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athousandbyeol · 5 months ago

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thank you for tagging me, @forcebookish <3

1 . How did you get into writing fanfiction?

when i was 15, i had a lot of problems at school. i was in the first class (i wasn't smart, btw. i guess it was luck or misjudgement from the school management) and i received a lot of mental and emotional pressure to be like my other classmates. they were all very bright and i wasn't. so it took a toll on my mental health. i got really bad grades, especially in maths and science. and some of my teachers said very heartbreaking things to me.

i was trying to find a distraction. and that time i was still new in the k-pop fandom. but one day i discovered a kaisoo (exo) fanfic on asianfanfics and i instantly fell in love. i read a lot (A LOT) of kaisoo fanfics after studying. one day, i decided to write my own and it was so cringey ngl hahaha. but it was so fun when people started commenting on it! so i thought, hey, this is so cool. i should just continue doing this because it helped me a lot mentally. i wasn't good in english before (still am not, tbvh) because english isn't my first language. but after reading and writing fanfics, i got an A+ for my exam! and i never got a B ever since. :)

fast forward, i've been writing fanfics for 10 years. <3

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

i think i've written stories for 30+ fandoms? hehe. my most written stories belong to the bad buddy (patpran), only friends (topmew), kinnporsche (vegaspete) and a boss and a babe (guncher) fandom :)

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

i write more. i read sometimes. but usually during my free time, i would either write, edit or watch videos and listen to crime/horror podcasts hehe. but i want to read more, though.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

i guess... my own voice? i noticed, when i just started writing fanfics, i tended to copy the writing style of an author i liked. but now, i think i have my own distinct writing style. maybe some readers can tell if a story was written by me hehe.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

i researched about ways to clean corpses for somewhere else (topmew)...

i don't think it's weird, but i researched a lot on polyamorous relationships while writing tell me (topmew). i also did a bit of research on situationship when i wrote maybe we and not us (also topmew).

topmew really made me do a lot of reading and researching hehe.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

i personally like when readers highlight their favourite lines or parts from the story. i think it's the best type of comment. but i appreciate any kind of comment i get because they're treasures i'll cherish for a lifetime. :)

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

i don't know if this isn't mainstream, but i wrote about prostitution (come home/topmew). in the story, top worked as a part-time prostitute while being in a stable relationship with mew. mew knew top's working as an escort, but he was so supportive of top and loved him the same.

i was trying to show that sex workers are also human beings and they deserve to be loved. i guess i was hoping readers (and myself) could change the stereotype we have against prostitutes/sex workers because not all of them do this for pleasure. most of them do it because of survival. i watched a short documentary on sex work in the philippines and was inspired to write this story. they're so strong and admirable. :)

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

smut. i can't write smut. i swear. i've been trying for years but i just can't write it well. and i don't really like writing this genre (?) in particular... i think i'm also weak at writing dialogues and dialogue tags. it's so hard :(

10. What is the easiest type?

descriptive, narrative and emotive. i'm comfortable writing in this style and i consider it as one of my strengths :)

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

i usually write in my room, on my bed or on the floor. i write all my stories on grammarly because as i mentioned, i'm not a native english speaker so grammarly helps a lot with basic grammar mistakes. there's no fixed time, honestly. usually, i'll write whenever i'm inspired. but mostly, it's at night (between 10 to 3 am) and morning (5 to 8 am). and i'll always listen to music when i'm writing. ^^

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

i have a plan to write an original story with forcebook and jimmysea as the main cast this year. but looking at the things i have to do upcoming semester (dissertation and candidature defence), i'm afraid of the time limitation. everything is already planned out. i just have to write the story down. but time isn't on my side these days. so i'll just probably stick to writing one-shots in the meantime. but i really hope i can make this idea happen someday :(

13. What made you choose your username?

athousandbyeol is actually a play on 'a thousand stars'. i really loved p'aof's a tale of a thousand stars so my usernames (youtube, twitter, ko-fi and tumblr) are based on that :)

wordsbythesundown is my pen name ^^ i used this for my instagram and my second blog ^^ (and because i really love sunsets hehe)

i don't know who to tag so... anyone who sees this, feel free to join the fun :)

#thank you rum for the tag <3 #this is so fun and got me thinking about my writing journey hehe #writing tag #na rambles

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kaisooficrec · 7 months ago

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fic search n. 8 🔎

#037:

Haelofish: Hii I need help to find this fic. Only remember that they are at dinner/party. KS parents think that jongin is a bad influence, then JI steals a key from someone house and take KS there and have sx

#038:

Dudu: Hi! I need help with one fic. Baek and Soo are boyfriends and he dare Kyungsoo so give Kai a BJ while he's watching.

#039:

Andi: Im trying to find a kaisoo fanfic. Its not new, Maybe 2018-2021. It was an ongoing,long.Fantasy genre, adventure. I dont really remember the plot, but there were other kingdoms, eyes colour was import

#040:

hani: Hi, im looking for a fic where Kyungsoo is supervillain and Kai is the hero and Kyungsoo falls in love with him. Kyungsoo also had a tiger if that helps lol

#041:

rhy: do u guys know this fic where ksoo took in bear hybrid nini? and along the way nini got scared that kyungsoo will kick him out cause he hibernated?

#042:

Nabs: Hi, I’m looking for an old kaisoo fanfic where they’re strangers to lovers, only for one to find out that he’s schizophrenic and have been imagining the other, after witnessing an accident. Thank you!

#043:

Oboni: And I need to find a fic where jongin is kyungsoo's teacher. Kyungsoo so freaking talented. Almost like Sherlock Holmes. But jongin is married with soojung. Kaisoo develop a guilty pleasure type rltn.

#044:

Kim: i was looking for au where Jongin is the athlete, Kyungsoo fell down confessing his feelings to Jongin on the court, but Jongin just laughed and Kyungsoo got embarrassed and ran away before listening

#045:

Garnets: Hi! I'm looking for a tweetfic / au (i believe i read it on twitter). They are both agent. They are exes. Ksoo will go to a difficult mission on airplane, kai insist to be his mission partner after their breakup, kai always flirts with other in the office. Ksoo saw that, but doesn't bothered bcs he know it's just a gimmick. He knows kai's real flirt. It's different there is a scene when ksoo cut his hais bald. Later in the office, jongin saw it and he got startled, gawking at soo's head. One time jongdae slapped soo's butt and jongin stared hard at the scene so after it is fixed that ji will be soo's mission partner, soo went to locker and ji followed him. They had a heated arguments at the locker. So why ji insisted on assisting soo on this mission? 1. It's a difficult mission on airplane, soo is scared of height. 2. Ji is the most skilled agent on air mission. 3. Ji hated to wait for days till soo came back from a mission, not knowing whether soo will come back alive or not

#046:

Hani: Hii, i was wondering if someone could help me find a fic? I Read it a while ago and it was a fic with kaisoo veing royals, kyungsoo was a carrier and Jongin could read kyungsoo’s mind since they were soulmates or something. I don’t remember much else about it😅 there was this one scene where a baby was abandoned and kyungsoo being a carrier was super affected by it, and also it is slow burn and chaptered. Hope that helps a little thank youu

#047:

Kimsoo: Hi, does anyone know a fic where Kyungsoo is a doctor in a kingdom and Jongin is a warlord in that kingdom, they like each other, then Jongin goes to war.

#kaisoo #kadi #dika #fic search

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kaisooficpodcast · 2 months ago

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Pride by and with yeolimerent

I am Alexio Sospranio and you’re listening to the kaisoo fic podcast!

For new listeners, the kaisoo fic podcast is a space where we discuss literature found in the kaisoosphere. Where we have authors on the show to give them a platform to talk about their writings and journey as an author in the fandom.

