#//I was in the process of trying to manip this so it was more fitting

[arnamantle]

more fucking acronyms - cuz 'ttrpg' don't have enough already

to expand a bit on what I was talking about here, I think it would be beneficial to have some more categorizations of ttrpgs that a. help people identify the kinds of ttrpgs they like to play and b. help identify some essential facets of that game. The problem with the latter is that "ttrpg", as a generalized "big tent" term, covers such a massive field of work that it nears redundancy. There are great games out there that are built to make you question your understanding of what a game even is, or what your expectations are for interacting with such systems. So, my initial proposal is, rather than try and categorize the nature of the game, categorize the nature of the player. People who are familiar with Magic: the Gathering likely know about Timmy, Johnny and Spike players, referring to three distinct styles of play based on the engagement points and motives of those players. Those terms have their own reductive issues, but there are two terms I wanna start using, at least when speaking from my own viewpoint about ttrpgs. "Dramatic Improve Role-Play", or DI-RP players. These are folks who whose engagement point in ttrpgs centers around, well, playing a role. Dramatically. With improvisational skills. Folks who come to games for the sake of creating and exploring a deep character arc, for building intense interpersonal scenes with other characters, and generally indulging in the shared theatrics that the group establishes. DI-RP folks are the ones I expect are drawn to actual play streams and podcasts, as well as GM-less, diceless and other "alternative" games that are living their heyday now. "System Manipulation Role-Play", for SM-RP players. These are the people who come to games looking to roll dice and crunch numbers. For SM-RP players, the system itself is part of the game, and the process of spending weeks building a "munchkin" character is often just as rewarding as watching them solo encounters bulid for far stronger parties. Plenty of D&D only players and OSR fanatics fall into this camp. Obviously, most people would fall somewhere in between these two poles. But, I think it could be useful for anyone who is interested in ttrpgs to see where they fall, because once you're able to identify the things that you love most about games, the easier it will be to find games that fit your play style, as well as a group that you work well with. I myself heavily lean towards SM-RP, and it took me a frustrating while to realize that, and that I honestly don't really like "role playing " that much, at least unless it's with certain people in very specific circumstances. But system manip? That's my bread and fucking butter. And now that I know that, I feel like I can fine-tune my ttrpg design to deliver a better experience for those who share my engagement type.

[fohatic]

*rolls up sleeves* okay i meant to do this awhile ago but since the mth auctions are starting soon and since i'm offering manip fanart this year, i figure this is a good time to make this post...

manips seem to be considered the "ugly stepchild" of the fanart world. some fandom events welcome submissions of other forms of fanart, but specifically won't allow manips. even mth categorizes them as "digital work" instead of "fanart." these digital compositions typically don't generate as much appreciation as other forms of fanart, and sometimes this is because they're just not very good. it's *hard* to make manips look halfway decent, and probably even harder for a manip maker to immediately notice all the ways they don't look quite right. i look back at my own early efforts with much cringing and wonder how the heck i thought they were suitable to put out there, but that's the thing: when you work at them for so long trying to sculpt them into the thing you have in mind and kinda sorta manage to pull it off, it can seem pretty amazing! it's only in retrospect (e.g. after finally giving your cramping hands a rest and going to sleep, only to wake up to the harsh light of reality) that you realize that your work isn't as "finished" as you'd thought it was.

but if you're like me, you keep at it. zooming in until you can count the pixels as you carve away at more of the excess border lines; adding the tiniest bit more light here and more shadow there; recoloring the same section of ear and chin for the umpteenth time until it actually looks like it belongs to the character's face and wasn't photoshopped on from another image just to hide where you had to cut something out of the base image...

it's a very meticulous and time-consuming process that requires tremendous focus and precision and attention to detail, and SO MANY LAYERS of pieces on top of pieces on top of more pieces that get frankenstein'd together into a whole person -- and that's after sourcing and rejecting various base images to try to graft a head + torso + arm + whatever onto until you find one that actually works (😭🙌). or in worst-case scenarios having to go back to the drawing board to find a new image of steve or tony making the right kind of facial expression (and looking in the right direction) -- but this time (crucially) with the light source hitting the *right* side of their face instead of the left, since horizontally reversing the face makes the actor look really weird for whatever reason -- which often entails reviewing movie footage of them for who knows how long until you catch a shot of them lit properly and facing the right direction AND making the right kind of facial expression etc etc, then pausing and rewinding and screen-shotting that frame over and over and over until you capture a non-blurry shot that *might* work (and if you had to resort to using footage of cevans or rdj in a non-avengers movie, smoothly grafting the right kind of hair and/or goatee onto them is a whole other process)...

it can be a lot. if you know what you're doing (me, finally), even with unsophisticated (free) software it can sometimes be fairly easy if you already have a comprehensive library of images saved on your computer (i do) and know exactly what you want to make and have a decent supply of base images, etc to draw from. but more often than not it can be a *huge* pain in the ass that rewards you with a manipulated image that more or less fits the idea you had in mind, only for you to polish it up repeatedly until you finally think it's ready to share -- ...and then nobody really cares that much?

this is what it takes to be a manip-maker. you're making fanart that actually requires great skill and time and effort for a crowd that largely doesn't understand it, or is even wary of it for various reasons. but if it's still your preferred medium—if photomontage and uncanny realism is your thing—you'll keep at it because there's something addicting about creating something new from scattered components; you like it despite everything.

anyway. i thought about including some images to demonstrate the process in greater detail but i hope this long-winded explanation will suffice.

tl:dr— please support fanartists of all kinds 💛

someday i'm gonna make a post that articulates just how difficult making manips can be and how much time and effort and fine-tuning go into making them look halfway decent because i stg nobody really has a clue

[glamlowden]

jack.lowden ready for me Borian hike 🇵🇫

[takemyopenheart]

Your manips are so beautiful and REALISTIC it kinda scary, I'm curious how do you make them?? (If you're not comfortable sharing I totally understand you can ignore this ❤️)

TYSM, NONNY 💕 this means a lot! I really enjoy making them and sending them to the fandom immensely!

This is pretty much my step by step process (hope it’s not too confusing). If you, or anyone, has any other questions pls feel free to drop any q’s in my inbox or via dm!

tutorial:

Apps I use: Picsart and Snapseed (both are free)

The secret to a good manip is couple pictures, e.g. your FCs next to another person and I just overlay their face, which makes it easier.

Step 1: I search through Pinterest or instagram to collect the pictures I want to use. I try finding pictures that are somewhat similar in lighting, although this isn’t too important since that can be fixed later using Snapseed.

Step 2: Open Picsart and the main picture you’ll be using. In tools, choose clone. From here, you’ll be erasing part of or the entire face of the person where you’ll be editing your FCs face over. This is so no part of the other person’s face shows.

Step 3: Next you’re going to click on add photo to edit in your FCs face. This is optional, but you can edit the lighting so it’s similar to the other picture by clicking adjust and messing around with the settings there. This can be skipped though since the same can be done later in snapseed. From there you’ll click cutout to cut around the face, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You can flip the picture under crop if you need to, like I did here.

Step 3: Adjust the size and move it around where you’d like the face to be. From there, click on the eraser at the top. Now you’re going to be erasing around the face. Lowering the hardness prevents it from having a superimposed look.

Step 4: Resize the picture, movie it around, and use the eraser tool until you’re satisfied with how it looks. If there are any imperfections, such as part of the og picture’s face showing a bit, like my example, use the clone tool again to erase it. But this can also be done in Snapseed using the healing tool as well, so it’s not often necessary. Now feel free to click apply and the download button at the top to save your picture.

Step 5: Open Snapseed, choose your newly edited picture and click on selective under tools. This is where you’ll be fixing the lighting. The picture of Aimee was taken indoors, making it darker than the one of Tom, which was taken outdoors. In order to fix this, click on either face and mess around with the settings as you see fit. Feel free to use this in any part of the picture to your satisfaction. Snapseed is my fave editing app with many useful tools to explore!

And there it is! If neither of these apps are available for you, look for any other apps that provide similar tools to these. Like I said, the secret is finding the right pictures and simply superimposing your fc’s face!

If all else fails, I’d be more than happy to help you out!

[marvelfans4blm]

Marvel Fans 4 BLM - Rules and FAQ!

What is Marvel Fans 4 BLM?

Marvel Fans 4 BLM is a charity auction where fans offer works in exchange for donations. Our focus is to raise money for various Black Lives Matter organizations as well as focus on creating content for Black Marvel characters. 

Who is allowed to participate?

All fans from any and all Marvel fandoms are welcome! We ask that if you are under 18, you do not offer or request explicit rated content.

How does it work?

Creators sign up to offer their works. Bidders then pledge donation amounts in auction-style. The winning bidder donates their pledged amount to a charity; once that donation is confirmed, the creator starts, uh, creating!

What is the schedule?

Monday 15 June - Sunday 28 June: Creator Sign Ups

Monday 29 June - Sunday 5 July: Browsing Week

Monday 6 July - Sunday 12 July: Auction Week

Sunday 19 July: Proof of Donations Due

Sunday 15 November: Check-In

Sunday 31 January 2021: Fanworks Due

More FAQ, Rules, and Resources under the cut! 

What items are acceptable for creators to offer?

All creations should be centered around one or more canon Black characters in any Marvel fandom (movies, comics, TV - any Marvel adaptations!). Other characters are welcome to join the fun, as long as they are not the main focus. Shipping and Gen content alike are welcome! Creations accepted are:

- Fanfic

- Digital art (original art, moodboards, manips, edits, etc.)

- Physical art (artworks, crafts, merch, etc.)

- Podfic

- Fan vids

- Translations

- Fan labor (beta work, sensitivity reading, culture-picking, fact checking, SPAG editing, etc.)

If you’d like to offer something not listed, feel free to ask.

I wanna be a creator! Tell me more!

More details will be shared at each stage, but here’s an outline to get you started! 

Creator sign-ups run from Monday 15 June to Sunday 28 June. You’ll sign up via a Google form and there you can specify what type of fanwork(s) you are offering with some relevant details like characters, pairings, and content you are willing to create in addition to other notes for bidders to see!

As well as fundraising for important causes, this event is intended to create new content for our favorite Black Marvel characters. With that in mind, we will not accept any previously published or created works. The exception to this is physical goods and crafts. 

