Where Thuri goes to write @writing-thuri - Tumblr Blog

worlds slowest fanfic author tries really really hard

everyone in the notes we are all holding hands. everyone who hasnt worked on a wip in weeks or months or years, its okay. we are going slow but we are going

berrybird-blog1

Helpful things for action writers to remember

Sticking a landing will royally fuck up your joints and possibly shatter your ankles, depending on how high you’re jumping/falling from. There’s a very good reason free-runners dive and roll.

Hand-to-hand fights usually only last a matter of seconds, sometimes a few minutes. It’s exhausting work and unless you have a lot of training and history with hand-to-hand combat, you’re going to tire out really fast.

Arrows are very effective and you can’t just yank them out without doing a lot of damage. Most of the time the head of the arrow will break off inside the body if you try pulling it out, and arrows are built to pierce deep. An arrow wound demands medical attention.

Throwing your opponent across the room is really not all that smart. You’re giving them the chance to get up and run away. Unless you’re trying to put distance between you so you can shoot them or something, don’t throw them.

Everyone has something called a “flinch response” when they fight. This is pretty much the brain’s way of telling you “get the fuck out of here or we’re gonna die.” Experienced fighters have trained to suppress this. Think about how long your character has been fighting. A character in a fist fight for the first time is going to take a few hits before their survival instinct kicks in and they start hitting back. A character in a fist fight for the eighth time that week is going to respond a little differently.

ADRENALINE WORKS AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU FIGHT. THIS IS IMPORTANT. A lot of times people think that adrenaline will kick in and give you some badass fighting skills, but it’s actually the opposite. Adrenaline is what tires you out in a battle and it also affects the fighter’s efficacy - meaning it makes them shaky and inaccurate, and overall they lose about 60% of their fighting skill because their brain is focusing on not dying. Adrenaline keeps you alive, it doesn’t give you the skill to pull off a perfect roundhouse kick to the opponent’s face.

Swords WILL bend or break if you hit something hard enough. They also dull easily and take a lot of maintenance. In reality, someone who fights with a sword would have to have to repair or replace it constantly.

Fights get messy. There’s blood and sweat everywhere, and that will make it hard to hold your weapon or get a good grip on someone.

A serious battle also smells horrible. There’s lots of sweat, but also the smell of urine and feces. After someone dies, their bowels and bladder empty. There might also be some questionable things on the ground which can be very psychologically traumatizing. Remember to think about all of the character’s senses when they’re in a fight. Everything WILL affect them in some way.

If your sword is sharpened down to a fine edge, the rest of the blade can’t go through the cut you make. You’ll just end up putting a tiny, shallow scratch in the surface of whatever you strike, and you could probably break your sword.

ARCHERS ARE STRONG TOO. Have you ever drawn a bow? It takes a lot of strength, especially when you’re shooting a bow with a higher draw weight. Draw weight basically means “the amount of force you have to use to pull this sucker back enough to fire it.” To give you an idea of how that works, here’s a helpful link to tell you about finding bow sizes and draw weights for your characters. (CLICK ME)

If an archer has to use a bow they’re not used to, it will probably throw them off a little until they’ve done a few practice shots with it and figured out its draw weight and stability.

People bleed. If they get punched in the face, they’ll probably get a bloody nose. If they get stabbed or cut somehow, they’ll bleed accordingly. And if they’ve been fighting for a while, they’ve got a LOT of blood rushing around to provide them with oxygen. They’re going to bleed a lot.

Here’s a link to a chart to show you how much blood a person can lose without dying. (CLICK ME)

If you want a more in-depth medical chart, try this one. (CLICK ME)

Hopefully this helps someone out there. If you reblog, feel free to add more tips for writers or correct anything I’ve gotten wrong here.

ave-aria

How to apply Writing techniques for action scenes:

