#I don't remember though I write all these in my docs and post them later lmao

[tsarisfanfiction]

So about Apollo Brats au, is that something like Cabin 7 (and maybe Meg or Nico too) getting trouble or annoying the hell out of Apollo until he cries on floor? Sounds like something that will finallyn convince Apollo to use protection maybe?

Congrats on hitting the one that doesn't actually exist as a doc yet but that I've been marinating in my head for ages because this is so much fun. Buckle in, because this post is probably going to take me until bedtime to write *eyes the time nervously*. It's getting put under a cut because it's long.

Apollo Brats specifically refers to two characters and one of them isn't an Apollo kid at all - hence why I haven't called this AU the Apollo Kids AU.

This AU (and it is, tragically, an AU) actually has its roots in SON, specifically when Gwen is killed and the narrative decides to point fingers at Octavian, despite this never actually making sense to me (but if I go on my Octavian was Wronged by the Narrative rant we'll be here until tomorrow so I'll save that rant for later). This also then springs forward to look at BOO, when the onagers fire without Octavian ever giving the order, and got me thinking (with the wonderful, enabling assistance of @fearlessinger) about who could actually be responsible for these acts, which both frame Octavian as evil but also don't actually match Octavian's character?

This had us stumped for a few minutes and I was beginning to worry that there was no-one in canon that could take the heat (and at this point, this was just a discussion about Octavian's character, not intended to spark an entire AU). Then I remembered one certain character who always seems to be floating around in Octavian's vicinity, and could be argued (if looked at in the correct light) to have motive for framing and then killing Octavian: Michael Kahale.

Now we spiral all the way down the rabbit hole of who is Michael, really, and what does he have to gain from sabotaging not just Octavian, but also Camp Jupiter - and the answer we came up with was Michael being one of Nero's demigods. He never appears in the same room as Meg (notable, given Apollo's apparent inability to not name every other character in the scene), and when he goes to head off the approaching army of the Triumvirate, there's never a sign of a battle, and we never get a body (the most we get is the nature spirits "seeing what happened" which is extremely nebulous and could easily mean "Michael betrayed you" if that's how we want to twist this).

Where does this spiral into an Apollo Brats AU, though?

Well, what if - what if - Will didn't give up on saving Octavian. Oh, don't get me wrong, Will still hates Octavian with a passion here, but Will knows Apollo and he knows that Apollo wouldn't actually be happy if one of his descendants died. So what if he keeps warning him, doesn't let Nico or Michael or Octavian stop him, and manages to actually tell Octavian he's all tangled up?

Octavian is not stupid. He is many things, and despite my pro-Octavian stance, morally grey is certainly one of those things - but he is not stupid. He is actually highly intelligent. Michael, his right hand man, the man he trusts, not telling him he's about to kill himself? After the weapons have been fired not on his orders (but obviously on the orders of someone high enough up the hierarchy that good Roman soldiers would obey without a second thought?). Octavian realises that he has been betrayed.

From there, it is only a few steps of logic to realise that the Triumvirate have not been helping him, but rather using him, and Will is right there as a handy source to be interrogated regarding what's actually going on with Apollo. No, Will is not impressed about this in the middle of a battle but also we all know Will doesn't stand for Apollo slander and will be ruthlessly fixing all of the misconceptions the Triumvirate have been slowly building up in Octavian through Michael.

Octavian respects Apollo a lot. He's his ancestor, for one thing, but also he's met him, he was willing to help Apollo in his plan (presumably to unite the camps, not pit them against each other - in this AU that's certainly the case but I will also claim that's the most likely reason in canon, too). Realising he's been manipulated into betraying Apollo? Oh, Octavian is pissed.

So is Will.

Not on Octavian's behalf - not in the slightest, as established Will really, really, does not like Octavian and his great-whatever nephew effectively changing sides is not going to magically wipe this slate clean in the slightest - but again, because of Apollo. Because of the slander this is putting to his father's name.

And so the alliance begins. The "the enemy of Apollo is my enemy" alliance. Octavian and Will set their sights on taking down the Triumvirate.

And poor Nico gets dragged along for the ride, because someone has to stop them getting themselves or each other killed and apparently he's ended up in that position. Therefore, we have the brilliant dynamic of Octavian, Will, and Nico. With no adult supervision, because Octavian might be eighteen but he certainly doesn't count as adult supervision here. If anyone's the adult supervision, it's Nico (who is biologically and mentally, if not legally, the youngest).

Highlights of this dynamic include:

Octavian being a smug bitch whenever anyone looks for the "adult" in the group because he's clearly the oldest, and Will being mad about this

Octavian being the only one that can drive. Nico gets so fed up of the posturing and gloating that he pulls out Jules Albert and designates him permanent chauffeur, and dares Octavian to argue with a pissed off son of Hades and his zombie driver. Octavian knows which battles should not be picked.

Will refusing to let Octavian's clear anemia continue - you're a descendant of Apollo, how have you let your health get this bad - and all the iron suppliments in Octavian's diet. Octavian is not happy about this but also can't deny it's doing wonders for his health and is mad that Will's right

Octavian and Will being unable to agree on any single thing and constantly about two seconds away from tearing each other's throats out

Nico ending up as the mediator and wondering when the hell did his life turn into this

Neither Octavian or Will are actually warriors, so Nico is the one primarily responsible for keeping them alive and constantly threatens to abandon them to their fate (but never does)

Likewise, Octavian and Will have mostly grown up inside the safety of their relative camps, and while they have some familiarity with how the real world works, they also haven't really had to nagivate it without a responsible adult (Naomi) before. Somehow, Nico ends up being the leader here, too.

Octavian getting really fed up of the awkward tension between Nico and Will as the Solangelo dynamic starts to develop and becomes the wingman for both of them to stop the damn teenage pre-relationship nonsense already (no, he still does not like Will. But he hates being stuck between two clearly falling for each other but refusing to admit it teenagers even more)

At some point enough time has passed that they unite with Lester-Apollo sometime between THO and TDP. As soon as he is convinced of his legitimacy, Nico hands the metaphorical leashes on these two Apollo Brats over and claims they're no longer his responsibility.

Then Nico discovers that actually Apollo is no better than his Brats and now Nico is holding three metaphorical leashes. He's very pleased to hand Apollo's over to Meg when she rejoins them during the TDP events.

Apollo, meanwhile, is panicking a lot. Firstly, because he's heard Will has allied with Octavian and last he knew, because he doesn't know at this point about the Triumvirate's manipulation, Octavian was betraying him and does that mean Will's turned on him, too?

He is relieved to learn the truth. Until he realises he now has another problem.

Because he's always been the kinda goofy clown dad in Will's vicinity. Nothing to be taken seriously, bit of a well-meaning idiot, Will has no reason to expect stuff from him. Meanwhile, with Octavian he was always the more serious, intelligent god.

Now, he cannot play the fool without getting side-eyed (and called out) by Octavian, and he cannot be serious and aloof and pretending to not actually care on a personal level without getting side-eyed (and called out) by Will. His facets and lies and masks are being shredded by the moment because these two were never meant to gang up on him - certainly not in a situation where he couldn't just poof and disappear in a shower of sunbeams - and now he's being forced to be honest because anything less is getting called out. He's been snared in a trap of his own making and he doesn't know how to get out.

The events of TDP also give us the one moment that makes everyone sit up and take note, and that's the one moment that Octavian and Will agree on something.

Georgina.

The instant the claim is made that she's Apollo's daughter, both of them are scoffing in tandem.

Dad would never forget one of his children, says Will with the same conviction he once declared Apollo would never instigate or want a war between the two camps, firm in his belief that Apollo does love them all and that forgetting one of his children, even with mortal memory issues? Impossible.

Octavian, on the other hand. Oh, ho, Octavian. Don't be ridiculous, he says, because to Octavian, a legacy of Apollo, ancestry is important. Octavian knows the names of every single legacy of Apollo that has ever been in New Rome, not just his own line but the others as well, and he recognises Georgina. She's got the same face as Camilla, a third-generation legacy of Apollo from a different branch who left New Rome for the mortal world a decade ago, it's beyond obvious that this is her daughter. Georgina is a legacy, not a child, of Apollo, and that makes all the difference.

When Will and Octavian agree on something, only a fool would ignore them. So far the only other thing they've agreed on is that the Triumvirate is going to go down and with this duo on the warpath it's clearly a matter of when, rather than if, they'll succeed (as long as they don't kill each other first).

This is about as far as I've got with this AU so far, but I'm having so much fun messing around with the idea of Octavian and Will working together to take down the Triumvirate with their chaperone Nico present to keep them alive (which involves not letting them kill each other), and Apollo having a panic attack or several about the entire situation in the background.

#Anonymous #wip game #riordanverse #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #rrverse #hoo #toa #pjo octavian #will solace #nico di angelo #pjo apollo #solangelo

[bouncydragon]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @amidnight--dreary!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

Currently 46. No doubt there will be more to come, once I manage to actually finish any of my WIPs.

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

234.084. I'm a little disappointed in myself right now.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The bulk of my AO3 fics are for the MCU but I have moved on from that and I'm mostly writing for Peaky Blinders right now (and possibly in the future as well). I have two unfinished MCU fics that I will eventually finish, I swear. There's also a few fics written for other fandoms but it's usually single fics.

4. Top five fics by kudos

In order: The King Is Dead, Long Live The King, Winter Butterfly, A Simple Act, Early Bird, and Sleepy Head.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes. Though I'm sure I have missed some...

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

Oh, hm. I think it would be Dead Boy's Poem, which in my not so humble opinion is a great story, it's just that it ends very badly.

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

I'm sure there's a few that qualify... At the top of my head I'd pick there goes my mind racing, just because it's a story that's very dear to me and one I actually love to reread. But honestly, there's probably a few fics that qualify, A Simple Act would be one of them for example. Winter Butterfly might fall in that category once it's actually finished...

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I think I remember getting some way back when but I can't remember what it was about, not that it even matters. I do recall having a brief argument with the person, I just deleted the comment thread. Nothing since then I think... I hope it remains that way.

9. Do you write smut?

Ah, well, not really. I have tried my hand at it but it wasn't anything explicit, basically everything but, so right leading up to the steamy stuff. I felt a bit awkward writing that, so I probably stick to hinting at stuff etc. But who knows, perhaps in the future...

10. Craziest crossover?

Well, I don't think I've written crossovers. As far as crazy stories go though, it's definitely the two stories involving the Avengers and resurrected dinosaurs. (Don't ask.)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so, which is good. Hopefully it won't ever happen.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Sadly not. I have translated my own shit though. Well, one. I wrote it in my native language and later translated it to English to post it. That's also one of the first fics I ever posted on AO3, way back in 2019.

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

Yes! Winter Butterfly is a project of the wonderful @worstloki and me, which we really have to finish at some point... I recall that we talked about it at the end of last year, and I forgot to check on the fic since then... Sorry.

14. All time favorite ship?

Ah damn. I have to say that it's probably Tofie (Tommy and Alfie from Peaky Blinders). It's the ship I write mostly for now and also the ship that kind of has stolen my heart, so to speak. I just live bisexual disaster gangsters. It used to be Frostiron. It's the one I've written most for and it still is dear to me but unfortunately it has been dethroned.

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

Oh. At the top of my head it's a fic called "When Dragons Cry", which I haven't posted and it just sits in my docs and judges me. It's Frostiron and Loki is a dragon and his egg has been stolen. There's convoluted lore to it as well.

But also a fic/series called "here I am alone between the heavens and the embers" which is about Tommy from Peaky and ghosts. Do ask me about that. Maybe if I talk about it, I will actually fucking work on it. It's so ambitious in my opinion, and I don't know if I am confident enough in my abilities to actually write it. I mean, I have started it and I do like what I've written, but damn...

