#my fic needs ***a lot*** of work! but i'll start posting snippets soon maybe???

[fridaysjournal]

★ friday's journal entry - oct.19th

While I wait to get my hands on Catching Fire, I checked out two other books in the meantime.I got Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and 'My Year Of Rest and Relaxation' by Ottesa Moshfegh, so far so good-really good! I'm pretty sure I'll read MYORAR a lot quicker than Frankenstein because I really have to focus on what I'm reading because I haven't read many books from 1818 so you know amateur reader or whateveh. There isn't much going on this October/ Halloween for me so reading Frankenstein has me feeling spooky. Shout out to the Libby App! I did go to a pumpkin patch earlier this month but it felt rushed too many things to do that day so I had to hustle outta there.Made my roomie watch Hannibal with me, this is my 3rd time watching I think, her first time watching and she asked right away what was with the gay tension in the air- I would like to pick up where I left off with Gravity Falls asap, I was very excited about re-watching when I started it about a week ago.I think I left off on the Summerween episode.I just need access to my family's Hulu account again-

POV this is where I got heated in the moment while writing and I rant at you about certain streaming services

You know it really grinds my gears that we pay for all these flipin streaming services, multiple streaming platforms because these companies are so damn greedy and stingy they already have ads and now I have pay more so I can share my account with family whaaatttt that is so crazy.Crazy because we were all trying to escape the advertisements in the first place from cable and now we gotta deal with it anyway.Maybe physical media really is the way.Netflix when I catch you..I mean they already have so many people angry at them for other reasons like I don't know uh not giving Julie and the Phantoms a second season.Me.Its Me.I'm the angry people.My friends and roommates are the angry people too.In exchange for making my roommate watch Hannibal with me she got me to watch JATP and it was so good,I was distraught I tell you when I found out there was no second season-I cried real tears people! "Unsaid Emily" that’s all I have to say.. just stfu rn... “its because the ratings and views were low” blah blah blah shhhuuuttttt uuuuuppppp NETFLIX WHEN I CATCH YOU.

Also I got a potential fic [or one shot.. do people still use that to describe a short fic] not sure anyways its in the works at the moment I have 2 rough drafts like two versions of it. I've just been racking my brain with the idea and it might be a little basic to some but idc idc. It's going to be a fnaf mike schmidt x reader... -erm ..maybe I say maybe to the "x reader" cause I kinda wanted it to be "x OC " but at the same time I don't know clearly I cannot make up my mind right now.Def want it to be a slow burn and like childhood/old friends to lovers- we also love enemies to lovers but I want to see how it goes..decisions decisions but anyways if there's still any baddies out there that love fnaf/mike/josh hutcherson I'll be whipping up something good very soon,I hope y'all enjoy it once I post it of course heheh updates soon! Maybe I’ll post a snippet of it Thanks for reading!

-Friday

[citrus-cactus]

fanfic ask game! 1, 3, 22, 55, 77!

Ask game is here!

1). Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

I tend to daydream a lot! I think that's a large part of my "outline" process these days: sooooo much thinking before committing anything to paper (which is not the best process, I'll admit! Because sometimes I end up forgetting things ;_;)

It used to be that a lot of my fanfic ideas were born out of pencil and paper sketches while letting my mind wander, which feels similar to the "daydream" process (and then I would brainstorm while drawing!)... but these days I don't do a lot of freeform drawing (;_;) and the brainstorming takes place almost exclusively in my head. Sometimes I'll have snippets and dialogue occur to me that need documentation NOW, so that feels more like a "when the idea strikes" sort of thing... and then when I've collected enough snippets/dialogue and have enough of a general idea where the fic is going to go, that's when I start writing in earnest!

3). Do you share your fic ideas, or do you keep them to yourself?

I tend to keep them to myself. I've been... trying to get better about this... maybe?? That was what last year's fic/WIP summary and the creative check-ins and some of my random, sporadic posts over the past few months have (partially) been about. But now that I look at them... I'm not sure it's clear to anyone but myself what the heck I'm working on?? I would like to get better at this, perhaps?? Summaries are good (lol), but I usually save those for last!

I think, because I publish fics so infrequently (and have WAY more abandoned ideas and WIPs than actual published works!), I default to being pretty secretive about my ideas. Mostly because I don't want to jinx myself with the inability to finish something; if no one knows about it but me, no one can be disappointed!! But also, since I almost exclusively write short one-shots, the element of surprise feels, somehow, important to preserve up until the moment of publishing. I'm not sure how to balance the two wolves inside me ("excited to share" and "SECRETS!!")

22). Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Usually during. A lot of my titles seem to crystalize during the daydream/brainstorming process... though again, sometimes I don't want to reveal the title until the fic is further along, in case I end up changing my mind! Sometimes it does take me a little longer to figure it out, but not often. I guess how I come up with them is... I figure out the theme of the story, and think of a way to make it work as a title? ("Rose-Tinted" is my favorite recent example. Because yes, it's about a pair of pink-colored sunglasses, but ultimately it's about looking at a situation through a more optimistic lens!)

Sometimes I'll try to be clever and make the title a literary reference. I've repurposed lines from Sherlock Holmes, Brigadoon (the musical), and, most recently, Sophocles' Antigone. Because whoa boy, do I love themes. And allusions!!!! And parallels!!!!!!

55). Have you noticed any patterns in your fics?  Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

What an interesting question! I think, as generic of an answer as this is, my stories all end up being about love. This takes many forms: romantic (this used to be a huge theme, at least earlier on in my fanfic career!), but also platonic, the "soulmate" bond between human and digimon partners, and also (sometimes) unhealthy expressions of love. Also they can be born from things I personally love, like hats and in-jokes for very small audiences :3

My published fics tend to be either fairly fluffy(/goofy/jokey), or a bit dark. There's very little "neutral" up in here, though I do enjoy writing Emotions(tm).

I do enjoy ending a fic on a good stinger. I love me a juicy... just a teeny-tiny surprise, subversion, twist, or echo, wrapping it all up with an impactful little... pop. Absolutely delightful when it feels like I can pull that off. I live for that.

