Fanfic writer under the pseudonyms LowlyWriter and Salemn over on Ao3! Find me on Twitter and Bluesky under the same user! Always down to chat! Will reblog anything that gets a snicker from me :)
â"How could you tell?" His doppelganger asks, tearing Izuku from his thoughtsââŚ"was it the green hair, or the eyes that gave me away? Or perhaps the identical face?"
-When Realities Collide by Lowly Writer. @lowlywriter
hi! i'm writing my first fanfic ever after falling in LOVE with your writing (seriously, it's so good, you inspired me so much)! the only thing is, i'm completely new to this stuff, so i was wondering... when reading, what are some of your biggest pet peeves and things you don't like to see? Or things you love to see? I know it's subjective, but i really just want my writing to be the best that it can.
also, what are examples of "show, don't tell"? i feel that i did that a LOT in my first chapter, but i was also just trying to build the world a bit and get the main ideas laid out so nobody was lost. and i also feel like i'm a bit flat when trying to present a character going through a heavy or big emotion, like panic? it feels hard to represent accurately with words alone, you know? and grief is a complicated thing to try to show as well, but grief is complicated all around. i was told the flow was good, and my friends read it and said they like it, but advice is still great to get! especially from a writer like you...
seriously, you have no idea how much i love your writing and how impactful it was for me. it was excellent! some of my best reads ever! love you lots!!!!
Ah, hello!! Sorry for a late response!
I'm so happy to hear you like how I write! I feel like I've come a long way from those first fics I used to write. I'm very proud of what I put out now, so I'm glad people enjoy them as much as I do! I truly am honored that you think so highly of the stuff I write! <3
Now, as for your questions.
Hm, the biggest writing turn off for me as a reader is there not being paragraph breaks. I find it a little untidy and hard on the eyes. I usually click right out if the fic is all giant blocks of text where everyone's speaking and there's no indication of who's saying or doing what, and there's background descriptions and world building happening at the same time and it just feels like a cluster of everything that's hard to follow. I find them hard to stay focused and very easy to lose my place.
Then there are some little pet peeves that I won't actively avoid, but still bothers me a little bit while I'm going like using " - " or " ' " in place of the quotation marks when people are speaking.
I do understand that different languages do use different symbols to convey speech (the em dashes, for sure), but it always bothers me personally as a reader since I learned to write in English and always we got in trouble in school for using anything but quotation marks.
I'm sure seeing quotation marks in place of other symbols both other readers who learned differently!
And similarly to the long paragraphs of texts, I also struggle when multiple characters are saying things in the same paragraph.
Even when it's not drawn out, each time something new is happening, or someone else is saying something, there should be a paragraph break to really emphasize that it's something new, especially when it comes to writing big groups (and when your group is primarily one sex and you're using a lot of 'he', 'she' or 'they').
My last little peeve is the overuse of the word said, or any other descriptor for how something is being vocalized (growled, hissed, groaned, laughed, cried).
Which I know is very easy to do, and I am also guilty of!
Looking back at some of the really old stuff I made, I know I did it, too. A lot of it needs to be edited, since writing is one of those skills that really does get better the more you do it.
There really are better words out there and usually there's something better to convey the vibe you're going for! I like to make use of those charts you can find on google images, or even the Thesaurus to make sure things aren't getting too repetitive if you're seeing the same word reappearing often as you're writing.
Show don't tell does take some practice, for sure.
I think I tend to show a little too much, sometimes, but I just get into the flow and I want to try to get people to envision it the way I'm seeing it in my head as I write.
Don't show everything, just the things you think are important.
Like,
"She had black hair."
"Her hair was dark, rolling down her back and over her shoulders in messy waves. Her eyes were hidden partially behind a curtain of unruly bangs when she looks up, which she gingerly brings a hand up to push out of the way, tucking loose strands neatly behind her ear to pin them out of her face."
Even if everyone knows the characters, if can't hurt to show them how you, or another character, are envisioning the character in question, especially if it differs from canon.
"His dog was cute."
"He couldn't help but smile at how adorable his friend's little dog was as it rolled on its back in the grass, legs kicked up in the air and flailing wildly as its body wiggled back and forth."
Showing and not telling can be even the smallest details that give a little more body to something.
How someone is saying something, how they're standing, what their hands or arms are doing.
It doesn't have to be some elaborate description.