There's probably more... Now I feel awful for all the abandoned projects... Anyway!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I cannot answer this because I don't know. Even if I think longer about it, I probably won't be able to come up with a satisfactory answer. It's probably something others are more capable of answering for me.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Honestly, same answer as 16. Though I guess I could say smut because it's just something I haven't practiced as much.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I think it's good. Though my language knowledge is very limited. I have used some in the past but it's usually very simple phrases that even a translator cannot fuck up.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

I've had that question recently and my answer is still not any more definite. It's probably Naruto, NCIS or Warriors. Though the more I think about it, the more I believe it was Warriors. But can't remember honestly.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

There's a bunch but if I have to pick, I'm gonna pick Lest We Forget again because it's a fic I'm very, very proud of and which deserves more attention in my not so humble opinion.

Tagging some writers, hope you don't mind, also no pressure obviously... @poormeowmeowcollector @justhallucinating @rabentochter @whentommymetalfie @justrainandcoffee @andtherewerefireworks

#writer asks #peaky blinders #tommy x alfie #marvel #frostiron

[nanistar]

do you think we could get a sneak peak of saltburn's clan production? like the scripts or the sketches? (of pages already posted of course) i really like seeing how different people approach the comic making process

sure thing!

so i usually post the next 2 sketches on my patreon for the $1+ tiers on tuesday or wednesday, so they get an advanced little view of it before hand. so the ones here are all gonna be older pages.

my entire script and notes i keep in one long google doc. and i send myself feverish notes on discord to be copy/pasta'd into the doc later. i also have a rough estimation of my progress in the story and how much longer i have per chapters, since im trying to keep it to about 30-36 per chapter. i don;t want to spend longer than 2 years on this comic (though im not gonna speedrun it or anything if it ends up going long, im just hoping it stays shorter lol).

i don't script things line-by-line or like a stageplay. i tried doing it early on but i found i made too many deviations depending on how i placed panels and looking back at the script was really annoying.

earliest script i have^

i tend to do dialogue on the fly when actually sketching out the pages, because i know what i'm looking for, so unless i have the specific dialogue that i want to remember to add, i don't write any of that down. although sometimes i get on a roll writing and dialogue flows, so i write it down and change it as needed. i have scenes in my head rather than pages, and i translate those notes later when i need to work on that scene. i very rarely get actual page ideas in my head, but i will say today's update with saltburn flying thru the air and recalling some memories i;ve had in my head for months, along with the one where salt sees the angel i had planned for a while. (i'd LOVE to be able to get a ton of pages sketched at once so i can not worry about it, but the nature of the way that i work is that i just can't think in that much detail far ahead of me. so i can only really do 2 at a time)

^so it tends to look more like this, fast back and forth dialogue to get my point across that i will make fit their voices later on. also i don't use linebreaks or anything just because im lazy so my notes are a fuckin disaster

my god.

as for the actual drawing of the pages, i literally just do it i dont know how to explain it. i sketch things as fast and loose as possible , i try not to have the same size boxes next to each other unless i'm showing the passage of time or a very minor detail change between panels. large panels for establishing shots. ect. sometimes if needed i will do a secondary sketch to figure stuff out, like i needed to do a bunch when working out the first few coyote drawings since ive never drawn dogs in action before. but usually i just whip it out

nightmarish.

this one is still my favorite, and despite looking much better than my normal sketches i did whip it out like normal (i just looked at refs for the other critters so it looks nicer lol)

additionally, i do every single page in the chapter on the same canvas because i love it when procreate crashes. i do all my panel boxes, and any "weird" shaped speech bubbles by hand. i only have one layer for flats, one for BGs, merge them together and do one overlay layer. if i need some extra definition i will add an additional shading layer but i dont like to. once im done with all the art i merge every layer together, send the page to myself on discord, and open it up on my 'puter and do the remaining text and normal speech bubbles in clip studio.

oh yeah people sometimes ask why i do 2 pages instead of one per update, or just do a bunch and upload it less often and the answer is because i don't want to be working on this comic for a very long time, and 2 pages gets me thru faster. if i spend too long working on a scene it starts getting boring for me and im more likely to cheese it which i dont like doing, but if i do two at once i can get stuff done faster. additionally, i cant just do a bunch and upload them all at once because i like the feedback, and it's better for readers to have consistent updates. i have the deadly autism/adhd combo, and my life is literally scheduled week by week and i have to stay consistent or i will die.

but yeah. my process is nightmarish and fast (despite spending like 4-8 hours per page) and loose and crazy but it works for me and keeps me engaged.

#nyask #sbc #thanks for asking i love to talk about my process tbh #when i look back on it im always shocked like what the fuck am i doing here #mine

[writingseaslugs]

How To Start Up A Request Blog

Table of Contents:

Decide Blog Theme and Fandoms

Creating a Proper Page Bio

Masterlist/Introduction/Information Page

Rules and Information

Behind The Scenes: Utilizing Docs, Making Templates, Making Banners, Organization

Grammar

Your First Posts

Interacting With Others

Writing Requests

Shared Blog Information

In Summary

Hello everyone, this is Slug and I am here with a tutorial on how I personally set up my request blogs. All this was learned from trial and error, and I'm making this in hopes that if someone wanted to run a request blog, but didn't know where to start, that this post will help. This is going to be a lengthy post, and you don't have to follow all or anything from this tutorial! As I stated before, this is what I did, but it's by no means some magical method to run a super successful request blog. It's to help you get started and kind of see what goes into the making of these things. Everything has been split up into categories, and some of them are more optional for aesthetic. You can pick and choose what you take away from this. Please remember the main thing with running a request blog is having fun. If it's not fun for you, then consider why you're doing it. Well, I hope you enjoy this and sorry for the length, but I go very into detail as to what I do...and I might be a little insane with setting things up.

Deciding Blog Theme and Fandoms

So the first thing I recommend is deciding on what theme you want for your blog, and what fandoms you want to write for. I'll split this into two categories on what I mean.

Blog Theme

I'm sure you guys have seen how some blogs have very specific appearances for their posts. Personally, for me, I have the same formatting for every single post I do. If it's a request, I use the same formula for setting them up. For my posts that aren't requests, I also have the same formula alongside banners for everything. Keeping a format that's unique to you will let people know the post is from you. If they don't even have to look at your username to know you wrote it, then you're already on the right path.

I also like to do a lot of oceanic themes for all my stuff which means things like Request Information Pages, Au Information, and Masterlists all follow the same theme. I think keeping a blog theme is just super helpful and fun, and it's not hard to do. Just decide what you want your blog to look like and go with it.

That being said, there are some things you shouldn't be doing:

Profile Images: Keep your pfp pretty consistent. I know for one that when I'm looking for specific people on my dash I go after their pfp to know it's them. I suck at recalling usernames, so having that distinct image is good. So try not to change the pfp too much, and if you do keep it with the same character or theme. I normally just put my OC Slug as my pfp now, but in the past, before I really settled on what I wanted, it's been other things. Changing your banner is totally fine, nobody really cares, but try and be consistent for people to easily recognize you.

Changing Your Username: This was something I did and can say for a fact...don't do it. It screws with every single link you have which will be important in later categories like the Masterlist. Also, it'll cause some confusion. The only reason I changed mine was this originally was an account for reblogging shit, not writing. So once I decided I was going to make this into a writing account, I changed my username ASAP to reflect what I wanted to be known as.

Now, this is your blog, and you'll hear me saying this a lot in this little tutorial. You can do whatever you want, change your theme, change your pfp, do whatever. This is just what I recommend, but not a law. You're supposed to be having fun with it. If you do a total reconstruction on everything though, make a post to inform your followers so it can mitigate confusion, and maybe add to your bio that you changed some things.

Fandoms

You should decide the fandoms you want to write based on what your interests are, and what you'd enjoy writing. If you don't love the fandom enough, don't say you'll write for it. The luck gods will pinpoint that you don't enjoy writing it, and it'll become the fandom you're known for the most. Aka you'll be getting mainly requests for that instead of the ones you love.

I also recommend not writing for too many fandoms. If anything, stick to two or three if you want it to be multi-fandom. Things can get confusing and overwhelming really fast, so if you don't think you can keep up with it, then don't do it. Requests blogs are supposed to be fun, not stressful. However, it's your blog. You can do whatever you want, and don't let anyone tell you anything else. If they don't like you, then they can simply block and move on with their day.

Creating A Proper Page Bio

So you know that little bio you got at the top of your blog, along with a header? Fill those out properly. This is going to let people know who you are from a glance, and I think it's important because that's the first thing I read when I go to someone's blog. It doesn't have to be anything long, but here are some key points I recommend having.

Blog Title: Personally mine is "Unhinged Writer"; it's been like that for a hot minute and when I started to take requests I made the personal decision to not change it in fear that it might break my links again. I doubt it does, but who knows. I recommend having either a catchy title or something simple like "Fandom Request Blog". It's not uber-important, but def have something there.

Name: Have your name in your bio so people know what to call you by. It can be a nickname or whatever, originally I just had Salt in there since it's the name I go by, but a lot of people call me Slug so I recently added it in there. Give people a name to call you by, please.

Age: Now you don't have to put your age, especially if you're a minor. Just put "Minor" in your bio if you want so people know "Hey, let's not send adult conversations to this person". I like to have my age in the bio because I just don't care.

Pronouns: This is another simple one...if you want to be referred to as specific pronouns let the people know. I like to always get pronouns correct so this is helpful when it's in your bio.

Request Status: Let them know if your inbox is open or closed for requests. Simple as that, it lets the people know.

Fandoms: Let the people know what content will be on your blog. It can be as simple as saying "Hey, I write for Twisted Wonderland" and that's it.

Side Blog Or Main: Lots of people do follow-for-follow, so if it's a side blog just let people know. It also lets them know why you can't reply to comments if you don't want your main to be known.

Any Other Information: If you want them to know any fun facts about you, go ahead and let them know.

Masterlist/Introduction Page

I recommend doing a Masterlist...like highly recommend. Do it at the start of your blog, as well as an Introduction Page. I like to have them together and pin them at the top of my blog. So again, let's break these into two separate categories for ease of reading and organization! Also if you want to know what it looks like, feel free to check out my post to get inspiration for your own!

Masterlist

So for Masterlists the reason I highly recommend doing it is that people are going to be asking. It makes it easier for people to find exactly what they wanna read so they don't have to scroll through your blog for hours. This is especially important if you like to reblog stuff or answer non-request related asks, or even engage in battle with the ask box. I also say don't wait for this part...my first request blog actually doesn't HAVE a masterlist at all. That's because I was new to tumblr requests in general, I seldom followed other request blogs, so I wasn't aware of having a Masterlist would be so important. By the time people began asking me, I had already written at least over 150 requests, and the thought of going through each and every single one was nauseating. So do it before you get to that point and it'll make it easier on you.

So if you're writing for a lot of fandoms, I recommend having separate Masterlists posts. For me, I have a Masterlist for every single dorm so it's easy for people to navigate. The main Masterlist post you have should have hyperlinks to all the separate Masterlist postings. This is because the original posts will soon be buried with everything you post, so the links are needed. You can only have one pinned post to your blog, so have it be the main Masterlist. To explain things easier here are the steps:

Make a main Masterlist that will be pinned to the top of your blog.

Make separate masterlist posts for things (We'll call them Sub-Masterlists). Examples of what you'd make Sub-Masterlists for would be - Different Fandoms, Different Dorms, Etc. So if you're doing five different fandoms, have five different Sub-Masterlists.

In the Sub-Masterlist posts, make headers for each character so it's easy for people to scroll through and find who they want to read for.

Post the Sub-Masterlists to the blog. You can try and put them as private posts, but in my experience embedded links don't always work for them.

