#writing chat

[infamous-if]

This is more of a writing question as I really admire your work and I’m trying to write my own IF but am kind of stuck. I’ve done a lot of the character drafting and plot drafting, but when it comes down to actually sitting down and WRITING the story (even just a small portion) I just get stuck.

So I guess my question is, is how did you start writing the actual story of Infamous? How do you get about moving the story along?

Thank you and OK! This is going to be long because I'll share my beat sheet for the first act of Infamous!

So I've talked about this very briefly, but I will never stop championing beat sheets. I get so many questions every day asking me how I write so much and so quickly, and it's because I already have a layout planned that's basically just holding my hand. I'm not a magical wizard with a writing wand (though I wish...)

This is a traditional novel system and my only background is writing traditional novels. Infamous is my first IF, and I did have to tweak how I approach writing because they're just not the same. IFs are different because they're essentially multiple novels in one. One route can look completely different to another route, but the basics at least helps you with narrative plotting.

Once you recognize the building blocks of a story, it'll become easier to write it. For example, here's the beat sheet for Hunger Games. It is known that Hunger Games follows a beat sheet beat by beat and does it very well.

I will give you my beat sheet for Infamous

MC has a dream of the final goal of the band. It's meant to mirror what the end goal of the story is supposed to be. Ruining it by wakening up is meant to hook the reader by making them realize it's not true yet. Set up the story conflict: the tour. I introduce the characters and their dynamics (orion getting angry at MC for sleeping, Rowan joking around with Orion, Iris and Devyn etc.) I foreshadow a few things and I set up the stakes of the tour and how much the band needs this. (They talk about their gigs and how they want to do more.)

The inciting incident for INFAMOUS is winning the audition and finally getting on tour. That's what incites the story! The first dilemma is getting into a fight at the party due to cheating allegations. Now the reader is aware that this isn't all sunshine and daisies. We're all just fucked, basically. j/

Well. This is pretty obvious. Having to make a choice on the bus. It helps that the tour hasn't started yet and both options deal with characters that have conflict with MC and the band (Seven and UWB) so now it's like: this decision will impact the rest of the tour, and makes it much bigger than just choosing to ride with a band every other week.

obviously this is all spoilery but your goal is basically: how do i make my MC suffer as much as i can? conflict is fun to read, it's what drives people to continue watching/reading/ investing. For IFs it goes beyond that, because people like making decisions on how to fix conflict or make it worse!

I love talking technical writing on my personal @amyreads I don't talk about it much here because it can get boring. But yeah! If you have more questions you can swing by there :)

That's all! I hope it helps a bit! <3

[herrmannhalsteadproduction]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

How many works do you have on AO3?

What’s your total AO3 word count?

What fandoms do you write for?

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Do you respond to comments? Why? Why not?

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Do you get hate on fics?

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

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

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

What’s your all time favourite ship?

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

What are your writing strengths?

What are your writing weaknesses?

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

First fandom you wrote for?

Favourite fics you’ve written?

Hi, @typicalopposite! Thanks for sending this!

How many works do you have on AO3? 36!

What’s your total AO3 word count? 448,122

What fandoms do you write for? OneChicago and 9-1-1

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Just Trying to Keep Up, i'll see us through the thick and thin, Reaping the Rewards, you carried me with you, Colin Firth Thinks You're Hot

Do you respond to comments? Why? Why not? Always! To me, it's a big part of the fun! I love chatting about the story and the characters with readers. Even if it's just a keyboard smash, I'm going to keyboard smash right back. It's like a little digital high five!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Leave a Light On which is a MCD fic (the only one I'll ever write I SWEAR!)

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of them do, I think? But I'm going to pick one for each fandom. For OneChicago, it has to be 500 Miles because it was the culmination of a long-running storyline with two main characters FINALLY getting together and for 9-1-1, it's got to be Just Trying to Keep Up because I love it. I can't spoiler it. Just read it and you'll see. 😊

Do you get hate on fics? I've received a few comments that toed the line a bit, but nothing that I'd call real hate. Thank goodness.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I have only dipped a toe into writing smut. I started a different account for it - my SuperStealthAccount 😂 and it's pretty tame. Smut with lots of humour.

