#sorry if I ramble my speaking style and writing style are very different lol

[avelera]

idk how to explain this but jayvik is giving the same vibes as dreamling. i just can't prove it.

Serious answer, they do match some of the Red Oni/Blue Oni tropes that are very popular with a lot of slash ships, including Hob/Dream, Jayce/Viktor, Newt/Hermann, and Kirk/Spock, where one is more passionate and governed by emotion and one is more remote and intellectual.

It's also very common for such ships to have physical characteristics that match these personality characteristics, like the "Red" Oni figure being physically larger, broader, and more imposing with a body that runs hot, with the "Blue" Oni figure being lean, pale, and cerebral with a body that runs cold (as we have seen over and over and over with these style of ships where one is presumed to "run hot" and the other is always cold, yes I am guilty of writing this too, it's a fun trope).

(Fandoms often tend to exaggerate these differences even further, make the height differences even more pronounced, the Red figure bigger, the Blue figure even more waifish, and often throw in a Masculine/Feminine angle to the differences which further remove the characters from their canon selves, but that is a raging pet peeve of mine for another day.)

But I would say, unique to Jayvik and Dreamling's similarities are things like Viktor ascending to become an Endless, Dream-like figure, able to touch the consciousnesses of uncountable lives, and in doing so becoming a solitary figure that only one person seems to be able to reach in his loneliness. And there is a similarity between Hob and Jayce with them being the more passionate, loud person of the two, who seems more grounded in the "physical" world and its pleasures.

Certainly when I write Jayce and Viktor I have to be careful not to dip too much into mannerisms and tropes I've been writing recently for Hob and Dream. For example, Jayce speaks informally about 80% of the time (and with poetic eloquence about 5-10% of the time, usually when talking about magic or higher concepts like morality), but he doesn't use the bloke-y British slang terms I ascribe to Hob. And Viktor speaks informally about 60% of the time, but he's not nearly so rigidly formal in his diction as Dream often is, and he sometimes uses English as a second language grammar, rather than purely formal grammar.

(I also borrow elements for writing them from my time writing Newt and Hermann for Pacific Rim, but that's mostly things like awareness around Viktor's disability, first practiced while writing Hermann, and the analytical way Newt and Hermann both talk applies to Jayce and Viktor as scientists first and foremost, but Jayvik lacks the Newmann bickering and they are actually very affectionate and in sync with each other from the start. It's been very rewarding to pull from some other ships I have more experience with to write Jayce and Viktor, and this ask gave me the chance to ramble about it a bit lol so sorry about the tangent).

But yeah I do think there's similarities, you're not imagining things. But personally I find the places where they are different from other Red Oni/Blue Oni style ships to be the most interesting parts about them.

[sketchyelvenasss]

9, 15, and 21 for everyone sound fun! (Though 13 and 14 for any Durge are also fun, if you feel like it? :))

Thank you for the ask! Sorry for the wait I had to mull over a few things :3

9) What is your OC’s greatest wish/dream/goals?

Honestly Rexander is looking forward to when he and Astarion can retire from the nomadic life they continued after they had saved the world. Not that he’s tired of looking for a way to cure Astarion’s vamprism-- that’s his main goal, but I thought that was an easy answer. It is a promise he intends to keep. He would just like to find it before he is too old so he can enjoy a quiet, slow life with him.

Aerika is constantly striving to balance his faith, love and worldly wants. A feat that has become far more complicated post the events of the game. He is happily married, but still wants to continue his expeditions to the underdark, but also wants to pursue the magical study he had largely sidelined after becoming a cleric. After a couple years Aerika does take far fewer trips to the underdark to spend more time with Gale because he does understand, even with Gale’s magic, the disparity between their lifespans. (even so he doesn't for a moment regret showing Gale he desired him the mortal man--not a deity made from him)

It is never good to wish to reverse time, but Orville can’t help himself.. Act 2 Astarion admits that he met and lured Orville’s mother to Cazador. That revelation really hurt, but Orville chose--after a lot of tears and self reflection-- to forgive him because at that point he did love him. Then Act 3 they learn everything-- that somewhere in that mass of 7,000 spawn was his mother. He wishes he could undo the pain she went through and those years she suffered down here in the dark. If he could he would have trade places with her.

15) Has your OC ever fallen in love before who their intended love interest is, or is the intended love interest their first love?

I wouldn’t call what Rex and Gortesh had love. A mutual attraction from a thirst for power and desire to display dominance? Rex really was a different person than who he became. (I work with the idea that Orin pm gave him a lobotomy when she deposed him)

Aerika wanted to get married once before. There was a young(25) tiefling named Dhymos that would volunteer to help clean the temple a couple times a week. They got to know each other well after the tiefling accidentally bumped into Aerika as he rounded a corner and dumped water all over him romcom style. For several years they were partners that Aerika took more seriously than Dhymos did. Not to paint Dhymos as a bad guy, it was just a lack of communication on both their parts, and Aerika’s long absences didn’t help matters either. When Aerika proposed, Dhymos turned him down as politely as possible.

Orville’s first love is Astarion. That is probably why it is so hard, and why despite everything he doesn’t want to let those feelings go. If he could give that up and just be mad at the elf it would be so much easier, but he can’t. He wants to forgive and love him. But feelings are complicated and are not so easily reconciled.

21) Any embarrassing secrets your OC demands you take to the grave but you will share anyway?

Not sure how much of a secret it is, but Rexander is embarrassed that he’s ticklish. It’s a weird sensation for him. So he’d rather others not now about it. Astarion takes too much advantage as it is after he found out.

Aerika is a cleric, but he’s never felt like his devotion demanded chastity. He’s not quick to tell the story that he and Dhymos were nearly caught screwing in the temple garden. It started out as a late evening date after Aerika had been gone for several months. Then they got a little carried away. Abstinence makes the fond grow harder…(something like that right? :3)

Orville is a pretty open book if he’s comfortable with someone so he doesn’t really have secrets. Though one time he did get fleeced by a woman that caught him pickpocketing. She told him he was handsome and offered to buy him a drink. Next thing he knows he wakes up in only his small clothes tied to a bed by all four posts. Wasn’t till the innkeeper came to clean the room the next day he was found.

Durge questions: Hermon Hemlock

13 + 14) Does your OC have a good relationship with their parents or no? What about any siblings, do they have any and is their relationship good?

Short answer, yes(13). I do not have a deep understanding of DnD lore so don’t mind me if my headcanons break rules or are weird in context.

Longer answer: Hermon was raised alongside Orin by Sarevok. Sarevok is more like a parental figure for him and he desires to please him as much as he wants to sever Bhaal and please himself. The relationship with his father is more like that of a god and a chosen, but Hemlock is very happy with that arrangement.

Despite everything I would say Hemlock and Orin have a good relationship. A rivalry for sure, but there is no hatred between them. Hemlock madly respects her coup. If not for some bad luck she would have completely succeeded. Orin may be slighted by Hemlock being favored since birth, but they were always competing. She would be lying if she said she didn’t watch him and take cues from his work. Hemlock honorably accepts her duel and gives her a satisfying end.

As far as murder siblings go… its a pretty good relationship XD

[markosbabymama]

yipppeee!!! :) in that case can i pls get a ck matchup?

i’m 5’3” (160 cm) , i have stone blue eyes but they change to green or grey depending on the day. my hair is wavy and shoulder length and it’s the color of cinnamon. i have dark freckles under my right eye but not my left. im on the lighter-tannish side and i have a sharp button nose.

i’m an aquarius rising and sun , and i’m a pisces moon. i’m an introverted extrovert and an entp. i have anxiety and adhd. i tend to hyperfixate on things very easily. i love film, and writing, and reading. horror is my favorite genre of book and movie. my love language is physical touch and words of affirmation. my aesthetic per-say is modern downtown girl meets 70s downtown girl.

i love music si much it’s a big part of my life. i’m learning to speak spanish and i tend to talk a lot if you couldn’t already tell. rambling is a big habit of mine.

i’m so sorry ml for writing like 3 full paragraphs 😭😭 mwah mwah tysm <3333

u are literally the cutest ever?!🩷🥹

you are made for miguel sorry i don’t make the rules

.