After the auction closes, we will put you in touch with the highest bidder and from there you two work together to create something great! Once you have your bidder’s prompt, you’ll have until 31 January 2021 to complete your work for them. We’ll have a check-in on 15 November but it’s up to you to follow through by the 2021 deadline. Unfortunately, failure to complete by the deadline will mean you will be unable to participate in future events - until you meet your obligation to your bidder.

You can offer up to three works for auction, but please be honest and respect your limits. We want both creators and bidders to end with a complete work and enjoy the process! For physical goods, it is up to you and your bidder to decide how to handle shipping - keep this in mind when setting your starting bidding price. 

After posting, you can tag us in and any works that follow our rules will be included in our AO3 collection and featured on our Tumblr! 

I wanna be a bidder! Tell me more!

From 29 June through 5 July, you will be able to view all items up for bid, as well as check out each creator’s other works to get a feel for what they can do. You may also reach out to contact individual creators if you have questions. We recommend that if you have a specific idea in mind, or a rarepair, or something the creator has never done before, that you reach out and confirm they will be able to fulfil your request before you bid on them.

From 6 July through 12 July, bidding will be open. All bids will be placed in US dollars, with a $5 minimum starting bid and a $2 minimum incremental bid. Bidding will not be anonymous. Group bids are welcome. 

You may bid on as many items as you like, but please keep in mind that you cannot retract a bid, so make sure you can commit to donating the amount(s) that you bid. You may donate to any of our approved organizations listed below, or ask the mods for approval to donate to another cause that is working towards BLM goals.

For physical fanworks, whether or not your final bid includes shipping will be up to the creator. Once we receive confirmation of the donation, we’re no longer responsible for communication between creators and bidders. Be aware that for physical fanworks, creators will need your address to send you the item. If you aren’t comfortable giving out personal information, we suggest you bid on other auctions instead.

Once the auction is over, we will confirm the final amount for your winning bid(s); do not donate until you receive this confirmation. As soon as we have proof of your donation (pdf receipt that shows date, organization, and amount, all other info can be redacted) we will put you in touch with your creator. At this point, it is up to the two of you to work out how you’d like to proceed to ensure that the bid is fulfilled by 31 January 2021.

If you don’t hear from your creator after we connect you, please reach out to them yourself! If it has been a couple of months and you haven’t heard from them at all despite your efforts to get in touch, let us know and we’ll try to contact your creator on your behalf or help you assess the situation. Unfortunately, there’s always an inherent risk that a creator may fall through for various reasons. If this happens, we hope that knowing that you donated money to support an amazing cause will lessen the disappointment of not receiving a promised fanwork.

Remember that this event is designed to create content for Black Marvel characters, so please be sure to keep your requested works aligned with our Content & Conduct guidelines.

What charities will be supported?

We want participants to feel connected to where their efforts are going. There are multiple organizations linked in our Resources section below, along with master list sites that are updated regularly as new donation opportunities arise.

Creators will be allowed to specify up to three sites that they’d like their winning bidder to support with their donation. Any of the sites or organizations linked in our Resources section are acceptable. Creators can also decline to list a preference, and their winning bidder will be permitted to donate to any of the sites or organizations linked in our Resources section.

We are also open to suggestions! Other donation opportunities requested by the creator and vetted by the mods will be welcome.

Can I sign up to provide more than one offering? Can I sign up as a creator and a bidder? Can I bid on more than one offering? 

The answer to all of these is an enthusiastic yes! Creators can make up to three offerings. Just be sure not to spread yourself too thin; we want everyone to have a successful participation. Do not agree to participate, either as a creator or a bidder, unless you are absolutely committed to following through.

Content & Conduct

This event is designed to spotlight Black characters in a positive way. This doesn’t mean we require fluff, smiles, and happy endings, but it does mean that for this event, we require that you think critically about what you are presenting and how that representation fits within the larger context of the way fandom treats characters of color.

All creations must be centered around one or more canon Black characters, meaning they must be the main focus of the story, artwork, etc. They should not be sidelined in favor of other characters, and if there is any shipping (which is not required, Gen creations are more than welcome) they should be in the main pairing.

This event is designed specifically to support BLM and therefore we expect all participants and creations to align with the values of the movement. To that end, we ask that you do not create or request fanworks that celebrate law enforcement or the military. This is not the appropriate event for a cop AU or similar. For characters canonically affiliated with law enforcement or the military, be critical of how those institutions are portrayed, as well as how BIPOC are treated by and within those institutions.

Some additional points to keep in mind:

- Some Marvel characters have canonical physical, mental, and emotional disabilities - including invisible ones like chronic pain and mental illness. These should be treated respectfully, with due diligence given to portraying their lived experience.

- No perpetrating anti-Black stereotypes or tropes.

- No sympathetically portrayed Hydra or other Nazi analogues.

- No explicit or romantically portrayed non-con.

- No sexual/romantic relationships between adult and minor characters.

- No sexual/romantic relationships between family members.

- All content shared publicly should be tagged appropriately and thoroughly. 

Any offerings or creations that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be promoted on any of our social media platforms, and may affect your ability to participate in future events.

Resources

Creating: 

Writing With Color blogs, recs, & resources

Sam Wilson Birthday Bang resource page

Guide for non-Black authors writing Black characters

Common Microaggressions

Stereotyped vs Nuanced Characters and Audience Perception

Donations: 

Black Lives Matters carrd

Say Their Names carrd

BLM card master list

Homeless Black Trans women fund

Who are the mods?

@a-majesti, @awesomesnafu, @gavilansblog, @samstevebuckyhq, and @thundercakes22​ are your friendly mods. We bonded together over our love for Sam Wilson, and are amongst the mods & organizers for a variety of Sam Wilson-centric spaces, including the Sam Wilson Birthday Bang, SamSteve Small Gifts, SamSteveLove on Twitter, and the Sam Wilson Appreciation discord.

I have another question!

No problem, we’d love to hear from you! Email us (marvelfans4blm at gmail) or send us an ask here on Tumblr.

**Mod note: Thank you so much to @fandomtrumpshate and @marveltrumpshate for generously sharing their resources!

[demenior]

Dem’s Big Post About The Spn Fics Part 2/2

aka The Wrap Up to celebrate To Exist Again and To Become a Man now being finished!

[Part 1 here]

This part will cover reader questions. Thank you to everyone who submitted some, and please feel free to continue asking if you have any. The series is VERY high-concept in areas and can be confusing. I’ll always answer as best I can without spoiling upcoming events <3

[Kid Cudi voice] now look at this:

HUGE thank you to @lookforaspoopynewangle​ for this amazing manip that I need everyone to see and love. Click here to reblog it and spread the joy.

InkofEmrys asked:

A couple random questions I'd throw at you: how far into TEA did you get/have a visual for the depth of Dean's struggle with himself and his sexuality that were happening in the background, which ended up being such a big theme in TBAM? Really, just; how much of Dean's perspective was already shaped in your mind as you wrote/began to develop TEA? And, when did the grounding principle of Dean trying not to be like his father when trying to chart this path with Sam first occur to you as something you wanted to really involve? Also, I'm really curious. (Read: bracing myself in mild fear). Whose perspective(s) do you think you'll end up writing the third work from?

From the getgo BOTH Sam n Dean’s stories were about how they had to find an identity outside of their fathers’ shadow. Almost immediately it was obvious that this was easy(er) for Sam, and life-altering for Dean. This is part of where I ultimately made the decision to split Sam and Dean’s stories because their narrative themes didn’t fit the same flow.

The explicit mantra of ‘I am not my father’ was a product of writing, and not intentional. I didn’t set out to make Sam or Dean specifically antagonistic to their father, because that is their Dad! They love him and miss him. But I did want to include just how difficult John made it to love him because he caused a lot of trauma to/for his children.

I’ve joked about this series being actually about Sam n Dean going through a secondary puberty of sorts. In the sense that, while John has been an absent father and they’ve been away from him most of their adult lives, while John was alive he had a huge presence over them and how they lived. One that continued to follow them after his death, and then by the time they were a few years away from that— they were facing down the apocalypse and had very little time for personal journeys other than ‘I love you enough to die for you’ and ‘I love you enough to let you die for me’. So this story is more about the time period where Sam and Dean have space to breathe and to realize ‘oh Dad’s not going to show up and force us to do what he wants anymore’ so they start poking around and finding out what they want to do and who they want to be

I knew from the beginning that a big aspect of Dean’s story would be dealing with feeling like he’d failed to honor his fathers’ memory by being queer, and not being het like he felt his father had forced him to be by raising Dean to be hypermasculine. It was also important to me to highlight that this was a closet of many factors, and not because John explicitly told Dean not to be queer. Things like the very hypermasculine hunter community, the period of time Dean grew up in, Dean’s intensive self-loathing and criticism of himself. What I didn’t expect was HOW MUCH story would come out of that. I fully intended Dean’s story, even in going back to “season 4” and working our way back to the events of TEA, to only be a little bit longer than Sam’s story.

While writing TEA I had the timeline of Dean’s pov in the back of my mind. I knew Cas was going to open the conversation (his ‘I love you’) to Dean early on, and I knew they wouldn’t be together-together until Sam walks in on their kiss (I hadn’t planned for that to be their first Real Kiss while writing TEA, but it worked out that way in TBAM), but I did know that Dean would have a pretty strong moment of realizing he was likely in love with Cas as well while they were in purgatory

Several povs will come into play in To Destroy a Man. I can tell you for certain that we will have rotating between Sam and Dean, and that the story will be set a few years after the events of TEA/TBAM

Anon asked:

Wrap up question: how did you decide to lead into Cas’s no-good-very-bad day the way you did? I feel like if I tried to write something as dramatic and intense as that I’d get seriously bogged down in trying to write a convincing set up. Why are the bros there? What case were they working on when they learned it was a trap? The way you wrote it I never even questioned any of those things- and that’s a sign of great writing imo! But I’d love to know more about your process for when you decide to go light on detail and when you choose to go deeper!

tl;dr: I made it boring af to know what they were doing!

But more to the point, one of the ‘weaknesses’ I highlighted about this fic, is that all the development happened in very tiny segments and little personal moments, rather than big flash n bang scenes all over the place. There was no driving plot beats to give a reader any footing to guess where the story would be going. This was a strength in that it meant I could surprise Sudden Action onto the story without warning— but it also had to be done wisely! You’ll note there are VERY few Surprise Action/Drama Moments: Sam shooting Naomi, when the leviathans swallow Dean, Sam corrupting Amy, and then Cas’ no-good-very-bad-day. Because most of the action has happened off screen, and the pace of the series is slow, suddenly leaping into action feels intense if only for the contrast!