77). Why do you enjoy writing fanfiction?

I enjoy writing fiction because sometimes I have ideas that feel too large or complex to convey in a single illustration or a short comic. I enjoy writing fanfiction because other people's characters, stories, and ideas have become lodged in my brain and I am (occasionally) compelled to work through my feelings about them in prose XD I love writing (and reading!) things that are having a dialogue with canon, filling in nebulous details, expanding on characterization, having a fun day out with my faves, or otherwise taking some dumb/brilliant/random idea (either mine or someone else's) and running with it to a logical conclusion (by some definition of the word "logical"). My favorite thing to do as both a creator and a fan, whether in art or writing, has always been to tell stories… and I genuinely don't know where I’d be if I wasn't able to do that!

These were fun to think about, thanks for the asks!!!

[bifuriouswaterbender]

WIP Wednesday

I'm home all day today, so I'm excited to get some writing done!

As always, credit to @kedreeva

Here’s how it works:

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request! Also, if you send me an ask, I'll look on your page to see if you'd like one back. This works best when we help each other!

If you’re reading this, you’re invited!

If you see someone posting a WIP Wednesday Game snippet, send them an ask! Make them write.

Filenames

Reverse Big Bang (Secret Project & Top Priority)

Chrissy Woke Up Ch 8 [1-7]

He's All That Ch 9 [1-8]

Merman Eddie

Snippet: I have exclusively written on my Reverse Big Bang fic this week, so I had to write this from Crissy Woke Up specifically for this post. Not bad motivation to keep working on ongoing projects while I have one to focus on specifically.

“Bye Max,” Steve said softly as he looked toward the bed. “I’ll be back soon.”

Chrissy stayed silent as the two of them left the hospital room. Even when they stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind them, Chrissy and Steve said nothing. That silence persisted as they walked out the front doors and Steve led the way to his car.

Once the door shut behind her, though, Chrissy sighed. “Where are we actually going?” she asked.

Steve raised his brows, shoulders lifting into a shrug. “I probably should go home and shower.”

Chrissy glanced toward his attire, feeling a tinge of embarrassment that she was just now realizing he’d dressed in a mish-mash of things that he’d probably borrowed at the hospital.

“I was thinking,” Steve continued, “that we could stop at yours so you could pick up clothes and whatever you need to shower. Maybe even pack a bag if you’d like to get away from home for a while. That way I haven’t technically lied to your mother, but also you are nowhere to be found when she gets home.”

Her mouth fell open. “You’ve played this game before.”

Steve snorted. “Too many times to count. But that sound good to you?”

“Yeah,” Chrissy said and watched as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Would you mind if I wrote her a note that I was with you? I’m sure she’ll start talk, but—”

“She won’t be looking for you as soon,” Steve finished for her. “As you said, not my first rodeo.”

[norahjakobs]

Hittin ya right back w/ #1-15 for the fanfic ask :D

Thank you Randy! I just realized I have no clue how to do a read more on mobile so I'm gonna make that everyone else's problem.

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Daydreaming is one of my bigger pad times to be honest, so generally a lot of that happens before words hit the page.

Where do you get your fic ideas?

My brain just comes up with random stuff most of the time. Or I'll see an interesting concept and want to explore it. I did make a random idea generator for myself but haven't really used it

Do you share your fic ideas, or do you keep them to yourself?

I mostly keep them to myself or talk to my twin about them. Maybe I'll start sharing them more, I'd like to do that

How do you choose which fics to write?

How many wips do you have? What fandoms/pairings are they for?

I honestly have no idea so I'll just talk about my two dc wips in currently thinking about.

1st is a rewrite of a fan fic I wrote years ago, it's a mystery where after the murder of the Joker the batfamily start getting picked off one by one. It was based off the idea of what if in the Batman who laughed universe someone else had killed the Joker. In the original fic the killer was Jason but I might change that to preserve the mystery, I don't know (dm Randy if you want to know)

2nd is a loose idea following Zach Zatara waking up after a bender to find nobody knows who the Zatara's are and his attempts to set things right without much help.

Neither is focused on shipping or had any planned ships currently. I might sneak me and @kitty-does-stuff's crack ship of Zach x Thad into the 2nd one, idk

What’s the last line you wrote?

It somehow made his wary appearance look better, like he had at least been around somebody who took the effort to show him the most basic of kindness

from a deep dive into Zach's issues focused fic I was writing before leaving the apartment.

Post a snippet from a wip.

From the same Zach fic

Kate twirled, her hand in his as he led the dance. She had a wide grin on her face. Her crimson skirt softly hit his outer thigh as she stopped spinning. The music the DJ was playing slowed down crawling to the end of the song as the few that had stayed on the dance floor for so long started to shuffle off to head to the bathrooms or the doors.

The happy couple stayed on the floo a little longer than the rest, Kate resting her head on Zach’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

Zach held her a little closer. “Of course, you don’t need to thank me for something like this, you know.”

“I know, I just know you don’t like how the adults stare at you.” Her classmates' parents and her teachers, most of them thought he was the one that got her pregnant. Thought he was some sort of child star tempter pulling Kate into hedonism and pre-marital sex.

“That’s their problem, I’m not gonna ever make you dance alone, got that?” He winked.

“Got it.” She giggled.

Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

For the rewrite fic (The Last Laugh)

Only someone in the core of the batfamily would know enough about Jean-Paul’s prior abuse enough to use it against them.

Does this word [chosen by asker] appear in your current wip?

Skipping this!

Do you work on multiple wips or stick to one fic at a time?

If I do not have a million projects at one time assume that I am dead

Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

Almost exclusively in order. Maybe if it's a flashback I'll write it first, but I really struggle if I don't know exactly what has happened before a scene

Do you outline your fics? If yes, how detailed are your outlines? How far do you stray from them?

I do most of the time, a pretty loose one that just covers the most basic event of each chapter. I as far as I remember stick to the outline

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what have you been listening to recently?

