My Narinder reached level 50ish in game before the follower level cap was introduced, and whenever he prays at the shrine, he generates so much devotion that it basically fills up instantly. I've also verified this when he prays at night and is the only one at the statue due to his moon necklace, so I can tell all that devotion is coming from just him.
Anyways, this has me thinking about an alternate post- Risen/Fallen scenario that's just Lambert letting the cult dwindle down naturally until Narinder's literally the only cultist left and they are able to sustain their divinity just fine on Narinder's devotion alone because he loves his spouse so much. So they can just chill for eternity. Bonus points if this means Lambert's ascension slows tremendously because they have massive dysphoria over growing into something beyond their "lamb" identity and taking on god (esp. predator) features
I promised a proper update before the end of June, and now I come, minus a tooth, plus a few new diagnoses on my medical chart (no spoilers), and with actual news.
I've solved the writer's block, I think. Not 'solved' like 'fixed', more like figuring where the problem was, and slowly but surely following it to the source of the issue. Which was the fact that if I kept writing, I was going to reach the end of the universe, and I wasn't ready to.
Because that's where we're headed right now. For my entire fourteen(!) year journey writing the YCMAL 'verse, I've been walking the path pretty much alongside the characters, having little more idea where we're going than they do.
But the end has been coming for awhile, hastened by me having a bit of a quiet reckoning in the the wake of Heated Rivalry bringing hockey slash into the public eye and just...everything about professional men's hockey over the past several years, and some of pro women's hockey too.
So when I say I solved my writer's block, I probably have solved it, given the resistance was entirely rational underneath the surface: I wasn't ready for the end. I wouldn't write toward the end.
But this universe deserves to be finished, and it deserves to be finished with the same level of attention to detail and love of these ridiculous humans I feel less like I created and more like I discovered. And as I told my therapist yesterday (damn good things, therapists, if you get the right one), 'it's going break my heart, and I'm going to do it, so.', followed by a fatalistic shrug, and if that isn't sports fandom, baby, I don't know what is.
Before anyone starts panicking, thinking I'm about to pull down the shutters immediately: this is something we're probably measuring over the course of years. AIT will be completed. COTT will be completed. Gabe and Stephen's story will be told. This time next year I'll still be updating. But the reason I've been so absent is, alongside a few health issues (not incidental!), I've been mourning this behind the scenes, waiting for the moment I was ready to share that, because it felt like I had to do that before moving forward. You know me, radical honesty.
Radical honesty: there has been a lot of ugly crying along the way, and I'm fully prepared for more to come. But it took me a while to get there, and it might take me a while to get back to what I consider on track. 'Still feeling a bit fragile', as my family is apt to use after an illness.
Thanks, as ever, for your patience with me. I'm forever grateful to all of you.
I love the way you write and describe things. Everyone always says “shoe don’t tell” but I always have trouble doing it. What is your best advice to “show don’t tell”?
Show don't tell is a balance. Both are needed, so the idea that you should always show and never tell is a misleading shorthand for good advice.
Show = character traits, emotions, key moments. When you want to immerse the reader. For example, if you tell me your character is kind, that would be telling, unless they actually do kind things? For example, show me a character is angry through their behaviour, don't just tell me they're angry.
Tell = anything summarised. Think like a montage in a movie or a scene change. Facts. Internal narration and character thoughts is telling, but it would be hard to never explain a character's internal world. Tell works wonderfully if you have a really strong or funny narrative voice.
So, description for example is often a mix of the two. Sometimes you want to write about how character A's boots crunched through the snow as they tugged their too thin jacket tighter around them (show). Sometimes you just want to say the night was cold (tell). Neither is bad. One is just more immersive. But if you immerse for everything, your pacing will likely suck. If you tell for everything, your reader won't feel the world/scenes in the same way. E.g. 'the house was scary' doesn't make me think the house is scary because there's no detail, mood or atmosphere there to scare me as a reader.
So, best advice: show emotion and key scenes
Take the rest by what feels right. There's no one right way to tell a story. Show don't tell is just trying to avoid a passive summary of events or not backing your character or emotion with evidence.
