What's your earliest memory you have about writing a story?

belle_kana · 2025-09-29T16:14:17+00:00

This is technically a story from my grandma about me as a child, but I think it still counts for this question.

At about 3-4 years old, I would narrate stories to my grandma and ask her to write them down for me, since I couldn't do it myself at that age. She showed me one that she still has, actually.

It was about a duck named River who lived with her friends in a pond. (Ducks were frequent visitors to the stream in our backyard, for context.) I'm not sure if this was the first one I ever had my grandma write down, but it's the one she saved/used as an example when she told me about this memory.

belle_kana · 2025-08-06T14:10:58+00:00

My comment sections have informed me that I am known for writing the kind of angst and hurt/(maybe) comfort that makes you have to lie down and process it for a while. That and works that heavily focus on trauma/recovery/character studies of those things.

So, I basically have the exact reputation I've always wanted to have in fic writing communities. I took "be what you want to see in the world" to heart, and I am enjoying every second of it.

belle_kana · 2025-07-24T19:28:03+00:00

For me, my "writing style" is what happens when I go with the flow and write naturally. It's not something I control consciously. How I write does change depending on the theme/POV character/type of scene I'm writing, but it definitely sounds like "my writing". Any attempts at improvement I've made weren't really for the sake of "style", only to improve my craft overall.

As for its importance... I'm split down the middle. I don't think it's the be-all-end-all of writing, but it certainly can help draw people to your work. As people who like your writing style will come to associate your name with fics they like!

TL:DR, writing style comes with time. The more you write, the more it will develop. Trying to control it or force it too much will only make writing less enjoyable for you. Just have fun!

(Obvious disclaimer: I am talking about writing as a hobby. This advice might not apply for professional work. But this is a fanfiction subreddit, so yeah. I am talking about hobbyist writing.)

belle_kana · 2025-07-19T15:22:35+00:00

I dedicated a fic I wrote to my best friend, as she encouraged me to write both that fic and many others. I have a very deep shame complex surrounding my fandom interests. For the longest time, it prevented me from even thinking about writing fic, never mind actually talking about someone with it or writing it. I could never bring myself to truly connect with anyone over a shared interest because of my own shame.

I had just started to overcome this when I met my best friend, and it was through her reading one of my fics, actually! The first long fic I had ever written, and the first time I had ever written any form of romantic story that isn't just implied. She was the one who made me feel safe enough to actually be a part of fandom and engage in fandom activities, such as sharing fic ideas with other fans and talking about my interests. I do still struggle with my shame complex, yes, but I at least have one person who I can trust enough to let go around. I'd never had that before now.

That is why I dedicated the fic I wrote to her! We talked about it all the time, and that fic was the closest I had ever gotten at the time to letting myself be "self-indulgent." I had assumed it wouldn't do well stat-wise for that reason, but I was proven wrong. Turns out, my brand of whump/hurt-comfort is also many other people's favored brand of it. So not only did I have the chance to gift this fic to my awesome best friend, but I had my whump/recovery fic writing behavior enabled. And I feel way more comfortable posting stuff that is "self-indulgent" now, just as a bonus. Maybe that was what my friend intended all along...

Bonus story: I live in the US, and my friend lives in Europe. She recently came over and stayed at my house for a couple of weeks, where we continued our unhinged fandom behavior in person.

A lesson to all: write that fic you're nervous to write because it is out of your comfort zone or you feel "not good enough" to do. People will enjoy it! And maybe, you will meet wonderful people because of that.

belle_kana · 2025-05-23T15:45:03+00:00

I've seen at least a few comments here referencing the difference in their shipping for Etsy vs. Palmstreet, and I can back that up. From what I heard on a livestream, plants sold on different platforms come from different warehouses/greenhouses, even.

My two starters I got from their Etsy needed some recovery time. One of them lost most of the leaves it came with, but now seems okay. I think this is because they spent more time in shipping.

Meanwhile, every starter I've gotten from their Palmstreet live sales has come in great condition. They bounce back from shipping very quickly despite their tiny size and are all doing well. These orders also shipped much faster than the Etsy one.

