1. What themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?
hmm....good question. had to think about this one for a while. i think i would like to try to dig more into the......mundane(?) social aspects of living with empathy issues, i.e. the way it changes how you learn to navigate interpersonal relationships and such. i don't think i can recall a single example in popular media of a character with low empathy that isn't an unrepentant asshole or, like, The Killer <-NO HATE obviously, there are plenty of characters i love that fall under those archetypes, it's just been done to death and not always in good faith. where are all my normal freaks at (JOKE) (genuinely if anyone has any recs along that line hmu)
i do actually plan to ssssort of get into this with indulgence, but by virtue of them being....my durge....that's not Exactly what i'm talking about lmao. it's admittedly a bit of a minefield for me to approach right now, but maybe someday when my brain stops trying to eat itself every other day i'm a bit more confident in my skill as a writer 😔👍
15. Why physical quirks do your characters tend to have? Eyebrow raising, picking nails, biting lips, pacing, crossing arms, etc.
sagely stroking my beard.....i spend a lot of time thinking about my characters' body language but proportionally little of it actually makes it to the page (though i could pinpoint exactly what they're doing at each point in each scene even years later. in grueling detail. fun fact perhaps?) i do give a probably disproportionate amount of my characters repetitive/compulsive behaviors, so that often gets commented on (picking at nails and skin/chewing lips to shreds/checking and rechecking pockets or equipment/etc.) characters with tails do emote with them to varying degrees, but i try not to rely on it too heavily. i'm careful not to give too many of them the same notable mannerisms......actually i may list out specifics in another post cause now i'm interested to see what the distribution looks like (and i know it'd be miles long with how many characters i have)
17. Are your protagonists always the “good guys” and your antagonists always the “bad guys” or do you like to do anti-heroes and grey morality?
ANTI-HEROES FOREVERRRR i love a good anti-hero.....insofar as i believe in "good" and "bad" characters (can of worms. i will spare you the rant) i will say i do really like writing protags that are "good" (morally upstanding by their society's metric) but difficult to like on a personal level for whatever reason, and characters that are charismatic/likeable but challenge the rest of the cast's principles in uncomfortable but not necessarily outright egregious ways, whether intentionally or not. i think both offer some really interesting opportunities. i don't think i always hit the mark for what i'm trying to achieve but it's a fun exercise in the meantime (gotta learn somehow!)
6. What point of view do you tend to write in? Do all of your pieces use the same POV? Do you have strong opinions on the POV used in novels?
i tend to write in third person limited (and i vastly prefer present tense over past tense) cause it seems like the most..hmm.... conventionally accessible(?) pov. but i actually really like second person. i know that's controversial apparently (i've seen the iceberg posts floating around and i ignore them because that discourse is stupid at best and ragebait at worst. frankly) but i think it lends itself to the really visceral style i like to play with. not actually a fan of first person, but i do think each pov has a different and equally valuable use case. every literary device exists for a reason etc etc. i'm not overwhelmingly picky about it, if i'm gonna be turned off by something it's gonna be other stylistic choices.
14. If you’ve written more than one story, what traits do your protagonists tend to share?
it seems i really enjoy writing incredibly self-involved characters who are only partially self aware about it. control freaks especially. there's something really interesting to me about a character whose list of personality traits makes them sound like a total cunt on paper but whose demeanor masks most of the ugly bits in practice (until it doesn't.) i like writing characters who struggle to navigate social interactions and don't understand what they're doing wrong. renaming my writing folder Autist Torment Nexus
24. Do you let your story evolve as you write or do you meticulously plan everything prior to writing the first draft?
i used to be a fly by the seat of my pants type of writer but i wrote myself into too many inescapable corners and decided i didn't like that anymore. nowadays i have a pretty loose rough draft (bullet points and stream-of-consciousness notes) and then i run through a few false starts at various points along the line until i figure out what it is i'm trying to Say with the piece. and then i rewrite the whole outline to accommodate for that/follow the themes more coherently. and then i leave the notes to collect dust for a few months before i try again. tldr i try for the latter and land somewhere between. still learning babeyyy
25. Do you start your novels with dialogue or description? Do you end your novels with dialogue or description?
god. hard to say. i will say starting really is the hardest part for me lmao.....if i can't come up with a strong enough opening, i struggle to make any headway on the piece. that said, both have their merits, but i really prefer starting with a description. sensory details, something to set the tone etc. endings vary a bit more for me. i like leaving things on an uneasy or slightly cryptic note. it really depends on what i'm trying to do. i know that hardly answers the question(s) but unfortunately It Depends and i'll use whatever works best 😭
What themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?