Get the links to all the Sub-Masterlist posts and add a hyperlink the main Masterlist. This is easy, if you don't know how to do it, just highlight the text you want to have the hyperlink (probably the Fandom's Name) and there will be an icon that looks like two chains together. Click that and it'll let you add a link to that text.

Viola, you got the Masterlist done! An optional thing is adding your "Rules Page" as a separate post as well and add a hyperlink in your Masterlist.

Bear in mind, you don't have to constantly be updating the Masterlist with every post you make. I normally wait till I have a few posts then pop them in the Masterlist, just so I'm not constantly having to do it. With asks, I recommend having people using a template you made (will be more in-depth in the "Rules" section). The reason for this is using the "Archive" feature on your blog is super helpful. Go to the main page of your blog and you can click a button that says "Archive" and it'll show you all your posts in a super easy preview format. If it's an ask, the preview will have the first few words of the ask itself. If you use a template you can see the character they're asking for. To add a hyperlink you just right click the post and select "Copy Link Address" and then you can add the hyperlink. Super easy and simple.

As for what goes into the Sub-Masterlists, it's simple. Once you write the request use your own Masterlist links to find the Sub-Masterlist and then scroll to the character's name. Hit "Edit Post" and add: (remember these are all optional, but I do say at least add in the first two bullets):

Title of the Request

If it's SFW or NSFW

If it's a headcanon, drabble, or a full length fic.

It should look something like this:

Character Name Title - SFW - Headcanon

Random Tip: In your Masterlist, if you have a joint account with multiple writers, color code the story title so people know who wrote it before they even click on the story!

Introduction/Information Page

Next is an introduction page. This is going to be like the bio you made, but more in-depth. You can put your name and other information here. I like to inform people in this area the type of requests I do (not too detailed, that comes later) as well as other misc. information. You don't need to add a lot, hell you can just copy most of the information from your blog bio. This is just an optional thing, but I prefer doing it. If you have more than one moderator for the blog, have separate introductions for each member here! I also say have each moderator have a specific color and show it here. On my other blog, my color is orange while Queenie is purple. So when someone sees purple text appear, they know it's Queenie is speaking, and vice versa...more information on this will be in the "Shared Blog Information"

Custom Hashtags

Something I like to add in the information page is custom hashtags. These are Hashtags that are unique to you, that nobody else on this site would probably ever use. The reason for having these are for one specific reason: for people to block. Some people are OCD about what appears on their blog, and if you happen to always be reblogging things or making random posts that isn't writing, they might get annoyed. Not to mention if you're having a reblog conversation with someone, the constant notifications can get annoying. Some things I recommend having custom hashtags for:

NSFW Content: If you're going to be writing SFW and NSFW, I say you should have a custom Hashtag for these. I use "Slug is Sinning" as mine, so if someone blocks it then they won't see the posts that I put out that have this.

Reblogs: If you're gonna be reblogging a lot of things, I say have one for those. Something simple like "Slug Reblogging Spree" or something like that.

Not Writing Asks: If you sometimes get people in your inbox just telling you to have a good day, that's amazing. Honestly it brightens my day when I get those. Some people don't care and would rather not see you post ten of those in a row as you go through answering them. I normally use my nicknames and just put "Slug Speaks".

Feral Time: I don't know if this is for everyone, but I sometimes go feral. This normally results in people in my inbox being mean and bullying me because they don't believe I'm actually 8ft tall. Add a hashtag if you're like me and you're typing in all caps while speaking to people and going hog-wild. I use "Feral Slug Hours" for mine.

One you might want to add that won't be for blocking is this:

Writers Name: This is if you're going to be having multiple people writing and running the blog. Have a custom hashtag for who is writing. You can use something like "Moderator Slug" and "Moderator Queenie". Just so people know who wrote it.

Add the custom hashtags and what they do to the Information Page so people have the choice in what they see on your blog. Obviously this is optional, but I personally find it helpful and a little considerate for your followers. You do you though, this is your blog. You're the god of it. If you want your followers to see your feral time unleashed with no choice, do it. If it's not their cup of tea they can unfollow, easy as that.

That's all for the Information/Introduction Section of your pinned post. I like to put the Information/Introduction below the Masterlist links because after someone reads it once, they won't read it again. They want to get to the Masterlist and having it on top is easier for them.

Rules and Information

This page will save your freaking LIFE. When I say it's one of the most important pages, I mean it. Let's break it down on things I recommend adding to your rules and information page. This is optional but I suggest it:

Introduction

Oh god another introduction, I know right? Well this is simpler than the others. This is just to say "Hey, I'm taking requests for X Fandom and Y Fandom." and if it's a joint blog say "Blue Text is X and Green Text is Y." There you go, Introduction is over. Painless, right?

Rules for Submission

Another simple one, these are your hard rules. Aka if someone doesn't follow your rules, you simply won't be writing for it. Be stern on your boundaries, you're doing this for free. You owe others nothing when you do this for fun. So be firm in what you say. If you don't want people sending you messages on when their request will be written, let the people know! Most are super understanding of your rules as long as it's not anything crazy.

If someone doesn't follow your rules, just delete their ask. I say don't publicly shame someone. If they're on anon and send in something breaking the rules, just delete it. If they're not on anon, answer it privately and request they check the rules before sending in another ask. If it happens several times you can answer it and just say "Hey, I keep getting asks like these. Please check my rules and information page before submitting things." Sometimes others just need to be reminded, and often times it's a mistake because someone didn't feel like reading everything on your rule page. Nudge them to it.

The Will and Won't List

These are going to be two lists of what you are willing to write, and what you absolutely won't be writing. Examples of what you will be writing would be "I'll write: SFW, Fluff, Angst, Yandere, Etc" Meanwhile the won't write can be "I Won't Write: NSFW, Gore, Specific Scenarios, Etc". You don't have to explain yourself on what you will or won't write. It's nobodies business but your own. All you have to do is say you won't write something, and that's all. If someone asks for something on the "won't write" list, delete it. If it keeps happening, again make a post and inform them that it makes you uncomfortable and to check your Rules page. If you want you can also block them.

Sadly if it's anon you can't block their blog, but you can block their IP address so they can't submit stuff anymore. Simply click on the three dots in the upper righthand corner of the ask and click the block button. They will no longer be able to send in stuff from their IP address.

Submission Template

This is optional and always goes at the top of my "Rules and Information Page". A submission template is something you make that others copy/paste into the ask box and fill out in order to have their request written! It's totally optional to have one of these, in fact most request blogs don't. I use these for a few reasons:

Mental Organization: I like to be able to see right off the bat if a request is going to be for a specific character, SFW or NSFW, and if they want a Headcanon or Drabble written. It helps me know exactly what they're asking for, so there's no guess work involved. This is how my brain works and it might be how yours works, or it might not! Whatever works for you is what you should be doing.

Archive: When I'm adding things to my Masterlist I use the "Archive" feature on my blog to look through and copy links to posts quickly. When they use the template then that information pops up in the little preview window. That way I don't have to click on a post to know "Oh, I need to add that to X character's Masterlist!"

Mass Tag Editor: Just like the Archive section above, it's the same concept. I don't use the Mass Tag Editor anymore since I have copy/paste tags I use in Google Docs (will go more into this in the "Behind the Scenes" Category). Some people do use this, and if it's you then the template is nice to have.

My template is simple:

Character Name | Platonic/SFW/NSFW | Headcanons/Drabbles - Request Information

Just let them know they have to use it in order for you to write the request. I'm extra and added a "How to Use" section incase there was any confusion. If you want, you can use this template as well for your requests. Go right ahead, sharing is caring! Or you can make your own, whichever works for you!

If you want an example of what all this looks like together, you can check out my Rule Page and use it for inspiration! Just don't copy/paste my stuff and make your own (minus the template, feel free to steal that).

Behind The Scenes

Okay so this is optional, but it makes things so much easier on you. When I say it makes things easier I mean it. If not for the behind the scenes stuff, it would take forever to format everything I want to post, and would make it too tedious. This might take a while to do, so be prepared to dedicate a few hours if you go this route. It saves time in the long run. Also this might be the most lengthy part of the tutorial, so if you don't plan on utilizing this, then skip this entire section.

Utilizing Docs

If you have a google account, then you have this fancy thing called the "Google Drive"! It comes with this feature called "Google Docs" and this is where I live most of the time. If you guys saw my google doc you'd think I was crazy. I have folders for days, and they're color coded. I have one for both my request accounts and each one of them has essential things in them. If you don't use Docs for anything yet, then you won't need as many folders as I do. If you do, then here's how I organize my folders and documents (also photo reference so you guys know what I'm talking about):

Blog Folder: This is the most simple folder to make. This is going to have your Blog Name on it and this is where all the other folders go! Inside the Blog Folder I have two other folders: Templates and Posted Stories. I also have all my WIPS swimming outside of the other folders in this one. I won't go into the "Posted" Folder because that's self explanatory...it's everything that's already been posted or scheduled onto my blog. Here's an inside look of the folder:

Templates: This is where I keep all my templates and tag lists! Obviously in the "Making Templates" section I'll have more information for you. For now, this is what it looks like!

Individual Dorms/Fandoms: Those folders just leads to the dorm folders. If you write for multiple fandoms, have a folder for each one. I'm just crazy organized and have a separate folder for each character and dorm, but I promise you don't have to go this crazy with it. This is what inside one of those folders looks like!

So there you have it, a show and tell of my drive and organization. Now let's get into some of the documents and why I like using them so much!

Making Templates

This is super helpful for most people! Now while I personally go a bit crazy in making sure each character has a template made with their banner design and name in the title, you don't have to do this. Templates can be as simple or complex as you'd like!

I always say make sure you have:

The Character Name

The Title

An Author's Note (let's you interact with people, but you don't need it)

The Actual Writing

Hyperlinks to "Request Information" and "Masterlist"

Now the reason I use docs in particular for this is because of hyperlinks. Oh yes, we're back to those hyperlinks guys! So if you create a hyperlink in docs and then copy/paste it into tumblr, it retains it. This is especially important when you want to link to your Masterlist and Request Information in each post. Having to add in those links with each post can be tedious and get old very fast.

I recall in one of my tutorials I had mentioned that you can keep a draft in your tumblr that you can copy/paste from, but this can clog up your drafts and it is harder to find exactly what you're looking for in there, rather than if you had just made a google doc.

Another reason I use docs is because of formatting. If you click on "Header 1" in docs, write something, and then copy/paste it into tumblr, it'll translate that into the "Biggest" text setting. It also remembers everything you kept bolded and italicized, so it makes it so much easier to deal with. Personally formatting in docs is way easier than tumblr in my experience. Here's what my formatting looks like (and mind you, my character templates are outdated and will be receiving a bit of a retouch before I post my next long post)

Note: Don't use the "Title" formatting, use the "Header 1" instead. Tumblr doesn't have an equivalent to the "Title" text format, so it defaults to putting it as normal text. "Heading 1" translates to "Biggest" in the tumblr formatting, so you'll be using that instead. Second Note: Make sure you double space between paragraphs in docs! If you don't and then copy/paste it into tumblr, it'll look like a giant wall of text. If you use two spaces between each paragraph, it'll transfer normally. The only exception would be on mobile. If you're writing on docs on mobile then copy/pasting from there as well, don't add the double space or else it'll add extra spacing in tumblr.

Tag Lists

So the tag list, another essential function! Wanna know something fun about tumblr? You gotta tag your posts correctly in order to get people to see your stuff! Which means it's time to research specific tags and begin writing them down!

I use two giant lists of tags, one being sfw and one being nsfw, just for Twisted. Again, you don't have to go as crazy as I am, but I like it for how easy it is when needing to copy/paste things. Now Docs has this wonderful function where if you add a title or a header to something, it creates a sidebar for the "Outline" where you can then click the name of the title and it takes you to that location in the doc.

