em

art school drop out trying her best | they/she

[writingdotcoffee]

Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.

Gloria Steinem (via writingdotcoffee)

[inanauthorsworld]

my favorite niche fic trope is “I’m so sorry my pet keeps getting out and bothering you” X “I don’t mind, they’re a cutie just like their owner ;)”

[ciceroprofacto]

Hey ficwriters!

A couple reasons why you shouldn’t compare your kudos on Ao3 to other stories:

shorter stories are the most popular, especially explicit ones

simpler fluffy stories are a close second

readers use kudos count as an imperfect method of quality-control so stories that already have a lot of kudos will get more attention

writers promote their works on other platforms and their popularity there can be a huge boost for otherwise mediocre writing

taste in fiction is subjective and there’s an audience for everything- your narrative interests being maligned from popular trends isn’t a reflection of your writing abilities

if you enjoyed writing it, it was worth writing!

If you enjoyed writing it, it was worth writing!

[inanauthorsworld]

i made this meme for my writing/life partner and i feel like someone will appreciate it

[inanauthorsworld]

okay ive gotten a few negative comments on a really old post of mine so im gonna say it:

if you look down on fan fiction authors, pleasse get the fuck off my page 

[inanauthorsworld]

how to promote your fan fiction

1. Make sure you’re using the correct platform. When I started writing on Wattpad, I found it extremely difficult to garner attention when there were so many fics being posted in my fandom with hundreds of thousands of reads-- it was difficult to build a platform for me. On the other hand, another fandom I’ve written in has a community built exclusively on Wattpad and my attempts to post fan works on Archive Of Our Own were unsuccessful. Find out which platform works best for you and your fandom. Consider your established audience, the fandom presence, searching and tagging systems, etc. to decide where you’ll post. What works for one fandom won’t for another.

2. Tag appropriately/ Don’t over-tag. This is mostly based off my experience using AO3 but can be applied generally. While searching for fics, if something has twenty tags but is only a couple thousand words, readers looking for a specific trope might skip over it because the trope they’re looking for might not be extremely relevent. Only add tags that are major parts of the story. This is more of a personal preference for me, but also sorting tags by most to least relevent is a good way to show which tropes stand out and which are in the background. Similarly, don’t tag characters/ships that only appear for a short amount of time as that can be misleading.

3. Use other social media and be active in your community! When I started writing fanfction seriously, I had a real easy time gaining readers because I already had hundreds to thousands of followers on my other stan accounts. Fast forward to a few months ago when I jarringly switched fandoms and now had almost no dedicated readers willing to give me a chance.  Now, after a few months in the fandom, my Tumblr following is growing and so is my fic audience, but it was very crushing to post for the first time in a new fandom only to realize no one cared. Also, being active in the comments on Wattpad/AO3/FF can help, too. For most of us, comments are a huge deal, and that can definitely prompt fellow authors to look around your page and explore. The only thing to avoid with this is directly self-promoting in other’s spaces. Make sure your comments are genuine and don’t take away from the author.

4. Update consistently This is advice that I don’t follow, but it would be way easier for me if I did. On the other hand, my SO spent months updating her fic consistently (at least every week or two), and it payed off. The longer you update consistently and consecutively, the more people are drawn to your work-- once you go a few weeks or months without missing, it’s easier to trust you won’t abandon your project. Plus, who doesn’t love a series you can get invested in and look forward to? Knowing your favorite fic updates on Fridays is something to look forward to while getting you through the week.

5. Most importantly: Remember that readership doesn’t matter and doesn’t reflect on you. While I’d love to say that the best fics have the most kudos, that simply isn’t true. The best works can sometimes fly under the radar no matter what you do to stop it. These tips are here to try to prevent that, but at the end of the day, you may just be unlucky. The numbers absolutely do not equate to the quality of a fic-- at most, they’re a nice bonus. Don’t get down on yourself over the small things, that just holds you back from bigger successes in the future.

[raindropsonglass-deactivated202]

if i have one talent, it’s periodically convincing myself that i Can’t Actually Write 

[inanauthorsworld]

me approximately 50% of the time

[inanauthorsworld]

#7 for the meta asks please!! 😁

thank you so much for the ask! original ask meme here

7. What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

things that define my style according to people i’ve been in workshops with include:  - overuse of dashes and semicolons - themes of nostalgia - bittersweet endings - sarcasm-- way too much sarcasm - long sentences - extremely frequent use of italics for emphasis 

things i personally think are part of my writing style that haven't been mentioned above: - melodramatic narrators - themes of addiction - present-tense, third person limited - adding unnecessary words (’very’, ‘like’, ‘f**king’) to sentences (to add to the dramatic narrators) - grammatically incorrect sentences (”but, f**ck.”; “well, not really.”; etc.) - thoughts not being put in italics (the reason for the incorrect sentences and filler words)

on this blog and in informal situations, add “typing in lowercase” to the list, but that’s never something i do in fiction so i wouldn’t include it.

