#this fanfic idea feels too niche even for me

[no1ryomafan]

My tradition for when I start a new obscure anime is to always go on ao3 to see if there’s a tag and the reaction from me is always one of three things:

“Oh wow this tag actually has surprisingly decent amount of stuff even if it hasn’t been updated much as of late. Still not 100 fics or anything but good to see about 20 that aren’t crossovers.”

“Oh there’s like- one fic in this tag huh. And it was years ago… And everything else is crossovers for some god foresaken reason. I’m gonna have to write something for this eventually.”

“Why the FUCK does this not have a tag do I really have to do this myself?!”

And the only reason I’m not writing more fics for everything I watch since they tend to fall under the second and third option or even if they don’t I end up liking what I watched a lot is because a red robot looms in my mind preventing me to write anything else- Also I’d get really exhausted from carrying so many fandoms when getter already drags me oml.

[jobean12-blog]

Can't Help Falling

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x female!princess!reader

Word Count: 1,748

Summary: The more time you spend with the General, the more you fall in love.

Author's Note: I love (and hate for them) the idea that they have to be sneaky all the time and the library is a place of escape for them both so I thought having something a little extra naughty but also sweet would work. The poem I used in this story can be found HERE. You can read more about Catallus if you like. The library I'm referencing is the Ulpian Library and you can find info on it HERE and HERE. I'm pretty sure my timelines are all wonky but we can just pretend it all works out bc yay fanfic! 😁

Warnings: it's soft and sweet, semi public sex, fingering, oral (male rec), a lovely poem and a pretty library.

Marcus Acacius Masterlist

Pedro Pascal Character Masterlist

With silent footsteps you hurry across the stones, passing the Colosseum as it towers above you and blots out the brightest rays of the setting sun. The streets of the city are still very much alive with crowds but as you get nearer to the Forum of Trajan their voices start to fade and the warm breeze carries only the sounds of singing birds.

The Ulpia library is the same as you remember with long columns lining the courtyard and natural light filtering through every open space. There are people walking slowly along the walkways, books in hand and completely oblivious to your presence.

Even now, though you’ve spent such time together and watched him train and fight, it still feels like the breath rushes out of you when you see him. He stands taller than everyone around him, and as his dark eyes scan the courtyard, you take the time to enjoy him.

His tunic drapes across his broad shoulders, showing off his arms and legs and the ornamental stripes show off his status as General. He wears nothing on his head today and his curls blow freely in the breeze, giving him a slightly more relaxed look that makes you smile.

He turns and finds you then, standing and staring until you drop your chin under the intensity of his gaze. When you look up again, he smiles and discreetly crooks a finger at you, beckoning.

As you draw closer, he whispers, “you were staring Princess.”

“And you were not?” you shoot back, enjoying how his eyes sparkle with mischief.

Footsteps approach and you grow quiet, feigning interest in the architecture around you. A man passes by and greets the General before his eyes fall on you.

You’re recognizable even under your cloaked disguise so you quickly turn away and play shy.

It seems to appease the man and he walks off with his book.

“I have not visited this place in too long,” you tell Marcus.

With a quick look around, he gently presses his palm to your lower back and leads you deeper into the library.

“I figured as much,” he answers.

When you enter the main library room the smell of parchment and dust assaults your senses, and you breathe in deeply.

Marcus smiles and takes your hand, leading you to one of the niches where hidden inside there is a bookcase lined with scrolls and books. He plucks one from the collection and continues walking, tucking you both behind one of the floor to ceiling columns.

The bookcases press in on you from both sides and the tight quarters force you closer to him.

“Have you read any poetry by Catallus?” he asks.

“Not much,” you admit.

Anticipation spreads along your tingling skin when his lips meet the shell of your ear and he whispers, “not much…or not any?”

When you meet his eyes, he has his answer.

“He’s most known for his words on romance and love…”

You reach for the book, but he keeps it from you, his smile growing as confusion takes over your expression.

“We are going to read it here.”

“Here. But Marcus…”

“And you are going to read it to me.”

You swallow heavily, but when his palm flattens against your cheek and his warmth spreads along your skin you breathe him in and lean into his touch.

“I would have you laid out on my bed reading each and every night but given our circumstances, this will have to do.”

“Just reading General?”

His jaw clenches and his fingers press into your skin before he drags your mouth up to his. The book is smashed between you when he hauls you closer and kisses you with such urgency it steals your breath.

“One night very soon you will be mine and I will have you not out in the open with the fear of being caught but in safety where I can hear every sound of pleasure that I draw from these beautiful lips.”

The calloused pad of his thumb runs along your lower lip and his eyes wander over your features.

“Stunning,” he whispers.

Your breathing is heavy, and you grab his wrist, steadying yourself.

“Marcus,” you purr. “I fear I no longer care who hears or sees, I need you. Each night is torture.”

Because of the tall niches of bookcases surrounding you, you’re invisible from across the room, but if anyone were to walk down from the other side of the library, you would be exposed.

He bends to kiss you, starting with the corner of your mouth and humming at the contact.

“You know I could never allow that. I despise even the idea of any other man laying eyes on you.”

He turns you to face the rows of scrolls and reaches around you to open the book, stopping at a specific passage, and then moves your hand to hold it open. His finger points to the title: “Come Live With Me and Be My Love.”

“Read,” he whispers, his breath warm against your ear.

You tongue wets your lips before you start:

“Come live with me, Lesbia, and be my love, And ignore the wagging tongues Of wilted crones and toothless geezers..”

His large hands ran up beneath your tunic, over your hips and across your stomach.

“You are so soft,” he murmurs into your neck.

Your words stutter and he stops his ministrations.

“Princess,” he orders.

You continue, willing your voice to stay steady.

“Suns rise and set, rise and set again, But we, when our brief light is blacked, Must sleep forever, and then forever.”

One of his hands smooths down your side and between your thighs. He teases the wetness he finds there, hissing out a curse when you spread your legs wider for him.

You try to focus on the words in front of you, blinking down at the book.

“Focus,” he whispers.

“So kiss me, Sweet, and kiss me plenty: First a thousand, then a hundred kisses; Then catch your breath and kiss me more: Another thousand, another hundred…”

His lips meet your neck, and at first he presses them softly against your skin then more firmly at your pulse point where he feels the hammering of your heart.

Without any warning he slips a finger inside you and starts to pump it slowly in and out. You groan, needing more and pushing onto his hand.

“Quiet,” he reminds you.

His drags his finger out and teases your clit with small and focused circles.

“Keep reading Princess.”

“I cannot,” you whimper as your hips roll. “I just…Marcus, please!”

“You can,” he says simply and pushes two fingers inside you. “Or we can stop.”

You begin reading again in a tight, stuttering cadence that drives him crazy.

“Still thousands yet till we've lost all count And must begin again, keeping Envious others guessing the sum Of how many kisses much we love.”

You string the words together and although they’re filled with a soft tenderness it does nothing to quell the heavy feeling of lust that rushes through you.

“Touch yourself,” he demands.

“Marcus,” you gasp and the book slips from your fingers.

With shaky trepidation you reach down between your legs and rub his hand brushing against yours as he pushes his fingers in and out of you.

Your legs shake and you squeeze around his fingers, your cry of pleasure muffled when his free hand covers your mouth.

When your muscles stop trembling, he keeps his fingers buried inside you and stifles his moan with his mouth pressed to your neck.

The library is now completely silent, and you realize you have no idea how loud you had been. Did you whisper each word you read? You were so completely lost in him you had no idea.

He pulls his fingers free, releasing a quiet grunt, and turns you to face him.

His lips meet yours in a desperate kiss and when you reach down to take him in your hand he sucks in a breath.

“Princess?” he asks, his eyes dark.

“It is my turn to touch you. Please Marcus.”

