#this is for a fic I'll start writing someday btw

[rubydreamsuwu]

I swear I'm their therapist at this point

[spilledmilkfkdies]

Did you do a Dumaltor ship bingo yet? Asking for. Reasons. I think you know exactly which reasons.

RETURN OF THE SHIP BINGO RAAAHHHH fresh wave that smells suspiciously like it's been left out to sit for a while.

Alright so. Finally sharing how this came to be. Both because I've kept saying I would AND as a lil apology for taking so long-

Basically, it all started in *checks notes* 2021?? For those involved in this story anyway. Which includes the person who sent this ask. Nearing the end of the year the wizard server (at that point in time) was kinda joking around with the idea that every villain could come spend the holidays at the Black Circle house, since we decided they have a very big one, plus centuries of 'just hanging out' experience. Lot's of "Well those people HATE each other so they need to be kept apart or people are getting removed from the party >:((" bs, all in good fun. Then @duman-anon said something about Duman getting into the eggnog and I added a "That's how he ended up sleeping with Valtor" as a JOKE, but this proceeded to change the trajectory of that server for somewhere between. Weeks and months.

Takes were cooked up, half of us got to writing fics we either never posted or finished, then there was the art as well, all that stuff. It stopped being a joke real quick. @/4kidstv gave the ship 11/10 at some point btw. I doubt he remembers that, I doubt he even knew who Duman was at the time (or now), but I think about it sometimes.

You might be wondering! What's the appeal? They both have.. Monster forms.. THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT BUT- It's one of MY personal favourite things. Teehee. Asking a man without visible wings "What's your wingspan?" is top comedy for me. Duman would be able to appreciate Valtor's demon form fr, he's finally not the only abomination in the roomWOW WHO SAID THAT. Anyway. I might not actively be doing anything with them, but I still appreciate them a fair bit. Though the Dumaltor fanclub ownership has absolutely been passed on to our asker over here smh!! I'll come back for it someday.

Tbh I think Valtor hanging out with any of the Wizards of the Black Circle, in whatever positive way, could be done more often. Like yeah, they could fight ig, but have you considered? Giving him some safe and healthy friendships? A wizard playdate? You can drop him off, he can stay for dinner, we'll see you at 10pm or something.

[strawberry-skies-xx]

13, 20, & 22 for the fic asks! fic i choose for 22, of course, that fucked up girl <3 and the mori dazai fic w the matcha tea....both fics have me by. CHOKEHOLD

*walks in 2 days late w iced coffee* that reblog spree on your blog is bc i couldn't find the og post btw and i had the (naive) hope you didn't reblog shit at the speed i did

13. Do you prefer writing multi-chapter fics or single-part fics? Do you prefer reading multi-chapter fics or single-part fics?

i prefer reading AND writing multi-chapter fics, bc its so much fun to explore stuff. however. The Horrors. i can dream about writing a multi-chapter fic all i want but it doesnt mean ill ever finish it (rest in piece my fleabag fyozai fic that's infamous on my bsd server bc i never shut up about it. also the fyozai betrayal AU fic. pensive emoji.)

20. Which fic have you put the most work into? Which fic have you put the least work into?

you make miette search through 84 published works for this...

the fic i'd say i've done the most research on is this one (mafia Dazai training Akutagawa) but the fic i've put the most work into being really good and me liking it has to be this one. its not BSD, but its a character study of a guy from another fandom and his interest in death and passive suicidality. i spent 3 days postponing every single other obligation other than food and just sat in bed writing this. 4th day i did nothing but chores and then i didnt write anything else for a week lol

least work is hard bc i have a philosophy that i can do whatever i want forever so i Will just write something in an hour and post it with no research, all pure self-indulgence. but i'll use a fic i should have done research on: this one. i really should've planned that out better. idk if anyone still follows me for httyd or has read that fic of mine but i do plan on rewriting it someday

22. Have you used any symbolism in [insert fic]? What does it represent?

OH boy.

so. fucked-up girl fic actually doesn't Have much real symbolism, only a couple remarks on my headcanons for various things.

today he had to eat an apple whole because he could not pick up a knife-

this one is easy, referencing dazai's suicidality and the fact he is trying. just a slight reference to him actively changing/being unable to do something, and also his issues with food.

He starts targeting.

Dazai is very, very still.

Atsushi backtracks so fast that he stumbles over his words, forgetting entirely Dazai’s contradictory explanations,

little things about dazai's manipulation in everything. boy can't admit shit. he's very roundabout with admitting anything close to himself (why i hc fyodor is so good for him, because they can trade those vague references back and forth and understand each other) and a trait i assign to him is saying vulnerable things in as few words as possible. he doesn't explain stuff.

Dazai’s body aches, and he turns, walks over to his desk, sits down. His clothes constrict.

gender issues but also, as mentioned in my comment on your fic, i hc dazai just hates his body. he has to shower with the lights off sometimes, can get dressed without looking at himself once. he very much dislikes perceiving the fact he has a body.

The ADA thinks that they’re dating. Him and Yosano. 

not symbolism or a hc but this was the premise of the entire fic. the agency thinking dazai and yosano were dating when really dazai just had severe gender envy

“Zai.”

little hc! yosano specifically uses this nickname for dazai when affectionate. atsushi and kunikida don't use any actual nicknames derived from his name; chuuya uses this nickname sometimes; ranpo uses this nickname somewhere between chuuya and yosano bc ranpo is putting in the least effort to get his attention lol

The conclusion is obvious. Dazai should explain that’s not what he means, but he can’t get his mouth to work to speak honestly. 

this whole conversation was the biggest indicator of dazai being unable to elaborate/saying things in as few words as possible. he's not a pathological liar, i just think sometimes it is physically painful to have to elaborate vulnerable things verbally for him. e.g. "it's because you're a woman" and yosano having to debate the fact dazai could be going after her, dazai Knowing what kind of conclusion she'd jump to immediately As a woman, and yet he just cannot explain it further because it is vulnerability. HENCE why i like him and fyodor, because fyodor can make those kinds of connections as quick as dazai can.