This month we are looking at one fic for two episodes. First part was on the 12th, and today the second episode for the same fic is on the 14th. Special kaisoo dates!

If you, dear listener, have been up to date with the podcast episodes, you will find that there will be similar questions to other author’s sessions. Each author brings in their own different perspectives and experiences. By asking similar questions, we get to see how diverse yet united kaisoo fic writers are.

The sequence in which we will be having this episode is as such:

Firstly we have yeolimerent introducing the fic of the day, followed by some plot based questions, next some questions on their journey as a writer. Then we end with the 3is: lesson learnt; source of inspiration and impact to the kaisoo fic community.

I also got about four questions from an anon on curious cat, so I will be weaving the questions into the appropriate segments of the episode.

Cover Art

Now, prior to me giving the author of the day these questions, I asked yeolimerent what is their favorite scene from Pride. And when they responded, luckily Lyn was still doing commissions… so i asked her. One more, just one more!

Thank you Lyn for opening up commissions and being accommodating to my requests!

In the podcast cover art… we have kaisoo on a beach. This scene is not a reimagined scene, it is from one of the last few moments of Pride where kaisoo reconcile.

Context from the fic for this particular position kaisoo is in takes almost directly from the fic itself.

Intro to author

With permission of the author, I have reader Jie with me today, who will be taking the persona of yeolimerent.

Introducing a bit on yeolimerent:

yeolimerent has been in this fandom since (2013), that’s about (11 years). The pull factor that got her into this fandom was always Chanyeol and EXO showtime in general, when she was in high school and everyone was getting into EXO. Journey with kaisoo started ever since she could remember and had always been inspired by their chemistry. yeolimerent is currently focused on EXO right now. She’s also into a lot of queer artists and media.

Welcome, yeolimerent, thank you for your time in answering the questions for today’s session.

Thanks for having me!

Yeolimeret. yes? Shall we dive into the episode! We shall! We start with the fic.

Pride

Pride by yeolimerent has 33 chapters with about 300 thousand words. Set in a universe where Kyungsoo is a chaebol and gets entangled with his driver. Lust, bitterness and heartache develops over the course of several chapters. Content warnings include smut (bottomsoo), I think one scene of dubious consent, and minor character deaths.

Now, yeolimerent, would you maybe like to start us off for those who are not familiar, what is Pride about?

The initial plan was always to make a Seven Deadly Sins series starring major EXO ships and KaiSoo would be Pride. I just had this big interest in rich-poor au when it came to kaisoo and this felt like the perfect opportunity to do it. Another factor was the idea of a younger Jongin falling for an older Kyungsoo and looking up to him in a way.

Pride is heavily Kyungsoo’s side of the story and how his world turned upside down in a span of a decade— from being one of the richest people in the country to owing millions of debts and then his poor first love who broke his heart turning into one of the most powerful men in the country who now has the upper hand on him. Here, we see him build and ruin relationships with other people in his life. We see how drastically things can change in a span of eight years, and how a lot of them also stay the same.

It’s basically his very complex journey of self-discovery and well… pride.

Pride literally starts with a bang. And I love it. The first chapter titled Prologue, readers are met with a very high tension chapter where Kyungsoo is angry and Jongin exudes danger. It is a very gripping scene. I am curious as to why you began the fic with a scene from the climax of the plot?

To be honest, this was the very FIRST scene that i came up with for Pride. It was my starting point. So what happened here would be the basis for the majority of what I wrote so it was very vital to the story. I guess I wanted the readers to read it first and think “Oh, what could’ve happened between them?” and “where do we go from here?” so it is the perfect prologue for the story.

The prologue scene is indeed very… you can get overwhelmed. And you did warn the readers to say that this is an intense and complicated fic, but I am super thankful that I continued to read and that i stuck through the whole thing.

Walk us through the chronology of you piecing up the plot. How did the pieces come to play after setting the prologue? Was it a bit overarching idea first or specific scenes coming in slowly piecing it all up?

For the chapter, I wasn’t much of a planner when I was writing Pride compared to how I am now as a writer. So every chapter came to me randomly, no outline and all. I just had this vague idea of what I would want to happen in that chapter and how I wanted to wrap it up, and then things just unfold from there depending on my inspiration. That’s probably a factor why the fic was so long because I couldn’t control it haha!

Wow, chapter coming up randomly with no outline…

Wait, what about that tiny detail in the chapters before the 8 years apart happened, before the presentation? The tiniest bit of information, the carelessness of Kyungsoo leaving his blueprint in the room without much thought… was that also not fully planned? Because only at almost the very end was it revealed that his carelessness plus Soojung’s sly personality cost him a lot of things. That tiny detail became one of the most important points of the story that pushed Kyungsoo to be off the grid.

As a reader, we also did not give it much thought because that moment was also brief. I guess my question now becomes… how intentional was your choice to have Kyungsoo not give too much thought to his work?

Yes. I wanted to convey that everyone had some sort of fault for what happened. Kyungsoo as a kid was meant to be careless and impulsive, and thats what got him in trouble. I intentionally made him spoiled and imposing to raise a bit of intrigue because he was, after all, still a chaebol kid. I wanted people to see how he treated people like Soojung unprovoked and think “did he deserve it?”

A question from my curious cat reads: if Jongin and Kyungsoo had met on Kyungsoo birthday in the bar, what would have happened? I was like omg Jongin turn and face Kyungsoo!!! Jongin turn around damn itttt :(

Ohh. I dont think that would be that productive as well because Kyungsoo would do what he did best, which was of course— to run. LMAO.

Surprising moments

Previous episode I asked the readers about the element in the plot that surprised them.

There were generally two main points on how Pride really grabs the reader’s attention. First shocking point for Pride was how readers were shocked at your choice yeolimerent, the writer’s choice. Of having Seonho be Kyungsoo’s buddy as they travel to New York and become the best of friends.

One of my most favorite things about Pride was Kyungsoo and Seonho’s very unconventional relationship. It was always the part that caught people off guard hahaha. I like the fact that when you read the first few chapters, Seonho would be the last person in the universe you’d expect to be Kyungsoo’s rock during the hardest days of his life but it happened anyway. It was also vital to his relationship with Jongin because a lot of jealousy stemmed from his past relationship with Seonho and it was very fun to watch unfold because Jongin was busting a vein while everything between them was platonic.

Seonho and Kyungsoo’s relationship is definitely unconventional. Related is another question from my curious cat for your fic. The question is: did Seonho really get his closure with Kyungsoo? Even though they both moved on with their lives, whenever I read Seonho and Kyungsoo’s part in New York I always had this weird anxiety about what if they cross the line of friendship. But they never did. They kept it cute, I loved it and Seonho’s character development was crazy! I wish I had a Seonho in my life too… So again the question is, did Seonho really get his closure with Kyungsoo?

I didnt really want to be so explicit about it. To me, they didnt have to sit down and have a lengthy talk about their relationship before running away together. I think that scene in the bar where their simple conversation about running away from their families became their closure in some sort because it was definite that no romance was left. Simple a trauma bond and the desperation to live their similarly miserable lives at home.

It also put emphasis on the concept of forgiveness because while Kyungsoo hated Seonho’s guts during college, it showed that he was SOOO heartbroken from Jongin to find solace on his ex and their shared trauma with their dads. It was enough to rebuild their relationship into a different, but stronger one.

Thank you for touching on the point of forgiveness. We see a lot of that here in the many relationships we explore in the fic. I think almost every pair baeksoo, chanbaek, kaibaek, has an element of forgiveness because of how much the characters have each hurt each other.