As if your name on his lips is his undoing, he releases you and places his palms flat on the bookshelves in front of him.

You drop to your knees, and he trembles.

“Remember, you must be quiet,” you warn with a mischievous grin.

He sucks his teeth when your hand circles around him and gently glides along his hardness. He waits, fingers digging into the wooden shelves and chest heaving, until you wrap your mouth around the tip of him.

Whatever string of words leave his lips are unknown to you and when the first taste of him hits your tongue you moan and take him deeper.

He keeps his eyes locked on you, imprinting the image onto his brain. His hips begin to rock, and he slowly pushes himself deeper, clearing trying to restrain himself.

You roll your tongue and use your hand, pumping and sucking as much of him as you can until he’s groaning a warning above you, the rhythm of his hips stuttering and slowing as he spills down your throat.

When you release him it’s with reluctance and only because he gently takes your arm and drags you up his body. He stares at you and your swollen lips then kisses you hard enough to have your back hitting the bookshelf behind with a thud.

He instantly slides his hand along the curve of your spine in a soothing manner, the only apology he can manage without breaking away.

“You are spectacular,” he breathes against your lips. “I would keep you here with me forever.”   

“But I must go,” you say quietly. “My father will surely know of my absence should I stay any longer.”

He nods and reverently brushes his thumb across your cheek before stepping slowly back.

You’re nearing the exit of the library when he reaches for your hand and pulls you into a darkened alcove.

“Just one more,” he murmurs, right before he brings his lips to yours.

It’s soft and sweet and he lingers, not wanting to be the one to pull away.

“A thousand kisses will never be enough,” he whispers against your lips.

You swallow and meet his eyes again, sweeping your fingers through his messy curls.

He presses his hand over yours as you cradle his cheek then brings your knuckles to his lips.

“Until next time, Princess.”

@hiddles-rose @blackwidownat2814 @tripletstephaniescp

[everglow-synth]

Apparently AI discourse is going around the RPC again, so I just wanna throw my two cents in on a certain trend I've noticed.

Why the hell are you people lapping up Character AI bullshit? Like, I've heard from quite a few people that they're so desperate to RP with certain characters that they've resorted to using Character AI. And like, I get it, some characters are just going to be niche as hell, but... what do you realistically gain from it?

"I want to RP my character interacting with [CHARACTER] but nobody writes them!"

Here's a thought - write fanfic. If you're just using Character AI, you clearly don't care about the cooperative writing component of roleplaying - and don't tell me that you do because you know damn well this word salad generator isn't giving you the same emotion an actual mun would because you have nobody to bounce ideas off of, or to share emotional moments with.

So just write a fanfic. Seriously. Write your super cool OC getting into a fist fight with a god, make up a reason for two characters from different series to meet up and fuck. Who the hell cares?

"I don't feel as though I'm good enough to write them, and I'll just write them out of character!"

First off: Skill issue, git gud. Seriously, just put pen to paper and write. You're making it for yourself anyway, who gives a shit? At worst, it's self-serving and you get your wish anyway. At best, you're better than you think at writing them. 9/10 times, you're good enough at understanding what feels out of character to write them in-character. Everyone has their own way of writing characters anyway, even within the same series. It's a non-issue, and it's for your own satisfaction anyway.

Second: You really think the AI - which by the way is NOT Intelligent, Artificial or otherwise - knows exactly who you're talking about? Knows their entire backstory, knows their unique traits? Knows your specific headcanons about events that were perhaps a little too murky in canon? It doesn't. It's reciting Wiki articles to you, something you can already do without feeding the bullshit bots.

And if through all of this you still feel as though the Character AI is the way to go?

Then I want you to say out loud that you think Character AI is a perfect alternative for talking to a living, breathing human and creating something together. I want you to get up on stage, look out into the crowd, and tell them that you only value them for their content, for what they can provide to you, and that their content is easily replicable and replaceable with a robot.

And then I want you to smile, watching as they all start to leave, because you knowingly and without remorse just called them all worth less than their entertainment value.

Because that's all that tells me. You can't have it both ways. Either you value them as your friends and peers and enjoy writing with them over some robot that randomly decides what sentence to spit out, or you don't.

[neerathebrightstar]

neera!!! i saw the ask regarding the fact that u wish to write a fanfic inspired off of my series and the only comment i can give is hell yeah !! please do, i literally love you and your rambles; they're very interesting and niche, and every time i post something, i do a little happy dance whenever i see your comments in the section, so please don't even hesitate to ask <33

I was thinking of two fanfics i could write based on your work. I would credit you of course and if you want i can perhaps message you privately about any changes to your story that i might make so you would feel comfortable with how i well kinda interpret your work.

1) One fanfic I had in mind is y/n is sent to an alternative universe, before bruce even adopted Dick early on in his batman career. It would be very battinson coded universe cause I am a sucker for that pathetic man. I don’t really have much of a plot written out but I plan on making y/n appear randomly in different stages of their life in well Battinson’s life. Like one chapter will be Batman before Robin and y/n disappear to their original universe and the next maybe Batman with Robin. This is just a small idea but I was toying already with something like that before i found your fanfic and I just think the neglected reader trope will fit there nicely.

2) The second fanfic I had in mind is kinda fucked up to be honest xD. In this universe things will play out similarly to your fanfic if you give me permission to do it but I plan on making Gotham an aware and thinking entity. Like some kind of eldritch horror was living in the place where gotham is before it was built and because people refer to gotham as she/her (truly lady with her knight lmao) that entity will base its looks on the way people perceive them (or her really). So my plan is to make reader a child of a witch that knew of the existence of gotham spirit, maybe she could connect with them or something (I’m not entirely sure yet) and because of that they can talk with them too, have some powers related to them cause they are a product of two people „Gotham” loves the most. I don’t really have any kind of plot whatsoever for this just a few ideas but i would really like to write it but i also don’t want to steal your work

If anyone wants me to i will be happy to talk about those ideas more before i sit and write an actual chapter.

[noisyghost]

GOD I absolutely agree re:werewolf tropes, especially in romance. I want to read so many werewolf books, but So Many play into pack dynamics/violent werewolf bf/etc etc tropes that it feels nigh impossible to find something that will Hit for me specifically. Do you (or anyone who stumbles upon this) have any recs for werewolf media? Particularly that which is outside of romance as the main plot/genre? (Nothing against romance as a whole, I just don't tend to enjoy it when it's the main focus of a story)

god yeah im the exact same, its why i usually end up gravitating more towards horror werewolves cause at least then i dont normally have to worry about weird alpha boyfriend tropes lol. But that means i dont really have too many media recommendations! I'll put a couple thoughts under the read more, but if anyone has any recs, feel free to reply below 🙏

i don't have any book recommendations bc i havent read a real book in years so most of this will be movies/shows/comics

Being Human (US) is really good in a lot of places (one of my absolute favorite werewolf designs), but the last season really falls into a bunch of those werewolf bullshit tropes so i pretend it doesnt exist lol. i think the good bits outweigh the stupid though! I have also watched the UK version and its. not bad. i just didnt really get into it idk.

The Order 1886 barely feels like a werewolf game even though it is for sure a werewolf game lol. i would recommend just watching a playthru tho cause the gameplay is pretty much nothing but the plot and characters are very cool!!!!

Uhhhh everyone knows van helsing which is an objectively just an ok movie but the werewolves and vampires go so hard i have to like it. Dog Soldiers is also a fun campy flick, and i enjoyed werewolves within but thats more of a mystery than a genuine werewolf movie. Annndddd i did actually like the wolf man 2025 like. its gonna piss a lot of werewolf fans off i think and i know why people dont like it but i think the ideas and themes it presents are really interesting to me specifically! so idk if the individual werewolf enjoyer will like it in the same way i did but i will recommend it if u like werewolves that really lean into the disease/virus aspect of it.