UGH HEIGHT DIFFERENCE !!

he loves to lean down and kiss u literally his favorite thing ever.

he’ll randomly give u piggy back rides or pick u up bridal style and thinks it’s the funniest thing ever

.

loves loves LOVES UR EYES!!!!

literally kisses ur eyelids bc he loves your eyes sm

*looks down at u while ur cuddling him* “when we get married and have kids they better have your eyes, or else i don’t want em.” *slaps his chest* “miguel!”

takes random pics of ur eyes while they’re in light

.

loves to run his hands threw ur hair. it’s therapeutic for him.

definitely tried to braid it and fails miserably but it’s the thought that counts.

randomly buys u claw clips and hair ties🥹

has a hair tie on his wrists at all times just in case.

.

once tired to kiss all the freckles on ur face to see if he could do it LOL

obvi he couldn’t but it’s okay cus he loves to kith u lol.

always admired ur freckles. thinks it’s the prettiest thing on the planet.

.

NOSE KISSES ARE A DAILY THING.

kisses ur nose as many times as human can.

loves to pinch ur nose as well lolz

he loves ur nose sm

.

he’s honestly always by you’re side since he knows it takes time for u to warm up to ppl

especially at party’s.

he will never leave ur side EVER.

only time he does is to get u a drink. but even then he’s like “u sure ur okay by urself? promsie??”

and let’s say u have an anxiety attack/ ur overwhelmed by something

MY GOD HES WAISTING NO TIME

he will run to your side so fast to make sure you’re okay.

will do breathing exercises with you, rub your back, give you water, talk u threw it, he will literally not move from ur side unless you say to.

.

loves how u get so invested in something

like he will literally go out of his way to make sure he knows everything abt ur hyper fixation

no matter wtf it is. it could be abt rocks and this man will search how many there are, JUST to talk to u abt it.

adores reading horror books/ watching horror movies with u.

he’ll wrap his whole body around u with twelve blankets on a couch and just sit there listening to you tell him about facts abt the movie, the cast, where it was filmed, ect.

loves watching u write

will literally just sit next to u and watch

HE ADORES EVERYTHING U DO MAN🥹

.

loves how passionate u are abt music

makes a special playlist just for u.

is proud when u add a song from his playlist to urs

“U LIKE THIS SONG???” *smiles like a six year old*

.

i honestly believe miguel is touchy too so he LOVES when u can’t keep ur hands off him

not in a sexual way, in a loving, caring, sweet way🖤

holds onto ur waist all the time

y’all definitely link arms all the time

he’s always touching u and the other way around. y’all can’t keep each others hands off the other.

“you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, mi amor.”

.

loves ur style and loves going shopping with u.

will hold up a pair of boots and go

“omg this would look so pretty on u mi amor.”

also loves finding lil hats for u to wear.

will blow every last dollar he has to buy u clothes.

*walks in with 5 giant bags* “Y/N, I HAVE A SUPRISE FOR YOUUU!!”

.

UGH LOVES CUS UR LEARNING SPANISH??!?!?!

literally is ur tutor

“Eres el amor de mi vida.” *looks over to him* “what did u just say, miguel? *smiles from ear to ear.* “nothiiinggg.”

u find out like three days later and kiss the shit out of him. LMAO

leaves lil love notes in spanish in ur locker everyday 🥹

so proud of u when u have your first full convo in spanish.

“YOU DID IT!!! IM SO PROUD OF YOU MI AMOR!” *tackles u and kisses ur face.*

so much shit talking happens at school.

miguel: “¿Viste su traje?”

y/n: “Sí, oh Dios mío. ella se parece a mi abuela.”

*both of u dying of laughter*

.

A/N: THIS WAS SO FUN TO WRITE MY GOODNESSSSSS. i really hope u enjoy this cause i had a blast writing it. love ya!!🩷🥹

[baby-xemnas]

Hello! I've already told you, but I love your style, the way you draw Bepo and Law is beautiful and unique :D I have a few questions, but I don't know if you've already answered them, if so, sorry!

How long you've been drawing ? Do you have any advice for new artists (anatomy, practice..) ? What kind of tablet do you use? Do you draw on paper too?

Thank you, have a nice day! ♡

thank you very much, i appreciate it♥️

ive been drawing "seriously" (aka actually studying, copying styles etc) since college so for like 14 years? I don't like this question because it feels like i should be more impressive 😂 i wont pretend that i spent all those years studying, i mostly was fucking around

there are so many resources out there but best at explaining most basic basics is proko on yt (its most accessible) I'm sorry i wont take responsibility and give you a concrete advice because you ask any self taught artist most of them will tell you "idk just do what makes sense and do it A Lot"

which is yeah, not a speedrun strat for getting good and youll inevitably wish you did some things differently and feel like you "wasted time"

im not good at giving advice tbh its always "just do" lol

study on the regular and things will stick, find a resource that you enjoy and that makes sense to you and study and draw what you love in between

my tablet had been a small gifted wacom bamboo for like 12 years, i recently bought a small intuous (and scratched a hole in it thats almost as bad as my bamboo one so im mad af abt that but thats a dif story)

i dont draw on paper as much as i used to when i had a regular job (which ironically was my first OP/ ginsanji era ♥️) but i do studies on paper, they are nothing to write home about, just working on better volume understanding and line control (speaking of volume understanding, you need to understand how to think in 3Dwhen drawing, no i cant give you a concrete link to a source for that idk it myself)

this is a big unfocused ramble i just woke up

[morningsound15]

Hey just dropping in to say I'm rereading winged cupid painted again and it really means a lot to me. I'm also a writer so I know it always feels a lil weird to have people focusing on super old work (my ancient ass PJO and X-Men fics from high school 8+ years ago somehow still get more engagement than anything else lol) but I appreciate the care put in doing research about blindness, and the little things like frustration with people moving stuff around or being touched randomly. This is stuff people complain about all the time in blind circles I run in, like just yesterday on this discord server I'm in. The writing is gorgeous and I love the way you write the characters. I was never into the 100 really but am always starving for decently written disabled characters that don't fall into the magical/medical fix, "O Woe I A Blind Character Written By A Sighted Author Am Doomed To A Life Of Misery How Am I To Exist With This Cursed Affliction", or just generally painfully stereotypical with face touching and the like. As I said, never super into the 100 for its own right and consequently the characters have taken on a life of their own in my head, they feel like your characters, really. Anyway, I'm rambling but this story is very close to my heart and while I know it's likely a bit too old to be something that'll continue, I'd even love to commission something from you if that's ever feasible. Even if not, your work means a lot to me and I'm probably going to go and comment chapter by chapter as I reread.

thank you so much for this ask! I'm sorry I didn't see it when you first sent it, I've been on the app and you know how weird the app can be with notifications.

I really appreciate you sending this! That story is something that I wrote a really long time ago, it was one of the first long multi-chapter fics I ever attempted, and though I can't necessarily speak to how well it holds up as a piece of writing (my writing style has changed so much since I wrote it that reading it is like reading something by a different author), I am really so very glad people still find something meaningful in it. Realistically I don't think I'll ever finish it, I'm just too far removed from the mindset I was in when I started to write it, and I'm too distant from the characters to satisfyingly wrap up their stories. But knowing that you found it after all these years and enjoyed it really means a lot to me.

