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azuretl · 2 months

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Obey Me! The Comic

I wanted to write a bit about my experiences and working on the Obey Me! Manga!!! It’d be fun to dive into the process and challenges and just overall experience.

Read more under the cut!

Sooooo I first found out about seven seas licensing it when they announced it on their Twitter. I emailed my project manager and told her that I worked on the game some years ago! (I was translating events and phone messages and updates through an agency. I don’t remember exactly which events I got to do now, but I think I translated the bunny costume cards and event… one of the mammon birthday events… a Christmas one… and many many others!! Getting the OM job was how I was introduced to them!)

So, I was put on the project. I still remembered a lot of rules and regulations about the boys and their speech style and personalities, AND I was still playing Nightbringer at the time, so it wasn’t hard for me to pick this up. (Thank goodness I also kept all of my notes!)

This manga was a lot different from the previous manga work I’ve done…mainly because it’s based on a game and used a lot of text from the game.

There are two routes we can take when we work on works that have previously translated and published content. We can either retranslate everything from scratch, or…we dive into the translated content and try to stick as closely to it as possible.

I always prefer option 2, because in the eyes or the reader/fans, that’s what they’re most familiar with. There are legal issues with that sometimes, so not everyone is given that luxury… but luckily I was able to for this book.

I cracked open my Obey Me! game and diligently went through the first few lessons

I don’t think I’m allowed to show my script, but every time the book used lines from the game, I’d copy it from the game and highlight it, making a comment to the editor about exactly which lesson it’s from so that the editor will know that these are direct lines from the game.

The whole reason I bothered doing this (and it takes way more time pulling lines than translating the text myself btw) is because I thought, as a fan, seeing the familiar text would feel more welcoming. If I was a reader, I’d feel so happy and I might even start comparing the game and the book just to see the same text… because this is the Obey Me world, made for the fans and for the people. If the Japanese audience got to experience the same text as it’s pulled from the game, then the English audience should too…at least, that’s how I felt!

A bit about the translation process… once the script is handed in, I have little to no idea about how much of that script ends up in the final product. So for this title, I had SO MANY NOTES to the editor to tell them about things that can’t be changed (example- The Great Mammon is mammon’s way of addressing himself. Don’t change that!! And there’s mammon’s iconic yell- d’aaaah!). I took a quick flip through volume 1 and I’m really glad the editors kept what needed to be kept and did an absolutely fantastic job with this title! 💕💕💕

I’ve been wanting to write something about OM for a while, but it took a really long time for the company to send me copy of the book 😅

But this is actually because they had very limited copies left… I guess it sold really well?!?! I never had a book with this issue before…

So to end this blog post off, I want to thank all of you for purchasing the book and supporting OM!! Thank you so much for loving this world…and I’m always so honored to be able to bring some of that to the western world.

Keep loving the boys ❤️ and please look forward to the next few volumes!!

Ending this iconically with Mammon’s sexy ass 💕

#obey me #manga #translation #obey me the comic #localization

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secretmellowblog · 3 months

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Hi! From your posts and comments, you know a lot abput the different translations of Les Mis. The one that I have is Wilbour, which I like the most of the ones I’ve encountered, in terms of wording and writing style; are there any issues with it I should be aware of? As people following Les Mis Letters comment on the original French, I’ve noticed a couple things missing, or bits where the translation seems less clear than in some others versions. What are your thoughts on this translation?

Wilbour is a great translation! It's the first English translation of Les Mis, but has many errors because it was published very quickly after the publication of the original novel. The most common criticism I've heard of Wilbour is that it's extremely stodgy and old-fashioned, even compared to Hugo's language; Wilbour often adapts the sentence structure of French very literally in ways that can read awkwardly or not completely correctly in English. But! I've heard he also captures the poetry and feeling of the language better than Hapgood, though, when it comes to 19th century translations. I believe Wilbour was the first translation I read, and if Hapgood weren't the most easily accessible on the Gutenberg it might be my translation of choice! He and Hapgood also cut sentences here and there but don't rise to the level of massive deliberate censorship, the way other 19th century translators like Wraxall do. The only serious error i remember Wilbour making is in Combeferre's speech at the barricade, where he discusses how women are left behind by society. Combeferre says "Women, we are not much given to thinking about them." But Wilbour mistranslates this as "women are not much given to thought" which is the EXACT opposite sentiment to the one Combeferre expresses XD. If you want a "more accurate" version of Wilbour that fixes the errors he made while translating at an unhealthy pace in a time before the internet existed-- the Fahnestock McAfee translation is meant as an updated version of Wilbour that corrects his errors! However, they occasionally "correct" things he didn't get wrong. For example, there's a moment where Javert boasts "I have claws like a woman" but FMA mistranslates it as "you have claws like a woman." Like, FMA is wrong and Wilbour is right there- Javert is just a strange little guy. For a translation comparison: here's a comparison of how various Les Mis translators handle Les Amis's introductory chapter, "A Group Which Barely Missed Becoming Historic!" You can contrast Wilbour with other translators here to see the general way he approaches things in comparison to other translators ^_^.

#les mis #les mis letters #wilbour #translation

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lutiaslayton · 6 months

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Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

ＰＡＲＴ　１５

〚ＦＩＲＳＴ〛〚ＰＲＥＶ〛〚ＮＥＸＴ〛

Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation for the Japan-exclusive novellisation of the movie Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. The original novel was written by Aya Matsui under the supervision of Akihiro Hino, and belongs to Level-5.

This translation only aims to be a pleasant read for non-Japanese fans, nothing more: I made a few deliberate changes while translating in order to get the writing style closer to what is usually found in English fanfictions, as the Japanese storytelling can sometimes be different than what we are used to.

☆ Melina Whistler

Yes…

I could remember it clearly.

The unparalleled sense of fear, of entrapment and desolation, when I was sent into the body of someone else…

I looked for a place to hide, but there was nowhere to.

Everything was cold… I could hardly breathe.

I couldn’t stay here! Please, someone let me out!

I screamed desperately, but no one could hear me.

I kept pleading to someone I couldn’t see.

Please, I don’t want to stay here either. But I can’t leave. I have to stay here…

“Melina—Is that you, Melina?”

I had heard a familiar voice.

I could hear… or rather, I could feel it.

I couldn’t see her, but I knew that Janice was close by.

“Janice…?”

“Melina! This is incredible. I can’t believe you are so close to me…”

“I’m sorry, Janice! I shouldn’t be here. I’ll disappear right now… Somehow, I’ll find a way to do that!”

“No, you can’t!”

“Janice!?”

“I’ve just found you again… Do you realise how much I missed you? How much I missed my best friend while you were gone…”

“But, Janice…”

“It’s okay, Melina… I can’t let you go on like this.”

Suddenly, I had felt something shifting.

The sense of fear and desolation disappeared…

“Janice!”

Her voice was moving away.

“This isn’t just for you. This is also for me. Melina, you may not understand, but the grief and suffering of those left behind is so strong…”

I know, Janice…

I had felt Papa’s grief and pain even after I had lost my body…

“You have to understand, Melina. Losing my best friend not once, but twice, would surely break my heart…”

Before I knew it, I was slowly becoming familiar with Janice’s body, as if guided by the waves of the sea.

I had been spoiled by her heartfelt friendship…

At that moment…

The sound of slow clapping brought me back to reality.

It was Descole. The man who had used Papa’s love for me to draw him into his evil ways…

“Excellent. I did not realise that the memory copying had been successful… So congratulations, Whistler, you’ve achieved your goal.”

