#youre my biggest motivator truly 😁

[pirunika]

I may have asked before but I’ll ask again lol

How many torian fics have you written ? I yearn to read torian stuff again !

a Lot I think. so many of them are Lost in the mess that is my (decade+ old) blog lol some i just straight up deleted bc im dumb sometimes (always regret doing that This is your warning to not delete your art or writings really...) and those on ao3 too needs to be edited so badly...

its my plan now to get all of them together linked on a post, edited, in a timeline based order. its one of my goals n I'm getting there 💪

[starbeltconstellation]

omg hiiiiii! i’ve been loving your fic since forever, and melanie is one of my favorite characters. i’ve always been curious about where you got the inspiration for her. every time i re-read the fic, i find something new that makes me fall in love with her even more.

i really appreciate how you don’t make her a mary sue, which is something i’ve sadly come across a lot in this fandom. her flaws feel very human, and she behaves in a way that most of us would. yet, you write her in a way that she doesn’t seem like just another fragile character. she has depth and strength that make her stand out. 💕💕💕

Hello! 😊💕❤️👋

Ahhhh, thank you so very much for the ask, dear anon! 😭❤️❤️❤️🥹 It’s soooo sweet. I always have wished more readers would hop on over to leave their thoughts. Maybe it would give me a little bit more of that sweet dopamine motivation. 😩😂 Lol.

As always when I hear this, I’m SOOOO happy that you love Melanie so much. 😭💕😁 It literally means the WORLD to me that so many people relate to a character I’ve written. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and then I think: “huh, maybe my writing isn’t half bad. 😌” 😂

It’s sooo cool to know you reread my fic often! 😭💕💕❤️❤️💕❤️ I’d love to read a comment whenever you do, just so I can go “agshsvhwbshvs!!! 😭” as a thank you for your kindness to read my little old work. Haha.

I’ll put the rest of my answer under a read more:

I’m so happy Mel doesn’t come across as a Mary Sue! ❤️ That was one of my worst fears, so it was REALLY important to me to try and flesh her out and give her an arc separate from Anakin. And the biggest part of that is The Shopkeeper, because it means Melanie has her OWN antagonist to deal with, just as Palpatine is Anakin’s antagonist. This was important because—just as I didn’t want Anakin to take away from MELANIE’S character arc—I in turn also didn’t want Melanie to take away from ANAKIN’S character arc. He IS still The Chosen One, after all.

That fact is really important, as Mel kind of brings up if you’ve read my latest chapter. 👀 Because it’s SO important to acknowledge how important Anakin is to the narrative and in the fate of the galaxy—specifically BECAUSE that gives him agency in his choices. Yes, there are factors such as his horrible past as a slave which fucks up his mind, but still: at the end of the day, Anakin wasn’t mind controlled. HE made those choices, and the galaxy all suffered for years because of it—because he was too selfish to change. Until Luke came along, that is. And while it’s a bittersweet feeling to say you can always change your mind, I WILL be exploring some in this fic how Anakin’s choice at the end of ROTJ is basically… selfless/selfish all at once. 😭🫣😬 (the Anakin stans gonna get me for this one. Lol. 😂).

Basically, his choice to save Luke is selfless, because he saves Luke knowing that he’ll die doing it, and won’t be around to spend time with his son. He has no clue Obi-Wan is gonna hop in last minute and speed run teaching Anakin how to become a Force ghost in the final seconds before eternal nothingness. And yet—at the same TIME—the action is selfish, specifically BECAUSE Anakin would ONLY do this for Luke. His SON. His BLOOD. But would he do it for anyone else? Like—idk—Han Solo? 😭🤷‍♀️ HELL no.

And honestly… I fr don’t know if he’d do it for Leia either. 😬🥶🫣 Low key, I truly think half the reason Luke got through to Anakin was through his sheer blind faith/loyalty in him that his father would turn it around at the last moment (and hey! He WAS right. 🤷‍♀️). But LEIA wasn’t sunshine incarnate like Luke. Leia HATED Anakin as Darth Vader. Anakin also TORTURED Leia canonically and also held her back while Tarkin blew up her planet and basically shrugged his shoulders like—“what can ya do, ya know? 🤷‍♀️🤪🤪”, so I’m FAIRLY certain Leia wouldn’t be begging Anakin to change/have such blind faith in him like Luke did. So—switch it around where Leia is the one being killed with lightning—and SHE doesn’t call out for her father. Because SHE truly doesn’t BELIEVE he can change like Luke could.