- Short sentences. Choppy. One action, then another. When there’s a lull in the fight, take a moment, using longer phrases to analyze the situation–then dive back in. Snap, snap, snap. - Same thing with words - short, simple, and strong in the thick of battle. Save the longer syllables for elsewhere. - Characters do not dwell on things when they are in the heat of the moment. They will get punched in the face. Focus on actions, not thoughts. - Go back and cut out as many adverbs as possible. - No seriously, if there’s ever a time to use the strongest verbs in your vocabulary - Bellow, thrash, heave, shriek, snarl, splinter, bolt, hurtle, crumble, shatter, charge, raze - it’s now. - Don’t forget your other senses. People might not even be sure what they saw during a fight, but they always know how they felt. - Taste: Dry mouth, salt from sweat, copper tang from blood, etc - Smell: OP nailed it - Touch: Headache, sore muscles, tense muscles, exhaustion, blood pounding. Bruised knuckles/bowstring fingers. Injuries that ache and pulse, sting and flare white hot with pain. - Pain will stay with a character. Even if it’s minor. - Sound and sight might blur or sharpen depending on the character and their experience/exhaustion. Colors and quick movements will catch the eye. Loud sounds or noises from behind may serve as a fighter’s only alert before an attack. - If something unexpected happens, shifting the character’s whole attention to that thing will shift the Audience’s attention, too. - Aftermath. This is where the details resurface, the characters pick up things they cast aside during the fight, both literally and metaphorically. Fights are chaotic, fast paced, and self-centered. Characters know only their self, their goals, what’s in their way, and the quickest way around those threats. The aftermath is when people can regain their emotions, their relationships, their rationality/introspection, and anything else they couldn’t afford to think or feel while their lives were on the line.

Do everything you can to keep the fight here and now. Maximize the physical, minimize the theoretical. Keep things immediate - no theories or what ifs.

If writing a strategist, who needs to think ahead, try this: keep strategy to before-and-after fights. Lay out plans in calm periods, try to guess what enemies are thinking or what they will do. During combat, however, the character should think about his options, enemies, and terrain in immediate terms; that is, in shapes and direction. (Large enemy rushing me; dive left, circle around / Scaffolding on fire, pool below me / two foes helping each other, separate them.)

Lastly, after writing, read it aloud. Anyplace your tongue catches up on a fast moving scene, edit. Smooth action scenes rarely come on the first try.

uccelletto-di-kokuyo

More for martial arts or hand-to-hand in general

What a character’s wearing will affect how they fight. The more restricting the clothes, the harder it will be. If they’re wearing a skirt that is loose enough to fight in, modesty will be lost in a life or death situation.

Jewelry can also be very bad. Necklaces can be grabbed onto. Bracelets also can be grabbed onto or inhibit movement. Rings it can depend on the person.

Shoes also matter. Tennis shoes are good and solid, but if you’re unused to them there’s a chance of accidentally hurting your ankle. High heels can definitely be a problem. However, they can also make very good weapons, especially for someone used to balancing on the balls of their feet. Side kicks and thrusting kicks in soft areas (like the solar plexus) or the feet are good ideas. They can also (hopefully) be taken off quickly and used as a hand weapon. Combat boots are great but if someone relies more on speed or aren’t used to them, they can weigh a person down. Cowboy boots can be surprisingly good. Spin kicks (if a character is quick enough to use them) are especially nasty in these shoes.

If a character is going to fight barefoot, please keep location in mind. Concrete can mess up your feet quick. Lawns, yards, etc often have hidden holes and other obstacles that can mess up a fighter. Tile floors or waxed wood can be very slippery if you’re not careful or used to them.

Likewise, if it’s outside be aware of how weather will affect the fight. The sun’s glare can really impede a fighter’s sight. A wet location, inside or outside, can cause a fighter to slip and fall. Sweat on the body can cause a fighter to lose a grip on an opponent too.

Pressure points for a trained fighter are great places to aim for in a fight. The solar plexus is another great place to aim for. It will knock the wind out of anyone and immediately weaken your opponent.

It your character is hit in the solar plexus and isn’t trained, they’re going down. The first time you get hit there you are out of breath and most people double over in confusion and pain. If a fighter is more used to it, they will stand tall and expand themselves in order to get some breath. They will likely keep fighting, but until their breath returns to normal, they will be considerably weaker.

Do not be afraid to have your character use obstacles in their environment. Pillars, boxes, bookshelves, doors, etc. They put distance between you and an opponent which can allow you to catch your breath.

Do not be afraid to have your character use objects in their environment. Someone’s coming at you with a spear, trident, etc, then pick up a chair and get it caught in the legs or use it as a shield. Bedsheets can make a good distraction and tangle someone up. Someone’s invading your home and you need to defend yourself? Throw a lamp. Anything can be turned into a weapon.

Guns often miss their targets at longer distances, even by those who have trained heavily with them. They can also be easier to disarm as they only shoot in one direction. However, depending on the type, grabbing onto the top is a very very bad idea. There is a good likelihood you WILL get hurt.

