#I was maybe going to totally rewrite the last 2k words but decided that after a few days of sitting on it it wasn’t as bad as I thought

[megaerakles]

Finally updated this bad boy

Robin and Spoiler are in dire straits, when suddenly a mysterious stranger with a red helmet comes upon the scene….

[elsanna-shenanigans]

April 2021 feedback and reviews

Before we release the June stories (please be patient with this - we need some time to work through A LOT of technical issues. This month’s been crazy in this aspect!) we probably should release the feedback for April. Yes, April. Yes, in July. And yes, we forgot about this post - but to be fair, nobody reminded us either.

Below the cut you will find: a run-down of the bonus restriction points, individual feedback for the stories from the voters and a link to a sheet containing detailed reviews of every April submission, courtesy of our Monthlies Reviewing Club (for those of you who already read them on discord: do go in the link, there are some new reviews to see!)

BONUS RESTRICTIONS

Points were being awarded for completing three different criteria: including a body of water, limiting the title to 2-3 words long and including a quote. Each restriction was worth one bonus favorite point for up to three extra points.

Stories awarded 3 extra points: Morning Break, whisper to me, Stupid For You, Love and Sunflowers, Those new feelings, River Rockman, Shocking Confessions, Green Like Flowers, The Seal-Wife, Crack Shatter Repair, Your Worth, Sea of Time

Stories awarded 2 extra points: Prism of White, Staying Close, I'm Sorry, Waves and Wonders, Lake Town Sunrise, After Thaw, Surface Tension, Break Free, Captain's Holiday, Chocolate is Love, A Clean Break

Stories awarded 1 extra point: Rewrite The Stars, One Last Heist, A Break From Normalcy, Break A Leg, Schrodinger's break, Break Me Off

The extra points have already been included on the results graph.

FEEDBACK AND REVIEWS

This month’s roster of 17 reviewers included: balambfish, cabanotchi, @djupcake, @dont-tell-them-its-me, @elsanndra, @pitchperfect-lostgirl-rizzles, Jelly, LILI, @nymphaeaceae-noire, Matjojo, NoahRhino, Reina, @adoraslastbraincell, ArendelleFrostfall, Space Alien, @itstooshy and Vergasi.

Due to the amount of submissions, most of the reviewers were assigned a random selection of stories to review. Big thanks to @djupcake, @dont-tell-them-its-me, Reina and ArendelleFrostfall for reviewing EVERY story.

The reviews can be read here. The nicknames listed above and on the sheet might not be the same, but the people are in the same order.

Individual stories feedback from the voters: f = favorite vote, k = kudos vote

1: Morning Break Style 3 (3f) Fits the prompt best 1 (1f) Characterisation 5 (4f 1k) Dialogues 3 (2f 1k) Tone 3 (2f 1k) Flow 1 (1k) Plot 2 (2f) The story's Anna 2 (2f)

2: whisper to me Style 5 (1f 4k) Fits the prompt best 2 (1f 1k) Characterisation 2 (2k) Dialogues 3 (3k) Tone 2 (1f 1k) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 2 (2k) Grammar 1 (1k) The story's Elsa 3 (3k) The story's Anna 3 (3k) Setting/Universe 1 (1k)

3: Prism of White Style 6 (3f 3k) Characterisation 6 (4f 2k) Dialogues 6 (3f 3k) Tone 7 (4f 3k) Flow 4 (1f 3k) Plot 5 (3f 2k) Grammar 4 (1f 3k) The story's Elsa 1 (1k) The story's Anna 1 (1k) Setting/Universe 2 (1f 1k) Other (1k): - I actually really genuinely like the settings and I love the dialogue. It's like really hard to keep me focused and this fic was able to do it even with it's length, also it was written very neatly.

4: Stupid For You Style 8 (5f 3k) Characterisation 9 (7f 2k) Dialogues 9 (6f 3k) Tone 7 (5f 2k) Flow 5 (3f 2k) Plot 10 (8f 2k) Grammar 1 (1f) The story's Elsa 5 (3f 2k) The story's Anna 7 (4f 3k) Setting/Universe 3 (3f) Total other: 5 Other (3f): - Age Gap - MILF ELSA HYPE - the girl is adorkable Other (2k): - also got my second fav vote - Love those dorks omg

5: Love and Sunflowers Style 9 (6f 3k) Fits the prompt best 2 (1f 1k) Characterisation 8 (6f 2k) Dialogues 6 (4f 2k) Tone 5 (3f 2k) Flow 8 (6f 2k) Plot 12 (6f 6k) Grammar 1 (1f) The story's Elsa 3 (2f 1k) The story's Anna 7 (4f 3k) Setting/Universe 3 (2f 1k) Other (3f): - just a nice cute story with light tension, a nice spring day read - absolutely wonderful - The thrill! The longing! The grief! The resolution!

6: Those new feelings Style 1 (1f) Fits the prompt best 1 (1f) Characterisation 1 (1f) Dialogues 1 (1f) Tone 2 (2f) Flow 2 (2f) Plot 2 (2f) Grammar 1 (1f) The story's Elsa 1 (1f) The story's Anna 1 (1f) Other (1f): - I love the Paragraph Breaks, made Frozen 2 sting hurt less.

7: Rewrite The Stars Style 5 (1f 4k) Characterisation 3 (2f 1k) Dialogues 4 (2f 2k) Tone 3 (3k) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 6 (2f 4k) The story's Elsa 1 (1f) The story's Anna 2 (1f 1k) Setting/Universe 3 (2f 1k)

8: River Rockman Style 2 (1f 1k) Characterisation 1 (1k) Dialogues 1 (1f) Tone 1 (1f) Plot 2 (1f 1k) Setting/Universe 1 (1f)

9: Shocking Confessions Style 6 (3f 3k) Fits the prompt best 2 (1f 1k) Characterisation 3 (2f 1k) Dialogues 4 (3f 1k) Tone 1 (1f) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 4 (3f 1k) The story's Elsa 3 (3f) The story's Anna 2 (2f) Setting/Universe 5 (4f 1k) Other (1f): - I like the premise, also even in it's premise it's a breath of fresh air. It did something I've never seen before and therefore gets a lot of points for it in my book.

