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Sometimes progressing through your writing journey means learning to write one way very, very well so you can never write that way ever again.

Sometimes it means cutting out every adjective and extra clause and passive sentence until your prose is so active it’s lost all voice, so that when you add the voice back in your new prose is both poetic and clean.

Sometimes it means cutting down your first two stories to the bare bones of its plot so that the inconsequential and slower scenes you decide to include in your third book have the vibrancy and life you learned while creating those faster paced stories.

Sometimes it also means you do work that feels like it went nowhere. But that’s never true. However your writing journey progresses is still progress.

Take heart in the skills that you’ve built, and keep writing <3

Romance Under Wintry Sky

Fandom: Samurai Love Ballad Party

Characters: Oniniwa Tsunamoto x Original Female Character

Summary:  He is a noble samurai, she is just a lowly maid. For all intents and purposes, she could only watch her lord from afar, serving him as his maid, not harboring any forms of desire for him..Knowing his character, he could easily marry a lot of beautiful ladies and frankly, she doesn’t want to be in that difficult situation where she had to share him...So, even if he is unmarried, even though she was secretly in love with him, she can only swallow her feelings inside.

Inspired from "A Date with Tsunamoto" a story from Grand Samurai Street Fair. NO SMUT.

Also posted on AO3.

PART 2: Tryst Under Wintry Sky [MATURE CONTENT!]

When Airi agreed to Lord Tsunamoto's idea of cuddling together inside the room as the cold wintry snow poured outside the inn, she hadn't expected him to embrace her so—fiercely, not that she expected him to pull her tight onto his warm body; hands on his chest, feeling his rapid rush of blood pumping. Nor she expected that her own quickening heartbeat would be so obvious to him and, to her utter embarrassment, shades of red became evident on her face.

"Haha. You're red to the tips of your ears you know." he chuckled as he lightly pinched both of her cheeks.

Airi gave him a fierce look to cover up her shame, Not funny. She wanted to say something; but knowing the position she's in, she inwardly felt joy even though her exterior is anything but comfortable with the arrangement.

He is a noble samurai, she is just a lowly maid. For all intents and purposes, she could only watch her lord from afar, serving him as his maid, not harboring any forms of desire for him. Well, she could become his concubine if he so wished, but the thought of possibly sharing him with his official wife or another concubine one day could only breed resentment within her heart. Knowing his character, he could easily marry a lot of beautiful ladies and frankly, Airi doesn’t want to be in that difficult situation where she had to share him. If there is anything, what Airi doesn't want to admit to Lord Tsunamoto right now, it's the fact she harbored desire for him for a long time and wished that he had only his eyes (or rather, his eye his left was scarred long ago) on her.

So, even if Lord Tsunamoto is unmarried, even though Airi was secretly in love with him, she can only swallow her feelings inside.

"I'm only joking. You can rest easy around me." the lord gave her a rakish grin as he stroked her hair.

A joke? Airi thought in horror.

"What? You were just teasing?" Airi said, indignation and hurt apparent in her words. I knew it, things between him and me, it won’t work! She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he kept her so tight that her arms lost its strength to resist, "Ugh, I have no idea what to do with you, Lord Tsunamoto!" Of all the things Airi hated, even if its the man she had a crush on for a long time, being told that all his advances right now, and reminding her of the obvious signs how hopelessly she was in love…her one-sided love….

Telling her his advances right now is a joke. It was the worst thing he could possibly say. Which is why she hardened her face into a look of pout filled with frustration, regardless if the one on the receiving end was her superior.

"Sorry. Don't run away on me." he smiled but his voice was solemn as if regretted his earlier remarks. However, Airi continued to pout, trying to hide her hurt inside. She looked away from him to hide her reddened cheeks and shame. Does he have any idea what his actions do to me? Does he have any idea how I truly feel right now? I wish he knew.

"It's just that you're so cute when you blush. I couldn't help myself." he added ever so fondly as he gently cupped Airi's cheeks back in his way.

What? The meaning behind his was not lost on Airi. Could it be…

Nah, he could be teasing me again. I know how he’s like...

