#kat replies

[aadmelioraa]

Hi! I was just wondering, what is the difference for you between the Scrivener categories you use? What makes a certain section redrafted vs revised vs punched up vs polished? Thank you!

Hey!! I am more than happy to elaborate on that post. Here are the scene (or chapter) draft categories I use via the "Label" function in Scrivener, and what each category means to me:

To Write. Any scene that I haven't fully drafted, ranging from an idea in my head to a few bullet points to a scene that doesn't yet have a beginning, middle, and end. Lots of ellipses and all caps notes to myself [ADD CONVERSATION WHERE X AND Y ARGUE ABOUT DINNER PLANS] at this stage. I am a planner-pantser hybrid—I usually start writing without a real outline, and then create and reshape my outline as I continue writing new scenes, the outline evolves as my draft evolves and vice versa. 

Drafted. I have written a full version of the scene. It has a beginning, middle, and end. I have hit all the major points I want to hit. It's messy, but it's on the page. These scenes comprise the Rough Draft.

Redrafted. At this stage, I follow Matt Bell's "Rewrite Don't Revise" advice in Refuse to Be Done (highly recommend this craft book!). Once I have a Rough Draft version of the project (the entire book has a beginning, middle, end, and enough essential connective tissue scenes to prop it up), I print that off* and open a fresh Scrivener file. I hold myself to Matt Bell's no copying and pasting rule, and it's honestly been a game changer mentality for me. I refer to my Rough Draft and my Revision Plan Outline as I create a new draft that is both leaner and more fleshed out as needed. The Revision Plan Outline is the roadmap of the book I wrote (the Rough Draft) spliced with a roadmap of the book I want to write, including new scenes, stronger versions of the scenes I already have, and notes about what needs to be cut. *This is probably obvious, but you don't need to work from a printed copy, you can open your Rough Draft doc side by side with a blank doc if that is more your speed. The important thing is to start with a blank document rather than making revisions to your Rough Draft. It might sound insane, but I've found that it allows me to let go of what I would otherwise struggle to cut, and opens me up creatively to write new material.

Revised. Once I have the fresh, stronger, more intentional version of my scene, I go through and check that it's doing what I need it to do in terms of character work and plot points. It's not only a complete scene in that it begins and ends where I want it to, it's also functioning as part of a whole. 

Punched Up. This is my favorite draft stage in most ways, I just find it really fun and satisfying. My goals are to make sure that the tension is properly threaded, that the emotional beats are landing how and where they need to, that the humor is working, that each character's voice is coming through, that my language is vivid and interesting. 

Polished. Here I am making final cuts and changes, taking things at a line level and evaluating individual word choice. Nitpick city, but ideally in a productive way.

Right now in my current WIP I have an array of scenes at every level in a single Scrivener file. Most of them are Redrafted or above (I already completed a Rough Draft, printed it off, and am working from that and my Revision Plan Outline to create a new version of the book) but there are plenty of scenes in my Revision Plan that didn't exist in the Rough Draft. I will once again shout out @bettsfic and her invaluable developmental insights, you can check out her substack here and read more about her services here.

Anyway, this is what works for me, it definitely won't work for everyone, but hopefully you find something useful here! I will note that you can use the Scrivener "Draft Status" category to function in a similar way as the "Label" category, allowing you to use "Label" to denote POV or something else. Labels are visible in the sidebar (you can find options under "View," and Draft Status shows up in the corkboard view (it's stamped over the notecard for each scene if you select that option).

#kat replies #anon #long post #sorry for the charlie day red string board energy of this reply lol #i hope it's helpful in some way! #i have used a version of this framework for long form fanfic and past (abandoned) original novels #but this is definitely a more organized and functional iteration #writing #scrivener #[redacted novel project]

[shenyaanigans]

2,5,6,9,14 and 19 for Free! pls 😏😏

YESSSSS let's go!!!!

