Before I properly begin, let me just announce that the fics mentioned here are my own creations. They’re none of someone else’s. They’re purely mine. If they’re familiar to a certain someone’s… well I’ll disclose it properly at the end of this survey.

 

 

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1 - Describe your comfort zone — a typical you-fic.

Families? Lately I’ve been trying to write family-oriented fics. If it’s not the love and bond between a brother/sister/mother/father, it’s the almost unbreakable strength of friendship that’s able to sprout out of anything and anywhere, no matter the condition. That’s what I’ve been aiming for. And I take on more… mature themes? Maybe not mature, but I think seriously about life more.

I sound so old.

 

2 - Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I’ve dabbled in Thrillers. Psychology too; romance, high school. What else have I yet to try? I’ve done slight comedy too, never rom-com. I can never my wrap my head around that.

Ah! Alternate universe or perhaps dystopian fics. I’m not much for sci-fi but post-apocalyptic settings. I’d like to try that out one day. But most of all, I’d like to try out an educational story that tells of my country and culture masked in the form of stories containing the experiences of my childhood.

 

3 - Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

Um… somehow I’m thinking about so many tropes. They’re ones I thought I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole back then but thinking about it now, I’m opened to the idea. So… I guess I don’t have one yet.

I think for now, I’m trying to distance myself from the idol life trope. I just, I can’t. I am very much aware that the very people I’m basing my characters off are real life idols but I want to challenge my imagination and picture them as something else. Which is why for now, I won’t touch it yet.

 

4 - How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

I think I have more than ten… Yeah, like a defence mechanism, my brain involuntarily conjures up these scenarios (or beautiful story ideas), thinking they’d help deviate my mind from the stress and burden crushing my shoulders. But then these stories became uncontrollable and it ended up giving me migraines instead. It’s … frustrating. But when I’m of sound mind, I exceed my limits.

One idea I’m willing to share with you is an in the works piece; it might be part of a series. I’ve done a member. Supposedly there’s a different plot for each member but similar themes. It just has a differently styled way of story-telling. This might sound cliché but it’s about how a guy deals with his girl cheating on him. He ends up going berserk and perhaps takes things too far when he lets himself be taken over by his emotions. Things get ugly when lets violence be the sole answer to everything.

 

5 - Share one of your strengths.

I like to think that I describe certain things well. And (pardon the narcissism) but I think I have impeccable story flow. Okay, not perfect. Now it isn’t perfect. I used to be perfect. My flow was magnificent, beautiful, majestic, glorious. Now, I rush a lot because I don’t have that much time. All I care about is finishing that damned one shot and be done with it so I can rid of the ideas out of my mind.

 

6 - Share one of your weaknesses.

My tenses seem to be getting worse by the day. I mix them up a lot. I no longer know which to use for which since I currently write a lot of present events. Due to my need to express myself and so I refer to things as current and ongoing.

 

7 - Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

He was being real pathetic.

But for the moment, he wanted to be pathetic.

Because at the same time I’m pathetic too. That’s why I like these two sentences so much. It felt like such a guilty pleasure to write that. I’ve always believed that people need to learn how to be selfless regardless of to whom that treatment is headed towards but it needn’t be something to be expected with something in return.

But everyone has their weaknesses. Thinking back about it, my character was already pathetic based on face value but he was only then realising what pathetic must’ve felt and meant. It really hit him hard so I guess that’s why I felt it to be something very vulnerable and human-like. 

 

8 - Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“Are you crying?” he asked me gently.

I shook my head vigorously, but it was a wasted effort.

“Why are you crying? Hey, why are you crying?”

He places both hands on each side of my face and lifted my gaze up so he could look into my eyes. I shook my head harder, begging for him to not look at me in such a pitiful state.

“Hey, why are you crying?” he cooed, his gentle voice causing me to cry harder. “I’m not angry at you.”

I continuously shook my head as I heard him say the next words that it felt like it brought a knife to the back.

“I love you.”

His quiet confession led my heart to break. His thumbs gently brushed against my cheek in an attempt to wipe the tears away.

“I love you,” he reiterated in endless whispers as he leaned his forehead against mine and tried to appease me.

  I placed both my hands against his chest, the soft silk smooth against my fingers as I closed my eyes and muttered, “I don’t deserve you.” I shook my head yet again when the tears fell harder.

“Yes, you do.”

I could feel him closing in. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and it pounded so hard against my ribcage. His thumb brushed lightly against my lower lip. I could feel his head tilting to the side. Scrunching up his shirt, I anticipated the unknown.

It was then I heard him utter one last time, “Yes… you do,” before…

I’ll end it right here.

GOD that was so… sappy. But I like it for some reason as I read it back. I liked the emotions I expressed in this exchange. It’s pretty long despite the two characters having not say that much but it’s a dialogue still. She eventually croaks out something.

 

9 - Which fic has been the hardest to write?

