#absolutely amazing character writing as I've come to expect from this series

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

Man. I really thought I'd be able to form the rest of my thoughts on this episode before yapping away to tumblr, but my fucking god this scene. THIS SCENE. This scene just perfectly exemplifies the key difference between Teruko and David so so well. They are both bitter, broken pessimists to their very core and being, but the difference between the two of them is that David is still trying to cling onto hope. He believes wholeheartedly that the world cannot change, but he wants to believe it can so badly. He wants to believe he can change so badly, that he is willing to dig his claws as deep as he can muster into into anything that can provide him with that hope. That is why he clings so fucking hard and obsesses over the idealized version of Xander in his head to an almost possessive degree. Xander, to him, is proof that he can become a good person, that he can change. Teruko gave up on being a good person the moment the killing game confirmed to her that she is fated to suffer. She gave up on having hope the moment the ones she considered her friends nearly sent her to the grave. And because of this, she cannot under any circumstances understand why David clings so hard to the idea that Xander was a good person. She will never understand him, just like he will never understand her.

[obsessedobsesser]

Are you into fanfiction? Have you written any, or do you have any favorites that you would recommend?

It may be safe to say that I have an addiction to Good Omens fan fic.

There's of course the fandom favourites (Slow Show, Factory Settings, Shotgun Wedding, Rough Enough For Love, Or Be Nice, One Night In Bangor, etc, etc) which I recommend to everyone as they are beloved by the fandom for a reason.

But, here are 10 that I've come across that others may not know of:

'Thus saith the Lord' by TheManicMagician (Teen And Up).

I read this fic on my way home from Florida sitting in an airport because our flight was delayed. I was so engrossed with it that I missed all the commotion of someone being taken off the previous flight on a stretcher. It does deal with hurt Crowley though and mind controlled Aziraphale. 10/10 would read again.

2. 'Would I Lie to You?' by FeralTuxedo & TawnyOwl95 (Explicit)

The boys are rival team captains for a show 'Don't Lie to Me" - which is based on the real life show 'Would I Lie To You?'. Lots of bicker flirting in this one. I'm a huge fan of FeralTuxedo and TawnyOwl and they do not disappoint with this fic. I devoured this.

3. 'Talk about the weather' by nightbloomingcereus (Mature)

Aziraphale is a meteorologist and Crowley is a YouTube storm chaser. I didn't know I needed this fic in my life until I read it. It's funny and heartwarming and believe me when I say that you'll fall in love with the story and the characters.

4. 'Honey, You'll Survive' by HotCrossPigeon (Teen and Up)

Look, sometimes I just like to see Crowley hurt and being taken care of by Aziraphale. This scratches that itch. The writing is so good and they capture the characters really well.

5. 'The Sandford Flower Show' by Mussimm (Explicit)

I am literally so shocked I do not see this fic pop up as often as it should. The plot in this is GENIUS. IT IS SO GOD DAMN GOOD. Crowley takes Aziraphale to a flower show and they meet Mephistopheles, a fallen seraph. Because our boys are idiots, shenanigans ensue. Seriously. Go read this.

6. 'Trial & Error' by fellshish (Explicit)

Crowley is on trial for temping an Angel (Aziraphale). I just read this one about a month and a half ago and I honestly can't get it out of my mind. The writing is hilarious and keeps you enraptured throughout it all. I also really adore how fellshish writes Crowley and Aziraphale. Their other fic The Loophole, or, How to Convince a Demon God Exists in Three Easy Steps is also amazing :)

7. 'The Shared Desk Dilemma' by MissUnderstoodLyrics (Explicit)

Crowley and Aziraphale are both teachers at Eden University who are forced to share a desk. A prank war ensues. As you can expect, this is a enemies to lovers fic and who doesn't love one of those?

8. 'Big Name Feelings' and 'And They Were Streamers' by ghostrat (Explicit / Mature)

BNF just finished a few days ago and it's such a cute fic. It's a fandom au where Crowley is a fic writer and Aziraphale is an artist. ATWS - as it says on the tin, the boys are streamers and live together. I absolute adore anything written by ghostrat.

9. 'how do we turn on the light?' by moonyinpisces (Explicit)

Honestly, I just know that this will be up there on my list with Factory Settings once it's finished (mainly because it already is). It's SO GOOD. It takes place after S2 and the second coming is happening. I really don't want to even give much away because I want everyone to read this. Everything about it is GENIUS.

10. 'Sit Tight, Take Hold' by nieded (Explicit)

I legit just finished this fic on Sunday but it has moved up to my must read list for anyone who is looking for GO fan fiction. The boys are Formula 1 drivers and the drama in this is *chef kiss*. For context, this fic is 150K words. I finished this fic in 2 days. It really is THAT good. It's also part of a series called #RAINBOWROAD so once you finish this fic, there is more to read!

This is only the tip of the iceberg of my ever growing list of GO fics.

Thanks for the ask :)

[arrowhawkart]

Alright what's up everyone! If you do not follow my personal blog fair warning: I have become very suddenly obsessed with Dragon Age and have been playing thru the games for the first time ever- so expect the next chunk of art from me to be very Dragon Age-centric

So Anyways here's Atlas Hawke, the fun little guy I made for my DA2 playthrough and became incredibly attached to much faster than I expected.

More incoherent rambles and thoughts on my Hawke under the cut- it's very stream of consciousness under there and also very very long you've been warned

[ID in Alt Text]

Just like.... wow.... okay so I've now played through Inquisition and finished Trespasser and I've gotta say DA2 really took the cake for me, like by far my favorite of the 3. (Like please don't get me wrong it absolutely had it's issues I'm not saying it was a perfect game or that all the writing choices were amazing) But I just really enjoyed the smaller more personal scale of the conflicts in DA2, I liked that Hawke was even more Just Some Guy, and like yeah the Warden and the Inquisitor aren't like special chosen ones or anything, but they are both tasked with these gigantic world-saving country-spanning quests, and Hawke? Hawke is just a guy trying to do right by his family. Like he doesn't have any world saving mission. He is just trying to Get By and that really made this game hit home more for me than the other two.

I said I was gonna ramble about my Hawke and I just ended up rambling about DA2 itself... whoops. ANYWAYS- Atlas- My Boy Atlas- I recognize that a purple mage Hawke is the most common route people go and I am by no means unique or original, but this game series is very new to me, personally, and I'm having fun anyways. (From here on out I will be talking about my Custom Hawke and not like, Hawke the player character in general)

And gosh I'm such a sucker for complicated and messy family dynamics, and DA2 does that so well. Like the Hawke family is Fucked Up. Bethany gets killed by that ogre while they're fleeing Lothering when she tries to save their mom from said ogre, and Leandra immediately turns and blames Atlas for Bethany's death- and then later in Act 1, Carver, best baby brother Carver, also throws Bethany's death in his face while they're having their own stupid argument which started because Atlas was trying to cheer Carver up and boy did that fail dramatically.

