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schumi-nadal · 6 months

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Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @yoellglia, @shambolicchaos and @rafasbiscuits for tagging me (I'm very late, but you're used to it), I love reading your answers and more, I love reading your works, please go on with writing sweeties ♥

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have eight works but two of them are just translations of two so my works.

Ce que la vie nous prend/What life takes from us (Titanic 1997 & Titanic 2012)

Not just a game (FR)/Not just a game (ENG) (Formula 1 RPF)

I will always believe in you (Tennis RPF)

Caught in the storm (Tennis RPF)

And baby makes three (Tennis RPF)

It's just a bad day, not a bad life (Tennis RPF)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Wait, I need to do maths? 😫

114859 words if I'm correct and if my phone works 🧐

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I wrote a Titanic fic and a Formula 1 RPF fic an eternity ago (I really need to post the next chapters btw), some Tennis RPF too and I just started writing a MotoGP RPF oneshot.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Not just a game (ENG) - 80 kudos

Caught in the storm - 37 kudos

Not just a game (FR) - 29 kudos

I will always believe in you - 25 kudos

And baby makes three - 18 kudos

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

Yes, I always do! I write fics in small fandoms, we are a family so of course i'm answering to everyone! ❤

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

Didn't finish it yet but probably: Ce que la vie nous prend/What life takes from us.

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

I don't know... maybe Caught in the storm. 🤔

8. Do you get hate on fics?

The only hate I get is from me Never, my readers are the best! ❤

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

I tried, but I just can't, even if I'm the first one to read smut. 😂

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

Well, Ce que la vie nous prend/What life takes from us is a crossover with the Titanic 1997 movie and the Titanic 2012 minseries. But it was not crazy I guess.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, who would want to steal my garbage? 😂

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes. By myselft. That's it.

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

No, but I would love to if someone wants! 👀

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Well, I wrote a lot about Casper and Matteo (Ruudettini) power and at the moment everything is about Fabio and Marc (Mabio supremacy) BUT my all time favorite ship will always be Drarry (yeah, nothing to do with what I'm writing 😭).

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

I WILL FINISH MY WORKS IN PROGRESS, IT'S A PROMISE!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Knowing that people enjoy what I'm writing is my biggest strenght 🥰

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am unpredictable and irregular: a day, I can write 6-7 pages in a row in a few hours and the day after, I'm just staring at a blank page. 🥴

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

I love it, I do it in English when I translate my works haha.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First since I start writing for myself in middle school was a Bleach think. 🤣

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I don't really know, I love my writing for Ce que la vie nous prend/What life takes from us but Not just a game holds a special place in my heart too and I need to finish those works fr. 🤩

Tagging: Nobody, i'm so late doing it so I don't even remember who already did it 😂 but if you want to do it, feel free to tag me!

#ask game #tag game #ao3 #tennis rpf #motogp rpf #formula 1 rpf #fedal #rudettini #mabio #schuclerc

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chatonnoir · 2 years

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Hi, i started watching ML yesterday with the french dub because of your suggestion, and because cartoons in french make me nostalgic so I thought why not. Why do you recommend it so much, though?

Yesss I always love seeing more people watch the French dub! God where do I begin with all the reasons I love it?? I went in to it a bit in the ask where I was highlighting some script differences between the French and the English dubs. Note that I watch every episode in both dubs and think the English dub has a lot of good things as well (like that Chat Blanc performance hoowee). I push the French dub agenda a lot mainly because the English dub is so widely watched and a lot of more recent or casual fans don't even really know anything about the French dub, which is sad to me because it's honestly so charming. I also just think its good to watch media in its original language, especially if the story takes place in the country where that language is spoken. Going in to why I love it in detail:

It's more mature

A lot of the script choices in the French dub are more mature and make ML feel more like an animation that can be enjoyed by all ages (like the vibe I get from ATLA), whereas the English dub will often make you reaaaally aware that you're watching a show for 7 year olds ("TiMe To dE-eViLizE" my detested). Like, Hawkmoth/le Papillon sounds a lot more dramatic and menacing when he says "darken their heart" in the French dub, whereas when he says "evilize them" in the English dub, he sounds like a joke, like some kind of nonthreatening idiot villain from some low-budget Nick Jr. show for preschoolers where the heroes he fights are puppets.