[inanauthorsworld]

Do you have any appearance ‘quirks’ you could give a character to make them more distinct? (walking stick, eye patch, scars, accessory etc.?)

this is interesting to think about... i’m not really one to describe appearance at all, but here are some little quirks (appearance and otherwise) i give characters

- freckles/moles - an accent (not the kind that messes with my spelling of every word, the kind that’s offhandedly mentioned sometimes) - birthmarks - body hair - abnormal speech patterns-- usually when it comes to swearing - broken bones/remnants of past injuries - gender!!-- a character can be trans/non-conforming without it being a huge, pivotal aspect of their character or purpose in the story! - little habits, like leg shaking or pen tapping - makeup/style - something they’re never seen without-- iced coffee, their polaroid camera, etc. - a third nipple, once

really, i couldn’t give you a perfect list of things to choose from. look at the people around you and pick out what you notice first-- that’s what i do when adding in random little descriptions. best of luck! 

[inanauthorsworld]

uhh, I have been having trouble making a cuddling scene. Can you maybe spare some tips? If not, it's ok! I hope you have a great day!!

while this isn't something i have a lot of experience in (i just like angst, quit judging me!), i can give a few base tips that may help you figure it out easier!

1. Balance imagery and narration. A lot of people struggle with this in general, but it’s especially important in scenes with little action. Rather than beating the dead horse for a page of their positions, this is the perfect time to insert some thought! Some ideas are: 1. The character’s reaction straight up; 2. A realization, likely either about themself or the person their cuddling; 3. A flashback or parallel/contrasting moment to an earlier scene.

2. Keep it moving. Cuddling is usually something that doesn’t involve much movement, but it’s hard to read scenes that don’t have much physical change. While it’s (probably) impossible to keep a constant flow of action, split it up with changes in breath, murmered words/snores/etc, changes in position, etc. Even as little as a nervous swallow makes all the differences and keeps the scene from feeling stale.

3. Don’t overdo it. As any experienced fic reader would know, sometimes scenes, especially fluffy, plotless ones, are well overwritten. While page fillers are both necessary and great additions, the bulk of the scene should have substance and serve an identifiable purpose. End the scene when there’s nothing new to give-- no more realizations, dialogue, etc. 

best of luck! my ask box is always open if you need further advice!

[ao3commentoftheday]

Reader asks

😍 What is your favourite fic trope?

👿 What trope do you hate / avoid at all costs?

🤷 What thing that your fandom loves do you just not “get”?

🏆 What do you wish more authors in your fandom would write about?

💏 Who is your OTP?

🤢 Who is your NoTP?

😎 Who is your BroTP?

😭 Has a fic ever left you inconsolable?

🤣 Has a fic ever made your face hurt from laughing so much?

🕵🏾 Do you ever comment/kudos as a guest, even if you have an account?

📚 What’s the longest fic you’ve read in one sitting?

🌍 What is your dream AU?

✋ What reader or write do you think most deserves a high five?

💡 Tell me a headcanon (and who you wish would write it)?

🎵 What do you listen to while you read?

[inanauthorsworld]

ask away!!

[inanauthorsworld]

19 and 22 for the WIP ask meme?

thank you so much for the ask! original ask list here

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?) in all of my recent WIPs, every single main character has begun unlikable and arrogant but have a character arch of becoming lovable. it’s a really strange strategy and i’m not sure if it’s a good one but it’s what i do. also, every protagonist of mine is either an alcoholic or drug addict-- recovery is part of their redemption arch.

22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them? i actually do frequently reread my old works! i surprisingly don’t cringe at them, even if they’re bad, because i can appreciate the writer it’s made me today, which i’m confident in. of course, i’m still young so most of my “old works” were from 13-16 so of course they’re slightly cringey, but i’m mostly proud of myself  

[justwhumpythings]

Fun meta asks for writers

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

What character do you have the most fun writing?

What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

How would you describe your writing process?

What do you envy in other writers?

Do you want your writing to be famous?

Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Would you say your writing has changed over time?

What part of writing is the most fun?

[inanauthorsworld]

send me some asks, i’ll give you a kiss!

[oh-theatre]

Me writing: *going on tangeants and adding small details no one cares about*

The actual story and main character:

[inanauthorsworld]

From @daftydrafty, for the Writer WIP asks: ❤️: what’s the working title? 🧡: what were previous working titles/ideas?

thank you for sending this in! ask prompts here 

❤️: what’s the working title? Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked

🧡: what were previous working titles/ideas? i decided on Ain’t No Rest... pretty much as soon as i thought it but other ideas were: “Young God”, “You Look So Perfect”, “Secret Little Rendezvous”, and “Dreamer Boy”

[inanauthorsworld]

I call this piece “What Writers Text Each Other”

[septembercfawkes]