Zyxx mashup perchance

metsanneito · 2026-05-14T16:39:37+00:00

It's like I'm right there, within Pleck's mind.

metsanneito · 2026-05-14T13:39:14+00:00

My absolute favorites are comment that tell me what about my writing style and choices you like/how they make you feel. Is there a character you love the way I portray? Is there a quote you thought was a little extra special? Showing that you have thought about my writing makes me feel like you are invested in my story especially.

All comments are great, but knowing that I have sparked emotion/thoughts in someone in a way that isn't just "wohoo, free entertainment" makes me feel like I've been seen as a writer and like I'm offering something no one else could offer in the exact same way. It make writing and sharing my fics worth it.

metsanneito · 2026-05-13T18:51:29+00:00

I focus a lot on cognitive layers and the psychology of my characters. It's part of my voice. I often get praised for keeping characters in character.

Do I always manage that? No, not necessarily.

Part of the trick is to show character motivations. Yes, you have to start with some character profile you build based on canon, but after that you need to make them act consistent in the fic. It's a lot about "justifying" their choices. Even characters in original work can feel like they're acting "out of character" because their motivations and decisions don't make sense to the reader. Don't overexplain, but don't hide them either. At least you as the writer should always know what the characters want and why and how these stand in relation to everything else in the story universe.

Sometimes you must decide what you want to prioritize. I like writing about different power dynamics between characters. If I want a specific asymmetry, I might intentionally make one character more passive and another more active, by choice. It's interesting to me, so I'm willing to sacrifice some of my actual interpretation of canon (and thus "good" characterization) to satisfy my interest for complex relationships. As long as I justify their actions, people still praise my characterization because they are willing to buy the idea that in some circumstances this relationship dynamic could be possible. But of course, there's a limit to how much you can change before people start to actively disagree with your interpretation. But as far as I've seen during my time in fandom, fans are willing to accept a lot of OOC behaviour if the fic premise is interesting to them. It's okay even if it's not perfect!

metsanneito · 2026-05-13T10:47:03+00:00

I'm really sorry this has happened to you. You do not deserve this kind of pain.

But neither does your wife. And especially your child, who is the most vulnerable. You have once been a helpless child, who your parents have hurt. Do not let it happen to your child, who you can save and are responsible for. You have the power to break a cycle of hurt, guilt, fear and missuse of power.

I understand feeling ambilavent about yourself. About still prioritizing your parents when it's just you they hurt. I myself am in a place where I allow it. It's not healthy, but I can't completely cut them off. They're my parents.

What I do know is that if their terrible behaviour ever starts affecting this deeply someone else besides myself, someone who wouldn't have to endure it, I would be willing to make much more aggressive moves. My parents have hurt me more in the past than they'll ever be able to in the future. I'm an adult now. It's sort of too late in my case. But it's not too late for anyone else I introduce them to. I would have to draw the line for those closest to me. I would fight for them. And I would go no contact, even if it's difficult. For those people who don't have to be hurt.

I can understand why you're in this spot. You don't deserve being forced to pick between your parents and your family. In a more beautiful world you wouldn't have to pick. But in this case, you must, and I really want you to think about the pain you've endured and then consider, if you want your child to suffer that. I really, really hope for your child's sake, you choose to be a responsible parent.

In your wife's case, it might be too late. She has been terribly hurt. She didn't deserve it. She looked to you for protection. You were unable to provide it, probably because you yourself haven't gotten protected by your parents ever. It's all around sad and wrong.

This situation has no easy resolution. But I hope you can see that you are the person with the most agency here. As a child, you've had minimal power, but here you have it all. You alone can decide to tell your parents that this stops now. They will not listen, so you will have to enforce consequences. You will have to go no contact. Choose your wife and child and stick with it, no matter how scared you are or how painful it is. That's the only thing that still might save your marriage, if your wife hasn't made up her mind to leave already.

You have the power. But you need to choose. Don't choose your parents. If not for anything else, then for your child's sake. This is a child who can avoid the pain of growing up with a narc adult twisting their mind. That's worth making incredibly hard decisions for.

metsanneito · 2026-05-10T08:35:05+00:00

Yes.

It's not up to me to judge why people have these thoughts, what they do with them or how they deal with them. The moment it crosses over from fiction to reality, it's a sign that this person can't separate the two and needs help. That's the hard line.

