#the fic i'm working on rn explores a bit of this aspect

[struggling-jpg]

I've seen a lot of different interpretations of Jing Yuan and Yingxing's (extending to Blade) dynamic over time. Personally, knowing what we know, I go for the idea that they were around a similar age with Yingxing being a bit older.

But I've been thinking about their friendship over the years, where they both grow up but of course, as a Xianzhou native, Jing Yuan stops at some point but Yingxing keeps aging. They argued and competed so much over the years and Yingxing's personality didn't change too much yet there's inevitable shifts.

Yingxing's hair grays and wrinkles appear on his skin, he isn't as energetic as he used to be. At some point, Yingxing and Jing Yuan don't look like friends who are close in age but a grandpa or elderly father and his adult son/grandson. And it isn't much of a big deal until everything falls apart and Jing Yuan is hit with Yingxing's mortality in the worst way possible (how unfortunate the man being a short life species had nothing to do with it).

And when Jing Yuan sees Blade hundreds of years later, Yingxing's body now looking as young as the General again, he feels conflicted. The past remains crushed and lost in the expanses of space.

[tea-earl-grey]

🖋️😭📖

thank you!!!! from this ask game

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

i have three WIPs that i'm somewhat actively working on rn: 1) the next chapters of We Pick Ourselves Undone (and a currently untitled sequel that dives into missing scenes in s2 of Picard), 2) a compilation of Janeway's personal logs throughout all of Voyager showing how her character has changed, and 3) a Seven/Raffi h/c fic where they've crash-landed on a planet and Seven is forced to use Borg tech to save Raffi's life.

for the first two – i was inspired for the same reasons i've written most of my published fics. i was watching the show in question and thought "hm, i really wish we explored this relationship/aspect of the character" more and then i just started writing and got carried away. for the third WIP – that sort of h/c stuff is my guilty pleasure that i rarely write with the intention of actually publishing it so i forget how exactly i was inspired but i think it just seemed like a fun angsty idea to explore and was surprised i couldn't find anything similar on ao3. it's turning out a lot better than i thought so i might actually finish it one day (gasp).

😭"what are the biggest challenges writing your WIPs?"

the classic problem that befalls every writer: pacing. for WPOU, i have a bit more of an outline together but i inevitably keep hitting a wall when i don't know how to bridge scenes together. same thing for the other Seven/Raffi fic (but worse because i don't have an idea for the ending yet 😭).

for my Janeway fic, i just started writing it a couple of days ago so i haven't hit the pacing wall yet (and it's nice to have the pre-set boundaries of the episodes) but i am finding it difficult to find her voice pre-Voyager or early in season 1. also as it's a personal log, i'm writing it in first person and it's been awhile since i've written anything in that pov so i'm trying to remember how to do it convincingly.

📖"what has surprised you about your WIPs?"

hmm... i don't know if anything has really surprised me with my Janeway or Seven/Raffi Borg fic yet but with WPOU, i definitely went into it with the intention of it being more Seven-focused as she's my favorite Trek character but once i started writing, i was really surprised how much i loved writing Raffi. i of course really liked her in Picard but didn't necessarily connect to her. but when i actually started writing from her pov, i felt like i understood her character much better, could really relate to her, and was really interested in writing more for her. and now i think i've written much more from her pov than from Seven's.

[zonerz]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by da bestie @a-problematic-writer for this !!!!!

How many works do you have on ao3?

There's 14 atm!!!

What's your total AO3 word count?

Sitting at 569,356 rn :] thank u Answers LMAO 😭

What fandoms do you write for?

MCSM, Sonic, Kingdom Hearts, and anything that catches my fancy and eye in the meantime! Basically whatever! Also got some FF and Danganronpa peeking in :]

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Answers, Would You Like To Dance, MCSM Prompts/Drabbles, Demyx Drabbles oop-- 😳, Sonic and the Black Knight? More likeSonic and a Lot of Trauma

Do you respond to comments?