It was no wonder that you hadn’t noticed, Descole. Someone like you would never understand Janice’s kindness, or the nobility of sacrificing oneself in order to keep others alive.

“Oh, oh my God…”

Poor Papa… He was completely confused.

I looked straight into his eyes. Papa… I needed him to understand my feelings.

“At some point, I started to realise that this was wrong. I can’t live my life at the expense of my friend.”

I told him my honest thoughts.

“It was you who wrote to me, wasn’t it?”

Professor Layton…

I… No, we both wrote that letter. Janice’s voice had become inaudible to me, but our hearts were still communicating.

“It was the right choice to choose you, Professor. I thought you would be able to stop Papa… Just like I wanted him to stop.”

Isn’t that right, Janice?

It was just as you told me before.

“There is no puzzle that Professor Layton can’t solve, Melina.”

“I can’t stay in her body forever… But as long as this device exists, Papa will continue to copy my memories.”

“Melina…”

Papa’s eyes… They were looking at me, not at Janice.

“I had heard a lot about the Professor from Janice. She admired you so much…”

I’m sorry, Janice… I said it.

As soon as you gave me your life, I had realised how much the professor meant to you…

When I first met him on the Crown Petone, I made my most cherished memories. The times when he solved puzzles… That time when we were talking on the beach… That time when we were riding that makeshift helicopter that we had built… I was never alone.

Papa’s voice was trembling.

“Melina, I… This was all for you…”

“Thank you, Papa… I appreciate how you feel. But, please… These horrendous things have to stop now.”

“I just couldn’t accept a life without my beloved daughter… So I…”

At that moment— The whole room was struck by a tremendous quake.

“Professor, the ceiling!”

With a roar, the ceiling above us was split in two, as we all stood under it in stunned shock.

Then Descole took my arm.

“Melina!”

In a flash, Descole ran up the stairs leading to the Detragan and set me down.

A pack of wolves popped out and surrounded everyone. They all let out a terrifying howl then stood menacingly, ready to pounce on anyone at any moment.

“What are you doing, Descole!?”

“I needed Melina’s memories to achieve my true goal,” he replied coldly, standing right next to me.

“Your true goal…?” Papa asked in confusion.

I was with him on this one… I had no idea what this was about either. What could he possibly need my memories for? What could that mean?

Descole twirled his cloak and pointed to the ceiling.

“The resurrection of Ambrosia!”

The ceiling was painted with the Ambrosian crest… The Kingdom of Immortality.

“It all started when I discovered their coat of arms in its entirety…”

Descole turned to the professor and sent him a condescending look.

“Layton, what do you think these symbols mean?”

The coat of arms had a design reminiscent of a king and queen, surrounded by a vast number of lines, dots and jagged patterns…

The professor soon gasped in realisation. “…It’s a music sheet!”

“Correct. A music sheet, written in the Ambrosian way.”

Descole walked over to the Detragan and reached for a sheet music.

“In other words, the coat of arms is inscribed with the first key required to open the door to Ambrosia: a song that could be called ‘A Song of the Stars.’”

“A ‘Song of the Stars’…!?” Luke repeated incredulously.

“The second key is you, Melina.”

I could not believe my ears. “Me… the second key?”

The resurrection of Ambrosia, keys to open a door… I did not understand.

“The first key alone was not enough to revive Ambrosia. This was when I realised that the crest also hinted at the existence of a second key…”

The professor instantly resonated. “The ‘Song of the Sea’!”

Descole slowly took my hand with an icy smile. His grip was just as cold as his face.

“The stars, and the sea. When the two melodies are combined, Ambrosia will be revived.”

“I didn’t realise… that he was after the kingdom itself,” Papa slowly shook his head in shame.

“Alas, by the time the puzzle of the crest had been solved… The only person who had an accurate memory of the second key could no longer sing…”

So that was what this was all about.

The ‘Song of the Sea’… It was the song that the sea around Ambrosia had taught me.

Ever since we had moved to this island so I could recuperate from my illness, I had spent every day gazing out at it. Walking along the beach, or standing on my balcony, with the feeling of the sea breeze embracing me…

It wasn’t long before I had become aware of the melody that the sea was bringing me.

The wind, blowing past the reefs jutting out from the shore, would sing the same song to me every day. The waves breaking onto the shore would add to the music, creating a pleasant harmony, like a small ensemble.

Soon, I had unconsciously began to hum that very beautiful and somewhat nostalgic melody. When the sea and the song were joined together, it had given me a sense of heartfelt sincerity. It was soothing… and it made me happy, as I felt surrounded by a shower of invisible music.

Descole put his hand on one of the Detragan’s levers.

“Even though some memories were left behind… I wanted a perfect copy, more than Whistler did!”

He pulled the lever. Immediately after, the staircase exploded and bright lights flashed on the wall.

The smoke from the explosion blocked my view.

　⇚　　　　　　　⇛

#professor layton #layton's book club #melina whistler #janice quatlane #oswald whistler #jean descole #hershel layton #eternal diva #eternal diva novel #translation #professor layton and the eternal diva #ayo this part was so WILD #This is why I'm transcribing this stuff. Japanese version cleared up SO many questions that the localisations brushed off.#like how the English & French dubs make it sound like all three songs were written on the Ambrosian seal #while in fact the original version explains that only the song of the stars (+ sun) + a drawing of the sea (+ sun) are there.#So basically it seems like we can deduce here a full timeline of how things went!#Step 1: Des steps foot on Ambrosia and discovers the first known instance of the complete crest.#Step 2: He figures out the Song of the Stars from the music sheet on the crest #and likely deduces that it's the key to reviving Ambrosia.#Step 3: He plays the song of the stars and it doesn't work. He looks at the crest again and sees the drawing of the sea.#He deduces that there is another key related to the sea. Somehow he figures out that there is only one person in the world who knows it.#(I have a hypothesis about the why and how but I'll leave that for later since this hypothesis lacks solid evidence.)#Step 4: Des figures out (somehow) that this “one person in the whole world” is Melina.#Step 5: Melina is sick so he uses that as an excuse to have the Whistlers move to Ambrosia and live inside the black castle he built.#His excuse for bringing them there is that the ocean breeze will do some good to her health.#Step 6: Melina is healthy enough to walk on the shore a few times and she notices that the sea sings to her. She learns the song of the sea #Unfortunately she is already too sick to sing it properly so Descole can't use her. And soon after that she dies.#Step 7: Des and Whistler had been prepared for that eventuality and copied her memories with the Detragan. So they just need a host for her #Des only was able to get his hands on the song of the sea when Melina learned it. And she never wrote it down before dying.#See the music sheet that Layton plays to Nina? It's the song of the sea. Sure. But it's incomplete. It only has the first half.

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zabiume · 11 months

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A few months ago, we were talking about CFYOW and Orihime’s powers and I promised @elyonholic I would make a separate post about my general thoughts regarding Orihime’s abilities and origins, some theories and some canon ideas I’ve grown warmer to over time.

1) Tinhat Theory (Crazy)

I want to get this one off my chest because it’s the least developed idea I have, but an interesting one nonetheless. Fair warning, the connection I’m about to make here stretches canon like a rubber band and I’m 85% certain it is totally coincidental, but: I noticed in one of my re-reads of the manga while I was writing TLtH that Orihime has a lot of surface-level similarities to...the Soul King.