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Technically, all of my OneChicago fics are crossovers because they include characters from all three OneChicago series. I haven't done any crossovers beyond that, but never say never!

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of. 😮

Have you ever had a fic translated? Not as of yet!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Not yet, but maybe someday!

What’s your all time favourite ship? For OneChicago, it's definitely Rhodestead and Bouse (Mouse plus my OC) and for 9-1-1, it's BuckTommy (but I have love in my heart for all the fun pairings!)

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Oh, gosh, so many. I pretty much think of a fic for any media I watch so I have a constant rotation of ideas that get half-written in my brain, but never go anywhere. All of the ideas I have for OneChicago and 9-1-1, I hope to actually get written some day. Some day!

What are your writing strengths? I think dialogue for sure plus humour and characterization.

What are your writing weaknesses? Describing things. I can do it, but I hate it. I always feel like it's making the story drag, lol

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? There are so many intricacies and nuances to every language that translation programs would never be able to fully replicate and I would be worried about getting things wrong. It's just not something that feels like it's within my wheelhouse.

First fandom you wrote for? OneChicago!

Favourite fics you’ve written? This is so hard!!!!! Okay, I'm going to go by fandoms. For OneChicago: Stop Adopting My Friends, 500 Miles, Game Night 3: It’s Bex Ball, Bébés, That Herrmann/Halstead DNA, and I Am Looking Disrespectfully, Sir For 9-1-1: Hotshots' Number Two Fans, the Those Kinard Kids series, Just Trying to Keep Up, Reaping the Rewards, and Colin Firth Thinks You're Hot

Thanks again! This was fun!

[performativezippers]

The most underrated dialogue, according to me, is “lies.” I try to only use it once a fic/manuscript but it’s so powerful!!! Check it out:

Two examples, one more fun than the other. For both, we’ll use the line: “I’m fine,” she lies. “Just clumsy.”

Example 1 (less fun):

She’s trying so hard not cry but her eyes are full of tears. She has to get out of there, but everything is blurry, and she trips over a chair. Of course, it happens right in front of Meg, who dramatically leaps from her seat.

“Oh my god, Bee,” she says, reaching out. “Are you okay?”

Bee clears her throat, pasting on a fake smile and looking in the direction of Meg’s blurry form, forcing her tears not to fall.

“I’m fine,” Bee lies. “Just clumsy.”

What do we get here? Bee can “say” it, sure, but “lies” packs a bit more of a punch. It’s hitting even harder that she’s lying, but it doesn’t really change much. Still love it, though!

But what’s even better is if the interaction below is the first time Meg and Bee ever interact. This means every single thing we know about their dynamic happens in the following lines:

Bee’s stomach roils at what Matthew is saying to her. She’s so angry she can’t see straight. She makes up some excuse about having to feed the parking meter—he doesn’t need to know she took an Uber here—and flees.

Or we’ll, tries to flee. Her foot hits a chair and she almost falls face-first into the overly polished marble floor, but someone catches her. It would be a cute moment, a superhero sweeping her off her feet, if the strong hands didn’t belong to…fuck.

It’s fucking Meg. Meg holding her up, Meg’s face drawn in exaggerated concern. “Oh my god,” Meg says, too loudly. “Bee, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Bee lies. “Just clumsy.”

We get from that one dialogue tag what would take sentences of interiority. We learn:

Bee is not fine

Bee is not clumsy

Bee is not willing to share with Meg what Matthew said that made her so mad—why not??

Bee is not repeating the lie about the parking meter to Meg—why not??

Bee lies twice—once to Matthew, once to Meg—but it’s only called “lying” in the text once (to Meg). That likely means she assigns more value/meaning/weight to lying to Meg (a person who matters) than to Matthew (a person who doesn’t). Why?? Who is Meg?? What is their relationship??

The reader gets so much more to think about, so many more hints, than in the first example. You can give so much with one little word swap.

