Tagged by @aeonian-scribbles (thank you so much!), I’m tagging @pomegranate-belle @katabasiss @twiddletaffy and whoever else would like to participate! Also, I’m on mobile, so I apologize in advance for this absolute wall of text.
1. How long have you been writing?
As a whole? It’s been in fits and starts over the course of my whole life—with far more fits than starts. The majority of my family are artists, my dad also being a very skilled writer in addition; I come by my raw talent honestly, but having my projects constantly critiqued and examined under a microscope was way too overwhelming for kid me. I stopped being a writer (and an artist) in my preteens because even my secret works would be found by my mother, who would then yell at me for hiding them and accuse me of being a spoilsport that didn’t share anything with her. Yeah. Fun times.
I would occasionally break my self-imposed moratorium to design fake advertisements or draw some elf girls (baby zee was so gay and so clueless!), but I didn’t really return to writing until my senior year of high school. That was when I discovered fanfic—and yes, I realize how much of a late bloomer I am, trust me. Undergrad came with a lot of upheaval in my personal life (I’m not straight! I’m not cis! I’m severely mentally ill! Yay!) and that put a halt to my creative writing yet again, but I did a lot of journaling and poetry writing that helped me develop a better sense of my own voice. I’m still trying to relearn a lot of the things that were once second nature to me as a child, writing being one of them, but I have a lot more time and support in my life now! Hopefully I can channel some of that back into being creative.
2. What are the major themes of your current wip(s)?
I don’t really have names for my wips so I’ll distinguish them by their settings:
Douglass—self-discovery, friendship, growth, rising to meet challenges, acceptance, and recovery.
Thlaht-Rawat—adventure, honor, found family, accepting responsibility, intrigue, and accepting or rejecting one’s destiny.
3. What do you want people to take away from your story once they’ve read it?
4. Would you be excited if people write fanfiction about your wip(s)?
I pledge my undying love to anyone who wants to write stories set in my universes and/or using my characters!
5. What’s your go-to writing beverage?
6. Who is your favorite oc? Tell me about them!
Douglass—Three-way tie between Yusuf, Emilio, and Ocean. It feels like I talk about these three all the time so check their respective tags for more deets.
Thlaht-Rawat—Alizeh. She’s a golden eagle that uses her telepathic link with Qamar to endlessly roast him rather than doing anything to meaningfully help him out. I just realized that she’s sort of like if Gina Linetti were a bird lmao
7. Do you feel that mistakes are important learning tools in the writing journey?
8. Rank your ocs by their capability in a footchase (either running after or from smth, your choice)
Best? Yrsa. Worst? Snaggle.
9. Does your wip have romance? tell me about it!! if not tell me about a friendship/important relationship in your wip!!
Douglass—there are a lot of ships (OTHER THAN EMOCEAN @earthsgayestdefender I see you El!) but the central one is Yusuf x Khadijah. It’s not really romantic though? They’re soulmates, but I’m trying to put a different spin on it. I honestly feel worried that I won’t be able to handle their relationship to my personal satisfaction. Right now, my intention is for them to be more like queerplatonic partners than lovers.
Thlaht-Rawat—Sengkule x Fulatangga is my (mostly) angst-free OTP in this ‘verse. They’re so sweet with each other and with their daughter? The best husbands and the best dads in the entire world.
10. Do you believe in the advice kill your darlings?
I mean... I would say no but the main character in one of my wips is literally dead before the start of the story so. I guess?
11. Do you prefer plotting or worldbuilding? Why?
World-building because it means I don’t actually have to work lmaoooo
Seriously though, I’m terrible at plotting and it’s among my greatest writing weaknesses.