sharing things that I've had to learn the hard way over the span of literal fucking years because my dumb ass kept ignoring it too.

You are allowed to, and encouraged to, politely turn down outings with friends and family if you're too tired.

You are allowed to, and encouraged to, take a day off from school or work if you wake up and know in your bones that you are too tired. (Make sure to let your teachers know beforehand. They'll understand. Skipping a day of work is a whole nother can of radioactive horses that I don't want to open right now but others here may have advice. Check the notes.)

You are allowed to, and encouraged to, do nothing.

You are allowed to, and encouraged to, be "lazy" (if you're not enjoying the forced time off, you're not being lazy).

If you can only do the bare minimum to take care of yourself (i.e making low-effort meals, only using the bathroom twice a day, etc) then that's okay too. The more you rest, the more energy you'll slowly build up to do more things like going to the grocery store so that you don't starve and getting those assignments done and taking an extra two minutes to make yourself a glass of something warm in the mornings so that you don't want to die quite as much. Also, when you can, ask your friends for a script and call your doctor about prescribing you depression medication because I love you and this is not normal and you deserve better.

Living life is not supposed to make you want to die, and surviving is not the same as living.

your body has a built in hierarchy of needs and at the top of the list is creating things, which you can only do once you're at a certain level of energy and wellness. if something's wrong, your drive to create will be the first to go.

it's scary, but you'll be okay

be gentle and kind to yourself. imagine that your brain and body is a horse: kicking it when it's down and yelling at it to move won't help. you have to meet it where it's at and feed it and comfort it until it's ready to move on again. you can't write trail songs if you've got no path to roam

this quickly spiraled out of my hands but i am very passionate about this subject and also i love u. good luck.

[concerningwolves]

Hey! Do you have any tips for breaking writers block when you're adhd and/or autistic? Be it your own tips or a link to another post? My friend and I need help haha

Ahh sorry you got buried under spam and old ask game asks. (I... really need to sort my ask box >.<' ). But here we go, a month late, and hopefully better late than never:

Quick ideas for beating writer's block when autistic and/or ADHD

I've got this old post I wrote on writer's block and focus troubles. Ironically, this was before my autism diagnosis but the tips still happen to be things I, an autistic person, did to manage writing when faced with executive dysfunction (except I didn't know what executive dysfunction was at that point lol). I'm linking this with one important caveat, though: if you have ADHD, "stepping away" might do more harm than good; struggling to start tasks is a Big Thing with ADHD, so not starting the task at all is entirely counterproductive. (Unless you're in burnout! Here's a post about the differences between block and burnout with some ideas on what to do for each, in case that's at all helpful to you).

And here's something yoinked from another old ask-answer:

sometimes a break from more “serious” writing is what you need. Maybe try and take the characters from your main project and drop them somewhere else for the hell of it. I like to throw my characters into the MCU without warning like “lmao have fun in a strange modern world where there are gods and a guy in an iron flying suit bye.” Or, if fandom cross-overs aren’t your thing, find a writing prompt or take an idea you like and use it to form a short story with your characters instead.

Some other ideas I've seen around for writer's block with ADHD/Autism are:

Try voice recording or text to speech (i.e., absolute stream-of-consciousness unfiltered brain-to-mouth, giving yourself permission to 100% bullshit if you like, and see what rattles loose in the brain box)

Stream of consciousness writing in general, not even necessarily about a particular prompt or particular project. This one can be done in combination with:

Writing sprints! One minute timers, two minute timers, five minutes – set it for as long as you want, but when you're fighting executive dysfunction and/or difficulty focusing, the burst of urgency that comes from a shorter timer is very helpful.

And speaking of the sense of urgency: gamify your writing! There are different ways to do this, with varying elements of risk. I'll link some ways to do this at the end under "resources".

Exercise. I don't necessarily mean hitting the gym, but a quick burst of exercise prior to writing to get the heart rate up can help wake your brain up a bit. (Or, if you find repetitive exercise mind-numbingly boring like I do, the writing sure does start to look appealing lol).

Meditation. Okay, this one is sort of 🤔 for me, because I do often hear from fellow autistics and our ADHD cousins that meditation is literally impossible for us. It is for me. But! Like with exercise above, if meditation bores you instead of helping relax and ""clear your mind"", you can probably use that boredom to your advantage. Or, it might work as intended.

Change your workspace/situation/routine. Sometimes the problem is that you need new sensory input, or that your brain has gotten thoroughly bored and decided not to tell you. Use a different chair. Move to the kitchen table. Write at a different time of day. Have a different snack (or try having a snack while writing...). Basically, look at what you're currently trying, and see how you can do it differently.

It's also really good practise to get comfortable with Being Bad At Writing. Perfectionism and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria are the biggest, meanest brain weasels with the sharpest teeth. Don't let them bully you. It sucks. It takes a lot of time and effort and internal work, which is why I was loathe to include this on a post of quick solutions, but. It is important.

And getting comfortable with this doesn't necessarily mean learning how to accept critique, or accepting that sometimes you'll write things that suck. It means accepting that sometimes you won't handle critique or feedback well, and also accepting that you won't always manage to beat the writer's block or be productive. Sometimes you have to make peace with the fact that you're going to feel horrible, feel your feelings, and try to remind yourself on the other side that none of it means you're a talentless hack.

Resources

Anything with a 🪙 next to it is paid only (I've tried to limit these and find alternatives).

The resources are split into things that "gameify" writing (i.e., hack your dopamine/serotonin in ways that reaaaaallly help autistic and ADHD folks), writing programs that are designed to help you focus, writing programs that track your habits and appeal to the "ohhhh numbers going up" brain, focus-aiding apps, and some miscellaneous stuff. Under the cut to save your dashes.

"Gamifying" your writing:

The Most Dangerous Writing App – You can't stop typing before your set timer runs out, or you risk losing your work. Excellent for warming up, stream-of-consciousness, or if you're feeling reckless, working on your actual project. I did a lot of the second draft of When Dealing with Wolves on this thing (it was terrifying yet highly effective).

Written? Kitten! – Get rewarded for meeting your set writing wordcount with kitten pictures. Haven't used this one personally, but heard wonderful things about it.

4TheWords 🪙 – This one gamifies writing in the most literal sense. As in, it's an online game where you defeat monsters, explore and level up by writing words. I did the free trial a couple years back, and I've heard there are a lot of different ways you can lower the subscription cost. The only reason I haven't gone back to it is because I feel like I can't justify spending money on it when I'm doing fine with Scrivener and free resources, but maybe one day I will purely for the fun factor...

StimuWrite – similar idea to Written Kitten; the app provides visual/audio stimulation while you write, which is great for many ADHD-ers and autistics. There's a progress bar, soundscape options, typing effects and emoji reactions as rewards, among other features.

