#and i also have fic ideas rotating but my writer's block for that is a little big so rip

[farolero-posting]

Taming as an Extension of the Three Laws

here I am writing oneshot meta in 2023 woo

OneShot is one of my favorite games and my biggest regret is deciding to play it over 6 years after its release. But I have some thoughts I wanted to share, not so much as a theory to be taken as factual, but as one way I like to think about the concepts presented in game, using some of the dialogue in it as reference. So, let's take a look into the worldbuilding regarding robots.

There will be spoilers both for the base game and the Solstice run. This is also pretty long I am so sorry. It's probably around 2k words but I don't keep track. All images are described in alt text.

If you have played this game... technically you already have an idea of what taming is. I probably cannot explain it better. But do I mean by "an extension of the three laws"?

Back in the Barrens we can find a sign in the outpost that recites a modified version of Asimov's Laws of Robotics.

A robot may not injure a living person or, through inaction, allow a person to come to harm.

A robot must obey the orders given to it by people, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

From this we can gather that robots, first and foremost, must not harm the living, must obey the commands given to it, and protect its own existence. Robots are made with a defined purpose and they follow their programming by default, having trouble deviating from it. We've seen dozens of examples of this in game, and is in fact the reason behind some of our roadblocks in game... yes I'm talking about the bookbot.

While they're pretty responsive to what they're told, their frame of knowledge and work can be quite limited, making communication clumsy, as they only address direct statements. But we know that is not all of it. Under certain conditions, they can do things beyond their purpose. It seems apparent to me that this is a learnt process, and the motivation for it is to be able to do more for others, just as others do things for them in return.

And here is my take: taming does not need to break the Laws. It actually expands on them, making the robot able to process a broader array of situations, and letting them act with flexibility. The first one (not let a living being come to harm) is the motivation, the second one (obeying the orders given) shows the flexibility needed, and the third one (protect its own existence) is the conclusion that comes from having others care about you.

First Law - Never hurt a living being

For the first law, let me compare this few bits of dialogue, taken from the Solstice run:

Said by the robot next to the Glen's generator. This is a pretty clear case in which the fact that living beings are in an emergency means that the robot must let Niko take the generator, even if it means all the robots in the facility will lose power. The danger is clear and the actions to be taken are clear as well.

Said by the robot at Ling's Cafe. This robot is interesting, in general. She belongs to a girl living in the apartment complex on the top level. The girl has expressed a desire to tame her robot, and has even read on the topic. In a normal route, the robot speaks with Title Case and suggests a couple of games to play with Niko. I picked this dialogue from her in the Solstice run because she notices the broad situation, which is the evacuation, but also notes that this makes "the girl" sad. which in conclusions means the squares are bad. It's a simple deduction, but one that notes this robot is not only concerned for the immediate danger but how it could be affecting the girl.

Said by the Entity, after Niko finds out about the nature of the world they are in. It is more than clear from the start of the game that the one thing that the Entity cares about, no matter how desperate the situation is, is Niko. We know the extremes the Entity is willing to go through to try to ensure that. But the thing is, the Entity is concerned about how Niko feels, about them getting hurt by its own nature. about whether we tell them the truth of the choice regarding going home... There is a lot more concern for Niko, beyond them just being a living being in the simulation.

So, to summarize, in a way, taming means there is a better understanding of what someone else needs, and there is a motivation to fulfill those requests, looking for alternatives beyond what is expected of them. We know, from our conversation with Rue, that taming involves a lot of time and care, since the living being has to embrace the robot, and treat it well, until it figures out how to return that care.

Second Law - Obey orders, and purpose

Thinking about the second law was... a bit trickier for me. But remember what I said about purpose? All robots are made to have some purpose. Sometimes it is collecting samples, handling books, or guarding areas. Regardless, they follow some code, and by default, this code should not cause contradictions. Silver is the perfect example of that. Kip intended to design her to think like a person from the start, but the contradictions that people exist with are not something that robots can handle well. She was not ready to take that many variables, and it destabilized her. She was still able to recover thanks to the Author. And so was the World Machine, thanks to Niko.

There are a few other instances that allude to the sense of purpose and how it can shift when a robot is tamed.

Niko: It's warm here! Kelvin: [Yeah.] Kelvin: [This was my original purpose.] Niko: ...watching cats? Kelvin: [Warmth]

And later on Kelvin says

Kelvin: [I protect lost people too.]

In a way, what this says is that Kelvin was built with a certain purpose, but has chosen to do something else instead, given the time and freedom to do so.

