Turtle of the Hollow

Lost my sanity to the fandoms | Fanfic writer | Hazbin Hotel

[writer-woes-and-woahs]

Keep a little stealing notebook and carry it around with you.

Write down little things you find interesting and things you love in the media you consume and things you would do differently. Add some crappy doodles and stickers and stuff.

Then when you want to write, flip through it and see if anything inspires you.

(You could call it an inspiration journal, but stealing notebook is more fun, especially if you write "STEALING" in all caps on the cover)

[tafkamayle]

I genuinely can’t handle most writing advice, it’s all so annoying. The second anyone starts advising about the content of written works, it just sounds like “you have to write/not write a certain thing because I like/don’t like it” despite them trying to frame it like a universal thing.

“Don’t do one-liners, they take readers out of the scene!” Okay, except some people like cheesy or impactful one-liners?

“Leave more to the imagination, no one wants to read a whole page of description!” Okay, except some people like long descriptions?

“Don’t write ‘cool’ edgy characters, they’re just cringy!” Okay, except some people like the dangerous crow boy??

[turtleofthehollow]

This is why I always say it's important to be selective about what advice you take.

Just because a piece of advice is 'sound' doesn't mean it's applicable to you specifically.

Make sure your values as a writer align with the person you're seeking advice from. That way you'll be getting constructive feedback that actually helps you to improve, rather than leave you second guessing the quality of your work.

[mummfuckerprime]

What are some strategies you have to learn more about your character? I know the interview one, and that's all fine and dandy, but I want something more intuitive. Do I lean on their overall arc? I know what their baseline is, and I know how their story ends. I am trying to fill the in-between with quirks and character-specific phrases that feel like they belong. I would ask her interview questions but, ehh, I feel like I can't get into her character well enough to do that.

I know she is selfish, but I want a more structural approach, kind of like solving for X in math. I have all this given information and I am solving for X, where X is the personality of the character. I want to substitute what I already have into the equation so I can solve for it. What I have is: her purpose and function in the story, her visual look, the fact that she has a cat, and her end. How do I forge a personality from that? Does that make sense? What are your strategies for that kind of problem? I think I would be able to give better interview answers if I approached it that way.

[turtleofthehollow]

I've thought a lot about this kind of thing, so I'm sorry if this comes off kind of ramble-y.

What I think the problem might be is the difference between 'characters that serve a narrative purpose' and 'writing a person'.

As a writer, it can be easy to get hung up on what role your characters are meant to serve within the overall story, and not really know who they are as a person. You might have some traits listed out, and a general idea of who they are, but for some reason nothing seems to click that makes them feel real.

What I've been doing to work through this issue is having my characters solve a problem.

Problem solving tends to reveal a lot about a person, and works well in character writing since stories are predicated on conflict and resolutions.

You said your character is 'selfish', right? How does that trait affect her ability to solve her problems?

What happens when she can't figure out the solution?

Does her selfishness prevent her from solving her problems? If so, what would she need to do differently in order to get the outcome she wants?

Why does this problem need to be solved at all? What about it makes it so important that she can't just walk away from it? What does that say about her as a person and her values?

I think a major issue that comes with writing characters that feel real is when their traits come off more like accessories they're wearing rather than something they embody. Their traits should shine through their actions in some way, affecting the choices they make, and how they go about their lives. Which is why I think giving your characters a problem to solve helps you, as the writer, channel those traits into a workable personability.

Some basic ideas for problems to solve.

Miscommunication. What does she need to say, and why can't she put it into words?

It can be really frustrating when you have a problem, but can't articulate it. Especially when it puts you at odds with friends and family. You mean well, but your intentions aren't coming across like you want.

What would it take for your character to finally be able to put her thoughts into words?

What would she need to do to clear up this misunderstanding?

Mundane Maintenance. This one might seem kind of silly, but figuring out how your characters deal with the problems of everyday life can be a great way to get to know them.

Does she tend to leave the 'unimportant stuff' fall to the wayside, until it becomes such a mess that she has no choice but to take care of it?

Has she just moved into a new home, and needs to organize everything?

Does she live with other people? If so, how does her living situation affect them? How do they coordinate around each other so they can live more peacefully with each other?

