Hi! I was crazy, looking for a social network that you still used. Well, I came here because I read The Curious Princess a while ago. I saw that she is on hiatus, and I didn't come here to ask you to update her. I'm also a writer and I know what it's like to put a fanfic on hiatus, I know what it's like to be discouraged or out of ideas. I came here because I was delighted with your writing and I wanted to say that I think you are incredibly talented. I read all your works and I was fascinated by your talent. I just wanted to say this: that you are very talented and I am happy to have been able to read something from you. Thank you for everything 💗🥺

I wish I could write a proper response that could truly convey how much your message means to me, but alas, it has rendered me rather speechless

what I can say though, is that this is way too sweet; thank youu so much <33

Thoughts from an inadequate fanfiction author

I just read a Reddit post about feelings of inadequacy and jealousy in relation to other’s writing, that clawing in your stomach when you read something that is so gripping, so incredibly paced, or simply so wildly popular (dripping with kudos, comments, what have you) that you just want to quit, because you can’t write like that, you will never be as talented, as popular, etc, etc.

It’s such a ugly emotion that I hate to even admit to it, but I just feel like so many writers need to hear this and need to know they are not alone when they’re overcome with this feeling.

The thing that has really helped me is remembering that I’m the only person on earth who can tell the stories I tell.

Every person has a unique history and background that makes them uniquely capable of creating what they do.

I try to equate it to music. There are indie artists whose music I adore (Bright Eyes is a band that specifically comes to mind). What if your favorite band listened to Mozart or Beyoncé and thought, I will never be as talented at composing as Mozart or as famous as Beyonce, and therefore, I will never write another song.

How sad would you be, how bereft, if the artists you love gave up because they weren’t “the best?”

You are that perfect writer, not to everyone, but to someone.

That means something. It is so difficult to remember, but it all comes back to self-esteem. You are worthwhile and your writing is worthwhile NOT because it’s the best, but because there’s only one person in the world who could write it, and there is someone out there who needs to read it. Maybe you can make someone smile or feel or laugh, and what an incredible gift that is, one you shouldn’t hide.

So I urge you not to dim your shine for any reason. Keep going, find your audience, get better, KEEP AT IT. The worst thing you can do is give up, because that’s the only sure way you will never be that kind of amazing writer you wish to emulate.

If you’re curious, I wrote in college, then took a 10 year break due to feelings of inadequacy after having writer’s block and receiving a lukewarm response to some chapters I posted. I decided 2020 was my year and have written 42 works (some short stories, some long ones) since January. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let anything stop me from enjoying my hobby again, and that’s why I want to encourage myself and others to feed their passions. 

I'm usually able to block out the real world when I'm writing, to separate my thoughts/emotions about my life or current events from what I'm working on, but lately it's been getting harder and harder to keep the real world from encroaching on the time I set aside for creating. Any advice or tips to help keep myself from drowning in my own thoughts?

I’ve had the same issue, and I ended up just not writing at all for 2 months or more. I stepped away from this blog. I didn’t write fic. I stopped RPing (and I used to write probably 10-20K a night in RP). Real life made that kind of creativity hard, and I had to accept that bashing my head against that metaphorical wall was just making me frustrated and miserable. 

Instead, I started creating in other ways. A lot of it was at work, where I had to rewrite courses that were designed to be delivered in a classroom and a lab and figure out how to make them work online. I also did things like design and build a website for my own fun and amusement, and create graphics for Fanlore, where I’m a volunteer. 

I also played A LOT of animal crossing. Still do. I find it relaxing, and it’s also a big part of my socializing right now. I know a bunch of other people who are playing too, and it’s really kept my spirits up the last few months. 

Sometimes what we need most isn’t being creative, it’s being distracted from the world. After a few months off, I’m back to RPing. Only on weekends, though, and I get tired a lot faster than I used to. But I’m answering asks again and getting some of my old spark back, and I really do owe it to taking that break and letting myself just... be. 