Like Atlas is witty and charming and sarcastic and kind of an asshole sometimes, and comes of as incredibly over confident and cocksure and that's because he's very much been shoved into the role of 'okay you've gotta take care of everything and if you don't everything bad is Your Fault, and since you're in charge of taking care of everything, everything bad is automatically Your Fault No Matter What Anyways.' So he's gotta playact like he has everything all together and under control, because what the fuck is his family gonna do if he doesn't? And underneath all of that he's an incredibly stressed out guy, who does not feel like he can ever let on that he's stressed and making everything up as he goes and just hoping that things work out well.

And like he tries to do the right thing- by god does this man try. He brings Carver with him on the deep roads mission because he and Carver work well together! Carver wants to go! He loves his little brother, there is no one he would rather have by his side than his little brother! There is no one he trusts more than Carver to have his back! Carver and Atlas are incredibly close. Like Carver is the one person who actually recognizes that the way Leandra projects all of her own issues onto them, but like mostly Atlas, is really shitty! He acknowledges that after apologizing for his part in the argument I mentioned above. And then of course Carver ends up getting the Blight during the deep roads mission, because nothing can every go right for them. Thankfully Atlas brought Anders along, so Carver is able to become a Grey Warden instead of DYING, but he has to leave, and Atlas doesn't even find out whether or not Carver survived his joining for months. And of course Leandra blames Atlas for this, she begged him not to bring Carver along with him, and he did anyways and now she's never going to see her youngest son again and it's all Atlas's fault. And that's how Act 1 ends and I just.... Auaghghghghhhh-

And then we've got Act 2, and like mid-way through Act 2 is probably the high point for Atlas. Things peak for him here and then it's all one big snowball downhill from there. So like, Atlas romanced Fenris, because this man is addicted to difficulty, and of course was going to immediately be infatuated with the guy that makes hating mages half his personality. (I mean it wasn't immediate, it was more of a slow build, mutual-trust, to friendship, to lovers thing, especially considering three years pass between Acts 1 and 2) And yeah, Atlas doesn't hide the fact that he's very into Fenris, and Fenris definitely hasn't seemed opposed to this. So after Fenris kills Hadriana and then they get together for one night- Atlas is like, riding the high of what was probably the first positive physical affection he's gotten since Carver let for the Grey Wardens three years ago. And then of course the following morning Fenris immediately breaks things off with Atlas, so what Atlas thought was going to be the start to a romantic relationship, just ends up being an ill-fated one night stand. And like! Atlas does not begrudge Fenris this! He completely understands Fenris's reasons, he is not upset with Fenris at all! He is still just completely crushed though. So yeah, things peaked for Atlas for like one very short night and then start speeding downhill. Because not long after that is when his mom is killed by a fucking serial killer. As if things weren't already fucked enough for Atlas, already having lost his twin younger siblings.

Also side note- I love the fact that DA2 is portrayed as Varric telling the story of Hawke's life to Cassandra, and that we know Varric is an unreliable narrator. Because like Leandra's last words to Hawke being that she's so proud of her strong boy- at least with how Atlas's relationship was with Leandra up to this point- felt so so out of character for Leandra, and I love the headcanon that that's Varric giving his bestie some closure narratively that he never actually got in reality. So like that's canon for Atlas. Because that was Leandra's decapitated head frankensteined onto another woman's body- and magicked into a reanimated corpse that absolutely did not seem like it had any conscious thought- like she was already dead before Atlas showed up. There were no final words. There was no nice narratively satisfying ending to that one. And I like it better that way tbh........

We're just gonna like skip over the whole qunari invasion subplot because I am. Not a fan of how that was handled. Writing wise. Like what the fuck was that. Like I have THOUGHTS about it but they're not gonna go on tumblr. Anyways. Moving on.

Champion of Kirkwall! Yay! Meredith knows he's an apostate mage and is just Waiting for any half-decent excuse to either bring him to the circle, make him tranquil, or kill him? Not yay! Atlas is absolutely good friends with Anders, and has been helping with the mage underground every chance he has. People in the city have been whispering about making him of all people Viscount and he has no idea how to feel about that, like he'd rather not, but who else is gonna do it? And who else would do it and actually give a shit about mages and elves and just like lower class people in general? Like this incredibly stressed out guy does not need more added to his plate, he really doesn't. But he's definitely thinking about it. I mean hey! It's not like he's got any family around to take care of at this point right? Why not just take that eldest daughter syndrome thing he's got going on and use it to fix the city?

The one bright spot for him here is that hey, at least he and Fenris get back together. That one's nice. They both deserve something positive and comforting after all the shit they've been through.

And then Meredith is trying to invoke the right of annulment and Anders blows up the fucking Chantry. And Atlas can't even blame him for it. After 6 or 7 years of painstakingly working to try to find peaceful ways to improve the lives of mages and getting blocked at every turn, with the knowledge that Meredith has been getting worse and worse and worse, and has been actively looking for any excuse to invoke the right of annulment and just kill every single mage in Kirkwall? And Grand Cleric Elthina has been absolutely no help, and has absolutely been subtly on Meredith's side the entire time. Like at a certain point, violence really does feel like the only option left. When you've been backed this far into a corner.

So obviously Atlas takes the side of the mages, doesn't kill Anders, is honestly like 'my dude, my buddy, my guy, my best pal(aside from Varric, and my boyfriend Fenris) why didn't you tell me? I would've helped you on purpose.' He's elated when Carver shows up during that final push to the Gallows, like the whole situation is absolutely shit, and it'd definitely be better if his beloved brother was no where near danger, but he's a Grey Warden now so that's not even an option anyways. So it's just nice to have him around even during such an intensely stressful moment. Honestly everything is so unbelievably fucked at this point that Atlas isn't even stressed anymore. Like things literally cannot get worse. He's kind of riding the high of things not being able to get worse. Or maybe that's just adrenaline. Who knows. Aveline and Sebastian both leave, Atlas is unbothered. Doesn't even try to convince Aveline to side with him later either, like he's never really gotten along with her, and he did not like how she treated Carver. Fenris and everyone else stick around, and that's what matters to Atlas, like all the people he was actually close friends with stick with him in this moment (Fenris, Varric, Isabella, Merrill, Anders, & Carver)

And then yeah, they save the mages, defeat Meredith, leave Kirkwall with the renegade mages. Everyone goes their separate ways due to one reason or another, except Fenris. At least Atlas does get to keep one positive close relationship around.

[myfairkatiecat]

Thinking about getting into kotlc. What specifically do you like and find recommendable about it?

Keeper of the Lost Cities is my all time favorite book series. It's not the objectively best story I've ever read, but it's my favorite. Here are a few reasons you should ABSOLUTELY read KOTLC:

Fantastic adoption plot. The process of Grady and Edaline adopting Sophie and the complicated way Sophie grows to see them as parental figures, the ups and downs, the way it takes years for her to decide to adress one of them as mom or dad, the way those moments are portrayed as special... it really clicks, especially as someone from a foster family.

The main character is super realistic and well developed. She undergoes a lot of non-linear character development. She has strong beliefs that sometimes conflict with what she's expected to stand for. Her journey from book one to book nine with how she learns to be a leader, stand up for herself, and do what she thinks is right all the time is super well portrayed.