The very first appearance of the Shun Shun Rikka is accompanied by some eyebrow-raising wording. I’m not sure how accurate this translation is, but ‘princess-shielding flowers’ seems to be a pretty direct allusion to the fact that Orihime is named after the mythological princess from the Tanabata legend. Also, I’m pretty sure that when Kubo first conceived Orihime in his mind, he had no idea she was going to be a Fullbringer or what a Fullbringer even was. My guess is that he wanted royal imagery to go with her name, and fairies seem to do the trick. Our job is to protect you, however, implies that they’re somewhat like her own Royal Guard. We know they each have their own distinct personalities, styles, dialects and powers, so one of my headcanons has always been that they each have their own inner domain (palace), too, like the Royal Guard. In my head, the domains are based on aesthetics alone, but they also represent different aspects of Orihime’s core personality.

Tsubaki’s inner world is a volcano [her tendency to be deeply emotional], Baigon’s is a toy factory [her childlike curiosity], Shin’O’s is a moving train [her openness for adventure], Lily’s is a futuristic techno-utopia [her inventive mind], Ayame’s is a tropical forest [her tendency to nurture/desire to heal] and Hinagiku is a witchy lab [her intellect and her experimental nature].

Even in CFYOW, there’s a mention about how Orihime can’t bring someone back to life because it messes with the balance of souls. There are some people she has to let cross that barrier, because crossing the barrier means keeping the balance of souls stable. This, too, is similar to the Soul King’s own responsibility of keeping the three worlds stable (though for Orihime, it’s on a much smaller scale than it is for the SK).

Take, for instance, a small-scale example where Soul Society has 98 souls, Hueco Mundo has 99 souls, and the Living World has 100 souls. If a person in the Living World is dying, Orihime can’t save them because then the numbers would be 98/99/100. Unequal and unstable. To make it 99/99/99, Orihime would have to let that one person die and cross over to Soul Society. I think, in instances like these, Orihime’s powers probably won’t work because of how they interfere with the balance of the three worlds.

In this AU/theory, I guess you could say that the part of the Soul King that Orihime absorbed is...a big one? Which would explain why she’s constantly said to have “God-like” abilities in the SS and HM arcs and also why her powers imitate his on a teeny scale.

2) Orihime as a Fullbringer (Semi-Canon)

I’ve talked before about how I didn’t like this idea much, mainly because it felt like a lazy retcon, but since CFYOW said Orihime’s powers are a combination of the Hogyoku’s influence and the pieces of the Soul King’s soul, I’ve warmed up a little to it. In this headcanon, Orihime’s Shun Shun Rikka operate quite similarly to a shinigami’s abilities in that her soul, her desires and her fear shape her “weapon.”

Like I said earlier, Orihime has a lot of fairytale-esque aesthetics in early Bleach: her brother makes remarks about her special hair, her first protector (Tatsuki) is likened to a dragon, her own name is a reference to a mythological princess. We can probably assume she internalized some of that, which is why her Fullbring is six fairies protecting their princess. Bleach has always put an emphasis on characters living up to their namesakes so it’s not a stretch to believe that her name had some influence on her Fullbring.

Additionally, Orihime was bullied a lot as a child, so it makes sense that she would manifest powers that would protect her. She was lonely, so she manifested friends that would always be with her. She’s been hurt before, so she manifested powers that would heal instead. The Hogyoku grants her that, but it’s she who subconsciously made that choice for herself. It’s a power she has always wanted, just like Ichigo and Chad have always wanted theirs. She’s an ordinary girl who chooses powers that define her largely pacifistic relationship with the outside world. She also has an object affinity, and like Riruka, who has the ability to permit using her ability of “love,” Orihime can reject using her powers of negation, so it wouldn't be a lie to call her a Fullbringer, even if she isn’t a very typical one.

#these two points don't necessarily contradict each other but they do offer insight into what being a fullbringer really means for orihime #since we never got any mention of her being one in the actual FB arc #orihime inoue #i think literally everything would have been fixed if she and chad got a fight in the FB arc #also fullbring is such a ridiculous concept but that's a dead horse atp #meta

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wormdebut · 5 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by @thefreakandthehair and @wynnyfryd You’re both so hot and cool and talented it’s unreal.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Fifteen

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

88,773

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things

The only other fandom I’ve ever considered writing for is Good Omens, but I’m so obsessed with Steddie I don’t know if I can peel myself away.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Cut It Loose, Watch You Work The Room

2. I Like Playing Dumb Until You Figure Me Out

3. Tell Eddie He Looks Sexy With His Hair Pushed Back

4. All You Have Is Your Fire

5. Comb The Crowd, Pick You Out

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

Abso-fucking-lutely I Do. Why? Because I am in shock and awe that anyone anywhere appreciated the goofy thing I wrote so much that they commented to tell me that. Thank you thank you thank you for commenting on fics. It means everything.

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

I’m incapable of not writing a happy ending. Happy Ending are GUARANTEED IN THIS HOME. However, Wynn noted I did write a bonus microfic that was posted to Tumblr only that was angsty. Fun fact: it was based off a very un-angsty IRL experience with Wynnyfryd herself.

‘If They Won’t Call You Wynny Baby, I Will.’

Anyway, read Drunk Words—Sober Thoughts if you wanna.

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

All of…All of them I—yall you know my Steddies are so fucking in love with each other it’s stupid.

But Comb The Crowd, Pick You Out is especially cheese.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, and I’m blessed for that, but even if I did…all my buddies know how truly dedicated I am to the fact that We are responsible for our own online experience. Don’t let goofy goobers who have nothing better to do than put you down, get to you. If yall ever get hate and need someone to tell you you’re fucking worth it—cmere.

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

Me? Write Smut? Oh my god I could never—

Yall what haven’t I written, be so fucking for real.

Requests? Drop ‘Em in my Ask Box.

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

Nooo. I do not. Obviously I have a mess of a good omens X steddie AU rattling around in my brain, but it will never come to fruition

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, but where I largely write Rockstar dom daddy Eddie it’s very easy to see different variations of similar plot lines. Alas, Two Cakes

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No! But I would cry if one ever was.

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

No! My writing style is so chaotic I think anyone I wrote with would be shook and terrified. HOWEVER, I may have something coming with @steddieas-shegoes real fuckin’ soon.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Steddie. My angels. The loves of my life.

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

Oh god. The first thing I ever started writing for Steddie was a Rockstar AU. Shocked looks from the lived audience. Where Steve and Robin moved to Chicago and Eddie covers Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails. Fuckin’ Woof. May it rest in slutty slutty pieces.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Writing seventy two miles of really spicy foreplay…and dialogue 😂

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Some authors are so fucking incredible with imagery and beautiful descriptions of scenes and I just don’t think I’m one of them, but I would like to be one day.

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

I can barely speak English so I would never write a fic where Eddie speaks French when he fucks…

Anyway stream Tell Eddie He Looks Sexy

19. First fandom you wrote for?

That I published? Stranger Things.

That’s buried in the back of my closet, handwritten in a notebook? The Backstreet Boys.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Kiss Your Knuckles (Before You Punch Me In The Face) It is everything to me.

Well that was fuckin’ fun as heck. Tagging with absolutely zero pressure a couple buddies 🖤

@messessentialist @steddieas-shegoes @just-my-latest-hyperfixation @aidaronan @sourw0lfs @t-boyeddie @scarcrossdlvrs @runninriot @cuips-not-cute @onirislanding @thisapplepielife

#steddie #worm brain #me? write smut?? nooo

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jrow · 5 months

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Fic Writing 20 Questions

Thanks for the tags @khorazir and @raina-at

How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

268,623

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Sherlock (BBC). I may try my hand at a Merlin fic in the next year, but we’ll see ...

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Beautiful Pictures

A Week in November

Lines in the Sand

The Man with the Cartier Frames

That Time of Year

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

Yes! I love getting comments, so it’s the least I can do (even if it takes a few days). I love when authors respond to my comments, so it’s only fair.