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

so there's the obvious one (rnhru) but i also vaguely feel this way about rei/gisa. HEAR ME OUT. it's not that it's bad. i understand where it comes from, i like totally get it. i just never felt as much of the chemistry there as others did, mostly bc i think nagisa doesn't get quite enough character moments. i have loved what the fandom has done with the two of them, tho!!

Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

in general for SURE, but i got RLY into free super late in the game, so the ship wars were over. i did have someone who was like. the backseat driver when i first got into the show, and i wasn't so good at standing up for myself or my opinions back then, so for a long time i was a huge hiyo/iku hater. this has since changed, bc i deeply adore how fucked up they both are LMAO.

Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?*

^^^ as stated above, hiyo/iku!!!!!!!!!! catherine's love of hiyori and all the meta analysis of hiyo/iku as parallels to mako/haru were some of my favorites, and really helped me move past the bias my ex-friend had instilled in me about the pairing.

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

i'm gonna be so real, i don't rly like ai as a character; i found him vaguely annoying and he doesn't really amount to anything or add to the plot other than being the wet paper bag rin steps on a bunch in the beginning of the show... his parallel with nagisa isn't very strong, and i just like. idk. that's about as far as my dislike goes for characters in this series LOL

Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

makoto deserves to bottom you fools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! like sure he could top!!!!! i'm sure everybody assumes he does!!!!!! but //grabs you by the shoulders// the way he whines haru's name in canon tells me everything i need to know!!!!!!!! (this is a silly opinion but listen, it's a desert out here for the girlies who don't like dom top makoto or worse, SUB bottom haru (worst. hated take. disgusting. haru can bottom but he is not submissive))

What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?

honestly, these days it's pretty great!! the echoes of the ship wars and the obsession with who's ship is more canon annoy me tho. canon has no bearing on whether the ship is good. shipping is about extrapolation. i don't really care which ship is "more" canon. it's not a competition, and people getting obsessed with it are obnoxious. like what u like!! it's ur right!!

#hehehehe this was fun!! thanks for asking!!!! #kat replies

[obaewankenope]

What's the weirdest shark?

Send me asks about stuff! And drop a tip if you like my chaos knowledge. Enjoy the nightmares xD

Honestly, there's a LOT of sharks that look weird af ngl. Like the Wobbegong Shark that looks like 70s carpet was tossed in the ocean.

[Image source: thoughtco]

The Greenland Shark that can be over 400 years old because of how slooooow they grow.

[Image source: bbc]

The Frilled Shark I've talked about before... which looks... yeah. Like that.

[Image source: npr]

But I personally think the Goblin Shark looks the weirdest.

[Image source: animals.net]

I just cannot handle the way their mouths jump out like that when they can look Perfectly Normal otherwise. It's just not right.

N O P E !

[Image source: my nightmares or tenor]

#shark #shark asks #shark facts #shark education #education #science #marine biology #kat answers #kat replies #kat talks #i truly hate the way goblin sharks do... that #it's just not okay sir

[nanasalt]

To the anon who messaged me: what happened to Karen tho

#kat replies #Did she have a nice week/month while her sister was out? #Did she and their mom have tea? #You never confirmed who their dad was so I assume he's like. #Normal and not involved. #Anna got politically married to a normal guy after the events of Frozen II #Actually first question: Why did you send this whole thing as an ask? #I didn't see a question or area for comment? #You definitely have more zest for life than I do that was 2100 words and I support you in your endeavors #But I am pretty clearly an Anna stan or at least I hope that does come across #I tend to avoid fics where she gets sidelined. #Frozen Longfic Anon

[kitkatscabinet]

Hi! I loved your fic about Sam and cuddles!

I was wondering if I could make a request with the prompt:

“you need someone.  let me be that person.  let me be what you need”

For something with Sam Winchester, pretty please!

Thank you so much! 💖

Ah thanks so much do your kind words, I absolutely can write your request! Do you have a preference for who says it and around which timeframe during the series?