The characters and their relationships are very well developed and complex. Yes, certain things are made very clear through the narration because Shannon is in fact writing for kids, but after books one and two a lot of the kids series feel vanishes almost entirely. I mean, no, it's still charming and silly most of the time, but it doesn't feel as young, especially as the characters grow older and a lot of darker and more complicated issues begin to arise.

The portrayal of the dystopia is fascinating. KOTLC is not in the dystopian genre for a reason. The Lost Cities are not presented as a dystopia at all. That just... comes out slowly. Sophie goes there and is told that everything about the world is perfect, and since everything is sparkling and glittering, it must be, right? She has a few early thoughts about how certain things seem wrong, and those thoughts continue to grow as the problems with the Lost cities become clearer and clearer. Their government and social systems are very messed up, and Sophie only sees the surface of it because she's usually interacting with the nobility, but the reason for both rebellions formed is fixing those exact societal issues.

The good guys and bad guys want a lot of the same things. There's a focus in KOTLC on doing the right thing, not just achieving the right goal. Which sometimes means characters mess that up! (cough keefe sencen cough) But again, all this stuff is explored in a super accessible way, because it's a middle grade series. It feels like reading something deeply interesting with good messages without having to take a lot of time to wrap your head around what those messages are.

The characters are incredibly well-developed. Their backgrounds and history explain most of their personality and actions in amazing ways. I'm thinking specifically of Sophie, Keefe, Tam, Linh, Fitz, and Dex right now, but I'm sure there are more examples (and I hope it gets explored more with Marella in the future, tbh. We know about her childhood--how does that impact her personality?) It makes it very interesting to rotate these elves around in your head.

There are multi-book arcs, many huge reveals are foreshadowed from the beginning. The books open lots and lots of mystery boxes--there are tons of questions being asked ALWAYS--but in the end, they get answered (some more satisfying than others), really portraying just how much can happen even in a short time frame for these kids. Honestly, the whole three-years-over-nine-books thing feels PERFECT to me. Unlike Harry Potter, each book isn't a school year. Unlike Percy Jackson, each book isn't a summer vacation. All of these things happen one after the other, saturating the characters lives, and I think it's very interesting.

The adults have some crazy lore going on. It's pretty fun to try to piece all of that stuff together because Sophie doesn't take a lot of interest in it.

Everything about KOTLC is interesting to me. I'm not going to say there's no issues with it ever (please followers do not come in my ask box and start telling me there are issues with KOTLC idk why it's so controversial to say that Shannon did a really good job with character and plot complexity) but I hugely recommend giving it a read. Let me know if you read it and what you think!

[mikuni14]

The last 2 weeks have provided me with amazing experiences from the BL series fan community. Moments when several series with very active fandoms are aired at the same time are very rare, and with the end of 2 series this week, I'm already mourning this wonderful, one-of-a-kind experience.

I have been camping in the following tags for many days and each one is different and unique: Love For Love's Sake I can't put into words what this show and fandom has given me. The number of absolutely insane analyses, meta, touching declarations of love to this series from moved viewers, and beautiful gifs is staggering. The series is excellent, the audience's reaction is also wonderful, it was such a great experience. Which doesn't surprise me, because it was people's reaction to real ART, which is always something special. The series itself is 10/10 for me in every category: love story, plot, actors, emotions, my investment in the story, quality, execution, even the "heat", because even though there were no love scenes, the guys were able to convey that they are very into each other 🥰

Dead Friend Forever I also enjoy the fandom experience immensely, the tag is full of great analysis and meta. The plot is so interesting and full of surprising twists and turns that there is always something new to discuss and come up with wild theories. The series is still ongoing, but for this moment it's also perfect for me and 10/10: love story (hehe), plot, actors, emotions, my investment in the story, quality, execution, also the "heat" (hehe).

Pit Babe I rate the fandom experience as *chef's kiss*. Tag is also full of interesting analyzes and meta, amazing gifs of Way. The fandom is generally very cheerful and unhinged, which is GREAT ✨ But what's most interesting is that if someone who didn't know Pit Babe checked the tag now, they would never guess who the main character and main couple of the series are (and this doesn't only apply to tumblr!). I find this incredibly funny 🤡 I'm not that interested in the series itself, so I won't rate it. I treat it as pure fun and entertainment, so I have zero expectations for the finale, especially since, of course, I've already stumbled upon possible spoilers. Personally, what I will take away from the entire series is my deepened love for Nut and a fascination with Way, whom I want like little girls want a new Barbie doll.

Last Twilight Another wild fandom experience lol I practically didn't visit the tag of this series at all, but I spent the last two episodes there in full camping mode, in a tent and cooking coffee after coffee over the fire 😄 Fans have once again soared to the heights of perfection, writing amazing analyzes and meta responses to the crap of the last episodes. The criticism was precise, justified, systematized, methodical and accurate 👩‍🎓 As with LFLS, it was an intellectual experience. The fans provided better entertainment than the series itself lol

The Sign hmm, for several weeks the tag has been dominated by BillyBabe, which is not strange because only this couple is responsible for BL aspect in this BL series 😄 I rate my fandom experience with The Sign in two categories: "until episode 7" full of amazing meta, analysis, beautiful gifs and enrichment for me as a fan, overall 10/10 and "after episode 7" which I spent mainly on… liking BillyBabe's photos and videos . Which is ok, because, well, I do like them a lot 😉

Two of the above series have already ended, although fans are still present, two more are ending this week. That's why I would like to take this opportunity and say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all the fans, those who wrote emotional entries, deep and thoughtful meta, funny posts, created beautiful gifs, analyzed endlessly the smallest details and posted photos and videos of their favorite actors. You all made these last few days so interesting and fun. I hope there will be more days like this in 2024! 🥰

And now I'll only have DFF…

[yumomia]

hi i've decided im gonna pioneer this ship and also this fandom.

so here's my mia and me spotify playlist

here's my pinterest board

here's my ao3 account

this ship has a couple different names. miyumo, yumomia, and my personal favorite: the sunrise trio!!

enjoy my rambling :D

(i'm updating this post whenever i get a miyumo hugging picture)

fics i write! i'll try to keep this updated!!

the rewrite:

escape (a mia and me series)

Mia has magic. She’s not sure why, or where it came from. Like every high-schooler, she’s a little bit preoccupied with figuring out her crushes first. Unfortunately, with the attacks on the mystical island of Centopia, she might not have time to focus on that. Mia has to figure out how to use her magic, and fast.

the non-rewrites:

there will come a soldier by oriocookie

A Yuko character study.

love should never be kept a secret by oriocookie

Mia Marconi, a.k.a. Spider-Girl, is Centopia City's fearless protector. She's strong, smart, kind, and brave, putting her life on the line daily to protect her family and her city. And Mo and Yuko, her crushes. But that's not important. She's got a whole city to worry about.

hold on tight to this time, this place (cause everything you know will be erased) by oriocookie