I've found that they tone down the emotional weight of lines in English (as well as the romance, which I cover in its own point later) to the point where I find them less impactful. In Animan, for example, after Chat Noir thought Ladybug had gotten eaten by that T-Rex and pulled her in to a hug, he says "That was a wild ride," in English, versus "I thought I'd lost you..." in French. Another example: in the Eng dub of Copycat, Chat Noir says "his crush just got crushed! ... That makes two of us." In the French dub, he says "you just broke his heart, after all! ... Not just his, by the way." So, yeah, in both cases the English lines sound a lot more childish/less heavy and I really can't take them that seriously, but the French lines hit you like a punch to the solar plexus.

If you've ever tried to get a friend in to ML only to have them refuse because it's "too childish" or "cringy" etc., tell them to watch the French dub.

It's sweeter & more romantic, and the characterization of Ladybug and Chat Noir is more faithful to what was originally intended.

Let's be real, I'm here for the romance, as are a lot of us. Ladybug and Chat Noir are far more affectionate with each other in the French dub. In addition to the usual "my Lady" and "Buguinette", Chat Noir has called Ladybug "ma belle" or "beautiful"/"my beautiful" in Dark Cupid, "lady de mon cœur" or "Lady of my heart" in Frightningale, and "my Buguinette"/"my little bug" in Miracle Queen (as opposed to just "little bug" in the Eng dub). Ladybug often calls him "mon Chaton" and "mon minou", or my kitten/my kitty/my kittycat, and she uses the possessive "my" fairly often (totally normal thing to call someone whom you insist you're Not Dating lmao /s). One lighthearted not really serious fanfiction pet-peeve I've had is when people write Ladybug calling him "Chat." She calls him "Cat" a few times in the English dub, which is what fic writers are undoubtedly going for, but "Chat" is French and pronounced completely differently (like "Sha"), and in the French dub she only calls him "Chat Noir" in full when she's not using a petname, never "Chat". However, I've always felt like she uses the affectionate "Chaton" even more often than she uses "Chat Noir" in the French dub or "kitty" in the English dub. Calling him "Chaton" all the time comes as easy to her as breathing. I think fic writers are missing out on the chance to have Ladybug just be stupidly affectionate in every other sentence she says to Chat Noir. Like, guys, replace "Chat" and overuse "Chaton" all you want, it's actually canon and in-character

In this same vein, I have a lot of annoyances with how their relationship is characterized in the English dub, especially Chat Noir. His characterization in the English script seems to go for a more “Cool Guy Ladies' Man” vibe (which, I'll be honest, is not my cup of tea) whereas the French dub goes for more "endearingly corny overly affectionate hopeless romantic who acts like he stepped out of an old cartoon", which is how he's supposed to be characterized. I mean, come on, roses, puns, hand kisses --- he may be a cool hero but he is not a Cool Guy by any means. I feel like this line from Stormy Weather highlights it best: after Ladybug helps Chat Noir up and teases him about cats landing on their feet, and right before the iconic hand kiss, he says "thanks, miladybug, but I had it covered" in English, whereas in French he says "it was on purpose, my Lady, for the pleasure of meeting you again." In a choice between the Chat Noir who tries to play it cool VS. the Chat Noir who uses it as an opportunity to cutely say he fell on purpose because he knew his Lady would be around to pick him back up, the second one is indisputably cuter and wins by a landslide.

