#My questionable hoard of WIPs

[earth-ambassador-jim]

Laughs nervously. We’re going to put this under a readmore line

Let’s see there’s...

~Kids will be kids

~Three Things

~Take Two

~Time has passed me by

~death and rebirth

~Honey I shrunk the Trollhunter

~Reckless Adventures

~After life

~Dabbles 2

~Bleeding out

And in the multi-chapter files:

Bad reaction sequel

~Chapter one

Satisfaction

~Satisfaction 2

Lost Souls

~ch13 -Judge a Book by its Cover

~Climax

~future snippits

2 Years in the dark

~If you’re still breathing

A Twist in Time

~Twist in Time Ch1

~Twist in Time Ch2

Changeling Loyalties

~Changeling Loyalties ch10

~Changeling Loyalties ch11

~extra- Jim and Toby as kids 2

~Future chapter A

~Future chapter B

~Future chapter C

~Future chapter D

~Future chapter E- Battle of Killahead part 1

~Future chapter F- Battle of Killahead part 2

~Future chapter G

~Knight Fall

~Later Scenes

Everything is NOT okay AU

~All these voices ch4

~All these voices ch5

Out of the Depths

~Out of the Depths CH 8

An that’s only my Trollhunters WIPs. *Sighs* I need help...

Wip Challenge

I was tagged by @beannary (thanks btw!)

Rules: “post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. I have deemed that this isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? Dnd campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!!

My Wips

• First Frost ch. 4

• The Manor Atop The Hill ch. 1

• Tulips Of Time ch. 13

• My what sharp teeth you have

• That Stupid Candle Cursed Us

• Revenge Is Awful Bitter, Isn’t It?

• A Spider On The Wall

• You’re In The Darklands Now

I’ll tag @teaandstargazing @rockymaidenvixen and @thosetrollkids (feel free to ignore this if you don’t want to)

[scifrey]

NINE-TENTHS

Oh my gosh, the book is now officially out! This is the first original novel I've published since 2018 and I am very excited and very nervous to share it.

☕♥️🐉

➡️ You can read it here. ⬅️

Chapters drop Wednesdays and Saturdays, and if you're worried, the story is already finished and fully uploaded. This is not a WIP that I will abandon later--it's totally complete.

About the book:

Twenty-four is one year too young for a quarter-life crisis, but hey, Colin's always been an overachiever. He's got a degree in Sustainable Tourism, which his family says he's wasting as a barista, an annoying anxiety disorder, and no freaking idea what to do with his life. The only thing going his way is the cute coffee shop regular, a homo draconis named Dav (who, in his humanshape, is a total hottie.) Still, it'd be easier if Dav didn't have a habit of accidentally setting things on fire when he's startled. Like the café kitchen.

When Dav breaks draconic taboo and volunteers as a replacement bean-roaster to apologize for the inferno meet-ugly, sparks really fly. Everything's finally happening for Colin, until he learns that hooking up with Dav means that under dragon law, Colin is absorbed into Dav's hoard.

Possession may be nine-tenths of the law, but becoming his boyfriend's property does not make this whole identity crisis thing easier. Especially now that Colin must navigate politics, paparazzi, and legal questions about his personhood. Colin's still angling for his Happily Ever After, but the growing scrutiny on his relationship with Dav threatens their budding romance. And if he's not careful, Colin's fight for agency may just destroy symbiotic human/dragon relationships worldwide.

Beautiful cover art by @seancefemme

[leviiackrman]

WIP WEDNESDAY;

I was tagged (over MULTIPLE weeks) by @lilywatt @a-treides @greenecreek (possibly more) to show some wips, and I finally have something to share! Life has been busy - applying for jobs and going back to work in general etc - but I have some things I wanted to showcase, so enjoy Asami Wednesday! Thank you sm for the tags🤍

I’ve been talking to @shellibisshe about our gals Amara & Asami recently, which has inspired me to FINALLY draw Asami in her fantasy AU form! Based on the end credits sequence set in a fantasy world, Asami is a mermaid that can turn human out of the water (think aquamarine) so I’m working on her human and mermaid designs! She has a v little mermaid coded moment with Barbarian Bakugo - as she saved him from drowning when he falls off of Kiri in dragon form tehe. Alongside that I’m currently writing out her timeline (also FINALLY) so have a snippet of her first day at UA! I still have plenty more to write before it’s ready to share but I’m waiting on my new tablet keyboard to arrive so my life is easier lmao. I hope you enjoy!

