#(novel in progress written by yours truly :])

[dice-wizard]

Okay writers listen up

I'm gonna tell you about how I wrangled my shitbird brain into being a terrifying word-churning engine and have written over 170K words in under a year.

I wanna be clear that before unlocking this Secret Technique I was a victim of my unmedicated ADHD, able to start but never finish, able to ideate but not commit and I truly and firmly believed that I'd never write a novel and such a thing was simply outside of my reach.

Now I write (and read!!) every day. Every. Single. Day. Like some kind of scriptorial One Punch Man.

Step the First

Remove friction between yourself and writing.

I personally figured out how to comfortably write on my phone which meant I didn't have to struggle with the insurmountable task of opening my laptop.

I don't care if this means you write in a Discord server you set up for yourself, but fucking do it. Literally whatever makes you write!

(if you do write somewhere that isn't a word processor PLEASE back your work up regularly!)

Step the Second

Make that shit a habit. Write every day.

For me, I allow myself the grace that ANY progress on writing counts. One sentence? Legal. Five thousand furious hyperfixated words? Also legal.

Every day, make progress. Any progress.

I deleted Twitter from my phone and did my best to replace doomscrolling with writing. If I caught myself idly scrolling I'd close whatever I was looking at and open my draft and write one (1) sentence until I made THAT a habit, too.

Step Two-point-Five

DO NOT REWRITE. If you are creating a first draft, don't back up or restart. Continous forward motion. Second drafts and editors exist. Firsts are for ripping the fucking thing out of your brain.

If you're working on revisions after an editor or beta readers or whoever has given you feedback, then you can rewrite that's OK (and it counts as your writing for the day!)

Step the Third

Now that you've found a comfortable way to write and are doing it every day, don't stop. Keep doing it. Remember, just one sentence is all you need. You can always do more, but if one lousy sentence is all you can manage then you're still successfully writing.

Remember: this is what worked for me. Try things until you find what works for you.

You can do it. I believe in you.

[acerathia]

Fics For Gaza

hello!! I finally got some time to participate in the initiative made by @ficsforgaza ! Down below are some WIP's which I have planned in some capacity to write during the summer/until the end of the year. I will also be accepting some requests for a limited amount of time, and for this one, please shoot me a message first beforehand.

How it works: The rate is set at 1$ per 100 words. The donation should go directly to a verified fundraiser and just send me the confirmation (personal information should be removed/censored) as proof with the link to the fundraiser and the fic sponsored as an ask. The wordcount (donated and writing status) will be updated regularly under the WIP's. As for the requests, send me an ask/dm first to discuss the content of it! For both I will try to be consistent and on time, but as there will be times where day to day life will get the best of me, but I will update accordingly also. Of course, consider looking at the list of other writers working on this initiative!!

current WIP's:

~your sweet return: gojo satoru synopsis: You love the forest, it was the place where you escape from everything haunting you. So, what could even happen if you discover a fairy circle, one oh so daunting, and you begin to hold a conversation with your invisible companion?

estimated wordcount: 8k written: 0.7k donated: 0.5k/3k progress: 0.5k/0.5k

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~eclipse: xiao synopsis: The souls filled with karma find relief under the touch of your skin. Yet, you've never tried to cleanse anyone, not since you've gained your freedom. Until the one you're indebted to asks you to help a certain Adeptus. And who are you to refuse?

estimated wordcount: 3k written: 0.5k donated: 0/1.5k progress: 0/0

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~Surviving the Tyrant: todoroki touya synopsis: Waking up in your favourite novel would be such a fantastic experience. That's what you thought until you actually woke up in one and found yourself engaged to the tyrannical prince Todoroki Touya. Your death was to be by his hands, and you are going to do anything to avoid such a fate.

estimated wordcount: 10k written: 0 donated: 0/4k progress: 0/0

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~The Lament of Erebus: Midoriya-centric synopsis: They appeared in the dead of night, ripping people out of their homes and lives, only leaving scattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There was nothing else left of the missing people. OR Midoriya Izuku is quirkless, despite his protests, despite the feeling churning in his insides. It seems like fate has a cruel way to show its affection, as this lead to a social death sentence. And he has lived like that all his life. That is until society began to shift, creatures of the night swallowing people residing in the dark. The question is, what is the connection between them and Izuku?

estimated wordcount: ? written: 6.2k donated: 0/2k progress: 0/0

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~Back against the Wall: Meta-Analysis for ORV using the reader-insert synopsis: What kind of effect might you (you and you and you) have on the way the plot unfolds? Can your voice (overlapping, echoing, not truly yours, but it is) be heard in the scheme of grander things?

estimated wordcount: ? written: 4.3k donated: 0/2k progess: 0/0

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requests:

Once again, before anything, contact me to make sure that I'm able to write the possible request. The rate is the same, and I'm going to tell you how long the request might be based on my own estimations. Please be aware that these requests are limited, both time-wise and quantity-wise, and that I might refuse any request based on my own abilities and comfort.

what fandoms: MHA, HSR, Genshin, Naruto, Touchstarved, Obscura, JJK, Love and Deepspace, ORV, AoT, and some others, feel free to ask! I am also okay with certain continuations of some of my work to be requested

[thelordofgifs]

Friday Fic Recs: Long WIP edition

I’ve been thinking a little bit about the (very arduous) process of writing longfic, and how much of a difference support and cheerleading can make on that particular journey; so, although it’s been a while since I’ve made a Friday rec list, I thought I’d put one together celebrating all the incredible in-progress longfics in the Tolkien fandom I’m keeping up with at the moment!

Atandil series by @eilinelsghost. Such a gorgeous graceful moving exploration of Finrod and his relationship with Men, and the slowest and most sensual of slow burns in his romance with Bëor. The amount this series has made me THINK – about love, and hope, and memory, and Taliska grammar – is off the charts, and to top it off it’s written in the loveliest most Tolkienesque prose.

we will make this place our home by @leucisticpuffin. Ohh this AU is just like a warm gentle hug after a long day. The “kidnap fam but make it a classic children’s novel” concept is so so inspired, all the characterisations are so nuanced and moving (Maglor my beloved!!) and the OCs will steal your heart.

And Love Grew by @polutrope. On the other end of the kidnap fam spectrum, this complex and careful examination of the time after the Third Kinslaying is SO brilliant. Incredible characterisations of all the key players, some truly fascinating OCs (Dornil!!) and of course beautiful graceful prose.

tongues of the sky series by @welcomingdisaster. The first fic in this series, seabird, was written for me and I can be SO obnoxious about this :) but also it’s a wonderful moving ultimately hopeful fix-it AU with note-perfect russingon and m&m dynamics. The sequel, sparrowhawk, is currently in progress and soooo good.

ashes, ashes, dust to dust — the devil’s after both of us by @that-angry-noldo. This is SUCH an original and fascinating take on an AU where Maedhros and Maglor take Finarfin captive to bargain for the Silmarils, featuring incredible character dynamics and a terrifyingly eldritch Eönwë.

and all his towers cast down by @actual-bill-potts. What if Finrod survived the events of the Leithian? Well, angst and trauma, to start off with. And also beautiful beautiful writing, impeccable characterisation and a Maglor-Lúthien teamup!! I adore this AU.

All That Glitters Gold Rush AU series by @allthatglittersisnotgoldrush. This one is LONG LONG LONG, but also SO worth it. Ever wanted to see the entire Silmarillion retold as a western, complete with a terribly tragic and complicated Maedhros, Morgoth the terrifying slave-owner, and a beautifully multicultural Doriath? The authors have you covered.

And the Stars Shine the Same series by @runawaymun. OC-centric fic is such a rare delight and this series set in early Third Age Rivendell is just wonderful, tender and complicated and with a truly incredible Elrond.

Retelling the Hobbit comic by @retellingthehobbit. Something a little different, but I binged all of this comic retelling of The Hobbit on a plane recently and GOD it’s so so beautiful. A truly gorgeous art style, and slowly converting me from a Bilbo/Thorin sceptic into an enjoyer!

In Heart by @tanoraqui. An AU where Fëanor takes the Doom of the Noldor as a what-not-to-do manual and ends up making better choices! Featuring incredible worldbuilding and fantastic characterisation.

Please add on the longfics you love in the reblogs! Let’s get some love going for these difficult beasts!