Write or Die – This is The Most Dangerous Writing App meets Written Kitten. As far as I can figure out, the basic web version is free to use; you can set the parameters like how how long you want to write for, how many words to reach, and whether you want rewards for meeting goals or punishments for failing to meet them. There's also a stimulus mode, where the nice auditory stimulus goes away if you stop writing.

Minimalist/Focus writing programs:

Focus Writer [Windows] – thoroughly stripped-down minimalist word processor. As far as I know, it has basic functions like find-replace, but mostly it's designed only for writing. Not for formatting, spellchecking or editing.

iA Writer 🪙 [iOS] – Similar to Focus Writer, it's designed to fill your screen with a simple workspace. Allows you to use markdown formatting, and has a feature called Focus Mode that blurs out everything except the sentence you're typing. (If I could find a Windows-friendly alternative to this with that same feature I would be so happy). A cheaper alternative is 1Writer, but that doesn't have the focus mode.

Typewrite Something – Absolutely bare minimum web-based typewriter simulator. Basically just a blank screen that you start typing on, and the words appear in a typewriter font. Great for stream-of-consciousness without the risk level of TMDWA because you can't backspace. If you don't like the clacky sound, turn off your volume.

Focus Apps

Cold Turkey – Block applications and websites on your laptop/computer for a specified period of time. You can even block the entire internet.

Forest – Similar to Cold Turkey in that it stops you from seeking distractions or getting distracted. Set a timer and the app starts growing a tree. If you leave the app, the tree dies. Once you have a tree, you add it to your forest.

Habit-building writing programs:

Novlr – Simple, minimal layout, and tracks your writing goals per month and day, and your daily streak. There are more features in the plus and pro versions, and you can only have five projects in the free version, but otherwise it looks like a good free alternative to the next two programs:

750 Words 🪙 – Made for free writing, but also very useful for drafting. I had it for a month or so a while back on the free trial. It tracks writing streaks and gives you fun graphs and statistics at the end of each session, including number of distractions, actual typing time vs total time and average words per minute. Also, it analyses the mood of what you wrote, which I always found delightful.

Writing Analytics 🪙 – If writing streaks, badges and analytical graphs get your dopamine going, then I really recommend this one. The writing screen itself is very minimalistic, but it still shows your writing speed (I loved watching that go up) and your goal progress. In terms of analytics, it tracks a LOT of different things, including time spent writing vs revising, average wordcounts per day/month/year, and words written vs words deleted. I used this for about a year before I switched to Scrivener, and the switch was purely because I needed something that wasn't subscription-based. (Apparently since I stopped using it there's also a new feature that lets you create private writing rooms and see other writer's progress).

Misc.

WriteTrack – Not a word processor, but it has very good tools for tracking and planning your writing. Again, if graphs going up helps your brain, this is excellent, but you can't see it in real time.

10 ADHD-friendly brain tricks for writers – what it says on the tin: ten tips for writers with ADHD; I'm particularly fond of "Put away one knife", which breaks the nebulous task of "start writing" into something really simple like just... pull out your desk chair.

[wordsnstuff]

Hiya! Just wondering, what unusual and unique ways have helped you get out of a writer's creative block?

Let's talk *briefly* about writer's block.

Yes, this will be long, but I think it will help you.

It's been a long time since I was in a regular posting schedule for this blog, and that is upsetting to me (and many of you, I'm aware). For a significant chunk of that time, I considered writer's block to be the primary reason for this, but looking back on the nearly three years I've spent attempting over and over to return to the schedule and routine I once maintained, I have accepted that writer's block was never the problem. Not the way I thought.

I have, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, always thought of writer's block as if it's a tangible condition or something that happens to you, like a cold. That conclusion always prompted me to seek a solution (for instance, motivational content or exterior inspiration or anything that would enhance my capacity for self discipline). Because I thought of it as something that just developed naturally, I focused very little on the root of the issue and consequently it never seemed to improve.

For most of us, the past three years have ranged from severely abnormal to deeply traumatic, and though a lot of mythology around the process of art and inspiration tells us that conflict and pain inform a good portion of creativity, I have to admit that none of what the world has been through recently has made me want to write. When you and everyone you know have been in a survival mindset for several years, the seemingly trivial pleasure of creating fiction or sharing content about the process feels overwhelming. Every time I've returned to this space that I created long before experiencing any of this turmoil, especially because this turmoil occurred during the dawn of my adulthood, it has felt like a silly attempt at denial.

My writer's block, and I'm sure many others', was not simply a case of burnout or lack of inspiration. It's not that I had been pushing myself too hard without allowing for reasonable time for rest and recharging my mind, or that I simply ran out of ideas or reasons to want to continue. Even when you have the deepest of passion for a craft, you will always be human and therefore always affected by your environment and the events in your life. When you find yourself unable to put the pen to the paper, instead of asking what you can do to change that, ask why you're struggling in the first place. Focus on the cause, not the effect.

For me, a lot of my difficulty with writing has come from my environment and the mindset it has put me in. I am currently in university, so whether I like it or not, I have to write here and there and pull myself together to be able to do that. Every time I do so, I wonder why I can't enforce that same authority on myself for my personal projects, and it's because, for a long while, my environment has not been conducive to that effort. I haven't had the control over my schedule and responsibilities that I used to have, and finding a balance between these responsibilities and my personal goals has has a learning curve. All of these circumstances, for better or worse, have affected my mental state and my ability to write.

I did not have the freedom or even the energy to put in practice the exercises that helped me before, and as a result I haven't been writing. Coming out of that struggle hasn't been a matter of waiting for things to change or get better, it's been putting my energy toward a new process of trial and error. Since accepting that my new reality is here to stay, the priority has been finding new ways to work around it and specifically, work with it. This acceptance can require a lot of difficult reflection, and this can reach beyond your desire to write and into your desire to live a good life in general. It can feel silly or humiliating or patronizing to approach this reflection from the very bottom of things, and this includes the basics.

It may seem silly to consider the basics when the problem feels so extreme, but when you're consistently forgetting the casual maintenance of your mind and body, you will consistently find yourself failing to accomplish much beyond the bare minimum. If you struggle with mental health, this will be even more evident. Basic things like hydration, diet, sleep, movement, interaction, and joy will always be the most effective place to start when addressing why you cannot write. Once you have verified that these needs are met, then the presence of a deeper problem will reveal itself, but you'll never know if that's the case unless you check the other boxes.

