#pep talk for writers

[novlr]

You are allowed to enjoy reading your own stories!

Every writer writes the story they want to tell, so don’t be afraid to read what you’re writing and just have fun. Not everything has to be in service of making your manuscript better.

It’s ok to enjoy yourself.

[literaticat]

Hi, Jenn. I think I’m freaking out. My debut will be traditionally published in a few months, and I suddenly have this feeling everyone’s going to hate it. It’s too immature. It sounds more like MG than YA. It’s sad and repetitive. No one’s going to want to read anything else I write. WHAT DO I DO? How I deal with this??

Well if it helps, I KNOW you are freaking out. :-)

Listen, you didn't get to this place in a vacuum, right? You have an agent, and an editor, and an entire team of people at the publisher -- ALL OF WHOM had to see something good / enjoyable / sellable about your book in order for them to want to spend time and money on it and for it to get published.

Do you think all those people have bad taste and are stupid? (If so: RUDE!) If not, well then, clearly your book is already liked by many smart people with good taste and years of experience in the field. That's a start, yeah?

I know often it's hard to even hear praise, whereas criticism rings loudly. I can't tell you how many times a book it has happened that a book has gotten a STARRED REVIEW, and the author can only focus on the one faint criticism within the glowing praise!

So just remember: It's out of your hands now. You can't control how readers react to your book; that's actually none of your beeswax. Some readers will probably hate it, tbh, and there's absolutely nothing (legal or advisable) that you can do about that besides just move on, let go and let God!

For other readers, maybe this is a book that changes their life, makes them think about something in a new way, makes them love reading. Maybe they will think about it 30 years from now when they are an adult... or, maybe it just brings them enjoyment for a few hours, that's fine, too.

Good books inspire strong feelings in readers, and the more readers you have, the more different kinds of feelings there will be. It's better for a book to have lots of people talking about it than for it to be utterly ignored, that's for sure.

Think about the books that impacted you, that you loved, that mean the world to you. Go and read the one-star reviews of them, and see that even the best, most beloved, most acclaimed books have haters, and there's something hilarious and comforting about that, actually. Humanity: What a rich and varied tapestry!

Feel better. You're doing amazing, sweetie!

[shen-mu]

who are the closest friends you’ve made through the qsmp?

i like reading the lists where people compliment each other and speak about how the server brought them together and stuff - and your friend group seems so sweet!

hmmmm...it's probably pep, hep & five & pommunist & fitpacs and shinxy!!! i really enjoy talking to them about like anything im so happy to call them my friends <З

[crmsnmth]

Solitary Pep Talks

I keep telling myself To get up off the ground and get these boots back to pavement I've been down long enough Goddammit, Chris, stop begging for sympathy You've got this Get out under that star and face the day even if it does proceed to beat the shit out of you You smile and keep those boots to the pavement

Every day I remind myself that I need to accept the person I am But I'm so hung up on who I used to be that there's no such thing as growth And at this rate, I'm going to be an eighty-year-old man who still acts like some bitchy teenager with angsty issues and I don't think that's a good look for me

So I keep my boots on the pavement Walking this small town with headphone blaring Wave to those I see and know And claim my title as the walking punk

I tell myself that I am not what the past is anymore Her words still echo within my skull Like a super ball in a silo I bounce from hate to love and back again And I keep give solitary pop talks. Keep putting my boots on the pavement

I don't want to be miserable Life's too short to carry baggage everywhere I go And it's sad how long it took me to get that part but at least I did The handler lost our fucking luggage again

[nbundarin]

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For my mutuals 😘

@dear-massacre & @lucky-bishop

[kimmiessimmies]

SUNDAY 27 JAN 08: Three hours til showtime

When the nerves are starting to play up, it's good to have a roommate who can calm you down...

... But what if you don't have one...?

Roommate #4: The Overthinker

Get a grip, Wyler, get yourself together. This is about the music, not about... It's about the music. And the album is good. Is the album good? Or is it just the same old shit everyone does? Only worse? What if no one likes it? Or just a few people? Then why are we even doing this? All these songs you write are a fucking lie anyway... You don't know anything...