Yes all the time and all of them!!! I love interacting with readers and having conversations!!!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably the SatBK one LMAO sorry my beloved. Maybe I LIED HOW COULD I FORGET. ALVI. IT'S THIS ONE.

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Im honestly not sure??? They all, despite having their angst, tend to end on some hopeful notes or some kinda resolution 🤔it's also kinda hard to judge tho bc a lot are just drabbles and little thought experiments for me :]

Do you get hate on fics?

I've had the pleasure of not yet encountering any!

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not my thing! I can barely write two characters holding hands without feeling like a whore LMFAOOOOO

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not typically where I specialize!

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of 😭👍

What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest?

ANSWERS. MY GOD. I've been working on Answers since December of 2018 and she's still going and gonna be 5 years old soon which is CRAZYYYYYY 😭😭😭 That said, I wouldn't have it any other way and I'm still very excited for it and the future of it as I'm FINALLY getting into some of the meat of it that's been on the docket since 2018 :]

As for shortest, I'm pretty capable of getting a fairly long drabble out in just a few hours, so that'd probably be the shortest time I have.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not on Ao3!

What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms?

I can't easily pick one but I do feel like Sonic and Shadow's dynamic has like. rewired my brain LMAO

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

the Demyx Drabbles mentioned earlier. Mainly because they were a set of character explorations and a lot of my own ideas and thoughts have changed pretty drastically from when I started writing those, so I've lost the idea spark on that line of thinking. Im still COMPLETELY unwell about that little weirdo, but in a different flavor now

What are your writing strengths?

Character relationships, motives, and dialogue and maybe a bit of ilke??? Atmosphere????? I do my best to write it well at the very least!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action sequences are always a fucking bitch bro 😭 same with like physical descriptions and scenery--I don't know if it comes across like that but I always put in extra effort and time to refine these aspects before putting something out because I want them to be the best I can make them at the time 👍

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm open to it but personally would like to have a little familiarity with the language and its nuances myself before attempting too much lest I fall into the trap of like. Google translate ruining shit 😭

First fandom you wrote for?

Sonic!

Favorite fic you've written?

Answers is VERY much my pride and joy rn :] to me it's more than just an MCSM fic/continuation, it is 100% a love letter to MC as a whole which was just huge to me growing up. I've completely thrown myself into all corners of it's world and lore as well as throw in fun little references from things I loved over the years and done my best to stir them all together in a way that feels naturally cohesive, fun, and semi-realistic in a way that doesn't like snap a reader out of their suspension of disbelief! I want it to be engaging and natural and overall just a fun experience :] 💖

I can't think of anyone to tag rn (brain so so empty) so if anyone wants to take a stab at this go ahead!!! :]

[relatablegenzwriter]

How to write erotic moments or short stories without making it convoluted, cheesy or tacky? I grew up very religious and although i no longer believe have lots of trouble with sexuality in general. I'd like to try writing stuff as exploration cause i find p*rn too exploitive and iffy and dont wanna support that industry. but i'm not really sure what to do to do it "right" instead of dull or cringy. I just sit for hours with a blank paper till i give up

Writing Non-Tacky Sex and Romance

I'll start right off the bat by saying that this is definitely not my writing area of expertise, and I don't know how much I can tell you that you don't already know. So I'm gonna offer a couple of tips and then send you to a lot of posts that might answer your question better than I can! (P.S. I know your question was about sex specifically, but as you can see from the title, all of this can be applied to romantic scenes as well, which I got similar questions about.)