Does a character speak with their hands as well? Do they rock on their heels as they stand? Maybe their foot is tapping impatiently while they await a reply. Or they're looking at someone with an adoring look, the corners of their lips quirked up in a dopey little smile. Or someone's fluttering their lashes teasingly.
It can even be how they're breathingâ ragged, slow, rapidlyâ or how their heart is beating wildly in their chest with love or panic.
Anything that adds more visual, that can paint a picture.
The colour of something, details to a room they're in, maybe the weather outside and what they're eating.
Big emotions can be very difficult.
Everyone feels them differently and it's not always relatable to everyone, but it does give you some leeway.
I've always been able to learn a character and be able to get into their head a little bit. I think: "What would this character do if something like this happened? How would they react? How would they think or process it?"
It's not always easy, but it does give me a starting point.
I find it a lot easier with characters I love than with side characters.
I personally like writing big emotions because it's the only time I feel like more is less, there are so many things you can touch on to really paint the picture of the emotion you're looking for.
How they're breathing, a trembling of their lips. A pit of dread forming in their stomach, or anxiety fluttering in their chest. Maybe they cryâ tears welling in their eyes, rolling down their cheeks. Maybe they want to be hugged, or maybe the thought of being touched sets them off. Maybe they laugh humorlessly, or self-deprecatingly, or offer a shaky smile. Maybe they hug themselves, or hide behind their hair.
It could even be things like dissociating, or losing time.
That you can show by the surrounds, too, instead of just by the person's feelings. A sort of monotone, where they're there, but not really there. Observations that don't feel like they have very much feeling as a way to express how someone's feeling, if that makes sense.
I actually have some excerpts of a new fic I'm working on where a character is really going through the ringer.
" Time goes a little fuzzy again. Â
When he comes back to himself this time, heâs been stripped out of his winter jacket and boots. Â
Heâs sat on LĂĄn ZhĂ nâs plush couch, and heâs wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket. Â
The television is on, volume very low, but still filling the stillness of the room.Â
He doesnât see LĂĄn ZhĂ n, but he does hear him in the kitchen. Â
He hears the sound of a spoon clinking repeatedly against ceramic as something is stirred, tea, or coffee, maybe, and he hears LĂĄn ZhĂ nâs low voice speaking softly. "
Or there's always raw emotion, too.
I think everyone's been wrecked by heavy emotion at some point or another, whether it's grief, guilt, panic, or any other heavy emotion. You can channel into what you've felt and then tweak it to better suit what you need to express and who it's coming from.
" Wèi YÄŤng cuts himself off with a harsh sob, that breathless and chest-wrenching kind of sob, hiding his face in his hands. Â
The noises he makes sound pitiful to his own ears, but he canât bite them back. Â
Arms wrap around him now, and heâs tugged into LĂĄn ZhĂ nâs chest. Â
Wèi YÄŤng grabs fistfuls of the sweatshirt, sobbing into LĂĄn ZhĂ nâs chest like a baby. Â
He criesâ he cries until he canât draw in a solid breath; he cries until heâs all but hyperventilating, and hiccupping, and all he can manage are little half breaths that make him feel lightheaded. Â
His face is covered in snot and tears, and he feels disgusting, but he canât stop. "
Putting emphasis (italics or bold) on specific words can also help convey how important they are in that very second.
That that feeling is being felt big.
Also, don't worry about a flat feeling first chapter.
There's just so much world building and introducing characters and themes and plot that it can feel a little bit like a write off.
I think a lot of us think our first chapter feels like that, too.
The thing is it feels like that to you because you've likely been rereading it a bunch of times as you edit and finalize it, but to readers, it's new.
Ah, anyway!
At the end of the day, write for yourself!
I try not to take it too seriously, because it is just a hobby and something I like to do! It's fun to see my ideas come to life, and I love that people enjoy them as much as I do! But at the end of the day, I write for me, and I choose to share it!
If you like how it's coming along, that's all that really matters. And if your friends have told you it's good, I'm sure they're right! If you love what you're making, it's bound to show in the finished product!
And you could always find yourself a beta reader, too, if you'd like a more neutral opinion. I don't have a beta, but a lot of fic writers do! The good thing about fanfiction is there's always someone looking for the exact thing you're making! I feel like we're all gluttons for content of our favs :)
Sorry this got so long! Hopefully it helped though! I appreciate you reading my fics and reaching out! And I truly am honored to have inspired you! I'm more than happy to answer questions!
Ah, hello! Sorry for a late response, I'm not super great at remembering to check my socials and I'm honestly always a little bit surprised to find activity!