What are some common elements of stories you are tired of seeing? What would you avoid writing about?
What loves do you tend to write about? Agape (unconditional, spiritual love), Eros (romantic, passionate love), Philia (affectionate, platonic love), Philautia (self-love), Storge (familial love), Pragma (enduring love like between long-married couples), Ludus (playful love, infatuation you feel during the “honeymoon period”), and Mania (obsessive love that leads to madness and jealousy)
In your works, is blood thicker than water or is the blood of the covenant thicker than the water of the womb? (Are familial ties or friendship ties more important?)
Would you rather write a happy ending that soothes the soul or a tragic ending that hurts the heart?
What point of view do you tend to write in? Do all of your pieces use the same POV? Do you have strong opinions on the POV used in novels?
Favorite description in your wip? (If asked more than once, respond with a new piece each time)
Favorite dialogue in your wip? (If asked more than once, respond with a new piece each time)
What scene was the hardest to write for you and why?
What scene was the most fun to write for you and why?
Set the scene for us. What are your settings like and do you have any pictures saved that represent them? Do your characters travel and see more than one? What are their names?
What is the fashion like in your wip? Do you have any pictures saved of outfits your characters would wear?
What traits do you share with your original characters or what traits do you wish you shared with them?
If you’ve written more than one story, what traits do your protagonists tend to share?
Why physical quirks do your characters tend to have? Eyebrow raising, picking nails, biting lips, pacing, crossing arms, etc.
What motives do you give your original characters? What drives them? How much tragedy did you subject them to?
Are your protagonists always the “good guys” and your antagonists always the “bad guys” or do you like to do anti-heroes and grey morality?
What writers have inspired you with their use of language? What are some of your favorite quotes?
“For fans of ______!” What works would you say are similar to yours?
If you were published and had complete control over your covers, what would it look like? Do you have any specific artists that you’d like to illustrate it? Do you like when characters are pictured on covers or do you prefer inanimate objects?
How do you come up with titles? Do you use placeholders or tend to change your titles while writing the first draft?
How do you come up with character names? Do the names have a special meaning? If so, what are they?
Do your prefer reading series or standalone novels and does that reflect on how you write?
Do you let your story evolve as you write or do you meticulously plan everything prior to writing the first draft?
Do you start your novels with dialogue or description? Do you end your novels with dialogue or description?
What do you feel like you need to work on as a growing writer? How can you improve?
Do you have playlists for your wip? What are some of the songs in it?
Do you need background noise to write? If so, what do you listen to?
How do you share your writing? Do you use any writing websites and, if so, share your profiles!
What is some of the best writing advice you’ve read or received? Why does it work for you?
