Twenty Questions for Fic Writers
Mar. 6th, 2026 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrI was tagged by anghraine, and as is traditional am tagging anyone who thinks it looks fun. I think I may have done this one before but feel like doing it again regardless.
Since I am as much an artist as a writer I'll ponder it from both angles. Won't bother linking everything but my account is![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
sqbr.
1— How many works do you have on AO3?
Works: 224
Fic: 102
Fanart: 108 (and several hundred more elsewhere)
2— What's your total word count?
1,029,709 a negligible amount of which is from art descriptions.
3— What fandoms do you write for?
I'm very multifannish. Historically, my main fic fandom was Dragon Age. Right now I'm "writing" for Jack Jeanne though haven't posted anything in a While. I am even more multifannish for art especially since I take so many prompts, but there's a Lot for Dragon Age and Homestuck.
4— What are your top five fics by kudos?
My top six works since one is fanart:
Into Darker Water: Heaven Official's Blessing
Practical Applications of the Turing Test: Portal
The Life and Death of Setsuka Heel: Skip Beat
The Sound of Gears Turning: My Next Life As A Villainess (fanart)
Wedding is Destiny, and Hanging Likewise: Pride and Prejudice
Sighs and Whispers: Dragon Age
The Life and Death of Setsuka Heel is m/f and Into Darker Water is m/nb (based on a m/m pairing from canon), the rest are femslash, which is always interesting to me given the accepted truth that femslash does badly compared to m/f and m/m (which I have also written). I mean m/nb isn't generally considered a winner either haha maybe I'm just an outlier. It is worth noting that you have to scroll a bit to hit any of the polyamory or gen works, though.
5— Do you respond to comments?
Yes, though sometimes it takes a while. I don't get that many.
6— What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
HMMM. Probably some tiny oneshot I don't even remember writing, sad endings aren't usually my style. Let's say "Five times Anders tried to get people to read his manifesto (including one time he succeeded)" since that implictly ends just before the viewpoint character gets blown up.
Ha thinking about angsty fanart I also draw a dead Anders. That boy is good for angst.
7— What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Most things I write have pretty happy endings, but lets say "To Love And To Cherish", an epilogue to my Anne/Mary Pride and Prejudice sequel "Wedding is Destiny, and Hanging Likewise", itself pretty fluffy, which I decided was SO implausibly fluffy it needed to be exiled to a semi-canonical extra.
Happy art is too hard to judge there's literally hundreds.
8— Do you get hate on fics?
I've gotten hate on *art* especially in the heyday of Deviantart, but I can't actually remember getting any on fic, asides from an incorrect correction.
9— Do you write smut?
Yes, rarely, but even then I gloss over the finer details because I am easily squicked. I have never drawn it, not sure I have it in me.
10— Do you write crossovers?
Very occasionally. It's not a genre I'm usually into. I've drawn them more often as a silly joke.
11— Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not to my knowledge! I have had art reposted with credit but not permission but I think that's about it.
12— Have you ever had your fic translated?
Yeah, a few times! Comics too! Always feels very flattering. People keep asking to translate Into Deeper Water (which is set in China and based on a Chinese book) into Chinese and then not getting back to me, it's a very long fic and English -> Chinese can't be easy but maybe one day.
13— Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I haven't but am open to the idea! I have done a little co-creation on games and roleplaying which was fun if challenging.
14— What's your all-time favorite ship?
There's a lot I like pretty similarly but I think right now it's probably still Shi Qingxuan/He Xuan from Heaven Official's Blessing.
15— What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
There's a few but let's say "Mistress of Pemberley", a Pride and Prejudice AU where Darcy is a commoner, which I ran out of steam on just before the finish line. Because I got so close!
16— What are your writing strengths?
Dialogue, especially light shippy banter which keeps character voice. For art, creating a sense of expression and story.
17— What are your writing weaknesses?
Plot/structure. Description and sense of place. For art, I get bored if it's taking too long so don't bother with backgrounds, and am wonky on anatomy unless I trace a reference, in which case everything looks stiff.
18— Dialogue in another language?
Tiny amounts here and there when it was necessary for effect, but I don't trust myself to get it right and think it's generally better to just write in English and say what language the dialogue is in.
19— First fandom you wrote for?
As unambiguous fic: Pride and Prejudice, as a throw away story to help out with the closed beta back in 2008 which then ballooned into the novel length "Wedding is Destiny and Hanging Likewise" over several years haha.
As pastiche that was fic in my heart: A terrible "woobie Spock is rational and right but noone believes him because they're so EMOTIONAL and STUPID and so EVERYONE DIES" Star Trek TOS fic when I was like 14.
Fanart I have been doing since I was a kid, I remember doing a bunch of Garfield when I was very young.
20— Favorite fic you've ever written?
Oooooh a tough one. Maybe "Into Darker Water"? But the Hakuoki transfic "A Braid of Bamboo and Steel" is my under-appreciated fave.
