#safarikalamari

[shadowquill17]

O, S, and X for the writing questions ^^

O: How do you begin a story–with the plot, or the characters?

I would say a bit of both? I'll have a random, very isolated idea (a line of dialogue, or a random moment) and then I'll go at it and try to figure out how it could work. Which usually becomes led by the characters, because I try to write a scene about it and then start talking and I find out the tone I want for the story.

Then once I have a couple of those scenes I start to think of actual structure, adding in the stuff that makes it make sense, and then I just keep going until it feels good. ✨

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

I'm a sucker for so many tropes. Didn't know they were dating. Jealousy (not too much though) that leads to a confession. Everyone knows but them. Misunderstand—

Wait, no, that's the one. I know some people hate the misunderstanding trope, but it's my bread and butter. Someone has this deep belief about something that warps their entire perception of a situation, someone failed to ask one important question three months ago and now the consequences are piling on... there's SO MUCH potential there. 🥰

But more generally, I truly believe any trope can be done well, and as long as it fits the characters, I'm here for it.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

Listen, I never enjoy it. 😅 And I don't think anyone knows me as an author who writes particularly painful fics, in general. But I want the catharsis of it all, and for that you have to dig a little sometimes...

In The Boys in the Boat, I do love to torment Bobby the most. He's so aloof and energetic, he acts like nothing can touch him, so there's just something about having him be an emotional WRECK that gets to me, you know? 😜

In Dead Boy Detectives I don't think I could choose between Edwin and Charles. They both react to suffering in such unique and interesting ways? I am simply fascinated.

I hope this answered your questions, thank you so much for asking me! ❤️❤️❤️

[borealopelta]

What is your geology fic about????

geologyfic explanation in this ask! but here's another snippet for youuuuu

He's actively trying to purge the crystallisation temperature of quartz from his mind when someone knocks on his door. Not a polite knock by any measure, especially considering the hour (quite early), and Bobby all but leaps to open the door, if only to avoid the unknown intruder actually breaking it down with his furious pounding.

It's Don. Out of breath and disheveled, having clearly run the whole way to Bobby's room, but grinning ear to ear. A slightly crumpled piece of paper in his hand, which he holds up like a victory flag above his head.

"I aced it, Moch!" he hollers in greeting, the joy and relief coming off him in waves. Bobby feels secondhand drunk. He feels breathless. He feels like every single man living in the Varsity Boat Club house will want his blood if he doesn't get the incredibly loud visitor out of the hallway in the next few seconds.

He shoves Don into his room and closes the door behind him. Don, apparently made restless by this overabundance of good mood, paces the length of the room like a caged lion - if a pacing caged lion was happy as a clam, of course.

In a bid to shut down the menagerie of similes rapidly accumulating in his mind, Bobby opens his mouth.

"I'm very proud of you," he manages, because that feels like the most important thing to say. He's so damn proud of Don Hume, for pulling it out of the bag. For the team. For himself. Bobby could hug him.

"I knew you could do it," he adds, when Don doesn't stop pacing from the praise. This, however, stops Don in his tracks.

"No, I couldn't," he objects. "I was a mess, and i would have failed and been tossed out of the boat for good if it weren't for you taking pity on me."

Instead of pacing he is now looking Bobby in the eyes, dead serious all of a sudden.

"Without you sitting there in the library with me every day, for hours and hours, making me talk about things that probably bored you to tears - it means more than you could imagine."

[safarikalamari]

i haven't even watched a single episode of mota but the nicknames instantly made me think of this

[lunaotic]

Commission for wonderful @safarikalamari <3

[seaofolives]

so so so @kiliofdurinsline tagged me so here we go!

RULES: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

shrieks

anyway who's ready for the most confusing and unhelpful wip titles ever (I also forget what these are as soon as the wip becomes a non-wip)

✈️

🦇

🦢

🐈‍⬛

🐦

🪦

there's like exactly one (1) hadesgame and exactly one (1) gladnis in there but otherwise everything is g witch. also there's one more that isn't here but I haven't been able to get back to it in like more than a year so we'll keep it off the list for now. and if anyone really is curious about these, just reply to this post or send me a DM (I have asks closed)!

otherwise I'm tagging...