Knives are nasty weapons by someone who knows what they’re doing. Good fighters never hold a knife the way you would when cutting food. It is best used when held against the forearm. In defense, this makes a block more effective and in offense, slashing movement from any direction are going to be bad. If a character is in a fight with a knife or trying to disarm one, they will get hurt.

Soft areas hit with hard body parts. Hard areas hit with soft body parts. The neck, stomach, and other soft areas are best hit with punches, side kicks, elbows, and other hard body parts. Head and other hard parts are best hit using a knife hand, palm strike, etc. Spin kicks will be nasty regardless of what you’re aiming for it they land.

Common misconception with round house kicks is that you’re hitting with the top of the foot. You’re hitting with the ball. You’re likely to break your foot when hitting with the top.

When punching, the thumb is outside of the fist. You’ll break something if you’re hitting with the thumb inside, which a lot of inexperienced fighters do.

Also, punching the face or jaw can hurt.

It can be hard to grab a punch if you’re not experienced with it despite how easy movies make it seem. It’s best to dodge or redirect it.

Hitting to the head is not always the best idea. It can take a bit of training to be able to reach for the head with a kick because of the height. Flexibility is very much needed. If there are problems with their hips or they just aren’t very flexible, kicks to the head aren’t happening.

Jump kicks are a good way to hit the head, but an opponent will see it coming if it’s too slow or they are fast/experienced.

A good kick can throw an opponent back or knock them to the ground. If the person you’ve hit has experience though, they’ll immediately be getting up again.

Even if they’ve trained for years in a martial art, if they haven’t actually hit anything before or gotten hit, it will be slightly stunning for the person. It does not feel the way you expect it too.

Those yells in martial arts are not just for show. If done right, they tighten your core making it easier to take a hit in that area. Also, they can be used to intimidate an opponent. Yelling or screaming right by their ear can startle someone. (Generally, KHR fans look at Squalo for yelling)

Biting can also be used if someone’s grabbing you. Spitting in someone’s eyes can’t hurt. Also, in a chokehold or if someone is trying to grab your neck in general, PUT YOU CHIN DOWN. This cuts off access and if they’re grabbing in the front can dig into their hand and hurt.

Wrist grabs and other grabs can be good. Especially if it’s the first move an opponent makes and the character is trained, there are simple ways to counter that will have a person on their knees in seconds..

Use what your character has to their advantage. If they’re smaller or have less mass, then they’ll be relying on speed, intelligence, evasion, and other similar tactics. Larger opponents will be able to take hits better, they’re hits may be slower depending on who it is but will hurt like hell if they land, and size can be intimidating. Taller people with longer legs will want to rely on kicking and keeping their distance since they have the advantage there. Shorter people will want to keep the distance closer where it’s easier for them but harder for a taller opponent. Punching is a good idea.

Using a person’s momentum against them is great. There’s martial arts that revolve around this whole concept. They throw a punch? Grab it and pull them forward and around. Their momentum will keep them going and knock them off balance.

Leverage can used in the same way. If used right, you can flip a person, dislocate a shoulder, throw out a knee, etc.

One note on adrenaline: All that was said above is true about it. But, in a fight, it can also make you more aware of what’s going on. A fight that lasts twenty seconds can feel like a minute because time seems to almost slow down while moving extremely rapidly. You only have so much time to think about what you’re doing. You’re taking in information constantly and trying to adjust. Even in the slow down adrenaline gives you, everything is moving very rapidly.

Feelings will be your downfall even more so than adrenaline. Adrenaline can make those feelings more intense, but a good fighter has learned not to listen to those feelings. A good fighter may feel anger at being knocked down or in some way humiliated - their pride taken down. Yet they will not act on the anger. Acting on it makes a fighter more instinctive and many will charge without thinking. Losing control of anything (adrenaline rush, emotions, technique, etc) can be a terrible thing in a fight.

Just thought I’d add in here.

bamonnineties

YES. YES.

stylincheetah

Such good writing tips! @myebi

juliawritesbooks

@jmlascar you’ve probably seen this already, but in case you haven’t, it’s got some good info on fight scenes :)

thepedanticbohemian

Writing tool for your fight scenes.

sanders-sides-thuri

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

Chapters: ½ Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Deceit | Janus Sanders/Thomas Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus “The Duke” Sanders/Thomas Sanders Characters: Deceit | Janus Sanders, Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF), Dark Creativity | Remus “The Duke” Sanders Additional Tags: Massage, Rimming, Anal Play, minor overstimulation, Overstimulation, Anal Fingering, Spanking, Biting, Outdoor Sex, Tentacle Sex, Tentacle Dick, Tentacles, Light Bondage, Multiple Orgasms, Double Penetration, Knotting Dildos, Dildos, Face-Fucking, tiny bit. tiniest bit. of cum inflation, only the smallest, Remus (and most of these tags) are in Chapter 2, Little bit of hurt/comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot Summary:

Ever since the Dark Sides became an accepted part of the group, Thomas- deep down- has wanted to get to know them both in the way he knows the others. Luckily, now he has the perfect opportunity.

