#THANK YOU for all the kudos and bookmarks so far it makes me so!!! happy!!!

[affixjoy]

Yesterday marked one year of writing trek fic!! It’s been a blast, and I have had so much fun writing for you all. I thought it would be fun to do a run down of some of my stats/faves!

Longest fic: Love and Logic

This was my fic for the @mcspirkevents big bang event! I got to work with the talented @donsdrawn and the cover they made is just *chef’s kiss* perfect for the story I wrote.

Most hits: Wanna be the one you want to see

Makes sense since this was one of the first ones I posted! I wrote this in a haze of depression and anxiety when I couldn’t sleep in the week between Christmas and new years and it’s still one of my faves. I’m glad people seem to enjoy it!

Most kudos: also wanna be the one, so I’ll skip to the second most kudos: a heart should always go one step too far.

I LOVE this fic. I wrote it as part of McSpirk month and then FORGOT TO POST IT and remembered because I was feeling sad that no one liked it. Of course no one liked it, no one saw it!

Most comments: your love is like a shadow on me all of the time

This is my looooong Amanda/Sarek fic, and it took me ages to finish. It initially started as a seed of an idea while I was chasing after my kiddo and thinking about what it must have been like for Amanda to be raising little Spock, and then naturally I wanted to write how she got there and never got around to writing the part with Spock as a child! This was a good one for teaching me about keeping my attention on something over a longer period of time, and going back and forth from a longer piece to shorter one. Overall I’m quite happy with how it turned out and I’m glad people liked it!

Most bookmarks: once again this goes to wanna be… so the second most bookmarked is we both had a hand in it (you and me both kid) which is a very rare aos fic for me! I’m usually a tos writer, but seeing @ncc1701ohno and @strangenewwords talk about aos mckirk made me want to join the party. So… this fic was born! One day I will write the final part of this trilogy, but I find it really hard to switch into aos mode so… who knows!

My personal favorite:

I think this needs a tie… risks and rewards and my heart thrown open wide. I wrote Risks and Rewards fora Spring Fever prompt and wrote it immediately then had to sit on it for months! It’s my favorite of my earlier fics for sure.

And My Heart Thrown Open Wide is just one I’m really pleased with! I wanted to mix up all the sadness and sexiness and feelings and I think I accomplished it!

Thank you all for reading, and commenting, and kudosing and sharing my fics! Getting to share them with you has made my life better, and every time someone tells me they liked something I’m delighted.

❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️🖖❤️

[shame-is-a-wasted-emotion]

Okay I have never made a post on this matter. So it's been almost 3 years since I've started writing fanfiction. Everything started from Glee. My first ever ship was Klaine (Kurt x Blaine) and I'm still hopelessly devoted to them. Through writing and reading fanfiction, I basically got more friends online than in real life (no for real) and I'm really happy for it.

Now there are two occasions for me to make this post :

1. It's been almost 3 years since I've entered into the world of fanfictions

2. I have attained 100 bookmarks among other things too.

This is basically a thank you post to all the sweet people I met through the fandoms ( Glee, Red White and Royal Blue, Hazbin Hotel) for being with me and supporting me all through these years through comments, kudos,prompts,beta reading , fanarts, etc... Life has been hard for me at many times but fanfiction has always been a supporting hand along with you guys. So it's a sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I was a Wattpad writer at start and I shifted to AO3 in 4-5 months (I guess?) At the beginning, my writing was horrible. I can't even imagine how horrible it was. If you want the proof, Just read one chapter of "One Step Closer" which was my first ever fic (it's on AO3). Now I guess I can write somewhat decently and I know I still have room to improve and I will. But I'm proud of what I've achieved so far. I've learnt so many new things about fandom and things and they really have helped me much .

Now all the pep talk aside (is my undiagnosed ADHD evident?) being in this fandom has made me realize much things about myself (including my sexuality). All I want to say at the end is:

Thank you

I hope I've been a tolerable person around, written some enjoyable works, and will try continue writing. Maybe try entering into other fandoms too. (I'm not leaving , don't get scared)

[axel-ambassador]

2024 Retrospective

It's the big 2025, so I wanna just take the time and reflect on the past year. To start off, wow! What a year it's been. So much has happened, and I wanna talk about it.

First off, Ripaxel.

I feel like my account wouldn't be the same without Axel. She's my namesake, despite me not talking about her anymore. I still adore her and her relationship with Ripper, and I'm still happy with the art I made for them.

I wouldn't be remissed if I didn't talk about my first ever fic, Hanging Axe, an 11.5k word one shot full of pure Axel angst. It was my first indication that I could take all of my ideas somewhere, and that I had what it took to write an impactful story that people cared about and wanted more of.

Part of me wants to change my name since Axel isn't my focus anymore, but another part wants to keep it. It's the name I've had for over a year and where I really got my start on this platform. It's here to stay, at least for now.

And now onto my next hyperfixation. I adore Vaggie and Chaggie with everything I am. And I wanna thank my college buddies, whom I wouldn't have even watched Hazbin without so, thanks guys.

I'm very proud of how far my art has come. I've learned so much, and I'm still learning! Comparing these from May and October, just look! I certainly wouldn't be where I am now without her. Even when I was stressed, drawing her provided a needed outlet.

And as much as I hated summer school it really gave me the time to practice and hone myself so thanks summer school 😑

And now, my fics. Good Lord, my fics.

I never expected these silly (AND ENTIRELY SELF INDULGENT BTW) AUs that I made to gain so much traction, both here and on AO3 especially. I wanna thank everyone that's read them, left kudos, commented, bookmarks, etc. All of it means the absolute world to me.

I deeply appreciate everyone who's ever made fanart, sent an ask, or just simply engaged with me on here. You guys make it all happen, y'all are amazing!

I wanna give a quick section to Total Drama as a whole. I'm sure almost none of you remember my Total Dram Supers comic. I still love TDS as a concept, but idk if I'll revisit it anytime soon. I'd rather be posting other things and focus on what I'm really interested in at the moment.

That being said, I still love Total Drama! It's the reason I'm even on Tumblr to begin with! I don't talk about it as much as I used to, but I'll pump out some art for it occasionally. Long live Gwourtney.

And lastly, my Tumblr exclusives, as I've taken to calling them. Thanks everyone for indulging in my HP fixation. I love story crafting and I love what I've done with this AU so far, and there's more to come!