For me, it’s fics that really hit home that I really have trouble writing. Like, there was this one fic about a teen having issues on what to take up for his future studies. He questions his position in life. What can he contribute to his generation in the future? It was so much like what I felt when I was faced with my national exams.

Angsty fics. Period.

 

10 - Which fic has been the easiest to write?

I really don’t want to admit this but high school fics? *awkward laughter* Seriously, I find it so easy to write. Like, that’s the era of where things are at their prime, all time low and others in between. The teen years to me felt like the most flexible age group to meddle with in writing. It’s the perfect time in life. I can relate to the emotions now, I always aspired to be one when I was younger and I’m sure when I’m working I’d reminisce this phase of my life. So basically pretty much every teenage fic you can find in my list.

 

11 - Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

To say it’s a passion I don’t really go all out for it. Sure, I do my research. I make sure that my story has some form of foundation to some extent. I have that decency to feel that I need to have some sense of realism to make people believe it and understand, empathise and whatnot.

And to say it’s just a hobby seems like an understatement.

 

12 - Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

There was this fic I wrote. It was based in my home country. It had essences of my religion but I failed to really portray my people and their varying characteristics to the crowd because I was too engrossed in the idea of having a person like me actually being in a relationship. Yes, romance, love, was the centre of my life then.

But it felt like it was a stepping stone for me because I came more comfortable with my origin. I was more comfortable with myself, I came to terms with who I was a lot. It helped figure myself out. Which was why I though writing was rather essential in my life.

They’re the best medium to translate the language of the mutes by choice.

 

13 What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

I even copied this down because I felt like it really made concrete the status of my writing past time:

Write because you love; write because you feel; and write because you believe in the words you write.

I’m unsure myself if this was quoted from someone else or what she said was really hers. Whatever it was, I really felt like I had something for this sentence. It felt so deep suddenly.

 

14 - What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

I’m sure I’ve encountered a few. And for that very sole reason my mind’s done its duties to erase those damned words from my mental software.

 

15 - If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

So many. I can’t even begin which. You see, I write because there’re these visions I experience. They may not be like That’s So Raven’s but they’re annoying because they recur a lot. I won’t be able to let it go until I’ve managed to come up with another kind of inspiration/distraction to get my mind off of it.

I can say exams because they’re the very things responsible for my creative mind to work overtime.

 

16 - If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Of course MexIdol. I know, I’m conceited. I love myself too much.

 

17 - Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

I don’t even write scenes. I think about it first. I make outlines, I make a structure, when, how, why do those things happened. I get into detail. It gets annoying when I get too complex. I feel like everything needs to be in order.

 

18 - Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Paper, foolscap paper, is my ultimate best friend. And blank papers. I sketch occasionally when I’m bored.

 

19 - Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

My muse is crazy. She’s indefinite. She’s immature. She’s ing looney! But I still depend on her for those certain times of need. I mean, who else am I to talk to? Btw, my muse is durian2003.

 

20 - Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Complete silence. Just peace. Stillness.

But it’s usually triggered by a song that’s perfect for the atmosphere or theme of the fic.

And I need my thesaurus by my side. I need it! Without it, I lack confidence.

Seriously! That’s how I feel!

 

21 - How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Before posting I just glimpse through. I try to make an effort because I know certain grammar Nazis won’t be too happy when they spot those wrongly placed terms. But most of the time I don’t even bother because if it’s a fic I’ve read more than a dozen times, I can say I’m pretty satisfied with it.

Well… until I actually reread it in the AFF layout.

 

22 - Choose a passage from one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style.

Past:

Changmin looked down to the pocket where he kept his phone. He took it out, pressed the red button and then he switched it off. When the light on the phone had dimmed, he threw it inside the empty space where they keep junk in. Min Young was surprised when he did so and then he changed gear and turned to a right. She hasn’t been keeping track to where the road they were headed to but when he parked at a parking spot in a parking lot near a very familiar building she thought back where she’d seen the place. Once they got out of the car, Changmin put the hood up and put all the windows up. He then locked the car so that no one could steal the car as easily as it was when the hood was down. He put the keys in his pants’ pockets and then he loosened his tie. Min Young followed wherever he walked and when they reached the entrance it suddenly hit her where they were.

Revised:

Changmin looked down to the pocket where his phone lay, ringing and vibrating as it rang. Fishing it out, he harshly pressed any button to cease the shrill sound it made. Soon after, he switched it off. When the light dimmed, he carelessly threw it into the cup holder. Min Young was surprised to witness him do so. But it didn’t catch her off guard as much as it did when he changed gears and made a sharp right. She couldn’t really keep track of the turns he’s made to predict where they were headed for but when he parked so suddenly at a parking spot out of nowhere did it all register once she regained stillness. Parked in front of a familiar building she thought back to where exactly she’d seen it before. She had couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Getting out of the car, Changmin did the usual routine before locking up his ride: he brought the hood up. Once done, he locked the car as soon as Min Young had pushed her door to a shut. Putting the keys in his pants’ pockets, he then resumed to loosen his tie and signal her to follow with tilt of his head. No such though of defying or questioning came to Min Young’s mind. She just walked the path he walked. She was still partly oblivious as to where they were exactly until the sound of the locks becoming undone from Chang Min’s key card coming in contact with the slot had it all clicked in her mind.

