#(*dunno if I should put this in the main fandom tag or not for... obv reasons lol*) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

helluvapurf · 2 months

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*claps* Soooo, its been a hot second since I uploaded a Tier list here, and since we're most likely gonna be getting the next batch of Helluva Boss eps pretty soon (dunno if in this exact month or so, given Hazbin Hotel's focus in February .3.), I figure it'd be safe to still give my general opinion of all the HB eps we've gotten so far (from the initial pilot to the Mammon ep). Hope you all enjoy reading!

NOTE: Like with my past tiers, these are all just my own personal opinions listed below, so DO try to keep things civil if you disagree with anything here. Thank you- 🙏

~Fave~

-"Ozzie's" (S1 Ep. 7) By FAR the ep that truly captured all of the show's best qualities into one, and I still find myself going back to it more times than I could count!~ 🤩👏👏Everything from the gorgeously animated Lust ring visuals, the whole climax of the ep being carried out through-song, Fizzarolli & Asmodeus making their debuts as the wickedly fun power couple, and of course there's the major focus to Blitz and Stolas as a whole here :O What started as a faux-date in order for Blitz to sneak into Ozzie's club/spy on M&M, became something that truly tackled the inner flaws to both their characters; Blitz as the emotionally closed-off, insecure imp who finally told off Stolas when-alone ("-Stolas, DON'T act like what we have is anything more than You. Wanting Me. To F*** you. Okay?? You make that really clear, all the time..."), to Stolas's own transgressions being turned against him in-public ("You used to have a smoking wife! A kid! You had it ALL~! I hope you didn't give it up, so you and him could get it ooooon... you sold your life for a thruuuuuust~!")... all resulting in said prince silently reflecting on what he had done, all alone out on his front manor steps, now....💔 Just... daaaaang, now THAT was truly something I never expected to see in a silly, raunchy assassin-focused show like this... but man was I eager for more once the credits came to a close! 😭👏👏

-"Loo-Loo Land" (S1 Ep. 2) Definitely one of the more "classic" S1 eps for alot of people, and the one that most definitely got me into the show full-on~ 😊 While maaaaybe an odd choice to have the second-ever ep of a series focused on a side character (or, in this case a side character's child lol), I was very much invested in Octavia's story the more we got to know her~ 🥺✨ A lonely owl princess who used to be filled with wonder in her childhood years... torn apart by her parents' crumbling marriage (+Stolas' infidelity) as a teenager. And now with her dad trying to recapture old memories by taking her back to Loo-Loo Land, we got a new glimpse into Stolas' character as he does all he can to be a doting (if ignorant) dad, struggling to balance those attributes with his attraction to Blitz (+him & the other IMP antics at the park), only for everything to backfire at the Robo Fizz show in-question. Ultimately, all building up beautifully to Stolas being acknowledged as having acted selfishly ("I just wanna go home, but home doesn't feel like home anymore. You ruined it..."), but at the same time... also showing him capable of admitting when he's wrong, enough to make things right by his daughter 🥹Which just... d'awww, never fails to hit me in the heart ngl~ 🙏💜

~Amazing~

-"Mammon's Magnificent Musical I'm not typing the whole title lol" (S2 Ep. 7) P h e w, quite a mouthful of an ep this was... and yet one I gladly ate up in-full for how entertaining it was!~ 👏👏 Fizzarolli coming back to show more of his insecurities/fears of losing his status in-life, all the great songs and visual imagery to explain his plight, Mammon being a surprisingly fun villain who was both bombastic and threatening, Asmodeus & Blitz serving well as supports to Fizz, and I even loved the smug-but-determined bitch energy for the Glitz & Glam twins~ 👌 Even if part of me kiiiiiinda feels like we could've gotten a whole season's worth of story with Fizz's focus here (as is, we most likely won't get another one of these with him if he's not gonna become a main-stay lead :c), I still very much recommend this one for anyone up for a good bit of musicals, angst, feels and hope for a character like Fizzie~ 🥹💜