A pairing brought up in the previous episode was Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Right before Kyungsoo leaves, you can tell that Baekhyun felt a void in his heart after their conversation. Then a while after Kyungsoo goes back to Korea, we witness that scene where Kyungsoo talks to Baekhyun and when, i quote: his words tugged in his most fragile spot, chapter 26 titled Make It Up To You, is a sincere Kyungsoo who wants to help Baekhyun. This scene was a nice change of pacing and it feels very honest as well.

Yes. I think one of the lines I liked there was “we could stop being friends and I’d still know you more than anyone.” because that’s the gist of their relationship. Baekhyun, when he was unapologetically weird and had no other friends in college, was still the realest version of himself and only Kyungsoo really accepted that before Chanyeol came.

Another point of surprise made was how intense Jongin’s love was for Kyungsoo. Seeing as we are reading the fic in Kyungsoo’s POV, it was quite an eye opener to have read Jongin’s. As readers we do get a hint of Jongin having feelings for Kyungsoo. And upon the Jongin’s POV chapters, our impressions are validated, but to such a shocking extent. The previous episode as mentioned by one of the readers was that: they were convinced that Jongin had feelings for Kyungsoo the first time they met, but felt skeptical with their hunch since it always seemed like Jongin was siding with Soojung and setting Kyungsoo aside. But as the Jongin’s POV chapters were revealed, I think collectively, for readers, it becomes very clear that it is without a doubt Jongin loves Kyungsoo.

You do a wonderful job and I really appreciate you giving us Jongin’s POV. Reading the fic again from Jongin’s POV, it becomes very thought provoking because there is a wider perspective which makes the story more complex.

The part of the plot that changes to Jongin’s POV is after Kyungsoo is honest to Seonho that he loves Jongin. And with that, i pause for a question to yeolimerent: at what point of writing from Kyungsoo’s POV did you feel like you needed to share Jongin’s?

The part where he stopped tugging the other side of the rope and felt this intense fear of losing Kyungsoo completely when he saw him with Seonho at the parking lot. At present time, of course readers could tell Jongin wanted Kyungsoo back but him as a person didnt really know that or knew where to start. That scene with Seonho was some sort of his wake up call and from then on, he stopped letting his fears hold him back and was definite about winning the love of his life back so it was the perfect opportunity to reveal his side.

Writers Journey

The next segment is on the writer’s journey, your journey of writing Pride amongst other things.

The nature of Pride is that it is very long and dramatic and with that it has a very high intense emotional plot. As a reader, it feels overwhelming at times and i think a point that was brought up in the previous episode was how even upon rereading it the second time, the emotional rollercoaster was as intense as the first reading. And for some, already knowing the twist and surprising parts of the fic, it allows us to analyze every interaction they have before leading to that point. So that is us as readers. But how did you keep your emotions in check while writing?

It is crazy because a lot of people had complained about it being heavy throughout the years and I totally get it, but writing it was so therapeutic to me. I guess projecting a lot on Kyungsoo’s character played a lot of factor in that. He did a lot of stupid things in that fic but a lot of them were something I’d do or a choice I’d make so it felt nice to let it out.

Oh, wow. I see, so what kind of work is Pride to you?

Therapy! That was the time of my life where I had a lot going on and was in the middle of my med school applications so writing was a solace to me.

I did not know what to expect of your answer to my question, but I am definitely quite in awe.

It sounds like the whole process was very cathartic especially when you say you project on Kyungsoo and it feels nice to let it out. I am in awe mainly because I see it is something to channel your creative energy and in turn, because it is something so unique, very yeolimerent style, readers can really immerse themselves in your words and see the plot developing through your eyes.

With that i am curious, how long have you been writing? Is the reference on ao3 correct to say that you have been writing since 2019 or did you start way earlier on another site?

I have been writing the first Deadly Sins fics in wattpad since 2017 and only moved to AO3 in 2018 for my first BAE fic. I wrote Pride in AO3 but it was also posted in both wattpad and AFF. I’ve also been writing creatively since high school, which was over 10 years ago.

How seasoned a writer were you in writing when you came up with this? What point of your writer’s journey was Pride published?

I definitely had a much better experience writing it compared to the first two because I got better at expressing the character’s emotions. I would say I still got a bit better in fics I wrote after Pride but that was one of my works where I was able to express the characters’ emotions the way I wanted to deliver them.

Somehow that is comforting to know. This really long work has not only had therapeutic aspects for you, but you were able to articulate yourself. And it’s a win for everyone. We get a wonderful story filled with deep human flaws, heartache of first loves, redemption arc and a hope for love to persist. And hopefully you also get to benefit from it by navigating through life with more grit and faith with whatever life hits you with.

Lesson Learnt

Lesson learnt. The points we made the previous episode was that this fic teaches us so many things - importance of honest communication to resolve issues and insecurities. Teaching us about how moving on and forgiveness is important.

There is so much to unpack, so if there was one or more points you would like readers to take away from this story, what would it be?

Like you said, definitely communication and how important it is in a relationship. A lot of the problems in Pride came from their lack of talking which could be solved if the two of them were locked in a room together. Yes, the long tension was sexy but a lot of time could have been saved if they were well-functioning adults lol. I think forgiveness was also a big concept in this fic, not for the sake of those who wronged you but more on your peace of mind.

So now knowing the lessons you want readers to takeaway and us understanding the kind of work Pride was to you, what was the most challenging part of writing this particular au?

I did say it was therapeutic but writing it also had me confronting a lot of emotions buried deep when I was writing it. So many aspects in Kyungsoo’s character’s life were heavily based on mine so it definitely was difficult to acknowledge it. I was also in a phase where I aimed to please people so I was rarely satisfied with the chapters I wrote no matter how good the feedback I’d receive.

I see. I suppose it is natural for when things are therapeutic, it forces you to be honest. As a reader, we can see your sincerity. Thank you for writing.

Examples

Of course we cannot talk about hardship and forget about good things. So yeolimerent, what is your favorite scene? A scene that so beautifully captures the essence of the fic, a scene that you think about when you think back into this fic?

The ending on a beach was very heavy, both in good and bad ways. Years of unsaid words had to come out and it was messy, so I definitely remember it first. The scene where they were both sitting on the sand, both tired and hopeless, reimagining what could have been if things were different and accepting there was no way of changing things, so they either leave for good or move forward together.

Probably just me, but I also love the double chapter with Jongin’s POV on everything because it sheds light on a lot of questions.

I recently reread the scene again and it is easy to feel emotional at that moment.

I have another question from my curious cat that reads: In the FAQ, you mentioned the emotional scene but I wanna know what was your favorite scene like you read the scene and went “ damn girl you kinda ate”. Would it be the same beach scene or do you have another in mind?

Jongin’s POV was definitely one of my favorite because I had to navigate a completely different character and speak from his view. I also liked the scenes where Kyungsoo was trying to find himself in New Zealand because the parallelisms with his life and something as simple as volcanos was appealing to me.

Yeolimernet, listeners would be so honored to have you read an extract from the scene in the beautiful New Zealand beach, your favorite scene.

The designer looks at the distance where the sun has slowly risen. He bites his lip hard to prevent both a smile and his sobs.

“How could you confess and build all our dreams… in a car, parked on the side of the street?” his laugh mixes perfectly with a hiccup. Soo lets his head fall on his chest when Jongin reaches for his nape.

Inspiration

Thank you for reading your favorite scene. Having you read an extract aloud like this, it just makes me wonder, what inspired you to have this au?