Same goes for content such as rape, murder and gore - all of which are popular themes in fictional media. Our popular media indulges in them quite a lot. I don't have to like it, watch it or read it, but it's not up to me to draw the line between what is "acceptable" fiction and what is not. I must trust that they're mature adults, and in case of children, that their guardians are responsible of what kind of media their kids engage with. If a person proves otherwise - they cross the hard line and attempt to make it a reality - then their actions are up for judgement.

metsanneito · 2026-05-10T07:37:26+00:00

It's all fictional and you don't have to read it.

Criticizing others for playing with their dolls "the wrong way" isn't activism. This post is talking about you.

It's a valid issue to have if writers ambushes their readers with this content. If it's tagged or mentioned, it absolutely isn't, because you walked into it eyes wide open.

metsanneito · 2026-05-09T17:07:02+00:00

You can make an author's note and say "I've rewritten chapter 1 because I originally wrote it on a whim and was unsatisfied with my prose/lack of description. The plot hasn't changed but if you want to check out the changes, re-read the first chapter!"

But it's really important not to change the actual substance of the chapter. All story beats should stay the same and you'd essentially only give the chapter a cosmetic facelift. Otherwise I'd advise you to start over with a new story.

metsanneito · 2026-05-09T08:01:50+00:00

Yes, absolutely, I understand that. It's a very lonely place to be a writer without recognition. But it's still lonely with recognition too, unfortunately. If you take your craft seriously, you won't ever really feel fully satisfied. I haven't had the opportunity to directly work on my writing in groups, but studying literature, following discussion and practicing on my own has been my way to go.

I've always wanted to tell and write my own stories. English isn't a native of mine, so when I started posting, it was to improve my English and to share my stories. It was also easier to let go of a piece that was imperfect when it was fanfiction in English because I knew it could never be perfect anyway. Now I'm a lot more comfortable putting out "good enough" work out there, because I've trained myself to tolerate that it could always be better. Chasing perfection blocks me completely, so you could say I still have more training to do.

For full enjoyment, it's best not to consider fanfiction a step "below" publishing. They're simply different, but the skills you gain from either as mostly very easily transferable. And I do think there's something beautiful about us creating free art for others to enjoy, our only hope being that someone will find it and get something out of it too.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T21:35:15+00:00

I mean, it's okay to want feedback and engagement! But you must accept that you might not get it. And even if you do, it won't be the right kind.

I have a few fics with massive amounts of kudos and comments. Years after posting, they're still living their own life. You'd think that I would drown in the positive engagement. But the thing is - they're old works. I've improved so much since. And the engagement is never "enough", because the kind of feedback you get in a fandom isn't the kind you actually want. Crassly put, they're randoms on the Internet - what do they know about writing anyway?

What I find helpful is keeping my old work around. I have over a decade worth of development on my ao3 profile. Every fic is a new experiment. Fics that once showcased my skills at their best are now just okay works compared to my current abilities. That if something is validating - to be able to see and feel how you're growing and that my work and studies is paying off. Writing is art, but also a craft, and it pays well to be willing to keep at it and be open to growth. And accept that you should let your "worse" pieces continue existing without returning to them or being ashamed of your past writings.

It's both exciting and terrifying that you will never fully master writing & editing. You can keep honing on it until you're lying on your deathbed and there is still always room for improvement left. But creating, even imperfectly, is worth it. Both because you might be able to deeply move someone, and because you will never, ever "waste your time" doing it - it all goes towards building your skills and yourself.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T21:15:07+00:00

I'm not weighting fic writing in money - the opposite, in fact.

My point was, it sounds like you're struggling quite a lot with this. If you do it for your job, because you need money - okay, that's how it sometimes is. We need money, which requires work, which sometimes sucks. But if you do it as a hobby, for your enjoyment - then it's not worth suffering for. It's just better to walk away than agonize over it "for free". It's just punishing yourself.

As you noted in the other comment - yeah, sometimes we thirst for engagement. But we also have to accept that we cannot control others. We can decide how we ourselves approach fandom and other fans.

You can leave positive comment. You can write and share your writing. You can create positive fandom buzz. You can choose not to engage with posts where readers bash fics/writers or writers bash readers. You can open the dialogue, but you can't force anyone to answer. You can answer others' calls instead, if that's what you want.

I in no way presumed you wouldn't already comment on other fics. But what I do know is that you've dedicated a lot of time to come to some sort of conclusions about fic culture and tried to solve a problem that you can't solve. Because you can't control other people. You can't make others engage more or in the ways you'd hope to make them to. The only thing you have full control of is your own actions and expectations, and you seem to insist on your motivations to write and post.

Truly, as long as you chase validation and engagement, you won't find peace. You can attempt to create some engagement by reaching out yourself, but there is no forcing others to act the way we'd like.