I'm not a fan of how English dub Chat Noir sometimes feels like a different character, but more than that, that difference in characterization is what feeds the stupid false idea prevalent among some fans/hate-watchers that he's a Nice Guy(TM) who is harassing her. This is especially exacerbated by the small differences in the way they characterized Ladybug to play off of him in the English script. The most glaring offense that comes to mind is the attempted kiss in Prime Queen, where Ladybug stopped him with "not a chance, Kitty" in English, versus "now is not the time, my Chaton" in French. Just a few words completely change the tone of this line and the impression it gives of how Ladybug feels. Both the delivery and wording of the first one give the impression that Ladybug is irritated by Chat Noir asking for a kiss. In the French version, her tone of voice, the wording, and her use of "my Chaton" give you the impression that she's unamused but still patient and soft with Chat Noir, and her gentle chastising highlights what she's actually annoyed by -- not his flirtation, but his bad timing. They're flirty best friends. She enjoys their flirty banter. What she hates is when he gets distracted/tries to flirt during tense moments. Ladybug's affectionate exasperation with and soft spot for Chat Noir are far more apparent in the French dub.

The English dub characterization also feeds the bad alphahole romance novel-esque fanfics that characterize him as his uber confident alphamale sexual badboy for their bad smut but we're not getting in to that

The platonic affection is sometimes better shown in the French dub as well, like Chat Noir telling Ladybug "you're my best friend" in Glaciator, or Adrien telling Marinette "I'm happy to have you as my friend, you know" in the French dub of Troublemaker rather than the English line, "I'm glad to have you as one of my fans."

Overall, I just find the characters more likeable and the relationships between them more tender in the French dub. The English dub is fun, but the French dub is just undeniably sweeter.

The French voice castings, especially Adrien / Chat Noir's voice

I definitely prefer Tikki & Marinette's French voices, as well as the French voices of most of the secondary characters. One thing I hear often from people who watched the English dub first is that they don't like is Plagg's French voice but ... I actually love it lmaooo. I adore both of Plagg's voices for different reasons, Plagg's English voice sounds like "cute mischievous gremlin sprite who will cause problems on purpose but you love him anyway", and Plagg's French voice totally sounds like "millennia-old cat god who invited himself in to your home and demanded wet food only, and who pretends to be nonchalant when he's actually already adopted you as his son in his mind."

Now on to the boy, the myth, the legend, the best part of the French Dub: Adrien. Like I said earlier, I do think the English VA does a great job as well (especially Chat Blanc GOD), but his French voice sounds far more age-appropriate most of the time. He sounds like the sweetheart shy boy he's supposed to be. His voice is so unbearably soft and sweet and warm, especially during tender/romantic moments, that it will literally melt you.

Then there's his Chat Noir voice. Honestly, I think French dub Chat Noir is unmatched. Sorry to English dub enjoyers but honestly to me 90% of the time English Chat Noir sounds like Spongebob. Benjamin Bollen's voice as Chat Noir has this musical quality to it that's so fun to listen to and that no other dub pulls off, and it fits his cartoony, overly affectionate, hopeless romantic dork vibe so well. It's like he ends every sentence he says with heart emojis. There's also the stupidly cute pouty voice that he uses when he's being dramatic/teasing, which you can listen to here and here. Also, the way he says “wo-ow” gives me so much dopamine. (Also very important: his singing voice is Angelic.)

This got long af because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the French dub, but TL;DR: The French dub is superb because it’s charming and sweet and romantic and emotional and stays true to the characters. People who are used to the English dub may have a hard time adjusting from the voices they've gotten used to but I guarantee if they stick with it a bit they'll get used to it and it's absolutely worth it.

#answers #miraculous ladybug #ladynoir #chat noir #adrien agreste #french dub #1k

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spicynamericano · 3 years

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Perception. - mk lee

sypnosis: you meet a stranger in the park, who helps you prepare for your interview with renowned author, mark lee.

word count: 2.1k

genre: fluff, strangers to friends!au, author!mark x reporter!reader

a/n: i impulsively wrote this in the wee hours of the morning because i can't stop thinking about mark lee and his poems! btw, this is my first time posting an au on this platform, but i do have ongoing twitter fics (written in eng/fil)!

I had just finished my late night shift at the office and was on my way home from work. Being a field reporter is not an easy job. I have to work my butt off to always stay up to date on the latest news and make sure to grab even the rarest exclusives.

