#well i didn't know philza was going to hit us with this when i wrote the other one this morning

[bonesandthebees]

Hello, I've never submitted an ask here before but I've been very obsessed with Stars for a very long time and I'm only now able to articulate some of my thoughts/questions. I've been lurking for a while as well

What I find so interesting about Stars is how vivid and realistic you make the relationships seem. It feels as if I've been thrust into Wilbur's head and I'm experiencing things the way he's experiencing them. I feel his distrust and yearning for Phil and his grief for Tommy and what they once had

I'm wondering how much of what you write is very intentional/planned out versus how much is intuition? Like with the arc that Wilbur and Philza's complicated relationship takes, did you plan out specific steps in how the dynamic evolves or did you kind of play it by ear/write what felt right? I'm sorry I can't phrase my question any better than that

I'm just incredibly interested in the process that you use to write Stars since I'm a fellow writer and I'm always curious about how other writers do things

oh this is SUCH a fun question

firstly, thank you so much!! I love writing relationship-centric works because I think there's just so much more interesting stuff you can do with it outside of having some insane plot. of course plot-based stuff isn't bad, but relationship driven stories are soooo fun for me to dive into and stars is kind of the ultimate relationship driven story for me.

now onto your question. I'd say it's a mix of both, but definitely leans more towards intuition. I didn't have a specific point in my outline where I said "and wilbur now trusts phil enough to lean into the hand on his shoulder" or something like that, but I do have certain 'beats' I try to hit with relationship progression. like I knew that the conversation where phil tells wilbur about his own childhood was going to be a turning point where wilbur was going to start coming to him for his problems after that because he then knows that phil understands him. but a lot of smaller details I add in just by feel. like way back when phil decided to drop the 'prince' part of wilbur's name when addressing him was something I figured just felt right. the first time he called wilbur 'little bird' was the same way. I never planned for that to even be a thing in the fic. I just was writing that scene and I thought what if phil called him by some kind of endearing nickname? one that could also be taken as condescending? it feels like we're at a point where that can happen and the readers won't know what the intent behind it is, if it's genuine or not. and that's where little bird came from.

other details I decided on as I wrote just by feel! phil using his wings to shield wilbur for the first time when they spoke. or in the latest chapter, phil telling wilbur to call him phil and not philza. that was a little trickier because I'd known that at a certain point I wanted wilbur to stop calling him philza and switch to phil, but I just wasn't sure when it was going to happen. then in that chapter it just felt like the right moment, so I went for it.

the way I decide when to listen to my intuition is a mix of just putting myself in wilbur's shoes and deciding if it feels right, but also I have to think about the impact it'll have on the story as a whole. are we at a point where a relationship shift can happen? is this going to reduce the impact of something else happening down the line? there have been a lot of times I've debated adding a new shift into the relationship, like some sign of affection of some kind, but I've decided against it because I feel like we're not there yet. even if the characters could feasibly interact like this and it would feel realistic to their relationship, I know it would reduce the impact of some other shift later in the plot, so I decide to hold off. it's a careful balance to strike which is both really fun for me, but very nerve wracking sometimes too because I feel like I'm constantly walking on a tight rope. but that's why I like writing so much! it's a constant challenge!

hope this helped!! ty for this question it was super fun to think about

#ask #anon #the stars and their children

[mt-words]

As a fan of Niki I love her section of Techno’s will.

“Tell Ranboo &Niki that they’re stronger than they know.”

So much of Niki’s story is about what it means to make an impact, what it means to belong. Does making the best choice you can matter if no one knows or cares either way? Does kindness make a difference if people don’t accept it? Does it matter if you fight if you don’t succeed?

Niki frequently feels invisible. It’s why she ultimately left L’manburg, she went there for her best friend and was promised that no one fights alone, where was that promise when she was left standing alone against Schlatt? Even once they reclaimed the country she felt like there was no family for her there, so she left.

Niki struggled to make the choice to join the Syndicate because she wasn’t sure what she wanted, she had unfinished business she wanted to sort out first. The deciding factor was that she wanted a place to belong.

By having Philza pass her this message if he dies, Techno doesn’t only assure her that he sees her, she’s one of the only four people he mentioned by name (aside from pets), he values her friendship, he also makes sure Philza will reach out to her if he’s gone. He makes sure she won’t be left alone and that belonging won’t be gone with him.

And Techno uses these couple of words to tell her how strong she is.

After all those sleepless nights in an uncomfortable, small room in her underground city, surrounded only by her doubts and fearful thoughts, don’t you think that would mean the world?

#two posts in one day after writing virtually nothing for a month? #well i didn't know philza was going to hit us with this when i wrote the other one this morning #niki nihachu #technoblade #dream smp analysis #mt's words #niki and techno's relationship is wonderful #the quest to finish all of niki's vods continues! i've been making some good progress #a bit disjointed but i just got done with a lab and have homework to do so we're rushing today #long post