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macabremoons · 11 months

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Writeblr Positivity Tag

@hallwriteblr did a post of this tag, and I knew I had to try it out! Doing what they did and putting the blank format underneath the cut!

Gently tagging: @squarebracket-trick, @leisoree, @serenanymph, @immortaladrien, @thesoftestofpetals, and anyone else who wants to join!!!

1. What motivates you to write?

The plot threads I have later down the line in my wips and my characters. Both of these points are really the same. I am excited about the things I have planned because they highlight the characters, and I am excited because my characters for the things I have planned.

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

I have to pick just one????? Oh lord.

Undead things aren't supposed to grieve other undead things, and yet so many vampires were now without fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

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

@mouseinthegreenhouse's Maximilian. They have to put up with my simping sm HIOEWHOIW. It's hard to describe Max in a way that does not boil down his character. He just has this presence that you feel in every page, this captivation. A slow, measured way of speaking where he knows no one would dare interrupt him. Love him to bits.

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

I haven't really gotten to the editing phase with any of my OG works, so I guess I have to say drafting?

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

Character. I try my best to write characters that are analysis worthy. That have a deeper meaning in their existence and that have a lot to say about the world. Of course not all of my characters are as well thought out as others, but when I do put my all into it there is so many intricacies that go into them.

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

THE PEOPLE. I LOVE YOU GUYSS. I love seeing your works and hearing your feedback and the tags and the asks. And the mutuals. The mutuals. Getting to know other writers and getting to talk about writing more deeply with them is so much fun.

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

I use WPS Offcie for my more serious projects. It's like Word, but free, and also not owned by Microsoft. This helps me not write in the middle of the night on Daycycle and work on it healthily. It is the bane and boon of my existence.

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

Why must you continually make me choose a favorite child? I like how I tackled the elements on daycycle, I suppose. The fact that every element has it's own ideology behind it gives me a lot of freedom with what I can do with it. It also helps me say a bunch of stuff with it! And I enjoy making none of the elements good or evil but keeply neutral with their own psychological behavioral patterns.

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

People are going to tell you to just keep going and you're going to think that it's impossible. I'm sorry to tell you that it's hard, but it's possible. I believe in you and your ability to write through this.

Unless you are going through writing burnout TAKE A BREAK. TAKE A BREAK. TAKE A BREAK. "But what if--" NO. BREAK. NOW.

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

@squarebracket-trick for her amazing writing. I really feel like I could have a discussion about any form of writing with her and she'd have something to say. @sugar-phoenix, @lyra-brie, and @leisoree for listening to my rambles and sharing their gorgeous juicy ideas to me. @wipsbymor for RJ. What I have to say more? Sigh, also for her continued support and kindness. @hallwriteblr, yes tagging you again, for being such a kind person in this community and for writing that sage one shot. @serenanymph for being one of my first mutuals and a talented writer to boot. And to everyone who is my mutual! I love you all!!

1. What motivates you to write?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#tag game

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quinloki · 10 months

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hello, sorry if this is too real of an ask if you're not feeling too well recently, but I've been meaning to ask if you have any advice when it comes to tackling really dark topics in fanfics?? I've been meaning to write a darkfic with the Kid pirates main 4 as slasher movie villains (think Jason Voorhees vibes) with a touch of yandere tendencies, so there's not gonna be a lot of comfort/fluff in this fic. this is naturally gonna be hard to write especially when it comes to wanting to write dark and disturbing scenes without wanting to glorify or romanticise abusive behavior or stockholm syndrome, not to mention not wanting to upset or trigger survivors, especially as one myself, so any advice would be lovely. thank you ^-^

I’m going to start this off with what I think should be your most important takeaway from this:

It’s okay to romanticize abuse in fiction.

It’s okay to romanticize horror, murder, etc. etc. in fiction.

Fiction is where we can do the really uncomfortable stuff. Where we can explore the darks part of existing, because it’s good to be able to go “I connect with this and I should consider why.” Or “this brings me comfort, how can I break that down?” Stuff like that.

Sometimes it helps us realize a view or understanding we had that we thought was good is inherently flawed. (I am reminded of viewers being very angry when they realized the character in The Boys they connected with was *not* a good guy and did not get redeemed.)

What we have to be careful about is not condoning such themes in reality.

Horror movies and books go into deep dark territory all the time, but often hobby writers can be held to odd standards by comparison, which gets a bit frustrating at times.

How to avoid that AND present dark fic properly?

On Ao3 and tumblr just tag your story - character death, gore, stalking, Stockholm syndrome, abuse, toxic relationship, dubcon, noncon as applicable, excessive descriptions of blood and gore, etc.

You don’t have to get specific - you don’t have to say who dies/survives. You can admit to “this has a bad end” if you want - I had a webcomic warn me about that and it was NOT kidding.

Some responsibility is on the writer for dark fic, yes, but honestly that’s just in terms of being sure you label it well. Avoiding and heeding those tags is solely on the reader - as long as you didn’t, say, write about disarticulation in exacting detail without warning “excessive descriptions of blood and gore”.

You can put additional warnings in the summary, or even as a heads up before a particularly intense chapter.

And, you’re not going to be perfect. If someone says “hey can you add [x] tag?” Be open to it - but don’t add any and every tag requested - sometimes people can be demanding in tag requests and you have the right to decide where the line really is.

For example someone might ask that you add a tag involving eye-trauma. It’s a squick of mine, people getting injured on, in, around their eyes, and I wouldn’t be upset with a heads up - but I also think it’s covered under warnings of gore.

Someone might ask that you tag a specific character’s death - personally? I wouldn’t. “Character death” is enough. “Slasher/horror” honestly should really be enough cause even though I don’t watch horror movies I have a keen understanding that you do not get attached to characters in a horror story.

As long as you hit the broad strokes, I think that’s enough. The idea is that no one wants to walk into a slasher when they were expecting fluff.

As for taking care of ourselves as writers while we write dark content, that’s harder to give advice on. I really have to be in a steady frame of mind to write dark stuff, but if I know there’s vindication in there somewhere it’s much easier. (There’s a stalker in A Light Touch that gets his due and as someone who has had more than 6, it was cathartic to write.)

But sometimes there’s catharsis in the bad guy winning too. You’ve got to understand those lines for yourself - I can’t really give you advice cause it’s so different for everyone. But listen to yourself.

If it feels like a slog, leave it.

If it’s not getting out of your mind, write it.

You’re not “weird” if you write your darkest shit when you’re happiest, or vice versa. What you need to do is just keep an eye on yourself - there is no world in which you should suffer in order to write “good dark content”.

For better or worse, that’s the best advice I have - I hope it’s helped ^_^

#quin answers #quin muses #writing advice

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byeol-ssi · 2 years

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Can I just start off by saying thank you so much for writing and making one of the most amazing fics and then for writing me one of the most beautiful fic for my request?