Airi closed her eyes and gently free herself from Lord Tsunamoto's grasp. On the outside, she seemed calm thanks to her years of experience being his maid as she put up with several noble women who also vie for his attention; but inside, her heart is raging like a storm: torn between her desire to embrace him even just for tonight and her duty to stay grounded.

"Hm. What's wrong?" he asked, his head leaned forward to see her clearly. Airi could see the scar on his left eye, and the soft brown on his right. It was filled with care despite him being so teasing. And for a moment, Airi doesn't know how to respond.

"You are constantly giving me the run-around, Lord Tsunamoto," she mumbled in a soft voice before she could put a stop to it. This isn't what she wanted to say, however, but because her frustration of holding back her feelings was so great, her subconscious controlled her.

"Am I?" the man gaped in surprise.

"N-no. It's not like that. I mean..." Airi lied, she had to or else Lord Tsunamoto might misunderstand her intentions. However, her voice pitched so high that it was evident to Lord Tsunamoto her poor attempts at covering it.

"Tell me, why do you think I am giving you the run-around?"

Airi could see Lord Tsunamoto's once gentle right eye turned darker, was it due to his irritation or something else? Airi wasn't sure.

But, right now, she couldn't hide her frustrations to him anymore.

"Remember that time I was almost blamed for putting poison on Lord Masamune's food? You defended me in front of all those retainers who couldn't wait to put me down." she began recounting her story and how her feelings of him grew.

That time, Lord Tsunamoto had to put a good word with Lord Masamune to let Airi stay in his castle to keep her from the accusing eyes of Date retainers. In the castle, he had constantly teased and flirted with her but she only laughed treated him as her master and a dear friend. She had believed she doesn’t deserve his affections and that there are better women than her.

But slowly, Airi had warmed up to him, serving him with all her heart in gratitude. Of course, Lord Tsunamoto was thankful for her efforts. And then, time passed, before Airi knew it, her fondness of Lord Tsunamoto grew into something that longs for his attention. She became accustomed to his teasing eventually but she knew she couldn’t go further for she is just a common maid and he is a noble samurai. He needed a wife that could further his cause, or Date’s cause. They live in harsh times where anyone can be a friend or foe, and marriage is a very strong tool to solidify an alliance.

What is worse, she also met several guests of high status, many of them were women who also had eyes for Lord Tsunamoto. They too made it difficult for Airi to tell her lord how she truly felt. They would constantly order her around while they spend time with her lord’s presence while she goes to the sidelines fulfilling the guests’ requests. Once, when a retainer complimented her cooking, one arrogant lady, who is part of a powerful merchant clan, shamed her awful desserts, though they were obviously delicious.

Unfortunately, the retainers have no choice but to agree with the lady, not wanting to offend her and her connections. She was going to be punished by the castle matron when Lord Tsunamoto tried Airi’s desserts and claimed to the wider public that he liked it. That incident changed the opinion of Airi by the castle occupants. For that, she was thankful. However, it also dawned upon her how little she is to the grander scheme of things and can only survive under Lord Tsunamoto’s good graces. Marrying him will not benefit him at all.

And so, she had remained as Lord Tsunamoto's maid bound by duty to serve, no feelings attached. That was supposed to be her cover, her facade.

Yet she couldn't deny her growing feelings for him for so long.

And then, an opportunity came, Lord Tsunamoto was tasked to go onto the village near the border to check on its security and other pertinent problems. Lord Tsunamoto brought Airi along. She had wanted to tell Lord Tsunamoto her feelings, away from the prying eyes of his retainers and of those women. If he would not return them, she would understand. She will let go of him without any resentments...but until then.

However, a heavy snowfall came. And their journey is cut short.

"So, now, we're stuck together here in this room. And then you made me cuddle you like we're lovers, and then you say its a joke?" Airi wiped off her tears and said the next words as though they are filled with sadness, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have these feelings for you, Milord. I should have set these dreams aside.” Dreams of you looking out for me as I did and no one else. Airi shook her head, numbing her own feelings. It would seem her feelings won’t be reciprocated after all.