Favourite art... hmmm... first thing that popped into my mind was this picture of Wei Wuxian playing the flute for a fish, it wasn't as good as the memory in my head but will do.
anghraine, and as is traditional am tagging anyone who thinks it looks fun. I think I may have done this one before but feel like doing it again regardless. Since I am as much an artist as a writer I'll ponder it from both angles. Won't bother linking everything but my account is
1— How many works do you have on AO3?
Works: 224
Fic: 102
Fanart: 108 (and several hundred more elsewhere)
2— What's your total word count?
1,029,709 a negligible amount of which is from art descriptions.
3— What fandoms do you write for?
I'm very multifannish. Historically, my main fic fandom was Dragon Age. Right now I'm "writing" for Jack Jeanne though haven't posted anything in a While. I am even more multifannish for art especially since I take so many prompts, but there's a Lot for Dragon Age and Homestuck.
4— What are your top five fics by kudos?
My top six works since one is fanart:
Into Darker Water: Heaven Official's Blessing
Practical Applications of the Turing Test: Portal
The Life and Death of Setsuka Heel: Skip Beat
The Sound of Gears Turning: My Next Life As A Villainess (fanart)
Wedding is Destiny, and Hanging Likewise: Pride and Prejudice
Sighs and Whispers: Dragon Age
The Life and Death of Setsuka Heel is m/f and Into Darker Water is m/nb (based on a m/m pairing from canon), the rest are femslash, which is always interesting to me given the accepted truth that femslash does badly compared to m/f and m/m (which I have also written). I mean m/nb isn't generally considered a winner either haha maybe I'm just an outlier. It is worth noting that you have to scroll a bit to hit any of the polyamory or gen works, though.
5— Do you respond to comments?
Yes, though sometimes it takes a while. I don't get that many.
6— What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
HMMM. Probably some tiny oneshot I don't even remember writing, sad endings aren't usually my style. Let's say "Five times Anders tried to get people to read his manifesto (including one time he succeeded)" since that implictly ends just before the viewpoint character gets blown up.
Ha thinking about angsty fanart I also draw a dead Anders. That boy is good for angst.
7— What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Most things I write have pretty happy endings, but lets say "To Love And To Cherish", an epilogue to my Anne/Mary Pride and Prejudice sequel "Wedding is Destiny, and Hanging Likewise", itself pretty fluffy, which I decided was SO implausibly fluffy it needed to be exiled to a semi-canonical extra.
Happy art is too hard to judge there's literally hundreds.
8— Do you get hate on fics?
I've gotten hate on *art* especially in the heyday of Deviantart, but I can't actually remember getting any on fic, asides from an incorrect correction.
9— Do you write smut?
Yes, rarely, but even then I gloss over the finer details because I am easily squicked. I have never drawn it, not sure I have it in me.
10— Do you write crossovers?
Very occasionally. It's not a genre I'm usually into. I've drawn them more often as a silly joke.
11— Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not to my knowledge! I have had art reposted with credit but not permission but I think that's about it.
12— Have you ever had your fic translated?
Yeah, a few times! Comics too! Always feels very flattering. People keep asking to translate Into Deeper Water (which is set in China and based on a Chinese book) into Chinese and then not getting back to me, it's a very long fic and English -> Chinese can't be easy but maybe one day.
13— Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I haven't but am open to the idea! I have done a little co-creation on games and roleplaying which was fun if challenging.
14— What's your all-time favorite ship?
There's a lot I like pretty similarly but I think right now it's probably still Shi Qingxuan/He Xuan from Heaven Official's Blessing.
15— What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
There's a few but let's say "Mistress of Pemberley", a Pride and Prejudice AU where Darcy is a commoner, which I ran out of steam on just before the finish line. Because I got so close!
16— What are your writing strengths?
Dialogue, especially light shippy banter which keeps character voice. For art, creating a sense of expression and story.
17— What are your writing weaknesses?
Plot/structure. Description and sense of place. For art, I get bored if it's taking too long so don't bother with backgrounds, and am wonky on anatomy unless I trace a reference, in which case everything looks stiff.
18— Dialogue in another language?
Tiny amounts here and there when it was necessary for effect, but I don't trust myself to get it right and think it's generally better to just write in English and say what language the dialogue is in.
19— First fandom you wrote for?
As unambiguous fic: Pride and Prejudice, as a throw away story to help out with the closed beta back in 2008 which then ballooned into the novel length "Wedding is Destiny and Hanging Likewise" over several years haha.
As pastiche that was fic in my heart: A terrible "woobie Spock is rational and right but noone believes him because they're so EMOTIONAL and STUPID and so EVERYONE DIES" Star Trek TOS fic when I was like 14.
Fanart I have been doing since I was a kid, I remember doing a bunch of Garfield when I was very young.
20— Favorite fic you've ever written?
Oooooh a tough one. Maybe "Into Darker Water"? But the Hakuoki transfic "A Braid of Bamboo and Steel" is my under-appreciated fave.
Favourite art... hmmm... first thing that popped into my mind was this picture of Wei Wuxian playing the flute for a fish, it wasn't as good as the memory in my head but will do.