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

Like many of the people answering these questions, I don’t write angsty endings. I considered it for Jam (I almost didn’t include the epilogue) but I love a happy ending.

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

All my fics have happy endings. If I had to pick one as “happiest”, I’d say The Man With the Cartier Frames.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have not, luckily. I’ve had a weird comment or two where I’ve thought “why did you tell me that”, but nothing super negative.

9. Do you write smut?

Not really? I’ve written some mature scenes that allude to things, but don’t go into detail.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No. I have particular objections, but I doubt I ever will.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, Lines in the Sand has been translated into French and That Time of Year into Russian.

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

I haven’t. I don’t object to the concept, but I’m not sure I’d be a great collaborator given my current writing style. I think I’m better at betaing which gives me a way to work with other fic writers.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

This is really tough. I feel like it’s okay if your “all time” favourite ship changes every five or ten years. I mean, I am a very different person at 40 than I was at 25. My favourite to write is definitely Johnlock—they have a great dynamic and are both really interesting characters in their own rights. So, they are definitely up there. The other ship that comes to mind in terms of those that have really stood the test of time for me is Goren/Eames from Law & Order:CI (a very small fandom). Goren has a lot of Sherlockian traits and Eames is just incredibly cool (and both actors are gorgeous, which doesn’t hurt!). I discovered Merlin in the last year or two and really like Merthur (honestly, I also really like Mergwenthur which I never thought would be my thing, but Gwen is so lovely), but it’s too early to tell if that will last long enough to be on my all time list!

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

Corsi, my NHL Johnlock AU. I have a couple chapters written, but I started it a long time ago and my writing style has changed a fair bit since then. I think I’d want to go back and rewrite the first chapter, but that seems like a waste … so, instead, I will just leave it to languish.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write Parentlock really well. I have young kids, so it’s relatively easy for me to make kids read age appropriate (which they often don’t in stories, be they fic or published). I hope I am also able to convey that delicate balance that parents feel—namely adoring their kids with every once of your being while wanting to throttle them. Basically, I think I can write believable kids and believable parents.

I also think I am okay at creating cases, mainly because I become a bit obsessed with making the pieces fit. I like internal consistency!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can’t plot out a fic well enough that I can post anything before it’s done. Which means, that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write a truly long fic (say longer than 50K words). To have the motivation to write something that long, I think I would need the dopamine hit from posting and getting feedback. But, I just can’t see me ever posting a fic before it’s completely written, because of how often I go back and revise as I write. Particularly for fics with any sort of case—I’ll have the loose parameters of the case set out, but the details won’t emerge until I write. Which may mean I have to go back and edit earlier content to make those details work (internal consistency!). Even things like John’s work schedule or the timing of a phone call or what time Rosie gets out of school may change a half dozen times as I write to make the other pieces work.

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

I think it’s fine, but it’s best if you have a half-decent knowledge of that language. The only language I would use is French, should that ever come up.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

X-Files (this also seems to be a common theme)

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Ugh. This is an impossible question. I really like Beneath the Surface—I love epistolary fics and I think I did pretty well with text exchanges in that one. I am also pretty proud of Jam. So, I suppose those would be my faves.

Hmmmm, I think I am late to the game here so anyone interested in doing this, consider yourself tagged!

#johnlock #fanfic #fic writing 20 questions #fic writing asks #20 questions

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no-where-new-hero · 5 months

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✣ Blake Wrapped: Author Edition 🖋

According to Storygraph, these were the authors I read most of this year!

V. E. Schwab I’ve read a bunch of her books before (Addie Larue, had problems; Vicious, one of my favorite books ever; This Savage Song, annoyed that she doesn’t write this stuff all the time), but never the Shades of Magic series, which is…weird as someone who almost always goes to fantasy before any other subgenre. So I finally bit the bullet and read the trilogy, as well as the first book of the sequel trilogy, which came out in September. Like always with Schwab, it was hit and miss. The first book I found excruciatingly slow, almost painful to finish. The second book I LOVED since it had a much faster pace and more interesting characters. Book 3 was far too long—not exactly as slow as the first, but there were just pages from the villain’s POV that I skimmed because I couldn’t be bothered. Book 1 of the new trilogy was good—it had a fan service feel, but the two new protagonists seem cool, and I think this series might be more interesting on the whole. The thing with Schwab’s style that I keep coming back to is that she writes morally grey really well. If a character is behaving villainously, the more I’ll like them. Hence the fact that Vicious is my favorite book of hers. Ditto with male characters: many of her female characters’ arcs strike me as weirdly reductive, but her men have a more felt quality to them somehow. I can’t say she’s a beloved author or even a favorite author, but I enjoy picking her brain.

Alix E. Harrow I finally read The Ten Thousand Doors of January earlier this year because its premise is not unlike that of my WIP, and I had avoided it for a while due to like … jealousy and also a desire not to get my own plot derailed from its influence. The book was so good though. I know that Harrow and I share a lot of literary influences, which automatically predisposes me to like her style, but it just ticked a lot of boxes: voice, setting, plot, magic, etc. That being said, I’m not sure if any of her other books quite live up. Her Fractured Fairy Tales were enjoyable but nothing memorable. The Once and Future Witches honestly bored me. Starling House was the best of this year’s heavy spate of “Gothic/House books with far too big a helping of Women Thoughts” that I forced myself through (The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, A Study in Drowning, and The Hacienda were the others), but it still lacked the lush immersion of TTDJ that I was hoping for. I’m definitely going to keep looking out for what she publishes since it’s very much my thing, but I really hope she’ll be able to match the quality of her debut again sometime soon.

Shirley Jackson Where do I begin? I gulped down four books of her in a row and wished I had read them all years before. I’ve posted a bunch of Jackson thoughts before, but I think what I adore most about her work is she reads like a shadow of LM Montgomery. LMM curves toward, but ultimately curves away from, the darkness that waits for the unsuspecting person. Jackson paves a straight road into it and doesn’t come out. But they write around a lot of the same topics: houses as extensions of the self, female individuality, female social identity, the life of the mind, queerness (in the sense of unbelonging as well as being not-straight), landscapes, depression, cats, family dynamics, etc. Even though I came to her late, I’m also not that mad about it since I do think my twenty-something self is a bit more predisposed to get something out of her books than my teen self would have. In any case, I definitely need to fill my shelves with her books.

Marina and Sergey Dyachenko Vita Nostra broke my brain at the beginning of the year, and I haven’t quite put it back together again. I’m not sure if it’s a translation thing, but the prose, the plot structure, the way the entire novel is put together, feels so different from an English-language novel. It was so refreshing, in all senses of the word: it felt like diving into a deep pool of dark water. Naturally, nothing else they would write could come close to that novel, but I still sought out their other works in translation, giddy for more of that experience. The sequel novel was tolerable, though did little to wrap up much of the plot—in fact, it only seemed to complicate it further without much promise of a finale (I do think a Book 3 is on the way, though). Daughter of the Dark was the third book of theirs I read, and it was also fairly interesting—a good speculative literary feel—but altogether lacking in the magic of VN. Which is fine for me, all in all. Sometimes masterpieces need to stand alone.