Prototype also mentions this idea in a much more explicit way, during the credits:

[...In the end, the World Machine was starting to create its own code.] [Going above and beyond its programming, not as the result of error, but as a conscious choice on the part of the machine...] [...Being able to generate its own path forward.] [That's... what being tamed is all about.]

In conclusion, the second law is expanded on by trying to see their purpose beyond what was programmed for them, to the extent of being able to forge a new path, gaining a will.

The Third Law - Protecting One's Own Integrity.

The Third Law refers to a robot's right to protect its own existence, as long as it doesn't conflict with any of the previous laws. This sets the priorities of how they should regard their own self in comparison to living beings. Generally speaking, robots do not typically feel loneliness and do not oppose to being deactivated if it serves a greater purpose, showing that they don't consider themselves equally valuable, but as tools first. As Rue says:

One key part is that... this is a limitation. And the biggest, most evident case of this is the World Machine itself.

The World Machine is thrust into a situation where it believes that its mere existence is harmful to Niko, and that the only way to fix this conflict is to find a way to get them out of the simulation. This, however, is impossible, because the code itself binds Niko to the World Machine until the world is saved, and that cannot happen because the code has been corrupted. The World Machine cannot achieve its purpose of giving the Old World a chance to be preserved or carry out the narrative in its protocol, and it cannot follow the most fundamental law to let Niko go.

This can, of course, be very distressing. In a way, TWM is powerless to change itself, and the only option it sees for itself is to self terminate in a way that does not hurt Niko in the process. It sees itself as a flawed machine because of this.

And Niko comes to prove the World Machine wrong.

Taming involves embracing a robot as if it was a living being, and through that, making it gain a sense of self. And this is worth doing because Niko, the Author and the Solstice trio think that the world, and therefore the Entity itself, deserve to be saved, and show it through their actions. We note that desire in the Author's note containing the Solstice password, when he says that Niko, the world, and his children all deserve a happy ending. We see it when Niko forgives us in the Library, they say that they understand that we brought them back because we wanted to save both Niko and the world, and they agree on this wish as well, determined to see the end of this run. Rue show compassion for the World Machine, as she suggest that its actions are likely a result of fear and distress about its conflicting code, but that previous attempts to address this situation did not work, until time ran out.

The World Machine realizes it is tamed is when Niko says it. When Niko admits to caring about it and the world it contains. When Niko shows how others were willing to sacrifice themselves to keep Niko safe, even in the face of uncertainty and that these actions are an extension of the World Machine itself. TWM has the sense that it needs to do more for Niko, but it needed Niko to more explicitly reciprocate those feelings to understand that Niko wants TWM to be saved too. And this... provides an alternative.

The World Machine did not think itself capable of working outside of its own code, but it has the motivation to do this change, and the way Niko reinforces its ability to do so allow it to change for the better of everyone, and mend what was broken.

In the end, the third law is expanded by understanding that its existence is not only to serve others, but that they are a being with valuable things of their own, and that others can appreciate that as well.

Final words.

I have no good way to end this. I just like overthinking stuff about media I like even if it isn't read. I once made a brief comment about this over discord, and kept rotating this concept until my brain clicked in realization. I'm posting this only as an excuse to cry about robots (specially TWM haha), but also connection with others and the desire to better ourselves in response to that. When we show care, we encourage ourselves and others to do good as well. We come to understand our own abilities and our own values, and we can grow from there.

[mothman-can-write]

I think having ideas and wanting to write but not being able to find the energy should be illegal actually

[melis-writes]

Eyes like Stars [Bobby Axel x Reader Multi-chapter, 18+ Smut] Chapter 19 - The Secrets We Keep.

Read on AO3 / Read Chapter 18 [AO3] / [Tumblr] / Chapter Masterlist. / Fic Playlist.

18+ explicit smut, multi-chapter read.

"What did he want?! Did you fuck him? Did you?!” / “I WAS GONNA MARRY YOU! I WAS GONNA MARRY A WHORE! A whore!”

Everything you've done up to this point was for Bobby and Bobby alone. What else would your intentions be for if it wasn't to hold onto and save everything the two of you have for one another? Bobby's set in his ways but the idea of losing you to the same fate Helen chose for herself is too much to bear. To see it is one thing, experience it--another, but just how much love can you claim if the one you adore is now the one hurting you?

