Hi!

Hi!

If you happen to know someone who writes too, ask them if they’re okay to be your writing buddy 🙂

You don’t need to belong to the same fandom, or write the same kind of stories/tropes/OTP, you just need someone that you can rely on, and that you know relies on you too, to get a little push and help you get started.

Find together two hours at least once a week (two hours is a minimum to get started and have the feeling that you’ve made something at the end), two hours that fit in the middle of your other obligations (and maybe timezones 😋) and well, meet 😊

The most important thing is to sit down to dedicate some time to your writing, and writing is more than actual writing. It also requires thinking, research, inspirational visual or music, editing etc. The sessions can be dedicated to any of these. Just decide what your next session will be about and share it with your buddy as a nice chat to start off (goals/struggles/questions/tips...)

Meet again at the end of your dedicated time (or in the middle) and share what you’ve accomplished (no competition okay? it’s cool)

I’ve had a writing buddy for nearly two months, and it’s really a moment I’m looking forward to every single week 💜

Good luck!

Is there a good way to remind and motivate myself to write? I really love writing, but it's hard to remember to do it often, and sometimes even if I remember to, I don't feel motivated. But I love writing, so I'm at a loss for what to do here.

Give yourself the time to write. Book some time into your schedule that is dedicated writing time. Remove any guilt around needing to do chores or homework or work/family responsibilities. That time is dedicated to writing and that means it’s a shame-free zone. 

Once you have the time to write, the next thing you need to do is make sure that your space is conducive to it. Find a nice place with good lighting and a comfortable area to set up your device. Trying to write while people are talking around you or when you’re too crowded into a corner or where you can’t really see your screen just makes the whole process more difficult. Figure out what you need in order to get into the zone and give yourself those things. 

Finally, write what you actually want to write. If you’re filling prompts for other people or writing things that you think will be popular in the fandom but they aren’t actually interesting to you, that will make it harder to get yourself started. Do a quick warmup of writing whatever it is that you think would be fun. Then, after you’re started, you can switch over to things that are perhaps less inspiring for you. 

Those are my top tips for the day, but what about the rest of you? How do you find your motivation?

I bullet journal😊

I haven’t been aware of my attention issues for long, always blaming the amount of work, tasks, deadlines, demands that are invariably being piled up on our desks/brains on the daily. And these factors might have worsened things for sure, but, as for me, the problem was already there from the start. And I need “rebooting” (this word is very accurate) just as often to help me cope with this overwhelming feeling that makes you stop in your tracks and dig your heels in. On top of it, I’m leaning towards the introvert side of the personality spectrum, so this need to reboot goes hand in hand with the need to reconnect with myself, find some inner peace back after being jostled around by the busy, messy outside world and alleviate the anxiety it generates.

If you recognize yourself here, anon, high five! 🖐

Journaling has helped me tons for the past year! Building up your own agenda, quite literally, is one way to control time as you want it. Not only are you in charge of your own schedule, pace, priorities, wishes, but also, the actual creative process is a good excuse to stop what other task you’ve been doing (disconnect), allow yourself a few minutes to take care of your journal (15-20 minutes during which your brain calms down, gets its fill of acetylcholine and reconnects with the rest of you), and get back to what you were doing before. 

It never fails to make me feel better: I feel good because I was able to listen to myself and respect my own nature. I feel good because I managed to decrease my anxiety and maintain some level of efficiency in my work, even if it took longer - if this is the price for doing the task well, so it is. I feel good because I got some control back over my time. I feel good because my bullet is progressing (and it’s pretty because I tend to make it a bit artsy, but nobody’s to do it that way). So, win, win, win, win.

I hope this will find its way to you and help you, anon. Take care of yourself 🤍

Sometimes I get very stuck when I'm working on a project, (especially one with a tight deadline) and my brain just seems to shut down and refuse to problem solve. A lot of it is anxiety, and I have a few strategies for rebooting my brain that usually help. Going to take a shower, or driving somewhere works pretty well, but aren't always a great option. I'd love to hear some other suggestions!

The same thing happens to me, and I really wish it didn’t. I’m getting better at identifying why it happens, though. The reasons vary, but they tend to come down to some version of the following:

I’m missing a piece of information that I need and I don’t know how to find out what it is

my instructions are unclear and I’m worried about doing something wrong

I know a lot of people / important people are going to see my work and I worry about disappointing them

the work itself is boring or not challenging and forcing myself to work on it feels like torture

In the first two cases, I go to someone I trust and ask for their help. This could be help finding the information I need or just helping me find the right person/resource to get me to the next step. 

In the third case, I remind myself that I’m my own worst critic. Even times when I’ve known I could do better I still managed to do a good enough job that I didn’t disappoint the people I was doing work for. 

The last case is the one that hurts the most to push through. In that situation, I give myself frequent break. I intersperse my work on the boring stuff with work on things that are more interesting to me. I allow myself time to watch videos or play games. I play music while I work to keep myself energetic. I call up a friend/coworker and brainstorm with their help. 

What about the rest of you? How do you handle a situation like anon describes? Can you share any of your tips for how to move on when you’re stuck?

“Of course. And I see you’re taking great care of yours. Will you share your secrets with me?” He could swear Jimin’s voice has turned a bit more velvety, although he wouldn’t put it past his senses to play with his nebulous mind: in the midst of the indistinct surrounding noise of chatter and music, Jimin’s perfume invading his personal space is sending nice chills down his spine, and warm blood to his various limbs.  Is it time already to pull out the big guns?

“Of course. The pleasure will be mine. Your apparent high-maintenance standards must be any challenger’s wet dream, right?”

“Of course,” he instantly replies, a few inches from his face, eyes diving into his. “But I always set my eyes on the biggest prize. You are aware that if there’s any shuttle to board to the moon, I’ll ask to join, right?”

“Of course. You are aware that if you’re in the same shuttle as me, we won’t stop at the moon, right?”

AO3 is banned in China on 29th Feb, 2020.

You are going to see less and less Chinese fics on the website

You are probably never going to see Chinese readers commenting in your fics anymore

They are the best readers, they never give negative comments and are always supportive. Although you probably don’t know, they talk about your fic in their small communities or group chats and recommend them to other potential readers. A large proportion of Chinese readers love to translate your fic into their language, that’s why you see quite some fics have Chinese translation.

I don’t want to talk about why it is banned. It’s just sooner or later. One more window closed for the voice of freedom.

I’m a Chinese writer. I write in English. I’m currently living overseas. But if I go back to the country, there’s a large chance you are not going to see me updating again.

I want to remember this day. This day the last Utopia is taken away. This day the iron fist on our throats tightened again.

Twitter

민트⁷ 🌱 on Twitter

“🐻💦 #ON”

😂😍❤️

40 Questions — Meme for Fic Writers

Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Share one of your strengths.

Share one of your weaknesses.

Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

Describe your perfect writing conditions.

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style. (Person sending the ask is free to make suggestions).

If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

What do you look for in a beta?

Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

How do you feel about collaborations?

Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Do you accept prompts?

Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

How do you feel about smut?

How do you feel about crack?

What are your thoughts on non-con and dub-con?

Would you ever kill off a canon character?

Which is your favorite site to post fic?

Talk about your current wips.

Talk about a review that made your day.

Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Write an alternative ending to [insert fic title] (or just the summary of one).