That's why I use tag lists on docs because I have character-centric tags and I have to navigate to their name in order to grab what I need. Here's what the outline looks like, as well as how I set up my tags:

Mind you, when making your tags you have to have a paragraph between each tag in order for tumblr to register that it's a different tag being inputted. This method means you just have to copy all the tags and then paste it into the tag section of tumblr, and they'll all be there. No need to do them individually...unless you're on mobile. Sadly for mobile users, it's a bit more complex. It doesn't register the same, so you'd either have to manually type all your tags, or copy/paste them one by one.

Making Banners/Dividers

This is easily the most optional part of this entire thing; this is an aesthetic change. I use character banners for anything but requests honestly, and that's just so people can tell requests apart from what I wrote on my own accord. If you're doing only requests though, consider using banners. They're honestly super easy to make using a website named "Canva".

It also helps your stuff stand out from others, so there's always a bonus there! Now when it comes to dividers, you can make your own simple ones like I do, or you can find them on tumblr. People make tons of animated dividers that are totally free to use, so you can use those in order to help divide up text!

Just some things I say to be careful of when using banners for posts:

Character Banner Names: So always add the character's name to the title, even if you're using a character banner for them. Sometimes, especially on mobile, images refuse to load. This means someone might not be able to see the banner, so having their name directly under the banner will let people know who you're writing instead of having to figure out by finding their name in your text.

Official Artwork: When I do character banners I always have their face on there. I make sure to always use official artwork since I don't have permission to use fanart that others make. If you either draw the images yourself, know the artist and get permission, or commission someone, then go ahead and use those. If not, I say stick to the original artwork.

Copy/Paste: Okay so I was absolutely raving about docs a few minutes ago, and now I'm saying there is a major flaw. If you use character banners and you copy/paste from docs or another tumblr draft, what happens is tumblr adds a "link" or something underneath the image. It's a small visual change that can be rather annoying. If you want to avoid this, make sure to keep all your character banners on Canva and copy those to clipboard for every post. I originally was doing this until I realized it was too much damn work. I took the bullet in dealing with the weird link underneath all my banners just to make my life easier. This is all up to you and how bad your OCD is with formatting.

Grammar

So this is an important one...you want to make sure everything has good grammar. This goes for things like your "Masterlist" and "Rules and Information" Pages. This is a representation of you, and often a first impression on your blog. So make sure you use proper grammar. Some things I don't recommend doing in these posts are:

No Capitalization or Punctuation I don't know what it is, but when I see someone who doesn't use capitalization or punctuation, I won't read their work. Even if it's just their Masterlist page, I simply won't. It fills a small rage in me that can't be quelled. If I see it, I assume their fics will be like that as well. If I'm reading something, I want the grammar to be decent at the very least.

Text Speech: Again, if I'm reading someone's Introduction Page and they type "u" instead of "you" I click off. Again, I assume their stories will be similar, and I don't want that.

Typos: Direct call out to me, the King of Typos. My typing speed is normally 2,000 words in 15 minutes when writing stories, so I have a lot of typos. It's why Queenie is so important because she fixes my lazy mistakes. I say go through your posts or have someone you trust do it before posting. Especially if you're like my and have a burning hatred for reading things you just wrote. Most people won't bat an eye at one or two of them, but if there's one every other sentence know that some people will click right off your story...just watch this tutorial be riddled in typos and make this bullet the most ironic thing.

I don't know if I'm finally getting old and it's just a new, stylized thing, but it reads as almost...lazy to me. I'm so sorry if that offends someone, I really am. It's not my intention, it's just my impression right off the bat. Again, maybe I'm getting too old, but I do have a lot of friends in the writing and reading community who agree, so perhaps I'm onto something?

Obviously it's your blog, you can do whatever you want. Don't let me tell you what you can or can't do, or tell you you're doing something wrong! If you prefer formatting like that for stylization, then power to you. Just know it might turn off a lot of readers, but it also might draw in some! Different people like different things, so you do whatever your little heart tells you to do!

Your First Posts

Okay so you got this far, amazing! This is just a lot of set up for running your blog, boring stuff, I know. I hate setting up things so much, but it makes running your blog so much easier. Now that you got it all set up, when are the people going to roll in? The thing is...they might not. Well...not until you do something. A Monkey might draw some random stragglers in, but when it begins dancing and singing musical numbers...people's heads are gonna turn.

What I'm saying is do some writing. You might be sitting there for a hot minute waiting for someone to stumble in without any content other than a Masterlist on your blog.

What I've done for my blog that I wanted to be a request centered blog, and one that was just for my writing, is I wrote. I started off simple: Character Headcanons. It lets people not only see you have content, but your let's them see your writing style. Once people see you posting headcanons or fics on their dash with all those sexy tags you curated earlier, they're gonna click on your blog. They're gonna click that gorgeous link you'll have at the top of all your stories that says "Request Information" and they're gonna be sending in stuff.

Don't expect people to see you're taking requests and just send something in without prior knowledge. Sure it's free content, but they want to know what you're capable of. They want to see your writing style, how you portray characters. If they like it, they'll want more and ask for it. That's how you get requests in. Don't just start a blog and then sit back expecting it to flood in your inbox. Put in the work and draw in a crowd. You're gonna have to dance to get a crowd, or else you're just gonna be a monkey chilling on the sidewalk.

Interacting with Others

This is also a SUPER IMPORTANT STEP! Get your name out there a little...interact with other blogs! Go through the community you're writing for and begin liking and maybe even reblogging their stuff and commenting on it! I know if I see someone who leaves interesting comments or hashtags on my posts, I'm checking out their blog.

Don't be such a recluse and get out there! Not to mention never be afraid to interact with people who reblog your stuff or comment! Sometimes having battles in your ask box is hilarious too, so have fun. You're still a human, so show the people for goodness sakes. Be social, I know it's scary. I'm an introvert to the max, but if you don't think I'll throw myself into someone's DMs and be like "I saw this artwork you did, mind if I write something on it?"

Balls out. The person on the other side of that screen is also still human (hopefully). They see some rando come into their DMs asking to write something based off their creation because it inspired them and they're gonna be like "Hell yes."

Interaction can be a bit harder when it's a side blog because you can't go into replies and put things in that way, and if you simply like a post it shows from your main. So reblogging and DMing is the only way (and no I don't mean DMing to promote yourself, people might get annoyed if you do that). Do what you can though and you'll see the fruits of your effort in time.

Promos:

So this is something I never once considered, but the other day I got mentioned by a new blog asking for a promo. This doesn't really hurt to do, as long as you already have stuff posted to your blog. Just @ some blogs and ask for a promo if they're willing. This person did it and several blogs actually did reblog their introduction page, so it never hurts to ask.

Taking Requests

Oh look at you, they grow up so fast! You're getting people in your inbox...you did make sure to go into settings and add in an ask box...right? Now you can finally begin writing those requests you've been wanting to get to so badly! It's kinda why we did all this...isn't it? To have fun writing requests? At least that's what I hoped you were here for...but I guess all this would apply to a writing blog as well if you think about it. It's kind of what I did when I originally was just going to have a dedicating writing blog, so in theory it's the same. Let's not get too side tracked, we're talking about taking your requests!

Alright so you got a request in now you just...write it. If you want tips on how I write a lot of headcanons, I did make another tutorial on how to do that. I also answered an ask the other day that has a simplified version of how I write smuts, but the same concepts can be applied to writing SFW as well.

So get out there and write some stuff, and be consistent. No, I don't mean posting every single day of your life, I meant in formatting. If you have a consistent format that goes with your blog theme, people will be scrolling and see it and be like "Hey, it's that writer!" If you went through the nightmare category of "Behind the Scenes" then it's a simple copy/paste for everything you're about to post!

The start will be slow with getting requests, and that's normal. Write what you can and post them. Once you begin getting more and more requests, consider scheduling things out! You can pop them in your queue, or if you want posts to go out on specific times and days, schedule them and space them out. That way if you ever take some time away from the blog, things will still be posted and people will see it and get hyped!

Finally...don't be scared to close the ask box. Once you get like 30 things in your inbox it might get overwhelming, so tell them you're inbox is closed and change your bio to reflect that. Catch up on what you can, then reopen when you're ready. There's no shame in it.

Bonus: Using Your Drafts

So when I get asks in my inbox, I like to drag them into drafts right away. Normally I copy/paste my template and tags into the request, fill out the character name and title, and then click "Save as Draft". I keep all of them in my drafts to help me organize them all better, so if I ever wanted to I could write stuff on my phone and not worry about formatting. It's all right there so all I do it post after it's written or schedule and viola, it's all done!

You can do this or just keep them in your inbox, totally up to you. I just found this method works better for me, and perhaps it'll work well for you as well!

Shared Blog Information

So having a joint account can be fun, especially if you need someone to help you. One of my requests blogs is co-owned by my good friend @queeniesrose . It can be super helpful to have someone assisting you, but there are limitations aka disadvantages...but there are also a lot of advantages so you wanna weigh your options.

Disadvantages

Has to be a side blog: You can't share a main account unless you decide to give them your login information. If you share an account, then it has to be a side blog only. This already poses limitations in itself, like not being able to leave replies on posts. So bear that in mind when making this decision.

No DMs: If you have a shared account, you can't have DMs on your side blog. I think this was a more recent change since at one point, Queenie and I could both reply to DMs on the side blog, but things changed. So if someone needs to DM you, they simply can't. You can always link your main account for them to message you, but if you want to keep it hidden then this isn't a good idea. You could technically make another side blog just for DMs though which is a small workaround.

No Tipping: Since it's more than one person running it, you can't accept tips. This isn't a problem for most; I only have the feature on so I could test it out for another blog of mine. If you want to have the feature enabled though, you have to run it alone. A workaround if getting a Ko-Fi account and linking it.

Advantages:

Help With Replies and Questions: When I say Queenie is my right-hand woman, I mean it. She helps me reply to questions and replies all the time. She lets me know what's going on in the blogs and the fandom as well. Having someone who can see the ask box and reply to things is a lifesaver. Especially if you get above a certain follower account, it is needed. Not to mention if I'm at work and she isn't, she can handle things that are going on and vice versa. If I need the inbox closed, she can generally do it for me. An absolute blessing to have some help.

More Writers: While Queenie doesn't generally do any writing for my blog, it's a special situation for us. You can have writer friends helping you run the account and writing requests. This will be super helpful if you do multiple fandoms, one person can write for each fandom. You can do it however you want, really!

Motivation: Bro...when I say sometimes you need motivation I MEAN IT. Having others helping you can really kickstart it, so don't look down on the thought.

Editing: So Queenie is mainly my editor, it's why she doesn't do the writing. She will go through the drafts and edit things and fix typos and grammar before posts go up, even adding them to the schedule. It's super helpful when busting out content!

If you go this route, make sure you have clear communication with the others on the blog, and that you trust them. You have to give admin rights in order for them to answer requests, which means they could delete the blog since they own it. So bear in mind, and also make sure the workload is divided well between you guys. If you're writing with others, a good technique is to "answer" the request and put it in drafts first, and just put your name on it so they know you'll be writing that one.

I also went briefly into detail in the "Masterlist" section, but color coding text is helpful, especially when replying to asks that aren't request related! Seeing a distinct color for the different Mods let's them know who's speaking without checking the tags if they've been on your blog before!

In Summary

Remember, this isn't some holy grail of what you have to do. I've run one request blog for over three years, this is stuff I learned through a lot of trial and error. It's not hard after you initially set things up, honestly the set-up is the most tedious part. It makes the rest so much easier though which is why I recommend doing it.