-"Oops" (S2 Ep. 6) For the first ep that really dove into Fizzarolli in his own focus plot, this remains a pretty fun ep in alot of different ways! 😄 From Fizz being a chaotically goofy weirdo to root for, his adorable relationship with Asmodeus, the reunion with Blitz bringing back SO much angst and feels (esp as they both got kidnapped), it all really made you invested to see these two work through things once the plot got rolling~ 🥹🙏 Now, was it a "totally" perfect ep? ...Weeeeell, I'll admit I was a bit bummed that Asmodeus didn't get to do a whole lot than just sitting in a boring ol' office, Stolas (though he had some amusing lines) lowkey felt a bit pointless here as he just read a bunch of papers all day, and while I'm glad we got even more of Striker as a threat... idk, him randomly teaming up with Crimson just felt like an odd writing choice ngl .x. BUT hey, we got to see Blitz and Fizz finally making that move to amend things between them, some interesting plot potential with Stolas buying an Asmodean crystal (most likely to end his "deal" with Blitz), and the potential for Fizz to truly shine as a main lead really made it a worthwhile ep nonetheless~ :3

-"Truth Seekers" (S1 Ep. 6) The penultimate ep before the S1 finale, and boy was it a thrilling one!~ 👀 Even if the main human characters from the DHORK agency weren't too terribly interesting, the rest of the ep remained pretty solid in getting us invested to the action!👍From all the intense action of IMP racing to save one another from the human agents, the deep dives into Blitz & Moxxie's psyche as they reveal their genuine value to one another as friends (beyond just the snarky jests/insults), and even that end shot of the humans revealing they've captured everything on-camera really added to the stakes for what our protagonists could get into next~ :O Now, granted I can see why some could take issue with certain parts like the deus-ex-machina style ending (cool as it was seeing Stolas becoming an eldritch horror lol), along with some of the conflicting implications from Blitz's "trip" (like, are we meant to see Stolas in a good light with all that golden/“heavenly” imagery… or someone we’re meant to root against with Blitz being chained to him? .-.), but ultimately its not enough to take me out of the ep overall imo.

~Great~

-"Harvest Moon Festival" (S1 Ep. 5) As the first-ever introduction to our fave cowboy Striker, I'd say I still find myself having fun going back to this ep here & there :). Seeing his sly charm & charisma with our main leads, his genuine strength during the competition/end fight with the IMP crew, and the way he was able to break through Blitz's own inner-struggles with Hell's hierarchy ("-You are SO above suckin' on a disgusting, rich, pompous Goetia, only to sneak topside for scraps and work for bitter sinners, who could care less who you are, when you could be slaying Overlords...")... was just peak character-building, right there~ 👌👌 With all that said... why is this ep not ranked higher with the others above? ...Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a lil salty that this turned out to NOT be a Millie-centered ep T-T. Like... come oooon, we're right here in her hometown, her whole family's here, AND there's a whole competition about Imp fighting & Wrathian strength... you're seriously gonna give most of the spotlight to Moxxie instead, and then leave poor Millie more to the sidelines (even during the big Striker battle)? Smhhhh... -n-

-"Queen Bee" (S1 Ep. 8) About time we finally got the "official" last ep of S1... and though not quiiiite as grandiose compared to "Ozzie's", I couldn't help having fun with it nonetheless ^^. The Gluttony ring visuals were pretty, Bee(zlebub) was a fun new character, we got to see Vortex back as a supportive bud to Loona's struggles at the party, and even Loona & Blitz's father & daughter-bond focus (esp during the ending) was honestly pretty touching 🥺 Though, sadly I can't quiiiite rank this one much higher, due to this more-or-less being on the "filler"-range of eps (and Loona's development here unfortunately not carried through to S2... which ironically aired before this one did, so... oof >>; ), its still nice seeing the final vision of it after so long of waiting for it way back then 😊