“Asami’s first official day was a rollercoaster. The anxiety she felt standing at the front of the class made her want to burst into tears, seeing so many talented yet unfamiliar faces now staring at her in confusion

Being thrust into a room about to elect their class president was the perfect cover to slip into her back row seat and hope no one approached her right away

A few classmates had already expressed excited at her joining the class, while a few faces across the room looked more then displeased - one boy in particular attempting to murder her with his eyes

Before she knew it homeroom was over, and lunch was about to start. Unsure where to go or what to do, Asami stayed sat in her seat, before a hoard of students flooded her table to make introductions

The first names that stuck in her mind were Mina, Kirishima and Denki, while a few more reserved members approached her more gently

A tall boy by the name of Ida - the newly elected class president - ushered the hoard of questioning students away before offering Asami the opportunity to have lunch with himself and some other classmates

Asami bashfully accepted, watching as everyone left the classroom before being introduced to a girl names Ochaco and a boy named Izuku

For the first time ever, Asami was eating lunch with other students. The awe of the moment left her speechless for the most part, but the odd few questions throw her direction made her talk more than she was used to. It was a pleasant conversation

The day ended on a slightly unpleasant note however. Whilst leaving the classroom to go to her new accommodation, Asami was approached by the same scowling boy from before

His tone was unpleasant and accusatory, something she had grown used to over time, but his words struck her hard as he accused her of having a free pass into the best hero school in the country

The words stung a lot, and made her already inferior demeanour grow tenfold”

Tagging: @carrionsflower @risingsh0t @simonxriley @tommyarashikage @kanos @confidentandgood @unholymilf @florbelles @thedeadthree @shellibisshe @roofgeese @aezyrraeshh @faerune @tekehu @jackiesarch @minaharkers @sergeiravenov @carlosoliveiraa @rosenfey @queennymeria @heroofpenamstan @tethrras @jamessunderlandgf @solasan @bigbywlf @delzinrowe @fenharel @imogenkol

[anulithots]

I concur, adding little siblings on discord servers can be some of the best (or worst depending on the sibling) decisions ever made.

Adding my little sibling on discord was the best decision of my life

[oneluckydragon]

got hit with the echo+sora brainrot so i am once more rambling in your askbox about it. because reasons.

anywho i think there is something truly saddening about echo's struggles to make peace within herself and how she truly finds it hard to find that peace when she is so certain that if the truth about her origins were to be revealed to the world, much less to *sora*, everything she achieved, everything she worked for, all of which matters to her most, will crumble away in a moment's notice.

but the fear of losing all your life's work is none compared to the fear of losing sora. the feeling of poison that settled itself within themselves and between each other out of fear and tragedy of what had happened to them is familiar. echo's resemblance to dusknoir was already enough to set the two off because of how much it had all hurt to see someone you love and yourself turn into a mockery and a splitting image of someone who had pretended to care yet showed he never did at all, but this poison is louder. it hurts to bare, to carry, and to have none but yourself to be its sole holder.

but this poison, this feeling of heartache is different. because whereas the previous pain was something both of them felt, sora was lucky enough to not have known the truth about the person who she cares for so dearly.

echo knows that she used to be darkrai. and it haunts her to have known that her previous incarnation was so *cruel*, all for the sake of it just feeling right. wishing to engulf an entire world in darkness, solely for whatever desire she used to have.

and for how much she knows, how much she will hammer it into her own head that she is *not* like that anymore, that she looks at her past with sneer and disgust and that she will not be the barer of evil anymore, it will not matter in the slightest when she will have to look at sora if she were to ever find out.

how afraid, angry and dejected she would look when finding out, and how she will go on the defense/offense because of how much this will overwhelm her.

because when echo looks at her own shadow, she sees herself for what she is. she knows what she is, be it out of shame or guilt.

but when sora will look at it, she will see a tall, contorting and menacing shadow, towering over with a bright cyan eye doing nothing but looking at her, as if tempting her to make the next move.

and she defends herself. from someone she knows will not harm her. she raises her arms up in self defense from a hand that would never hurt her more than the world has already did.

she knows echo will not hurt her. and thats why she is afraid.

Oh my oh my OH MY, Sinnoh!!! YES YES YES!

HOW!!! IN THE WORLD!!! Are you so good at crawling into my head and creating these vivid analysis/snippets on my OCs??? I've barely shared ANY information about Echo and Sora because I've been wanting to hoard most of my stuff for when my fic is finally finished... but... I think you've broken my resolve a bit, if I'm entirely honest.

You know what? I'm so inspired by your accuracy and eagerness to talk about my girls that I'm gonna forgo my crippling anxiety regarding my writing skills and instead post a snippet of my WIP fic here as a treat for you. A teaser, if you will. Since I have no idea when the fic in question will actually be done and ready (or when I will be satisfied with it, cause the thing is currently 36,000 words and still slowly climbing). And now you've got me eager to share SOMETHING of my fic with you and anyone that might want to take a peek at it.

Please enjoy this conversation between Dusknoir and Echo. The topic deals a lot with what you'd described up above!! c:

[Note: this is an unedited part of my fic because I am still in the process of writing and it may change in the future, so please be gentle w/ me but I'd love to read any thoughts/comments that pop up while reading!! pls send asks or replies or anything really cause I love you guys]

+++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++

“I’m going to tell you something now, and you are going to listen.” Echo commands with a sharp bite in her voice that Dusknoir cannot fathom ignoring. He pauses and then offers a slow nod, waiting, wondering what she could possibly desire to tell him at a time like this, of all things.

Minutes pass as Echo remains rooted in place, still as her own shadow, and her eyes dart around as she stares at the patches of dry grass and sand beneath her paws. Her claws clench and unclench, digging into the earth like daggers as the wind of the forest (it’s trees so close, just behind them, a looming sort of presence that could engulf them whole) whistles through the surrounding branches, carrying stray leaves of many bright greens through the chilling breeze. Dusknoir watches them dance around Echo, twirling, floating down, down, down… but it’s quiet, too quiet, and Dusknoir feels a shiver pass through him when Echo’s voice finally rings out through the silence.