There's someone missing. Mo and Yuko know it, they can feel it when they turn to talk to someone and they're not there, when they try to think back on the specifics of their adventures and are met with a gap in their memories. They just don't know who.

i’ll love every version of you by oriocookie

Since she met them, Mia’s always been drawn to Mo and Yuko. She never could have imagined why. We will be together again. I promise.

absolutely smitten by oriocookie

Mia never, ever expected to see her celebrity crushes in person. And she never, ever, ever expected them to like her back!

but that’s just a theory! by oriocookie

Mia is, frankly, a weird person. She’s cagey about her past and while Mo and Yuko love her, they get curious sometimes! Can’t sue them for it!

enchanted by oriocookie

"You don’t get it!” Mia yelled, holding her arms close to her chest. On one wrist, her treasured bracelet. On the other, the names of her soulmates. Mo Kiev and Yuko Lavigne. “Mia, I do! But you can’t fall in love with the characters from your book!” Paula said. “I know they share the same names with your soulmates. But you said they don’t have names on their wrist, right?” Mia refused to give her the satisfaction of being right. But no, no one in Centopia had a soulmate. Not even her elven self had the names from the real world inked into her arm. “All we’re saying, Mia,” Vincent put in, “is that you should focus on the real world. You could have real soulmates out there.” “I can’t believe this.” Mia fumed. “I’m leaving.” 

strongest shape by oriocookie

Mo wound an arm around each of them, thankful for the low light so Yuko couldn’t see the blush spreading across his cheeks. “I’m glad Mia’s our friend,” Yuko muttered sleepily from her spot under Mo’s arm. “She’s nice.” “Yes, she is.” Mo agreed. “Pretty, too.” Yuko said softly, and Mo looked down at her in shock. But Yuko’s eyes were closed and her breathing was light, and Mo resigned himself to talking to the both of them about it tomorrow. Mia and Yuko were both amazing, and Mo didn’t want to choose between the two of them. But with Yuko’s half-asleep admission about Mia, there was now a new possibility: Mo could love them both, the same way.

[namtanlovesfilm]

so far i got to say the trainee was a cute series very light hearted between off and gun and it was so worth waiting for and watching it. however the story between piploy, sea and kapook just doesnt seem right at all. i would love to hear more of your opinion on it. because i felt like in the end of the day they should all go their separate ways and focus on self love instead

I have SO MANY thoughts about the trainee lol, I almost wanna revive my youtube channel & pump out a video 😆 honestly the trainee had SO MUCH potential. I came into this show with no expectation apart from jane being hot af & offgun having flawless chemistry as always, and for most of it it actually blew me away by having a way deeper meaning than anticipated. the exploration of finding yourself & your career at the edge of entering the workplace was honestly really relatable and probably my favorite aspect of the show. I once said the trainee had some of the best writing I had seen from a gmmtv show... but sadly it didn't stick the landing for me. I feel like from ep 9 or 10 the writing really degraded slowly, although there were still very strong scenes in those eps. I HATED the 5 years timelapse in the finale, I've criticized the trope of sending a character abroad for years before but here I particularly hated it bc it honestly kinda destroyed jane's character imo? he was the greenest green flag ever, absolutely obsessed with ryan... but he's gonna ghost ryan & then come back and tell him he's leaving the day after & still kiss him?? and then not come back for FIVE YEARS and not even contact ryan during that time?? that's insane. jane could've easily went for a master degree in thailand & this whole trope was so bad I hated it, I feel like they just went for the easy way out. however, yes, the whole taebahmeejudy storyline was deffo the biggest flop of this show. I think it was obvious that the audience was gonna root for judy & bahmee more bc same sex couples are almost always more popular in the thai fandom, and also the show built up judy & bahmee's chemistry so much. even once bahmee & tae broke up, I personally thought bahmee should've spent at least six months single to learn to be by herself before jumping onto judy, but the storyline that just bc judy was slightly overbearing 3 times, bahmee decided to ditch her & go back to tae... was insane. also I think tae was a really weak character who benefited from being played by sea who's super beloved, but lowkey the only great tae scene is when he drunkenly scolds jane in the last scene of the show (and that's bc it's OOC & frankly should've been a pah moment.) but the whole situation felt unfair for everyone & I hate that judy's feelings were never explored after she cried once & then she was just shown to be okay like??? I don't think the writers accomplished what they set out to do at all. and also they focused SO MUCH on that love triangle that it robbed janeryan from being much more developed, be it the drama with nine or seeing ryan back with his family & tao-hu in the later eps... at the final ep fanmeet, pompam asked piploy what she would do if she were in bamhee's shoes, and piploy hesitated a lot but mentioned the idea of "what's right" before choosing tae still. so maybe it's a cultural difference bc tbh the whole crowd was cheering when tae proposed to bahmee during the fanmeet while I (a hater) was rolling my eyes lmao. so yeah overall I loved janeryan & pie & pah and there were so many amazing scenes, but... I SO wish I could turn back time, barge into the writers room and hijack the writing process for this show to make it stronger towards the end lol. it's definitely offgun's weakest show so far apart from puppy honey, but I still enjoyed it and, yes, sobbed like a little bitch when it ended 💚

xxx

[geode-crystal]

Writeblr Interview tag game!

Wooo thanks for the tag @tildeathiwillwrite this looks like fun!

Open tag for anybody else who wants to answer these :)

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Yes, yes, and yes lol.

I tend to write novel-length things purely because I just... keep going XD I usually get more ideas than a short story allows. I do need to work on keeping things to the point sometimes!

But I have written short stories and one-shots (mostly as responses to promts) and I am very technically a published poet, since a few of my poems were published in a collection thanks to a writing competition back in high school .

What genre do you prefer reading?

Fantasy, full stop. I also love books that play on fairy tales and folklore.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

I usually like to have a general idea of where I'm going, and figure the rest out along the way. Sometimes I make full outlines when projects get Really Big.

What music do you listen to while writing?

I either put on one of my incredibly random playlists or go to youtube and look for "relaxing [insert video game here] music." Pokemon soundtracks are actually really nice to write to.

Favorite books/movies?

Soooo many lol.

I'm a big fan of Disney and Pixar movies (as one of my previous posts made pretty obvious lol), particularly the Disney renaissance. Adore The Princess Bride. Love Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Love Studio Ghibli movies, personal favorite being Castle in the Sky. Of course, we have the classic Muppet Treasure Island as well. And I love every version of Scott Pilgrim out there, the movie, Netflix anime, and graphic novels are all amazing.

And for books... oh my gods there are too many to list here, but shout outs to Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series, the Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones (as well as Howl's Moving Castle), Raybearer and Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko, and the Hero's Guide series by Christopher Healy. Percy Jackson, too.

A lot of my favorite whump moments come from the good old Deltora Quest series by Emily Rhodda and The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen.

Any current WIPs?

So many. Too many. I need to escape lol.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

I've based a few characters off of people I know before. Mostly my close friends. One of whom I write with a lot, so we've used each other as inspiration several times lol.

Are you kill happy with your characters?