-"Spring Broken" (S1 Ep. 3) One of the more "low-stakes" eps of the series, but one I still find a nice bit of charm too on its own accord ^^. We got a fun mix of cattiness from Blitz and his popstar-ex Verosika, Loona showing more of a softer side through her crush on Vortex, and a fun change of scenery by having the main IMP gang go up to challenge the Succubi at the beach (-all over a petty disagreement about a parking space, of all things lol). Granted, I do wish we could've actually seen more of a proper resolution to Blitz & Loona's fight (rather than them abruptly dropping it for a monster fish threat (+Moxxie getting drunk)?), but nonetheless its a nice lil palette-cleanser for those who want a break from shipping drama & angst :>

~Good~

-"Helluva Boss" (aka: The Pilot) While it may not be considered "canon" anymore in the grand scheme of things... I honestly can't help still having a soft spot for the original pilot that kicked off this whole series ^^. For the time, it was a nice mix of casting we got from Blitz introducing his classic "raunchy dumbass" self, Moxxie being more of a down-to-earth snarker to Blitz's antics than a punching bag, and even those like Loona & Millie had a nice bit of "bite" to their characterizations (that didn't just left them feeling like the token "girls" of the group). Heck, even Stolas seemed like he would've made for a fun villainous threat with the whole phone call scene with Blitz (pushy, threatening but still keeping his posh-rich guy schtick... think Brandon Rogers' British series in a way lol). As unpolished & awkwardly-paced the pilot was in hindsight (as even story-wise it lowkey felt more like a bunch of skits than a cohesive plot, I'll admit .w.; ), I think it could still use some fan-appreciation nonetheless 👍

-"Murder Family" (S1 Ep. 1) The more "official" first ep of the series... and, while admittedly not as memorable as the OG pilot, I think its still a fine ep on its own accord imo ^^. The main cast is still generally solid, I enjoyed Mrs. Mayberry & her story against Martha (+her secret killer family lol), and though a lil low-stakes in the long run, I think it sets up some interesting potential for characters like Stolas to become more relevant (-albeit his whole "deal" with Blitz not... exactly aging well, even for his previous-established creepiness .-.;; ) Still, for what it was I'd say it was a fine start to the series👍

~Ok~

-"C.H.E.R.U.B." (S1 Ep. 4) Seems to be considered the general least-favorite for alot of the fandom back when it aired... buuuuut tbh, I don't really think its that bad, looking back? ^^; Like, yeeaaaah its not a perfect ep; as the Cherubs (save for the purple one) were a bit forgettable in-hindsight, the old geezer duo weren't too interesting to get invested in, and I can see why some would take issue with the lowkey-unfair ending (I mean... really, kicking the Cherubs out of Heaven purely for an accidental death? Harsh :/). ...But other than that, I'd say this ep was honestly a bit refreshing to not be focused on melodrama or ship angst... as instead it kept its focus more on the IMP crew's assassin gig & their wacky shenanigans against their squeaky-clean rivals lol. With honestly a good handful of jokes I still find myself chuckling at today, I think if this ep just had a lil bit of polish/fine-tuning, I think this could've very well been a good pattern to have kept going for the rest of the show imo. 'Cause after all... wasn't that what the show was advertised as at the start, a series of goofy assassin-based adventures? lol

