Maribelle C. {UNDER CONSTRUCTION} @maribellec - Tumblr Blog

Obligatory Info Post!

Hello, I'm Maribelle C. also known as Kuramata Kuma! I'm a writer and alpha/beta reader and I specialize in romance stories.

See these links for: Archive of Our Own | Alpha/Beta Reading | Join the Taglist!

MASTERLIST

comikbook

“how do you get people online to care about your ocs” you have to be soooooooo annoying like really annoying

allthingswhumpyandangsty

wake up babe new ao3 canonical tags are here

Taking a lads break to write this mini story for a polyship featuring Hakkai and Gojyo and i keep getting dizzy and horny and my god???

#saiyuki

taraxippos

Had been thinking about this post (which is a fake excerpt from an imaginary narrative written to mock 'tumblr prose'), and how most "no actually this is good" comments are highlighting how the construction of individual sentences is interesting, how some of the language is evocative, how it Goes Hard. Because that post is written badly in a very thoughtful manner that focuses on core structural issues rather than going for low hanging fruit of poor technical proficiency with the written word, it is not bad in the most "obvious" of ways. So I think this is a legit learning opportunity, but also I don't want to dunk on anyone so instead I will just preach to the choir of My Followers.

But yeah like to be more constructive than just going "lol tumblr prose bad", really the issue in Large part that characterizes "tumblr prose" (which to be clear I don't think is a discrete thing and at most is a combination of several writing tendencies influenced by the medium of Online) comes down to the lack of real contrast in Any aspect of narrative construction, and an obsession with being quotable and constantly being at 100% of Going Hard (which go hand in hand).

In that post, the character voice is indistinct from that of the narration, and the characters quote one-liners that look Meaningful as excerpts and are borderline nonsensical as dialogue. There is no more than the faintest, most generic hints of characterization; these people exist as vague concepts to say deep words for the reader. The sentence length has little variation from its staccato beat, and so it is awkward to read and fails to complement the action or accomplish anything with the pacing (save for the slight slowdown when the torturer feels all that damp animal electricity). The timing is awkward and exaggeratedly dramatic. The description is a flowery kind of tryhard visceral and seems avoidant of describing anything too directly ("something dark and arterial" where there's nothing being accomplished by conveying uncertainty about what is currently gushing out of the injured character and the simple use of "blood splashed across the stones" would actually be 10x more effective), in a way that does disservice to what is supposed to be a torture scene, and leaves it weightless and ungrounded. In fairness to the people saying "this is good", that is MUCH easier to say when reading this fake excerpt as the standalone piece it actually is, but this kind of writing Cannot function in an actual narrative and is not what an excerpt from well constructed narrative fiction is going to look like basically ever.

It reflects a lot of very typical amateur writing issues that just about everyone has to grow out of (the minimal diversity in sentence length, simulated non-attention to scene pacing and timing), and issues common to fanfiction-influenced writing on social media (allergy to paragraph lengths of more than two sentences, little to no description of the characters or setting because, in fanfiction, the reader already knows their physical characteristics and mannerisms and it doesn't need to be lingered upon, Unlike In Original Fiction). But this particularly hits on an issue I think is semi-unique to narrative writing in the social media milieu, which is a focus on being quotable. This may not even be a conscious impulse at all But It's There. This kinda apparent terror of any moment not being as beautiful and hard hitting as possible (or for comedy, any moment not being A Joke). Everything "Goes Hard", so nothing actually does. A lot of "tumblr prose" type writing is less a narrative, more a string of quotes loosely assembled into narrative that vaguely gestures at things like Plot and Character. It substitutes depth for Suggestions of depth by utilizing stock symbolism without building it into the narrative, and by gesturing at weighty contexts without actually engaging with them. There can be little contrast or effective use of tone, pace, description when your story is a series of Hard Hitting Quotes.

I'm reading Watership Down right now and I think it's a great novel overall and can work as an example of how important it is to utilize contrast in your writing.