So, you've checked the basics and they're all fine but you're still experiencing writer's block. Have you made time in your daily schedule for intentional rest? Are you coming home at the end of a long day and jumping straight into writing or keeping up with your duties at home or simply falling in front of a screen for a few hours? None of these things are rest. Distracting yourself with noise or housekeeping is not rest, and when it's all you do after a full day of other responsibilities, you haven't truly spent a moment with yourself finding fulfilling joy or relaxation. Yes, they can be compelling and very difficult habits within your routine to let go of, especially if you struggle to function without something occupying the back of your mind, but rest is extremely important to the creative process. If you like to scroll online a little bit or watch an episode of your comfort show after you get home to unwind, that's great. But in order to truly take advantage of your free time, try to optimize it by being intentional about the way you're experiencing it. Try not to fall into a routine of distraction because that isn't rest and it won't satisfy any of your needs.

Have you incorporated things into your routine that will contribute to your motivation to write? I don't mean you should put Stephen King quotes as your desktop screensaver or watch videos of people writing to make you want to participate. Those things help some people and that's great, but consuming things that make you think or bring you pleasure like books and well written movies or shows or music or podcasts can be just as impactful as anything else you do for your creative process. It's not just about what you do, it's about how others inspire you, and it's one thing to say you love books and reading and learning, and it's another to actually do them every day like you would wash your face or brush your teeth.

Whether you write as a hobby or an aspiration or a job, the creative process remains the same. It's important to remain consistent with the things you do to maintain your ability to write as much as it is to remain consistent with your actual writing routine. As a general rule of thumb, writer's block doesn't come from nowhere. If you want to alleviate it, you have to target the root of the problem or it will continue appearing on the surface. There is no one-size-fits-all cure to it and there are no "top ten wacky ways I solved years of executive dysfunction with the right chrome extension or tea flavor or candle scent or by typing upside down". This is internal work you will need to do, but it starts with trusting yourself. It is never too late to return to your passion. You will build it back up like a muscle, but you have to heal first.

I sincerely hope this helps,

Kate

–

Masterlist | All questions, articles, etc. in one place

If you enjoy my blog, please consider Buying Me A Coffee

[grrrlgzzze]

i began reading jjk back when the first chapter was released in 2018. i distinctly remember reading the translated version of the first chapter on my birthday that year and immediately falling in love with the concept. it has since become the genuine center point of my life, which sounds so ##losergirl coded of me but i have gojo autism leave me alone!!!!!!!!

i genuinely fucking hate gege akutami for the ending he shitted out for jjk. the announcement that the manga was ending came like a month before the final chapter’s release date and it ended on an arc that has been strung out for literal years at this point. there was no closure for anyone, which is probably the point in trying to show that jujutsu society is stagnant and will never change because humans will never stop creating curses, but for characters to be used in such a flippant manner goes beyond symbolism; it just seems to me like either major burnout, writer’s block, or a combination of the two are the reasons for the end product of jjk.

AND ANOTHER THING! i am honestly not surprised that gojo was not given a funeral or even mentioned by the characters. the panels of him in the afterlife with geto and all them was all gege was willing to give us. that doesn’t mean i’m not upset about this because i really fucking am. what i am genuinely surprised about, however, was gege’s profuse love for sukuna’s character, and yet his background still remaining a complete mystery. i am so curious about his relationship with uraume as well, how they met, etc. i am someone who is willing and delusional enough to fill in the blanks for myself with my own thoughts and daydreams and headcanons, but hearing it from the work’s source will always be something i covet.

i want to come back to jjk with fresh eyes. give it a reread and a rewatch (like i haven’t done ts a million time already lmao). i want to keep loving this story as i have for the past 6 years of my life. i grew into my early adulthood with this narrative as the only true constant in it. i want to take the time to appreciate what we have been given from its author, but criticism can coexist with this gratitude. you are allowed to criticize the media you consume, whether you love it or hate it, and i honestly believe you’re better for it. being able to perceive things in a nuanced manner is so vital to me. and i love jjk. SO MUCH.

i have so many thoughts and feelings about jjk, honestly too many. especially gojo. but i digress!

maybe the real jujutsu kaisen was the friends we made along the way.

[s-soulwriter]

Let´s talk about your word goal

Writing can be incredibly rewarding, but let's be honest, there are times when it feels like scaling Mount Everest would be easier. When you're staring at a blank screen, and the words just won't flow, reaching your word goal can seem like an insurmountable challenge. But fear not! Here are some tips to make it not only achievable but also a tad less daunting:

Set Realistic Goals: The first step in reaching your word goal is setting one that's actually attainable. Be honest with yourself about how much you can realistically write in a day or week.

Create a Writing Schedule: Consistency is your best friend. Dedicate specific times for writing, and treat them like important appointments. Whether it's early morning or late at night, find what works for you.

Eliminate Distractions: Find a quiet writing space. Turn off your phone or use apps that block distracting websites. A focused environment can work wonders.

Use Writing Prompts: Writer's block happens to the best of us. When your creative well runs dry, turn to writing prompts. They can be a great way to jumpstart your imagination.

Break it Down: Your word goal may seem enormous, but remember, you don't have to tackle it all at once. Break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Focus on one section or chapter at a time.

Reward Yourself: Celebrate milestones along the way. When you hit your daily or weekly word count goal, treat yourself to something special. It's a great motivator.

Accountability Partner: Share your goals with a fellow writer. Having someone who can hold you accountable and provide motivation can be a game-changer. Fell free to always text me here on this app .I would love to connect with more writers!

Write First, Edit Later: During your first draft, don't get bogged down by trying to make everything perfect. Just write. Editing can come later.

Visualize Your Success: Imagine the sense of accomplishment when you complete your story. Visualizing your success can provide the motivation needed on tough days.

Stay Inspired: Seek inspiration everywhere—books, movies, nature, or even a random conversation. When you're genuinely excited about your story, writing becomes a joy.

Take Breaks: Writing marathons can lead to burnout. Schedule short breaks to clear your mind and recharge. A refreshed mind is more creative.

Track Your Progress: Use word count trackers or writing apps to monitor your daily achievements. Seeing your progress can be incredibly motivating.

Remember, reaching your word goal is a journey, not a race. It's about consistent effort and unwavering determination. So keep writing, one word at a time, and soon you'll find yourself at the finish line.