#blake’s last braincell #blake wrapped #immortal poets society

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senseandaccountability · 6 months

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twenty questions for fic writers

tagged by @mightymizora (thank youuu)

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 94.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 1,108,787, ahahaha. I’ve been at it for like 20 years though. 3. What fandoms do you write for? Baldur’sGate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Lucifer make up the bulk of my fics but I’ve dabbled in some more fandoms. 4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

There are names for what binds us - (DAI; Blackwall/Trevelyan) The free parking jackpot rule - (Lucifer; Lucifer/Chloe) Blaze Me a Sun - (BG3; Astarion/Tav) And Hate the Idle Pleasures of These Days - (Lucifer; Michael/Ella) Kiss by Kiss I Cover Your Small Infinity - (Lucifer; Lucifer/Chloe)

5. Do you respond to comments? I always try to!

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? All of my A Song of Ice and Fire fics are angsty since they’re about women who die in various horrible ways. But I’m generally more of a bittersweet writer, I think. 7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Like I said, I lean towards the bittersweet and most endings are more sweet than bitter.Compared to canon outcomes I’d say my Michael fics for the Lucifer fandom are the happiest ones because you can’t give me a wretched, bitter, jealous mirror to Most Loved Boi Lucifer and not expect me to root for him in some way. 8. Do you get hate on fics? Not since my Jamie/Brienne drabbles ended up on a rabid Jamie/Cersei reclist. I also had some snippy comments/PMs on a Michael fic where I closed down Hell because Lucifer the show gave me an American Dream ending with self-improvement through therapy in Hell instead of questioning revenge as a moral solution. 9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Gods, I used to. Not so much now, no. It’s just not that interesting to me anymore, I rather write around the smut. The kind of smut I like to write is emotionally intense and/or angsty, at any rate.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Very, very rarely. I’m uninterested in reading them myself but I’ve used crossover as a concept in two stories: Troy Lies in Ruins (Cyberpunk 2077) in which Johnny is the Clementine inside V’s head and I use Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as inspiration for their post-game quest to find each other again.

The Gods That Answer After Dark (Lucifer) in which I crossover Deckerstar with the novel The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and had a chance to shut down that damned hell again.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes, someone more or less paraphrased my Johnny/V fic And your heart, as it was then, will be on fire by posting their own fic with pretty much entire paragraphs stolen from mine. I didn’t do anything about it, though, it had no comments/kudos at the time.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, it was flattering.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I don’t think so, not that I can recall. I’d be up for it, though, it would be kind of cool to co-write a romance story where two authors write two different characters.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? I don’t think I can pick just one.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I always intend to finish the WIPs. That said, it would require a lot of willpower to return to the oldest WIPs I have, by now. 16. What are your writing strengths? I think I’m good at concepts, characters and hopefully keeping a distinct sort of style. I used to be more pretentious. I think my writing has become better by dropping some of the most literary concepts in favour of focusing on emotions and social dynamics.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Plot? I think I could write plot - I like to plan stories out - but I don’t really want to dedicate time to write it. I’m also really bored by action and exposition. Ugh at having to explain and describe shit beyond a tightly packed sentence or two.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I don’t even understand this question and will blame it on English being my second language.

19. First fandom you wrote for? The Legend of the Ice People, oh my lord. If only for my desk drawer. https://www.amazon.com/The-Legend-of-the-Ice-People-19-book-series/dp/B075TY2F5M The US version of the covers have removed ALL suggestive and thrillingly forbidden vibe from the original though. What 13 year old me loved about them was that the first book was about a horny 16 year old girl who falls in love with a 40 something demonic and cursed (also solitary and very angsty) dude after having intense sex dreams about him as Satan. Every book after that just added to the cocktail of sex, history and ancient curses and for years so much of what I wrote was fanfic versions of this series. 20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written? I’m rather fond of this Aeducan/Gorim story: so I wait for you like a lonely house

I'm tagging @wanderingaldecaldo, @thievinghippo, @icescrabblerjerky and @threewhiskeylunch if you're up for it. Otherwise feel free to ignore.

#my writing #memes

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alecscudder1987 · 2 years

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BILE AND BLUE PANSIES

theend4’s supernatural poetry event

hey everyone!! egan here<33

so…. i recently hit a follower milestone… and i want to say thank you!!! wtf fr!!!! i love all of you so so much. i’m still an internet baby, but i’ve been active in different fandoms since around 2017, and this past year has been one of my favorite fandom experiences ever. i’ve made some really good friends and gotten inspired by so many different artists, writers, and ideas. thanks so much for being on this crazy journey with me.

SO WHAT?

one of my favorite things i got to do this year was share my poetry with you guys! it’s been an absolute joy to receive so many lovely messages from you saying how much you love my work. truly, your feedback means the world!

so, in honor of that, i’d like for you all to share your poetry with me! whether you’ve got 7 published poetry books or you’ve literally never even read any, i’d love for you to try your hand.

OK, WHEN?

September 18—September 24th, 2022

ALRIGHT, NOW HOW DOES THIS WORK?

READ the poems in the prompts, and then think about what you like about them—themes, voices, characters, endings, beginnings, word choice, formatting, etc!—and do some brainstorming!

WRITE one or more poems inspired by the ones listed! when i'm inspired by a certain poet, i like to try out writing in their syntax, their mannerisms, or their subject matter. give it a go! (for example: richard siken breaks up his lines across the page. if you've never tried this, playing around with indentation can be a super fun way to break up your lines!)

POST your poem either as a screenshot, photo, or plain text post to tumblr. (note: please provide a transcription of your poem in the caption if you decide to upload a photo.)

CREDIT the author of the poem you were inspired by in the caption! i won't reblog poems that don't give credit to their inspirations.

TAG your post with #bluepansypoetry and @ me so I can share your lovely creations!

DO YOU HAVE READING RECOMMENDATIONS? PROMPTS EVEN?

i do!!! please find my list of all-time-fave recommendations of supernatural-esque poems that i love below!! each day of the event focuses on one poem as a “prompt” or inspiration, so please read them all to see which ones you like! i tried to include a variety of styles. GOOGLE DOC OF THE POEM PROMPTS HERE!

SCHEDULING NITTY-GRITTY

SEPT 18: “french novel,” ritchie hoffman

SEPT 19: “colosseum,” jericho brown

SEPT 20: “fragment 147,” sappho, translated by anne carson

SEPT 21: “cagnes sur mer 1950,” jorie graham

SEPT 22: “road music,” richard siken

SEPT 23: “telemachus,” ocean vuong

SEPT 24: “object permanence,” madeline cravens

BUT I'VE NEVER WRITTEN POETRY!

i hear you say. yes. i have never tried oil painting, but i would like to! i believe it's important to keep an open mind when practicing new arts—you're never going to be "good" right away of course. besides, my goal isn't to write "good" poetry. (ok, maybe a little.) but i write poetry because i feel like a wildfire when i do. i write poetry because i might die if i don't. art keeps us alive. words feed the soul.

the best advice i’ve gotten about how to write poetry… is to read poetry. read bad poetry. read good poetry! and then sit down for a hot second somewhere and write. write for 8 minutes without stopping. you can write "i don't know what to write" 100 times over if that's all that comes to you. or you can write a play. describe the space around you. talk about what you had for lunch. something will come to you, i promise. and if it doesn't? gently put it away for now. there isn't any rush. you can come back tomorrow.

FINAL WORD

first: no hate speech! second: if you do create nsfw work, please tag it as such. i want everyone to be able to participate in this event safely.

thank you once again for being on this journey with me, whether you arrived today or have been here since before i even got into supernatural, i love you all dearly. good luck, and happy creating!!

also, if you were curious, this event is based on my poem (and song) blue pansies! which you can find here, if you like!

LINK TO THE POEMS AGAIN!!

remember to tag your work with #bluepansypoetry, and happy writing!!!

#bluepansypoetry #egan's creator event #poetry event #supernatural poetry

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thedemigodoracle · 7 months

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Please read:

Ok, so as I jokingly said before “I’m back.” - I’m not joking, I am back.