@clockwayswrites @gingerel @avianscribe @tagulansahulyo (do you still write po) @isleofair @safarikalamari (do you still have wips????)

[teaforarteza]

Thank you @catsauce-1 for the tag! 😊💜 This was a fun (or horrifying) one to think about...

List 5 topics you can talk on for an hour without preparing any material.

Star Wars - I have been a fan since I was in primary school (pre-11), and my love has never waned. If you're in the vicinity when I get an opportunity to ramble excitedly about everything I love about it, escape as soon as you can. I will not stop.

Art - Not specific artists or art movements, for the most part, but I love sketching, painting and photography, and I love talking about methods and preferences with people.

SPACE - It's fascinating and amazing, and I do love quite a few science-y things but space is just... How humanity and different cultures have interpreted space is interesting too.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - I'm so sorry. I just really love it. And this bleeds into me chattering delightedly about other mecha shows, and then other anime and manga, and eventually I either lose my voice or the heat death of the universe occurs.

The Nier games - I have too many emotions about these games. They're fascinating in terms of story, interesting in gameplay, the art and music are beautiful... They're my favourite games.

Bonus:

Telling stories that make people laugh - So I'm not sure if this counts or not, but it's something I'm sort of proud of. A lot of ridiculous things have happened to me and to my family, and I've previously reduced classmates, colleagues, friends and even my boss to actual tears of laughter. Fun for them and for me!

No pressure tagging @kjxlll, @safarikalamari, @borealopelta, @kcsplace, and @gnfard. Only if you want to!

[lennamarie]

Was tagged by @safarikalamari to make a moodboard for myself! 🩵 It was surprisingly difficult to choose photos lol

I’ll tag some mutuals, see how y’all are feeling these days: @faceofboetiesarecool @vronniesea @inkorstardust @pocketchina

[jedi-bird]

shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and post the first ten tracks

I was tagged by @spacepandar (thank you!)

1) 'Out of my Soul' by Helen Jane Long

2) 'Sunlight of the Human Spirit' by David Tolk

3) 'Transformation' by Michele McLaughlin

4) 'Crimson Sky' by Brian Crain

5) 'Every Coming Night' by Iron & Wine

6) 'Where is My Mind' by Maxence Cyrin

7) 'Wanderlust' by Philip Wesley

8) 'Jolie Coquine' by Caravan Palace

9) 'Better' by Regina Spektor

10) 'You Are What You Love' by Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins

I'm currently using pandora for writing purposes and this is what it gave me this morning. Tagging the following (feel free to ignore this tag): @peppermintquartz @egregiousderp @kawaii-pigeon @naniiebim @sorryaboutmcr @safarikalamari and anyone else who wants to join in (I love new music suggestions)

[the-last-quest]

☁️ and 🥤?

Ask game

☁️- What made you chose your username?

I got inspired by a musical called The Last Word. The word quest is important to the plot so I decided to put the two together.

Plus ‘the last quest’ sounds cool

🥤- Recommend an author or fanfic you really love.

Don’t Take Much and where the heart is by 손 현숙 (safarikalamari)

Two newsies fanfics that I discovered years ago but I still keep coming back to bc they’re short and sweet.

[deanogarbage]

In case anyone was wondering how @safarikalamari and my friendship is doing after 4 years of Tumblr/IRL 🙃

[proudtoehaver]

every time i see you on my twitter timeline i keep mistaking you for mara wilson, the actress and every time i'm like oh i didn't know she was into star wars!! anyway for the fanfic trope mash-up, finnpoe with 12 and 97?

Heh, the other Mara is also a mentally ill Jewish wlw who’s so done with everyone’s bs, so the confusion is understandable.

Now for the mash up, Room mate AU and Time travel.

Finn’s real name isn’t really Finn, it’s just the one he uses in this era to fit in. He’s part of an agency who tries to keep the multiverses timelines from being disrupted too much by those who would use their innate abilities to travel through time for their own selfish ends.