It’s funny because, on its face, “lies” is a more overt and telling (rather than showing) dialogue tag than “says,” but it actually allows you to show so much more if you use it right/judiciously.

What are your favorite dialogue tags??

[amyreads]

Amy!! You’ve been writing for a long time and I’m curious to hear if there are any other genres/character types/tropes you’re interested in writing, whether it be for future projects or just for fun? Honestly I consider Seven to be, like, the pinnacle of a fictional character, beyond me just being attracted to them and a lover of an enemies to lovers romance (lmao) I think they’re so complex and well written and I would love to pick your brain about future things you’d like to write❤️

this is such an old ask sorry but I do want to write a vampire story one day! I love vampiresss I would want to do a very gritty, dark vampire story like just the ugliest parts of it all and very raw, it would still be super romantic but I think in a...non romantic way idk

maybe one day!

I also kinda want to stick to writing celebs. I think writing a story that involves celebrity culture gives you a lot of freedom to push them to their limits, everything feels 10x worse when you're doing it in the public eye

body double is still always in the back of my mind it's just so lore and plot heavy that Im unlocking a whole new literary skill I didnt have. its so different from infamous as well, I wonder how it'll be received?!!

anyway thank you so much thats so nice and thats all I want to hear so ahhh :,) im very proud of having created seven, they're definitely a character that I really love and feel protective of

im always open for you to pick my brain! I love talking writing and tropes :))

[polyabathtub]

Eetu and Gus score and I’m like “oh great game for my favorite strippers,” AU pilled by my own drafts

[otemporanerys]

Make Me Write!

Tagged by @sparatus and @thetrashbagswasteland - thank you both!

Rules: Make a 24-hour poll with the names of your WIPs and then for whichever wins, write one sentence for every vote it gets.

Tagging @mallaidhsomo @dispatchwithlove @angry-jager @diaphanouso and anyone else who wants to play!

[loxosceleslolo]

Once upon a time I wanted to deconstruct the "destined soulmates across reincarnations" trope by having the destined couple be a 1000+ year-old vampire and his concubine's fourteen year-old human maid. Just to really lean into all the ways that trope can be dark and fucked-up and badwrong. (And this would have been in a setting where there is no free will because everyone's fates are predetermined)

Then I got scared of the fandom police and put that foolish draft to rest

But maybe I'll get around to writing it one day

[sarahlizziewrites]

Sitting on my sofa, watching the sun come up, covered in my cosiest possible blanket, cup of coffee in one hand, my current read in another, thinking

this is me mastering my craft

enjoying this book is helping me write my own

Because it is :)

[terristernwrites]

Hi, happy STS~!

This week, I want to know: Have you ever had to say goodbye to a character, be it because of their death in the story, or their role in it having finished? How did you feel about it?

(from @tisiphonewolfe)

Thanks for this ask, this is really cool.

Oh boy yeah I have haha!

I killed off a very sweet character in ch1 of my recent novel and the sequel will have much more killing! I don't do it lightly, because it can become super ineffective, but there's something to be said for establishing how bloody the world is willing to be via actual bloodshed.

I am wary of killing off main characters but I will do it if the story really, really demands it. I much prefer sending them off to the farm though!

[skyler10fic]

Fic series Easter eggs

I love leaving my readers little continuity Easter eggs and themes in my longer fic and series. Phrases, objects, tropes, places...

For example, photography plays a subtle role throughout my current series. Not a major theme, just present consistently. How about you?

Writers: do you do this?

Readers: what are your favorite uses of this? Do you notice?

[typewriter83]

Let’s chat - that’s what this blog was started for 🫶🏻

Please Reblog This If It’s Okay To:

Send questions about yourself

Ask questions to/about your characters

Ask about your headcanons 

Send questions about your works (fanfics, art, music, RPs, etc) 

Ask about popular ships/headcanons

Ask about plot ideas you’ve had but haven’t acted upon yet (snippets of AUs, a scenario you wish to write/draw but haven’t gotten to yet)

Questions about other ships/headcanons that aren’t as popular or are rarepairs

Questions or comments about favorite tropes, headcanons, characters, foods, weather, or anything else you are okay in answering!