(Couple of incest recs under the cut.)

naught green upon the oak series by @welcomingdisaster. A CoH-inspired Maedhros/Maglor AU in which Maglor winds up with amnesia after his encounter with Glaurung. I’m SO insane about this series that I can’t be coherent but it is fantastic and chilling and devastating with the most beautiful prose aahhh.

Strange Currencies by @jouissants. Maedhros is re-embodied at last only to learn that he is married to Maglor: a touching and painful post-canon fic interleaved with incredible flashbacks to the First Age.

[silvernightabyss]

“Who says the protagonist's life has to be happy?” - Prologue

Yandere Elf Hero x Reader

What author's manual says the protagonist is the happiest human or non-human in the world? That's ridiculous. It must be the most miserable creature who suffers all the time. However, if you doubt my unquestionably true statement, you can read the text below. Of course, that's just the beginning. But hey, everything has a beginning. And that includes you, little human creature. In the free giveaway for the isekai, please go here.

предупреждения/теги: упоминания об изнасиловании (не читатель), gn!Reader

Количество слов: 1,6 тыс.

Prologue/Chapter 1

“Who says the protagonist's life has to be happy?” That's the title of a series of novels you've been reading for the past two weeks. True to the title, the protagonist's life was anything but happy. It was dark romantic fantasy with detailed descriptions of rape, blood and guts. So vilely written you'd never dare read it yourself. Unfortunately, your best friend could make the most pitiful puppy dog eyes, and you had no choice but to keep reading. In fact, you were ready to swear to god that the author was not all right in the head. You had to be able to mock your own creation like that.

Evan, the protagonist name, was taken from his parents as a baby and raised by the church, because of a prophecy that said that only he could defeat the Demon King. Since childhood, he was subjected to grueling training, tirelessly developing his magic. Often his teachers brought him to such exhaustion that he passed out on the training ground. He had no close friends, as there were no other children in the temple, and the adult priests kept telling him that the only goal in his life was to kill the Demon King. As you can imagine, it wasn't exactly conducive to forming close bonds.

And so he grew up in the capital's temple, but fate author was truly a cruel thing. From the moment Evan turned fourteen, the head priest began giving him inappropriate signs of attention; overly long touches, lustful smiles, adjusting his clothes even when it wasn't necessary. Your heart burned with the blazing fire of righteous anger as you read these scenes. Often while reading, you would stop and start hitting your pillow, imagining the priest in it place. The worst thing happened the day Evan turned sixteen. That scum in the robe molested the poor half-elf. You screamed and swore with every profanity you knew, but Evan was there and not real, and you were here and could not affect anything. After that scene, you left the book dusting on your bedside table for days. It was too hard, but the desire to know what would happen to Evan next eventually overcame you. With all your heart, you wanted to believe that after all the misfortunes, the main hero would find his happy ending.

And oh boy, there was a little hint of that at the end of the first volume. Evan, began to develop a relationship with the princess. She seemed kind and sweet, genuinely caring for the hapless half-elf. So it was with great anticipation in your heart that you bought the second volume and spent all your free weekends reading it. Their relationship developed slowly but so tasty. You wanted to believe in the feelings that blossomed between them. You were on a tear the moment Evan told the princess about what the head priest was doing to him. She was so understanding and immediately began to devise a plan to break the half elf out of the church's grip. Things were heating up as the story progressed, but it was obvious that a good ending was at hand. Just grab it by the hand.

Evan got his freedom, and all that was left was to kill the Demon King. The battle was hard fought and thrillingly written. With difficulty and loss, the Demon King was killed. It would seem that this is it, but… Loud thunderclap. Evan dies from wounds received in the battle. As soon as you read those lines, you threw the book at the wall with all your might. And what was the character development, the slow carbing out of bad circumstances into good ones. The series taught you not to give up. And what happens in the end! Evan dies without ever marrying the princess or finding his happy ending. That's bullshit. You spent hours that day berating the author with a friend, wanting to vent your frustration.

Unsatisfied with this ending, you went on the internet to look for fanfics. You wanted to read some fluff about the half-elf you were so attached to. Was it any wonder that the most popular pairing was Demon King/Evan? No. Fanfics certainly helped a little from your heartbreak, but the ending of the original novel remained the same. The story hit your heart hard. Its unfair ending, and there was no other way to call it that, made you want to find out the author's home address and visit them late at night. You were sure you could be persuasive enough for the author to rewrite the ending. Unfortunately, your common sense still existed and influenced you. The idea had to be abandoned with a heavy heart.

After engaging in a couple of tumblr and reddit wars about Evan's character and devouring all the content on the series in a matter of weeks, a feeling of emptiness came into your life. The greedy phase of absorbing all available information has ended for lack of it. It wasn't the first time you'd dived headfirst into fandom, but it was the first time coming out was so painful. Every day you desperately refreshed your newsfeed, hoping for another piece of content, but it was in short supply.

Gradually you began to let go, the difficulties of everyday life didn't leave you much time for social media, and the next fandom you entered made you completely forget about your recent favorite blorbo. Only your favorite art with Evan on the lock screen evoked a slight nostalgic feeling mixed with a rush of fondness. Six months later and it was replaced.

But one fine or terrible day. You will be able to decide which one it was only at the end of the story. Don't jump to conclusions halfway through.

So on Friday, nothing was going to go wrong. Just a normal day, filling you with anticipation for the weekend. Perhaps you had a few drinks with friends and on your way home you decided to cross the road in the wrong way.

Now, you're probably expecting me to write that you got hit by a truck and were reborn or isekai'd. But no, you weren't!

You quietly found yourself on the other side of the street in front of your house, and you didn't have to walk a whole street to the crosswalk.

Wonderful. Is there a crazy maniac waiting for you in the elevator? No. Shame. Well, let me continue with a retelling of the events that will draw you into the biggest adventure of your life.

Tiredly, you entered your apartment and began to look for your slippers. Why you did it in total darkness, instead of just turning on the light in the corridor, God only knew. Finally, having coped with the difficult task and having taken off your outer clothes, you went to the kitchen for a drink of water. Divine cool liquid washed your parched throat and you stopped dying of thirst.

I'm proud to put a star sticker on your forehead. Taking care of yourself is important, don't forget that. Uh-oh. I got distracted. Where's my script?

The night sky was beautiful, thick and dark, like a can of ink accidentally swiped onto paper by someone's clumsy hand. The stars illuminated the earth with small lanterns, watching from the heavens for the only two intelligent beings in the world. They were very interested in what the young god and the angel were doing.

Irin, with infinite adoration in his eyes, approached you timidly holding out the handmade cupcake. Soft wings more airy than the clouds themselves fluttered behind his back. Could he really afford to hope that a god as perfect as you would accept his gift?

Ugh. Ugh. Wrong story, forget it. It's not even finished yet, don't be fooled.

Your head began to ache, the pressure pressing on your temples, and you headed for the bedroom with a spinning head. For some reason, the bookcase, or rather the Evan series of books, caught your eye. With a sudden glare, you pulled out one of the book and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall.

I know the bed is for wimps. I do it a lot myself, but it's so much nicer to cry on the floor. It's cold and it sets the mood. I'm sorry. I've been distracted a lot. I promise you won't read about me again until the end.

Your fingers gently stroked Evan's face on the cover. It showed him very happy with a bright smile on his face and flowers in his hands. Unfair. Terribly unfair that such a good main character ended so tragically. Tears rolled down your cheeks in large drops coming off your chin. One of them fell directly onto Evan's face, and you hastily wiped it away with your thumb. How you wished you had the chance to change his fate. To save him from an ignominious death when he was so close to his true freedom and happiness. You clutched the book tightly to your chest. The minutes spent in grief went by unnoticed and passed smoothly into sleep. It was the last night you spent in your world. You woke up in a completely unfamiliar environment, you had no idea where you were. But that's a story for another chapter.

And that's how you isekai'd in the novel, “Who says the protagonist's life has to be happy?” As its author, I wish you strong nerves, don't go gray before your time!

P.S. You're on your own from here. I'm on vacation in Hawaii. Be gentle with Evan, because I'm the only one who has the right to make fun of him. Kiss.

The world's evilest kindest author.