I do have plans to come back to MHA, I'm just not sure when! I have a few other things I'm currently hyper focused on, but I do love the MHA characters and plot (up to what I've seen!). There is one fic I've been slowly but surely updating for the MHA fandom, but I know it's been a while since that got an update, too.
If you're wondering about the sequels/epilogues of the other fics, I will get around to them! I'm probably going to go through and edit the main fics (WRC and YSG) first, and then work out how I'm going to continue, but despite those intentions, I don't have a set return!
But I will come back at some point!
Anyway, thank you for the ask! And I'm glad you enjoy the MHA content! Sorry there's not more of it! :(
I just came from reading Yuuei Survival Guide and I am SCREAMING on the floor. ITS SOO GOOD AAAAAAAAFYHBKKN NBCVCCXX
I also wanted to ask you if it was okay if I could use a couple of element of Izukuâs ghost abilities for my own Mha oc. Itâs not a copy, but itâs similar. I wanted to ask b/c Iâm writing a post-canon mha fic.
Hello!
Glad to hear you liked the fic, and thank you for reading!! :D
Sure, you're more than welcome to use some of the elements of his abilities! I feel like the elements of seeing ghosts could be pretty versatile! I had a lot of fun coming up with what I did for the fic!
There is this absolutely amazing thing that I just read. Itâs an mha fic, and the writing is. Unbelievable. It felt like I was reading a book, not something on ao3, and that is a complement. People would buy that shit.
The ficâs called Yuuei Survival Guide, itâs by @lowlywriter and itâs truly one of the best fics Iâve EVER READ. Itâs really long, and it took me five-ish days to finish, but thatâs because I spent every spare moment I had, even my NOT spare moments reading it. I read this instead of sleeping a couple times.
(Spoilers for MHA (and the fic kinda) below!)
It starts with Izuku getting into UA, but also he can see ghosts and he sees Oboro Shirakumo when he first gets into Aizawaâs homeroom and it just gets better from there. Thereâs hurt, comfort, fluff, angst, NO SMUT, character study, and just like. It feels like itâs exploring what it means to be a person by the end.
Also erasermic. There is erasermic adopting Izuku and itâs the best.
Uhhhh yeah READ YUUEI SURVIVAL GUIDE! I KNOW VIRTUALLY NOTHING ABOUT MHA AND I LOVED IT!!!!
Hi!! I have been obsessed with your fic âyuuei survival guideâ like ever since i have read it, it has been my fav fic of all timeđ i really like re reading it too. I was just wondering if you ever have plans to like continue it or make a prequel? Thankyou!!
Hello!!
Sorry for a late response, I scarcely remember to check my social media!
I'm so glad to hear you like the fic! Yuuei Survival Guide is still one of my favorite fics that I've written, so I'm happy people still love it as much as I do!
I do still have plans to add some more to it!
A sequel/ epilogue for sure, but I've also had some ideas for Shota/Hizashi/Oboro backstory stuff which I'm not sure if I'll ever actually make! The idea is there, though!
I don't know when I'll have the time and motivation to write them. I've been doing some things with some other fandoms that have been taking up some time, and I'd need to get back into the swing of writing MHA, but I do still plan to come back at some point! I just don't know when!
About to cirlce back for like my 5th reread of YSG and just need you to know how much it means to me
Cheers!
Hello! Sorry for a late reply!
Super glad to hear you like the fic (especially enough to read it 5 times!) You're definitely on track to catch up with me and my dozens up rereads while I was working on it! I'm glad it means something to you <3
Thank you for taking the time to read, and send this ask!
same anon who just discussed YSG and Kat's read through!!
really REALLY recommend finishing the show. i had told myself over and over that i was done with MHA and ready to move on without finishing the show until my bsf put it on and i got sucked back in. i got the watch the final few episodes as they were released, and as much as i love the first five seasons, seasons 6-8 are heartbreaking in the best possible way. the ending of this show fully cemented my adoration for Izuku as a character. Fair warning, most of the latter half of the show takes place during battle (in fact, seasons 7 and 8 span over only a few days at most) but it's so entirely worth it to watch.
hope to see you tackle some seasons 6-8 canon some day ;) whether it's a continuation of YSG, another one of your works, or something completely new. you've set a standard for MHA fics for me (something which has made it almost impossible for me to find dadzawa fics that live up to your level of storytelling and characterization), and i yearn for the day to see your take on the ending of the show <333
Oop! Sorry for another late response!