In any case, all the details? Like: what was the case? Where are they” How far into investigating are they? I personally didn’t care about them. They were so inconsequential that it would have just wasted everyone’s time to spend a few paragraphs nicely laying out all of the information. I think the most I say (in ch25 of TBAM) is “They got notice of weird stuff that could be their kind of weird, so they went poking around.” Because I the writer don’t care that much, and because Dean the pov character doesn’t care that much about the info, then neither does the reader.

Light vs deep detail. A lot of it really came down to what I personally found interesting to write. Obviously self-reflection was a big theme in both stories. In Sam’s story I really wanted to write about magic! And explore magic. So most of Sam’s story deal with his magic powers or conversing with his hallucinations of Lucifer, rather than on details around him. In Dean’s I really wanted to explore a man caught between himself and the things he wants. It really came down to what deserved details and what didn’t!

Thank you all for reading! See ya soon <3

[johannas-motivational-insults]

The interesting thing about editing is that generally doing a good job results in your work being invisible to the average observer. It’s really counterintuitive that way. This is true for editing words for sure, as all your efforts can be attributed to the author (and within writing there’s different types of editing, but it’s true for all of them). But the way this really strikes me is with my video edits.

I’ve had a lot of people express shock at how much time I spend on my amvs because they look so simple. And I do actually take that as a compliment because it means everything just looks so smooth and effortless, and that’s the ultimate goal of editing. But it is kind of odd that your job is to be invisible. Obviously there’s different schools of thought on this, some people like making really flashy edits with obvious audio and visual effects that show off their skills. But I dunno, to me that feels distracting? I guess that’s because I’m attempting to tell stories with my vids and I don’t want the delivery to get in the way of the message. I don’t care if it looks cool, I care about it provoking an emotional response in the viewer.

To be fair how much time I spend on them is probably amplified by the fact that I don’t have the most intuitive editing program (but hey, it’s free!) and also my perfectionism. But tbh, while watching the vids I didn’t spend quite as much time perfecting I always notice the little things like out of place movements that I should have cut by manipulating or freezing the shot. But yeah, most of the time I spend actively editing (as opposed to searching for and experimenting with shots for different segments of the songs) is doing subtle manips and cuts so the beats land right and so I can get in all the relevant information while still keeping the shot interesting. This is easier when you’re editing animated film because they often reuse frames or cycle them in predictable patterns, making it easier to cut out whole seconds of shots without any subtle jumps giving you away. Editing live-action footage is harder, which is part of why I haven’t published any fmvs yet lol.

So like for instance, in my latest vid I have a shot (highlighted in red below) of the scene where Shadow Weaver is trying to convince Adora to go to Mystacor. It lasts less than three seconds in the vid and if you look at the timeline you can see it’s actually three different segments of the same scene/shot that take place over the course of about ten seconds in the episode, but it runs smoothly as though it is one shot.

Of course I did this cutting and splicing to fit the shot in the correct section of lyrics and to keep it from getting too long and boring, but also because I was cutting around specifically so we could see all the emotions play out on Catra’s face in the background, as the video is about her feelings about Shadow Weaver.

You can contrast that with the segment before, which is actually all one continuous shot (the challenge for that one was figuring out exactly how to time it to the music) and the segment after, which is also all one shot except for a fraction of a second freeze frame at the end (highlighted in orange) to make the shot the right length for that section of lyrics so the beats hit right.

There’s also a thematic connection and parallel there. The shot in red plays over the first half of the line “don’t ask for blood // if you don’t wanna get shot” and it’s Catra reacting to Shadow Weaver touching Adora. The next shot, played over the second half of the line, is of Catra reacting to Shadow Weaver touching her by first freezing up and then pushing her away violently. It’s basically about Shadow Weaver’s weaponization of touch as a tool for both manipulation and fear (and ulimately violence), and Catra finally snapping and pushing back.

So yeah, that’s really just one example of the kind of edits I do in my vids, and I do this kind of playing around with pretty much every shot, making sure the transitions within and between shots are seamless and not distracting and that all the beats (auditory and emotional alike) are landing in the right places.

Anyway this post doesn’t really have a point, it’s just me being self-indulgent and rambling about the creative process because I feel like a lot of people don’t understand the art of video editing and the kind of meticulousness it involves. I love that people think my edits are smooth but I would love for people to understand why they are smooth and how I achieve that. Editing film takes a lot of patience but it’s also a lot of fun, and I enjoy talking about it with other people who are into it, but it’s much more of a niche interest than writing or drawing. Anyway, I hope this gave you a little insight if you made it this far! It takes practice to recognize quality editing in any format but this gives you some idea of how it works in film, at least.

[pers-books]

Can you talk a bit about your writing process? I notice you talk a lot about a 'Bitch Muse' and I wondered how that fits in.

Oh Anon! Are you SURE you want to know?

On the grounds that since you asked, you probably do, let me tell you about when I first started out writing fanfic. I was in the Doctor Who fandom at the time and it was common thing amongst my ff writing friends to refer to plot bunnies. Those of us who wrote a lot often bemoaned being invaded by plot bunnies, and I used to joke about my Plot Bunny of Doom. 

I stopped referring to plot bunnies at some point in the next dozen or so years as I switched fandoms, but I recently began referring, instead, to the ‘Bitch Muse’, who is very persistent, insistent, and consistent in the way she bangs me over the head with ideas, sometimes coming close to actually endangering my skull!

Anyway, it’s just a silly way of talking about the fact that sometimes my brain runs rampant with ideas, and some of them are more persistent than others - in other words, I have to at least start writing about them before I can think about anything else. 

As for my actual writing process - well, that just consists of trying to tame an idea long enough to tie it down and write it. Which simply entails sitting my arse down in my chair, putting my fingers on the keyboard and typing furiously until either a new idea comes along and mugs my subconscious, or until I manage to finish the fic. It’s always a toss up which’ll happen first. I do research, as I feel it’s necessary - which might entail looking up medical stuff (since I’m writing two surgeons) or it might entail looking up recipes (eg actual Afghani recipes that Bernie might’ve eating while serving with the RAMC). Or if I’m writing an AU, whatever’s pertinent to the story - eg historical information.

One of my biggest triggers for inspiration, these days, are photos or manips. I have no idea why, given that I’m actually not a very visually-oriented person (I tend to prefer words, not least because I don’t think in pictures). Photos of Jemma are, probably unsurprisingly, particularly likely to trigger an idea for a story. But sometimes it’s other things - a quote, a line of poetry, a lyric. Honestly, my Bitch Muse can and will latch onto pretty much anything if given the opportunity!

Anyways, I have a ridiculous 9k word WiP to get back to - which was inspired by this photo of Jemma, in fact:

I’d say ‘Send Help’ but I fear we’re too far past that point by now!

[believingispowerfulmagic]

IBOQ 2019 Day 1: “Finding Robin”

A/N: My first entry for Inspired By OQ Week. This one is inspired by Jen’s (starscythe) January manip for this year’s OQ calendar.

  It was a freak accident.

That was what the investigators said. The plane had been serviced and passed an inspection before Robin had flown to South America for his latest relief mission--delivering much-needed medicines to remote villages--and the airport he took off from there certified that the plane was still in good condition. The investigation would take more time to determine why his engine had burst into flames once he got into American airspace but their best theory was that he had hit a flock of birds, probably geese.

They also told her that while there was no concrete evidence that Robin had died in the fiery crash, they were confident he did. They were confident all parachutes were accounted for and they doubted Robin would've jumped into the thick forest he was flying over. He no doubt would've tried to escape the plane before it exploded but they didn't think he made it out in time.

Regina Mills, though, couldn't accept that her partner--in relief work and in life--was gone. Friends of theirs gathered around her and tried to conduct a search and rescue but in the end, the forest proved far too dense. After several weeks of trying, they had to give up. She had to move on, to make sure the organization they worked so hard to build didn't collapse. It felt like she was giving up on Robin, like she was failing him somehow.

Dr. Hopper told her that was normal, that it was part of the grieving process. She tried to believe him but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was out there, somewhere. And she wasn't even trying to find him.

A dream of all things changed that.

She walked through the halls of a hospital, feeling like a ghost as no one seemed to acknowledge her or answer when she asked what was going on. Regina found herself drawn to one particular room--Room 23--and she entered, finding doctors standing around a bed. It sounded as if they were talking in a fishbowl, their voices muffled and hard to make out. She strained to do so, able to figure out that the patient was some sort of John Doe who was in a medical coma for one reason or another. If they couldn't figure out who he was or who his next of kin was, they were going to have to release him to a long-term care facility.

Regina tried to get closer to the bed, to see who the man was but it felt like the curtain around his bed was an iron wall. It kept her from going any farther, forcing her to jump back each and every time she tried. "Who is it?" she yelled, hoping someone would hear her.

Instead of an answer, she felt as if someone kicked her in the chest. She flew backwards, ending up in the hallway again. The doctors and nurses left the room, closing the door behind them. When she reached for the door handle, her hand went right through it. She tried to go through the door, but it was as sturdy as ever. Whatever was going on, she could not get back into the room again.

She just didn't know why.

"Who are you?" she asked, yelling at the door. "Why are you haunting my dreams?"

"Regina..."

Her heart stopped as she heard the voice she had longed to hear the most the past few months. The low tenor with a slightly hoarse quality to it and a British accent she found irresistible. She missed the way her name sounded when spoken by that voice and it brought tears to her eyes. Regina knew it was her subconscious drawing it up from her memories and that the voice would only live on in her dreams.

"Regina, look at me," the voice repeated.

She slowly turned around, feeling like a vise gripped her heart as the voice's owner came into focus. He was taller than her and his blond hair had spattering of gray in it. She had often teased him about it but she loved the fact he was turning into a silver fox. The blond scruff on his cheeks and chin were still blond as ever and she reached out, wanting to feel the prickle of it against her palm again--even if it was just a memory playing out in her dream.

Her hand passed through him though and she frowned. "Robin?"

"Regina, you need to save me," he told her. "You don't have much time. Find me. Please."

"Where are you? Robin, tell me," she begged, growing desperate as he grew more and more transparent. How was she supposed to find him when he could be anywhere? "Robin!"

He faded away as a bright light assaulted her senses, forcing Regina back into consciousness.