I have to travel to basically anywhere, just to gather the most accurate information for the daily primetime news. And even if work is done for the day, I would usually go overtime to make sure no single detail is left out for tomorrow’s reports.

My workplace isn’t that far from home, or what I call home now. Moving into my elder sister’s old apartment was not a hassle. It was actually quite a blessing since I always used to stay over whenever we visited the city. I really thank the heavens that her place was near my workplace. Imagine the struggle of moving in and out from scratch. Actually, I wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

I would usually ride my bike to and from the office, but since I was running a bit late earlier in the morning, I decided to take the bus. Convenience at its finest. But it’s late now. A fifteen minute walk back home won’t hurt, right? Besides, I needed a breather. A walk in the nearby park would suffice.

It’s midnight and of course, the park is empty. Although Seoul is alive 24/7, I really like how some areas still have that laid-back vibe. I walk to the swings and place my bag on the ground. I do wish someone would push me right now. I just wanna be free from all the hectic stuff I’ve been doing lately.

But no, the quick rest I thought of didn’t stop me from going over tomorrow’s duties. I scan my little, brown notepad and check the work I have yet to accomplish. I mostly finished them before I got off work, but there is one more that I needed to do for tomorrow: interview Mr. Mark Lee, the author of the best-selling Late Night Scribbles.

It’s a collection of poems and prose he’s written over the course of five years during his travels to different cities as a renowned travel writer. His travel reviews and recommendations were something I always looked forward to reading. Maybe someday I could go on a stress-free holiday trip thanks to his advice.

I have read his book. For someone who’s trained into more technical writing like me, I could still clearly resonate with most of the poems he’s written. Not too shallow, not too deep. Though you do need to have a sense of literature in order to understand more of his deeper works. He isn’t famous for nothing.

What appalled me though is that he never showed his face to anyone, not even once. Some say he’s actually the main rapper of the world-renowned boy group NCT, since they bear the same name. I think otherwise. Well, it could be, though. Rappers do make their own lines and tell their own stories.

But I don’t think that Mark Lee would be the same person I’d be interviewing tomorrow. It’s weird because I won’t be actually meeting him face to face. He said he’d rather converse through email. Works for me since I don’t have to travel tomorrow. Thank God.

Well, let me tell you a secret. The reason I don’t think author Mark Lee is singer Mark Lee is because singer Mark Lee is actually my childhood best friend. Crazy, huh? I used to live in Vancouver when I was young until my family and I moved back to Korea during my teen years.

I don’t think he remembers me, though. But I do remember him. Our moms were practically best friends. I couldn’t say the same to us, only if he still actually remembers me.

I stretch my arms up high and bend it side to side. God, I need a massage asap. I was about to pick up my bag when a basketball rolled over and hit the tip of my loafers. A man dressed in black waves from the court, signaling to toss the ball to his direction.

I would toss it if I could but I walk over instead. Blame my poor strength and reflexes. And I obviously do not want to embarrass myself. A rough day’s a rough day. I don’t want an addition.

“Uhm, are you looking for this?” I ask the guy, tossing the ball mid-air.

“Yes, thank you…” he pauses. “uh…”

“Oh, it’s (y/n).” I introduced myself, “And you are?”

“Minhyung.”

“Well, you’re welcome, Minhyung. Good luck with your basketball practice!” I gave him a nod before finally turning back to go home.

“Wait!” he calls out. “Do you maybe wanna have a cup of coffee? There’s a nearby convenience store still open. I figured you might need it.”

Was it that obvious? I can’t imagine how stressed I look right now! He has probably seen the dark circles under my eyes. Gross.

I finally turn around and give him a smile, “You know, maybe I do need it. Let’s go?”

This man and I walk to the nearby convenience store just a few meters away from the court. It’s midnight and not many people are here. Well, just exactly like how I want it. The park can actually become full, even until 10 pm. But I guess these people also need some shut-eye. I’m actually surprised this man right here still has some energy left.