Reblogs, comments, are always greatly appreciated! ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ

[hyuuukais]

.・゜-: ✧ :- FICTIONAL REALITY .・゜-: ✧ :-

pairing • bang chan x fem reader

synopsis • fiction or reality? y/n preferred the former, escaping into another world, escaping her problems. so what happens when reality takes that away from her; wiping her own story-in-progress off both her laptop and beloved usb? and what happens when she opens the door in the middle of a crisis to none other then the love interest of her novel... and he's holding her usb?

warnings • general, y/n is lowkey scared of storms

MASTERLIST | NEXT

CHAPTER ONE • REALITY CHECK (1.4K)

Living in a small town meant knowing everyone, and everyone being known for something. For Mrs. Yang down the street, it was her sassy attitude at the ripe age of 85 made you forget she wasn't a young lady anymore (her words). Or the Hans on the other side of town, always having something going on in that little house of theirs. At this point, they were considered daily entertainment for their neighbours or whoever else they ran into that day.

For Y/N, it was being a bit of a recluse.

Holed up for days on end doing God knows what, only leaving to go to work at the little bookshop on Main Street. People wondered what you got up to in your big house, much too big for just one person. Did you ever get lonely? Did it ever feel like too much? How in the world did someone so young manage to buy such a property?

Having lived in the town for just over a year, and working at the bookstore for a few months less, one would think you'd have made at least one friend.

Wrong.

Of course, you had regulars you'd chat with, or people around town to share a casual conversation, but no one to really hang out with. You didn't mind. All it meant was more free time to work on your novel.

Tonight, in particular, you didn't mind. Outside was dark, rain pouring and hitting your windows harshly. Thunder booms, and lightning blows up the sky. It was a wonder anyone still had power. Tornadoes weren't common to this town, but it was still a worry for you, occasionally glancing uneasily out of the window directly behind your desk.

Hunched over your laptop and typing furiously, you only flinch slightly at the next thunderclap, too invested in your own writing to pay attention to the outside world. What was out there right now that you couldn't conjure up yourself?

(...maybe a social life).

It was getting late, and knowing that you'd have to succumb to sleep soon, you save the latest draft onto your trusty USB. Like yourself, the USB had been through some shit, any design originally on it wiped clean, leaving a plain, scuffed-up silver body. Dangling off of it was a small keychain with your address written on it, just in case.

As if the universe saw you click save deciding, alright, we're in the clear, the house went dark.

"Good timing," You mutter, swiveling your chair around and preparing to get up.

Shoving your feet into some plush faux-fur slippers, you turn around to grab a long-forgotten coffee cup, illuminating the desk with your phone's light.

"Wait-" You pause, hand outstretched. "Did my laptop die? Really?"

You groan, throwing your face into the palm of your hand. Last time you checked, the battery was nearly full, and you intended to keep it that way in case sleep escaped you. It was also just a weird coincidence; your laptop dying at the same time the power went out?

Just... pure coincidence, right?

Right.

The pounding against the house draws your attention away from the mystery, shrugging it off. Creaks sound as you walk down the long hallway, toward the master bedroom. Having an old house meant being unable to walk quietly; you knew this all too well.

Hand against the wall, you feel for the doorknob to the room. Despite owning the house, it never truly felt like yours, and you still struggled with the concept of having your own bedroom again after-

"Stop that," you scold herself. "Don't think about that right now. You've done so well today."

You sigh wearily, crossing the floor and flopping onto your bed, sinking slightly into the mattress. The lightning grew more frequent, and although you lay in the comfort of your blankets, warm and safe from the outside world, unease settles in your stomach. Eventually, you struggle to sleep, but only to be plagued by visions of the past.

•

You woke in a cold sweat. Your blankets were thrown off halfway to the floor, and you gripped a pillow so tight you didn't know how it was still intact.

A headache formed under your brow bone, eliciting a groan. Carefully, you stand, taking a deep breath before moving out of the bedroom. Your morning ritual was more or less the same every day; it started with tea, a book, and feeding the stray cat that lived in the forest nearby. However, today felt off, even more so when you look into the home office to see your laptop open to the login screen.

"Didn't you die last night?" You question the air, heart pounding in your ears as you approach the seemingly haunted laptop.

But there it was- battery fully charged.

"There's no way..." You log in, face going pale.

The screen was blank.

All your files gone.

Your novel gone.

"No, no, no, no!" You shout, hands raking through your hair. "This cannot be fucking happening!"

You click everything you can, but to no avail. Nothing worked. Tears brim at the corners of your eyes. This was the second time losing your work, barely making it through the first time. But back then, you were only halfway through. Now?

All you needed was your perfect ending.

Trying to keep calm, you remember- you always keep a backup on your USB. The one that's supposed to be in your laptop. The one that's missing when you look down.

"Are you joking?" You barely choke the words out.

Panic was starting to overtake you, arms numb, chest tight, fingers gripping the edge of your desk. Calm and collected was no longer an option; you needed to find that USB and you needed to find it now. Papers flew as you ripped your desk apart in a frantic search, drawers open, stationary everywhere.

A knock on your door, barely heard over your own heavy breathing, ripped you away from your thoughts. It was only now you could see your destruction. You can't help but laugh, picturing your future self groaning at you now for making her have to clean up this mess.

You jog downstairs, ready to tell whoever it is they caught you at a bad time, but when you open the door, you're rendered speechless. Why? Because standing in front of you is a man who looks exactly like the main love interest of your novel and-

What the fuck?

"Hey!" The man holds his hand up. "Sorry to bug, but I found this while cleaning up last night. I always see you with your laptop, so I figured it was pretty important to return asap."

He holds his palm out to you, and sitting in the center is your missing USB.

"How did you..." You grab it from him hesitantly, confusion written all over your face.

"I gotta get going to open, see you around?" With his final words, he smiles and waves goodbye, descending the front steps before you can reply.

Baffled, you shut the door, trying to process what just happened.

"How is that possible- that's literally not possible," you speak to yourself, voice barely above a whisper. "He's... no way? Nuh-uh. I have to be dreaming."

But you're not- after hours of your master plan to fall back asleep and wake up in the real world fails, you finally accept it. Somehow there's a man walking around town you've never noticed before who's exactly like the love interest you created (right down to the Australian accent!) and somehow he acquired your USB during the night and-

Wait.

"The USB!" You nearly shout, covering your mouth.

You rush into the other room where you're laptop sits in sleep mode. After clicking a few buttons, it turns back on, and you're quick to plug your usb in. Anticipation runs through your veins as the folder pops up.

"No," you breath, defeated, shoulders sagging. There's a document, but it's not your novel.

Although it's not what you're looking for, the document piques your interest. It's labeled "OPEN ME!" and you, being you, click on it. Yeah, it could have been a virus, or just something gross, but hey. After everything? How could you resist? The document loads, showing a mostly blank page save for one sentence in the middle;

"CALL HIM! XXX-XXX-XXXX."

And when you open your phone, he's already in your contacts.

"Cafe guy?"

•▪︎•▪︎•

notes • first chapter 🙊 i can't wait to write & share more of this story !!!!!!!! :)

taglist • @yongbbokkie

TAGLIST CLOSED

[ellehavenwood]

Transferring the Training Montage to Writing

I love the training montage scenes in movies and TV shows, all the clips stuck together with a great soundtrack? Yes please. But it can be hard to translate that into narrative form for stories, especially in the fantasy genre. Because we want to show all these training things yet how could we in an interesting way?

Well, remember that the purpose of training montages in movies is to do two things.

Convey the Passage of Time.

Show the Struggle and Overcoming of It by a Character.

The first is something that there’s lots of advice out there on how to do, so you can use that to convey how time passes between each major training section that shows the struggle and overcoming.

For the second part, it’s actually easier, I think, in some ways to show this because we can get into a character’s head in most cases. It’s just that for this purpose you need case studies while in a movie you’re looking at statistics. Yep, we saw them flop on that five times and get back up on the sixth. But in a book we need to see maybe three scenes of the full thing rather than glimpses of nine or so smaller incidences.

In particular, when thinking about fantasy writing and having either magic or magical beings/creatures, I think it’s a great time to really show case your characters learning more rules, subtly or overtly, and by extension your readers can feel like they’re truly experiencing the worldbuilding through the limitations and challenges that the characters have rather than it being told outright.

So, the basics (I use) for turning the training montage you visualize for your book’s TV show/movie into scenes for your book?

Choose a few key moments, gloss over the rest noted in the passage of time (or in memory mentions, etc.)

Make those moments struggles yet still progressions. Maybe they still win them all in some way but not everything is okay until perhaps that big battle. It could also be just they win each time but the toll it takes on them worsens until they have better strength to handle things. Who knows, this is entirely up to you.