"Women are really pretty~”

not a hc or symbolism but. Boy why do you talk about women so much and yet date none of them. almost actively make yourself undesirable to them. Sir. My guy. i know what you are

“There’s a word for it?”

special lil hc i have. the mafia is very open and accepting because they simply have bigger priorities than who's kissing who. mori simply does not give a shit if his agents are consorting or if his lead agent goes from a girl to a guy. he won't provide monetary support and unless it's physically disabling he won't make exceptions to rules, but if he's told that someone's pronouns have changed or whatever he'll go "cool" and change the name/pronouns in all of the system, start using them, and be done with it. his only concern is performance and as far as he cares, sex and gender are irrelevant. (on that note, harrassment isn't tolerated because why are you harrassing them for being gay when you can harrass them for the multiple enemies they didn't kill last mission. cmon now.)

this also comes with the caveat that the kids raised in the mafia aren't really educated on it. they're taught normal class subjects, e.g. math, english, etc. and they're taught mafia protocol, and they're allowed to get their own reading material, but the mafia puts in as much effort to teach them about queer people as they do to teach them about heterosexual people. (they do get sex ed tho, which is basic as ever, and which dazai is a whole menace during)

and dazai, obviously, would not really be that interested in either to read about. being brought in so young, i think he was never really taught bias against queer people, so when he had the revelation that he liked chuuya he was just kinda. oh ok. and when he has the feelings about his body that he doesn't like it, he has much bigger priorities (namely the quickest way to die) than figuring out whatever the hell that is.

so it ends up that dazai just kinda is queer and has no idea what it is. he knows he hates his body and he knows he likes chuuya, probably has some surface level knowledge of gay/bi/lesbian/etc. but otherwise no, he's never sought out specifically to figure out the terms for what he's feeling. he actually really hates perceiving himself in any way lol

He still looks like himself,

this little bit: he hates perceiving himself in any way, but he still wants to be him. he doesn't want to change his name or his reputation or whatever else, he doesn't want to be a different person. he just wants to be a dazai that he likes.

It would look wrong be inconvenient for him, and take so much effort. Just… so much. So much that he can’t handle. Managing himself is hard regularly - adding on this, whatever it is, would be biting off more than he could chew. 

there's a river called de nile-

dazai is denying the fact he thinks being a woman would look wrong because of his years of being in a masculine body like he is, hence the calluses mention. but he also is right, that he wouldn't be able to upkeep it. he has to be in a better spot/it has to be something very slow and gradual for him to be able to keep it up long enough to maintain a desirable appearance. he's sorta using it as an excuse to not do it but also he just doesn't want to put in that much effort into it.

now for the matcha fic!

Very big hc and symbolism for this fic: Dazai's ability.

it is an ability nullifier, and i stand by the idea that abilities have some kind of effect on their user and are somewhat sentient. Atsushi's tiger, for one, is not only a transformation but the shape of the ability inside him, and Kyouka's Demon Snow is a whole being as the ability itself.

so for Dazai, he described it once as an "anti-ability." which. what the hell. whump beams him.

i have the hc that Dazai's ability makes him cold because most ability users can feel their ability hummign beneath their skin. most abilities are warm, alive, and it's like a constant low electric current or adrenaline rushing through them, as omnipresent as a heartbeat or breath. just a fact of being alive is that feeling. so then: when Dazai nullifies other people's ability, they can Feel the absence of it, they can feel very empty and very cold. when Dazai is the host of that nullification ability, it's just that electric warmth reversed. an icy cold, all the time, because NLH is a black hole as opposed to a sun. (all my metaphors relate NLH more to an icy lake, but that's the dichotomy)

i don't ascribe Dazai's emptiness entirely to NLH, but i do think it contributes and that he has a complex about the relationship between his own issues with emotion, empathy, and the fact NLH lives inside him.

and that cold gets much worse whenever Dazai actually does nullify an ability depending on how strong it is/how much is being used at the time, therefore the remark about him making a science on how bad it'll affect him, and that scene about him being overwhelmed by nullifying Chuuya's ability; he miscalculated, and was caught off guard by NLH activating so strongly, esp given his injuries and physical weakness already in that moment

and another little HC: Dazai's hinted to have been in an even worse place before Mori and abilities are said to be activated from trauma. so i like to hc Dazai's ability as activating from the result of being tortured with abilities, from a deep desire to stop the torture, also in some kind of lab setting. and from there, Dazai escaped, and Mori got this very damaged child.

so then, through the matcha fic, Dazai latches onto it because the warmth of the tea chases away the cold of NLH.

another thread through this fic: Mori and Dazai's relationship. i think Mori was trying to keep Dazai alive as an asset to the mafia, and that he never... regretted? bringing him in as much as wished Dazai had never shown up at his doorstep in the first place, because Mori sees the value of his skills way too much to regret using them. but Mori also knows kids aren't supposed to do what Dazai is doing. and he also sees the emptiness in Dazai and all his general issues. so it's this very messy tangle of like. Mori can't care for him like a father because, yknow, mafia boss and Mori himself also has manipulation and control issues, but also he's much fonder of him than most others, even Chuuya. no one else would have been able to get away with all the shenanigans Dazai inflicts on him (that kid bullies mori so hard. it's very comical). Mori is simultaneously training him and raising him in a life-or-death environment for them both and it's so messy.

“I’ll make us all some hot tea!” Atsushi raises an eyebrow, skeptical. “Are you sure you won’t… burn the Agency down, Dazai?”

little note here: i think dazai curates an image of incompetency specifically because of his competency in the mafia. obviously everyone there knows he's actually competent, but he hides just how competent he is. partially to get up to his own shenanigans hiding his mafia connections and whatever else, but also partially because he doesn't want to be known as something like the demon prodigy again.

when it's serious, they know he can hold his own (prison arc) but otherwise. he is faking so much incompetency.