#kat replies

[brendan-kemp]

top things I h8 marvel for: 1, not giving cap2 a proper sequel that finishes the trilogy nicely enough so I could pretend it's a standalone separated from the mcu. 2, not letting both Bucky and Steve leave the mcu at the same time together, idec what kind of sendoff, anything's better than what they've been doing to the characters post-endgame

EXACTLY

#I completely agree anon #at this point I’d rather they kill Bucky #giving him a redemption arc and having him make amends #as if he had any choice #he was literally tortured and made to forget everything #and now giving steggy all of Stucky’s scenes and lines #they piss me off so much #Kat replies #Anon

[miss-wizard]

everyone loves to say "this is basic stuff!" in discussions of queer theory, but as soon as you bring up the possibility of advanced stuff they start wailing like you shot them in the leg

#sent a reply saying something similar but just to be clear this isn't about that. i'm just generalising in this one #kat-fleur curio

[katalyna-rose]

hi there! i rlly enjoy your fanfics specifically Pursuit of Knowledge which i reread over and over in 2020. I want to practice bookbinding and i wanted to bookbind a somewhat achievable (not too long) fanfiction that i love, to start out with. I just want to make sure if you'd be fine with that. I won't be profiting off of it or doing much with it (other than put it on my bookshelf). It'd just be for my own use. have a good day :D

YES PLEASE DO THAT AND THEN BOMBARD ME WITH PICS PLEASE

I am so flattered thank you so much.

#kat replies #hdjfjd i am blushing

[pterribledinosaurdrawings]

@kat-n-dog replied to your post “stellasapiente: pterribledinosaurdrawings: ...”:

Is. Is that. A transceratops

It sure is!

Here's my original transceratops drawing from 4 years ago, all wonky because I didn't have a drawing tablet yet.

#kat-n-dog #replies #transgender #patches

[lesbiangiratina]

Genuinely why do people seem to feel so threatened by the concept of aromanticism

#people are still annoying about asexuality but its kind of died down to like #borderline regurgitating lol cringe special snowflake type shit #you sound like a south park character and you should be put down. but anyway #on the other hand people act like aromantics are like. fucking evil. or something #similar attitudes towards poly people. #how can you like. differ from the norm yourself but not be able to wrap your head around people differing from the norm in other ways #maybe its not an inability just an unwillingness. like. just sucking as a person. lol #sorryyyyy this is what i got mad about last night #a post calling out lesbophobia in a comment. by someone who was aromantic #the replies were sooooooooooo fucking tunnel visioned on the commenter being aromantic #sorry thats fucking insane to me as an arospec lesbian like. being aromantic wasnt the root of it? #i think maybe not being a lesbian is what leads to people being lesbophobic?? #AGAIN idgaf about the post itself the op themself said the person being aromantic was irrelevant . people were just being insane about it #the kat goes meow

[aadmelioraa]

PLEASE tell me the context of the line, "If this fails and there is no escape for you, please tell me you'll find a man you trust to kill you softly." that is THE most intense line of dialogue i've ever ready holy shit i need to watch this show??

AHHHHHHHHH Beth it is literally SO intense, like…ok, so…Uhtred, the main character and guy who says that line, is at this point in a relationship with Aethelflaed, the woman in the gifset. I very decidedly do not ship them together, I resent how often her character is sidelined to prop him up, among other things…the historical Aethelflaed is an incredibly impressive figure, but a lot of her achievements are given to the fictional Uhtred in the show…I will stop there, just…I really really do not ship them for a variety of reasons and that is a big one lol.

I do, however, ship Aethelflaed with the bowlcut dude, aka Aldhelm, our favorite morally flexible Mercian who at this point is ride-or-die for Aethelflaed. Their storyline makes me feral, which you know at this point given my unhinged posts. But like…Aldhelm is canonically in love with her and has been for a while (he confesses it during the s3 finale while bleeding out in Aethelflaed's room, having been stabbed by her abusive and nefarious husband for siding with Aethelflaed's leadership tactics over his, after he'd spent many years being loyal to the husband, scheming on his behalf, etc).