Remember that it’s going to look longer because it’s all written out and you’ve been laboring over each scene for a lot longer than any reader is going to read it for.

So, in conclusion, in a novel, it’s not quite a training montage in the traditional sense we think about it, but it’s still pretty fun and cool to read (and write!).

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE. You can friend me on Goodreads here.

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

___

289. Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In my attempt to read more of my physical books, I have finally made my way to this book. I'm glad I have gotten back into this small town because this one was such a sweet read.

I love stories where one of the characters moves to a small town to, essentially, start over, especially after a bad breakup or big life event. Call me a hopeless romantic because that moment that the MC moves to the small town and immediately meets the love interest, I am HOOKED. There is, as a romance reader, very little else in the genre that makes me feel the way I do when we have the two characters meet (particularly in small town romances where one of the MCs is seen as an "outsider", but is still welcomed.)

Both MCs had some personal roadblocks to overcome. To be frank, the MMC had a bigger one because he is dealing with his grief and the idea of change in the form of the new town doctor. I did love, though, how she was the one to break through his walls and how surprised everyone was when she was the one he talked to.

I also love small town romances like this because of how kind everyone is to the new townie. They were all just so grateful and the whole vibe was cutesy and welcoming. Save for the heartbreaking climax between the two MCs, this whole book was like a warm cup of tea on a cool Autumn night. Their romance steadily grows, the sexual tension rises to a breaking point, and we get to learn more about their respective lives outside of their connection throughout the whole thing.

While there are definitely grief-heavy moments sprinkled throughout the book that will pull at the heartstrings, the imagery of the town, the welcoming atmosphere of Jenny Holiday's writing, and the two stubborn MCs who find love when they least expect it, PARADISE COVE was truly what the title states: a small bit of reading paradise hidden in a sea of romance novels. Books like this one always fall to the side, but I'm glad I finally picked it up! (And I DO have the third in the series on standby!)

___

290. Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a wild ride. If you love IT by Stephen King, but want a YA version then this is a must read for you!

I went into this completely blind and never knew what would happen next. There were so many twists and so many heartbreaking moments, but also that kind of horror in a small town that makes you want to make sure your doors are locked at night.

The story starts with the mysterious stranger who finds their way into this small town that gave me the creeps--especially when said town is essentially shunning a young character and is run by a creepy cop who wants the town to be "perfect". The way the story is told, braiding all of the eerie moments in with the seemingly more "normal" ones was done really well.

There is this underlying tension as the story progresses of a town that is truly hiding many secrets. The mysterious deaths and the haunting of the past and "lies" that fills the pages is what made me think of IT. There is something that is stalking the kids of the town and the way the story is written, full of red herrings and foreshadowing, helped create this atmosphere of terror that was building from the moment the MC drove into town. We also see the horrible side of racism and homophobia in a small town and that added to that already tense atmosphere of the story.

This book was just an unexpected ride and so perfect for the Halloween season. If you're a fan of IT, or scary stories about smalls towns full of uncomfortable vibes, then this might be your next read!

___

291. A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to love this one and at some points I did, but it didn't quite reach that standard I was expecting!

I had written a whole ass review and it got deleted. Sigh.

One of the issues I had with this book was that it was overhyped for me. I love going into books by authors I've never read completely blind because then it will set expectations way too high for me. And I fear that this happened with A LOVE LIKE THE SUN. I went in expecting something that would leave me feeling some sort of way about the romance, but it just left me feeling meh. It felt very surface level and anytime the story started to get deeper into the romance, it would crumble because of the MC's stubbornness.

And I get that the MC is dealing with the trauma of losing her father and of the love her parents shared, but I think that if she was afraid of having that kind of love, she would have also noticed how important communication is in a relationship. Her lack of communication with her love interest at the end of the book was what further pushed this book into a lower rating for me.

And while this book had a lot of things I would normally love in a romance--like the sexual tension, the spicy situations, the friendship turning into a lover situation, the fake dating, the obvious attraction that the love interest held for the MC, and the relationships between the MC and the people around her--I never fully connected. I don't know if it was the pacing or the frustrating MC, but something kept me back from fully connecting with the story.

I DID appreciate the callout on how Black women are treated by medical professionals, the success that the love interest finds in art as a Black man, the representation of working with textured hair since I've been trying to figure out my curls for the majority of my life, and the close connection between the MC and her mother. But these were all things that took a bit of a backseat to the frustrating MC's decision making.

I think this book could have been amazing (for me). Especially because all of the pieces were there, but it felt like they were put together just a bit off-kilter. I would have hoped that a friendship as old as the one the MC and the love interests had, they would have better communication, or a better sense of understanding. But it wasn't just that climactic moment that kind of ruined it for me. The whole thing was kind of underwhelming and unfortunately, I think this will be one of those books I won't really remember two years from now.

I can understand why so many people loved it, truly, but it just wasn't for me.

___

292. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this--it was so whimsical and fun.

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON is another one of those books that have been on my shelves for YEARS. I was surprised by it because it felt like a hidden gem on my shelves and I'm even more excited about reading more of my older books.

Allen's book was such a sweet and surprising read. It felt like the perfect kind of book for a late summer night of reading. I loved the small-town feel of it and the surprising level of magical realism. If it wasn't for the older characters experiencing their own moments, I would have almost called this YA. But I did really like the multi-generational storytelling. It felt weirdly cinematic?

I would have loved reading more books set in this small town, especially because there were so many potential stories to tell.

I think if you like stories with interesting and unique paranormal aspects, a bit of magic, a newcomer in a small town, and a second chance romance for two unlikely characters, then you'd like this one. It's not super long and holds a lot of charm. Perfect, like I said, for a warm night of reading!

___

293. The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been hearing such great things about THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US, so I went into this with a wary mindset, but came out thoroughly entertained.

First off, this is such a fun and unique (to me) storyline. The way it was presented was also great and made for an interesting experience the first time that big twist was introduced. It created this weird sense of urgency that had me craving the next page. It was also kind of creepy because it feeds into that fear so many of us have of technology and what the future of tech looks like.

The romance was sweet and surprisingly honest in the way it is portrayed (but then again, teenagers aren't as innocent as adults tend to think). I liked that someone who might relate to the relationship or the feelings it brings out in readers could relate and feel a sense of comfort in seeing these two teen boys fall in love and experience that love. I like that it was built out and developed well before the twists started coming. It acted as a nice base for their ever-growing relationship as they learned to trust each other and really work for their happiness and futures.

I wanted answers throughout the whole book and while we definitely got a chunk of them, I really want to read the sequel! The way the story left off felt like it could have been the end, but I think that sequel will add that extra touch that will make the story feel whole.

I highly recommend this if you're looking for a bit of an exciting read where something is always happening and you never really know what's coming next. I also recommend it if you were a fan of ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD. Similar vibes, but different survival genres.

___

294. Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I find the overall rating interesting but also not surprising. This was an underrated work of art and I took my sweet time with it.

PATRICIA WANTS TO CUDDLE is one of those books that feels like a slow cooker--you take your time with it while it's cooking, and then when it's ready to be devoured, Allen throws all of the flavours at you.

One of the best aspects of this book is the commentary on gender and how it is portrayed in media. We get the stereotypes of a reality tv show and the behind the scenes reality so we can see how easy it is to warp a narrative to fit what is expected for the audience. It was interesting seeing the different POVs of the girls because we get to see how they think of each other and what they think of the CATCH (the knockoff Bachelor contestant). It's always so fascinating to me to see how characters see each other, especially because it always makes it more realistic for me.

Also, we don't get any POVs from the male characters--which adds even more to the commentary on sexism that this book presents. But also, it makes it clearer that this is a girls' girl type of novel (especially with those twists). We see the men in this book constantly expecting certain things from women, or twisting narratives to fit them but make it seem like it's for a woman's benefit, yet the greatest irony is that none of them get a POV in the book.

I kind of wish I'd listened to the audiobook for this one because of the multimedia parts of the book. Those were a fun addition!

I was genuinely so entertained and I loved how gruesome and jarring it was. The ending was great and I'm so glad I finally picked up this awesome queer horror novel! I know it won't be for everyone, but I think those who are looking for horror novels with some great commentary on gender roles and the media's perception of women will really enjoy this one.

___

295. Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MONSTRILIO is one of those books that by the end you know you enjoyed it, but you're also questioning why. I knew it was going to be something unsettling from the very beginning when the grieving mother pulls out her deceased son's lung from his body. That whole scene set the mood and I didn't know what to expect moving forward.