[monster-energies]

always a woman

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

pairing: severus snape/reader

summary:   severus snape had always fallen for every little trait of yours, you have always made his life feel like the warmest hug there is. you do everything to make him happy but now he feels its the right time to make you happy only in the best way possible.

warnings: the lightest of angsts, if you squint but other than that, all round fluff

rating: general audiences

ʚ♡ɞ please click here if you would like to be apart of my taglist

ʚ♡ɞ taglist: @insomniacaesthetic @eternal-silvertongued-prince @sevsssnape  @mirarenwick @diamondbitch116 @mamawolfsmith16 @nickangel13 @a-queen-and-her-throne @deepperplexity @amazingzou @yan-senna @yellowbadgermole @sevssillyincantations @alisongurl13 @inflation-of-mind @ilomessiah​ @maitre-de-marionnettes @impulse-anchor @multifandomgeeks @lady0fmischief

word count:   3048

this oneshot can be found on archive of our own

author’s note:

title's namesake: the song always a woman by billy joel

guys. she is back EVERYONE CLAP.

well i say i return but then i disappear due to writers block and creative burnout for almost a year 😐🧍🏼♀️ i would type out my authors note disappearing reasons, but i genuinely think i would be here all day BWHAHAHAH,,,,anyways this was a suggestion/request i saw on tumblr by  @wtfhasmy-lifecometo :  a severus snape x reader where the plot of the story is based off of the song “she’s always a woman” by billy joel… and have it all be fluff… and basically it would be severus’s pov and it would be him describing how much his wife means to him despite her “flaws” . and i've taken a bit of a twist with it but i feel it vibes with it. im going with vibes, slay. anyways i won't keep you for long so enjoy reading or whatever

no but genuinely though,  thank you very much for reading !! it means a lot to me that you support my fanfics, whether you're an old or new reader of mine you are apart of the most girlboss place there is. reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated. have an amazing day 💖

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

“severus we can worry about your scarf later, we don’t want it to rain now do we.” you called from downstairs.

severus had been fumbling around with said scarf for quite some time. he had been  rather nervous and he couldn’t entirely figure out why. then he looked over to the one thing that he had bought and had merely regretted seconds after purchasing.

it was so expensive he contemplated why he bought the final choice in the shop, but he knew.

his life was worth living from that point onwards.

once he adjusted his scarf one last time, he took it, placing it in his pocket before heading downstairs to see your face.

you had beamed and was quick to take a hold of his hand. as you opened the door, the mid-autumn breeze hit you both and a smirk hit severus’ face. autumn was always his favourite time, he loved the leaves changing colour and his ability to wrap himself in more coats and scarves. he always was equipped for the autumn and winter season.

you had both been in for a long day, however it would be a day that you both planned for ages.

neither of you were one for having long days outside, and even then you would need to recharge before you planned on stepping foot outside again. it was severus who brought the concept up, which had been very out of character for him to say the least.

what was there outside that required an entire 24 hours was beyond you. but this was your lover, and you couldn’t help but love the moments in which he found himself impulsive.

you and severus started at the local bookshop, taking in every aesthetic of the bookshelves around you. the shop had recently introduced some new animal friends, cats, pygmy puffs, and many others graced their way to the shop to keep fellow attenders company. you loved stroking and tending to every animal there as they accompanied you to your bookshop adventures.

severus hadn’t been too fond of the animals, however if they made you happy then he was happy. after going to the bookshop, severus made a visit to a small café nearby to pick up some of your favourite sweet things, you had grown suspicious once he had asked you to wait outside, as you always went in with him to pick up these delicacies. but you had shrugged it off, just severus being severus.

“ready to go my dear?” you asked. and he nodded.

you  both made your way to a field, walks wit severs snape were always the best activity to do with him, a lot of your dates prior to today were always consisted of a slow journey that had no purpose, only for you both to smell the fresh air and be in one anothers presence, especially after long days where you find yourselves far apart. night walks seemed to be severus’ favourite thing, but of course you didn’t protest to that.

once you both found a perfect spot, you set up everything and indulged in your little day out you both were very much enjoying. you laid your head on severus’ lap as you eyes gazed at the beautiful view ahead of you.

you had taken out your wand, aiming it to the grass that bestowed upon you both.

“expecto patronum.” you chanted with your wand and your glowing rabbit patronus hopped around you both, surrounding you and severus in a beautiful blue wire binding you both together.

“your patronus will always be my favourite y/n.” severus said. you couldn’t help but giggle.

“i suppose i can let my one free for a moment.” he said.

he took his wand out from his inside pocket, and had it pointed to the ground.

“expect patronum.” he chanted quietly.

but much to both of your shock, nothing appeared. puzzled, severus tried again but to no avail. mumbling the spell over and over again, he smacked his wand several times on his thighs, had he really grown out of his wand?

“god forsaken piece of wood!” he muttered to himself.

you couldn’t help but giggle at his multiple attempts, tapping the wand on his lap in hopes that the magic would possibly work, your smile soon turned to small laughs, but severus happened to catch onto your little laughs.

“this isn’t funny, silly girl.” severus said, ruffling the ends of your hair before you let out more laughs. enough to make his heart melt.

“i know.” you suggested, you dug through your pockets and found a flower crown inside and put it on severus.

severus now had been bewildered by this action, turning his head slowly only for his brow to be raised, which you clearly couldn’t take seriously, and had only made you laugh some more.

“and…how is this supposed to help me?” he asked.

“trust me! it will work, try it.” you said.

severus couldn’t help but roll his eyes slightly, in actuality he did enjoy the feeling.

when he tried the patronus spell once more, he saw it had taken the form of your patronus. a rabbit hopping in and around the fields.

he would always have this hint of shock that he shared a patronus with someone, it was a feeling he could never get used to. you couldn’t help but beam at his reaction.

“severus, your patronus…”

you were just as stunned as he was, neither of you had thought this would happen. your chemistry with one another had been stronger and stronger, from the moment you and severus had set eyes on one another, you had known it was nothing but destiny that had pulled you together.

severus turned to you and instantly grabbed a hold of your hands, by instinct. there was something in him that realised the moment was just right.

in fact it was more than ‘just right,’ it was perfect.

he was really going to do this now…

“y/n…i never thought i’d ask you such a question, but i fear i can’t contain my feelings any longer.” severus said.

“y/n m/n l/n…”

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

when severus had asked you to move into his home, not a single ounce of hesitance disappeared inside of him. he hated his home, he hated that he inhabited this place.

but he had no other choice but to at least maintain what little legacy he had (if he were to call it that.)

when you had settled in, you actually didn’t seem to mind spinner’s end and it had some sort of potential to it. severus constantly asked you how things were in the house, even the most mundane things he had constantly told you that it wasn’t the best but it was the best he could offer to you.

he feared that his best wasn’t entirely good enough for you, but you always did your best to reassure him that everything in his home was fine.

one day he had left for his job and you decided to do the things that snape had always promised to do in this house. you had planned it for a while, but had to find the perfect timing  and severus being away at hogwarts for the day seemed to fall perfectly in your plans.

you were in for a very long day ahead.

severus had always found the items in his home having a particular place in each room, he didn’t want anything to be changed or it wouldn’t have felt right to him. you had been very careful about that, you put everything into boxes so that they could be taken out later, and got round to deep cleaning the house from top to bottom.

severus had neglected the deep cleaning process, always at the back of his mind however, he never done so.

how could severus live like this? was all you could think about. considering how much neglect he had received from his father, that would have been one of the many factors.

once the deep cleaning was complete, you went to organize all of his books, they had a comforting feeling in your grasp. you took a note of how severus organized his shelves and followed it down to the point.

you had wanted to make this place at least worth coming home to for him. you had seen how miserable severus had lived his life and it hurt you to see that.

as the day went on you had been putting in the finishing touches of the house. you had rearranged the furniture slightly and as you had placed severus’ knick-knacks all over the house, it made you hope that he appreciated all you had done.

suddenly you heard the keys jangle outside and you bustled to the front door, quick to open it.