[infamous-if]

Hi sunshine!!

Hehe I’m gonna pretend I was the first to send an ask to your newly-cleared inbox 🤣 I was just reading your writing advice post about beat sheets and I was wondering if you had any more writing advice? Mainly how you’re able to write so much but also how you’re able to do so in a linear fashion.

I have..absolutely no writing background and my writing process is very instinctual rather than organized. I type with my eyes closed so I can visualize scenes like a movie and I follow a beat sheet consisting of “fuck it we ball”

it’s dope that you have a novel writing background, little me would think you’re like the Viola Davis of literature if she heard that. (23 year old me thinks you’re cool too dw HEHEH)

Anywaysss you know I love your IF and I’m sending you a virtual hug!! 😁

Hi! and lolol I'll pretend you were too hehe

And good question! I think having a novel background does help since I've gotten used to writing a lot. I really respect IF authors who jump into IF with no writing experience because no only do you also have to code and write multiple books (routes) in one, you're also sharing that work to the public almost immediately.

It took me having to post fanfic + indie publishing to grow a thick skin and an understanding against hate and criticism, so people who choose this as their first foray into writing have my immense respect lmao it's not easy!

Mainly how you’re able to write so much but also how you’re able to do so in a linear fashion.

I've said before that I'm able to write a lot because I plan everything before hand. I'm not capable of pantsing and I'm a plotter through and through. When I know the beats to a scene and have a goal, I can just focus on reaching that goal instead of trying to come up with a purpose.

For example, I'm currently working on a novel as well as Infamous, and I just spent like....eight hours today just working on the outline (again). I think I have about 15 different variations of the outline, but I can't write if I don't know what's coming up next. I think I spend more time working on the outline than the book. (For example: One book I spent one year working on the outline and then wrote the book in 3 months lmao).

Anyway, almost every conversation in a book has a purpose, even if it's not obvious. Sometimes it's to express motivation, further the plot, create conflict. Sometimes it's to add depth to characters which usually results in conversations that seemingly have no purpose (like the band talking about whether orion would be a good band member or not) but they do! (its to establish the dynamic and level of closeness + personalities). When I know what I want to tell in a scene and what I want to express, I don't meander as much. So I plan plan plan plan.

But really, if you work best off instinct, I encourage you to go that way. There's no right way, and you don't want to force yourself. Sometimes people write their best when they're figuring it out along the way. I'm not capable of that hahahahah

As for linear, I can NOT jump around as much as I wish. I need CONTEXT like...I love referring back to old conversations and using the older conversations as context to newer ones people who can jump around and write non-linearly are superhuman.

Typing with your eyes closed seems so cool. I do have a cinematic approach to writing as well, but I also only type with three fingers lmao (I never learned how to use all your fingers for typing) so I need to see plshfhsdfhdsj

thank you!! I love your IF as well and your energy! Your posts are so fun to read and Memento Mori is SOO GOOD!

[wolgerrswraith]

And finally, for real for once, I finished Bloodbound Hearts. The little "Just 3,000 words or so" story ended up at 10,000, but whatever. Just need to do a final edit for my usual carnival of typos and misused punctuation, and it can be published.

[amyreads]

its 1AM and Orion's POV chapter is done. 5.6k words YEAH

every single line, every choice...and it was so fun ha

[dawnbreakersgaze]

My username was Sagarakitsune (revealing my old inner weeb 🥴). I wrote for Naruto (my big fic was an Iruka one I legit still have the chapters for saved 🤣 I love to reread them when I'm feeling particularly bad about my writing) and Trigun (Nicholas D Wolfwood).

I'm pretty sure my start on there was cir 2004~ and lmao oh god yes I remember Lemons (and the "implied smut" they called Limes 🤣)

Damn now I feel extra old. Good times man. Good times. It's so funny skipping from Quizilla all the way to tumblr since I haven't written anything in between lmao. I feel like I've missed steps lol.

the three generations of fanfic:

livejournal, fanfiction.net and ao3 which one were you?