Wilde Life is a webcomic that i really enjoy that is.... werewolf adjacent. I wouldnt really call Cliff a werewolf, more of a shapeshifter, but they sometimes call him a werewolf so its close enough for me to mention it and theres lots of other cool critters and scary bits to make the comic worth recommending.

I dont think Prague Race (webcomic) is officially available anymore but that also had some fun werewolves in it. You can probably find an archive of it if you google the name (the artist's new comic, 'tiger, tiger' is also very good but has nothing to do with werewolves lol)

How to be a werewolf is another webcomic that does do a bunch of the pack dynamic trope but the characters are charming and has some romance but it isn't the primary plot, its more about family than anything. and a female werewolf main character is always a plus!

uhhhh im sure theres more im forgetting these are just some of the ones from the top of my head

...

ok literally this is so niche and i probably shouldnt even bother mentioning it but i have sat on this fic for literally 8 years now and it makes me so sad the author never finished it but. one of the only werewolf fanfics ive ever read that i really clicked with was an overwatch hanzo/cassidy fic called 'spurs don't pair with scare chords' and i need to put it here bc its the platonic ideal of a werewolf fic with a well paced romance that isn't the major intrigue point. its my white whale of a fanfic and it being unfinished haunts me. i wish overwatch was good

[stvrdrops]

eternal eclipse ☆ | drolta x fem!reader (castlevania;nocturne)

to share only night together was not enough, only an eternity could quench your thirst for drolta.

warnings : talk of death, kissing, vampire stuff

word count : 1.5k+

note : soooo, it's been a while since i've posted any fanfic. not gonna lie life been really kicking ass and i struggled to write for my normal shuri stuff cause i lost my fixation. but i hope this little niche fanfic finds those who enjoy it :)

.

p.s. i recommend listening to "no ordinary love" by sade :)

"why don't you ever stay the night?"

"i stay every night." drolta says to you, licking her lips and recalling the fresh taste of your magnificent blood.

"or rather, morning." you whisper out, finding yourself a little too frail to sit up all the way. your dress falls as you sit up slightly. an exposed bite causing blood to run down your chest. drolta watched through pink eyes. the dark surrounding them was something so hypnotizing that you always found yourself falling into it. it was like some kind of inviting abyss.

"mortals and their silly questions. how you grovel for my touch and teeth among your skin is ever so amusing."

"i grow older drolta!" you weakly yell out to her. this grabs her attention, not once have you ever yelled at the higher powered being. you shed a single tear, letting out a sigh of utter desperation. "i age with every sunrise and dawn. my bones grow weaker and some day you will come to see me only to find an old woman in my place. i know i am young now, but i've aged over the last couple years and nothing about you changes. you're still as beautiful as the day we met and you will forever remain this way."

drolta's eyes drop away from yours, taking in your words of anguish. she knew you were right, because she'd have other companions before. she had bed women and men far before you were ever born. she'd watch them go and come, their children or grandchildren sometimes even becoming her next fling. it was a cycle she had grown oddly accustomed to, not feeling any certain emotion for one or the next. she liked the fact that she aged and grew more powerful in the search of the vessel for her goddess while others perished. it made her feel the power she knew she had within her.

your hand finds her exposed arm. she turns to look at you.

"drolta, i envy that some day i will be too old for you and yet someone will be just young enough. it is not fair that you help me to discover such deep emotions. not ever will i feel for someone the way i feel for you. all this feeling, just for it to one day end once i can no longer serve you."

"there have been some before you and there will be many after you. i am a soul that walks this earth with no true claim anymore. you have a purpose, and warm blood to keep you living in the way your story speaks."

"what if my story is simply for me to serve you? i want to be your companion in this feeble mortal life that i share with my human counterparts. then, have that companionship follow into a new world my soul can not comprehend. i do not want to age among the rest, i want to have a face that is young but a mind that is aged by love. your love."

drolta had heard many a confession, but this one did something different to her. she swore that if she had a heartbeat she could feel it perhaps skip a beat.

"do you know exactly what it is that you're asking of me? what that means to be my partner eternally?" drolta asks, clearly enticed by the idea.

"i don't now what all it means, but i'd have an eternity to learn. i want to devour the sunlight with you, devour the world alongside you. what if i am the vessel that you desire?"

drolta's pink eyes lock onto your dark ones. for the first time she thinks she can feel a devotion to someone other than her goddess. or, perhaps, for her goddess in a new twisted discovery. this shocks her, renders her unable to think properly. she had spent so long devoting her life to a woman that she didn't know what it meant to have true devotion back. her body tingled, and her pink hair began to flame up from the idea.

you were the vessel for her messiah.

"you will devour the sun, me alongside you. first, i shall devour you."

the word devour sent chills through your body.

she extends a hand out to you. you gracefully accept the invite. she uses her enhanced strength to pull you up, your warm body next to her cold one as she spreads out her wings. the two of your exit out of the french doors and onto the balcony that your family's wealth had graciously provided for you. it was where you first met drolta.

her wings flap and for the first time you find yourself floating in the air. your eyes grow wide and a childlike smile spreads across your face. drolta gives you a devilish smile in return.

oh, to be in love with something so unholy as she.

no angel could ever look this beautiful.

"romantic, isn't it?" she asks, licking over the neck wound. it sends you into a euphoria, as your blood sends her into a similar one. you can feel the heat from her inflamed pink hair grazing your skin.

"i love you, drolta."

your lips find hers as you're both suspended in the air over a lake. your eyes are closed but you can still see the pink hues from among your eyelids. as if you were stuck in a trance, she kisses you harder and faster. you can taste your own blood in her mouth, ever so addicting. now you can see why she can't seem to leave you alone.

a moan escapes from inside of you, one out of the millions drolta had heard before. she had come to see you every night since you met, which was three years ago. some nights she'd stay for a chat or a simple couple of minutes. others she would ravage you and drink you almost dry just to do it again the next night.

"take me!" you beg to her, causing her flame to grow bigger and eyes to grow wider. god, how she craved your mortal being. your naivety and free outlook. anyone else feared death, and yet you welcomed it, knowing the transformation may not even work with how powerful drolta's blood truly was. she had turned others before. you were just the first in a very long time.

she stops her feverish and hungered kisses, diving for your neck. sharp teeth overtake you, a pain echoing from your neck to the rest of your body. it was a familiar pain, but it never got any easier to get accustomed to. you welcomed the pain and the feeling of being drained entirely. you enjoyed the feeling of her tongue sweeping over the blood seeping from your neck. just as you loved the way her tongue swept over your feminine autonomy. the devil was draining you and you desired it to never end.

it didn't matter that you were losing the color in your body. nothing mattered anymore. as you could feel your life force being drained from your very being. she was bringing you death, but she was also bringing you to a new life. an eternal one.

your hand fell from her neck, losing all of its feeling. drolta senses that you're near the end and rips her teeth away from you, finding it hard to control herself. your blood was unlike any other that she'd ever tasted. it was blood good enough to compare to the likes of her messiah.

the moonlight shone on the two of you, bouncing off of the tiny ripples that existed among the waters below you. it was beautiful, a perfect end to a beginning. your eyes closing slightly, drolta being the last thing you see. she was smiling at you, but not out of love, more out of accomplishment.

"drink." the words slither out of her mouth. she rips into her own wrist, causing a new blood to seep from within her.

surprised in yourself, you don't waste any time reaching fervently for the blood of your lover. your mouth clings onto her wrist and suckles in any blood she can spare for you. your eyes are closed as you fall into a bliss. her moans filled your ears every so pleasantly.

she pulls you away from her wrist, knowing that if you get any more you may kill her.

when she sees your face again it is still the same shade she's always adorned. yet, your eyes are different this time. no longer a dark brown, but a light one, almost a shade of gold. it reminds her of egypt.

it reminds her of sekhmet.

your fangs are dripping with her blood.