I am so so so ecstatic and so so damn happy and genuinely grateful for the amount of amazingness and sincerity and love you put into writing the characters. You're an amazing writer and I'm so so glad i stumbled upon that Marius x bodyguard mc fic bcs i waited for all parts like i wait for kdrama episodes and it was so damn worth it. I'm gonna brag about this to my friends and think about this all day every day and it made me smile so damn much. You combined food and my best boy together and that's mf talent and hardwork and appreciation all in your writing I'm so so happyyyttttttrhsjjajajaja

Excuse the hystericalness of my message lol i wanna give u a big fat cat huggggg

Also, this is to let you know i appreciate you and your hardwork and dedication to the characters and the love you have for writing but more than a fan, i wanted to let you know as one person to another, that you're craft and art in writing is worthy of only the best praises and that if anyone tells you otherwise they are jealous and just plain eughhhhhh

Please always take good care of yourself and never feel discouraged by writer's block or other obstacles

You're doing amazing and ur going to keep on doing amazing and know always that you make someone's day alot brighter and better and that you make them happy and excited with what you do. I wish for you to always get the reward for being such an amazing ball of sunshine in my life

i had to reread this several times, spend the next few minutes bawling my eyes out, then took another moment to clutch my phone close to my overjoyed and extremely full heart.

firstly, no words will ever be enough to express how grateful i am that you took the time to send me such a heartfelt message. i had tons of fun working on your request, and i really did want to make it as special as possible for everyone. i'm a little speechless, but i do want to convey my appreciation as well, so please bear with me if this gets a little sappy.

i feel very blessed to know that i have someone like you reading and supporting my work. that alone has already made a huge difference in my life, and i'm certain i'll be able to handle any challenge regarding writing because i know that i have you. your encouragement will definitely allow me to grow even more as a writer and a person, and for that, again, i'm thankful.

my world is definitely a lot brighter, because this message, your well-wishes, and you, will forever be engraved on my heart and be the biggest motivation for me to continue writing. that's how massive of an impact your love has done for little me, so when i do release something new, please remember that i'm only able to, because of you. honestly.

you deserve the entire world, my love! i hope you know that i'll always be thinking of you — and wishing for your safety, health, and happiness.

(also, i too, feel frustrated that i can't tackle you into a big hug. so instead, i would love to make you another request/fic should you desire one and if you have any ideas in the future, as my way of saying thanks. you truly don't know how much this entire ask means to me ♡)

#this has made #my entire life #i swear #i want to print this out and #and tuck it safely in my letter box #my tears haven't stopped #FURIOUSLY TYPING #IN MY SEARCH BAR #HOW TO SEND HUGS THRU THE INTERNET #iloveyou #truly #✦ inbox notification.#sender ✦ alizah

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storyofmychoices · 1 year

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Fic writer asks: 🍱🍥

Let's get real: 💞🎈

Sending you lots of good vibes and hope you're doing well ❤️

Thank you for the ask 💖💖💖

Fic writer asks

🍱 Do you read your own fics?

Sometimes.... Sometimes I reread because I want to make sure I get my own canon right 🙈 Sometimes I reread because I miss a particular story and want to enjoy it as a comfort read. Sometimes I reread for Throwback Thursday to make sure it's not terrible lol

I really would love to reread all my Thomas and Alex stories and try to string them together into one longer cohesive story to see how their relationship evolves over time. 💖💖💖

🍥 What's your favorite fic you've written?

Oo I have no idea! How do you pick just one? I have so many that are special to me in different ways. I really love the Love & Scotch series even if I have yet to finish it and haven't written it in a year or two??? ughh I also really love my Orphanage series because it has such a special place in my heart. And how could I leave out Bogart! That little black lab was supposed to just be a little fluff here and there and now he has his own series and pictagram lol. But there are so so many other one shots that I adore and couldn't even decide which to say was a favorite.

A long answer to say, I have no idea lol

Let's Get Real

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

I guess the characters? I feel like my stories, especially in the past year or so are really just short little fluffy snippets of life. They don't really have in depths plots or big word building. It's really just the characters' interactions and descriptions of their feelings so I guess figurative language too.

🎈describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? does it change?

I'm definitely a fluff writer who focuses on small moment descriptions and connections between characters. I feel my writing is mostly fixed, but every now and then I will branch out to the occasional angst (particularly to tackle mental health issues) and smut for my beloved Dom!Levi and the sexist Mal Volari!

Thank you again for the ask! I hope I answered your questions 💖

#ask #answered #ask game #writer ask #Fic Writer Asks #let's get real #lovealexhunt

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diedraechin · 2 years

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hello!! I love BYSOTI and I wanted to thank you for sharing it with us. Ive been following it for years and it was such a joy to see you come back to it earlier this/last year. I was wondering, do you have like a whole timeline plotted out in your head where you plan out how the story will go? or do you mostly have vague ideas that you want to hit and you just end up writing until it gets there? I just cannot imagine writing a 350k+!!!!! fic and keeping everything straight, haha. It boggles my mind!! Thanks again so much. Much love, and I hope you and yours are having a safe and happy new year!!

Thank you so much! I was so happy to be able to return to this.

The whole timeline has been completely plotted out in my head since the beginning. Or rather, the major points have. Including how everything comes together at the end. Then I tackle it in chunks in details and usually write out an outline.

The reason I do this is to give the story room to evolve naturally and not corner myself into something and then it not working with the stuff I've already written. So, for example. I knew that he wouldn't stay in Russia at the beginning, that he was going to go back to Japan and that Yuuri and Viktor would have to maintain their friendship long distance. And I knew I wanted him to have a successful career in Juniors. I knew I was going to send him to Detroit and that it was unlikely he was going to mesh well with Celestino.

So it's a bit of A and a bit of B. The overall timeline has major milestones, but then I basically plot everything out by season and because things are shoved into a real timeline of a sport, I definitely have to write that out as things happen to make sure I'm not randomly adding weeks of time in the middle of the Grand Prix.

I also have to at least cursorily figure out the placements of some characters to either ensure that that get to the GPF or that I don't shut out other characters I want there by writing too many characters doing better than them. I also went through the hassle of doing the actual math to get Yuuri's points to determine his rank. Because it's a point system, the number spread is somewhat stable, so I don't have to figure out every single character, I can figure out Yuuri's and then see where his points would drop him approximately. And then the actual ranking is writers prerogative. (It's hinted at in scene where Yuuri is working on his cw spin and will be spelled out in the next chapter, if you're curious how our boy is ranked.)

Back to plotting, though, some stuff is still undecided and could technically go a couple of ways, but since it wouldn't change the main points I have to hit, I'm holding off on making a decision until I'm closer to actually writing it.

This also boggles Io on the daily since we both write, but our processes are so different. Most writers I've talked to aren't as linear when it comes to writing as I am. Any out of order writing I end up doing tends to happen within a chapter or two. Otherwise I start at the beginning of the chapter and I write until the end of the chapter and then I mess with it, remove bits, add bits, rewrite bits all that good stuff.

I've been removing less than I used to mostly because my readers keep telling me that they like my bits of side nonsense with characters like Jonas and Shuji, the idols, etc.

#asks #bysotid #bear your soul on the ice #writing #sassy babbles #writing process

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atiny-piratequeen · 3 years

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Oh okay, in the story I'm writing the character who is being penetrated is the dominant one, and I think it would be really hot for her to train him gradually over time to adjust and be able to accommodate her body, moulding and conditioning his dick as well as his mouth to be able to take her, purely for her own benefit. I'm into d/s and powerplay so I assume this is why I like it. I into everything that comes with it, her "training" his dick to adjust to her pussy including being made to have his dick inside her for extended periods of time as part of his training, as well as him being told to use toys to size train himself on his own. And then slowly introducing different sizes (could be bigger or smaller, honestly I was kinda confused when you immediately started talking about smaller sizes cause in my head I was actually imagining size training to take larger orifices like how you were saying about in my first ask with larger insertions), and how it would be slightly painful/uncomfortable for him at first but she praises him and tells him how good he's being the whole time. I have some sadist tendencies I'm also into the idea of him getting to confident and trying to take more than he can handle at that moment and going to rough and hard and it being painful for him as a result and ending up "bambi walking" as you put it lol (although I feel like this is a different topic to gradual size training, and also even though I find the idea hot I don't actually want to send anyone to the hospital by fucking them, I don't find sexual injuries sexy in real life). Maybe it's weird, but I find the idea of his body literally needing time to physically adjust to her extremely hot, as well as his body being trained to take something it couldn't before and her needing to spend time on with him to help him and prep him properly to take her without being in pain and not risk hurting him if he's not ready for it, I like the vulnerability of him possibly being hurt so she has to help him prep and be gentle with him.

