silverjirachi
you know, they say archie met a jirachi once
- Location
- team magma hideout
- Pronouns
- they/them
Hi writers of the internet! I wanted to post a discussion here about some favorite scenes you've ever written. Share bits of scenes or individual quotes that you are really proud of and use this space to shamelessly infodump about it :) (This is mostly just so I have a chance to gush about some of my own). I'd be really interested to hear (you don't have to answer all of them):
Kind of a long story, but I've told this one before. My first one happened in my first fic, The Devil and the Dead Sea. I started writing that fic when I was going through a really big transitional period in my life on a LOT of different fronts, and I knew even going in that the fic was sort of my way to grapple with the ideas of the head and the heart. (Maxie, of course, being dominated too much by his head and "rational thought," Archie representing the heart and emotion). My life fell to shit in 2015 and as a result I lost like, EVERYTHING that used to make me feel happy. So naturally, this fic hit the dust and never saw the light of day again.
But after doing a ton of really hard work on personal healing, rediscovering myself and reclaiming my lost time, I regained parts of myself that I thought were lost for good. And one day, I felt good enough to finish this fic. I had an absolute blast finding myself again through it and just letting myself be fangirly and overly self indulgent and really just downright silly, and as I finally came to writing the final scenes of the book, I had 2 major moments where things clicked.
The first one was in Maxie's love confession scene. Without going into too much detail, part of the reason my life went to hell (not the only reason) was due to this person I really used to love a lot. Looking back, I've grown to agree with him on why he did what he did, but it took literally like 8 years. For a lot of that time, I was walking around with all this anger and bitterness and hatred not just at him but at the whole entire world.
As I'm sitting there writing this scene, I get to the point where Maxie mentions his grudges. And Archie responds with, "Well, to be fair, I did cause a fair amount of your pain." And Maxie responds:
But if Maxie and his grudges/love confession talk was one of the first big "Oh shit, this is about me" moments, it was met with an even more beautiful response only a few chapters later.
Light spoilers for final scene here: At the end of the fic, after Maxie's awakening Groudon HORRIBLY BACKFIRES and he discovers 1) he was possessed by Groudon 2) that's horrifying and 3) the necklace he's worn since childhood actually WAS a scale from Groudon as he was told (and that's how he got possessed), Archie had had to break the necklace in order to free him from Groudon, mirroring an action that happened when they were kids. But in the final scene, Archie returns the necklace to him, mended. And Maxie remarks that it's kind of sad and horrifying now, given the context, and Archie responds:
If I had to get any line of my own writing tattooed on my body, THIS WOULD BE IT. Because god DAMN Archie I still say this shit to myself. Archie do you even know. The little Archie in my head sir, do you even KNOW what you have done to me. You summed it up pal. One time I lost everything I loved and everything I felt made me me and I got it all back again through sheer force of will (seriously- ALL of my old hobbies are back now!) And it was because it was special to me. It always HAD BEEN. AND I WASN'T GONNA LET HELL NOR HIGH WATER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME BAAAYY BEEEEEEEEE!!!! I say this shit to myself all the time. It lives rent free in my head 24/7. When I'm having a bad day or bad time with something and I grit my teeth and struggle and I remember this god damn line.
It summed up my entire writing of this fic, for real. And the fact that I got one line from Maxie and one line from Archie each just completely vibe checking my ass really made the entire fic. It's one of those things I can't believe actually technically came out of me. Because it 100% feels like Archie from Pokemon said that to me. Those aren't my words, those are his, lol.
Here's some other bits/honorable mentions from around my other fics:
Things I have intentionally projected onto my characters: various hobbies (drawing, theatre/dancing even though i'm not a dancer i wish I had been), sometimes some plot points such as exile, isolation, and abandonment, Maxie's anxiety. Archie deliberately has issues in Icarus that mirror my own ADHD. (Though he has it a lot worse than mine). Concordia's entire thing with Colress in Ophelia (the linked thing is only a preview) (hee hoo more abandonment). Concordia's entire personality (PERFECT PURE INNOCENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL ME). The religious imagery in every single one of my fics.
Things I have NOT intentionally projected onto my characters: the neurodivergence (especially Maxie from Devil and Astor from Exile//Vilify. ESPECIALLY ASTOR'S). Archie's love language is gift-giving and apparently so is Colress'. (GIVE ME GIFTS TO UNLOCK MY HEART POINTS AND BONUS SCENES). DIFFERENT parts of the abandonment scenes. How like every single one of my characters (including my dnd ones) have a "Moment My Life Changed™"
Looking forward to seeing what y'all share :)
- What are your favorite lines/scenes you've written and why?
- What are some things you've intentionally projected onto your characters? What are some things you have NOT intentionally projected onto your characters?