When I started writing it, I just wanted to see where it would take me. The moment their conflict started as college students, I found myself, even as the writer, asking for more too. I just always had this thrill in me whenever I got to start a new chapter or publish them. I looked forward to seeing what people thought. I guess that was my biggest drive to go on. EXO as a group was also very active when I was writing this story so there were still a lot of ship crumbs that helped me.

I find your trust in the process very fascinating. It becomes a journey of self discovery both for Kyungsoo and yourself.

And from this inspiration of yours, was this the original idea you had in mind when you first drafted the fic? How much has the story grown or changed while writing?

Nothing particularly different from the final product. It definitely was supposed to be shorter than 300k like the 2 sinners trilogy before it, but I really had fun writing it and felt like the scenes I came up with, no matter how tedious and uneventful they seemed, were vital for the story and the characters’ arcs.

It certainly seems that way, very purposeful and intentional scenes.

Impact

We are nearing the end of the episode, this next and last segment is on the author’s impact on the kaisoo fic community.

But before that, the last question from my CC reads: my pride yaps are never ending pls don’t mind me but anyway thank you so much for writing the fic really..even though its angst its one of my go to comfort fics. I need to get this off my chest, I felt like Wrath and Pride happened simultaneously in two parallel worlds..there is a thin line as there were lots of similarities but two fics were completely different. The emotions you conveyed, idk how to put it hope you get what I am trynna say..so how did you do srsly?

Ohh yes, they were completely different worlds. Thanks for being kind! I think my sinners trilogy are similar in a way because the sins are somehow still intertwined in other stories. You can still apply wrath on Pride, and you can very much see pride on Wrath’s characters. Idk if that makes sense but i think that’s what made them feel similar.

I hope that answers your question, anon!

Yeolimerent, what kind of writer do you consider yourself as? For example, what is the one thing you hold dear to when writing? Or what is something you would never write?

Hmm I definitely am the type to write details as vivid and palpable as possible. I’m very visual as a person so I like writing the scene where I can be as clear as I possibly can for the imagery. I also try to write realistic lines or something I wouldn’t cringe at if I hear real Kaisoo say it in real life (key word: try hahaha). I like writing characters that are deeply flawed, and then I like having them reflect on said flaws.

In terms of tropes, I’m very welcoming to a lot of them as a reader. But as a writer, being realistic like I said, I’m not particularly into farfetched or over the top tropes like Mpreg or A/B/O. But depending on the world-building, I have fun reading them and am not closing any doors about writing them in the future.

And upon identifying the things you would like to continue to do, and the things you will never do as a writer, what’s the biggest thing you learnt while writing fics? Anything surprising or impactful or moving? Be it about the storytelling, the language used or the life lessons?

Heck, number 1: it is a thousand times harder to write fics when English is not your first language! TT I’ve had a lot of writing experience outside of the ficdom but it is still a struggle to express certain thoughts in another language.

Plot-wise, I realized I also like it when my characters admit that they did certain things because they just fucked up and not everything has to have deep reasons. It’s a trend I’ve seen in my recent works and it’s always refreshing to write about people who screw up once in a while.

Thank you for writing despite it being difficult.

With all the things you have learnt yeolimerent, and with your experience, all 7 years of it, what do you think makes a great story?

Write what you want to read! I’ve scrapped a lot of stories because I found that I tried writing them to please a certain crowd but it didn’t really feel right on my part. Writing what you would like to read gives you more ideas and creative juices you didn’t know were there. Allow your characters to have flaws and give them space to grow too. I have a huge preference for slowburn stories, both as a reader and writer, because seeing the characters go through a satisfying arc is what makes a great story for me.

Ending Ment

Before we end things, dear yeolimerent, do you have any other comments you want to share with us listeners? Any teasers for ongoing AUs or a hint of upcoming AUs you have in your work in progress stage?

Nothing in progress for me sadly as I am busy with hospital work :( I might have some things in the drafts but I don’t know if they’d ever see the light of day lol. I am definitely reading comments and messages once in a while though, whether I reply or not, and it really gives me strength. I would definitely like to write more kaisoo fics in the future especially once they start interacting again, canon!

I’m happy to have the opportunity to talk about Pride like this after so many years so thank you for doing this and for appreciating the fic! I’m very grateful.

Thank you yeolimerent for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us in spirit of the episode and my dear Jie voicing over as yeolimerent, thank you for doing this with me on a weekday.

Dear listener, the link to the author’s ao3 and twitter profile will be given below in the notes section. And with that we have come to the end of today’s episode.

Do keep a lookout for next month’s episode because we will be going through Chasing Summer Skies by rainepaige08.

New episodes either every 13th of the month or 12th and 14th, special kaisoo dates, of course.

To reach me, i am kaisooficdrunk on twitter and if you want you can drop me questions on my curious cat you can do so with the same username. There will also be another link that brings you to my tumblr blog with the transcription for today’s episode. There you can also find the other scripts for other episodes as well.

Thank you for listening, have a good day, dear kaisooist, and we look forward to next month’s episode. Stay tuned.

#kaisooficpodcast #kaisoo

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reddoll123 · 1 year ago

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You know I love you the most, right?

#exo #exo fanart #kaisoo fanart #kaisoo #kadi #artists on tumblr #kpop fanart #digital fanart #my fanart #don't repost or edit btw #please and thank you

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tantai-jin · 2 years ago

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tagged by @microcomets hiii claire thank u for tagging :’)))

three ships: ummmm i like to rotate many ppl and things in my brain but currently 1. ximang, bc i am working on writing a thing for them 2. bingqiu, bc i like how they are both extremely ill and lbh is one of my top blorbos, and 3. bu yinlou/xiao duo from the cdrama 浮图缘 unchained love since i’m watching it rn and i rly like them :) idk what their ship name is tho... fang jiang+zhuo ying = ??

first ever ship: i’ll say kaisoo bc exo was the first time i rly entered an online fandom and that was the first ship that i really liked haha

last song: 小镇里的花 by hua chenyu

last movie: glass onion! (me too claire haha) (actually i’ve never seen knives out but hopefully one day i can)

currently reading: qiangjinjiu by tang jiuqing; strange beasts of china by yan ge on audiobook! the latter i started like six months ago and then stopped when i was 2 chapters from finishing bc i enjoyed it so much i didn’t want it to end LOL but i’ll finish it in the next two weeks i think!

currently watching: 浮图缘 unchained love, and also “legacy” 传家 on hbomax! two v diff flavors of cdrama (relatively lighthearted palace romcom w snappy pace vs slowburn family infighting / revenge minguo drama w more melodramatic romance) but i’m having a lot of fun w both

currently consuming: nothing... jasmine green tea when i refill my cup tho, and i had a salted caramel latte earlier :3

currently craving: something with a lot of hot gooey cheese.... buldak ramen w extra noodles and cheese....... i gotta go buy more cheese

some friends have alr been tagged but how about @yujun404 @megafaunatic and anyone else who wants to!!

#tumblr meme #oh to share random inconsequential information about my hobbies......... i like it!!

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aphrodite1288 · 1 year ago

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I've obviously never met you, but I am going to take your, "I saw them kissing thrice," at your word because everything I have seen with my own eyes over the last eight years as a Kaisoo observer supports what you say as a logical culmination of evidence. There are very few couples I have ever seen in my life who radiate the affection and adoration that Jongin and Kyungsoo do towards each other, and they give me confort knowing that a love like that exhists in this world, despite the odds against it. I have probably lived far more years than many of your other followers or commenters or haters, so let them take it from this ajumma, maybe almost halmoni, EXO-L - Kaisoo is real. 😂 Thank you for your efforts to defend and protect them. ❤️

So sweet of you 💕

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soointense · 1 year ago

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I take this as Kaisoo crumbs ❤️

Thanks to the new elected kaisoo president Mr. Doh Kyungsoo.