Malicious Interference. What does she do if someone is intentionally trying to get in her way.

Is she confrontational? If so, would that make her problems better or worse? If it's worse, what would she need to do differently in order to get this person to stop interfering with her?

~~~

As a final note, along with how your characters solve a problem, how do they feel once they've resolved it? That can also tell you a lot about a person.

Is she relieved, or exhausted?

Was it worth it in the end, or did she wish she never attempted it in the first place?

If she could do it all over again, what would she do differently with the wisdom she now has?

[turtleofthehollow]

Self judgement during heightened emotional states never paints an accurate picture of your worth

[sofikochalvari]

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Writers and Focus on Your Own Path

Let's be honest. You open social media and see that someone:

• signed a contract with a publisher,

• wrote a book in three months,

• gets thousands of likes on their excerpts,

• or simply writes so well that everything inside you clenches with envy and admiration at the same time.

And after that, sitting down with your own draft becomes almost impossible. Because a voice inside says: "They're better. They're faster. Why even try?"

I know this feeling. And I want to say one thing that no one says out loud.

Comparison is not your flaw. It's how your brain is wired.

We are evolutionarily programmed to evaluate ourselves relative to others. In cave times, someone weaker than their neighbor really risked going without dinner. So don't berate yourself for comparing. It's not weakness. It's an ancient mechanism that just picked the wrong target.

But right now, it's working against you. And you can negotiate with it.

The hard truth: you're comparing your rough draft to someone else's polished final version.

Behind every beautiful page you read online, there is:

— several rewritten drafts,

— a pile of deleted text,

— editorial revisions,

— sometimes — years of work the author never mentions.

You only see the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface are tons of effort, doubts, and failed attempts. No one posts on their stories about crying over chapter three at two in the morning. But that doesn't mean it never happened.

What actually helps — tested on myself and others.

1. Change the question

Instead of "Why are they better than me?" ask: "What can I learn from this author?"

Look at what exactly caught your attention in their writing. The rhythm? The dialogue? The imagery? Then close their book and try applying that technique to your own story.

You can turn comparison into learning. It transforms pain into benefit.

2. Keep score only for yourself

Start a document or notebook called "My Victories." Write down everything, even the small things.

"Wrote 200 words today even though I didn't feel like it at all."

"Figured out how the characters escape the dungeon."

"Rewrote a dialogue and it finally sounds right."

"Just sat down at my desk — that's already a win."

When you feel like you haven't achieved anything, open this list. You'll be surprised at how much you've already done.

3. Remember — scene by scene.

The author you envy didn't write their entire book in one sitting. They wrote one scene. Then the next. Then another.

You write the same way. Page by page. You don't know what your path will look like compared to someone else's. But the only way to reach the end is to keep writing without looking at the neighboring lanes.

4. Remove triggers for a while

If visiting certain accounts makes you feel terrible — unsubscribe from them for a month. Not forever. Just give yourself a break. You don't have to constantly keep up with other people's successes, especially when you're vulnerable.

No one will know. No one will judge. It's caring for yourself, not weakness.

5. Compare yourself only to yesterday's you

This is an old mantra, but it works. Look at your writing from six months ago. See any progress? Even a little? Then you're heading in the right direction.

It doesn't matter how fast someone else is moving. What matters is that you're moving at all. Slowly but steadily. Your path is unique because no one else has lived your life, seen the world through your eyes, or carries the stories that you carry within you.

And finally, the most important thing.

Your book won't become better because you suffer more from comparing yourself to others. And it won't become worse because someone else wrote something amazing.

There is no limit on good books in literature. One author's success doesn't take away another's chance. Readers who love the genre will read both you and them. Not because you're better or worse, but because you're different. And that's wonderful.

[turtleofthehollow]

"Keep score only for yourself"

I like that. I'm definitely going to try that one out.

To add on to this list, Never judge yourself on a bad day.

There are those kinds of days when nothing feels right. You spend 3 hours trying to work through this one scene, and all you get down is 2 paragraphs, both of which you hate and want to delete.