“I’ll make a deal - if you manage to make matcha tea as well as I do, I can get you your own expensive set for the holidays~”

ok listen. listen. the slap that dazai gave atsushi lives rent free in my mind because of the moment of hesitation just before it. everyone villainizes dazai for slapping atsushi while entirely ignoring the brief hesitation just before it.

dazai was both trained (as an agent) and raised (as a teenager) by mori. and oda was not a very good dad either. he doesn't have the best role model, for one. but he's also very self-aware when he's older and i think he can separate "father" mori and "mafia boss" mori in his actions. he knows when mori was trying to raise him and he knows when mori was trying to train him.

now. now guess what dazai is to atsushi. a trainer. and dazai is still taking the place of someone older and more experienced teaching atsushi not only combat skills but also life skills/growing-up skills. and we all saw how dazai got with akutagawa; that was an environment conducive to that kind of treatment, where that was being encouraged.

now the agency doesn't condone physical violence and dazai knows that. and he is very clearly trying to be a good person like oda asked him to. so, with that moment of hesitation, he clearly did not want to slap atsushi. but someone else's post words this better: he got complacent at the agency, forgot mori's ruthlessness, and with the threat against atsushi and release of Q he remembered he couldn't be so complacent and began to slip back into the old mafia thinking as a way to survive.

and with atsushi breaking down and not listening to him, the agency threatened by mori and Q, a threat that made even dazai flinch, i hc he got overwhelmed, knew there was one method that got guaranteed results, knew the agency didn't condone it, but was overwhelmed enough that he just. lashed out in a way he knew guaranteed would work, and would get atsushi to listen to him.

so . very long rant just to say that i think dazai is fighting, a bit, to balance his experience of being trained-and-raised, with him training-and-raising atsushi, but he knows the difference clearly between the two and so he'll cherrypick actions like the deal mori made with the matcha tea.

deep breath. it's been like an hour and a half. jfc. anyway there's your answers hsfdbhsdf i have many many thoughts on dazai

ty for asking!

[gothic-lottie]

Writer Interview Game

Thank you for tagging me @espressoristretto-patronum

When did you start writing?

I sort of had a project in highschool into a couple years out of highschool but it crashed and burned but I'm hoping to rescue my characters and world building from that project. I'll never write with a coauthor again because of it.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I like fantasy without captivating, relatable characters, I probably won't read it though. I also like dystopian books (big Orwell fan) and in those I care more about the Big Message™️ and world building.

Whats your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Women who can kill me and pretty men. How else do you get inspired?

Could kill me Pretty

(these are Caira and Lenya btw. If anyone ever wondered why I like Ominis so much… Lenya has been around for years before Hogwarts Legacy.)

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

One sec… it's easier to just-

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I would absolutely die if I was ever compared to Patricia C Wrede or Jennifer A Nielsen. The Enchanted Forrest Chronicles and The Ascendance Trilogy (now longer than a trilogy) were my life till I was like 14. I'm definitely nowhere near their level but I hope to get there someday.

Are there any recurring theme in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Death and autism. No, I'm not surprised

What is your reason for writing?

Well, right now it's because I'm kinda really sick so I haven't been able to do much else for almost a year. I've always felt like I'd go mad if I didn't get the stories out of my head and give them true form though.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Any comment honestly. My fic is long so not many people have followed all the way through so comments on my newest chapters are the best because it makes me feel a bit less like I'm talking to a wall. Comments on older chapters are just as appreciated though, I know starting a long fic can be really intimidating so I really appreciate when someone decides my story is worth the time dedication to start it. I especially love hearing what your favorite parts of chapters were, especially if you noticed one of my many subtle details that I don't think anyone will notice.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Idk. I'm just a person telling stories and drawing.

What do you feel is your greatest strenght as a writer?

I can draw anything I can't adequately put into words. I think it really helps communicate the feelings I want in a lot of scenes and also helps amplify certain comedic moments.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Honestly, I don't know. I'm not very good at flowery, pretty language and I think my writing ends up sounding a bit bland sometimes. I'm also afraid my plotlines end up a bit… I don't know how to describe what I think is wrong with them. Confused maybe? Unrealistic? It's a probably unfounded anxiety.

Tagging @rypnami @jeongyunhoed @ladyofsappho @ravenwind-75 @saibugslegacy if you haven't done it already.

[cheesemonky]

my pookie mooties!!

@2minstan - where to start? one of my oldest friends, and I've literally had the most amazing times with you. i trust you with my life, and you'll prolly be the ring bearer at my wedding <3

@kailee08 - you're such a cutie and even tho you're a meanie :( you're an amazing person to talk to and you always leave amazing feedback on all my fics so yeah luv you bby <3 even if you're not writing anymore, you're so cool!!

@jinnie-ret - my first ever pookie and Im so grateful to u and kylei for introducing me to all these wonderful new people, and your fics are DELECTABLE I lub u :3

@yangbbokari - ur a swag lil kiddo but ur such a meanie LIKE IM NOT THAT OLD but I love you or whatever because you write so well and you're just a cute lil baby 💔 im gonna miss you so much, but im also so proud of you <3

@givemeabreakimbig28 - tall ass mf but <3 ur an amazing friend and proly knows a lot of my secrets but I trust you with them :)) luv u but I'll kill if u spill <3 stop looking at me like that btw, its literally scary asf man....

@hyunsvngs - mouth-watering fics and just... mwah, you're amazing and you only feed me more and more kinks to figure out. love u and the fact that your blog is a safe space <3

@beesspacedotorg - bonded over our shared husband Mr. Seungmin because y'all are both cuties are your first fic was AMAZING loved it so much bby <33

@atinyniki - NIKI I LOVE YOU like come give me a smooch alr??? you are such a sweet person and if I ever do meet u, I'm sure I'll love u as much as I alr do WE'LL PLAY VAL TGTH SOMEDAY :3

@michelle4eve - sweetest sweetie to ever sweetie, like I just saw u liking all my posts and was like ZAMN I didn't think I was that interesting but you're seemingly convinced otherwise <3 my little baby ilsym :>

@minholing - jenny ur such a sweet little thing and even though we live so far apart i love how well our talking times match up, iykwim?? but yeah, keep being the cutie you r <3 ill wait patiently for you to come back :)

@sona1800 - a new mootie of mine but so super duper fun to talk to and i really cant wait to see what you'll be writing in the future my love <3 great advice and i can talk to you almost all the time!!

honourable mentions!! @skzoologist and @writingforstraykids - i haven't gotten to know you guys very well, and we dont talk very much, but ik you guys are lovely people and i hope to be good friends with you in the future!!