At its core, this is a book about grief and the power of growing and moving forward with that grief. It was done in such a unique way that it might take a moment to realize the grief aspect, but it's weaved so well into the story that by the end, you might realize that Monstrilio is the embodiment of that grief. He is that walking, talking sense of loss that so many people wish didn't haunt them every day of their life.

The story was told from multiple perspectives in chunks of time. The last perspective was from M and it was so incredibly interesting to see how he viewed the world, especially knowing how he came to be and watching him grow into himself. It was also interesting to see how his parents viewed him after so many years and knowing the truth of his existence.

The conclusion felt like the perfect circle-closing moment. Everything came together into a powerful moment that I didn't know I was hoping for until it happened. I was not expecting to feel so many different emotions while reading this book. It was definitely a horror story, but it felt almost like the sweet side of horror (if we ignore all of the blood).

___

296. Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by M.J. Wassmer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ah, this book.

ZERO STARS, DO NOT RECOMMEND was a bit of a trip. It was giving my anxiety a lovely workout. I don't even know how many times I almost DNFed because of the MC's stupid decisions and actions. And I DO understand why he was the way he was, but man, he was all over the place.

One of the best things about this book that kept me reading was the writing. The story is told in third person, but the narrative voice was so sassy that it had me laughing every once in a while. And while the MC was making stupid choices, the narrative voice kept me hooked.

Almost all of the characters in this book need some sort of therapy, or were such assholes. A few people definitely deserved a punch or two. Although that ending made me feel a little sorry for some of them.

This was addicting and unique. The whole concept of it was interesting because I really had to suspend my disbelief to just enjoy the book and the plot line. I also really liked where the story was going because I am honestly all for survival books. This story felt like a human experiment of survival and what happens when one person is given too much power. It was just such an entertaining experience (even with the MC).

But with all of that being said, there was some great character growth and it was fun watching it happen. Once we get to the key reason of why the MC is the way he is, it made the story more enjoyable and I could empathize with him a lot more. Also, I loved his relationship with his girlfriend, even if at times he went a little macho.

Anyway, if you want a unique end of the world story set on a tropical island, then I think you might like this one! This is NOT a horror novel, but it is satirical and at oftentimes pretty funny.

___

Happy reading!

[chickycherrycola]

For the writer asks ❤️👻🦋🦈💕🎬💭

Seven questions in one answer post? Let's goooooo 😤🙌

From this Fanfic Writer Asks game

❤️: What is your favorite line that you've written in a fic?

I'd have to go with the following snippet from under your skin:

'He wants to be the heat emanating from her body, the hot water dripping down the planes of her abdomen. He wants to be the scars on her skin, the freckles on her face and the bruises on her legs and arms. He wants to dig his fingers so deep into her flesh that he can no longer tell where he ends and she begins. He wants to be under her skin and in her veins, the energy in her cells and the breath in her lungs.

The very life force that sustains her.'

Heheh 😜

👻: what is your wildest headcanon?

That Maka's mother was a witch. Not sure if it qualifies as 'wild' per se, but i think it's pretty damn compelling and it would explain her absence from the series and Maka's life. @victoriapyrrhi wrote an excellent fic exploring this and I cannot recommend it enough!

🦋: which character is your favorite to write?

SOUL EATER EVANS, WITHOUT A DOUBT 😭💕😩👌 I love writing a pining man. A hopelessly, disgustingly, horrendously down bad man in love (Exhibit A the snippet from the first question lmao). There's also just... a lot to unpack with his character in general. The manga kinda sidelined his character development after he became a Death Scythe imo, when there was still so much more that could have been explored - his inferiority complex, how exactly he copes with the legacy of his family/brother now that he's carving out a different legacy of his own, did he ever have any sort of relationship with his family while he was at the DWMA? How did he adjust to being Kid's weapon as well as Maka's? Where the heck does his 'loyalty to the point of suicidality' thing come from, and does it extend to Kid as well as Maka when he becomes a Death Scythe? I could write a million fics from his POV and I wouldn't tire of it.

🦈: which character is the toughest to write?

My original characters. OCs are definitely the toughest thing for me when navigating original fiction and I think this is my main obstacle that I need to overcome on the road from fanfic author to published novelist.

💕: what is your favorite fic you've written?

This answer might surprise folks cause a lot of you probably follow my work for my smut, but my fave fic that I've written is (no place like) home for the holidays. A lot of the story centered around Soul and his past and his family, so I had a lot of fun with those details (especially writing Wes, dear lord did I have fun writing Wes and crafting his whole character). I wrote Soul as transmasc for the first time as well, which is a headcanon that is important to me. I also think of this fic as a bit of a turning point in my writing journey - it originated as a series of loosely connected scene ideas that I somehow managed to weave together into a cohesive, novel-length narrative, and I definitely felt my writing skills 'level up' while working on it. When I go back and reread, this fic is where I definitely start to notice a consistent difference in my voice and writing style. I learned a lot while writing it!

🎬: if a movie or show were based off your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast?

King of My Heart, 1000%. And actually, I got this question from several of you, so I'm saving it for it's own post later this week. KOMH fancast in progress 👀😎

💭: what inspires you and your writing?

I find inspiration everywhere and sometimes I truly... don't understand how my brain works. Opening a pair of Bluetooth headphones once gave me a book idea. Entering the wrong information into a flight status tracker website once gave me a book idea. Just hearing certain phrases will give me fic and novel ideas! Ideas and inspiration can come from the most surprising places sometimes. Music, in particular, is very inspiring for me as well. I maintain individual character and fic playlists, and often, just listening to a new song and really paying attention to the lyrics will give me fic/story ideas.

Holy MOLY this post got long. If you read all of that, I'm genuinely impressed 🤣

Thanks for playing!

[mormonbooks]

The Bishop's Wife Review

4/5 Stars!

This book was nothing like how I expected it to be and everything I needed and wanted it to be. I expected the kind of novel you could recommend to your mom for a bit of light reading on a Sunday afternoon. The Bishop's Wife. She's a mormon woman who is doing her best to take care of her ward.

I was pleasantly surprised at the moderately progressive tone the book took within the first few chapters (asking questions about the sexism in the church, the fear of judgement 'imperfect' families face, etc) but I soon realized that it there was much more. This novel is a deep commentary on Mormonism, digging into the deep and unpleasant parts, and asking difficult questions that most members like to avoid. It does it all through the eyes of a faithful middle-aged woman, who knows what she believes and uses her faith to bring justice to her community, even when she has to struggle against the church institution and her own husband to do it.

In my opinion, it's a great work of mormon feminism, that allows our culture to shine through in all it's glory and with all it's flaws. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, genuinely. The mystery is engaging, the community is loveable, the plot twists are gut wrenching. Truly a work of art. I'm excited to read more of Harrison's work

Breakdown under the cut

1. Well written - 5 Stars

Yes. The prose is beautiful. The plot is engaging. The mystery is complex and the new information always threw me. It was gut wrenching at times. It was comforting at others.

2. Fun level - 5 stars

It's a slow-paced story, with many moments that skip weeks or months where not much happens. But I enjoy stories like that. It gave breaks between the page-turning mystery solving moments.

3. Complex faith - 5 Stars

This is probably my favorite part of this book. The villains and the heroes are all mormons, and they all approach their faith and their religion in different ways. Linda obviously has more progressive views, and is enraged by the misogyny of many of the men in this story. Those men are not shown to be anamolys per se but they're also not shown to be the norm. Many women in the story have opportunities to voice their questions and doubts but it never makes them any less mormon. People exist all over the scale of mormonism and it feels like the most honest portrayal of our culture that I've read so far.

4. Homophobia scale - 3.5 Stars

It's not a major plot point, but it's mentioned that Linda's son Samuel joined the GSA at his school and she is proud of him for that. She also suspects that her other son might be gay, and worries about how that will affect his relationship with his father. I imagine this will be explored further in the series. It's refreshing that Linda is pro-LGBT but it also seems to treat the church's heteronormative stance quite naively and I'd love to see Harrison really dig into that topic in the future.

