tryhardgwen

[tryhardgwen]

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

[tryhardgwen]

I recently told an ao3 writer that I keep going back to their 260k word unfinished slowburn checking for updates for the last 2 years. They said I'm like that puppy that waits for his dead owner at the train station every day.

That's the realest thing anyone's told me online, I ain't even mad.

[tryhardgwen]

no matter what your most embarrassing moment in life is, at least it’s not having fucking chat gpt write fanfic for you bc you’re too lazy to do it yourself

[tryhardgwen]

hello gwen! this ask is actually half a question and half advice-seeking but- how much do you think irl experiences and interactions affect the quality of your writing? i am very socially awkward and closed-off, not to mention i have very few social relations outside my family. when i try to write dialogue the characters seem to be bland and boring and overall flat copies of... myself? i wanted to ask you if you’ve ever had problems such as these before and even if you haven’t, i still wanted to ask your opinion since your writing (in my personal opinion) has the best characterization i’ve ever read. thanks for reading this ask gwen, i really love your writing and have a wonderful day!

hi op! to answer your question, i think irl experiences definitely do affect your writing, but not by an incredible amount and not by a quantitative scale. it's not like if you have more irl experiences to draw from, your writing is automatically better. art is kind of everything, so like, i guess im jsut trying to say you can make art WITH experiences, but you dont NEED experiences to make art. its not a requirement. if you dont have experiences to draw from, who gaf? you have imagination! socially awkward ppl can still make incredible art and writing. imma yap so post break!

in terms of characterization and irl experiences, i feel like thats just more of a personal thing rather than "interactions with people". like, there's the age old question of projecting yourself onto a character and whether thats "better" or not. and again, there are levels to that. while i think it definitely adds a level to realism at times, it isnt necessary for writing. like, you dont have to have a parent die in order to write about it, and if your parent dies you dont have to write it/or even draw from your experience in order to write it. course, sometimes you want to as a form of catharsis and closure but thats entirely different and again projection and use of yourself has nothing to do with quality other than possibly add a layer of realism. but if you have a strong imagination then you dont need that. its a choice: if youve experienced something for yourself you CAN use it in writing, but ultimately art is art and draws on a multitude of things. it doesn't always have to be a reflection of the self. my characterizations vary in projection; some with none, little, or more of me in them, some taking a bit and dialing it to the extreme. (read, omg i have a unrequited crush. time to make it insane levels of simpage from suhwan in ksvstw.)

dialogue is a whole other realm, and it can be a very tricky thing to write. im only good at dialogue because i have practiced it a lot (i do improv, so. yeah.) in that case like.. experience talking with people could lend to it? but not really, because like... its the act of coming up with a story and creating words that each have a purpose to drive the story. every character has their motivations. you don't actively think about those things when you talk in life or interact with people; that's all subconscious. omg i feel like so stupid and like failing to explain my point rn im sorry

okay if i were to give advice on writing characters and dialogue, i would character analyze first. what are motivations, what do they want to achieve. dialogue is a way they can achieve their overarching goal through speech. think about what they want in each line of dialogue. use verbs! to check in? to flirt? to get an answer? there should be goals and meaning in dialogue, not just filler words. everything is there for a reason! but like dont stress about it bc ur writing for fun like I dont even stress over these rules cus i be writing fanfiction you get me?

also a disclaimer if i sound really scary and pretentious rn i really swear im not cus i promise u. i just kinda like narrative theory a lot and studying it, so im giving my advice in that vein (this is actually just advice that i give screenwriters/writers irl LOL). dont hold yourself up to high standards like! AGAIN i dont even use all this shit for my own writing a ton of the time because i dont got the time for that--i just want to write boys kissing. it just sits in the back of my head and subconsciously gets in probably, because irl i do a lot of narrative, fictional media, and character analysis. ultimately writing is imagination, and while building blocks/fundamentals of understanding character can lend itself to efficacy, its something learned over a lot of time and not necessary if youre simply writing without thought and for fun (which is what i do :p).

like seriously op i am way better at writing theory and theorycrafting but in practice i cant. do this shit. idk my brain idk. but thank you for the ask and i hope this helped?? maybe?? omfg

[tryhardgwen]

here ya go. real art from yours truly again...