"my bringer of death!" she shouts out to you. you don't register what she's saying due to the unfamiliar new being you seem to find yourself as.

her lips once again collide with yours. there's a newfound hunger shared between the two of you. something much deeper than anything ever felt before. drolta did not know what it meant to love, you did. yet, somehow this seemed like something so unfamiliar to the both of you. was it lust? or was it something much deeper that transcends both vampire and human?

it didn't matter, as the two of you kissed deeply and passionately in the air above the lake. the sight so beautiful that even the sun not dared to come up in fear of interrupting the moment. for a second, it seemed as if the night would be eternal, just you and drolta suspended in the air for an eternity.

an eternity you were sure to bring, as the vessel for the new messiah.

˖⁺｡˚⋆˙✧⋆｡°✩☼⋆｡°✩☽

[somepsychopomp]

I saw your vent about fandom and engagement and I feel that so much!

I had someone comment on a fic saying "too bad it wont be finished" and then repeatedly harassing me because they saw me updating other fics but not that one.

I had a commenter COMMENT on a other fic asking about a different one and if i would complete that one.

I had a commenter leave a transphobic comment stating they knew more about trans people because they grew up next to a gay boy in the 90s

People dont wanna engage in fandom anymore and it is sad.

Fanfic is a hobby. Its free. People feel so entitled to it.

And then you have people who would rather turn out AI slop than engage with fanfic writers (some of who would love to write for others)

They would rather use stolen words from another than learn how to write themselves.

🫂 I am sorry that you've dealt with those comments.

I love what you write and I have gone back to read it multiple times!

Keep being awesome 😎

bro that's so horrible 😭 I'm sorry you're getting such ungrateful and bigoted comments

I have a really close friend who's another fic writer and they get TONS of comments like this too it's so awful. In my experience, the commenters I'm getting are just people who seemingly don't like to read or are only pretending to have read my stories? Like for real, if someone doesn't actually enjoy a story of mine, then they don't have to read or comment on it? They can just go away??

Thinking of, I'm pretty sure I've also gotten a handful of comments from people who were like "Wow this story started off so good but now that you did X or Y, I think it's bad and I hate it!"

Like can these people just not shut up anymore? I know these sorts of sentiments have always existed online, in literary circles, and in human culture for probably as long as we've been telling stories but for some reason people nowadays can't figure out how to keep their thoughts to themselves anymore

My guess is that shit like chatgpt has made people assume that actual fic writing (and all forms of creative expression) is as easy as telling a machine to do the imagining for you. And if you as a human can't keep up with a plagiarism machine running on billions of dollars and all our world's clean water, then it's clearly your fault for being so slow.

You're honestly so excruciatingly right when you say that people feel entitled to fics these days. AI has made people lazy, selfish, and cruel. I firmly believe in this. But also, now more than ever, normies (and I don't even love using that term but you know what I mean) have utter free reign to niche online/fandom spaces and they are tearing our communities to shreds without even knowing it. They don't want to join us or learn our etiquette. Some of them can't even handle the concept of non-canon ships existing online and think the idea is something worthy of ridicule. They ultimately only ever want us to cater to them.

So guess what? I won't be!

You will never ever see me writing something for the sole sake of pleasuring someone else. Not a fic. Not a scene. Not a word. Everything I write is for me and if anyone else so happens to also enjoy it, all the better.

And I highly recommend that all other fic writers share this mentality :)

[lonewolflupe]

Hey Lupe!

Random question, do you have any all-time favorite fics/drabbles, written by you or others? If so, can we have links? And if you've already made a post about your favorites please feel free to smack me upside the head with that post lol 😅

Anonnnnn thank you so much for stopping by <3 (I always make a little jump from excitement whenever someone drops by in my ask box!)

My answer has gotten quite a bit longer than I had intended, so you'll find it below the cut! Hopefully you'll find something you'll like; enjoy reading! ❤️

I answered a self-rec-ask pretty recently, where you can find my 3 favourite self-written fics. I've been in a massive mood to draw for the past few months, so unfortunately that means I haven't done a lot of writing lately. I do have quite a few WIPs and ideas I'd still like to work on; I'm sure I'll find the time/motivation/inspiration again some day (: If you want to read more of my fics, you can find my masterlist here (or visit my AO3).

When it comes to writings done by others, I absolutely do have a few favourites, yes <3 (Due to the art bug, I haven't done as much reading lately as I would have liked, but again; I'm sure I'll get back into it!)

Fives State of Mind (series) by @aknightreaderr (AO3) This is a series written from Fives' point of view and it's simply fivestastic and mimificent. It's cracky, it's SFW, it's gotten pretty extensive by now; everything you need for some comfy, relaxing evenings (or mornings, or afternoons, or nights; just your preferred reading time). You'll have lots of laughs and some wholesome smiles (and you'll shed a few tears too) <3

The Headless Guardsman (6 chapters) by @eclec-tech (AO3) I don't know where to start, but this is seriously one of my favourite stories of all time. It's SFW, but it's a Halloween story, so there's some spooky stuff going on. But adsfjalkdfjalfjadks please, just read it, because none of my silly ramblings can describe how much I love this fic. (Also check out Amber's other writings, I promise you won't be disappointed!)

No Strings Attached (22 chapters) by @cyarbika (AO3) THIS FIC'S HOT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS FIC'S HOT!! And I mean, it's NSFW-hot. Pretty much. Also NSFpublic transport (believe me, I tried). This story focuses on the owner of 79's (Reader), who finds herself in an enemies with benefits situation - with Commander Wolffe. But don't worry, it's enemies to lovers. And it's hot and steamy and *redacted*.

Hoth (one-shot) by @sadiecoocoo (AO3) The planet's called Hoth, but it could have been called Whump in this fic! I really don't want to spoil anything about this, but there's HURT but definitely some comfort too. Just a beautiful SFW but slightly angsty story, mostly featuring Fives and Echo (and some buir Rex <3)

For Granted (one-shot) by @mae-lou-ron Here's another hot one (no, not Hoth like the previous one; hot, as in, NSFW). Captain Gregor x fem!reader. It's hot but also beautiful and the bond Gregor shares with Reader is so well written, like, it's so vivid and tangable and alsdfjadklfjalfjd (Mae thinks she's some writer newbie but she's actually super talented and it feels like she's been writing fanfic for years and I expect she's actually a well-known writer who's been using a pseudonym so she can write clone smut here on Tumblr 👀)

Slow Dancing (part 1 + part 2) by @coffeeandbatboys I'm a massive Vaughn simp, I know he's pretty niche since he only lives in one episode ahahaha (*cries in corner*), but in this two part story he LIVES and it's so cute and wholesome and I'm just a sobbing mess right now and I haven't even read this in a while. A lovely SFW Vaughn x fem!reader story!

Also a shoutout to @ladylucksrogue @vodika-vibes @kotemf because they have some really lovely writing out there, also shorter one-shots (which I really, really appreciate because I have problems focusing on one thing for too long, unfortunately 😅)

And please check out @clonethirstingisreal 's Hunter and the Librarian (longfic) too. I should really get back into reading it (I'm sorry, Carol!), but it's a beautiful story focusing on Hunter x OC (Wren) in a Modern AU. Carol managed to put so many human emotions into it. It features some heavy topics like anxiety and depression, but to me, that makes this fic so real.

Also if you're into Fox and the Coruscant Guard, I kindly urge you to read this AO3-exclusive fic, Take Me Down To the Fighting End. I started reading it but unfortunately due to my brain, I'm several chapters behind. But what I've read so far was so. Damn. Good. Like, oh my, I need to sit my shebs down and continue this because if this would get published into an official Star Wars novel, I'd buy like 10 copies (to stay in Fox's spirit).