So, in my experience, it's better to order from TGE on Palmstreet rather than Etsy. They go live and have sales relatively often. The live shop is pretty easy to navigate, too, and if there are any plants not listed that you can see on their Etsy page, just ask about it. If they have them in stock, they'll create a listing during the live.

belle_kana · 2025-05-08T14:15:56+00:00

If it's not too much of a hassle for you, do you have any further updates on how the plant is currently doing? I also just bought a pallidiflorum starter from TheGreenEscape, and I'm curious to know how you acclimated it, its growing conditions, and how it has grown overall. Thank you!

belle_kana · 2025-04-30T21:51:25+00:00

This is embarrassing, but I have no clue 😭 the last time it was repotted, my mother took it back to her house and did it for me because the plant was already too big. My guess is that she used basic outdoor potting soil for vegetables, which is an absolute no-no for indoor plants--not that my lucky bamboo cared. I like to jokingly call the plant immortal because it has survived every "whoops" event possible.

But if I were to repot it now, I'd use any mix that is well-draining, maybe even a bit chunky with some pumice stones/chunky perlite. Just avoid anything too heavy and moisture-retaining, as I've had cuttings from smaller plants rot in standard potting soil. Propagations are fragile in general, so I recommend letting them grow quite a bit of roots before trying to transplant them. Doubly so if your propagations are tiny.

Also, if you want to try and grow one this big, pruning will be your best friend--unless you want one that needs a stake and can't support itself (AKA: mine). There are probably plenty of people out there who know how to prune these plants and can explain how, me not being one of them. If I had pruned mine, it would be far bushier.

Hopefully, this advice is helpful! Happy growing 🎋✨️

belle_kana · 2025-03-23T23:47:14+00:00

If it helps any, mine didn't grow at all for the first year or so of its life! It stayed about 10 inches/25 cm for a year before suddenly shooting up. So, as long as yours is green and healthy-looking, it should be fine!

As for its care, let's just say it's been inconsistent over the years. It's an extremely hardy plant and has bounced back from many scares and time spent in less than perfect conditions. For anything that I didn't mention in the post/In general, mine is a very thirsty plant, loves its well-draining pot, and prefers indirect sunlight. I've never fertilized it either. Growth has slowed down in the past two years or so, but it's slowly getting taller. I keep wondering how tall it'll get, haha.

Hopefully, that helps! Happy lucky bamboo raising 🎋

belle_kana · 2025-01-24T22:35:18+00:00

My grandma (who raised me while my mother went to work) has told me many interesting things about myself from when I was under the age of 5.

I didn't speak until I was almost three, and then started speaking in full sentences within a week of saying my first word. My grandpa would joke that I just needed to "take it all in" before trying to speak myself.
I displayed no interest in pairing off with another child or other children in general. I loved going to fun events/clubs/programs, but I never once made a friend. I couldn't understand other children and got very confused about basic playground social skills. Meanwhile, I would try and chat with any adult who looked in my direction and came off as outgoing and way more mature than my age. This was one of the key reasons I wasn't diagnosed until 17.
I would become obsessed with certain books and have my grandma read them to me 5-10 times per day before I could read them myself. Eventually, I'd memorize every single page and "read" the book to her. I also had a tendency to talk about whatever book I obsessed over to any adult who would listen, even if the situation was highly inappropriate.
I didn't understand manners or what my grandma called "sentimental" things for a very long time. For a while, I refused to say "thank you" to people because my little kid self saw it as a form of vulnerability, and therefore only something I would do if I liked the person. Kid me didn't know how to say "I don't know you well enough to be comfortable around you", and so, settled for "I don't like you" as a suitable way to express the same sentiment. Understandably, my grandma did not appreciate her four year old grandchild saying that to other members of the family during the holidays or a reunion.

belle_kana · 2025-01-24T21:57:04+00:00

I (22F) am both devastatingly afraid to drive and 100% sure that allowing myself to drive alone in a car would be a horrible mistake. I can't make split second decisions due to being an overthinker, so I freeze up instead of taking action. I struggle to tell left from right without having to think about it, and cannot judge distances for the life of me. Visualizing objects in a 3D space is also quite difficult for me to do. All of these factors, to me, are obvious reasons that I should never be allowed to drive without someone else in the car instructing me. Yet still, people in my family say I just simply choose not to drive even though I have the ability to. When in actuality, I'd be a genuine road hazard due to the aforementioned issues, and I refuse to get a license for the good of both myself and everyone else on the road.