wynne: look you're quite literally actively dying like right now as we speak and i've already talked myself into abandoning my values for this so can you please just stop fighting me and trust in the maker
tagged by @maggacammara <3 i know most of the gc has probably been tagged twice or thrice already but let's seee.... @gribbo @chavelah @creaking-skull @sememmon and also @critterpdf @neutralbardicmess if u feel inclined <3 i would be pleased to see it
origin of your username
in keeping with the fantasy drugs theme (if i change it again it'll probably continue to follow that theme because i have a juvenile sense of humor and i find it funnyyy. sniles sneetly)
food i will always order
if philly cheesesteak is on the menu the decision is made for me. i'm not even a meat person but that's been my go-to since forever. also basically anything with falafel
overused emoji
☝️😔🫡 <-get the most mileage by far. i'm the lurker/groupchat reactpig so i've been known to do the "reacting to show reading comprehension/as an abstract bit" thing also
current favorite book/media/show
been picking at some silas house novels in a fit of nostalgia (most of his books are set in the same general geographical region i'm from) and while i'm not typically into contemporary novels i have been enjoying them so far. also been really fascinated with the passenger (2023) since i first saw it, i've rewatched it several times and still find new little details to discover. really weirdly compelling film, love a bizarre little thriller. also perhaps a normie moment but my roommate got me into the pitt, which has been unexpectedly fun (i typically avoid getting into new media while the hype machine is still churning, i prefer to wait 5-10 years after they've fallen out of relevance, but i also used to work in an emergency room so it's unusually tailored to my interests)
last song on repeat
I Found That Essence Rare by Gang of Four + Hands All Over by Soundgarden (both thematically similar now that i think about it)
last thing you hyperfixated on
dragon age and forgotten realms are still doing some table tennis shit to me but in the more literal sense....i did have to actually force myself to stop working on that original project cause i Could Not focus on anything else for like a month. many such cases unfortunately (i'll get back to it eventually, fear not, i just gotta do it in a way that doesn't make my brain eat itself </3)
oddly specific thing that brings you joy
watching little fishes in the weeds at the edge of the river.... not the time of year for it unfortunately but i can't wait until the water's warm enough to stick my extremities in it and let them bite me #normal. also not the season for it but i like walking through the grass and seeing one billion grasshoppers pinging around
phone wallpaper
it's been this mark laver painting for about a million years. my texture
and my lockscreen is my partner sitting on a big rock while we were on a hike a couple years ago :)
what smell makes you happy
i fear i can't answer this one concisely. i burn a ton of incense and candles and drink a lot of really strongly aromatic teas. coconut and frankincense and lemon and mint and pine and fresh ginger.....woodsmoke also (we had a woodstove when i was a kid so it's nostalgic).....warm bread obviously....that morning smell in the mountains when the sun hasn't gotten high enough to burn the dew away yet so everything's wet and smells like leaf litter and pine......idk i just really like smells (<-normal thing to say)
morning, night, or other type of person
i work overnights at the moment but even when i was working days i preferred being awake at night. the second the sun comes up my brain is like Sleep Right Now Or I'll Kill Us Both. and i gotta be like damn bitch fine but what if i had things to do.....jokes aside sunlight does actually make me tired as hell so it's convenient that i prefer to be awake all night. does a number on the social life though </3 if i had total control over my sleep schedule i'd probably be crepuscular like the noble rabbit
Two nights hence, the sorcerer exacts his revenge.
It is their final evening in the rambling riverside encampment; tomorrow, they will pack their bedrolls and split the group, seeking a path to the Gate and a cure for their wriggling worms. Tonight, they celebrate their small successes with the druids and refugees. Before the festivities commence, the wizard perches atop his nurse log and coils a short length of copper wire around his forefinger. “Not how I’d do it,” Frey muses facetiously in passing. Gale spares him an incredulous glance as he pockets the spring.
“You promised a lesson,” he says, skepticism shining through his voice. The citrine sun approaches the cradle of the horizon and casts his soft features in a golden-orange glow. Frey openly admires the view.
“I suppose I can spare a moment.” He stops short behind where Gale sits and sets aside, briefly, his detailed inventory. His tone borders on conspiratorial as he rests a hand on Gale’s shoulder and says, with great import, “What is your favorite cantrip?”
There is no other word for it: Gale scoffs. “Favorite cantrip? Why, that’s…” His protests founder as he glances over his shoulder at Frey, who smiles patiently. “I… I do rather enjoy casting illusions,” he offers.
“Perfect!” Frey settles back to watch, arms folded. “Let’s see it.”
Far be it from Gale of Waterdeep to forgo an opportunity to grandstand. Though he had hoped for a more structured approach to his first lesson in sorcery, he nonetheless plucks a bit of fleece from the inside of his robe’s pocket and draws a simple sigil in the air. The scrap goes up in a flash of violet, and a song spools from the brush around them—a clutch of clarionets, presently joined by a careful strumming of strings. There, a piccolo, as if their own Piper were ambling by, only backed by an entire orchestra—is that a harp? Gale smiles to himself, and so rapt is he in the piece’s gradual crescendo that he hardly feels the exhale of the sorcerer’s spell as it twines with his—and then the horns join the concerto.
