#turtle talks

Thanks so much for the ask!

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

This may disappoint some readers, but my answer is Crimson Ties... 🙊 To this day, it remains my one and only fic where I wrote and posted it chapter-by-chapter instead of writing and editing it fully first before posting. Sadly for me, I think that shows. Looking back on it now, I feel like I fell into a few bad writing habits in my rush to get out each chapter. And my goodness, the pacing!! It's kind of amusing now to see each subsequent chapter's word count climb by the thousands, lol. Still very proud of that plot! But yeah, if I had the chance to rewrite it without repercussions, I'd take it. Great learning experience, though!

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Answered here! ❤️

26. What would you describe as OOC?

I think in-character or out-of-character is fairly subjective! The nice part about fanworks is that they allow the writer to explore and experiment with different voices and themes. However, in my experience, I tend to lose immersion quickly if I'm feeling a disconnect between the fanwork and the original work, so I understand why this topic can feel so weighty. For me personally, it's been super beneficial to gain a complete understanding of the original work the characters I'm writing for come from before I tackle any major project involving said characters. I've written for LOZ and LU, so that means devoting full playthroughs to the games as well as consistently rereading the comics. This helps me gain a full picture of the character's background and traits; the game's atmosphere, quirks, and central themes; and continuity and characterization from the comics. It might sound like a lot of work, and it can be *quite* the balancing act to reconcile both the games and the comics—but honestly, it's been one of my favorite challenges to take on as a writer. Fitting all the pieces together and treating it like a puzzle to be solved is one of my favorite activities ever! These practices have really helped me feel out a character and the world they call home.

That's just me, though! I'm all for writers having their own methods and interpretations of characters.

Hiya, @jinxedruby! Thank you for the ask ❤️

23. Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

I gotta go with dialogue. My narration is naturally very flowery, so it can be nice having a break from that because coming up with new metaphors and phrases can quickly lead to writer's block if I'm too particular. There are only so many times I can use the analogy "it sounded like lightning," you know? Haha. I also tend to struggle with transitioning scenes. Do I really need to write "she walked from here to there"? Is "she cavorted from here to there" any better?? How about we skip the cavorting altogether and have Scene 1 move directly to Scene 2, no transition, just a hard cut. Who knows!! 😂

I often use the [insert description of scary nighttime] placeholder if it's fighting me too much just so I can continue in the flow~ I'll return to it later once I've thought more on it after going on a walk or something. Hopefully inspiration will have struck me by then! Hopefully. Besides, dipping inside a character's head and adopting their colloquial speech is one of my favorite parts about writing! Very fun and refreshing.

37. Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

I do both! Before writing my newest longfic, I made sure to return to Hyrule Warriors and Skyward Sword and gave them complete playthroughs, since these were the two games I planned to feature in the story. I did the same with the LU comics and reread them from start to finish. I like to make notes of any characterization points or noteworthy details that might find a place in the fic. Then while I'm writing, I'll research topics that crop up until I'm satisfied with my understanding of them. When a scene took place at HW's Hyrule Castle in one chapter, I looked into medieval castle blueprints and cultural contexts to make sure I was using the right terminology. Granted, I wasn't incorporating, like, 90% of this research into the fic, but it did help me have a better understanding of the details, for sure!

Is it fun? Most of the time! I enjoy learning about various topics. It's one of the great parts about being a writer in that it gives you the chance to dip into all sorts of outlandish topics you wouldn't have looked into otherwise. On the other hand, I don't enjoy all topics equally. For example, even though I looove a high-stakes scene involving a serious injury, I'm a pretty queasy person, so I don't particularly love researching that, even though I consider it important. My brother's a firefighter, and listening to his on-the-job stories can really turn my stomach 😖

RABIDFAIRY!!! Can this day get any better?!?! I think not! 🥹 Dear friend, it's wonderful to see you again! Thank you so much for your ask 🩷

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Writing Vain(glorious) nearly killed me (I'm overreacting dw), so I've been taking a little break since finishing and don't have any active WIPs aside from that (thanks, one-track mind!). So I'll just share a snippet from a future chapter that hasn't yet posted, if that's okay 🤭

“Captain, don’t worry about what happened back there, okay?” heaved Sky. “That one’s on me. I should’ve known better. I don’t blame you—any of us would have responded like that.”

Warriors stared down the boulder, watching for any sign of movement. He felt spread thin, preyed upon by his own mind.

“Please come back. I’m okay. Everything’s okay.”

Not a hint of her lingered. There were no footprints, no cloying laughter. The running stream sloshed against Warriors’s shoes, swallowing up her every trace.

“You know that, right?”

