Jk, it's nothing so dramatic. Let's hop to it!
APPLYFICS
what's your process for creating applyfics?
i'll give you a short(er) answer, since it varies from applyfic to applyfic. (i could write a whole essay about this ngl) but usually it's based off random bits of inspiration that i ask myself: can you create a plot from this? what's the purpose of telling the story? where do you want it to end? in the past, (and some of you can attest to this) i just churned out applyfics with no real idea where they were going, and just vibed. which is fun, in theory, but not when you want to produce an actual plot and do justice to the time that others put into your books. so i had to learn how to rein myself in, and really concentrate on getting out an actual story.
i think the first applyfic i've managed to do that successfully was sweet dreams, because i sat down in one day and wrote the entire plot. of course, it changed, and things got a little wonky, but that's the fun part of writing a book.
once i've got an idea that i like, and a direction to move in, i publish the form. i know this is different for every author, but i've found that planning the plot before i receive the characters makes for a pretty non-character-centric story. i like to plan ideas while forms are coming in, so i actually usually have the cast in mind weeks before the closing date. then, when those last minute forms are flying in, i try to see if i can weave them in the story that's mostly developed. this works for me because i'm actively incorporating backstories into the direction of the book. for example, lamentations, you'd be surprised how much the original idea has changed because of the backstories i've gotten.
and then i write! i haven't finished an applyfic so clearly i can't give you good advice on that part, but that's how i get started.
let me touch more on inspiration, since i glossed over that pretty quick.
where do you get inspiration for applyfics?
everywhere! literally everywhere. honeybees was literally inspired by me sitting outside on my friends' porch and breathing in fresh air and being like: i want to write a story about this. it's a big blobby mass of things that i love, like summer, and family, and Bluey, and Little Women. i think a good rule of thumb for writing applyfics is write something that you truly have passion for. every time i'm lacking motivation for honeybees, i ask myself "why are you struggling right now?" and because it's a topic i love, and a vibe that i love, the answer is never the story itself. sometimes it's a character, or an action, or a bit of dialogue, and that's easily fixed. just delete and work around it!
lamentations was highly inspired by watching Interstellar, but also the actual book of the bible, and you guys! it's a book that's going to challenge me, for sure, because it's a genre that i don't really write. but honestly, i'm glad for it, and i'm really excited about where it's going so far.
i think my inspiration for writing in general is, of course, reading. i find that if i'm hitting a writing rut, it's because i haven't been reading enough. and then i go and i read the grishaverse or something and all of a sudden i'm hit with inspiration to write, write, write. either that, or going outside T-T. guys don't underestimate the importance of fresh air, it's a miracle drug.
what's your favourite type of applyfic and why?
this is honestly a hard question. i'm a pretty versatile person, and i'm not really partial to any one genre, so i don't know that i have a good answer. as a general rule, though, i think i'm really invested in applyfics that have equally invested applicants. lemme explain.