Not entirely yet but here are some things to wait for in the near future.

Before I list it I need to browse fast through the real life stuff first so bear with:

- one of the reasons I did go missing from art and fandoms in general wasn’t just the ammount of books but also family situations, depression, relationships and in the last few years I lost grandma, grandpa and even my mother to a disease they don’t have it diagnosed yet because it was so rare.

Obvsly took a major hit to my mental health and the ability to write and just have energy kinda left me. I’m handling it I’m in therapy. This is all we need to talk about it.

- it’s been over ten years since some of your fave fics have been updated and while both Clichesbullet on ff.net and thatu on DA will be there and won’t be deleted HERE are what’s to expect:

1. My endgame here is reading the books back and forth again, as well as other source

Material for other fandoms I will

Be publishing for.

-updating the old fan mixes and uploading it to Spotify so it’s more accessible and going back (when possible to art).

- I will use AO3 some new aesthetics and user name (though probably just thatu) and edit a lot more to fit what I believe is better not because the world changed in general but because so

Did I.

Some of the racism and homophobia will still be there are these are the characters having flaws whose arcs weren’t complete but lots of it will also be changed because I’m 34 now I also the world is changed and some stuff just wouldn’t fly and I kinda hate it (but the old material is still there available on the old

Accounts).

- I’m not sure technology will be adapted but some references will here and there and I can clearly deliver something better now that I’ve taught English for over half of my life and am taking a masters degree on translation studies.

- real life will get me too busy sometimes so please I hope you’re excited but I know lots

Of you also have jobs or even families. So leave reviews and keep

Me company but also understand I was bad at updating before even with better time

Management this is will be a ride.

- I’m doing this to prove myself I can do and make good things.

- This site as well as the thatu blog will be updated.

- if you were a follower and have deleted your tumblr or changed usernames please leave a reply with who we were because I’ve had an eventful few years. I remember most of you, but I may need a nudge.

- both my writing and art style have developed and so did my world views - stuff will look different but hopefully still bring you comfort. And laughter.

And tears…?

- there will be some one shots posted focusing on stuff like grown up characters and new knowledge

We now have though the characterization will still follow the book ones as that’s how I kinda got used to it.

- I’m back but I’ll be getting back slowly and posting updates here. Tell ur friends who haven’t been here in a while but used to be part of our group of

Weirdos.

- I missed being a fandom person and hopefully now I can find solace in you guys back again.

- some new fandoms will pop up, as will

Some

Ships (see what I did there? Find solace? Will some ships? Hehe).

-Some extra texts will be added to whatever adaptations I make especially regarding transphobia and HP though I do intend to finish my Hannah/Neville story.

- maybe I’ll write original

Stuff too who knows?

Also, I missed you, spread the word. There’s a brand new old me in town. New ships, new views, new one shots, edits, a very different music taste (actually no I just added more stuff) and a lot of improved knowledge of vocabs and world geography.

Please spread this to whoever you think might be interested. It’s not popularity or anything, I’m trying to get back some pieces of me I lost along the way and writing and drawing used to be FUN and help me make FRIENDS.

I’ll keep u posted once everything is at least remotely ready to go.

And omg you’ll finally know what Silena had on clarisse.

Oh and I’m still not for writing smut but there will be more Adult/Mature like material as some ships require it and I am older. No minors having descriptive s*x

Of course but u know it’d feel weird to talk about these huge ass long relationships and not bring it up naturally.

Anyway, reply to this with whatever. Leave a like or something too but mostly leave a reply so we can start this journey together -

New younger fans are also welcome I’ll make my best to keep this space as safe as possible!! I teach kids and teens and I’d kill for u to have a place to be you safely.

Also there will now be additions on author notes for whether a ship is canon or fanon what I adapted and new fandoms new ships and trigger warnings before sensitive chapters that deal with stuff that before I wouldn’t.

Love, I’ve missed this,

thatu.

#calamity clarisse #Percy Jackson and the olympians #PJatO #leu a #clarisse la rue #Chrisse #thatu

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thecompanionmoth · 10 months

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"Book One: A Nice Little Family" Thoughts (Brothers Karamazov)

I think having that title for this particular book is quite fitting as the entirety of it pertains to setting up the main family of the story. In regards to the actual story telling, this is strikingly different from the other two works I have read by Dostoevsky, White Nights and Crime and Punishment. Those are similar to one another, whereas Brothers Karamazov stands out; not just because of its popularity, but what makes it popular—that is something that I not only will focus on, but have to focus on when reading. Family as a motif being relayed and explained through Dostoevesky’s compelling narrative in the Brothers K is immediately, in my mind, going to leave an impression upon me. Although it has taken almost a month for me to sit down and finish the first book, I have another feeling that it will be easier to read from this point onwards.

Now, as for the actual story of Book One, there are some things that struck me as things that could contribute to the overall tale. But before I get into that, I want to say that the first couple of chapters are quite funny. This might have something to do with something mentioned in the translator’s note (Peaver and Volokhonsky translation, Bicentennial edition). Which is that their aim was to capture Dostoevsky’s original bleak comedy of the Brothers K. And immediately that goal came true. I had to take a moment to contain myself as I was in a library, when I was ready about Fyodor’s outrageous life and personality.

That was really the only moment in the whole book that I laughed, though, because I ended up moving on to focus on the establishment of the brothers and their lives. The two that struck me the most are Dmitri and Alyosha. The former for his difficult life and aloof disposition, the latter for his contrast between his older brothers. Alyosha’s innocence or his youthful approach to life is something I can relate to. I can also really find myself understanding Dmitri as a person and the difficult relationship he has with Fyodor. With that in mind, I can see how Ivan would fit in nicely between them. He is definitely a character that my sister (the middle between me and our younger brother) would like.

Not only are the characters and writing style interesting, yet echo Dostoevsky’s style that I am more familiar with, the combination of the two is a wonderful one, and I’ve enjoyed reading despite my slow pace. By having the story be told by—as far as I know—a local clergyman, that is a refreshing format than just third person narration. It adds ahe book where stage directions or other things were added to be a subtle nod to theatre in that book. But with Brothers K, it honestly feels not only cinematic, but actually Homeric. Me saying that could be a bias because that is a literary style that I am intimately familiar with as I have studied it in great detail. But the way that theatrical element that makes Dostoevsky’s work here much more cinematic than theatrical, which is something that I can attribute to Crime and Punishment. There were several instances in t the elder might be somehow influential and conciliatory.”

“Fyodor Pavlovich was apparently the first to suggest, apparently as a joke, that they all get together in the elder Zosima’s cell, and, without resorting to his direct mediation, still come to some decent agreement, since the dignity and personality of the elder might be somehow influential and conciliatory.”

To me, that echoes the gathering of followers and friends at Plato’s cell when he delivered his final few dialogues. I might be stretching, but even if it was intended, such a reference is rather cool and works well in the story and the Greek reference previously mentioned. There are some other things I highlighted regarding character details, fundamental things, that I feel might come up later. If they do, I will most certainly reference them. But for now, I am going to continue reading with Book Two, An Inappropriate Gathering!

#booklr #read through #brothers karamazov #russian lit #classic lit

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tortranslates · 1 month

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UNDEAD Climax Event: Split Paths - The Admired Figure and Flashbacks: Otogari Adonis Mini-talks

Pre-TL Note: Thank you for your patience! I thought Adonis's mini-talks were really cute, so they were a pleasure to translate. I hope you enjoy them!