10: Green Like Flowers Style 11 (7f 4k) Fits the prompt best 2 (2f) Characterisation 14 (8f 6k) Dialogues 9 (5f 4k) Tone 12 (9f 3k) Flow 9 (6f 3k) Plot 13 (9f 4k) Grammar 1 (1k) The story's Elsa 7 (5f 2k) The story's Anna 6 (4f 2k) Setting/Universe 5 (4f 1k) Total other: 4 Other (2f): - I like trains - this was a beautiful story, the descriptions and us of different words was just wow, I've never read a fan fiction story like this before and I loved it. This needs polishing but wow is this story amazing already Other (2k): - Train Setting - This one really stuck with me... loved it

11: One Last Heist Characterisation 1 (1k) Dialogues 1 (1f) Tone 1 (1k) Flow 1 (1k) Plot 1 (1f) The story's Elsa 1 (1f) Setting/Universe 2 (2f)

12: The Seal-Wife Style 6 (3f 3k) Fits the prompt best 1 (1f) Characterisation 3 (2f 1k) Dialogues 5 (3f 2k) Tone 6 (3f 3k) Flow 4 (2f 2k) Plot 7 (3f 4k) Grammar 4 (2f 2k) The story's Elsa 2 (1f 1k) The story's Anna 1 (1f) Setting/Universe 7 (4f 3k) Other (2f): - Writing style pretty - I am a sucker for Elsanna myths ok. Also well written.

13: A Break From Normalcy Style 12 (8f 4k) Fits the prompt best 4 (4f) Characterisation 11 (9f 2k) Dialogues 9 (6f 3k) Tone 8 (6f 2k) Flow 8 (7f 1k) Plot 12 (10f 2k) Grammar 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 6 (5f 1k) The story's Anna 6 (5f 1k) Setting/Universe 5 (4f 1k) Total other: 3 Other (2f): - Absolutely in love with this story. Will bookmark if author decides to post this on AO3 or FFN. - I really liked the detailed schedule details at the begnning Other (1k): - it was nice

14: Break A Leg Style 1 (1k) Fits the prompt best 3 (3k) Characterisation 2 (2k) Dialogues 3 (3k) Flow 2 (2k) Plot 1 (1k) Grammar 1 (1k) The story's Elsa 3 (3k) The story's Anna 1 (1k) Setting/Universe 1 (1k) Other (1k): - I like the premise and the execution is good. There is a bit part where I'm a sort of put off, not the injury but rest assured it's most likely just a me thing. Also too short lol.

15: Schrödinger’s break Characterisation 1 (1k) Plot 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 1 (1k) The story's Anna 1 (1k)

16: Crack, Shatter, Repair Style 3 (1f 2k) Characterisation 2 (2k) Dialogues 2 (2k) Tone 2 (1f 1k) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 2 (2k) The story's Elsa 1 (1k) The story's Anna 1 (1k)

17: Staying Close Style 5 (1f 4k) Fits the prompt best 1 (1k) Characterisation 4 (2f 2k) Dialogues 5 (2f 3k) Tone 4 (4k) Flow 5 (1f 4k) Plot 4 (1f 3k) Grammar 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 3 (1f 2k) The story's Anna 3 (1f 2k) Setting/Universe 3 (1f 2k) Other (1f): - The final couple of lines that leave you with a great way to end a story off of, i dont know the technical term. Maybe closure.

18: I'm Sorry Style 2 (1f 1k) Characterisation 1 (1k) Dialogues 2 (1f 1k) Tone 2 (1f 1k) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 1 (1f)

19: Your Worth Style 2 (1f 1k) Fits the prompt best 2 (1f 1k) Tone 1 (1k) Flow 2 (1f 1k) Plot 4 (2f 2k)

20: Waves and Wonders Tone 1 (1k) Flow 1 (1f) Plot 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 1 (1k) Setting/Universe 1 (1k)

21: Sea of time Style 10 (5f 5k) Fits the prompt best 2 (2f) Characterisation 6 (5f 1k) Dialogues 5 (3f 2k) Tone 8 (6f 2k) Flow 4 (3f 1k) Plot 6 (4f 2k) Grammar 2 (2f) The story's Elsa 3 (3f) The story's Anna 8 (6f 2k) Setting/Universe 8 (5f 3k) Total other: 3 Other (2f): - Role reversal - Immortal!Anna instead of Elsa - This one BROKE me and it’s all I’ve been able to think about since Other (1k): - I am a sucker for Spanish ok

22: Lake Town Sunrise Style 5 (4f 1k) Fits the prompt best 1 (1f) Characterisation 5 (3f 2k) Dialogues 1 (1f) Tone 5 (2f 3k) Flow 4 (2f 2k) Plot 6 (4f 2k) Grammar 3 (2f 1k) The story's Elsa 4 (1f 3k) The story's Anna 3 (1f 2k) Setting/Universe 2 (1f 1k) Other (1k): - The garage was really nice (cough overachiever elsa cough)

23: After Thaw Style 2 (2k) Characterisation 3 (2f 1k) Dialogues 2 (2f) Tone 2 (2k) Flow 1 (1k) Plot 3 (1f 2k) Setting/Universe 2 (1f 1k)

24: Surface Tension Style 7 (3f 4k) Fits the prompt best 1 (1k) Characterisation 6 (3f 3k) Dialogues 8 (4f 4k) Tone 5 (3f 2k) Flow 4 (3f 1k) Plot 6 (4f 2k) Grammar 3 (2f 1k) The story's Elsa 2 (2k) The story's Anna 2 (2k) Setting/Universe 3 (2f 1k)

26: Captain's Holiday The story's Elsa 1 (1k) Setting/Universe 1 (1k)

27: Chocolate is Love Style 2 (1f 1k) Fits the prompt best 3 (1f 2k) Characterisation 1 (1k) Dialogues 1 (1k) Tone 3 (1f 2k) Flow 4 (1f 3k) Plot 4 (1f 3k) Grammar 1 (1f) The story's Elsa 2 (2k) The story's Anna 1 (1k) Setting/Universe 1 (1k)