“sev! you’re back.” you squeaked slightly, shoving your entire body in his arm and peppering kisses all over his lips.

severus had been shocked at the sudden affection, he had never felt that he deserved such a thing.

“i’ve got something to show you.” you said excitedly.

you took his hand and there was where you showed him the house. a mixture of emotions wavered in, as you showed him all of the little details of the newly arranged home, severus couldn’t decipher the feelings he had in the moment.

you had shown him the ground floor of the house, the kitchen and the tiny hallway and then the living room.

his chair had remained the same, by the fire place. the bookshelves looked…new. for a fact he had known that the books on those shelves were nowhere near new.

you had been talking about the newly arranged desk, picking up some of his favourite quills here and there.

but severus said nothing.

that deadpan (with the added shock) expression remained, as you looked up to your lover you could tell he was going to explode at any second.

you frowned as you put down the quills, “i’m sorry…” you mumbled, walking past him and going upstairs. closing the door on the bedroom you shared, you cried quietly to yourself as you slumped on the floor.

then the door slowly opened again, through your glossy tears you saw severus.

he then did something you almost never saw him do before, he pulled you into his arms. it had been awkward at first but you warmed up to his touch, new tears dripping down your face.

“i’m so sorry…i should have asked you, it won’t…it won’t happen again.” you mumbled.

“why are you apologizing?” severus asked.

“because, i ruined your house. i thought it would be nice to give you something nice to come home to. but you don’t like it.” you sniffled.

you did all of that for him?

“why would you think i wouldn’t like it?” severus asked again.

“because you like everything to be the same. you don’t like changes, i did too much.” you said.

if anything, severus had liked the changes you made in his home. it felt like he had stepped into a completely different place and he grew to like it.

“darling…i do love it. you’ve done the one thing i wished i could do to this home, you have no need to be upset.” severus reassured.

that made you hug him even tighter, he could only smile only to himself. you both got up and continued your tour of the newly decorated home, rambling about the tiny items that meant a lot to the pair of you.

you even had dinner freshly made, and so you both sat on the floor by the fireplace, with plates of lasagne at hand. of course you made it and severus did in fact love your lasagne. you listened to  severus talk about his day, it warmed your heart that he was able to open up to you. that he felt accepted enough by you to talk not only of the past but the present also.

you had both finished your foods and now you had been in one another’s arms, staring intently at the fires crackling in between the woody piles. from time to time, you had exchanged small kisses but they were the ones that always made the moment even more special.

“how long do you think you’ll stay with me y/n?” severus asked.

“well…for as long as we want, unless you wish to have me around. i don’t want you to be bored of me” you answered.

“how could you say that? y/n i couldn’t get bored of you. not in the slightest.” severus replied, with zero hesitation.

it shocked him how easily the words seemed to flow out of his mouth, it would take him months, hell even years to say that to someone but with you it seemed to be so easy.

and it was.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

settling in at spinners end was like any other place for you. you seemed to enjoy the dark aesthetic of the small town, how it seemed to be secluded from everywhere else in england and everyone seemed to be in their own little bubble but yet everyone knew everyone.

you had lived there for a year at that point, you had wanted to go outside. you knew a forest that wasn’t far away from the home, it had been heavily raining over the last few days. you seemed to enjoy the aftermath of the heavy rain.

“severus!” you called.

you slid into his office, his head shot up.

“ah you are clearly dressed. get your coat, we are going outside.” you said as you then disappeared.

severus seemed to enjoy when you took control of the day, he enjoyed how different every day was. with no hesitation he grabbed his coat and his scarf and joined you downstairs at the front door.

you took hold of his hand and lead him outside, you held a basket on the other hand as you then handed severus the other side of your wired earphones.

“y/n you know i will never get used to your modern traditions.” severus said.

“oh come on sevvy, you can listen to music at the palm of your hands! just this once, pretty please.” you pleaded.

severus grabbed the earphone and put it in as he then found himself listening to some classic rock song.

“it’s my favourite song.” you said.

the song in question was from a classic rock band. he was not entirely well versed in music, nor did he have an interest in it. but it was that moment something switched in him, the rhythm of the song seemed to catch onto him.

you squeezed his hand a little tighter as the music played.

“you’re enjoying it!” you squeaked slightly as you noticed severus humming along to the song.

severus only smirked and pulled you closer as you paced closer to what looked like a forest. you were the one person that would convince him to have music in his life. severus never understood the concept of it and why people enjoy it so much, but whenever music was played around you his whole life seemed to change.

there was always a song he would associate with you, which made him appreciate you more and more by the second.

“i found the perfect spot.” you said once you arrived.

you both entered deeper into the forest until nothing but the top of the trees was all you could see once you looked up.

severus looked around the spot you mentioned, serenity was you could feel. you were at peace with him.

with every second severus was with you, the more entranced he was. oh how your hair swiftly followed the breezes of the spring time winds, and when the sun slowly followed after you had looked nothing but a piece of art to him.

you were always his work of art.

“oh severus look!” you called and got up instantaneously.

severus sat up slightly, only to have his eyes on you. his gaze not leaving you, he was loved undeniably.

you sat right next to him and there you had picked up a small rabbit.

“oh severus! look at its ears, its adorable.” you squeaked, stroking the rabbit that had sooner or later, gained your trust.

severus looked to the furry animal, stroking it slowly.

you tried to let the rabbit go.

but it later came back.

you let it go back to its home, but not even five minutes later it would come back to you and severus. even making its way to severus’ lap and sleeping.

“i think it likes you.” you giggled.

it was quite adorable you thought. severus becoming a father of a rabbit within five minutes of your date together.

you enjoyed severus softening slightly at the sight of animals, seeing him tend to a stray rabbit was something you didn’t see everyday, but perhaps this would mean something for the both of you later in the line of your lives.

you scoot to severus, resting your head on his upper arm, then slowly wrapping his arm around you, you both took in the scenery, soft breaths escaped your lips as parts of the sunlight hit the forest bestowed upon you.

you felt like you spend an entire life time with him if you could.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

“y/n…i never thought i’d ask you such a question, but i fear i can’t contain my feelings any longer.” severus said.

“y/n m/n l/n…”

“will you marry me?”

you couldn’t decipher the question and then it dawned on yo.

severus wanted to marry you. someone out there was willing to marry you.

tears flooded your eyes and dropped from your face, as you couldn’t see severus through your hazy vision of your sobs.