No. Stop it. Get. It. The fuck. Together. Go and bring the music. Now.

NB: James used to have a roommate, Chris. Chris graduated last May. But even if he had still been there, I'm not sure he would have been much help. Even though Chris and James were both music students and found common ground in that, their lives usually didn't really follow the same path. Chris often partied all night and was away a lot. They were okay roommates, but not friends.

[azulca]

To Whom it might concern... To those suffering with fear and anxiety...

Remember to take one step at a time. I don't know you... But I know anxiety. I know fear.

I hope you won't let fear define you. I hope you are able to take a step back and redirect the negative or scary event back.

Today I had someone tell me they were disappointed in me. They said my effort wasn't good enough. That my work was shit.

I hated hearing that. From someone I didn't know? A name/face I saw only in passing was now passing judgement on me for my best effort.

I share this because I didn't accept their disappointment. They weren't my boss. They weren't anyone I reported to. I did not want to wear the emotion they were projecting to me.

I politely replied, "Things happen that are out of our control. I do not accept your frustration or your disappointment in me. You can keep that emotion, I will not wear it."

And I left them to it.

Leave the bad at the door. Ask yourself, "Was this my best effort?" If the answer was yes, think no more.

[soulinkpoetry]

Sometimes the heart needs a reality check.

.

.

[once-upon-a-reblog]

How do you create when your emotions are messy?

Step one is to know this: your identity as a creative IS NOT threatened, even if you're currently just trying to survive the storm.

[flowersandbirdsflyingfree]

Slap me some pep talk thingy about Nikolai/Sniper, it's up to you if you're going to choose between them or both 💖

P.S. I am a bit lazy with following the format atm :'>

I’m going to do both as best I can! I had to be creative about this and split them both💖💖💖

Unsurprisingly, your Russian boyfriend is so devoted to you that he makes sure his love for you is always known.

As a writer, words of affirmations are his expertise. Nikolai writes little love notes and poetry to you all the time. When present stress or future anxieties overwhelm you, he will write heartfelt letters for you.

He tells you that you’re perfect the way you are. When you list him your insecurities, he tries to kiss them away from you. It’s impressive his lips don’t tire out easily from peppering you up.

A grounding exercise that works during panic attacks is bringing your head close to his chest lying down and syncing deep breaths. His strong heartbeat is comforting to listen to. You also compare hand sizes for a bit. Once he sees you relax, his fingers slowly lock with yours.

“You can do this, milyy. I won’t ever desert you.”

Sniper comes off as reserved. But you get to know that’s he’s actually very down to earth. He’s allowed you into his circle due to sharing his main principles: being polite, efficient and having an admirable sense of dedication in everything you do. Once you got to know each other further, he falls head over heels.

He’ll usually drive you both out and see where the journey takes you. Sniper is an opportunist. Maybe you’ll stop somewhere to share a milkshake at a diner with a jukebox. Or maybe pullover at night to stargaze on the roof of his van. A lot of dates will be fun and casual. It’s the quality time together that speaks more volumes.

You both have such chemistry towards each other. He considers you his best friend. Sure, you both share playful banter and lighthearted moments. But you also know about his rough upbringing and how complex he is past his loner persona. You’re the only one who knows him as Mick Mundy, not Sniper. Because of that, Mick will take the time to do whatever it takes to lift your spirits as you always have done for him.

You’ll come to find that it’s you two against the world. A love that strengthens. He will protect you from anyone who does harm, even if he had to kill for you. You could never be too much for him. If anything were to ever happen to you, he’d never be the same.

“You’re bloody beautiful, love. No other Sheila’s gonna have my attention and I promise you’ll always remember that.”

[novlr]

What makes you a writer?

If you write, that makes you a writer.

Haven’t written in a while but want to get back to it?

You’re a writer.

Haven’t published yet or don’t plan to?

You’re a writer.

Only write fanfiction?

You’re a writer.

Don’t have any readers?

STILL A WRITER!

[writtenbygracewilliams]

Was gonna make a poll of which of my nine completed but not posted fics should I actually just fucking post and then, looking at the list, I realised I hadn’t posted them because they’re all sort of out there.