~*shrugs*~

-"Western Energy" (S2 Ep. 4) For the time, I'll admit to finding this among the more "okay" S2 episodes... and, I guess I still think thats the case (albeit a lil less now)? Like, yeah its not exactly the most special looking back given its... kinda clunky-handling of the "Stolas gets kidnapped" A-plot, Striker (tho fun as it is seeing him return) coming off a bit watered down character-wise, Stella's brother Andrealphus feeling randomly thrown-in (no proper intro or however he's just... there as Stolas & Stella are having tea? .-.) whereas Stella's just left as a joke in-comparison, and... yeaaaaah I still don't get why they only NOW decided to address the "Ozzie's" drama on-screen (...through a blink-and-you'll-miss-it text message, wow 🤦‍♀️). ...Buuuut, at the same time, I did find myself enjoying some of the B-story with Blitz & Loona (even if she was silent for it all), as we got a sweet lil view into Blitz's priorities at-play (preferring to keep his daughter comfortable at her appointment ahead of dropping everything for Stolas👍). Could the humor & pacing been better? Certainly... but for what it was (along with M&M's contributions during their Stolas rescue), I don't mind going back to this ep for at least those lil highlights .3.

~Ehhhh...~

-"Exes and Oohs" (S2 Ep. 3) Now, admittedly I didn't mind this ep too much back when it originally aired... buuuut the more I think on it nowadays, I'm just not sure if its "aged" the best tbh. Even with the unique premise of focusing onto Moxxie's side of things, from his family upbringing to his devotion to Millie... it ultimately fell kinda flat since Crimson (admittedly entertaining as he was at times) basically felt like any other generic mob boss at the end of the day, Chaz being a painfully unfunny presence with all his "hurrhurr I'm sexy~" humor, and even as I wanted to enjoy Millie taking a stand for her husband's defense... idk, it just kinda felt like the same "Millie gets to be kickass while Moxxie watches" song & dance we've been used to, already 🤷‍♀️ Not to say the ep's completely without its merits, as I did enjoy Blitz's addition as more of a chaotic doof than his usual asshole schtick here, the murkier green atmosphere a nice change of pace setting-wise, and the childhood Moxxie flashback being chillingly sad to watch... buuuuut if yall are gonna immediately backpeddle from such intensity through a literal d***-on-the-wall gag, then like... whats the point? :/

-"The Circus" (S2 Ep. 1) Definitely seems to be the most... "base-breaking" ep of the series, as you've got half the fans who do love it for exploring Stolas' backstory... to those who can't stand it for the continuity errors, melodrama & fanfic-y writing. For me... while I don't outright hate it, personally (as I do still enjoy some of the pretty visuals, Paimon (voiced by Jafar lol) being an entertaining asshole-type character, and some of the flashback scenes with the kid-aged cast were cute), I just... have the hardest time fully-enjoying the ep whenever I look back on it :( Namely for this... sadly being the point to where Stolas went from a well-balanced, complicated character w/ gray morality... to just your average "uwu poor bean who did nothing wrong & only wanted true looooove~ 🥺🥺" protagonist from literally any cheap Y/A romance story 🤷‍♀️. Nothing really seeming to be his fault anymore as we've got Stella being confirmed a heartless shrew their whole marriage, Paimon having been the catalyst that instilled the Goetia's toxic views into Stolas from childhood, and now Blitz having been shown as the one who "lead on" Stolas since the get-co (even as kids as he basically stole all his stuff under the guise of being his playmate + seduced Stolas (while he was drunk) as reunited adults). And like... if the show needs to bend over backwards THIS much to make you root for a character... then I just ain't interested in 'em anymore. Sorry :/

~No. Just No...~

-"Unhappy Campers" (S2 Ep. 5) Y'know, it says alot about an episode when it becomes the universal least favorite for alot of the fandom overnight... myself included -_-. Like... really? This has to be the point in finally giving M&M the major-A plot together? One where they're basically both at their absolute worst (from Moxxie being a whiny drama queen, to the writer's attempt at "Millie depth" feeling more like a half-assed ploy to ward off her critics), the humor being an absolute cringe-fest all the way through (like... whyyyy oh why did they had to make the setting at a kid's camp, of all things? 🤢), and as much as I wanted to enjoy the B-story with Blitz finding his sister Barbie (even more for her not immediately forgiving him right away)... the fact that it was ultimately just too rushed in and forgotten about by the end doesn't do the ep any favors for me :/ Need I say more...