Nearly every project gets its own playlist as I need music to focus.

That Zach fic I shared a bit of is a song fic so here's the song

What is your favorite location and position to write in?

Sitting at my desk when I have that. Right now sitting in my truck seat is my only option but it's alright

What’s your favorite time to write?

Any time inspiration strikes which might be right after I wake up or could be at 10pm. When I do nanowrimo I try to write a lot earlier in the day so I don't stress

[mrs-steve-harrington]

for the ask game! Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

Post a snippet from a wip.

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Sort of a mix, maybe? Some of my fics, especially the ones where I need to make them longer (big bangs and the like), I do tend to outline and that involves some daydreaming in order to figure out when things need to happen. Others, I'll be thinking about nothing in particular and then I get hit with the first sentence of a fic and just start writing it. Then I'll have a wip or two that literally keep me tossing and turning all night because I keep imagining how the next line or scene or ending should go, but those are more dreams than daydreams. I get luckiest when other people (*cough*you*cough*) give me whole ideas and I don't really have to spend too long daydreaming because there's enough stuff there for me to work with and I can dive right in.

Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

I'm still SUPER surprised that so many people read Day Four: Green With Envy, back when it first posted. And it still shows up in my kudos email with surprising regularity. I don't know what draws people to it at all. I feel like the writing on it is really wooden. But I'm happy that people like it because I also love Steve being taken care of by the Hendersons!

Post a snippet from a wip.

From one of my too-many July Break Bingo wips!

Steve bends at the waist to sift through the stack of junk in the Byers' yard. Between the both of them, they've found a couple heaters already. They're stacked carefully out of the way of the rest of the mess, waiting for anything else they might find. Hard as he tries to keep his attention on what they're supposed to be doing, he can't help but repeatedly glance in Nancy's direction.  The next thing he picks up to inspect slips out of his hands, crashing back into the pile with a startling crash. Nancy and Steve both jump in surprise. He doesn't know whether he dropped it due to nerves or the way his palms have begun to sweat, but heat rises up his neck all the same. Nancy's relieved laughter helps smother some of his initial embarrassment.  She meets his eyes and they seem to glitter in the porch light. "Choose me instead." He doesn't know where the words come from. Or he does. They've been turning over and over again in his mind since Tommy first told him about Nancy skipping school with Jonathan. It's only gotten louder since finding them in the woods, seeing how they looked walking together. Watching how they work together; how comfortable Nancy seems with him when she's been anything but with Steve for longer than he wants to admit. So Steve knows where the words came from. But he never meant to say them out loud.  Selfishly, it's not even that he doesn't want to make Nancy choose. He likes to think that he's a better person now than he'd been when they first started dating, but he hasn't changed that much. Of course he wants her to look at him, to choose him. Like she chose him last year when she came back to him a month after Will Byers went missing, but really mean it this time. Steve wants her to look at him, to choose him, to love him, and not regret it or resent him like she apparently has for the last year. The real reason he'd meant to hold those words inside until they stop hounding him is that he doesn't want to hear her answer. Doesn't want her to look up at him with pity— or worse— on her face and tell him, gently but no less painfully, that she can't. That Steve is the last person she would choose after spending the last year dealing with his bullshit.

[smooth-goat]

hi robin lol 1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 18 (ik you do but I want to know the answer to the second part), 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 42, 43, 49, 50, 51, 58, 61 (out of all of them), 62 and 63 (for a&a), 64 (for ginger tea) 68, 69, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79

so many !! fjdsklaf (ask meme here) i'll put most of the answers under a read more cause its long

1. Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

oh i daydream for sure. my fics tend to start as a single paragraph elevator pitch, basically, in my brainstorming document. And i'll daydream and experiment a little at what scenes that would include, what character interactions, different moods and settings—the Vibes. then i can start outlining. even though i can type quickly, my thoughts still move faster, and i feel i need to think things out before i start typing something and forget the other ideas in my head

6. What's the last line you wrote?

"The infant whimpers in the arms of the woman beside the pulpit. Snufkin eyes flick to her for a moment, Moomintroll sees. He adjusts the large scarf across his shoulders. His words stumble, just a little." — from a&a

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

Moomintroll’s paw twitched on the small of Snufkin’s back. Squeezed slightly. Hardly daring, Snufkin pressed his forehead into Moomintroll’s chest, breathing in his scent. Light, at first, and then sinking in. Fresh bread and laundry soap. A tinge of alcohol on his breath.

13. Do you listen to music while you write?  If yes, what have you been listening to recently?

I used to (as in just two years ago) be able to listen to music or have old youtube videos on in the background as I wrote. I wrote about half of "chlorine & corticosteroids", probably, with jenna marbles videos playing in the background. but something changed in my brain and now i need Silence or maybe a looping instrumental song. I like Erik Satie's "Gnossiène no. 3".

14. What is your favorite location and position to write in?

Most often, I write in my room, crouched over or lying on my stomach very babygirl. Favorite though is writing in the patio of my local library. Outdoors, nice weather, free wifi and power outlet. I can have a little beverage and look at trees and birds.

18. Do you enjoy research?  Which fic of yours required the most research?

As we both know, of Course i enjoy research jfdskla the one that required the most was probably "chlorine & corticosteroids" actually. It was the longest fic I had written at the time, so there were more little details I wanted right. Also it was about ulcerative colitis, a condition I don't have, so I wanted to do research to get it right. Medical information, of course, but also forums and reddit threads and tumblr posts by people with UC to get a feel for actual life with it. The experience of being on a low-fiber medical diet, of EDCs relating to fecal incontinence and ileostomy bags. Also also because I set it in Flagstaff, Arizona: a place I have never been to. So I spend a lot of time on google maps looking at different neighborhoods and bus routes and knowing where everything in the city was. I might have spent more time researching a&a, but i think the research for c&c was more necessary. then again, i did read whole books for a&a so. idk.

22. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process?  How do you come up with titles?

already answered !