Partner sharing, mpreg, crazy crossovers, polyamory, very unpopular ships etc. Maybe this reminder is mostly for myself, but post! the! thing!

If you like it, at least one other person will too. Don’t be afraid to post.

A) fanfic is art and hobby, there are no rules

B) reception/engagement of a fic is never indicative of quality. After got made into three movies and some of the best fics I’ve ever read barely have scraps of recognition.

C) you wrote it because you wanted to, there is gonna be at least one other person out there with the same taste who has been waiting for exactly what you wrote

D) we are all sharing our art for free purely to provide joy and build community anyway, we may as well publish it all

E) As one example, I don’t see anyone shipping Jake Peralta/Raymond Holt and everyone I talk to doesn’t like them romantically but that is still one of my most popular fics to this day. People love things in secret.

I am the girl who published Jake Peralta/Calum Hood, a ship no one else ever thought of, but I have plenty of comments of people getting behind it.

People will surprise you.

Publish! The! Thing!

[cielpansyhive]

I haven't checked my stats on AO3 in a year or more. I know people rank things different ways. Some people go by hits, others kudos, some by comments, bookmarks, subscriptions, ect. You get the picture. Hits are tricky, I've heard of people getting hits by bots. Which throws everything off, you see 50 hits and zero kudos, like, "fuck, these people read and hated it?" Maybe, but also it could have been a bot. For me hits can be more discouraging than helpful. I go by everything other than hits. So, with that in mind, I want to talk about my most successful works. (This is in no way meant to be me boasting. I'm a small-time writer. My point is, if I can do it, YOU can do it.)

-

I believe my most popular work is Revamp, it has the most subscriptions and comments. It's the work I'm known for. It's a little on the lower end for kudos and bookmarks, but it's not finished. The very fic people know me for is also my first work. (Because of this I'm working on revising what I have before updating another chapter. No worries, it's not abandoned and never will be.) That said, I was terrified to post it originally. Not only was it my first but there were maybe ten other fics at the time with trans Ciel and that was it. I didn't know if there was a reason for that. Lack of interest? People getting hate? I was clueless. But I had a story to tell so I sucked it up and posted and I'm glad I did! I've talked to so many people and befriended some because of that fic. I take forever to update and people still get excited over it when I do update. It really means a lot! My life changed because of posting it and it gave me the courage to pursue writing and share my stuff.

My highest bookmarked and work with the 3rd most kudos is a smut one-shot (That Butler, Sensitive) that I was worried would be "too weird" for people. I know way more people who think hand kinks are weird than ones that are neutral or into it. It was another I was reluctant to post and bam people loved it. I'm still shocked by the feedback.

My highest kudo work, the first couple chapters were awful. They were quick little things I wrote for tumblr, I got enough feedback I decided to post them on AO3. Chapter 1 I wrote drunk, I'm not even joking. Did I have fun with it? Yes. Was it to my standard? Fuck no. I have since revised the first two chapters. The third chapter, Sebastian is so OOC, but once again I did have fun with it. The last chapter has figging, a kink I don't know anyone of really having...at least in my personal life. The work as a whole (Canon Divergent SebaCiel) is just fun debauchery. In the beginning it was difficult for me to post smut. It was difficult to write too, I'd get stuck in my own head. But if you write whatever thoughts flow out, it's so simple! Because I became more comfortable, I was able to write my second highest kudo work (Clathrus Archeri) that was inspired by a fungus. Yep, we get that freaky with it. My readers enjoy it, it's all good.

My fourth highest bookmarked and fifth highest kudo work (Relax) is one that I stated was "the worst smut I've ever written." It was extremely self-indulgent but at the same time I spent so long editing it that at the end I hated it. I thought in comparison to my other smut it was low level. It also had trans Ciel, so I'm glad one of my works with him made it in the top 5. Yet, I wouldn't have that had I not posted.