#kaisoo #kadi

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inhalcyonity · 1 year ago

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Roleplay Ad!

Hello everyone!

Here I am, looking for some EXO roleplay! As tagged, I am looking for a Chanbaek/Baekyeol roleplay. It does not mean I’m not opened to other couples as well, but my main focus is finding someone to RP this beautiful pair that is Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

Now, I do tend to roleplay Chanyeol a lot more than I do Baekhyun, but if you would like to take on this giant, go ahead, I do not mind at all. Here is a short laundry list before you keep reading:

It is very important to me that you are legal [18+]. I will not be roleplaying mature content with people below the age of 20. I am a little older myself and it tends to make me uncomfortable.

I have been writing for years. If it is a one-liner roleplay you are looking for, I do not believe we will be a good match. I am looking for someone who is semi-lit at the very least!

I am generally a very active person, but I do have a full time job and full time obligations as well. If this rings a bell, welcome to the adult world ahah. A reply a day (and more) does go a long way!

I am back to GMT-5. Not that it really matters but it’s always good to be aware of this! I usually RP on Discord.

If you think you qualify, I’m certain we can be great friends :) Now, on to the very serious talk: what is it I’m really looking for?

A Chanbaek roleplay. Very simply. I WILL consider other couples as well, but I am a bit .. picky: Kaisoo, Hunhan and Suchen are a welcomed addition to the Chanbaek party!

I love to explore different genres from contemporary to fantasy - to my beloved MAMA AUs, I literally roleplay anything. My preference is yours, literally.

I love to plot. Obviously, I’m not seeking every precocious details but I like to have an idea of the overall story and scenes. It does not have to be extensive, but a little hint will give us both something to look forward to. :)

[20+] I am definitely opened to smut but I rarely, if ever, rp pwp. I am certain we can find a way to add it to a more polished storyline.

If in the end, something tickles yours fancy and you decide to send me a message, I will gladly reply! Come and say hello, I don’t bite, I promise ahah. For the people who are a little more shy or want to role play Chanbaek, but have no idea where to start, I have a few plots in mind.

A MAMA AU akin to Avatar: TLAB (I’m looking at you all Zodiac readers of the past). I’m not seeking something that’s exactly the same but the abilities; the grand adventure; the literal gay fellowship all sound really good in my head. [Epic/Fantasy]

A dystopian AU in which abilities are present, but outlawed by society. Opposites-ish attract. [YA/Fight for the greater good]

A bridesmaid AU in which A meets B (a groomsman) during their sister’s wedding. [Romance]

A college AU in which A and B are part of rival acapella groups. Road to fame was never easy but it is even less so when you fall for the singer you’re supposed to hate. [Ennemies to Lover]

These are just examples of ideas that live in my head. Obviously, you can come and discuss a completely different concept. I’m opened to anything!

If you made it to the end, thank you and congrats!! I don’t have cookies, but I do offer loads of Chanbaek. It’s waiting for you, just a like or a message away~

#exo rp #exo roleplay #kpop rp #kpop roleplay #chanbaek #chanbaek rp #baekyeol rp #chanbaek roleplay #baekyeol roleplay #male x male #roleplay

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queenoftsage · 5 months ago

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... I mean... If it had been directed and written a little better...

"Love Song For Illusion' could have been a masterpiece.

I'm not yet done with it, but I'll give my two unwanted cents...

It's actually a fun ride. It is cliche AF, but it feels like a frantically written fanfic webtoon type thing. Like, this is something that you wouldn't care if you went to AO3 and looked for your favorite ship and has this type of story appearing for them.

Like in my case, I could definitely see KaiSoo in this predicament. You know, KAI as the pretty assassin person, and KyungSoo as the seamstress/Prince/Crown Prince person with a really crazy case of Literal SPLIT Personality disorder.

Also, have to give props to the series, because it's the only series I have personally seen, where the main dude plays Main Lead and Second lead. [in 2024!] lol.

If you want to see a better and much more masterful version of this, go watch 'The Man Who Became King [The Crowned Clown]'. Now that is how you play a double role. Literal double role as the main actor Yeo Jin Goo plays twins.

JIHOON, thank you for trying. He's still young, and he can still mess up along the way. I honestly don't really know what the director or writer of this series were going for, but... As I said, it's a fun ride, but not as master-piecy as it should have been.

... Also, another point for it? I'm not bored.

lol.

Kudos to all the actors, cause they really are trying. XDDD

#Love Song For Illusion #My thoughts so far #Park Jihoon #Park Ji Hoon #The Man Who Became King #The Crowned Clown #I haven't finished... but I had to stop and talk a little bit of shit about it #Yeo Jin Goo #Yeo Jingoo #I mean... Jihoon was amazing in 'Weak Hero Class 1'#but that story is insane #and a little more on the realistic-ish side #.... I feel honestly that the historical fantasy genre is really hard to pull off.#Hotel Del Luna pulled it off because it was just in bits and pieces and not the entire story #and some other series on my top 20 that have a few bits and pieces of historical in them #*shrugs*#I'm trying... but also #like I said.. I'm not bored... I just want to know what's gonna happen to the evil spirit.#would be more fun if he was an actual fleshy spirit that was a complete twin of the main lead #I feel those are always very fun... But while the main lead does play against himself #It's hard to take demon boy seriously.... He feels more fun... than serious #... I don't know... Like I said.. I'm not finished. I have to see where it all ends

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babypetri · 1 year ago

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Tag Game!

Thank you for the tag @ellorypurebloodculture

Rules: Answer all the questions, then tag 9 people you want to get to know better!

Three ships: i have so many i don't know which to choose so I'm going to write last fics I've read which is like so long ago i must do a little research to find them

Alright i found them so here's them;

1. Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug / Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)

2. Female Harry Potter / Terence Higgs (Harry Potter)

3. Tony Stark / Loki / Stephen Strange (Marvel)

First ship: Honestly i don't even remember what i eat last night and it's been so long but either it's EunHae (Super Junior) or KaiSoo (EXO) maybe another ship who knows certainly not me

Last song I listened to: Be my girl - Super Junior

Last movie I watched: I don't remember honestly i might need to ask my sister she probably knows. Ok i remembered that its was an Indian film but i don't know the name of the film i don't even remember what was it about i was in pain while watching it if i remember then i will update it

Currently reading: Currently reading nothing but i will continue the fics and maybe finish Soul Screamers Vol2 idk we'll see

Currently watching: Nothing. I don't really watch something these days but last thing i watched was Queen Charlotte or maybe it was I am Groot

Currently consuming: Instant noodles

Currently craving: Yogurt with fruits cold and sweet perfect for the weather

Tagging (no pressure at all, and if you want to do this and I haven't tagged you, feel free to join in and tag me anyway!)( I may not be social or interact with you but I'm really curious but it's totally fine to not do it): @snake-queen7 @buggachat @bananagreste @worstloki @scarlet-fall @longdaytogo @lilbeanz @zombu7 @teckmonky

#tag game

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queenoftsage · 3 months ago

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@zakubabbles

Thank you for the tag!!!

Hid it behind the keep reading thing cause I LIKE VISUALS. lol

My 10 favorites fandoms and characters... [it's hard to pick just one, but I'll try to do it with just one character for each.]

"Hotel Del Luna"

Favorite Character:

He's ... OH HELL HE IS A PRINCESS. F THAT. lol aka- Gu Chan Seong

2. "Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance"

Favorite Character:

Both are cute, but DEET is my love.

3. Dead Boy Detectives

Favorite Character:

That finger was deserved. P.S. Crystal is QUEEN! aka- Crystal Palace! Obviously.