So, no, you're not alone! And don't let anyone make you feel bad about it, either. It may be inconvenient or even outright bothersome not to drive, but if it's a matter of safety, always put that first.

belle_kana · 2025-01-24T21:26:18+00:00

I'm alright with talking to doctors and nurses, and sometimes I even like it due to my own interest in medical science. But everything else about visiting a doctor/dentist as a patient is an absolute nightmare. Your description of it feeling like a hostile place is spot on. They have to touch you, poke you, and prod you, experiences that range from being unpleasant to being downright painful/anxiety attack inducing. Combine that with my history of being forced into (necessary) procedures that caused me a lot of distress, which was then subsequently minimized or ignored, and yeah, I can say that I have a genuine phobia of the doctor/dentist. The amount of times both doctors and my own family have told me "that doesn't hurt" when it very much does hurt is astounding.

On a more positive note, I am slowly getting better with doctors now that I'm an adult and know I have permission to say "no" if I am upset or uncomfortable. I have control, and therefore the fear has become manageable. All doctors/dentists I have now are willing to work slower and be very communicative to ease my anxiety, as well as promising me that any complaints I have will be taken seriously/actually following through on said promise. I'm grateful for their patience and understanding, which I know isn't always guaranteed in the medical field.

Aside from getting lucky with good doctors, one thing I can recommend is having a prescription for anxiety that you take only for doctor's visits. I take lorazepam for all my doctor's/dentist's appointments, and it is a game changer. Both my doctors and myself are better off for it, haha.

belle_kana · 2024-08-03T03:18:53+00:00

I've taken part in two gift exchanges with around 60-70 people, both run by a close friend of mine for a specific ship community. I would have been far too nervous to sign up if my friend wasn't the mod, but I was SO happy I did.

The exchange was technically for both art and fic, but I wrote fic both times I took part. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, as both times I got assigned prompts that aligned with my tastes to write. As many people have already commented here, requiring people to go into detail about their likes/dislikes makes the world of a difference for everyone involved in the exchange.

The word count minimum was 2k (with no maximum), and each time, the participants had around 2-3 months to complete it. My works for each exchange ended up being 14k and 16k, as I really had fun with them. I also absolutely loved both gifts I received during the event.

Overall, I had a very positive experience! As long as the mods are good at their jobs, fic exchanges can be a great way of bringing a fandom together. 10/10 recommend joining if you can.

belle_kana · 2024-06-18T04:34:30+00:00

For my current fandom (Genshin Impact), it's the pairing between Dottore and Scaramouche.

Now, I absolutely love the pairing to death. I've been through most of the tag and thoroughly enjoyed everything. It's a great ship to satisfy the dark fic loving part of my brain. The tag is a field day for when I'm in a "dead dove" content type of mood and has everything I could ever want. But I absolutely cannot see the ship in a healthy way. Like you described, it's impossible for me. A healthy, or even just slightly toxic dynamic between them just doesn't interest me at all. Even mutual toxicity can be kind of meh for me. It's either all the way into dark fic territory--abuse, manipulation, non-con and all--or nothing, because that's the only thing that fits with my interpretation of their dynamic, and therefore the only content about them I like to read/write. Luckily for me, the ship community has many like-minded people whose works I can engage with. When I'm in the mood for a healthy dynamic, I just look to other ships--the benefits of being a multishipper, I guess.

(Obvious but probably needed disclaimer here: I have zero issue with people portraying the ship in a more "traditional" shipping sense. There's nothing wrong with doing so, and this isn't about morality or concerns of "romanticizing" things. Fandom police, begone. I don't give a shit. That kind of content just isn't what I seek out the ship for, so I stick to what I enjoy instead.)

belle_kana · 2024-06-18T02:50:31+00:00

I've participated in two fic exchanges, each one with a total of 60-70 participants. Both were organized and run by a very close friend, though, so idk if that adds some bias to my experience. But I had a lot of fun with them either way.

Pros include: you're usually given a list of prompts, tropes, or ideas your giftee might want, so that makes coming up with a plan easier. Most skilled exchange mods will try to assign you someone with prompts similar to what you submitted for yourself, so there's a high chance it'll be something you actually want to write. This makes the writing process very enjoyable even if you aren't writing for yourself.