I'm not talking about if the partner being penetrated isn't turned on enough or isn't wet enough, or if they're uncomfortable or in pain, I'm just talking about them training their partner to take them before actually fucking them. Also, what if it's a demon au like with your fic and they literally have a different biology to humans and their genitals are different and so their dick needs to be trained to get used to it (this is not what I'm currently writing, it's just another thought I had).

Obviously using a toy that's way too small can be uncomfortable and cause injury but like you said, that's also true of someone who just decides to insert a 12 inch dildo up their ass no?

"there’s no real reason to train someone’s dick for insertion" "i suppose the only 'training’ you can do is with fleshlights that are a bit small for your dick size but like…thats a bit of an extra step when you should be prepping your partner" Idk tho isn't it kind of weird to prescribe what is the "right" way to do things or what "should" be done or that there's no reason to do something because surely that is down to the people involved and what they like/prefer? It seems you're saying that size training is necessary if you want to have sex with a toy/dildo that is larger than average? And quite a few people liked it so I'm assuming they agree, but what I don't get is what do people do if someone with a larger than average dick and/or their partner don't like or want these roles? Like I assume this must have happened before? You said that words of praise are important but what if the other partner doesn't particularly like to receive praise and would rather give it? What if the person with the larger dick likes the idea of being trained by their partner more than their partner being trained? What if the person being penetrated prefers to be the one to give foreplay and help prep their partner for sex and the big dicked person prefers to receive foreplay and be taken care of and be gently and slowly prepped by their partner?

Like I like having vaginal sex and I'm not into painful sex or receiving pain during sex but if I meet a partner who happens to have a larger dick, does that mean I have to do this if I want to have sex comfortably? Honestly I hate the idea of needing to be "trained" or "prepped" to take someone's dick, just thinking about it is kind of making me feel sick to be honest. I would much rather be the one doing the training and prepping, I want that role instead, but I still want to be penetrated at the same time, so where does that put me?

It sucks that it's not called size training, because for better or for worse the more edgy or obscure the kink or tag is the more attention and notes it tends to get and size related kinks in particular are usually very popular. I guess it just sucks that I see so many writers writing for these kinds of kinks like with your demon au fic and they get so many notes and comments from people who just love it praising them and gushing about how hot it is and it sucks to know that I'll probably never get that kind of attention because like your saying it isn't possible for me to write those kinks in reverse or if I can it won't appeal to as many people because there's no real reason for the act or doesn't make sense like it does the other way around and then I just, feel like I can't compete because I can't write stuff like that or write those kinks because it doesn't work that way around. And then I feel bad for feeling bad or for wanting that same kind of popularity or attention because I feel like I'm being ungrateful or bitter and I don't know how to deal with it. But thank you for talking to me.

I...m not gonna lie like the end of this ask really has a kind of vibe that rubs me the wrong way tbh.

I was going to try and tackle the several points here but on fucking god the way you came at me over this and how shit in here is worded really comes off as fucking rude. I never said every single time someone takes someone larger they need to be trained for it. Your first ask was literally "what is size training" not "does someone always need size training to take a larger person"

People always write things that may not be 'common' or have a specific name for it but the fucking passive aggressive (whether intentional or not) "I'll never get as many notes as you/people who write it like xyz" really rubs me the wrong way and felt like a fucking punch in the face to someone i was trying to help in earnest based on the questions you asked me.

Write whatever you want. But you dont go into someones fucking ask box and basically guilt trip them because of note count just because of a difference in the content you make and how you make it and the way readers consume it.

I cannot tell you how many times I've written something maybe my readers have never seen before or dont quite have a popular niche but people end up loving it. If you're that passionate about your work, write it the fuck anyway but don't ever go into someone's box sideways with the way you spoke to me at the end there.

By the way, what you're talking about sounds closer to cock warming with a submissive male and possible orgasm denial. Because like i said in both asks, you cant really train a dick for tighter things. If HES too uncomfortable taking a partner thats too tight, his partner should be looser. If your female character sits on his dick to get him used to her vagina, thats still her body slowly loosening up and eventually it'll be easier on him. And obviously size training isnt needed in every case and people are different. I never said anything was a hard line in how sex should happen.

#bruh ngl this shit fucking killed my whole vibe and ruined a bit of my night #the absolute fuck is that tone and wording what the fuck?#asks #anontiny

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ironwoodprotectionsquad · 3 years

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I've watched Houseki no Kuni and read the manga, and while it does have some elements of what happened with Ironwood, it's far better executed and works with the world building. The story follows a character who starts out very much like V1-3 Ruby; young, inexperienced, but unlike Ruby, they don't have the hardness to fight the war doing on in their world. All their experiences and the outcomes are more of showing the effects war can have on people and asking both the characters and the viewers some really hard questions like; what is it that makes us human? what forms us as individuals? and what are lines you would be willing and wouldn't be willing to cross to win a war/achieve your goals/overcome regrets/ect?

If we had to compare it, Houseki no Kuni (at least the first season) is very much what CRWBY thinks they wrote Ironwood's story to be. It very much succeeds where RWBY fails regarding trauma, war, and philosophical questions about who people are and how they come to be.

However it certainly has moments where it flounders a bit and is definitely a ymmv series. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. But it's 100000x better than what we got with Ironwood.

You're not the first person to point out the errors of the original anon ask but I still appreciate it none the less. Shows often try to tackle subjects like these but kind of fail spectacularly, so I love the idea of a show actually doing a good job tackling it. Those are some intense subjects but ones that would be very interesting to explore and really talk about. Honestly though RWBY could have tackled these themes and maybe even well if the writers cared to put any effort into learning about the subjects and caring about handling them with care. But CRWBY doesn't care, all they care about is making the mains right and nothing else and I am so tired of it. I know a lot of people want to believe CRWBY tried and on some level cares but....they don't. They just think every idea they have is perfect and don't bother to research or listen to critique no matter how nicely put.

No show is without flaw. But....some flaws are easier to ignore then others. And RWBY's flaws....they are just to hard to ignore. Sadly it wouldn't take much to be better then RWBY in regards to these themes but it sounds like it is significantly better which gives me hope.

I don't know if I can put myself through another show with such heavy themes but....I'll keep it in mind. Maybe when I'm in a better place.

#RWDE #Rwby bashing #Rwby critical #RWBY critque #James Ironwood #ironwood protection squad #pro james ironwood #pro ironwood #general ironwood #general dadmiral #dadmiral ironwood

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ymiwritesstuff · 4 years

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Hey, I was wondering if you could do a Gyro x female reader who, because of her roguh past, has questionable morals? Like she has those "dark determination" moments like Johnny does and Gyro has to stop her from killing someone. Thank you so much for this. Don't forget you're a talented writer!

This was super super fun to write and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so so much for the amazing request once again! I love writing for you!

Trials of Fate

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run

Gyro Zeppeli x Reader

Summary: For as long as you can remember you have been put under cruel tests by life itself and these trials have formed you into a cold, merciless individual who desires to conquer fate.