5. Mormon weird - 4 stars

Realistic Fiction, but definitely uniquely mormon. The characters in this book could not be swapped out with "generic christians." some of the problematic and dangerous beliefs are uniquely mormon, but so are the beautiful and comforting ones. There is a lot of discussion of the plan of salvation, that I appreciated. I also liked Linda's realistic approach to faith, and her honest moments of doubting, or referring to things as "legends" and "myths." Things don't have to be doctrine to be important in our culture

6. Diversity of characters - 2 stars

I don't think race is ever touched on in the novel, and they all live in Utah and have typical european-american names, so it's easy to assume they are all white. And despite being essentially a work of mormon feminism, a very small percentage of the speaking cast are women.

7. Other problematic stuff - 4.5 stars

I deeply enjoyed the novel as a snapshot of a mormon town, however that does mean that, despite her progressiveness, Linda has a realistic understanding of gender, as a middle-aged mormon woman. She has some beliefs and attitudes toward men that I found frustrating, although understandable.

Conclusion:

I gave this book 5 stars on goodreads but that was before I did my breakdown. I wish it had been more diverse, but I think Harrison explores race in the church in future novels. We'll see.

I LOVE Linda Wallheim. I LOVE the way Harrison talks about Mormon communities and Mormon faith and Mormon culture. I love how much this book made me feel. This is decidedly GOOD mormon rep, with all the determined faith mixed with struggles against flawed systems and truly terrible people. like. I cannot express how much I hate the villains in this book.

I can't wait to see Linda's next adventure.

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Exploration, New Lands - Firebird

Let's continue with the rarepair of my heart! <3

To Eönwë, herald of Manwë, owner of my blackened, petrified heart and soul.

My sweet bird,

Please accept my apologies for the soot and the ashes staining my haphazard confession—I must burn this letter as soon as I’m done writing, as I have no way of getting it to you safely and I can’t let it fall into the hands of any who’d wish you harm.

Isn’t it funny that there should be no trustworthy messenger for an irreproachable herald such as you and no dutiful foot soldier willing to accomplish in my name the humble service I fulfil so unerringly every day? Don’t we deserve better?

Despite all that has happened lately, I still remember how fond you ever were of new, exciting sights and novel experiences, so I yearn to tell you about the paradise of exile.

No doubt, your Master speaks of flight and cowardice—exaggerating the squalor and misery in which he surmises we must be duly writhing—and you’ll flinch violently in a valiant effort to dissimulate the instinctive reaction of your generous essence.

Worry not, my dove, for Endórë is beautiful. Wild, churning, alive, it is blooming with potential and progress!

I know that you’ve always been frightened of anything boundless—be that the land or the extent of my affection for you—but you must believe me when I swear that I’m happy here.

There are warm springs like pools of precious tears, shed by an unseen power deep within the belly of this foreign land, and I often visit them and think of you.

Also, I have a favourite spot—high upon the jagged cliffs, overlooking the seemingly endlessly vast terrain—in which I like to sit, imagining you tumbling through the crisp, cool air in unbridled joy.

After an eternity of stale mediocrity within the golden cage of the Blessed Realm, I revel in the sharpness of this unconquered world which bends and bows to my will like nought I’ve ever known before except your pliable, sensuous flesh.

Of course, you’d probably scoff at the asseverations of a deserter and traitor, but, Eönwë, my love, I truly am convinced that you could love this savage realm of prospects and perils—it was made for you, and I sorely regret that you can’t be here with me.

It would be despicably wrong of me to now claim that I miss you, wouldn’t it?

Irrevocable and grievous choices have been made, and we both need to accept the consequences. Were those not your parting words?

You shan’t ever receive this missive, written in the blood of one who’s paid his morally dubious or even reprehensible freedom by sacrificing his true love, and so I don’t hesitate to confess that I have hope still.

Brighter than the flame within Arda, more enduring and endless than the Void, my faith expands to caress your soft face once more.

Maybe, one day, we shall be reunited again. Until then, I’ll see you in every starlit night sky and feel you in every stormy breeze.

I’ve lied, my sweet, righteous beloved, for my felicity shall never be anywhere near complete or satisfying in your absence.

Thus, I’ll work harder in the ruthless, selfish pursuit of my most intimate wish: getting you here, by any means necessary.

Link on Ao3

[mermaidsirennikita]

any recs with disabled heroines? Even with any scarring? I think I’ve read only a few both Lyndsay Sands and Cristina Dodd had a blind heroine (sands she’s not completely blind) and for scarring there Again the Magic (ult fav) and some Highlander book by Maya Banks. I was wondering if you knew anymore? We get varying heroes (though “plus sized” heroes are never written 😭) but never heroines.

You know what dude, this is a really good point. Why don't we see as many disabled heroines indeed. Lol I've never read a canonically bipolar heroine, fwiw.

(The answer is Bad.)

So, recs I have:

Charissa Weaks's excellent Witchwalker series, starting with The Witch Collector. There are several POVs and couples, but the MAIN MAIN heroine, Raina, does not speak with her voice. She was born that way, she speaks with sign language (the author, I believe, has a personal connection to sign at least) and it's a big part of the series, actually. I really like it, and one of the things that makes her have an initial connection with the hero, who she hates because of who he is, is that he can speak her specific sign language. So she knows someone she knows taught him.

The heroine of A Holly Jolly Ever After by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy has narcolepsy, which, among other things, has helped her parents have this kind of like... suppressive, really rough control over her. And the book is about her breaking out of that!

The Convenient Engagement by Emily K. Murdoch wasn't for me, but not because it was bad... The heroine in that book only has one hand. I believe she was born without the other.

The heroine of Lorraine Heath's The Outlaw and The Lady is blind. It's hugely plot important, actually. This book definitely has a very dated plot point, I will say, that I think was very well-intentioned for the time lmao but.... EEEEEEH. It's one of those books where I'm like, "Damn, this is well-written, but this one thing makes me not recommend it often". But otherwise it was very good.

Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt has Phoebe, who is blind. Truly an excellent book, and if you read Maiden Lane you see Phoebe several times before her own book, and you see her progressive vision loss until she's where she is in this novel.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert has a heroine who suffers from chronic pain. It's kept her from getting out there, until she's finally like "fuck it" and enlists her hot neighbor to help her.

The heroine of Kennedy Ryan's Reel has lupus, which I'm pretty sure she gets diagnosed with over the course of the book. It's pretty emotional, and I felt like it was handled well (as someone who doesn't have lupus, to be clear).

Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks (not the one you mentioned above lol, which is Never Seduce a Scot) has a scarred heroine. How she got her scar is very traumatic, so TWs all over for SA, but this was a really good hurt/comfort romance.

The Duke Redemption by Grace Callaway has a scarred heroine (it's a gender-flipped Beauty and the Beast book) but I'm not gonna lie... I get it... BUT HER SCAR DOESN'T SOUND THAT BAD LMAO

In terms of more chronic illness/federally recognized disability (in the US) content, the heroine of Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood has diabetes, which is plot important.

Neurodivergent heroines:

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner has two heroines, one with ADHD and one with (as we later find out) autism.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard is a historical romance with a heroine who has ADHD, I think...? But it's not recognized in the moment, obvi. I THINK. It might've been the hero. I know it's one of them. Now I'm self-doubting.

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy has a heroine with ADHD.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert has an autistic heroine and an autistic hero.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang has an autistic heroine.

Hyacinth by S.M. LaViolette has a neurodivergent heroine who I BELIEVE is meant to be read as having autism (this is a historical and a favorite of mine).

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese. A contemporary Much Ado About Nothing retelling with a heroine on the spectrum. (The hero might be too, actually.)

[longsightmyth]

what's a book or series that you genuinely love? I'm always seeing your commentary on "not so great" (bad) books (no hate, love ur commentary) but I'd love to know the ones you like best.

Ah tumblr search function you fail us yet again (inexplicable fondness).

"The ones I like best" is a very broad category that I will try to narrow down I guess?

My favorite book of all time remains The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin. The other books in the trilogy are still excellent (I have yet to read anything by NK Jemisin that is not excellent) but specifically the first book of the inheritance trilogy remains my favorite. Other standouts of hers include the short story The Effluent Engine and the second book of the Dreamblood series, The Shadowed Sun (though, again! I cannot stress enough that I'm not even sure NK Jemisin could write a bad book/story if she wanted to!)

