#sweetsoundsofignorance

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

Cursed or awesome? I spend WAAAAY too much time making myself playlists and picturing scenes for graphic novels, I shirk writing to draw elaborate scenes no one will ever see, I make mood boards, storyboards and folders for reference, I must write at least 70% of a long fic before I publish the first chapter, I have always been aggressively obsessed with schedules, which I am now learning to chill the fuck out. For my own fic, thinking of character names and appearances takes up my whole life, and writing lore can be a job unto itself. I forget time and space exists when I write and will go a whole day without food some times. I get up at any time in the night when inspiration strikes and jot down thoughts like an insane person.

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

Hahahah I kill so many darlings, some of them on whim. I keep a detailed graveyard of darlings, with completely new drafts for each major plot change (of which there are usually 5 = pentagram = devils symbol = cursed) and completely new drafts for major chapter breaks or consolidations. I keep an 'offcuts' chapter that is organised by run scene so I can find content again if I need. I think I have been most ruthless with Undue, and have more deleted text than included text, but it's great because I read it with a vindictive thrill knowing how many darlings I murdered to get to this point. I am at a point with Undue that I had three options for the ending and I wrote myself debating points for each side to see if the one I chose was the strongest. The other two were slaughtered. 🖤

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

I think certain characters are easy than others and certain scenes are easier than others, but I think this is a hard question to answer in entirety because I tend to select stories and plots I find exciting, so I never really work on anything truly 'difficult'. Over time, I pick different things to focus on - Inevitability was a study in how two very incompatible people could be smashed together, Summer Shivers was plot by dialogue (which was weird for me), Viper was extremely detailed mystery, and Undue is plot by emotional spiralling (so much fun!). I find at the moment, in Undue, I have difficulty/joy in expressing exactly what I want to say and how I want to say it, but that's where the enjoyment and learning comes from!

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

Answered here!

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

I know you think I am really organised, but I don't think I have optimised my system yet so it all feels very haphazard...

I use boards and coloured postit notes to block out the narrative storyboard, including key clues to the character, key clues to the audience, key main character interactions/feelings so I can glare at it for a while to make sure the flow makes sense.

I block out an outline in high-level action/feeling statements, usually dictating where I want to end the chapter (peak mystery or devastating cliffie). I use notes app and actual note books to jot down ideas and flow of chapters, which I then parse into my outline.

For certain technical things (e.g. historic weaponry, detailed lore- or, in the case of Viper Radio - a goddamn 'murder' board) will create step by step folders with colour-coded notes that detail to me what I as the author should know, versus what my characters and readers know. Reading this now seems peak psycho, thank you 🖤

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?

Other, adjacent creative activities, like research, world-building and art. I love researching and I am a very curious person, so can spiral into aspects of a story trying to get to the bottom of some niche point, or spend hours writing lore and history (complete with timelines, historical figures, religion and present-day myth) or spend hours drawing my poor little meow meows.