Notes: Angst, Fluff

Life was cruel. It had always been. From the moment you came to this world, life had been a constant game of survival, filled with hunger, poverty and struggling. It was as if life itself was testing you, each time forcing you to take part in its twisted trials just to stay alive. The horrible things you had to do in order to stay afloat in the sea of troubles haunted you and made you question everything. Was it truly worth it to kill someone or offer your body to someone in exchange for just a few coins?

The constant fear of being betrayed by fate and put under a set of unforgiving trials of life caused you to desperately cling to those small amount of things you occasionally owned. You would guard your possessions with your life and put an end to anyone who tried to take anything from you. But of course, fate evaded your efforts to protect your belongings and had allowed your precious items and food to be stolen all too many times.

You saw Steel Ball Run as an opportunity for a change. A change you so desperately needed. If you could win the prize money perhaps it would all be better. You could buy a new house, you wouldn’t have to worry about staying alive and maybe, just maybe, the shadow of cruel fate would finally fade away. That one, tiny possibility gave you hope and you were determined to surpass the cruelty of life.

Still, even though life had treated you exceptionally well ever since the start of the race, allowing you to travel with two very capable and tolerable males, you couldn’t allow yourself to relax. The journey was far from over and you were sure that fate was planning to throw more misfortune your way if you allowed yourself to feel at ease too much. You had to stay sharp, eliminate all threats without hesitation and then, and only then you could hopefully live in peace.

Staring at the starry night sky above you had an odd effect on you. Despite the darkness some might consider sinister, you found strange comfort in the sight of millions of stars upon the sky, looking down at you. From the corner of your eye you see the sleeping forms of Johnny and Gyro, both of whom were most likely exhausted. It was understandable and you would be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t tired from the constant riding and enemy stand attacks as well, but the usual fear you held towards fate treating you poorly kept you awake, preventing you from traveling to the world of dreams.

And due to that fear, your senses immediately caught an unfamiliar presence, followed by a sound of something -or rather, someone-, digging through your belongings. Your bag was located a good distance away from you and you immediately cursed yourself for not placing it closer. The familiar anxiety you had grown accustomed to over the years plants itself within you and you immediately get up, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The darkness surrounding the camp prevents you from seeing the thief fully, but there’s no mistake about his intentions. He’s greedily digging through your property, trying to find something worth taking. And it doesn’t sit well with you.

You silently grab a hold of your trusty handgun, the anger slowly building up. This was exactly what you were fearing and there was no way in hell you’d let this pathetic thief steal from you. Fate was testing you far too much and you were at your limit. You would not let anything get in your way again. Your (E/C) fill with burning flames of rage, a strange feeling of determination washes over you and everything around you falls under a dark veil. The only thing your mind is desiring, is the sight of this insect’s dead corpse on the hard ground, punished by you.

The man stops dead in his track when he hears a gun click behind him, followed by its muzzle pressed against the back of his head. Your merciless gaze shoots through him like a shotgun and his blood runs cold as he feels your cunning presence behind him. “Up.” You order, the man immediately doing as you say, holding his hands up as a sign of submission. Your eyes briefly glance at the ground, noticing all your belongings in tact. Fortunate for him, as you would’ve pierced him with a bullet had he actually taken something.

“P-please.. I don-” The thief’s miserable pleas are cut off as you harshly press the gun to the back of his skull and grab him by the shoulder, turning him so he’s facing away from the camp. “Walk.” Your voice is dark and quiet, ringing in his ears like a shout that makes every bone in his body tremble. He takes a step forward, terrified of you. He hasn’t even seen you as you remain behind him, but the sheer power that radiates from your voice and presence alone make him regret trying to steal from you in the first place.

As for you, this feels good. Life was trying to make you suffer yet again and you were punishing it. The endless misfortune and agony built you into the woman you are now, so to an extent you should have been grateful. You were strong, determined to end your suffering and it would all start with this. Nothing would get in your way and there was only one way to ensure the success you have been craving for years.

Once you’re satisfied with the distance between you and the camp, you kick the thief to the ground, still pointing your gun at him. Your hand is steady and shows no signs of fear or hesitation and your eyes are filled with dark determination that desires to spill the man’s blood. The sight of the man, trembling and looking at you in terror only fuels said determination. “You’re pathetic.” Had life not been treating you so poorly, you would have probably felt sorry for the man. But in this state you’re in now, you feel nothing, hear nothing but your steady heartbeat and see nothing but the cowering man before you, begging for his life.

“This is another test, isn’t it? Fate is testing me yet again, trying to make me crumble. Isn’t that right?!” Your victim flinches at the volume of your voice and falls to the ground, shielding his head. The rage bubbling within you desires to be let out and heard by everyone. And because you can’t keep it in you any longer, that’s exactly what you do:

“I will not fall! I will conquer fate and make it regret trying to ruin my life! Do you see this?!” Your eyes lock onto the sky above you as you try to voice your determination to some higher power you’re not sure even exists. But it doesn’t matter if no one heard you as this was a moment you so desperately needed. Life has been punishing you from the very day you first opened your eyes and now, you lust for revenge. You felt powerful, invincible and the whimpering man in front of you only increases those feelings. Life was beginning to submit under your determination.

“I refuse to suffer any longer.” Your gaze returns to the unfortunate thief and you raise your gun, ready to eliminate your obstacle. You would finally get revenge on life and fate. “I will not suffer.” Your finger slowly presses the trigger, your eyes once again filled with that dark determination and lust for blood. This test wouldn’t be yet another failure.

“(Name)!” You gasp at the sudden noise and turn your head over your shoulder, only to see Gyro running at you with a terrified expression on his face. The thief takes this opportunity to scramble away from you, immediately making you shoot at him, the loud gunshot filling the air around you. Due to your hasty movements the bullet misses and your eyes fill with desperation. No! This can’t be happening!

Before you have time to fire another shot, you’re tackled to the ground by Gyro who has no idea what’s going on, but refuses to let you kill a helpless human being. The gun slips from your hand and you immediately begin struggling against your lover's grip. “What the hell are you doing?!” He shouts, grabbing your hands that try to push him away. Your mind loses all determination and instead fills with desperation, your eyes filling with tears. “Let go of me! Please! I don’t want suffer anymore!” Utter confusion makes its way onto Gyro’s features as he holds you in place, refusing to let you do anything you might regret later.

“(Name), stop it! Nothing is going to hurt you!” He tries to calm you down despite the uncertainty clouding his vision. He absolutely hates seeing you like this and wants to know exactly why you were about to shoot a defenseless man. You continue thrashing around, that fear of being betrayed by fate returning. “N-no! This was a test! And I failed! I failed again! How can I-” Your words come to a halt when you feel Gyro’s hands on each side of your face, his emerald green eyes looking into yours with increasing concern.

“Look at me, love.” His voice soothes you and for a moment, you forget everything and only focus on the man before you. “You’re fine. Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise.” A single tear runs down from the corner of your eye and the Italian gently wipes it off. Your lip quivers as you wrap your arms around Gyro. You felt stupid. So very stupid. You had failed to realize how fortunate you had been for once in your life, as Gyro had been able to bring happiness and joy into your grim and horribly unlucky life.

“I-I’m.. S-sorry..” You say as Gyro allows you to sit up, still holding his arms around your sobbing form. He’s not sure what has been going on in your mind and he doesn’t dare to ask right away. For now, he knows you need him, and he’ll be there for you as long as you need. “It’s alright, love..” He gently runs his hand along your back, bringing you an endless amount of calm and silencing your lust for revenge.

You start to think back at the way fate had decided to test you tonight, and in this very moment can’t help but to wonder if the purpose of this particular trial was to make you realize just how enjoyable your sad, pathetic life had become thanks to Gyro Zeppeli.

