#emerald's facets

Thank you for the ask 💚

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

I've got 2 that I'm actively working on right now, but I've got about half a dozen more that are vague ideas that I'd like to turn into a fic someday, if I get the time and inspiration.

One of the 2 I'm committed to writing is an exploration of 03 Raph's internal fear of becoming his worst enemy, inspired by his vision of himself as the Shredder in The Darkness Within. It's just taking me a while, because every time I start writing it I reach a point where I feel it's not quite right, so I shelve what I'd got and start all over again (perfectionism? What's that?) 😅

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

So, aside from the totally not helpful example above 😅, when writing gets difficult, I first have to take a step back and ask myself, why?

Is my writing energy depleted for the day? Am I getting burnt out? Am I just not in a good mental space to write right now? If so, taking a break is the best, and likely only answer. I've learnt not to brute force it when my body is telling me it's done. It never works when I do, and I just end up hating writing as a result. Better to stop when I'm still enjoying it, than push myself into making it a chore.

Are there too many distractions around me? Can I remove some of them by relocating myself to a better place to write?

Am I stuck for what to write? If so, I like to find prompts and challenges, and see if any of them spark my imagination. Rewatching/rereading the source material also helps, because I might see a part I can expand on or that inspires me to write a Missing Scene fic. I also find meta analysis posts good for getting my brain thinking about story and character ideas.

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

I use a lot of metaphors (probably too many! 😅). I try not to use the same ones all the time, but I've definitely noticed natural elements - water, fire, wind etc - feature prominently in my writing.

Hugs are also a big one. I've noticed that a lot of the characters I write end up getting a hug sooner or later (which totally doesn't say anything about me. Nope. Definitely not...). Themes of comfort and consolation are everywhere in my works 😅

I was tagged by @sneakyfox55 here, but I thought I'd make a new post since the last thread was getting a bit long.

Thank you for the tag Friend 💚

Not in any order, because I can't choose a favourite (below the readmore, because I went a bit extra and added pictures ^^;):

39.) Share a snippet from a WIP (yaaaay!) --Kyabetsu from @deadlyflan TMNT sideblog <3

Hi! Thank you for the asks 💚

4.) Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Everywhere!

I might be reading a story, and a particular line jumps out at me. Or I might be rewatching the canon material and my mind latches onto an idea. Or I might be listening to a song and it reminds me of The Character so much I have to write something for it. One of my current WIPs is actually inspired in part by a line of dialogue from a video game.

I also love talking about and analysing the source material with other fans. A lot of my favourite works of mine have been inspired by taking apart the canon piece by piece and exploring what this part really means.

20.) Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

Ooh, this is a popular question, I see :)

The Rule of Threes is something I utilise a lot - three examples of something, three emotions, three synonyms, three alliterations, three descriptive words for the same thing etc. It's a literary trope that I love. Three is poetic, deliberate and emotive (there, I just did it now 😅). It also fits really nicely when one of the Turtles is my POV character, because then the other three's reactions/emotions etc make for a nice contrasting set.

I also feel like I set my Turtle fics on NYC rooftops a lot (or maybe I just notice that because I write whump, and getting an injured turtle Down from the roof is always a narrative challenge). I dunno why I forget that there are alleyways and warehouses and sewer tunnels they could fight in as well. I just normally default to the rooftops 😅

39.) Share a snippet from a WIP (yaaaay!)

I won't share from my most recent WIP, since it's my TMNT Gift Exchange piece, but here's something from another project:

"Nothing is certain, my sons."

"Except death and taxes," Don couldn't help finishing the famous quote. When his family looked at him blankly, he gave a sheepish shrug and clarified, "Benjamin Franklin. 1789."

Oops, I'm so sorry @technicallysublimechild! I accidentally hit 'post' on this too early!

Thank you for the asks!

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

I used to just write as I went, but now I'm a bit more of a planner.

I definitely don't totally outline each chapter before I write. That would feel too much like writing it all out twice, to me. And I like flexibility in my plot. If the characters what to take the story in a different direction to the one I intended, I've found that following them is often more interesting and rewarding than sticking to my original idea.

But I do benefit from a basic outline. I generally have a vague idea for what I want a chapter to be and where I want it to go as I start writing it. Though I've often found that, when I do outline, what I'd planned to be 2 chapters ends up being more like 4 or 5 😅.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

I was a little surprised that Reflections & Renewal didn't get more interaction, but I suppose the fact that it was primarily a Tang Shen and Splinter oneshot probably meant people weren't as interested in it.

And I'd love for Will You Still Love Me? to get more interaction, too. It's genuinely one of my favourite 03 headcanons, but the fact that I wrote it months after I wrote the meta post might have meant that everyone who read the post just thought the fic was rereading old ground, maybe?

57. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it's finished?

Again, it's a bit of both.

I know they say you shouldn't edit as you go. And it definitely breaks up the flow when I'm just putting words down on the first draft. I like to write on paper first for this very reason, but even then I'm rereading what I've just written and striking out parts I don't like.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

41. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

Thank you for the asks 💚

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Titles are nearly always the last thing I do (besides summaries!). I'll give my fic a working title so I can save it as I go (always save your progress, folks!), but I generally reach the end and then go "Oh, wait. I have to choose a title for this now... nuts."

That's why so many of my fics have a one word title: because I'm scrabbling around and tend to settle on the vibe the fic gives me. I've just started keeping a note on my phone with ideas for fic titles, though, so hopefully I can use it in future.

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

I have already answered this, but another theme I've noticed in my fics is heart-to-hearts. An awful lot of my oneshots are about characters sitting down and finally talking things out 😅

Oh, and I definitely use "definitely" a lot 🤣 (much to the MS Word Grammar Checker's displeasure!).

41. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

I reread fics all the time! I don't understand those people who go "I've finished this book. I can get rid of it now". No! Unless I really didn't enjoy it, I know that whether it's a few weeks, a few months, or a few years down the line, I will want to reread that story. And so often I get more out of the story and get to spot the foreshadowing when I reread it.

Thank you for the asks 💚

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

I like them both.

I love the ongoing engagement of multi-chaptered fics, and having the freedom to slowly explore an idea to it's full potential. I also absolutely love setting up a theme or a motif or a Chekov's Gun in an early chapter, and cycling back round to it later. Very satisfying!

But oneshots are great from a commitment standpoint. Once they're done and posted, I can generally cross them off my To Do List and move on to the next project. Multi-chaptered fics tend to hang over me like a shadow until they're complete, and I'm aware that that self-enforced pressure isn't healthy. I always feel like I'm breaking some kind of promise when I don't manage to finish a multi-chaptered fic...

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

Hmm. I'm not sure if this question means 'what perspective do you write in' or 'how do you choose which character to have as your POV'?

For perspective, I almost always write in 3rd person. It gives me a lot more to work with, especially when there are multiple characters in a scene. That said, I do enjoy delving into 1st person when I feel like the story would benefit from a narrower perspective.

Shameless self plug: a good example of what I mean here is my recent fic Debts Repaid.

For which character to focus the scene on, I normally pick whoever is the most interesting, not necessarily who the scene is about. For example, if I had a scene of 07 Raph sneaking into the lair in the early hours of the morning, he'd be the character the scene was about. But I think it would be the most interesting to tell the scene from Mikey's POV, especially if he's unintentionally spying on his big brother.

43. Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" kind of person?

So, this would probably sound a bit weird as a self proclaimed whump enjoyer, but I wouldn't say I 'enjoy' whumping my characters.

Yes, I get whumperflies - that tingly, breathless, excited feeling in the pit of my stomach - when reading or writing whump. But I'd call it more of a 'thrill' - like a roller coaster ride or a thriller film - than an 'enjoyment'.

It's an adrenaline rush for me. But it can't go on too long. I've found that I very much need the Comfort part after the Hurt. I need that catharsis and relief, or all that adrenaline just turns into stress (and potentially triggers me).

Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this @hannahcbrown!

Rules: Use this picrew to make yourself and answer the questions!

Three fun facts about me:

I'm a vegetarian but I have nothing against people who eat meat. I'm just really sentimental about animals 😅

Horses are my favourite animals (though I've never had the chance to own one of my own) , but I'm also very fond of domestic cats, red foxes and deer.

I hate travelling. I am very much a homebody - I get homesick very fast 😅

Favourite season: Every season has it's good and bad sides, so I struggle to pick a favourite. I'd probably pick Autumn for the beautiful colours and generally pleasant weather, even though the shortening days and approaching Winter make my Seasonal Affected Disorder worse.

Continent where I live: Europe

How I spend my time: Work mostly, unfortunately :( On my days off, I tend to be either resting or walking my dog. That's why my writing has tailed off lately. When I do get a bit of free time where I'm not exhausted, I like writing, drawing and reading.

Are you published?: No. I'd like to self publish a couple of children's books at some point, but whether that will ever happen is another question.

Introvert or Extrovert: Introvert

Favourite Meal: I'm a sucker for pasta. As long as it's vegetarian, I'm happy.

Sorry it's taken me so long - I really struggled to find 4 ships 😅

The Rules: Tag (9) people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the following:

Four Ships

In no particular order