As for Hotel of Horror, believe me I've been meaning to work on it. It's not cancelled or anything, making that clear, I'll get around to it eventually, but it's like...not as urgent as my fics or anything. (Maybe I'll just wait till Halloween next year lol)

With all of that said, I'm very proud of how far I've come as both an artist and a writer. Thank you to my followers, my friends, my regulars, anyone who's ever left a note on my stuff. It means a lot to me.

Stay safe everyone, here's to another year!

[khywren]

hi! for the fic writer ask game: 5, 10, 14, 28, and 30 🫶🏻

thanks so much for the questions, my friend! questions are from this post!

5: what’s something you learned while researching a fic?

i actually haven't done a lot of reasearch for most of my fics outside of going back through some in-game locations and cutscenes for dialogue purposes. but i DID recently learn that there is a dnd class called a soul mage, which is relevant for… reasons. 😇

10: is there a character or ship you'd love to write for, but haven't yet?

i need to write more gale. i need to put that man under the microscope and figure out what makes him tick. as far as a character i've never written… probably halsin? i can thank fanfic for introducing me to halstarion, and i've been absolutely spoiled by the fics i read. maybe some day.

14: what makes you happiest? new fic comments, kudos, bookmarks, user subscribers, story subscribers, or tumblr asks?

all of these make me very happy, but comments and tumblr asks are my favorites. any time someone cares enough about anything i've written to send me a comment or a message, it makes my whole day. to anyone who's ever done this, even if it's as simple as a heart emoji, you have my sincerest gratitude. i love you. i wish you nothing but good things.

28: what's the angstiest idea you've ever come up with?

i think we all know what that is. 😅 that honor definitely goes to mist and shadow. nobody was having a good time there.

30: have you noticed your style change over time?

i have! before i started writing fanfiction last year, all the writing i did was academic. i found it very hard to transition from the vocabulary of academia, where its very commonplace to use big, fancy words and technical jargon. i never wanted to write fic quite like that, but old habits die hard and i still struggle with slipping back into that kind of language from time to time and have to remind myself that i'm not writing for academia any more. i've learned to be more lose and spontaneous with my word choice, but a lot of the time i kinda go back and forth between wanting to use simpler words to describe something but also wanting to get lost in the metaphors and similies. it's what i'm most self-conscious about with my writing, but i think i'm at a place where i'm happy enough with the progress i've made! practice makes perfect, and the more i write, the better i'll get and the more comfortable i'll become with finding my own voice.

[ladykettlechips]

To The Supporters of Fandom Creatives

I am often overwhelmed by the love, support and care that commenters and readers bring to my works, so it is very important to me as a creator to send my own love and thanks to these people who support the silly fics I create.

More often than not we talk about the importance of reminding creators within all of these wonderful fandoms that they are loved, but I believe it is just as important to remind the readers, commenters and quiet supporters that they are cherished within this community, too.

While creators ultimately help to build the foundation of a fandom, it is the people that support us who become the structure that allows a fandom to continue to grow. Without your kindness and support, it is undeniable that some creators might not continue to create because, at the end of the day, the support of one or even many makes us want to continue and grow in the things we love to create.

We might not be perfect, we may not even be the best at the things we love doing, but it's thanks to the support of other fans that allows us to have the confidence to keep doing the things we love and sharing it with you all.

So thank you to the people who support those that create. Thank you for being an amazing pillar within a community by enjoying the things the creators want to share. We are grateful for al the time you put into following all we do, reading what we create or applauding what we draw.

Thank you for the feedback you deliver, for the comments you leave us and the patience you hold as you await our next work. Thank you for the likes, the kudos, the bookmarks and saves. Even if your support is quiet, please know you still offer us so much and that we love you regardless of how loud your voices are.

No matter how early or far into our journey you have joined us, thank you for being there. We are all so happy and thankful that you decided to come on this journey with us and, regardless of how long you stay beside us, we will always cherish the time you spent supporting our works and the strength you gave this fandom.

[timeofjuly]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you so much for the tag @floofanflurr <3 I am always happy to yap about my fics! I'll pop this below the cut 'cause it's kinda long.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Eight under the timeofjuly account, and a few others scattered around other usernames and the anonymous collection.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 124,470 words, which is kinda crazy to look back on since I only started in August of last year.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Undertale at the moment, but I've written for a few other fandoms in the past.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Resisting the Current

Trick or Heat

Wishbone

Parallel Circuits

And Four Papyri in a Pear Tree

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

Yes! Always, though it sometimes takes me a little to get around to it. My favourite thing about writing fanfic is the sense of community that you build, so I love getting to chat about the fic in the comments. I always have a million and one thoughts that didn't make it to the page that I'm desperate to share. I also like to say thank you when people go out of their way to comment, because I really appreciate it. As a reader, I know I get super excited when an author replies to my comments.

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

I'm going to go with a few of the RtC 'verse oneshots for this. I think Resolutions from Parallel Circuits ends on a pretty angsty note, particularly compared to the seemingly upbeat start. From Silver String, there will be no answer is pretty bleak and so is on my way home. I'm quite proud of how they both end, actually - I think they're my two strongest endings in the lot.

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

Any of the smut, probably? They're all set in happy established relationships and end on a cutesy note.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not for a very long time, no! I remember, many many years ago, posting my very first fic on fanfic.net lol and getting a very nasty review about how the reader didn't know the main pairing in the fic was m/m (slash back then, what a blast from the past) even though it was very clearly indicated in the summary and the AN at the start. It goes to show people have been bad at curating their own reading experiences by minding the tags and summaries since forever.

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

Yep! Mostly established relationship stuff under this username so far.

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

I'm not super into cross-universe crossovers, but, same as @floofanflurr, I really like playing around with cross fic crossovers. I'm (slowly) writing a crack dialogue-only oneshot where the reader inserts of Wishbone and RtC are stuck together in a broken elevator lol. It's been a fun challenge! It's very very hard to put two characters who are normally referred to in the second person in the same scene, lemme tell you, which is why I ended up choosing to go dialogue only.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not, but I'd be open to it!

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

Nothing that I've posted! @marty-parties and I have been messing around with an underfell papyrus/reader fic, though! I also used to rp all the time, which I'd count as cowriting. I miss it very much, even though I used to get super easily overwhelmed by it.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

This is such a tough question. I'll pretty much read anything if I vibe with the ship dynamics (pining and unrequited love my beloved, I will read you anywhere no matter the ship or fandom), but I went through my bookmarks to actually get the stats on this. I used to be super into the mcu (I completely lost interest after endgame) so tony/steve and tony/steve/bucky were the most common ships. I have no clue what my favourite ship would be now, though.