It's a GREAT scene, his s3 arc is just him slowly shifting to her side entirely and it is so FUN, the actor (James Northcote) is excellent and provides so much depth to what, in s2, had been a fairly straightforward characterization (though still very fun, I loved him in s2 also). Anyway, Aethelflaed never reciprocates Aldhelm's affections (which I personally think is a great writing choice) BUT they are like…functionally a team, very much operating as partners, he is supportive of her and she can rely on him fully in her function as a leader but also in a personal capacity. 

So the thing with that find a man to kill you softly moment: they're about to fight in a huge battle with the odds stacked against them and there is a risk that Aethelflaed, as Lady of Mercia, might be taken as a political prisoner and be tortured, used as collateral, etc. Uhtred, her love interest, tells her to be sure she won't be taken alive, and then Aethelflaed reveals SHE ALREADY PICKED SOMEONE TO KILL HER SOFTLY and that THAT MAN IS ALDHELM because OF COURSE IT IS!! BUT THE ACTUAL THING IS when it comes down to it…ALDHELM CAN'T KILL HER. HE HAS A KNIFE TO HER THROAT AND THEY'RE SURROUNDED AND SHE'S LOST HER SWORD AND HE'S WAITING TIL THE LAST SECOND but HE CAN'T KILL HER!! LOOK AT HIS FUCKING FACE WHEN HE REALIZES IT!!

They're only saved by the last minute archery intervention from her brother, their ally, who shows up with his army in the nick of time. This is a mere season and a half (though this does include significant time jumps, tbf) after Aldhelm suggested to Aethelflaed's husband that he HAVE HER ASSASSINATED. And a season after ALDHELM WAS SENT TO BE THE ONE TO ASSASSINATE HER! He has a knife to her throat there too, though he doesn't intend to actually kill her, he's just a lowkey dramatic bitch. There is so much fucking knife kink in their storyline, I swear to GOD. 

Also, back to the original question (sorry)…the writers made the choice to have Aethelflaed be in a battle couple with Aldhelm during this ep, not Uhtred (her canonical love interest), and it FUCKS. The whole sequence is just FLAWLESS. I have my issues with that season (season 4 out of 5 total) as it relates to her storyline, but the ship moments are so good. I can't recommend watching the show on the basis that it's good but I can recommend watching it on the basis that those two have burrowed into my brain and live there permanently. I have never written so much fic for a ship as I have for those two, they make me insane, I love them. The show is very much not about either of them (they both appear in s2, also), but they have a really satisfying joint arc for the most part. It's the perfect recipe for shipfic, for me: I am dissatisfied with enough that I have plenty of canon-based ideas, and that pairing has an extremely compelling relationship that's never consummated. Plus it hits all of my kinks: loyal advisor/queen, enemies to lovers, pining, angst, repression, and there is sooo much fic potential for secret relationships, and of course my beloved sexy paperwork feat competency kink as they tackle administrative duties together.

Thank you for letting me yell at you about them, I hope this answers your question hahaha.

#kat replies #bettsfic #they give me so much life for real #aethelflaed x aldhelm #the last kingdom #long post #[incoherent screaming] #anti uhtred #anti aethelflaed x uhtred

[shenyaanigans]

3, 6, 17, 18, 27, 29 for ao3 wrapped! if you want to, of course :)

AAAA hello dear friend!! <3 thank u so much for the asks! 3&17 i answered here, but i shall answer the rest of these! <3

ao3 wrapped

6. Favorite title you used

I gotta give this one to an angel's share which was supposed to be a 5+1 that got. Out of Hand, let's say. The context is that I went to a distillery in Ireland at around the time I was being consumed by Trigun brainrot, and during the tour, the tour guide talked about how, when whiskey is aging in its barrels, it loses about 10% of its volume to evaporation, but back in the olden days, they didn't know that's what happened, so they chalked up the missing whiskey to "the angel's share"--where angels came down and blessed the barrels in the morning before they were opened, and took a drink with them. I found this anecdote to be so cute and inspiring, and I pictured Vash stealing things from Wolfwood and well. The rest is history. LOL