Readers who find old stories, even old unfinished ones, and take the time to message and/or comment about them are the backbone of fandom, really truly! Thank you for the kind words.

[arikihalloween]

I've been summoned (mentionned) so here's my rant about it guys !

Based on my observations, there are three things to an AU

ArtStyle, Concept, Narrative

Generally speaking, Style and Narrative are the most important

A concept can only get one so far, and most of the time the concept will heavily rely on the other two

Narrative and Artstyle can work separately, though

A good narrative doesn't always need a good artstyle, and vice versa

What makes an AU popular is based on many variables, such as the og media, the kind of content the fandom gravitates toward, how close the AU is to canon and how well the artists understand the media, how good the style is, how likable the AU characters are made to be, the preexisting audience of the artists, how visible the fun you're having making it is, how much one interacts with the rest of the fandom

One thing to note is that the internet is unfair and judgy

It's unfortunate, but something we gotta work around with

A popular artist can post their AU, and their pre existing audience will immediatly respond to it and help spread it via reblogs and interactions or fanarts

A lesser known artist will have to seek interactions themselves and get their work out there as much as they can

Anyway, one must never forget that the root of an AU is the love for a media and having fun with concepts and art forms, weither it he art, comics, writing, singing, acting, voice acting

There are many ways to make an AU, so better have fun weither your work is seen or not !

The only way for an AU to fail if it's it was *made* to be popular

If you make stuff in hopes of getting popularity, it gets really obvious really fast, and people end up feeling it

The artist will burn themselves out too

TLDR : Popularity is basically a roulette, a game of luck. If u ain't already popular with a strong artstyle, u gotta work a lil harder and interact and put your work out there more for it to gain traction

Do it out of love or people will feel the bad vibes and it'll flop

Don't just throw concepts at a wall in hopes it sticks /j/lh

I want to emphasise that this is all how I view things

Ross's experience is very different from my own, I think we can all agree that Ross's art is awesome and has a vibe that people just like

As a much smaller artist who only ever had one popular AU (wttmv, which is not even mine it's actually Ross's i'm just a loreholder lol) and I can attest that just getting my work out there requires more work, more interacting, drawing fanarts and interactions with other creators, making connections while Ross can just throw a doodle in the void and it just works lmao

My experience is so different, and that's fine

Out of all the variables that make an AU work, often time artstyle and popularity are big factors, and yeah it sucks and it can be so unfair, but that's unfortunately how internet tends to be

I know so many artists that are hella underrated ! So always boost your friends when you can, help them get their work out there ! Share the love and creativity ! Make fanarts and headcanon and silly voice acting for them, and for yourself.

It's also why most big artist and 'popular' AU creators will tell you unanimously one thing about making AUs : Do it for the love of the work. Do what you like. Have fun.

Because that's how they started

The rest was just luck, connections, algorithm, and in no way a formula that'll always work

Trying to be popular will just burn you out

So you better just create for the sake of creating and putting your love for that media out there

And that was my long ass ramble about AU popularity, and I'm not sorry I say things bluntly

There are more than one way to get an AU to be 'popular' and it's such a vast subject because of the various fandoms and community

I'm all open for more thoughts and rambles on the matter, opinions and all

It's like salary, it's worth talking about openly /j

hey Ross, I'm asking every popular au creator this: what makes an au popular? how did dreamcaptor bill first gain popularity? just curious and do you have any tips for the smaller au creators

Ok- this has like been frying my brain, it's kind of hard to give a concrete answer because IT REALLY DEPENDS,

for me, anyway it kind of worked out a little better cuz I have enough of a following? [although not sure how many of those actively tune into me]

so there's that.. not really a wow explanation, ill be honest

other ways is just,

basically you just gotta work on you're concept and execution, if you're able to introduce your au in a eye catching way through story, character design and over all concept

yada yada,

[honestly, my friend ariki has a better in-depth way of explaining this but i'm giving you the summary]

some AUs just get really popular because of it's concept, people gravitate to it because they want to know more

while others are popular because of the artist, the reputation for either the art or storytelling

or you just learn of an artist and how good the art looks that makes the AU eye catching and you gain the interest to see more

It can also not be about the art, just the writing about the AU and how interesting it sounds

and the luck/blessing of the algorithm gods that it blesses your AU to be seen by the masses,

interacting with other AU creators also helps, ig

it's a lil weird for me, ngl- for explainin all of this cuz, I try to focus less on that.. not saying i dont think about it, but im tryna think of it less..?

and just focus on having fun with my aus, because I make AUs because i love the source material and i have ideas for alternate routes and just loud delusional ideas that I want to be real and so i make it

all i can say, is just have fun with your AU and less worry about gaining popularity over it idk??

im not sure if thats a sound advice because other people have different intentions for wanting to create an AU

[icewindandboringhorror]

TWO QUICK QUESTIONS!! (as shown in the example images (BUT ignore everything else like font/sloppy text box/art/etc. since those are just silly placeholder images which I’ll change later, here I'm just asking about the positioning of people, not other things lol)) --

1. When a single person is speaking, should they be placed to the left side of the screen (1st image), or in the middle (2nd image)?

2. When two people appear on the screen at the same time, should they be next to each other on the left (3rd image), or farther apart with one on the left and one on the right (4th image)?

[grey-lark]

i absolutely love jackrabbit underneath and how you fleshed out characters in a way that's absolutely amazing?? and providing just the right amount of detail that gives mystery but not confusion!

do you have any advice about how to write in depth but not /ramble/ on one topic/character? because jackrabbit is one of my favorite fics and i love your writing style!

lol sorry this might be a weird q!

Sorry this is so late! Reply under the cut since this got long.

This isn’t a weird question at all! It’s actually very flattering since I tend to worry about rambling in my writing A LOT - thank you so much!

One thing I try to do when I’m writing is ask myself how this particular section or paragraph advances the story. Not just the plot, but the readers understanding of the character as well - what is this conveying that hasn’t already been done? I can’t tell you the amount of paragraphs I’ve deleted because I realized I was saying the same thing I said earlier, just in a different way. Think about the point you’re trying to make with a section, and then think about if you already made it earlier. Try to provide a new detail about a character/situation, or expand on an established fact.

Of course, as with any advice with writing, there are exceptions. Maybe you’re trying to establish a theme, or a character trait - a pattern of behavior or thought process. In which case, I’d suggest putting some buffer between the sections with the same “point” so it’s doesn’t feel repetitive.

But even more important than the above is that if a detail or a situation makes you happy - write it! Especially with fanfic. I really thought Steve and Murray butting heads was self-indulgent and not something other people would be interested in, but it’s turned out to be one the sections that’s gotten the most praise from people! Generally speaking, if it’s something you’re dying to see, then it probably has some “point” to the story, and someone else will want to see it too. To be honest, I didn’t even really use the advice above writing the Steve and Murray scene, because it was an interaction I wanted to see. It wasn’t until later that I reflected on how that interaction really highlighted that the “King Steve” persona was still there and helpful to Steve. Writing should be fun, so if there is something that makes you happy you should go with it!

Keep in mind, while you may need be prepared to “kill your darlings”, you have to write them first before you can scrap them. Even if it feels like rambling - write! You can always go back and edit, so don’t antagonize over having too much to pull from for a final draft.

I hope this make sense and helps! I’m not a professional writer nor an English major, but hopefully this is useful. And thank you again for the question and the compliment!! I can be rather long winded so it’s amazing to hear that I’m striking a good balance of detail!

