#in the 5-6 years I've been writing I've only gotten writers block once | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thefreakandthehair · 7 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @steddieas-shegoes like, forever ago and I keep forgetting.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 42! most are steddie with some criminal minds fics from over ten years ago buried deep.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 252,271

3. What fandoms do you write for? right now, just stranger things! I've been toying around with writing destiel again but if I did, it'd be anonymous. (after my entire portfolio was wiped from livejournal, I'm still in pain about it.)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1. and if I get burned, at least we were electrified. 2. i made this mess with love. 3. what you feel is what you are (and what you are is beautiful) 4. the answers are all inside of this. 5. Livin' On A Prayer

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes! eventually! sometimes, it'll take me awhile because I just get backed up but I read them and smile and kick my feet, and even though it takes me a bit to reply, those comments are what keep me writing. <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? happy endings are guaranteed in this house, always. I'll never write an angsty ending-- canon hurts me enough. the most bittersweet ending though would have to be scar-crossed lovers.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? oooo, that's tough because they're all happy endings! but I think over the hills and far away because, by virtue of it being a long fic, the happy ending feels deserved. those two went through it to get to that ending which made it so satisfying to write!

8. Do you get hate on fics? I haven't, no, and I'm very grateful for that. but I'm also like, super liberal with the block function. we cultivate our spaces here, friends!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do, but only in the context of like, what else is happening in the fic. I just can't write pwp lmao, major kudos to everyone else who does it so well! I'm in awe of your talent perpetually.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I wrote a supernatural/charmed crossover au many, many years ago. but recently? kicks cracky supernatural/stranger things crossover au scrivener wip under the couch. nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not in this fandom!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? not that I know of, but that'd be super cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? not yet... but I have some plans. keep an eye out next year. 👀

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? steddie broke something in my brain, but destiel laid the path for it be broken to start with.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? liturgies & devotionals, unfortunately. or at least in its current existence in scrivener? it's a big undertaking but if I can make it less complicated, maybe it stands a chance.

16. What are your writing strengths? not once have I been able to answer this and feel comfortable with it, but I do really enjoy the omniscent third person point of view and have gotten compliments on it. and narrative writing, I like setting the scene and developing introspection.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? there are several but god, fucking dialogue! it's my kryptonite. that, and actually ending a story. context disease is so real.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? the only other language I've ever used is a snippet of Klingon, but I'd also feel comfortable using bits of French because I know a good bit of French. anything else would just feel super inauthentic because idk what the fuck I'm saying.

19. First fandom you wrote for? uh, it was around 2001 and it was for a fandom that I no longer associate with.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? to the surprise of no one: over the hills and far away <333 so much of me is in that fic and it was hugely healing.

no pressure tags: @withacapitalp @stevethehairington @steves-strapcollection @henderdads @patchworkgargoyle @inairbinad @steddieasitgoes @starrystevie @judasofsuburbia @fragilecapric0rnn @kkpwnall @fastcardotmp3 @penny00dreadful @cranberrymoons @catknives @hbyrde36 @cuoredimuschio @wormdebut @wynnyfryd @sidekick-hero @t-boyeddie @scarcrossdlvrs + anyone else who hasn't been tagged and wants to participate!

#tag game #myfic #this sat in my drafts forever i am so sorry holy shit

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spaceorphan18 · 7 months

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Weekend WiP Game

Thanks @bitbybitwrites for thinking of me <3 This is great, because I've been kind of looking over my projects and where I'm at with them today. So, this is a nice refresher. :)

1. WIP List

Okay, I'm kind of ignoring the MCU ones, because I don't think I'll ever get back to those. My current Glee WiPs...

Head Over Feet

The Spaces In-Between

In the City That We Love

The Smut Challenge

Changed for the Better (Not sure if i'll get back to this but you never know.)

The CrossRhodes Saga (this I do want to go back to)

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Head Over Feet

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

The Smut Challenge. I mean, there's 365 total chapters, how is that not the longest??

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I'm really focused on Head Over Feet more than the others at the moment. This is a story that, really, I wanted to write when I got into fandom -- a story about them finding each other again after their break up. I realize there are so many versions of this fic, but it's also a rite of passage I think to do it.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Oh god The Smut Challenge. There are only so many ways you can write smut. One reason I stopped is that it was getting redundant.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Maybe Spaces In-Between. A complete canon compliant fic is something I always wanted to do - but it's been hard to come up with ideas for Season 1, and it hasn't gotten that much attention. Plus, I really found the first chapter really great - but then it's the only feedback that I got some negativity on, and have been unsure ever since.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I'll ask my lovely @snarkyhag for help with Head Over Feet and In The City That We Love -- because they're bigger stories, and room for more mistakes.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

All of them at some point. I feel like I'm just getting back into it after being out of it for at least six months to almost a year.

