#writing process commentary

[alynnl]

Guys!

Can you have one character who's normally stubborn about asking for help quietly accept it by not pulling away...

And the other character pick up on that signal and decide they will take care of the first character "even if it meant staying up til dawn..."

And still have it be a gen fic?

Asking for me

[alynnl]

That writer's feeling when the WIP comes alive and tells you where it wants to go

[alynnl]

Writing Update 10/19/22

I’m working more on the WIP that I have dubbed “Making a Space for You” (although this is a working title and it might change as I get further in the story.)

Fun facts, in case you were curious:

It started out as a simple prompt!  “Olberic building a study for Cyrus in his Cobbleston house so that they could carry on their joint research in the scholar’s home away from home”

It has grown much bigger that

Thus a one-shot has become a three or four-part fic in the making

It has an outline now

Despite this, it stays firmly in the Slice of LIfe category

Olberic and Cyrus are in a long-distance relationship post-game.  They write each other letters and the Yearning has turned Up to Eleven

At the moment I still haven’t decided how much time has passed since Octopath Traveler’s endgame

I’ve added a lot of world building

I’ve included in-game references

There is going to be a lot of buildup before Olberic actually decides to build the study for him and Cyrus

There will be cameo appearances from at least one other Traveler and one supporting character for that traveler

I’m more or less making this a Holiday/Yuletide/Christmas type fic because I’m making the in-person reunion for Olberic and Cyrus in late winter where they’ll spend the last two weeks of the year, and then a couple days after the new year in each other’s company

I will preface all this by saying it is complete, self indulgent OTP wish fulfillment of the highest order

As of today it has 3.6k words total and I’m only closing in on the end of part 1

So.  More Food is in the making.  However, my post about slowing down still stands and it may take me a while to deliver.  But I will work hard and take breaks in equal measure so that I can make this with love.  I hope you will enjoy it when I finally submit to AO3.

If you read this far, thank you for your time!  I appreciate my dear friends and mutuals, and at the end of the day, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I do creating it.

[alynnl]

17 and 25 please!

Do my readers perceive my work differently than me?

Well. I'd say at times (because insecurities can be rather strong), my readers have a great deal more faith in my ideas than I have at times. But it's probably the nature of creative types to be self-critical. On a more positive note though, I see my works as being overall idealistic and with a significant amount of fluff, and my feedback reflects that, so I got my feelings (and the characters' feelings) across. This brings me joy.

I don't think it's any surprise that I write out of adoration and love for the source material either, as it shows in both my completed works and my brainstorming notes.

What part of writing is the most fun?

The Chase. The first draft, the part of the process where you're putting the words down in your processor and watching it all come together. There's nothing quite like the thrill of really getting into the heart of a scene and building that momentum to see it through.

[alynnl]

I feel rather silly for my fanfic-related rant last night.

Because today, even before lunch time, I ended up writing that ending to Your Pain Shall be Eased after all.

I've always been impulsive and emotional at my worst, I could even call myself hysterical and be entirely accurate.

In any case, the hardest part (the draft) is done. 11k words. I'm relieved to have it complete, and hoping the final draft turns out decent.

I've gone through a lot to make this and all my creations.

I might falter sometimes, but I'll keep doing my best, for myself and for you, everyone.

[alynnl]

My most recent fic completely took over my life yesterday and I'm not sure how to feel-

I usually write in the daylight hours because for all intents and purposes, the evening is too full of obligations for me to sit down and pen some words.

Only last night, one of Cyrus's dialogue lines came to me in the middle of dinner. (So there I was, opening my Google Doc at 8 PM to write it.)

I started the first concept of A Reason to Fight during breakfast and then Cyrus hits me with this line as I eat my evening meal.

Apparently food fuels my thoughts. I have no idea what to do with this information other than to make sure I never skip a meal (but that's usually not a problem for me.)

[alynnl]

Your Pain Shall be Eased: Progress 5/1/22

Staying true to my nature, I have already written a Cyrus-Olberic hug into this newest WIP of mine.

And there might even be room for two or more Eisenbright hugs if the plot allows for it.

Also, if I had a nickel every time Olberic could’ve gotten into a huge argument with his loved ones and pushed them away, but instead chose the path of healthy communication, I would have two nickels.

Which isn’t a lot, but it’s oddly specific that it’s happened twice in two different stories.

[alynnl]

Fic Progress! 4/29/22

A few announcements regarding my fic progress, since I dropped hints about my Apothecary Cyrus Eisenbright one-shot!

First of all, it now has a title!

Your Pain Shall be Eased

It also has a theme song for its overall vibe!  The Yuri on Ice Single.

Also!  Word count progress has been astronomical (but I know my limits and I am pacing myself accordingly and will not go beyond a certain point!

Day 1: about 1000 words

Day 2: about 1600 words

Total as of now: 2698 words

I have no idea what the final word count will be or if this one-shot will become a two-parter.  But I am excited to be working on something again all the same.  The Chase is on!

Stay tuned, Octopath Travelers and members of the Eisenbright Nation!

I will be working diligently to deliver the fluff!  Hopefully it puts a smile on your faces.