GUEST: milky almond

[quinnpriv1]

GUEST: Milky Almond

PROFILE RATING: E/18+

BIO: Hi, I'm Milky Almond — 20, he/they. I usually stay in the same 3 fandoms: DC (mainly Batman), The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System and Genshin Impact. I'm mostly an event participant and writer. Thanks for having me!

PREVIEW: While I really like worldbuilding, I have always felt that the heart of every story is within the characters and their minds.

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GENERAL QUESTIONS

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[
Quillifer: What is the first fandom you remember being involved in? What drew you to this fandom / community?]

As far as I remember, my first fandom was Code Geass. I really enjoyed both seasons of the anime and the themes in it. I wanted to discuss it with more people, so I found a community of fanfic and fanartists. Shipping was a big part of it, too.
 

[Quillifer: I also love Code Geass. How did you get into it? Was it through a love of CLAMP's design or did you find yourself watching it on TV/streaming/etc.? As for shipping: Lelouch & Suzaku? If so, same here, ha, ha.]

[At the time,] I was very new to anime. I saw a clip on YouTube and decided to search for the whole thing to watch it; Lelouch's design really lured me in. I think Lelouch/Suzaku was my first ship.
 

[Quillifer: How long have you been involved in fandom?]

I've been involved in fandom for around 10-12 years — not always as a writer, though. I used to just chat and interact with other people.
 

[Quillifer: What made you branch into writing? Or, to put it another way: what made you want to start writing?]

I already liked to read. My mom—who is also a big bookworm—pushed me when she told me I should write my ideas down. She was probably tired of hearing me [talk] all day, but in the end, she was the one who got me here.
 

[Quillifer: Do you do research? If so: how much and how in-depth is it?]

It depends on what I want to do. When I do research, I try to first understand [the topic] so I can play with it.
 

[Quillifer: If you were to go to trivia night, which category do you think you could sweep?]

Omegaverse. Maybe kinks, too.
 

[Quillifer: What are your hobbies / what do you do outside of fandom involvement?]

I like to do embroidery and I dedicate most of my free time to playing with my cats.
 

[Quillifer: What kinds of technology do you use to write and for everyday life? (iPad, laptop, phone, etc.)]

Laptop and phone — I use both for college work and for writing.
 

[Quillifer: What is your advice for fellow creatives / people interested in getting involved in writing fanfiction?]

Read a lot! Not only does [reading] help to learn the structure of text, but it can expand your repertory of words and get you new ideas.
 

[Quillifer: What are some of the things you've read that impacted your thought process / style as a writer? And/or inspired you?]

Focusing on character mindsets and thought processes instead of the universe around them.

While I really like worldbuilding, I have always felt that the heart of every story is within the characters and their minds.

This may be because one of the first books I read was The Psychoanalyst by John Katzenbach, which focuses on the protagonist’s thoughts and ideas. The plot moves along while the protagonist figures out what is going on and why.
 

[Quillifer: How do you want people to remember you? What do you want them to remember you for?]

I want people to remember me as the weird friend that somehow always knows a niche fact — and for creating a multitude of Alternate Universes. I really like making friends in fandom spaces, so I want them to remember me with fondness.
 

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WRITER-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

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[Quillifer: What are some of your most commonly used words/phrases/etc.?]

I honestly don't know. I tend to use ‘and yet,’ ‘well,’ and ‘everything blurred’ — but that last one is more common in my explicit works, ha, ha, ha.

[Quillifer: What do you want readers to take away from your work? What is your favorite type of comment/feedback? (I.E. what makes you honored for people to point out when they read your work?)]

People enjoying my work and finding it interesting is my main goal. I'm an attention seeker, so I love all comments, but I can admit that I always feel honored when readers copy and comment on their favorites parts, especially when they write down their analysis of why a character does/thinks/says something.
 

[Quillifer: Are you the type to outline your work or do you just go for it? What does your drafting/editing process look like?]

It depends. When it's a work that's going to be a standalone, I usually write basic notes as if they were tags. For example: hurt/comfort, whump, happy ending — then, I go for it with a title and a basic idea.

However, when it comes to long/in-depth projects like exchanges and zines, I outline the main scenes I want to write or that should be included. For example:

1. Batman goes grocery shopping.

1.1 Batman runs into Superman.

1.2 They go for coffee.

2. Batman goes back home.

Slowly, I expand these. It helps me move things around, delete things, and/or add without having to edit everything.
 

[Quillifer: What are the easiest and hardest parts of writing?]

I feel that conveying emotions and physical sensations is the most difficult part. When comparisons and explanations aren’t good enough, they can take the reader out of the immersion.

The easiest part, at least for me, is explaining the setting without infodumping at the start, letting everything be explained as the characters see and interact with the world around them.
 

[Quillifer: Can you expound on this? Do you want your work to feel more concrete and you have a hard time with that? Or do you feel like you want to encapsulate that sort of ‘show, don't tell’ vibe and that can be tedious?]

The ‘show, don’t tell’ option. I don't like when books or any work start by explaining the setting in full, outlining everything the characters are doing instead of letting the audience see and understand.
 

[Quillifer: What are some of your major media influences? (Books, movies, music, etc.)]

Other than The Psychoanalyst and Code Geass, I think one of my biggest writing influences was Crewel World, but there are probably more that I’m forgetting.
 

[Quillifer: Can you tell more about Crewel World?]

It's a novel saga. There are three books, but I only read two a while back.

From what I remember, there are women and girls that can see the threads of the universe and people's life starting at age 17 — or 18, I can't remember for sure. They take an exam where they find out how well they can see and manipulate these threads. If they pass, they’re recruited to work for the government to maintain order. If they don’t, they're just ordinary.

It has a lot of things going on, but that's the premise.
 

[Quillifer: What is your dream story to write? Who are some of your favorite authors (fanfiction or published)?]

I don't think I have a specific dream story. I always want to create something new. SalParadiseLost is one of my favorite authors. They create a lot of AUs and always post long works, which is really impressive. Sarriathmg is not only an author, but they also make art of their own stories. I love them. I would also say Kuro49, who writes a lot for my current favorite ship.
 

[Quillifer: What makes your writing stand out from the crowd?]

I'm not really sure, but I like to think that my characterization stands out.
 

[Quillifer: What would you say makes your characterization so unique? Voice, stylization, etc.?]

I like to explore different facets of the characters — i.e. how they would act in different settings and why. Dialogue isn’t my strong suit, so I try to make the characters speak through their actions. I don't like calling these character studies because I don't conform to canon.
 

[Quillifer: Do you like your old work? Why or why not?]

No. I was very happy and loved it at the time, but it's very obvious that I was 14 years old. The inconsistencies between chapters and my dialogue is very uncomfortable to read. Also, I dislike the way I wrote characters.
 

[Interview hosted on May 9, 2026 via Discord. Edited & Posted by Quillifer.]