23. Is writing the beginning, middle, or end of the story easiest? Hardest?

I do this thing, for the beginning of a story (or chapter) that I have the outline establish a few sentences, then start writing what is functionally the second paragraph. And then I can never think of a good first line, so I just make that "second" paragraph into the first. And I feel it usually works? I think it skips the boring little establishing bits and catches interest better. Wrt outlining though and broader plots? I don't really think the beginning, middle, or end is the hardest. I'll have really strong visions for specific scenes, and I just have to figure out how to fill in between them. I guess most of those are in the middle, but the middle is also just the biggest part of the story, so I don't think it's fair to say it's the hardest for that.

25. What’s your favorite part of the writing process (worldbuilding, brainstorming/outlining, writing, editing, etc)?

Worldbuilding can be fun because of all the research, but I feel sometimes I get too in the weeds and lose steam. I try to reign myself in and research as I go when needed. I write my outline and a notable amount of prose all at once, bouncing around a little, and then the outline is simply cannabalized by the prose.  I do that especially with dialogue, where I write most of the actual "script" so to speak on my first pass and then add the tags and pacing sentences after. I think that first pass is the most exciting, where I can see the story change from ideas in my head into a more concrete vision.

26. What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

when i write and can't immediately think of what joins moments together, i'll fill it in with a placeholder, like [few sentences] or [transition]. sometimes they're more specific, like [back and forth about scheduling] but sometimes i don't have an idea for what goes there. and sometimes filling in those gaps is like pulling teeth

27. What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

mood and tone, i think, are my strongest. the sort of atmosphere and how the air hangs and all that

28. What area of writing do you want to improve in?

I definitely do want to get more comfortable writing sex scenes. I think they're a rich vein of narrative and character and symbolic importance and I want to practice that more. I also want to get better at more complex narratives. All my stories, mostly given their length, have only had the capacity for a single plot, and maybe small threads of others. In a few years, I'd like to be able to write something with definite A and B plots.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

answered here !

30. How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

This kind of goes back to the outline turning into the prose. Usually I get a sentence in that's just very plain text what happens, and then I'll go in after and backfill actual prose. And usually I know as I write what spots need reworking, and I'll leave a comment to myself (e.g. "rephrase" or "move to [x] paragraph" or "would he be this direct"). Or it'll simply be a word that I want to run in a thesaurus cause the perfect word isn't coming to me at the moment but I don't want to lose momentum so I just flag it for later. But I don't think I do a lot of editing tbh. Sometimes I read over finished chapters to catch repetitive lines and such, but a lot of big structural editing I do as I write in the outline stage.

35. What’s your favorite fic you’ve posted? (L)

Favorite that I've posted might be "Black Cohosh". I think it was a change in direction into the kind of stuff I really enjoy writing now: a sort of moody, introspective piece weighted with symbolism. Also bees. I also really like "chlorine & corticosteroids" in the sort of same-but-opposite way. It's definitely a modern piece with a modern voice, and I think it has a good tonal balance between the humor and affection of Jesse and Lake becoming close and the weight of Jesse facing his dangerous people-pleasing and Lake's and Tulip's experiences with ableism.

36. What fic are you proudest of? (L) 

Proudest of is definitely a&a. It's the longest thing I've written and the most unapologetic, I think. It took a lot to include the plot points I was nervous about, but I think it was worth it

37. What fic has been the hardest for you to write?

answered here !

42. What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

I think "Sweetpea & Daffodil" is a good title on the floriographic front. "gratitude & please return my affection" really fits the theme of what happens in it, the letters to ones own disabled body which read like two lovers in pain and desperate to make it work. tbh i think my floriographic titles have all been pretty apt, cause these emotions are exactly what the code is built for. Yellow rainflower standing for friendship but also betrayal, undying love but also infidelity. Lavender symbolizing devotion and distrust. I also like "chlorine & corticosteroids" for its contrast, showing the two very different worlds of Jesse and Lake respectively, and seeing them interact.

43. Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

Oh I have a wip called "Common Courtesy", focused on Snufkin and Pappa's interactions, where Pappa Does An Ableism and then instead of actually apologizing, builds a ramp to Moominhouse, and is a little Too expectant of praise for it. Getting into infrastructural segregation and Moominpappa's inability to apologize and just. Seeing these two very different but equally stubborn men interact.

49. What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

I think "Ginger Tea and Parsley Oil" is a decent introduction to the style and topics that I like to go into. lmao i just read it again and ive definitely gotten better (so much of it feels clunky to me now!) but i think that's a good an entry as any

50. How would you describe your writing style?

A part of my writing style I've put a lot of focus on for years is word choice. There's a sort of emotional depth, I think, that can be found in words that sound a little unnatural. As if each one had a pause before you spoke it. My backburner OC story Ink Blots has a significant portion of dialogue between people speaking in a mutually non-native lingua franca, so there's always this sort of haze of people translating things in their head, how this translation affects how they speak. And I think that's something that I've transferred into my fic writing too. 

51. Does what you like to write differ from what you like to read?

For sure! tbh i haven't been reading much fic lately, but books I like to read are often different than what I write. I've liked Kurt Vonnegut for many years now, who has a much more blunt style than I do: much shorter word length and simple grammar. And I love Jane Austen, who writes very differently from me in both content (satires about the English landed gentry) and style (quippy dialogue and sometimes meandering prose). I've also enjoyed epistolary novels, like Dracula and Ella Minnow Pea. I've never written epistolary works before, but it seems fun

58. Do you have a favorite piece of figurative language you’ve written?

hard to pick! i use a lot of it fdjaskl i'd say one i like is in a&a chapter 16:

There's a single word sitting in the middle of the table. It's heavy. The wooden legs creak and groan under its weight. Moomintroll fears putting anything else down even a little too roughly will make the table collapse.

i think it's evocative, effective, and i was able to play with it the whole rest of the chapter with characters' interactions with the physical table they were sitting at mirroring their approaches and avoidances of the topic at hand

61. In [all of your fics], what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

idk about favorite cause that's a tough question, but i really like the scene in "Yellow Rainflower" where Alicia and Snufkin are talking at night about why Snufkin took so long to come back and never even wrote her. I think it was good move into the stuff I like to do now: conversations beginning to put equal or more weight into what is unsaid than what is actually said.