29: A Clean Break Style 1 (1f) Characterisation 1 (1f) Dialogues 1 (1f) Plot 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 1 (1f) Setting/Universe 1 (1f) Other (1f): - interesting setting

30: Break Me Off Style 12 (6f 6k) Fits the prompt best 8 (5f 3k) Characterisation 13 (6f 7k) Dialogues 11 (7f 4k) Tone 6 (4f 2k) Flow 6 (4f 2k) Plot 14 (8f 6k) Grammar 2 (1f 1k) The story's Elsa 7 (5f 2k) The story's Anna 10 (6f 4k) Setting/Universe 2 (2f) Total other: 3 Other (2f): - Kit Kat Kissing - The simpleness of a nestle treat being the catalyst for elsanna is really funny and heartwarming. Other (1k): - I dont like chocolate, but the love for chocolate was amusing

[sagemoderocklee]

2020 has been a weird fucking year, to put it mildly. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and with New Year’s Eve and the start of 2021 upon us, focusing on the ~positive~ seemed like a better way to end the year, and hopefully start 2021 feeling inspired and proud for overcoming this horrendous year.

For many people, it was difficult--even impossible--to get anything done this year (myself included), and that’s okay! But if you were able to make progress on writing projects, even if it was just one or even if it was just part of one, you should celebrate that! I wish I’d thought of this sooner and organized it better, but regardless I wanted to celebrate my own accomplishments with regards to my writing, and encourage others to do the same! I was going to tag people, but I’m not sure with it being 2 hours til midnight for me if that would feel like putting too much pressure on others, so if you want to do this too please do!

This wrap up is honestly just a self-indulgent look back on the works I’ve made and what I learned/gained from each, maybe what I don’t like about them, some totaling on what I did, and some resolutions for the next year. It’s silly, but I think it’s kinda fun and if you missed any of the things I have posted this year, you’ll find them here!

2020 Fic Wrap Up:

Kado: Parts II+III (COMPLETED)

Kado was started in September of 2019 for the @puregaalee​ summer event. This was a last minute thing that I started the day the prompt was due and managed to write the first part in about 6 hours while sitting in a cafe--remember that? Sitting in cafes? Man, I miss that. I hadn’t anticipated working on Kado, but I decided that I was going to finish it this year, and I’m honestly amazed that I did. This fic is sweet and fun, and surprisingly popular, though it isn’t my favorite of my works. However, it is a light, fluffy little romcom modern AU, and I learned a lot with it because despite my struggles with modern AUs and their horrible lack of political intrigue, this fic forced me to work within set parameters. I was only writing a 3 part story, and each part could only be 9 scenes long. For those unfamiliar, kado is another term for Ikebana, and in Ikebana there are specific elements to follow. Certain styles will only use three branches, some will use nine. So my goal was for the structural elements of the fic to mimic Ikebana. In doing this, I was able to do something I don’t usually do, which is keep this story more concise.

I’m still not sure how I personally feel about the ending, but I think endings are always a struggle, especially with something like this.

Gate of Dreaming (COMPLETED) 

This is a fic that I started last year, then left to sit untouched with only 2k words. Getting back into it was a bit difficult because I was writing something very different from my usual: stream of consciousness. This fic was very experimental for me not only because of the stream of consciousness, but also because of the changing tenses. This was another exercise--unexpected though it was--in brevity. With this particular story, it couldn’t be dragged on and on, because--despite the 100 year time span--the events take place within the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This was also the first time I’d worked from Lee’s PoV in quite some time, so that was fun because I do enjoy writing him, but usually write from Gaara’s PoV. This is definitely one of my favorites from this year, and since it had been sitting on the back burner for so long, I’m so excited that I could finally get it done.

Another one where the ending really wasn’t easy to achieve, but I did end up liking it more than I expected, and I think the best thing is that it’s open-ended which leaves room for others to guess at what the future holds.

It Eats Your Heart (WIP)

This was an unexpected fic for me in every way imaginable. Starting another fic? Making another modern AU? Tackling the horror genre? None of those were things I’d planned to do this year, but lo and behold, that’s just what I did. I really enjoy a good bit of horror, but it is NOT an easy genre to work within, and this fic has definitely been a push for me. But with it being such a push, the payoff is far more. Stepping out of my comfort zone is something I like doing, but I think this is the biggest step outside of that and I am so incredibly proud of how that first chapter turned out because of it. I was really able to surprise myself with this fic, and I am hoping to update the next chapter early on in the year.

Absolution (WIP)

This fic is probably the second oldest idea/longest unpublished fic I currently have up. Formerly a much longer title, the idea for this fic came to me in May of 2017 when a friend, @brianadoesotherjunk / @brianadoesart, posted a piece of GaaLee fanart that sparked inspiration. The fic took off, morphed into something much bigger than the one scene depicted by the art, and now 3 years later, the first part is up. Initially, this was meant to be a long shot, but after sitting with this for so long, I realized that I needed to split it up into 9 parts, which allowed me to use this for GaaLee bingo and finally publish it. Much of the first part was already written before this year, but I’d been quite stuck on it until now. This is actually probably one of my favorite GaaLee concepts to date. I remember back in the day, there weren’t a lot of different takes on getting Lee to Suna so he and Gaara could fall in love, so (at the risk of sounding cocky) I think that Lee as a nanny is rather inspired. I think with this fic, I pushed myself the hardest to get past the hurdle of writer’s block and accepted that publishing is probably the best way to motivate myself to keep going. The feedback for this fic has been really motivating, so I think I’m probably right about that.

I do think there are some parts in the middle or towards the end that could maybe use some tightening up, but I’m just happy to finally have this fic out in the world.

The Art of Love: Chapter 11 (WIP)

TAoL is such a ridiculous labor of love. The chapters for this fic are novellas in and of themselves, so each time I update it takes a lot of work to get them out. This fic is one of those like magnum opus type fics. I have put so much into it, and I’m honestly amazed that it’s only been up for 3 years because I’m approaching the halfway mark on it, and I don’t think I expected to be there by now. Despite being able to churn out 30k chapters, I have a hard time focusing on one thing and I often struggle with mental health related writer’s block, so big works are always sort of sporadic in their updates. 