"When I evolved, Sora was petrified," She says, nearly a whisper, an admission that melts away her confidence and appears to bring her a flood of both shame and regret. Her face twists up then, strangely, like she’d felt a twinge of pain from somewhere deep inside the very fabric of her own soul and was unable to quell it. "She couldn’t even bring herself to look at me most days. At first, my appearance… well, it reminded her too much of you. And eventually of someone I used to be.”

Someone I used to be. At that, Dusknoir’s immediate reaction is to recall Echo’s previous life as a human, as the miserable shell of a creature surviving alongside Grovyle that he’d relentlessly hunted in the dark future. A human made of contempt and anger and apathy, who never smiled or laughed or cried or screamed like the old legends said humans would-- an entity that simply existed rather than lived. An echo of a life long dead and buried. But, judging by her tone, by her voice, by some uneasy intuition itching in the back of his mind like a swarm of pestilent Ninjask… he knows that she means something else entirely. Something that she isn’t willing to share. And frankly, that concept utterly terrifies him.

Someone I used to be. Dusknoir wants to speak, to break his own silence, wants to ask the myriad of questions bubbling up in his throat because this isn't the first time she's hinted at another life beyond being human, but those questions die at the source like a flame doused in water. And always the coward, coward, coward, instead he takes the easy way out by doing nothing at all. Whether Echo notices his surge of inner conflict or not-- the nervous wring of his hands and the tremble in his spine that he cannot control under her gaze-- she does not react.

“I’d take a step and Sora would flinch away.” Echo confesses, her markings flickering with light before going dark and dead, as if her body wished to snuff them out entirely, a deep seated rejection, a self-loathing so strong that Dusknoir cannot help but recognize it and empathize, and his heart aches, “It took ages for her to stop shaking when I’d speak. To stop looking at me like-- like I was going to…” 

Echo grimaces like she’s enduring waves of grueling torture and doesn’t finish that string of thought, but it’s not hard to make an educated guess on what went unsaid. Like I was going to betray her. Hurt her. Break her heart. She’s been through so much already and I couldn’t bear to be another influence in the history of her suffering. I hate myself because of how I made her feel. When her eyes went wide in fear and through them I could see myself staring back like some sort of burden, some sort of curse.

“I am not my past.” Proud and true, Echo straightens up and holds her head high, a spark igniting in her eyes, a glint of determination, a will to keep going and going despite such circumstances and strife, despite this horrid, unspeakable past that haunts her so, “And I am definitely not you. It’s taken a while, but I know that much now. I’ve accepted it.”

I am not my past. And I am definitely not you.

A sigh, a breath, and Echo glances at him with a certain sorrow that cannot be described, a sorrow that lingers even through the veil of her tenacity, "But no matter how I feel, no matter my conviction, my shadows still find ways through the cracks. Every time I think I'm getting a grip and that I might finally understand myself… I change all over again." She admits, sounding more angry and tired than defeated now-- like a mirror of her old self, her human self that had clawed and damned and cursed him, despised him more than anything. "I hate it. I hate that I never truly know who I am. That I have to learn about my past through stories others tell me, or through fragments of twisted, broken memories that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Through conflict and pain and… and..."

"Echo," Dusknoir murmurs her name softly, an offering, a potential escape if only she would wish to drop the subject and forget this conversation had ever happened-- if she'd overstepped and needed an excuse to back out, a diversion, an understanding. And briefly, Dusknoir wonders why she is opening up about this particular information, why she would delve into something so vulnerable, so personal. Why she would bring up this hurtful history when it obviously brings her great discomfort.

And then, he gets an answer.

“You’re lucky, Dusknoir." There it is, that wildfire burning in her eyes again. A spark that’s new and bold and startling. But lucky? No, never. He'd have to disagree, accounting the mountain of evidence that was his life and regrettable deeds.

"You already know exactly who you are and what you’ve done, and most importantly why. You have more than a tattered picture of yourself that reflects broken answers. And you can change with that knowledge. I see you trying.” She tells him, searching, looking for something so deeply and Dusknoir wishes he knew what it could be so that he could give it to her, because he would, he would gladly give it to her without a second thought if it meant they could be close again. But he isn’t a fool, and he’s wise enough to know they’ll never be like they were before. “And if somehow I could change, even as half-assed as I have. Well, then what’s your excuse?”

You can do it, say her unspoken words, I believe in you.

[facewithoutheart]

Ten Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tags @shrekgogurt, @artsyunderstudy, @youarenevertooold, & @roomwithanopenfire I’m enjoying all this navel-gazing a whole bunch actually & I’ve done this before but it’s been awhile… sooo

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 169 (niiiice)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? ~950k (yikes) although some of that is Birthday Man and collabs with people from WIP fest. Don’t ask me to do the math tho; that’s mean.

3. What fandoms do you write for? I’ve written for HP, Check Please, and RWRB although right now I’m mostly a CO writer with a toe dipping into 9-1-1. I have one Captain America fic posted and some WIPs I don’t know if I’ll finish. Nobody look at that AFTG fic; it’s pure crack.