I wait outside and sit at the nearest gazebo while he buys instant coffee for the both of us. He arrives with three in hand. Does he like coffee that much?

“You’re really gonna drink two?” I ask him curiously.

“It’s actually for you,” he says as he hands me one of the cups. “I feel like you’re going to be staying up late tonight.”

Well, he’s right. I am gonna be staying up late. I still need to prepare questions for tomorrow’s, or later, rather, interview. I really won’t be getting some sleep tonight. I also need to do research on him too.

“Well, I do have an interview for tomorrow. I still need to prepare as it’s a very important one.”

“With whom, may I ask?”

“Mark Lee, the author. Not the singer.”

“Oh,” he lets out a soft sigh that can be heard, even through his mask. Is he offended that I don’t think author Mark Lee and singer Mark Lee are the same?

“Why do you sound so disappointed?”

“Uh, nothing. I just remembered the book he recently released. Have you read it?”

“Late Night Scribbles?”

“Yes, that!” he answered enthusiastically. Wow, I guess I found a fan right here. He might actually help me with my interview later. I need to grab this chance.

“Do you mind helping me? I’m actually going to interview him about it tomorrow.” I gave him the widest smile, hoping he’d say yes. I normally wouldn’t do this to strangers, especially at night. But I really just need to get this over with.

“Well, as someone who’s a fan of his works. I’d like to give it a try and interpret it,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “Just imagine I’m Mark Lee. Shoot your questions.”

“Hmm, I can’t be answering personal questions since you’re not Mark Lee.” I scratch my head. Damn, I can’t think of anything. My brain is not working right now! “But if you were Mark Lee, what would you want to be asked?”

“If I were Mark Lee? Well, rather than asking what my inspiration was behind the works I’ve made, I’d rather be asked on how I tried to convey my thoughts and feelings to this piece of work,” he explained, staring at the night sky.

I followed the direction of his gaze, and he’s looking at Orion, one of the brightest constellations out there. I gaze at it too while waiting for him to continue explaining.

“But isn’t it basically the same as drawing inspiration from something?” I ask profoundly.

“Not really. You can draw inspiration from anything. And you can come up with different outputs based on one inspiration. What’s important is how you’re able to connect the context of what you’re writing to the feelings you want to draw out,” he continues.

“With a single inspiration, I can come up with two completely different works based on how it’s written. The idea may be the same but the context is not.”

“Hmm, care to explain a little further?” I ask politely.

“We can use Black Socks as an example.”

Black socks are underrated

The way they connect the bottom sleeves of

my black sweatpants to my black sneakers

is just perfect

Pleasure from perfect alignment

That also goes for the ability to be parallel

with my thoughts and actions

I try to live out what’s in my mind, and keep

it consistent even when forgotten like a

working habit

A moment to think twice about what

seemed unimportant

Black socks have been making my day

these days and I knew I had to return the

favor by acknowledging them

I throw you in the bin only so that you can

be renewed again

“Black socks, literally an ordinary object that is tossed to the bin right after use. But what caught my eye is his appreciation for this mundane thing.”

“Through his words, you can tell black socks gave him comfort. He used a simple subject to convey his inner thoughts of how every little thing we don’t really recognize can actually be part of our routine, our life,” he said, looking me in the eye seriously.

“He found comfort in the most ordinary things no ordinary person would take notice of.”

Minhyung stands up and stretches his arms. He then continues, “It’s actually cool he shared this piece with us. If I were him, I’d go on and ramble how black socks could ruin my laundry.”

We both chuckle at the thought. It’s true. I hate how some of my black socks actually ruin my laundry. I dread the thought.

“It’s only a matter of perception, (y/n). Sometimes, you have to open your eyes and see, not look. Listen, not hear. Savor, not taste. Feel, not touch.”

“You know, you could actually be Mark Lee himself,” I tease him, “You do know your literature.”

I know he smiled at my remark. I can see his cheekbones rise from the edges of his mask.

“Sometimes, you just have to ask the right questions in order to get the answers you want,” he said teasingly. “You can’t get what you want if you don’t know what you want.”