I'll probably check it out the rest of the anime at some point! I know a lot of what happened already, and frankly I don't want to see some of it come to life! I don't mind spoilers, but I don't usually like to put in the time to watch or read something when I know a lot of the major plot points!
I also want to write my own war arc for YSG at some point before I'm influenced by the canon stuff! I think it'll be cool working with what I know thus far, because I know it's not everything. I stopped at a pretty decent point!
Anyway! Thank you for reading, and for your support and asks! And again, I'm very sorry for a late response! I'm really glad to hear you like the fic, I still love dadzawa sm, so I'm glad to have set a standard! I'm honored!! <3
I'm listening to HurricaneKat's reading of YSG again (probably has to be my tenth listen at this point) and it's further solidifying you as my favorite ao3 author and YSG as my favorite fic of all time. when i rewatch the final seasons of MHA i ALWAYS think of it through the lens of the au you crafted, and i find myself daydreaming and wondering how you would tackle the canon of the latter half of the show if you ever decided to write a sequel/epilogue. i think about the Paranormal Liberation War arc and just imagine Izuku trying desperately to save/protect SHOUTA/DAD instead of Mr. Aizawa/Aizawa-Sensei. I imagine Shouta waking up to find out that Izuku left, and not being able to be there for his retrieval due to his recovery. I think about Oboro, who may or may not even have a viable provisional license, being benched and forced to watch Izuku destroy himself, perhaps maybe even missing being a ghost because he felt he could protect Izuku better that way. I think about Hizashi having to be the one to hold everyone together, supporting his husband during his recovery while also having to cope with the possibility of losing his child. I imagine the possibility of tension between Oboro and Erasermic, the three struggling to cope with what's happening to Izuku.
i imagine Izuku's homecoming, and perhaps a hesitance to visit Shouta in the hospital, harboring intense guilt for being unable to protect him from Shigaraki. i imagine Katsuki and Izuku's relationship, as it FLOURISHES in the latter half of the show, and how you've already created such a complex and wonderful dynamic between the two in your work (something i think you tackled so well. you've written one of my favorite portrayals of their friendship in a Dadzawa fic). I think of the final battle, and the added stakes of fighting a war with every member of your newly found family, and all the stability built over YSG crumbling in front of their eyes. i imagine Shouta and Hizashi being forced to watch Izuku be treated as a secret weapon in the war, essentially nothing more than a martyr.
okay YAP YAP YAP sorry for the massive block of text. i just love your work so dearly and hope some day i get to witness your retelling of the final seasons of the show if that's something you were ever interested in. until then, i'll just daydream of where you could possibly take this story. keep up the amazing work, diva. know that you have a number one fan out there somewhere who is constantly drooling over your writing.
Ah, hello!! Sorry for the late response! I'm terrible for remembering to check my social media!
I'm so glad you liked the fic!! Kat did a great job with the podfic, so I'm happy people are still enjoying the audio version! I've done a few listen throughs, too! And thank you for stopping by here, too! I love to hear that people enjoy the fic!!
Those are great ideas! Honesty, I haven't watched any further than season 5 and the first 3 MHA films, so I don't know much about any of the details of the later seasons. I should really watch those at some point đ¤ Writing further does seem like fun, though! Gotta love some good angst, and dadzawa/ dadmic worrying over their green bean!
Anyway, thank you for the ask, and for supporting Kat and I! I'm glad so many people are still enjoying YSG (in written or audio form), I love getting comments and asks like this!
Ive been rereading a lot of your ao3 works and I absolutely must say that they mean a lot to me and I love your writing sm!!! This is just a little tiny thing, but i figured I'd share that I really adore your writing and I wish all the best things for you :) â¤ď¸
Ah, hello!!
Sorry for a late response, I've been worse than usual about checking my social medias recently!
I'm so glad to hear you like the fics and my writing!
I honestly don't think there's any greater compliment as a writer than knowing people not just like what I make, but that so many readers reread them! I'm very happy people like them as much as I do!
Thank you for reading, and for sharing! I appreciate it! â¤ď¸
hi! i'm the last ask (about writing tips)! i feel a little silly for not specifying, but i meant fanfiction. on ao3, how would you suggest i go about tagging? i'm still new to ao3, so i don't quite understand how to tag and everything yet...
sorry! you just explain things in an easy to understand way.
Ah, hello again!!
No problem! I did assume you were talking about fanfiction given the context, but then I was like unless... đ¤ and then I wasn't sure.