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Whoo boy do I have thoughts here. I want to be the kind of writer who replies to comments and I harbor so much guilt that I’m not; I know I miss out on opportunities to connect with readers, and I genuinely appreciate comments so much; I hoard them in my inbox like a greedy lil affirmation dragon. I write to engage and connect. So, like, I know I should but at the same time I hate forcing interactions. I like them to spawn organically. I keep my circle small because I get really emotionally overwhelmed and then I feel guilty when I can’t give people what they deserve. And I’ve also never been comfortable with compliments or gratitude, I don’t trust them. So here’s a bulk of emotional trauma no one asked for to say: I don’t reply to comments as often as I feel I should and I’m trying to release the guilt I feel about this while also recognizing that not commenting probably has a direct negative affect on my ability to meet my goal of connecting through writing and at the same time my mental health probably couldn’t withstand the pressure I would need to place on it to get to where I’m replying to comments regularly. Hi I’m a mess who’s trying to love herself and often falls short of that goal; aren’t we all?

5. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No.

6. Have you ever co-written a fic before? So many actually! I didn’t think I’d ever get to a place where I trust someone else to the level this would take but I’ve been really lucky to work with some amazing writers even if not all of those works went anywhere. I actually don’t even think I could realistically tag all the people I’ve collabed with bc I’m afraid I’ll miss someone and isn’t that amazing? Personal growth; we love to see her.

7. What’s your all-time favorite ship? Oh man. I want to just be lame and say it’s me and Mr. Face 🤣 I shipped us when no one else did. Um! Snowbaz is always going to have a special place in my heart, but I’m really leaning into Buddie right now because of age and wanting to explore people in their 30’s still figuring out their lives while battling PTSD and late-in-life sexuality realizations. For, um. Reasons.

8. What are your writing strengths? I do like my dialogue a lot; dialogue is often where I start my scenes and I develop from there. I think I’ve done a good job of honing my ability to vary action/dialogue/internality a lot. I also think I keep people engaged or maybe I just keep myself engaged which is good enough for me. Sometimes I’m funny although sadly not as much recently.

9. What are your writing weaknesses? I struggle with remembering to add in physical descriptors. (Like oh shit have I ever mentioned this character has eyes?) Logistics are a frequent source of pain. (Wait, where were their hands?) I think my plots are kind of basic and boring; I don’t come up with really vivid and detailed concepts. I use the wrong words for things. I really hate detailing out backstory. I have to reread my fics a million times to maintain character consistency. Etc.

10. First fandom you wrote for? Hey Arnold. I wish I could find those fics; I bet they suck.

Tagging 10 peeps @sillyunicorn @mostlymaudlin @martsonmars @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @thewholelemon @palimpsessed @aristocratic-otter & @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

[hircines-hunter]

Okay I’m in a much better place than yesterday. I will read all those wips!

I have a few asks in my box! I haven’t gotten to! I see them

@skyrim-crossing I should answer them but sometimes I want to hoard nice things 😭❤️ I’ll get to it!

And @umbracirrus I need to answer those questions you sent with the ask game! I haven’t totally forgotten 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😅😅

I’ve written 239 words today. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

I’m gonna try the ramen egg trick at lunch just gotta carefully transport an raw egg to work lol 😂

[space-writes]

OC most likely

tagged by @the-inkwell-variable, thank you! i’ll do these for claws since it’s my only modern wip that fits the questions (and also i love those horrid idiots)

Rules: Choose one of your OCs that best matches the given statement, and briefly explain why.

[ID - a red and black decorative divider]

Who is more likely to go out to eat rather than cook?

Rainier's a lazy fuck who likes nice things but can't be bothered to put in the effort to learn how to make them, plus he's rich as shit so he can do what he wants.

Who prefers Vine over Tiktok (or vice versa)?

Vivien only knows tiktok, because he's too young to have been around for vine outside of compilation videos.

(Rainier never used vine but he 100% uses tiktok just to make thirst traps and gets away with it because he's hot enough that it cancels out most kinds of cringe)

Who hoards candles they will never use but cannot part with?

Making a surprise debut because she never normally shows up in answer to anything: Holly! If she sees a pretty candle with a nice scent it's going in her basket, end of. They're used as decor all over her home, but she mostly burns incense.

[ID - a red and black decorative divider]

no-pressure tagging @zmwrites @memento-morri-writes and @chauceryfairytales - your questions are:

Who cannot be trusted in a bookstore with someone else's money?

Who is most likely to actually call someone on their birthday?

Who takes the longest amount of time between waking up and starting the day?

claws taglist: @belovedviolence @foxboyclit @coven-archives @noblebs @mjjune

@revenantlore @sarandipitywrites @k--havok @asterhaze @verba-writing

@indecentpause @bootstrapparadoxed @olliexwrites @cowboybrunch (ask to be +/-)

[the-lady-general]

fic author q&a

@curator-on-ao3 thank you so much for tagging me! 💚✨ It's taken me a little to answer (almost) all the questions, but here you go:

1. Why do you write fanfic?

Sometimes I need to get an idea out of my head, sometimes I need to get an idea down on the page, sometimes I want to write for the sake of writing.