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

I don't know that I have any? Not for the wips anyway.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

I mean, I guess Smut Challenge by default? They're all gonna have smut in it.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Head Over Feet is pretty angsty. But if I'm guessing overall, Spaces In Between will end up being more so.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)? Right now - Head Over Feet, but I think I'm pretty consistent at keeping them all kind of the same.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Hmmm, I'm terrible at scene description, so I'll leave that up to you.

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Right now, Head Over Feet. but I'll end up working pretty hard on all of them. Though Smut Challenge will continue to be a little tongue and cheek if I get back to it.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I hope that, overall, you guys end up really enjoying Head Over Feet and In The City That We Love. I'm hoping that once Blaine enters the picture, Spaces In Between will pick up a bit. And I'm hoping that I do get back to the Smut Challenge, because self indulgently, I'd like it to get a ton of hits and make its way up the most read Klaine fic list.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

No. I think about them enough during the day - my brain has other things to contend with at night lol.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't? I'd really liked to go back to the CrossRhodes saga once I'm done with a few of the others -- but it's a historical mystery, and that just adds a level of difficulty to it. I also think keeping the smut challenge new and refreshing is the tricky part there.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Probably In The City That We Love

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process? Nope. Though, there are a couple of chapters of In The City That We Love that I may branch out a little because the original sketch had a fascinating character study of the full group.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Honestly - maybe not necessarily about WIPs, but the fact that we're now so far away from the show ending, sometimes I wonder why I'm still writing. I mean - I'm writing for me and because I enjoy it. But I do wish the audience pool was a little bigger. Though I do appreciate that there still is an audience pool here. Idk, maybe I'll write an Ed/Stede oneshot to sooth my ego or something, lol.

Also, maybe semi-related, I have original fiction that I'd like to really settle down and write some day. I've been working on world building for twenty years, the problem is, who knows if it'd ever get published, or if I had an audience outside my family, which is why I continue to go back to fanfic. :P

#thanks so much!!#this was fun!

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ragnarlothcat · 7 months

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I was tagged by @veloursdor (thank you 🥰) and I have a sore throat and am responding from the centre of a pile of blankets. I am cozy and my mouth tastes like chai (also teeth, probably).

1.) How many works do you have on ao3?

27 apparently! I should have a 30th birthday party for my account once we reach that point.

2.) What's your ao3 word count?

446,791. Definitely thought I was over 500k by now but that's writer's block for you. I've written half as much this year as I did last year. But if I really apply myself in the next two months...

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars only at the moment. I've toyed with branching out but I've decided that any spare inspiration goes to original fiction instead.

4.) What are your top five fics by kudos?

à la carte - I think this is the fic I'm most known for? Inasmuch as I'm known for things anyway. Glad people are still enjoying it!

Aggressive Negotiations - I had no idea this one was second now. Good for it! This is one of my hornier Obi-Wans, which is saying something given how I write the guy.

as holy and enchanted - Only two chapters but it contains as much sex as a much longer work. Efficient!

nothing compares to you - hasn't been updated since February 2022 but I guess some people like seeing Anakin fling himself against the Force like an angry cat trying to break down a door.

Out of the Bag - catboy Anakin my beloved, my original poor little meow meow.

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

I was good about it for a while because I like talking to people about my fics but then in like December of last year I burned out a little and stopped replying but kept posting fics and then the situation got out of control. I started replying again over the summer and have just decided that everything between like December 2022 and June 2023 exists in a weird little no-reply bubble.

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably my most recent fic, from a certain point of view. It ends okay for Obi-Wan and Anakin at least?

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

The fics that have endings are almost all happy endings 🤔 à la carte, maybe? There are a bunch of non-obikin characters who also have nice things happen to them so maybe it's extra happy.

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

I guess the closest I've gotten are snarky comments about my lack of updates but those people do seem to like the fic. They're just not crazy about the author.

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

Yup! It's funny, I described my smut as vanilla but it's all relative isn't it? I think by many standards obikin itself is pretty kinky.

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

I do not. The closest is probably as holy and enchanted because I definitely borrowed Indiana Jones vibes for my Anakin, but nothing beyond that.

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware so if so, the thief made a clean getaway!

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

A few! Actually the funniest thing I did was immediately paste the text into google translate so I could see what was going on before realizing that, uh, I already know what it says in English...

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Nope! I've talked about doing it a few times but I worry that I'd be a nightmare to work with since I'm not great at sticking by a project.

14.) What's your all time favorite ship?

At this point it has to be obikin. I've never maintained interest for this long in any fandom before. It's the combination of interesting and handsome characters with a setting ripe for fix-its. And then it's fun making weird AUs with them too? They're just excellent!