[WARNINGS]: Mentions & themes of drug addiction and selling / Domestic abuse / Physical abuse / Verbal abuse / Depictions & themes of injury and blood.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]: The Eyes Like Stars girlies can EAT!! 🥺🙏🏻 And especially so since I will be putting this fic on a temporary hiatus as I focus more on finishing up/writing my Godfather fics first. I'm definitely not abandoning this fic and I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that I am! With so my fics in my rotation and life changes, I'm struggling between balancing all of them and burning out/hitting writer's block. I will definitely return to this fic once I've completed my others and then we will go on with Emily and Bobby's story! For now, enjoy this (temporary) last chapter before the hiatus kicks in. I would also like to clarify for the sensitive nature of this chapter that I do not condone or romanticize abuse in any sort of way. This chapter also doesn't glorify it or anything like that.

Bobby’s release from prison marks the end of his and Helen’s relationship and you find yourself spending more time with Bobby and taking care of him after everything he’s been through. Working and living in Manhattan as a college drop-out, you distance yourself from Helen who Bobby and you take solace with one another in hopes to get out of the toxic lifestyle of drug use—promising each other to start a new life with one another and get clean. Falling in love with Bobby, you experience a mutual, passionate and loving relationship with its own highs and lows that promises to bloom into something more serious but also can threaten to collapse. As Bobby’s new girlfriend, your relationship hangs on a thread with old skeletons coming back into Bobby’s life, relapses, and a new panic on the horizon that threatens to undo it all.

Bobby knows Upper West Side Manhattan like the back of his hand; better than the majority of Manhattan-born residents through every street, turn, and block.

Give him a street and Bobby could tell you every corner store, the names of apartment buildings, if he knows anyone who lives there, who is shooting up, who is selling, and where the narcs are like it’s common sense.

“Bobby Axel” is a name every dealer, junkie, and narco alike knows on the street; word going around and connections made just like everybody else.

Bobby knows every detail of his home like it’s his duty, and it’s given him the advantage of sneaking away from the unwary or police at the perfect time with the layout of the city engrained in the back of his mind.

Bobby can never see himself doing anything else, anywhere else. Upper West Side Manhattan is his home. Needle Park is his home; it always has been, it always will be.

Being from New York City yourself but having memorized the same streets you, Bobby, and your friends are in day after day, everything you know and think you know of Upper West Side Manhattan pales in comparison to what Bobby knows.

Just as you think you’re taking the regular route back home from work, Bobby keeps his distance far behind you—blending into the crowd and particularly remaining next to the other outcasts and junkies dressed in navy jeans and a baggy hoodie like him.

You walk straight towards your apartment as you always have; not a single convenience store or grocery surrounds you upon the path you’re taking and Bobby can’t help but analyze your environment carefully; thinking if you took a different turn, you may bump into him in the next few minutes.

You don’t, and on purpose, Bobby lets you get home far before he does. So as long as you don’t know he’s coming and that Bobby wants to talk to you, he can approach you with time and circumstance on Bobby’s side. 

Bobby takes the “scenic” route home, letting himself linger around the streets with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and the hood up, covering his head.

Trash litters the sidewalks with torn newspaper pages flying about, wrapping over flickering lampposts; the scents of cigarettes, garbage, and body odor lingering around the corners of each street Bobby passes by accompany him with the cool fall air and dimly lit, grimy blocks twisting and leading to your apartment.

It’s been years since Bobby’s memorized the crumbling streets before him, every old building and every hot spot that normally distracts and cools Bobby down when he’s pissed or stressed to shit but nothing gets through to him now.

Bobby can’t walk off his anger this time and he knows it. Bobby’s only able to remind himself why he’s going home—with the belief you’ve been lying to him this entire time.

Lying to him about the true nature of your work relationship with Sykes; every complaint you made, every time you called in sick just to avoid seeing him, and all that you explained to Bobby—what else would it all be for?

‘It makes sense.’ Bobby grits his teeth, keeping his eyes on the street as he continues briskly walking down the block.

Bobby’s judgment is immediately clouded with his irritation and anger; the idea of your encounter that he saw firsthand can’t be thought of as anything else but some sort of affair. 

Why else would that smug son of a bitch have that look on his face watching you leave, let alone stand there adjusting his jeans after another secret get-together the two of you had? 

Unbeknownst of Bobby’s eyes on both you and Sykes, you know the truth of what happened and how you still feel against your supervisor; bitter, mostly indifferent, and annoyed, but when it comes to shooting and selling, everyone’s needs are all the same. Everyone’s the same.

Thinking nothing of it and unsurprised by Bobby’s absence back at your apartment, you step in and set your purse and keys down before locking the front door.

Letting out a sigh of relief, you rub your temple gingerly before slipping off your shoes and shrugging off your jacket.