62 .In [acacia & asphodel], is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included? Why did it get cut?

Oh when I was figuring out a&a, I wasn't really sure of its format. Would it be a one-shot series, a single piece, something in between? I have a bunch of little ideas but there are two I am a little sad to see go. One is where Alicia takes in a stray cat, and there's some fun little banter between them over it. But it's one that includes Sisu as a toddler so when I narrowed the scope of the fic to just the pregnancy and Sisu's first few days of life, I had to cut it cause it wouldn't make sense for her to do it then. Another is a sort of scrapped epilogue, where Moomintroll paints Snufkin giving Sisu a bath in the sink. I cut it cause for one just like before it required Sisu to just be a little bit older (though by just a few months), and also it was redundant with the closing chapter I have already. Also it felt a little too neat and tidy, and I wanted a more ambiguous ending that signified another beginning, not something that could read more as a happily-ever-after.

63. What was the hardest part of writing [acacia & asphodel]?

answered here !

64 . If you rewrote [Ginger Tea] now, would you change anything?

I like Parsley Oil as it is alright, but I think I would restructure Meadowsweet. More internal monologue, less verbal monologue. I think there are things that Snufkin would think but not say out loud that I had him say out loud and are just a little Too Vulnerable for him to voice.

68. Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

I feel like that would be really hard to trace. I've read a lot of fic jfkdlsa I like to read through entire tags of a fandom (a character or ship or another tag), or sometimes the entire fandom's tag on ao3. I think looking at different fandoms though, my writing style is very influenced by Pathologic fics I've read. The symbolism and the moodiness and the weight and the politics are all,I feel, lifted more from those works than a lot of Moomin fics.

69. What are your favorite fics at the moment?

i'm not reading any fics at the moment jfkdsl  favorites that i've had, though, include "Gracilis", "Darling, Oh", "The Little Book of Daffodils", and "Moss". I also really like Weevilo707's Infinity Train fics.

72. What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

I love getting complimented on symbolism, especially when it's something I didn't really notice myself doing. Like when I was doing it, I knew something was meaningful and important and so put it in, but I couldn't articulate how, and then I see someone put all my own thoughts into words. It really reminds me of why I love sharing my writing—I love the collaborate discussion and the enthusiasm with which I can talk to my friends about it.

73. What do you tend to get complimented on the most about your writing?

Often symbolism—especially lately, cause a&a has had a lot of symbolism and narrative parallels, and I love talking about that. I also get compliments on research (of course) and on specific gut-punch lines, often at a chapter's end.

74. Do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

answered here !

75. Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

answered here !

76. How do you deal with writing pressure, whether internal or external?

I think the external pressure I face writing is not in regards to writing what gets more attention—I've tried writing it and know it does better but also I know it doesn't feel as rewarding or interesting to write—but in avoiding topics of controversy. Including sex scenes, discussions of sex work and of eugenics and abortion, showing sexual harassment and antisemitism, depicting the common instances of ableism that I'm certain a notable amount of my readers have performed themselves. The controversial stuff, the kind of stuff that gets strangers to rally against you, can be scary to share. Internally, sometimes I do feel pressure to keep to a publishing schedule, feeling like I "owe" readers a regular update. But ultimately, I know that's not true. I'm a regular guy and a pretty busy one at that. Writing a novel for fun and for free? This is something I'll do when I have time and if I treat it too much like another job then I'll lose my love of it.

78. What motivates you during the writing process?

for general writing, the sort of "get-er-done" motivation, I like to get inspired. I read my old stuff, I listen to the playlists that I made, I make amvs in my head. Something that will get me emotionally invested in the art. There's also the motivation wrt the content of what I write, and for that I keep thinking about this anon I got, a disabled person who was really touched by the first sex scene in a&a, saying they hadn't felt represented in a sex scene before. That's just a really poignant thing for me, to be able to make another disabled person feel seen. Stuff like that, hearing from other disabled people, seeing our shared experiences—that's really motivating too, encouraging me to keep writing what I'm writing, because while it might be niche, there's an audience that really cares.

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

One of the biggest things that's helped me is analyzing the writing of other's—stuff you like, stuff that's just not your taste but effective, and stuff that just sucks. Why do certain things work and others not? Where's the line between personal taste and common consensus—and is that line where you feel it should be, and why that? I've loved film analysis, and video essays about films. I think that sort of critical thinking is really helpful for knowing how to construct your writing. (robin ?? suggesting research ??? who could have guessed)

[kimium]

For the au headcanons, I wanted to know your thoughts about Owain and his interactions with Leo and Niles in If Only For a Moment, especially after the events of the fic. If you hadn't really thought about it that's alright, but it you have I'm very curious, I liked your au a lot and the leo trio are my favorites so that subplot really piqued my interest even though it was only mentioned

(From this ask HERE)

Thanks for the ask, Anon.

Oh! If Only For a Moment! I enjoyed writing that fic and I'm glad you like it a lot too! It's also so funny that you bring it up because years ago I actually started an Owain centric fic in that same universe, discussing the Very Idea you just asked me.

So, yes I do have some HC. I even have some of the fic still intact, so after I can post a snippet of it. Not sure if I'll ever finish, but hey this is my chance to show what I had!

Here are my HC:

-Owain beats himself up Consistently after Inigo is taken away for good. If only he hadn't fallen asleep. If only he was stronger. If he hadn't fallen asleep he couldn't have fallen asleep and he would have been able to protect Inigo. Owain is not the Hero and Warrior he so often play-acted when he was a child and then grew to Want and Desire as a teenager. He feels pathetic and useless. After all, he might have teased Inigo as children and they didn't always get along, but they were friends in the end. And now? Inigo is gone and Olivia is crying every night. Henry is working himself ragged. Their friends are just as distraught.