This is your blog. You can do whatever you want with it. Have fun with it, please!

#writing #writing advice #writing tips #important for writing #request page #request blog #request #how to write #writer #writers on tumblr #running request blogs

[uselessdancedata]

doing the leaderboard has made me realise how much btf placements vary in different weeks with different judges. i am NOT posting this as a criticism of btf; i am posting this as an observation that i think goes against the things some people say when certain dancers don't place as high or low as they expect.

from all the goddamn typing i have done i have learned that it is SO commonplace for placements to vary. dancers who consistently place top 3 are rarer than dancers who bounce around from 1st to 10th and back like yoyos.

dancers will go from 1st to 8th or vice versa in a matter of a few weeks. dancers who compete against each other will tie in one week and then be 7 places apart the next week. these are dancers who don't compete at TDA, who are completely unknown to the fandom, etc, so it's not as though you can cite political motives or whatever. it happens because judges are looking for different things, it's really as simple as that.

here are some examples of what i'm talking about:

(if you have never seen my leaderboard doc - each dancer is a row, each competition is a column. this screenshot shows two competitions, two weeks apart, and three different dancers' placements at these competitions. blue is 24/7 and purple is nuvo.)

Dancer A: 9th at 24/7, 4th at Nuvo

Dancer B: 3rd at 24/7, 7th at Nuvo

Dancer C: 8th at 24/7, 7th at Nuvo

so two dancers who were 3rd and 8th at one competition, 5 places apart, went on and tied just two weeks later with the same solos. and the dancer who lost to both of them at the first competition beat both of them at the second competition, with the same solo.

and this is so ordinary. also see:

(dancer going from 10th one week to 3rd the next - 10th was in pennsylvania, 3rd was in florida, so it's not even a matter of placing lower in a harder city)

(dancer jumping from 3rd in memphis to 10th in tulsa in one week, and a different dancer jumping from 10th in vegas to 5th in san diego in one week)

there are countless examples. seriously countless. when i was first typing all of this out (before sorting and filtering) and was really going week by week, competition by competition, it was so apparent that the same dancers would compete the same solos against each other, just a few weeks apart, and receive completely different results. you cannot use one dancer as a benchmark against another. it is not consistent. (and kind of a dick move anyway)

and i know this is "yea no shit" information for most people. no shit judges are looking for different things, everyone already knows that. but i remember what happened last tda vegas and thus i feel the need to write this post

#i figured nuvo anaheim weekend was as good a time to post this as any #i remember what happened the last time i saw junior contemporary solo “slope”

[n7punk]

Okay sooo I’m fully aware the answer to this might just be ‘my brain just works that way’ lol buttt: you post as you write, but surely this must have kicked you in the arse at some point. Like have you ever written anything and then later on realised it’s put you in a sticky situation plot wise but can’t change it bc it’s already posted? Or do you like extensively plan before you start to avoid that? And do you keep notes as you write to make sure you remember key details? My brain cannot comprehend how you can write a story without knowing for sure how it’s gonna end without having the flexibility of changing a few things that happen earlier in the story lol your brain is so impressive.

Lol thank you. So the answer for this actually depends on the project. Usually I know like 3/4th of the story's overall structure and what an end goal would look like it by the time I finish the first chapter. I say the first chapter because a lot of changes or ideas can come from actually stepping into a story/world for the first time. That said, sometimes I just have a few scenes (The Scene™️s) and I fill in between them as I go. It's very common for the end to be a little hazy because I need to write the scenes that will effect it first to truly understand what it needs to be.

As far as writing myself into a corner goes: yeah, GUTT lol. Still don't know what to do about that one. But usually it's only in small ways. In CotC I figured out a scene that would have made the 13th fic work better, but said scene needed to be in the 11th fic and I had already posted up through the 12th, so I just had to let that better idea go. I also added the entire visit home/Winter Fest storyline to AMLAIT after I was like 3-4 chapters in (my initial plan for that fic ended up being 20% of what its total was, with a bunch of ideas coming in the middle), so I realized that hey, Catra's birthday should have been Right at the start of the fic, and then had to condense the timeline in one or two places to make it so her birthday had Just Passed, and then I edited in a single line referencing it into the beginning to make the timeline seem more cohesive to future rereads.

I honestly prefer writing this way because it makes you get more creative (and I hate redrafting lmao), but I do typically have some kind of outline (even if it's just in my head) going into the story. If you look at the fic notes for Superzero, I put the entirety of the written outline for that fic in the Original Outline section at the bottom and it... wasn't much lol.

By contrast, Roses & Thorns I outlined extensively because I was really excited about the idea and basically infodumped it all on my friend in Discord lmao. I will say, though, from the four chapters posted so far that outline included: like three sentences describing Catra's arrival, Adora hyperfocusing on her, and Catra being catty (every single scene up until the confrontation was written off-the-cuff when I sat down to do the fic). Then I had the confrontation with Catra and the discussion in the garden heavily outlined, and then... oh yeah nothing until like chapter six lmao. All that I filled in once I started working on the fic, and in fact I wrote a couple chapters and then went back and filled in scenes to give more depth to the story and world. If I had been posting from the start I would have been really screwed when it came to adding those scenes to chapter 2 (I added stuff to 2, 4, and 5 because I had just reached five when I went back), but I kind of knew I needed that extra time with it so I held off on posting.

As far as notes: also really varies! This is my notes for R&T

the main Roses & Thorns document is a copy-pasted version of the outline I wrote for my friend with a few additional notes added in where later ideas came. The Fic Notes doc contains... the fic notes I'll post later, which I write as I go (the sub-documents there are just blank stubs for fic references or extras since this is from a template), and then this fic has a "special" notes file to keep track of all the girls on the show. It's normal for a fic to have some kind of special notes file like that, like in CotC I had one comparing different endings I could do since I had a lot of ideas. For 'the long way down' I had a special note including how I had described Eternia in previous fics so it wouldn't contradict (even though it didn't matter since none of those fics were canon). Often there will also be a separate file for some kind of detailed outline in a specific scene up ahead, but in this one it's all just in the main one. And then the cut scenes document eeeeeeeevverrryyy fic ends up with. If I decide I want to rewrite a scene, I'll save the original version there so I can go back to it if I decide it's better than my rewrite - or sometimes scenes I think might be better off going completely but aren't sure go there temporarily. I always delete those stubs at the end of a fic (or during, like after I post the chapter said scene was from or am certain the new version is better).

In general, another thing that keeps me from "needing" more notes is the fact I reread a Lot. Like right now I'm working on chapter 9, and when I sit down in the morning it's not uncommon for my to skim from the chapter before, or all the way back to the first thing I haven't posted yet (in this case, chapter five). And when I do edit something to post it (say, chapter four two days ago), I usually then read/skim through what's between there and where I need to continue writing (in that case, chapter 8) before setting off again. It helps with the flow.

Now, I'm unusually ahead on this fic because I was a decent ways into it before I started posting (I took a week off), but one thing that helps with writing into a corner is that my usual rule is still to always be a chapter ahead of what I'm posting. So if I just finished drafting chapter 3, then I'm editing and posting chapter 2. This helps me make sure the flow together, and also just lets me give my writing breathing room. Instead of immediately editing and posting three, I can take a step back from it by working on chapter two instead, go draft chapter four, and then return to chapter three for editing only after that's done so I have fresh eyes on it. I don't have a beta and this is the only way I'm able to catch as many typos as I do with my dyslexia.

That was long a kinda rambly, but hopefully that answers your question! Every fic is a little different, but this is my general idea when it comes to each project.

#writing process #ask #anon

[galaxythreads]

All your ideas for fics are like, genius. You are insanely creative. I wanna be able to write like you some day, but I never have any ideas. Is there anything you do to figure out your ideas? Like taking some stuff from other fics or just spending a lot of time thinking or something? Or do the ideas just pop into your mind?

Great question! Thanks for asking, and the compliment. It's very sweet. <3

I remember being roadblocked by this a lot when I first got started, too, so you're not weird. This is pretty normal from what I've seen.

Here's where I get my ideas most of the time:

Reading fics in and out of the fandom (Right now, it's really, really rare for me to read MCU fics that aren't for Tony and Peter.)

Watching TV/movies

reading books

tumblr posts

my headcanons

music

That fic idea that blows up that everyone does 200 times

Not being able to find the fic I want to read (this is pretty rare though)

Want to see a character destroyed

Re-watching something and then being annoyed the actual writers didn't address this THING

I really, really enjoy the challenge of writing a fic that everyone has done 300 times and then doing it different. I have read so many fics where Aunt May has an abusive boyfriend to Peter. Like so many. And then I got done with that and I was like "you know what? Tony punched the abusive guy and that was like. It. Peter was fine? What happens after." And then I wrote Vertigo and Not One for Chocolate Anymore.

Then we have You Screamed for So Long I Forgot To Care Anymore. Pretty much every fic in existence about Loki and the Avengers, there's always this big section about Loki explaining to the Avengers about how he was mind controlled and I was like. Wait. What if the Avengers had to explain that to Loki?

Taking a fandom trope and then twisting it enough so you can still recognize the trope for what it is is one of my favorite things. Everyone loves reading tropes, okay? Everyone. But one of the most enjoyable things is a fresh take on the trope. I had never seen anyone do that before.

Sometimes I get requests, though not as much recently. (I used to get them every couple of weeks. I don't think I've actually accepted a fic request since the Blodig Skog.)

Here's an ask where I answered how my writing process works

Here's an ask where I talk about how to stay motivated

I kept trying to find a post where I talked about how I plan, but it's gone, so. Sorry. lmao. XD It's somewhere on my blog.

Basically. I just kind of keep an eye out for ideas all the time and then I write them down. I may use them tomorrow or never, but I keep a document all the same.

Here's some ideas from my planning doc:

^ me being annoyed they didn't address that Diana, for as much as she loves Spencer, was extremely neglectful to him in Criminal Minds. Also that scene in s12 where she hit him, Spencer reacted like it wasn't the first time. He barely seemed to think about it. Why? Diana has probably hit him before. <- Headcanon, + me being annoyed with canon.

^ had this one for years. Never done anything. This fic would actually massively deconstruction of Loki and Thor's relationship and I have a feeling that @thot-son-of-odin would kill for it. XD Writers didn't address something, so I'm annoyed + the fic I want to read.

See look, I have another summery of that fic later in the doc:

^I think about this a lot.

^ subverting fandom tropes, tumblr, + personal headcanons about Frigga. Basis of YSFSLWFTCA.

^subverting fandom trope. The time travel fics always go back and fix everything. I want to destroy Thor. This fic would not be happy. It would do nothing BUT destroy Thor.

^ this is for ML, but Marinette is usually cursed with bad luck in fics and it annoys me. I need Adrien to get destroyed. Every bad thing that could happen to him, should. Subverting fandom tropes. Not being able to find the fic I want to read. Also based off the original basis for ML which is that the ring would curse Adrien with bad luck and he couldn't remove it, but the only way it would be reversed is if Marinette gave him a kiss.

As you can see, the ideas are usually really simple. They're kind of supposed to be? I think writing is at its best when it's simple. If it's getting too complicated to follow, you enjoy it a lot less. Sorry. long answer. Um. Okay.

I get my ideas from interacting with the fandom on all fronts. I've kind of learned to see everything in life as a creative opportunity. Did this answer your question? You can say no, that's fine. Please come bother me again, always, I'll try to wander less. And also, my DMs are always open if you want someone to throw ideas at and plot with.

#writing questions #my writing #anon answered #one time I wrote a fic because I learned straitjackets can destroy your arms #and I was like oh! perfect! we're putting sherlock in a straitjacket then #writers are so weird

[axl-ul]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Thank so much for the tag @mthollowell-writes (the og post here) and @dyrewrites (the og post here)!This was so sweet of you^^

And if you have time, please, read their posts, they're so beautiful and motivational.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What motivates you to write?