This segment is the lengthy first description of the titular down, which the rabbits are now encountering for the first time:

Adams is slowing the pace here to introduce us to the setting of the next segment of the book. The average sentence length is very long and keeps us lingering in the sensory detail, while still varied and thus smoothly readable. This new place is introduced by simultaneously conveying its physical description in vivid detail and conveying its feeling and character, and getting the most out of every described feature to do so. The thorn trees are "wind stunted". The air is "scented". The language takes on a very flowery character and heavily utilizes simile and metaphor. Woodland is "tumultuous with evening", sunlight filters through grass "like a wind" to the small creatures below, in contrast to laying "like a gold rind" on the hill when seen from a distance. This grandiose description is heavily functional and conveys both exhaustive physical detail and a feeling that this place is beautiful, awe inspiring to something like a rabbit, and full of life, though not without quiet hints of danger. It hits because Not Everything In The Book Is Described This Way. It means something that we're lingering like this and stopping to get a sense of this place on every possible level, and moving away from more direct, simple prose to convey the feeling of the place in depth.

This segment describes the rabbit Bigwig being found caught in a snare:

The prose here here has the opposite approach of the first excerpt. The language is concise, direct, and brutal. It only veers slightly away from the literal to describe Bigwig's voice as 'bubbling out' from his mouth, both conveying that the saliva and blood in his mouth is literally bubbling as he speaks, and implying the unsettling way his voice sounds as he's being strangled. The sentences are much shorter on the whole, as fit for the pacing of a tense and rapidly changing scene, and the timing closely complements the action - "There was a pause" not only conveys That There Was A Pause but interrupts the rhythm of this segment; the moment of uneasy stillness is echoed in the act of reading itself.

The scene this is excerpted from is extremely effective and does in fact Go Hard, it's well constructed in of itself but its effectiveness mostly lies in its place in the narrative. It's the culmination of a long, tense buildup as the reader becomes more aware that something is deeply Wrong about the place the rabbits are in, and the payoff is effective in being blunt and visceral, which hits because Not Everything In The Book Is Described This Way. Nothing about these excerpts are particularly quotable because that is actually not what good narrative writing is about.

hexagonelle

This got me thinking a lot.

I think there's something to be said about diversity of reading/writing. I think it's probably good for someone who enjoys writing to read a lot of different things, even things they don't like, things that challenge them. I also understand a... potential frustration? of reading the same kind of thing over and over, especially if you simply don't like it.

But another part of this feels kind of... elitist? Judgy? This is likely influenced by my own bias, since I'm one of those freaks that enjoyed reading the 'designed to be bad writing' thing. Nonetheless, I'm reminded of this post about 'the wisdom of repugnance' or 'argument from disgust'. What do we mean when we say a piece of writing is bad? Writing might be uninformed, or difficult to understand, or contain hateful stereotypes. And those things are bad. But that doesn't seem to be what the above post is saying. There's statements like "lack of contrast" and "obsession with being quotable" and indistinctness of character and narrator voice and dialogue being nonsensical, that it's flowery and tryhard and "cannot function". The idea that if everything is 'goes hard', nothing is 'goes hard'. And I guess my question is... what's wrong with that? It's funny because the piece that is cited as 'this is good writing' I actually found quite tedious and boring! But that's my point - I found it tedious and boring. I, personally, didn't like it. Maybe that means I'm uncultured, or naive, or amateur, but... so what? If there is an argument from disgust, then perhaps there's also an 'argument from cringe' - the idea that if something feels cringeworthy, it must be inherently bad. I think that just means... you don't like it. And that's fine! I just don't think the reader should be demanding something specific from any one author. Funnily, I also don't think the author should demand anything of the reader! It's interesting because the 'bad writing' post does just that: it was meant to be an over-the-top example of awful writing, but many people didn't react the way they were 'supposed to'. (somewhat tangentially, this also got me thinking about uniqueness vs. conformity. uniqueness is often valued much more over conformity, and broadly speaking I'm inclined to agree? but i also think that there's nothing wrong with a group of people adopting familiar characteristics and sharing community jokes or a common form of prose with each other. it feels like a stylish haircut that a lot of people like. sure, a mean person can bully someone for being different. but who cares if you're dressing or writing the way other people dress or write, even if it's cringe, or amateur, or lacks contrast, or can't function as part of a larger narrative? if it feels familiar, and comfortable, and makes you happy, then enjoy it. read it. write it. make it. whatever!!)