For a stranger, he’s indeed a good talker. I actually learned so much from our talk tonight.

“Thanks for tonight, Minhyung. I really learned a lot.” I thank him before gulping down the last cup of coffee he bought me. “And thanks for the coffee, by the way! I now have energy to prepare for my interview later.”

“No problem. I’m just glad that I was able to help.”

I stood up from my seat and we both started walking away from the park.

“It’s 1 am. How are you gonna get home, (y/n)?” Minhyung asks worriedly. Yeah, it is pretty late. It’s a good thing I just live near.

“My apartment’s just two blocks away. I can manage,” I say with a smile, a genuine one at that. “How about you?”

“I’ll just grab a cab. Do you mind if I walk you home?” I don’t know why but I felt flustered for a moment. Surprisingly though, I just nodded my head, giving him permission to accompany me home.

We both arrive at the entrance of my apartment building and we say our last goodbyes.

“For a stranger, you really do know how to make people comfy,” I say, crossing my arms and giving him a stare, brows furrowed to tease him.

“Well, that’s just how I am,” he says while giving me a wink. Okay, now he’s flirting. Someone stop him, please. Just kidding.

“By the way, you haven’t taken your mask off the entire time except when drinking coffee. I couldn’t get a good glimpse at you since it was dark,” I explain. It’s true. Add the fact that I’m barely keeping myself awake the whole time. “I might’ve actually thought you’re an idol of some sort. Perhaps, maybe you are Mark Lee.”

“What?” he asks, puzzled and clearly taken aback. “Why’d you think so?”

“Because you share the same name with him.”

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pebblysand · 2 years

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hi! im fairly new to writing fanfiction and I saw your post and resonated with a lot of it - plus you worded the whole essay quite well! so im just here to ask a bit of advice.

I'm also a non-native English speaker - eng is my third language actually. and I have mutuals and friends (most of them native eng speakers) who write so well for the fandom that im in and I always get disheartened/ashamed whenever posting my writing out there because they are so talented!!! and look at me!! im just barely stringing words and sentences together!! (well,, I can to a degree write proper sentences but there's no beauty in my writing, I feel.) and I want to stop comparing myself to them so much!! I just can't stop. could you help me either overcome this feeling and/or become a better writer? how do I stop hating what I create and finish my fics instead of leaving them half-written?

Hi Anon! Thanks for your lovely words and question, and welcome aboard the fanfiction world!

You raised a lot of points in your ask, I’ll try to address them as thoroughly as I can. I hope this helps.

ON WRITING IN ENGLISH

First of all, congrats on speaking three languages, that’s really awesome. I only speak two!

Secondly, I actually don’t think - from what I’ve read - that your insecurities stem from writing in English as a second language. The things you are talking about (comparing yourself, finding your own writing bland, etc.) actually happen to everyone, regardless of the language in which they write. I’m sure if you chatted with the friends and mutuals you’re referring to, they’d confess the same issues, even when English is their first language. As I said in my original post, everyone makes mistakes (including people who write in their first language) and I think this is actually much broader - it also applies to all kinds of writing “missteps.” Everyone struggles with confidence and imposter syndrome, regardless of their origin. Obviously, there are very specific struggles that come with writing in a second language (I’ve talked about some of those in the 15 years post), but I don’t believe the ones you’re specifically referring to are exclusive to writing in a foreign language so don't stress it too much. Everyone is the same!

ON COMPARING YOURSELF

Building on the above, I think we all have these insecurities and compare ourselves to others - it's quite a natural thing to do, especially when you're starting out in a particular field. I'm sure you felt the same way about your first job, your first year in uni: how does everyone else have their shit together and I don't? As far as I'm concerned, you wouldn’t imagine the number of times in the last fifteen years I’ve read something someone else wrote and went: ‘okay, fine, I’ll never be this good, I’ll never write again, bye.’ I think it’s a very human feeling, and I don’t believe it’s wrong, per se. I think what is important - ultimately - isn’t the feeling itself but what you do with it. How you exploit it to become a better writer, rather than recoil in fear - go from ‘I’m so shit I’ll never write again,’ to ‘Okay, this person is really good, how do I write more like them?’