-"Seeing Stars" (S2 Ep. 2) Ugh... while I guess not technically the worst HB episode given the previous one I mentioned... this one just, never fails to bug me for how filled to the brim it was of missed opportunities🤦‍♀️. What should've been a wholesome & touching ep focusing on Octavia's struggles with her parents' impending-divorce, getting to bond with Loona, and allowing them space to just hangout & have fun outside of their respective homes... was instead just a pointless venture into a bland af Hollywood setting, cheesy Stol*itz fanservice at some sitcom-set eating up the runtime (-all the while not addressing any of the drama from the prior "Ozzie's" ep), Loona being WAY too violent to her dad for no reason (even beyond her usual grumpiness) that it felt OOC, M&M adding nothing but fluff for the upteenth time in another side-plot... ...and the worst part of it for me, was just how backwards in logic it was to paint Octavia as "wrong" for being upset at her dad... WHEN SHE HAD EVERY FREAKIN' RIGHT TO BE??😑Yes, I know he loves her, and that he IS trying his best after the shitty cards he's been dealt with in-life... but jfc Stolas, did you need to stay on the phone arguing with Stella all-morning? Did you need to act so helpless and distracted at the studio with Blitz (-when you're literally the same dude who raised hell to save IMP in "Truth Seekers"...WITHOUT the grimoire on top of that)?? *sighs* And like... as much as I want to give Stolas kudos for (kinda?) apologizing & making amends at the end with Via... idk, I feel like that ultimately further-added to me growing disinterested in his overall character 😔. I could go on but... yeah. Even as a Via fan, this ain't an ep I'd watch again anytime soon...

#helluva boss opinions #helluva boss critical #(*dunno if I should put this in the main fandom tag or not for... obv reasons lol*)

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littlehollyleaf · 6 years

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Ask a writer!

tagged by @mysillylittlesoapbox (yes I do still write fic... sometimes :p I’m afraid it’s all Gotham now though!) ...I don’t usually do memes about my writing though so, this should be...interesting...

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

my name is holly, holly leaves are a thing, I wanted to just be ‘hollyleaf’ but it was already taken so I figured ‘well hey, I’m also small...’ and voila! (no, I’m so sorry, but the Warrior Cats series was not involved at any point, I still haven’t read them and only know a character has my username, or a version of it, because of all the asks I keep getting about it :P)

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/favorites, follows/subscriptions, visitor hits, kudos)

So I had a quick glance at AO3 and this is something it looks like WAAAAY too much effort for my lazy ass to figure out, plus I dunno how accurate the AO3 stats would be for my stuff anyways because I only very recently put all my fic on there after having most of it posted (and therefore commented on and otherwise interacted with) solely over at LJ for years and years...

I would imagine it’s Imitating Life (spn, deancas), because that’s the one I remember getting the most feedback for. So I’ll just go with that!

3. What is your FFnNet/AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

It’s the same as my tumblr one. Because it’s me and I already had the image saved in an appropriate size. I know, dull right?? (back on LJ I was OBSESSED with finding and/or creating SO MANY different icons to convey different moods and whatnot - they were basically an oldschool version of reaction gifs I guess - but on any other platform I’ve been just... meh about the icon thing... idk!)

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

@vampirebillionaire has been a regular for my Gotham stuff, notable for jumping ship with me into foxma :) (well not jumping... simultaneously enjoying :p), for which I am profoundly grateful xx but generally my fic style and content is a bit... eclectic I guess? so no, no one who is super regular

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

Of my own? Nah. Well... not AGAIN AND AGAIN like on the regular. I HAVE re-read my stuff OF COURSE :p But usually it’s me re-reading previous parts of a series/set to get the feel for the story/characters again as I write new stuff. Though admittedly I have re-read Imitating Life more than most probably, to check it still reads okay.

As to other authors’ fics - I must confess that I read less and less these days, so there is def not a single one I constantly return to.