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Interestingly, I would say this is Wolfwood. Not because I actually felt like he gave me trouble during the writing process, but because Trigun fandom started to really make me question whether I was doing a good job with him by the end... Part of the reason an angel's share remains unfinished is because I feel vaguely... I don't know, embarrassed? It's difficult to keep going once the seed that I've been fundamentally mistaken about a character is planted, because I can't stop second guessing that I'm somehow doing something wrong. This, as well as some other factors, made Wolfwood difficult to go back to, despite that I love him and have confidence in my literary analysis of both him and Vash.

27. What do you listen to while writing?

So USUALLY nothing, but sometimes, I'll just listen to a single song on repeat that for some reason really gets me in the groove. For like no reason. Which is why my top songs on spotify are so fucked up LOL

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

I have a lot of favorites, but I love the drawing scene from chapter 5 of bodice ripper. It's both a massive narrative pay-off moment, and a showcase of good writing at the same time, and marrying those two aspects of narrative work has always been something I've struggled with! Here is my favorite excerpt from that scene:

With that, he turns to go. Jing Yuan is reminded, suddenly, of that day on the Alchemy Commission’s beach, when he’d run into Mr. Yang again after ignoring him for days. What if he had ended this all there? If he had allowed Mr. Yang to walk away back then, would it have been better? Certainly, it would have spared them both the tension of now. But— Is it so much better to have never suffered through loss, Mr. Yang had said at dinner, than it is to have risked and gained something that mattered? It occurs to Jing Yuan, throughout all this, he has risked nothing. Actually, he has risked nothing his entire life. And he has risked nothing knowing that risking nothing was the correct thing to do, because he has watched every person he has ever known risk something at the expense of everything, just because the potential return was high. It is he who has lived so long because he has always taken the cautious path, the meticulous path, knowing risk is only worth it when victory is assured first. He has always been a coward. It doesn’t bother him.

#kat replies #thank you so much for asking!! you are always too sweet to me!! <3 #i hope you are well this holiday season!

[obaewankenope]

I'd like some sentences from "Steddie"

In Eddie’s defence, when Wayne does figure it out, he did think he’d have more time to sort of ease Wayne into accepting Steve. He didn’t exactly figure that Steve would show up at the trailer, hit the horn and bellow Eddie’s name out the window alongside a “CODE RED MUNSON! TURN YOUR FUCKING WALKIE ON! DUSTIN’S GIVING ME SHIT FOR YOU NOT ANSWERING!” Wayne coming out after Eddie full on freaks the fuck out, throwing on the nearest pair of boots to the door – thankfully Eddie’s but they’re the old pair that Eddie only uses for when it’s muddy as fuck out – and giving Steve that look Eddie recognises as his what the fuck is happening and do you really think I’m not getting involved in it when my kid is involved? face.

WIP Wednesday | Askbox

#wip wednesday fic writing #wip wednesday game #wip wednesday #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #wayne munson #kat writes #kat answers #kat replies

[vampyrekat]

cant believe i forgot about maleficent and her emo boytoy omg thank you for cleansing the timeline🫶

I am so pleased to bless the timeline with a fine vintage ship, come join me in savoring it. I checked out the novelization on a whim (commuting) and I was like, oh right! I forgot this movie and specifically this ship was made in a lab for my brain. So now I've rewatched the film and I'm lost in the sauce.

I love that Maleficent/Diaval is the story of two people accidentally raising a baby into a teenager together and the whole time Maleficent is oblivious (not her fault! she has bigger things going on!) while Diaval is like "that's my wife, she's terrifying. i love her. <3" Even when Aurora meets them properly as a 15 year old, Maleficent is Going Through It™ while Diaval is just so hype to finally introduce himself to his child.