This particular update of TAoL was definitely one of my favorites though. Initially, I didn’t plan to go the sort of dark fantasy rout that I did with Shikamaru, but I actually really love what I’ve done with him, though I worry others won’t be as into it or that the execution isn’t quite there. One thing I would like to work on with future chapters of TAoL, however, is maybe pairing things down a bit--though I’m not sure that’ll always be possible. The next chapter is a Naruto PoV chapter, though, so I expect that one to be a MUCH shorter chapter than the last three and should be able to get it out sometime next year.

Before I could publish this chapter, however, I did go through and make some big changes, which is something I often struggle with because of such long breaks in between working on certain projects. I will say, though, that TAoL continues to push me to greater heights as a writer, and I look forward to actually finishing this fic someday.

Thirteen Strokes: 1 + 2 (WIP)

Another unexpected fic this year, however, this one was actually an idea for about a year, unlike IEYH. This fic has really given me a lot of perspective on my own writing and world building, and has inspired me to sit down and really start committing the things I’ve developed to paper to create a cohesive view of Suna, Wind, and the shinobi world. This fic is meant to be a Romance. Like just full on Romance. I write a lot of tragedy and focus on a lot of darker themes in my writing, so while I don’t think of this as stepping outside of my comfort zone, it is very different from my usual, and a really nice change of pace. I think, in all honesty, it is one of my best works, and I do hope I can continue to deliver on the remaining 11 parts of this story.

if this were the last i felt you breathing (COMPLETED)

Ugh. This fic has been my enemy for 2 long years. I signed up for a Secret Santa exchange, and of course, I regretted doing it when I found that I was not motivated and, after the month of October where I was churning out fic after fic for GaaLee Bingo, that I was massively burned out. I wasn’t able to think past writer’s block, and so I ended up settling on dusting off an old, unfinished piece for my giftee, and I hope they can forgive me for not coming up with something brand new for them.

This fic was a struggle. Working so closely with the canon--following the Rescue Kazekage Arc as closely as I did for this fic--made this a much bigger challenge and this fic sat and sat and sat for two years, untouched and incomplete. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I know it’s not my best work, but I am glad that this fic isn’t hanging over my head and that I was able to deliver something to my secret santa giftee.

My goal with this fic was to rewrite this particular arc from Lee’s PoV to give more depth to the arc and shift the emotional core of it away from Naruto. Naruto as a character has a lot of flaws that never get addressed, and one of the things that is consistently frustrating for me is the way the emotional core of the series rests on him in unrealistic and often superficial ways. Naruto hasn’t spoken to Gaara in three years, but I’m supposed to believe he’s this affected by Gaara’s kidnapping? Temari and Kankuro are right there! Lee is right there! I wanted to see that, so that’s what I set out to do, and ultimately I don’t think I fully succeeded, but I tried. I guess not everything can be a resounding success

---

This year I managed to do a lot more than I realized. New works, updates, and COMPLETED pieces?! I never would have thought, but staying home gave me more free time, and when I was too broke to work on costumes, writing fanfiction was something free I could do.

Total new works: 5 Total updates: 9 Total completed works: 3 Total words this year: 143,587

---

I have a lot of goals for the coming year, and I know I won’t make all of them, but that won’t stop me from trying.

2021 Writing Resolutions:

Reach 1million words (+238,073 words)

Finish IEYH

Finish Pearl-Filled Lungs

Update TAoL (Chapter 12 and 13)

Update Absolution

Update 13S

Update Find Me (Chapter 6)

Start the Ballad of the Dragon and the Phoenix

Start editing Alliance

Return to working on Honor Bound

Return to working on We Need Not Be Yellow Tulips

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

First Monday of the month (and year. Thank every known deity in the universe.)

...ahem.

Yeah. It’s been a...well, 2020. But it is now officially a new month and year, and time for a Coming Attractions post!

The big news, obviously, is that I actually finished Precipice. \o/ ...well, the first seven arcs, anyway.

As I’ve discussed before, and explained in my very long author’s note at the end of the final chapter on Ao3, the next steps for this AU are a series of seven one-shots which will be released as ‘Preludes,’ covering the six-year timegap before Arc Eight. These mostly deal with Rebels characters (although I’m slightly rethinking one of them because I should probably include Mara Jade in it...), as well as Sidious’ fifth apprentice and possibly Maul.

I’ll also be starting the sequel, entitled either Protectors or Promises (it’s been Protectors for a while, but now I’m waffling? IDK). Anyway, that picks up with arc Eight, Escalation, six years after the end of Precipice. I’ll probably post a preview snippet sometime this month because Why Not.

There will be a hiatus (an actually Planned one this time, lol...). I’m aiming to start posting in April, but we’ll see how things go.

Anyway, moving on to other plans!

Other Star Wars Projects:

our faces like a mirror

I totally planned to start posting that this year <.< On the plus side, I don’t...think the Siege of Mandalore arc (or the stuff from the Mandalorian) really Jossed anything I had planned? Especially given the fact that it’s set from 5 years pre-TPM (I recognize that Lucasfilm has made a timeline decision but given that it’s a stupid-ass timeline decision I have elected to ignore it) to about 5 years post-TPM, so I wasn’t really expecting it to, but it was a vague concern of mine. Anyway, I’ll rewatch to be sure before I post, probably. But, yeah, I’m all the more excited about my girl Bo-Katan now, so hopefully I’ll get some momentum on this.

2021 SWBB:

I finally figured out a general shape of the plot, lol! And I have about...just under 4k of miscellaneous text in this AU (like, actual Story text, not just random notes and scribbles of which I have. A Lot). I need to get another 2k by Sunday, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

It’s going to be in four parts, plus prelude/interludes/coda, because that is the Structure that my brain at like 4AM gave me the other night, lol. While I don’t know the details, I have a general idea of What Happen in parts one, three, and four; except for tying in some Mandalore stuff and making some Decisions about who I want to draw in at various points. Part Two is also up in the air. I know how it needs to end to set up part three, but not so sure about what should actually go in there. Possibly I’ll end up cutting Part Two and just having a three-part story, but eh, we’ll see.