#jjba #jojo #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run #jjba x reader #jojo x reader #jojo part 7 #jojo's bizarre adventure x reader #gyro zeppeli #gyro zeppeli x reader #jojo gyro #jjba gyro zeppeli #reader insert #angst #fluff #gyro x reader

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bygone-age · 5 years

Text

HOLBY CITY BAKE OFF

A fun little idea I had while my mam was catching up with some recent Holby episodes and I decided the writers don't know how to do happy and fun.

It's an AU of course - Dom isn't adopted, Lofty didn't cheat, Ric isn't suddenly past it, Jac is happy (and still in charge of Darwin), Kian is around, but a bit less annoying (I'm getting used to him), Serena and Bernie are still together and Hanssen is not in Sweden. Also Gaskell wasn't a total bastard and Roxanna is still with us.

So anyway, here it is!

******

WEEK ONE - CAKE WEEK

Sacha Levy was not fond of working nights, but he owed Dom a favour and it was only for a few days.

Of course, night shift had its advantages - his last ward round had passed without incident, the patients were settled for the night and barring any unforseen emergencies, they should remain that way till handover in the morning, so all he had to do was check in with the junior doctor and ward nurses every now and then and the rest of the time was his own.

He had a supply of good coffee (a present from Jac and Emma, along with a mug covered in doctor jokes), he'd managed to get ahead of his paperwork for once and he'd even gone over a research proposal from his junior, so he was going to spend the next hour with Agatha Christie. Or least, that had been the plan. Almost as soon as Hercule Poirot had boarded the Orient Express, his office phone rang.

"Mr Levy?" it was the rather shaky voice of Nicky McKendrick. "could you come down to Darwin? I- I- I know you're probably busy, but... well, there's a problem with Ms Naylor."

~~~~~~

Five minutes later he was hurrying out of the lift and onto Darwin. Nicky was waiting for him, looking positively queasy.

"Nicky, what happened?"

"Well, everyone was settled for the night and she had me doing half a mountain of paperwork and practicing for tomorrow morning's surgery, while she worked in her office. About ten or so minutes ago, she stuck her head out and said she wasn't to be disturbed unless it was a critical emergency. She said anyone who did would be thrown out of her office window."

"That's pretty standard for Jac."

"Yes, but I walked past her office and I could hear her going "he's an arsehole, she's an arsehole, he's never going to win, she's just crap" and I knocked on her door to see if she was OK and..."

"and what?"

"She told me to fuck off. Then she threw a cupcake at me."

Now he was just curious.

"OK, first you need to calm down. Get yourself a cuppa and take five minutes, then try and tackle the rest of that paperwork. I'll go and see Jac."

Nicky went off to the break room and Sacha went to Jac's office to see what was going on.

~~~~~~

"I thought I told you to fuck off!?!"

"Not since I knocked Emma's glitter onto the floor!"

Jac turned to see it was Sacha, rather than Nicky butting in as she had before.

"Oh. Sorry, I thought you were Nicky bothering me again."

"No and you should apologise. And explain why you're throwing cupcakes."

"I told her - no interruptions. The cupcake was burnt, it shouldn't have been in the box, but Emma insisted it was fine and I forgot to take it out of the box."

Sacha sat down beside her on the couch and finally noticed what she had on on the portable TV on the coffee table.

"Still mean though, you should ap- Bake Off? I thought that started next week!?!"

"Tonight. Half of them are doomed, but Hollywood is such a dick, I want the worst one to win just to spite him."

Sacha laughed out loud and settled in beside her.

"Mind if I join you? Watching you critique cooking shows is one of the funniest things you can get away with at work!"

She nugded him playfully and grinned.

"Shut up and make yourself comfortable... if you can take time away from Agatha Christie!"

"She can wait for a hour, but I will nip up during the break and grab some of that lovely coffee. And while I'm doing that, you can apologise to Nicky"

He looked at her with just a little bit of sterness and she gave him her best put upon sigh - one borrowed straight out of her daughter's playbook.

"Fine! As long as she isn't going to make a big deal out of it."

They settled in to a comfortable silence for the next few minutes and when the break came, Sacha went to fetch the coffee, hearing Jac call Nicky over as he left.

"Oi, foetus! Put that lot down, I need a word!"

~~~~~~

A few minutes later, having checked in with Keller and grabbed his coffee maker, Sacha returned to Jac's office to see her and Nicky side by side, Nicky practically bouncing with excitement and Jac trying very hard to keep a stern look on her face. He avoided eye contact and set the coffee up on her desk.

"Sorry I'm late, I stopped in at the break room to fill this up" he motioned to the cafetiere. "what have I missed?"

"They're making Angel Cake Slices for the technical" Nicky pipped up brightly "I don't know why-"

"Because you don't know anything. Now be quiet or you'll get another burnt cake thrown at you."

Sacha smiled. Jac wasn't fooling anyone, she was enjoying the company and she knew it. As if on cue, she softened (slightly. Very slightly) and turned towards Nicky as he passed out the coffee and sat on her other side.

"It would be too easy to just do three traybakes and jam them together. This way requires much more skill, so it's a better challenge."

"Oh! That makes sense. You know, you should-" Nicky sneaked a quick look at Jac and decided against what she'd been about to say. "nevermind. It can wait."

"Good. Now, not another word unless the judges make someone cry"

END OF PART ONE

NEXT: BISCUIT WEEK. The action moves to Sacha's flat. Jac makes ginger snaps, Nicky brings tea and Ric has definite opinions on the "loose vs bagged" debate.

~~~~~~

Hope you liked that! I'm going to try and do one for each week, so I know I have some to catch up on and I've never been very good at deadlines, but I will try and if anyone has any ideas, drop me a line any time.

This is especially for @foxyroxysstuff, who I hope will forgive me for delaying finishing her prompt to finish this first! I'm going to do yours now, promise!

EDIT:- Forgot to post this 👇 👇 it's the coffee maker that Jac and Emma bought Sacha.

#holby city #au #fanfiction #fanfic #Holby City Bake Off #jac naylor #sacha levy #nicky mckendrick

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supersleepygoat · 5 years

Note

You seem like a lovely person, I wish I could meet you one day :( I was thinking about the way you say you write your stories one chapter at a time and how sometimes you don't even know where you're going but every time it turns out amazing and I'm like ?!?! Damn that's talent. I can't imagine ever writing a story without my 15 pages long, EXTREMELY detailed summary of what's gonna happen divided in chapters... so I think you're great and really talented! Love you and I hope you're well 💜💜

Oh. My. God.

You just made my freaking day!! That is such a kind thing to say!!! eeeekk I am all warm and fuzzy right now!!! But, I think if you met me, you would be disappointed. I am chatty on here... but irl you would be like “why isn’t this bitch talking.” I am not this open and talk-y in my everyday life, but I feel safe here. so, that’s why I am that way here. So, if we ever were to meet, don’t get your hopes up that I would be anything special. Just forewarning you!

As for the writing thing... I think every writer has their own way doing things. one way is not better than the other. Maybe if I was capable of making and sticking to an outline... my writing process would be a lot more efficient and easier to tackle. So, I probably do myself a disservice when I just write each chapter at a time, and go with whatever pops up in my head.

I tried making an outline for LWH when I first started writing it... but abandoned ship when I started going off the rails. I just found it a few weeks ago and damn... I don’t know how I got so far off track. in my outline, there was no Jake and no abuse... just a shy girl next door who thought her neighbour was hot but knew she had no chance until one day she accidentally called him “daddy”... my original idea for this story was A LOT smuttier... I don’t know how I got so distracted with plot.