They both know the piece, it seems. Gale closes his eyes, and he is in the plush seats of Cymbril Hall, waiting for the Waterdhavian Philharmonic to take the stage, and he reaches for his mother’s hand, only she is not his mother; she is a gnome with Frey’s dark curls and brown eyes, and she looks at him with all the love in the world. The magic around them wanes, and the music quietens—has it been sixty seconds already? Frey, having joined in the casting later, finishes the composition with a percussive flourish and the distant sound of applause.
“Well done, my wizard,” he says, and his hand finds Gale’s shoulder once more.
A channel has opened between them, and through it, Frey sends a whip stitch—a light erupts from his palm, and as it does, Gale feels a pleasant tingle at the base of his skull. Frey leans closer, as if sharing a secret, and the sensation uncoils down Gale’s spine all the way through his soles and into the earth. At the same moment that he becomes aware of the ground beneath his feet, color erupts in the air. Illusory monarchs and morphos whirl about their heads, and roseate petals cascade from above. “Is this…?”
Gale need not ask; he recognizes instantly the anarchic signature of one of Frey’s wild magic surges. Only, for the first time, he feels as Frey does in the moment—elated beyond belief. His body has become oddly buoyant; indeed, he feels as if he could fly. Frey bursts into tinkling laughter, and Gale cannot help laughing along.
“Lucky we got flutter-bys rather than flames, this time.” They both laugh harder, Frey with his full weight on Gale now.
The spell is only just fading, that precious seam unraveling, when Gale thinks to return Frey’s favor from their previous practice: he imagines, as clearly as if he’d done it a hundred times before, pulling the sorcerer close and kissing him. Frey’s face flushes, but he stands up straight, ever the poised scholar.
“How very cheeky,” he chides, unable to keep the smile from his lips nor his voice.
“You’re an excellent instructor,” Gale says, and he means it.
Frey has taken up his logbook once more and flips through it with great concentration. “I’m aware,” he responds, world-weary, then looks back at his wizard. “And, unsurprisingly, you are an admirable pupil.” It may be the most earnest compliment he’s ever given Gale. “Perhaps I’ll see you at the fête?”
A quip stills in Gale’s throat, and he can only watch, mute, as the sorcerer takes his leave. He ought to return to what he was doing, then.
drawing some of alain's distant relatives for practice and for fun. this is mayhem and her dad wendon, they own the family farm out on the outskirts of rivington (where alain's dad grew up)
△ if you’re still accepting these, I would like to invade Alain’s privacy please and thank you. and my question is... who are your parents? what were they like? do you miss them, ever?
omg hiii yes i'm always accepting these! i know you've already seen the answer to this in the server but i'm copy-pasting the entire damn novel for everyone else's benefit. not in-character the way i did julian's but still informative as far as how he feels about it
rating this a 3 on the discomfort scale. he's had a couple centuries to work through it, but when it comes up in conversation and he actually divulges about it it definitely smarts a bit lol
okay so this is the shortest version I can conjure without pruning too much context because the situation with his parents was so vital to him being Like That (some of this is lifted from dialogue that may not ever make it into a published piece so if y'all see the same phrasing twice no you didn't <3)
Alain's parents were career-driven romantics who wanted to use their skills to make people's lives easier, and they did quite a lot of that, but they were still dogshit parents. They married for love, and Alain was very much wanted, but they were a bit too young and inexperienced to be much good at it, and too proud to ask for help when they needed it. They were both workaholics who probably weren't as involved as they could've been. Alain was a latchkey kid who spent more time with neighborhood friends and cousins than at home.