Lord Tsunamoto sat silently, his eye and mouth wide in surprise. And for a moment, there was only the howl of the wind outside, bitter coldness crept towards their room and Airi shivered from the coolness of the atmosphere. Was it the cold? Or was it fear?

At last, Airi couldn’t stand the silence any longer. She shifted away from him and--a hand caught hers. Before she could react, she was pulled towards Lord Tsunamoto’s embrace so strongly that the force made them collapse on the tatami mat they were sharing. After a moment of confusion, she found herself on top of him. Her kimono disheveled, slightly revealing her exposed chest to him. The hand that had been pulled was now at Lord Tsunamoto’s broad chest so that it’s resting on his heart. To her surprise, he could feel the fast and strong thumping of his heart. Airi felt her face reddened in shame, knowing the compromising situation she’s in.

“Get it now?” he asked. He wasn’t smiling, instead, he looked serious. For a moment, Airi couldn’t respond. What could she say? She just confessed her whole heart to him and she isn’t even sure if he would return it.

“I saved you that day because I know you were still too young to die just because of the backhand schemes of the enemy. When you arrived to the castle you made everything, from making good desserts and keeping my castle orderly, in gratitude of me...even if I don’t deserve it.” his voice was soft, without his usual teasing attitude.

Airi looked up. Gone was Lord Tsunamoto’s usual rakish grin, only to be replaced by pensieve solemnity: a sad look on his face. For the first time in a long while, Airi could see wrinkle lines boring onto his skin and an expression that know despite his seemingly youthful vigor, he had a lot of experiences to tell, and he is tired by some of it.

“When those women fawn over me, I knew they weren’t really attracted to me. Ha! The nerve…” he cracked a grin, but it was without any mirth. “These wenches were only after my position as Lord Masamune’s trusted retainer, nothing more. Some of them were actually planted by the enemy to spy on me, like that lady who said your desserts were awful.”

Airi was silent, but the revelation struck her hard. It wasn’t easy for her to keep he feelings to herself, but knowing Lord Tsunamoto NEVER looked at these women with any sort of liking? I should have known. If only I wasn’t so hung up with hiding my feelings...

“Then, I saw how your sunny smile faded in time. I missed your laughter, Airi. That’s why…” he trailed off and he let go of Airi’s body from his own, and he looked away as if trying to hide his expression from Airi due to shame. However, this time, Airi embraced Lord Tsunamoto, gently placing his head to her bosom.

The man looked up and saw Airi’s smile like sunflowers under the sun. It was a smile that tells unadulterated joy, the one Lord Tsunamoto saw a long time ago on this young maiden’s face. Memories of good times flooded him as his own happiness once again filled his heart.

“Thank you, Milord,” tears of laughter slowly fell from Airi’s eyes. Her lord gently touched her face and wiped her tears in reverence. To which Airi started to laugh.

“Aw, you laughed,” he smirked, hugging her closer.

“I’m sorry.” Airi said, welcoming his embrace, feeling the heat radiating from his body. “It’s more a relief than anything.” That you and I felt the same way she thought but didn’t voice it, she need not need to.

Lord Tsunamoto cupped her face. He is back to being his usual self, full of youthful vigor and charm Airi always loved. But then, shades of redness filled his face and from her position, she could feel his beating heart. Together cuddled close, the coolness of the air became nothing but a warm wind.

“Don’t go telling people that you’ve got me wrapped around your finger, young lady.” the man pouted, “I’d never live it down.”

“Then,” Airi smirked, “if I am to be your lover, let me tell you, I HATE sharing you with anyone. If you decide to tie yourself to another woman. I won’t be angry at you, but I’ll leave. Just so we’re clear.”

“Aw, my girl is a jealous-type, I see,” Lord Tsunamoto leaned closer to her ear and whispered her some words. “I like that.” his voice husky with desire that made Airi’s heart thump faster in anticipation.

This is what I always wanted. Him looking at me...and only me. On this house, under the cool snowy sky. I could never trade this precious time together with anything else.