I'm glad it was easy to understand! I feared it may have been a little bit confusing, so I'm happy to hear it wasn't!
Now, as for the tagging!
I'm going to preface this by saying this is strictly from my own experience and learning over the years!
Tagging is a very important part of ao3, not gonna lie!
There is a lot about ao3 that I do not understand even after posting for so long, but I do like to think I've been pretty successful when it comes to tagging and finding an audience.
We'll start with the three required tag fields, which are the Rating, the Archive Warnings and the Fandoms.
The rating typically follows your general rating system as most media does.
Most of my fics are tagged as Teen and Up Audiences, since that's what a lot of the animes/ shows are rated as. It generally covers the bases of what the canon content goes over, from what I've found.
It really depends on what you're making thoughâ General Audiences would work if you're just writing a cute little oneshot, or appropriately tag Mature or Explicit if you're going to go more in depth into other areas that veer from the original content that could be disturbing or inappropriate to some readers.
Really just play it by ear, and if you happen to tag wrong, someone will likely correct you in the comments.
Archive Warnings are much the same.
Try to be specific to what you're writing, since a lot of people filter out what they don't want to see/ can't handle.
There is the Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings tag, which is kinda a 'read at your own risk' warning that people use if they don't want to give away specific plot points, or plot twists, but if you can be specific about it, please try to be so people can filter out what they don't want to read.
The Fandoms tag is pretty standard, I think.
There's more detail on all these specific tags and tagging systems when you click on the four little boxes beside any fic on the site! It'll provide more specific detail about what does what, if you need it!
Now, on to the more specific tags!
First and foremost, we've gotta recognize the difference between the '&' and '/' relationships when it comes to the Relationships tag!
Character / Character means a romantic/sexual relationship. It can also be Character x Character, but most people on ao3 tend to use the '/'. Character & Character means the relationship is more familialâ friends, siblings, parent and child.
That's why you'll often see ships tagged as both a '/' and an '&' relationship.
Like with SatoSugu in Lost in Paradise, we know that romance is on the horizon from chapter 1. The tag itself shows the intention from the beginning and it's an important part of the story and the world I'm trying to build, but they're still best friends, first and foremost. And for a lot of the fic, that's the side of the relationship I'm trying to show, even though we know the romance will happen at some point.
That's the dynamic between them in the fic.
Friendly, sweet, caring for each other, figuring themselves outâ not just physical relationship.
And maybe you already know all this, but I only specify this because when I first posted on ao3, I did not know the difference and then someone was very annoyed with me in the comments! Sometimes I think people just universally assume everyone knows everything, but that isn't the case! Especially on new platforms!
I've never run into any problem tagging both for a main ship, since it tends to cover both bases, and it does open the fic up to more of the filters people tend to go through when narrowing down their fic search, but try not to tag a '/' relationship unless it is prevalent to the story.
I think a lot of avid fanfiction readers can agree that there really is nothing more upsetting than searching for a specific ship and then finding out that it's only a minor/ background relationship in the story, when it's tagged as a main pair.
A lot of ships will have minor relationship tags in the Additional Tags section, so if it's important to your story, but not the main ship, or focus of the story, maybe try using one of those tags instead, just to point out that the pairing does exist, but isn't the main ship. Just so people know what to expect. People can get pretty heated about incorrect tagging, especially on an archive like ao3.
Everything has a place, you know?
As for Characters, I tend to tag anyone who has a major role, or who is reoccurring throughout the fic. I'll also tag anyone who I've mentioned in any relationship tags.
And now onto the Additional Tags!
These are my favorite part!
There are a lot of popular tags in general, and then there are a lot of popular tags to specific fandoms!
My favorite general tag to use is Hurt/ Comfort, both when reading and when writing. You can't go wrong with a good Hurt/ Comfort tag.
A lot of people also look for Hurt/ No Comfort, too.
Two very different ends of the scale!
Other popular tags I've found are Angst and Fluff.
There's a lot of variations of these, so there's usually one that'll match the mood you're going for in the fic.
Then there are specific tags that people generally search for, like: Alternate Universes, Meet-Cute, Time-Travel Fix Its, Idiots to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Found Family, Hurt (Character), Parental (Character), (Character) needs a hug, Protective (Character), Soft (Character), Sickfics, and so many others.
I think everyone has a favorite tag.