Anyway, I’m having fun with this, especially since I’ve discovered the Plot, so we’ll see how things go from here :)

Other SW Fanfics:

I am...hoping??? to resurrect Distaff and/or the Ventress outline at some point this year, because I’m very fond of those AUs and they deserve some more love. Possibly also another Devoted story. We shall see.

AtLA Fanfic Projects:

As I’ve mentioned a few times over the past few months, I’ve fallen back into this fandom (which was my primary fandom for...like...four to six years????) And I definitely want to write more in it. I’ve already done one AU outline, and I have plans for a couple fulltext fics (...discounting the super-self-indulgent crossover stuff I don’t super plan on sharing outside a very small circle lol). I don’t have much actual, uh, Text on anything yet, but I’m hoping to start posting one or more of those at some point this year, too.

Project One is an Avatar Zuko AU; Aang is around for reasons that do get explained in story; Zuko finds out a couple months before the duel with his father when accidental water or airbending happens (he’s in a sailboat, there’s a storm, I haven’t worked out the details yet). He decides That Clearly Didn’t Happen and proceeds to ignore it...until he manages to accidentally waterbend again when in the infirmary post-duel. At which point he decides he Does Not want to be just...used as a weapon. He figures he has about three and a half years before the comet, he can use that time to figure out what to do next; maybe come back with the comet and Prove his Worth at that point.

He goes to the WAT first, to see what he can figure out about airbending from any texts/mosaics/whatever that are still there; then he heads to the NWT; then he’ll probably pick up Toph because I love their dynamic. He plans to spend a year on each other element (not enough time for mastery but that comet deadline looms large). Obviously, over the course of those three years, his plans change.

And then things get thrown even more off the rails when Aang emerges from the iceberg before Zuko’s year of earthbending is up.

There will be a fair number of OCs hanging around (both to give him someone to talk to at the WAT and I think he’s going to learn from a less-prominent master than Pakku when he gets to the NWT), as well as Iroh trying to find his nephew, and various other familiar faces from the show.

Project Two is about Lu Ten, and a lover he had during the Siege of Ba Sing Se, and what happens to her (and her daughter) after his death. I’ve talked about that one in a little more detail in other posts, I think, hence the comparatively short summary, lol.

Original Stuff:

I am hoping to get more origfic posted this year than I did last year. I’ve got these universes I love exploring, and I feel like they should get more attention, lol.

...I think that about covers it! At the end of last year, I set myself some Goals, which were. Well. 2020 happened, soooo...

Anyway, because I am an Optimist, I’m going to set goals again for this year. And I guess go over how well I did on the ones I had??? A lot of my goals will probably be repeats from last year, because...yeah.

2020 Goals

1. Finish Precipice; complete Arcs 8 and 9 in Protectors/Promises/Precipice II; put out some level of Arc 7.5/Preludes content.           I did finish Precipice! I did not do the other things. 2. Write at least 10k of origfic content.           Not quite--I ended up with 8,129 words. 3. Start posting OFLAM           Nope, that did not happen. 4. Revive a semi-hiatused fic (i.e., Distaff; Auxiliaries; Phoenix!Verse; one of the BSG fics I keep meaning to go back to if I ever actually sit down and rewatch the series; if I add an actual sequel/companion to Deja Vu… that probably counts…)           Did not happen. 5. Finish updating Lux and Farglass Cycle archives; keep them updated through the end of the year as new content gets added.           Nope. 6. At least four AU outline installments of some kind; preferably including a continuation of Ventress and Her Tiny Time-Travelling Conscience and actually writing up the main part of Let’s Go Steal a Crossover; but any outline will count.           I did put up one AtLA outline, as mentioned before; and I also posted a massive timeline for the Jedi of Valdemar AU, but nothing else. 7. Complete BB submission and keep an eye out for other challenges/exchanges.           Did complete BB, and one giftfic exchange over the summer. 8. Write at least one holiday fic (Valentine’s Day; Mother’s Day; Father’s Day; Halloween; New Year’s; etc.) and post on the appropriate day.           Did not do the thing.

2021 Goals

1. Post Arcs 8 and 9 in Precipice!Verse as well as at least half of the Preludes stories. 2. Write at least 10k of origfic content. 3. Start posting OFLAM. 4. Revive a semi-hiatused fic; preferably Distaff; but Auxiliaries or Phoenix!verse or one of the BSG fics would also count (Serenissima, Other Battlestar, For Sorrow Sung rewrite...) 5. Start posting at least one AtLA fulltext fic. 6. Finish updating Lux and Farglass Cycle archives; keep them updated through the end of the year as new content gets added. 7. Find a title and set up an archive for Untitled Intrigues Story 8. At least four AU outline installments of some kind, preferably including a continuation of Ventress and Her Tiny Time-Travelling Conscience 9. Complete BB submission and keep an eye out for other challenges/exchanges. 10. Write at least one holiday fic (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, New Year’s, etc.) and post on the appropriate day.

[momentofmemory]

it’s almost the end of october, which means one of the greatest, most terrifying exploits known to writers is upon us: NaNoWriMo.

there are plenty of super good survival posts out there, but as this’ll be my seventh time participating (six wins, hoping for a seventh), i thought i’d drop my own set of tips into the mix. i’m going to focus mostly on the practical details of how to write; if you want tips on the writing itself either search the writing/reference tags or pester me to do another one later :P with that said, ~on with the post~

Step One: Figure Out Your Goal

i know, i know, obviously it’s to write 50k, but what does that mean to you? are you expecting

polished prose, ready to send off to a publisher?

being able to write every day? 

just throwing up a bunch of ideas?

a mix of everything?

all of these are valid, but they’re going to require different approaches. if you want jaw-dropping writing, you’re going to need in the ballpark of five or more hours each day, if not more. if you want consistency, you’ll want to look at your normal schedule and set up a couple times you know you can write at. if just you want words, pretty much all you need to make sure is that you squeeze writing time in whenever.

your goal will probably change as the month progresses, and that’s totally fine. just check in every so often to remember a)what you’re working for and b)if it’s actually plausible. speaking of...