taraxippos

I think we run into an issue here where writing for fun as a mode of free creative expression and people actually desiring to improve their craft and succeed within a specific literary medium are Two Overlapping But Different Things. Writing is creative expression, of course you can have fun and do whatever the hell you want! But writing is also communication, storytelling, and there are ways to communicate ideas and tell stories more effectively. There are rules to different traditions of storytelling for a reason. These rules do not exist to be elitist (though there is another discussion to be had about how western literature is elevated by western readers over other traditions and its norms are treated as universal), they don’t even exist as solid immutable lines (any rule can be broken effectively With Understanding of why that rule is convention to begin with), they exist because these are constructive elements that lend towards more successful storytelling and more accurate conveyance of your ideas within a narrative medium.

You’ll notice that I never objected to the actual content of the story or individual word choices unless I had a technical criticism surrounding it (outside of the one little jab at ‘wet animal electricity’), because that’s taste and that’s subjective (I do believe expression of taste has a place in criticism, but not when you're trying to talk about technique) but rather focused on the constructive elements that make for poor narrative writing. I attempted to synthesize multiple construction trends under the title of ‘quotability’ and ‘going hard’ and explained my reasoning for doing so. Arguments of disgust refers to people defining their beliefs along the lines of gut emotional impulses and treating feelings of revulsion like intuition and not simply feelings - "I feel uncomfortable when I see someone wearing a bondage harness in public, so this must be sexual harassment", "I love dogs and could never imagine eating their meat, people who do it must be monsters". Making an argument for technical deficiency in narrative writing is no more an argument of disgust/"cringe" than saying that a chair that falls apart when you sit on it is a poorly constructed chair. I don't even think making a taste-informed argument is necessarily "argument of cringe" unless you're claiming the book is Technically or ideologically bad just because you dislike it, without making an argument for its technical issues or message.

Say if someone just had a block of clay and said “I’m going to have fun and just make whatever I feel like” and they make a sculpture of a bird and share it, of course it would be cruel and elitist to sneer that their results don’t look like those of a master sculptor. That’s not the point of the exercise, the point is to have fun and make art. There’s no skill barrier for that, no right or wrong way to do things. But if someone sets out saying “I’m going to make a pottery vessel which is symmetrical, is smooth and solid, holds fluid, and is safe to eat and drink from, and then sell it for that purpose” there’s tried and true techniques and materials and PRACTICE required to accomplish this goal. There are literal millennia that have gone into forming standard techniques for this process. If that person disregards all this to do whatever the hell they want and then presents a cracked uneven lump in the vague form of a cup for sale, they did not accomplish their stated goal, and it would be very appropriate to identify the errors in their process and give them suggestions for improvement. It is ‘bad pottery’ by the standards set for it. When writing a narrative, you’re engaging with something much more fluid but ultimately similar, there are standards within your chosen literary tradition, and they can be met or failed.

Of course this isn't a perfect analogy since writing doesn’t have objective yes or no answers to its quality like a functional physical object does. Like you were describing, narrative writing is probably the most subjective form of storytelling there is, everything within the story exists only as words on a page and how they are interpreted in the reader's head. Every story exists only in interaction with the reader, as non-visual non-audio non-tactile media its experience is deeply subjective. It is impossible to make criticisms of the cumulative piece of literature that are entirely objective. But that doesn’t mean there is no way of measuring and arguing for the quality and effectiveness of writing within a specific craft, and there Are much more closer to objective ways to measure an author’s use of basic techniques like word choice, contrast, pacing, timing, etc, and to make very strong arguments for how they utilize tone, characterization, symbolism, and theme.