Anyway... see... I just rambled about things you didn’t even ask about... in real life I would have just been like “thanks” and ran away screaming from your compliment.

But seriously, hun thank you so much! you are incredibly sweet for saying such kind things! keep being awesome, and keep writing in the way that makes you happy!! xoxo

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alphabet-blues · 2 years

Text

I posted 4,139 times in 2021

24 posts created (1%)

4115 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 171.5 posts.

I added 244 tags in 2021

#starker - 81 posts

#cobra kai - 40 posts

#parkner - 40 posts

#peter parker - 26 posts

#mine - 13 posts

#harley keener - 11 posts

#tony stark - 11 posts

#robby keene - 9 posts

#dnf - 7 posts

#karlnap - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#we’re here cause venom probably saw a boy with fluffy brown hair that curled around the edges and brown eyes and she had to leave

My Top Posts in 2021

7 notes • Posted 2021-01-19 05:51:17 GMT

hello!! are you perhaps the author of that AMAZING Kiaz fic, Greek tragedy, on ao3? (if not please pretend this never happened—)

anyway, I just wanted to thank you for writing that masterpiece. I've grown to love Kiaz so much, but their fandom is still pretty small, so whenever new content about them pops up I feel the need to comment on it. and God, that fic is SO well written. the pacing, the flow of consciousness, the wording, the way you wrote the characters' personalities, everything is just so good. ALSO MIGUEL TALKING IN SPANISH TO ROBBY, I LOVED THAT SOSOSO MUCH, AH! you're definitely one of my favourite writers now and I'm so glad to have found one of your incredible works!

uh yeah, that's about it; sorry for sliding here randomly. thank you and keep at it ❕❕cheering and rooting for you always 😔

oh my goodness!!! this is so so so sweet! i’m used to the spiderman fandom being so active so when there wasn’t as much response to my work i was kind of bummed even though i know the fandom is suuuper small. this message really made my day 🥰🥰🥰 i actually have like 5k of a kiaz a/b/o fic in one of my drafts that i should maybe put up, if you want it 🖤🖤🖤🖤 -venom

10 notes • Posted 2021-02-04 04:56:59 GMT

Fanfiction Year in Review 2020

Really excited to fill this out because I just started writing again this year, and I’m really proud of my accomplishments.

How many stories did you publish?

A whopping total of 29 fics on ao3

Total word count for 2020?

228,371

What fandoms did you write for this year?

All Spider-Man fandom, but an even split between Parkner and Starker

Did you write more, less, or roughly the same you expected you would?

Way, way, WAY, more than I was expecting, considering I wasn’t really expecting to write at all.

What story you wrote in 2020 are you most proud of?

Definitely, something in the way. I think it’s one of my favorite fics I’ve ever written.

Did you take any writing risk this year?

I participated in my first bingo, and kink exchange, so that was exciting! A lot of my fics started as personal writing challenges that I wanted to tackle. I’m known for playing with dynamics.

Do you have any fanfiction goals for 2021?

I hope to write just as much - if not more than this year, and to be as proud of it as I am of the work I put out in 2020.

What is your most under appreciated story?

Gosh. Idk. Any interaction I get on any fic is great. Maybe jesus loves you (this i know) which is my Parkner fic I have a huge soft spot for that didn’t get as much interaction/comments. Might write a sequel to it sometime this year.

Most unintentionally telling story?

Oof. Probably in bloom, cause that’s just my soft baby fic.

Most popular story of the year?

Wet, omg. That fic got so much traction, of which I wasn’t expecting, because it was just a little one shot based off of an idea I couldn’t get out of my head. It’s currently at 555 kudos on ao3.

Ao3 stats?

Wet is my most popular this year, with 555 kudos 77 bookmarks 15 comments and 7,541 hits. BUT! in bloom is fighting for popularity and will most certainly take the title once it’s finished. Right now in bloom is at 447 kudos 82 bookmarks 91 comments and 9,800 hits

Most fun story to write?

Honestly, probably something in the way, just because I wrote it all in one night and haven’t been able to reenact that brain wave since.

Biggest fanfiction related disappointment of 2020?

Can’t really think of any disappointments. Everything about my experience was so overwhelmingly positive.

Biggest fanfiction related surprise of 2020?

The fact that I wrote 200k at all! Omg! I went from having barely anything on my ao3 to suddenly being a writing fiend. I hope I can write just as much, if not more, in 2021.

See the full post

17 notes • Posted 2021-01-09 17:16:47 GMT

“Falling for Peter had kind of been like staring at the sun. When Harley focused on him for too long his retinas singed, but he couldn’t look away. Peter was kind, and smart, and funny, and so much all the time that Harley had to pinch himself whenever Peter trained all of his brightness onto him. He was beautiful. He was a nuclear fusion of hydrogen; a swirl of helium that took up so much more than every star Harley could ever make out in the sky. As far as Harley was concerned, Peter was the milky way, and he was sitting on the grass tracing constellations.”

- ‘tis the season by venomondenim

27 notes • Posted 2021-01-23 07:50:33 GMT

Harley:

Peter:

Harley:

Peter: Running this game for 5 years, guess that’s why my feet hurt.

Harley:

Peter:

Harley: If you quote Nicki ONE MORE TIME

57 notes • Posted 2021-02-08 18:39:35 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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lets-get-fictional · 7 years

Note

Hi there, and welcome to the new mods. :) Hope you're all doing well! I got a question about writing villains. I don't mind if it takes a long time to answer, so feel free to put this to the bottom of the list if you've got a backlog, I have a feeling it'll be a hard one to tackle - or if you don't answer it at all that's fine too! Here goes: I have a really hard time writing villains. I've read and absorbed loads of advice on how to write them well, that's not the problem. (1)

My problem is that I don’t CARE enough about villains. All efforts I make to flesh them out feel like a mandatory chore, and (like anything you write out of obligation rather than enthusiasm) it shows in my writing. No matter how much work I put into the villains, they feel flat, and you can tell in the narrative that I had zero enthusiasm for it, that the villain is only there at all because the hero needed an enemy. (2)

I care more about my heroes and don’t want to spend time with villains, and forcing myself to puts me in a rut and puts me off working on my story altogether. I also find most villains in other stories unappealing, especially the extremely evil, power-hungry types. Do you have any advice for how to tackle this problem, to get inspired to work on something your story needs, when you don’t want to work on that? PS. Sorry for the length of this, I didn’t realise it’d got so long! (3 - end)

Hi, love! Thanks so much for your question :)

Many of us have felt exactly what you’re feeling right now. Villains are such an integral part of a good story, yet they’re written so distantly (and often poorly) in modern fiction that it’s hard to get a good example. Even the Harry Potter series, which can be hailed for many great attributes, left us wanting a bit when it came to Voldemort. I always got that same impression from J.K. Rowling – she had all these amazing characters, but when it got down to the villain, it felt like she just thought of a menacing name, removed a random body part, and called it a day.

The good news there is that, despite a somewhat two-dimensional antagonist, J.K. Rowling had no problem selling her story. Antagonists are important, but they’re not going to make or break your story – so if this is an area where you need improvement, that’s okay. Take it slowly and give yourself grace while you work through this :)

Writing Villains – What Makes It Difficult?

With that out of the way, I’ll address your problem. It sounds like you’re having trouble connecting with villains, and it’s the root of that issue that interests me. Ask yourself: what is it about a villain that feels uninteresting or unlikable to you? What deters you? Could it be that you struggle to write characters who…

are immoral or dishonorable? You may not want to write your villains because their personalities or actions are abhorrent to you. The more evil a villain, the more prominent this problem is – if you truly hate the antagonist’s actions, you may be reluctant to write them. You may even feel gross when you get to their scenes.