[frommybookbook]

Writing Ask!

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

(This is Perrylyuniverse btw this is my main blog)

Yay, someone actually sent some questions! Thank you, @theperrylleluniverse, you are so sweet! Here are my answers:

3. Most of my fics are missing/extended scenes so they usually start with a screenshot or a snippet of dialog at the top of a blank doc. Then I riff with myself for a bit, I type out anywhere from a couple paragraphs to a couple pages of "what if this?" and "how about that?" before I start writing. I'm a very visual person, in general (I don't actually consider myself much of a writer, actually) so I do a lot of visualizing scenes in my head and I'll have things where I can see every beat, with the actors, in my head before I start writing a word. I also tend to be pretty linear, so I write most of my fics in order, from start to finish; I rarely hop around in a scene list. There's also a lot of hand wringing and self-doubt and imposter syndrome wrapped up in it all as well. It's so much fun, I love this hobby.

11. Sadly, Ao3 is down right now, so I can't answer this one but I'll come back to this!

16. For the most part, I'm a monogamous writer. I only ever really have one fic at a time in the works, though I have a few ideas floating around usually. In addition to my current WIP, which is nearly finished and is being called "the divorce fic" for short, there's also always the semi-joking-but-may-actually-become-something-someday Perry/OFMD crossover that @epersonae and I have been talking about for months. We'll see if anything else jumps out and begs to be written once the divorce fic is up.

23. Oh gosh, I don't know. I really don't see myself as much of a writer and always kind of just write things so I can read them at the end/to get them out of my head so maybe that? Write for yourself, because if you enjoy the finished piece then you've succeeded?

27. Least favorite is going through and cleaning up all my bad habits and crutches and lazy writer weaknesses. The number of lines of dialogue I start with "Well," is shameful. My very favorite though is the engagement with readers, both in the Ao3 comments and here, so thank you!

56. I would say I'm pretty proud of my dialog (errant "Well"s aside). I try really, really hard to remain true to the characters and to draw from both the Perry Mason show and books to bring an authenticity to them.

[get to know your fic writer!]

[never-ending-fanfic]

"bahryn ~ Zeb coming back" sound kinda obvious but also interesting, care to tell something more?

Hi there, thanks for asking! ♥️

Let's see, I don't exactly have it started yet, but I do have the idea in my head. This was meant to be a one shot story btw

Basically Zeb leaves Bahryn before Kallus does, goes away with the Spectres while Kallus stays, watching him go. Zeb thinks about the agent a lot after that, wondering when he will see him again, partially because he's getting ready to face the man after thir heart to heart... But he's also kinda worried.

And so a few days later the Ghost crew runs into some imp (or maybe an Inquisitor idk) and they mention what a useless agent Kallus has been for never catching them but "that's fine because he's dead and won't mess up ever again" or something like that.

And Zeb panics. They get out of the tight spot and Zeb immediately begs Hera to get them to the Geonosian System asap. He has to explain to the rest why and they're all rightfully hesistant but Hera's compassion makes her agree and they go back to Bahryn.

Zeb all but bolts out of the ship, followed by Sabine, Kanan and Ezra (all dressed appropriately for the weather, thank you) and they search for a bit, Zeb just frantically runs around and then he sees him. Kallus, unmoving on the ground, already covered in snow. His hair, eyelashes, his face is covered in frost, he's hypothermic, he's not reacting to Zeb at all, the bo-rifle is still tied to his leg. Zeb searches for a heartbeat, tries to catch a breath out of the man and it's all faint but it's there. He gathers the man in his arms and just sprints to the Ghost, determined to save him.

And that's all, no more spoilers!

I actually love this concept, I saw it in a few fics already and I fell in love cause the angst...

Anyway, stay tuned (maybe) because (maybe) I'll write it someday (maybe)

[autumnslance]

Writing To Yourself

(Mileage may vary, I'm not your mom nor your teacher--unless you're working for a specific state healthcare service, anyway.)

That's how you garden. Tend the plot. Plant a million seeds, reap a thousand blooms. The rest? Compost for the next crop. -@biot08 / @driftward

During a Discord convo, I thought about why so many fandom writers catch “writer’s block”, and some of it goes back to self-care and taking in new media, getting inspiration and knowledge, covered in this post. But much of it?

People think everything they create has to be publishable for others’ consumption. That is Not True. Too often we don't want to write things just for the sake of writing them, falling into the trap of thinking it needs to be perfectly polished and shared, but No It Really Doesn't.

Folks talk about “writing for oneself” but in terms of posting finished pieces of the kinds they want to see. If everything feels like it “has to be” publishable, it can start to put too much pressure on oneself. And then there’s your block, especially if the type to worry about how others Perceive you and your art.

Try simply writing anything and deciding later if it's something you want to share. I have pieces I wrote cuz my brain suddenly said it wanted to, but that writing isn't posted anywhere. Usually it’s random lines; out of context sentences, scenes, or bits of dialogue. Sometimes just incoherent character rambling. Ideas for situations and what ifs. Misspelled, typos, not grammatical, redundant wording, passive voice, bad POV, too many adverbs, not enough active verbs, not enough description, too much description, etc. All in notebooks or doc files. I’ve shared the (now out-dated) deep nests of my WIPs folders and the multiple, unfinished, unpolished pieces within them. Most will never be completed nor seen by the public. 