[pig-wings]

26, 32, and 40!!

26. What would you describe as OOC?

OH BOY...THIS IS A FUN ONE

I could probably write an very long post on this, and I definitely feel like this is something people have very differing opinions on.

I feel like much--though not all--fanfiction is inherently OOC, just by nature of it being fanfic. For example, Starlight/Firelight and Xanadu are OOC fics for a lot of reasons. Mostly because I don't think canon Amos would ever be in a relationship. I think I'm pretty good at allowing my fics and canon to coexist inside my brain because I always make sure that the characters are motivated by more or less the same things in my fics as they are in canon, while also accepting that fic is going to be inherently different. I think keeping track of motivation goes a long way in making sure characters feel IC. Holden is motivated by his desire to keep his family together. Naomi is motivated by her need for freedom. Amos is motivated by his need for guidance and a strong sense of loyalty. I also try hard to make sure characters sound "right" when they speak. Amos has a very unique, casual style of speaking, especially in the books, and I try to preserve that.

I reference a lot of stuff when I write, too. I rewatch scenes from the show, I reread passages from the books. I'm working on a DC fic right now and I have five different comics open in my browser. So...I do personally really care about making sure my own fics feel IC by my own standards, but I'd rather people feel the freedom to write than feel boxed into "IC fics"

So I think my actual answer is this: I think characters feel OOC when they start losing their motivation. I think motivation is thread you have to follow through your fics if you're focused on making them feel IC. IC to OOC is definitely a spectrum, and I think there's even some overlap between IC and OOC when it comes to fics as that spectrum folds back over itself.

Anyway, sorry to use this space to MEGA RAMBLE, I just think about this so much when I write lol. There really is a certain beauty to fic writing and the odd nuances of it all

32. Do you have a word/expression that you always use in your writing?

I'm not sure if there's a specific word or expression, though I'm sure there is. The biggest habit I've been trying to break is saying things along the lines of "a beat of silence passed" in my writing. I'm trying to do more to just show, through the words, that characters feel awkward or are enjoying each others company or etc. I'm always wary of sounding repetitive when I write because I feel like once you notice a reoccurring phrase you can never un-notice it. That being said I would love to hear if anyone notices any words or phrases because now I am very curious 😅

I do love to use bird motifs in my writing, though.

40. Write a 9-word fic.

"But Holden," Finlith said, "this rock is very round."

[yumgrapejuice]

Hello there! I recently found your fic A is for accidental dimensional travel on ao3 and would first like to say good job! I am thoroughly enjoying the story so far. As an amateur writer, I wanted to ask if you have any writing tips?

First, I’m really happy to hear you’re enjoying it, thank you!! And second, of course!!!:D That’s very flattering haha, and it’s something I can talk about for hours, though I’ll try to keep it condensed:’D I’m an amateur writer myself, of course, but, hey, I think every writer has something valuable to offer in terms of advice, and I have been pretty obsessed over the topic for years I guess lol.

I will say, though, that writing is like any other skill, and certain advice fits certain levels (I’ve had someone come to me about writing tips who didn’t have a grasp on the most basic concepts, so I told them different things from what I’d tell someone who’s actually been writing for a while). I don’t know what level you’re at, anon, so I’ll try to keep it to tips that I personally use whenever I’m writing, just a few quick things:D However!! You can always directly dm me and I’d be more than happy to offer more personalized/specific advice if that’s something you’d like:))

(I’d also like to mention that, to me, fanfiction writing is different from original writing. In fanfics, I usually go with the first draft of any chapter and I focus more on the Fun stuff, whereas with original stuff I’d have multiple drafts and be more careful. I just don’t have the time nor the need to perfect my fics if I like them enough as is, and I don't expect anyone else to perfect them, either. But, hey, that’s just me)

(Also, also, don’t look at me for grammar lmao sorry)

Putting the rest under the cut!:D

Dialogue is my favorite part of writing, so I’d like to share a few things I keep in mind whenever I’m constructing it.

First, unless a character is monologuing, I try to keep each person’s lines to no more than 3-4 sentences at a time. That way the dialogue flows more naturally and feels like people are actually talking.

Second, people are rarely graceful with their words, especially if they’re flustered for any reason. Cutting off sentences is a good way to show that, but don’t overdo it, either. That goes for stuttering, too. A couple of cuts or stutters is more than enough. I tend to break this "rule" when someone is really struggling, but that's only on special occasions.

Third, not every line needs a dialogue tag!! You need to evaluate what’s actually important. If you’re using a dialogue tag, you’re drawing attention to it. Why? Is it unclear who’s speaking? Are they performing some action that adds to/reinforces/conflicts with what’s being said? Is it funny? If there isn’t a good reason, you can just leave it without a tag. (Also, dialogue without tags flows much quicker, so that’s something to keep in mind. That's good for a quippy exchange.)

Fourth, I try to always progress some aspect of the story with every line. Usually, that can be plot progression or character progression. They can chatter about their day, the weather, work, sure, but it needs to progress something. Maybe it’s used to showcase the tense/awkward atmosphere. Maybe they learn information that’ll be useful later. Maybe it’s a way to show personality. Just, have it have a purpose.

And last, ‘said’ is not dead. Our eyes when reading barely register the word, so if you don’t wanna draw attention to how something is being said, use… ‘said’ lol.

A few more general things:

I don’t switch POVs often, but when I do, I try to make each POV have its distinct voice, which is something you hear a lot about in writing classes and such. People far more advanced than me can explain it much better, but the way I go about it is similar to dialogue. Different people use different phrases, some go on long tangents, some introspect a lot, some would rather die than think for a second about what they’re feeling (doesn’t mean you shouldn’t describe their emotional responses; just that some may draw more attention to them and linger longer). Switching between more formal styles to looser and rambly is also an easy and quick way to distinguish different narrators.

If you focus a lot on a certain detail, that detail needs to be important. Listen, I didn't spend multiple paragraphs on Dream fawning over an ender chest for that to be trivial in the future lol. The more attention you draw to something, you more weight you put on it. I really recommend that you bring it back eventually.

What’s the worst that can happen? Make it happen, and make it worse lol.

Your readers aren’t stupid, don’t spoon-feed them information. They’re smart cookies, leave some clues and they’ll figure it out. Hopefully. Use your judgement lol. But that goes for descriptions, too. Help them paint the scene, don’t actually paint it for them. Use different senses to describe something, such as smell, touch, sound. Once again, draw attention only to what’s actually important. (I’ve really enjoyed the way descriptions were done in Path of Golden Green)

If you want a line to have a lot of weight, put it in a separate paragraph. That’s probably obvious, but good to have it in mind haha.

Decide what atmosphere you want your story to have. If you’re going for a lighter one, don’t focus too much on serious, dark things. Likewise, tragedies and comedy don’t mix well unless it’s a tragicomedy lol, but that’s a whole other thing. I usually like going for a nice middle, sometimes leaning more towards light stuff. It’s why in A is for Accidental I didn’t dwell too much on the possible effects the prison could have had on mh!Dream because I wanted to keep that storyline relatively light (at least, compared to dsmp!Dream’s storyline lol). Possible trauma just. wasn’t the point here lmao. I just slap on a “eh, not his first rodeo” and I’m done haha. Not everything needs to be heavy angst and not everything needs to be all funny and fluffy. Find what balance you wanna have. Basically, it’s usually not a good idea to betray your readers lol.