I do really appreciate your ask (thanks again <3), but I do know there's lots of blogs out there sharing a lot more fics than I do. I wish I was better at planning and dividing my time, but due to brain, I'm not. But there's some awesome people around who share lots of great writings (for example, be sure to check out @freesia-writes 's Clone Longfic List and @kimiheartblade 's Fic Fair 2024 ).

Thanks for stopping by and I do apologise for my ramblings. If you managed to read this far I'm sure you'll be too tired to read any of the recommended fics for the remainder of your day 😂 Alright take care and thanks again for dropping into my ask box 🥰

[liass-21]

2, 4, 10, 12, 17, 28!

IWROTE OUT A WHOLE ASNWER AND IT DELETED ITSELF. ANSWER 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

2. which one of your fics is your pride and joy?

it occasionally gags me that this is now a difficult question to answer like.. what do you mean i have 29 posted works. it’s really hard to pick one but i think my favorite m:i work i’ve posted is honey sticking to your hands, sugar on the rim just because it’s very personal to my asexual experience and that seemed to resonate with a lot of people 💗 out of the other fandoms i’m quite fond of the inception fic i just posted called seashells, sweaters, spare passports and my magnum opus of incredibly niche fandoms for ghostwire tokyo called chaos theory :)

4. what are some words or phrases you feel like you overuse?

i will literally go back and read over things i’ve written in order to make sure i don’t repeat words/phrases too close together because that’s one of my fanfic icks and i like to keep it fresh so i can’t think of any really obvious examples. i often will want to use the same word to express an emotion like three times within one conversation though and have to stop myself from making the character “snap�� or “grumble” or “grouse” or “says dryly” or whatever. god all my favorites are so mean to each other why are those my first four examples. nobody ever says anything “nicely” in my fics.

10. is there a character/ship you want to write for but haven’t yet?

yeah ilsalanna is probably the first one that comes to mind! i have a 3k wip that i really like the premise of but i literally cannot finish it. maybe if i leave it there it’ll spring from my docs fully formed like athena. it’s been like a year and a half i think i started it in november 2023 lmfao.

12. what’s the first fandom you wrote for?

mission impossible:P

17. what is something you recently felt proud of in your writing?

i’ve always thought that characterization was my strongest suit in writing. whenever i get into a fandom and become insane enough to write about it it’s like the characters are fully formed in my brain and i just have to put them into a situation and they’ll practically tell me what to write (is this normal??). anyway in my recent inception fic i got a lot of comments saying that specifically the characterization was really good so i’m glad it’s translating into my writing :)

28. what’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

i don’t really write angst i love making my favorite characters happy and kiss each other. however probably the angstiest thing i’ve written is let the petals fall away (all i wanna do is call your name) which by the way holds the reigning title of Only Benthan Hanahaki Fic in English. i’m not even sure if this qualifies as an idea i came up with though because i wrote it for my friend’s birthday and he gave me the prompt and asked specifically for angsty hanahaki. so. there’s that.

ask game linked here!

[skibasyndrome]

Your confidence and the way you have opened up about writing smutty fic has been really great and eye opening in a way. I think there's still a lot of shame around wanting to read or write smut in fics in a way that's unapologetically centered and letting our imagination go wild. It's amazing and tbh we need people to be more open about it so we can all stop judging ourselves for liking it or for ever feeling drawn to them (bc let's be honest I think it's usually guilt we bring up from what we were told about sex etc). So thank you and all the other smutty writers out there !!!

This is so 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 oh my god. I'm- yeah. Yeah. This ask really struck a chord with me and I'm beyond grateful that you sent it in, oh my god 😭

Hearing this means SO fucking much to me, you have no idea. I'm so happy that the things I write and how I talk about writing them can have even a little bit of an impact.

I do think there still is a lot of shame around it. I mean, I guess in a way I'm not really confronted with a lot of it because the reactions I do get on my fics are very positive which I'm insanely grateful for and I obviously don't know about the people who want to stay hidden, but. Yeah. I think it's definitely a thing.

And I 100% agree with you, I think SO many of us struggle with that inner judgement or guilt about liking smut, wanting to read it, wanting to write it. When, honestly? It's just one of the many ways we can enjoy depictions of intimacy and romance and human connection and joy and all sorts of different emotions! Smut can absolutely be as cathartic as all other genres, and even when it's not that deep, it's fun and enjoyable and interesting to read!!! And, just as much, it's fun to write!!! It's not any less moral than any other fics, just because it's sexual.

And while I can confidently say all that, about smut in general, I still struggle soooo bad with that internalized shame. So much of it is, for me personally, just like you said, linked to the things people in my life said or implied about sex or sexual content. Purity culture of all forms is fucking rampant and it's awful, and it's definitely exacerbated if you add queerness into the mix, both of the subject matter and of many readers and writers of fanfic. Like. The amount of times I have to tell myself that it's actually okay and kind of the point to depict my queer characters as sexually attracted to each other... Just because there's still traces of shame that rise to the surface very easily.

But I've noticed A LOT of growth in myself since I started writing fic again when I came into the fandom. I remember how terrified I was of going there, whatever that meant, in the first few smut fics I've written for yr, and now that fear is deeeeefinitely a lot less pronounced than it used to be!

In February I remembered how bad I felt a year ago while writing the hallway scene fic and how I thought I was leaning into it too much. And now recently I posted collar Wille and, while still nervous and very invested in how it would be perceived, felt good about having gone there and written something I haven't tried writing before!!! Hell yeah for some niche smut!!!

And, honestly, a huge part of that has been the lovely lovely lovely feedback I've gotten from people like you, the conversations I've had about this with friends, the amazing smut fics I've gotten the chance to read in this fandom (so THANK YOU to everyone else out there writing smut! you guys inspire me to no end 💜💜💜), and, very fundamentally, the way the show itself handles sexuality.

Whelp. That got unnecessarily long. But... yeah... Your message means more to me than you could possibly know, I'm going to cherish it forever, so thank you 💜

[ipsen]

do you have any advice for getting into writing tg fanfic? i really respect you as a fic writer and just as a writer overall. i'm scared to write my fanfic ideas bc of fears of being too niche and also just not having the best self-esteem in regards to my writing.

if you don't have any advice, that's completely fine and it won't bother me, so don't feel obligated. just figured i'd try!

i am the self-labeled "pioneer of eto/kaneki on ao3"

before me, there wasn't even 40 fics for them on ao3. i counted.

if you're concerned about being too "niche" for something, ask yourself: why are you writing this?

i have never written for fame. it's a nice bonus and a motivator and i always appreciate the praise, but it isn't my primary motive. it will never be my primary motive, because for me specifically, it isn't a sustainable motive. i am motivated by making eto and kaneki jump a thousand hurdles to do sloppy kiss sunday. it makes me happy.

i write to make myself happy.

now.

the first step to writing is just that: write.

write, dammit!!!

i don't care if you post it or not. you can't post something that doesn't exist yet, so just write it! that is the bare minimum you must do. what do you write? fuck if i know. an outline of the whole fic, a scene of a very specific part? doesn't matter! just write it!

can't swim if you're not in the pool.

[the-elder-polls]

Writing anon again.

I hate to be mean own own worst critic, but I really feel like I write like a middle schooler(hell maybe a middle schooler could write better than me). :( it's so cringe how I write cuz I'm so terrible with words idk what to do. I'd like to have people enjoy the story too, even if I am mostly writing it for myself. I know it takes practice and all that but idk. I might just suck. And I ain't getting any younger(I'm 26 so sure I might have time but who knows).

i am certain you don't suck. you're very well spoken. and people will enjoy the story regardless, i promise. nobody's interests are so truly niche that nobody else will enjoy their ideas. and again, look at some popular published works, like those niche romance novels that are very clearly reylo fanfic. i promise you're okay.

also, you can be cringe. it's ok. i am a grown adult who collects warrior cats books. i dance in public, i wear niche clothes, i call my pets my babies and insist i birthed them. i listen to classic disney soundtracks and imagine 2011 style amvs of my ocs to the songs. better to be cringe than cruel!