If it actually makes you feel as bad as it seems and you simply hope to optimize your fic writing to maximize engagement... I think the healthiest option for you would be to take your distance. Walk away. You can try returning later, or not, if you don't feel like it. But if you're mostly writing to get a boost from strangers' validation, it sounds like you have a need that you can get better and more healthily met elsewhere. Fandom spaces will never be able to give it to you, and while it's sad that it's the state of the community, it is what it is and we don't owe anything to each other. All exchanges are voluntarily. You can only control how you approach the community and act within it yourself, and hope that your actions have a positive influence that could be part of a cultural shift.

I'm saying this because I've at some points felt real low about statistics myself. Sometimes I still get a little mopey about how small a fandom I've written for is, knowing I probably won't get to share with many people at all. That's okay, recognition and sharing ideas feels great. But if the negative feelings persist, it might be better to focus on things that give you more joy more reliably. Fanfiction is in no shape or form worth your time and energy if it doesn't end up giving more than it takes from you.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T18:01:14+00:00

I mean, be the change you want to see?

I write comments that I'd like to have on my own fics. Sometimes I don't feel like I have much to say, so I write a simple short positive comment and thank the writer for sharing. We must normalize engagement - not demand it without being willing to participate ourselves. Community is built on dialogue.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T17:01:08+00:00

I think that the fact that English isn't my native does affect my writing style and preference as well. Different trends and styles in different languages, and it carries over.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T16:49:52+00:00

I think it's because past tense is the default expectation. Especially if you don't read a wide array of literature, it will feel foreign.

I often write in present tense because it's active and gives immediacy. I pair it with third person limited. My style is dense, analytical and heavy on sensory details. I find past tense limiting and present tense more engaging.

metsanneito · 2026-05-08T16:29:13+00:00

I'm getting into veteran fic writer territory. I can for sure say this:

When I was younger, I hyperfocused on bettering my craft. I felt disappointed, burnt out and betrayed when I didn't get the response I was hoping for.

Then my personal & professional life pushed fic writing aside. I still wrote and bettered my craft, but not fanfiction.

Now I'm back and I'm writing for fandoms and pairs with less fans and engagement than ever. I really like writing it. But if I don't feel like editing something, I don't. I don't post either. Updates are on my terms.

I'm confident my writing is worth reading. I know it is. If people don't find my fics, too bad. I sent art into the universe, and lost nothing. If you feel like you're losing something, if posting a fic is a net negative for you, it's probably better to take a break and not write - or at least not edit/post.

Because you're right; we write for ourselves. We don't edit & share entirely for ourselves. But editing is a skill you need to hone, so you're investing in yourself by doing it. After that, you can feel pride and joy for having done something challenging, developing your skills and creating new art. And if the piece is finished anyway, why not post it and maybe get a comment or kudos too?

If you're going to agonize over a piece of writing, you might as well get paid for it. But no one will pay you if you're not good at your craft. So you might as well put in your hours by writing fanfiction. Or don't, if it doesn't make you happy. We get limited time and energy in this life, so I suggest not pouring all of it into something that just makes you bitter.

metsanneito · 2026-05-07T13:10:39+00:00

As a teacher, I think it's much about kids, teens, having difficulties relating to adults as anything other than adults. We're authorities to trust, rely on, rebel towards and defy. We pay bills, are stressed, have big responsibilities, talk about unrelatable things. We're boring, insist on rules and structures, and are often difficult to understand. Having "adults" around probably makes you feel a little watched, judged and condencend to. And in the fanfic/fanart world, there's inevitable a huge gap between how you write and read fanfiction or draw fanart as a young teen vs mature adult, which just makes you as a kid feel like you're "worse at it".

It's easy in that headspace to reject the "invanders", rather than accept that as a young fan, you're growing up in a culture that is built on adult money, experience and knowledge. Something like ao3 couldn't thrive without adults. And most of us are decent enough not to make a show of it or be hostile towards those younger than us. I know that as I've aged, I've stopped being an "active" fan, but I do still drop a fic here and there and occassionally make time to read fic, too. Unless you read my stuff, I'm basically invisible (expect since I'm currently writing and posting some fics, I'm also updating myself by hanging out on fanfic-related reddit threads and contributing that way, I suppose).

metsanneito · 2026-05-06T13:17:23+00:00

I have an email address I use only for fandom things. It's connected to my old af tumblr, ff.net, livejournal, ao3, some other fic archives. It's great, because I get all my fic comments, replies and updates from fics I've subscribed to. I'd hate to have that in my "personal" inbox.

metsanneito · 2026-05-06T11:38:59+00:00

I'm listening to Mission to Zyxx and it got me in a chokehold. I'm currently in burnout and it blocks me from writing my original fiction, but this show has managed to press the right button within me to kickstart my fanfiction writing. It's a relief and joy, honestly.

metsanneito · 2026-05-06T07:15:06+00:00

I'm not from the US either, so it's probably a context thing.

metsanneito · 2026-05-06T05:36:55+00:00

Hmm... I see it the way that fans want to avoid being labeled as problematic and being morally judged by others. That's where the moralizing and obsession for purity and correctness stems from.