- Please go read ‘Getting to know yourself’ before you read this! It’ll make very little plot sense otherwise. Plus it’s a brilliant fic.

For any of you who read and enjoyed Getting to Know Yourself, AlienSubstance on AO3 is continuing it with the Dark Sides chapters!! The first is up and is SO good!

writing-thuri

Not my writing, but a continuation of my fic! Go read if you're into this kind of thing!

sanders-sides-thuri

I'm going to have to go with "Getting to Know Yourself" as it informs my thvi headcanons more than any other fic 😊💖

Aw, I love that fic! It was the first thing that got me really writing again in like...six years.

So! Some secrets!

I got the idea for it from @randomslasher, when we were driving home from work one day. They said they'd seen something on tumblr that gave them an idea for a totally out there pairing--Thomas/Virgil. And my brain latched on, and because Logan was my favorite turned it into "Thomas with everyone but eventually just Virgil"

Virgil's nickname, "Virge" is spelled "Verge" throughout the whole fic because at the time I wrote it (summer of 2017), that's how Thomas and Joan had told us it was spelled. They changed the "official" spelling after someone pointed out that "verge" in French means "penis".

Patton's chapter was the hardest to write, because Patton has always been the hardest for me in general. @randomslasher helped out immensely, and wrote a bit of it to get me going, because their Patton has always been AMAZING

There was originally going to be a Logince focused sequel, with Logan and Roman dealing with their own jealousies and disappointments in losing time with Thomas by finding love and comfort in each other. I wrote one part of it, but it brought too much of a downer feeling to a story I thought had ended well, so I scrapped it.

Each of the sides in the story look like Thomas would have if that side was fully in control at all times and had complete influence over him from childhood. So they all resemble Thomas, but each is an extreme version, while Thomas himself is the mixture of all four.

I've been asked if I'll ever add parts for Janus and Remus, now that they've been revealed. The answer is no, for two reasons--one, I'm not writing in the fandom anymore (I've moved on to Final Fantasy XV) and two, while I absolutely love those characters, I'm not interested in writing smut about them. But I have put some thought into what they'd be like, and I think Janus would subvert a lot of Thomas's expectations and be more vulnerable and tender than Thomas expects--and that Remus would introduce Thomas to some pretty fun and possibly intense kinks.

None of the Virgil chapters went exactly how I expected them to. He surprised me over and over--and I think the fic ended up all the better for it. I originally planned it to be four chapters, then six, and it ended up eight! But I think Virgil's story needed that much room to breathe.

THVI is still secretly my favorite pairing. I love Logince to death, of course, but I will always have a huge soft spot for Thomas cradling Virgil to his chest and telling him just how much he loves him. While they have hot sex, of course! :D

(for the "name a fic and I'll tell you a secret" meme)

bluebxlle-writer

Writing fight scenes

masterlist. main navigation.

@bluebxlle_writer on Instagram

1. Pacing

A fight scene should be fast-paced and intense. Unless it's a final battle with numerous parties, a fight scene that's too long tends to take away suspense. To speed up your pacing, use active voice to describe movement and don't overdescribe your characters' thoughts. Excessive inner monologue will be unrealistic, as people usually have no room to think during intense combats.

2. Character mannerisms

Here's a point that people often overlook, but is actually super important. Through fight scenes, you should be able to reveal your characters' contrasting mannerisms and personality. A cunning character would play dirty - fighting less and making use of their opponent's weakness more. A violent character would aim to kill. A softer one would only target to disarm their enemies, using weakened attacks. A short-minded character would only rely on force and attack without thinking. This will help readers understand your characters more and decide who to root for.

3. Making use of surroundings

Not only the characters, you also need to consider the setting of your fight scene and use it to your advantage. Is it suitable for fighting, or are there dangerous slopes that make it risky? Are there scattered items that can help your characters fight (e.g. nails, shards of glass, ropes, wooden boards, or cutlery)? Is it a public place where people can easily spot the fight and call the authorities, or is it a private spot where they can fight to the death?