-Owain meets Niles first because I think Niles has far more freedom than Leo, an actual god. Niles in this AU... I never pinned down exactly how Niles fits into the Gods' Realm. Perhaps he's a sacrifice to Leo and over the years of devotion and training Leo granted him more power to be his bodyguard/protector? Or, maybe Niles is a lesser god or a demi-god and he wound up with Leo.

Regardless, when they first meet, Niles is immediately intrigued by Owain, who he's aware is one of Naga's chosen. Perhaps he heard from Xander who told Leo about him or Leo was bored one day and decided to look at the human who evaded his elder brother, thus meeting Owain. However it panned out, Niles wants to learn more about Owain since I believe one of Niles's core character traits is "curious". Niles isn't doing this maliciously.

-Owain is wary of Niles at first, for good reason. However, after a rough start, the two start forming a friendship. It makes Owain feel a little guilty, after all he can easily talk to gods/someone representing a god without fear of being spirited away. Inigo didn't have that luxury. However, that guilt pales in comparison to when he first meets Leo. It's hard for Owain to not immediately blame Leo for what happened to Inigo. In probably an ironic twist of story telling, in this AU I imagine it's Owain who wants Leo and Niles to Leave Him Alone and the two interested in him.

They end up becoming friends and Owain uses this to ask Leo and Niles to tell him how Inigo is doing. The two are reluctant only because technically Inigo is within Xander's jurisdiction, but Owain manages to convince them it's fine to tell a little. They do however, reject bringing letters from Owain. Leo and Xander might be brothers, but Xander in this AU would not be happy and view Leo as "meddling".

-Just as Owain's done battling his guilt over befriending them, the two express romantic interest in Owain. Now, unlike Inigo, Leo would needs to tread carefully because Owain is one of Naga's chosen. She would NOT take kindly to Owain being zapped away. Thus, Leo and Niles have to enter an Actual Courtship with Owain.

-Within this courtship Owain gains access to travel to the gods' realm. Coupled with being one of Naga's chosen he uses this Immediately to his advantage. As soon as he's there he's making SURE he sees Inigo. Sure, he cannot take Inigo back with him, but seeing Owain definitely lightens Inigo's spirit and makes him happy.

Ah, and of course, a little snippet of what I'd written of the AU about two years ago. I'll leave it under a cut just because this ask is getting long. There's a little bit of editing to the writing just because if I posted an unedited version of a two year old fic I'd Cry.

Owain kicked the leaves as he walked down the road. A colourful array of reds, oranges, and yellows flew in his wake, bringing the musty smell of dying leaves crawling into his lungs. A few crunched under his foot, crinkling dully under his feet. Crisp air of autumn coated the entire village and from many of the houses and shops smoke filtered out of the chimneys. No doubt many delicious spiced desserts were piling on counters along with savoury root dishes and warm drinks. Everywhere people were celebrating the harvest and sending hope prayers for another one once winter passed and spring arrived.

Celebration. The word curdled in Owain’s stomach, rotting and foul with each passing moment the clock ticked.

How long had it been since the last Harvest Festival? How long had it been since Inigo had been forcibly taken away? Time, the cruel mistress had dragged everyone along, making sure each day that passed delivered a stab to Owain’s mind and body, coating his insides with blood and bile as his heart screamed and rolled continuously in the inky sea of regret. (“Why couldn’t you have stayed up? Why did you fall asleep? Why were you so weak that you couldn’t even protect your friend?”) The “what ifs” coiled and wrapped around Owain’s mind, squeezing until every idle thought mixed and churned into a painful, deadly conclusion.

Weak. Owain was weak. He wasn’t a hero or a warrior. He couldn’t protect anything let alone one of his best friends. Instead, Owain fell asleep and woke to the sound of Olivia’s frantic whispers that immediately devolved into pained cries. Cries that burned into Owain’s flesh and echoed just as frequently in the sea of regret that threatened to drown Owain in his dreams. It never stopped and never ended: a chorus of voices in his mind, forever spiraling and threatening to choke Owain out.

(“Why couldn’t you have stayed up? Why did you fall asleep? Why were you so weak that you couldn’t even protect your friend?”)

Owain bit his lip, swallowed, and pressed on.

(The voices didn’t die down.)

[unknown-lifeform]

🧠 Let's hear your thoughts on Reeve! and also 🤲

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

Oh Reeve, I never really include him in fics do I? He kind of always lurks in the shadows a bit and it's Cait who gets all the attention most of the time.

About Reeve... I see him as a fairly ambitious man, maybe more than most people give him credit for. He doesn't give that impression, he's the only one of the board who actually seems to give a shit about human life over the progress of Shinra. But also, I mean, who wouldn't seem like a saint when in the same room as people like Hojo or Scarlet? He has morals but that doesn't mean he got his position with nothing to show for it. There was a lot of ranks climbing there, and a lot of fighting against competition. Of course Reeve isn't the type to do extreme stuff like actually physically harm a rival, but he had to fight his way to the top.

After all, you don't start developing a small army of spy robot cats if you aren't the kind of person who likes to know everything going on. Sure, sometimes Cait will just be a nice little helper. Someone who can take care of things Reeve doesn't have time for. But it also comes in handy, you know, in the cruel Shinra corporate setting, to have some kind of advantage over everyone else.

Basically, Reeve is a decent enough man, and especially by the end of FF7 he had a good moral compass. And he can also be a bit awkward, not the most intimidating. But he can also be quite the ambitious shrewd man when he has the occasion.

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

Alright, here's a piece from a thing I have been working on - it's an old WIP I've put my hands on again in the last few days, and it needs a lot of work still before I start posting, but I hope it may pique someone's interest.

"Remind me, why did you decide to stick around again?"

"I told you. I have spent the past seven years looking for a cure to my degradation, and now I have found it. I need to decide what to do with myself. Also, you never know when the next army could come for you. Thanks to you, I'm currently in no state to take one on, and following you until I recover is for the best."

"Thanks to me," Zack repeated. "Remind me, which one of us continued to fight even when there was no need anymore?"

"Touché."