*hugs* if this advice doesn’t work for you, maybe the blog can suggest some of the things they’ve tried. We’re rooting for you, anon. And we’re all in this together ❤

to commenters on AO3

if you’re like “this fic was posted [x] number of days/weeks/months/years ago, it’s too late to post a comment,” let me tell you. no. it is never too late to comment. maybe someone else will see your comment and decide to read it. maybe the writer will see it, maybe they won’t, but if they do i guarantee they won’t be like “who’s this n00b commenting on my old fic” they’ll be like !!!! someone is reading my old stuff!!!! every time an AO3 comment is posted an angel gets its wings etc etc

Thanks for giving me a chance ❤

Active voice: I love your writing

Passive voice: Your writing is loved

Passive-aggressive voice: I love how you think you can accomplish all your writing goals this summer

Aggressive-aggressive voice: How’s your writing going so far this summer

Writing a multi chap like

I’m late for HAKYONA Day, but i made this really rough sketch bc i love them so much and they deserve all. Forgive me if the lineart is so dirty ç__ç

What I say I’m doing: Researching for my fic

What I’m actually doing: Falling into the loophole that is Wikipedia and spending hours reading up on everything from the polar caps on Mars to why the word naïve has an umlaut (spoiler: it’s a diaeresis not umlaut), and the history of St Petersburg. 

What I say I’m doing: Writing

What I’m actually doing: Spending half an hour scrolling through Pinterest boards to decide the perfect outfit for one character to wear during one chapter.

why you should keep writing your story

because it’s a puzzle no one else will ever arrange the same way as you.

because there are ideas that simply won’t come to you until you write down the wrong words.

because all the bad scenes are the bones of the wonderful scenes.

because someone will love it: someone will read it once, and twice, and thrice; someone will ramble to you about the complexity of it; someone will doodle your characters out of love; someone will find it in exactly what they were looking for with or without knowing it.

because they have things to say, your characters. they’ve told you all those secrets and they have more to tell you, if you will listen.

because you love it even when you don’t; even when it drives you mad or when it accidentally turns into apathy; even when you think you’re doing it all wrong; you love it, and it loves you back.

because you can get a treasure even from things that go wrong; because if a story crumbles down you can build a shinier one on the same spot; because you won’t know where it will take you until it takes you there.

yikes, this feels like it could be me lmao 

Y’all, I just got an email alert about a new chapter on a story I follow. Here’s the author’s note for that chapter. 😂

working on chapter 4 for my fic The Curious Princess and wrote this as a placeholder. like wow, I didn’t realize how accurate it is—basically describes my entire fic lol 

Fanfic Writer Friday

Alright fellow fanfic friends, it’s Friday, the best day of the week, and it’s about to get a lot more fun. Ya know why?

Reblog this post if you want people to send you asks about your writing process, wip/fics, or headcanons today! For each ask you get, try and send one back in return!

This is a weekly event, to be held every Friday (obviously) and is open to all fanfic writers in any fandom! Don’t be shy about sending asks to blogs you don’t know—this is a great way for writers to get to know different blogs and fics, and make new friends!

(in case you feel like you’ve seen something like this before, this is based of of writeblr’s Storyteller Saturday, aka STS!)

I’m pretty proud of myself—managed to write almost 1k words yesterday 🎉 after taking a long hiatus because of graduation & having multiple existential crises (and now even going through my first break up) slowly but surely, progress is being made!

I also edited what I have written and tried to figure out more of the ending (I have like three possible solutions in mind lol, but I’m leaning towards one since I think it’ll do the story most justice).

I just really hope people won’t lose interest when I take so long between chapters... and my chapters are pretty long, so they already require a lot of spare time to read >~<;

like, the average person reads 200~300/words per minute, and my fic is just short of 30k words—meaning that it’ll take roughly 2 hours for someone to read all of it (30 000 / 250 = 120min) and that’s not even considering other factors like inconsistencies in speed and taking breaks etc

I mean, this wouldn’t be a problem if I just shortened my chapters and increased the chap count, though I feel shorter chapters are harder to write well or good as some parts will then just be filler, or waaay too short or long.

okay, instead of doing unnecessary (and possibly incorrect) math on tumblr, I’ll get back to work.