This is more of a pet peeve but I really dislike head-hopping lol. It's basically when one paragraph is from one character's POV, the next one is from another's. I guess there's the third-person omniscient POV where that can fly, I suppose, but I'm more of a third-person limited kind of person lol. If that's the POV you're going with, decide on your POV character and stick to it (until the change in POV, at least), pretty please <3

This is very unorganized but each aspect of writing has so much that could be said about it that I thought I should stop here lol. If there’s anything specific you’d like me to talk about or to elaborate on something, please, feel free to ask; again, I’d be more than happy to ramble more about writing lol. I could go on forever, honestly:’D

[lumienyx]

I 100% want to know about both 'Hawke no' and the inquisitor hawke story because they both sound AMAZING

Yello there! answered about Hawke, No right here :3

And ahhhhh Reikah you asked about my favorite bb T_T Thank you so much💙💙💙 But can you forgive me if I ramble? Can you??? If not gosh just please ignore skhshsksk

The Inquisitor!Hawke fic is like years in the making... in my head lol. I’ve only recently started actually writing it now that I’ve got a passably decent writing style I’m satisfied with. It’s also a VERY self-indulgent fic, because:

1. FIRST AND FOREMOST I have yet to read an Inquisitor!Hawke/Anders AU where there’s copious amounts of porn interspersed with plot so I guess it’s up to ser thirsty ass over here to satisfy his own desires😔✊

2. I so would like to explore spirit lore & ancient elven lore and, uh, I do that a lot in this fic, which is why it gets downright... weird in places >.> Because I have yet to read a fic that goes with the theories I prefer soooo again it’s all up to me to write it, along with my own hcs thrown in XD To avoid spoilers, suffice it to say that Solas’ arc is pretty different in this story, and so is every spirit entity’s for that matter — from Justice to Cole and the Nightmare, and everyone in between👀 

3. Speaking of spirit entities, Justice is rightfully one of the three main characters in this one. It starts off with established Justhanders (because I can😤) (and they are very much in love🥰❤️), and Justice gets roughly the same amount of POV as Anders and Hawke, which is something that, again, I find lacking in other stories >:c also re: porn I MEAN JUSTICE AND HAWKE’S ANCHOR I MEAN THE POSSIBILITIES I ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

4. Samson (Anders’ long-time friend in this and I won’t pretend this wasn’t @rusted-pipe-of-wisdom​‘s influence) and Cullen are both in the Inquisition🙃 I considered switching their roles but couldn’t be bothered to develop Cullen as an antagonist. Considered ignoring his existence entirely or killing him off, but settled on exploring the hilarious shitfest of Cullen and Samson trying their best (or barely trying?) not to rip each other’s throats out while commanding the Inquisition’s forces😅 Their roles aren’t overlapping and there’s an in-story explanation of why they’re both there, but I’ll stop before I spoil.

Consequently, there’s Calpernia to deal with, but to further balance things out, I’ve gone and made the Cory much more of a threat in this story because the Clownypheus we get in Inquisition is just too much of a joke for me to bear😩 I mean fuck it. Give me danger. Give me High Stakes. Give me SACRIFICE AND DEAT—ooookay, maybe not death. Maybe🌚

5. RIP Hawke and Anders' anonymity very early in the story but for the little while they manage, their aliases are, respectively, Geralt of Rivain and Kyle Ren (short for Kyle Ferrenly) because the author is complete and utter dumbass ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sorry for rambling so much I’m just really excited about writing this but let’s face I'll prolly never finish it anyway ._. So if you are by any chance interested — have an excerpt (sorry it’s so unedited😥😥) from the beginning.

Scene from Chapter 1: Tragic Mark Upon Our Land

~

Hawke was dead.

No, Anders forcibly corrected his and Justice's shared thought. They couldn't afford such moments of weakness. Garrett wasn't dead. It couldn't be true.

Anders marched on, across the glaciers, through toppled trees and against the biting wind towards the little hints of civilization he could see among the mountains, the rocky landscape peppered with newfound rifts and rippling with demonic energy. The sky was torn apart, and he was too preoccupied to worry about the absolute disaster that this was as he normally would, because all that mattered was that—

Garrett was dead.

Anders shook his head, plowing through thick mounds of snow with an explosive burst of fire.

It couldn't be. His heart constricted in his chest. His stomach twisted in knots. Anders gritted his teeth, swiping away rapidly freezing tears and swallowing down the bile creeping up his throat, and walked on.

He drew strength from Justice, who brushed along his mind in comforting waves even as his very essence trembled with an echo of the fear that suffocated Anders' chest with an iron grip. Even so, he offered to take over. Anders refused. They could be spotted at any moment. Ambushed at any moment. Every piece of ice that broke under the weight of his foot could be a trap set by a mage, any particularly cold gush of wind the sign of a templar's aura nearby. They could not afford to be seen with Justice showing through. Anders was risking enough as it was, walking right into the Chantry's domain, like Hawke explicitly told him not to do, but now Hawke was fucking dead and—

It couldn't be.

Hawke wasn't dead and they needed to make sure of that, needed to feel Garrett's heart beat beneath his chest, to see the smile dancing on his lips, and so, with aching feet and an ever more aching heart, they trudged onwards.

Anders, the Grey Warden, possessed mage, the most wanted man in Thedas, wasn't the one supposed to outlive Hawke, whose only grave sin to date, really, was tying his life to Anders' in the first place.

Would this ever have happened if we'd never—

Justice, immortal as he was, would outlive both of them and that was a truth all three of them had to contend with...

We cannot allow him to die here—

...but not like this, never like this. It simply could not end this way. It wouldn't.

It was either a dream or a mistake.

An impossibility Anders and Justice wouldn't allow themselves to entertain in the slightest, because it was naught but farce.

Wasn't it?

Anders had to force himself to breathe at this point. Cold wind prickled in his lungs and yet the pain of it paled against the terror that flooded him whole.

Justice's power rushed through him again, muted and concealed but still invigorating, filling Anders' veins with the pure energy of the Fade that allowed him to take the next step. Then another. A jump down into a pile of snow, and yet another step, step, step, and there, finally, ramparts and makeshift ditches were visible ahead, placed along hastily trodden paths. The sound of distant voices reached Anders' ears even through the thrum of the staccato rhythm of his heart all but deafening him.

He tried to take deeper breaths. Only managed shallow near-sobs.

What if they couldn't find him? What if Garrett was—

It just couldn't be true. It couldn't, it couldn't, couldn't, could not. Justice had felt Hawke in the Fade, heard his cries for help, felt Hawke leave the realm, and they could only hope it was back to this world and not anywhere... beyond.

Anders bit back another wave of nausea.

Hawke wasn't dead.

He couldn't be dead.

Their love was waiting for them, in need of healing, maybe, wounded, probably, but alive. They needed to find him and they would, Maker damn the Conclave, the Chantry, and everything in between.

For now, they only found Varric.

~

sorry for making Anders suffer. Everything turns out fine! For the beginning at least... x)

[painterofhorizons]

August, september, november? ♡

<3 Thank you for asking!

From this writing meme, feel free to send more.

The answer on september got a little long so under a cut for length.

august: are any of your fics associated with certain genres/artists/songs/etc?

I used to write a lot to songs when I was younger. One of my more recent fics that falls into this category (where "recent" means like 2016) is a german Criminal Minds fic I wrote. I watched "The hateful eigth" on cinema and despite it not being my usual genre I enjoy, damn I was SO fascinated by the movie and especially by the opening. The opening is BRILLIANT. Watched the movie a couple of days in a row, and wrote a very experimental piece while listening to the first track of its soundtrack. The text itself has nothing to do with the movie or soundtrack, but writing it while the track was running on repeat and the whole very experimental style of the story was quite an experience. (Story found here, but it's german.)

september: share a comment or review which still warms your heart?

Okay okay. So. Story time. Sorry this rather innocent question will get a lot of words in return.

