Tell us about your WIP.
Which one? No, really. Which WIP do you want?
If you're talking about the doc I most recently edited, that would be To Be Remembered's latest chapter, which has been overdue for several months already.
I'll just say that revealing backstories is a major pain in the arse.
Other than that, it's probably Monstrous, my dystopian Soulmate AU.
Do you have any writing habits/rituals?
Other than staring at my Google Docs app while trying not to get swept away in reading random shit (and failing)? I'd say no, not really.
Favorite/most inspirational book?
It's not a published book, per se.. It's a fanfiction. Currently, it's Love Will Find A Way by amine on archiveofourown. So much feels, such beautiful writing.
What are you planning to write on next?
Most likely Monstrous, but if not, probably either Toska, Let Me Die, or To Be Remembered's next chapter.
Which story of yours do you like best?
Oh, shit. This is hard. Er... it's likely Toska? I mean, even my evil cousin's admitted that it's promising.. Other than that, plot-wise, I'd say it's To Have And To Hold, or maybe Monstrous. I absolutely love Monstrous' universe. :D
Describe your writing process.
1. Open thy browser.
2. Type in 'USUK'.
3. Spend the next few hours reading fanfiction and doujinshis.
4. Occasionally drop by on Messenger to chat with friends and pester thy cousin.
5. Open thy Google Docs app and stare at the list of stories.
6. Roll over on the bed trying to get motivation. Finally open thy most recent work.
7. Reread and edit what thou hast so far. Berate thyself for crappy writing.
8. Attempt to write. After writing at least two paragraphs, exit document and open another. Draft an entire backstory/character profile/universe. Leave both documents to rot.
9. Go back to browser and spend the rest of the day reading fanfictions and doujinshis.
What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (I.e. do you research? Outline? Make a playlist or pinterest board? Wing it?)
Most of the time, I start when I have a random burst of inspiration. I wait until it grows a bit more, nurture it, before I finally draft either the universe, backstory, or character profiles. I'll leave it to stew after I've exhausted the burst of inspiration, until time comes when I listen to a song and it hits me with motivation again. It's only then that I'll probably create an outline.
How do you deal with self-doubt while writing?
I stop writing, see if my cousin is online, then ask her to critique it. If she says something must change, then I'll try my best to fix it. It's always better to have a reader's insight.
If I disagree, however, I'll reread what I have then promptly edit it as I see fit.
What things (scenes/topics/character types) are you most comfortable writing?
If it's not obvious, I'm comfortable with writing for the LGBT, though that's due to the fact that the pairing I'm most comfortable to write for at the moment are gay. (It's fanfiction, of course.) If it's for originals, I'm slightly more uncomfortable, since I'm not quite sure how my LGBT characters will be accepted. Other than this, I'm rather unbothered with writing about darker themes such as murder, suicide, depression, torture, even mental or emotional manipulation. Any darker than that, I've been avoiding it, since I'm already disturbed by such topics. (Rape or genocide, for example. Just, no.)
On the lighter side, I'm prone to writing romance and fantasy. Mystery, not so much, but I've been told that I have a tendency to write for it.
For characters, I have a liking for villains and tsundere characters. I don't really like writing innocent characters, or those who are just kind to a very, very obvious fault. I'm not a nice person, so just.. no.
How do you cope with writer's block?
Music is the best answer. I listen to songs, watch movies, hang out with friends, or just curl up and read, read, and read some more. Usually, I listen to a very wide collection of songs, ranging from classical music to mainstream pop. Alternative rock is my most common jam, however.
What aspect of your writing are you most proud of?
Nothing, actually. I'm not really proud of my writing; I'm more often than not cringing at what I write.
Tell us about the books on your 'to write' list.
Let's see.. both of these are Hetalia fanfictions, by the way.
1. Monstrous - a dystopian Soulmate AU, where the Nations are genetically engineered beings called Knights. Despite that, however, they are still born with a clock which leads to their true partner.
2. Toska - another Soulmate AU.
Other than my fanfics, I've been keeping my originals on the downlow, as I haven't time to thoroughly outline everything as of yet. Distortion, Eyes of Azure's rewrite's universe, however, has a universe which is very similar to Monstrous.
Most anticipated upcoming books?
Probably my YouTuber AU duology, Through Boundless Seas. Other than that, probably Let Love Bleed Black and To Have And To Hold.
Do you remember the moment you decided to be a writer/author?
No, actually. I only started writing for fun, and it was developed even further when I joined contests, but I don't really remember when it started that I wanted to get my works noticed.
What's your world-building process like?
Everything is on a whim. There's no process. That's basically it; everything in my books were added there on a whim, never pre-planned unless I made an outline before what I wrote goes to Hell in a hand-basket. They all come from random inspirations, most of which I don't even remember anymore.
What's the most research you've ever put into a book?
I think it's for The Prince, my collab in planning with a friend of mine. I remember weeks after weeks of reading Cardverse Hetalia fanfictions and doujins, looking at the wiki, then looking at both official Arte Stella art or fan arts. Next to that would be for Eyes of Azure, when I was looking at a few things.
Every writer's least favorite question—where does your inspiration come from? Do you do certain things to make yourself more inspired? Is it easy for you to come up with story ideas?
I have plenty of inspiration, actually—too much, to be honest. I could be sitting in class and listening to a teacher, then an idea would hit me. I could be walking down the street with friends and a particular thought would latch onto me. I could just be reading a fic or doujin while listening to music when my thoughts would wander off and form another story idea. I don't necessarily have to do anything to be inspired; it just comes to me. Motivation is a whole other problem, however.
How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal with comparison?