His dad was a gondian artificer from bumfuck Rivington who was idealistic and passionate about his work, but his fatal flaw was that he was incredibly insecure and cared too much what others thought of him, and that came through in a kind of ambition (i.e. drive for recognition and respect) that alienated him from his family. He hated lower class life and strove to distance himself from it as much as possible, kinda forsaking his family in the process. Alain fit in with his dad's family more than his dad ever did, which was a sore spot. Alain got along better with him when he was very young (a good student despite a lack of keen interest in his dad's work; he taught him a few cantrips and let him help around the workshop just so he could feel included) but as he got older and his dad started getting bitter and controlling, he spent less and less time at home, got into trouble, started doing drugs, etc.
His mim was a civil engineer from the Lower City that ran a tight ship at work but was mostly hands-off at home. (Her parents were union tradesmen (and a writer) and she inherited their work ethic.) Frankly she was just bad with kids lol….she was the baby of the family and didn't know how to relate to Alain until he stopped resembling a child, but she did try. They were living mostly on her dime when he was growing up (this was wayyy before his dad's career was considered a widely respectable or financially viable pursuit; his dad was very insecure about this lol) so she was hardly ever around. When his dad started driving him away, she started bringing him to job sites to give him an excuse to be away, and they finally got a chance to really get to know each other. When things boiled over, he's the one who convinced her to divorce his dad.
The ensuing friction between them (taking her grief out on him + disabling workplace injury that pushed him into the breadwinner position unprepared) was a major factor in him getting mixed up in the merc business, his substance use reaching an untenable peak, trashing his relationship with his ex, a short stint in jail, etc etc. Him and his mim sorted it out when he had his first near death experience lol…they never really learned to connect as mother-and-son but they made decent friends. His dad on the other hand remarried very shortly after the divorce (Manser Biggs is Alain's half brother by this marriage…unfun fact) which further soured their already strained relationship. Things never really recovered between them, but he did keep visiting every so often (despite it all, his dad never once slandered his ex-wife or son, even after remarrying, and that meant something to Alain even if he could never articulate it)
It took him a long time and a lot of distance to understand his parents, and even longer to empathize with them, but it's mostly ancient history now. They've been dead a few decades. He doesn't visit their graves. (He does finally visit when Karlach brings him along to meet hers; they have a long conversation about it and he realizes it's the first time he's told someone about it in depth in centuries lol </3) He still misses them on some level, but he mostly wishes things had been different.
+ worth mentioning his parents were both from relatively normal gnomish families, they just had similar (vaguely antisocial) neuroses that made them uniquely drawn to one another and uniquely terrible at participating in their own community 😔 I wanted to give him an atypical family that could explain his own avoidant tendencies and the unmoored perpetual-outsider feeling he lives with. He inherited a lot of his parents' finer qualities and a lot of their worst ones, he just carries them better lmao
okay last things first: in response to ky's (and fay's!) very good question of how vulture's class/role in the party influences his approach to relationships (BOY, DOES IT.......)
both as a cleric and a mercenary he finds himself in a contradictory position where he has to maintain a healthy professional distance out of necessity (difficult to render aid effectively if you're emotionally compromised) and also has to offer support to people/give of himself (emotionally) beyond what would be considered the norm for that social sphere. but he also knows he has a tendency to get very attached to people very quickly, and he spends extended periods in high stress environments with the same people..... he does what he can to prevent unwise entanglements (without isolating himself to death or denying his duty) but it's bound to happen because people continually find new and interesting ways to breach his defenses
historically he's been pretty bad at maintaining this balance (platonically speaking) (erring on the side of getting his heart broken when his friends die badly etc. hence why he keeps shooting his career in the foot lol) but ironically he's much better at emotional boundaries and etc with romantic/intimate relationships. the vast majority of them have been short term or strictly casual, IF he allowed anything to blossom at all (he tends to be on the upper end for maturity in whichever group he's traveling with OR surrounded by clergy. pretty barren ground by his standards) because he knows his lifestyle doesn't lend itself to long-term commitment. also there was that whole thing with essius back in the day that definitely didn't give him a complex (more on that another time)
tldr he's hyperaware of the position his role puts him in in that regard and the unique responsibility he has for the people he spends his time with, but he loves everyone at least a little bit so it's not always simple.. anyway that's how karlach breaks his heart 🫶
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