One of my all time favorite movies is Troll 2, it’s in my top 20 on the exact same list as some movies acclaimed as seminal masterpieces by industry defining directors like Tarkovsky and Kurasawa. Troll 2 is a terrible film and is an absolute DELIGHT to watch, if the same basic thing was made competently Troll 2 would be nothing, and there is nothing ‘ironic’ to my enjoyment. A favorite is a favorite. But just because I adore it enough to put it on the same list as Stalker doesn’t mean that the entire study of film and its techniques is rendered irrelevant, and that there are no ways to qualitatively define and argue for what makes Stalker regarded as a masterpiece and Troll 2 regarded one of the worst movies ever made. Which is, I think, a film equivalent of what is suggested when people become defensive over criticism of technically poor narrative writing and fall back on "taste is subjective and it's not hurting anyone who cares have fun".

You can write whatever makes you happy. You can enjoy amateur writing that fails at its intended purpose, and you can be bored out of your mind with literature that is widely considered a masterpiece. All writing has value as creative expression, and I believe it’s important to find a happy medium where we can both have literary criticism and not make people afraid to express themselves and write for fun just because it’s not technically proficient. But I believe the common response that boils down to 'stop being judgmental let people have fun’ when people discuss improvement of craft within a storytelling convention is an anti-intellectual impulse. It’s at least subconsciously expressing that anyone who tries to apply theory and academic rigor to an artform is a snobbish elite, there’s really just nothing to the theory behind narrative writing, anyone can REALLY do anything the snobbish elite can and it’s Good and beyond criticism because it’s art and not hurting anyone and someone might enjoy it. It devalues the artform by defending it with suggestions that it can't and shouldn't be expected to be held up to any standards.

If your (general you) goal for writing is simply to have fun and you don’t care about improving your craft, then recognize that these discussions on theory do not apply to the act of Having Fun instead of getting defensive (and also don’t publish in places/contexts where literary criticism is part of the culture and a drive towards technical proficiency is expected). And on the other end, if you are pursuing improvement of your craft as a writer or engage in editing or literary scholarship, you have a responsibility to not descend onto an amateur/someone just having fun and criticize it like you would a published novel by an established author. But professionally published books have editors for a reason. Literature and writing is taught in schools and is an avenue of study for a reason. Group criticism is standard to every kind of art education for a reason. It is not to be mean, it's because these mediums are understood as difficult and important and deserving of this sort of rigor.

#too long read later lmao

sometimes i want to build a small community of writers on discord, but i also don't wanna be responsible for maintaining and being a mod.

calciumcryptid

I feel like a lot of people get "All Art is Political" confused with "All Art is made with Political Intentions" which is not the same.

gardenialily

♡tagging my lovely moots who showed interest: @mythblossoms, @thewrldx, @loveanddeephistory @always-just-red, @lostwithout-y0u, @donatellarose♡

**anyone can join and no due date!! pls tag me if you participate :3

masterlist here.

cheriefrosting

⁀➴☕︎ | Papa!Caleb won't stand for his son disrespecting his wife

"Hey" You greet your son, ignoring the bag he's just flung onto the couch as he storms into the kitchen "How was your day?"

"What do you think?" He snaps, coming to stand across from you around the island "Everyone- and I mean, everyone went to the concert last night! No no-" He retraces his words, shaking his head "Not everyone because I was stuck at some dumb airshow I didn't even want to go to!"

You sigh, one of long suffering as you come around to put a hand on his shoulder "Hon, we talked about this. Your Dad was being commended at the event and as family, if we didn't go-"

Your son's obviously not listening to reason as he goes on, shrugging your arm off "Yeah? Well, then you should've gone alone! Do you know what it was like to sit there and hear everyone talk about what a great night it was and how much fun they had?" Flinging his arms around, he huffs "Steven even got to go backstage and grab signed posters"

Your usually sweet boy behaving in such a flippant manner was surprising but then again, going to highschool and adjusting to the workload obviously was not easy on him and you were trying your best to be understanding "How about next time they're in town, I'll get you VIP tickets?"