I have, however, re-read a few by depthsofgreen since I got into Gotham, as well as some by rissalf and silentsinger

Back in the day there was this one spn last unicorn AU I used to re-read the night before each premiere, because it was a deliciously angsty way to get me in the mood for a new season and pass the time while waiting - particularly notable because AUs are not really my thing, so it was an interesting choice for me to keep returning to! Alas I have lost my link to it however :( Should anyone know the one I mean drop me a line! (Cas was the unicorn, obvs, Dean was the Prince, Sam was Schmendrick, Anna was Molly and Meg was Fortuna)

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

I have ONE (1) story bookmarked - because it is a WIP I am following (and I just learnt how to bookmark the other month)

...what even is subscribing and how is it different??

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

None at all if possible. Although most of my fics end up being Canon Divergent in the end ofc they are generally canon compliant (based on my interpretation of the canon anyways) at the time of writing... Sometimes canon changes things while I am in the middle of writing stuff though ofc (*shakes fist at Gotham right now*), in which case I will unavoidably be writing something knowingly Canon Divergent/What If.

(aside - I tried to write an spn x-men AU once, but I got bored very quickly... full on AUs are just not me!)

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

OH THERE’S A STATS PAGE?

*checks*

K - 34 subscribers and 423 bookmarks (whoa that seems a lot??)

hey there’s graphs and stuff with your top five fics based on hits too - that’s pretty cool - my top is in fact Holding On and Letting Go... probably because it was one of my last big spn fics and one of the first I published on AO3...

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

No... I mean... I don’t think so? If there ever has been it’s passed me by and I’ve forgotten about it.

...for a hot minute I was into Eddie/Isabella in Gotham, and that plot was ofc (understandably) received VERY POORLY by the fandom, so I may have at one point been hesitant to explore that idea (and the related Ozzie/Eddie/Izzy thoughts I had) because of that... but I never got as far as wanting to actually WRITE anything that I recall so... I guess not really?

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

There’s a couple of dumb little grammatical things I wish I was better at remembering - like when it’s ‘passed’ and when it’s ‘past’ or when it’s ‘effect’ and when it’s ‘affect.’ Because I forget and have to look it up Every.Damn.Time!

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

Well, the ship I’ve written most for is deancas - so it’s def ‘popular ships’ I write most! (though I would like to point out that it WASN’T ONE when I STARTED :p).

I’m not opposed to writing rarepairs as well however (she says, in the middle of a huge Gotham rarepair series!). I just write... whatever I’m enjoying most at the time.

12. How many stories have you posted on FFNet/AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

I’ve got 39 works up on AO3. Never published on FFNet. Probably got a few little things that I’ve only ever published on tumblr (like my cracky spn/WtNV crossover :p), so total number published across the board is more like 40ish...

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

(not counting the abandoned spn x-men AU that will remain forever unfinished) Just one. I CANNOT work on more than one fic at a time.

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

In my head (my stories are never especially complex after all). Once I’m stuck into a fic though I do tend to start creating bullet points below the main text of certain things that are coming next - like specific lines or phrases/metaphors I might think up as I go that I want to make sure I include, or the order of certain scenes if there is a series of short ones on the way, or sometimes points with question marks if I haven’t quite decided on something (eg. ‘have Eddie take his hat off here or wait until Ozzie smiles at him?’ that kind of thing...)

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

No. I came CLOSE to co-writing a DCBB with the lovely @takadainmate YEARS AGO but we never quite made it work (I got a distracted by involving Balthazar in a subplot and went on my own tangent, we had trouble even getting together to discuss it, the deadline started looming and eventually we wisely close to call it a day!).