For instance, I've a random smut fic of a Highlander Warrior of Light and the popular antagonist of Shadowbringers. I'm not usually a villain liker, but one day it hit my brain, so I wrote it. I have notes and outlines for the rest of their story and how it plays out, though I'll probably never write more. I scratched the writing itch, stretched some skills, considered things from a different angle, and now it sits in drafts (I did post a couple decent-ish smut lines to my private Twitter once).

Mostly, it's practice. Even if it's junk and janky.

“But I have (professionally) published X or Y…”

Still gotta exercise the writing muscles! Still gotta scrawl off something utterly unusable now and again for the heck of it!

All those random lines, descriptions, scenes, rambles? Maybe I'll use them someday. I wrote them down to feel the pen in my hand or keys clacking under my fingers, to see the words pop onto the page or screen, to play with word choice, sentence structures, and “how would they say that?” For my own satisfaction, no one else’s.

When I get bored or stuck, or need a screenshot or writing prompt response, I might poke at those lines, pages, rambles, and see if they hit now or spin off to something else. They often don’t. But sometimes they help inform other things I do post to the public later. Even if that’s just a Question of the Day prompt response on Twitter.

(That also counts as writing and creating btw; you’re still coming up with something to share about your characters and I think that’s very creative of you.)

If the mood strikes, write. Even if it's just a vague idea--especially if it's any bits of dialogue or description, if it's something you think that you actually do want to write when off work or out of bed or whatever.

Even if you never post it anywhere public. Even if it never gets out of crummy first draft, unfinished pages form. It might feel like pulling teeth and look rough, especially if it’s been awhile.

But still write it. No one else has to know or see. Not until you want them to.

Maybe parts of it will inform something you do finish later. Maybe two years from now another prompt will hit just right and you’ll dig out that draft and finish it for posting. Maybe you’ll cannibalize aspects of it for an entirely different piece. Maybe you’ll even use it in a few more years to see how far you’ve come as a writer.

In many cases? That's how you actually keep writer's block away. Keeping ideas around to steal from yourself, letting yourself write nonsense, unpublishable bits and pieces, maybe even whole pages, just for the heck of it, if writing is something one enjoys and wants to stick with as a hobby (or professionally). If you don’t enjoy writing for fun? Don’t force it; do little character prompts and blurbs as they feel right, and find the ways to share creativity that work for you.

And seriously, don’t forget to take in new media, experiences, and information. This is How You Lose the Time War got me writing on an original story I shelved last autumn. The stories aren't at all alike! But seeing new words in new ways helped shake something loose in my brain. So try to make some time for that, too.

Write to yourself, not for others’ consumption. Public posting is great for validation and encouragement, for when we feel the urge to share due to pride or just wanting to gush about our faves. But also let yourself remember why you liked creating worlds, making up stuff about your characters, and writing at all to begin with, without the pressure of public posting. Give yourself some grace, and let it all be messy, unhinged, misspelled, ungrammatical, incomplete, and make no narrative sense.

Write to yourself, for yourself. Then let the rest follow.

[brushstrokesapocalyptic]

Hi there! Would it be alright to ask about what your plans for the bnha magical girl were? No need to answer this if you still plan on going back to it ofc, but its been a few years since it updated and I know you mentioned in the past you had the general gist of it planned out, so I'm curious about where it would've gone from where you left off. Thank you for writing it btw, its still one of my favorite bnha fics to read :D

Mmmmmmmmm yeah at this point I don't think I'm ever going back to it. It's unfortunate, because I had some pretty extensive notes and a whole ~twist~ planned, and I figured my attention would circle back to BNHA someday, but it just never happened! So sure, I can give a loose summary of what I had planned.

I will say before I get into it that, like some other stories I've started in the past, it fell into a trap that I like to call "Canon But A Bit To The Left" which, as the name suggests, is a fanfic that's basically the exact same story as canon just with some superficial details changed. That's a big part of why I lost momentum, once I reached the part of the series that would've just been retelling canon events but with magical girls— I tried to get creative with it, but nothing fundamentally changed, so it wasn't all that much fun. As such, I'll primarily be focusing on what's actually different/The Twist, because that's what's fun to explain.

So! The twist is that Izuku has a quirk. It's the ability to grant Magical Girl Transformation Objects. He does not know he has this quirk, he's doing it completely subconsciously.

His own Transformation Pen manifested out of nowhere when he was like 4 years old, and it sat in a drawer somewhere until he rediscovered it. The general theme of the other people getting their pens is that something they did impressed Izuku somehow, causing him to subconsciously go "yeah this person is worthy of Power"— Uraraka fights a goose, Todoroki catches a mugger with his ice, and other stuff.

According to my notes, the plan was for Iida to get a pen too, during the Stain incident. Iida would refuse to have any part of the whole Magica stuff, though, because that's ILLEGAL. Izuku figures out that it's a quirk sometime before/during the whole training camp thing, and uses it intentionally for the first time as part of a plan to rescue Bakugou— he can sorta sense where his "chosen" are, or at least their pens.

I went back and forth on whether Bakugou has had a pen all along or if Izuku granted him a pen on the spot; I swear I had foreshadowing indicating Bakugou had one all along but I can't remember which fic it'd've been in. There's some parts I'd rewrite to align better with that if I could, but alas that is no longer on the table.

The most recent arc at the time of me writing BNHA Magica was the one introducing Eri, so that also got included in my vague disorganized outline. The FULL extent of my notes there are a quick little description of Izuku granting Eri a pen so that he can track her the same way he tracked Bakugou.

After this, I resolved to, quote, "CATAPULT MYSELF INTO THE ABYSS" and stop following canon. I then did not write down Any specific events beyond the bounds of canon. Good work, Past Me!

Some more disorganized things, uh... The way the Magical Girl Quirk works on Izuku's Chosen (including himself) is it essentially transfers their own quirk into a magic wand, replacing it with a pile of minor passive quirks. Stuff like mild superspeed, strength, agility, a dash of spidey-sense, aaaaaaaaaand fast healing. Or possibly the ability to share damage between everyone involved! I thought it was a very fun creative idea at the time, and it does suit the actual nature of the quirk being them all getting linked to Izuku, but it's also Really involved. My notes on it mostly involve Izuku getting Grievously Wounded during Training Camp but turning out mostly fine, but all his chosen experiencing Very Intense Fatigue as he saps their energy to regrow all the bones in his left arm. IDK if I'd've kept it in the end.