You think to yourself that you'll never make it as a writer, so why even bother?

It can be way too easy to beat yourself down during these days, and convince yourself that this is all writing will ever be.

Do not trust your self judgement on these kinds of days. They're not based in objective truth. All it is is a bad day. Give yourself some space to decompress, gain some distance, and let yourself relax for a bit.

When you come back to writing, odds are you'll feel much better, and you'll be flying through the problems you were once hung up on.

[ink-and-errors]

I just finished two flash fiction pieces and I think I've realised something about my writing: I really enjoy writing short fiction.

I also write fanfiction and I was so envious of people who could pump out like 100k words. Over time, I knew how to write longer fic chapters but for my original writing I was so still so stagnant. Unlike fanfiction where the world is already built for me and a close community meant fast reader interaction, I struggled a lot with overthinking, imposter syndrome and "perfect first draft" syndrome since original fiction is held to a much higher standard. At least it did in my mind. I have not finished a novel ever and I've been writing since as long as I can remember.

Plus I am a pantser, and who the fuck was going to tell me that writing outlining and actually following them are two completely different beasts?

My introduction to flash fiction came from my desire to get more into urban fantasy which I liked more than high/epic. Unfortunately it's not a very well known genre but I did find some stories I like right here on Tumblr!

Then I did it. I opened my notepad and started writing. I didn't want to use google docs because it felt too "official" but I could not believe how I actually wrote the first sentence. I literally titled the note at first "lesbian magical study date" and it's a kinda "magic in the mundane" story about how a girl's pet dragon ruins a study date with her crush. It was so fun, and, after a few days of editing that one, I got working on another one. This time, about a dimensional travelling diner called Swirly Burger. I know it's cliche but I just started listening to Midnight Burger so can you blame me?

I know it's generic but I'm gonna end off with this: find the right writing process that works for you. It's gonna take a lot of trial and error (and tears and unfinished projects and aching hands that make you seriously wonder if you have arthritis) but in the end (just kidding there is no end) it's so worth it.

[turtleofthehollow]

Skills of a Writer

How to handle creative overwhelm?

I'm working on a chapter within an on going saga that has a lot more worldbuilding in it than I had originally planned on. Ideas that I loved in concept, and had a lot of fun coming up with while exploring the possibilities, but don't really know how to frame within an engaging narrative.

Put another way, I'm getting overwhelmed trying to manage all these ideas I had while sticking to a pretty strict publishing schedule.

A deadline which I have yet to maintain even once since I've started publishing this series. Which means on top of the overwhelm, I'm also dealing with self disappointment eating away at my confidence.

While I am getting better at the writing and editing side of things, I'm still struggling with the mental side of it. Too often I get caught up in anxieties, worrying about if anyone is going to like my ideas, and trying to convince myself it shouldn't matter what others say since I'm writing these stories for me.

But, I'd also like writing to be my career, so if people don't like my ideas, than I don't really have a job as a writer, now do I? Which only adds to the overwhelm, worsening the very problem I'm trying to overcome.

I don't really know what the answer to this problem is, so all I can really do is pick at it, try a few things here and there, and see if any of them help me to reduce the mental load so I can more easily write and edit.

In the case of this chapter I'm working on, my biggest problem is that it's gotten way too long for me to comfortably edit, along with more worldbuilding that expanded further than I thought it would. It's a lot, so what I'm thinking of doing is isolating each section, and treating it like it is it's own complete story. Forget about the rest of the chapter for now since trying to manage the full thing is what's triggering my anxieties.

I know from past experiences that when I get this overwhelmed, pushing through doesn't work. It just beats me down until I can't even stand to look at my own story anymore.

What I need is to take things slow.

Which is itself an anxiety inducing notion because it kills me inside to be moving along at a snails pace.

But some progress is better than no progress.

On days like this, I think the best way to handle the overwhelm is to pick small goals that are still achievable, and go easy on myself.

Well, I should say that on days when not making progress is part of the overwhelm, having small but achievable goals can help to mitigate that overwhelm.