4. Description

The main things that you need to describe in a fight scene are :

• Characters involved in the fight

• How they initiate and dodge attacks

• Fighting styles and any weapons used

• The injuries caused

Be careful to not drag out the description for too long, because it slows down the pace.

5. Raise the stakes

By raising the stakes of the fight, your readers will be more invested in it. Just when they think it's over, introduce another worse conflict that will keep the scene going. Think of your characters' goals and motivations as well. Maybe if the MC didn't win, the world would end! Or maybe, one person in the fight is going all-out, while the other is going easy because they used to be close :"D

6. Injuries

Fights are bound to be dirty and resulting in injuries, so don't let your character walk away unscathed - show the effect of their injuries. For example, someone who had been punched in the jaw has a good chance of passing out, and someone who had been stabbed won't just remove the knife and walk away without any problem. To portray realistic injuries, research well. I have two posts about writing realistic pain and injuries back in my pink theme, check them out if you need any reference!

7. Drive the plot forward

You don't write fight scenes only to make your characters look cool - every fight needs to have a purpose and drive the plot forward. Maybe they have to fight to improve their fighting skills or escape from somewhere alive. Maybe they need to defeat the enemy in order to obtain an object or retrieve someone who had been kidnapped. The point is, every single fight scene should bring the characters one step closer (or further :D) to the climax.

8. Words to use

• Hand to hand combat :

Crush, smash, lunge, beat, punch, leap, slap, scratch, batter, pummel, whack, slam, dodge, clobber, box, shove, bruise, knock, flick, push, choke, charge, impact

• With weapon :

Swing, slice, brandish, stab, shoot, whip, parry, cut, bump, poke, drive, shock, strap, pelt, plunge, impale, lash, bleed, sting, penetrate

patchworkpoltergeist

Can confirm, all of these will save your life writing fights.

walking-in-lucis

So...

You know the fic that amazing art piece I commissioned is from? The AU where Noct got sent to live with Cid after the marilith attack and grew up as a commoner in Hammerhead? The fic I started back in May thinking “huh, what the hell, I’ll try writing this, it might be an interesting little one-shot”? That fic?

Yeah, it hit 53,361 words today and is officially the longest thing I’ve ever posted to AO3 that I wrote on my own–and I’m only halfway through my outline!

What the heckity heck?!

walking-in-lucis

All Unwoven

Rating: Teen and Up Current Word Count: 1,547 Relationships: Gen, Chocobros if you squint Extras: Canon-Typical Violence Not Beta Read

Can also be read on my AO3, my username there is Thuri.

Just a little scene that popped into my head while talking about the boys with @nekoabi, who is The Best. Enjoy!

Summary:

It’d been bad. They’d made it out, but it’d been really, really bad. Prompto had seen Noct go down at once, heard Ignis shouting something, and seen the telltale orange glow of a phoenix down. He’d used more potions than he wanted to even think about, himself, just to stay up and shooting.

(Or, Noct gets himself in trouble, and Prompto and Ignis bond over it)

True to his threat when they’d reached the Haven, Noct crashed before the tent was even up, collapsing into a camp chair the moment it was set out, and fast asleep only minutes later. Gladio’d had to pick him up to get him to move, and he’d come awake only long enough to–barely–help as Ignis got him into some fresh clothes.

Any other time, Prompto knew he probably would’ve been teasing him for it, or snapping pictures of Noct’s adorably grumpy sleep face. But not this time.

He’d taken the soiled clothes from Ignis, volunteering to go down to the water’s edge, just a few yards away, to wash them. He figured they’d all feel a little better, once the evidence of the morning was behind them, and there was still plenty of sunlight left in the day to dry them, as well.

Keep reading

#reblogging my own writing

walking-in-lucis

Step Out into Twilight

Chapters: 1-4/? Rating: Teen and Up Current Word Count: 7816 Relationships: Ignoct, Chocobros Extras: commoner!Noct AU, no real relationships yet, but it’s headed toward chocobros + luna, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disabled Character

Can also be read on my AO3, my username there is Thuri.

Summary:

Ignis was one of the few who knew that Noctis had survived the Marilith attack at the age of eight, and one of the very few who’d not had a memory spell cast upon them to forget the fact. At the age of ten he’d pledged to the King he would never reveal the secret, and he’d kept his word. But to do so he’d had to promise to not seek Noctis out on his own, to not put his best friend and prince in danger.