Warriors shut his eyes, abandoning his vigil. His lungs deflated. “Regardless, my actions are indefensible. I shouldn’t have lost myself like that. I’m sorry for it.”

“Don’t be. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I can only hope you won’t hold it against me.”

“Not at all. Look, Captain—” Breathless, Sky raked a hand through his hair, which flopped right back into place. “Please come get breakfast. When was the last time you ate? You need to eat. C’mon, Champion made eggs and you should get some before they’re gone."

21. Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what's your secret?

When I start writing the draft, I have no concept of how many chapters or the word count that fic will ultimately have. I usually just outline the beginning, the end, and every major plot point in between. Then I find natural breaks that constitute the chapters. These breaks will change the more I add and alter throughout the writing process. All I can really predict is "This fic will be long!" or "This fic will be a one-shot!" And even then, I've been wrong. My first fic, Brothers Becoming, was originally written to be a one-shot, but after I finished and looked at the word count, I realized that I probably shouldn't be posting 16k words in a single chapter? Maybe? 😶 (I hear Chapter 5 of Crimson Ties laughing at me in the background.) So I decided to find a natural break at the halfway point and split it into two chapters. In short, my brain very simply labels them "long-ish" or "short-ish." Yes, very eloquent.

29. What's the hardest thing about writing?

I talked about this a little bit earlier, but definitely the early development stages. The entire brainstorming process and coming up with ideas that connect and feel natural and that I actually feel proud of feels like the bane of my existence sometimes! I guess I can always write a cute sickfic (I HAVE mentioned that it's one of my favorite tropes), but... why write a short sickfic when I could take that idea and include it in a longfic? Something that has depth and is multifaceted and could be a gripping character study?? "But Turtle, it doesn't need to be multifaceted, a short sickfic can reveal a lot about characters!" I know, I know, BUT STILL! What if it could be MORE?? 😫 Sigh. My brain is so annoying sometimes. 😂 It can never be happy unless there are layers. I think it's why I have very few posted fics relative to how many years I've been doing this. If I'm not convinced by the foundational ideas, then it just ain't happening!

33. Give your writing a compliment.

I appreciate the chance to be positive after all that self-criticism, thanks 😆 I like my characterization choices! Usually. That's my number one priority when writing any fanwork, so it always tickles me to hear when someone else enjoys the character portrayals. I might be giving myself too much credit, but I really, really try to do the original work justice. It's a tricky thing, though, because my favorite fics to write are the ones that involve these lengthy character explorations that force our MCs to climb their own personal Mount Everests, so they're going to be a little more angsty and reflective than their default selves. But for the most part, I do my best to write characters that feel true to canon and nuanced. If I fall short, then at least I gave it my all!

36. How do you come up with fic titles? What's the one you're most proud of?

Fic titles typically come to me in the middle of writing the story, or at the end. I like to get a good idea of the central themes or motifs first, then I try to incorporate that into the title. I'm *obsessed* with double meanings and play on words. One of my favorites has been the one I'm currently posting, "Vain(glorious)," because it's a stylistic choice (for... reasons...). I also like the BOTW Zelink fic I posted a while back, "Close to Home," because it addresses the curious question of how Zelda came to possess Link's house in TOTK. "Home" being the Hateno House, but also in that Link himself is Zelda's home... and no matter where she goes to offer aid, Link remains at her side... and she's close to getting somewhere more with him... 🤭

ANTHEM!!! It is soo good to see you here, my friend! I feel so blessed today 🥹Thank you bunches for the ask! 💚

(Side note: Whoever enjoys Linked Universe, please go check out Anthem's works if you haven't already, I'm in love with them.)

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

Yes 😭 An original work. My biggest hurdle when it comes to writing is the initial brainstorming aspect of it. I've heard a lot of creators say that their ideas are rich and plentiful but executing them is the hard part. Well, I have the opposite problem! Not that the execution is easy, just that the ideas are harder for me. I'd love to create a cast of original characters with my own unique ideas and worldbuilding, but my already-established favorite pieces of media tend to cloud my head. It's difficult for me to craft something with a bunch of interconnecting plot threads that feels authentic and novel (pun, lol) that's believable. I have some ideas, just not enough for a fully fledged story. Maybe someday...

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

Answered here! ❤️

20. Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you?

I only WISH I were a multi-tasker! But alas, I have such a one-track mind that it only ever allows me to work on one project at a time. At least when it comes to the "actively writing" part. I'll have files of multiple projects where I jot down random ideas that spring up and slowly add to them over time, but if I EVER begin writing the first draft, that's it, I'm done, everything else gets dropped and that's the solo project I'm fixating on. If I even attempt to break away to start something else, my brain goes, What are you doing?! [Blank] is unfinished!! It's merciless that way. I really cannot leave something unfinished to save the life of me. That's applied to every area of my life too. It's like an annoying little sibling poking me in the side, trying to get my attention if I so much as glance in another direction. I can't focus on anything else! Is it my conscience? Is it the perfectionist in me talking? Who knows! Not I, said the cat.