[tryhardgwen]

doing research for fic and i am so deeply unnerved by tenacitys music taste i am genuinly spazzing out what the fuck sjfnbejiahskwhejanbwosjama i cant even explain it im just going crazy

[tryhardgwen]

"Yeah I'm on the spectrum"

The spectrum in question:

[tryhardgwen]

i wrote some fics in the past. months

proof of my deadness on tumblr. regardless, i will update all -3 of you all.

first off, THE MOST IMPORTANT: JOJODANNY! I WROTE A JOJODANNY!!!! I LOVE JOJODANNY SO MYCH. READ IT!!! PLEASE. its called fall down again (after the chase atlantic song lyric from moonlight) and it's 2.5k words and hockey player/figure skater au also a university au. its a meet cute. pls i love them so fucking much i LOVE THEM. it only took me 3 years to write a jojodanny FINALLY.

okay now that that;s out of the way, i participated in a fic fest!! yay!! its not anonymous anymore my fics are:

this cute high school au! so-called "friend" it highkey kinda sucks also i tryharded it and its 20k idk why its 20k don't ask me why its 20k. its canyon/showmaker bc they're my new hyperfixation or something. title from niki's buzz.

this vaguely mamma mia inspired gumayusi/keria! its crack treated seriously. 8k. its . a thing. vaguely funny i hope. i burnt out bro. title is meant to be taken as a joke, don’t want you (in my bloodline), from bloodline by ariana grande.

lastly i wrote like a random smut canmaker thing in december i don't even remember it really i kind of blacked out. title from gity by chymes, my queen. its 1.3k, not much.

okay gwenisimmune updates over. that is all. though i would like to tell yall that i am an lec watcher now but im just a jojopyun watcher that hasn't changed. god i love him sm. I MISS EVIL GENIUSES 2022 ROSTER!

[tryhardgwen]

retrospring archive 1/23/2025:

hi gwen, idrk why i'm writing this but i read kim suhwan vs the world a few months ago and it's been stuck in my head ever since. it really resonated with me... ig i relate to your peyz a lil too much lmaoo. i keep finding myself rereading the fic and constantly thinking about it. so i guess i'm writing this message cause i wanted you to know how much i love this fic, it's so good in a way i've never felt about any other fic. extra question: how do you find the inspiration to write fics? cause i have all these ideas in my head but i can't really get them out on paper or a doc. i also find planning out the plot kinda of difficult, any tips? anyways, have a great day!

hello anon and im so sorry for the delayed response!! aagh kim suhwan vs. the world is honestly such a special fic to me (i shed tears when i finished it because it just,, meant so much and it was so weird to be done it since it took up a good 3-ish months of my life i guess??) so this submission was honestly very heartwarming to read :] my peyz in there is uhh very ooc from irl peyz but... shit just got out of hand and i love him regardless. hey, its okay, as an rpf writer i accept some of my characterizations are hella wrong. but thank you so much again for loving the fic 🥹🥹🙏 it means a lot to me

when it comes for inspiration to write i honestly... struggle a lot too LOL. when i get ideas i try to jot them down somewhere, even if its just 1-2 lines (i have docs upon docs of just. that. some of which i will never write, some which i will; that's just the way things go!) and to tell you a secret i honestly also just. don't plot out a lot. oftentimes my fics start out with one or two scenes i have rotting in my brain, before i decide to flesh it out. that basically means i write more random scenes non-chronologically and eventually link them up, or as im writing or thinking i form a sort of outline in my head. like ksvstw at least started out with a plot idea of peyz having a one sided crush on peanut (whereas many of my other fics will literally just start out with dialogue) which was not even my idea but the person i gifted the fic for on ao3, nephrite! but my point is like... you don't need a plot to start writing. you can figure that out later; not a lot later, but it will come naturally. im not sure if my advice is helpful at all im so sorry shfdksf😭 i guess its just a learning process! again i still struggle with motivation to write too,, but you got this anon i am rooting for you!!

[tryhardgwen]

im alive on tumblr trust

anyway i watched lec for the like first time,, JOJO WIN!! AYYAYA

his team is cool too... supa smurfed, elyoya skarner goated :) im veyr excited for them i hope they do super well

i love jojopyun sm man

[tryhardgwen]

retrospring archive 1/11/2025:

hello gwen!

i want to start of by saying that i love your works! some of them are my biggest favorites, not just as t1/lolrpf fics but as in fanfics overall. my favorite ones by you are the 'we just need some time together' and 'say you'll remember me' series. the slowburn and the angst really kept me on my toes ;-;

the reason im writing is because recently i saw a fanart for aml on twitter (@mikqa_XN2) and it somehow reminded me of an album i listened to years ago, made by an band that was formed by a couple of people from my high school. the album is called 'Det vi tänkte' (by Between The Lines) and the song lyrics from it gives a feeling of regret, mistakes you made in your youth that makes you question if you can go back to how things used to be. hearing the songs reminded me of your wooje, him leaving everything and everyone behind, how it haunts him and the mixed feelings he has for his hometown. aml hits close to my heart as similar to wooje, i also moved away from my hometown and has lost contact with almost everyone aside from family. the way you wrote him made him felt so real and alive and raw in his feelings. (alkjslhnduh)

'Det vi tänkte' album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uwa4PGm4sM&list=OLAK5uy_kktLPc9uiwfO3gNhxwq2KKG_56J0GArVI&index=1

(FYI, the songs are in swedish. If you google their songs you can find the lyrics and translate them. i can otherwise try to translate them for you if you want)

just wanted to share about the album and the connection with aml that i made. I also wanted say that your works are always a wonderful treat to read. you have a way with your words and characterization of people that it feels like im watching a movie in my head when im reading. every time i see that you have posted something new makes me excited to see what michelin dish you have cooked up (yummy). keep up with your work!