E.g. your character being in love or sad or brave isn't inherently interesting. It's HOW they specifically are (show) that is.
Level up your writing skills in English - Dialogue Punctuation
A guide for those whose first language is not English (pro tips at the end)
Well, this is maybe the most that the new authors struggle with. As any other language, English also has its own rules for dialogues and I bet you could find them on the net as well, but if you want it short - here I am.
First things first, we use ‘’ and “” for dialogues in English and never ‘—‘ or ‘–‘ or spaces or just ‘start new line’. We need to indicate the people are speaking. ‘’ - for thoughts and “” - for speaking.
‘I was dancing with him.’ - I understand it’s in the character’s head.
“I was dancing with him.” - I understand the character says it out loud.
The next part is punctuation. I know, a lot of you maybe struggle with all these commas and no commas at the end, at the beginning, dialogue tags and stuff, but, believe me, it’s not as hard as it seems. So, what is important to remember is that we use commas with things that we do with our mouth or verbally and full stops with actions.
“It was quite interesting,” she said.
Look, comma is inside the “” and ‘said’ is something she does with her mouth or verbally.
“It was not so easy.” She moved closer to the table.
Look, full stops is inside the “” and ‘she’ is written in the capital, because ‘she moved closer to the table’ is not something she could do with her mouth or verbally.
Also, do not forget to start each character’s speaking from the new line, so it doesn’t look like a mess.
“I came here from the north.” He put his gloves on the table.
“Me too,” she agreed.
Look, 2 characters speaking, each of them having their own line. Also, notice that the first one is doing action, which is why there’s a full stop at the end, and the second one is agreeing - which is something we could do with our mouth or verbally and - which is why we have comma at the end.
The other thing to remember is that ‘…’ is not interrupting. It’s about the words slowly fading as the character speaks. If you want to show that the person was interrupted - use ‘—‘.
“I wasn’t sure whether to go…” Jake answered.
Look, there’s no comma or full stop at the end of “” and I understand that Jake’s voice becomes quieter and quieter as he speaks, showing that he’s really unsure of what to do next.
“I wasn’t sure wheth—“
“I will tell you!” she shouted.
Look, there’s no comma or full stop at the end of “” and I understand that the character is interrupted. Also, take a look at the second line: there’s an exclamation mark inside “”, but she is written with the small letter - yes, because shouted is something you do with your mouth or verbally.
One more thing: if your sentence finished with ! or ? there’s no need to add a full stop or comma at the end or after “”, ‘’.
That’s it for beginners. Practice with those above to sharpen your writing skills. Yes, you may think it’s too easy and want more, but believe me - I’m also using the rules above and rarely use the rules I’m gonna tell next in my own writing. Make small things look good first and then go to bigger things.
Well, my fellows, who are professionals in writing dialogues and the tips above were like a baby talk to you, fasten your seatbelts, you’re gonna find out some more tricks (I hope).
Okay, first things first, ‘’ and “” could be interchangeable. If you want to write thoughts in “” - you’re welcome, but don’t forget your choice for the rest of the story, so the readers are not messed up with what’s thought and what’s word:
“I was dreaming,” he thought.
And
‘I was dreaming,’ he thought.
Are both fine.
Next, using dialogue tags or actions before the words themselves:
Jake answered quietly, “What if I got it wrong?”
She pressed her hand to his chest. “It can’t be.”
It’s also okay. Just mind the punctuation: commas are for dialogue tags (mouth or verbally) and full stops for actions.
Depending on what you choose for your story, we use ‘’ inside “” and “” inside ‘’:
“I was surprised by ‘his’ behavior,” she stated.
If you have prolonged dialogue tag or action with dialogue tag, the tag should always come directly to the sentence (it’s easier to avoid any extra punctuation drama):
He answered quietly, smiling, “Of course.”
Julie laughed and asked, “What’s that?”
“I want this,” she replied, walking down the street.
There’s a difference when the words are interrupted by dialogue tag or action:
“We’d rather,” Jake said and lifted his arm, “win this auction.”
“I’ll never”—she pressed her finger to his chest—“let you do this!”