Now, twelve years later, the King had asked Ignis to go in person to assure Noctis was safe, was well—and Ignis’s heart had leapt in his chest.

He didn’t know how much Noctis would remember, he didn’t know how closely the young man he traveled to meet would resemble the best friend of his youth. He didn’t know what state he’d find him in, if the King’s fears were justified. But all that truly mattered was the fact that mere minutes separated them and he was about to see Noctis again at last.

Chapter One:

“What, Reggie can’t pick up a damned phone?”

Cid Sophiar was just as stubborn as King Regis had warned he might be, Ignis decided, as the old man squinted suspiciously up at him. Stubborn, and incapable of respect. “His Majesty felt a personal visit would be more enlightening,” Ignis replied stiffly.

Cid snorted, turning around and walking into the open garage. He had, so far, been rather less than helpful. “Always does. Thought he was putting the boy into hiding, but no! Gotta send one damned babysitter after another to check up on ‘im. Reggie’s damn lucky there ain’t been any interest, with the way he’s got so many royal pains in the ass droppin’ in on my garage.”

“I’ll be sure to include your observations in my report,” Ignis said, praying for patience as he followed Cid. Noctis was somewhere nearby, and it still seemed as if he wasn’t any closer to seeing him. “But he did request I speak directly to…”

Keep reading

#reblogging my own writing

walking-in-lucis

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

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: Teen and Up Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia Characters: Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Cid Sophiar, Cindy Aurum, Takka Bradham, Cor Leonis Additional Tags: commoner!Noct AU, no real relationships yet, but it’s headed toward chocobros + luna, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disabled Character Summary:

Now, twelve years later, the King had asked Ignis to go in person to assure Noctis was safe, was well—and Ignis’s heart had leapt in his chest.

****

Posted the first part of the big fic I’ve been working on lately. It’s about 13k so far, this is only the first chapter. The first part is finished, so I’ll be posting chapters of it regularly.

It’s a big AU that starts approximately when the game does and could go for the entire thing–or may leave some of it up to interpretation, I haven’t decided. But I hope you enjoy! and thanks to @nekoabi for being an AWESOME cheerleader!

#reblogging my own writing

mysticmilks

Save a fanfic writer, leave comments on old fics

There is this a peculiar set of reasons and biases when it comes to NOT commenting on AO3.

They are all false, but here they are:

Do not comment on old fics

Do not comment on each chapter of a multichapter

Do not comment if the author left the fandom

Do not comment if the author doesn’t respond to comments

It can be summoned up as DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU ENJOYED THE WORK AND YOU LIKE THE AUTHOR.

It comes from the idea, that if you leave a comment on my old work, or leave too many comments, I will think you are strange, clingy, and gross.

Readers are imagining it as commenting on an old Facebook photo — only your granny and creepy strangers do that.

That is not the case with AO3.

Writers put their works there for long-term storage, and we expect, wish, and hope that you will like our works and tell us about it.

This all very interesting, not, but why should I care?

This has awful consequences. Fanfic authors feel constant pressure to create more and crippling fear of being forgotten, useless, and being literally kicked away from fandom.

I’m online friends with a few great fandom authors, who wrote storied with thousands of kudos, but ALL of them at some point expressed this fear. Very talented people told me, “I’m not sure if I should have ‘writer’ in my bio. I didn’t post anything new in the last half of a year.”

Some young or entitled readers might say, “Hm, well, they are right. They should create MORE to be relevant. Isn’t that a good thing to push authors to write more?”

For better or worse, life doesn’t work like that. We are talking about real people, who go to real schools, have real jobs, families, and all the other important things outside the fandom. Some of them might push to create more from that fear, but most would only get more frustrated and depressed about the whole fanfic writing.

So, please, if you like the work comment on it.

Even if it’s old, even if it’s a multichapter, even if the author doesn’t have time and energy to interact. Especially in all those cases.

Encourage your authors, and show them your support.

UPD:

my previous post How to start writing comments

explanation about fics from 70s by olderthannetfic. Thank you so much for it.

lemonsharks

The rules of facebook/instagram do not apply to fanfic platforms

mooncustafer

I’m not going to see two posts by the same person on two different fics and think “o no, they’re stalking me!” I’m going to think “Yay, someone *finally* read that admittedly very niche thing I wrote!”

nuttersincorporated

If I see a comment by the same person on two fics, it’s the best thing in the world! They liked my story enough to read a second one. Thank you, commenter. You’ve made my day. More than that, it will probably improve me whole week, if not longer.

kangofu-cb

There’s an extremely specific and special sort of feeling that comes with seeing the same commenter name in your inbox as they methodically make their way through a story or your AO3 page and it is somewhere in the neighborhood of if glee/pride/disbelief had a baby.