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

Never say never, but I really want to write this horrortale isekai fic I've had bouncing around in my brain. I've fully plotted it out and it's set to only be five chapters, but I'm really struggling to actually write the thing. I have started it, though, so we'll see.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterisation, I think. And even though I mostly gravitate towards writing angsty stuff, I think humour and comedic timing is a strength of mine too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Physical description and settings, 100%. I don't really picture anything in my head when I write, which means all that physical description doesn't make its way onto the page, and when it does, I'm just going off vibes. Particularly with setting - I have zero idea what the locations in any of my fics look like lol. Like, the house in RtC? No clue. Zero.

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

Really cool! I love it when people do this and I get to translate it, it's like a nice surprise.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, I think? It's all scrubbed from the internet now though.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Wishbone. I am so attached to the Second Mage and Sans and Rus, you have no idea. Particularly Flint, I just adore them. Don't get me wrong, I love the electrician and Quinn and all of my ocs, but I have a special place in my heart for reader inserts who are nasty and hurting and lash out and aren't always the kind, considerate, emotionally stable person in the relationship, forever supporting others. I read something years ago that said to consider how your character is inclined to react to things, both good and bad, and how for lots of people, it's not in our nature to instinctively respond to things with kindness and openness. In fiction, we often expect our POV characters to deal with situations with emotional maturity that we ourselves, along with the majority of irl people, don't have. I think this rings true even more for reader inserts. It's fun to flip this on its head in Wishbone - what if instead of acting with an uncommon kindness, you do the opposite? You get to be flawed. You get to have the murky motives. You get to hurt and in turn you hurt others, and that hurting has real consequences on you and the people around you. This is also a great way to create angst lol - in the non-fell version of Wishbone, where everyone is generally just less of an asshole and therefore makes kinder choices, a lot of the events in the fic just wouldn't happen.

No pressure tag to @covfefeships and anyone else who'd like to do this!

[septemberrie]

2024 Fic in Review

thank you for the tag @hazelestelle! 2024 was a tough year for me creatively, but that actually made me more inclined to do this so I can encourage myself to acknowledge the accomplishments I did achieve.

Total Number of Fics: 7

Total Wordcount: 54,073

Fandoms: 1 :)

Smut scenes: 0.5 (part of a WIP that's not done yet)

Most Popular Fic (by bookmarks): The Altar (Rivusa collab with @gossipqueen2000)

Most Popular Fic (by kudos): Same, closely followed by Worlds Unconquered (The Silrah Die Hard fic)

New things I tried: Posting a fic into the universe with no concept of how to continue it in the hopes that posting it would make me accountable (Zen and the Art of Collaborative Child-Rearing). It sorta worked in that I now have some ideas, but I also haven't actually put pen to paper on them.

Fic I spent the most time on: I think Inheritance (Riven character study) because I was coming out of a long bout of writer's block, and also I had the idea for it right after S2 came out and only just got around to it.

Fic I spent the least time on: Probably Zen because I apparently wrote 99% of it last year and left it in my tumblr drafts for future me to find.

Favourite thing I wrote: We needed a pinch hitter for the HEX this year and when I read what the person was asking for, I immediately volunteered myself and @fitztragedy to team up for a Fate/Skloom Social Media AU (Unscripted), and it was so freaking fun! We spent a couple hours looking up pictures and coming up with social media accounts and comments, but the actual content (articles, captions for the posts) came to me so easily, and Val is such a joy to work with and a wizard of graphics. It was fun to throw in a zillion easter eggs, canon AND fanon, and of course so lovely to see everyone's positive reaction to it.

Looking Back, Did You Write More Fic Than You Thought You Would This Year, Less, Or About What You’d Expected? Honestly, more than I expected, because I could really feel myself bottoming out as I finished off Worlds Unconquered, my 2023 HEX fic, so I was afraid I wouldn't be able to write at all. Obviously I would have liked to have written more, but from where I was in January of 2024 I'm pleased I wrote 50k.

Story Of Mine Most Under-Appreciated By The Universe, In My Opinion: Farah + Andreas is such a fun, underappreciated dynamic! @anne-in-dreamland's prompt was the first one of the FtWS WIPs and Chains event to grab me in the midst of my writer's block and I am happy with how Knife-Edge came out. I also learned that even when I try not to write Saul, I write about Saul😅

Most Unintentionally Telling Story: It's only 700 words (so far) but I think Zen reveals a lot about my thoughts about Saul & Andreas in canon/fanon.

Biggest Disappointment: That @gossipqueen2000 and I can't get our act together to agree on an ending to The Altar and finish it 😂

Biggest Surprise: That even 2.5 years past our show's death date, we still have so many awesome people contributing to the fandom!

My Favourite Part Of Fandom This Year: This year I was an admin for the Holiday Exchange and it was supremely rewarding watching the anon interactions, including a few new relationships!

Writing goals for next year: 

1) Respond to comments in a timely manner. Reply to olddddd comments no matter how awkward I feel!

2) Finish 3 WIPs (S2, Bleed, and Altar) but more would be great!

3) Write a Gladiator II fic 👀

Did you meet last years goal?: I didn't really have a goal besides "survive this writer's block," so yes!

Tagging: @whenshesayshush and all the people I tagged above!

[read-and-write-]

2023 Fic Wrapped

Thanks to @anincompletelist for tagging me! This is such a fun thing to do!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. There are no rules!

Posted on Ao3: 34,145 (Across 14 fics)

Written total: 152,778 (yes, i do have a lot of docs created, a lot more than anyone wants to see)

3 published fandoms: Red, White and Royal Blue, All for the Game, The Shadowhunters Chronicles

Longest work: and every song reminds me of you (4,088 words)

Shortest work: yo te llevo dentro, hasta la raíz  (546 words)

very real wips, things I'm actively working on

Super Six and the Siren's Call (PJO AU- +100k) co-written with @inexplicablymine and @happiness-of-the-pursuit one of the most wonderful projects I've had the honour to be a part of and I'm so exicted for people to see it

Toe the Line (Figure Skating AU - 20k currently) my dearest child, 60 pages of outline, investigation, character sheets and visions i have at three am for a random scene 5 chapter away

Y recuerda siempre que tú eres la medicina (A bilingual June character study) A companion piece of sorts for a train of thought (of things not to forget), June's perspective through it all, both in Spanish and English like Alex's. and with Natalia Lafourcade lyrics as a title because that's June coded

carved within the beauty, the darkness in between and without (your) love, I am nothing two pieces about religion and firstprince from each of their povs, a question about loving yourself and about loving someone else against the things you've been taught and finding divinity within each other.