He’s currently chasing an unknown entity who’s tried to alter history for the worse. So far all that is known by the agency is a name - Kylo Ren - and that he’s last been seen active in the second decade of the 21st century in the United States.

Tracking this person’s activities Finn narrows the search area down to California. Still a large area he needs a more permanent base of operation and some sort of cover story. Taking his relative youth into account he settles on an identity of a university student in quantum physics and looks for a flat and a flat mate as a cover as he continue his search.

Poe is just a regular guy with a cuddly cat who’s looking for a place. With his last relationship finally over for good and no longer able to work as a commercial pilot due to an accident he isn’t expecting much from life, just hoping for a quiet place to live while he sorts himself out. He wasn’t really looking to share, but the flat in the fb post is ideal and the location couldn’t be better - and they allow cats - not to mention that this Finn guy who’ll be his sharer does look cute. 

The last thing Poe had counted on, or wanted, was getting involved in saving a multiverse he didn’t even know existed last Tuesday from a power hungry time traveler. The last thing Finn expected was to fall for this all too ordinary 21st century human.

But here they both are.

[lovesick-feelin]

for the writer ask meme, 2 and 9 for home is wherever i'm with you?

you absolute blessing of a human being

My favorite scene to write in Home was part five when Spot comes home from study abroad early; I absolutely adore the trope of long distance reunions after being separated for a long time and that was just so fun to write for me despite it being the shortest section!!

And I don’t know what idea came to me first, really!! This story was an odd one for me in that I kind of came up with it as I wrote (the beauty of 5+1’s) and didn’t have an outline. I always knew the +1, though; I knew I wanted that juxtaposition present, where the story is Spot’s POV and over the course of the story he gradually comes to associate Race with home, but it doesn’t really click until Race is the one that says it. (Did that even make sense? Who knows.)

[safarikalamari]

Liu Kang wakes up alone

He is so aware of the loneliness that has settled inside of him

And he just wants to tear it out

Feeling nothing is surely better than this

The agonizing pain

The screams fighting in his lungs

It echoes those Kung Lao made as his soul was taken

The memory of that day stealing the happiness Liu Kang once knew

It wasn’t supposed to happen

Not like this

Liu Kang begs for his return

For some glimmer of hope that Kung Lao may still find his way back

But in the end, Liu Kang knows it’s futile

He needs to focus on what lies ahead

The final battle is yet to come

Along with it, the ultimate test

And when Liu Kang stares into the deadened eyes of Kung Lao

His spirit turned dark and decayed

Liu Kang knows what must be done

Despite the tears that flood his vision

Despite his need to call for Kung Lao

He chokes back his cries

Steadies himself

And prepares to take Kung Lao’s life once and for all

[seaofolives]

Opening Line Patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there's a pattern!

me immediately upon seeing the rules: what ARE the last 10 fics I posted???

ANYWAY thank you for tagging me @clockwayswrites!!!! I thought I'd exclude some Filipino fics here and focus on the English ones but uhhhh same writer, different language and the same writer is also lazy as always so uhhhh from the latest to the not-so-latest????

also all my starters are paragraph blocks and nobody needs to read all that so we're going with starting sentences

also I'm gonna tag people now so y'all don't have to click the read more! @safarikalamari @isleofair @ginwilliamsart (i know you've written some!!!!) @tagulansahulyo

i like you a normal amount

gladnis, ffxv, g ("liv is that a gladnis fic????" YES IT'S A GLADNIS FIC AFTER SO LONG I'M SO HAPPY 😭😭😭)

Thereʼs a joke amongst the employees of the Citadel that even the screw that holds the windows together is more expensive than their collective salary—which is why, when some object that sounds like a rock hits his office window, Ignis jumps from his seat in a panic.

if ever you're in my arms again

guesule, g witch, g

Staring at the elevator’s display, a wicked thought asks Suletta: what would she do if the numbers suddenly went right back to 1?

wonderful tonight

guesule, g witch, g

Men don’t take too long getting ready.

pers lab/first love

guesule, g witch, g

🇵🇭

Siguro ay wala pang nakakalipas na limang minuto iyong dinampot muli ni Guel ang kuwadernong pang-estudyante niya para itext ang kapatid.