She gasped as she sat up, her heart beating wildly. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and her pajamas were stuck to her skin. She pushed back the blankets as she reached over, turning on the lamp on her nightstand. It illuminated her room, revealing she was alone. There were no other sounds and for a moment, Regina wondered if she had gone deaf as she couldn't hear a thing. Everything felt weird, as if she were really dreaming now and what she had just experienced was real.

BANG!

Regina jumped as she glanced out the window, her mind processing that it was just a car backfiring. Another car's alarm went off while several dogs started to bark, breaking the silence and proving that she was awake and what she had experienced had been a dream.

Yet it had felt so real.

She stood and walked over to the bathroom. Regina flipped on the light before running the water to splash it on her face, hoping to cool herself down. It dripped down her face as she leaned against the counter, trying to figure out what her dream meant. It had to be her subconscious wishing Robin were still alive. Maybe it had absorbed the plot of some movie or TV show, casting her and Robin into the leads instead. He was gone. She needed to accept that.

But what if he wasn't? What if he really was alive? What if he had reached out to her to find him?

Regina turned off the tap and dried her face, shaking her head. It was just a dream. She had tried to find him and failed. It wasn't healthy to keep hoping he was alive, not if she wanted to keep moving on with her life like he wanted. Robin was gone. She needed to accept that.

The car alarms had stopped and the dogs were soothed, so all was again silent as she climbed into bed. All but the noise in her head as she replayed the dream over and over. Especially the part where Robin pleaded with her to find him.

She pushed the covers back and picked up her phone, hitting one particular contact before she could reconsider. Biting her lip, she listened to it ring and started to compose the message she would leave on his voicemail in her head.

"Regina?" a sleepy voice asked. "What's wrong?"

Fuck. She didn't expect him to pick up. Part of her hoped that by the time he returned her call in the morning, she would've talked herself out of it but that plan went out the window.

"Regina? Are you there?" he asked, now even more concerned.

"Yes, sorry," she replied. "I didn't expect you to answer."

"Neal is teething and not really sleeping during the night. Tonight is my turn," he answered. "What has you up at this time of the night?"

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "You're going to think I'm crazy, David."

"Nonsense, Regina. Clearly something has you spooked. What is it?"

"It was a dream. At least I think it was," she said, doubting herself now. "It felt so real. And Robin...he was there."

David was silent for a bit before saying: "Dreams can feel real, Regina. It makes sense you would dream about him."

She sighed, letting herself fall back onto her bed. "I know. But this was different. It was more like an out-of-body experience than a dream."

"You mean you saw Robin in the afterlife?" He sounded concerned and she wondered if he was already texting their friend Archie, who was a therapist.

"No," she replied. "I was taken to a hospital where there was a nameless man in a hospital bed. Robin then appeared behind me and begged me to find him before it was too late."

David was quiet and she wondered if the call had dropped when he said: "Robin is dead, Regina."

"But what if he isn't?" she asked. "What if he's some John Doe in a hospital and is waiting for me to find him?"

"Regina, we searched the hospitals..."

She knew that but she still couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. "Not all of them. Can't you look for hospitals with John Does?"

He was once again quiet before saying her name with every ounce of concern he was no doubt feeling for her. "Maybe you should talk to Archie about this. He can help you..."

"My gut is telling me that Robin is still out there, David. It hasn’t led me astray yet. I'm going to find him with or without your help." She ended the call and threw her phone onto the bed as she pushed herself into a standing position.

Regina paced her room. She knew David was concerned about her. He didn't want her to get hurt or suffer any setbacks in her grief. Yet she also trusted her gut and it was telling her that Robin wasn't dead. He was out there, waiting for her. She needed to find him.

Now.

She knew what she had to do--go find her husband on her own.

Too excited to sleep, she grabbed her laptop and powered it on. She then retrieved the file she had made on Robin's plane crash. Flipping through the pages, she followed his flight path and found a map of the area around where his plane had been found. She knew all the parachutes had been accounted for on the plane but she wondered if maybe he had been ejected from the plane upon impact, landing somewhere away from the wreckage. There were too many variables for her to figure out a specific location on her own. She was going to have to make do with a general area, noting all the towns he could've been taken to. From there, it was just a matter of compiling a list of hospitals in those towns and then calling around to see if they had any John Does fitting Robin's description. Giddiness filled her as did the one thing she thought she would never have again.

Hope.

Continue reading FFN, AO3 and Wattpad

[ariagrans]

Let the year ahead be the one where all your dreams come true and your wishes be granted. 🖤 @hwlandhqgossip

IC

001. What is your proudest accomplishment of this year?

There’s so many that’s happened throughout the year, especially including my album, but most of all, I think it’s best to face the hardest parts of your year so you can take a step back and admire how you overcame them, and I feel as though I found the ability to handle it all, which makes me rather proud of myself given the circumstances. There’s still a scary amount of bad in the world, but I’d like to think I was able to bring some good to a lot of people with my own strength, and hopefully they all found their own.

002. What is the biggest life lesson you learned this year?

It’s something I’ve always known, but I feel as though this year truly made me appreciate the process of living. That lesson of it being that each diamond is created under extreme pressure, and so when I find myself stressed and entirely overwhelmed through a situation, I know that I can trust the process that something good is going to come out of that. If a diamond can do it, so can I.

003. What is one relationship (can be friendship) that has helped you survive this year?

I don’t know what I would do without, Bella. She’s such a blessing that I’ve been spending so much time with, and I’m going to miss her so bad when I’m across the pond, but even if I have to buy the tickets myself, I know I’ll need to get her ass over there with me for our rightful visitations. Bella’s the type of person that could pull me out of a bad mood within seconds, and all I can hope for is to be the same for her. She’s made 2018 exciting at every turn, and there’s so much in store for our friendship, I’m calling it now. @b-hxdid

004. Who or what do you need to let go of in order to make next year even better than this year?

My anxiety. If I could let that go, I know 2019 could be the best year of my life. I’ve had it consume me plenty this year, stayed days to myself and not talk to anybody, a fear eating away inside. And you know what? I regret feeling it every time. I know there’s no reason to feel it. I know it’s a mentality that I’m harboring, one that I know I can expel from my life if I put my mind to it. It creates an insecurity that I won’t allow to hold me back any longer.

005. What did you do this year that you’ve never done before?

I got myself a pig! Not as inspirational as I should probably mention, but I did get one, and my god, it’s definitely a job to handle, but she’s such a light to my life. Shout out to my baby, Piggy Smalls.

006. What are three resolutions or goals you want to make happen next year?

To just stay happy, to spread that happiness to others, and to keep my head up, brush off my shoulders, and let everything flow like water off a duck’s back. Here’s to happiness and to nobody keeping me away from that.

007. Where did most of your money go this year?

I might have gotten carried away with the Christmas presents this year, I’m not gonna lie, but I couldn’t stop myself. They all deserved what they got, and hopefully next year I’ll get to bond with even more people so they all get a piece of my heart as well. And wallet, but I think heart sounds sweeter.

008. What song will always remind you of this year?

Is it weird to shout out my own song? Because Thank You, Next isn’t just about the relationships. I didn’t write it just so I can call out what I’ve been through with the guys I’ve mentioned, or make a diss, and plenty of people already know that. It’s a constant reminder to myself that all I need is myself to get through this crazy place we call earth. It reminds me that I can move on from anything, that I don’t have to hold anything in or bottle it up, that I can look forward and say next to a new situation. A better situation. Nothing can hold me back now from being the person I want to be, and do what I want to do, and that song was written to express that, so I find it to be the perfect fit for 2018.

009. How will you be spending the last day of this year?

Packing up! Aside from celebrating, of course, I’ve still got a big move to make on my hands, and 2019 is the year of the UK for me, and I’ve never been more ready.

010. Who is the best new person you’ve met this year?

Lily James has forever changed my life for the best because she is the best. No, she’s the greatest. Words don’t even begin to describe what Lily means to me, and it’s an absolute honor to have her in my life, to get to spend more time with her. Have you ever met someone that could make you smile just from seeing them smile? Or someone that their happiness radiates so hard onto your life that you can’t feel anything but happy when you’re around them? That’s how Lily makes me feel, and she’s someone that I’m most ready to spend the next year with and learn more about. @lllyjames

OOC

001. What relationship (can be friendship) has been the most fun to write for your muse/s this year?

I’ve gotten so into Ariana and Grant’s friendship to the point that I made a manip for them a month before I could even post it, like what even.. And it’s all based off the love of sushi together and plotting out the families they’ll each have. I know the end of this year has been stressful in real life that I haven’t gotten to devote as much time as I want, but best believe that I want more of them in 2019. <3 @theflashgrant Also, I love you, Sam. I hope you’re not alarmed by the time this is posted, I have tomorrow off. x

002. In what ways do you connect to your muse/s?

I like to think that I connect to how happy Ariana feels most of the time.. Well, she’s constantly been happy, and ever since I’ve come here, I feel like I’ve had a brighter look on the year compared to the rest, and her time she’s had here has affected my own time and made it even better.

003. What’s your favorite category to write for your muse/s? (angst, fluff, smut, etc.)

Well, I haven’t written smut on Ariana yet, but I’m sure that’ll be a wonderful time when we get down to it with her and whoever the lucky boy/girl she’s with is, but so far, these fluffy, cute ass friendships she’s making is hands down the best for me.

004. If you could give your muse/s one gift, what would you give them?

I’d have to give my muse more time, honestly. They deserve it. I shouldn’t let work consume my life, when my passion is RP in the first place. RP is my escape, and I’m here along with many talented people that I want to share my muse with, so just devoting more to them is the most I could do to benefit them, honestly.

005. What was your favorite event/moment/memory in HollywoodlandHQ this year?

Appreciation week! I was honestly only here for like.. two to three weeks, I think? And I like to think I went in on trying to express how appreciative I was to be here, and I still am. I always will be! You guys are the best, and it’s an honor to spend time with you. It’s an honor to be in a group ran by such talented and trusted admins and beautiful players across the world. I hope you all know just how much I love you.

006. What muse/s have you enjoyed most seeing on this dash this year?

I really love seeing everybody on the dash, but Charlie’s and Becca’s ( @loutommo-x , @teylcrswift ) always bring a smile to my face just from them posting a queue even, I love them both so much, I love their ship so much, and I hope to keep building bonds with them IC and OOC!