[themrswallace]

Hi Levi, how are you? I saw your recent post and look, I understand you, sometimes, I feel that way too, always comparing yourself to others who can do better than you, but look: you do a great job, your fanfics are incredible, they help me continue my work too, it's hard to ignore these problems, but just focus on what you do best.

with hugs.Spinel 💖

Hi Spin, and thanks. It's stupid at the end of the day, everyones different and like me, there are no doubt people who don't give a shit about how much others can do, but there's always won that just digs the stick in, you know what I mean, something gets to you. They're not fanfics yet, and the ones that are....Well I doubt anybody from the W&G fandom would like them XD Even those are nothing compared to the greats- oh, the joys of being a niche fan-writer. I'm just in a slump; it'll pass. Right now, it's one of those days where nothing works, everything sucks and I feel like I'm failing compared to those older and younger than me! You've got 30-somethings doing all the things or having at least one thing going for them, or teenagers who can do several hobbies at once and compose their own music with functional ADHD, while I'm here, a blob who gets confused by the smallest thing but can solve complex random things that don't really mean anything! I'm just a mess at the moment. loads of ideas and no strength to write them down or work on a complete chapter yet. Glad my work's helping with yours; at least one of us can enjoy what we do right now. Thanks for caring, Spin. You're a good friend, and don't let me get you down. your fanfiction is gonna be amazing! Whatever you post is! And you'll be a cool artist!

[zannolin]

fic author q&a

tagged by @beautyofsorrow <3

why do you write fanfic?

short answer, because i love it and it makes me happy. longer answer, still that. but it makes other people happy too, sometimes, and especially as i am often writing for nicher series/pairings/dynamics/etc, i love knowing that someday if anyone else likes this obscure silly thing, they can go looking for fic about it and mine will be there waiting for them. also i am immensely unhappy when i'm not writing. i don't think i could live without it. and writing fanfic is fulfilling to me in a way that original work often is not, largely because of the community aspect and the low pressure for it to be marketable or revised or support me as a person or an artist tbh.

which of your posted stories do you think of the most even though the story is "finished"?

mmm tough call. the fey au in the sense that it's the world and plot i am proudest of craft-wise. i worked really hard and i think you can see that it paid off. but other than that i think... i think it might have to be please don't hold me to it right now. because i did it just how i wanted. in a way it's like what my boys in bars series was trying to be but didn't quite reach on the friendship level i think.

if you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

just let yourself write what you want, how you want. you can have flowery prose. you can be weird and vague and metaphorical. you can just write about friends, i promise. and stop looking at your fucking stats.

what's your relationship to fic stats?

well. i think above answers that one lol. i've blocked my ao3 stats. i cannot see hit or kudos or bookmark counts on ANY fics. + i've gotten much better about not expecting anything especially by writing highly niche stuff.

is there a pairing or scenario or friendship that you miss writing? if so, why? if not, why not?

ehhh. the shazamily, to an extent. the shazam fandom is lovely because so many of us are writing family/friendship centric works and that's if not the norm, at least MUCH more common than in other fandoms that i've been in, and i miss that because at heart, i'm a genficcer. i'm a friendshipper. i love platonic and ambiguous relationships so much. so i miss that, but for the most part, i'm actually okay with not writing anything i used to write. that's okay.

what motivates you to write?

i WILL lose my mind if i don't. i can't even elaborate past that like i'll just go bonkers.

why do you write for the fandom(s) you write for?

because i am sick and ill and dying from brainrot and nobody is writing the highly specific content that i crave in the way that i crave it. sometimes there's nothing for the fandom at all, and SOMEBODY's gotta be the change. mostly i'm just like hyperfixated and losing it.

if you're stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

take a break. do other things like jigsaw puzzles and taking walks and reading books. listening to phoebe bridgers on my floor. the usual. it'll pass. the ideas will come when they're ready.

what do you wish people knew about comments?

a genuine comment is never a bother. NEVER. no author that i have ever met is going to be upset at you for commenting on a fic and saying hey i really loved this!!! or something like that. no matter how old that fic is. no matter if the author has moved on, or put it on anon, or hasn't written fanfiction in years. it is never, ever a bother. when i get a comment on a fic that i didn't JUST post, i rejoice. i lie on my floor and i think about how incredible it is that people are still finding, reading, and loving something that i wrote, no matter how bad i think it is now that i've grown into a different person. i have coasted for WEEKS on the fact that someone left me a comment saying i loved this and here's my favorite part. here's why. this made me cry. this made me smile. this reminded me of my best friend. this is how it feels, really, you got it. any of that. all of it. sometimes a fic is me going "is this crazy??" and a comment is someone saying "no, no, it's not, i see it". a comment that takes like two minutes to type can matter for two years just by being like, hey, this mattered to me. plus like 90% of my friendships online have been founded on the basis of commenting on fanfic so you know, rave reviews from me.

maybe there's a question you wish had been on here. what's that question (and answer)? -> is there a fic and/or author who is doing what you want to be doing with your own writing? who/what?

i can yap all day about inspirations but lately, i am haunted by love me on purpose by smoosnoom in terms of themes, emotions, and pure aching; @thcscus in sheer technicality and prose; the pacing, metaphor, and tone in there's daggers in men's smiles, @beautyofsorrow's sensory work in literally Every fic ever + her fic for the barbie zine none of you losers get to read yet; and @blusandbirds' ability to capture visceral emotion so damn vividly and succinctly.

tagging @blusandbirds @transjlawrence @lordgrimwing @pinkgrapefloyd!

[a-bottle-of-tyelenol]

(Going off anon for this one wish me luck)

How

How do you write over a couple hundred words

Like genuinely how?? I struggle so much with keeping a continuous plot and keeping things interesting that i just,, cant. If youve any tips please feel free to share with the poor 💔

Omg hi!! Going off anon is scary lol I’m very proud of you!

I think a lot of authors’ first answer to this would be to practice, which is definitely true and very fair. No beginner will ever be able to write tens of thousands of words on their first try. I’ve been writing for over a decade by now and I remember when even a thousand words would take me hours and hours. The speed and comfortability comes with experience.

That being said, it’s not the most satisfying answer so I’ll try my best to tell you what helps me! Just keep in mind that I’m audhd so some of this might not help if you have one, the other, neither, or just a different flavor of it.

Putting it under the cut because I yap a lot.

First of all, find a piece of media that makes your brain go brrr. It’s a very common piece of advice in art to find a blorbo and just keep drawing the shit out of them over and over again until you’re good at drawing, and this is basically the same idea. It doesn’t have to be a show or movie for fanfic, it can be a trope or genre for original fiction too (I, for example, am obsessed with fictional politics and government dynamics so writing about them is really fun for me and every single one of my book ideas involves those things), but whatever it is, it has to make your brain go brrr. Hyperfixations or special interests are highly encouraged here! The more you like it and can talk about it, the more you can write about it!

Secondly, what helps me is asking myself why I’m writing something. It’s a question with double meanings— why do I want to write this in terms of commentary and why do I physically want to write this. A lot of my fics are born out of my need to fill specific niches. I’m the first agere writer in three separate, relatively popular, fandoms because I saw something I liked, wanted to read agere for it, and realized there was none. I also coined a ship in the Bungou Stray Dogs fandom and wrote the first fics for it after I realized no one else thought of them. I had a need and I filled it— this is what people mean when they say to write for yourself or to write what you want to read.

