A Little Background:
I am currently in college studying science for my Major in Astronomy and Astrophysics to hopefully peruse a career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or as it is more commonly know...NASA. That being said, I have been asked if I did a lot of research for this chapter of if I already knew the information, the truth is I'm just a massive nerd who loves space. It also might be interesting for you all to know that the telescope Virgil owns (Celestron 80EQ PowerSeeker) just so happens to be the same telescope that I own! Also, the Astronomy Magazine that is referenced in the story is a real thing...I have been getting their monthly issues for the last 5-6 years.
Inspiration:
The inspiration for this story is actually pretty interesting, I had seen a list of romantic / platonic Analogical fic ideas on Tumblr, and one of them said, Logan teaching Virgil how to use a telescope. That sparked my imagination, and in my way of turning things on themselves, I thought, but what if Virgil taught Logan how to use a telescope instead?!
That is where the inspiration for Telescopes came from, and knowing that things had been left unconcluded between Logan and Virgil in the chapter prior (Waking Nightmares) I decided that astronomy could be the topic that could help them rebuild any fractured relations.
Overall Thoughts On Telescopes:
Writing Telescopes was a lot of fun, mostly because I got to be a complete nerd and finally write a story based around my course of study. That being said, I had to find a balance between all the technical lingo verses most people's general knowledge when it comes to space. I also had to factor in the personalities of the two characters in a situation that would normally be reversed.
In the end however, I really ended up liking the story, and I might be biased because it consists of my two favorite characters and my passion for science, but overall I thought it turned out really well.
Writing Tips Based On Telescopes:
-Technical Lingo / Teaching
· I think it is good to introduce readers to a topic or specific parts of a topic that they may not know about, but you have to be careful about how this is carried out. Too much lingo in any story is going to either lose your reader's interest or pander to a very small audience, therefore losing overall readership. Try to only introduce a few new terms, and be sure to have them explained, but make sure you aren't necessarily trying to dumb down the story.
This is actually an issue I have watched a lot of people run into when writing (myself included in the earlier years), readers are much more intelligent than most other presume. I despise reading a story where it is painfully obvious that someone is over explaining a topic, and though it is not their intention, it just comes across to me as an assumption of ignorance.
Overall, be willing to put in new terms and topics, explain them briefly, and then get one with the story. If a read doesn't quite understand and wants to know more, then they are perfectly capable of researching the topic themselves.
-Platonic verses Romantic
· This is a topic that I have had little issue with, especially in the Sanders Sides fandom where pretty much everyone tries to be accepting, but I try to make my writing tips applicable to any story. Back on topic, I personally don't ship any of the Sides, but I don't believe that anyone else is wrong for shipping them. I have read many a fic that involves one or more ships, and to be honest I really enjoyed them. What I want to bring up is that in a platonic setting, it is okay to have certain situations that could be interpreted as romantic. Creative interpretation is entirely up to the reader, and if they want to see a story or situation as romantic, there is nothing wrong with that. Many platonic relationships can result in situations where others may think that the ones involved are acting romantic even if that isn't the case. That being said, if you are writing a story concerning a platonic relationship, don't let the possibility of someone interpreting your writing as romantic stop you from a good idea.