"God knows when that will be" He rolls his eyes, scoffing as he pulls off his hoodie "I'm sick and tired of missing out. You won't let me join the summer camp, I can't apply for the exchange program and I didn't even bother asking if I could participate in the annual fest because-" Making air quotes and twisting his face in a sneer, he spits out "-I have curfew"

Your brows furrow at that, frown pulling at your lips "Why wouldn't you sign up for that? We'd have given you permission and even swung by to check out the scene"

"Because you never let me do anything! I can't stay out a minute past my curfew without getting grounded. I have to trade in schoolwork for free time because you guys are too wound up. Cut me some fucking slack, Mom"

"Language" You immediately snap, like a reflex, and your son's face twisting further into annoyance is clear indication that you're proving his point "We let you do tons of other things, alright? Just because we have some non-negotiables doesn't mean we're being too much"

"Like what?" He's getting agitated by the second, voice pitching higher as a vein protrudes on his temple. And in that moment, with his amethyst orbs glinting with anger, he looked like a spitting image of his Father, almost making you do a double take.

"We took you to that gaming event you wanted to go to! And and- bought you the Lego set you wanted" Sighing, you step closer to him again and put your arm around his shoulders this time "You know we just care about your safety and that's why we want you home on time. When you go to college, you'll have all the freedom to do whatever you want. Is it so bad that we want our son to spend time with us right now?"

Slapping your arm away, your son picks up his hoodie from where he'd tossed it, seething in a scalding voice "Ever wondered if I wanna spend time with you, Mom? I'm kinda sick of you guys"

You can still feel the sting on your skin from where he'd slapped it away. Looking into his enraged eyes, you want to be patient with him, understand that it's coming from a place of burnout and stress with a heavy dose of feeling left out. But you can't help the hurt seeping into your bones at his flippant behavior, wondering when it became okay for him to dismiss your feelings.

He's brushing past you but stops short and even steps back. Not because he heard the sniffle you'd tried to suppress but because someone else had.

"Hey, buddy? Disrespect my wife again and you and I will cease having any blood relations till I put you in your place"

#recs #tskr

rainrein

i love creating oc x canon ships i think more people should do them and i think more people should be really, really, really weird about them

azaablue

the best fanfiction you've ever read was written by a woman in her 40s before she made dinner for her kids. it was written by a teenager after school when they should've been studying for a history test. and a barista came up with the idea while they cleaned the espresso machine and busser fact-checked it on their break and the post-doc edited between writing grant proposals and the nurse apologized for typos in the notes after a long shift and behind every drabble and one-shot and multi-chapter fic there is a person with a wonderful and interesting and chaotic life and it is such a privilege that we get to be apart of it because they decided to do this thing we all share, for fun.

ao3commentoftheday

Hello.

On the subject of AI, I have a confession to make: I use it. Not to write for me, but to help me check for inconsistencies, to brainstorm ideas, to write outlines, to give me a couple of lines when I've been stuck for hours, to be my beta reader, if you will. Generative AI is bad? Yes, but it also a useful tool if one isn't lazy. I don't ask: write me a story. I go with my story and ask: help me with continuity. Look, this paragraph is clunky, how do I make it better? The demonization of generative AI is fair, but to be honest, I also understand people who use it. Maybe they're afraid of writing themselves, maybe they're insecure and don't trust their prose. Maybe they have brilliannt ideas but they need help to make them become fics.

To me, this is very much connected to my last ask where I was talking about how we don't have enough mentors in fandom to support the influx of people entering it.

All of the things that you're asking AI to do used to be done by a beta reader (or more than one!). A fandom friend (or even a random stranger who volunteered) would read through your work and help you with those issues.

Betas are amazing. They can help with grammar and spelling. They can regionalize language. They can provide sensitivity reading if they're from a marginalized community that you're writing about and aren't a member of. They can track canon, help with research, even just be a sounding board to discuss ideas with.

And sometimes, they're just a cheer reader - someone reading your story and telling you how awesome it is because they love it just as much as you do.

I understand turning to AI if you 1) don't know beta readers exist or 2) don't know how to obtain one. The need for that kind of support doesn't go away just because you can't access it.

But for anyone out there who needs this kind of help and wants to avoid Gen AI, you can write a post on your blog, add it to an author's note, check out resources like @needabeta or - if the time of year is right and you have the funds - place a bid on beta reading services during @fandomtrumpshate

Beta readers are often involved in fandom events like big bangs and exchanges, and if anyone is looking to host such an event, it's a great way to get people involved who aren't writers or artists but would love to help out.

