#i haven't been able to make myself write for a while now (for rl reasons i don't want to get into) and this scratched some of the itch

[dandelion-wings]

Process & Commentary: Betrayal's Daughter

Being very navel-gazey tonight! I've been thinking about trying to break down some elements of my writing process for a while, in response to a Discord discussion about editing a while back, and another Discord discussion tonight brought the idea back up.

The thing is, despite my tendency to keep old drafts, I don't have a lot of documents that show the non-writing part of my process, because I usually delete in-doc notes as I go along, and my edit notes are usually on paper and get lost easily. But I do have two pieces where, for very different reasons, I did preserve some element of those notes! I may or may not come back and do a similar showing/commentary of Cursed Transformation later; for now, it's going to be Betrayal's Daughter.

This is a mix of 'introductory notes' for each whole draft, here on Tumblr, and in-draft commentary done in comments on a Google Docs. Hopefully it isn't too dire to navigate! I have, if I've set it up right, enabled comments by viewers on the Docs, on the premise that people may want to ask questions about things I didn't commentate. So feel free to do so!

The prompt for this fic was an interesting one to pick up, because while the prompter had a premise I loved, and I adored Kujou Sara as the core character, the additional characters they listed for the prompt were not, for the most part, ones I would have chosen for the premise. Which made it more challenging to write, but also more interesting, since I had to figure out how those characters would interact with Sara on this emotional journey, and I got to go places I didn't expect! But the first draft was, uh, rough, because I had no idea how to put any of that together at first.

I knew from the start that I was going to have to break it into sections, and that what I wanted was what I (because I get very strong visuals for scene structure) call a "folding fan" pattern of scenes--a frame story with two outer framing scenes and a central bridge, with scenes that mirrored each other in some way on either side of the bridge. And while that's what I came out with, I had no idea how to structure it when I started, so this first draft has a 'frame' that leans entirely on Sara's character story 5 and doesn't appear in later drafts.

Draft 1 - Google Doc

The reason my initial outline notes, which I usually delete from a document as I turn them into scenes, remain in this draft is also because of that uncertainty; I knew most of these scenes weren't doing what I wanted yet in this draft, and wanted to be able to refer back to my initial ideas in the second draft, so that I kept track of what I was trying to do. Those initial notes are at the top of each scene I had such notes for.

The second round of notes, my edit notes, are there because I usually write those on paper, but was traveling at the time and knew I would lose them if I did; they are at the bottom of each scene I had such notes for.

As a processes-and-procedures note, I physically rewrote this fic between the first and second draft. I have two computers, and I usually have it open on the desktop and retype in a fresh document on the laptop. This is fairly commonly something I do for something I know I'm going to make big changes to between drafts; it helps me to make the big departures if I'm not deleting text in the text editor to do so, for some reason, and also lets me rethink individual lines as I type them.

By the time I got to the second draft, I had a pretty good idea of my overall structure, and so this draft is much closer to the finished product. The primary difference is the first scene, because I was still struggling with framing (some notes on which are at the bottom of the first draft), and I started this draft thinking I was going to do a frame using scenes with her brothers.

(Oh. Oh that's what "boat framing" meant in those ending notes on the first draft. The pattern I had in mind when I started the second draft was "Masahito - Yoimiya - Ayaka - Yae - Kamaji - Masahito - Yae - Ayaka - Yoimiya - Kamaji"! Why this looked like a boat in my head, I cannot tell you. I come up with some weird fucking visualizations for stuff.)

As you'll note, there is no final Kamaji scene, and there's a middle Yoimiya scene that isn't in that pattern. I realized the actual shape I wanted and went back to the "folding fan" frame pattern mid-second-draft. Because, unlike the first draft, I didn't need to tell myself anything by writing the final scene I didn't want to use anymore, I didn't need to write it just to throw it out.

Draft 2 - Google Doc

There aren't any notes in this draft (that I didn't delete as I was writing as usual), and there's less for me to comment on that I didn't cover in the first draft, but it is a transitional stage between the mess of the first draft and the final product, so I'm still linking it for the purpose of side-by-side comparisons! There is technically a third draft, but it's identical to the final fic posted on AO3, down to the typos, and there was no commentary to make there that wouldn't fit into the second draft, anyway.

#going to steal canonical-transformation's tag: #why write when i can talk about writing #(although also my own relevant tag:) #fic nattering #i haven't been able to make myself write for a while now (for rl reasons i don't want to get into) and this scratched some of the itch #it is genuinely interesting to look back on that first draft more than a year later #and think about why i did what i did

[bloodofthefates]

🎧 — do you write while listening to music/podcasts/videos/etc, or do you need total silence? / 😗 — what are some of your favorite things to do when you have some time to yourself? / 📕 — favorite book/series?

🎧 - I almost exclusively listen to music anytime I'm writing. I have specific character & ship playlists for almost everyone I write? But everything has a certain mood/feel that's always exemplified by music tones & inspired playlists. (is this a form of synesthesia I'm unaware of? idk.) I also listen to SO much music in my RL and not realizing it's not something that everyone does. I exist to a film sound tracked life to the point that when I travel with friends, they point out how surprised they are how much I'm just playing music to vibe to on my phone/during any activity. 😗 - My job's social, mental & emotional demands are really taxing on both my introverted nature and my neurospicy brain. I tend to be a recluse when I have time to myself, but I'm absolutely thriving. I'm a floor gremlin who can lie around in the sunshine like a cat, listening to records and making slow coffee while writing, journaling or even just looking at my art books. I quite frankly love doing nothing whenever I can lolll 📕 - HP will always have a special place in my heart, for what it was in my formative years and the rp/fanfiction community created IN SPITE of she-who-must-not-be-named. It's always been hard for me to let go of even if distance exists for good boundary reasons now. ACOTAR specifically has a special place in my heart I never expected, and because of it I haven't been able to get into any of her other series. Yet (if ever). I hyperfixate on so many series? It's hard to pick favorites, they tend to rotate. Grishaverse, The Last Kingdom, Discovery of Witches are just a few more that feel so pivotal to me but I'm sure I'm leaving a ton out of this!