I routinely recommend all of Alyssa Cole's romances: not only are they incredibly inclusive, the characters navigate believable conflicts based around their characterization and not simply Because Of The Plot. Her contemporary romances are some of the few contemporary romances I enjoy: it's not usually my genre, but anything Alyssa Cole writes I will read. Shoutout to her expansion into horror, she's also one of the few authors who will get me to read THAT genre. Standouts include Can't Escape Love (novella), A Duke by Default, and Let It Shine (also a novella). Another author who I cannot stress enough: just go read her entire backlog okay. She's got historical romances in a range of time periods. She's got contemporary romances. She's got horror, god help me.

The other author who can convince me to read horror is T Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon. Her fairytale retellings are A+ and always contain horror elements, and she is another author who has yet to write a dud for me. Standouts include Nettle & Bone (NETTLE AND BOOOOOOOOONE), The Raven and the Reindeer, and The Seventh Bride.

Tamora Pierce is sort of a no-brainer here for me. Her books are not always perfect by any means, but they are always progressive for the time they are written and she continues to improve and take feedback into account. Plus you probably owe the existence of your favorite stabby ya lady to her. Tortall owns my heart because I read it first but she has a lovely magic school series in a different world where friendship is literally magic and social commentary the norm.

The Dragonriders of Pern is not for everyone. Much of the sexual politics in the early novels are, as I have discussed elsewhere, outdated, but the books evolved as Anne McCaffrey's understanding did, and there are soulmate dragons and impeccably rendered closed time loops (multiples! Happening at the same time!) and a constant discussion and tension of evolving social norms and the needs of society: at what point does technology become Too Much? Does it at all? What happens when the people in charge stop giving a shit about their responsibilities? Seriously the impeachment plot in Dragonseye/red star rising is nearly prescient. Most of these conflicts originate early on but don't truly come to fruition until later, and please take my word for it and simply don't read the books written by her son. They are bad.

The Witchlands series by Susan Dennard! Tbh I think this series deserves more love than it gets. It's not perfect, it can improve, but that's the thing: it routinely does. Dennard puts time and care into her work from all sides and discusses openly her early and middle mistakes, from a technical level to a 'needing a sensitivity reader' level.

Sarah Rees Brennan! Y'all know I love Sarah Rees Brennan, right? You should. She likes to explore tropes and genre convention and snappy, snappy dialogue. I haven't reread The Lynburn Legacy yet this year, but that's an anomaly. In Other Lands is pretty widely acknowledged as superior portal fantasy, I think. Tell The Wind and Fire was constrained by the book it was retelling and I think suffered for it, but that just means it wasn't as good as I personally think it could have been, not that it wasn't good at all. The Demon's Lexicon trilogy is her first series and yes, okay, it shows a little, but have you ever thought to yourself, hey. What if Supernatural was actually, like. Good. And wanted to actually explore in a thoughtful manner morality and what it means to be a person and nature vs nurture and how complicated your relationships with parents can be. Because if so, go give The Demon's Lexicon a shot.

The Rivers of London! We will excuse magic cops this once because they are specifically *magic* cops and because Nightingale literally fought nazis and Peter is pretty critical of the met in general. These books almost make me like London, and as a bonus Peter is fully aware that King Arthur was Welsh (look this is important to me okay)

Lockwood & Co! I am on the final book now and really enjoying my feral child soldier ghosthunters. I want to give them all soup. I want to wrap them all in blankets. My inexplicable attraction to the actor playing Kipps in the show is irrelevant to book enjoyment but I am still flabbergasted, by all accounts it doesn't make sense.

The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold is space opera. I love it. I admittedly love the Cordelia and Ekaterin novels most, but that is a matter of my eternal love for ladies who are generally nice but willing to fuck shit up, they're all good.

Artemis Fowl! Criminal mastermind child WHO JUST NEEDS FRIENDS OH MY GOD. I cried at the end of the third book. It's fine! We're all fine! Colfer does an excellent job of portraying the fairies as having a culture different from ours with real reasons that they haven't taken over the world, and if you don't love Holly you're wrong.

I have more but I'll stop here for now I guess. Whoops.

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Please share your top 5 favourite female fictional characters.

Interesting question!

Despite the impression I may have given with this blog, I'm more of a story person than a character one. To me what matters is the story in its entirety but I'll give it a try.

(they aren't in any particular order)

Alex Russo

I always say Selena Gomez raised me with this character. Alex was such a fascinating female character. At the time, but still to this day honestly, it was such a rare thing to have a female character that was genuinely funny. It's like women aren't allowed to be the fun character for some reason. And she was so flawed but always learned from her mistakes. She was lazy, beautiful, flirty, good, and a bit vindictive. She was what usually only male characters are allowed to be: human.

Katniss Everdeen

I have to confess, for some reason, I've never read The Hunger Games books (but I plan to remedy that). But in middle school, I was completely obsessed with the movies. The angsty teen that I was loved Katniss to death, her stoicism, her strength. An absolute icon. Made me develop an obsession with braids. What I've always loved the most about her character is that she is truly a hero of the people. (something JKR was never quite able to do with Harry)

Ginny Weasley

Her majesty. Queen of my heart and soul. It's funny when I think about before I read the books, I couldn't stand Ginny in the movies, I was so confused by her. And look at me now. She is an icon. She is so unbelievably strong but in such a human way. Ridiculously stubborn and reckless. Profoundly compassionate but determined to put boundaries with people. The sweetest and yet the harshest. She is hilarious and wise. An immensely progressive feminist character when you think about when she was written and that she is the love interest of the main character (and frankly I'm not sure how that happened). A character that has still a lot to say to this day. And also breaks that idiotic pattern of the hero ending up with the helper. Ginny is truly a character who deserves her own saga. But probably what I like most about her, as weird as it may sound, is that she is written with such coherence (that considering who wrote her it's not that obvious). Everything falls into place. Every action, everything she says makes sense, every change is justified, and she has proper arcs of narration. Small details from early books get unveiled as main aspects of her. She is like a well-built mystery novel.

Amy March

I do love strong women who are a bit messy. Amy goes from being a stubborn egocentric (but in such an endearing way if you ask me) young girl to a strong compassionate mindful woman. She is ready to put her family before herself, she is wise, and she is conscious of who she is and the society she lives in. There's this silent strength to her but also an ability to truly enjoy life to its fullest I believe that it's really remarkable. And she grows up to be quite self-aware which is something I always love in a character.

Miranda Priestly

And now a villain. The Devil Wears Prada is one if not my favourite movie. I really really love a villain who enjoys being a villain. Who owns up to being a villain. And when they do it while being a fashion icon it's even better. She is truly competent at what she does, she is harsh and witty and while she has a high opinion of herself it's not only justified but it doesn't obscure her judgment in recognising and appreciating greatness in others. I do love it when villains and heroes come to respect one another.

[nzoth-the-corruptor]

Thr inconsistency in warcraft lore shoulf br studied. I tip my hat to all the fanfiction writers for putting up with all the work-breaking jumbo. With that said what's your biggest pet peeve in retconed lore or similar?

Retcons that exist solely because one writer decides they didn't like a previous writer's work or don't want to read through it to make sure what they're writing works with it — not because there's anything about the work that hinders new plans going forward, or because it's dated and tasteless, but simply because they didn't respect it.

(Secondary to this: the fact that the different writing teams all appear to be working without any form of communication, also resulting in strange inconsistencies and instantly-retconned lore.)

Retcons aren't necessarily the devil, but the big problem I think is that they're used as a cheap 'fix' instead of actually getting into the nitty-gritty of what the problem is and how to resolve it through the medium of storytelling, because of course it's a lot cheaper and faster to just retcon the problem than to create an entire questline or commission a story to resolve the issue that's between them and the actual story they want to tell.

But it really stings to see good older lore left on the wayside because whoever was given the reins doesn't care for it one way or another, especially when what it's replaced with lacks charm or character.

As a massive IP Warcraft does have a truly colossal catalogue of old lore and I feel that part of the problem may be writers not being properly on-boarded with it, or else being assigned to writing quests and storylines for areas of the lore they're less familiar with as a way to gain 'experience' — whoever wrote the Kaldorei heritage questline seems to have only the most superficial grasp on night elf lore, for example.

But I think my biggest bugbear is when the novelization and the in-game information on events/characters are completely different, or when the Horde and the Alliance version of the same questline presents completely different stories.

Battle for Azeroth is rife with this, particularly the War of the Thorns where you have three separate versions of the story: the Alliance questline, the Horde questline, and the novelization (Elegy/A Good War) that all establish different, sometimes conflicting events and different motivations for the consistent events.