not so real wips with a little less real word counts but a lot of vibes

Spiderman AU, my entry for the New Years Resolutions event of @thebrownstone, which means it'll get here at some point

MasterChef AU, my way to put my professional knowledge to good use, it was a silly funny story and it grew a plot

Dancer AU, a drabble fail that was just a vision and then some people kind of made it get a full dual pov, double 5 + 1 plot

Numbers are not everything but I do like data and stats

Kudos: 3,969

Comment Threads: 187

Bookmarks: 946

Hits: 37,149

Numbers do not define an author's worth, but I also can see how far I've gotten with just one day deciding I wanted to write and post my fun little words again

top 3 sorted by kudos

las formas de llamarte amor (2.5k - 630 kudos)

my first fic in the rwrb fandom, it makes me so happy to see it being loved, it was the ultimate show of self indulgence

Henry has been a public figure for most of his life, the reason why he’s been given dozens of titles, some kinder than others, he’s been the gay prince, the spare, the prince of England's hearts, the activist, the author. All of the titles are inevitably a part of his history, but the way Alex calls him is the most important of all. Because to Alex, he is sweetheart, amor, and corazón; Alex calls him mi vida in between kisses and whispers hermoso, lindo, precioso with his wandering hands working through Henry’s body. His name sounds better when it comes out of Alex’s lips. or 5 times Alex calls Henry a pet name in Spanish and one time he calls him by his name or Henry learns Spanish one pet name at a time

to belong to a family (even beyond this world) (2.5k - 578 kudos)

this one, this one i wrote with my own soul, i used my tears as ink, wrote it for the Halloween Huh fest and it all the comments have made me so incredibly happy

“Talk to him. They listen, they always listen,” Ligia says and Henry nods, she squeezes his hand again before turning back and leaving him alone in front of the ofrenda. It's very rare that Henry has been at a loss for words when he tries to talk to his father. He has spent countless nights speaking to the stars, looking for Orion and hoping that —wherever his father is— he is looking for it too. “Hi dad,” Henry says softly, taking another look at the picture of his father, smiling at the camera. “I missed you.” or When Alex and Henry go to Mexico for Día de Muertos a familiar face appears on the Díaz ofrenda

you are an idiot (i missed you) (1.6k - 475 kudos)

wrote this on a whim, blacked out and pulled this out of nowhere, my first fic for aftg and really just an excuse to write Andreil being married for convenience™

The best, and arguably the only, good part of playing on opposing teams from your husband was getting to play a match against him. Therefore one could say that Neil was very excited about getting to play against Andrew tonight. Not only because for the first time since the season started they'd finally be in the same State and City (And later after the game, the same house) but also because Neil thought Andrew was 100% hotter when he was playing (Not that he would tell him out loud), and seeing him live was definitely better than seeing him on a screen. There was also the added bonus of the infamous Minyard - Josten Rivalry. Or Neil and Andrew are having too much fun with their rivalry until someone else takes it too seriously, and then they have a talk.

Being a not native english speaker means that fanfic does teach me a lot of stuff, namely vocabulary this year stars some bangers

Saccharine

Ubiquitous

Litany

Chagrin

Filibuster

I created a total of 19 docs, which doesn't mean there's 19 fics there, but it also doesn't not mean it

Alex's POV wins with total of seven fics

Six fics have the tag of Alex Claremont-Díaz Speaks Spanish

Three of my wips have an outline longer than 10 pages

there's a 30%? chance I will write smut at some point in the new year

my funniest doc title is "If you have religious trauma and you know it clap your hands"

This year has been crazy, for many reasons but I'm glad I found this space and I'm glad I'm back to writing, and on top of it all I'm glad of being able to meet so many because of it.

And the year is not over yet! There's still more to come!

I'm tagging a few people, don't feel pressured to do this but if there's anything you feel proud of I'd love to see it @inexplicablymine @happiness-of-the-pursuit @affectionatelyrs @littlemisskittentoes @ssmtskw @raysletters @14carrotghoul @heybuddy-drabbles @suseagull04 @everwitch-magiks @sherryvalli @rockyroadkylers

[girlintotv]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you to for tagging me, @mamadoc. This means a lot to me.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

101! It feels like such a dream to be over 100 fics.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

1,434,829 total since mid 2022 and 387,124 just in 2024!

Word count means a lot to me.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Written and posted for: Chenford (The Rookie) 80 fics, Stris (SWAT) 15 fics, Buddie (911) 3 fics, Nace (Nancy Drew) 2 fics, Dramione (Harry Potter) 1 fic and it was a birthday gift. I don’t even go there, and Two&Three (Dark Matteter) 1 fic.

I’ve written for other fandoms (that’s a longer list), but I haven’t posted those old little pieces of drabble, and I never intend to.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Sorry, friends, I don’t check kudos. I appreciate them, but I don’t look at hits, or kudos, or subscriptions, or bookmarks as units of measure. Ever. I can’t control how many and who likes my work, and so I don’t want to think about my work based on those numbers. I look at my word count, and that’s what I’m proud of. That tells me I’ve found a certain amount of time to do what I love, so I’ll go with Top 5 Fics by Word Count:

Limelight Love Story (Chenford)

Let’s Get Together (Chenford)

A Full Moon Curse (Chenford)

For Fake and For Real (Chenford)

King of My Heart (Chenford)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Absolutely! Anyone who takes the time to leave a (positive) comment is someone I really appreciate. It means SO much to me, since that’s the only way I gauge engagement (as I mentioned before, I do not check kudos, etc.). It does take me a while to reply to comments, which I do apologize about. When I have a few minutes, I can either reply to comments or keep writing, and I tend to pick to keep writing, hence the delay in replying, but I will. I promise.

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

Written and posted so far: All Dogs Go To Heaven. I will truly NEVER live that story down. Sorry!!!

Second place is: You’re Losing Me (Pt. II).

I love angst. So much. Angst at the beginning of a story, angst in the middle, angst at the end…all of it! I do *tend* to write happily ever afters that are hard won, but nothing hurts like a super sad ending that will make you enjoy a good cry. I’m damaged. Leave me alone.

Also, I have my own angst scale to assess the pain of my stories (attached to this post for reference and in my profile on AO3). My love of pain is very serious. I already mentioned I’m damaged. Leave me alone.