Pretty much that I get to share a piece of myself. I'm not sure how to put it...but when I write I can sometimes feel my body relaxing and that I get to create something, anything from all the chaos that's sometimes in my head.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

It's a snippet from The Lakebed, an episode from Ulfrika's youth while she was still under the care of Master Kogar.

“Yes, Majstre. Hm…Majstre? Did you truly want to shoot me down?“ He paused, “Never, my disciple.“ He patted the young head before diving into a quick lesson about proper fishing methods and life in lakes. In the meanwhile, the sun started to come out. Unable to resist the sunlight for long without the proper clothing and skin treatment the master and his disciple decided to come back. For the last time, the Man with No Eyes looked behind where the ice was cut out. He found the right successor. Even though she’s not the typical demon nor that it’ll be an easy path. But he sensed the potential. And she deserved to get the second chance. With unusual happiness settling down and unaware of the doom he brought upon himself on that fateful day he returned home with Ulfrika.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

This might be a pretty easy answer - Princess Mei from The Flight of the Western Crane. She starts out as a shy young woman who's prone to fear and crying and she gets overwhelmed pretty easily. The more the story progresses, though, she gets more self-confident and comes out of her shell to reveal what she really is like - joyous, a slight jokester with heart of gold and even a bit of a fighter (until then she was like this only around her advisor and best/only friend Lady Wolf Witch a.k.a. Márgerdra). Mei's like... such a breath of a fresh air because I don't remember writing a character like her before. Oh, did I mention she likes hugs, too? Well, if not, then be prepared for her to hug your soul out of you. Then she'll pull you away to the nearest shop because t r i n k e t s.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Hopefully, you won't get mad at me but the outline and coming up with the plot ideas and characters. The very begining when it's up to you how the heart and soul of your story shall look like.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I dare to say I'm pretty good at descriptions of the nature. As in the rich vocabularly and how I play around the words. I like coming up with metaphors and poetic prose sort of grew on me over the years.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

People around are truly trying to help each other. I'm still lacking quite a lot of contact but it's mostly due to me not being good with starting a conversation. But whenever I talk to is truly nice, sweet and polite which is admirable.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I'm going to be the basic bitch and say Google Docs and partialy Microsoft Word which I'll probably use sooner or later since Google Docs have problems with big files and there's also been the debate about the AI. Apart from these I also use Thessaurus a.k.a. Word Hippo and an unnamed internet dictionary. This is due to the fact that English is my 3rd language and I write my current projects in it. In other words, I sometimes can't exactly remember the word I actually want to use. So I either go and translate it for myself or I use the word hippo to find a synonym I know but I just couldn't think of in that moment.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I came t like the Blackworld itself. In short, it's a non-physical place filled with eldritch horros that can manifest in the real world and from time to time some cultures came to worship these beings as their saints, gods or patrons mostly because of the slow corruption of their minds and souls. It's not only the concept of a place that's not real but also there's so many mysteries about the Blackworld - is it just a place that's a sphere for all those entities to linger? Or is it actually an organism of its own that's capable of giving birth without being exactly alive (at least in our way of understanding)? Why does it shape according to the subconscience of those who enter it? How does it know when somebody alive enters it? Just so many questions and so little answers and those answer then spark another ten new questions.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

I know this might go against the general rules but it's worked for me many times. Whenever I struggle to write I find myself a playlist, listen to it and while listening I'm re-reading my past chapters and re-editing some little details. When I can read a chapter after a chapter it's easier for me pick up on the more consistent vibe and feel of the story. And if this doesn't help either, I just take out another wip and focus on that other story.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

I've already mentioned the duo who tagged me so here's the follow-up: @arijensineink @minutiaewriter @rbbess110 @rubywrite @jgmartin @faelanvance @angie-j-kay (I know you can't respond right now but I wanted to mention you since you've been such a great support, thank you^^) @anthros-vanitas-archive @your-absent-father @sam-glade

#writeblr #writing community #writers of tumblr #writer q&a #ask game #writeblr tag games #writing tag game #tag games #please pardon me if i don't make much sense but i'm finishing this while being half-asleep

[nerdnag]

How much do you plot out your stories before you write them?

More than I used to!

Up until maybe 2019 I almost never plotted out stories beforehand. Therefore I have a LOT of started docs saved with little random ideas: some of which never became more than a page, some of which went haywire after a while and never recovered. And there are some entire "books" or fics that were completely improvised as I wrote them. That used to be how I wrote when I wrote for my own enjoyment only.

I tried my hand on an overarching structure for an original work back in 2017/18, but that was probably my real first planning for any story I'd ever written.

And then I think it was @alienducky who really got me into plotting and got me stuck on it for real. We worked on a fic together, and it would have been practically impossible to do that without some kind of joint plan. I remember she started a table at the top of the doc where she listed all the scenes, and I was like yeah, that's a good idea, and it was. After that I started plotting out my own fics in a similar manner too, and now I never want to go back to how I did it before. The stories just turn out so much better when I know where I'm going from the beginning. But I plot in a way that still lets me be creative with the plot along the way.

So this is how I do it nowadays:

Scribble any little initial idea I have - sometimes in a single sentence, sometimes in a paragraph, sometimes in random loose sentences here and there that only make sense to me.

Place the bits I know I want into some kind of organised scene structure - if I don't already know which order things will happen in, I'll get a first sketch on that now. I usually structure this into actual chapter titles (placeholder titles that just give me an idea of what the scene is about) so that step 5 becomes a bit easier later.

Loosely figure out what kind of ending I want - just so I have something to aim for. Usually I have two large threads going and then a number of subthreads; the main threads (like a fantasy conflict or a romantic struggle) have to be clearly solved at the end imo, but some of the subthreads can be more loosely handled. At this point in the process though it's all just a rough sketch.

Slowly fit more pieces I want into the puzzle - any scenes that are necessary to bring me to the end somehow, or even scenes that bring me joy to think about, as long as they don't stray too far from the main threads. I also make sure to always add in early on which pov I think I want for every scene.

When I have a beginning, an end, and a number of scenes that seem to coherently bring me from one to the other, I start fleshing out parts. This usually means that I start writing bits and pieces here and there. Often I wrote the first handful of chapter first before I go on to the rest of the story, so I have a basic idea for myself of what the characters want and how they should be acting. But after the first few chapters, I usually jump from scene to scene depending on what mood I am in and what feels more joyful at any point in time. So I might write half a scene in chapter 7 one day to then write an entire chapter 22 the next day, only to then jot down a few paragraphs into chapter 16 after that. (This is my adhd working, I let it because it's worked out pretty well for me so far.)

Along the way I may come up with new ideas and adjust things, I flesh out scenes that were very barebone in the beginning, I solve and change things that turned out not to work, and when I reach the latter chapters that I wrote early on (for example ch 22, if I wrote that straight after ch 7), I'll usually have changed enough things that I need to rewrite large parts of that chapter. That is fine by me, it's all part of the process.

I should also add that if I've started posting it on for example Ao3 along the way, I sometimes - very rarely, but it happens - adjust my plans depending on what people comment. This is usually only if someone comments something that is so genius or otherwise so perfectly natural for the story that I just cannot let it go by without doing something with it, and only if it fits into the plot somehow. One example of this is when I noticed that several people were suspecting a particular character of having hidden motives. Up until that point I hadn't planned on doing much at all with that character, but when I realized that what I'd already written was leading very naturally to their conclusion, I decided to give that character more space from there on out and even played into the whole hidden agenda idea (but with a twist). That kind of thing can be really fun to do, but I don't do it if I don't think it will work for the plot I already have.

There have also been occasions where conversations with @alienducky have led me to change things in similar ways. One example of this is when I sent her a first overarching plot of my entire then upcoming fic series back in... 2020 I think? And she's great with noticing details, so she asked me how the characters would be able to send letters to each other if they didn't know where the other person was. I told her there was a magically enhanced wolf in there that would be used to bring letters back and forth. She was so into the idea of this wolf, and asked what would happen to it later in the story, that I simply had to make it part of the main cast, and in the end it even played a very important part in a reveal down the line. XD Throwaway details that grow larger like that are also very fun.

Omg I actually found our old convo from back then, I can't not add it in here.

TLDR; I plot out an overarching story with beginning, end and bits and pieces in-between, then adjust as I go.

#Ask a nerd #This answer got away from me #But I love talking about this! #Writing

[bunnygirl678]

20 questions for fic writers

i felt like doing one of these lmao

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30! Which most of them are for Nameless lmao

2. What's your total A03 word count?

304.751, about to go up again lol, probably another 80k in this month, 268,863 have been in 2023, lol. I spent a large portion of time not writing, but after my breakup this year I've started writing frequently again.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now really just pokemon, if something else comes to me I'll write it, I'm working on a dragon ball z fic, but I don't touch it a ton.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

This is sad for me cause they all suck. I wrote them late high school early college, and they're all based on the Avengers movies (although one i think may have been the comics) it's a huge fandom, and I've had them up for 10 years so (god it's been that long already???) All of my good marvel 616 fics are missing, buried in a discord that I don't have access to anymore and word docs from a computer long since recycled

But in order, I feel Salem, Astronaut, Almost Honest, Wicked Games, The Whole World Was Moving But I was Standing Still (God what was with my names then lol)

Please don't read them haha

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

I try to! Sometimes I miss them, but I try to respond when I see them, even a few weeks/months later. I really appreciate comments, and I feel like I've made some friends through them, or at least they comment on stuff I write, and I can reference my other fics to them lol, though they can totally make friends on here or discord, happy to talk to anyone. I've had people tell me I inspired them to write which is seriously the highest honor.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ummmm prolly the one where Tony dies after Steve cheats on him, I think that one is 616 based, but don't quote me, or go read it, the writing is...undeveloped, I think at that point I just started writing them, my characterizations weren't great, they got better but none of that is available lol

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Ummmmm maybe Ode to my Soulmate? I can't do sad endings for the most part, my philosophy is real life sucks so I always try to make happy endings, Frank Left has a nice ending, that one gets almost no love, but I adore it.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I'm not good enough/big enough to get hate, lmao. Smaller fandom now, i think there might be some negative comments on the marvel ones but I haven't read those in yearsss.