Now, the more important part of the question is in terms of commentary. Very, very few of my fics are mindless fluff because I actually struggle a lot with it. I don’t know if you’re a Hunger Games fan but the author of that series often says that she only writes when she has a reason to— when she has something she wants to say. I’m the same way. Even my one shots have some kind of purpose to them; sometimes it’s as simple as a character study (or me wanting to force people to consider how I interpret a character) and other times, it’s answering a question or exploring a theme that is really meaningful to me. The story I’m working on right now is a MHA fic where Bakugou runs away and joins a circus. The message of this fic is all about how free will and the choice to be what you want can lead to someone thriving. It was also born out of my want to explore a particularly fascinating aspect of circus culture and my love of depicting arcs about self-discovery and identity!

When you know what you want to write and why, it can lead you down the rabbit-hole of how you want to express those ideas in a way that fulfills that need!

It’s a series of asking yourself questions. Why is my main character here? What are they doing? Where are they at in the beginning of the story and where do I want them to be by the end? Who do I want them to interact with? How do I want them to showcase this thing I want to talk about? Ect ect ect

Using that circus fic as an example: asking myself why Bakugou is at the circus leads me to plan out his backstory (his family wanted him to take over the family business, something he didn’t want to do. This lends itself well to that idea of choice and freedom). What is Bakugou doing? Well, if he’s joining the circus then he should probably be a performer (which leads me to making up an act for him). So on and so forth. You ask yourself a million questions, which will lead to more questions.

And then, you can use those questions to figure out plotpoints. If Bakugou isn’t born in circus and he didn’t become a performer until he joined, I therefore need to figure out how he becomes one and plot that out. Then, I can inject scenes of him practicing and using that as ways to have him interact with other characters!

Which leads to my third point! The idea is to use all of this to make an outline. Every single fic I write has one and, in my opinion, it is extremely hard (bordering on impossible) to write a cohesive story without one, even if it’s only a one shot.

Plotting out each point (being plotpoints and how you want specific scenes to go) lets you keep things consistent and makes it easier to stay on track. If all I know is that I want Bakugou to join a circus and become a trapeze artist, it can be really easy to lose track of everything that comes before and after that if I’m just winging it. I often get really overwhelmed thinking of things on the fly and it’s the easiest way to kill a story idea for me.

But if I break it down into:

- Bakugou gets picked up by the circus

- Bakugou decides to stay because his parents would never think to find him here

- Bakugou joins ring crew (basically like the technical side of circus)

- Bakugou meets the trapeze troupe

- Bakugou tries trapeze and realizes he’s really good at it (meanwhile, the trapeze act is on the brink of being cut because they’re down a member)

- Bakugou becomes a trapeze artist and performs with the circus

Then it suddenly becomes a lot easier to then break things down even more. Suddenly, I have a lot of space to inject other scenes— like him being convinced to join ring crew, him discovering that the troupe is on the brink of being cut and deciding to help them, him practicing, him convincing the circus owner to let him perform, ect

I also had a subplot about Bakugou hiding his identity because his parents are well known fashion designers and he’s a big enough name as their son and a model that he’s scared of anyone finding out who he is and telling his parents (or, more importantly, forcing him to reconcile with an identity he no longer wants anything to do with). This adds scenes of inner turmoil as he decides not to tell people, anxiety as he fears someone knowing, scenes where someone does find out, scenes where he purposefully tells someone, and (for my plot) scenes where he discovers that he no longer wants to reject such a core part of himself.

Just explaining this to you has already given me a couple hundred words! Now imagine how much I have actually written for it!

(100k— the answer is 100k.)

I’m not the most consistent with my outlines ngl and mine are all really sloppy but it genuinely helps keep you on track and makes it way easier to cut things out that aren’t interesting. What I like to do is write out a chapter as just “he does this and says this and then meets her and she does this” until I have enough plot to fill a chapter. I’m pretty good at figuring out how many actions it takes to fill my word count (something that just comes with practice) so it might not be the best way to do it for a beginner. I’d recommend experimenting with your planning and figuring out what lengths you like for chapters and how much you can plan to put in them.

I play DND occasionally as a dungeon master so I got a lot of these skills from session planning. I had to learn roughly how long it would take my players to do a set number of plot points in 3-4 hours max so I could then plan the right number of things for them to do each session. My first ever session as a dm took six hours and, ever since then, I’ve never been wrong in how long I think a session will take. I just need the data to base things off of first. Chapter planning works pretty much the same way with me having a wordcount of roughly 10k-20k each chapter and being able to guess how much I can plan out that’ll fit within that cap.

(This also works for one shots btw! Those outlines are just shorter or, in my case, less constricted because I don’t put wordcount caps on one shots.)

Fourthly, I talk a whole lot and I’m incredibly long winded (as you can probably tell xd) so I’ve never actually struggled that much with word count. I was fifteen years old writing 10k in like four hours after school because I’d been hyperfixating on my beyblade fics lol. It’s honestly one of my weaknesses as a writer— that and pacing, which kind of goes hand in hand with my inability to shut up LMAO

Part of it comes in the fact that I do a lot of internal monologuing and I try to be super conscious of adding immersive details— focusing on the senses (taste, touch, smell, ect). Of everything, I struggle the most with action scenes (fights, as an example) and dialogue. I prefer doing a lot of character work and find it fun to focus on internal conflicts and arcs so it’s a bit hard to give advice for something that just comes kind of naturally. It does help me to excessively use metaphors or allegories— like I use water in my circus fic to represent freedom so I go on a lot of tangents about it (sections that depict bakugou drowning metaphorically, sections that depict his love of swimming, sections about storms and rainfall, ect). I do this with everything and usually assign every character or conflict some kind of other thing, like water or cards or something else tangible, that I can use for metaphors.

I would recommend picking focal points in each scene to really focus on— whether that be an important character moment internally or some kind of setting description that matters a lot to the scene. Remember that everything you say, and purposefully don’t say, matters a lot. You don’t have to describe your character getting out of bed and getting ready for school because that stuff can just be implied. What you CAN focus on is the fact that their alarm clock says the wrong time, despite every other clock saying the right one. Why is the alarm clock different?

Finally, don’t push yourself to write. Let yourself get in the groove but if it isn’t working then it isn’t working. It’s fine to take breaks and only write a couple words at a time. Progress is progress, regardless of how much. If something isn’t working for you, try something else! There is no shame in rewriting something or just scrapping it entirely and working on something new.

I didn’t finish regressuary because I needed to write for something else before my head exploded. I’ve been taking a small break on my main fic because I’m really struggling with where I’m at in it, plot-wise. Hell, my circus fic had last been updated nearly a year ago because I lost interest. I read somewhere that if you’re bored, so are your readers and I think that’s good to internalize as something to remember. People will always prefer reading something that you’re clearly passionate about and writing is supposed to be fun! Every rule placed on it is self imposed. Word count doesn’t actually matter, and it’s fine to just do whatever feels the most comfortable.

Doing what feels good is always better than forcing yourself to do something— that’s really the best way to keep writing.

For me, a lot of being able to write comes with my hyperfixations because those are fun and engaging. If I’m not hyperfixated (if I’m not ENGAGED), I can’t write. I’ve only very recently gotten any kind of ability to write regardless what my interest is, but a lot of these longer fics are ones that I still have a fixation on (they’re just not as all consuming). Always write what YOU want.