I am an absolute sucker for a good sickfic/ injury fic, always the first thing I search for in a new fandom! I just want to see my favorite character getting taken care of đĽş
I've found a lot of readers want it to hurt a little bit (or a lot), but then they want to see it get better for some closure. I want to see that, too. Angst with a happy ending is a very good tag.
One of the best ways I've found to see which tags are popular to a fandom is to broad search the fandom and then see which tags are reoccurring throughout the list. I also like to search a character's name, or a specific word, in the Additional Tags section when editing and see what comes up in the dropdown suggestions.
Beyond that, try to tag relevant things to your fic that someone might be filtering for. Are they ice skating? Tag Ice Skating. Are they going to the beach? Tag Day at the Beach. Is there blood? Tag Blood and Injury, or one of the man related tags.
There are a lot of tags that people filter out, too, just as people filter to find. Tagging things like minor (or major) triggers will also make their lives a little easier to avoid things that they may find triggering.
And even if you don't want to use up your tags tagging a bunch of little trigger warnings that aren't entirely relevant to the fic as a whole, I try to include a warning at the beginning/ end of a chapter containing sensitive content in the author's notes, just in case people want to see if it's something they can safely read. Sometimes even just the mention of something can trigger someone, so try to be cautious.
It's little things like that that make readers feel safe.
Tags are pretty endless (in the sense that they exist, and not that you can tag endlessly, because there is a 75 tag limit), and there's usually something for everything.
And if not, you be the first to tag it!
Tagging is a little like trial and error, you've gotta find what works with your writing. What you like to write, so you can appropriately include your tags. Tags are what get you noticed, so if you're properly tagging, you're bound to reach your audience at some point.
I personally don't really touch fics that aren't tagged.
I want a general idea of what I'm going to get in the fic before I'll give it a chance, so fics that are just tagged with just the mandatory tags are usually skipped over for me, as harsh as that sounds.
Ah, I think that's about it?
This is just what I've found success in, mind you. And I'm still learning and being educated every day, too! I mean, I only just recently found out you can switch to Rich Text when posting on ao3, instead of HTML, where I had to manually type in the italics, bold and all the formatting! I've been on ao3 since 2017 đ The more you know!
Anyway, this got long again! Hopefully it makes sense, and helps! I don't mind answering questions if you have anymore! I'm honored you think highly enough of me to ask! :)
hi! i just finished your satosugu fic, lost in paradise, and i absolutely ADORED it! your writing is so captivating! i was wondering how you plan out your chapters? i love writing, but i never have any direction, so i lose motivation because i'm writing with no real intention, i guess? how do you outline your stories n stuff and like figure out your plot? oh! and any tips for dialogue? anything is appreciated... i seriously love your writing, you're such a good author. :, - )
Hello!!
Firstly, sorry for a late response! Secondly, I'm so happy to hear you liked the fic!! I'm honestly so proud of how LiP came out in the end!
Truthfully, I don't do very much planning ahead of time.
I usually have a starting point and a place I want it to end, and what happens in the middle, beyond canon points I want to touch up on that are important to what I'm trying to work into the world building, is entirely a surprise to me as well.
I like working with the structure of the canon points, but you can't, of course, make it too much like the original content without it getting repetitive and a little slow to read and work on when you've already consumed the content in the original sense.
I've written things that felt a little bit slow in the making, because I was following canon too closely, and sometimes it does work, but not for everyone.
Usually I come up with a few major plot points I want to see happen that I can ground the story to, like in LiP, it was the Star Plasma Vessel arc, Haibara's last mission, and finding the Hasaba twins.
Then there were the little things that I personally wanted to see come to life, because I thought it would be fun-- like the glasses shopping, the dragon riding and including little snippets of Wasuke and the found family bonding, just as some examples.
That gave me something to look forward to, and something to work towards, because it wouldn't have made sense to just do it at the beginning unless they were random oneshots. And anything can be a plot point if you want to write it; characters getting together, introducing a new character, an argument, or even just something funny or cute you wanna share with the world.
I fear I may be the type of author who needs to bribe myself to get through the structure to reward myself with what I really want to write. The story is always there for me, I'm always thinking about what I have half-written in my drafts (and there are a lot), but no one else will be on the same page without that context that I already know, so I always tried to keep that in mind! Even if it feels a little bit boring to me, it's still new to a reader!
Still, even if I made each of those things one single chapter each, it would've been at least 6-7/8-9 chapters worth of story depending on if there's a world building first chapter and an epilogue of sorts at the end.