While most of my works are obviously Kuroshitsuji, I do have works for Voltron too. I have almost zero interactions with the Voltron fandom. I will reblog things and read (kudo, bookmark, subscribe), but besides comments on my own fics I haven't talked to anyone. A big part is that I'm shy. Another is that I'm too old for fandom drama, ship wars, and what have you. If someone wants to chat with me, I'm glad and I will talk, but I'm not putting myself out there. The same will go when I start posting Vanitas no Carte fics. I'm very ship and let ship and that will piss off some people. It's easier for people to approach me rather than me trying to figure out if someone will hate me for my ships or not. Okay, very long intro for my next point. My third highest subscribed work (Atlas Ocean Rescue) is for the Voltron fandom. They don't know me from anywhere, exception the kuro people that also like Voltron, but apparently my work has readers. This fic is super self-indulgent, I love mermen okay? I'd say overall my Voltron works aren't doing too bad considering I basically just post and run. As anxious as I get to post anything, posting for another fandom was really hard. There wasn't the pressure of people knowing my work, but there's the very real feeling of, "oh fuck, this could flop terribly." A few Voltron works have already surpassed my "worst" Kuro works...so success? I think so!

-

For anyone who read all my nonsense, you get a gold star. I hope you also noticed the patterns here. That is, write for yourself and your audience will find you. Don't censor yourself, be true to you and go with the flow, have fun! Write characters how you want to write and read them. Indulge in your kinks, I swear you aren't the only one that has them. Step out of your comfort zone every once and a while. If you post a fic and it flops, so what? It's not the end of the world. What if the fic you think will fail ends up being your best one? You'll never know what will happen unless you post it, it might surprise you. As your skills improve it's okay to go back and revise and edit. But don't let your skill level hold you back from posting in the first place, we all have to start somewhere. You can engage with fandoms as much or as little as you want. (I do encourage reblogs, kudos, bookmarks, ect.) But if you are too shy to talk or don't know anyone in a fandom, don't let that stop you from creating for that fandom. If you only have one work in you for a fandom, do it! If you have multiple? Do it! Rarepair? Go for it! Someone else will probably thank you for it! Vent writing? Dead dove? Extremely therapeutic for you and for others that are more so readers than writers. (Note writing dark stuff just for exploration and entertainment is fine too!! Horror is a well-loved genre for a reason. Fiction is fiction.) Bottom line: don't let you get in the way of yourself.

Will you get hate? You might, I won't lie. That said, people troll everything, any hate you get just shake it off. Odds are it's nothing personal or about your writing, it's they don't like the ship, or any AU, or the dynamics with smut, or the kink, or they're phobic, or if you write intense stuff it's too dark of content for them. If you tag things, it's on the reader if they ignore the tags or they purposely expose themselves to content they know will upset them. I highly recommend if you are concerned about hate, only let registered users leave comments. That's what I do with all my fics and I have had zero negative comments. People are less likely to leave nasty comments if they have to show their face, it's so much easier for them on anon. Some hate I've got on here (tumblr) could be from AO3, but I honestly think it's mostly just other tumblr users that have never read anything of mine.

I'm not as active as I once was on here. It's been years since I updated or posted a kuro work on AO3. I don't have the spoons (energy) to do as much one-on-one as I used to, but know I am cheering on all the creators, new and old. I am here if anyone needs some extra encouragement. But honestly, just write. Even on the off chance you're the only one that likes your work, you have at least one fan. If you don't write for yourself, then who are you writing for? I swear readers can tell the difference when you write something you're into verses something you think will be good, but you don't care about as much. Your best writing is the writing that YOU would read. Don't focus on what you think others will think. Your people will find you.

We all start as that person that's afraid to post our works, it's natural. Tackling that fear was one of the most difficult but best thing I've done for myself. If you want to post, do it! 💖💖💖

[nothoughtsjustmhaandotherthings]

Having writers block honestly seems like it shouldn’t be allowed for me at this point bc how am I gonna look at a fic and be like “I’m never gonna finish this :(” babygirl be so fucking frl you’ve done it like seven times already

[lockhartandlych]

having a normal one trying to write again

[glimblshanks]

Is it just me, or has every main character in lower decks gotten an on screen emotional low point this season except for the one character who desperately needs to have one?