Is Oda Nobutaka's death poem historical? If so, why isn't it brought up more often? It seems like a pretty damning condemnation of Hideyoshi for Honnoji.

In the first place you were mistaken: It has absolutely nothing to do with Honnouji. Nobutaka’s death poem was tied to the succession conflict after Honnouji. Despite the Kiyosu Conference concluding with the decision of electing Sanboushi (Nobutada’s son) to become the new clan head, Hideyoshi did things that offended Nobutaka, and war was waged.

The actual poem:

昔より主を討つ身の野間なれば報いを待てや羽柴筑前

mukashi yorishū o utsu mi noNoma narebamukui o mateyaHashiba Chikuzen*

If it must be Nomawhere men killed their lordin ancient days,await your own comeuppance!Hashiba Chikuzen (Hideyoshi)

I’m assuming you were talking about this “lord” in the poem. This referred to the Heian era samurai Minamoto no Yoshitomo, who was betrayed by his vassals and died in Noma. He was buried in the very same temple Nobutaka committed seppuku. So this “lord” reference doesn’t mean Nobunaga, but Nobutaka himself.

Tokugawa vassals’ communication in the following year also had referred to Nobunaga’s sons as Hideyoshi’s “lords”. A letter sent out by Sakakibara Yasumasa condemned Hideyoshi for being ungrateful to his former masters, as he was “not satisfied with killing just one lord” (Nobutaka), but is now also trying to go after the other one (Nobukatsu). 

About whether or not the death poem is REAL, it’s entirely debatable. There’s two different poems recorded, and the second one does not mention Hideyoshi at all.

たらちねの 名をばくださじ 梓弓 いなばの山の 露と消ゆとも

Translation/interpretation for this cannot be found. For what it’s worth, the parts I do understand say this: “Mother’s name [ばくださじ]/Cherry birch bow/The dew of Mount Inaba fades”. 

Both poems are found in Edo era records, and no contemporary copies were ever discovered so far. There’s no way to verify that this is an accurate copy especially if it’s second-hand documentation***. 

Part of the reason for it to be considered “weird” is because the one who ambushed Nobutaka and brought the order of seppuku was his own brother Nobukatsu. Why would Nobutaka be angry at Hideyoshi and not his brother? There’s a bit of difficulty in determining what Nobukatsu’s status here, but at any rate, it can’t be immediately assumed that Nobutaka is upset with Hideyoshi because his brother is for some reason serving Hideyoshi. 

There’s a possibility that while bringing down the order Nobukatsu said bad things about Hideyoshi, but there’s also a bigger chance that the poem itself is recorded wrong or fake.

***) This matters because the Shinchoukouki, considered the most reliable account of Nobunaga, is also technically an Edo-era record (compiled in 1600s). However the author Ota Gyuuichi is an eyewitness, so the text is considered mostly accurate due to being a first hand account. The only problem being that if this was written much later, he might have forgotten the specifics, or got details mixed up

There was a time I didn't get a single pearl for the entire week and then I got 8 pearls on a single day afterwards. RNG is truly unpredictable.

Ok but I used to get a pearl every two days, now I'm lucky if I get one every four to six days, what's going oooon? Also, I've fallen in love with Shigezane and also, I can't wait for Voltage to add Kageie's route to SLBP. When do you think that's gonna happen?

Sometimes I’m really pearl lucky and other times it seems like I’m doomed to be poor ): I hope your luck turns! And yeah I would die or kill for Shigezane, he deserves the world and more.

Ummm I don’t really know when, maybe they’ll cheat us some more and bring his route to English quick like they did in the JP app lmfao. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but with the trends now I would guess in probably 18 months…

Writing vs Storytelling Skills: Improving Storytelling

Though “writing skill” is often used to refer to all aspects of story crafting, it can be divided into ‘storytelling concepts’ and the ‘actual writing’. Addressed in the previous post: Writing vs Storytelling Skills (link embedded), now I’m here to tell you how to work on that specific storytelling skill.