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

Most of my multichapters have a sugary sweet happy ending including a fluffy epilogue, because after the rollercoaster of angst, I feel like the beloved ship I’m writing for deserves it (also anyone who reads my fics and rides the rollercoasters deserves some happiness…usually) I think I Pretend You’re Mine might be the happiest, or The Story Of Us, or Let’s Get Together? Someone else might be a better judge.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

ALL.THE.TIME! Since I started actively posting very regularly at the beginning of 2023 to now, I haven’t gone a month without receiving hate on a fic. It’s exhausting at times and, admittedly, has slowed my writing down a bit as of late.

Fun fact: I got some smut hate and quickly wrote and dedicated a smut fic to “my hater” called: A Great Way to Start the Day

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

I write mostly E and some gentler M smut. Nothing too kinky (posted thus far). It’s all been for Chenford as of now, and I have fun with it.

Smuttiest fic I’ve written: Lucy Chen and the Deadly Pixies

Second place: Out With A Bang

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

I’ve got half of an outline for a Caskett x Chenford crossover somewhere on my list. I hope I get to actually write it someday.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Who would steal MY insanity? No, I haven’t (to my knowledge).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I’ve been approached a few times. I would be open to someone translating one of my fics into another language. Feel free to reach out!

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

It’s been a privilege to co-write Even If Saving You Sends Me To Heaven with heartofrookie and Somebody Save Me and Our Secretly Perfect Holidays with thatfandomwriter.

Always open to a collab!

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I could NEVER pick, but Chenford has my heart right now by a LANDSLIDE.

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

I really believe I will finish all of them. If I start posting, I will finish the story. I hope I have the inspiration and time to write everything I have an idea for.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Being passionate and outlining. I think the passion of a writer will ALWAYS come through in their work. It’s so clear when someone is having fun with their story, and I always ALWAYS do, or I won’t write the fic. Also, I really thoroughly outline my stories before I ever write a word. It’s really important to me to have everything planned out to execute a story that has all of the aspects, plot, arcs, and development I want to include. Also, angst just won’t hit the same unless it’s outlined and well thought out. Otherwise, it can feel unnecessary, but all my angst has a reason.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Pretty much everything especially fluff. I’ll never say I’m a great writer. I know that I’m not. I will say, I always enjoy myself and make myself happy with my work (or a friend on their birthday if I write them a birthday fic). That’s all that matters to me. I don’t need to be good or be a strong writer. I’m okay with being meh.

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

I’ve thrown in some Spanish for Chris in a Stris fic, but otherwise, haven’t done it yet. If someone else is comfortable speaking another language that a character speaks, I say go for it!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically, I wrote a story when I was REALLY young about Zack and Cody’s parents getting a divorce. I wrote it on my phone, and never posted it, and have long since deleted it (I am so embarrassed that I am sharing this right now). First fandom I posted for was MacRiley (MacGyver). My friend and I were obsessed with the show, it got canceled before the ship went canon, and so I wrote what I would have written for the final season. I posted it on WattPad. It’s not very good, but I did it and posted it per a friend’s request. Don’t judge me.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

There are a few.

Favorite MCD: Back to December (Chenford) This is the only story of mine that I’ve reread for pleasure.

Favorite vulnerable Tim: I Just Want You To Know Who I Am (Chenford)

Favorite I’ve written when I was in a dark place but still made something I think is beautiful: You Can’t Spell “Time” Without “Tim” (Chenford)

Favorite because someone told me they refused to take their own life until the story ended and sought help before I finished posting, so it’s the reason they’re still alive: King of My Heart (Chenford)

Favorite guilty pleasure story I’m glad I wrote: Let’s Get Together (Chenford)

Favorite because it was my first real multichapter Chenford fic: For Fake and For Real (Chenford)

Favorite breakup fic with a happy ending: You’re Missing From Me (Chenford)

Favorite Stris fic I *will* finish eventually: STRIS Season 6+ (Stris)

Appreciate being tagged and asked to talk about my fics. It’s been a pleasure to answer these questions.

Alright, time to go back to writing.

[technicallywrite]

20 Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tag @envexenveritas, you're enabling me to procrastinate on writing a rather tricky scene.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Just two but one of them is sort of a song parody (about writing fanfiction, to the tune of Losing My Religion), not a fic. But the question says 'works' and... for better or worse, it's a work, I guess.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

393,520 across both works but the song is just 273 so, yeahhhh. That should tell you everything you need to know about my One Fic.

(42 chapters so far, in case you're wondering, including one that was a whopping 20k+ words)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Doctor Who, specifically the new UNIT gang, with heavy emphasis on the Big Finish audios in terms of sourcing story material. I'm basically rewriting the new UNIT storyline, centered on the developing relationship between Osgood and Kate Stewart.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I mean, if we're specifically talking fics, I have just the one. So it's my best fic and my worst fic at the same time, on any metric you choose to apply!

My Cosmos is Yours, aka Cosmos or sometimes Cosmosgate, has 297 kudos so far. Also, 30 bookmarks and 10,493 hits, in case that matters.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Do I reply to comments? Hah. Yes, yes I do. Religiously. Not always immediately, as sometimes I need a bit of time to digest them before replying; but I do read them all right away and I reply to everything eventually.

I welcome every kind of comment, from one-line "GAAHAHHHHHH" eructations to multi-paragraph analyses, rambles and vocal if not always coherent expressions of enthusiasm.

Funny thing, there's a bit of a culture of commenting that has grown around Cosmos. For reference, it has 1,194 comments (though half of that are replies from me).

Part of it, I suspect, is that word has got around that I'm pathetically needy for comments (I make no secret of it), so most of my regular readers have got into the habit of feeding me comments at every chapter, which is very lovely of them. And perhaps because there are so many comments on every chapter, some of the more occasional readers do also seem to find themselves motivated to leave comments, which is a wonderful effect, if true.

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

I haven't finished a fic yet so, no overall endings to speak of, but if I look across the 42 chapters I've written so far, Chapter 38: Endgame has got to be the most grim in terms of where it leaves Osgood and Kate.

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

Hah well if we apply the same principle of looking across Cosmos chapters, Chapter 42: Life, the Universe and Everything has got to be the winner, with no fewer than three happy endings (one of them a double), if you'll pardon the phrase.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far, no. I occasionally get razzed by my British regulars for committing Americanisms (most famously, writing 'faucet' instead of 'tap') but it's all in good fun.

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

Yep. Though I've been told it's not actually smut, it's erotica, which is the best compliment I can imagine. It's all character-driven, and it's very necessary to the story (I say to justify myself). I won't put any labels on it; I'll just say that by intent, it's loving, it's very mature, but it's never unnecessarily explicit. Though it does get people quite hot under the collar, reportedly, which is very gratifying!