“yes…of course i’ll marry you.” you replied.

choked sobs escaped severus, putting the ring on you and embracing you into his arms and spinning you slowly.

“we’re going to get married.” you said barely louder than your normal voice.

“we really are.”

severus didn’t want to let you go in the slightest.

and it was in that moment that you were undeniably in love with severus snape.

[wutheringmights]

Commentary for latest CTB chapter???👀👀👀👀

Thank you! You guys are as prompt as ever. Unfortunately, I needed a few days to get my thoughts together (and honestly would have taken even longer if I wasn't going out of town this weekend).

I kinda struggled a bit to have Important Thoughts about this chapter (I have been so tired all week), but I did my best.

(Triggering content from the chapter are discussed below).

I’ve mentioned many times already that I suffered from a massive bout of writer’s block during this chapter; and it’s a bit hard to pinpoint what exactly caused it. 

On one hand, I think the last chapter was just so much that I may have burnt myself out on an emotional level. Usually, a week or two off is all I need to fix it, but I also had a lot of personal responsibilities that took up all of my bandwidth. 

And, frankly, there’s a part of me that is a little freaked out that I’ve been working on this story for so long, and that I might not be able to finish it within my self-imposed deadline (if I have to see CTB’s 4th birthday, I am gonna lose it). That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy writing CTB or that I feel pressured to keep going; I just felt exhausted and overwhelmed by how much of my life I’ve sunk into a story that not only refuses to end in a timely manner, but that I can’t share with anyone I know in real life. 

My burnout required a few months' rest to get over, but that’s not to say I didn’t try to work on this chapter that entire time. 

So I actually started this chapter back in April, right after I published STP. I wrote this opening scene of Link ruminating over the past and got stuck trying to transition to him being found. I got so stuck that I ended up bouncing over to the present-day section, where I got stuck in a new and novel way (which I’ll talk about more later). 

That means that everything else in the past I wrote the day before posting. On one hand, I was raring to go and I felt really good getting all those words onto paper. It did a lot for my ego. On the other, I really wish I took more time to revise a lot of this. I think the pacing overall is really strong, but there’s a few ideas I threw out into the story that I really wish I lingered on. 

For example, I mention that Link’s physical abuse was a relatively short stretch of time compared to how significant it is. Him being violent towards the engineer feels like it went on forever and forever, but it only lasted about 4 months. I like this detail so much because it helps to illustrate how even short-term abuse has lifelong effects on people. If I lingered on this chapter a bit more, I would have found more ways to ruminate on it. 

I almost had Ayane discover Link in his house. I ended up changing it to Jakucho since, as much as Ayane likes Link, she would not care enough to go check up on him.  

For the longest time, I imagined Link’s room at the Miyashita estate to be the same as the one he was held prisoner in post-Kakariko Well. But I ended up stating in that chapter that the room was located in a part of the house he had never seen before. So Link’s room was changed from a formal guest room to a study.

In universe, this is so that he’s encouraged to read books and is easily within Jakucho’s reach.

I personally got a hearty chuckle out of Link being denied chopsticks by default; he’s probably very good at using them in the present, but during this time he’s probably really shit at it. Real white boy behavior. 

If I gave myself more time to work on this section, I would have played around with the idea of him being haunted by an imaginary engineer, just as he had been haunted by an imaginary version of his old self on the way to the Kakariko Well. I don’t know if I would have committed to it, though. On one hand, it would have been a cool way to illustrate his inner thoughts. On the other, it implies a mental break I don’t think he’s experiencing. 

On a similar note, I worry that this chapter wasn’t that effective because it was way less (for a lack of better words) dramatic than the past few “Link Has A Breakdown” chapters have been?

Let me explain. So nearly every time Link has been under emotional duress before this, I’ve played with the prose to show how his reality is being warped. Take chapter 24 for example. Link gets stuck on the engineer leaving him, so the passage of time in that chapter becomes unclear-- both in him not realizing how quickly time is passing and him constantly going back to the day he realized the engineer was gone for good. The prose is written in a way that conveys that reality has broken. It’s very melodramatic. 

But for this chapter, reality is firm. Link’s mind has cleared enough to see what happened in the past clearly. The prose can’t dramatically screw with perception because that’s not what’s happening. The passage of time and the depiction of reality has to be crystal clear. 

So despite making these long, semi-experimental passages one of my signature moves, I couldn’t use it here without actively detracting from the story. On one hand, a more grounded chapter effectively shows how this breakdown is different. On the other, it’s a little basic. 

I have a bit of a problem where past!Ayane is a bit too similar in personality to Linkle. Ayane in the present day is supposed to be a cool teenager who is probably a bit of a mean girl at school-- the kind that will grow out of it the moment she leaves for college. But I wanted to show her entering this stage of life in the past, so she’s less bratty and more troublemaking.

Speaking of which, any reference to Ayane “going through a phase” is supposed to refer to her becoming a moody teenager. I didn’t realize until literally yesterday that it might come off as her family being transphobic. They’re supportive of her being a girl; they just get fed up with how much of a kid she is. 

The point of the chapter that made me start tearing up in the coffee shop is when Ayane got mad at Link for destroying the journal. I’ve been that kid who understands cognitively that a parent in your life is not well but still struggled with what that meant on an emotional level. Her family definitely explained to her that Link isn’t well and etc, but that can be kinda abstract for kids to really understand. So when the mental illness causes him to react badly, it seems to her that he is hurting her because he does not care about her. 

And there are a whole slew of issues you can explore with that idea alone, like how culpable is Link for his actions when he is unwell but still the adult? I’ve already started exploring bits of it with the child’s relationship with Link and the engineer. But exploring this idea from a different perspective (the child and his fucked up emotional issues vs Ayane’s normal preteen perspective) is always interesting. 

Link impulsively trying to kill himself was not in my original plan for the chapter, but after everything... yeah, he would try. This might have something to do with an episode of You’re Wrong About I was listening to work last week where they talked about the percentage of suicides that are impulsive decisions versus premeditated.

(Of course, today I listened to the episode on copycat suicides and now I am very nervous about this chapter being used as an instruction manuel)

I was going to have his attempt be to freeze to death outside, but then I thought of the obi belt, and I really could not resist alluding back to the hanging scene in chapter 13

It ended up being a good transition into a scene I’ve wanted to do for a while now: Ayane’s mom asking him to continue acting like Ayane’s older brother. 

I originally wanted that moment back when their friendship was just starting out, but decided to toss it to his depression arc to act as a moment of encouragement for him. What I didn’t expect was to stumble into this scene being both a way to talk him out of suicide, as well as him realizing he’s a shitty brother. I’m a terrible brother is a monumental realization for him, and I stumbled into it by accident. 

I was tempted to remove Ayane’s mother from this scene and put Jakucho here instead. But Jakucho would never ask Link to play an older brother role. Plus, I like the idea that a random, near-stranger accidentally talked him down without realizing what they were doing. 