🇺🇸

There probably hasn’t been five minutes from his last text when Guel picks up his student notebook to send another message to his brother.

kahit konting pagtingin

translation: even just a little look (or smth)

sulemio, guesule, g witch, g

this fic doesn't have a full English translation yet but I'll translate the line in English here, anyway. also can I just say??? that the thing about sticking with pre-90s songs for titles is that it's kind of not funny to hear them playing in your head as you go through your works 🤣🤣🤣 my head is like a playlist now where I keep pressing next

🇵🇭

Nakakapanibago si Miorine ngayon.

🇺🇸

Thereʼs something different about Miorine today.

roman holiday

guesulemio, g witch, t+

The golden light captures him in its cool embrace, and Guel gasps to himself.

nandito ako/i'm here

guesule, g witch, g

right so! a bit of an explanation with this one: nandito ako (which is the original fic) was definitely posted way before the last ten fics but a part of the last ten fics I posted was its English translation i'm here. so I'm linking both

🇵🇭

Hay, sabi nga ni Lauda. Out of stock ang caramel latte, pati na sa malaking 7-11 sa campus!

🇺🇸

Well. It’s just as Lauda said—even in that giant 7-11 within the campus, there’s not a can of the caramel latte flavor within sight.

wind beneath my wings

shaddigue, g witch, e

With so little things even going Guel’s way anymore, it makes it easier for him to appreciate the smaller things that life has to offer.

a perfect christmas

guesule, g witch, g

no full English translation for this one either

🇵🇭

Mainit nga ang tubig na pinanligo ni Guel, pero pagkatapak naman niya sa kuwarto niya eh tila kinuryente siya sa ginaw.

🇺🇸

Guel may have taken a hot shower, all right, but the minute he steps out into his bedroom, heʼs jolted by the cold.

i think i'm in love

sulemio, g witch, g

no full English translation for this one either. the sentence construction is different, too, but that's language differences for you

🇵🇭

Biglang napaisip si Miorine—kung tutuusin, hindi naman talaga siya nahilig sa basketbol.

🇺🇸

Now that Miorine thinks about it, she realizes sheʼs never really been into basketball.

in conclusion

i had noooo idea I've been posting mostly filipino fics of late, that's amazing 😂 but in conclusion conclusion the thing about me is that I think my most natural opening is a dialogue but because I'm aware of that, I think that's the reason why I've shied away from it bc there's an imaginary audience at the back of my head pointing a finger at me and laughing. like "haha look it's a one-trick pony" and here I am whirling to my shadow and saying "no I'm not!!!!"

BUT so I was expecting at least one dialogue starter in all of these fics but it turns out that has never been the case lmao. but also like, so when my sister was still in college, she taught me about "in medias res" which really stuck to me because I thought it was the most natural way of things. time is flowing, every beginning could be a middle or an end of something and it also resolves the problem of having to build up something before you get to the meat. like biting into a sandwich with the main filling bunched up in the middle or smth

and I guess that's affected my style, too? like something's always already happening, enough for the perspective to make an observation, or the action is already happening.

which makes me sound smarter than I really am but I never said I was qualified to analyze my own works in the first place 🤣

[hexiewrites]

flintwood!!

>:D the best part is erin just sent this one too and i was debating between two songs but it’s FINE NOW SEE (i found like.... three more whatever its fine i have a Flintwood Problem shhhh)

{marcus & oliver} kygo ft. ellie goulding - first time

We were lovers on a wild rideSpeeding for the finish lineCome until the end of our time, yeahStarted off as a wildfire, burning down the bridges to our empireOur love was something they could admire, yeah, yeah

We were high and we were soberWe were on and we were overWe were young and now I'm olderBut I'd do it all again

{send me a ship & I’ll give you a song!}

[sectumsemphra]

my neighbor totoro (1988) dir. hayao miyazaki

"Life is a winking light in the darkness."