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

I'm trying, Oral Fixation is my most recent published, but I'm working on one where Green gives Red a blowie in his Neo Champ uniform from masters, i've been writing that since the neochampion uniforms came out months ago ahha. I'm not great at smut, but I'm practicing, fun fact I learned how to give a bj through fanfics, and used to get compliments all the time in my younger sluttier years lol (Pre-kid haha)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not anymore, I used to do 101 dalmatian crossovers lol, i doubt any are published, maybe on fanfic.net but i don't even remember my username haven't touched that since like 2011, i used to do x-men crossovers where various characters would have mutant powers, but i doubt those are published either.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so? I'm probably too small to get that kind of notice. I always welcome people to steal my aus and write their own fic with it (not copy paste my stuff, but write out the au the way they come up with with their own words)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I doubt it, but anyone can, I might end up translating one or two when I finally start learning a new language, or maybe improve my output on spanish (i can read it but not write/speak/listen well lmao)

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

Yeah but this was high school and I don't think we ever posted them, again might be on fanfic.net, but like I don't even remember my username

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

I don't have a favorite, maybe reguri, or 616!stony which i don't read much anymore but will always hold a place in my heart, my oldest ship is probably rougexgambit

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Blood Bank- but only because there is no ending, I'm going to continue that thing for the rest of my life, (at least quarterly updates lol although working on a new chapter now), there's also a reguri one that i wrote like 10k words on after i first started writing again, but it sucks ass, I don't love the plot to rewrite, I've written a lot more better stuff for them

16. What are your writing strengths?

I feel like I do pretty well with hints/twists. Certain characters I'm really good at writing, feel like I've gotten really good at world building, and coming up with off the wall aus. IDK i'm not good at pointing out my strengths.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything not listed above? Lol. No, probably missing edits and not noticing them until I'm reading the fic months later, I'm getting better at pacing and general flow, sometimes I overdo it on dialog, and leave out movement. Smut too, but i'm working on everything, the key is to just keep writing, also too many fics going at once,

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

I typically don't do it unless I know the language, I'll just put it in english and say they said it in whatever lang. So like for Kalos I just say they're speaking Kalosian lol

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I used to tell stories with 101 dalmatians, but the first I ever actually wrote was from Stargate SG-1, I was like 10ish, I didn't post it, it's long since been trashed, but I was obsessed with Carter/O'neil and wanted them to adopt Cassie (i think that was her name, it's been years since I watched that show), first published is probably x-men i remember writing phoenix's force fics and posting on fanfic, might have done a ginnyxdraco for harry potter. These would be on my old fanfic.net or possibly livejournal, i don't remember,

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I write all my fics for myself, so i really love them all, and go back and reread them often lol

Unfinished, Under the Alolan Sun and Blood Bank, those are my passion projects, I have fun writing them,

finished, either The Most Expansive Collection of Champion Red Merch in All of Kanto (probably one of my least angsty lol) or How to Beat Champion Red at Something (my silly little ficlet about Red being a picky eater, i just giggle when i reread it)

Ode to My Soulmate is also up there.

#bunny writes #this was fun #i like to pretend it's a panel and i'm being interviewed

[pondsphuwin]

for the ao3 wrapped: 1, 6, 12, 13, 20, 29, 30 and and and!!!! alright, i'll stop here for now haha. if that's too much, you can also just answer the ones that seem the most interesting to you 💙💙💙

my sea!!! 🥹🥹 you didn't have to send more, but thank you <33

How many words have you written this year?

according to ao3 i published 130,131 words this year but i've written a lot more since i don't post everything i write and i still have WIPs.

2. Favorite title you used

'i can't lost when i'm with you' since it's from a song i associate with gunwoojin. i listened to it on repeat to write the fic and i think it fits them perfectly!

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

at least five but tbh idk if i'm gonna finish even half of them. it all depends on my fickle muse lol

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

i want your fortress next to mine - started posting it in 2022 but i finished it this year. it's 44k words long and it's one of my fav fics i've ever written.

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

to be honest, i have no idea. i remember reading over the first chapter of 'a juxtaposition in fate' too many times until i was finally satisfied with it though.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

from you need a big god:

"Without wasting any more time, Seungho picks up a machete, stained with blood, off the floor and stabs the back of the nearest man. He does it again to the second man that’s directly on his way, tearing through them like they’re just obstacles. One after the other, Seungho slices through their flesh, stabs limbs and backs and slits throats. He punches and kicks when necessary, but he doesn’t care for etiquette right now.

He has to keep Euijeong safe. And Gicheul... He has to keep them both safe, his brain supplies. 

Blood splashes on his clothes (the white suit he knows belongs to Gicheul) until there’s no more white left. Everything is red. His clothes, his hands and, without a doubt, his face too. He can smell the blood, its pungent, almost sweet scent. And taste it too - thick and metallic on his lips, invading his mouth. 

Seungho’s left eye hurts from a punch he was too slow to dodge, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is getting to the two people he needs to protect. 

He leaves a trail of bodies behind him as he enters the main office. He can’t see neither Euijeong or Gicheul. All he registers are the men, these strangers, turned into foes by posing a threat to the woman he loves and the man he’s sworn his loyalty to.

Seungho hacks away at the thug's back with the machete over and over until he’s lying on the floor motionless. He doesn’t feel anything as he watches the men bleed out for a moment before moving on to the next. Later he’ll surely ask himself what has become of him. 

The answer precedes the question when he sinks his teeth into another thug’s flesh, ripping off part of his ear: an animal. 

A beast. 

And for what? He doesn’t even know anymore.

His job, sure. The one thing that he’s clung to since he was a teenager, while he watched his junkie of a father ruin his family. He didn’t want to be like him, he wanted to be good. And now look at him.

His body moves like it was made for this: maim, kill, tear through flesh and break bones. He’s a killing machine. He’s transformed into the very thing he’s vowed to fight against. Right in front of Euijeong’s eyes.

The cut on his hand doesn't hurt nearly as much as her look of utter shock. It's like something shatters between them and the shards cut into the deepest parts of him.

When their eyes meet through the glass, that’s when Seungho finally stops. And for a moment, finally, he’s Junmo again. He is the man that proposed to Euijeong inside a police car, who stumbled over his words as he asked her to date him instead of a ‘Seoul guy’. The man who made her laugh with his silly jokes and brought home her favorite dessert every Friday to cheer her up after a long week of work.

But this man, standing behind the glass, is no longer that man. He realizes that now. Even before Gicheul is by Euijeong’s side, in a way better state than Seungho is, holding her as he says something Seungho can’t make out.

That’s his wife. And Gicheul is touching her, looking at her like she is his. He notices the necklace around her neck and the fabric soaked in blood tied around her hand, and he thinks,  maybe she is . Maybe she belongs to him just as Seungho does."

this was easily my fav scene from the show so writing about junmo's thoughts here was really fun and i love how it turned out.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

that i can actually write canon compliant(ish) fics if i put some effort into it haha. still not my absolute fav thing to write but it's not as difficult as i thought it'd be.

#thank you soooo much for sending these babe love you <3 #fic talk #ask #sea ♡

[brzatto]

Hello! I'm the person who wrote the dissertation-length comment on chapter 2 of BCM. My essay of a comment probably speaks for itself but I really love your writing. I'm still thinking about your fic over a week later and reread your reply to my comment over and over. It took me a full evening to read chapter 2 because I would read a part, sit and think about it, then move to the next part. Even though the chapter was so long I was scared with each paragraph that it was going to end, I didn't want to stop reading. The ending was really satisfying, if the fic ended there it would be a lovely ending, but like I said in my original comment I'm so happy there's more to come. The ominous reply from you saying you might scrap what you've written and rewrite the ending nudged me to message you. I really hope you don't scrap what you've written so far! Even if it's not the direction you want the fic to go now, I think everyone would love to see the alternate ending if you're happy to share it in the event you don't use it for the fic. Kind of a "BCM 0.5" if you will. Everyone is begging for the porny carmrich writing so thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and beg for the alt. ending of BCM. xD

Also thank you for leaving such a long reply to my comment! I really liked hearing your thoughts about Carmy and Richie and would love to hear more about your writing process. Your fic was the first The Bear fic I ever read and it hasn't left my mind since I first read it back in December last year.

Sorry for another really long message I can't seem to stop typing once I start. xD

(p.s. you should post the carmrich pwp huhuhuhuhu)

of course i remember you! i always remember repeat commenters and i distinctly remember being at work when i got the email for the first comment you left me on bcm, it was a really lovely comment and it made my entire night.

i say this often to a lot of commenters but it really does mean so much to me that you enjoy my writing and it has that sort of effect on you!!! like more than you’ll ever know. i can count the number of times i’ve actually published works on ao3 on two hands and i’ve always gravitated towards rarepairs with nicher audiences in almost every fandom i’ve been in so the type of enthusiasm i’ve received so far with bcm is really genuinely touching. i always try my best to reciprocate the energy given to me in the comments i get but longer ones make me especially happy because i loooove discussing character analysis and dynamics with people and i’m always eager to know how other people interpret my characters and my writing! thanks for how much thought you put into all of your comments, i always look forward to reading what you have to say <3

as for the ending of bcm i don’t actually think i’ll fully be scrapping it, it’ll still end the same general way that i had in mind but i’ll probably end up rewriting/reworking it because a big chunk of the fic leading up to it is still unwritten and by the time i actually get close to the ending it probably won’t make much sense as it is currently word for word. i don’t normally write in chronological order, i write scenes out as they come to me (i usually envision climactic scenes very visually in my head and then write them out first lol) and then fill in the gaps/flesh out the storyline as i go. but since i got the idea for this fic and planned it out back before s2 came out and now s2 is out and canon’s been vastly expanded i’ll probably end up also borrowing some elements from s2 for my own storyline purposes just because if i’m being fully honest… i actually can’t tell you what ch3 of bcm and onwards is going to be like. i have vague notions of major plot points and the direction i want the story to take and fragments of later scenes in my docs but even as it stands now uncompleted bcm is the longest thing i’ve ever written (it’s 49k on ao3 and 60k in my docs) like… ever. i’m not used to finishing fics at all much less writing long fics (if bcm would count as one) so this is all very much new territory for me but everyone’s support and encouraging really helps keep me engaged and on track! including yours 🤍 in the event that the ending does drastically depart from what i’ve originally envisioned for it i probably will upload the alt ending separately. i’ve also sort of toyed with the idea of writing some scenes out from richie’s pov but if anything that’ll be something that comes much much later.

#this is so very very sweet it put a real big smile on my face as all your comments have <3 #it’s so crazy to me how much bcm has progressed since i first got the idea for it back when i first watched the show back in… last august? #something like that #i’m also very agonizingly and painstakingly perfectionistic which is why chaps are so long + updates take forever 🥴 #but it really makes me so happy that my works have resonated with you and stayed in your mind all these months #maybe i will post the pwp. as a little treat for everyone who’s had to wait 7mos for this update #ask

[muzzlemouths]

I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ACTUALLY.

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know

You've already answered this one, but if you're comfortable with it I'd love to hear about/compare experiences, and if not, you can just skip this one or tell us about the scariest thing you've read/written, if you're cool with that? - 🪲

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?

If any of these are too serious/boring/personal/etc. feel free to skip them or substitute in a question you like better, and have a lovely night Muzz!! - 🪲

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

Don't show anyone an excerpt before the project is named. Can't tell you exactly why this one has me by the throat like it does, but I simply Will Not share any snippets or screenshots if the wip it's from doesn't have at least a working title yet, or the entire project feels "cheated on", somehow. Please release me from this curse.

9. Do you believe in ghosts? [Extended edition]

I'm going to answer this in a separate post because it'll take over the entirety of this one if I let it lmao

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

I don't write in margins mostly because I write in Big Ass Letters and they'd take up the whole space. My English teacher hated it lol. As for dog earring, I do that with my journals all the time, but with actual books I'll use the closest flat object as a bookmark instead. I don't take baths so that last one's not an issue for me! But I'd probably avoid it anyways just out of anxiety tbh. No shame if you do though!

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You guys have organization methods???

Okay, in all seriousness, there is no method. I have a gdrive folder for each of my wips and that's about as organized as it gets. Sometimes I have a "notes" document and sometimes those notes are just comments in the doc themselves and sometimes it's just the thought in parentheses that I have to remember to take out later. Some of those notes are from years prior or are old/outdated and I could remove them but I just don't.

Sometimes random scenes or lines or notes will jump into my head and I'll write them down in a notes app or someplace random and then it'll get buried or forgotten about. Sometimes I'll write scenes or excerpts and name them funny titles and those docs don't get put in their respective gdrive folder so when I need them months down the line I have to remember a sentence that was written and punch that into the search bar to see what comes up. It's hell. I have no plans to change.

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?

I love a lot of poetry but this one from @nutnoce is on my mind constantly

As for books, I could write you entire essays about how Wintergirls changed my life (and if you're looking for the inspiration behind my entire writing style, this is it)

Fanfiction is a little harder to pinpoint. I love a lot of fics and I've come across some really breathtaking ones, but the fic I always return to is one I can't recall the name of, and which no longer exists. It was posted on an old forum website long before AO3 existed and I discovered it mere days before the entire site shut down, so I've never been able to find it again.