And of course, having Ayane’s mother talk helps to develop the Miyashita family dynamic and give a better idea as to why Shigeo is estranged. 

Ayane’s mother also has a very tiny appearance earlier in the story-- chapter 9, when we meet Jakucho for the first time. Granted, I think I only referred to her as Impa’s sister. 

I also stumbled accidentally into the moment with the koi fish and using them as a symbol for perseverance. I really like that scene. I almost named the chapter “The Koi Pond” in its honor. 

I also admit that until fairly recently, I also didn’t know fish could live in frozen water. 

I went back and forth about whether I wanted to make a big moment at the beginning of the chapter about Link going non-verbal, or if I should let it build up slowly; I ended up going with the latter.

I didn’t want to make his non-verbalness the center of his issues when it’s just a consequence of his depression. He’s not depressed and non-verbal. He’s non-verbal because he’s depressed. So waiting until the second half of this section to address it homely drove home that this is only a symptom of a larger issue. 

This chapter also gave me the opportunity to address my sign language headcanon; it’s standard taught in school, but not in a way where everyone is actually good at it. It’s like learning Spanish in elementary school; you grow up remembering a few phrases and words, but never actually become bilingual. 

I like the way the bell motif is used in this chapter. In the past, Proxi’s bells are a sign that things are going to get better. In the present, the Castle Town bells signal that things are about to get a whole lot worse. 

But, yes! After all this time, Proxi is finally here. Hopefully the long wait for her introduction/return will be worth while.

For the present day:

Remember how I said my writer’s block struck for this part of the chapter as well? I solved it in the dumbest way possible. 

One of my big issues was that I didn’t know how to string everything that I needed to get done into a cohesive chapter (because if the chapter isn’t good, then I would have wasted so much of my time on a story that isn’t good, and etc.). My solution was to write a flat draft with only the stuff needed to move the plot forward (talking to Ganondorf, getting on the boat, etc), and then do revisions where I added character moments.

Except, I did character moments by the character. So I would spent a week adding scenes about Spirit, then another about Time, and so on. I said in this post that I turned a 5k draft into a 12k draft. Yikes. 

Because I wrote the chapter like this, I think the pacing is not great. The dinner scene and the post-Midlink gossiping was originally one scene, which I split into two to accommodate other character stuff. But I also think this is one of the most well-balanced chapters in terms of how many characters got a moment to shine. 

I’m really enjoying how much you all enjoy Ganondorf. I think nearly every comment on the chapter so far has mentioned him. I almost regret keeping him in the Zora’s Domain right now, but have no fear. He will be back. 

I am endlessly amused by this moment when Warriors realizes he has to talk to Spirit again, and he thinks “Spirit. / Fucking Spirit.” Is he cursing him out, or is he remembering... you know...

I mentioned a long time ago that one of the issues I had to fix when starting this chapter was finding something for the rest of the Chain to do in this final act. I figured out what their deal is, and a lot of tiny moments in this chapter is the set-up for that.

In a similar vein, I feel like I lost the thread on Time for a hot while there. I really had to mull over what his problem is, how he was going to respond, and how I can show Time responding near Warriors so that the reader can know. I’ve never had this much difficulty writing him-- or characters in general-- before. Hence, my on-going battle against writer’s block.

Another amusing moment that only I think it funny: Spirit lifting Warriors up by the scruff of his neck to haul into the alley way, like he’s an old cat. Honestly, I should write more jokes based around Spirit being strong enough to lift Warriors now.

Now that I think about it, I have a scene in my head where Warriors bitches so much while traveling that Spirit just throws him over his shoulder and carries him like a sack of rice. Is it out of character for both of them? Yeah, but we can imagine it happens in the AU where they are friends.

I have been wanting to provide some form of a resolution for Midna and Twilight for so long, but there hasn’t been a good moment to make them talk-- or at least, a moment where they can talk while Warriors is nearby to listen.

I really enjoy striking a comparison between how Midna and Twilight hashed everything out versus the bullshit Warriors got up to last chapter, especially because Midna and Twilight’s solution was to just give up. It’s not going to work out ever, so they might as well enjoy themselves now.

I love MidLink so much, but part of that love is in how it 100% would not work out between them. As Midna says, they would hate each other in a year. But they keep trying anyway because they love each other right now and that’s what matters. 

Speaking of which, Midna’s “we’ll hate each other in a year” line is a reference to the Greta Gerwig Little Women movie. I love that movie so much, enough that I can forgive Timothy Chamalet for being in it. He has a scene where his proposal is met with basically the same sentiment from Saoirse Ronan’s character. 

Tiny little headcanon: Skyloft’s theater style is very similar to ancient Greek theater, with heavy use of masks and choruses. That’s why he mimics holding a mask when performing Twilight’s line for Lana.

His line was originally something Twilight actually said, but then I went in a revised the MidLink scene and got rid of it. I kept Sky’s mocking of it because I thought it was more realistic.

I won’t say much about what the boys talked about post-confession scene, except to point out that they were kept up by the noise, they might have an idea of the timing of when everything went down during the Hot Mess

I’m glad everyone found my joke about always going to Wild’s era funny lol

Chateau Milk (aka: alcoholic milk beverages) is a tiny little world building detail I have been dying to do for ages. I wanted to use any scene of milk-drinking to shove in a joke about Hyrule being intensely lactose intolerant (he’s immune to all bad food except dairy), but I couldn’t squeeze it it. 

The ribbon kinda got a disproportionate role considering how briefly I referenced Spirit losing it last chapter. 

The reason Warriors was sharing a room with Four was so that I could finally do a follow-up on the Four Swords stuff I started forever ago, but it has once more been punted off to another chapter. Maybe one day...

By the time I got to this second conversation with Time, I was feeling much better about how I was writing him. Between this and his earlier appearance, this is definitely the stronger moment. 

I also deeply amused by Ganondorf and Lincoln have to pretend to be very bitchy with each other in order to not seem like they were married. I wanted to write a scene where Ganondorf argues that Lincoln needs to show him the proper request so that Lincoln would have an excuse to kiss his hand, but I ended up not having the energy or will power to go back in and add it. 

Spirit is so not used to anyone having a genuine interest in his senses that Sky’s question totally caught him off guard. Thank god Sky is the type of person who would ask because I got a good moment to clarify more of the limits of Spirit’s senses-- mainly, that a lot of the info he gets is so contextual that most of it is nonsense to him

To clarify, Spirit’s senses freak out people outside of his era. In New Hyrule, where the idea is a bit more common place, it’s considered rude to ask just as its rude to tell people what you sense. Lokomo customs, and all that.

I didn’t plan on having Spirit cut his hair, but I was deep in the throes of writer’s block and felt like I needed to write about Spirit doing something a little insane to respike my interest. Cutting off your hair because the guy you hated saved your ribbon fitted the bill nicely.