Let me first say that I appreciate every. Single. Comment. So so much. Like. So much.

I was socialized ff-writing-wise on the german ff site (fanfiktion.de), going there first in 2004 shortly after they launched and not switching to AO3/english ff reading until ten years later (and writing seriously not until 2020). I have spent so much of my free time when I was a teenager on ff.de, both writing and reading. You know, the kind of teenager-ff-consumption where you write a chapter, upload it, get all your peers to read it and comment on it the same day and just writing and uploading another chapter the same day because of that. :D We were young and had nothing else to do, right?? So, writing/reading ff for most of the time for me was doing so in german on ff.de. And I think over there - and back then that is, as well as within my peer group of teenagers sharing the same interests - there was a whole different reading/commenting culture. More people commented in general, and comments were longer. Then when we grew older, changed fandoms, met new people and stuff, I was very lucky to find a wonderful peer group of adult people within the Criminal Minds fandom over there who was just dope. We were writing comments longer than chapters sometimes, essays really, character and story analysis and having deep discussions about stuff in the comments. (None of us was at tumblr, lol, so stuff happened in comments.) And I cannot start to tell you how much I appreciate those CM years in the mid 2010's. We all moved on from that fandom/writing group by now, which is just how things go, but I treasure those writing years so so much. I could pull any of the comments I got in those years as an example, they are all just amazing. (shoutout to @sheeplessthings and @calendergirlff who remain from that group)

So, that's how I was socialized ff-writing wise. Regular and lengthy, analyse and deep conversation like comments on whatever one wrote. ff.de didn't have anything like kudos, just comments and PMs, and neither of us knew tumblr.

Well, you know AO3 these days works a lot different. And I still find myself mourning these "good old days" comment-wise, because honestly - I mean, every writer will understand. There's nothing better then lengthy rambling comments on something you wrote.

That being said, a comment I treasure a lot - or many, that is - is everything left on my "20 times Akuze almost gets Shepard" fic. Let me explain (more words, yay. xD)

Gifted kid speaking. I know writing is not about getting good grades. And comments aren't, either. And I love rambling comments so so much, much more than just "this was really good". But for the 20 times fic, there was so much praise coming in. I mean "one of the best mass effect fics read", right? Lietarl comment I got. And you know why that means so so much to me? Not because yay, I got a good grade at writing apparently.

English is not my first language. I have been writing in german ever since, and A LOT, and I am very confident about my (german) writing skills. It's great to enjoy something and know you're good at it, and being able to use it a lot in both private and professional ways. Writing in english though? It's fun, too, but I'm not a native speaker, I have never lived abroad, didn't grow up bilingual, I use dictionaries a lot and my grip on english as a language, the details, the knowledge and experience just isn't the same I have in german. It's lacking.

And with it being Mass Effect, I am just ANXIOUS about writing, okay? I was first introduced to Mass Effect ff by @tarysande s Grace Shepard fic. I found it when I was extremely depressed, MA studies having killed every last bit of join about reading. I hadn't read in years for fun and enjoying it - then when I found her fic I have read hundreds of thousands words within I think 4 or 5 days. The pain of staying up all night for days with barely a handful hours of sleep because I had to read it all still feels very real. xD Her writing is so good. And after her fabulous, wonderful stories I have read so many more, and let me tell you, the english speaking ME fandom is incredibly skilled and talented. Amazeballs. Many of these fics are just so good you have no idea. I have read a lot in my life and you guys write stories, holy cheesecake. So ME is both a very emotional topic for me personally, keeping me sane in a very challenging time, as well as writing wise. I know writing isn't about getting good grades, but as someone who always got good grades in writing in her native language and then coming to the english ME fandom and reading all these brilliant stories from all these incredibly talented people has me... anxious, so to say. Because I know I cannot live up to that. I cannot be as good as I'd like to be and there are so many so brilliant writers in the ME fandom. It's intimidating. (And I have never met someone who wrote in german while german was their second language, so I only know the situation from one perspective.)

And damn, "20 times" got me really great grades. :D And more important, with all these amazing writers out there and amazing stories I have read? Someone saying they think "20 times" is one of the best ME stories they have read? That means so much to me. That's like: damn girl. You did it.

november: do you have any rituals or requirements for getting in the mood for writing?

Unfortunately, no. I'm a "lust and motivational writer" how I like to call myself - either I am in the mood or I'm not. I will write when I feel like writing. I can't really provoce the mood myself, though sometimes when I want to write but don't feel like, I'll just read through some wips and see if there's anything I could work on. But yeah, I'm not in the "goes to fav place, makes a nice cup of coffee and maybe lights some nice candles to set a mood"-club, unfortunately. The writing happens, or it doesn't. ^.^'

[onewomancitadel]

You response was lovely. I agree we probably are interested in different ideas in the text-- I'm always somebody who gets super into worldbuilding and lore and socioeconomics and sometimes I just want to read an academic paper about the trade routes in Star Wars instead of spending time with the space wizards lol, thanks for indulging my ramblings anyway.

Yeah that's the absolute opposite of me. XD RWBY is not a show I come for political commentary, it's fairytales and metaphor for me. I love hard sci-fi and I'm interested in political commentaries in other texts. In RWBY I'm only interested in worldbuilding insofar as it realises the themes e.g. material realisation of the soul and its consequences on how spiritual matter is conceived of. This is something I've noticed sometimes with my fic, not sure if you're a reader, but I've had people ask me about the worldbuilding and I can't answer their questions beyond like... Heraclitus and Gnosticism and idk, they have feelings for each other beyond their respective stations and literally 'see' one another when everybody else can't, what do you want from me, scientific explanation, because I'm an idiot and I don't know what I'm doing

I kind of just realised it sounds like you don't particularly like RWBY? Sorry I'm not a RWBY critical or RWDE blog or anything like that. I really like the show so that informs a lot of what I write about. Not saying you can't be critical of something you like but I've noticed there are a lot of people very active in RWBY fandom who don't like the show, not trying to make assumptions but also just clearing the air here, my post about Cinder comes from a place of 'all of my bad wizards always die and I am sad forever', not 'RWBY is a bad show', maybe 'RWBY is a bad show because if it doesn't believe in transcendental redemption then maybe it DOES suck and they DID fuck up with Cinder's backstory reveal'. More than ok if you don't like RWBY very much but just establishing my perspective here so you know where I am coming from.

And wow yeah on the Star Wars front, all I really care about there is Campbell and the space wizards in love. XD XD Then again I don't really think of SW as sci-fi, it's mythic space opera to me, but I don't post about it anymore and we won't speak of it lol.

Glad my reply was ok it sounded pretty stupid and scattered on my end and very wishy-washy. Very interesting to hear your thoughts, although the one thing I would say is that I do hope the Huntsman academies get the proper treatment they deserve. For instance I don't think Ruby's a good person because she's a Huntress, it's her own ideals that matter. I do think her optimism will be challenged these next few volumes but she'll come out stronger of the crucible. But yeah. Queens and widowers and towers. Fairytale magic lol

That's what attracts me to RWBY really re: transformative fandom and writing analysis posts.

I come from a background in archaeology and everybody is trying to do this or that assigning sacred meaning or ritual meaning or ceremonial value to Minoan frescoes or libation vessels and like what did the bull-leaping really depict, did they really bull-leap (probably yes in the court complexes/palaces themselves), what's the Saffron Gatherer actually doing, why is she dressed in such finery to gather saffron, is the Spring Fresco an actually real botanical landscape? (Probably not no).