Zack hoped Genesis would recover soon. He didn't know whether being able to talk to someone who actually replied to him was worth having him around. So far Genesis was very intent on getting on every single one of Zack's nerves.

"So, question for you," he said.

"Ask away."

"Are you not a crazy murderer now?"

Genesis sighed. "I don't believe you ever stop being a murderer once you become one, and sane is not an adjective anyone ever used for me. But am I likely to burn down a village? No."

[acciokaidanalenko]

For anyone interested, I did make another blog to support the resurgence of my Vikings obsession! I haven't started posting any of my Vikings fic yet, but I'm working on it!! Here's a link for those interested in following my fledgling new blog!

Ugh might have to start another blog to support the resurgence of my Vikings obsession 😭🤷‍♀️

JUST FUCKING LOOK AT HIMMMMMM 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

[discordantwords]

9, 14, 18 please for the author asks! 😁 Thanks

Thanks for the ask!

9. Choose: losing a thought-out tumblr post OR leaving a fic up on AO3 for 24hrs with a very embarrassing typo?

If it's a small typo, like a common misspelling or punctuation error, no problem. But if it were something big? Or upsetting? Oh god, I think I would almost always rather lose the post instead. So as much as accidentally deleting something I put effort into would sting, it wouldn't bother me nearly as much as letting a fic sit out there with a truly mortifying error.

18. Provide a summary of the hellscape that is your creative process from idea to publish?

Heh. Well I'd love to say that I have a rigid and structured process, but I… uh… don't.

A lot of times an idea for a fic will start as a single scene, maybe a description or a snippet of dialogue that I absolutely MUST write down and then work out the context for later. For shorter fics, I'll usually let the idea spool out on its own and just write as it comes to me.

Longer fics get outlined. It's not a particularly detailed outline, but I'll open up a word document and hash out approximately how many chapters I think the story will take (I'm usually wrong about this). Then I'll write a few brief lines describing what happens in each chapter just to keep myself on track.

For example, here's what my outline for Chapter 5 of Whirlwind looked like:

Team goes to Mrs Hudson's Warm welcome turns cool when John introduces Mary Brief confrontation with Sally Team is chatty John watches them all treat Mary warmly, realizes their aloofness is reserved for him Flashback to the wedding, Vegas, happiness Sherlock excuses himself to shower Mrs Hudson corners John - so soon after Sherlock? Tornado - they have to go!

I don't always write in order, so if I've written any dialogue or scenes for future chapters I'll save them in the approximate right spot in the document. Once I catch up to the scenes I've already written, I usually have to do some rewriting to match the tone to the rest of the story.

I've always wanted to be the person who writes a complete draft and then posts on a schedule. But I am SO not that person. I've come to accept that I will always need a little bit of external pressure to stay motivated and productive.

An answer for #14 is here. :)

writing asks

[bard-llama]

WiP Wednesday: new throne3 fic 'verse and snippet

So this week has been wild, but yesterday was my last day of work at the organization I've been at for 7 years before getting laid off along with 56 colleagues because upper management are full of dickbags that weren't interested in saving jobs when we offered solutions. But if I go into that, I'll just get mad again, so: the fic that has been serving as my distraction this week.

So this started with a pretty basic premise: Gascon as Meve (and Reynard)'s bad boy secret boyfriend post-canon. Like, literally, my brain full on superimposed Gascon's head over the quintessential '80s bad boy on a motorcycle out to be a bad influence on your daughter' image lmao. Think Meatloaf in Rocky Horror 😂😂😂

Anyway, it has evolved from there a lot, because of course it has. At this point, I don't even know if some of the arcs I thought of will stay in it or not, so I won't go into them, but the heart of the story is, of course, about the OT3. Specifically, the start is Meve and Gascon getting together and then figuring out how to navigate around Reynard and eventually bring him into the fold.

Under the cut is a snippet where Reynard returns to the capital for the first time since Meve and Gascon have gotten together and Gascon is going to tell Reynard about it and he's fucking terrified.

Gascon paced restlessly, twisting his fingers almost painfully tightly as he waited. It wouldn’t be long now.

This morning, General Reynard Odo and his four regiments of men had ridden into the capital from their successful campaign clearing the borders of any lingering Nilfgaardian presence. As was proper, the general saw to the accommodations of his troops, and then immediately reported to his queen.

Once that was done, he would return to the office he maintained in Lyria Castle, where Gascon had broken in as soon as he’d heard that Reynard had returned. And then…

Then Gascon would have to tell one of the few non-criminal friends he had about the romantic relationship he had developed… with Queen Meve. The same Queen Meve that everyone and their sister knew General Odo was completely smitten with.

Gascon swallowed hard, turning on his heel and striding up the length of the office again. He was pretty sure this conversation was not going to go well for him. In fact, possible outcomes ranged from bad to worse, were likely to feature violence in some form, and almost certainly involved him losing his best friend.

So he was maybe a little bit nervous as he waited for Reynard to show up, and each second ticking by only made it worse. Gods, he’d never wished so badly that he’d just run away to the countryside and never shown his face in the capital after their quest to reclaim it ever again.

But dammit, Reynard was his friend, and Reynard deserved to know the truth. And the last thing Gascon wanted was Reynard finding out from someone else.

Not that many people knew, of course. He’d been very careful about that. But it was entirely possible that Meve would end up telling Reynard at some point and she didn’t know that she needed to be careful with his heart and–

The door cracked open and Gascon jumped, whirling around to see Reynard’s surprised face face morph into true pleasure.

“Gascon! I didn’t know you were in town!” Reynard’s lips quirked into what could almost be called a smile as he closed the door behind him and Gascon made a weak attempt at returning it, heartbeat thudding in his chest.

