#still writing

[hockeyspiral23]

Year two.

Today is two years of being a fanfic author (still solely in the Empyrean fandom).

I wrote about the experience of my first year and honestly? It feels like the more things change, the more things stay the same. Things have quieted down - engagement feels worse, honestly, though I'm not sure that's due to nothing having been published in over a year (so glad you're taking that break, RY) or people hopping to the next shiny thing or if it's the continual slow decline as it is.

But it does make it a little more disheartening to keep writing or, at the very least, to keep sharing. The brain still comes up with ideas that it has to write out, and so I keep writing. And I do like them out in the world, but the feeling of shouting into the void? It feels even worse lately.

It's probably why I still haven't seriously started writing the second installment in my soul-scarred series. A subconscious way of protecting myself, especially given how much the first two installments destroyed me. Fuck, I'm clearly still digging myself out of that hole.

But even with the mental destruction, I still managed to barf out another 170,376 words in a year. Sure, it's like ... 2/3 less (maybe? i don't do math) of what I wrote in my first year, but that's still a lot of production. And that's published words: I still have probably at least a good 30-40k in random drafts of things.

I still love the Empyrean series and what it's brought to my life, even if I may currently be enjoying the fanfic world a bit more than the canon one. I still love playing with the characters in my sandbox.

It's just that the sandbox was pretty lonely before and it's feeling even lonelier every day.

[absurdthirst]

Hi! Sorry if you’ve already mentioned this, but are you planning to post any fanfics again soon? I miss your stories! 🥺

Hi! Please don't apologize! ❤️❤️❤️

Yes I am still planning on posting more fanfics. I'm still writing and honestly just haven't really had the time to edit (it might be the lack of willpower tbh).

Here's what I have already written with the wonderful @storiesofthefandomlovers and just haven't edited:

Forever - Vampire!Harry Castillo x F!Reader

All Work, No Play - Harry Castillo x Assistant!F!Reader

Going Off Script - Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

Troubled Waters - Pero Tovar x F!Reader

The Highest Bidder - Mafia!Joel Miller x F!Reader

Something Borrowed - Harry Castillo x Plus Sized!F!Reader

Abandon Ship - Pero Tovar x F!Reader

Valentine’s Trio - Pope & Frankie x F!Reader

Opposite Sides of the Same Coin - Dave York x F!Reader x Harry Castillo

The Greatest Adventure - Pero Tovar x F!Reader

Your Love Is My Drug - Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

Angel & the Enforcer - Clint Flood x F!Reader

Together Again - Mando x F!Reader

Distraction - Javier Peña x F!Reader

Unstoppable Bond - Alpha!Dave York x F!Omega!Reader

UNNAMED - Harry Castillo x F!Reader

[still-vtoh]

eh fuck it, my moots like them au's why not throw in my half-baked one

DISPATCH FREAK SHOW AU!! (+ oc's ;3) akaaa

BLONDIES BELITTLING EMPORIUM OF THE BIZARRE

inspired by @falling-star-cygnus \(^ u ^ ) / yyyesss I know it's been 5 months since they've posted anything about dispatch but their posts rotate in my head like marbles on a repeating track so suck it

As the resident delusional oc hoarder that never draws their ocs, I have been cooking this au in my head for about a month or so. this is essentially my baby, I will not be taking any criticism at all thank you for asking

this is mostly the z-team in full, ignoring most canon from the original game for my delusional mental gymnastics <3

included in the au: > my own ocs > popular ships treated as canon (car crash [flambert], sparkling water, reformed poster girl [invisiblazer], knuckles & knives, bat out of hell) > minor mis-characterization for the plot > Blonde Blazer is kind of evil but not really but is

oc's I have popped in here: > Ezra (normie/katon-ur's fiance [i'm writing their wedding I just got super into dnd leave me be]) > Jacklynn (normie/Roberts sibling) > Alma (Vampire/Jacklynns girlfriend) > Charlie (super/waterboy & prisms partner ^^)

Rundown/What the fuck is this au?