1. Read a variety of books. Various authors, various genres, the more you expand your examples the better. Variation of reading means you’ll be exposed to more ideas, more ways of thought, more storytelling patterns, more everything that you can critique and help make decisions on how your own stories will unfold. Even take up books you may not like. Give them a chance, and if you still don’t like them then at least be able to explain why.

2. Learn genre expectations (and that tropes aren’t bad). Genres exist to classify stories into familiar concepts. Sometimes, novice writers try to throw out genre ideas because they’re all “cliche” or they want “something different”, yet they fail to grasp why those patterns exist in the first place. Familiar storytelling concepts (tropes) can be cliches, yes, but more often they fulfill one or more of these requirements:

A way to fast-track info to the reader without having to explain every ounce of meaning (Color-coded symbolism, character archetypes, etc.)

To create a familiar base, allowing for further growth of the concept with less time than it would have taken to set up something new. 

Promises to fulfill a certain type of story (You can’t say you want to write a romance, but with no romance)

Those things only become cliche when executed poorly or if they cause predictability when the story is trying to rely on unpredictability. A story full of tropes is not automatically a bad story. Writing in a way that subverts expectations well requires having a strong understanding of the genre you’re trying to twist. A genre is a promise of a specific type of narrative– you can’t just throw it out the window and expect readers to be satisfied. It’s fine to write cross-genre or mess with tropes, but be wary of it coming from a place of “it’s all the same so I’m going to do it completely different!”.

By learning genre expectations, you can gain that knowledge that lets you subvert better, or the knowledge to play into it better. You can figure out where the true heart of the stories are and why readers care. You can figure out how to write in a genre that works with your personal goals and desires for the story. 

3. Learn best practices for different storytelling mediums. “I saw this awesome scene on TV and I want to write it in my story, so I imagined how it’s going to play out and it’ll be perfect!” No, it won’t, because what works in visual media isn’t the same for books and what works in your head isn’t a clear idea of how it would work on paper. (link embedded)

TV, and other forms of visual media, are presented very differently than the written word. They can rely on music, camera angles, subtle background events– and endless list of things that writing cannot replicate and isn’t made to. Becoming a better storyteller means learning the strengths and weaknesses of different media so you can tailor stories to best fit how they’ll be told. The imagination is similar to visual media, but better and worse. Better, because you can learn over time how to tailor your imagination for the written word. Worse, because it can create unrealistic expectations and is harder to look past.

It’s natural to want to mimic what you see in other forms of storytelling, but one of the most important things a writer can learn is to get over the fact that they can’t translate ideas in every situation. It’s fine to be inspired by other forms of storytelling and what your imagination creates, but don’t become a slave to the unrealistic expectations. Learn to work with the paper, not against it.

4. Stress test plot ideas to catch issues before they become a problem. While this isn’t going to always work and there will still be times that you have to adjust in the middle of things, stress testing your ideas can help teach you where you keep going wrong so you can work on fixing it. There are two main things to keep in mind when doing this:

The plot structure (link embedded): Overarching plot concepts should fit into a specific structure. The structure can have small variations, but there should be an average line of best fit that naturally overlays against the story. The higher your skill, the more you can mess with the lines and have it not blow up in your face.

Plot is essentially cause-and-effect (link embedded): The events of a plot should be a relatively smooth slide from start to finish. Not “smooth” as in “no conflict or tension”, “smooth” as in “logically glides from one point to another”. Make sure you can connect the dots.

If you catch and fix enough of your own mistakes then you can start teaching yourself not to make them. 

5. Critique the storytelling of others. What did you like? What didn’t you like? What choices did the writer make and what were the consequences of those choices? I’m going to repeat that last one again because it’s one of the most important things a writer can learn: Every story is made from a set of choices and those choices have consequences. Not all bad, not all good; it’s a neutral term that just refers to outcomes. One of the biggest separators of storytelling skill is how well a writer can work with the natural consequences of their choices. 

When you critique others, you look at those consequences and weigh them against what you consider to be a “good story”. While a writer can only critique at a close level to their skill, the more they critique, the higher skill climbs, and the better they get. To become a better storyteller, you should get used to tearing other’s, and your own, work apart. It can help to keep a journal or some kind of record of critiques, since writing thoughts down helps bridge the gap between the mind’s assumptions and reality (just like the bridge between an imagined scene and actually writing it down).