I get it, anon. We use the tools that are available to us. But here's another potential tool if you're interested in branching out?

notwritinganyflufftoday

Sometimes it's scary to post a message asking for beta readers, you are putting yourself out there, you have no idea who might respond to your message (if anyone at all) and nowadays a lot of bots are muddying the waters.

I definitely recommend searching a beta reader within the fandom you're writing for rather than someone who knows nothing about it.

And when you don't immediately get a response, ask again. This comes from a person (me) who is now two and a half years into dating the girl who replied to my 'I need a beta reader' post that I was debating to reblog that day.

Sometimes I wonder where our lives would be if I hadn't reblogged it or if she had skipped past the post.

Fandom is a community of people with shared interests. It's supposed to make it easier for us to become friends, hang out and talk for hours.

Not a single AI tool in the world is capable of giving (fandom) writers/artists/creators what they actually need.

Connection.

mprosperossprite

YES YES YES YES YES.

AND: betas who like beta-ing (and are good at it) are flattered when you ask us!

The best way to find good betas is to look at your favorite fics. If they have a beta, and the beta has their own AO3 profile or tumblr, consider reaching out to them!

A good beta request message do two things:

1. Recognize the past work the beta has done (eg “[fic title] has some of the best characterization and the author mentioned that you played a big role helping them with that”)

2. Ask for what kind of help you’re looking for: spag only, cheerleading, help with continuity or characterization or pacing or whatever! (eg “I’m looking for a beta who can help me make sure the emotional beats are landing.”)

Boom! At the very least you'll have made someone's day. Even better, maybe you've just gotten yourself a beta. Maybe even possibly, you've just made a friend of life.

thirty-plus-fanfic

Another option: Join a community dedicated to non-fandom specific fic writing!

Part of this is being engaged with the community. Talk to people. Ask small specific questions as well as asking for larger beta reads. Help other people with their fics. Comment (we have weekly snippet events). Be invested in other people in fandom and they will be invested in you.

crowttore

arranged marriage or marriage of convenience and they don't want to force you to sleep in the same bed or even room as them so they're very respectfully saying goodnight before going to their quarters to fuck their fist while thinking about how relaxed you finally seemed after dinner that night

#recs

Someone said Isekai is oversaturated in LADS on AO3–imo ITS NOT SATURATED ENOUGH.

kkitooo

imagine meeting Phainon only after his 520,000th cycle through Amphoreus.

you, a variable that was never meant to exist in the prophecy he has followed across countless iterations of the world.

he wasn't supposed to remember the previous cycles.

and yet he does.

but only you.

and in all of them, without exception, he has loved you.

except his love has never been gentle, it always come with a price too steep to bear, carved into the same ending no matter how the story begines.

for ever since phainon met you, he has witnessed your untimely demise at the end of every single cycle.

even when be learns to avoid you entirely, even when he keeps his feelings buried and watches you only from afar, fate still leads him back to you.

in which phainon, who has spent eternity trying to save the world, comes to understand the cruelest truth:

the only world he cannot save is his world.

art belongs to @/oyakorodesu on X

just a small idea i had on the train :D i'll get back to writing the smau soon..

#recs #FUCKING OW

ijustwannawritepls

Scenes to Write When You’re Blocked

Not to keep, not to polish… Just to shake the rust loose.

• A character deletes and rewrites a text three times before sending it • Two people arguing quietly so no one else hears • Someone almost confessing something and backing out • A character lying about being “fine” in a way that convinces no one • Bonus: Same scene but they convince everyone, and it's even worse • An apology that comes moments too late • A secret revealed accidentally, not dramatically • A character overhearing only half a conversation • Someone packing a bag and pretending it’s temporary • A reunion where one person is happier than the other • A goodbye that is meant to be casual but isn’t

Low stakes, high emotion. Momentum comes from movement, not brilliance.

deathlyfandoms

There also needs to be a button for “this is the 5000th time I’ve read your fic because I’m having a horrible day and this is the only thing in the world that always brings me happiness.”

my-nameless-bliss

good news: there is!

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Maribelle C. {UNDER CONSTRUCTION}