007. What is your favorite thing your muse/s have done this year in the group? (can be in the real world or what you made up)

In real life, I’d say that Ariana’s album and music videos had to be so exciting for her, and I hope it was as thrilling for her as it was for me, but with my Ari in this beautiful world of HWland, I’d say her trip to London was exciting. I mean, she does want to move there now so it has to count for something.

008. What would you like to see in HollywoodlandHQ in 2019?

I think some tasks could be a lot of fun! Like this alone has brought a lot of focus on my character and I feel like when people bond with their muse enough to answer questions like these, they’re more likely to keep wanting to come back, and I love that! I love feeling more connected to Ariana, it fuels my need to develop her, and even simple tasks like a mixtape or moodboard could open up a path in my opinion.

009. What is a plot you would love to do with your muse/s?

I’d love to add some more angst into Ariana’s story line.. I’ve got a plot page, ( don’t look at it, that shit is totally empty ), but I’d love to fill it up with all kinds of stories to play along with, and something that’s both rip and mend my heart could be really fun! You know.. Stuff that people like @ohlizzo and @hqcentineo do that both kill me and make me feel alive. :) That smile is exactly how you think it is.

010. Tag somebody in the RP and say something nice about them. It’s the season of giving.

@hcurly you already know I couldn’t go without saying something about you. I love you to the moon and back, and that trip ten times over. You make every day feel like a blessing for me, and I consider myself the luckiest person to not only know of you, but to personally get to know you and spend time writing with your Harry. The best one, hands down, that I’ve ever come across, and I know I can’t live without you now. I just can’t put it into proper words what you and Harry mean to me now, and I know nothing could ever change that. <3

And how could I do a post like this and not mentioned @itstbellisario. You are so precious as a player and your characters are the same way, I adore you and I love how sweet you’ve been from the very get. I’m shit at my replies, but I hope you know I love every one of them that I have with you, and I’ll forever appreciate you being here in this RP with me. Troian and Haley forever belong in my Hall of Fame.

To finish this off, though, I want to dedicate the best time of my life this year to the wonderful admins that run this place, that bust their ass off to make it the best RP I’ve ever been in. It’s been exactly 2 months of me being here, only 1/6th of the entire year, but I couldn’t have had a better ending note for it if it weren’t for you all! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I could cry tears of gratitude for you, for this RP. Some people may think it’s just some website, but it saves lives and you’re all to thank for that. I love you. <3

@hcurly @gigihqs @kjapayo @liliisms @diannahq @hollandjpg @itsgenevievegnt

[mippippippi]

SQ Supernova III: Artist Interview with Angel_Ortiz

Interview with @Angel_Ortiz and their work for Caught Out

What is your favorite medium to work with? I enjoy making manips & use a variety of phone apps to do that. I usually see a base I like and immediately have images of the characters in mind so I tend to make them on the spur of the moment, sometimes whilst sat in waiting rooms etc. Hence why photoshop isn't my go to medium. When you are choosing a story do you base your choice on the snippet/summary alone or are you looking for a certain type of story? I like to choose from snippets or a summary. I have adhd so for a story to grab my attention and hold it, the story needs to pull me in and keep there so I can hyperfocus. If there's an air of mystery in the summary, like for example the setting and premise is explained and then there are a bunch of questions around character motives and intentions, you got me because I'm gonna be drawn to it immediately because I NEED answers. If there are relatable elements, or if the story snippet punches me in the feels with either angst, or fluff or smut with emotional attachment... or if you write kink, you got my full attention. Which part of the creative process you enjoy the most? When I experiment with character images and they perfectly align with the base I get really excited. Then when the final touches are done and it's finished, that sense of accomplishment is amazing. What was the most challenging thing you faced while doing this particular art? I like to make my manips look as real as possible. So if something is off I hyperfocus and work on it relentlessly by experimenting with different processes until something works. If I exhaust everything, I put the idea on the back burner in case alternative images are found or new ones released that will work better. Luckily the only issue I had with this one was the Regina's hair, so I gave her a hair cut! Coincidentally, not long after I made it, Lana cut her hair in exactly the same style lol it was almost like magic haha! What would like to share about your art that you think the viewers might have missed? There is something in the image that was actually missed by my assigned author at first. We kept in touch throughout the process and I got to read her fic to see her interpretation of my art in the story she wrote for it. She messaged me closer towards the end date and asked if there was a leash between Emma and Regina. Yes there is a slim chain leash to a fancy collar that Regina is wearing. I chose not to define it as it would have thrown the lighting off and made it less realistic. Miss apples_a_day was excited to have this confirmed and went back to writing the story with a view to include this detail. So it may be something that not everyone notices. Which do you find more difficult doing art for an AU story or Canon one and why? I don't find either difficult to be honest. If I want to add some magic I use light pens with Repix app, and coloured smoke etc. And AU I can find bases and adapt them to fit. I guess the only challenging part for me with manips is finding the images that work well together. You have to get head positions perfectly aligned so they need to be in the right positions to fit the base. Matching skin tone is the other challenge too. But these challenges are present in both canon and AU manips. Even using, say for example, Regina's body but a different head of hers from another scene can be a challenge with skin tones as each scene is filmed with different lighting etc. When do you feel your art is complete? When it looks as real as I can possibly get it and I don't see any errors in the layering. Tell us something about yourself (e.g. something new something old something nobody knows :D ) ? I need some help and I don't know how to ask for it... This is the short version story of how me and my future wife (another Swen) became a couple... https://twitter.com/_MissConduct/status/1059015948634599424?s=19 She will be visiting me for two weeks over Christmas, I pick her up from their airport Christmas Eve. We've been in this long distance relationship for a long time and it's now getting to the point where I need her home permanently. Since having to remove myself from my toxic parents life, I'm pretty much on my own and I struggle a lot with my physical disability. There's nobody I can turn to regularly for help when I need it. I need my future wife home with me so we can finally get married and live together, not just for love, but because I'm struggling so much more with my physical disability (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) and it pains her to see me struggling on my own like this. We're trying to raise money for her visa. Though neither of us is very good at asking for help. Maybe someone who sees this will be able to help us in some way. Here's hoping. https://www.gofundme.com/9pfr7w

[tolkienrsb]

TRSB18 FAQ

General Information

What is a Reverse Big Bang?

A Reverse Big Bang is literally a reverse of the Big Bang challenges you may have come across in the past (such as Hobbit Big Bang, for example). The participating artists create a piece of art, which is posted anonymously for authors to view and claim. The authors will then write a fic based on the art they chose.

What kind of artwork/story is eligible?

Hobbit, Silm, LotR, HoME, whatever takes your fancy, be it movies or book-canon ;)

This challenge is open to all characters, genres and ratings, as long as there is a clear link to Tolkien’s mythos.

OCs are welcome, although crossovers are not currently permitted.  

We are not setting any restrictions on content, but please work with your artist/author to ensure that the fic turns out well for both sides; refer back to the individual’s Do-Not’s and Must-Haves before you decide to claim a piece of art!

If you create a NSFW piece of art for the Preview, we will put a SFW crop in the Preview with a link to the NSFW version.

Because this challenge is open to and inclusive of all Tolkien characters and ships, we would like to remind all participants that absolutely no shipshaming or kinkshaming will be tolerated.

Please respect each other and the all-inclusive tone of the challenge.

Long post under the cut, can also be found at https://tolkienrsb.tumblr.com/faq

What’s the time frame?

May 1, 2018: Sign-ups open

May 15, 2018: Artist sign-up closes

Monday, May 21, 2018: Art Draft due

Friday, May 25, 00:01 CET, 2018: Art up for preview

Saturday, May 26, 2018: Author sign-ups close

Monday, May 28, 20:00 CET, 2018: Claims open [What time is that for me?]

Sunday, June 3, 2018: Post-Claim Check In

July 5, 2018: Check In.

July 30, 2018: Check In.

August 17, 2018: Deadline to tell us “Help, my pants are on fire and I won’t be able to complete my story!” 

August 25, 2018: Fics due.

Monday, August 27, 2018: Posting begins in the last week of August, running in staggered schedule until all Fics have been posted/reblogged.

The scheduled times and dates are not negotiable.

What’s a checkpoint? They’re something to give you a feel on where a typical artist and/or author should or could be at in their creation process. They’re used for encouragement and motivation only. The last author checkpoint is mandatory and for us to determine what art pieces we need to find pinch hitters for. Any author who does not check in then (or if they can’t make it lets us know why) will be dropped from the challenge and a pinch hitter assigned to the art prompt. What should my art draft look like for Preview? It should be the equivalent of about 75% of your final artwork. That’s hard to measure, of course – basically it does not need to be a finished piece but it should give the author wanting to claim your art a good idea of what it will look like.

Time should go into it, this piece will be what the author bases their story on.

What should my rough draft look like for the Final Checkpoint? It needs to be at least 4,000 words, or 80% of your fic. You do not need to have your fic finished by this time however, you may still work on it and get it beta-read until your final fic and art is due. We just need to be able to reasonably verify that you are going to be able to finish your fic by the due date.

How will I contact my artist/author? We will provide an author with contact information once they are committed to an artist(email/tumblr/other - artists choose their preferred communications method when they submit their art for Preview). From there it is up to the author to communicate with the artist and create a story that would fit the art.

How do I sign up? Sign-ups for the 2018 fest open on May 1, you can sign up via forms linked on the @tolkienrsb​ blog.

FAQ from Artists

Art encompasses (but is not limited to) drawn or painted artwork (both traditional and digital), comics, and digital manips. Craft is welcome as long as the final piece can be photographed and submitted to us via email as an image. If you have an unconventional idea for your artwork, please email the mods at tolkienrsb at gmail dot com to discuss.

Artists may submit up to 3 separate pieces of art for this challenge to be claimed separately by 3 different authors. Alternatively, artists may choose to submit one piece for the preview and create more pieces as the collab continues - whichever best suits the story you and your partner want to tell!

Can I draw anything I like? Basically, yes. However, bear in mind that you are creating something to inspire a writer. Is there an AU or a headcanon you’d love to see explored? Give your author as much information as you can in your art to capture their imagination. Just as with a Big Bang when authors try to make their summary as enticing to artists as possible, you have the opportunity to inspire a writer with your idea and to have them write a fic specifically for the art you create.

