aw, tysm! i did deactivate my twt, but i've reactivated it for a few days so hopefully you'll see this reply! I have a few pieces of advice I'd offer, but remember that everyone is different!
- Remember that fics are for fun! Write what you like and don't worry about how many or how few readers you get. Write for yourself. Some of the best works you'll see won't be the most popular, and the comparison game is a dangerous one (I've fallen into this many times).
- Find a routine that works for you! Mine was to write at a cafe or lounge in the evenings. I'd make a playlist inspired by my story to listen to on repeat and just shut out the rest of the world. For other people, they write in bed in the mornings. Ernest Hemingway allegedly wrote whilst standing naked at a lectern. You do you, boo. Whatever gets words on the page!
- Unless it is how your brain works, you don't need every scene perfectly outlined from the moment you start writing. Sometimes, broad-strokes and flexible planning is the most helpful. When I wrote "I wonder, can I see myself in the dark?", I'd research details as I went and outline between 1-5 chapters at a time. This allowed me to discover as I wrote, which more importantly allowed me to just... flow. Overthinking is hard to overcome, but sometimes giving yourself permission to find answers alongside your characters helps immensely. It's part of the fun!
- Forgive yourself for getting stuck at times. Some paragraphs and chapters will come out easily, and others will be like pulling teeth. That's okay. If you're feeling like you have writer's block, step away and rejuvenate your mind. Get some fresh air, listen to music, watch a movie. Read a book that inspires you. You get it. Take your mind off of the work so that when you revisit it, your thoughts are fresh.
- Forgive yourself for not being perfect in every sentence. Especially when you first start! Every line contains a lesson. For IWCISMITD, I didn't approach the story with the same priorities that I went into "a fuoco" with, so I exercised totally different muscles writing those two stories. One was focused so much more on fantasy and imagery while the other had much more conscious thought put into sentence and paragraph structure. You grow with every word you put on the page. That's a good thing.
Most importantly, write for fun! Write what you love, what you hate, what bores you and what excites you. All of it is valid so long as you keep writing.
As for wips... I just started grad school, so I'm not sure that I'll really have time for any fics any time soon LMAO. I am developing a concept for a novel, though, and I am quite excited about that! It revolves around Irish folklore/myth, and will be FULL of angst (ofc... who's surprised). If I do have time, I'm hoping to maybe revisit my idea for lesbian miso with lit nerd "pretty sure im straight" jisu x unhinged yearning lesbian cheerleader minhee <3