Mini-talk 1 (Conveying Feelings through Writing):

Adonis: Hm…The documents you make are always so easy to understand. Thanks for letting me read them. You have a nice writing style. I can feel your consideration for the person reading it in every word. I wish I could prepare something like this too, but I wonder if I’ve got what it takes.

→I think you’re just not used to it.

Adonis: You think so? Then, maybe I’ll be able to improve someday if I take the chance to write every day. I’ve gotten used to writing short messages, so from now on I’ll try to be more conscious of writing longer ones.

→Would you like some advice?

Adonis: Are you going to help me? I think if you taught me, I could improve quickly. Fufu. If you ever need my help, you can always call on me. [1]

→Whom you want to show it to is important.

Adonis: You mean I should think about the person who’s reading it? In your case, I think that feeling really shines through. I don’t think I’ve considered that until now. I’ll try to be more aware of it from now on.

Mini-talk 2 (Conveying Feelings through Writing):

Adonis: That reminds me, I have something I want to ask you. There’s something in the documents I don’t understand. There’s a word in this sentence that I’ve never seen before. What does it mean? Hm? Ahh, it was just a kanji typo, huh? Sorry about that, I didn’t notice.

→You pay really close attention, huh?

Adonis: I know. I’m reading every detail to make sure I don’t miss anything. I’m the one who’s in trouble if something happens, after all. Since it causes problems for the people around me if I miss anything, I have to be extra careful with work-related documents.

→I didn’t notice it either.

Adonis: So anyone can make a mistake like this, huh? I’m glad I was able to notice it. I guess it’s something that someone has to show you first in order to get it. I’d like you to tell me when I make mistakes, too.

→Please let me know if there are any other mistakes.

Adonis: Since you were so careful with every page, I think it’s okay. You should have more faith in yourself. Your work really is incredible, I promise.

Mini-talk 3 (Conveying Feelings through Writing):

Adonis: Ahh, I get it now. I’ll share these with the other members of UNDEAD. I’m grateful you took the time to bring me these even though you’re so busy. Speaking of which, if any of us have any questions, can we reach out to you on Hold-Hands?

→Sure, go ahead!

Adonis: Alright, we’ll do that. You can reply whenever you have time. I’d appreciate it if you would continue to look after me.

→You can ask the next time we meet up, too.

Adonis: Should we do that then? Although, I don’t know when we’ll be able to get together again…No, I don’t have anything to back this up, but we should be able to meet up again soon. I can’t wait.

→If you ask me to, I’ll come again.

Adonis: Really? I feel bad for making you come all the way to the office. I think I should come to you next time. I’ll go anywhere, so let me know if you know a good place for us to meet.

Mini-talk 4 (Colored Paper Memento [2]):

Adonis: It looks like we still have a little while before the car will be here. It’s nice that we can do a lot of different things as HELLSING, [3] but not being able to see the senpai really does make me feel lonely. Producer, do you know how they’re doing?

→They’re doing well.

Adonis: You saw them a week ago? I see, that’s goo to hear. Oogami didn’t say anything, but he looked like he wanted to know too. This is the best solution for the situation, but..I think that the first order of business is doing our part properly.

→Why don’t you reach out to them?

Adonis: Actually, I sent Hakaze-senpai a message, but he hasn’t answered. Normally he would answer right away, but maybe I just didn’t see it…? I hope I can reach him…

→What do you think?

Adonis: I’m sure they’re fine, but I can’t help but worry. If you have the chance to see them, let me know how they’re doing.

Mini-talk 5 (Colored Paper Memento):

Adonis: That reminds me, I found this colored paper while I was cleaning my room earlier. I wanted to show it to you, so I took a picture. Here, take a look. Fufu, Kanzaki really has amazing handwriting. His personality really shines through in his letters. His signature is different now, but I think it has a certain charm to it.

→Where did you get that?

Adonis: Ahh, I asked Kanzaki to write this for me. Look, it’s clearly marked as “to Adonis-kun," right?

→The letters sure are pretty.

Adonis: Fufu, I used to think Kanzaki was a samurai…He signed it for me then. I remember going around and bragging about it to everyone in my home country.

→When did he write it?

Adonis: He wrote it for me when I first came to Japan. We got some colored paper at a nearby convenience store, and he signed it for me. It’s a memento of when Kanzaki and I became friends.

Mini-talk 6 (Colored Paper Memento):

Adonis: Anyways, I’ve been filming all day, so now I’m hungry…Have you eaten dinner yet? If you haven’t, do you want to go to the company cafeteria together? It’s just about time for dinner and Oogami should be done with work right around now, so let’s invite him along.

→Today’s menu should be a grilled meat set.

Adonis: Oh, really? Meat really is the best when you’re worn out. Hopefully it isn’t sold out…I hope the car gets here soon.

→If you insist…

Adonis: There’s somewhere Oogami wants to go? In that case, going there is fine too. Let’s send him a message.

→Now that you mention it…

Adonis: You have a coupon for a restaurant that’s close by? Can I use it? I don’t usually go there, but…Let’s give it a shot.

TL Notes:

[1] lit. “if my help is ever necessary instead, I’m willing to help whenever”

[2] lit. "colored paper of memories." It refers to a kind of paper usually used for painting, drawing, and autographs. If you google 色紙 or shikishi, some examples will come up. The literal translation is "colored paper," but I don't think we have a proper term for this in English.

[3] lit. “as HELLSING, the breadth of the activities we can do is wide”

#enstars translation #otogari adonis #minitalk

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sulky-valkyrie · 4 months

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20 questions for fic writers

the illustrious @barbex tagged me and I'm tagging @dismalzelenka, @pierogipie @syrupwit and @midnightprelude

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

204, but 136 of those are 1000 words or less

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

Over half a million

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dragon Age, plus i have a second Ao3 account that’s entirely original fiction with a few rifts on Edgar Allen Poe and King Arthur

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Who did this to you?

The Room at the Top of the Pearl

Apex Predators and Other Things that Go Whump In the Night

on wings of change

Griffon and Peacock

(I’m discounting New Promises, Old Consequences because I’m 90% certain it was hit by a kudos bot as I received approximately 90 guest kudos when it still had less than 50 hits)

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

I try to respond to all of them, but can get overwhelmed.

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

When it comes to angsty endings, I usually only do one-shots, so it’s probably a toss up between "What have you done?" and If Your Door is Open Tonight . . .

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

Probably Anything for Her, Even This.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I’ve had a few people argue with me about why something in my fics isn’t possible in the games. SIR YOU DO REALIZE YOU ARE READING FANFICTION??

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

Yes, all of it.

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

I helped with a Dragon Age/Hades AU once

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

I have! It's a really different process, but a lot of fun.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Going just by relationship tags on Ao3, it’s Anders/Fenris, but it’s more accurate to say Anders/happiness.

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

Compassion and Justice is probably the one I’m most likely not to finish, but I have written sequels to it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Mimicking verbal styles in different characters, plus dialogue in general. Also humor (apparently?)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

WHAT DO PEOPLE LOOK LIKE I DON’T KNOW. Honestly, the best you can hope for from me is skin tone and hair color/length. I write fanfic because I can skip a lot of descriptions.

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

I’ve done it a few times, then footnoted it in the Author’s Notes.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dragon Age in 2021.

20. Favorite fic you've written? All I Have to Offer continues to be my favorite one-shot.

#tag games #ao3 wrapped #fic writing

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lutiaslayton · 9 months

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It’s coming.

Hellooo, just giving you all a little update and teaser regarding the event I have mentioned for a while, and which is finally about to begin!