[radioactive-earthshine]

Not sure why it's a new trend among fic readers to assume if the fic has not been posted within the week it's inappropriate to comment on it, like the fic has to be hot out of the oven to give feedback for.

I got a comment on a fic that is less than a year old and it was mostly an apology for being a comment on an "old fic" and how late they were in commenting.

Just comment on the fic. Doesn't matter how old it is.

[mysteryteacup]

Fandom is not social media.

Fandom is not trends.

Fandom is a cross between a library and having a slumber party with your friends.

"Old" means nothing to fic.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

I think ao3 is literally the only site where no censorship means no censorship. you can post the most vile things on there — things that will get taken down on any other platforms — and ao3 will protect you, your works, and your rights to create whatever you want, however you want.

and no, this isn’t me saying “write that messed up, disgusting thing” because while, yes, write it if it’s what you want (I myself enjoy writing dark fics, something I believe would be considered “vile” to a lot of people), this is me saying in a world of censorship and capitalism, ao3 really is a treasure.

everybody say thank you ao3

[kirspeon]

[xyuu01]

There might be a regicide soon or maybe, Alastor is just being nice, who knows? 🤷🏻

Hmmm, I do miss drawing them. I will be drawing them more in may (maybe) 🍎📻🫶🏻

And a doodle, where they made a bet on how long Alastor can do planks with Lucifer timing him lmao

[woodensteaky]

Hell's famous heartbreaker 💔

[turtleofthehollow]

Alastor: Learns Lucifer can't harm him in anyway

Tries to take advantage of the situation to overpower him

Remembers who he's dealing with, and that Lucifer is nigh indestructible and immovable

Gets pouty when none of his attacks work

Lucifer: Gets smug and taunts Alastor for being unable to do anything to him

Forgets who he's talking to, and that Alastor can match him sass for sass

Proceeds to get mocked and belittled by a sinner

The two of them resorting to childish insults and weak slap fights that don't even hurt because they're petty and refuse to get along

Everyone: Face palms

[turtleofthehollow]

Scenario for the 'Executioner Alastor' theory

Alastor is the offense; Lucifer is the defense

Lucifer swoops in to shield Alastor from attacks since he's nigh indestructible

Than Alastor goes in for the kill when there's an opening

[megandog21]

So...basically:

[turtleofthehollow]

I hadn’t thought of that but now I am 🤣🤣🤣

[turtleofthehollow]

With the knowledge that Rosie owns Alastor's soul, what if she actually turned him into a cannibal

I've seen a couple of fics bring up the concept of 'The Eternal Hunger' as a curse that plagues cannibals for feasting on the flesh of their own kind

Combine that with the notion that Rosie owns Alastor's soul, what if she intentionally inflicted that curse on him as another means of controlling him

And he hates it

He hates the fact that he's afflicted with this curse that makes normal food inedible to him, to the point where he can't even enjoy his mother's recipes anymore

What he wasn't expecting, though, was for the Hazbin Hotel to actually help him break the curse

Imagine Alastor still working at the hotel when Charlie starts working on a new program meant to help sinners with their addictions

At first, Alastor scoffed at the idea just like he does with any attempts to redeem sinners, but the more he works along side Charlie, the more he considers going through the program as well

He gets to the point where he's desperate enough to break free from Rosie's control that he'll actually subject himself to Charlie's altruism

Plus, there's the added hilarity that he only has this opportunity because Rosie forced him to work at the hotel. Had she not done that, than Alastor wouldn't have had the means to slowly break free of her control

So he goes through the program, and is surprised to find it actually worked

He never thought it'd be possible since he's not dealing with an addiction in the the technical sense, but a curse that forces a dependency on a cannibalistic meats

It puts him one step closer to freeing himself knowing he doesn't have to go back to Cannibal Town ever again to satiate his hunger

[turtleofthehollow]

Scenario for the 'Executioner Alastor' theory

Alastor is the offense; Lucifer is the defense

Lucifer swoops in to shield Alastor from attacks since he's nigh indestructible

Than Alastor goes in for the kill when there's an opening

[turtleofthehollow]

Executioner Alastor Idea

I've been seeing theories going around about Alastor making a deal with Lucifer to become his Executioner to work around Lucifer's restrictions from harming sinners

Which is such a fun idea, but what if it goes both ways?

Alastor protecting Lucifer from any sinner who tries to attack him, and Lucifer protecting Alastor from any exorcists (Lute) who tries to kill him

Which will be especially important if this season ends with a full on war with Heaven