#since from a whump-only pov I enjoy the heartbreak of death scenes I just put them all into nightmares instead of 'what if'

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

Happy STS Elli!

Do you enjoy thinking about "What if?" scenarios? Turning points, where the story could have gone differently (but didn't) and what would have happened, if it had? If yes, do you also enjoy writing them, or do you prefer daydreaming about them? Are there any specific points in your stories, where you think about alternate outcomes a lot?

And what about other people's stories? Do you enjoy reading about AUs that look at alternate turns of events?

Happy STS!

That uh. Depends.

Since I am often discovery writing, I spend a lot of time rotating the "what ifs" in my mind before bed. That's small-medium scale. What if I break this bone, what if I stick a knife here, what if I put some scene there.

The point of writing it down though is that it stops the rotating. Sometimes in my falling asleep daydreams I still entertain worse outcomes - character death, failed rescue, a moment too late, worse injuries etc. Things I enjoy hurting myself with, but wouldn't want to write.

I have so much to do, I don't like to "waste time" with stuff that is not in line with the final project. The only reason I wrote the two AU pieces was because it was something I could never write otherwise, as I don't do major character death, and because it was an ask answer.

I do not enjoy reading AUs much. Either the AU is worse, then I don't care, or it's better, then I am sad that it isn't canon, or it's completely different, then my brain can't keep up seeing a different version of a character.

(For example, I am SO SAD @starlit-hopes-and-dreams Hidden Depths AU is not canon 😭😂)

#salad-ask #aria-benedetto #sts ask #fun fact: damien's second nightmare accidentally put an end to all the 'what if merry found him at a worse moment' thoughts #I had a short burst of 'what if Riordan came back and saw him like that in the dungeon' but it was worse in every way #for a while I entertained a 'what if Damien's childhood wasn't shit' where he just meets Merry when she arrives in Caldeia #and helps her get away from her ex but ehh #ALSO boring #another fun fact #since from a whump-only pov I enjoy the heartbreak of death scenes I just put them all into nightmares instead of 'what if' #'what if I broke all his bones' OK LETS DO IT AND THEN HE WAKES UP #I can have the cake and eat it too #XD