Step Two: Realize Your Limitations

1. Typing.

imma get super practical here: your typing speed dictates how fast you can get done. if you write 40wpm (the average), you cannot write the full 1667 in a half hour any more than you can run a mile in under three minutes. it’s honestly not a bad idea to check out your own speed, if only to help you understand yourself better. in my experience, actual writing then works like this (using my max speed, 89, as an example):

Absolute Max: 89 wpm (baseline)

Warring: 70 (75% of baseline)

In the zone: 45 (50% of baseline)

Taking my time, concentrated: 22 (25% of baseline)

anything lower than your max/4 probably means you’re spending a lot of time either researching or staring at the page, so just be aware of that.

2. Time & Focus

this kinda goes without saying, but best case scenario this is at least 1-2 hours of your life a day, or dedicating full Saturday/Sundays if you’re a weekend warrior kind of person. it’s so, so worth it if you can make time for it, but also don’t feel bad if you can’t! doing a half nano (25k) or whatever you want is also a fully acceptable plan.

that said, if you do have time, figure out your focus too. if you’ve never been the kind of person that can type for six hours straight, you will probably not magically become this person when it hits Nov. 1 (though with practice, you might be by Nov. 30). i like trying to write at least 300 before work and another 300 during lunch. that way there’s only 1k left for the evening, and having words on the page just makes me feel better. experiment with different ways of blocking out your time in the first few days and see what works best for you.

3. Don’t Forget You Live in a Body

writing is hard work, you will need to eat brain food! hunching over wrecks your back, stand up and stretch every so often! you will hate existing if you forgo sleep for days! and for the love of charles dickens, patron saint of getting paid by the word, take care of your mother-effing wrists!!

seriously on that last one. i’ve ignored it in the past and thoroughly screwed up my wrists one year; don’t be me. keep in them in a neutral position, do regular stretches, and if you need to, get wrist wraps (i recommend these).

Step Three: Actually Doing the Thing

the previous steps have had pretty broad advice, but now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. these are mostly things i know work for me, and therefore may not for you—adjust to your own needs!

1. Write for 15 Minutes Every Day, Non-Negotiable.

i don’t even mean this is a “write 15 min and then your brain will be tricked into writing more” kinda way, but like, literally. you’re probably not going to be able to do 1667 every day—sometimes you’ll be tired and just won’t have the time. you’re very likely, however, to have 15 minutes, and you’ll want to use them. Doesn’t matter if you write 50 words or 500 in that time, at least you’ll have done something, and that’s usually enough to keep you from feeling like just giving up the next day.

2. You Might Need Physical Spaces

i’m a pretty sensory person when it comes to writing, and having a dedicated writing space is so helpful for me. going back to the idea of being an embodied person, it’s a lot easier to get your brain into a writing mode if your body’s already there. some good options include:

coffee shops (cozy! food!)

a specific room in your home (easily accessed! do what you want!)

libraries (free! quiet!)

a friend’s house (writing buddy! easy access to sounding board!)

all of these places usually have access to wifi, which is a positive.

3. You Definitely Need Digital Spaces

i pretty much always write in the same processor, once again because it helps set the mood. the main options include:

google drive (solid choice, cloud backup, mobile accessible)

dabble writer (cloud backup, links to nano, dark mode, chapter options)

write or die (only for actual writing—a scary but effective motivator; save elsewhere)

word/pages/etc. (ready to go on your computer, formatting options)

scrivener (great plotting tools, detailed interface)

i use dabble writer myself (they’re a nano sponsor, so you can get it free for this month, and as a double bonus you get it half off for the rest of the year if you win). and no, i’m not getting paid to wax poetic about them, but honestly i’ve used it to win the past two years and i adore it. 

anyway my biggest tip here is that i SUPER SUPER DON’T RECOMMEND NON-CLOUD OPTIONS. it’s very risky, but if you must, do a proper back up at least once a week. that shiz is not worth it.

4. The Timer is Your New Best Friend

because i’ve heard this argument before: no, it’s not a crutch, and no, it’s not cheating. it’s literally best practices. i’m personally a big fan of this online timer, and i let it run for 15 min every time i write. after each session i check how many words i wrote, then after maybe a quick 1-2 min break, start over.

you can totally set the timer for longer or shorter periods, depending on what works for you. i’m a fan of the 15 min sessions bc it’s just long enough to get a bit of flow going, and just short enough that i can convince my spacy brain that we can get through it without wandering. it’s also a fantastic length for warring, if you’re down for that.

5. Write That Idea Down for Lewis’s Sake

the original idea for the chronicles of narnia came to c.s. lewis when he was at a restaurant, and thank the lord, he wrote it down on a napkin. he wouldn’t write it until some time later, but if he hadn’t written it down, he might’ve forgotten it. why is this important, you ask?

BC YOU WILL FORGET THINGS.

if you have an idea, write it down in your phone or your notebook or the waterproof paper in your shower, because i don’t care how sure you are that you’ll remember it, you super won’t. i’ve forgotten many solutions to plot holes in my time and i still hold vigils over their graves. don’t be me. write it down.

Step Four: Managing that Inner Critic of Yours

all right, pay attention. i’m not going to tell you not to edit, because i would be a massive hypocrite if i did. i totally edit during nano. the important part is letting your editor help you win, not hurt you. and that means gaming your critic’s system.

1. Have a Dedicated Deletion Section

many people hear “don’t delete anything” and baulk, because for some of us it’s distracting and we want to rewrite that section until it matches our vision. so, i’m here to tell you: delete it!! rewrite entire chapters!! just save the original content as part of your word count. this is another reason i love dabble, bc at the start of nano i just make a separate part of the book, label it “delete”, and any time i’m writing and dislike a sentence/paragraph i just dump it into that folder and move on. this way you still get to keep the numbers (and why shouldn’t you? you wrote them!) while also writing words you actually like. plus, sometimes that line you deleted in ch. 1 winds up being supremely pertinent in ch.15, and now you can just copy/paste it instead of having to try to remember what exactly you’d said.