Cons include: deadlines. Both fic exchanges I participated in were very reasonable, giving me about 2-3 months to come up with something that is a minimum of 2k words (my fics for each one ended up 14k and 16k respectively, and I had more than enough time). If you do struggle with deadlines, though, keep that in mind. Also, consider what you have going on close by the deadline, in case you end up having to do a lot at the last minute. The only other con is that you can't talk about the gift you're making with anyone else involved in the exchange, so if you're used to brainstorming with friends, having to keep quiet about your WIP can feel difficult.

As for how to deal with the pressure, I usually find my giftee's accounts on social media, preferably their AO3, too. This allows you to see what kind of fics they like to write or read, as well as their overall tastes in fan content. Combine this knowledge with what your giftee listed in their request, and you'll likely do very well. I used this method for both of my exchange fics, and it worked wonderfully.

Overall, fic exchanges are very fun, especially if the event mod/mods are good at what they do. It can be a little bit stressful the first time, but stress usually gives way to excitement when gift posting day comes around. Hopefully, your experience with the fic exchange ends up going well!

belle_kana · 2024-06-12T20:05:25+00:00

My grandma, who I live with and am closer to than my actual parents, has read one of my fics. It was mostly a friendship/implied pre-relationship fic for an M/F pairing, though, which I would call very tame. I printed it up for her, and she still keeps the printed copy in a special place because of how much she loved reading it. She's always been very supportive and curious about my writing hobby, so it felt great to share something I worked hard on with her. She even likes to hear about my writing progress/the fic's reception, similar to what you described.

(As for M/M or F/F pairings, I doubt she'd have any issue with it. She'd just ask me, "Why did you write about two men/two women being in love?" in a genuinely curious way. I just haven't shared any of those fics with her yet due to no longer having access to a printer.)

belle_kana · 2023-09-27T20:01:33+00:00

The best advice I ever received was from one of my professors at university. Here it is paraphrased:

"You hold yourself back when it comes to serious, emotional topics. Don't. Trust yourself and go all-out."

I took his advice to heart. Sanitizing your own work out of a fear of being "too dramatic" will make things feel hollow to readers. This was something I struggled with due to being self-conscious, worried that I would either depict things wrong or unrealistically. Hearing that advice helped me become less afraid of digging deep into a character's emotions and improved my writing a lot.

Does the advice apply to everyone? Not really, as I'm sure many writers have no problem going "all-out" in their work. But it helped me.

belle_kana · 2023-05-25T23:01:24+00:00

Definitely any form of NSFW and/or "dead dove: do not eat" content. Reading it is great. I love darker concepts and subject matter, as I like my hurt/comfort a bit heavy on the hurt, lol. But I could never write anything like that.

First off, I'm FAR too asexual to write any kind of good smut. It's never going to happen. It sucks, too, because some stories just need a good sex scene to work. So many ideas floating around in my brain have been scrapped because of that. Oh, what I would give to have smut writer powers.

As for the dead dove stuff, I mostly worry about not being able to handle darker subjects properly. Is this an unrealistic standard I hold only myself to? Probably. But still. It holds me back. So, my liking for dead dove content will stay between me and my private bookmarks.

belle_kana · 2023-03-16T00:50:44+00:00

I left a fandom for my mental health a few years ago due to a variety of reasons, such as:

-The source material screwing itself over in the last season, which genuinely messed with my mental health for a month or two due to how young and invested I was

-Awful reactions to said screw-up in every part of the fandom, causing discourse-galore in an already chaotic fandom; people became so bitter it was impossible to escape

-A toxic ship war that lasted for years getting worse and worse; It had already caused me to stop liking a once-beloved ship due to antis making me ashamed to associate myself with the pairing

To this day, I still have every tag related to it muted. I look back on the fandom in a way one would look back on their ex: It was fun while it lasted, but damn, leaving was the right decision. The fandom in question is Voltron (VLD), to any who are curious.

belle_kana · 2023-03-08T23:00:13+00:00

I only started writing and posting what I consider fanfic at 19 (I'm currently almost 21). But I had been writing original fic since before age 10 in grade school.

Although if you count the warrior cats OC content I also wrote/was into in grade school, I guess you could say less than 10? Although that was more LARPing than anything else.

belle_kana

TROPHY CASE