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

Well, I did pull in Malcolm Tucker from "The Thick of It" for one chapter, and he'll be showing up again because he's so fun to write. But it's not a zany kind of crossover.

I don't think I have any crazy crossovers in me, at least not at this moment in time; when I'm in the mood for that sort of thing I go to Lambrookmist.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

No, I'd be terrible as a fic co-author. I've co-authored a technical book in my professional life and it went well enough (the book got published and we're proud of it) but I suspect it was a frustrating experience for my co-author. I'm very critical and I change my mind about important stuff all the time.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Osgood/Kate Stewart obviously. With a side of Gabrielle/Xena and Janeway/Seven. There may be a pattern there.

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

I'm like a dog with a bone, I will finish everything, eventually. Although with Cosmos, I can't imagine running out of story to tell anytime soon. It could take years. Unless I find a good stopping point and just finish + start a sequel. That's an option.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Accurate characterization, I think? I'd like to think I do a pretty decent job with pacing and balancing action vs. talk. Also my real-life scientific/technical background helps me write credible plot details for our two favorite science geniuses.

From a stylistic standpoint, I've been told my writing has a cadence and musicality that's very enjoyable. That's something I care a lot about, so, yay.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm painfully aware that I overuse certain phrases. And I overthink things a lot, so it takes me ages to ship out new chapters. Especially now that I have a full time day job again, which I didn't when I started writing Cosmos— long story for another time.

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

A few lines here and there can be very helpful when the setting calls for it (the characters are abroad, or working with people from different cultural backgrounds) but you don't want to overdo it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Well, I wrote a one-off Picard/Crusher ficlet in the late 90s, so I'm legally obligated to say Star Trek: TNG. But I never wrote anything else (fic-wise) until Cosmos.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Surprise, it's Cosmos!

In case anyone is curious, I'm about 1/3 of the way through writing Ch. 43, so hopefully it won't be nearly as long til the next update. (For reference, it took me three months to get Ch. 42 out.)

I think I'm supposed to tag some other writers now? Let's say @starfleetwitch, @kowarth, and gosh I need to look up some usernames. Will add those later. Got to go feed my family now.

EDIT: adding @colourmestoked04 to the taggees

[hithertoundreamtof23]

Ask game:

11 & 14!

Thanks for the ask!! ❤️

11. What makes a fic 'successful' in your opinion?

I think as long as the writer is pleased with the work and had fun making it, then it's "successful". Even if only 2 people see it and really like it, I'm pleased. Finishing a fic is an accomplishment in itself!

As far as reading goes, I'd consider it successful if you can sense the passion from the writer and imagine the scene playing out. I'm fine with a few grammar mistakes as long as it doesn't pull me out of the story. That being said, hate commenting is never okay! If you don't like it, exit it!

14. What makes you happiest? New fic comments, kudos, bookmarks, user subscribers, story subscribers, or Tumblr asks?

I love interacting with people online, so the happiest for me is waking up to a comment on ao3 or a Tumblr ask (that's not a bot). Comments and asks make my day and they make all writers happy!!

(Here is the link to the game for those who want to join!)

[freyafrida]

2024 Writing Review

tagged by: the very lovely @librarylexicon, thank you thank you!!! tagging: what's up fic writing mutuals you're all getting tagged again @jomiddlemarch @noneedtoamputate @cherryblossomsatsea @gogandmagog @batrachised and anyone else who wants to ofc <3

number of stories posted to ao3: uhhh...i only posted one new story lol (dancing in this world alone), although i did post several chapters of (and finally finish!!) how certain the journey! i posted 9 chapters in total across the two stories.

word counted posted for last year: ao3 does not seem to want to calculate this properly so...guesstimating 45k-ish? i posted 9 new chapters and my chapters usually run about 4-5k words now.

fandoms i wrote for: anne of green gables

pairings: my usual suspects, walter/una and rilla/carl <3

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads: i think dancing in this world alone got more comments/kudos/bookmarks in the span of 2024, although how certain the journey still has more overall.

work i’m most proud of (and why): i am super happy to be working on dancing in this world alone!!! i'd been kicking it around for literal years (i found scraps of some rilla/carl stuff in my notebook from a decade ago send help) so i'm really proud that i finally started on it and so far it's been coming together.

work i’m least proud of (and why): i'm not not proud of it or anything, but i guess of the two, i'm a little less proud of how certain the journey. i just started it so long ago that like...idk i was hoping i'd feel more like, fireworks-victory-lap-triumph when it was done. i also ended up being in a difficult place when i wrote the last chapter and it kind of overshadowed any excitement i had for finishing :(

share or describe a favorite review you received: i love all the in-depth, thoughtful reviews i get, but it's always really special when comments indicate that the themes and atmosphere you're trying to capture have gotten through to the reader, or that they enjoyed the bits you personally are the most proud of. this review from missheliotrope thrilled me because she identified the vibe i was going for so exactly. this review from pointofviewwww was also really lovely; they singled out a particular paragraph that i really felt proud of and had built the chapter around and i was just so thrilled that it had jumped out and meant something to a reader, too, and not just me thinking it made sense because i'd been sitting with it for so long, lol.

gogandmagog and alinya alethia also left really thoughtful comments on dancing in this world alone and how certain the journey on FFN -- they're both the queens of reading closely and engaging with the story; i'm always so overwhelmed (in a good way) in how much they pick up in the writing and the connections they make.

on another note, like half of the reviews of the first chapter of dancing in this world alone were people calling ken ford boring, which absolutely killed me. insert "he's just ken" joke here.

a time when writing was really, really hard: ugh...i don't want to get too depressing but A Lot happened last year (lots of illness in the family, taking care of my parents, etc. my mom had surgery, i hit my car, work system broke during a major product launch, and i got called in for jury duty all in the same month 😩). there were pretty big chunks of time where i got zero writing done because i was, like, burying myself in baldur's gate 3 to distract myself.

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: i didn't actually plan for ken to show up much (if at all) in dancing in this world alone, he was just supposed to kick off the plot and disappear, but he's sticking around way more than i meant him to. (i once got a comment that was like "go back to toronto ken!" and i agree!!! but somehow i can't make him leave lmao)

a favourite excerpt of your writing: calling it out again, but this was the overall theme and feeling i wanted to capture in how certain the journey, the loss of youth and loneliness of your place in the world changing, and i felt it came out well:

Is it up to them? Is the world still theirs? So often it feels as though it has passed them by — that they are only reenacting their ghosts here in this cove. The lads in the years behind them had arrived while they were gone, silently stepping into their empty places.

how did you grow as a writer last year: i definitely wrote more last year than in the past several years; i am def. pleased to have been a little more disciplined and self-aware about my ~process~ and how to stop myself from procrastinating.

how do you hope to grow this year: i'd really love to keep writing even more consistently and...haha, i don't know that i want to step out of my comfort zone as a writer -- i mostly write very low-plot, character-focused shippy stuff, and tbh that's what i like to read and write! but i do want to at least be decent at writing other stuff and one of the reasons i slowed down on clocks are black is because parts of the story were turning out to be more action-focused and i was struggling with that ngl. but i'd really love to finish it so i'm going to have to figure that out!

