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dulcesiabits · 7 months

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genuine question what did you do in order to get so much attn and stuff on fics? like writing skills aside cause obvs you're really talented but is it like the way you tag stuff or did you join networks or smth?? cause no matter how hard i try my stuff doesn't really get notes🥲

Hi!!! I'm going to be honest and say that getting attention to your writing is a combination of a lot of different factors, but a majority of it boils down to luck. Success, too, looks differently for each person, so what does it look like to you? What does engagement mean? 50 likes? 100 likes? A heartfelt anon ask?

But don't feel bad if you don't think you're getting any notes! It's not a reflection on your writing skills at all. When I was just starting out, it took me a while to gain attention. However, I can give you a breakdown of how I, at least, think gaining traction works! I have been writing for a long time now. Under the cut for length.

1). Time. This may not be the most immediately helpful advice to you, but I've had this blog for four years. I've had time to establish myself as a writer and gain followers. That means people "know" or "recognize" me, and though I wouldn't say I'm popular (that is hard to gauge, after all), that does mean I have had time to establish myself. If you're a newer writer, then you've had less time to build that sort of credibility or rapport than an older blog has. Also, sometimes it takes a while for a piece to kick off! A lot of my posts have accumulated notes over the years, not just all at once.

2). Networks/mutuals. I'm not in any networks (though I have considered joining some), and I'm a bit of a private person, but it does help to talk to other writers. I can't verify for networks and how helpful they are, but I can verify making friends with other writers and interacting with them. If nothing else, having the support and being able to support people with similar interests as you is really sweet! It means you don't feel like you're writing alone in a void, and I personally treasure my writing friends dearly. Bouncing ideas off of other people is super fun!

3). Tagging. I don't think I tag my fics in a particular way, but it is nice to have consistent tags, so readers know what to look for, and can easily filter out the writing they do or don't want to see. So, I have a general writing tag ("liya writes"), but I also tag things like "character x reader" and "character name." I would recommend that you only tag things that are relevant to your fic, if only for courtesy. Trying to boost your fic by adding unrelated tags might see like a good idea, but it will be inconvenient for other people who, for example, didn't want to see a Childe fic in the Diluc tag, and turn people off from your writing.

4). Formatting. This may seem like a small thing, but I think the appearance of your writing is important. Do you have a consistent theme or organization? Do you have summary, word count, warnings, and the name of the characters who appear in the fic? Most importantly, if it's a long fic, do you have it under a read more? How is the writing itself separated? Bullet points? Paragraphs? Is it easy to read, or is it one long block with no differentiation? A pop of color never hurts, either! I personally keep my posts simple, with blue and pink dividers for a bit of color, and all the necessary information at the very top of the fic. Consistency and ease of reading are important to consider! Is this something that attracts a reader's eye?

5). Promoting. How do you promote your fics? This falls under a similar vein as "tagging" and "networks/mutuals," too. Sometimes it's good to reblog your own fic at different points of time, so followers who are new or don't dig around in your masterlist can see it! And sometimes, having other people (especially writers) reblog your work can give it the exposure it needs! I would warn against asking writers to reblog your work, though, especially if you don't know them, just out of courtesy. I might ask my friend to reblog a piece if I don't feel confident it'll do well, but I would never ask a complete stranger who I don't know.

6). Posting time. When do you post your fics? Weekend? Weekday? Afternoon, or night? I think there is a particular time when people are on tumblr the most, so it might be helpful to look those statistics up to maximize the coverage your writing receives. Time zones are something to keep in mind, too. Additionally, are you posting when the fandom is at peak popularity, or are you posting after hype has died off? The engagement you receive also depends on how much people are into the current fandom you're in.

7). Content. What sort of fandoms do you write for? Are they older fandoms, newer ones, smaller ones, or bigger ones? Who do you write for? Popular characters? Less-known ones? You might find less engagement with a smaller fandom, or a less popular character. Additionally, what do you write? Longer fics? Headcanons? Drabbles? I think, in general, that longer pieces might take off a bit more slowly, but tend to linger more, but short pieces will explode immediately, but might not be something people come back to as much. This is only because of the length of time it takes to read, and different readers are attracted to different formats.

8). Luck. And no matter how well you follow all the rest of my advice, there's still a chance your writing might not take off. Again, that's nothing on you, but more so to do with the fact that engagement is ultimately unpredictable. There's no set way to predict what sort of writing your potential audience will resonate with you. I'm sure plenty of writers can tell you about fics that they laboriously poured over, only to receive no comments on it at all. On the other hand, sometimes posts blow up when you didn't expect them to!

I'm not going to tell you that notes don't matter; after all, it's not wrong to want engagement or acknowledgement over your craft. We post things online for a reason. But it is important to ask yourself what you ultimately want out of sharing your writing: do you want a community? To connect with others? For clout? To hone a skill? Or just for fun? Maybe there's a variety of reasons you post. I can't say tell you how to feel, and there is no "wrong" reason to want to write. But notes also aren't everything, and I hope you have enjoy what you're doing at the end of the day!