Can you TRULY see Anakin still making the same choice he did with Luke in ROTJ? 😬 Because, honestly? I can’t. 🥶🤷‍♀️

But anyway! 😂 This is becoming a little bit of a meta post, so I’ll try to move things back to your original ask.

But yes, it was SO important to me that Melanie had a realistic response to being in the SW universe, because with all the fics I’ve read—NONE of the OC’s actually react in a realistic manner. 😭🤦‍♀️ And so it was important for me to show her disbelief at first, INCLUDING her fear of Anakin. Because yessss, yessss, I know Anakin is fandoms little serial killer blorbo 🙄 (and I respect that! He’s mine too. 😏💓), but Anakin also isn’t REAL to the fans, and can be written any way they want. But for MELANIE, Anakin is now a flesh and blood person who can make his own decisions now… and considering his decisions end up being VERY bad… I do think her terror of him makes sense. 😭🤷‍♀️😂❤️

And it was REALLY important to me that Mel wasn’t just connected to the SW universe through Anakin. SO many OC’s are written without an arc because the whole fic is just about the romance, but when you do that—the OC becomes flat! Ya know? 🤷‍♀️😭 So it was important to me Mel gained other friends in the SW universe, like Ahsoka and the clones and even Yoda and Todo. All of this relates with Mel’s choice with The Shopkeeper 👀 (that I won’t spoil for any new readers who come across this post), because it means that Melanie has grown to care about the people in the SW universe, including what happens to them in the end. 💔😖

And I’m so glad you see the depth and strength to her! 😭❤️💕💕💕 That means a lot. It was certainly a struggle at first, because I obviously wanted her to start out weak and grow stronger and more confident as time passes on—but at the same time—I wanted to show that she has a backbone and a strong moral foundation; ie; she’s can’t turn her back on people she KNOWS she has the power to help (an interesting comparison to Anakin, isn’t it? 👀👀).

As for my inspiration for Melanie? Well, I think I’ve mentioned this before to some of my online friends, but when I first started the process of outlining this story, I just had the thought of—“If I landed in the SW universe, and met Anakin (AKA: Darth fucking Vader 🥶), how would I REALISTICALLY react?”

And ta da! 😁✨💕❤️ There you have it. That’s how Melanie Bains was born. Hehe.

I feel like that’s why so many people love her and relate to her—I first based a lot of Melanie’s reactions on myself and how I thought I’d act in the SW universe—but it honestly makes a lot of sense that everyone else relates to her so much, because Melanie IS basically a stand in for every fan in the SW universe (at least, the general audience fans 😂). When she curses in her head or grumbles at the clones’s antics or cannot shoot a blaster shot in a straight line (at least at first) to save her LIFE—the audience laughs and thinks, “Pfffft, that’s SO me. 😌✨😂”

And I think that’s what makes Melanie’s character so appealing. 😊❤️💕 And I’m VERY excited to show you all her journey on becoming tougher as time in the Clone Wars continues on. 😁❤️

Thank you so very much for the ask, dear anon! 🥺❤️ It truly makes my day. Hehe. 😊❤️✨💕

-

To any new readers that stumble across this and are curious enough to check out my fic:

Tags:

@ensomniaa

@heartfairy

@fangirlteallie

@readersunite

@shoniwake

[when-life-gives-you-lemons-if]

