★ what was the scene you most wanted to write in Another time? what was the hardest scene to write?
Thanks for the second ask clarifying which fic you wanted me to talk about!
I think the scene I was most excited about writing was Leia actually initiating their encounter on the Falcon. I wanted her to be confident, in control, taking charge, but also make it so that she’s focused on Han’s pleasure and that somehow gives her pleasure. I wanted it to be a clear case where they are both enthusiastically consenting but also keep Leia’s boundaries in check - she’s trying to make this a no-strings-attached good time but also an actual fun time for both of them. Plus I think she has some ideas about being able to keep herself emotionally distanced from the situation because in her mind she can’t handle any actual romantic attachments.
The hardest scene to write was probably the smut itself. When I start to write smut, all the sudden my characters get real chatty and no clothes are coming off until I force the issue. And then I like to write smut where the logistics still make sense (it takes me out of it when I am like “yeah bodies don’t move that way” or “that’s gonna be real fucking uncomfortable in about two minutes”) but we’re not focusing overly much on the logistics (like, I don’t need to know how each scrap of clothing came off). I always want to be able to put myself in the place of the participants and have the experience feel really immediate AND sexy but not be cheesy (unless it’s supposed to be cheesy; sometimes humor during a sex scene is fun). And since this particular smut focused on Leia wanting to give Han oral sex, I struggled a little with describing that in a way where it felt enjoyable for both parties, again not necessarily getting into every stroke but getting across the overall feeling of the smut.
✄ what’s your editing process?
It’s sort of a mix. Sometimes I can’t help but edit as I draft along (I really try to write in sprints but my brain likes to go “nooooo don’t say it that way” and I stop and change it) but sometimes it’s enough to get something down and then go back over it. A lot of times it’s just rereading what I’ve written and feeling how it lands — does it feel like something is missing? Is there a different way I need to get at this particular point? Is this exposition necessary or did I go down a little rabbit hole just because? Occasionally I will go the route of drafting the scenes that are most in my head / the ones I have figured out and then write myself placeholders for scenes that need to connect them. And sometimes while writing what I think are connecting scenes I end up adding elements to the fic that I try to make sure I’ve incorporated later on. That said, sometimes I realize “oh we don’t need all this backstory, we can quickly summarize this and then just put them in The Situation”.
I do like to read and reread my fics before finalizing them, sometime reading softly out loud to myself so I can see if the dialogue feels right, or if I’ve managed to leave out a word or something. I don’t always use a beta reader, but I do find beta readers really helpful in terms of noticing when I’ve repeated words without noticing, or where something feels abrupt, or helping me think through a section that for some reason isn’t quite landing the way I want.
Thank you kindly for the ask!