(this essay-like ama is so scuffed, im sorry you have to read my scrambled eggs thoughts x_x)

okay so im like the worst person in the world because i have not been checking my retrospring and its. BEEN A MONTH??? im sooo sorry op. thank you so much for reading and enjoying my works hehe--i feel like a lot i wrote in early 2023 was fr just angsty slowburn but they do have special places in my heart.. ahh gumakeria and fakenut... never die.

and omg i went and i listened to the ep right away!! ALSO THE BAND WAS MADE BY PPL IN UR HS? THATS DOPE ASF! i looked at the english translation for the lyrics too, and wow i really see what you mean as it does remind me of aml too 🥹🥹 i liked all the songs but the 1st was my favorite--"När Vi Möttes Över Borden" just has such a chill vibe to it and i loove the vocals of the singer sm :') the way it just all builds up in the chorus is SO beautiful, and how the vocalist is almost screaming.. its so emotive. idk how scuffed the english translation i read was, but the heartache lyrics of "i am the one who never sleeps/who never keeps my promises" and "one day you might regret me" was so.. aaaaah. also the guitar break! SLAPS. my god.. this is a proper length for a song alright (5:40 yessir). but wow all of the songs were really good and by god the lyrics of "Vägen Hem" were so T-T heartbreaking and specifically reminiscent of aml as well... i feel like the genre and inner conflict people have with their hometowns is just so universal for people all around and its just something i love seeing in art as its truly just a part of growing up.

again i feel like u deserve so many apologies for the belated reply 😭😭 i feel so bad my god. i hope you do get to see this anon op, SHDFKJHSDFmalksjfd oops... but thank you so much for the music recs, i really enjoyed them!! and thank you so much for submitting this message <3

[tryhardgwen]

sometimes the best fanfics are written by middle aged adults with years of writing experience who simply know how to craft a good story. but also sometimes the best fanfics are written by a sixteen year old girl with something deeply wrong with her

[tryhardgwen]

alt ruination poster sketch that beat me up in a dark alleyway and stole my lunch money

heres a behind the scenes look for the tumblr gang

ok lemme... explain things (for the tumblr gang)

top row: sm faker bengi canyon

bottom: rookie viper guma deft jkl meiko zeus oner keria chovy

t1's designs have me fucking rolling u have faker in his sickass armor and then theres. guma who has a jacket. zeus who has a lightning bolt. oner. keria who has armor.

I FORGOT ROOKIES CAPE AJKBHKJWEBJKFSDBKJABHWEJKBSFNDJKHAJKEWSDJKFNJKAEWBDJSKHJKFHSDK anyway

oh ig you cant fucking see it but bengi's wearing faker's armor too because... yknow. hes copying duh

canyon has a braid bc..... sm would... braid his mane before battles... so its like a tribute haha kill me

i sketched each of these morons individually so i could theoretically paint them and then move them around for duo versions or wtv. insert shrek "like thats ever gonna happen" here.

its so funny the sentinels have their whole goon squad and then ruination gang is 5 mfs

im never finishing this on god

[tryhardgwen]

omg i cant believe i never posted these i busted my ass off to draw these after otakuthon to get them in time for fanexpo

in the end they showed up... the friday of fanexpo SDLKFJS:DLKGH:LSKDLJF

the process was so... its so joever WERE SO BACK its so joever WERE SO BACK it was actually such a chaotic time im glad i managed to birth them successfully ToT

the physical charms have 4 little stars hanging from them!!! a detail i rly rly like ;u;

(and now that theyve won their fifth star i will be bustin my ass again next yr.... LOL)

[tryhardgwen]

i think i drew this btwn spring and summer?? (yes bc oner was still blond at the time LOL) at the time i was just rly hoping they could get some sleep LOLOL

[tryhardgwen]

zeus from what are you willing to lose chapter 3 except not in his pjs im not doing that

[tryhardgwen]

Did you happen to see the new T1 video with Guma giving Doran a tour of their dorms? My attention was caught by a certain nap room with "no rules" 👀😏

yes i have!! i dont exactly remember when they installed the sleeping pods but i think they were put in there sometime during early spring split 2023, around February (there was an Instagram post on it), iirc because there was construction going on where their dorms were so none of the players could get any sleep from the noises LOL. solution: sleep at hq. kinda funny now that i think about it but i guess they just have it for naps now... or... more. you know, qiqi wrote an onerzeus mentioning the sleeping pods before.