15.) What's a WIP you'd like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I mean never say never but Murder at Theed Hall is extraordinarily unlikely. I write mystery original fiction (well, write is a strong word recently but like...I have a pile of disjointed paragraphs?) so I just don't feel the drive to resolve the story.

16.) What are your writing strengths?

I keep answering "dialogue" for the various iterations of this question but like, how embarrassing if everyone else thinks my dialogue sucks? I stand by it anyway but the idea weighs on me!

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

I think my biggest weakness is all the time I spend beating myself up for clumsy phrasing or slow output so my new answer is I have no weaknesses and everything I'm doing is on purpose. Yay me!

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've never had a reason to do this. The most I can imagine is a quick "Anakin said something to Artoo in binary" but otherwise I'd probably translate into English. Is that frowned upon???

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter. I was like 13 and it's exactly what you'd imagine.

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

It depends on my mood! In my current mood I'll pick my baseball fic The Bottom of the Ninth because I really wrote 40k about obikin playing baseball. I was my target audience and I had a great time. No regrets!

Tagging (does it say how many? I'll just do a few) and as always, no pressure: @renlyslittlerose, @treescape, @intermundia, @artemisthehuntress, @lilredghost

#tag game #five people seems like a good number #also i'm coughing now too #if i'm sick i'm going to be so mad #it's like my body doesn't even care about all the writing i want to do

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coffeeandcalligraphy · 7 years

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Evading eternal gloom and chaos in general | November Goals Update

Hey People of Earth!

Today is December 1st. Which means, November (death) is over, and I can officially restart life during Christmas break in 21 days. November as a whole was much better than October (so much, we don't even compare the two) which is strange, as November is the month of death usually because school gets crazy. Regardless, I’m very pleased that I somehow evaded eternal gloom (for the most part) in November.

Some cool things happened this month, including two university open houses in two different locations in Ontario (London + Windsor = two road trips, two weekends in a row), that high school dance life (my first hs dance when ur last year is next year and this is the first social occasion you’ve attended haaaa lol rip) and Literally The Worst Case Of Writer’s Block Ever I Kid You Not. (Which I will definitely go into in this month’s writing update!)

Overall, November was this very chaotic amalgamation of busy, but cumulatively, was pretty darn memorable. Darn.

Onto the goals.

(Also, I don't know if I’ve ever explained this in recent years, but I work with goals in a very strange way. As in, I don't really work with them, as in, I write these posts every month with goals, then never refer to them for the entire month, then come back a month later ?? and ?? for some ?? reason this ?? works ?? it’s also very entertaining to laugh at my failures is that morbid that I enjoy this very much oh no)

(I enjoy writing these posts a lot though, they give me some time to reflect on the last 30 or 31 days I’ve lived and they act as a great routine. :))

Anywhoozies, onto the things I did and mostly did not do:

1. Hit 15k in FOSTERED #6

So. Let’s just talk about this goal very briefly, shall we. As I mentioned above, November and I did not get along in terms of writing, as in, November served me a big ol’ slice of Writer’s Block and left me to choke on it. I wasn't really expecting this block to be so severe, but it was a thing, and it was very real. I mentioned this in DtWT #66, and I know writer’s block is controversial (some people thinks it’s a bullshit excuse, some people don't care, some people strongly believe in it, etc). I stand on the side of ‘in creative fields, every artist is bound to run into some form of a challenge at some point in their career’. As a creative person, I've experienced tons of creative block. In some cases, yes, this block is caused by fear, lack of ideas, sometimes procrastination, but ohhhh myyy, November’s writer’s block was none of these things.

Initially, it was straight up fear, I’ll admit that. I was just starting this book, didn't want to screw up the beginning of the *very last* book, couldn't piece together ideas that I thought were good even though @sarahkelsiwrites was very honest about them and had good feedback, etc, etc. I would say the first week and a half of this block were straight-up fear based. And then weeks 2 + 3 came and it sort of wasn't anymore. I wasn't scared to write this book because at this point, I was pretty fed up with my moping and fear, and just wanted to get some words out.

*and then the words stopped coming and they just stopped coming*

(which isn't entirely the truth, but let me elaborate)

In this time period, I was still writing. I was still hitting my 250 goal almost every single day, and there wasn't one day I didn't go about writing, or go about figuring out how to go about writing. To me, writer’s block doesn't mean I’m not writing. It just means there’s this disconnect that prevents me from immersing myself into my work, thus holding me back from creating the best thing I possibly can, OR making me think I’m creating something of unsubstantial standards. Does this make sense.

So yes, I was very out of it, and I really do think this block was triggered by fear, and once I got over that fear, lingered. BUT I’m doing MUCH better now, let’s not jinx this, AKA I hit 15 587 words this month and when I made this goal literally didn't think I would haaaa bless.