I think its nice to go into a chapter knowing what the goal to get down on paper is. And as long as it covers what you need it to cover, then it doesn't really matter how long or short it is. I personally like to make long chapters, because that's what I like to read, but there's nothing wrong with shorter ones, too.
Beyond that, I tend to just go with the flow.
As for dialogue, I just tend to envision how a conversation would play out. With SatoSugu, there'd be a lot of bickering. They'd be teasing, they'd call each other names, they'd be soft and sweet to each other, then they'd turn around and be in each other's faces. They'd argue, make up, and follow it up with a playful shove or a laugh, because they're teenaged boys who don't quite know how to emotion.
I like working on fanfiction, because I can get to know the characters before I work with them. We're showed so much in the OG content, and it's easy for me to get in their heads and think about what they'd say, what the retort would be, how I think they'd process any given situation. And even if they're OOC, slap a tag on there (assuming you're on ao3) and continue on!
And as for the actual dialogue, I think I first learned to do it by writing out what was being said, the actual conversation taking place, and then adding the showing words and the he said/ she said afterwards.
Like,
âOf course not. Weâre the strongest, arenât we?â
âDo remember the part where you almost died. Arrogant prick.â
âThat sounds a little overly dramaticââ
âTrust me, itâs not. Suguru had to save your dumb ass. Sent you out of the veil on Rainbow Dragon and exercised the curses alone. Youâd be a goner if youâd taken that one alone, Satoru.â
âHow... what actually happened? I donât really remember any of this.â
Suguru lulls his head in Satoruâs direction, eyebrows knit together as if debating reaching over and smacking some sense into Satoru and agreeing with him.
He does neither as his lips press in a straight line.
âDo remember the part where you almost died,â Shoko says unkindly. âArrogant prick.â
âThat sounds a little overly dramaticââ
âTrust me, itâs not. Suguru had to save your dumb ass,â Shoko perches on the edge of Satoruâs cot, her hand finding his ankle and her thumb stroking along the protruding bone. âSent you out of the veil on Rainbow Dragon and exercised the curses alone. Youâd be a goner if youâd taken that one alone, Satoru.â
Satoru takes a second to process that. âHow... what actually happened? I donât really remember any of this.â
Its a bit easier to see the tone you're going for in the words themselves, to envision what they're saying, how they're saying it when the conversation runs smoothly itself.
Then you can split the sections up, add movement and gestures, add how they're speaking and build the context up around them.
Just make sure you remember who's saying what if it's not obvious in the actual dialogue!
It gets easier the more you do it, and the more into what you're writing you are. Maybe you'll even reach a flow state lol
The thing I love most about writing fanfiction, is that there are so many people who think like me, who want to see the same things come to life that I do. In JJK we didn't get much happiness. I wanted some happiness, and to give the characters a better ending than they got in the original content.
Apparently, a lot of people were looking for the same thing.
The best thing I ever did was post that first chapter, even when I had nothing else written, when I didn't think anyone else would even see it, or read it. People will find it, and people will love it if you've put in the effort to make something that you yourself enjoys.
Even if it's just one random person on the internet who gives it a chance and kindly leaves a comment, someone who reads it and enjoys it with you, it's the biggest motivation there is to keep working on it. Even if it takes weeks or months to get that second chapter posted.
Or, that I've found, at least.
I know I've been very fortunate with kind comments (and some not so kind, to be fair), and people reading and enjoying what I make. I truly am very thankful that so many people have chosen me and my fanfictions! It's an honor to know that so many people enjoy them.
Sometimes you just have to put your foot in the door before it can close, you know? Put that piece of media out into the universe and see what happens (and if it's on ao3, try to incorporate some popular tags!)
Anyway! I've rambled enough! Hopefully some of this was useful to you! And hopefully it makes some sense?
I'm not sure if you were really talking about writing fanfiction, or working on original content, but I fear I really only have the experience in fanfiction. Hopefully some of this translates over, if you were talking about just writing in general!
Sorry for the longwinded response! Thank you for the ask, and I hope I could be of some help! Good luck with the writing!! Writing slumps are truly the worst when you enjoy writing.
(ALSO as an unrelated sidenote, if you've sent me an ask in the last few days that hasn't been answered, Tumblr deleted it! I had three asks notifications, and then when I went in, there were only two! Apologies, but if you happen to be reading this, send it again and I'll answer for sure!! Thank you!)