(The REAL real reason why I write fanfic instead of original fic is so that I don't have to come up with names and physical descriptions for a bunch of different characters. *shoves all-oc wip back under the floorboards*)

2. Which of your posted stories do you think about the most, even though the story is “finished”?

For now it's Change the World. That one was a lot of fun. I re-read it loads because it makes me laugh.

3. If you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

You don't know English yet, but once you start learning: on eff eff dot net, cock means penis, not rooster. No advice on the writing, your Gerudo self-insert Mary Sue is already perfect. 💚

4. What’s your relationship to fic stats?

I don't care at all, unless I'm being sulky. I like to think that getting it out of my system relatively quietly makes me the charming ray of sunshine that you, kind and radiant reader, knows and loves. 😁

5. Is there a pairing or scenario or friendship you miss writing? If so, why? If not, why not?

I miss Joseph/Hemmer, that was fun to write. I couldn't stick the fix-it part of the fix-it fic, so I abandoned it in my wips, but I like coming back to it and rereading the more coherent scraps.

6. What motivates you to write?

Mostly jokes! My latest, Life, When It Gives You Lemons, is based on that genius Darmok and Salad at Tanagra pun.

(That's probably the reason why nothing ever came of my Joseph/Hemmer or Una prison break fics: there's enough dead kids and dead parents in SNW to stop me laughing.)

What motivates me for my current WIP is mostly "Can I do this?". The answer so far seems to be yes, provided I can string enough jokes together.

7. Why do you write for the fandom(s) that you write for?

For Star Trek it's mostly friends (hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, hi! 👋🖖), for LotR it's because somehow, there's still not all the stories I want to read out there, and for 40k it's my desire to throw war dollies around without ever having to memorize a different codex every time I blink.

8. If you’re stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

I give up and add it to my ~private library~ or I ask for help. The bragging rights of producing something of AO3 quality makes editing worth the hassle. That's my hoard, that is. 🐲

9. What do you wish people knew about comments?

I'm really bad at answering them, so if you, smart and elegant reader, want a reply, trick me into a conversation by asking me questions!

If I don't reply that means your comments ended up as a coal on the warm cozy fire in my heart that's keeping the "Not A Talentless Hack" feelings at bay and I never figured out how to adequately repay that kindness. Thank you. 💚

10. Maybe there’s a question you wish had been on here. What’s that question (and answer)?

I couldn't think of any since getting tagged, so in the interest of finally answering the other nine questions: No, but thank you for asking!

This was fun! I've lost sight of who's already played and who might like to join in, so without pressure: @cicaklah @ichayalovesyou @indignantlemur and anyone else who wants to give this a shot!

[hawnks]

mints do you think its necessary to have some kind of education in order to be good at writing?

like im not saying ya gotta have a phd in english, but sometimes i feel really plain and like my ideas and styles are not complex bc i never had proper higher education even though im well into my 20s.

ive always loved learning and read a lot in my spare time, but school has always intimidated me and was a big source of anxiety so i never went back (also, no funds/time atm).

I just wanna write for a little audience like friends and moots, but even with them i get really self conscious in the end i dont let them into the worlds i curated for us. as if its not good enough to share so they stay tucked away in the wips folder forever.

any advice or consolation? sorry this got long and winded 😭 i appreciate you just reading this to the end tho ❣️🌷

As someone with two degrees in writing, let me tell you: you don’t need it.

When I lead workshops, I like to remind writers that they are capable of writing a Good Story as they are now. Do not hold the story you want to tell out of your own reach because you’re waiting for some nebulous future, where you are worthy of writing it.

It’s yours—it’s in your hands already.

It seems like you have some stuff written already, so my main question for you is: what are you asking of your work? Do you want more stories about your specific interests? Do you want fame? Do you want to find a community? Do you want to vent your deepest darkest secrets? Do you want to share your love of something?

Whatever it is you’re looking for, you can’t find it by hoarding what you make. I know moving forward is scary — but entropy is scarier.

[katrinafaire]

Perfectionism = Intimidation = Procrastination

You know, I think I know what's wrong with me. In three months, I wrote a solid 70% of my novel.

Cure is approaching 100K (I have under 6K to get there and my chapters are 2K each) so it will definitely be a bit over that by the ending. I know exactly what I need to have happen here, it's crystal clear how to get from now to the ending and I can't. Or rather, I am crawling that way. The end is in sight and suddenly my stamina flags.

Or has it?

See I've built this up in my head as a Great Thing and it has to have the perfect punch to live up to the rest of the book. It's a whole deal. And my perfectionism has reared up like a dragon, hoarding the unwritten chapters until I... I don't know? Prove myself up to the task?

And that's intimidating. So what you've got then, is the sort of 'stage fright' of it must be perfect throwing you into a fight flight freeze response -- because what isn't written, doesn't have to be perfect -- but you have the intimidation, questioning if your work is even good enough, throwing you into a spiral of questioning your skill as an author, worth as a storyteller, and the infamous "is it even worth the effort?" This double whammy means instant procrastination.

This is where manuscripts go to die.

But see, I'm not ready to give up on Cure. I have wanted to tell this story for years and I will have it. My tools are simple:

You can edit anything but a blank page; 'perfection' is the enemy of done.

No work in your head looks as good as the one you've put to paper.

No one has to know what 'perfection' looked like in your head; they can't miss something that isn't there / hasn't been discussed.