2. Acknowledge Ranting as a Time Honoured Tradition

think there’s no precedent for that 2K diatribe you wrote on the london underground? well fear not, because you can’t possibly do worse than hugo’s entire chapters worth of content on the french sewer system! or melville’s frankly terrifying obsession with the finer features of whale biology!

like, yeah, maybe you’ll decide later you don’t need it, but for now, embrace that soap box. dead white guys have been doing it for centuries and still get places in college syllabi. the least you can do is give it a place in your word count.

Step Five: Have Fun!

i know, i know, it’s cliche, but seriously. if this isn’t fun, or at least rewarding, why are you doing it anyway? so enjoy it! send passages you’re proud of to your friends! daydream about it in the car on the way to work/school! cry over a notebook about the twist you just came up with! nano’s a time of fun and exploration, and you shouldn’t miss out on it because you’re thinking too much.

also, this might be counter productive to put at the end of an essay on nano, but don’t obsess over reading essays on nano :P there comes a time when one must simply do, and nano is pretty much the definition of that.

[myemergence]

‘911′ Fanfic: Rewrite the Stars (2/?)

Characters: Eddie, Buck, Christopher and the rest of the 118

Chapter: 2/?

Chapter Word Count: 2k+

Author’s Note: Slowly beginning to feel the storyline and characters here. Used prompt # 49 from prompt-bank’s Drabble Challenge. I also don’t think it heeds  warning, but there is some swearing in this chapter (and likely every chapter if I’m the one writing it)

Buck quickly slammed the door to his jeep shut as he arrived at the firehouse for his shift. In the midst of his dream turned nightmare from the previous night, he began to wake up nearly 25 minutes after his alarm had initially sounded. He knew the importance of arriving to the firehouse on time. He lowered his eyes to glance at his watch, rounding the corner to enter the building. 8:06. 

“Oh, look who’s decided to join us.” Chim spoke as he spotted the younger firefighter entering the house.  

Buck fought back the desire to roll his eyes at Chimney. “Can we not do this right now?” Chim held his hands up in submission, letting it slide.

Hen made her way over to Chimney and Buck, slapping Buck lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, Cap wants to see you upstairs.” With a look of resignation, Buck gave a small nod of his head before making his way up the steps to the kitchen of the firehouse where Captain Bobby Nash could be found the majority of the time. 

“Morning Cap.”

“Buck.” Bobby studied Buck in silence for a short beat. “I could use some help getting breakfast ready this morning. Do you mind?”

A laugh escaped Buck’s lips before he was able to stop it. “You called me up here because you want me to help you cook? And then feed this meal to the rest of the firehouse that needs to be out there saving lives?” Bobby raised an eyebrow silently at Buck’s reaction, telling him that was exactly what he wanted. “Okay, what do you need me to do?”

“Can you carefully chop those veggies? The knife is right over there.” Bobby motioned. “We’re going to make some omelettes.” 

“Yeah, yeah I can do that.” Buck spoke after a brief pause, grabbing the knife and making his way over to the cutting board. He grabbed a green pepper to start with. Looking down he carefully cut the top of the pepper off. “Good news is if something does go awry, I know a good EMT or two.” Buck joked, expecting to at least get a small laugh out of the quip.  But the corner of Bobby’s mouth barely lifted , hinting at a smile.

“Is everything okay, Buck?”

Buck paused for a moment before responding to his Captain, carefully slicing the pepper. “Bobby, if this is about me being late this morning--” 

“That’s part of it.” Captain Nash admitted with a small nod of his head. “But there is more going on than oversleeping, isn’t there?”

Buck exhaled. “I’m not sure what you mean, Cap.” 

“Exactly what it sounded like..” Bobby told Buck, chopping red potatoes for a moment before stopping and setting the knife down atop the cutting board. “Is there anything that you need to talk about?”

“No, there’s nothing.”

“Then we have ourselves a problem.” The older man spoke, watching as Buck set down his knife as well, turning to his Captain with a furrowed brow.

“I-I don’t understand. How exactly is it a problem that I don’t have anything to talk about? That there isn’t anything going on that I need to discuss?”

“Since you returned to duty five weeks ago you have been late a total of 7 times.” Bobby began, “I know that coming back to the firehouse has been an adjustment. Maybe it’s been too much, too soon.”

“Bobby, no. It’s not that at all. I am ready to be back here, I I need  to be back here.” Buck pleaded with a desperate intensity to his tone.

“Then let’s talk.” He said simply. “Grab a seat.” Bobby motioned to the table, washing his hands before moving to the table and sitting down. He watched Buck follow suit before he sat across from him at the table. “The truth. What is going on?”

Buck exhaled heavily as he ran his hands over his face, trying to gather his thoughts before talking to his Captain. Maybe he could make something up to satisfy him. But, if he didn’t buy it he could be causing even more damage and that was the last thing that he needed.  It had taken Buck long enough to get cleared to return to the firehouse. Those months away while he was in recovery had been agonizing. “I’ve just-- I’ve been having a hard time sleeping.” There was a long pause as Buck waited for Bobby to say something. But he said nothing, just kept his eyes intent on Buck as he listened. “Since the tsunami.” He added, lowering his blue eyes to his eyes that rested uncomfortably in his lap. He had been doing such a good job keeping his emotions at bay, keeping everything in check over the last two months. And after last night of all nights, now he had to be dragging out his emotional baggage for Bobby.

“Have you seen anyone about this?”

“It’s not that serious, Bobby. I just haven’t been getting enough sleep. “ Buck promised. 

“It’s not that simple. This isn’t you just strolling in late to an office job. You not being able to make it here on time, it affects people other than just you. It affects every single person in this fire house. Especially the two times that we had to leave for a call down one because you weren’t here.”

Buck ran his hands through his hair roughly. “I know.” He carefully studied the table, running his thumb along the grain of the wood. “It’s just-- since the tsunami, I’ve--” He let out a barely discernible sigh. “I’ve been having these nightmares, okay?”

