How did you come up with the ideas of the FiCoN verse? I could never really be a writer because I can never come up with any ideas.
To me, stories aren’t about what happens in them. Not really. They’re about what the characters do because of what happens in the stories. The rest is just window dressing. If I know my characters, then I know how they’ll act or react in different scenarios. So, when someone sends me an ask that wants to know like… what Jules’ first period would be like or what Will’s like in bed or what Ellie’s first kiss was like or how Nate reacts to someone he loves being hurt… I know those things already because I know them. I live with them in my head all the time. I know far more about everyone’s lives than I’ll ever be able to write.
I can tell you how Amelia’s parents got together (she was singing at a coffee shop) and what their jobs were (accountant and musician) and that her name is their names squished together (Amos and Lia). I can tell you how many cousins Penny has (a lot) and how old she was when her parents divorced (seven). I can tell you when Jackson’s family moved to the US (his grandfather was just a kid) and from where (Italy). I know when Chrissy dropped out of college (her second year) and what Carlos’ job is when he’s an adult (high school history teacher) and what Miles’ room looks like (it’s in his dad’s basement and vintage band posters are his only real decoration).
To me, those things are the important parts. I could throw them in any scenario and as long as I know how they’d consistently act and react… it’ll work. The best stories, to my mind, are the sort that hold a mirror up and show us different aspects of ourselves in various difficult situations. Plot is the mechanism by which characters learn and grow and are challenged. But the point, to me, is not the plot; it’s the people.
Fantastic ask. I really enjoyed thinking this through, anon. <3