No one said you had to share it. Maybe you need another draft, maybe it's just for you, or a small circle of friends, and doesn't have that same pressure.

And, specific to me: this is just my first draft, it's not supposed to be perfect.

Food for thought, I thought I'd share. I've been puzzling over this and while there's definitely health issues causing trouble, I could feel that's not "it"... but I think this is.

Go write a sentence in your WIP for me, yeah?

[amalgamcorps]

Rosaries round our necks while we freak

about | didsys;30 | links

🔞MY PAGE IS NSFW!!🔞

uncensored things can be found on my twit, bsky, or fa, but i prefer tumblr over anything really... until i make my own site

KNOW THE MEANINGS; GENERAL TAGZ

hoard = my art altar = things made for me mates = things for my partners (#💙 #💚) offering = things for other people drivel = text posts neokinz = neopets + webkinz posting neokinz attack = too many in 1 pic to list amalgamate = system stuff pedestal = things i think are neat, it doesnt go on my blog if it isnt neat assistance = provide help if you can deco = web design things paws n claws = my pets inquiry = asks and questions answered gestating = wips or unfinished things creepy crawlies = bugs and other gross things ebay adventures = not always on ebay but neat stuff i find for sale outmoded = old art or other ancient texts no name = nameless ocs sorry there is a lot holy grail = the best of the best, trophy posts skeuomorph = my traditional arts cavalcade = queue passing through

CW RELATED TAGS;

assistance posts will never be tagged with cws sorry, theyre important and must be seen i also wont tag scars with cws unless there is blood persecution = injustices subjects (racism, transphobia, ableism etc.) carnage = covers all blood, gore, and guts related thanatophobia = includes all death subjects (animal ,human, etc.) whorish = nudity, fetish, nsfw/porn related or censored images trepidation = general catch all for horror media just in case aberration = mental/physical health subjects (c-ptsd, schizo, autism, endometriosis, fibromyalgia etc) oblivion = subjects of major discomfort (suicide, assault, familial abuse, animal abuse, religious abuse etc.) specific fetishes will generally be tagged by name

‽‽‽WANNA KNOW WHOS WHO‽‽‽

🐾The Handy Dandy Glossary:Last Updated 11/1/2024🐾 💫Just because theyre there doesnt mean theyre here!💫

WOAHWOAHWOAH!!! DID YOU MAKE HER MAD??? GET OUT!! GET OUT NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN RUN!!

[nativestarwrites]

to the surprise of absolutely no-one, all of your wips sound AMAZING! i would love to hear about 'hostages' and/or 'comfort s2 sick' and/or 'that tennis one'

🌹💚🌹💚🌹

Thank you!! Apologies for taking so long to answer this. I got busy and then I got busy hoarding the ask like treasure.

Hostages is the continuation of a drabble I posted a while back where Roy and Jamie discover a break-in at Jamie's. Except the culprits are still there.

Jamie’s eyes are distant, clouded with pain and just enough out of focus to make Roy worry. “Hey, how’re you doing?” Jamie blinks, but his eyes focus back on Roy. “They’re not gonna let us go, are they.” Jamie says quietly, it’s less of a question and more of a statement. “We’ve seen their faces. Know their names.”

Comfort S2 sick is (unsurprisingly) set in S2 where Jamie's only just getting friendly with the team again. He screws up in training, lashes out at Sam and then comes down sick the next day but tries to power through because how will it look if he calls in sick?

Ted’s hand flies out and Jamie flinches, he fucking flinches but his reactions are slow and Ted’s palm still makes contact with his forehead. “Are you sick, Jamie?” Ted asks with concern. Jamie’s caught off-guard enough to not have a quick response lined up and the pause goes on too long for him to not get caught in a lie. He lifts one shoulder in a shrug.

That Tennis One is me finally carrying out my threat to write a Tennis AU every time Wimbledon comes around. As I'm starting with the plotting well in advance of Wimbledon I think it'll get written this time. I'm currently having so much fun outlining! Writing out little bios for all the characters with their backstory and tennis styles.

It's going to focus on the Davis Cup as that involves teams rather than individuals but there's definitely going to be a Wimbledon chapter too as it's my favourite tournament.

“Why’d you sack Cartrick?” “’Cause he’s a prick.” “He’s always been a prick,” Roy says as if that isn’t a good enough answer. He’s not wrong. Jamie had known going in that Cartrick wasn’t what anyone would call pleasant. Crude jokes were par for the course, often at Jamie’s expense. Cartrick had made his dad laugh though, he’d approved of him, even more when Jamie had started to move up the rankings under his coaching. Jamie could take the jibes from Cartrick if it meant he got his dad off his back.

[claudiajcregg]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @mihrsuri. Thanks, Lil! I feel like I've answered these in the not-so-distant past, and might have accidentally ignored one or more tags. Oops. I need to check the Mentions tab and check it out!

(I also started writing this… earlier this week, and forgot about the tab. Sorry this is so so long.)

01. how many works do you have on ao3? 24 fics, though one of them has eight ficlets… So some would count it as 31. (It's still 24.)

02. what's your total ao3 word count? 167,815 words

03. what fandoms do you write for? TWW.