That said, the plot of that fic was a character coming to the realization of being trans and running away from home to Who Knows Where, and this one line from it had, and always will, haunt me to my core:

"The highway yawned endlessly forward, an outstretched hand, a familiar stranger, he was exhausted by the introduction and the time and time again he'd been made to greet it alone. The wheel under his sweaty palms offered no more control than the act of waking up every fucking day and dressing a body he didn't recognize."

#thank you for the asks bug!! #I'll get to that haunted house one in a sec #Man I miss that fic... it ALSO had a big hand in my writing style (if you couldn't tell) #really really breathtaking. life changing even #I wish I had the chance to read it again

[taegularities]

Hello, lovely Rid 💕💕

I'm here to ramble to you about your ramble in response to my ramble lmao.

First of all, we really do think alike apparently, because I also checked the wordcount of my feedback before sending it and it's probably the longest one I've ever written and will ever write. Even without all of the quotes it's like over 2k words, I really don't know how to shut up 😭😭😭

Thank you so much for taking so much care to write such a thoughtful response, Rid 🥺🥺🥺 I always love reading your responses to feedback, and not only my own, because everyone points out different things and you give even more insight into the story and your writing process. I can just read about your stories forever, even when it comes to commentary about them.

I watched the mv for 'when you're gone' and I totally agree with you that that scene matches OC's mood in the beginning of the chapter very well 😔😔😔 It also matches the way I was reading the Valentine’s day drabble, smiling at how adorable they were when I knew how we left off in cmi6. I've said it before but I'll say it again, the thing that hurts the most is knowing how happy they're able to make each other and seeing how they're now hurting each other instead 😭😭😭

Also about the rambling to my sister lmao. Cmi is the first fic I've properly talked to her about (she reads fanfic too, just not bts ones) and I was fully ranting to her about how Jungkook was keeping everything in and trying to be strong until he couldn't anymore, and now he's ignoring OC, I don't think I've ever ranted so much even about a real life person lmao. I might have not painted him in the best light because of how mad I was though 😔😔😔 But I probably will just ramble about how cute he is to her later on when everything works out 😌😌😌

Also also everyone has been adding onto the sadness and angst here and I don't know how they do it, because every time I even think about OC with someone else or just them being even sadder I want to cry lmao. But I still love reading everybody adding to the chaos, I can't lie.

Last but definitely not least, I feel like I haven't properly checked in on you in a few days, so how are you doing, Rid? 🥺🥺🥺

I MISSED YOU (she says after just 2 days lol), honestly, i was gonna shoot you an ask today lmao but since you're here, i can just say it now: i hope you're doing well! how's school going? &lt;3

2k even without the quotes? i don't deserve you fr 😭 no but seriously, i copied it into a doc, and thought, kay, must be around 2k, like all of it (which is already a lot) BUT 5.7K.... and it was like 10 pages long !! i went "awwh" out loud 😭

and thank you 🥺 i was even thinking of making a smol commentary one day, when i've got the time, bc i could talk about them forever 😭 i really love reading everyone's reviews and theories, bc sometimes it makes me rethink things that i didn't consider even while writing.

ikr? i spent my teenage years crying to 'when you're gone', and i kinda remembered the song when you pointed out that 'he can be comfort even now' bit :( and you're actually so right. might argue that it hurts even more to relate it to the vday drabble.. especially, considering what's still to come.

hahaha i get it 😭 after that chapter, it was hard to hold a high opinion of him, bc he did kinda fuck up :// but yes, i promise you, there are gonna be scenes and chapters that are so fluffy, it'll be almost disgusting, really. it's so cute that you ranted about it to your sister hahaha i really love that you're so invested 🥺

I KNOW! it's amazing how everyone was ready to jail me for all the angst... yet, they keep coming up with scenarios and songs that break me for good 😂 i wasn't as much in pain when i posted the chapter as i am now hahahah

ahh i'm okay, ivi, thank you for asking! i think the biggest reason for my bleh mood was that i'm... very bored. i've been feeling pretty unproductive since i took this super long break after graduation and quit my last job. which is why i'm lowkey excited (but also very scared lol) to start my semester next week and my job in may! will join you in your academic misery hahah but yeah. i'll be busier, but i'm looking forward to it, bc i do like being busy! hope you're all good, too 🥺🤍

#i LOVE the chaos everyone adds to <3 #and i love you !! <3 #notes for rid 🌹 #ivi <3 #fic: colour me in #long ask

[internerdionality]

Question game! Tagged by @dragonmuse and @thetardigrape 💕🙏🏻😊

if you're a writer and you see this, consider yourself tagged if you want!

Do you write in order?

Nope. Frequently quite the opposite. I tend to start with the climactic scenes of a fic, the big emotional cruxes, and then figure out how to get the characters there.

There's definitely exceptions, especially when writing more humorous or lighthearted fics, and I've been experimenting more in the last year with posting works-in-progress, which requires writing much more sequentially than I used to!

WDYDWADS and A Fucking Duel, my most popular fics so far, each started with a very cracky premise and I had no clear idea where I was going when I started with them. I had the occasional out of order moment—I've been sitting on the next chapter I'll be posting of WDYDWADS since July, because I wrote it and then realized a bunch of other stuff needed to happen first, and the third chapter of A Fucking Duel was written before the second. But mostly they were written in order and I posted up each chapter before finishing the next.

But my longer fics like Soaked to the Skin and Mutually Beneficial were written much more chaotically. Chapters 17 & 18 of Soaked to the Skin have some of the earliest scenes I wrote for that verse. It's been a bit longer since I wrote Mutually Beneficial, so I don't remember the exact order, but I know that the moment in Chapter 14 where Clark goes to his knees was the first one I envisioned and one of the earliest ones I wrote.

How fully formed does your writing come out the first try?

I tend to think over the scenes first, and then workshop sentences and paragraphs as I'm writing them, so it depends what you mean by "first try." Most of the time, the fic as you would read it after my first fully written draft is pretty close to the final version. It's just fine-tuning after that, unless something isn't working.

However, sometimes something isn't working, and then it can change a lot. For example, the aforementioned Chapters 17 & 18 of Soaked to the Skin were originally one chapter, and all from the Lucius' POV. After I'd written a bunch of the rest of the fic, I realized that we desperately needed to see what Izzy was thinking during it, so I ended up splitting it in two, expanding both parts, and flipping the POV in the second half. That doesn't happen to me very often, but pretty much every longfic I've written has at least one chapter that ended up getting overhauled, sometimes multiple times. The one I tend to remember with agony is Chapter 9 of Welcome to the Mouth of Hell (please mind the tags if you follow that link)—I actually swapped out one of the major characters in that scene twice before finally figuring out how to make it work.

How many drafts do you go through?

Well, that depends on what you consider a draft, lol. The longer and more serious the fic is, the more I tend to pore over it. I also tend to reread and fine-tune earlier chapters of a longfic to get back into the right mindset before writing more, so chapters written earlier may end up getting fiddled with a lot more than later chapters. But it's all a pretty incremental process, so I don't usually have multiple "drafts" of the entire fic in the way I did when turning in assignments in school.

If we're counting every time the text changes as a different draft, though—at least two? At the very least, I'll write out a fic in Google Docs, import it into AO3, and read it over again in the rich text editor, looking for import errors and fine-tuning as I go. I think the most I've ever gone over a chapter before posting it is probably around ten times? I do also reread over my old, posted work sometime (especially the smut, that's why I write smut!), and I'll fix typos and fine-tune sentences even years later if I notice them.

So an old smut like A Private Nightmare... and Fantasy, I've probably gone through three or four "drafts" since it was originally posted. As far as drafts that are substantially different from each other though, the record is three, for that chapter linked above.

Tell me about your process.

Well, I think I covered a lot of it as I blathered on through the previous answers! I tend to seize on something that seems important or interesting (preferably both!) to me, whether it's a dynamic between two people that I couldn't get out of my heard, or a piece of emotional growth that I went through and want to model, or exploring a sexual kink or orientation that resonated with me, just a particular premise that I thought was funny! (Or well, sometimes it's just 'write the smut you want to see in the world'...)

I usually try to have at least the broad strokes of what I'm going to write worked out before I start, although as mentioned previously, there are exceptions! With longer fics, I write outlines—I'll use the heading feature of Google Docs to lay out the main beats, then block out how many chapters I think I'll need, usually with a little summary of what I'm trying to do with each one.

I get somewhat overly married to (what I think are) clever story structures sometimes—for example, the alternating POVs in Soaked to the Skin, or each chapter of A Fucking Duel aligning to a number in The 10 Duel Commandments. I have one outlined WIP that using a four-person rotating POV. We'll, ahh, see how that goes if I ever start actually writing it.

#ask answered #writing mechanics #a blatant excuse to plug all my favorite fics #thanks vera!

[foxymoxynoona]

You have so many different writing projects going on right now! Do you prefer to be writing lots of different stories at the same time or to focus only on a couple at once? How do you compartmentalize each set of characters/storylines to keep them all true to your vision? It seems like so many different personalities and dynamics to keep track of!

Oh geez I'm sorry this is so long.

When I was younger I worked on like a million things at once and never finished anything. Then I went through a phase where I just focused on mainly one thing, and anything else I started got abandoned, but that eventually led to burnout, so I did the "write a million things that never finish" thing again. My brain is always so full of ideas, it's really easy to go that path but it doesn't lead to me finishing anything so that's not great.

When I first started posting, I committed to two stories and really just focused on those two --I alternated them and posted a chapter a day for about three months. That was a crazy speed but it was fun! I felt like I could add a few more to the loop then so I started I think 3-4 stories after that , and since then I've settled into this cadence that seems to work best for me now, where I have like 3-5 things in actual progress at any given time and I rotate through them. I find it helps me take a step back and then return with fresh eyes and fresh mind each chapter after I've rotated through updating the other things, but not so much later that I've forgotten everything. I'm learning through trial and error that 5 active writing projects seems to be my sweet spot, so that's why I've paused some things until I finish others.

I do write down other things (story ideas, conversations that come to me for a chapter that isn't my foucs yet, etc.) during that time if they come to me even if my workload is full, so actually most of the things in my queue and planning columns on trello have at least a few paragraphs written. But I only let myself write as much as I feel really compelled to at the moment, make my notes, then resume working on the chapter I'm supposed to. It's like one foot in front of the other, I guess, rather than just chasing and then fizzling out with a too-bright burst of inspiration for one thing. And it creates a sort of nice feedback loop too I think, because every time I finish a chapter I can feel done and accomplished and move back to a fresh thing.

I guess it is a lot to mentally juggle but I actually haven't really struggled to keep them straight! I don't know, I think each story is just so unique and distinct in my mind, even when sometimes my stories are sort of different variations of a theme. The characters are distinct, even when it's multiple versions of JK or something. I do compare/contrast characters a lot against each other, so that might help them feel more like real people and not hazy blobs that can get mixed up. Some of the longer stories though, I do sometimes have to go back and search to confirm details. Occasionally a continuity error sneaks in ;)

Oh and it's uesful to know, I do have tons of planning and resouce docs to help keep things straight too. For every story I usually have some combo of the following:

Notes file: things to cover, important details to remember, links to resources, ideas that don't anywhere yet, questions to answer, etc.

Rough chapter outline

People file

Chronological timeline

Plus more detailed planning in the writing file itself

A posting file where I copy-paste the writing, edit it there, and then post that version

Hope that helps! I never know if it's interesting to know my process haha but I know I like hearing other people talk about theirs, so hopefully this was interesting!

#asks #anonymous #mywriting #writing tips #writing advice