But personally I never use this rule, cause it’s just hard to punctuate and I believe that non-English readers may find it too hard to understand.
Well, that’s all for now, thanks for reading and I hope that was useful! <3
There wasn't much of a height difference between him and Evan. Maybe an inch or two at the most and even then that last half inch was mostly hair. But he still knew it gave Evan a bit of a thrill every time he remembered that Tommy was bigger; taller.
Every time he tipped up Evan's chin for a kiss, every time Evan looked up at him from beneath his lashes with that oh so innocent doe eyed expression, every time he had to tip up onto his toes just to catch Tommy's lips if he was looking away alway made Evan practically shiver with an excitement that wasn't going away.
Tommy had always assumed it would eventually. That the novelty had more to do with the fact that Evan wasn't used to being with someone bigger than him, a man, than it had to do with the height, but it was still there. Evan still looked up at him with stars in his eyes and with this breath taking expression that always made Tommy's chest go painfully tight.
Evan liked being smaller, that much was obvious. He liked when Tommy manhandled him and he liked when Tommy boxed him. He liked it in the quieter moments too. When Tommy would scoop him up in his arms and hold him close and Tommy had caught Evan staring at the way Tommy's fingers dwarfed Evan's when they held hands a few times. He preened and smiled and got bratty until he got Tommy in whatever position he wanted and Tommy was only happy to oblige even if he did put a front, grumbling along the way.
So, Tommy knew Evan liked it and a part of him hoped Evan never lost the wonder that had when he experienced the sheltered security that came with being small with him; with Tommy. But...
Tommy didn't think Evan knew he did it. Or if he did, he was so used to it by now that he didn't notice anymore. The way he tucked his chin down, the way his shoulders rolled inwards, the way he deflated. Evan curved and folded and bent himself inward to be smaller and it didn't take much. A barbed word here, a harsh breath there, and the impatience was enough to send Evan curling into himself in a way that made his smallness seem like a retreat; a convenience. Except the convenience wasn't for him then and the retreat was just survival instead of comfort.
Tommy would know the difference.
He never wanted Evan to feel that way around him.
Tommy crossed the distance between them in three easy strides and bullied his way between Evan's legs, making his work table groan beneath the shifted weight.
Evan sucked in a breath and Tommy could practically see the apology forming on his lips.
Tommy curled a finger under his chin and tipped his head up, smiling softly at the way Evan twitched at the move the way he always did. His eyes lit up for the briefest of moments and Tommy couldn't help but stroke his thumb against the corner of those plump lips until they curled upward into a small smile.
"Where'd you go?" Tommy asked.
"Sorry," Evan said, trying to duck his head down again but Tommy didn't let him. "I didn't realize I was talking so much. You're concentrating. I can—"
Evan made to jump down but Tommy pushed into his space further, kissing him once then twice before he felt Evan give in and wrap his arms around Tommy's shoulders. He skimmed his hands up and down his sides before smoothing them into the small of his back and held him there.
"I like listening to you talk," Tommy said, kissing away the disbelief from Evan's face. "Even when it's something ridiculous about how long hippos can hold their breath under water."
Evan didn't say anything for a moment and Tommy knew he could push; he should push. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to be that person in Evan's life who made him perform when Tommy was perfectly content with the Evan he thought people didn't want to see. The one that had to duck his head down and hide his disappointment. The one that had to wince off a hurt and smile like it didn't. The one who was always okay.
If Evan needed to retreat, that was fine. Tommy just wanted him to know that he would be there when he came back.
Timid fingers played with the hairs on the nape of his neck before Evan tipped his chin back up and smiled.
"A water buffalo can hold its breath longer than a hippo."
"Oh?" Tommy smiled so wide he thought he was going to break his face. "Did you learn that today?"
Evan hummed, very smug, and how could Tommy not kiss him then?
Question: what is the best fanfiction you’ve ever read? Can be any fandom and any site. I wanna know which fanfic genuinely changed the trajectory of your life.
(I’m in the middle of writing a proposal to the English department at my uni to let me design a course based around analyzing fanfiction as a legitimate literary genre, and I’d love to hear from everyone!)