If this is the case: I’d suggest you try to dig into the reasons why their moral compass has been compromised. Think about the character’s past and personality. Were there influences in their life that desensitized them to this type of behavior? What inspires them to act this way? The more human and realistic these reasons are, the easier it will be for you to understand their actions.

interrupt, harm, or conflict with your protagonist? Sometimes when we develop our stories, we become attached to our protagonists – so much so that we begin to dislike any enemy or obstacle to the protagonist. It may be that if you’re strongly in support of your hero and their goal, the idea of writing the antagonist becomes sour in your mind.

If this is the case: Think of how the villain’s actions will affect your protagonist positively. Wanting to protect your protagonist from all evil (or just the really strong evil) may sound ideal, but it’s really denying your hero a chance to grow. How do the obstacles and setbacks change your protagonist? Does your hero grow into a more resilient person? Do they meet new people who will change their lives forever? Do they learn more about themselves? If you find that the villain’s actions don’t change your character in the long-term at all, then you may have a plot problem.

are not relatable to you? There can be two causes for this. For one, we as writers naturally create protagonists who we can support, appreciate, and relate to. So the next logical jump is to create villains who are the exact opposite of all those things. You may need to diversify your villain – make their personality more complex, and not just bad bad bad.The second cause of unrelatable villains – when people do bad things in real life, others often struggle to understand why. That’s the major question when tragedy strikes: why did this happen? Why would they do this? People with strong morals just don’t know how to think like that They can’t rationalize how these actions benefit the villain, or how the villain can live with themselves afterward.

If this is the case: Rewrite the outline of the story through your villain’s perspective, as if this is their story. Think about those big scenes where the villain succeeds, fails, plots, attacks – imagine them through their eyes. What are they feeling? What are they gaining and what are they losing? What do they want, and why do they want it so badly? Why are they doing what they’re doing? If you can’t answer these questions, that’s your problem right there.

aren’t as extreme as you feel they ought to be? For any number of reasons, many writers wind up “softening” their villains before the final draft. For some, they feel they’re “wasting space” on the villain or letting the story become too dark or dramatic. For others, they just feel uncomfortable unleashing their “inner evil” like that. For some still, they never let their villains get too extreme in the first place. Either way, if you’re writing a muted version of a true villain, it’s going to wind up boring you!

If this is the case: Let them get nasty. Get some paper and just brainstorm the worst possible things for your villain to do (while staying true to their character and motivations). For a second, forget about the age rating or demographic of your story. Think of terrible things. Think of actions that would change your story, change your protagonist’s life, in irreparable ways. Don’t hold back! Even if you don’t use most of these ideas, get them out there and see how they taste. You’ll feel more freedom when the antagonist is on the page – the true sense of power, knowing that your villain (and you, by extension) could do anything and no one can stop you.

you know are going to fail? Writing a story can be like watching a movie when someone’s already spoiled the ending for you. You know exactly how things end up, and the only decision left is, are you going to take part anyway? Is the journey important enough that you’ll watch, even when you know the endgame? And most importantly, will knowing the ending affect how you experience the journey? Logically, you should be able to just make the decision to watch the movie. But it’s not that easy.

If this is the case: Consider the ending. Is the villain truly going to lose in every way? Are they going to come away with any kind of victory, even if they ultimately fail or die? And even if they don’t find happiness or victory, how can you improve their journey to make it worth the time? How can you make an interesting enough villain that you can write their story, even knowing exactly how it ends? This is a true problem of any character, of course, but it’s the most challenging for villains, who often wind up with the worst endings. This is, in my mind, the most challenging hurdle when writing villains.

Of course, there are other less common reasons to struggle with villains, so if none of these address your concern, send another ask and we’ll get back to you. I hope you can find the cause behind your problem! :)

Happy writing!

- Mod Joanna ♥️

If you need advice on general writing or fanfiction, you should maybe ask us!

#writing #writeblr #writing blog #writing tips #writing advice #my post #ask #torpedoesarts #mod joanna #antagonists #motives

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realchrisilluminati · 7 years

Text

Writer’s Block Is Bullshit -- Here's Why You're Stuck

For a substantial number of years, at the onset of my writing career, I absolutely believed in writer's block. The inability to breakthrough while writing an article, book or short story usually crept its ugly head at two precise moments — the seconds before sitting in front of a computer to get to work and the hours spent thinking about the task that needed to be completed.

Yeah, basically writer’s block happened all the damn time.

My form of writer's block always involves chasing the "feeling." Being overcome with the motivation or inspiration to write. To be in the mood, in my case, demanded this perfect scenario of setting, time of day, physical sensations and a hundred uncontrollable factors that must align.

Eventually, I came to a few realizations. First, nothing in life will ever be perfect. Second, I realized writer’s block is fictional, and I was just fucking scared. What if I put all my eggs in one basket and that basket is made of wet paper?

Now I know the truth.

Writer's block is a bunch of bullshit. Writer’s block doesn’t exist. As much as every working writer wishes it were an actual ailment, I repeat, writer’s block does not exist. Writer’s block is self-doubt. There's something you don't want to write, think you can't write or feel you're unqualified to write.

You don't have writer's block you're just scared of something. First, let’s figure out what…

The Common Fears That Cause Writer's Block

Here are some of the common issues that plague writers.

The “I Suck” Syndrome

Every writer, even the literary greats, begins the writing process with an awful first draft. No author vomits perfection all over the page every single time he or she sits down at a keyboard.

Most writer’s block issues can be traced back to personal feelings about yourself and your writing ability. You believe you haven’t written anything “great” in a while and have lost your mojo. The work on the page isn’t up to your often immeasurable standards, and it’s causing internal conflict. You don’t want to spend another minute sitting in front of a computer.

Here’s the bad news — you do suck. Here’s some fantastic news — every writer sucks (at some point). But you're in good company with every other writer ever. Welcome to the club!

“The first draft of anything is shit.” Ernest Hemingway

You Have “Nothing To Say”

One of the most prolific writers of the last 50 years is Robert Shields. You’ve likely never heard of him because he never published any work. Well, not really. He did, however, bang out an estimated 37.5 million words over a few decades.

“Starting in 1972, Shields was hit by the urge to document every moment of his life in his diary. It was estimated that he spent about four hours everyday typing, relaying the day’s most major events alongside the most brutally minute details while sitting on his back porch in his underwear.

He described what he had for every meal, what kind of heartburn he had (along with what he took for it and how long it lasted), who stopped by to visit him, and what he fed the cat. He was particularly precise about his bowel movements, documenting when they happened and every detail about what came out of him. (He even had a number of different ways for cataloging urination.)”

Everyone has a story. Everyone's life is interesting. Even though Robert Shields and his list of daily activities. Admit it — even though you don’t know Shields personally and every detail of his life sounds monotonous and crazy, you kinda want to see at least one of his journals.

You’re putting something off because you feel like you don’t anything original to say or add to the topic. You’re wrong. Every person adds their own unique angle to a story, and other people are interested in reading those opinions.

Famous Writers (Who Are Also My Friends) Give Advice About Writer’s Block

In case you’re thinking “who’s this idiot saying writer’s block doesn’t exist?” Well, first off, my name is at the top of this website. That’s who I am. Second, I’m not the only writer that’ll say bluntly that writer’s block is BS.

I reached out to fellow freelancers, writers, editors, authors and a few people who write just for the fun of putting pencil to pad (or digits to keys). I gave them one prompt. “Writer’s Block. Go!” They shared the first thoughts that sprung to mind.