Anyways!!! Yeah I don’t know if this actually helps but this is just a whole lot of things I could thing of that help me! I hope you get something out of this jumble of rambles lolol

[stardustdiiving]

Got tagged by @/kanonavi! 20 fanfic writer questions thing

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

UMMM. I think around 13 probably. I anon or orphan a lot of old stuff

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

32.2k words…probably at least an extra 10k in orphaned stuff though

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Its been solely genshin since 2022. Usually something needs to be a primary tier fandom hyperfixation for me to even think about writing fanfic for it , and then even then I rarely finish more than 1-3 fics for it. Genshin broke this streak bc something shifted in my brain and I’ve finished around a dozen things for it somehow

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1) source of inspiration (genshin — makoto, ei, wanderer character study) — 541 kudos

2) better days (genshin — zhongli & xiao erosion fic) — 254 kudos

3) Pattern Recognition (genshin — wanderer & Nahida sickfic) — 254 kudos

4) are you happy? (genshin — postcanon wanderer & nahida) — 142 kudos

5) marvel fic I wrote when I was 15 — 97 kudos

The 1st and 3rd most kudoed fics were actually the first genshin fic I wrote + the first and only bnha fic I wrote when I was 16 but they don’t count because they’re like my disowned children who I should probably orphan but don’t in case I want the option to delete them? I feel they were made before I really processed how to characterize the characters n what sector of fanon I wanted to contribute to, so they’re really like, generic fandom tropey to me and vastly different compared to how I usually write in a way I find kind of unbearable. I am really deliberate in my art n writing in trying to appeal to my own specific n niche fandom tastes so to help me find a similar crowd of people to hang out with and am usually pretty successful in nailing the niche. But for these fics it feels I not only didn’t try to target my own tastes I somehow managed to write something I feel only people who like the fanon I actively don’t vibe with would like ?!? I have no idea how that happened!

it would be if I somehow managed to write a hat radish fic that had “maternal Nahida and her edgy teen son Wanderer” written all over the characterization as if this is not fanon I actively dislike and a lot of how I write hat radish is often motivated by me trying to fulfill my own preferences because I find them in conflict with a lot of fic I read about them? JSDJDNDJ. Itd be like. Where did that come from. How was this written by me. Its one thing to not like my work but how do I have a finished thing I fundamentally disagree with on all grounds that make up my interest in why I may want to write fic about a certain thing in the first place. Disowned child moment

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YEAH always even if I’m slow too. This is an extension of my habit with my art I usually always respond to every comment on my work I get even if it just feels like me repeating thank you over and over bc i like to acknowledge people who r interested in what I’m doing as much as possible to convey I appreciate it. I think it’s always helped in building a sense of community/connection w ppl which is what I’m more interested in as opposed to quantity of interactions

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Idk why this keeps happening but at least half my fics fall under “bittersweet” to “hurt no comfort” territory because I . Hmm. love character study that invokes complicated or ambiguous emotions. I think that’s the trend here

Id probably nominate someone to watch me die?. Its a xiaoven fic that was born out of me being interested portraying a xiaoven dynamic that felt at least somewhat believable characterization wise but pitched studying how venti & xiao’s deep rooted issues could clash with each other in a relationship in a way that’s rlly accidental and tragic when put with their feasible compatibility n care for each other. I have it on anon bc I have weirdly mixed feelings for it bc it feels like a xiaoven fic that probably appeals to any faction of xiao or venti fan who isn’t big on xv far more than a xv shipper

But idk how to advertise it as that bc it’s not like that audience would be in the xv tag?? and it’s specifically romantic xv so it categorically should be there. But it being in the tag feels weirdly hostile to me. I guess I feel it comes off as a fic that exists to be kinda contrarian and hostile to most ppls enjoyment of xiaoven but that wasn’t my intention :( it was made out of my own enjoyment of xiaoven….i just process romance weirdly and I think am more down with ship fic where the ship is kinda depressingly dysfunctional more than other ppl may be. I like the fic quite a bit but I just don’t feel it has a place to Go fandom environment wise

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I HAVE. no idea I feel like no fic I have up leaves off with emotions that are meant to be solely happy. The closest I get is bittersweet . Um. The scripted end of pattern recognition would take this spot but it like. Doesn’t exist yet (but it will…soon…..w)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

HM. I don’t think I ever have. Probably in part I don’t write enough for it

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Look at this shrimp 🦐

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one you've ever written?

I actually love fandom crossovers as indulgent thinking exercises but I usually never get indulgent enough to write fic about it. However I did write a 30k Steven universe gravity falls crossover where the GF characters were SU gems in 2 months when I was 12 and I have no idea how I did that but it was crazy. Thats still the longest thing I’ve written . It was so much

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nah

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone translated a fan comic of mine I made when I was 13 a few times but never a fanfic iirc

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Surprisingly no!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I do shipping in such a weird specific way. My go to answer for this is bakudeku bnha but I kind of lose all feeling for a hyperfixation after it ends most of the time so I don’t really…actively like it…sort of….but it’s also a vague ride or die thing to me…it’s complicated… the fandom environment for it is so unrecognizable to me since I was into bnha idk how to talk to people about it anymore particularly the new generation of fans. I don’t really like actively Ship them in a fandom way but fictional romantic relationships that r very influential to me are Pearlrose Steven universe and Anthy/Utena from rgu

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I mainly just want to finish pattern recognition and I think I will. Ummm. Usually if I don’t finish something it’s bc I just lost interest in seeing it finished

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think people usually like my characterization especially in terms of like, exploring or pitching certain aspects/interpretations of a characterization . Like I feel people usually respond specifically with like “wow interesting characterization. Im adding that to my system of beliefs” this applies to both funny headcanons and more serious character portrayals.

I feel I’m also usually decent at atmosphere and invoking more visceral emotions when needed especially when the emotions in question are like. Mental Illness Monologues (tm) or jarring panic/fear/discomfort idk

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I. struggle. SO bad with like. Organizing how to execute all the thoughts I want conveyed in writing, especially the order of hie things should flow. If I want to hit on multiple traits of a characterization I’m doing for ex I have a hard time figuring out how to order it into a cohesive thing. This is kicking my ass with my oc comic story rn

I also have a hard time with subtlety & trusting my writing to speak for itself. I usually have very detailed thoughts on what I want to communicate and have to do a lot of shifting around to find a balance of feeling things are conveyed clearly enough to be caught onto and interpreted but not overexplained. Its not even a matter of feeling I need to dumb stuff down it feels more like me trying to write emotional analysis of writing I find interesting before doing the writing that would be Fun To Analyze. This is kind of the torture labyrinth when usually all I want to write is emotional subtlety and naunce

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Idk my usual rule is I don’t like when it feels forced. I feel I see it used with ship pet names a lot but as someone who doesn’t get the appeal of pet names conceptually it’s often almost a dealbreaker for me in fics if it feels forced in to be cute , and is not something I can realistically imagine character A doing for character B. Like it just wigs me out. I have no idea why I get such a strong reaction out of it

But I’m really on board when it feels like people pulling from their own experiences with being bilingual or sharing a similar background with the character. When it feels intuitive I rock it as fleshing out the character’s background and people really understanding the societal background and environment the characters exist in

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I have no idea actually omg. Especially in terms of what was first published

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Idk I don’t really enjoy my writing? Often when i finish a piece of writing I am usually satisfied I’ve executed an idea or communicated The Things but I’m not actively happy or proud of anything. Its like talking to me. I talk for myself and based off I want to say but overwhelmingly talking is for communicating with Other People so once it leaves my brain my experience with its existence ends and now it’s all about other people’s experience. This somehow does not apply to my visual artwork where part of the motivation to create it involves how my experience with it continues after its completion

Ummm. I guess my intuitive answer to the question is Pattern Recognition in the sense I feels it Conveys The Most I want to convey about a subject. But it’s also like the fic I cant stand to read the most and doing so is usually an ocd trigger too. Its complicated. I very much write for myself and my own interests and i never force myself to do so but having favorites or enjoying my work just feels incompatible with my brain somehow. And somehow this does not discourage me from writing at all