What about nudity/ships/kinks? Bring them. Go wild. Ship it (you know you want to). This is basically your party (and we know we have some kinky writers out there, so you might find a kindred soul for yours ;) )

Bear in mind that if you DO create an NSFW piece of art as your prompt, we will put a SFW crop in the Preview and link a full version hosted on Mod Raiy’s private Imgur account for the duration of the Preview Weekend.

Do I have to finish my art before Previews? No, but submitted artwork should be at least 75% done.  We know that can be tough to gauge with art; the main thing is to post a draft with enough detail that authors can clearly make out what’s going on in your artwork.

Art is only to be completed before the posting date (this means you have all the weeks of writing to finish it - or to make more art or sunbathe or however you’d like to spend time this summer).

See Submission Info for more details.

Can I create a crossover or fusion piece? No, we feel Tolkien’s works are a large enough sandbox for this first round – perhaps in future we will open for true fusions/crossovers.

NB: THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN’T DO AU’s!

What happens if the number of authors doesn’t match up with the number of artists? We will do several rounds of claiming so that EVERY piece of art has a fic in the event that the art pieces outnumber fanfiction writers. If it’s the other way, we may open up the pieces of art so that more than one fic writer is assigned to the same piece of art. Either way, everyone who wants to participate will get to participate.

Will my art be archived anywhere? No, we will only post your art in our Preview document, which will be deleted by the end of the TRSB18 event.

NB: Art pieces created for this challenge are NOT TO BE POSTED ANYWHERE ELSE before story posting takes place.

How will art claims work? Art will be posted anonymously to a Members Only, View Only private presentation document. Each piece will be numbered and accompanied by additional information supplied by the artist so authors will have plenty of time to peruse and choose their preferences.  See Submission Info to see what info the artists will submit, and see Claims Info for how claims will work.

FAQ from Authors

After claiming takes place, authors will have approximately 10 weeks to write a story with a minimum of 5,000 words. The fic must be original, complete, and related to the claimed art for which it is written.

We strongly recommend that the fic is beta-read, either by the artist or a third party to reduce errors.

Do I get more than one piece of art to work with? That’s up to your artist, though we encourage our teams to collaborate throughout the process in whatever manner they see fit. There is no obligation for your artist to create additional art unless they wish to; before you begin writing, have a chat with your artist about interpretations of the artwork - bear in mind that elements of the artwork must feature in your fic.

What if the artist’s OTP is my nOTP/squicks me? Then you shouldn’t pick that piece of art on your claims form. Elements in the artwork need to be present in your story - this means that if there is a pairing specifically shown or suggested, then that is the pairing you are claiming and promising to write for. We also encourage you to discuss any squicks before you start writing and respect each other’s Do Not Wants.  (Key word here being “respect” - it should go without saying, but we will not tolerate shipshaming, kinkshaming, flaming or other hurtful behaviour.)

What type of requirements are there for a fic? You will be expected to write a fic with a minimum of 5,000 words, based on the prompt you choose in the Art Claims post. Claims will be first come, first serve. Beta-reading is strongly advised.

How do I know what art I’m writing for? / How do I make a claim? When the artists turn in their rough drafts, we’ll make an Art Preview. Signed up authors will be emailed a link to view the Art Preview and have a couple of days to think about their favourites. Then we will open the Claims Form where you will rank your choices by preference and we will match authors with claims on a first come first served basis. 

I’ve already been writing a fic - can I use that one? No. The fic you write must be based around the art you choose, using that as your prompt.

What if my [character] doesn’t look like my artist’s [character]? Then you should probably have chosen a different piece of art ;) As the entire idea of this fest is to use a piece of art as a prompt, discarding the artist’s vision for your own is pretty bad form. Pick art you like/agree with!

What genres/warnings are allowed? You may write/create art for whichever genre of fic you choose, as well as any rating as long as your artist is comfortable with it. Remember, you’re creating the fic around the art and the artist’s original vision. 

Can I write with someone else? No, only one person may write. You may use your artist as a sparring partner or utilise the services of a beta reader(which we strongly recommend all authors do), but your story should be yours.

Will my fic be archived anywhere? No, where the story is posted will be up to the author. We will create/reblog MasterPosts to DW and Tumblr, but the location of your fic is entirely up to you.

How does posting work? Each author/artist team nominates their preferred posting day within the last week of August. Each team of author/artist is required to post on their assigned date to the platform of their choice(DW/Tumblr/AO3/ Other).

Each team will also be required to create a masterpost of their collaboration on Tumblr(no matter how they choose to post), including a summary and links to wherever they’ve posted their work.

If you do not have a DW account when it comes to posting time, just email your links/information details to a mod at tolkienrsb@gmail.com and we will make the post to the DW community for you.

Each Tumblr MasterPost will be reblogged via @tolkienrsb to give each team the maximum exposure we can give on their day of posting. Round-ups of all the works created for the Tolkien RSB18 will be posted here too.

An AO3 collection is available for teams to add their work: TRSB18.

See Masterpost Info for more details.

Any questions or issues can be addressed to the mods at tolkienrsb at gmail dot com or by sending us an Ask. We answer all signed-in Asks on private and there are no stupid questions.

Thank you for participating,

Raiyana & Narya, your friendly community mods!

[bitchfromtheseventhhell]

GIF Manipping Tutorial

I couldn’t really think of anything to do when I passed a follower milestone, so, belatedly--and because @dreamofspring suggest-requested it--I’m going to write up a tutorial on gif manipping/merging/whatever you want to call it/the process I use to make gifs like the ones below.

Some notes before we begin:

I use Photoshop CS 6 on a Macbook Pro.

I use @patchface‘s gif making process by and large, with some additional tweaking.  I’m pretty attached to using smart objects in the gif making process so this tutorial relies on that, rather than keeping frames in a timeline form.  I won’t be explaining how to make gifs.  @patchface​‘s tutorial is pretty solid, and there are plenty of others out there if you want to dip your feet if you search around Tumblr.

I’m also going to be using Layer Masks, but not explaining how they work so much as why I use them.  Here’s a tutorial that explains them, and I’ll link it again below when relevant.

Thanks to the members of the creatorsresourcenetwork for looking this over before I posted!

I. General Process

Since the reason for this is because Sarah asked, I’m going to show my process for making the last of the four gifs above--Jon & Drogon on the Wall.

1) Select your clips.  This is challenging and things don’t always fit easily.  The number of times I’ve had an idea, set out to make it work and then given up is very very high.

If you want, you can work with individual caps first before making your gifs.  I don’t usually do that but if I’m feeling particularly frustrated I do.

Here is what I came up with for Jon (in S1) & Drogon (in Meereen) respectively

2) Crop, Make & Sharpen your gifs in two separate photoshop files.

3) Here’s where the fun begins.  Depending on how you make your gifs you should put them in a folder (if you do a copy & gaussian blur technique).  

Pick the gif of the two gifs you want to be your “home base” gif and drag the other one into that base gif’s canvas.  Photoshop lets you have two canvases side-by-side (this is something I find useful generally for gifsets since you can see colors side-by-side before saving and exporting for tumblr).  You click on the file name section 

and drag it down or to the side.  When you hit the edge of the photoshop window--before your tools begin or your timeline--it should highlight.  Release the file and you should now see both files side by side and you can easily click and drag files from the layer section of one canvas

on top of the other canvas, which will add it to the second canvas’ layer section.  

Doing so should maintain the size of the gif, based on how you cropped it, but the cropping won’t be maintained.  But that’s ok-- you can click-drag the gif around on the canvas until you get it to line up the way you want it to:

I dragged Jon a little bit to make room for Drogon on top of the wall, which mean there was a gap in the top of the gif:

I duplicated the Jon gif and moved the bottom of the two gifs up to have some sky consistency.  It made a texture in the upper-right corner in the final gif that, six months later, I’m annoyed at, but that’s what I did and you live and you learn.

4) Layer Mask time!  As I said above, I won’t necessarily be explaining how to use layer masks, but you can read about that here.  Layer masks aren’t just great for this way of manipulating gifs but also wonderful for coloring since it lets you “hide” part of your layer.  In coloring that means that you can really make some colors vibrant, or dark, or desaturated, or whatever you’re going for.  For this, it means you can work on blending the two gifs together.

I applied some layer masks to both gifs/gif folders to make it a little smoother.  This was an initial stage--a way to get it rolling before coloring so I could see vaguely what I was aiming for.  I definitely went back in after I colored and did some cleaning up:

5) Coloring time!  This isn’t a coloring tutorial so I won’t go into the details of how I colored.  Here’s a solid list of the psds I use most frequently (though some have been taken down unfortunately!)  As I mentioned above, I definitely went back in and played more with the layer masks after I’d done my coloring to make sure that things looked as good as I could make them.

I ended up with this gif from there:

II. Some Tips

Some general tips I’ve found that are helpful for gif manipping:

1) Layer Masks--this is a personal taste thing: I tend to use a very low hardness % when I’m using my brush on layer masks.  This tends to be because I want to allow for movement since it’s rare that gifs are perfectly static--it lets things fade in and out imperfectly rather than having something choppy and jarring.  It’s really hard to make something line up perfectly and I tend not to aim for perfection so much as my own level of “good enough,” which tends to get more precise each time I do this.  Coloring can really help ease the transition between gifs.  The seams between gifs also look the smoothest in dark sections (in the above, the darkness of the wall and the night helps hide a good amount of the seam) but that’s not always possible.

2) It helps a lot to pic footage where characters don’t move a lot.  It makes it easier to paint your layer mask without accidentally cutting out part of a face or something.  If you do end up picking something with a lot of movement, you may want to use a frame-by-frame technique rather than this one which relies heavily on smart objects.  

There are some fantastic manips out there that I think are done in frame by frame animation form.  For this you’d have a layer mask on each individual frame hiding the parts of the gif you don’t want to include in the final manipulation.  I choose to manip the smart object rather than the frame by frame because I think it looks smoother.  That’s a personal preference thing--it’s also a...laziness thing.  It’s definitely easier to manip one smart object than to go through each frame and try and make it look smooth.  When I was first trying to manip gifs (which would have been two years ago at this point lorddddd) I tried the timeline thing and this was what I was able to pull off:

For a gif like this, I think the only way to have done it was frame by frame (since Bran’s falling from the tower and the tower is shifting underneath him and the perspective of the video is shifting) but it was very painstaking to the point of not being fun for me and I want to enjoy myself when photoshopping or else I wouldn’t do it.  