In a story like RWBY you can actually read this stuff into it, because there's an identifiable human agent(s) that wants to insert symbolism and meaning into a story, particularly potent when fairytale and myth is involved. The original architects of the Minoan and Minoan-style frescoes were human agents working within a cultural context which, say, needed a fresco, and didn't necessarily involve deep, abstractal intention. The Spring Fresco may have been painted because it was intended to be monumental and beautiful. It was a sophisticated, labourious undertaking, realised in exquisite detail, but it's not trying to necessarily be deep and meaningful and I do resist that type of mysticism or refusal to acknowledge the actual person (people) making it. To be fair, this is still equally true of the modern context, but I don’t think the symbolic systems are necessarily as conscious or overly... complex.

Again, contrast that to modern storytelling and it's a very, very different story, and that's brain candy to me.

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

How to give the characters a unique voice in the third person pov? And how to make sure the narrator is distinct from the author?? I'm so dumb, sorry! <3

Voice in the third person is a LOT of fun and gets pretty intuitive the more you practice. I’m currently writing a novel with a split POV in the third person, so I’ve picked up a few tips on how to distinguish character voice.

1. Word choice/diction

How does the character speak in the narrative? This may help in distancing author voice from character voice if you’re struggling in that department. If you’re trying to write a close third, the voice is very limitedly filtered through a “narrator”. When I write Feeding Habits, I don’t actually view there being a narrator at all, but approach my close third almost like how I would write a first person narrative by attaching a “camera” to the character as close/intimately as I can (this is all in psychic distance IMO and THIS is a wonderful article that describes the features of that). This means the narrative style is often influenced by voice. Lonan’s POV utilizes a lot more religious terminology, darker, more existential “concepts”, and a lot of the similes revolve around animals, dead things, water, and the sun as a painful force. The language is a lot more floral in his POV as well. Harrison’s POV is different, in that there is less emphasis on “pretty” language and sad, dark things, and the writing style is a little more pared back. Harrison also has a lot of angsty internal monologues when he’s doing very mundane tasks while Lonan has his breakdowns doing something dramatic lol. I made those choices purposefully knowing how their voices differ. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when trying to sort out voice that I learned in a character lecture regarding revelation of character (I’ve added onto this/adjusted some of it & I’ll use my book as an example to answer them):

Psychological description

What is their thought process like?

Lonan is the most illogical logical person ever. He has this intensely logical thought process that is all based on illogic. Harrison’s thought process is quite black and white from A to B with seams of subtext and greyness laced through.

What do they say/don’t say? What should they say?

How do they say it (language conventions? diction? tone? lexicon?)?

When I write with Lonan, the narrative almost always has “bigger” more “concept” words (generally more academic). Harrison’s language at the moment since he is Hurt Bae, revolve around vocabulary that have “hurt” undertones. In terms of dialogue, Lonan rarely speaks and if he does, it’s 1 words answers (SOMETIMES a sentence lol). Harrison SPEAKS and sometimes rambles when he gets unhinged.

How do their private thoughts/internal narrative sound?

Is it the same as their dialogue? Re: diction, language conventions etc. Things that may affect that are their experiences (upbringing, occupation, relationships, traumas) and worldviews (interests, religion, moral code, political affiliations/opinions). 

What do they do?

Habits? Do they repeat themselves often to self-soothe? Do they use a certain word when describing a certain thing? For example, Lonan attaches to the word “stunning” in his part of the book and always mentions it in moments of distress. Harrison attaches to the word “glamorous” and repeats it for the same reasons

How do they react to their environment? Do they react at all?

Lonan ALWAYS notices the weather. Harrison doesn’t notice nearly as much

How do they react to others?

Are they judgmental? Untrusting? Naive?

Lonan is wary when he meets people and usually defLECTS to the environment around them, Harrison goes for the physical description and really focuses on the details

How do they react to themselves?

Lonan doesn’t... like himself :) If he is Known (TM) by Himself (TM), he gets ~upset, usually shuts down into himself and kind of dissolves from there... Harrison usually has problems with other people that are really just reflections of problems he has with himself. He handles this by getting self-destructive and a bit... mean (aka, he runs, far, far away from his problems).

This leads to my next tip.

2. View the “narrator” as the speaker

This is one that I’ve just thought of as a fiction writer who’s now... a poet lol! In poetry, the “narrator” of the poem is the speaker, and I find this is such an efficient way to understand fiction narrators if you’re confused on how to distinguish your voice from the character’s. In a third person narration, you technically have a narrator that is NOT the character. The narrator could be someone else, OR how I usually write third person narratives (intimate thirds) is almost how I approach second person: the narrator is almost a mirror of the character themselves and the reflection is telling the story (think: you’re sitting in a car and your reflection is in the rear-view mirror--the third person narrator is the reflection). I’m going to pen this as “Reflective Third Person” even though that POV probably doesn’t exist because that’s how I personally like writing a close third (but you might want to write a more distant third - this is up to your intention). Whichever closeness you choose, I find viewing the narrator as the “speaker” rather than the “narrator” can help clarify what you mean by “narrator”. Narrative (and naturally, voice) is comprised of two parts: the character & the writer’s style. Sometimes it can be confusing to understand if the character is the narrator or if the writer is--if your intention is that you DON’T want the story to be written into your voice, perhaps reframing the way you think about the “narrator” can help. In poetry, speakers can be anything and anyone and while that is the case with narrators, perhaps viewing your narrator (character) as the “speaker” of your narrative could help distinguish the two and remove some of your writer’s voice.

A mistake people can make when writing the third person is separating the character from the narrative so much (this is fine if your intention is for distance, but if you want intimacy, you obviously can’t distance the character and the narrative and expect that to work). Once I started viewing third person as malleable, just like any other POV and not a voiceless void, I found it much easier to handle!

Hope that helps!

[owlf45]

so,,, i have a few My Hero fanfic ideas that i'm quite fond of. but every time i try to sit down and write them, i just. cringe. like, physically cringe. although like i said, i'm quite fond of them and i would love to put them out there on ao3. this doesn't happen with my other fics from a diffrent fandom. did you go through this? any tips on how to conquer it? should i not write them at all? should i make up a new plot? thanks, sorry for being annoying lol.

youre not annoying anon! i also feel the same way at times too! firstly, though, you should always write them!! share your gifts with the world!! secondly, im not sure where the cringe lies, so there might be numerous reasons: 

lack of content 

phrasing of the first scenes 

framing the time period 

outlining

characterization 

plot

infodumping 

what about MHA is causing this? 

but also, im of the firm believer that all ideas, to some degree, sound cringey and stupid until theyre put down on paper effectively. so dont let the cringe hold you back too much. fic writing is the equivalent of “fake it until you make it” and i too always feel some amount of cringe over a certain phrase or scene in a chapter. anyway, going to ramble a lot under the cut, as i always do: 

so if im struggling with liking the writing, then i probably havent sat on the idea for long enough. if there’s not enough content for me to work with, i get caught in a corner and start writing an awkward mess. it’ll come out in a way i don’t like and i start to get frustrated. so maybe simmer on the ideas a bit more. brainstorm a bit. give yourself sort of an idea of where you’re going to go, but be flexible if you find out while writing it that something works better, feels better. your gut will treat you well. 

it also might be because of how the beginning/first chapters play out. beginnings are always the hardest hurdle to jump, imo, because i struggle to get the work done if the first few scenes aren’t incredibly strong. so i tend to do quite a few drafts until i finally find a route i can vibe with. so look at things like word choice, imagery, strength—are the first few scenes strong? do they represent your story? is it something that’d peak your interest while reading it? does it feel like a scene that could come to life? maybe it’s not the idea that’s the issue but the writing, and it’s simply not polished enough. should you consider pursuing a different writing style altogether? a good first few scenes can help propel me to writing the rest of the story. a weak first few scenes ruins the process for me. 

if it’s not the content or the phrasing you’re struggling with, maybe consider framing the story in a different way. instead of starting at the beginning of your character’s story when they’re a child, why not start where the important plot comes in when they’re older? about to go to UA or any other school, for example? instead of changing the plot, why not change what period in it you talk about? flashbacks or reflection exist for this very reason! and if not time, what about a different character or POV? 

also you might want to consider outlining more! its not for everyone, but maybe it’d help if you had a good idea of where your story is going. it’s absolutely wonderful to add heavy foreshadowing to the beginning of one’s work. you can also add a lot of details which seem ignorable at first but become important later. maybe that might help the progression of you writing your story. maybe it’ll add a bit of mystery. that can always help liven up a bit of work. 