The other big thing in my notes that I'm not as sure about in hindsight is the idea of Izuku getting One For All after all, just, like, Late. It kinda ties in with the healing thing; I had the idea that he kinda reflexively shares the Overwhelming Power across the entirety of his network so that it doesn't make him Explode, but it does possibly result in synchronized Arm-Breaking. But idk about keeping that, I might've just found the image funny enough to write down.

Aaaaaaaand I think that's the extent of what's worth sharing from my written notes. To cap the post off, here's the (very incomplete) concept art! Not everyone represented here was Actually going to get a pen, I just sorta went wild and/or thought it would be funny.

[solarsavoy]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

That's so hard, I've so many! But I think I've figured it out, my top 5.

Assassin Skills Required

By far my favorite fic I've written, even now. It was based off a dream and includes characters from Krystar while focusing on the AC characters. I didn't know where I was going with it until I was halfway done, so it was written and posted live, consistently. It went from Saturdays only to Saturdays and Wednesdays and somehow I kept up the whole time thru 3 works of it. As a debut for fanfiction, it's simply the best, and I haven't been able to recreate my experience with it since. Writing live was just so... I can't believe I did it. Not once did I miss an update and it wasn't even prewritten. In fact, I outpaced my posting schedule, even after starting to post a second day each week. I'd never been so inspired than when writing ASR. Picking the top 5 is hard, but picking number 1 is easy. Link to ASR teaser.

Kristmas Karma

This one wasn't quite written live, but it wasn't written that far ahead either, and it includes a ridiculous amount of art all drawn the week before it was posted. I can't believe it was more or less posted on time. It was also partially an experiment. While ASR included all the AC characters, I still didn't know them that well individually outside of Karmagisa. Kristmas Karma changed that. I was able to write and understand nearly every single student's POV convincingly, and still reference the fic to this day when trying to feel them out. It still makes me cry and Christmas Day, despite being the single most longest chapter I've ever written, so long it was split into 2 chapters (23k words btw), still flies right by every time I reread it. Link to KK prelude.

Magic Shuu

Speaking of getting to learn about the other characters in AC, this one focuses on Shuu and the five virtuosos. What I love most about this one is how fluidly I've crossed these boys into the Sailor Moon universe. I love how I turn this very minor character and his even more invisible friends into the main stars and make them relatable. In fact, my friend who has a similarly overbearing father relates to Shuu deeply. This story just has so much heart in it. Currently unfinished, but I'll finish it someday, even if it takes me years. Link to first chapter.

Ubisoft

A Karushuu one-shot. It's playful and fun and both of them are such loveable dorks in this. XD I've reread it so many times I've lost count. My favorite part for Karma is when he stumbles out the door in the morning, tripping and nearly breaking his phone on the way. My favorite part for Shuu is how awkward his attempt to be a better kisser is. I love them so much in this. Link to Ubisoft.

Cuddles and Kisses

A Karmagisa one-shot that I'd planned to write for the longest time. It was based on an idea that someone else had, but it's surprisingly sweet and wholesome despite it being about Karma summoning an incubus. XD My favorite part for Nagisa is when he attempts to "seduce" Karma. My favorite part for Karma is when he rushes home because he's worried about Nagisa disappearing, frantically searching the house until he calls out Nagisa's name, and then hugging him in relief when he appears before him. It's just so sweet for a one-shot, and I'm strongly considering writing more for this AU. Link to Cuddles and Kisses.

Honorable mention:

Gerit

An original story set in the Krystar universe but separate from the main story. It's actually my favorite of anything on AO3, but it's technically not a fanfiction. It centers around a neurodivergent named Gerit who was abused in many ways as a child while training to be an assassin. I wrote this in the midst of writing ASR as Gerit was in the story and I hadn't fleshed him out as a Krystar character yet. It's finished, but not all posted on AO3 as I've decided the tiny Krystar spoilers at the end aren't something I should spoil until at least after book 1 or 2 of the Fragment series is out. Still, feel free to check it out. Not for the faint of heart, rated MA. Link to Gerit.

Thank you Anon, for sending me this ask. I hope my favorite reads can get some views from this. 💙

[tojikai]

I SWEAAAAAAR IF I SAW THAT OLD HAG IN FRONT OF ME IM GOING TO JAIL!!!!! GODDAMMIT im so mad w this freak woman WHO SHE THINK SHE IS TO FIRST OF ALL TRESPASS???? ALSO SLAP THE READER????? MA'AM?????? reader's not the one to blame if satoru is a stupid man, DAMMIT I DONT HAVE ENOUGH ENGLISH WORDS IN MY VOCAB TO COMPLAIN ABT HWR 😡😡😡 ALSO I've to admit i was having mixed feeling abt naomi however now i just feel bad for her lol poor girl, always a damn man messing a nice woman up 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ unfortunately, i have a feeling that somehow satoru's mother is gon make everything even worse and i hope this time Toji's there to back up the reader, i cant take my girl suffering again bc of this crazy people 😭😭 she should stay away from this whole family and take Yui with her

Btw this made me remember SHE REALLY TRIED TO TAKE YUI FROM READER????? HAHAHAHAHAAHHA DAMN THIS WOMAN ISTG– fine, im starting a petition to reader just run away w toji and kids and never let her whereabouts be known again ✒️

That's it, im on my limit. Youre making me feel ALL sort of things w this fic and i cant thank you enough bc it has been a long time since i had this fun (???? Honestly, i think im broken atp) reading something, i dont even know if my english is right rn im still drunk in emotions– ANYWAY, TYSM FOR THIS MASTERPIECE!!! 🥺❤️ your writing is IMMACULATE and i cant stress it enough, seriously, if you write a book someday pls lemme know cause i'll need to buy it, thanks.