FANGIRLING MOMENT AHEAD!!-!!2))2$

if CC has one fan, it is me. if CC has 100 fans, im one of them. if CC has no fans, i am dead. im ur #1 fan (NOT CLICKBAIT) ok this first part is going to be hella cheesy but i do have some writing questions after (sorry for long ask, idk how to dm on tumblr) onto my appreciation paragraph that i wrote for you: i hope you have a great day, CC. i really enjoy your work and dedication that you put into your writing. i have no money currently so i can’t support you financially yet (like on kofi or patreon) but just know i always read your work and will always be supporting you! i’ve been a fan of your work since i was 14ish? i’m 16 now and your work has inspired me to get back into writing—you’re truly one of my biggest role models when it comes to interactive fiction (which is no easy task, IDK HOW YOU DO IT) and writing in general! thank you for being such a down to earth author. i don’t know much about you personally but i know that writing can be super hard/overwhelming for a lot of people! when days are rough, i hope you can remember this message <33333 i have a lot of questions about writing, specifically your personal experience/journey with writing that i want to ask you, if that’s okay? you don’t have to answer all—you dont even have to answer them if you don’t feel like answering! i would just really like more perspective from authors in the interactive fiction field before i think of starting an IF of my own (it’s intimidating) i think its safe to call this an interview in your inbox

QUESTIONS

how did you begin writing fiction that’s interactive? what about interactive fiction appealed to you?

have you ever written non-interactive fiction works before publishing your interactive novels, or did you choose to go straight into interactive? (p.s. if you have any non-interactive works, SEND THEM MY WAY…please)

kind of adding onto Q2: if you haven’t written non-interactive works before, have you ever considered it?

what age did you begin writing?

do you ever get writers block? if you do, what do you do to get the ideas flowing again?

do you set writing goals for yourself? how do you make sure you stay motivated in order to reach them?

how do you plan your works? is there a specific structure or setup you follow?

i’m a newbie writer, but interactive fiction is really intriguing to me. i would like to ask for your opinion: do you think interactive fiction is a good place to start? or would it be better if i dabble in non interactive fiction first to get the hang of writing in general?

how do you handle overwhelming/overbearing/invasive comments from readers? which are pretty common in the IF community

if you’re an adult, have been to college? and if you dont mind me asking, what’s your degree(s) in? and final question that adds onto this, do your degree(s) involve writing or is writing just a hobby/passion you do on the side?

THANK YOU!

that ended up being longer than i thought, i’m so sorry… anyway, thank you so much for reading my questions (and if you reply, thanks for replying!) i hope you have an amazing year (and life in general.) i’ll never forget the impact your writing has left on me /pos and i’m so sorry if this “interview” is invasive or makes you feel overwhelmed, that wasn’t my intention. i hope you continue releasing books, but just know that it’s okay to take breaks!!!! don’t let the internet hooligans overwhelm you. and if they do, HAVE NO FEAR, J. IS HERE! i will *happily and dutifully* defend you with my life.

Thank you so much. 💕 That is so kind of you. I'll do my best to answer all the questions. 😁

I noticed the age you wrote down and I hope you stayed away from all the mature stuff that I write. 📏🧐

1-answer: Believe it or not TWC was my first experience with IF and while I was reading it, all I could think was how bad I wanted to do something similar, like writing a story that people could interact with and make choices. So I joined the forum, learned choicescript, and started working on my very first game The Burning Sun.

2-answer: No I never wrote any non-interactive stories. Interactive fiction is my first experience with writing for the public. From what I've learned about the publishing industry, non-interactive fiction authors can have a hard time finding publishers, and I don't think I could suffer through that process, it seems intimidating.

3-answer: No I never wrote any non-interactive stories. And I don't think I could write a story where I can't give the readers the option to make their own choices. Interactive Fiction ruined it for me. 😅

4-answer: The same as you, I would say, around 14, 15. But those are stories that stayed in my diaries or notebook and were never shared with anyone else. So Interactive Fiction is my first go at making my stories public, and let me tell you I have so many of them. I hope I'll end up writing them all one day and share them.

5-answer: All the time, why do you think I have so many side stories or other projects. As a writer, you are bound to have writer's block. The thing is when it happens, just don't let it stop you and just find a way to relax, give yourself a break, and do something else that you love doing. I wish I could follow my own advice, but... when I get Writer's block, my brain just defaults to write another story. I had writer's block writing the Midnight Saga, so I went on to write Insert Rich Family because it was a story that was more light-hearted and fun. I had writer's block writing Lemons, so I went on to write The Wedding because I wanted my brain to focus on something else. And the cycle continues.