It’s very nice and heartwarming.

akiyty

There needs to be a word for the feeling of seeing the same name in a rack of ao3 comment notifications

drst

So let me take a stab at this, for folks who are accustomed to only social media:

Think of AO3 like a library. Comments or kudos are like checking out a book from a library. Do you ignore books that look like they’ve been in the library for a while out of fear they’re too old for you to check out? Of course not! Same thing applies here.

AO3 is literally an archive. The intent is not for you to only look at the newest stuff. Its purpose is to hold on to works over the course of time so we can find them again later. Writers wouldn’t put their stuff in the archive if they didn’t want people to be able to find it after a while - that would defeat the entire purpose.

scifigrl47

Reblogging to shoutout AO3 user NatashalieLumley who is currently making their way through the Toasterverse, because it always warms my heart when people read the dumb little side stories, too. Blessings on you, you kind soul.

Also, they are pacing themselves. the only time I get concerned about comments on old fic is when it is clear that someone has just read a decade’s worth of my fic (literally) in 36 hours (also literally) and I am like please sleep. Please. Too much crack fic at once is gonna cause brain damage.

galvanizedfriend

Shoutout to @xdevilsheartx, who read every chapter of TW in like 15 minutes (gimme your powers pls) and always dropped me comments that filled my heart with all the fuzzy feels. ❤️ I’ve been going back to read your comment on the last chapter almost every day, my dude. Bless your heart ❤️

yespumpkindoodlesthings

There are so many GREAT readers out there. @stars—thunderbird sends me fun prompts all the time and is entirely responsible for the existence of Brock/Darcy/Frank. That’s all her, you guys. People like @littlemrscookie and @ibelieveinturtles and @kiaraalexisklay and @shenandoah76209 who leave lovely comments on practically every single chapter I write. Seriously, I am not joking. @alaskarostova sends me the funniest memes all the time. There’s a regular commenter (sara47q) who has been leaving me a flutter of hearts on fics for both first reads and re-reads for probably a few years now. And another with a crow avatar who basically leaves the text symbols version of shiny things. It’s very cool. I especially love when someone like @schlean reads through my big ol’ collection of tumblr prompts/short fics and leaves comments for individual chapters/stories.

ibelieveinturtles

Here’s to all the commentors ever, whether they be one off, regulars, or repeats. We love you all.

walking-in-lucis

After the Nightmare

Since I started a blog for this stuff, I figured I’d go ahead and post my fic to it, too. This is just 1000ish words of Noct’s introspective angst. No real warnings, just mentions of canon character deaths and canon typical violence.

Enjoy!

(Set immediately after Noct’s nightmare at the Leville.)

Running, fighting, running…

Had to reach Pryna, cold and still…

The ground disappearing, beneath his feet, melting away…

Falling, falling, falling…

Noct jerked with a start, his headlong fall ending as he came awake, eyes opening to a dim room. The sound of laughter and music drifted in on the warm breeze, the air turning chill as it met the sweat on his skin.

He hauled himself up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, resting his heads in his hands. Shit. Another damn nightmare…it was bad enough he was fighting off Imperials when he was awake, why the hell did he have to do it in his sleep?

Keep reading

#reblogging my own writing #want to keep track of it

walking-in-lucis

Taking a Rest

Apparently I am writing fic again? so hooray!

So this is a total vent fic, because I managed to hurt my back doing a lot of physical work this past week. My BFF and roommate (@randomslasher) has a bad back, so I’m usually the one who does all the physical heavy lifting, but I overdid it and am laid out right now. They’re being amazing taking care of me, but I am SUPER FRUSTRATED about it–so I took it out on Noct!

Read on AO3 here

About 1700 words, Ignoct (if you squint, could be platonic or romantic), some cursing, some internalized ableism from Noct, Hurt/Comfort. Enjoy!

It didn’t fully hit him until the next day.

It wasn’t that Noct wasn’t used to being physically active back home. He was. He trained with the Crownsguard, he’d walked all over his high school campus, he’d worked a few jobs that had him on his feet. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to sitting for long hours, either, in meetings and class, and marathon video game sessions.