1. Be careful with metaphors. Of course, no writing style is "right" or "wrong", but flowery language can often make or break any scene, especially romantic ones. Many times, the overuse of dramatic, romantic metaphors can overload a scene and make it feel cheesy and cliche. And let's face it, millions of tiny stars aren't bursting around a couple every time they kiss, and we all know that sex is not magical in the slightest. I think the biggest problem with these kinds of descriptors, though, is not that they make you groan with how sappy the writing is, but because they often feel impersonal to your characters. So instead of your character "hearing a symphony swell around them", maybe "for a moment all their worries about [plot conflict/subplot conflict] seemed to move toward the back of their head". (not my best descriptor i could come up with on the spot but you get it) Although, while this will remove the cliche aspect of your scenes, it can still go overboard. Bringing me to my next point…

2. Be realistic. Like I said before, not every romantic or sexual interaction your characters have is going to feel like a Nicholas Sparks movie. There are lots and lots of awkward, ordinary moments. Include these! Of course, you probably won't want to make every moment of every sex scene say "yeah it wasn't that special" (unless of course this is the direction you want your story to take). If your character enjoys kissing or sleeping with someone, say that. But there are very few people whose worldview has shifted after one night together, and I doubt this is true for your characters, either.

3. Be careful about your source information. It's okay to take inspiration from everywhere, but it's important to take everything with a grain of salt. Particularly with sex scenes, writers tend to take inspiration from two major places: porn and WattPad (you know, THOSE fics). Keep in mind that porn is not meant to be realistic in the slightest, and I could go on a whole other tangent about the horrible expectations it sets for sex in real life. And don't get me wrong about wattpad: there are great writers on there and it's a great option to share and read fiction (for free, too!). But a lot of the ridiculously smutty fics, while entertaining and well-written, depict fun-sounding but sometimes unrealistic sex, that may not fit into the fantasy novel you're writing, @sjmaas. (Disregard that last bit if you are writing something akin to wattpad smut) Also, just a little side note that you should never be treating porn or wattpad as legitimate sex ed for real life!

4. Try building your scene from the ground up. I did a post on this a while back, but I used to really struggle to write romantic scenes until I figured out a method that works for me. Basically, you picture your scene as a building that you first need to lay the framework for, then fill in the cement/bricks/whatever, then furnish and decorate. First, I go through and write all the dialogue that will be taking place and mark crucial events. (example: "Hey, can I tell you something?" "What?" "I think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." [kiss]) Next, I rewrite the scene almost monotonously, in the plainest way actions can be written. ("They held hands." "She took her jacket off." "He walked across the room.") Once I have my "building", then I can go in and add all the emotions and little details. I do this so that I don't have to stare at a blank page, since I already know how my scene is going to go. Then all I have to do is fill in some little details that make the scene more personal to my characters. I highly recommend this to you, since you talked about how you know what you want to write but can get scared of a blank page (hey, me too!).

5. Extra Resources! Here's some people that can probably help better than I can with specifics:

Including Consent In Writing (SUPER IMPORTANT)

Non-Explicit Scenes

Explicit Scenes

Romance In General (with a section containing tons of nsfw writing advice)

Good luck with your story!

[robxstar]

I'm like 99% sure you mention somewhere that you thought the writers of Trouble in Tokyo could've done a lot more with it then they actually did (i think, i would look up the post but i'm using my data rn on mobile and i don't have time for that lmao) so my question is what would you have done to make trouble in tokyo better;)

MAN OH-HO MAN!

*stacks notes on desk*

1. Runtime

Trouble in Tokyo is a breezy hour and fifteen minutes.  For us to really explore every aspect and nuance of the potential story we had here, it needed to be a half-hour longer.  At least.  Heck, I would give it a full forty-five extra minutes so we could have a nice two-hour-long film.  The runtime is the root cause of pretty much all my other nitpicks with the movie.

DC Animation has this problem a lot, actually.  They refuse to let their films run any longer than that general hour and fifteen minute mark, and for stories where we really needed more time to let the characters and plot breathe and develop (Throne of Atlantis, Justice League vs. Teen Titans) it really shows.

C’mon DC.  You aren’t going to scare us off by adding twenty more minutes.

2. Daizo’s backstory

GIVE IT TO ME.

