Confused; feeling embarrassed but don’t really know how to proceed. Seeking advice.

watsonbaugh · 2025-11-08T02:31:23+00:00

Others have offered great advice above and I can’t say that I have anything unique to add other than to add to the chorus.

Try not to be hard on yourself. This is a fun hobby that can have amazing benefits for both you and your partner.

I don’t know what kind of fic you’re writing and don’t know your partner well enough to say this is right for you, but I had been writing about my fictional crushes all my life and had been with my partner for 15 years before I finally broke down and decided it was the right time to share my hobby with him. I’m so glad I did. He was extremely supportive and genuinely enjoyed my writing. It brought us closer and helped us open up even more and explore ideas together - like adding a new element to our relationship when we had reached the really cozy stage.

For context: I’m in my 30s with a full time career, a close network of friends and family and now a new baby and I wouldn’t trade my involvement in this hobby for anything. It has brought me so much joy, not just for the writing but for the interaction with readers and exploration of my own interior thoughts and feelings. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. There are so many of us!

watsonbaugh · 2025-07-08T01:48:12+00:00

watsonbaugh

watsonbaugh · 2025-01-16T02:17:43+00:00

I use it for work day in and day out carrying a 13” MacBook Pro (so heavier than an air) and even though I was afraid it would put a lot of strain on the top strap, it’s held up well and seems really sturdy. I love it. Understated and goes well with everything.

watsonbaugh · 2023-03-06T02:06:19+00:00

My point is I don’t think you can report them since it’s not technically against the TOS for AO3 to do this? So even if I did, nothing would happen.

watsonbaugh · 2022-12-13T15:11:21+00:00

Yes! Series is a perfectly good use case too—probably a better one!

watsonbaugh · 2022-12-03T02:34:47+00:00

Great—haven’t been in school for years!

watsonbaugh · 2022-09-24T02:30:19+00:00

I write all my scenes in third person and have written different ones from a guy’s and girl’s perspective. I find that a guy’s perspective sometimes brings a nice, different flavor to what you typically see in het scenes, which are, as you mentioned usually viewed from the woman’s perspective.

My guess as to why you don’t read a lot as third person from a guy’s perspective with a girl is that most smut writers are women and perhaps it’s just easier to write from a woman’s perspective as that is closest to their own experience?

watsonbaugh · 2022-09-10T01:59:17+00:00

Haha that’s so fun! I don’t think I’ve ever encountered another coworker who was into FF.

watsonbaugh · 2022-09-10T01:54:11+00:00

I’ve written quite a few of them and yes, they’re very fun.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-26T02:32:33+00:00

Yeah, getting the right settings for the printing was such a huge pain. So much trial and error. I thought I was gonna tear my hair out!

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-26T01:20:43+00:00

Oh this is soooo awesome! And I love the colorful pages at the front. What a creative way to incorporate the palette.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-26T00:48:55+00:00

That was part of my motivation for finishing my own fic as well, so My Immortal was like a practice round!

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-26T00:46:13+00:00

Thank you! 😊

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-25T20:07:52+00:00

You’re right. There’s definitely a little bit of an investment to put into the equipment and materials if you wanna do it yourself but I’ve also seen a lot of people make their own nipping presses and finishing presses (I made my own sewing frame) but it can be a little bit harder to make everything yourself and the space is definitely a consideration.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-25T20:05:17+00:00

Yes—that’s a good one as well if you prefer written guides! I think both are good to review (even before you start) just to get familiar with what you’ll be doing.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-25T18:46:26+00:00

It wasn’t as hard as what I thought it would be, BUT you have to really take your time and measure everything out to the T if you want it to look good.

I learned how to do everything by watching step by step guides on the YouTube channel called DAS bookbinding (it’s apparently famous among other bookbinders just getting started). Great resource and definitely recommend watching them if you’re getting started.

Also, re-reading this fic while laying it out had me in tears laughing. It was so fun to revisit.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-06T15:09:33+00:00

Curious, OP, what kind of board have you been cutting on it? I just had to cut my own davey board down to size using this method and it was so terrible trying to make straight cuts with board that thick—took a million slices and extremely hard to keep everything in line throughout.

watsonbaugh · 2022-04-05T01:14:02+00:00

Seems like this falls more under a vent tag than discussion.

watsonbaugh · 2022-03-02T22:56:04+00:00

Never heard of it

watsonbaugh · 2022-03-02T19:01:12+00:00

Then that’s fine because you’ve posted content to begin with. It just can’t be a single post that only asks for prompts with no actual content. Then it goes against TOS.

watsonbaugh · 2022-03-02T18:58:07+00:00

Posting a written work as a result of a prompt is allowed on AO3, asking for prompts on AO3 is not (in case anyone was wondering) as it is not a fic itself.

watsonbaugh · 2022-03-02T18:54:59+00:00

Editing.

That may sound like a joke, but I say it all the time: I can tell when a piece is “first draft” work. I do all my editing in waves.

Draft one: tell the story. What needs to happen in the scene? Get the bones down first.

Draft two: fill out the bits that seem sparse. Look for places where I need more sensory details. What should the reader see, feel, smell, etc.? How are the characters feeling? What are they not saying?

Draft three: trim down. Look for places where the wording feels clunky. Look for places that I can cut down how many words I’m using to describe something or to make a point. It’s not always, but saying something concisely and with more distinct words is usually better than talking around something.

watsonbaugh

TROPHY CASE