Yes, it is finally time. To reply to an earlier reblog I saw some time ago: yes, I guess we are going to Dracula Daily the Layton novels now. Or at least I will try to keep this up for as long as I can. I am very much hyped too 👀

The Eternal Diva novel will be cut into about twenty parts,

so this will be a twenty-week journey (unless one part happens to be extremely short, then maybe I’ll merge it with the previous or next one for example). And after that, hopefully by then the transcript of another novel will have progressed enough to start all over again with a different story! So far, a French friend (who doesn’t have a tumblr) is helping me make a transcript of the Illusory Forest novel; so fingers crossed, as this might be the next in line! Yep, for those interested in my theories, it is the very same novel that I’ve talked about for so long, and it is arguably the craziest of all. Just the way it starts is an absolute roller-coaster.

Also, I lied. Updates are going to be on Mondays now.

I was not ready to post yesterday, Sundays already have their Layton-related weekly event, and since I am too impatient to wait until next week, I thought I might as well make this a thing for Mondays instead. Gotta end the first, universally depressing work day of the week, with something uplifting, am I right? :3

I am going to give you a warning, though: as much as I’d like to keep the translations as close to the originals as possible, I am also, unfortunately, a fanfic writer, and the novels’ writing style is very different from what I usually write. Also there’s some weird stuff such as verb tense consistency in Japanese… Ohhhhhhh dear this part is such a nightmare. You can have verbs in the present tense and others in the past tense in the same sentence. You can have a sentence in the present tense and another in the past tense right after. I hate this. I hate everything about this.

So, I will try to restrain myself (because if you already took a peek at SLS, you already know what my writing style is really like), but I sometimes couldn’t help but add a sentence or two, cut a sentence into multiple ones, make the dialogue less robotic and more lively, that sort of thing. For example, if there’s a lot of dialogue going on and on without any narration in-between, I might sometimes add a sentence or two just to break it up a bit and make the scene sound less static. That sort of thing.

I will try my best to make it sound similar to what the official game translations did, in the end! The Japanese dialogue is usually rather bland and repetitive, but the official translations added a lot of details and quirks that are completely absent from the original text, but which also make the characters feel like, you know, themselves as we know and love them.

So here’s a reminder that if you want to know what the real Japanese text says, do NOT take this fan-translation series as a reliable source. I spent months writing a transcript of the real novel precisely so that people willing to know what the original Japanese text says (including me) would be able to check it out and compare, regardless of what anyone else translating it will say. Even without speaking Japanese, you can copy-paste the Japanese sentences into a translator such as DeepL, and so you’ll be able to see which parts exactly are in the novel, and which parts I pulled out of my magic hat. The “9/10 accuracy, WhatTheHeckIsThis/10 readability” translation is going to take a LONG time to make, but it will also come eventually (though don’t expect much before at least something like 2024).

So now, with all that being said:

See you all tomorrow at 6PM (France time) for the first chapter of our reading journey!

Though if you have preferences for how you would rather see things (e.g. better time that fits the majority), then I am open to suggestions! I can easily rename a tag or reschedule my queue.

#eternal diva novel #so if we have Sycamore Sunday what should I call this other event #guess we might call it... uh... Eternal Monday?#holy shoot no that sounds so dreadful forget it #monograph monday? yeah no that's not good either #layton's book club #still nowhere near a good name but that's better than nothing #and since there's at least three other novels that are even longer we might as well make this a common tag #lutiasreplies

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jmflowers · 1 year

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Fanfic questions… 7, 17, 40, 66 and 91 please 😊

7. Tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote.

The first time I ever wrote fanfiction, I think I was about 12? Maybe 11. I didn’t have access to fandom spaces the way I do now, so I posted each chapter as video clips on my YouTube page, where I had a small following for my fanvideos. (I was also a little brat who thought threatening people to comment or give it a thumbs up in order to receive the next chapter was appropriate.)

The story was called The Letter Elle for the show Ghost Whisperer, pre-Jim’s death. I gave them a child (a little girl named Elle) who was exploring her own understanding of her inherited abilities. I probably still have it somewhere in my stuff, but I’m sure it was Not Good. Hilariously, the show gave the main characters a child a short while later and then did a time jump to allow for an exploration similar to the one I’d been writing about. Maybe they should’ve hired me.

17. What is your favourite line you’ve ever written?

I don’t think I could narrow down one specific line; I have a tendency to forget what I’ve written once it’s posted. First to come to mind is most of She Will Still Love You because it was so cathartic and my first soirée into second-person point of view.

“When, really, what you should’ve been doing was rebuilding. Taking the chopped down limbs of your trees and building a log cabin out of them. Rubbing out the knots and sanding down the rough edges and turning it into a place you could call home.

You need to learn how to call your body home again.”

40. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

There’s been a lot of good stuff through the years. The one that comes to mind most often was from a teacher when I was 14, who handed back an assignment that I’d earned 99% on (the highest grade she ever gave out) and then told me I wasn’t finished. She pushed me to go beyond in my writing and I owe a lot of my drive to her. The quiet pride in her face when I was published for the first time a couple years later is a core memory.

In the fanfiction realm, a reader reached out a few years ago regarding Extraordinary Measures and said some things that made me cry. She pops up every now and then, as our fandom paths have crossed a couple times, and it feels like a warm hug each time.

I’m incredibly grateful for any person who has ever reached out to me about that fic, especially when they tell me it made them cry or feel something they weren’t expecting. It was one of the most challenging writing endeavours I’d ever embarked on at that point in my life and I’m so proud that I completed it.

I also love when a reader leaves a comment in a different language. That you took the time to read something in English and then still write me a message after, even if you’re not sure I’ll be able to understand it, means so much. It’s like opening a little surprise bag when I go off to translate them. I’ve been getting Spanish and French most recently.

66. When have you felt the most confident in your writing?

For fanfiction, the most recent confidence boost was actually you commenting on my Hygge Universe stuff. Knowing that what I’m writing is not your vibe in the slightest, but that I was still able to reel you in… pretty impressed with myself. I’m also always more confident when I’m getting lots of comments or kudos emails, or the hit count is rising quickly, like most writers, even if that isn’t why I write...

In terms of school, a professor telling me to pitch a show to network because she wanted to watch it was pretty fulfilling. And professionally, holding my own in my first writer’s roundtable was intensely gratifying. As well as finding out my favourite thing I wrote for them was picked up by network, after the root concept they’d given me to work from had been denied by that network the year before. I’d love to see that story become a television series.

91. How has your writing style changed over the years?

Oh man, where to begin? Early on in my fic-writing career, I wrote primarily in first-person point of view. Usually past-tense, I think. Over time, I began to explore different tenses and then had a period where I really played with writing second-person point of view. I also wrote much shorter pieces – if I got to 1000 words, that was good enough for me. Editing was minimal. Story content was very dark and angsty.

Nowadays, things are much longer, obviously. I’ve been mostly writing in third-person point of view for a couple years now. I think I’ve settled into a tense that makes sense for Hygge Universe, which is the lump sum of my fanfiction writing right now. I spend a lot more time editing than I ever did before and the story contents are heaps more uplifting and positive. I also think I just have a better understanding of human emotion than I did years ago, when I was trapped in a fog of depression and physical pain. Screenwriting has made me ruthless in terms of cutting things out that aren’t working and I think that’s reflected in my work in terms of like, anything present in a story is there because it’s integral to the overall plotline. I also appreciate that my writing now is not riddled with the same word six times a paragraph, haha. I hope my growth over the last ten or so years is obvious in my work.

fic writing asks

#thank you friend #janelle's asks #englishstrawbie #fic writing asks #looking back on baby-me's fics is a total trip wow

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