No no no no no, not at all lolol. It's exactly the opposite. I have so much difficulty permanently killing off characters, to the point that my first novel-length project way back in my first year of high school ended with the villain getting polymorphed into a fish instead of dying. XD

I only do permadeath when it is absolutely necessary for the story. But... well, to quote The Return of Jafar: "You'd be surprised what you could live through."

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Don't usually drink or snack while writing.

Slow or fast writer?

Completely depends on the project, but I would say fairly slow. Especially compared to my writing buddy they're an absolute speed demon lol

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Depends on the fantasy world, really. Definitely some kind of musician and/or storyteller, like a troubador or something. Maybe some kind of minor nobility, with all the "fun" I've had with the burden of expectations. I would love to have some kind of magic, especially if it's music-based. So..... basically a bard!

I'd also be very likely to be something not fully human, be that an elf or fairy or mermaid... or even a changeling.

Most fav book cliche:

There's a long list! But I really like Found Family stuff, and any time magic comes with A Price.

Least favorite cliche:

Characters getting pointlessly killed off just for the sake of Extra Drama.

Favorite scene to write?

Hurt/comfort, both ends! I especially love anything with added Guilt for one or all parties!

Reason for writing?

To paraphrase Brian David Gilbert: stories come to me in my dreams like a prophet receiving visions from an angry god.

I write because I'm always coming up with different ideas. I write because I was basically designed to study and create stories. Even if I don't physically write anything down, I will always find a way to tell some kind of story, be it just piecing together ideas in my head or through singing Broadway-style songs or even just attempting to draw a character. I write because it's just what I do!

[serenedash]

I'm sure a lot of people have. Feelings. to put it lightly, about Xehanort's role in khuxdr. I absolutely do and there's just this thing that really bugs me about it that just rubs me the wrong way. This is gonna get a little long winded before I make my point-- but call this a Xehanort character analysis

So to ignore khuxdr completely for a moment, here we have Xehanort: the main antagonist, a man who has seemingly worked out every possible scenario and prepared for each and every one because just when you think you've defeated him he comes back like a hydra (idk insert a coliseum joke here but it's very literal with the way he uses other people). And one thing I've always loved about kh as a series is that there's this constant message of "you don't need to be special, you can just be you" because there's Sora-- who's not "the chosen one" and he knows that, he says it, and says he's proud to be apart of the people the keyblade did choose. This nobody kid who for all intents and purposes should've just been the side comic relief character and he's THE hero. And there's Xehanort, the big bad he's fighting who seems to be so all powerful that Sora is nothing against him. But kh does this interesting thing where we learn Xehanort is from Destiny Islands, he's just like Sora, Riku and Kairi. He was just a kid wanting more out of life and got more than what he bargained for.

I really enjoyed dark road giving us more insight into his past and motivations and how that shaped him because I think all of that and especially the final face off with Baldr and meeting MoM, 100% was the turning point for who he became. And I think that's really interesting that this kid form an island became so much more. And I enjoyed the kh3 secret reports greatly when we got to see writings by a younger Xehanort comparing himself to Eraqus and it really hammers in that Xehanort, like Sora, was just some kid thrown into this world that was far larger than he expected. And I think there's a lot of great parallels between Sora/Xehanort and Riku/Eraqus, which is interesting given that I feel like initially these parallels are set up to compare Riku to Xehanort when that really isn't the case at all!!! And kh3 definitely hammers it in more when Xehanort passes the x-blade to Sora; there was a lot of great discussion of that moment when the game released and the comparisons between the two.

But. then we get to khux. And don't get me wrong, I love khux I LOVE khux and I also actually really don't like Xehanort. But he's a really interesting and well written character. And it felt like there was all this development for Xehanort that happened and with the end of kh3 you really just, come to terms with it all I guess? and I think we can all agree that extra scene at the end of khux with baby Xehanort felt like a real slap to the face. It just felt really odd to turn around and say Xehanort isn't actually from Destiny Islands; I mean he basically is literally being raised there almost from birth but he's really not ESPECIALLY when it's added that he's a descendant of Ephemera. It was an odd choice, it really was. And it feels weird to know that and then see the kh3 secret reports where Xehanort shares feeling inferior to Eraqus due to Eraqus being a "blue blood." Like you are too???? And it's like I wish I could say Xehanort just didn't know that but we literally see Player 2 telling him this. Xehanort knows, has known, and he's smart so there's no way he got to Scala and heard all about this amazing Master Ephemera and didn't have all these realizations. Of course, I don't think Xehanort told anyone about his connection to Ephemera, but he knew. and We know. and it just kind of takes the wind out of my sails I think that this interesting character was set up and the context of his actions feels changed by the circumstances of his birth/childhood. Like I don't think he needed to be from Scala, to be related to Ephemera. I really don't think that had to be added in order to explain why he was obsessed with the keyblade war. Like Sora, Riku and Kairi knew nothing about any of that but they still wanted to go out into the world. Why does Xehanort need that justification for leaving?

Like. it's fine I guess and it all still makes sense and it's still interesting to see these characters tied together like this, but it was already set up so perfectly I think in relation to Sora and it feels so much lesser now and it's kind of like. oh okay this is what's happening now. But hey, at least khdr made me actually like xehanort a little lmao

[crow-raven-crow]

hey first of all i LOVE you’re work

i wanted to ask which fics you’re currently working on ?

𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐝𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐲 - tldr at the bottom of the post xx

first of all - thank you🥰 I honestly never knew I would get this far, but posting my work here was the greatest decision I could've made. It feels amazing to post my work and have people enjoy it just like me :)

second - I have six requests in the works right now. I work in order of request and (because I'm traveling a lot these next few months) I'm mostly going to be doing requests and any other one shots that I come up with/want to indulge myself in. I really want to do fics with Brienne (i love her so much) and even some of the lovely Morningstar, so I'll either follow the requests or post something of my own.

This is also going to allow me to build up my next series because it's actually a really cool idea (to me) but I have absolutely no idea how many chapters its going to be.

★ In terms of requests, I have (in order from top to bottom):

Enemies to lovers - hate sex, Larissa x Reader

Lyric Fic to Eat Your Young by Hozier - going the sexual route with this one instead of the real meaning (about capitalism lol), Larissa x Reader

Sex Tape - g!p Larissa x Reader, plot twist, good ending

Lyric Fic to Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray - romantic, full of fluff, Larissa x Reader

Hecate Hardbroom x Reader - I'm currently looking into this character, but she seems really cool. Anon, if you have any specific requests for this, shoot me another message in my inbox please. I wanna know if you want fluff or smut or if you want anything specific to play out <3

Virgin Reader x Larissa Weems - first time, everyone expected otherwise from reader, soft

What's above is what's in the request. When I get there, titles will be posted to my masterlist of what is in the works in sections, but the titles are subject to change. The top request is the one I'm currently working on, so the title is actually already on my masterlist.