“Anyone who says they have writer's block isn't writing...THAT is the problem. Writer's block is an excuse for distraction. Write until it's not there.” - Jason Donnelly, author, Gripped

“Some people think writer's block is like a dam, where all the ideas just get backed up and will start flowing again eventually. Others think it's a drought, and eventually, the rain will come. Writer's block is when the river is still flowing as usual, but the water's turned to piss. The flow is still there, but there's nothing worth drinking.” - Daniel Coffman, author, Four From Below

“Writer's Block is a funny thing. I think it comes from trying to come up with something perfect. The perfect topic. The perfect opening sentence. The perfect follow-up sentence. The perfect closing sentence. And for the most part, we overthink it. We end up blocking ourselves from thinking of what to do next because we just want to get the damn thing right.” - Rey Moralde, writer, The No-Look Pass

"My writer’s block generally stems from self-doubt, when I start wondering why the hell anyone might care what I have to say about a subject. I'm usually working on multiple projects at the same time, and I often find that if I'm struggling with one, it cripples my other writing because it starts occupying all my thoughts and I'll set aside time to work on it, then spend all that time thinking about how stupid it is and what a colossal waste of time it has been and how if I actually practiced what I believe about sunk costs I would scrap it altogether and move on. Being in the news business sort of forces you to get over writer's block when it comes, since sometimes you simply have to cover something, and even if you suspect all your words are dumb and bad, you need to be willing publish them to ensure future paychecks. And after writing professionally in some form for the past 10 years, I've come to understand that there's not always a correlation between the stuff I write that I think is good and the stuff people seem to enjoy reading.” — Ted Berg, sports columnist, USA Today

“The first thing that comes to mind when you say Writer's Block is a scene from the best running moving ever: Run Fat Boy Run. He hits the wall in running his first marathon, and it's a wall. No really, a wall. I think that's what writer's block is like. I don't want to spoil the end of the movie, but he gets through it, just like I do in writing life.” — Jen Miller, author, Running: A Love Story

“Writer’s block is the unavoidable flu of writing. It must be pushed through, survived, repeated, and conquered.” - Elysia Regina, writer

How To Break Writer’s Block

I’ll humor you for a few minutes and pretend writer’s block does exist but I won’t call it writer’s block. Instead, I’ll say you’re stuck. Here are some ideas and items to get the gerbils in your head back up and running on those wheels.

The first method is one of my own creation, named after one of my favorite professional wrestlers.

The Lie, Cheat and Steal Method

Eddie Guerrero is a former world champion and a member of one of the most revered families in professional wrestling. Right before his untimely passing in 2005, Guerrero was one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE. During the height of his heel run (that’s wrestling speak for a “bad guy,” Guerrero preached the three tenants of getting ahead in wrestling or any walk of life. Lie. Cheat. Steal.

Guerrero’s advice isn’t practical or sound for any profession other than the fictitious world of professional wrestling, but it’s solid advice for a writer. Here’s how it work…

Lie: Sit down with a blank piece of paper and conjuring up the biggest bullshit lie ever. It can be about yourself or even your subject. Write a lie so massive it would be impossible for anyone to ever believe. Now, prove that lie to be true. Make your prose convince you, a family member or total stranger that this massive lie is a stone cold truth. I’m certain that by the time you’re done either a new story, new article idea or angle to a project you’ve been putting off for months will emerge.

Cheat: Go back into your archives and find a finished article or story. Now take the opposite argument. If it’s fiction, write the story in a new direction. If the story was about a man, make it about a woman. If the article was about donating time to shelter animals, take the opposite stance. (Yes, that’s a jerk thing to write about, but this is an exercise in breaking writer’s block). Find the piece you’re most proud of and turn it on its god damn head.

Steal: Grab your absolute favorite novel off the bookshelf. Open it to a random page and begin reading. Find the first sentence that really grabs you by the genitals and copy it, word for word, into a new document. Start typing a brand new story based on that one line. When you get far enough, go back and change that first line to your own words. I’m not telling you to literally steal another writer’s work, just temporarily channel their mojo for prose.

Take A Runner’s Approach To Writing

Jen Miller alluded to this approach in her quote earlier in this text but one of the best approaches to writing is similar to how people tackle the task of training for long distance runs. A runner doesn’t always feel like running, especially those long distant athletes who have to log miles and miles every single day to stay in top performing condition.

So what’s their secret to running on the days when they just don’t feel like it? They just start running. It’s that damn simple. They lace up the sneakers and hit the road. The same goes for writing. What should you do when you don’t feel like writing? Sit down and write. Every mile is a step towards running farther. Every sentence is a step towards something, even if it’s absolute gibberish.

Buy A Writer’s Block Book

There are countless apps and websites dedicated to breaking writer’s block through writing prompts. I’ve tried a few, mostly just for inspiration, and my far and away favorite is 642 Things To Write About.

“This collection of 642 outrageous and witty writing prompts will get the creative juices flowing in no time. From crafting your own obituary to penning an ode to an onion, each page of this playful journal invites inspiration and provides plenty of space to write.”

Buy A New Notebook

Five-and-dime stores were crack to me as a kid. If you’re unfamiliar, or not as ancient, a five and dime store was a step above a dollar store but not quite a Walmart. Places like Murphy’s and McCrory’s littered the land in my youth, and I loved every single one of them. What I loved most about these stores was that they sold just about everything. Toys, clothes, games, housewares, tires, magazines, records. I’d get lost in the aisles and never want to leave.

A similar feeling overcomes me each time I step foot in a stationary store. Just staring at all of the journals, pens, and accessories for writing and I GET SO FIRED UP!

How Other Writers Bust The Block

“It's like anything else: Ask for help. Sweeten the deal with cookies if you have to. It also helps to take a walk Or just physically move. I get my best ideas when I'm driving or in the shower or boxing, so basically never when I am in a situation where I can actually write something down.” - Jessica Sager, writer

"The best way to conquer writer's block is to engage your brain that can mean anything from listening music, watching a favorite show, or sometimes I find a good walk gets things moving. Failing that, sometimes it helps just to write and I mean write anything, even if it doesn't make sense. Sometimes just the act of putting words on paper, even if it's putting words on virtual paper, can get the juices flowing." — Karl Smith, editor and former newspaper columnist

“The best cure I've found for writer's block is pushing forward through something even when I think it sucks, because I'm not going to get anything else done until I'm finished with it anyway and because there's a non-zero chance the dreck I burp out when the words aren't flowing will prove more popular than the stuff I write when I feel great and invincible and dope.” - Ted Berg

“I'm a big fan of music, usually a good instrumental track works. I mix it up between jazz and new stuff like Tycho. Wine also works really well” -- Andrew Ward, writer & strategist

“Step away from it and do something else. Something out of your norm. Whatever you need to concentrate on it. Then take a nap. Or just fuck off for as long as you want to like George R.R. Martin.” — Carl Ceposki, writer

The End Of Writer’s Block (For Now)

If you still believe in writer’s block, there could be something deeper behind the inability to sit down and get work done. It’s up to you to figure out the issue and fix it. None of these problems ever go away. You’ll still have doubt, think you’ve got nothing to say or continuously chase the perfect “time” to put out a best seller or finish a work project. In the end, the only way to break through is to literally break through.

If worse comes to worse, and the words don’t come, just write about what you know. As Charles Bukowski put it “Writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all.”

Chris Illuminati is the author of five books, countless articles, a billion post-it notes and a 323 million incomplete works of fiction.

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