aspionagee

[aspionagee]

(I have zero idea how to start asks cause I don't interact with people on here that much, but uhh..)

I first read A Patchwork Family in around.. October 2024. Then, yesterday, I got the urge to read severitus stuff and went "agghhh there's that really good fanfic but I can't remember the name of it what is it-"

So I did some digging and found A Patchwork Family again, and have spent basically all my time rereading it and reading True Blue for the first time. Love your fanfics and hope to see even more in the future!! :)

Thank you so much for saying so! I'm really glad you like my fics :)

After True Blue I actually have a ton of fanfic plans, specifically Severitus, that I can't wait to get into!

[aspionagee]

Just to let everyone know, after this week's chapter(linked here) I'm going to start uploading new chapters every other Sunday instead of every week. It's just until the middle of August - I work in the woods with no internet or technology in the summers, which puts the brakes on my upload schedule unfortunately!

Once August comes, though, I'll be back with a vengeance! I am still writing True Blue while I'm away - just in a notebook instead of on my computer xD

[aspionagee]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one desperately needs to be well rested, a night of tossing, turning and sleep deprivation shall ensue

[aspionagee]

Average Severitus moment

[aspionagee]

Perfect scenario: I am currently stuck in King's Cross waiting for a train, so I'm sitting next to platform nine and three quarters and writing fanfic xD

[aspionagee]

Hello! I am just in love with your series. It's literally my highlight of the week.

May I ask how you schedule writing, and plan your fic? I've also been working on a fic, but I'm all over the place and unable to plan properly lol. I post as soon as I finish a chapter, and it's very hectic.

May I ask if you have any writing tips?

Hello, thank you very much for asking! This reply has turned quite long but I hope you can get some useful tips from what I've put below :)

So, when I first begin to write a fic, I rarely start with the first chapter. I almost always have a very specific scene in my head that I can vividly visualise. For example, with A Patchwork Family, the first scene that I wrote was Severus finding Harry in that alleyway and trying to convince him to go back to Spinner's End. So, I start off by writing this scene.

By doing this, I get excited about writing the rest of the fic and I start to build up ideas around the scene. How does Harry get to Spinner's End? What makes him finally crack and run away? What is going on in the background that makes Severus realise that the Dursleys are abusive?

I answer these questions by coming up with more scenes, and this helps me to develop actual chapters! I typically will do a heading and a brief note under of what I want to do in the chapter. It'll look something like this:

Chapter 1 -Dumbledore tells Harry he's going to Spinner's End, house tour

Chapter 2 - Harry and Draco argue, Harry wonders why Draco is living there

I keep my plan really short at first, I just like having a vague idea of what I'm doing. Then, as you write, you can shift scenes or split up chapters depending on how it goes!

My biggest tip: work out how/when you're going to end the fic before you start uploading it. I knew that I wanted to end A Patchwork Family with Harry realising that he thinks of Severus as a father, and I knew I wanted to finish at the end of third year. I find this stops me abandoning fics, because I know what I'm working towards.

For uploads: I upload weekly, because getting comments on fics always gives me a little boost and makes me start writing more. However, I do not start uploading until I have a MINIMUM of 5 chapters. This number is personal preference, because it means I have a month's buffer for a difficult chapter, or when life gets in the way. If I can't hit 5 chapters, I also already know I'm not keeping that fic up so I don't start uploading.

I don't actually schedule times when I write - I just try and get something down whenever I can. I have a long train journey today, so I'm going to write True Blue while I travel. The most important part for me is just scheduling uploads and having a buffer of chapters for when things go wrong. I know that if I don't upload consistently, I am going to lose momentum and stop writing.

I hope some of this was helpful! If there are any other questions feel free to ask, this was very interesting to think about :)

[aspionagee]

I'm so curious to know where this thing is going Your last chapter was great and I just had a question. If this is going to be the last fic in the series, Will Voldemort get defeated or will you leave us on kind of a cliffhanger open ending. Also, will you write any more severance's perspective one shots or just regular one shots I'm obsessed with this 

I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter! I will not end True Blue on a cliffhanger - Voldemort will be defeated and all loose threads will be tied up within the story. I have promised angst with a happy ending, so there will even be an epilogue of Harry, Severus and Draco living happily in peace!

As for Severus oneshots, I would absolutely love to do more, but right now I do not have the time sadly. I don't have the same buffer of prewritten chapters for True Blue as I did for A Patchwork Family, so I'm just concentrating on having as much written for the main fic as possible. However, I have a list of oneshots for situations I want to write from Severus' perspective, and when I finish True Blue I will be dropping a few of them!