#liya answers #i think its helpful to solidify your own goals around writing! what do you want out of it? what is success? what are your goals?#and my controversial opinion is that idgaf if people write for clout #just like its fine to want notes. nothing wrong with wanting attention #like i take writing 100% seriously but not everyone does and thats ok #its still valuable that are people are trying to learn a new skill and practice a very fun craft #do i have some writing pet peeves? yes...#but i mind my business at the end of the day #maybe with minor complaining to my friends. LOL

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an-abyss-of-stars · 1 year

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More Rhaemond babies content!!

The Many Faces Of:

Daemion Targaryen & Aelyx Targaryen

Daemion and Aelyx are the second and third born children of Rhaena and Aemond (these babies will probably join us around chapters 12 or 13, maybe sooner or later). Twin boys who were born 4 minutes apart from one another...Aelyx was a tad bit unexpected. Daemion's eyes are a bit more of a "classic Targaryen" violet, in my canon he literally inherited his namesake, grandpappy Daemon's violet eyes. While Aelyx inherited his mama's pale violet eyes. They were both born with golden blonde hair that would pale over time, but would still remain golden. Facially they are very identical, but they do have their slight differences (I'm thinking they both look more like a perfect mix of both Rhaena and Aemond, like neither favour either parent more or less than the other.)

Daemion (named after his grandpa Daemon, how Rhaena convinced Aemond to let her name one of their kids after her father is a plot line that WILL be shown 😂) was always the more chaotic of the two. He was louder, bolder and far more sociable (slight parallel to how Baela is compared to Rhaena!). As much as he loved pulling pranks on the staff at Dragonstone he also liked befriending the staff as well. He was a little charmer, and unlike Vaella he knew how to genuinely charm people to get what he wanted.

He had a very active imagination and always had energy to burn, though unlike his father or his elder sister, he didn't have the patience to sit and focus on things. He loved hearing about his family's history, he just couldn't be asked to sit and study it. He liked fooling around with swords and weapons, but he couldn't be asked to truly pay attention and train properly (I imagine he's got medieval ADHD to a certain degree)

Daemion loves his twin brother a lot and he's always done his best to make sure Aelyx felt included in his adventures. But Daemion also really loves and looks up to his older sister, she seemed invincible to him and he wanted to be just like her. Whether she was pulling off an incredible prank, flying his dragon for the first time, learning something he wasn't supposed to be taught just yet...he always wanted to do what she was doing.

Aelyx on the other hand was the complete opposite. He was a lot quieter, a bit more awkward and soft spoken, and was not really fond of social situations. When he was a toddler, he would run crying to his mama for every little thing, she was his favourite person and she always made him feel safe. During a time when she wasn't available (NOT SPOILING THIS PLOTLINE), Aelyx had found himself needing his papa instead, and Aemond easily decided to clear his day to bond with his quiet son.

Aelyx liked reading on his own or being read to by his parents, he could often be found in the library with his nose tucked in a book. He liked snuggling with his mama, and he liked listening to Vaella's dramatic tales and storytelling. He liked conversing with his papa in Valyrian and properly training with him in the mornings with Vaella, he especially liked sitting on his grandpappy's lap and listening to his old battle stories (he and Daemion usually did that together!).

But he also loved his twin brother Daemion over all else, he wasn't the biggest fan of pranks or shenanigans, but he enjoyed tagging along with his two older siblings. Whether they were pranking the maids or servants, sneaking around cooks to steal sweets, or attempting to sneak past the dragon-keepers or trying to get closer to the dragon mount. Aelyx may never have initiated any these endeavours but he'd happily let Daemion drag him along for them.

Daemion's dragon egg would hatch in his crib, the egg itself had been from a clutch of Syrax and Caraxes (his favourite dragon was his grandpappy's Caraxes). He'd name his dragon Meraxes both after the Goddess of the sky, but also because in their culture she'd been Caraxes' twin and he was very fond of that. Aemond would later jest and try to sway his son to maybe appreciate the history of how Meraxes was also the great Queen Rhaenys' former mount, and while Daemion did like that, he was very fond of Rhaenys from the histories, Rhaena knew having a dragon who was the hatchling of his grandfather's is what meant the most to their son.

Meraxes takes after her mother, in that she's a glorious horned dragoness, a deep burgundy toned red that shimmers iridescent in the sunlight and moonlight. with golden horns.

When Daemion is 8yrs of age and Meraxes had grown to a ride-able size he sneaked off with Vaella to ride their respective dragons (I think Vaella will claim Grey Ghost, I think I've decided! Let's say she claimed him when she was around 7 or 8 herself.) Rhaena was more worried than upset, but she's reminded by Aemond how Vaella had done the same just a few years ago. But seeing how he can't simply let the kids off completely, they both earn two sessions of early morning training as their punishment (a punishment that's really only upsetting to Daemion because Vaella loves training...she doesn't like waking up early though, so maybe that's the punishment part.)