6-answer: I don't. I'm a very disorganized writer, but... I recently applied to be a writer for Heart of Choice and they asked me for a full outline of a game that I pitched them. BOI did I struggle, because when I write my stories I have no idea what chapter 2 or 3 will look like, I just sit down and write and go with the flow. Having had to make a complete outline for the full game without even knowing what it would look like was tough, but... by the end of it, I loved and enjoyed the process and I think I will apply it in my writing from now on. I think having that bit of organization will help in the long run, especially when I have writer's block.

7-answer: No... I just sit down in my kitchen and write. I have a very active brain, so I'm always thinking and always trying to get stuff done. That's why I can do like 3 months' worth of Patreon content, then take a long break because after such high, I crash, then I get high for writing again, then I crash, lol. ll that to say, it's good to take breaks when you get overwhelmed.

8-answer: It's hard to give you a great answer for this because it will depend on what you like and what you're ready to tackle. I will say that writing IF can be challenging, so if you want to start with IF, start small. Try to code a small story, with just one or two NPCs or ROs beside the MC. See how you manage the branching and the development. Don't start big because coding different branches for different interactions can spiral out. I can't really say much about the non-IF part, but I think all IF stories start as non-IF. They only become IF when you start adding choices and branches. 💕

9-answer: I've been fortunate to stay out of some drama here on Tumblr, although my first one did cause me to get blacklisted and blocked from some authors and IF recs. OG readers will know what I'm talking about, and no I don't want to dig out that drama.

I'm grateful for the followers that I have and for every reblog, like, comment, and recommendation. I feel like I'm slowly getting some recognition and that is why I can spot new readers based on their asks. Some people might think I'm new, but no. I've been here a while, just took me some time to make it to your FYP. So how do I handle overbearing or overwhelming comments or asks? If it's something that I feel uncomfortable answering, I just block and delete it. If not, I answer it the best I can because sometimes people may be asking a genuine question, but in writing it, it might come off as rude. So, it's really a case-by-case judgment.

10-answer: Yes, I'm an adult, a millennial. 😭 so old. I went to college in my home country, Haiti, and my degree is in business administration. Nothing to do with writing. My current job which I will lose soon is in Human resources, so writing is just a hobby. But I would love to be able to do this full-time.

Thank you for all the questions and I hope your 2024 continues to be great. 🥰💕

[housewarningparty]

What's your top 5 impactful artists? Impactful is up to interpretation here. Or top 5 impactful albums. You get to pick 😁

ooh i think i'll go chronologically here

linkin park - i was like? 12 when meteora came out? it was a life changing record. that was the age i was truly starting to get into music and meteora was the first CD i picked out for myself that i became properly obsessed with. i had a burned copy of hybrid theory i got from one of my friends but though i loved it, nothing compared to the blissful angst of laying in bed listening to "somewhere i belong" on repeat

nevermore - this whole band but specifically the album dead heart in a dead world really were life-defining albums. they were my favorite band for many years. this band made me a metalhead. i grew up listening to them (my dad was always a big fan) but that never made them feel any less like a life changing discovery i made for myself. i used to listen to their music and read the lyric booklets with a pocket dictionary in my lap so i could look up the words i didn't understand. i got one of my cousins around my age really into them at the same time and that became this massive thing we bonded over for years. i feel like i owe every good thing in my life that came out of my relationship to metal to this band specifically. hugely, hugely important.

american football - the next biggest band to mark a massive change in my life and my music taste was probably these guys. they were my jumping off point into emo, which marked a major expansion of my music taste and interests after a solid few yeas of just being a metal guy. THE record would be the self titled, of course. nothing since they've reformed has hit quite as well. there are other emo bands that had a huge impact on me, but the fact is i wouldn't have gotten into braid or rainer maria or whoever else if amfootball hadn't opened that door for me first, so they're the band that gets to go on this list.