(speaking of mystery: imo, mystery is a writer’s best friend. it helps spruce up the writing and make it tons more interesting, and detracts from any of the “cringeyness”. so consider that while youre writing, even if the mystery is as simple as “will character A and character B become friends?”) 

what about characterization? have you considered that, perhaps, while writing it the character(s) just comes off as awkward and stilted? when you’re writing the scenes, do the character interactions read as fake or forced? maybe the plot isn’t the problem, but instead the way the characters react and interact. maybe try working on those. would rewatching/rereading some canon mha help you better grasp the characterization? 

and if this still isn’t working, consider tweaking—not changing!—but tweaking the events of your plot here and there. rearrange a few events. maybe the progression doesn’t make as much sense as you thought it’d originally made. 

one of my biggest pitfalls that make me c r i n g e at my attempts at starting a new work are when i start explaining. its easy to start talking about the world and your characters and what your story is actually about, and i encourage you to avoid that. instead of explaining why your character is the way they are, or what they do, have a scene filled with action. your character robs a bank. or they’re running from the police. they stare down at an assignment dealing with a societal issue theyre painfully aware of. one of their friends set up a date with their crush and smugly staring down at them. 

so don’t explain how your character has faced societal issues all their lives, which they have never talked about to their class, and now has to do an assignment on said issue. describe how the character stares at the paper of their assignment blankly. don’t explain how the character’s life has been horrible ever since their parent passed away and they got hooked up with the league of villain’s bullshit, and now that’s led them to being chased by the cops. describe the character running for their life as the sirens sound behind them. 

ofc, you can still add those little details here and there. the character running from the cops curses out shigaraki. the student staring down at their assignment mentions briefly that they’d never had to talk about such a sensitive issue to their classmates. i find, however, that the more i attempt to explain rather than describe, the more cringey it gets. it feels like a stream of consciousness, or a deliberate telling of a story, rather than the story speaking for itself. 

interestingly enough, you said this whole thing only seems to happen with MHA and not other fandoms. so what do you think you’re doing differently? are you relying more heavily on canon in MHA than you would in your works with other fandoms? how do you begin your works in contrast? if youre not doing anything differently, then is it a problem with mha as a fandom? is it  because there’s a lot of huge creators in MHA, or that it harbors a surprisingly large amount of content of incredible quality? in that case, are you really doing anything “wrong” or “cringey”, or is it more of an expectations kind of thing? in which case, tell expectations to fuck off, because i promise you you’re doing better than you think you are.

finally: if you love the work or the ideas, then who gives a shit about cringeyness? just post it my dude, i promise you someone out there will love it. and if youre still concerned, there’s tons of nice people in this fandom who’d look at your work if you asked. reach out to some people, maybe join/look at a few servers, ask someone to read what you’ve written, as for their advice—after all, each fic is unique in the “why?” it might be causing you to feel these things, so i’m only so limited in my ability to help. 

anyway, it’s... ass-o’clock am, and usually i would spend the next hour or two cutting this down to a reasonable length but im too tired to do that. so here’s MY apologies for rambling once again. one of these days ill learn to be concise. 

[violexides]

i find ur writing so realistic when it comes to human emotion! any suggestions? i feel like my writing doesnt hit the same level of personal that urs does, even if im projecting very hardcore. its something special abt ur style

!!! first of all, thank u so much! that means a lot to me :-) like, a lot.

hm. it’s 8 am so i can’t promise this advice would be coherent, but... here it goes. i am going to attempt to number this out, sorry if that looks intimidating, i will just prattle on without a structure lol.

if you don’t know abt a topic, hear someone else’s experience with it. this is important for like, writing mental illnesses you don’t have, writing about a physical disability you don’t have, etc. of course, please keep in mind that randomly approaching a friend and saying “tell me abt how your trauma has affected you” isn’t exactly the gamer move. i think, though, that there is a lot of information you miss with just baseline research, so even if it is just finding online recounts of experiences or asking someone to look thru your work, it makes the emotions a lot more realistic and true to life. 

be cognizant of your character. this sort of leads into a lot of semi-obvious things, but i know this is something i personally struggled with when i first started writing fic, so i think it’s worth mentioning. when you write a character to have a certain emotion or experience, it’s important to be cognizant of how that would affect that character specifically, rather than just any person. speaking from the perspective of someone who relates to komaeda, i don’t react the exact same as komaeda in certain scenarios. knowing that gives me the awareness to moreso fit the experience with the character, if that makes sense? if you think about it, jealousy is a fairly simple emotion intrinsically, with nuance depending on situation and person. if ikusaba was jealous, it would manifest differently than it would for hinata, and different than it would for souda. and that’s important to note, because one way to add realism to a story is to make it plausible for that set of character, and yet, plausible for the audience. if you’re attaching an experience that doesn’t match a character, it can still connect to the audience, but lacking the connectivity with the other character within the fic sort of… makes it less realistic? 

emotions and experiences are nuanced. this is bouncing partially off of the previous point. what i think is worth noting, with things such as trauma or emotions (i will be using resentment as an example for the latter), they are very nuanced situations. i have experienced a similar adversity, likely, to someone i know, yet i would have responded differently to them in it. this can be directly applied to characters. there are infinite different responses to trauma and emotion, and no two characters will react the same. if we take resentment, hinata’s way of exhibiting that would be very different from komaeda’s. same would go with if they both experienced similar trauma (though it’s worth noting that trauma isn’t comparable, and it scarcely is identical) or they both had depression. there would be different responses, different symptoms, et cetera. again, sounds obvious, but is important to keep in mind. 

difficult experiences don’t have easy resolutions. this is going to sound pessimistic, but when you look at how a difficult experience fits someone realistically, you can sort of tell that these situations don’t have easy, direct solutions, which is important to note in writing them. mental illness and trauma can and often do affect other areas of life, like relationships, work, physical health, etc. when you have something this intrinsically complex, expressing that through describing the problem without giving an “easy” solution makes it more realistic. we all sort of know that one therapy session can’t fix everything, and meds/therapy don’t work well for everyone. this doesn’t mean, like, “fuck recovery, let your characters be miserable.” recovery is important and pretty cathartic to write at times. but, making recovery more linear than the issues a character is experiencing usually draws the reality out of it. if that makes sense. 

another thing to keep in mind is that your experience writing is the most important part of the writing process. so, if you want to project onto a character because that would bring you some catharsis, that is infinitely more important than how realistic it comes across. you are more important than the fic, if that makes sense. just figured i’d say that, not sure if that was conveyed in my previous things.

anyway, i hope that’s helpful? i probably have more advice lurking somewhere. there are a lot of other authors with more realistic writing that you can probably look to for advice as well. basically, stay educated on the issues you are writing and the characters it involves, i guess?

once again, thank you!!! i’m honored u came to me for advice. sorry if that was, like, really shitty advice, i sort of rambled haha. have a nice day!!