Also, Gojo lives in my heart 24/7? Yup, dearly put in a pedestal but IN THIS STORY???? Nuh-uh, HERE TOJI WINS IN A HEART BEAT!!!! he's too of a jerk to deserve anything but hate, suffering and a (maybe more) punch in the mouth <3

Ok, lemme stop here before i start venting even more lol have a good night/day/week/year, my dear, youre amazing 💛

ooh if u think abt it, yn running away from all of it will be like what happened to satoru's mom, his dad and his first wife 😮 anw im glad u enjoyed it HDJSKSKS i can feel your anger towards satoru's mom through this ask LMAO thank u so so much for your kind words and support <33 take careee~

[jokeringcutio]

Ok this is another long request but would you be down for the SFW alphabet for joker/Arthur?

Omg also did you see the first look of Gaga in joker 2? 🤩

YES. [TO ANYONE WHO READS THIS. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN and VOTE in my POLL in this very same post ] YES. I'll be down for it. But I am horrible at these alphabets. I would have to look up how they work. Lol. I suspect C might be for cuddling, but the answer would be much more decent than in my previous one teehee...

I did see the first look. In fact, I have been stalking pics since december last year because I promised someone to try and do Gaga as Harley for a shoot in the upcoming year. But I haven't enough material yet to start on a costume so. (I also don't look like Gaga but that is another minor detail muaha). I will need to write this someday soon. I just came from my high of writing a 30 chapter fic about the Grabber and the reader. And I am wondering why that came out, but I seem to still be stuck on The Man That Claimed To Be Yours. Perhaps you can advice me, dear anon (others may pop into my inbox as well btw): I am a bit torn between between writing out entire chapters describing the life with Joker up until the end point OR skip those details and stick to Joker's letter to the Reader's parents, then add the epilogue.

I have started writing the chapters and came to the conclusion it would add on another 4 or 5 chapters this way. But I am not pleased with what I wrote yet. I think the interlude can stay, which describes how Arthur, now Joker, takes Reader to his new lair. But the chapters that I have after that are wonky and don't get to me like the rest of the tale did. I think writing about Arthur was so much easier than about Mister J. So I would have to rewrite them.Just throw out what I have now. What would happen in these new chapters? It would include the writer making a new friend, and old friends trying to save her. It'd be a bit more drama, violence (not towards reader) and smut. I think I could do it. But now I still have to do it lol. Or should I go about writing a new tale? I really enjoy writing these darker/angsty smutty fics. (So I am open to prompts and drabble ideas again).

Anyway, vote on the poll or let me know in my inbox as an anon. And if you have a different idea or request for the continuation of that fic, please send it in. I am still working on the end of it, so I can still adapt and adjust things :) Except the very end of it, of course. That has already been set in stone MUAHAHAHAHA

[tragicclownwrites]

im curious, when did you first get interested in squidbob?

Ooh, my first ask 🤗 and what a great question to start with!

It's honestly such a weird story lmao but the short version is that I didn't find SquidBob. SquidBob found me. 🧽🐙

As for the long version, answering/rambling below the cut!

I think it happened just under a year ago or so? It was definitely sometime in late 2022/early 2023. Before then, I wasn't even remotely in the fandom and was more or less part of the group who had seen SBSP but wasn't involved beyond that.

When we were younger, my sister and I played Battle for Bikini Bottom on the PS2. So when the "Rehydrated" version came out, she hit me up and was like "omg they made a remake! we have to play it!" and I was all "hell yeah! nostalgia ftw!" (def worth it - it's a good time and everyone looks so damn adorable 🥹).

If you've played that game and you're in the fandom, you're probably pretty familiar with this moment (clip actually starts at :12). 😉😂 HOWEVER, this wasn't even the moment that initially caught my attention. In fact, it was actually THIS one between Robot Plankton and Robot Spongebob (who is terrifying btw). My sister and I got to this part in the game and were just...👀👀. Like, why was Robot Plankton (who is essentially a clone of real Plankton) thinking of Robot Spongebob like that? Kinda gay if you ask me. Long story short, I shipped PlankBob (ironically) for a hot minute lmao.

I started looking online to see if anyone else was crack-shipping it up like I was and I think that's when I came across SquidBob in earnest. I had remembered seeing some rather interesting moments between them in the past, but strangely never thought anything of it until I started looking below the surface. A few YouTube clips later, my memory was beginning to refresh - and those clips weren't even close to exhaustive! I just couldn't believe how unsubtle these two were! Like, HOW COULD I BE SO BLIND!?

For shits and giggles, I then decided to check AO3 to see if there were any fics about them. One of the fics I came across was none other than NBYF - the very fic that inspired my first work in this fandom! After reading it like four times, I was HOOKED. I needed more. So, I ended up on Tumblr and have been here ever since. 🥰

For added backstory, I've been in and out of fandoms over the years, but never felt the need to be active in any of them. Whether it was fandom discourse, fleeting interest, etc., I didn't want to get involved in any of that and, oftentimes, the canon just didn't inspire me to create my own works.

Needless to say, I'm so thankful to have found this small corner of the internet. Everyone has been so cool thus far and it's been really fun to write fics for SquidBob. I've always been a bit of a sucker for the grump x sunshine ship dynamic, so this pair is just perfection. ���️❤️☀️✨ One of these days I'll do an entire post about why I ship them. Someday lol. And given how episodic the SBSP show is, that actually helps a ton for writing - it's great to be able to stay true to the canon while not committing to any solid timelines or anything like that. I mean, even the actual show has continuity issues, so no one can fault me if I decide to switch things up a bit. 😜 I tend to prefer canon divergence vs. AUs when it comes to fanfiction as well because I really enjoy the challenge of working with an existing world/characters and creating a unique story for it all.

So, that's my fandom origin story. Not the most cut-and-dry (and probably not what you were asking) lmao but that's essentially where it all started! I'd be interested in hearing when/how you got into SquidBob hell, if you haven't already posted about it. 😊

[ode2rin]

I, K, R, S, T

KOUUUU OMG PREPARE TO BE SICK OF ME

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

i don't even know if this could be considered guilty pleasure but i love it when readers are flawed. like they did and said shit too. especially if it's angst!! and i love that because it adds so so so much angle to it. and this applies to both when i read and write btw !!