#homebehind #✲ OOC #✲ MUNDAY #answered

[chuchiotaku]

I'M BAACK!! Sorry if I didn't sent you an ask yesterday, but... ehm... let's say collage pretended my company the whole day...

But HOLLY MOLLY, WHAT A CHAPTER!!

First off, Awwww! Harry really wants to have his best friend at his side for everything, doesn't he? Feels like he's reaching levels of obsessities of sixth year's Draco great debacle (that, back then, Ron didn't believed in too! I love this callback) and I agree with Neville, Ron does REALLY need to boost his self worth and how others sees him. It shouldn't have gave him the Deluminator, but a good therapist.

"Harry will eventualy realize that he was far from reliable or irreplaceable. Just like Harry had in his first life. Just like how everyone else will" ....wow you really wanted to punch me that hard in my guts didn't you? (But suuuuuuure, you're totally replaceble, just wait until next vision to see it.)

HUI SCENES ARE AMAZINGGGG!!!! A distinction between Caliburn and Excalibur!? GÀE BOLG?? VIJAYA??? ACTUAL INTERNATIONAL MYTHS AND FOLKLORE WELL PUT IN THE STORY??? I LOVE YOU I- Ok better if I calm myself down now but Hui who are you!?? You have surrounded this goblin with so much mistery that I wish an entire book about him. He looks so calm and lovable, but I fear what he'll be able to do of you take his bad side.

Yggdrasil's scene was... I never felt so much magic in a HP fanfic before, with literally the same wonder and beauty Harry felt the first time he saw magic. The intimacy of the chosing was great, and even the woods!! The differents ways each wood called Ron was... wow... Fleur's lullabye (the sweet call of his far away home), the bells (how his actions will forever change this world) and the chorus (The souls of the lost ones entrusting him with overwritting destiny). I think the wand will be a mixture of the three wands, or the last two. Also what kind of wood is that last one?? I searched all kinda of honeysuckles and I couldn't find anything! (Except that now I know lots more about the Lonicera's genre thank to you) but... it's elder, isn't it? I know it's gonna be elder! I'm so excited to see Ron's reaction to it! And who is that misteryous client? Hui, you'll never stop to amaze me.

Ron's birthday??? Like, FINALLY?!? We saw only one time his birthday in the original timeline and that was only because he got poisoned. (Wow JK, you really know how to write good friendships...😒) It was so good to see how the brother's organized a surprise party, really feeling that familiar love we really needed! I can't wait to see his gifts too! (If you'll write about them, of course😅)

About Hagrid's dragon problem... I don't think they could have handled better! Poor Hagrid, but don't worry this is for the greater good. And poor Neville too!

Also THAT DRAGON' AFFINITY HOLY FUUU- That came out of nowhere! It's so... increadible!! The dragons riders??? Who are them!?? What story!!?? What happened during the war? What was Neville refering to!?? Essence of family??? I- I... wow. You're amazing. I wonder how it'll come back in the story.. I wonder if... *wink* it'll end with... *wink* ... a dragon's garrison? *wink wink* I love this many questions you make me think of, how much I want to know MORE about the world, never change.

I'm surprised that the rescue team didn't had Charlie in it, but I'm sure there's a good reason why he couldn't come. Always good seeing more people added to the story! More nationalities! Yes! (I wonder if one day an italian wizard will pop up, i can count on one hand the number of them that I've seen them in HP's fanfics). And Draco getting scolded is always good.

...and yeah the team got caught too. Ops. Oh well you can't always win. I can't wait for the next chapter, I'm really, really really hyped!

Hey there! It's been a while! :D

I'm sorry for the very late reply. RL has kept me busy, among other things. I haven't been online in a long time for something not work related. Also, I needed some time off.

Anyway, I did drop a lot of good bits during Hatch and Flight, yes? I laid some groundwork for several plot elements that will come back later rather than sooner (like the wand, the Prewett legacy). I loved how you interpreted the wand wood scene! You even added things I haven't considered, which really made my day when I read this post! I'm so floored with all the thought you put in TBA!

So there will be other nationalities popping up in TBA, but not so much (hoping to have at least one from each continent except Antarctica because you know, no one lives there). I don't want to add international characters for the sake of it, but because they have something to do with the plot moving forward. Imhothep, for example, has Egyptian roots. Sue (a canon character) is half-Chinese. Wonder who else will show up?

The Prewett family legacy I came up with came from several sources of inspiration, one of which was a fanfic with a werewolf!Ron that I can't remember the title of right now. But again, it will be a while before that comes up. I'm excited to write it down though.

And Charlie wasn't part of the rescue team because he also wasn't in canon and I didn't feel the need to change it. I had the half-mind to, but since they already saw each other during the Holidays, it felt unnecessary.

Thank you again for your kind words and your love for TBA. I'm working on the next chapter so I hope you'll stay tuned for it. It's kinda long overdue, but I hope you'll like it anyway.

Cheers and stay safe! 😁🥰😁