I can’t guarantee all of these will work for you, but here are a few tips I can think of to flick that switch in your head:

Don’t read good work if you’re in a bad headspace: I reckon this goes without saying, but if you’ve already had a bad day, maybe writing the work of someone you admire isn’t the right thing to do. It can feel like the right thing (often, we see reading fic as escapism), but trust me when I say that if you’re already feeling insecure, reading that kind of thing will only make you feel worse. There’s a couple of writers who I really admire at the moment, but I always try to read their work when I’m feeling happy and confident about my writing, rather than down. I generally also tend not to read and write at the same time. That is because reading something good when you’re happy and when your mind is free from worries will make you feel even better and more inspired. However, reading something good when you’re already feeling shit will only comfort you in the feeling that you will never compare. To give you an example, when Sally Rooney's latest book came out (she's one of my favourite writers), I was working on a chapter of my WIP. And, while I really was dying to read her book, I still made sure to finish what I was working on first. I knew that if I tried to do both, I'd just be comparing myself the whole time and not get anything done. I think that was definitely the right decision, as I later read her work and was able to simply appreciate her brilliance without constantly referring back to mine.

Don’t compare, analyse: if you’re reading something from a writer you admire and are in a good enough headspace to do it, try and put pen to paper (or make notes on your phone, obv.) to specifically pinpoint what you like about their writing. What sentence structure do they use? How elaborate is their vocabulary? What exactly makes their dialogue flow? Do this as though you were in high school English class, almost, sentence by sentence like a dissertation. How do they shape their comparisons? What are your favourite lines? I think this is good, because a) it teaches you what you like and what/how you can replicate it in your own writing and b) it changes your status from being a passive reader (i.e. how could I ever compare?) to an active one (i.e. here’s how this is done). There is something about insecurity that rests in powerlessness. By analysing instead of blankly comparing, you’re putting the power to get better in your own hands and have a goal to strive towards.

Ask for help: I’ve said this in my original post, but I’ll say it again: get a beta. You’re telling me that many of these people whom you admire are mutuals - take advantage of that! Ask them for help! Trust me, most people are more than happy to beta if they have the time to do so. Again, worse case scenario, they say no. There is honestly nothing better - in my experience - than learning tips and tricks from someone whose writing you admire. It is so satisfying, because you’ll be so much more inclined to put in the work and progress if your work is being reviewed by someone you want to impress. Also, you’ll be much more willing to accept their modifications, because you will trust their opinion. I reckon this is especially true if you’re someone who, like me, learns by doing rather than through theory. To give you an example, often, when you write as a non-native English speaker, one of the things you have to learn is the rules of English punctuation. Punctuation often differs in different languages, and it’s one of those things you rarely learn in school. When I started writing, I had a beta, god bless her, who basically went in and corrected all of my punctuation for dialogue tags, etc. And, because she was making the same modifications over and over, I figured just by looking at what she’d changed what I was doing wrong. It saved me a lot of time scrolling on the internet looking up specific rules.

Also, just know that when you talk about “beauty in writing,” you’re much more likely to see other people’s than your own. The number of times I’ve had someone quote back a line/paragraph I’d written to me being like: ‘omggg, this is awesome,’ and me going: ‘is it?’ Just like your own favourite piece of writing is highly unlikely to be everyone else’s favourite, you’re highly unlikely to find the beauty in your own writing. You’ll write lines that you think are beautiful and that no one else cares about, and lines you think are bland which everyone will love. We can have a very different view of ourselves.