“Yeah,” he said, voice cracking partway through. He coughed and tried again. “Yeah, um, I came to visit Meve and she said you’d be returning, so I stayed a few extra days.” Days filled with extremely high anxiety as he spent every minute rehearsing this moment. Ever since Meve had mentioned it, he’d known that he needed to be the one to tell Reynard, but… gods, it was so much harder than he’d thought it was going to be, and he’d already thought it was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Meve had been confused when he’d said he wanted to be the one to tell Reynard, but she hadn’t objected, and he knew that she agreed that Reynard should know – if, in her mind, for no other reason than because they were close and Reynard knew all salient things about her life.

But Gascon, of course, knew more than that. Gascon knew why it was essential that Reynard had to know, and why he had to be the one to tell him.

Gods, he was shaking. He could feel the way his limbs trembled as he tried to find the strength to look up at Reynard and remember the words he’d practiced.

“Everything all right?” Reynard asked cautiously, clearly able to tell that something wasn’t right.

“Not… exactly.” Gascon licked his lips, focusing on his breathing. In, out. He could do this. In, out. For Reynard, he could do this.

“Are you all right?”

Reynard’s concern only made this harder and Gascon swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut with a short nod. “I – um. I’ve been seeing someone.”

The silence was startled and he opened his eyes to see Reynard blinking at him in bafflement.

“Uh… congratulations?”

Gascon winced. “It. Um. Fuck.” He’d written dozens of speeches in preparation for this, so why couldn’t he remember a single word? Feeling helpless, he ended up blurting out tactlessly, “it’s Meve.”

Everything froze, even the sound of his own breathing, and Gascon bit his lip, terrified of whatever might be coming next. His eyes burned at the thought of how this must be hitting his friend – ha, could he even claim that title? What kind of friend stole the love of the other’s life? Yeah, Gascon loved her too, but how could that compare to the years Reynard had spent pining over her? What kind of person was he to knowingly pursue her and still try to call himself Reynard’s friend?

“Oh.” Reynard said eventually, entirely toneless. That was it, just ‘oh’. It certainly wasn’t the blow Gascon had been expecting.

He flinched anyway. “I’m–” he swallowed hard, trying to find his voice, “I’m sorry.”

Reynard was silent for a long minute and Gascon’s eyes searched him for any sign of what to expect, any hint of what was to come, but in this moment, he couldn’t read Reynard at all. Reynard stared stiffly down at the ground and a muscle in his jaw flexed, but when he spoke, it was in that bland tone again, giving away absolutely nothing.

“I see. If you don’t mind, I would like some time to process this information.”

“I – of course,” Gascon said weakly, fingers clenching into a fist to keep from reaching out. “Reynard–”

“Please leave,” Reynard said, still not looking at him. There was no anger in Reynard’s voice. There was no anything in Reynard’s voice, and Gascon couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad sign, but the least he could do was respect Reynard’s wishes.

Unaccountably close to crying, he nodded. “Okay. I’m–” staying with Meve seemed like a terrible thing to say, so instead he went with, “I’m sure you can find me, if you need.”

Reynard’s grunt was noncommittal and Gascon tried to think of any final things he could say before leaving, but when nothing came to mind, he just let his head hang and stepped out of Reynard’s office, leaving the man who had loved Meve silently for years alone inside.

––

“There you are,” Meve called from the entrance of the royal archery grounds, on the far side of which Gascon had spent the past several hours testing how many arrows the straw dummies could withstand at once. If his eyes were also red rimmed and bloodshot, then at least there was no one around to see. “Why have you been hiding here?”

He mumbled something vague as she approached him, letting her turn him around and touch his face, fretting over him.

Probably realizing that she wasn’t going to get anything useful from him, Meve’s lips pursed in displeasure, but her fingers were gentle as they stroked across his cheeks.

“I spoke to Reynard,” she said eventually, and his eyes widened in alarm.

“You what?”

Her head tilted in curiosity. “I spoke with Reynard. He reported concerns that while they’ve cleared out all the Nilfgaardians who might’ve been left behind along the borders between here and Angren, he believes many may have fled into the Mahakaman foothills. He’d like to lead a smaller detachment there to root out all those who remain.”

Gascon’s heartbeat echoed in his ears as he processed that. Reynard was running away. He’d told Reynard about him and Meve and Reynard wanted to leave.

“How–” he cleared his throat when his voice wavered, “how long would he be away? He only just got back!”

“That’s what I said!” Meve shook her head with a sigh. “At minimum, it would take several months. Our best estimates put it at three to five months, though really, if there are strongholds of Nilfgaardians there, it could take much longer.” She frowned, clearly disappointed that her friend wanted to leave so soon, and Gascon wondered if he should tell her. But…

It wasn’t really his place, was it? Reynard has served her for years without telling her. If Reynard wanted her to know about his feelings, she would. But he’d never said a word and after the damage Gascon had done, the least he could do was respect that. Still…

“He… might be mad at me.”

Meve blinked. “You can’t have gotten into a fight already, surely?”

“It’s… complicated.” Gascon shook his head, pulling away from her with a sniff. “I – it might be worth telling him that I’m leaving in a few days,” he suggested. “In case he decides it’s better to take more time to prepare for this new mission.”

Now the way Meve’s lips pursed was definitely from displeasure, but it was displeasure that he would be leaving, and part of him was still awed that she cared enough about him to be bothered by that.

“You can stay longer, you know,” she murmured softly, taking his hand and stroking over his palm, digging her thumbs into the muscles where hours of archery had made them stiff.

He groaned. “I know. But I should get back to the Strays before they get completely out of control. Last time I was gone for too long, they decided to open a fucking inn, as if any of us know how to run one.”

Her noise of interest was amused. “It can’t be that different from some of the other fronts you’ve told me about, really.”

“Yeah, but those have dedicated people willing to work them. So far, no one has stepped up to be an innkeep,” he groused and when she laughed, he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at her with soft eyes. “I’ll be back in a month. Two at most,” he promised.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Meve said seriously, pushing forward to kiss him. He could do nothing but kiss back, wrapping his hand around the back of her head and thanking whatever powers that be that even as awful as the world could be, he got to have this.

As awful as telling Reynard had been and as much as he mourned his once friendship with the man, he wouldn’t give up this relationship with Meve for all the world.