3) As with any gifset for which you want the color scheme to look cohesive, it helps tremendously to work with gifs whose scenes have the same general coloring.  That doesn’t mean you have to, obviously.  I’ve done a lot of manipping of Jon & Daenerys together.  Jon tends to be filmed in cooler scenes (since he’s in the North) while Dany’s tend to be warmer in Essos. 

Dany is lighter than Jon in this gif, and there is more of a yellow hue to her, even beneath the cooling filters and color adjustments I put there.  And while I still think it looks good (obviously, or else I wouldn’t have posted it), I think it’s less of a smooth manip than this one:

where the coloring of Dany’s scene is originally much cooler and wintery.  Having the same baseline color saves a lot of energy in terms of coloring. 

4) You don’t have to crop the gifs to the same size.  This took me a while to realize.  I was worried about preserving image quality, but I realized that frequently it’s manageable and so gifs like this

where Sansa and Bran seem to both be sitting at the same table even though in their original clips they’re taking up different amounts of space on the screen are possible.  If I’m trying to get something right, I’ll sometimes save the actual gif making process until I’ve worked two caps together to the right proportions.  Or I’ll go back and undo a resize in the revision history.

5) If you really want to get courageous with your coloring, you can change the blend mode on one of your gifs.  I....don’t do this a lot, but one of my all time favorite gifs that I’ve ever made entailed this so I can’t say don’t ever do it ever:

I was an idiot and didn’t save this psd so I don’t remember how I did it :sigh: oh well, but it’s why the whisps of her hair are whispy.

[universalfanfic]

(gushing about my own work) Oh my gosh so I finally came up with a face claim for most of my main characters in my original Marvel story Code Blue. Melodie Monrose is playing Avery Plafaire my main character and she's just so perfect like she fits Avery so well 😍😍😍I also edited the first chapter again and made a prologue which are both on ao3! I've already wrote out the second chapter but it needs a ton of editing 😅some people have read it and one complemented me on my writing skills (TBC)

(CONTINUED) and I’ve got a few kudos but I’ve only got 40 hits and I don’t know how I’m supposed to get people interested y'know. I love my characters and story so much and I don’t want to give up on them but sometimes I feel like what’s the point of writing something no one’s gonna read. I’m definitely going to finish chapter two but idk what I’m gonna do if no one else has really read it by then. I thought of posting it on Tumblr but then I thought how is it gonna get any kudos or hits (TBC 2)

(CONTINUED 2) on AO3 if I do idk I’m sorry this is so long I’m just really worried. I love my characters and I want everyone to love them too haha I’ve put so much time and effort into the story even though it looks like I’ve done nothing and I don’t regret it one bit but I just hope maybe a little more would could come from it *sighs* anyways I just wanted to get that out there sorry that this was so long and thanks for listening! 😊

[]

Oh, hun. I know that feeling! It’s difficult to build up a following. And as writers I know we all crave that interaction, because you do put so much effort and time into it. (And it can be a lonely process.) All I can do is encourage you to keep writing! Sometimes more readers come the longer you continue to update.

Try posting a few chapters at least and see how it goes. When I first started writing my fic, I got one review on my first chapter.  And even as I kept posting, I got only one or two comments back. There’s just a lot of stories to pick from and when it’s free I think people forget that there’s someone behind the words desperately waiting for some small nugget of validation, haha. It’s hard! But if you really love your story I don’t think that should stop you. It’s your story and it deserves to be told! :) Thank you for sharing! I know it’s tough, but I’m rooting for you! 

I can say Melodie Monrose is gorgeous! I may try to do a manip for you if you don’t mind! :) 

[misssophiachase]

Too many Jodice tumblr posts contributed to this spontaneous drabble. I hope you are all very proud of yourselves (you know who you are.) I'm no Jodice aficionado but have tried to do some basic research on events, episodes etc but have obviously taken liberties too. 

PS no spouses exist for obvious reasons! Picking up from the most recent episode of the Originals. Also points of view will change in each section. All lyrics in italics from Lady Gaga.  

You and I

"Something about this place, something, 'bout the lonely nights and lipstick on your face."

Present Day - London, England

The fact he'd just directed the most recent episode of The Originals and it was trending worldwide certainly gave him a renewed boost in confidence. Apart from acting, directing was his closest passion and seeing that fans liked his work filled him with a certain ambitious desire to repeat the experience.

As an actor he knew very well that a renewal was still pending and given his affection fo the show he hoped it got its rightful continuation. The finale which he'd already taped told him that much. There was too much unfinished business, in more ways than one. As Joseph scrolled through his twitter feed he found the usual mentions of a certain co-star that hadn't graced the screen with him in a while.

His mind flashed back to that particular scene, there was apparently a tree, some woods and about 200 crew present. Not that he'd noticed at all. He'd been far too consumed by the blonde beauty who he'd known so intimately both onscreen and off at that stage.

He would never forget the first time they met at the Craft Services table on set. Joseph always thought she was stunning on screen but seeing her there with rice unknowingly stuck to her cheek was causing him to smile uncontrollably (he was pretty certain he flashed a few dimples in the process). He'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He knew right then and there he was a goner.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

"It's been years since I let you go. I couldn't listen to a joke or Rock and Roll."

Candice knew that looking at her twitter feed was never a good idea. If she wanted a reminder of her relationship with Joseph it was plastered across her timeline. Granted the photos were either scenes they shared from the show or manips but they all stirred the same feelings inside. She missed him, she'd be lying if she said she didn't. She was happy his latest directorial foray had been such a success. If there was something Candice knew it was how good he was at directing people, she'd been one of his star performers in the bedroom after all.

The hardest part was trying to answer all those questions at the Vampire Attraction Event about a possible appearance in the Originals after TVD's recent ending. She'd been told by producers to encourage such a move, it made a fifth season all the more possible if the fans were invested. Like the dutiful CW employee she'd done it but the thought of being that close to Joseph again was causing all of the residual feelings she had for her former co-star to resurface and she wasn't quite sure how to handle a possible reunion.

February - 2011 - Atlanta, GA

"Did the new guy smirk at you?" Candice asked Kat earnestly. They were in wardrobe after lunch break and she couldn't stop thinking about the way Joseph had been looking at her while they spoke. They'd just met so she thought it was strange not to mention a little rude. Just because he had a gorgeous accent and lips the colour of deep crimson didn't give him the right to think he was God's greatest gift.

"I think he has a name, Candice." Kat mumbled from the corner where she was changing her top behind the makeshift screen.

"That's not the point."

"What do you mean smirk? He's always been perfectly polite and professional with me. What did he say anyway?"

"Wished me good afternoon and then I asked him how he's finding everything on set given he's just come onboard." They'd been shooting for the better part of the morning and the hungry hordes had made their way to the craft services table absolutely famished. Her eyes were firmly focused on the sushi, Candice was pretty certain she could have finished the entire plate on her own.

"Sounds pretty inoffensive, maybe that's just the way he smiles at people, did you ever think that?" Kat asked, finally emerging from changing her clothes for the next scene and looking at her curiously,

"You didn't see it, Kat," she sighed. "It was almost like..."

"He was trying not to laugh?"

"Excuse me?" Kat let out a giggle, moving closer and wiping her face with a tissue she'd swiped from the nearby table. "What are you doing?"

"You, uh have some rice on your cheek, Candice," she smiled, knowingly.

"What?" She asked and rubbing her face, slightly mortified.

"Seems like someone was trying to hide that fact and obviously it took the form of a smirk." Candice went from completely embarrassed to annoyed in seconds. How dare he do that?

"The least he could have done was tell me rather than embarrass me like that in front of the cast and crew," she muttered.

"You just met the guy, he probably thought it wasn't polite to call you out about food on your face. It doesn't make for the easiest first conversation."

"Yet instead he was secretly laughing at me," she growled. "You know, I'm just happy that we don't have any scenes together because I'm not sure I could stand that smirk and those dimples from such a close proximity."

"Sounds like someone was paying an awful lot of attention to someone's dimples," she grinned. Candice didn't respond just busied herself with her clothing for the next scene.

From then Candice made it her mission to steer clear of the new guy, until it became almost impossible to avoid him. That's what you got for being on a hit TV show and having to do publicity together. And there was no bigger publicity opportunity than the annual Comic Con in San Diego.

July 2011 - San Diego, CA

It was his first Comic Con and for Joseph it was completely overwhelming. Given he was pretty much the most evil hybrid to hit the Vampire Diaries in its entire run so far, he wasn't expecting such a frenzied reception. Turns out a lot of the girls there seemed to have a thing for the bad guy. Not that he was complaining.

He looked across at Candice at the signing table, her golden waves cascading down her back and wrapped in a fitted blue dress, thinking just how much the colour brought out her expressive eyes and creamy skin. Ever since their first meeting all those months ago they'd barely had any interaction, mainly because they didn't share any scenes. Joseph had to admit he was a little disappointed by that fact. It seemed like she had this amazing chemistry with everyone who she interacted with on screen and he'd be lying if he wasn't jealous.

After the craziness of 5000 screaming fans at the panel earlier in the day it was time for the after party. Given they were all staying in the same hotel it seemed normal that they made their way together however for some reason it was just him and her crossing the street and surrounded by screaming photographers. Joseph was trying not to stare at just how her strapless, aqua dress showed off those creamy legs as she walked brusquely to avoid the cameras. If there was one thing he knew about Candice it was just how shy she could be around the press. For Joseph that was just another reason to admire her given so many actors were the complete opposite.

One of the photographers got too close, knocking her slightly and Joseph reached forward without thinking, his instinct to protect her taking over. His hand grazed her lower back and Joseph could swear he felt her shiver slightly. "Are you okay, love?"

"Um, yeah, thanks," she mumbled, her gaze cast downwards. "It's uh just a little cold." The one thing Joseph knew without a doubt was that 90 degrees on a Summer night in San Diego wasn't in the least bit cold.

"If I had a jacket I'd give it to you," he promised, steering her towards their destination. Maybe it wasn't the best look given the press would misconstrue anything but right now he didn't give a damn, it felt far too good having his hand on her back.

"Nice to see chivalry isn't completely dead," she smirked, he couldn't miss the sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Joseph murmured, trying to avoid the inquisitive stares of the reporters loitering close by. "You realise I'm a complete gentleman, right?"

"A gentleman who doesn't tell a girl she has rice stuck to her cheek?"

"I didn't want to be rude," he insisted.