ON NOT GIVING UP

Lastly, in your ask, you mention you find it difficult to finish projects. There are two things I have to say about that:

find a project you’re truly passionate about: I think to finish a project - especially a long fic - you have to be truly passionate about the story you’re telling. I wrote a fic this summer which I really didn’t care about and I found it so hard to power through and finish it, compared to the rest of my work. One thing I would say, is that if you really want to keep yourself accountable and not “drop” what you write, maybe try writing for challenges/prompts in your fandom. When other people are involved (especially, for example, if it’s a fic exchange) you’ll feel more compelled to write. Others are waiting/depending on you to write something - that's one hell of a propeller! That’s how I managed to finish that fic I didn’t particularly enjoy writing.

acknowledge that everything in life has a certain timing: one of the things I learnt over the past fifteen years is also that when you drop projects, it is often not forever. You have no idea how many fics I started to write multiple times, sometimes months and years apart, until I finally managed to get them out. My current HP WIP, I genuinely tried writing a version of it every couple of years since the last HP book came out, until it finally sounded right and I was finally able to really commit to it last year. It took me THIRTEEN YEARS to sort it out. I wrote other things in the meantime, of course, but I gave up on that one so many times I genuinely thought I’d never publish it. The truth is that sometimes, you have ideas but don’t have either the life, or the writing experience to do them justice. That’s fine. Just keep writing, change projects, try again until something sticks. As long as you keep writing something, you’re doing fine.

Okay, I think that’s everything I could think of at this point in time. I hope it was helpful. If you (or anyone else) have any other questions, let me know!

If you want to read my fics, you can find them here. My original pieces and rec list can also be found online. Lastly, if you want to support my writing and this strange writing advice train-wreck I seem to have started (lol), you can find my tippee page here.

#writing advice #fic #fic writing tips #writing tips and tricks #asked and answered #anons welcome

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murdertoothpick · 3 years

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Do you have any tips for someone who's trying to write because I don't know how you do it, I've got so may ideas but I can't seem to finish any of them and your writing is so compelling and good but mine just doesn't seem to work and every time I start to write something good it ends up way too long.

brb hardcore gonna cry and i hope you know how warm this made me //// here's my two cents i guess.

writing is hard, period. even if some people make it look easy. (sometimes it can be). ive always been better at writing essays and textual analysis, and i'm very much still learning the ropes to creative writing.

most of the time, ill be working on 3-4 fics at once. i have them lined up in my drafts and i try to add at least 1-3 small paragraphs to each one every day. maybe that's chaotic, but it prevents me from focusing too hard on a fic i might scrap or need to take a break from. plus, it always helps to step away and return to a wip with fresh eyes!

sometimes ill have an idea as to how i want my story to go, but maybe as im writing ill reach a point where im like,,, actually, this is a good place to end it,,, not because the story is getting long or i just want to finish it, but maybe it just felt right or better to end it at that moment. sometimes things don't go to plan, and i could always put aside a really good idea for future use.

and to me- writing longer works are hard so i guess props to you! obviously length isn't everything though. but maybe try writing drabbles? I've only recently opened myself up to writing drabbles (<200 words for me but it varies for each person) more often and I've really enjoyed it! it's a great challenge and a lil quicker (and you can do it as a warmup) and it gives me just as great a sense of accomplishment as if i were to write a longer piece.

how do i do it? with all the self doubt a person can have. look, it's totally normal to not be confident in your writing or unsure of its delivery. i have a few works on here im not proud of, but i also acknowledge that I've grown as a writer and have improved. (surely, right?). so those fics (under my tag murder toothpick archive), are not representative of my writing, especially not now, but more indicate me trying to find my footing here (and we'll all stumble sometimes). when you consume fanfic (if you're like me, then its a lot), be aware of some good phrasing and writing styles or features. everyone's style is unique, of course, and most of the time we're figuring out how to shape our own. find out what you're good at, and what you're not good at. don't be afraid to draw from personal experience, or do research if your knowledge is lacking.

and this community is really supportive! ask for help, feedback or suggestions maybe? my dms and inbox are open (and im a hs eng and lit tutor, though that's pretty irrelevant when it comes to creative writing)

if anybody has other things to add please reblog or comment !!!

anyways, good luck! and take your time figuring things out

#disclaimer: diff things work for diff people #be open to trying new things #i struggle to write as well #writing is hard but its become really cathartic #and just a great outlet

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