★ In terms of series (in the works, not coming out for A WHILE):

Larissa Weems x Professor Reader (title on my masterlist)

Brienne of Tarth x Reader

these are both on the longer side, are still in the works, and are listed VERY vaguely because the ideas I have behind them are ones I haven't seen before (I am and will continue to gatekeep, sorry xoxo)

★ When it comes to my own ideas:

I have around 6-7 one shots, two of which have the potential to become series. HOWEVER, I do prioritize my requests, so I won't mention my ideas for them because I do not know when they will come out. Most are Larissa x Reader, there's one that's Lucifer x Reader, and there's another where I don't know if i should do Brienne, Larissa, or Lucifer (it will probably be Brienne, though).

★ Other Notes:

sections of other characters will be created on my masterlist when a fic with them in it gets posted, but I seem to be a main Larissa Weems blog. If they're one-offs, they'll be posted in an "others" sections.

please remember I'm in college and also work, so things might take longer than some of you may like (I'm getting there, I swear)

look at my masterlist before turning in requests - there are some things I won't write, so if it's requested then I'll skip over that part of the request or the whole request entirely

TLDR: 6 requests, 2 series, 6-7 of my own ideas in the words. I prioritize requests sent to my inbox, and I work in order. Titles of things will be posted on my masterlist in sections and are subject to change. Series are on pause for me due to travel, so don't expect them for quite some time.

Thank you for the ask, lovely anon. This is the first one I've gotten that was just a question, and it was a nice excuse to update everyone else as well. Any questions like these will be under the same tag on my profile (second tag down below).

~ 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐯𝐲𝐧

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

[shezurivera]

Tldr: I love everything about this series. Sorry for the wall of text. I would have commented this on the last SitM video, but this whole thing wasn't coherent in my brain until like a month after that vid released and it felt weird to comment at that point.

I just wanna say that I absolutely adore Sunshine in the Moonlight. I've loved werewolf stuff for years, but it's really hard to find werewolf audios that don't use the alpha/omega power dynamic (no hate to anyone that enjoys/writes those scripts, it's just not my thing) and it's even harder to find non-human listeners or stuff where the listener is the one with powers.

I'm also a sucker for modern fantasy, and the world building of SitM is amazing. I love that you tied in real world mythology to explain the existence of werewolves. And this might sound weird, but I love seeing different interpretations of pack structures. In a modern world there would most likely be some sort of council or whatever overseeing the werewolf population, but its not super common to see people go into it. (Also ngl I kind of love seeing the werewolf bureaucracy bs that can come from it)

And the characters are well written too! The werewolves we've met are just people. Like anyone you could expect to pass on the street. They aren't like, wild or overly aggressive just because they're werewolves. They're all so different, but they work so well together. Real found family vibes, and I love it.

You've also successfully created one of the most well written villains I've seen in a while. Evan is one of those characters you just love to hate. And he's not even a real threat, that's been established. He can not take Sunshine in a fair fight. He's one of those villains that you don't hate seeing him show up, because you know each second he's on screen is one second closer to his inevitable downfall. We all know Sunshine will end up winning the alpha fight, but it's not the suspense of "who will win" that draws you in. It's anticipation for the moment we finally see Evan get knocked off his high horse.

I could go on, but I know this getting long and I should stop.

All of this is to say: you have created one my favorite series on YouTube currently, and I eagerly await whatever is to come. (No pressure tho! I know this vids take time, and I'd rather quality over quantity.)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! You have no idea how much this means to me!! TT^TT This is absolutely going in my positivity box. This means so much to me, you have no idea. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

That's why I write and why I do what I do!

I love storytelling.

Always have.

And it feels amazing to have someone who's thought so thoroughly about my story that they have such a detailed and thought out opinion! I'm not one to shy away from long texts! I appreciate the detail immensely! I'm so glad you enjoy and I hope I can keep SitM going in a way that continues to give you something you continue to enjoy and look forward to! <3

Thank you so much!!

[skymagpie]

What about Top 5 games/books/series/movies/etc you would call "underappreciated" for what they do?

Hm, my view of things might be skewed because I do feel like these things are popular only because I am in the circles that talk about them and I think they are generally not that popular, or at least not as popular as stuff like League, Arcane, WoW, TES etc. This also excludes niche things like old books, plays and films that I picked up from uni as I don't feel like having people quiz me why I like the works of some "problematic" guy from 50-100 years ago.

Subnautica - this is literally one of the best game series I've ever played. It has a very simple, but amazing story, a lot of heart and soul, the aesthetic and the feeling of the game are unmatched and the gameplay is very fun. If you are scared of the depths, its a terror game, but the fact that the story is so heartfelt makes up for you being terrified of the world. In fact, the fact that it can be very scary sometimes just adds to the story. It's a perfect sync of gameplay and storytelling. It's a cheap game too with no micro-transactions and such, so it's a little jewel in a sea of crap they've been releasing lately.

Dishonored - Yes, I think Dishonored is not as popular as it should be. Dishonored is amazing, from aesthetics to writing (especially in the first game), to world building and gameplay. The first game is a masterpiece despite the fact that the story it tells is very simple and straightforward, so much so that sometimes it's even funny. The 2nd game threw the ball when it comes to story, but the characters, the aesthetic and world it built is still unmatched. It's absolutely beautiful and it awakens something in me whenever I think about it. For me Dishonored (and Subnautica above) are like a vacation by the seaside that cures depression.

Pirates of the Caribbean - These films might feel like they are popular because you see them plastered on children's notebooks and backpacks, but they are soooo underground because they were popular some 15 years ago and now most people forgot they existed aside from Jack Sparrow and his pop culture influence. However the first film is a masterpiece and the two other that follow are excellent and bring so many new things to this type of storytelling. They made the Pirate genre so good and it's sad that the genre itself died out with them. The 2 last films are not so good, but I think the culture already shifted away from pirates and that probably just added to the lack of quality and passion put into them (Disney just thought they can ride off the success of the first three, not realizing what actually made them so successful). However, much like the three things above, the feelings the first three films bring is so beautiful that I do recommend for people to give them a watch (or a re-watch) and experience some of that joy for themselves. The following two are very much a subtype or parts of bigger fandoms and not things on their own~

The Warcraft novels - this is a more of a "subtype" of something being popular, but I don't think the Warcraft novels get enough attention within the Warcraft community. While a lot of games tend to release books to up sales and often put key story elements in them, however the books are not as good and they do feel like they were made just because every game needed to have a book from 2016 and onward. The Warcraft books on the other hand feel like they are an essential part of the story and not just a cashgrab. While they are not all good, sometimes the writing is lacking, they are absolutely fun to read and people who like the Warcraft lore should not overlook them. For me they give me the vibe of the cheap little fantasy booklets I used to read on vacation when I was a child. And some deal with pretty heavy topics and themes you would not expect in a "video game book".

The Zed comic - obviously and the most expected response, while League doesn't have a lot of lore (even if people pretend it does, it doesn't, play TES or WoW to see what capital L-ore is), people know Arcane is like the peak of League's story. I however think that the Zed comic is good enough to make it at least in the runner ups to Arcane's 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. It's a good comic, yes the style is in that ugly Marvel fashion which is 90% of the visual charm for me, and despite the League community moaning that it's not a good story, it's in fact a good story. The plot works, the characters work, the story build upon century old premises of brothers fighting for the love of their father and it offers these characters so much more than what we see in the rest of the content for them. This comic made these characters actual characters, and the community either ignores or straight up dislikes it out of reasons only understandable to them.