BBEOTB, or the Emporium (of the Bizarre), is a dimensional circus within its own canon. The Emporium of the Bizarre follows whatever logic their current reality has, whether it be cartoon or realism. Say they entered the "original canon" universe (game), they would follow that canon reality and rules of logic.

For art & writing purposes, canons are created by anyone who has interacted with the material of Dispatch (writing, art, aus, etc), are considered canon in BBEOTB. If it exists, the Emporium is most likely aware of it. This means, in a meta sense, every single artist who has drawn fanart, written fanfic, or done anything of that sort has created their own canon that The Emporium of the Bizarre can enter. This ALSO means every single one of those canons is unique, even if the artists take inspiration or try to follow the canon as much as possible.

So, in context, many of the aus you love dearly, at some point, have witnessed (or will witness) whatever the fuck these freaks have going on! That's right, baby, this is a universe-crossing alternate timeline.

PERFORMERS

Mandy -> The Ringmaster/Ringmaster Blondie (ringmaster.. insane things I know)

Chase -> The Startling Speedster (retired performer, now animal handler)

Royd -> The Elephant Man (retired strong man, now animal handler)

Robert & Jacklynn -> The Tumbling Trapeze Twins (funambulist's)

Flambae -> The flamboyantFantastic Flame Breather (fire performer)

Prism -> The Blinding Beauty (illusionist)

Waterboy -> The Amazing Aquatic Man (water act)

Punch-up -> The Smallest Strongman (strong man, crazy I know)

Coupé -> The Merciless Mercenary (knife thrower)

Invisigal -> The Disappearing Damsel (power act w/ Malevola)

Malevola -> The Maniacal Maiden (power act w/ Courtney)

Sonar -> The Bewildering Half-Man Half-bat (flight/animal performer)

Charlie -> The Wayward Wildcat (animal performer)

Phenomaman -> The Disconcertingly Depressed Extraterrestrial (he just kinda sits there)

STAFF

Blondie.

Ezra -> Coordinator between Canons (deals with correspondence between canons and ensures safe travel for the Emporium)

Alma -> Performer Caretaker (pseudo-nurse and cleaner alongside Royd & Chase)

BREAKDOWN/LORE (kind of, i'm working on it)

following in the loose footsteps MM lore.. kind of???? it goes before Bobby

The Robertsons owned the Emporium for decades, passed over many generations. When Robbie Robertson died, Robert did not want the circus. He tried, he failed, he gave up. Robert sold the Emporium to a prospecting buyer, Mandy Smith. This, in retrospect, wasn't the best idea. It was an objectively bad idea, actually.

Robert and his sister, Jacklynn, were already performers. Funambulist's, to be specific. They were already in the cast, why leave now? The rest of the performers had their reasons for being there, from interest to having nowhere else to go.

There are odds within the Emporium, from longtime grudges that no one remembers the start of to simple clashes in personality. But one thing is for certain, don't piss off the Ringmaster.

if you have made it this far, I applaud you. this was fueled with post-driving jitters, a very sweaty pair of hands, and a playlist of vocaloid, some Hazbin Hotel s2 and a lot of old video game songs. I haven't moved for a solid hour I need to take a shower lol

LMK WHAT YOU THINK I LOVE THIS AU WITH ALL MY HEART ^^

find all dividers I used on @storage-stillvtoh :)

[rain13121]

Fatal Frame II: Remake - The Promise

[writingwithoutconfidence]

Things I've learnt whilst writing

Alright, Tumblr writers. Gather round. I’ve collected a bunch of writing tips I’ve relied on ever since I upgraded from “nine-year-old scribbling nonsense” to “slightly more organised nonsense.” Use them, steal them, ignore them — your choice.

1. Your first draft can be nothing more than a sentence like: “Idea: two characters meet in a park and have fun.” A first draft is allowed to be an outline, a scattered thought, or a skeleton. What matters is getting the idea out of your head and onto the page. You can shape it later.

2. You don’t have to write in order. Sometimes we have dreams where we skip the boring parts and jump straight into the interesting scenes like the ending, the argument, or that one line of dialogue that makes you go, “Damn. I like that.” Writing can be the same. Start with the part that excites you. The rest will come together later. It may sound really odd, but trust me, it'll help.