If you only played Horde in BfA, you're probably a bit confused as to why the night elf players are accusing the Horde of massacring every night elf civilian in Ashenvale and exterminating entire towns during the War of the Thorns.

For a more recent example, I think War of the Scaleborn is fascinating insofar that it appears to be operating in an entirely separate continuity from the rest of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, which I think is in large part due to the novel most likely being written in 2022 on what was likely a draft of Dragonflight's plot (its original release date was slated to be November 2022, but it was delayed by just shy of a year.)

By the time the novel released, all of the foundation it had been built on was almost entirely eroded not only as the game progressed without regards to the unreleased novel, but as gears shifted towards preparing for the Worldsoul Saga and the retooling of characters and plotlines to fit those plans.

Which massively sucks for Alameda, because I doubt the delay on the novel's release was her fault.

[andypantsx3]

Andy..do you have any tips on writing such long pieces, and as well planning for them ??

Omg I'm so thrilled you think my fics are long lol. It's my dream to one day hit like, novel length fics, but we're still a little ways away!!

That being said I do think there are some specific considerations that go into planning a multi-chapter fic!!

I think the first thing is to gauge where you're at in terms of motivation & interest. One of my biggest sticking points with multi-chapter fics, and also the reason I have not written anything longer than like 40k at this point, is that I lose focus/motivation the longer I work on something!! Try to have an honest conversation with yourself about how much interest you have in a particular fic idea, and where you think you are in terms of like, general motivation to keep working on that idea. For me, some ideas will be like, only 4 chapters worth of interest & motivation, while some will be 9.

Once you have that, use that to shape the level of detail or complexity of the plot you're going to include. If you're only going to work through a short number of chapters you can't have an overly complex plot and huge cast of characters, etc. Maybe limit your plot to just one or two story lines, like the central conflict and the romance. On the opposite side, if you truly believe you have motivation for a huge fic, scrounge around for extra C & D plots you can include to keep the fic moving!

In actually sitting down and planning a fic, I think others would have better advice for you! And I think this is also somewhat of an area where you have to try and see what works for your personal style, but I will give you the general tips that work for me!!

Choose a central conflict. This doesn't have to be anything intense (like for fingerprints it was just Reader coming to terms with the nature of Shouto's feelings for her, but for you're the one that i haunt it's that Bakugou becomes a ghost only Reader can see). But if you're going to write anything at length you will need some general conflict to keep it moving and tie everything together, otherwise it meanders.

Figure out how that conflict progresses from beginning to middle to end. For you're the one that i haunt, I outlined it as 1) Reader sees Bakugou and establishes that yes he really is there, 2) Reader and Bakugou team up to investigate why he's a ghost and how to fix it, and 3) Reader and Bakugou decide how they want to fix it (shoving ghost Bakugou through real Bakugou's body) and follow up on that plan. From this point you can sort of figure out what the key scenes will be for your fic, as well as how well some scenes you already had in mind may fit/not fit this fic.

Establish characterization. Think on how your Reader and their love interest are going to engage with the conflict progression. Is Reader smart or oblivious, and how will that shape how they respond in the scenes you are writing? Similarly, what is the canon character love interest like in canon? How does that mean they would respond to the events of your fic? This will give you a general idea of the actions and shape of the dialogue you will need to include in each scene. And it will also help you by keeping your characters somewhat consistent!!

Don't plan too much. Sometimes if you outline a fic too intensely it can feel like you have already written it and you end up losing the motivation to keep going on it! At least for me I like to outline the general events and characters' attitudes, but leave the specifics and the detail up to future Andie to decide as she's writing, so it still feels like I'm getting to explore and daydream as I go lol.

Anyway that is the general advice I have for you, although if you think of any more specific questions I'm happy to answer!!

Happy writing, sending you all my best vibes!!

[denimbex1986]

'Outlook Rating: 4.5 / 5

Magic, that’s exactly what this film is. Titled ‘All of Us Strangers,’ the movie is written and directed by Andrew Haigh. After screening at various international film festivals, and earning six prestigious BAFTA nominations, the Andrew Scott-starrer is finally available to watch at the comfort of your homes. So, in case you’re planning on giving it a watch, here’s what you must know about this haunting yet hard-hitting movie.

‘All of Us Strangers’: Story

Loosely based on the 1987 novel ‘Strangers’ by Taichi Yamada, the story follows a lonely screenwriter, Adam (Andrew Scott), who reconnects with his deceased parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy), whom he never told he was gay, in the familiar corners of the suburbs where he grew up. The only other resident in Adam’s modern apartment in London, the mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), shows up at his doorstep one evening, drunk and maybe a little desperate. After their first meeting, Harry visits Adam again, this time sober, and they hit it off. As they grow closer and let each other in on their vulnerabilities, Adam feels a deep sadness knowing his parents will never meet the person he cares for deeply, all while uncovering troubling secrets about his past and questioning the nature of reality itself.

‘All of Us Strangers’: Performances

Andrew Scott delivers a captivating performance that brings Adam’s complex emotional journey to life. With subtle yet powerful gestures and expressions, Scott peels back the layers of his character, revealing his loneliness, and emotional complexities. You can feel the pain as he grapples with the weight of his unspoken truths about his sexuality and the longing to connect with his long-gone parents. A lot of his expressions convey a myriad of emotions without the need for words.

Similarly, Paul Mescal brings about a heartfelt performance to the screen. From his first scene itself, he will lure you in with his portrayal of a man who is both mysterious and vulnerable. And as the story progresses, he becomes a memorable and integral part of Adam’s journey. He beautifully complements Scott, fostering a genuine sense of intimacy and connection between their characters.

Jamie Bell and Claire Foy deliver powerful performances stepping in as Adam’s parents, showcasing a raw authenticity that is truly captivating. Together, they skilfully portray the pain and yearning of parents witnessing their son’s struggle with grief. Their performances, filled with tumultuous facial expressions, are poignant and deeply affecting, and the character development they have, individually, is a marvel to witness.

All four brilliant stars have given it their best shot and it’s wonderfully evident, making it seem too real to be true.

‘All of Us Strangers’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

You can tell this film is close to Andrew Haigh’s heart for it is too gorgeous, heart-shattering and deeply personal. What makes this movie so compelling is how it takes you through a spectrum of different emotions – love, loss, fear, regret, desire, connection, and at last, acceptance. I, for one, have not even remotely come close to experience what the characters in the film have and yet, in a way I could relate to it? I know that probably doesn’t make sense but there’s just a tint of universality in how the characters have been so beautifully written and how their arcs end up intertwining in a web of emotions. The story beautifully illustrates the timeless and boundless nature of love, showing that it is the most powerful feeling one could experience.

The movie will most definitely have you in a chokehold. Both as a writer and a director, Haigh has outdone himself.

Visually, while it could get confusing at times to differentiate between heart-wrenching reality and dreamy imagination, you can easily let it slide because you will end up finding out which is which in a few seconds. With a tactile and tender lens, Jamie Ramsay captures the intimacy and sensitivity of the characters. To be able to evoke a sense of wonder and highlight the complexity of human intimacy is no easy feat, but he has made the best use of all different kinds of camera angles, along with various hues. In addition to this, the editing is seamless, thanks to Jonathan Albert. You will be taken into a different scene with a slow fade, and soon enough, you will find yourself immersed in a setting different from the previous one at a slow pace.

One important aspect in the movie is the music. Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch’s atmospheric compositions harmonize with the intense settings and draw you in. These undertones are complemented by pre-existing music choices. Whether it’s Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Always on My Mind’ or Frankie’s ‘The Power of Love,’ they play a crucial role in making sense of the entire narrative.

‘All of Us Strangers’: Cast & Crew

Director: Andrew Haigh

Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, and Claire Foy

Available On: Disney+ Hotstar

Duration: 106 minutes

Premiere Date: May 8, 2024

Genre: Romantic fantasy

Language: English

‘All Of Us Strangers’: Can Kids Watch It?

No.

Outlook’s Verdict

A sight for sore eyes, but heavy to the heart and mind – that’s what I’m going to go with. Despite its emotionally heavy narrative, ‘All of Us Strangers’ ultimately shows the strength of the human spirit. What sets apart this film, directed by Andrew Haigh, is its raw and distinctive depiction of emotions. Through its compelling storytelling and outstanding performances, it highlights the idea that even in the toughest of times, acceptance is the key to move on and that, there’s always a chance for growth.'