BONUS: Greymoor was a great ESO DLC and received a lot of flack from the ESO community. The criticism that it killed gay characters is the only valid criticism. Pretty much everything else boiled down to "It has a weak plot :///" that was never elaborated by anyone in any capacity. It was a great Chapter, it had beautiful aesthetic and a unique feeling even if bringing back a zone from Skyrim and it had one of the best TES villains in general. For me it was the last true ESO expansion that just really captivated me even though I like the ones that came after.

[thatonebrazilian]

I'm going, but I'll come back

Hi everyone, it's been a minute!

Yes, yes, I know I went MIA, and tbh this absence is gonna last a while longer. I'm gonna miss this place and the ppl here, but there are actually a ton of reasons for my hiatus.

Life's actually chaotic rn, I got a job, I'm working on a project for my master's degree, I'm still studying for those goddamn tests I have to take, etc.

My phone actually broke, so I'm phoneless rn and my computer takes literally 5 minutes to load a single fucking page, so I'm actually having a really hard time just coming in here to post this, it took a fucking eternity to load this site.

This is no one's fault but my own, but I've started feeling pressured to write more and more, and post within a certain timeframe, to keep up with the series' I have going on, etc. That kinda took the joy of writing away from me and made my anxiety go sky-high.

Reading stories here (and they are absolutely amazing, don't get me wrong) actually became tiresome, because people never. respect. the. fucking. tags. Each time I tried looking for a Natasha Romanoff x Reader fic I was faced with tons and tons of WandaNat fics, and had to scroll endlessly to find actual Natasha x Reader fics (and that's just ONE of the MANY examples I've encountered). That, in my point of view, is disrespectful both to the character (bc it gives the impression that there is no Nat fandom if there is no Wanda) and to the people reading (since many are not into poly or don't like Wanda), and it's not even for the lack of warnings bc there's always someone on the tags asking ppl to tag properly... So now in the rare moments I have to just chill and read a fic, I just go to AO3 and use the Natasha tag while excluding the Wanda tag bc ppl don't know something as simple as respecting a tagging system.

So, yeah, I'll be gone for a while, maybe a good while, but this is not goodbye, it's just a see you later. I honestly expect to have more free time and to be able to come back around April, but I can't be sure.

I hope y'all are doing ok and taking care of yourselves.

PS: I'll be tagging this so ppl may see that they're doing something dickish.

Rosa logging out.

[airbrushfather]

having now watched the teaser and currently watching silkstone talk through it, i have more to say.

the concept they keep playing on of 'fear and his disciples' is... fine. it's not particularly compelling to me personally, but it's a good way of ka linking their campaigns together. the locksmith and fear had very similar looks, and this year's 'disciple', the toymaker, is a very strong departure from that. i don't dislike the vibe, in fact i love the idea of the toys as the new maze theme and i'm very excited to see what they come up with.

the new maze is massive. the space outside cantina is a very large and very important one for tpfn, always has been, and the marquee that has been constructed is, without question, huge. let me speculate first about what this new maze is going to be like, then we'll talk about the teaser a little more. i can't see the tp team going with 2/3 mazes being free flow, and since it would be insane for survival games not to return (both from a logistics and a marketing standpoint, because survival games is bloody amazing, and a huge investment which i predict will live longer than most mazes due to the redo factor it has - because of that free flow element) this maze will (likely) not follow that structure. however, because this space is absolutely huge, this calls into question: how long will this maze actually be? and moreover - how will it actually be structured? a combination of hallways and rooms would make sense to fill this space, similar to the structure of trailers, but since trailers does follow this structure, i wonder if they will do this again? thorpe themselves just said - literally as i was writing this - that this maze will be 'very different' to survival games. so in my mind, that rules out the idea of free flow. i imagine, knowing thorpe and their maze style, that you as the one experiencing the maze, the story will be something like this: the toymaker turns people into toys in a variety of fucked up ways, i assume you'll probably see these in the beginning of the maze, and then the vibe will be - and you're next! oh no! better get out! this does lend itself very well to the idea of the 'rooms and hallways' style of maze, as opposed to the 'lots of hallways and tight and spaces' type of maze. in case you're confused about the difference, i'd call trailers at tpfn 'rooms and hallways', and ash hell penitentiary from xtreme scream is more of a 'corridor maze' - not that either are bad, but the vibe i'm expecting from the toymaker maze is more room and hallway. were they hoping to save budget, potentially they could just do a series of rooms with not much tight space connecting them. however, this seems lazy of thorpe, and I can't imagine it.

now we've touched on the maze, let's talk teasers. if you read my last post, tpr have now confirmed there are 7 teasers launching over the next 7 days - meaning there's either: a) no roaming team, b) no show, or c) only two scare zones. i could see a case for option a or option c, but removing birthday bash this year with the toymaker theme tying so heavily into it seems like a folly that tp would not make. i suspected they were going to go down the one a day route since, yknow, it's literally almost september, and as we've established, they have other things to do. im suspecting that tomorrow will be doors or birthday bash, then whichever doesn't get announced tomorrow will be saturday, then crows, trailers, survival games, and then we hit new ground. i can only imagine the final teaser will be for the new maze, but what do i know? they could drop it tomorrow and then weave the rest of the announcements in, since they've gone more specific with their overarching theme this year.

if i may get even more specific - let's dive into the toymaker teaser itself. 'howell's toy emporium' is showing up immediately, and this isn't a character i've ever heard of in my (substantial) tp lore research. so this puts me off the idea that whoever is in charge of this twisted toy factory is someone we already know. this is nice, but a bit of a shame to see them departing from the characters we already know. as much as i love KA and their work, i have noticed that, under their command, the intricacies of tpr lore seem to have faded a little, and standalone stories are much more common. this may also be due to steph leaving the creative direction team, or maybe i'm just reading too much into things. tp have done this a lot before and it's something you have to do if you want to keep your events interesting, but lots of stories from the past at least have some link to the island. though, i suppose, there's an argument that this just enriches the scape of the island further - there is industry here beyond the lumber trade and the one-off businesses we already know, like the cinema (trailers) and the ghost tour business (platform 15).

i'm interested to see how 'mr clappy' ties into all this. the bear makes lots of appearances in the trailer, and, being the carnival teaser, he must be important somehow, though i'm drawing a complete blank on how the bear itself could actually play a big part in the maze. there's a 100% possibility that i'm wrong about the story direction, but that's the vibe i'm getting based off this teaser alone and my preexisting knowledge about how thorpe make mazes.

i'm excited to see how they pan this out - and how they balance this with oktoberfest marketing - and i'm sure updates will come as the teasers do. ka are great at dropping hints, though with things like trailers and the crows, it might prove difficult to give much insight into the new things. as another aside - i've lost all hope for the buckwheats returning this year. i knew it was a strong possibility, but i had some small hope for unchained to return this year just to give us an insight into how they'd feel about their home actually being destroyed now exodus construction has started.

this is all just my speculation, so feel free to disagree with me in the replies, but that's what i think. see you tomorrow at 7 for more - if there is any more to say.