But he had to admit he wasn’t used to riding for hours in a car only to jump out, hike halfway up a mountain, spend a frantic half hour or so fighting for his life, then dropping back in the car for a few more hours on the way to do it all over again.

Maybe it was that. Maybe it was the third rainy day in a row. Maybe it’d been harvesting and hauling crops, which he absolutely wasn’t used to. Maybe it’d been the hit he’d taken from the dualhorn the day before–not enough to waste a potion on, definitely enough to feel.

Keep reading

#reblogging my own writing #want to keep track of it

H. Hello Thuri! It’s been a hot sec since I revisited this fandom, but I was a really common anon back in the hayday lol and one of my friends is looking for a soulmate AU one-shot series (it has the strings soulmate, writing, timer, etc - basically every version of soulmate AU out there) but none of us can find it! Do you have any clue about it? I thought it might’ve been yours but the search function on tumblr is. Bad. Thank you!!

That would probably be @not-so-innocent-bi-sander! She’s written a TON of wonderful soulmate fics!

reverie-lavellan

idk if anyone will find this useful, but this is how i go about planning my stories. i mostly write fantasy, so that’s what this is most applicable to. but it could work with other genres too.

so there’s three major components to a story: the characters, the plot, and the world. creating them individually is the easy part, but they all connect and affect each other in different ways. (like you can’t have a character who loves peaches and eats them every day if they live a peasant in a region that doesn’t grow peaches, for example.)

so i created a cheat sheet to help connect all three components together.

1) the world creates the characters.

this is related to the peach example above. the characters should be a direct result of the environment they grew up in and the environment they currently live in.

2) the characters are limited by the world.

also related to the peaches. characters can’t do anything outside of what the rules of their surroundings and universe allow, such as eating peaches when they’re not available. this also applies for magic users. they can’t have unlimited magic, so keep in mind what you want out of both the characters and the world when creating magic systems.

3) the characters carry the plot.

we’ve all heard it before: “bad characters can’t carry a good plot. good characters can carry a bad plot.” but we all like a good plot anyway. try to make sure you’re not giving your characters too heavy or too light of a plot to carry.

4) the plot pushes the characters.

if nothing in the plot happens, your characters will remain static forever. if you struggle with plots, try starting with what character development you want to happen, then go from there.

5) the plot depends on the world.

you can’t overthrow the evil government if there isn’t one. think of what your world needs most and what your plot is centered around, and fit those two together.

6) the world is changed by the plot.

even if your plot is centered around something most of your world would call “insignificant”, the world will still experience some change from the plot. either the evil government will be gone, or maybe that one teacher is now way more careful about keeping an eye on the test key. either way, the world will be different from now on.

final note: usually people will be able to write one or two of the components with ease, but don’t know where to go from there. i personally can’t write plots, but thinking this way has really helped me actually make a story out of the world and characters because i looked at what i needed from what i had. i really hope this can help you too! happy writing!

tl;dr this is a cheat sheet to help anyone who struggles with writing one or two of what i consider the three major components to a story.

nicolodigenovas

Come back, I have to tell you the plot of a fic I’ll never write and get you excited about it so we can all be disappointed with me later

Idk if you meant those prompt for Sanders sides fics but if you did... Maybe logince or roceit with "do I look as bad as I feel?"

While I was mostly just saving them for myself, I couldn’t resist and can’t say no to you!

Logince it is!

***

“Do I look as bad as I feel?”

Logan snorted softly, not pausing as he gently dabbed ointment over Roman’s forehead. “I’d have to say that depends.”

Roman cracked one eye suspiciously. “On what?”

“On if you’re feeling particularly gorgeous or not,” Logan answered mildly, privately delighted when a bright flush spread upwards across Roman’s cheeks, turning them even pinker. He was, Logan had noted multiple times, utterly incapable of taking a compliment. Which was why Logan so enjoyed bestowing them.

“Lo!” Roman groaned, hiding his face in his hands. “You are completely ruining the atmosphere here! I’m dying.”

Logan snorted again. “You have a sunburn, Roman, I think you’ll survive.”

“But will my complexion?” Roman countered huffily. “Who will love me, when my face is the texture of old leather?”

“Me.” Logan leaned in, pressing a soft kiss against Roman’s lips. “I’m willing to make that sacrifice.”

“I don’t see why it’s a sacrifice, when...mmph!”

Kissing Roman was, Logan had long ago learned, and excellent way to shut him up.

#justanotherpurplebutterfly #logince #thuriweaver writing #prompt fill

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