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): oh this is hard, i'm such a hermit when i write. everyone that has ever interacted with me about my fic perhaps! that's what motivated me the most, so thank u all for being my cheerleaders even if you didn't realize it <3

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: the epilogue of how certain the journey was directly inspired by cleaning up my grandmother's house earlier in the year! i had always planned for the epilogue to be set sometime in the future but hadn't settled on how exactly i wanted it to go. being nosy and going through my grandparents' photo albums and finding their old photos and yearbooks and other little pieces of their lives pretty much directly formed the basis of that chapter. (fun fact i kept coming across messages in my grandmother's yearbook calling her a flirt 💀 grandma pls)

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: idk if it's new wisdom because i stg i re-learn this every year, but actually writing is the most important thing you can do. sitting down and just writing literally anything is actually very helpful -- getting into the rhythm of the scene and characters often helps crack where the story is going next, even if you don't end up using all (or any) of what you write in the moment.

also inspired by librarylexicon's answer re: characterization, dialogue is so important. the way characters outwardly speak is just as important as their deepest inner voice and thoughts, and for fanfic, making them sound recognizable is a huge part of making their characterization believable. i think this is especially true for things like TV or video games (this was also mostly inspired by reading BG3 fanfic, haha). so i'm trying to be more conscious of this myself!

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year: i put dancing in this world alone to the side near the end of the 2024 because i really wanted to finish how certain the journey on the same date as come back home, so i was on a deadline there. so, really looking forward to having rilla/carl be my main focus and mayyybe aiming to finish DITWA this year? would also like to work on my other fics (i do still think about the clocks are black daily!!!) but i don't want to over-commit lmao.

[jaecantwrite]

2024 AO3 Wrapped

Thank you to @cx-boxbox, @pumpkennpie, and @lottie1824 for the tags!

Works published: 14 User subscriptions: 31 Kudos: 2,455 Comment threads: 98 Bookmarks: 517 Subscriptions: 239 Word count: 33,178 Hits: 35,905

Top Three Kudosed Fics: 🏆: 571 - The Big (Or Rather Little) Matter of Spoons (with @lottie1824) 🥈: 392 - bring it home 🥉: 291 - the more that you say, the less i know

Top Three Word Counts: 🏆: 13,966 - the more that you say, the less i know 🥈: 6,165 - bring it home 🥉: 3,086 - fate, belated

Top Ships: 🏆: Landoscar (13) yeah. i have nothing more to say

Top Three Tags: 🏆: Fluff (8) 🥈: Angst, Established Relationship (4) 🥉: Drabble (3)

Making this was really interesting! (they say, as if they dont stalk their stats page on a daily basis)

Also, @pumpkennpie made me a little video for this a couple weeks ago (so the numbers may not match entirely) which I thought would be fun to share :)

Happy holidays everyone! As a treat (and because I'm pretty sure everyone I can think of has been tagged 😭) I will leave this open to anyone else who wishes to do it 🧡

Thank you everyone for all your support so far this year, it's crazy to me that I've been doing this for 10 months now 😅 I'm so grateful to be a part of this community and I can't wait to keep going into 2025 🫶 Hopefully more stuff coming soon-ish...? idk. i hope to see you around regardless :)

[creativenicocorner]

2023 Writing Retrospective

That time of, hehe, New Year again folks, to contemplate over the rollercoaster event that was my writing journey of 2023!

I'm surprised by how much I did end up writing more than anything! And how some projects bloomed larger than I would have previously imagined. I'd like to think I've improved as well, which is inevitable made by practicing of course. I'm happier with how I write, despite knowing it isn't perfect (then again nothing is lol)

Trying the NaNoWriMo for the first time really changed things up in my approach I think, I'd like to try giving myself more of a disciplined approach to writing a little every day, even if it's one word...but I also realized just how tired I felt after November...so a soft middle ground will probably have to be found. I might try to use the website for other projects and set the deadline for far longer than just a month...we'll see!

I am happy that I'm not as disappointed with my own writing as I was with it last year...perhaps that too is a part of my growth as a writer. Could I have written more? Sure, but I've been far more wary of pushing myself and getting burned out last year. I need to remember to pace myself, to be kind, and that sometimes writing is just loafing about and doing other things and projects - and then the next thing you know WHAM 200 words pop in your head!

Anyways let's look at those cold hard numbers!!

2023 Total number of..

User Subscriptions: 17 Kudos: 341 Comment Threads: 61 Bookmarks: 81 Subscriptions: 70 Word Count: 107,804 Hits: 5,054

Top five hits/fics of 2023:

Glow Worms or rather: In the Depths of the Safflower Hills

Cold Green Tea and Colder Feet

Refrigerator Problem

Hand Rolled

Chapped Lips

2024 Goals

Honestly? To keep trying to make each new chapter / fic seem a little better than the last. Keep the progress going, while still remembering to be patient with myself (I'm not very patient with myself ^^;; )

I know I mention this often, but I'd like to attempt writing a multi-chaptered fic in its entirety before posting chapters...just once! Just to see what it is like. We'll see, we'll see... I'm not like in a hurry haha

I'd like to try and finish some of my Discworld Multi-chaptered fics...perhaps I'll use one of them in this theory, just to test it out. I'd love to get a new The Runaway's Gamble chapter out (or finish the fic this year, but I'm being soft with my goals this year) as well as get another Trial Runs and Errors chapter out (perhaps even finish the fic to start working on the next one in the Maurice and Lipwig series of shenanigans and adventures)

We'll see where my attention and heart takes me, cause it'd also be nice to get Glow Worms and Refrigerator Problem done

And yet I have so many other projects I'd like to jump into, like a Serizawa-centric serirei fic, or to finish Chapped Lips

I mean I know there's no rule in having to finish something before starting something else...technically I AM kind of working on them despite not posting anything...perhaps this is a way I could give that "finish the whole fic before posting it" a shot, or at least an attempt haha

I hope my quality continues to improve - but most of all I hope things become a little better.