- And, if you're comfortable enough sharing, have you ever had a moment in your writing when something clicked unexpectedly and you had to sit back and go "Oh. This is about me." Like, those DEEPLY personal writing moments. (I catch myself projecting somehow in nearly every piece I write... fess up everyone lol). Or maybe not even about something personal, just, a big Writing Revelation™
Kind of a long story, but I've told this one before. My first one happened in my first fic, The Devil and the Dead Sea. I started writing that fic when I was going through a really big transitional period in my life on a LOT of different fronts, and I knew even going in that the fic was sort of my way to grapple with the ideas of the head and the heart. (Maxie, of course, being dominated too much by his head and "rational thought," Archie representing the heart and emotion). My life fell to shit in 2015 and as a result I lost like, EVERYTHING that used to make me feel happy. So naturally, this fic hit the dust and never saw the light of day again.
But after doing a ton of really hard work on personal healing, rediscovering myself and reclaiming my lost time, I regained parts of myself that I thought were lost for good. And one day, I felt good enough to finish this fic. I had an absolute blast finding myself again through it and just letting myself be fangirly and overly self indulgent and really just downright silly, and as I finally came to writing the final scenes of the book, I had 2 major moments where things clicked.
The first one was in Maxie's love confession scene. Without going into too much detail, part of the reason my life went to hell (not the only reason) was due to this person I really used to love a lot. Looking back, I've grown to agree with him on why he did what he did, but it took literally like 8 years. For a lot of that time, I was walking around with all this anger and bitterness and hatred not just at him but at the whole entire world.
As I'm sitting there writing this scene, I get to the point where Maxie mentions his grudges. And Archie responds with, "Well, to be fair, I did cause a fair amount of your pain." And Maxie responds:
"Not nearly the amount of pain I caused myself in dragging it all out to spite you."
Those words left my keyboard and I just sorta had to sit there and stop for a moment. Question my life and existence. Take a break for a while. I may have cried a little or a lot, that's for me to know.
But if Maxie and his grudges/love confession talk was one of the first big "Oh shit, this is about me" moments, it was met with an even more beautiful response only a few chapters later.
Light spoilers for final scene here: At the end of the fic, after Maxie's awakening Groudon HORRIBLY BACKFIRES and he discovers 1) he was possessed by Groudon 2) that's horrifying and 3) the necklace he's worn since childhood actually WAS a scale from Groudon as he was told (and that's how he got possessed), Archie had had to break the necklace in order to free him from Groudon, mirroring an action that happened when they were kids. But in the final scene, Archie returns the necklace to him, mended. And Maxie remarks that it's kind of sad and horrifying now, given the context, and Archie responds:
“But hey, at least you know. The legend was true. You own an actual scale from a super ancient Pokémon—a Pokémon that shaped our world. One that you admired more than anything. That’s nothin’ to scoff at. It’s special to you, it always has been, and’ya shouldn’t let neither hell nor high water take that away from you.”
So here is where I actually cried. Full on sobbing, I do admit. Took a nice long break after this and came to terms with a lot of things in my life. But this was a good thing because I realized like. That's what this entire fic was. Me reclaiming something from myself that I lost many, many years ago. It was really one of those moments where your characters speak to you, you know?
If I had to get any line of my own writing tattooed on my body, THIS WOULD BE IT. Because god DAMN Archie I still say this shit to myself. Archie do you even know. The little Archie in my head sir, do you even KNOW what you have done to me. You summed it up pal. One time I lost everything I loved and everything I felt made me me and I got it all back again through sheer force of will (seriously- ALL of my old hobbies are back now!) And it was because it was special to me. It always HAD BEEN. AND I WASN'T GONNA LET HELL NOR HIGH WATER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME BAAAYY BEEEEEEEEE!!!! I say this shit to myself all the time. It lives rent free in my head 24/7. When I'm having a bad day or bad time with something and I grit my teeth and struggle and I remember this god damn line.
It summed up my entire writing of this fic, for real. And the fact that I got one line from Maxie and one line from Archie each just completely vibe checking my ass really made the entire fic. It's one of those things I can't believe actually technically came out of me. Because it 100% feels like Archie from Pokemon said that to me. Those aren't my words, those are his, lol.
Here's some other bits/honorable mentions from around my other fics:
Things I have intentionally projected onto my characters: various hobbies (drawing, theatre/dancing even though i'm not a dancer i wish I had been), sometimes some plot points such as exile, isolation, and abandonment, Maxie's anxiety. Archie deliberately has issues in Icarus that mirror my own ADHD. (Though he has it a lot worse than mine). Concordia's entire thing with Colress in Ophelia (the linked thing is only a preview) (hee hoo more abandonment). Concordia's entire personality (PERFECT PURE INNOCENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL ME). The religious imagery in every single one of my fics.
Things I have NOT intentionally projected onto my characters: the neurodivergence (especially Maxie from Devil and Astor from Exile//Vilify. ESPECIALLY ASTOR'S). Archie's love language is gift-giving and apparently so is Colress'. (GIVE ME GIFTS TO UNLOCK MY HEART POINTS AND BONUS SCENES). DIFFERENT parts of the abandonment scenes. How like every single one of my characters (including my dnd ones) have a "Moment My Life Changed™"
Looking forward to seeing what y'all share :)