I would also like to separate the humongous passage into two or three paragraphs but it wouldn’t be able to portray my improvement (if there is any).

 

23 - If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

Each and every one of them. I need professional help.

 

24 - Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

Yeah, I have. It was due to a mental breakdown. I felt discouraged from the lack of response my stories were getting and so I deleted my fics, even deactivated.

 

25 - What do you look for in a beta?

I want my beta to be sincere. I want my beta to show effort. I would like my beta to be really involved. They need to show commitment. If they’re unable to show me that, then… why be a beta in the first place?

 

26 - Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind of beta are you?

As a writer, aren’t we all our own betas before hiring betas of our own? It’s just a second opinion, these betas. Though they may be for your own good. But yeah, I have beta before. I tried my best to fix as many grammar errors and the flow as well as fluidity of the story. I also try my best to not lose the essence of the writer because I’m merely fixing, not upgrading it, giving it a new look.

 

27 - How do you feel about collaborations?

I’ve always wanted to try it. But I never had the time to completely devote myself to the task.

 

28 - Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

I really liked TiaraL. Not sure if she’s still writing. But I always loved her bombastic words and her brief ways. She could make you feel sorrow like the damp, humid air, stuffing your senses, dulling them from ever feeling emotion.

Then, there’s crystal_lover. I think she’s an amazing writer. I’m a fan of two of her fics. She wrote them beautifully. I love how despite the plots being not at all that unique and out of the box, they were entertaining.

Third, I don’t have that many authors I really look up to. Ones where I really follow like mad that is. I So far it’s those two. Oh wait! I have this one other writer. She’s amazing too. I love her style.

 

29 - If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

I believe every ending is an enough conclusion as the writer dubs it to be. I won’t question it. Okay, maybe I’d love a little elongation because sometimes they seem to be too abrupt you’re just in disbelief by the end of things.

But I wouldn’t know the story more than the author does. Not saying it’s a bad thing but to me, that’s what it is.

 

30 - Do you accept prompts?

I used to write them back in high school.

 

31 - Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

I think I’m strict with canon. I always think that there’s always reason, thought, cause behind every action. So, I’m very controlling. Just little things am I pretty lenient.

 

32 - How do you feel about ?

I wish for some good right about now.

In a summary, they’re some ways sometimes the answer to my ual frustrations but they don’t satisfy me as much compared to last time nowadays and so it is a tardy search.

 

33 - How do you feel about crack?

I like smart crack. I like witty, smart, sarcastic crack. The same with humour. I hate stupidity. There’s a fine line between being completely ridiculous and just downright stupid.

 

34 - What are your thoughts on non-con and dub-con?

I used to deal with dub-con. Non-con for me is… something I shouldn’t really take lightly. It’s a serious matter and I write according to theme and genre. I don’t romanticise it that’s for sure. If it were kink or some kind of , then yes, dub-con but not non-con.

 

35 - Would you ever kill off a canon character?

If need to, yes.

 

36 - Which is your favorite site to post fic?

My brain. It edits automatically. I also get instant comments and feedbacks, positive and negative. Cool, right?

 

37 - Talk about your current wips.

I have heard of this term but have forgotten the definition. But… carry on…

 

38 - Talk about a review that made your day.

I was completely enthralled by the positive feedback I received when I sent in this story. It was angsty, about a student being bullied. Not really some trash but he’s decent. He’s just really quiet. And to see it getting such lengthy praises I felt accomplished.

 

 

39 - Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

I can’t say rude. Maybe I took it to heart which was why I felt it to be like it made such a huge mistake. I was too used to positivity, seeing how I lacked…. It was like a slap in the face. Nevertheless I kept quiet. I moped but quietly.

 

40 - Write an alternative ending to [the happenings on a weekend] (or just the summary of one). [edited]

Now, that fic was completely hung up and horribly done. I am so sorry to all of my readers and subscribers/followers for the abrupt ending. It almost signifies nothing. Like yeah, they reunited but why not have her witness something that just changes her mind about him. 

 

 

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That’s all for today folks. In case you all are wondering in specific details what stories I had mentioned in the survey, here are the list according to question number:

4 & 7 – What Am I To You? [V Edition] (in the process of editing)

8 & 12 – Malaysian Hospitality: Korean Hospitality [Book 4] (completed)

9 – The Rising (ongoing)

22 – It’s Okay (completed , unavailable)

 

Also, one last thing before I say ciao.

durian2003...
is me.

ciao.