For a while there were VAGUE murmurings about returning to the idea... but the plot involved Dean and Cas getting trapped together in Purgatory you see aND THEN SEASON 8 HAPPENED!! So we decided to let canon run with it instead :P

16. How did you discover FFNet/AO3?

While I don’t use FFNet and don’t even read stuff there now, I did used to read fics on it early on. I discovered it while searching for info on my very first TV obsession Due South and was DELIGHTED to find a place full of stories about this thing I loved but had no new content for at the time :)

AO3 I remember being talked about and used a little by my LJ crowd, which is how I heard of it. I didn’t start using it myself until recently when I realised it had very much become the go-to hosting site used by tumblr fic writers.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on FFNet/AO3?

Nah.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

...my personal readers? As in, not the general name for the various fandoms (like ‘spn family’ or ‘Gotham fam’), but for the people who read my fic specifically?

No... that seems... weird...?

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

Actually... no... no one specific. Just... reading lots of fiction by lots of different writers, fic writers included, is what inspired/encouraged me to take a crack at it myself I suppose.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

Do not listen to me!

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

Um... both I suppose. Only... my plotting isn’t really... plotting.

Because I just... daydream, you know? And after a bit I’ll realise that I’m coming back to one particular daydream more often than another. And adding to it. And adding to it. Until I’ve got something at least vaguely coherent. At which point I make a decision as to whether I like the scenario enough to write it down or not and if I do, well, it’s already pretty much there and fully formed in my head, so no additional ‘plotting’ necessary (just the ironing out and researching of a few details).

But while I’m daydreaming... well that’s me ‘figuring it out as I go’ I guess.

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

My first foray into writing fic was with a Clex re-write of S05 Smallville. It ended up being a sprawling, much too ambitious multi-chapter thing I had no hope of ever finishing. But hey, it kept me out of trouble :p

Anyways, I was part of a sci-fi society at Uni at the time I was writing and each of us in the group developed these different fictional versions of ourselves over the course of our time together... because we were a sci-fi society and it was fun! And I thought it would be a laugh if, for one chapter, I put all of us into my SV fic. So I did (I made us all kryptonite infected characters who lived at Lex’s secret 33.1 facility - if any SV fans are reading) and prefaced the chapter with some disclaimer about how I was sorry if this part was a bit too self indulgent or ‘mary-sue’ or whatever, but that I couldn’t resist doing it for my friends, and that things would get back to normal next chapter.

And generally it was fine - I didn’t have many readers anyway :p

But long LONG after the fact, when I had written many other chapters since, I got a comment on this one chapter from someone saying that they felt my self-insert characters came across as too obviously self indulgent and were unnecessary and that I shouldn’t have written them in.

And you know, it was a fair call. But since I’d actually prefaced the chapter with myself saying that’s EXACTLY what they were, it seemed a bit odd to me that this person would bother making a point of the issue. And to compound confusion - this person had actually already commented POSITIVELY on the chapter when I first posted it, so their comment read something like ‘I’ve been re-reading this and on consideration ACTUALLY I think you should know that...’

So... that was a bit odd. Not really bad, but notable enough that it’s stayed with me! Since I was many many chapters along in the story at that point though it was easy enough to just nod and shrug and move on.

I’m lucky in that I’ve never received any actual scathing or horribly negative comments otherwise. I like to think I’d be thoughtful and philosophical about any serious criticism I might receive...

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Hmmm. Exposition probably. My focus is typically on a character’s emotion at any given time, but when the only thing happening is characters discussing what’s happening and when and why there’s not exactly much strong emotion involved you know? So I struggle, because it’s boring to write and I constantly fear I’m not describing/depicting it in a way that is interesting to the reader and blah blah.

(part of the reason I don’t often write complex stories anymore perhaps - less narrative means less exposition!)

(smut used to be hard... now it is less so... though that doesn’t mean I think I’m good at it now! I don’t think I’ll ever shake the fear that my smut is actually cringe-worthy...)

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

Just The Fox and the Scorpion :)

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

No. Like I say above - I CANNOT work on more than one fic at a time. How do people do that??? I bow to you all!