I'm not quite sure if any of my readers have compared my works with others, but I myself have, to be honest. And I always find my own work to be lacking. On one hand, it helps me to stay grounded and finish what I've started, but on the other, it can also drain my motivation.
Is writing more of a hobby or do you write with the intention of getting published?
Both, probably. I write fanfiction as practice for my originals, so that I can apply it and create better stories, with the intention of maybe one day being published. Practically speaking, however, I don't believe I'll be able to make a living out of writing alone, which is why I've been putting an effort in my studies so that I can be successful—again, practically speaking—in the future.
Do you like reading books similar to your project while you're drafting or do you stick to non-fiction/dissimilar works?
I stick to similar books, since that's where I get a grasp of what I'm writing. Reading dissimilar books would derail me from my goal of finish my current draft, and may likely give me other ideas, which, as my cousin says, will lead to the 'death of a WIP'.
On average, how much do you write in a day? Do you have trouble staying focused/getting the word count in?
It depends on my mood, actually. I can write 2.5-3k+ words in three to four hours when I'm serious about finishing something. That's actually my average word count per chapter, particularly in To Be Remembered. If I'm half-assed about it, usually 700-1k words, but I usually end up editing it and editing it again, so it's either cut down or added to, depending on what I've written. If I really don't want to write, I resort to editing, but editing can lead to writing, though it can only be around 200-500 words, depending.
See, this is why I take so long to update. It gets worse when it comes to important af chapters.
What's your revision/rewriting process like?
I start with a general idea of how it should like, though it always ends wayyy different than planned. I generally reread what I wrote first, before getting into it. If I don't like what I had, I'll select what I hated most and cut it all down, before rereading it again and putting everything back together. Rinse and repeat until I'm satisfied.
Post the last sentence you wrote.
'But even he left him—and it was all his fault.'
Post a snippet.
From To Be Remembered's latest chapter.
'"He didn't want to care; he didn't want to be cared for. Because he'll only be hurt in the end, he thought; everyone left, everyone abandoned him because he wasn't good enough. He was defective, flawed, immensely imperfect."'
How do you nail voice in your books?
I don't know. Do my characters sound like they have certain voices? They all kinda sound female to me, and I don't know why.
Do you spend a lot of time analyzing and studying the work of authors you admire?
It's more of me marveling at how wonderful their writing is, but the thought is there all the same.
How many drafts do you usually write before you feel satisfied?
Two or three, maybe? Usually just two, but the amount of revision it goes through is an insane amount before I'm finally content. (Or just resigned, like, 'Take it as it is. It's not gonna get any better.')
How do you deal with rejection?
..I'll pass for this question.
First or third person?
Definitely third person, since first person is still rather.. icky for me. I tend to get wayy overboard with the character's emotions. Third person offers more versatility in moving the story around, plus an impartiality to the character's, so it's better for me.
Past or present tense?
Both, actually. I've been experimenting with present tense, and I find that it's rather nice to work with, especially with high-tension scenes or simply with descriptions of emotion. Past tense is still my default, however. I'm still rather iffy with switching tenses, but I've been working on that.
Single or dual (multi)POV?
Multi, of course. Like I mentioned when I use third person, I like to have more.. mobility, for lack of a better word, when it comes to writing. It also offers more perspectives, gives different angles on the story, so I like that.
Do you prefer to write skimpy drafts and flesh them out later, or write too much and cut it back?
Both, probably. It depends on my mood and motivation levels.
Do you share your rough drafts or do you wait until everything is polished?
I usually wait until I've gone through at least two revisions with my draft before showing it to my cousin for her criticism. If I've been struck with a new idea, it's usually her whom I show it to, never mind that they're usually only just plot points or character profiles.
Are you a secretive writer or do you talk with your friends about your books?
It's pretty known in my previous class that I'm a writer, but only my closest friends ever really read my works, and usually I'm reluctant to even let them see it. I'm rather uncomfortable with sharing my work with them, same with my friends online.
Who do you write for?
Myself, usually. Long-term, my readers, and sometimes my friends.
What is the first line of your WIP?
'to be Made is to be given purpose, a justification for one's existence. To be Unmade is to cease to exist.'
Favorite first line/opening you've ever written?
Gonna list what I've liked so far.
'his name is 'America'. It is, and has always been that way.'—Monstrous, part one.
'Where there are insurgents, there are punishments.'—To Be Remembered, chapter three.
'"Is there anything left to fight for when they've given up?"'—To Be Remembered, chapter four.
'"How can one say that they truly know the extent of the world?"'—Let Love Bleed Black, prologue.
'It's nothing new to see another one bite the dust.'—The Bystander Effect, part one.
''Survivor'. It's an interesting term, he thinks, for someone who's lost it all yet still goes on.'—The Bystander Effect, part three, epilogue.
'He's barely made it halfway through the quadrangle before he's assaulted. Great.'—Three Words, Eight Letters, chapter one.
Most of my favorite lines are within the chapter itself or for the endings of each chapter, so it's not exactly the same as the prompt, but here:
'And Alfred said nothing as he pulled Arthur to him, wishing that for once, having someone who cared would be enough.'—To Be Remembered, chapter three.
'"'I'll be your hero, your flawed knight; Through the darkness within you, I'll be your light.'"'—To Be Remembered, chapter four.
'He wasn't broken, not really. He was simply meant to be unloved. Like father, like son.'—Toska, chapter three.
'"Mind telling me where you were on the night someone was found dead in the clock tower?"'—How To Save A Life, chapter one.
'And then there's nothing but silence, a hollow resonance in his mind, heart and soul.'—12:04
Tagging: greyhavensking, EeveeXora, ThatCertainNerd and PokemonRio. Wattpad is being a bitch, so I can't tag you properly, but there you have it.
Tagged by: FayeeeM.