04. top five fics by kudos?

maybe everything's just turning out how it should be

(big gulf here)

say it's here where our pieces fall in place

just your smile lit a sixty-watt bulb in my house that was darkened for days

nobody knows how to get back home

we could be the way forward and I know I'll pay for it 

05. do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to get to all of them, and feel bad when I hoard them (because they're lovely) or they slip through the cracks. (I tend to wait some time before replying to the comments on my most recent fic, so if anything comes in later, it might be immediate or two months late.)

06. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I feel like I always struggle with this answer because they're mostly hopeful endings! Which is just my perception and now how it is. Tempted to go check what I've answered in the past.

Most recently, I think what if the way you hold me is actually what's holy has that 'right person, wrong time', on borrowed time vibes. But maybe not! My go-to answer always feels like my post-Portland Trip fic, don't want you to go but I'll be okay, because it feels so final and bittersweet then.

07. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, which one should I pick? I think the Cali/Jan 22nd fic from earlier this year (oh, and I will be with you to feel the California sun) is just pure happiness, tbh. Memoir fic (still you never took your hand from mine) also feels like a saccharine, sweet ending! (Could've also picked the literal wedding reception-set fic, lol.)

08. do you get hate on fic? No! Luckily. If I have, I don't remember. I've gotten a weird comment or two, but those weren't about the fics. So no!

09. do you write smut? Nooooo, of course not. (This is the last time I'll beg you to read on main and that's under a cut lol.) Up till now I could say it was mild scenes in yet-to-be-posted fics, which remains true, but I posted a literal smutty fic last Friday, lol. I'm proud of it and myself, for getting out of my comfort zone, and while it's flopping I'm glad those who've read it liked it!

10. craziest cross over? This is the question that undoubtedly makes me go “lol I've definitely done this before.” Because I always joke that I've already seen the craziest canon crossovers on screen. That said, I haven't personally written one, and don't have ideas.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? No? Sometimes I wonder if some ideas have been borrowed but wouldn't say stolen.

12. have you ever had a fic translated? No! Maybe one day I'll do it myself. (I don't think there's demand for it/Spanish-written fics in this fandom.) (Once again, I'm sure that this answer matches the previous ones.)

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? Sounds fun! No. But anyone interested? hmu.

14. all-time favorite ship? In what sense? I cannot choose, but at the same time… We all know.

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don't like putting this energy out in the universe. It's one thing to post (that's probably a long list) but actual WIPs that are worth it? I want to believe I'll get to them eventually. (But. Unfortunately, the answer is many of them.)

16. what are your writing strengths? Internal world? As in, I am “good” at describing the internal world of a character. idk.

17. what are your writing weaknesses? I write in my second language. I feel like everything's a weakness. (World building, descriptions, dialogue.)

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language? As long as it doesn't take the reader out (and makes sense in the story), 👍 I might have peppered in some Spanish in some of my writing but it feels wrong somehow.

19. first fandom you wrote in? Bones.

20. favorite fic you've written? I cannot pick a favorite child. I can affectionately call them flops because they mostly are, stats-wise, but there's something about them that I love. And I feel like some of my favorite stuff is what's not yet posted! Because it stops feeling “mine” once it's out there.

don't want you to go but I'll be okay · Portland fic · my automatic answer because I felt it was special the second I finished it. So many things came together (that quote, particularly).

we could be the way forward and I know I'll pay for it · St Augustine, a precanon campaign fic ·(Any of the first four (posted in 2021) is super special to me. This one was another one I knew would be special. And it has big “there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you” energy.

your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep · (3+1 fic set in the last third of S7, ft the press corps) · Taylor sang KOMH on N2 because she loved this. I just know it. (I just really love secret relationships/working around that S7 period so much.)

nobody knows how to get back home · itsotg missing scen) · I just like it a lot, and it's also a good candidate for angsty ending. When did it get so many kudos?!

maybe everything's just turning out how it should be · big block of cheese 2008 · felt disingenuous not to include the fic I always knew I wanted to post, even if it's another early one. It's my most popular by a huge margin, and I'm glad.

I so wanted to add fics like the Cali one but this always depends on my mood! So this is the answer that might always change haha.

Shoutout to some unposted ones that I love but won't get published. Or others perpetually in limbo, like the two big multichapters (IM and S5 pregnancy). I feel like some of my best stuff is in What Once Was Ours (the IM AU fic I wrote in 2021), or the S5 Pregnancy AU (which I hope to finish this summer! And I want to start posting once I feel like I'll make that deadline)… And I'm currently really fond of one I've started to call “demons that you know raise hell worse than a stranger.” Coming to you soon, if I get my crap together!

[madsmilfelsen]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @thenookienostradamus, quyanaa!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 22 :)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 237, 409, yeehaw!