"Trust me Morgan, a girl needs to know these things even if she barely knows you."

"Noted, Accola," he grinned.

"Um, we're here," she said, gesturing towards the hotel where the party was being held. "You can let go of me now." Joseph immediately but albeit reluctantly lifted his hand from her lower back. She gave him a thankful smile and breezed into the party like the professional actress she was. He'd be lying if he couldn't still feel the residual heat on his palm from the close contact.

October 2011 - Atlanta, GA

"Social media is going to go nuts," Candice murmured, laying herself out on the bed. "You know if it's anything like the response from you putting your hand on my back at Comic Con in July."

"I was only trying to protect you," he replied, flashing her one of his winning smiles.

They were currently at the Forbes house ready to film their very first scene together. Candice would be lying if it wasn't a big moment for her. She'd always been able to hide her attraction for him because they didn't share any scenes, well until now that was. Now she had to be in close proximity and in a bed of all things. She wasn't quite sure what the writers were getting at given she'd been so hot and heavy with Michael's character Tyler lately.

"Funnily enough I didn't need protection and we both know that," she smirked. "I really should have known Klaus would order Tyler to bite me only to ride in on his horse and save the day."

"I think you've misjudged Klaus, he really can be a nice guy," he offered, winking in her direction. "Speaking of which, I better go wrangle my horse in anticipation."

Candice would be lying if she didn't think he was cute. She'd been so quick to write him off as one of your typical, egotistical actors she came across daily (not naming any names of course) but he had this adorable wit that she couldn't quite resist. Ever since he'd placed his hand on her back in July she'd been a little distracted by those lips and those damn dimples too.

Candice was an actor first and foremost and the scene played out exactly as planned but she couldn't deny just how good it felt to have his body pressed up against hers in bed as she pretended to drink from his wrist. His chest seemed so much more toned than she'd imagined and the smell of his spicy aftershave was definitely causing a few foreign feelings to take over. It was all done in one take, unheard of but Candice knew their underlying chemistry had definitely played its part in creating such a perfect scene.

"Don't worry I'm not counting," he smiled rising from the bed, as the crew moved away in preparedness for the next scene.

"I'm sorry?"

"You know the number of times I've saved you."

"Oh p-uh-lease," she groaned, rolling her eyes as she did. Candice was finding it more and more difficult not to act on her burgeoning feelings for him and she secretly hoped they got more time to spend with each other on set as an excuse.

March 2012 - Atlanta, GA

Joseph found himself missing home for the first time in a while. Although he'd been working in the States for close to a year now it didn't stop him wanting all of the familiarities from home. He'd spoken to his mother and thoughts of her amazing cooking had infiltrated his brain which he carried with him onto set.

This was the day he saved Caroline from Alaric's clutches at the high school and Joseph was excited about reminding her just how many times he'd saved her now. He could just imagine the cute, exasperated look she got when she was attempting to argue back. Social media had erupted as Candice had predicted after their first scene together and fans were delirious about their onscreen and offscreen characters giving into their feelings. Joseph would have laughed if it wasn't so true.

The scene at the school went off without a hitch which was becoming the norm between them. Even Julie Plec had pulled him aside a few episodes ago and mentioned just how explosive the chemistry between them was. He wasn't going to argue given his ever growing feelings for his beautiful, blonde co-star.

"What's wrong?" She asked, approaching him at the lunch table.

"Excuse me?"

"You haven't boasted about the fact you saved me yet again," she drawled. "I know you were thinking it, Morgan."

"I was," he admitted. "But I'll admit, I was kind of distracted by a bad dose of homesickness." Joseph couldn't believe he was admitting it to her of all people.

"Missing the Queen and Prince Harry?"

"I'll assume that Prince Harry reference was just for you, Accola," he joked. "While her Majesty certainly holds a dear place in my heart I was thinking of my family, if you must know."

"It must be difficult to be this far from home." She murmured. "I may come from Houston but at least the flight doesn't take that long."

"And without the jet lag," he joked. "I guess I just miss my family and the food."

"I was actually thinking of having a dinner party to celebrate the wrap of season three next week. I can't promise you England but hopefully a pretty good time at least?" Joseph couldn't have declined if he tried. He knew this was her way of trying to welcome him and it was something he'd been craving for a while.

What Joseph wasn't expecting was the array of English delicacies on her dining room table that night and as he helped himself greedily to the Beef Wellington, he couldn't help but send her a smile of gratitude. The fact she'd thought of him was only making him want her more.

"Don't ever let my mother taste this," he said pointing to the Yorkshire pudding on his plate.

"Why" She squeaked, self consciously.

"She might not like the competition," he shared. "I can't believe you did all of this."

"I know better than anyone else how difficult homesickness can be, Joseph." His heart almost stopped beating as she uttered his name for the first time since they'd met. "But I couldn't imagine having my family that far away so it was really the least I could do."

"Well, thank you, love," he smiled. The fans seemed to think that was a Klaus term but Joseph had been the one to suggest it to the writers. He was starting to realise he only wanted to use it on one person though, acting or in real life. "You have no idea what this means." He noticed her blush slightly as he said it. If Zach hadn't interrupted their conversation right then who knows what she might have replied?

September 2012 - Atlanta, GA

"Now, you both know what you're supposed to do this episode?"

"He's supposed to shamelessly chase me as usual?" Joseph sent her a sideways glance. Ever since her impromptu dinner in March, their relationship had elevated to an extremely flirty friendship. Not that he could recall when they'd ever really been friends. She delighted in teasing him but Joseph would be lying if he didn't delight in exactly the same thing.

"Last time I checked Caroline was the one who suggested a date?"

"Yeah to a movie where I can put at least three seats between us," she quipped.

"Glad to see you two know your lines," the director drawled. "How about we get this show on the road then?"

"Happy to buy you a drink later, you know tell you all about being the bad guy," he whispered in her ear. Candice was trying to ignore just how good it felt to have him tease her hair with his hot breath as he said it.

"Easy tiger," she joked using his own terminology, moving away to her starting point but it was difficult to ignore her shaking legs as she did.

After the director called cut for the day, Candice made her way towards the porch where the cast would relax between scenes. It was extremely peaceful overlooking the lake at the fictional Lockwood Mansion. The other actors were filming elsewhere and she found it quite relaxing sitting there and drinking in the Fall afternoon.

"A souvenir," he announced, placing it on the table and assuming his seat on the nearest rocking chair.

"You realise I could write a much better Miss Mystic Falls application? As much as I love Caroline, I don't think everything needs to rhyme."

"I don't doubt it," he murmured, his blue eyes closing in obvious exhaustion. "Although I'm pretty certain Candice would be just as equally enthusiastic about the task at hand, you know just saying."

"Hey," she growled, slapping him awake. "We can't all come from the birthplace of William Shakespeare."

"I wasn't judging, love."

"Yeah sure," she muttered. Suddenly she found some extra courage and kept speaking. "So, apparently you promised me a drink." He was immediately awake, leaning forward in his seat.

"Well, of course. It's the least I owe you after having to put up with me all day."

"Not sure your thousands of twitter followers would agree, they seem extremely excited about you sharing so many scenes with 'you know who'."

"I didn't realise you followed me on twitter, love?"

"Call it professional courtesy," she shot back, her blue eyes blazing.

"It's okay, I've been following you since the beginning for exactly the same reason,' he admitted. "Dana?" Her face broke into a gorgeous smile and Joseph was extremely excited to be able to have even one drink with this beauty.

One drink had led to more at the local whiskey bar in Covington. She was trying to ignore just how gorgeous his stubble looked as they talked across the bar and felt herself slowly losing all her inhibitions. She remembered him brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before escorting her to her accommodation. Who knew he had such impeccable manners? Candice would have been lying if she wasn't disappointed it didn't go any further given the chemistry they'd generated on set earlier that day.

January 2013 - Atlanta, GA

"There's been two massacres. Pastor Young's farm is here, and the old Lockwood cellar, where you spitefully slaughtered 12 of your own hybrids, is here. According to the book, the expression triangle is equilateral, putting it here."

"Somebody's been skipping their geometry classes. There are actually two places where the third massacre could be." He drew the extra lines on the map as she watched him curiously.

"Well, you didn't let me finish." They held each other's gaze because the scene called for it but Joseph knew it was the built up tension between the two co-stars who couldn't resist each other any longer. He could sense it in her eyes, her demeanour and the fact that her breathing had quickened slightly.

He couldn't wait until they called cut and he subtely called her to his trailer with his eyes. They'd missed each other over the holidays and he couldn't wait to embrace her after too much time apart. Joseph couldn't quite recall whose clothes came off first but before he knew it the beautiful blonde was straddling him naked and he was sucking on her nipples hungrily.

She was moaning now as he raked his hands through her waves maintaining his pressure on her nipple while finding his way to her quivering centre. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, so too Candice. He looked into her eyes asking permission, he didn't want to do anything unwanted but her blue eyes were begging him to continue and before Joseph knew it she was laying on the couch as he writhed above her uncontrollably. Their intermingling cries as she rode him until climax.

Joseph held her for a long time afterwards, he wasn't one to get attached but he couldn't let go of her soft skin if he tried. The feeling of her beating heart against his was enough for him to realise she was it. His hand found its way through her hair as he placed butterfly kisses on her jaw and onto her collarbone.

"I'm usually more of a gentleman, I promise," he mumbled against her bare skin.

"I'd usually reprimand you but for once I'm not entirely annoyed by your behaviour," she moaned, running her hands through his curls. "As long as this stays just between us."

[thecatsbian]

how do you make your manips? like how did u learn to create them? such talent, my dude

hi! i make my manips using Photoshop CS6 (other versions are good too or you can try GIMP which is open source) as for how i learned how to make them it’s a bit of a trial and error i’d say...i’m still learning tbh... i just watched some tutorials and played around in Ps... a lot. 

making manips in my experience is 50% about looking for resources, 30% actually making the thing, 10% frustration, 10% luck... i really think that once you get the right images (which means right angle of the face/body) fitting everything comes easily...add in a ton of adjustment layers, some fancy effects (i use the topaz labs plugin to blend everything in at the end usually) and you’re done... you have to be careful with making sure you got the shadows right too like that's one big thing imo to make sure it looks real...

idk if this helped...i’d offer to make a tutorial or a video of how i work but my process is so messy idk if it would help or confuse you even more :P 

feel free to msg me or leave me an ask if you want some more infos!