3. Good descriptions don’t automatically make a character feel real. You know when you read about a character and think, “Yeah, this is fine… but something’s missing”? That usually happens when the character has traits, but not life. Descriptions aren’t the problem — it’s that we don’t see how those descriptions actually matter to them. Here’s the difference:

Feels a bit flat: “Lana had soft brown eyes, a quiet voice, and kept a journal with her all the time.” Nothing wrong with it — it just doesn’t make you feel anything. VS Feels more real: “Lana kept a journal with her everywhere — half out of habit, half because she hated forgetting things. She spoke quietly most of the time, but whenever she got excited? You heard it.” Now there’s emotion. A reason. A spark.

4. If a scene feels off, check the emotion before you check the wording. A lot of the time, a scene doesn’t work not because the writing is bad, but because the emotion behind it is wrong. Maybe the characters aren’t reacting strongly enough. Maybe they’re reacting too strongly. Maybe the mood doesn’t match what just happened. When the emotion is off, the whole scene feels weird — even if the description and dialogue are fine.

Example: “He found out his best friend betrayed him. He sighed and walked away.” Why it feels off: A sigh doesn’t match the weight of the betrayal. The emotion doesn’t line up with the moment. How to fix it: “His mouth went dry. He didn’t even realise he’d stepped back until his shoulder hit the wall.” Same moment, but the emotion actually fits.

5. If you’re giving your character a heavy or traumatic backstory, be careful with how you show their reactions. A lot of people assume trauma = dramatic nightmares, shaking hands, and refusing to touch anyone. Sometimes, sure. But in reality? Trauma shows up in a hundred quieter, weirder, very human ways. Some people joke too much. Some become obsessively organised. Some can’t stand silence. Some become overly affectionate. It’s not always the movie version of PTSD. It’s not always the “wakes up screaming” cliché. Make your character’s reactions specific to them, not just “trauma tropes.” Think: What did this particular person learn to do to survive? That’s what will shape how they act now.

6. If you’re writing action, don’t make your main character “weak until suddenly they’re a hero.” It’s such a common thing: the MC starts out timid, unsure, soft… and then one dramatic moment suddenly unlocks their hidden badass mode. It works sometimes, but honestly? It hits harder when the growth is gradual. When they slip. When they backtrack. When they get brave for one chapter and terrified the next. Slow character growth > Instant transformation every time. This took me ages to learn, but it's something everyone should hear at least once.

7. If you ever get hit with sudden inspiration, start writing… and then immediately think, “Wow, this is awful, I should restart”—DON’T. That “crappy” version is exactly where the good stuff hides. If you keep restarting, you’ll kill the momentum and lose the spark that made you write in the first place. Keep going. Fix it later. Let the messy version exist so the better version has something to grow out of.

8. I’m sure this has happened to everyone… but have you ever struggled so much with dialogue that you just give up? Yeah. Don’t. Most of the time, dialogue only feels impossible because you’re trying to make it perfect on the first try. Let it sound awkward. Let it sound clunky. Let it be two cardboard boxes talking. You can fix it later. Write the intention first — the rhythm and personality will show up once the pressure is gone.

9. If you ever catch yourself thinking, “Hmm… should I kill them off?” pause. Before you swing the axe, take that character out of your story in your mind and imagine how much would actually change. If the answer is “basically nothing,” then the problem isn’t the character — it’s the role you’ve given them. Give them a purpose before you give them a funeral. Yes, I'm not trying to convince you to keep them alive or make them come back from the dead, I’m just saying: make the death mean something. If their absence doesn’t create a ripple in the story, in the plot, or in another character’s life… then it’s not a death, it’s a deletion. And your readers will feel the difference.

10. When writing a mystery story, please don’t let your MC suddenly go, “Everything clicked into place,” without actually showing us how. Like bestie… we’re trying to solve this with you. We can’t read the character’s mind. We didn’t magically connect the dots while staring at the same clues and eating snacks. If your detective realises something, give us the moment they notice it. Let us see the weird detail, the off comment, the tiny clue that made them go, wait a second… Mysteries are so much more fun when your readers feel included — not blindsided by an “aha!” moment they never had a chance to reach.