Hhhhgggnnnffffnnnn I am so disappointed in fandom for not writing craptons of fanfic speculating about Daizo WHY AREN’T ANY OF YOU AS FASCINATED WITH THIS VILLAIN AS ME?!

See, with a little extra runtime, we could devote a flashback or two to exploring Daizo’s story, how he got to where he was, his motivations, what compelled him not to turn Brushogun in and instead use him to playact a hero.  I mean it was pretty much always going to be obvious that he was the villain, anyone remotely genre-savvy enough could call it in a blink, but it never hurts to mislead us for a bit or make him sympathetic enough to the audience that we don’t want to believe he’s the villain.  Let us get to know him.  Like, pretty much all we know about him is that he seems to have an interest in manga/anime and he’s obsessed with being seen as a hero.  I wanna know why.

And it would be so easy to, from there, compare and contrast him against Robin or, hell, Beast Boy (as the animanga-obsessed geek who works as a hero) and thus give us some extra oomph and character motivation and depth.

Which leads into my next point…

3. Give the other Titans more shit to do

I love Robin.  I am an absolute whore for Robin.  But, as I said, as the very last thing we were going to get of animated Teen Titans, the movie should’ve spread the character focus around the team as a whole.

Like, Robin can still have the big dramatic arc–he can carry it fine after all–but also devote at least a mini-arc to the others, have them be more involved in the whole mystery plot, have them CONTRIBUTE.

Beast Boy could be the one to piece the clues together and figure out Brushogun is holed up at the publishing facility.  Raven could approach reporters or newspeople and ask them about Brushogun attacks (and maybe encounter the producers of the gum commercial and have hilarious misunderstandings that lead to her winding up as said gum’s mascot).  Cyborg and Starfire could notice the hero-worship Tokyo’s populace seems to have for Daizo.

There was a minor under-running theme of, “What is it to be a hero?” and only Robin really had to confront that question.  Let all the Titans do it.

Fandom would eat it up.

4. Go deeper into the narrative parallels

I made the observation that Robin’s obsession to catch Brushogun had a lot of the same triggers and followed a lot of the same beats as Robin’s obsession with Slade.

Yeah, make those explicit.

If we’re making Robin’s insecurities as a hero a narrative focus, go all out I say.  Have him flashback during his fight with Saico-Tek 2.0 to earlier moments in the movie where he doubted himself, or berated himself.  Let him be angry about screwing up with Starfire and show him taking out that frustration (and all his others) on the guy.

Have the Titans notice Robin’s taking things a little hard and express a bit of worry for him before he gets arrested.  Let Starfire’s dragging Robin around the city be subtly implied as a deliberate distractionary tactic, to take his mind off his perceived failures and uselessness.

And not just him, let’s give all the Titans a little introspective character moment.  Have Beast Boy make an offhand comment about being used to being tricked and tossed aside by someone he liked.  Let Cyborg be slightly terrified of Brushogun’s fate (being trapped inside old technology until he withers away) and confess said fears to one or two of the others (my vote is on Raven or Beast Boy).

Let Daizo (pre-reveal) make more biting remarks about the Titans being children.

Just little things like that.  They don’t have to last very long or be very deep.  Once again, fandom would eat it up.

5. Fix Raven’s attitude

Raven was needlessly cranky the whole film, and I hate it when the TT writers reduce her to the resident anti-social grouch who barely even acts like she cares about her friends.  Heaven forbid she show some character growth and stop being such a sourpuss at everything and everyone.

Soften up her snark, writers.  It ain’t gonna ruin her.

…

Aaaaaaaand, that’s about it.  Just go longer and deeper into things basically.

I still like the movie (and I’m still dying for a really good multi-chapter Daizo backstory fic), but that’s how I’d fix all the lingering nitpicks I have that work against the movie’s potential.

Also if anyone has any Trouble in Tokyo fanfic to rec me, slide it on into my inbox I MEAN IT I NEED ALL THE FIC.