Someone asked me the other day âYou donât really read a lot, do you ?â
Me, who canât tell them that I probably read more then them just that this fine literature happens to be fanfiction such as YuueiSurvivalGuide, Lost in Paradise and many many more books/fanfics đ
Hello!! Sorry for a late response!
I'm very happy to hear you like the fics! Both of YSG and LiP, wow! I don't get a lot of people who've read off both accounts, so thank you! I fear many of us may be victims of this unfortunate experience! I know I've read a lot of great works of fan fiction over the years, definitely up to par with real published books, and it's so hard to gush about them IRL!
Honestly, I play the same game when when people ask what I'm writing, too! My poor mother will never get a straight answer đ
Anyway! Thank you so much for sending the ask, and thank you for reading! I'm happy you've liked them!! :D
I js read WRC and Im fucking LAUGHING at Aizawas letter I HAD TO PAUSE FOR TWO HOURS BC I COUDLNT STOP GIGGLINGGGGGG
But aside from that, I /loved/ how you characterisized Izu n im halfnasleep so I dont got much to say
ily twin
Hello!!
Sorry for a late response, I'm truly terrible at remembering to check out my socials!
I had so much fun writing Aizawa's letter! Honestly, someone needed to give that man a reality check for looking the other way, or not noticing, and I always loved the idea of it coming from himself! You just know he'd be brutally honest about it, especially writing to himself! Ah, I love Aizawa <3
Glad the characterization was okay! I love writing them, so it's nice to know I'm doing them justice!
Anyway!! Thank you for reading, and sending the ask! And sorry again that I'm so late with the response!
For Pre-Quirk Problems by @lowlywriter, as part of @fanartfrenzy! I barely got this done in time, but I've been working on it for a while. I really really love the series, so I made a funny title piece for it. I really hope you like it.
SUMMARY
Midoriya Izuku has a bit of a problemâ one that has to do with the fact that even though he technically has a Quirk, that doesn't mean his body isn't still Quirkless... Okay, so, yeah, he's got those useless Pre-Quirk body part: the extra toe-joint, an appendix and... and wisdom teeth.
On an unrelated note, did anyone else know that more often than not, wisdom teeth need to come out? Because Izuku sure didn't before his came in!
(This fic is in relation to Yuuei Survival Guide. Additional information in the beginning notes, if interested! Can be read as a standalone, but it does reference little bits of the main fic.)
For the square, 'Create something with popsicle sticks or wood for any fic'. This is also the final work for. The only bingo I'm going to get, considering that it's the 31st and I'm going to bed in like 10 minutes.
Hi!! I was wondering if you would be okay with me handwriting Yuuei Survival Guide into a notebook using Minecraft Enchantment Table Language⢠(which is actually called the Standard Galactic Alphabet and isn't even originally from Minecraft. The more you know.)
Also, you're very cool.
Hello!!
Sure, I don't mind! That sounds really cool! I'm glad to hear you like the fic enough to want to hand write it out in any capacity! Its a huge fic! Anyway, I'd love to see what that looks like when you're finished, if you're willing to share any pics! Good luck!
Taking part in @fanartfrenzy, I just had to make something for @lowlywriter's fic, Yuuei Survival Guide. I might be a wee bit obessed with this particular My Hero Academia fic, ehehe.
THE SUMMARY
Izuku steps towards the other teen, holding his hand out to shake, âIâm Midoriya Izuku by the way. We havenât officially met yet, right? I donât remember seeing you at the Entrance Exam?â
The blue-haired boy pauses, studies his hand uncertainly before shrugging. âShirakumo Oboro,â he introduces in return, hand phasing right through Izukuâs when he goes to return the handshake. Shirakumo doesnât seem surprised by it, but Izuku whips his hand back when the intense chill climbs up his arm.
or,
Izuku tries to pretend eveything is okay even though his homelife is crumbling around him, there's an insanely powerful Quirk that's not entirely his coursing through his veins, he suddenly knows his childhood hero, All Might, and to top it all off, he seems to have befriend a pastel blue-haired ghost that has way too much insider knowledge on Izuku's new homeroom teacher, and English teacher. He's really just trying to survive Yuuei...
I really do recommend it. It means a lot to me and I keep reading it again and again. I don't know how to recommend it enough.
Bingo card below.
This piece is for 'Create Art for a Fic You've Recommended to Others'. Which I'm doing again by using it for this event. Because. I really like it.
origamiaround
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
blakekathryn
2087
turnnoffyourmind
janainaart
jbbartram-illu