4. Girl From Nowhere

Favorite Character:

My Girl Nanno, messing with everyone, and making their lives hell, just like a girl should.

5. Beyond Evil

This was insanely hard, but I gotta be honest with myself.

JooWon is and always will be Dat Bitch!

6. Hwayi A Monster Boy

.... this one is the most obvious ... And I know that Hwayi as a movie doesn't have a huge fandom, but I don't care. lol

He's a character I'll never forget because of many many reasons.

7. Ranma 1/2

Two for one... Ranma Saotome [the main Girl/Guy]

8. Sailor Moon

Hotaru Tomoe / Sailor Saturn. {honestly this one was hard. I love a lot of characters in this fandom.}

9. Weak Hero Class 1

Favorite Character:

The weakest STRONGEST hero, Yeon Sieun <3 <3 <3

10. The Devil Judge

Favorite Character:

Jeong Seon-a MY EVILEST QUEEN!!!

And that's it. I tried to keep it as fictional as possible, because I was about to add EXO and KaiSoo in there, but those are REAL people. We're focusing on fictional people, right? lol. There they are.

Now that I think about it, my fandom favorites are all over the place. XD With a very specific theme of WOMEN [good, chaotic, and evil] and 'soft' mens/boys. ... makes kinda sense. lol

I tag: EVERYONE!!! actually here to the people that follow me [that I know are alive and not bots. XD]

@notsocharmy @striving4mikey @koreanthrillerenjoyer

have fun! <3 <3 <3 [p.s. no pressure!]

*runs off*

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms

RULES: List your ten favorite characters from ten separate fandoms, then tag ten people!

Tagged by @vvatchword

(this is too hard I'm awful at choosing favorite anything D: )

1. Ninja Turtles. Which one? Yes. 2. Link, Legend of Zelda 3. Sheik/ Zelda, Ocarina of Time (totally different fandom...) 4. Ganondorf, Twilight Princess (don't question me) 5. Skelita, Monster High 6. Ginger Breadhouse doll, Ever After High 7. Garrus, Mass Effect ... but there's also Tali... 8. Crowley/ Aziraphale, Good Omens (they go hand in hand) 9. Wind Whistler, MLP G1 10. Batman, Batman

Thinking of things is hard.

Tagging @kosomolski-dolls @queenoftsage and YOU! I know more people who would rather not be tagged than those who do, so please feel free to participate :)

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kaisooficpodcast · 2 days ago

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1st Anniversary of KFP

Ladies and gays and of the like, listeners of the kaisoo fic podcast show, I am extremely pleased to share that this is the one year anniversary of the kaisoo fic podcast!

I am joined together with John Doe who will be my cohost for this episode.

Hi, I am John Doe. I would like to congratulate you, Alexio, on the first anniversary of your podcast about kaisoo?

Alexio, so one whole year doing the podcast. You're always the one asking questions, maybe this episode we get to know more about the ins and the outs of the podcast.

Let’s start from the very beginning. Why or rather how did the podcast idea start?

I read fics, that is obvious. I am a very passionate person and I feel emotions very strongly. So when I am deeply moved by a fic, I will express those emotions to my friends. And i think there was a point when i was expressing my emotions for the fics, that i saw the look of boredom on my friends faces. And to me, i realised that “ok this is not the target audience i should be sharing this to”. But I still needed a place where I could cathartically express my intense emotions and feelings for the fics. And one day i was like i want to talk about the fics with people who share similar sentiments. So what i did initially was to type it out, to post on tumblr. But it was not enough. I wanted to converse with someone, to bounce off energy with. Then one day I was like hm podcast. And the rest is history.

I see, so it started from a personal need, then it grew to needing space. You wanted to talk about kaisoo fics. And talking is a social thing, so you need to talk about it WITH people. It seems very hopeful because since you could not find a space, you created one for yourself. And with the freedom of having space, it is possible that other people understand the kasioo fic vision you have. They support as listeners and contribute as guests on the show as authors, artists and readers.

Thank you for saying that, and I believe that is true as well. The moving force of a lot of the episodes is the need to honour the guest. To give limelight to authors by having episodes that I call author sessions, where we talk about their journey as a writer, their inspiration and caring for their work.

Why do you feel the need to honour authors?

I do that for many reasons. Firstly, why I honour guests is because they are under appreciated. When writing, you put yourself out into the ficdom vulnerably. Fic writers write for free, have active social and work lives on the daily, yet as an outlet, take their irreplaceable time to write for us. As compared to authors who have books with publishers, fics writers do not have the luxury of promoting their work. What I mean by promotion is by having book launches and seeing their works in bookstores. Instead, fanfic promotion has fic writers relying on word of mouth in the twitter world, the masterlists by kaisooficrec and the search bar on ao3. Appreciating authors in this manner is the very least I can do, hence this being one of the moving forces of continuing on with the show.

And I am very much relieved that it had also been acknowledged by rainepaige on our first episode together. That episode will always be very meaningful for me because that was the first episode I had with a live guest. Raine in her ending comments expressed her gratitude on how the podcast showcases different writers, and for her as a writer it becomes a rewarding experience to be able to put on a spotlight by a reader who actually loves their fics. That gave me a confidence boost because that was the moment that made me realise that this is my contribution to the kaisoo community.

Wow, the first episode with a guest was meaningful. That being the first of many, how does the very first author session develop into the later authors session?

The biggest thing I learnt actually was the importance of building a relationship with the guest. The thing about podcasts is that you are usually having a conversation with another person. This is a person you meet online, so listening to their voice might be a bit awkward and unexpected at first. The thing i do now for sessions with guests after learning from Raine’s episode is to have a proper pre-recording chit chat. For Raine it happened about half an hour before the actual recording. With that, it took longer to ease into the momentum of the episode. With that, I realised I really needed to have a proper relationship with authors by familiarising both myself and the guests to each other’s voices. To learn the way we speak, to recognise the way tone changes at a particular comment or how with feelings of excitement we get into natural tangents. I do that in all the following episodes that feature guests. Apart from Raine we had Inari, Haqiyin, Yu and Jie, Lyn. I scheduled a zoom session with them and we just talk, get to know each other a bit about our backgrounds, a bit on professional life, weather, and then we go on talking about the flow of questions.

Importance of having a relationship with guests and making time to schedule open communication. Towards the end you mentioned that you also discuss the flow of questions. In the episodes, authors have mentioned they appreciate the questions asked. So let’s talk about that, how has your ability to listen and bounce back questions improved over the span of… wow 12 episodes with 7 different unique live guests?

I will talk a bit on 7 episodes with non live guests. Non live guests are basically the authors i DMed and they were either too busy or too shy to get their voices out publicly. So authors like at1stsoo, maokun, melings, jokkomi, kiki, bunny and yeolimerent. For these 6 authors plus kiki the artist, I sent them a google document with questions. First few episodes with the first few authors were very… transactional? Like I would ask questions and they would reply then end of story. So in terms of ability to bounce back questions, not much, especially in those few episodes. Those episodes to listeners may sound very unnatural and from there things needed to change. So from that acknowledgement, the skill to listen and bounce back questions changed, but not without help from a real life friend. She is also a kaisooists. We met on twitter about 3 years ago. We meet regularly. She is my confidant and importantly for the podcast, she beta reads my episodes. Dudu, thank you very much for all that you have done for me, kaisoo related or not, you are a true friend.

Have you just learnt about that?!

What was the biggest thing that Dudu helped you identify?

Many times I tend to hyperfocus on things that may not necessarily be of importance. Dudu helped me literally highlight the points. To identify the direct answers for the questions asked, then the minor details that the author brings up.