[lokisgoodgirl]

Hey Darling,

Because you are an amazing writer and I look up to you so much, I'm wondering if I might pick your brain about how to approach something.

As you know, I've been posting my first (and so far, only) fanfic, and it is a honker...like just a behemoth of a thing. Like, it's grown three heads and answers to no one. Anyway...

I'm heading into the endgame of this thing I've been meticulous and obsessive about, trying to get everything to fall into place, trying to settle on exactly which path to take to a conclusion and I'm feeling anxious. What if it falls flat? What if the quality of my writing plummets. What if my sweet, wonderful, devoted readers despise how I wrap it up? Urgg...how do you navigate this stage? I've never done this before and I'm wondering if all fic writers go through this.

Much love!

Peb

My sweet Peb,

Firstly thanks for thinking of me ❤️💞As one of your avid readers I have quite a lot invested in your concern so *cracks knuckles*

Yes this is absolutely something that most writers go through. The ones that I speak to most have all gone through the exact same cycle of feelings, including me.

I'll be honest, the writing is on the wall with most of my "series" so there isn't much suspense, however I did experience something akin to mild panic towards the end of Schooling Steve. So many readers expected/hoped Loki and Steve would fuck. And they kind of did. But they also didn't. There wasn't a "scene" - and to this day I'm happy with my decision, I think it was right for the story and I'm glad I didn't second guess myself too much.

So my advice would be - how do YOU want it to end? What's going to give you the most joy to write (even if it's angsty) I've found Tumblr a great place for creativity but there's a trap where you might find yourself second guessing your original idea as "what if it doesn't go down well". The irony is, that if your heart isn't in it, then it likely won't be the ending you wanted it to be anyway.

So step away from your laptop and daydream. Again, how do you want it to end? As your readers, we love the story you're telling, we love your writing, your characters and the way you tell their journey in such a beautiful and thrilling way.

I can guarantee you that if you find the path you know that they would take, then the writing and passion will come. Please don't be too anxious about what people "expect" at the expense of your own creative freedom. However it unfolds, I for one will be absolutely here for it ☺️💞

I hope that's a little helpful, and always be free to shoot me a message if you need a maniacal Cheerleader. ✨❤️

Tagging some of my suspenseful series friends who may be able to offer further advice or encouragement ☺️ @gigglingtigger @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @mochie85 @muddyorbsblr @fictive-sl0th @michelleleewise

[leojurand]

top 10 8 books of the year

i ended up reading 63 books this year, but since about 17 of them were rereads, this is top 8 out of 46.

i usually don't do top 10s or anything similar because choosing is hard, but i wanted to "force" myself to do it this year, and here are the results!

8. the secret lives of country gentlemen, kj charles

kj charles is my absolute favourite romance author, and i think her formula was perfected with the doomsday duology, even though they're not necessarily my fave books by her. out of the two, i chose secret lives because it was so perfect to me! absolutely adored both mcs, individually and together. i always enjoy the kjc novels that have higher stakes, and i was super invested in this story, and the characters, and everything that happened to them. very beautiful romance scenes. can't wait to read whatever she comes up with next!!

7. the mask of apollo, mary renault

it's still crazy to be that i've only read two mary renault books this year, because i am completely in love with every aspect of her writing. the prose is so gorgeous, and this book was so atmospheric and immersive. i love the slow pace in her novels, and there's always moments of introspection that tug at my heartstrings. and that ending!!

6. gaudy night, dorothy l. sayers

pretty sure the fact that i spent like half an hour talking to a classmate about how amazing the sayers's writing is makes her my author of the year. and it couldn't be any other way! of the lord peter wimsey novels, i think gaudy night is her magnum opus. it was a very personal novel for her, and it shows in the care she put into it. i love harriet vane so much, and i adore peter, and i'm so happy that the peak of their romance and their feelings for each other was reached in such a wonderful book.

i only wanted to choose one book per series, but my other two faves are unnatural death and murder must advertise (i have yet to read busman's honeymoon)

5. the ruins, scott smith

and the award for biggest surprise of the year goes to this book! its adaptation is a very nostalgic movie for me, and last month me and my girlfriend decided to watch it together. i decided that was the perfect time to finally pick up the book, since i'd heard so much about it being so much better, as is usually the case. and god, it is much, much better. fantastic writing, and the characters feel so much more human and real than their movie counterparts. great atmosphere, and the gore? oof. one of those novels that makes me stop in the middle of whatever i'm doing and i think "man, the ruins was so good"

4. the winter prince, elizabeth wein

now, this book truly never left my brain since i read it. i picked it up on a whim and it hit me like a truck, which i didn't expect at all from such a short story. it has one of my favourite styles of prose: simple but so, so pretty. it was so easy for me to connect with the characters, especially medraut, and with the messed up dynamics that are shown here. such a wonderful book, i can't explain

so, do i have any excuse for not having read its sequel yet? no! and i'm planning to do that next month

3. the heaven tree, edith pargeter

this is a trilogy but i think of it as one story, so this includes all three books. the heaven tree gave me everything i wanted it to give me: breathtaking prose, drama, fucked up dynamics, beautiful dynamics, characters that are complex and messed up and that i don't agree with so many times, but i could always understand (well, almost always. the romance in the first book is nonsensical and stupid, but i love these books enough to forgive it). such a beautiful story, with a villain who was as easy to hate and to admire simply by how layered he was.

2. the sparrow, mary doria russell

this is the only book on this list that i've already reread, that's how serious this is. also the most "staring at a wall for an hour after finishing it unable to move" book of the year. made me feel so many emotions i can't even begin to explain. the amount of love and pain in this book can't be measured. emilio sandoz character of all time.

1. fire from heaven, mary renault

second mary renault on the list, and one i've read! also one of my earliest books of the year, because i read this in january. and it has stayed with all these months; my love for it didn't falter for even a second. you know when you consumed a piece of media and think "this was made for me"? well, that's how i felt reading fire from heaven. everything about it was perfect to me, from the prose to the pacing to the dynamic between alexander and hephaistion. you can really tell alexander's story was very important to mary renault (she was pretty much obsessed with the guy, and how very relatable), and now it's important to me too.

so, again, how come i haven't read the sequels yet? well, i tried to the persian boy soon after finishing this one, but 50 pages in and i couldn't get into it, which is sad so i decided to leave it for another time. i think i love fire from heaven too much to fully embrace the change in perspective in the second book. maybe i'm petty because the persian boy is considered the best of the trilogy, and maybe renault's best along with the charioteer. and i just don't think i'll feel the same way! it's hard to believe that it will make me feel the way fire from heaven did. and that's why it has to be number 1 on this list, i'm so incredibly attached to it, 11 months after reading it.

and there it is! it's hard to rank books when they're completely different from each other, but i tried. i would say overall it was a pretty good year... hard to compete with last year because well. i did read 15 dorothy dunnett novels almost back to back then. but still! i'm pretty happy