I have in the past paused in the middle of longer spn fics (like my DCBBs) to knock out some quick ‘finished in the span of an evening’ FICLETS, usually in response to specific happenings in canon (like when Gabriel died and I just HAD to type something up as an outlet). But I don’t think that’s really quite what this question means? Because those aren’t projects OR stories, they are just... SCENES, you know? Also - I haven’t written a ficlet in FOREVER, so I’m not even sure I could do it anymore...

Having said this - I DO CONSTANTLY DAYDREAM. Which involves daydreaming multiple scenarios not exclusive to whatever fic I’m in the middle of. Some of which may well end up being part of the next fic I end up writing. But that’s hardly ‘planning’ I think? Because at that stage of things I’ll have no desire to make what I’m dreaming part of an actual story/fic.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

Nah. I just write when I feel like it and keep going until I’m done.

If I’m writing for a challenge this changes ofc, because DEADLINES. So sometimes I’ve had to set goals because of that - usually it’s something vague though, like ‘you need to get to this point in the plot by tomorrow night Holly, come on!’ Nothing so regimented as a specific amount of time and/or words every day.

...generally when I’m in the middle of a fic I end up in a kind of... idk, natural momentum that pulls me on? Like there’s this constant FEELING in the back of my mind urging me to get back to the story. And not in a nagging guilt kind of way, in a ‘this is what I WANT to be doing right now’ kind of way.

Not that I end up easily writing every time I get back to the fic or anything! Sometimes I’ll get back to the page and just... be stuck, find I’m not in the mood or can’t think of the words or whatever. Which is frustrating because I still have that feeling of WANTING to continue the story, but I’ll know that I’m not in the right frame of mind so have to leave it for a bit (which can be anywhere from a few hours to a week). Generally the pull to keep writing draws me back in eventually though.

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Goodness yes. I think if you’re writing regularly you’re just ALWAYS improving, aren’t you? Naturally my fic today is better than my first attempts, but likewise I think some of my Gotham fics are better than my spn fics in some parts. It’s a constant process isn’t it?

28. What is your favorite story(s) that you’ve written?

Imitating Life remains one of the fics I’m most proud of. Not only did the main story hold up well AND stick to overall canon (when it comes to Dean and Cas at least), so I think anyways, I also wove in a couple of subplots I very much enjoyed seeing through to the end. PLUS I really enjoyed all the meta nonsense, including messing about with the format to make it like look (a little bit) like a screenplay. So yes, that one will always hold a dear place in my heart :)

For Gotham I don’t think I’m ever gonna do better than We Are What We Are tbh

29. What is your least favorite story(s) that you’ve written?

Generally unimpressed by ALL my SV fic now. And considering I spent SO MANY HOURS/DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS/YEARS of my life on it all I kinda feel like I should feel bad about that but... you know I really don’t? Because if it wasn’t for all the time and effort (and love and fun) I put into those not very good stories, I wouldn’t be enjoying the work I’m proud of and writing today. So *shrug emoji*

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

5 whole years? Tbh I rather think I’ll have stopped writing by then. I’ve been winding down when it comes to fic for a LONG TIME now and writing for Gotham feels very much like a minor, brief resurgence of the hobby. Currently planning on calling it a day once I’ve finished Fox and Scorpion in fact.

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

The part that doesn’t involve writing.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Trying not to be repetitive.

Have I started a paragraph with this character’s name too many times in a row? Am I using ‘furrowed brow’/’bites lip’/’narrows eyes’/’insert stock descriptive phrase here’ too often? Did I use this phrase already or was that in another fic or in the book I was just reading? Is there too much alliteration in this sentence? - to name but a few of the questions that inevitably pop up related to my paranoia about repetition.

33. Why do you write?

Because I’m insatiable and the stories onscreen aren’t enough for me.

...well that was exhaustingly introspective so I’m way too tired to tag! Interesting one though, made me think! (and taught me some stuff about AO3 :p)

#meme #about me

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