We talked about the skill needed in listening and giving it back to the guest and you shared the help you’ve gotten from your friend. What other sources do you take for inspiration and format?

I take from a lot of sources.

When I’m doing brainless stuff, meaning my hands need to move but my mind need not be present, I try to regularly listen to BBC Radio 4’s podcast titled ‘Books and Authors’. I’ve taken examples from that podcast in terms of how the host signposts to the next question or how to graciously ask questions. Biggest thing as well is to get the author to read an extract of their work.

If I’m looking for inspiration to do lighthearted stuff for the podcast, I listen to a pair who reviews Harry Potter fanfics, titled ‘Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them’. The title is brilliant and it honestly captures the essence of the Harry Potter series.

For more technical problems like formatting and structure of episodes and for editing audio tracks with GarageBand, I look on YouTube.

This is a simple question but a loaded one. Firstly I note that there are four different types of episodes of the kaisoo fic podcast show.

Firstly there are the Trailers slash Teasers basically a sneak peak into an ongoing fic.

Then we have a lot of Author slash Artists sessions where you interview the creatives in the kaisoo fic community.

Sessions with Readers where keen kaisooists come on board to appreciate the fic that have been read individually to talk about it together.

And miscellaneous promotional stuff like to launch the discord.

Am I missing anything else?

Actually not at all, thank you for identifying the four types, very observant! So yes, the simple question is?

Ah yes. My question is: Now knowing the help you get in terms of looking to other shows for inspiration, motivation from a friend and having a confidence boost from your guests, my question is: How do you plan for an episode?

Thank you for starting off with identifying the several types of episodes because it makes it easier to think through how I go about planning one generally, rather than going through each and every episode we have had so far.

So to answer your question, the way I approach an idea for an episode for an author’s session. I actually look at the writers who are active and responsive on twitter. I used to read a lot. Funnily enough after the podcast I have had less time to read but anyway back to my point. The authors that I follow, not many are as active anymore because of life commitments and that Jongin is in the military. Usually if I see an author on my timeline, I will DM them.

What happens after getting the attention of the author?

Upon gaining the authors interest in participating, I will draft an outline on what I want us to talk about, arrange for a common time slot to schedule the pre-recordings and actual session.

Ah ok so outline. Generally there is a tendency to ask similar questions. Why do you think it is important to ask these set questions?

It is important because we have an array of writers who come from different backgrounds, upbringing, life experiences, cultures and beliefs. By asking them similar questions, we get to see how diverse yet united fic writers are. With that said, I do tweak the flow of questions based on my personal takeaways from the past episode published for the following episode.

What are the things you have learnt about these diversely united fic writers?

One of my many favourite questions to ask authors is Do you ever tell people around you that you write fanfiction?

I asked this to Raine, Inari and Haqiyin. Raine and Haqiyin are regional neighbours and possibly because of the cultural similarities, the two authors do not tell people in their personal life about their writing hobby. For Raine mainly because she mentions her family is more traditional while Haqiyin, is more private and does not talk about her skills, but rather shows them.

Inari on the other hand, interestingly enough, tells people she writes, and when asked, she is transparent about it. But in addition to that, she is also working on original novels and children’s books. So people who find the topic of fanfiction odd, linger on her other works. Inari has people in her life who read her fics and her cousin Macks has been editing her works since 2015.

Another question that gets unique responses is one I like to ask about what their writing process looks like?

Those who write SNS aus like bunny and raine, We see there is a significant amount of research needed just to look for kaisoo and exo look alike photos. How to make it interactive because it is in the format of twitter and imessage.

Other guests who write on ao3 and answered this question as well. Regular podcast listeners will know for a fact that there is no one set and fixed way for an author to write. There are really many ways you can express creative writing.

Generally a common thing I find, for example Raine and Inari, they have a start and an ending in mind. These two moments don't really differ from the final draft of the fic, but in between the start and end, a lot of things change halfway for Raine, outlines for Inari are always subjected to change. With the everchanging outlines, Inari also mentions that she finds herself hopping between scenes and having it nonlinear. As a reader and a listener, it is an eye opener because for me the last time i did any creative writing was in primary school or elementary years, what i remember is that we are always taught to plan plan plan. But there is really no one way to do things. Inari hopping between scenes for me was an eye opener, but when it came to yeolimerent’s Pride, I was shocked.

First few questions I asked yeolimerent was I asked that question thinking the answer would be something along the lines of wanting to hook the attention of the reader and from there she would bring us along with what she had planned. That was what I thought. But I was very happily shocked when yeolimerent said the climax of the plot was the very first scene she came up with. The high intense conflicting emotions, the reminiscing, the anger, the shock, the pain Kyungsoo felt was the first scene she came up with for Pride. With that starting scene, she wanted readers to have a sneak peak into kaisoo’s dynamics and ask “what could’ve happened between them?” and “where do we go from here?” so it is the perfect prologue for the story. I genuinely thought I could not be anymore shocked, but I was proven wrong.

She mentioned that she was not much of a planner while writing Pride. Every chapter came randomly, no outline, just a vague idea of what she would want to see happen in that chapter and how to wrap it up. What I love about this, and why I have a deeper appreciation for her Pride after going through the episode, is because readers are exploring kaisoo in Pride as she is writing. Yeolimerent was just exploring and exploring, seeing where our two beloved characters may end up. Very intense, and yeolimerent acknowledges the fic was so long because she could not control the way the plot unfolded.

Now these questions were for author sessions, what about Fic Trailer Episodes?

Another type of episodes we have is for ongoing fics. We have had two authors now giving us a sneak peak to the fic they are in the process of writing.

Maokun for instance in the episode for her ongoing Private Matters, we talked about the tags that have yet to come out in the chapters, specifically on Kyungsoo’s character development and childhood trauma.

Dear mao, if you're listening, we are very eager to know how the fic progresses. But, as always, at your own pace.

The second trailer-like episode we have is very recently with rainepaige08. Raine is rewriting her complete tweetfic and posting it on ao3 titled Chasing Summer Skies. For this specific episode what is unique is that we already know the plot, but because it will be rewritten, Raine will be developing certain scenes, provide deeper insights to the perspectives.

That is very… it just goes to show the range of writers in the kaisoo fic community. And these are just four authors you properly interviewed. I notice you don't really reference the birthday season episodes and earlier. Is that deliberate?

Not really deliberate, i think the first few episodes i did i was just starting out and so i had not really found proper footing yet. I am talking about in every aspect from the audio quality, the duration of the episode (which reflects the type of questions asked), post recording editing. Actually I think what I did really well was the episode cover art.

Could you talk more on the podcast cover art? What moment of the fic do you usually choose to illustrate?

I genuinely love all my episode cover art pieces. Doing the podcast cover art is as important as fixing an outline for the script. I take a lot of pride in doing it, it is not the best, but with the limited skills and tools i have, i do what i can.

For how i choose specific stills for episodes, basically upon reading the whole fic, i try to identify what are the most unique points of the fic. The episode on meling’s Blue for example. It is a sad fic, Kyungsoo is vulnerable in the fic and hence seen crying in the illustration. He angrily vocalises his insecurities to Jongin, and Jongin embraces him. This particular still i got the silhouette from pinterest and just traced it out. To me this picture captures the essence of blue (hold onto me everyday) by melings very well. Another similar experience I had was with Inari’s susceptible to you episode cover art. The moment I saw the two hands, one with fresh cuts and bruises and another healing with plasters, it reflects kaisoo’s relationship in terms of their troubled backgrounds and their hope to build a future together.

Which podcast cover art took the longest to do?