“You went through hell and back during the tsunami. It’s normal to struggle.” Bobby told him, “But this is more than struggling just a little bit, isn’t it?”  Buck nodded silently, his eyes still focused on the table as he felt his eyes welling with tears. He was not going to do this. He was not going to let him in, he was not going to cry in front of his Captain. But what if he didn’t let him in and Bobby took action because he wasn’t performing the way that he had been before his injury and before the tsunami? What if his entire career went up in flames over this?

“Every. Single. Night.” Buck spoke barely above a whisper, his voice breaking. “Every single night I have to relive the most terrifying moments of my life. Of losing Christopher. Of--of thinking, and believing that Christopher had died. For hours, not knowing what happened. After Eddie trusted me to take care of him.” 

Bobby looked at him then, taking the time to really see him. The kid had been carrying this guilt with him for months know, never taking the time to deal with those feelings so that he was able to move past them. “Buck, what happened that day was not your fault. It was a natural disaster. You saved countless lives, including Christopher.”

Buck shook his head silently, wiping a stray tear away. “Okay, I saved him. And then I lost him.”

Realizing that he wasn’t getting anywhere, Bobby drummed his fingers on the table top. “You’re going to start seeing someone about this. A therapist.”

“Bobby, I --”

“This isn’t up for discussion. You either start seeing someone and actually deal with what happened during the tsunami, or you will be on desk duty indefinitely.”

“Bobby! This is so unfair.” 

“You are going down a very dangerous path. I have been down that road, and let me tell you that the things that I went through trying to drown out the nightmares nearly killed me.” Bobby had spent years trying to bury those memories. He had tried using alcohol and drugs to make him forget. To keep the nightmares at bay. He would go on benders and wake up not even knowing where he was, or how he had gotten there in the first place.

“But I’m not you. And it’s not fair for you to punish me for your struggles.”

“You’re right, you’re not me. But I am your Captain, and either you start seeking help to get past this, or you’ll be on probation and moved to desk duty. I am not willing to risk and see what happens next, Buck.” Bobby paused briefly, letting his words sit with the young firefighter. “So what’s it gonna be?”

Buck met Bobby’s gaze for the first time in several  minutes, letting out a shaky breath. “You’re not really leaving me a choice here, Cap.”  Buck’s eyes lowered, as though he needed to prepare himself for the next words. “I’ll get help.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Maddie said I might find you here.” Eddie spoke as he approached Buck at the bar, taking in the sight of him. He sat alone at the bar with a beer in his hand, taking a long pull from it before setting it down on the bartop.

“Good to know that Maddie is sending status reports on my whereabouts to the team.” Buck turned his body ever so slightly, his striking blue eyes meeting Eddie’s with a hazy gaze.

“Don’t be an idiot.” Eddie spoke before turning to the bartender and ordering himself a water. He turned his attention back to Buck. “Abuela is hanging out with Christopher tonight. Which is a good thing, since you clearly need a designated driver to get you home tonight.”

“I d’ not need a designated driver to get home.” Buck rolled his eyes ever so slightly, a faint slur to his voice. “Safety first.” He stopped for a brief moment and then let out a mocking laugh. “What are you? FIVE?”

“Buck, don’t be a dumbass.”  Eddie’s eyebrow arched slightly. “Obviously you are the five year old in this scenario. I’m at least eight.” Buck let out an easy laugh, shaking his head as he brought the beer back up to his lips. “So… are you going to tell me what is so serious that you are at the bar, drinking alone?”

The younger man gave a slight shrug of his shoulder at the question. “Nothing is serious. Just didn’t want to sit at home by myself tonight.”

“So instead, you’re sitting at the bar, alone tonight?” Eddie challenged.

“I really don’t feel like going another round today.” He spoke flatly. “But I could go for another round.” Buck waved over the bartender, flashing a smile. “Can I get two shots of Jack?”

“Sure, I’ll add it to your tab, Buck.” The blond bartender lined up two shot glasses and filled them with whiskey before sending a pearly smile his way. It was not lost on Eddie that not only had Buck been there long enough to have a tab open, but the bartender was on a first name basis with him.

“So the bartender knows you by name.” 

Buck ignored Eddie’s statement and slid one of the shot glasses in front of him. “Have a shot with me, Eddie.”

“I am not having a shot with you. Let’s go.”

“You are such a buzzkill, man. But suit yourself, more for me.” Buck easily finished the first shot before setting it back down on the  top of the bar. 

“Come on, Evan.” Eddie’s hands balled ever so slightly into fists, crossing them tightly over his chest. Buck was being completely impossible. He glanced at the bartender and leaned in,  asking for Buck’s tab. He slid his card across the bar silently. The move went unnoticed as Buck lifted the second shot glass, moving it between his fingers.

“Aw c’mon man, are you sure you don’t want this?” Eddie didn’t need to say anything, because the frown that he was wearing did all of the speaking for him. Buck shrugged, quickly downing the shot. 

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go.” Eddie grabbed his best friend lightly by the elbow, trying to move him into an upright position.  Buck stumbled slightly but was able to move himself upright, with Eddie’s guidance. “That’s it.” Eddie assured him, sliding Buck’s arm over his shoulder to help support him as they made their way out to Eddie’s truck. It took Eddie a few moments to get Buck in the truck and safely buckled in. 

Not two minutes into the drive Eddie could hear Buck’s breathing slow down. As he reached the stop sign closest to his house, he glanced over at Buck, his brow furrowed with concern. It wasn’t that he’d never seen Buck drunk before, he had more times than he could count. They’d gone out countless nights and thrown some beers back, played darts, and talked about life working for the 118. But this was different. Buck hadn’t called him to meet for drinks. He had gone to the bar essentially as a welfare check, at Maddie’s request. She was worried about her little brother, and she knew from experience that he wouldn’t talk to her.

Eddie shifted the truck into park as they pulled into his driveway. “Whatever the hell is going on in that head of yours, it’s going to hurt like a bitch in the morning.”  

[bloody-kitsune-lover]

Finally updated this bad boy

Robin and Spoiler are in dire straits, when suddenly a mysterious stranger with a red helmet comes upon the scene….