(Nonetheless-- RIP Spirit’s long hair. You were much beloved)

Spirit and Lana’s relationship has always been very underbaked on my part. I didn’t do a lot with them at the beginning of the story, and I haven’t done much with it now (or even much with Lana in general). Here is a vague attempt to salvage my mistakes. If I could ever revise the whole of CTB (I will never), this would be one of the things I would improve

Oh God... the Nephus stuff...

Like, I knew this was going to happen. What I worry about is whether it feels cheap to just have a character go back on their word like that. It’s realistic, if only because Warriors’s deal was really shitty. But on the other, it’s not very satisfying for the reader. You want the characters to have complex reasons for everything. I’m not sure that this qualifies. 

And this applies to all of the war stuff this chapter. Did Nephus lie about not wanting the Triforce? Whatever the answer is now, it’s not going to be satisfying. 

I know I said previously that Lincoln had no suspicions as to what happened during the Hot Mess. Well, I lied. Guy had it figured out fairly early on and only needed the opportunity to ask.

I just hope this scene with him and Spirit shows how Lincoln can be Warriors’s dad. Warriors is his mother’s son, but some of his insanity is from his father. 

Also we’ll pretend Lincoln has had that arm tattoo this entire time. The tattoo is not plot relevant, but it’s important to me.

Legend’s “it’s always the fucking Triforce” speech is my favorite Legend line in a chapter.

On a subconscious level, I was basing Castle Town on Boston. Why? I have no good reason. Just felt right. 

I really wish I managed to get us to Castle Town any time before this part of the story, if only to explore all the various neighborhood ideas I have. I managed to squeeze in the Gerudo neighborhood, but I have more thoughts on neighborhoods for the Zora, Goron, Rito, and even regular-old humans. 

I’m going to tell you right now that the girl in the graveyard is not plot relevant. I had a whole thing about the grave being a memorial for all the heroes across the eras and her praying to the memorial for a new hero that I just never got around to explaining

“Shines with humility” is another line that deeply amused me. Like, buddy. That is not how humility works.  

The Master Sword rejecting Warriors is supposed to feel very fitting and very unfair, all at once. I wanted people to understand why he’s lost the right to use her while still being frustrated that he was still being punished. I wanted this to be another opportunity for complex feelings. I don’t think the scene hit the right way, but that’s alright.

There was a point of time where I was plotting this half of the story when I realized I could use the Triforce scar idea that I had previously abandoned. I like the idea and the scene a lot, but I wonder if it feels forced? Like the whole story bent over backwards to make my silly idea possible. Let me know if this feels like a natural conclusion, or if I messed up somehow. 

That being said, this whole scene where Warriors and Spirit were cutting the Triforce into his hand was a lot of fun to write. Nothing breaks writer’s block like writing an insane character dynamic. 

I feel like I should talk more about themes and what this means for them, but you have eyes. You probably get the point by now. Instead, I will inform you that I did try to read that section to my writing friends, who all agreed that they did not have enough context to understand what the fuck was going on. And, yeah. That’s fair. 

I really wish I waxed more poetry about Warriors reentering the public eye. I did not have enough willpower to revise the hell out of that scene. However, I love the ending bit with Warriors asking Hyrule to make sure he gets the scar. 

One last thing-- I really should have done a revision because an important plot element may have gotten lost in it. I won’t say what, but hopefully it won’t cause problems down the road. 

And that’s the chapter! I feel like I didn’t have a lot to talk about this chapter, despite taking a near-week to write up all my thoughts. Next one should hopefully come sooner, but note that I still have a few more weekend trips and real life responsibilities to handle. My life is not settling down again until the beginning of October. 

I really want to emphasize that my bitching about my writer’s block and the source of it is not something I really need sympathy for, and it’s really not something encouragement is going to fix on it’s own. I appreciate the thought, but a lot of my issues right now just require some self-reflection on my part. I don’t want anyone feeling forced to drop a nice word or feel worried I’ll drop the story without it; I’ll still dedicated to finishing CTB. I just need some time (and to stop hanging out with my extended family). 

In other news, my friend offered to bind CTB into a book for me. Well, books. She knew the word count going in, but I have heard many complaints about how long CTB is. Apparently, it’s 6 volumes so far. Some volumes only have two chapters. When I told her I updated last Sunday, I saw the light leave her eyes. I love her dearly, and I will find a way to pay her back for this. 

[chiriwritesstuff]

Kintsugi; Chapter 1 - High Horse - Sneak Peek

(Clears throat) Hey everyone... I'm back?!

I know, I know—it's been a while, right? Sorry for the disappearing act, but life got pretty intense, and I had to step back and hit pause on writing to deal with some grown-up stuff for the past few months.

Nothing too serious, but after getting sick in February, I had to face the fact that my so-called writer's block was really burnout in disguise. Trying to write while the fandom was going through that shit show... it just didn't feel like a safe space, you know? Even though I wasn't directly involved, it was tough to watch fellow writers get unfairly targeted like that.

Now that I'm back, I’m thrilled to dive into this new series I've been working on. As writers, we don’t get paid for our fics; we do it because we truly enjoy it. It’s hard to stay motivated and inspired in an unsafe or negative space. Let’s remember to be kind to each other and support one another. Creating a positive and supportive environment makes all the difference.

Thanks for your patience and support. I’m excited to get back into the swing of things and hope you’ll enjoy what I’ve been working on!

To give you a taste of what’s to come, here’s a sneak peek of what’s in store. For context, you can read Sunflower & A Clean Slate to get you caught up to speed. Thank you all for being here, and I hope you are all as excited as I am for what's in store for Joel and Sunflower!

Note: This chapter takes place right after the events of Sunflower.

"You think you can just come up here with that silly little van of yours, batting your eyelashes at every man you come across?" he starts, his fists clenching at his sides. "You think just because you’ve got a sweet smile and wear the shit that you do, you can hog up all the damn walkway space, blocking my booth with all those assholes lining up to get a look at you? Hell, you’ve even got poor Tommy tied up in a string—" His words are harsh, laced with frustration, and you can feel the heat rising in your cheeks as he unloads on you. You hadn’t expected this level of intensity, and it catches you off guard, making it hard to find a response. You blink, the sting of his words sinking in, but you straighten your spine, refusing to let him intimidate you. "What's wrong with my clothes, Joel?" you ask, your voice wavering just slightly but holding steady. "I’m just trying to do my thing, same as you. What’s the problem?" Joel glares at you, his jaw tightening. For a moment, it looks like he might say something even harsher, but he just shakes his head, the frustration in his eyes flickering with something else—something you can’t quite place. "The problem," he finally mutters, "isn’t your clothes. It’s the way you… you take up so much space, you make things harder for everyone."