It is between bunny’s episode with the family portrait and low quality spazz with dudu for jongnugget’s american football. The process of getting body posture references for the portrait, then ensuring each jersey number would be seen on the uniform.

At what point do you reach out to EXO illustrators for commissions?

I keep a look out for the artists I follow. In the event they open commissions, I will definitely reach out to them. The keyword for when I reach out is when artists themselves open commissions.

First commission done was by kiki, peachypeptide on twitter. The time of when she opened commissions was the perfect time because it coincided with the kaisoo birthday season. I will forever be grateful to kiki for helping me have my abstract sketches come to life digitally.

You had two other commissions right?

Which two are you referring to?

Haqi episodes and Pride episodes.

Haqi’s was not commissioned, but rather the podcast was granted permission to use it. And I am very grateful she did, because it is an episode featuring Haqi and a Haqi drawing would be appropriate to have.

Lyn was the second person I commissioned and I sort of knew better what to do and expect when commissioning someone. With Lyn we went through a lot of revisions, details, colours, backgrounds. She’s been very patient with me and also gives suggestions that add value to the final drawings.

With the artist session episode with Lyn, I was pleasantly relieved that she found my guide outline very useful to churn out her creative energy. Lyn mentioned that with a detailed breakdown of what I wanted to see, it helped her guide her drawing.

That actually reminds me that one of my questions to authors is on their inspiration.

In addition to being a writer, Haqi draws and is a graphic designer by profession. So specifically for her Swap AU she took a lot of photoshoots, concepts, pictures and events and content to be able to write and be inspired.

Another author who took inspiration from photos and venue images is at1stsoo in her ‘In the Clouds With You’. Lizzie the author eagerly responded with how she took influence from real life kaisoo during the War Press Conference back in July 2017. Lizzie is the kaisoo historian that wrote the compendium of kaisoo’s journey. So with that already written, when she saw them in the beautiful outdoor venue, it sparked this proposal in a oneshot. In the fic, Kyungsoo pops a ring into Jongin’s pocket just before they appear on stage. And it all stems from that image of the venue plus how their suits looked like wedding suits and not forgetting the green carnation kyungsoo wears on his lapel… like… the symbol of doing that was popularised by Oscar Wilde to indicate men being attracted to other men. I wish i was making this shit up but… kaisoo is real everybody.

Another writer who uses other forms of art to complement their writing is Inari. When Inari hears a song and a film plays in her head. It helps in evoking emotions and the right emotions through the use of instruments and melodies, rhythms, lyrics. Inari says it wonderfully in her episode, do give it a listen.

Raine’s inspiration starts with prompts and Haqiyin comes from dialogues. Haqiyin’s my dear was constructed based on a beautiful line she imagined Kyungsoo saying. Do check out the episodes with haqiyin to know what the actual quote was, its quite moving.

How different would an outline for an author's session look like from a session with readers?

For the episode with Dudu i was planning to think through more details, but because i had limited time at her house, we were just like “fuck it let’s just spazz about the fic” hence the title of the episode. Super low quality, recorded it on my phone and I think you can hear a person shifting pots and pans. But I think it would have been slightly better if it was more thoroughly planned, but the unique point of the episode is the low commitment aspect and I had lots of fun.

But to answer your question of how different an outline for an author's session compared to a session with readers, a good comparison would probably be the two episodes that talked about Pride by yeolimerent. So for Pride we had readers Yu and Jie to discuss the fic. Being amongst readers, we see that it is slightly more candid, more playful, literally as well because we had an ice breaker game segment so we were slightly more comfortable with each other. We played it twice actually, one pre recording the another during the recording itself.

For author yeolimerent, it was more of a typical authors session. I ask questions and there was a response, and we went back and fourth about twice.

How have you improved over the past year?

I would like to believe I have definitely improved from where I started to now.

In all aspects, in terms of the sequence and type of questions, in terms of editing, taking out the filler words. All of which I am no master at, there is really so much to improve on, but I’m getting better. Of which some are also things like the quality of the questions asked to include more plot based questions apart from writer's journey and the flow of the episode to make it more conversational rather than obvious moments for questions and responses.

Any other points you would like to make before we end the episode today?

When an author is writing, they are writing for the plot. It is not a full reflection of the author’s conviction in kaisoo in real life or as idols or whatever. It is seriously just to bring across a tasteful and intricate story that has human flaws and human complexities that make the characters have conflict.

Look at it this way. There is no fluff without angst, and there is no angst without fluff. So you need the points of contrast.

I see, like a natural juxtaposition - day night, rain sunshine.

More importantly: kaisoo vs other ships

We may disagree with what the characters do, which is a good thing because it shows that we care for the characters, but the choices they make, be it being a misstep or a deliberate choice, is in the writer's hands, and we have to respect that.

I want to go on a slight tangent, because it is related to what we are talking about, this idea of kyungsoo being shipped with another person other than Jongin. There are two realities of shipping, one for idol life and another for fanfiction. Since this show is a fanfic show, we will talk about fanfics because idol life is a whole other conversion all together. I hope this is not a controversial take, in fact I think it should be a universal common sense because to be completely honest it is appalling to me that some people have the capacity to hate on a writer, that is one. And two, to express your anger by writing a hate comment. Because seriously, how low can you get hating on a person who has done so much for free. Who has taken time and courage to express their creativity, then bare their work to the twitter world or the ao3 audience hoping readers will see kaisoo through their eyes as wonderful as it has been conjured up in their minds. It is a skill that demands mastery. And in the kasioo world, i see many who have obtained that skill.

Dear readers and listeners, we are very blessed that we have a whole history and archive of literature for us, we have to celebrate that. We cannot let misery fog our want to read. I mean, this is all for the plot. The author is the one with creative choice, and we respect their direction. If you dont like it, you can literally scroll away. This fanfic reading is on a device, usually on your phone, just scroll away if it is not your cup of tea… there is really no need to leave a hate comment.

Sorry I just feel very passionate about this topic.

And before we end, in the discord during our monthly fanfic reading club event, lunar_frequencies or dia spoonie passionately mentions that fanfic writing, is a starting point. It is a place where writers start and test out the flow of narration, how characters and conflict work together and kickstart a love for writing.

An aside, it is important to support writers. Not to shame those who are not writing up to a particular personal standard. We do not want to diminish the enjoyment of the craft because we want to support one another and help each other.

Alexio any other final comments for this episode?

Ok i would like to end off with saying there is something just so exciting as the kaisoo fic podcast host. To get to know a bit more about an author that I personally like to read from.

As readers we are given so much, and we should give back. It is only right for us or me, my purpose now is to use the podcast and discord platforms to bridge the gap between authors who write for the kaisoo ficdom, and the perception that readers have of writers being just a username that churns out fics. Authors are more than just their username that writes. Authors are real people who gain inspiration from who they are and what they experience and tapping onto their creative minds.

All in all dear listener, thank you for your attention. Dear writer, if you would like to have your fic featured, do feel welcome to drop me a DM on twitter! Listener if you feel strongly for a fic and maybe you would like to talk about your favorite fic with me, do come on board onto the kaisooists discord community server and i would be open to discussion.

Specifically for at1stsoo maokun melings jjokkomi bunny and yeolimerent, i would like to thank you for your time in replying to me. If you are keen we can arrange for a sit down recorded zoom session and we can talk proper instead of just through a google document.

For authors, Haqiyin Lyn and Raine, Inari and readers Dudu Yu and Jie, who have been on the show with me, I really cannot thank you enough.

Thank you dear kaisoo fic podcast listener, may we have another good year with kaisoo fics. Stay tuned.

#kaisoo #kaisooficpodcast #ao3 #fanfiction #do kyungsoo #kim jongin

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