amanda palmer/dresden dolls - trust me i'm well aware of the problems associated with these guys but it doesn't change the fact that they were, at a time when i really needed a reason to live, artists with a life-saving impact on me. if that's a hyperbolic statement, then it's only barely so. i was truly obsessed. went to every show i could. went to coachella for the AFP set, met amanda after, teared up telling her how much her music meant to me when i was struggling with the aftermath of coming out to my family and her kindness to me in that interaction helped motivate me to come out on the drive home to the person i went to the festival with. sometimes the right band at the right time in your life can really be a life preserver. despite everything else, i'll always feel grateful for that. so glad i didn't get the tattoo i was contemplating at one time, though

screaming females - in terms of impact i couldn't write this list without including this band. literally, tangibly changed my life to be a fan of theirs. back in 2015 i posted some fanfic for this video game i liked, got a nice message from someone complimenting my work, clicked through to their blog and immediately see a photoset of marissa paternoster playing a bloody guitar and immediately messaged them back to talk about music and life is strange. we had an immediate, profound, and powerful connection. 8 years on @holdsteady is STILL my best friend. i wrote a story with her. we've been to shows together. we ate street hot dogs together. i taught her to make potato wedges. she introduced me to some of my favorite bands. i made chili for her dad. i lived in her basement for a month. i literally don't know what kind of person i would be or what my life would look like if we never met. and we owe it all to the fact that we both fuckin love tiny lesbians that shred on guitar.

this was such a great ask! i'd love to hear your answers. actually, i'd love to hear from a bunch of different people. soooo

@necrotic-biotic, @angrypedestrian, @holdsteady, @nataliving, @uneasyhearts33, @gothprentiss, @100percentdirtball, @shewhosleepsalotincemeteries, @morhdd, @chaseprice if any of you guys wanna do this too i'd love to see it (but no pressure)

[xjoonchildx]

MISS ANNNNAAAAA! 😘 How have you been? I do hope that you've been well and alright during the US tax season and news about sweet Hoberto's enlistment. Me and my old supervisor were too busy this week to discuss it.

I saw the lovely hug anon's message that was sent in a little bit ago and I had to drop in and say congrats 🎉 and that we all aspire to have our own romance that can inspire all the dreams of other lonely people 🥹. My cold heart fluttered while reading it.

It did kind of inspire me to drop in myself to let you know that we all do genuinely appreciate this little space you've made for everyone and that you and all the lovely anons and non-anons that respond genuinely help others process thoughts and life and all that stuff.

I genuinely don't know if you remember me either but, I would drop in as the accounting/🎓 graduate anon. I legit don't even remember the last ask I had sent you but, I have been well and still enjoy having your notifications on (it gives me plenty of joy in my down time or destressing time). 😁 I have done a bunch though since my last (remembered) ask -

That internship turned into an extended long-term position - I've been interning remotely with them since summer of 2022

Graduated w/ honors and now on track to graduate with my Masters in Taxation this December

Currently also working PT under my business school's admin as a tutor for my department - now known by most staff and made some really good connections for the future

Secured an internship with one of the top 4 accounting firms this summer (and expecting a FT offer with the big bucks)

Won a CPA exam materials scholarship (nearly $3k worth)

Submitted my application to sit for the CPA (basically the highest accounting credential to receive) exam and will be sitting for the first section by November

So truly, I'm always sending the biggest thanks to you and everyone else for giving me all the motivation and confidence boosters the last time because they've really made an impact for me! I love you guys and gals and anything you all go by and wish everyone the best. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

(I do apologize for how long this got though, once I started I apparently couldn't stop)

OMG accounting/🎓 graduate anon!

first of all, of course i remember you 💕

second of all -- hell YES to all of these wins? that CPA exam scholarship is a huge deal and i know you will crush that exam come november. i'm so glad you and other anons come here to share your wins because let's be for real, the world is forever on fire and it's nice to know good shit is happening to good people.

we all need that reminder from time to time 😭

as for hobi going off into his military assignment: i'm sad. i'm not even gonna sugarcoat it 😂 but it's a matter of duty and pride and i support him and all the members as they complete their service. i mean, i don't have to be happy about it but i understand. it'll get easier once we get some updates from him. for now, sad girl hours are open 😭

[looney-mooney]

Awww, thank you! 😁 I honestly don't really know what to say! I think I might actually color things digitally like this a little more often like you said, if only because it's cheaper than copics (and I found some nice blending brushes that mimic the effects) but honestly, thank you for everything. All your undying support and patience has truly been one of my biggest motivators, and helped me actually finish something! I never would have gotten to this point without your help. Thank you.

Variant Cover of Mindful Re-Education for the Physical copies I’m selling at the local comic shops! I decided to go with a boxing motif for this because Almandine is fighting back against their inner demons.