6. Brush up on literary concepts. They’re not just for English class! While some are more technical in nature, there are plenty of storytelling-inclined literary techniques that gaining a better understanding of can improve your own work. Also, literary concepts are just tropes that happen to apply to “work of literary merit”. They’re not fancy or pretentious to include– just study and practice them well so they work with your story rather than against it. (Study tropes too!)

All that said, there’s no such thing as a “perfect storyteller”. Brushing up on storytelling skills isn’t about being perfect, it’s about getting better relative to where you were before (and potentially helping close the gap between writing and storytelling skills). 

Keep writing, keep practicing– keep storytelling.

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked. Also taking donations via Venmo Username: JustAWritingAid

Any idea or hc about what if...Ikemen Hideyoshi and SLBP Hideyoshi are at war against each other. No need to state who would likely win...just how would they deal with each other haha. I have a very soft spot for both guys.

Hey @aedysa​! Thanks for another fun ask :) Gosh, IkeSen and SLBP are such different beasts, it’s so hard to say how they would deal! But here are some of my guesses:

You know that saying about how the only options when faced with a clone of yourself is to fight or f*ck? Guess which one SLBP Hideyoshi, famed for having 1000 previous lovers, would try to go for. ;D IkeSen H is a little suspicious by nature, but there’s a good chance this whole war could be averted from the get-go. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Let’s assume SLBP Hideyoshi gets rejected, and war does break out. SLBP Hideyoshi definitely needs to watch himself, because every named character in IkeSen has rock solid plot armor, and well…SLBP is definitely a bit more of a gamble, now isn’t it? ^_^

In terms of allies, IkeSen Hideyoshi’s at a huge advantage. There’s no way his true love battle-happy boss Nobunaga wouldn’t rally the entire Oda army to help the guy out. SLBP Nobunaga doesn’t seem to have the best track record with coming through for his subordinates though, and the Date’s also aren’t on Team Nobunaga in the SLBP world, so let’s hope for SLBP H’s sake that this war takes place after Inuchiyo reunites with the Maeda clan and can bring additional reinforcements…!

The worst thing SLBP Hideyoshi could possibly do in this war is to go after IkeSen Nobunaga. That’s how you activate IkeSen H’s protective/suicidal berserker mode, after all. Which might turn out great for SLBP H, but it’s also dangerous af.

One thing SLBP Hideyoshi has that IkeSen Hideyoshi doesn’t have is ninjas. Granted, his designated ninja, Kyoichiro, isn’t exactly in top fighting form. But I’m sure he can muster up the resources to pay someone from Iga to try and off Ikesen Hideyoshi in the dead of night! Would that be an overly dirty trick? Maybe, but we all know SLBP Hideyoshi is way sneakier than IkeSen Hideyoshi, who has a super strong sense of fair play! It could happen.

Are our Hideyoshi’s respective MC’s there? Chef MC probably isn’t anywhere near the battlefield, but everyone’s favorite chatelaine is gonna be hanging out as Nobunaga’s lucky charm. And where she goes, time wormholes and thunder storms follow! So whichever way this war goes, expect dramatic weather conditions.

At the end of the day, I don’t think our two lovely boys would fight for all too long. They’re both really sensible people, after all. The war would likely end with the both of them bonding over their shared love/respect of Nobunaga, and lots of amusement over how very different their respective Mitsuhide’s and Mitsunari’s are. SLBP Hideyoshi would quickly realize how much of a lightweight IkeSen Hideyoshi is with alcohol, and…well. Keiji’s gonna be one happy guy with both Hideyoshi’s around and ready to be kissed 😂

Hope that answers your question!! 💕

Hideyoshi In The Nutshell😂😂

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2256688471076332&id=104685412943326

I sent a letter today - something I haven’t done for years

It’s full of plastic bread clips

It’s for Science

Ranking Prizes TT_TT