2. Outline more of ALANNIS, and like maybe try to finish it, though I mean this isn’t going to happen, so yeah, just work on it pls

No. lol. So. I’m going to count this as a half win, because I did complete this goal, but not by much. In October’s post, I mentioned I wanted to go through this outline to see if I could possibly shift some of them into the POV of my boi Matthew. This novel is narrated by Chris, and while I love my girl, something was missing from the story, and so I was like, yanno, screw it, let’s see if I can find some chapters to give to Matt just for the hell of it. Overall, I found about 12 or so chapters I could give to him (excluding new ideas that I haven't gotten, but yes), which is pretty good. Not sure I even want to do this dual POV thing, but I mean, I worked on the outline sort of so. (I really need to get on top of this thing I’ve been outlining it for like a year oops.)

3. Upload cover making video

So abridged version of this disclaimer: basically, my hard drive died on me this month, it had all the footage for all my upcoming YouTube vids, including all the speedpaints and cover making vids, lol sigh back up your stuff kids, didn't listen to myself, rip my data, you will be missed (didn’t lose anything personal and my documents are always protected because they’re the most important) SOOO that happened. HOWEVERRR, this is not an excuse for why I did not finish this goal because I literally had another cover making video exported and ready on my computer BUUUUT I’m vERYyyY extra and wasn't liking how my THUMBNAIL was coming out so yesterday when I was scrambling to actually get this goal done because good job time management, was like yo okay imma redo this tomorrow, and so here’s the thumbnail:

And here’s the ugly shit it was before:

AND ACTUALLY, the only reason I never got this vid up like I dunno THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN IT WAS READY, was because of this THUMBNAILLLL WHICH HAS BEEN LIKE A 2 WEEK PROCESS.

(why do I take these things so seriously)

(this thumbnail took me longer to make than the goddamn book cover)

(I digress so sorry for that rant)

(th u mb n a il)

I did get the video up today, though, and you can watch it right here:

youtube

4. Read a book yo.

I actually did this, lol. I finished Kristen Martin’s Shadow Crown this month and started History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund, but I’ve been reading that one at school and like, so far, I’m getting the vibe that I need some hardcore tea and snow and a fire log and some peace and quiet to just appreciate this book because so far I’ve read it in math class and while I do enjoy my math class, i’m getting the feeling this book ain’t no math class aesthetic. (so, the answer is, no I didn't finish this book, but yes, I really really want to because i’m liking it a lot so far and the voice is nice as fuuuuuuuuh and dooooon’t get me started on the writing clapz for dayz)

5. Finish another character portrait

I actually did four portraits this month, two of which are Christmas gifts so I can’t share those at the moment, but here’s one I did of @sarahkelsiwrites’ character Simon:

(and you can watch the speedpaint HERE)

And then one I did of Quinn, my MC for THIS IS WHERE THE END STARTS:

(which might be my favourite piece of art and you can watch the speedpaint HERE)

6. Find and finalize an ALANNIS epigraph

I dunno why this is still a goal because I’m literally not going to do it if I’m hardly working on the darn outline, but yes, no, fail.

7. Work on FOSTERED #5′s book cover

Epic fail, XD. I don't like the design of the re-designed FOSTERED covers, but for the sake of consistency, I’m going along, and that's serving for some unenthusiastic cover designing but I do need to get this done so I can order copies. (WHICH, by the way, I have a new copy of I’M DISAPPOINTED to order, a copy of my sister’s novel, A HAPPINESS TO WONDER, a copy of my novelette sort of thing THE TREATED and on top of this FOSTERED #5, you can totally call me cheap for realllyyyy not wanting to pay for that shipping twice, lol. Point is, I’ll be doing an unboxing because those are literally my favourite videos ever and I’ve watched every single one on YouTube no lie. ;))

So those were the goals. Finished 4ish/almost5 out of 7 goals this much which is pretty ass, but the ones I didn't finish (with the exception of one AKA THE OUTLINE) weren't super important. Some shtuff I’d like to get done in December:

1. Hit 25k in FOSTERED #6 (aka REWIRED)

2. Outline more of ALANNIS, and like maybe try to finish it, though I mean this isn’t going to happen, so yeah, just work on it pls

COME ONNNN

(it’s literally been so long since I actually outlined this book)

3. Upload a video

4. Read a book yo.

I really do doubt I’ll get this one done, but it’d be real nice.

5. Finish another character portrait

7. Work on FOSTERED #5′s book cover

Probably also won’t finish this oneeee haaaheeaahahe

8. Make a character aesthetic

(this is sort of a cop out because I have to make one for Lonan this month since his birthday is on the 9th and for those birthday posts I need one but also I've been telling myself to do this since the start of November and ohhh noo I’m running out of time oops)

So that’s it for now, folks. I hope your November was great. :) Keep an eye out for the monthly writing update! That’s it for now, thanks for reading!

--Rachel

#Writing #writerblr #goalsupdates

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