If 2023 has taught me one thing, it's: let myself be surprised. And you know? I'd like to keep that energy moving forward into 2024

Thank you for reading this far!

I hope 2024 is kinder to us all than the last year, and we all grow and getting a little closer to our goals and dreams and happiness. Who knows where we'll be this time next year, hopefully it'll be a little better than today.

Anywho, stay awesome out there - don't forget to be kind to yourself and others.

And be safe

Best wishes!

[brimbrimbrimbrim]

I just read the first chapters of Seed of Human Kindness and its already bookmarked, subscribed, kudoed, loved and protected by me. JDOSXIOWIXIWSIS I AM LITERALLY IN CRUMBLES BC AT THE SAME TIME I READ SOMETHING SO GOOD BUT I NEED MORE TO BE SATISFIED – call me the cook because im eating this fic up like its some man yumyum –

If its annoying, just ignore, but do you have a estimate of when the next chapter will be out?

Btw. Loved ur writing so much, u got the vaultie and the ghoul personality down to a T!!

You bless me with this ask. My heart is all a flutter and my insides all a bother. Thank you. I’m really happy that you’re enjoying the first two chapters so much. I’ve been having a blast writing (my muse is back, baby!) and I’m, once again, so humbled to find fellow weirdos that like what I like.

Chapter 3 will be out this Friday at the latest. Here’s a lil preview. Pardon any spelling or grammatical issues. It’s still a rough draft. :)

“The sun is setting… right? Maybe we should make camp? Find us some shelter, and I’ll make dinner. The salted Fiend is still good, and we got those canned beans from last night. Unless you’ve got any other ideas, Gunslinger?”

She’s asked for his name no less than two dozen times before turning the nickname into an insult for not offering up anythin’ else. The cook’s told him her name just about as often, but it does shit to him her cookin’ can’t satiate, and he’d instead get butt fucked in a dirt grave than admit he’s been thinkin’ ‘bout taking her stupid vault suit in his hands… of ridding her of it… breaking her in like a mare in the middle of no man’s land, chanting that fuckin’ name as he fills her with that sticky sap she’s after.

‘Foul fuckin’ thoughts of wanton violence and devious lust, indeed.”

Thankfully, he likes her an’ the grub enough not to fuck up a good thing. Minus the chatter, she’s been painless company so far…

The Ghoul glances down at her as she scans the horizon: a ritual when she began noticing the position of the sun and his corresponding decision to make camp. She’s spied many forgotten ingredients on their path east, of which she’s found uses for plenty. In the several days he’s been saddled with her, The Ghoul’s eaten well: eggs ‘n tato hash, chili with hard tac, pan-cooked peaches topped in gingersnap crumble, not to mention all the well-cooked steak and shikabobs of whatever root vegetable she’s been able to spot.

On cue, his stomach starts to rumble and cramp, eager for another well-cooked meal.

“Not much but radroaches out this way…” he states, matter o’ fact and intently uncaring until he feels like bein’ mean just for the fuck of it and bites out, “Unless you wanna bait us a Fiend or two, hm?” The Ghoul takes in the openness around ‘em, wondering how long it’d take for her to attract some curious cowpoke if he dangled her over the highway…

“Betcha we’d have us some fresh meat in half an hour with your luck.”

No answer.

The silence stretches a half-second too long, leaving him spooked enough The Ghoul turns on his heel, leather brim cutting out the sun, and finds himself alone.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” he curses, “Where’d that bitch run off to…”

<3

[optiwashere]

I just found you on ao3 and i wish i had earlier all the recommendations were fine but your writing is the perfect mix for me. All the high kudos fics in f/f don't hit the same.

No question just appreciation for my new favorite author!

Hey anon, this is all incredibly sweet of you to say! Thank you 💜 Hope you continue to enjoy the fics.

I would just say that I'm very happy with having anyone that reads my stuff. I love hearing from anyone and everyone that comments on my fics or leaves an ask here. And holy shit, some of y'all have been coming out in force lately. The reaction to Nightsongs alone is super inspiring, and very sweet! I try to ignore my stats altogether, but that's incredibly kind of all y'all.

That said, I'm also not a doofus and I've been around fandoms for a while. So I know "the game."

I rambled a lot about pointless shit, so it's all under a break. It wound up being more directed at other fic writers than about your original sentiment, anon. Just another day on this strange planet for me.

Please don't think about this stuff too hard or too much. It will never make you happy. If you're a "big name fan" it will just be awful for you for different reasons. I wasn't a BNF, but I was very recognizable in a previous fandom. It wasn't pretty for me then either lol.

But if you're curious, it's all down to how people sort, read, and how momentum in fandoms works.

You need either a big social circle or to write for the biggest ship/trope to fit into those sorts of rec lists, or have an external social media find you. Not that those rec lists are totally irrelevant to quality! Far from it sometimes. But they are a specific type of popularity that you as the reader have to be aware of. Even you mentioned that you used rec lists, but from my understanding most people sort by word count, hits, kudos, or bookmarks.

It's the reason I tend to just sort by new and go with the flow.

That does mean that sometimes you have to wade into unknowns as the reader. Sorting by those sorts of metrics tends to perpetuate momentum rather than indicate... really, anything.

Not to say anything negative about the quality of the high kudosed femslash for BG3! I just don't read a ton of fic these days, and I have very specific things I look for (usually it's characters that aren't cis). Plus, there's one ship that's the very clear fan favorite, and there's a few tropes that are the obvious favorites. So you have to orient your perspective around those realities as a writer if you plan on keeping stats visible.

So the way I see it? I don't write a popular pairing, I write trans fics which in the smut might feature things that some readers do not want, and I don't write the biggest OC trope for Shadowheart/Tav works. Therefore, I tend not to be found by a certain subset of readers. Additionally, I write one-shots linked together by a series rather than singular longfics, so I don't "gather" additional metrics to make discoverability easier on the usual fronts listed above.

All that to say: I'm really happy that a lot of people read and comment on my fics :) Love my li'l gaggle of readers so much!

And additionally, most importantly maybe, I don't want to see in my inbox the sorts of talk I've been seeing in the fandom places I've been poking my toes in lately. That is, I don't want to see others being put down to prop anyone else up. Fandom is meant to be fun, it's meant to be a hobby.

Am I annoyed by some things in the fandom? Absolutely. Without question. But I try to avoid that stuff at all costs to save my sanity and focus on the things I do enjoy instead.

My motto is love what you love. Read what you enjoy. Fuck the rest, ignore it.