3. What fandoms do you write for? Magic Mike (allegedly), Always Sunny (allegedly), Killer Joe, True Detective (season one, I get too weepy if I think about season four too long but someday!), Midnight Mass, Shadow & Bone, Tell Me Your Secrets, Loki, and I've got an original work snuck in there, too

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Typically! I have a habit of hoarding my favorites in my inbox so if I take a week or three months to answer you it's because I've been thinking about kissing you on the mouth. Comments really make my day so I do my best to show gratitude to those who take the time to make them.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Maybe Sinhound? I don't set out to write angst.................. ever, but ending with Mildred's funeral wasn't what I was expecting either.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? All of them :) I'm a sucker for love and happy endings :)))))

8. Do you get hate on fics? no and that gets more and more shocking each time I post a new work lately as my ao3 becomes a pit of depravity while I work through everything I can't put in my novel manuscript.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? hell yeah fuck yeah. I like playing in varying degrees of consent, unhealthy or unbalanced dynamics, girls who come too fast and have weird relationships with sex, yada yada. I have a really supportive husband who I am disgustingly, deeply in love with so a lot of genuine warm and fuzzy feelings for one old man in particular generates a lot of material.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I simply don't have the mind processes for it and admire those who can mix media like that.

11. free space / no question here, send me an ask with one instead please :)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I know of! would be awfully neat though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Oh man, I had a fun star wars piece I was writing with my dear friend, Jess, when impostor syndrome struck too hard to finish-- I still have the embroidery she did of our title (the inverse must also be true) in my office hanging below my first rejection letter :)

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? every goblin couple that make out nasty style, so uh, rust/sugar :( they're so special to me and pulled me out of a Hellacious writer's block

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My only wip is Sunday School Dropout because I sort of forgot where I was going with it, it'll come back with light voyeurism, blood drinking, virginity taking, the usual order

16. What are your writing strengths? I feel like this is question to really sell myself but honestly, hell if I know, creating place? mannerisms maybe? Beyond my general insecurities, some of the nicest compliments I've gotten are for things I did unintentionally so hard to say! I have crafted some fuckin nonlinear bangers I'll give myself that much.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN TENSE and I HAVE NO WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF SENTENCE STRUCTURES, which annoy me and are my father's biggest complaints so I can't take them seriously enough to consciously attempt to improve on them yet. Lately, I've been smoking weed and flipping vocabulary flashcards before bed because my diction feels stagnant, a bit repetitive across pieces like.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I can't even speak english well enough to write coherently I'm not going to fuck up further with google translate. I did some ballet au's a few years back that I know have some french in it but I think I did a firmly okay job with the sprinkles of dialogue-- I know damn well my terminology is correct.

19. First fandom you wrote for? technically game of thrones, I have a sansa/sandor reunion very angrily tapped out in my notes app when season eight skipped it. The first work I posted was Seduction of Odile after I saw a post here about the potential of a rey/kylo blackswan au, reached out and asked if I could give it a try and here I am 22 works and years later :)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? I'm going to be corny but I have a soft spot for every fic that connected me with other writers who are so talented and inspiring and force me to be better so I feel like I can talk to them lmao

tagging tagging tagging @the-heartlines @labyrinthphanlivingafacade @littleredwritingcat @abeadofpoison @teeth-ing @itstendereye @barbie-nightmare-house

[inexplicablymine]

20 question for fic writers

Thank you to @orchidscript @cha-melodius @kiwiana-writes and @daisymae-12 for the tags!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Four. (tis my small but mighty number before the flood of posting that is upcoming)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

37,315

3. What fandoms do you write for?

RWRB, and probably in some nebulous future space ATLA, 911 Lonestar, and Check, Please! (The last two are the fault of @orchidscript and @cricketnationrise)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. No Sense or Sensibility

2. Mr. BodyPillow

3. Uncut Not Uncultured

4. And They were Tentmates!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! Always! Comments are my fuel, and I collect them like a little dragon hoards treasure

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I at this point (both published and unpublished) have 0 angsty endings

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

They are all happy but honestly Mr. BodyPillow still probably takes the cake there

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thank goodness no.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Ha yes, but I can not guarantee it’s quality.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Ask and you shall receive: a RWRB x PJO au crossover is currently in the works to be posted starting this December and elated is an understatement.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I would be HONORED and would LOVE to have any of my fics translated.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

HA… currently in the works

1. PJO au w/ @read-and-write-+ @happiness-of-the-pursuit

2. A verrrry fun one with @celaestis1

3. Threesome fic with @heybuddy-drabbles

4. Something so crack it hurts with @affectionatelyrs

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Don’t do this to me, I will not have an answer. Could go Percabeth, could go Sterek, could go FirstPrince, could go literally in any number of drastic directions but I couldn’t choose a top favorite.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Here’s the thing, if it gets a doc it’s getting finished… which means I have a LOT of works that are coming out in the future.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Prose, description, really painting a scene.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything else? Kidding, I have a strong aversion for commas and I would love to improve the whit in my dialogue.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Yes. But you should absolutely check with someone if you aren’t fluent. Our PJO au has a LOT of fun Spanish curtesy of @read-and-write- 's brilliant mind

19. First fandom you wrote for?

A Sarah Dessen book way back when. Didn’t even realize it was fandom writing at the time. My grandmother still has that notebook with the full story, calls it my first book. If only she knew.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Published? Hmmmm honestly “and they were tentmates” it’s my best written work to date

Unpublished? Toss up between PJO AU and one that I’m working on called Looking For Orion!

No pressure tagging: @princehgejfmw @pridepages @rmd-writes @vonpeepsisback @affectionatelyrs @welcometololaland @read-and-write- @adreamareads @happiness-of-the-pursuit @cricketnationrise