I guess that's one reason why my turtle persona fits me well, haha. I'm very slow. But hopefully slow and steady wins the race? 😅

Thanks so much for the ask! 🥰

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers.

Mixed feelings for sure! I love a good promise of something deliciously juicy to come. Here's the catch, though: That promise actually HAS to come! It's so gutting when a chapter of a favorite fic drops you off a cliff but then you never find out how it resolves because the fic never sees another update... so you're left falling through eternity... T-T Or when a show/film introduces a major plot thread at the end but never delivers on it, or it isn't fully answered for a painful amount of time. (I'm looking at YOU, question that Zuko asks at the end of ATLA Season 3! I had to wait OVER FIVE YEARS for The Search comics to come out, and I'm still salty about it!!) Haha listen, I'm all for audiences using their imaginations to draw their own conclusions, but when it's a metaphorical cliff I'm falling off of, pleeease don't make me free fall into the void for five years! Or forever!

10. Top three favourite fic tropes.

Ooohh, just three?? Off the top of my head, as far as generic tropes go that aren't fandom-specific, I adore Sickfics, Friends to Lovers, and Forced Proximity.

Sickfics never fail to spark that reluctant vulnerability in characters that I love to see. Friends to Lovers is probably my favorite romantic trope. Having two best-friend characters attempt to navigate the messy territory of crossing the Friendship boundary into something more comes with SO much mutual pining and squirmy feelings and cute insecurity, I just can't with it. 🥹 With Forced Proximity, I love that it often incorporates reluctant vulnerability, like with sickfics, except this time with variety! You can have characters who are trapped together somewhere inconvenient, snowed in, marooned with little but each other to cling to... The list goes on! It's the best when characters who aren't normally close are forced to come together and work out a solution as a team. Which then leads to great bonding moments and hurt/comfort sweetness. GOOD. STUFF.

Also, I'm not sure if these are tropes, maybe they're just categorization tags, but I looove longfics and canon-compliance and missing-scene fics with my whole heart. ❤️

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Thank you for the ask, @guardedchild! 💚🩵💛

7. Your favourite ao3 tag.

I'm probably so basic, but it has to be a tie between Hurt/Comfort and Slow Burn. Truly: Is there anything quite like a scene where one character comforts another hurting character? Where a character's aching so badly yet it's not in their nature to ask for help, physical or emotional? My dudes, I LIVE for that type of vulnerability. Stories where characters learn to lower their barriers are my lifeblood. Not to be dramatic ❤️

For ship fics, give me ALL the yearning. ALL the mutual pining. Drag it out for a torturously long time. Make them squirrrm in their unresolved feelings for one another! But have them delay making a move because what if their feelings aren't returned? What if they damage this already-fragile association they have going on between them? Besides, the timing's just not right, it wouldn't be wise to start something now, there's all this chaos reigning around them! ...All before dumping that glorious payoff on us. 🥰 These give me all the best squishy feelings.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

I'm no professional by any means, just a gal who enjoys her hobby, but there are a few tips that have worked for me throughout the years! I'll share three.

Read a whole bunch! It's obvious, but still so helpful. Find writing styles you like and look at what you're reading with a keen eye. Instead of reading just for plot, actively study the text and figure out what it is that makes you drawn to it. Sentence structure, word choice, characterization, you name it. It's all about finding your style and techniques that develop your craft.

In order to "kill your darlings," tell yourself the lie that you'll find a place for them later. (Spoiler alert: You most likely won't find a place for them ever. 😂) I forget where I heard this from, but it's saved me a lot of grief during the writing process. I have a stupidly difficult time nixing scenes and sentences that I've already put a lot of effort into, even after realizing that these "darlings" serve no purpose and need to get the axe. In the past, I often kept them anyways because I worked so hard on them and it hurt me to cut them from the story. It's been lifesaving to cut and paste them into another file while telling myself the lie that I'll work them in later somehow. I usually come up with a much better idea later anyways, so the moral of the story for me is to trust the process.

Understand the rules of writing so you can know when to break them. There are some really helpful pieces of writing advice out there, e.g. "Show and don't tell," "Don't use adverbs," "Write what you know," etc. But personally, I've found that adhering to any one of these to the letter can be restricting. They're good general rules of thumb, but they can limit style and creativity. Many writing "rules" are a lot more flexible than you'd think! It's all about balance and being conscientious. I love me some nicely placed adverbs 😁