11. Stop panicking about “originality.” Every writer has that moment where they go, “Wait… has this been done before?” And the answer is almost always yes — but that doesn’t matter. What makes a story original isn’t the trope, the setting, or the plot twist. It’s you. Your voice. Your characters. Your humour. Your POV. Your emotional fingerprints all over the pages. Two writers can start with the same idea and end up with completely different stories. So don’t ditch a concept just because it isn’t groundbreaking. Write it your way — that’s what makes it new.

12. A really simple one, but I still struggle: Give your side characters goals that don’t revolve around the MC. A world feels real when people have lives outside the protagonist. Give a side character a job interview. Give another one a crush. Let someone have a secret you’ll reveal later. Let someone be busy when the MC needs them. Suddenly, your world feels alive instead of like a stage set.

13. ✨ Bonus Tip: Use the “put it away and read it tomorrow” rule. I swear this changes EVERYTHING. When you finish a scene, don’t immediately rewrite it. Don’t panic-edit. Don’t go “ugh this sucks” and delete half of it. Just… close the document. Touch grass. Eat chocolate. Scroll for a bit. Sleep. Then tomorrow — or even a few hours later — reread it with a fresh brain.

You will suddenly notice:

lines that are actually great

lines that need a tiny tweak

parts that sound different from how you imagined

typos your brain was blind to

scenes that flow better than you remember

HOW FANTASTIC YOUR WRITING ACTUALLY IS

where you lost emotion

THE WONDER THAT COMES FROM YOUR MIND

where the sentence is too long

It’s such a small thing. SO many people skip it. But every published, polished author does it.

And the best part?

You will hear lines that are so good you’ll surprise yourself. You’ll hear the music in your writing. You’ll hear the story breathe.

Okay, that’s it — you made it to the end. If you use these tips, amazing. If you ignore half of them, also amazing. Writing isn’t a test, it’s just you and your brain making cool stuff together. So go write something chaotic. Something dramatic. Something you’ll look at tomorrow and go, “Wait… that’s actually kinda good??”

Because it will be. You’ve got this!

by writingwithoutconfidence

[fracturedgems]

Branded For Sacrifice is officially on Steam!

Branded For Sacrifice on Steam

Slay demons that plague the world and discover the source of your mysterious brand. A short-form JRPG in the vein of SNES classics, Branded

[topsyturvy-turtely]

Blood Tracks and Love Attacks

turtely's FTH fic for @lostinsherlock44

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

summary:

Six people enter a chairlift at the bottom of the mountain. Only five arrive at the top. All of them are dead.

Sherlock and John have to solve the case and promptly go on a skiing vacation in Austria. While the case turns out to have an easy if brutal solution, the matter of the hearts and feelings for each other seems only to complicate...

~~~~

6/6 chapters

tags under the cut!

tag list! (tell me if you wanna be added or removed please 💚) @justanobsessedpan @helloliriels @catlock-holmes @fluffbyday-smutbynight @inevitably-johnlocked @hisfavouritejumper @rhasima @forfucksakejohn @ohlooktheresabee @turbulenttrouble @so-youre-unattached-like-me @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @train-mossman @loki-lock @smulderscobie @timberva @grace-in-the-wilderness @chinike @jawnn-watson @whatnext2020 @escapingthereality @missdeliadili @kettykika78 @musingsofmyown @7-percent @speedymoviesbyscience @astudyin221b @francj15 @ladylindaaa @we-r-loonies @mxster-jocale @sherlockcorner @noahspector @our-stars-graveside @jobooksncoffee @baker-street-blog @macgyvershe @myladylyssa @battledress @a-victorian-girl @dreamerofthemeadow @oetkb12 @ohnoesnotagain @mutedsilence @jawnscoffee @raenchaosandcozyadashofmurder @lisbeth-kk @quickslvxrr @compact-and-beautiful