Pictured above: moments that really did a number on me. He raised this kid and now he gets to finally meet her properly and they're both so delighted by it while Maleficent watches from the corner like }:-(

I really feel like the most beautiful and unique part of it is the genuine backtalk; Diaval might start out subservient and he certainly maintains that position but as time goes on he proves himself perfectly willing to correct or backtalk Maleficent. He basically functions as a reminder of her heart and moral compass while she is recovering from her hurt (and subsequent revenge bender) and it's delightful to watch because you rarely see a position where a male character is so open and honest while the woman gets to have the delicious redemption arc. Maleficent is going through an enemies-to-godfamily relationship arc with Aurora while Diaval is patiently waiting for her to realize he's got heart eyes (AND for her to realize she does actually love Aurora, that's another great element, he realizes this LONG before Maleficent does and tries to gently nudge her over to that revelation). But also this:

He really said "I am just pretending to be afraid of you; I know you won't hurt me even if you push me around" and he was right. What a lovely thing to be playing out as the B or maybe C-plot. There's enough insane drama happening, it's nice that there's something a little lighter and more steady in the background of the story.

Another thing I was musing on through the book and film -- as much as I adore found family and platonic love, it's nice to see a story where a victim of what is clearly coded as sexual assault and is at least intimate partner violence finds love again. I know Maleficent & Diaval isn't technically 'canon', but again, the film was juggling enough relationship arcs with Maleficent & Aurora and Maleficent & Stefan. It's okay, in my eyes, for the romance element to be subtext, when it's clearly still important and given some narrative space and weight.

I had a more coherent thought but finally found a gif of just this moment (thank you, @raainstorms, you spoil us all) so instead you get this. I love it. Maleficent really said "go defend our kid who I haven't realized yet is our kid" and Diaval said "understood". Never proposed but nevertheless they've been married for years.

"Who fell first vs. who fell harder" is defunct. "Which one is the evil minion who adopted the baby on sight and who is the Evil Empress who had to slowly realize they love the baby" is the vintage yardstick everything else has to measure up to. I will read 100,000 fanfics of Maleficent only belatedly realizing that somewhere in the process of acquiring her goddaughter she also acquired a husband. Maybe she acquired the husband first, she certainly does not know. Diaval understands this and is okay with it, Aurora probably doesn't understand in the slightest how her godmother did not pick up on anything.

And the sequel! I realized after reading some other posts that I did NOT remember the sequel correctly because my memories are "fairy genocide and also Diaval and Maleficent are co-parenting". Apparently somewhere in there Maleficent is shoved into a love triangle with two men who are not her long-term boytoy/coparent/external moral compass, which is ridiculous, because the film ends with them attending their daughter's wedding in matching outfits.

If Maleficent 3 (boo hiss at Disney, make something new, cowards) isn't about Aurora parent trapping them I am going to riot in the street.

TL;DR: My roommate described maleval as this post and I have not been able to shake it from my mind because it really, really fits:

#Kat Answers #amethyinst #maleval #maleficent x diaval #diaval x maleficent #i'm tagging because I am always down to chat about this thank u #also i think it was my roommate but if it was one of my beloved tumblr people please remind me xoxo #I DID IT I FINALLY REPLIED TO AN ASK

[clonerightsagenda]

dude1818 said: Falin and Laios have the exact same autism, but nobody minds Falin’s because she’s cute. Laios did say he needed her around to mediate for him Basic resurrection is normal in the dungeon: heal the body and the soul automatically reattaches. Whatever Marcille did there was Something Else

Laios is happily butchering a monster infodumping about its unique biology the whole time while Falin makes friendly eye contact with the Creepy Child Ghost hiding in the kitchen cupboard and meanwhile Marcille is shaking like a terrier because she wants to start casting Extreme Death Atrocity Explosions so badly

#kat reads dungeon meshi #replies #dude1818

[kitkatscabinet]

I think it was in response to your last answer on my last ask, but basically, what if you combined both, for extra angst! Someone dies! 🙃

I shall see what my brain can cook up 👀👀

#kat replies