[aspionagee]

After true blue do you think you'll write one final story of the deathly hallows and Harry and Draco on Hunt for Horus while Severus panics. I think it would be a really interesting story, especially seeing severus's reaction to harry being carried by Hagrid on the bridge. Your stories are so good and I think this would be fantastic ending to the series 

So True Blue is actually going to be the last fic in the A Patchwork Family series. However, this is because I am switching up the order of canon in ways that will become very clear quite soon! I don't want to give anything away, but the canon divergence in the story has been steadily increasing since the events of A Patchwork Family. It's going to have a knock on effect on how the defeat of Voldemort comes about, so stay tuned, I hope you enjoy what I'm plotting :)

[aspionagee]

Thank you for the tag @aeoneskova! This is the latest line I've written for True Blue - I'm currently trying to bulk up a chapter backlog before I go spend two months in the wilderness with no wifi lol

"You're still alive, then," Sirius commented idly.

Severus scowled at him. "Much to your displeasure, I am sure..."

"Oh, please," Sirius muttered. "I always knew you'd outlive me through sheer spite."

They're my favourite found divorcees lol, no pressure tags to @illisius @shostakobitchh @maledictusfotum!

[aspionagee]

Not to sound completely insane but I fear your Patchwork family series completely ruined literally any other piece of media for me. Everytime I read a different Harry Potter fanfiction I'm like 'man, sure wish this would be a Severitus fic by aspionage'. Literally everytime I try to read the books themselves I'm like "oh yeah that's when X and Y happened' and have to close the damn thing again and open yet another tab to read through your fics again. I've told people about it who have expressed a MODICUM of interest in those types of fanfictions. I've seen that stuff as I closed my eyes to go to sleep.

All that pretty much to say that you've quite literally changed by brain chemistry and I look forward to every Sunday. 10/10, literal perfection served on a platter.

(Hope this was ok, I actually never send asks LOL)

Thank you so much for saying so <3 It really warms my heart to hear things like this about my fics, and it's what encourages me to keep writing!

[aspionagee]

Second time in a row that my chapter mistakenly hits 12,000 words -

[aspionagee]

True Blue - the title

I've been meaning to talk about why I named True Blue what I did for a while, now! I put a lot of thought into this while I was finishing A Patchwork Family, and it actually has a double meaning for me.

Of course, to be 'true blue' means that you are extremely loyal and committed to something - in this case, it is how fiercely devoted Severus, Harry and Draco are to each other.

However, the title also comes from a song! True Blue by boygenius (linked here). Many of the lyrics I think reflect the dynamic created in A Patchwork Family so perfectly! I could do a whole separate post just talking about why. Also, if you want an insight into some upcoming Severus - Harry angst, the bridge may give you a hint as to what is brewing 👀

[aspionagee]

Currently writing the most gut wrenching angst (Bara Bada Bastu is playing in the background)

[aspionagee]

I forgot to mention it here but I'm finally back! You all would not BELIEVE how much I missed writing for pleasure, it was a long, long month over here. The newest chapter is linked below, and there will be another one tomorrow!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60973966/chapters/16945021

[aspionagee]

I can't wait to finish hunching over a laptop and writing my dissertation so I can get back to my true calling: hunching over my laptop and writing fanfiction

[aspionagee]

i hope the diss is going well (has gone well ?)!! i submitted my own diss yesterday!!

no rush at all because i trulyyyy understand how much of a break you need after doing that whole thing because it really sucks the life out of you, but i just want to say that i’m so excited for the next chapter!!

honestly reading true blue has been what’s keeping me going through my final year at uni!! it really is the best fic i’ve ever read!

anyway i hope you’re doing well and recovering after the diss 💓💓

Hi, thank you for the message!

Just to answer this(and answer everyone else) I am finishing up the dissertation and finishing up this next chapter. If all goes well, I'll have it out this weekend/early next week. Thank you all for your patience! I will be back to regular uploads once this is done :)

[aspionagee]

Update: unfortunately there will be no True Blue chapter this week. Final year of uni is sucking the life out of me!

Luckily I will be done by next week(when I run out of assignment extensions lol) and the groove of weekly updates will return! I'm so excited to get back to the fic haha, you would not believe the amount of time I spend staring longingly at my wip doc before returning to the dissertation xD