Aelyx's dragon egg on the other hand, while it had hatched in his crib like his brother's...the poor hatchling had not lived long enough to bond with baby Aelyx. He'd receive another egg when he's 2 or 3, from a clutch from Silverwing and Vermithor, but the egg would never hatch. Even though he'd be assured by his ENTIRE family, his parents, his grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and even his old sister, that he'd be able to claim a dragon when the time was right...he still felt excluded and upset about it.

In all his years he'd go on countless rides with his father and siblings (and others family members!), but finally at the age of 16, he'd sneak out alone. He felt a call to him, deep in the volcanic mounts of Dragonstone, and there he found Sheepstealer, and a bond would be made.

The moment he claimed his dragon, he flew to King's Landing first, beaming with excitement he wanted his grandfather to be the first to know. And of course, Daemon was very proud. (He also figured he'd earn a lecture and a punishment from his parents for sneaking into the very dangerous volcanic mounts of Dragonstone by himself at night...so grandpa Daemon seemed the best bet at the time!)

Daemion would grow to be a very blatant charming flirt. Vaella, Aelyx, and their three younger siblings would always make fun of him for it. Because he was truly a charmer, he'd never force any girl, he had impeccable manners, but he'd end up with loads of young maids hoping and thinking that he felt more them, than he actually did. It only got worse when courting seasons began, and young women began falling for him left and right! Between the ages of 17 - 22, Daemion was a menace leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him in his wake.

That is until a certain cousin/fellow Targaryen caught his eye (I'm thinking possibly one of Baela's and Jace's daughters, OR Luke and Daenaera's OR maybe even Jaehaera...ouuu older woman kink. Either way, Daemion seems VERY Targ cultured to me, like accidentally so very. He's his father's son, in that he's going for a Valyrian bride at the end of the day! 😂)

By the time he's grown into a young man, he is a relatively skilled sword fighter, though he's far better with a morningstar or an axe than a sword. He and Meraxes are an inseparable bond and he's a great dragon rider. Daemon loves annoying Aemond by that praising his namesake grandson only grew up so well because of his name (grown men Aemond and Daemon still 100% act like children with eachother and I think that's part of their father-in-law/son-in-law charm!)

Aelyx had also grown to become a handsome young man (he doesn't know it or get it, but the noble girls of the Kingdom are very attracted to him...even some of the noblemen, the sexually fluid noblemen of Westeros are very attracted to both twins honestly), but he'd always remain a far more silent brooding type (much like his father). As he'd gotten older, he'd actually gravitate towards his father a lot, spending countless hours flying and training with him, as well speaking of histories and conversing in Valyrian. As he got older he'd spar with Vaella (and another sibling!) a lot, the two being the best sword fighters of all the children (debatable as there are some other kids coming who are quite good too! But I still think Vaella and Aelyx are the technical best).

Aelyx would also grow to be his younger siblings favourite tutor, when they weren't taking lessons with their maesters, they always wanted Aelyx to read to them because he always had the most patience compared to Vaella or Daemion.

When courting seasons begin, he's not as fond of it as Daemion (and another sibling!) is. He keeps to the edge of the dance floor with Vaella (he hates the social outings themselves, while Vaella could just care less for dances or court etiquette, she's well versed in both...she just doesn't care for them. He's also well versed in both, he just has anxiety and hates the attention/feeling crowded) but they're both always constantly asked to dance by noblemen and noblewomen.

I think Aelyx marries a tad bit outside the family, maybe still Valyrian -esque features wise but maybe like a Celtigar girl or someone from Lys or Volantis. Maybe a Velaryon cousin! Or maybe truly outside the family, like a Stark or Lannister, Tully or Grejoy, Baratheon...who knows! Aelyx is a bit of a wild card to me ✨

❃ ❃ ❃

Just like with Vaella's, this was just a fun little addition I wanted to share! I have created the art for ALL 6 children, every once in awhile I'll drop their little life bios as fun little bonus content! I'm also going to start linking them together at the bottom of these posts for convenience and or anyone who later on wants to check the full set!

Sidenote: if I ever do make that Part 3 to this series, then don't mind me if some of these details change when I do get to writing it. These are just my main initial thoughts for these characters now. But if I ever go into more depth with them, things might alter just a tad!

Rhaemond kids in order:

Vaella Targaryen (135 AC), Daemion Targaryen & Aelyx Targaryen (137 AC), Valaena Targaryen (138 AC), Naerys Targaryen (139 AC), baby #6 & #7 (142 AC), baby #8 & #9 (153 AC)

#aemond x rhaena #rhaena x aemond #rhaena targaryen #aemond targaryen #rhaemond #hotd fic #hotd fanfic #rhaemond kids #he saw her at daybreak #HSHAD #y'all I'm on a minor hiatus so this is my sprinkling of content for the week!!#I'm actually working on a Rhaemond one-shot at the moment to try and like detach my mind from my current fics #so I can head back to them with a clearer head #with some actual ideas and INSPIRATION! LMAO #anywayssss the twins are so fun!! they're chaotic and I love them!!#I also love how Daemion and Vaella are actually the chaotic pair #Aelyx has been and continues to mind his own business!#hope this was a fun addition/aside!!

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