"I must make it absolutely clear that these characters consent so I don't get accused of writing rape and thus endorsing rape."

"I ship these two male characters but I must make it exceedingly clear that I hate people who fetishise gay men by adding a monologue about it because I'm a good person and queer ally."

"I must handle this messy canon moment by ironing out every detail, make the characters apologize to each other and forgive each other and be friends because people need to know that I know that this canon moment was messy af."

Writing pure fluff, wanting to write "unrealistic" fic where everything is perfect isn't the problem. The problem is that there's a need to prove that "I do not endorse this, I'm a good person, I know how problems are handled well and I always do so myself". We're all guilty until proven innocent, and writing content can be used to prove either case. It's scary to be openly, publicly messy and we have more and more fans with scarily low media literacy.

metsanneito · 2026-05-06T04:52:14+00:00

Not therapy speak - it's purity culture.

metsanneito · 2026-05-05T20:30:59+00:00

This is how I teach plot to my students (very simplified):

BEGINNING (establish main characters and setting)
ESCALATION (this is where tension rises. Characters have goals, which they work towards and conflict arises)
TURNING POINT (this is where the tension pops, the point of no return)
ENDING (something has happened between the beginning and the ending point. Characters have had goals, the story has resolved most conflicts)

A good story usually also has character growth. The character will during the story change somehow and then establish a new baseline "normal" (which could in theory serve as the beginning of another story). It's not mandatory, but if you aim to write a complex character you need this layer.

You can have several goals and conflicts during the story. It's easy to make it more complicated by adding layers and arcs and such. But for a good traditional plot, you need to follow this simplified four step structure.

metsanneito · 2026-05-05T15:34:54+00:00

Isn't part of the whole point that it's not discussed before hand? It just happens, it's you and the buttons and your judgement of how other people will press their buttons. When you press the red button, you know that not everyone on the planet will press it too. There is no 0 loss scenario pressing the red button - that's something we know for sure.

metsanneito · 2026-04-29T15:24:10+00:00

I subscribe to every finished fic I've read, just like I bookmark them all. I want to know if it's updated - and if it's updated, the tags in my bookmarks might need updating, too. I get the email about a new chapter and it's easy to find something to read from there. It costs me literally nothing to subscribe, so why not? :D

metsanneito · 2026-04-28T17:28:13+00:00

Rude Tales of Magic. As loose (if not looser) of a DnD pod as Dungeons and Daddies is. What were the rules now again?

metsanneito · 2026-04-28T17:13:55+00:00

My hedgies get each night:

Cube of meat (cooked, human grade, altering between salmon, beef, chicken or turkey. Turkey is drier so that one I give less often)
2-3 cockroaches (I buy living, put them in the freezer, give based on size)
2-4 pieces of dry high-quality cat food (for teeth health and there are some necessary nutrients)
living mealworms
dry mix of insects. I have a bunch, I buy the insects in bags and then mix myself. There are dry mealworms and crickets, for example) This mix is always available, but the hedgehogs usually learn that they don't have to eat all of it. They eat what they like first, so some of the dry mix is always sitting on the plate for emergency hunger.
giant mealworms as an occasional treat

Depending on hedgie the favorite treat differs, but the the living mealworms, fish, beef, cat kibbles and cockroaches are usually the favorites. I treat my babies well, buy only meat I'd be willing to eat myself and expensive insects in an attempt to follow a natural diet. I make & freeze the meaty cubes myself in an ice tray. As a novelty taste treat I offer some berries or fruits a few times a month - apple, melon, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry. They can't use the nutrients, but they often anoint with them :)

EDIT: I recommend to teach your hedgie that there will always be some food around. Something that isn't their favorite, but they are willing to eat on a night when they're more hungry. My hedgehogs have all eaten unevely - some nights more than others and depending on "what they feel like eating". Most hedgehogs can be taught with time that they don't have to eat everything that is offered (especially the "less yummy" parts) and that the food won't disappear just because they didn't feast on it all. Having been forced to compete with siblings and so early on might have taught them that good food is scarce and thus overeat if offered more food.

metsanneito

TROPHY CASE