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

hmm. i have a lot of angst idea running in my mind 24/7, ngl xD i'm built that way. but maybe this one? it's a line i saw from my journal. i totally forgot when and where i wrote this down but it sounds trouble to me.

it's now a sick joke of fate how a dark alley way is always a witness to gojo satoru's life falling apart.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

i will always always BRING @/andypantsx3 up i love her so much and i'm so scared of her (lovingly) someday, i'll try writing a multi-chaptered fic (like a royal!au...................)

but in blue lock fandom, all of my moots are fantastic writers pls pls i'm a bit awkward but i love you all and also can you guys tell me where the hell do you get your words because i am painfully, running out of them

(if i start listing all of my non-fanfic inspirations here, we'll get to 10k wc i kid you not. but rn i'm really loving taylor jenkins reid and ana huang!!)

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

BFFS TO LOVERS i eat that shit for breakfast, lunch, dinner. the pinning ?? love it. the "i know you" ?? devoured. the "why can't you look at me?" 10000/10 EATED EATED

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

probably bully tropes ?? not just in fanfics but i hate that shit with a burning passion in all types of lit. but that's just me ^___^

[killerqueen-ofwillowgreen]

🎉 Happy New Year!!! 🎉

2022 has been quite the year! It's had its sad moments, but I've met so many wonderful people, and done so many amazing things. Here's to a fresh start, and an amazing year ahead of us.

Mutual Appreciation Post :) (kind of a long post, messages under the cut)

@roger-s-maracas Syna, you are one of the sweetest, most lovely people I've met on Tumblr. I hope you have a good 2023, and that the new year brings you some peace 💕 (btw, I absolutely love your moodboards!)

@lis-likes-fics Lis, you have been such a delight to interact with and befriend. Seeing you pop up on my dash is always wonderful, and your writing is so incredible. I consider myself very lucky to be able to talk to you :D Have a great year lovie!!!

@lady-ofmischief We don't speak very much, but I'm very happy to see you on my dash! Your posts and edits are awesome, in particular I'm quite a big fan of your moodboards 💚

@nic-214 Meeting you this year was so great- I've really enjoyed all your crazy stories, and joining the OSC. Thank you for being a great friend, I hope you have an amazing 2023!

@rossmccallsqueen I will forever have good memories of you and your blog- your posts are always fun, and, you were my first mutual! I'll never forget being absolutely shocked when you followed me back, I was fairly new and I had lurked on your blog for some time before I had an account. Getting a follow back from one of the cool people was so great! Your writing is so gorgeous, and I aspire to be at that level someday ❤

@pearls-place Having you as a secret santa this year was really fun for me- I'd never done anything like that before, and getting to know you was really nice! I hope we can talk more. Your piano playing is excellent :)

@inthedayswhenlandswerefew Your blog was one of the first I'd look at when I was first getting into the fandom, and your writing is so beautiful 💛 How you manage to write such fantastic stories is amazing! (and you always have the best reaction images to asks :D )

@demo-wise Now, you were one of the first people I thought of as fandom royalty 💜 Your writing is literally godly, and I was (and still am!) so happy I get to be mutuals with you. My best wishes to you for the new year!

@neilsmirrorball I recently got into the DPS fandom (long-ish story), and your blog immediately looked interesting. All your posts are just so good, your brain is so big! I love it all, and I'm hoping we can get to know each other more ❤ Happy New Year!

And of course, special shoutout to @bluebunny780, my blorbo-in-my-notes. Happy new year darling!

[stars-and-birds]

Alright, I’ll play. There’s a lot of questions because I just copy and paste the original post and remove anything I don’t wanna know or feels too personal or whatever.

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. (Do it)

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic?

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

💖 What made you start writing?

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

🏆 What's your most popular fic?

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

🧠 Pick a [toh] character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (It’s gonna be angst-y most likely btw)

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

Okay I’m doing this no procrastinating.

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh? Cannot think of any i might be funny here but it doesn’t come naturally in writing

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers? hmm does inserting a twice song into my first Wenclair fic count?

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride? if I ever actually go somewhere with twaf (I’m working on it I swear) we are going places and not coming back folks

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. (Do it) i have good analogies?? I think??

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately? yup! I’m a swiftie bitch and right now I’m listening to cruel summer a lot for a ronance fic that maybe I’ll release someday should the fanfic gods allow. that and silk chiffon by muna has been stuck in my head since I watched do revenge

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic? *grits teeth* they can’t prove it

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write? preferably afternoon 👍

💖 What made you start writing? i do wanna be writer but I didn’t really think I’d write fanfic. But then I tried and despite all the woes I have about it it’s super fun

❌ What's a trope you will never write? I can’t think of any?

🏆 What's your most popular fic? good question. I should probably know this. okay I just checked it’s New Years eve. (A Wenclair fic) which I am slightly salty about bc like all of my popular things I wrote it at midnight slightly unhinged. Still, I like it and I even got some fanart of it (!!!) out of it which was super cool.

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which? *sighs* I’m not cool enough to have readers theorizing abt my work lol. Maybe further into twaf that’s my dream

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants? both! I spout out the randomest shit as I go but if I have a timeline idea I’ll write it down in a separate doc with future scenes I want to use

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started? write multi chapter fics in advance or you’ll regret it

🧠 Pick a [toh] character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (It’s gonna be angst-y most likely btw) give me a vee headcanon!

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon? oh god. I might actually die if any of them read any of my fics but especially the new years fic idk it’s a little dramatic

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success? well I wouldn’t consider any of my fics successes so… maybe praise. or just a comment. I’m not a popular fanfic author but one day. One day.

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)? id love to say angst but I’m not sure that’s true. maybe action I can’t write fight scenes ;-;

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart? nope.

thanks for the ask dagger sorry this took me so long!