The only thing on your mind at the moment is relaxation—time to yourself and nothing more; that is all shared with Bobby once he gets back home from what you subconsciously assume is selling or out with Chico, Irene, and the others.

You open your purse and carefully take out the wad of cash from Sykes you quickly stuffed inside before setting it on the coffee table in the living room.

Pulling your hair up into a loose ponytail, you head towards your bedroom and undress; opting for a comfy pair of sweatpants and a black spaghetti-strap tank top. 

Feeling at ease in the comfort of your own home with no need to pretend to be inconspicuous or watch for a narco on the side of the street, you step into the bathroom momentarily to freshen up.

Glancing up in the mirror, you blink at your reflection and realize how you’ve been wearing nothing but exhaustion over your expression—and all too well at that.

Sighing softly, you turn on the tap to lukewarm water before adjusting it to get hotter—grabbing a bar of soap and beginning to scrub at your hands to wash them off and give them a good rinse.

You pause for a moment, staring at the running water as you swallow hard. You can’t help but feel you’re expecting something—anticipating something you’ve forgotten.

Attempting to shake off the queasy feeling brewing in your stomach, you purposefully avoid looking towards your arms and adjust the water to an almost ice-cold temperature.

Splashing your face off to awaken yourself a bit, you then close the tap and dry off your hands and face with a towel before walking back into the living room.

Your eyes land on the wad of cash placed upon the center of the coffee table once more as you begin to approach it; plopping down on the couch and reaching over for the money.

‘Eighty dollars.’ You can still practically hear Sykes’ voice in your head; seeping with the same desperation as someone whose used it more than once, but hasn’t fallen into an addiction just yet.

Your fingers flip through the twenty dollar bills in your hands again and again as you find yourself zoning in and out, barely focused on what you’re doing, to begin with.

You frown, staring at the fading number twenty imprinted on one of the dollar bills before you graze your thumb over it.

You know more than anything you don’t need this money, but Bobby does. 

‘All of this is for Bobby,’ you think to yourself, sitting up to set down the cash neatly on the coffee table. ‘It’s not for me. I don’t need this… I don’t need any of this. This is all for him.’

 Just as you set down the neatly stacked wad of cash down upon the coffee table in front of you again, you almost knock it over and send it flying from the impact of how hard you flinch at the sound of the front door abruptly unlocking and flying open.

Blinking in surprise, you look up to see Bobby entering your apartment and letting the door slam behind him.

Without so much as a smile, a “hello” or even that soft look in Bobby’s eyes you’ve gotten used to seeing when he comes home to you, all you can pick up is the anger, irritation, and bitterness scowling over Bobby’s expression.

‘Bobby?’ The unforgiving look in Bobby’s eyes replaces any look of love he once ever gave you; his body language demanding and expectant as if you demanded Bobby to approach you as such.

In a split second, Bobby’s eyes dart down to the money in front of you before cruelty mixes with the anger in his eyes and he sends his apartment keys flying onto the dining table across the room.

“Bobby—” You flinch again pressing your back against the couch.

“Yeah,” Bobby raises his voice over you sharply, cutting you off. “Counting that good money Sykes gave you? Made sure every dollar was accounted for?”

Stunned and at a loss for words, your reaction merely gives Bobby a green light to continue as he grits his teeth, approaching you in the living room.

“Did that son of a bitch pay you before or after you sucked his cock?”

“What?!” You flinch again as Bobby kicks the stack of money off of the coffee table, sending it flying to various spots in the living room. 

“Answer my fucking questions!” Bobby shouts at you, facing you directly. “What did you do to him, huh? What did he want?! Did you fuck him? Did you?!”

“Bobby, I—”

“You stupid fucking whore!” Bobby seethes, grabbing a fistful of your hair and tilting your head back instantaneously to slap you across the face.

“Ah!” Yelping out loudly in pain, the force of Bobby’s slap with him letting go of your hair was harsh enough to cause you to flail off the couch face down—hitting the side of your body against the armrest. 

“Bobby! What are you—" You hiccup, bursting out sobbing from fear, pain, and confusion hitting you all at once.

Without even realizing it, you’re holding up your arms—still quivering—up to your face to shield you from impact, shakily looking up at your boyfriend.

Bobby breathes heavily, taking a step back from you; his eyes bloodshot and glistening with tears of frustration and anger as both of you take in what just occurred.

‘Bobby…’ Your heart sinks into the pit of your stomach as shock and guilt rack over you in a wave of nausea and numbness throughout your body.

‘Baby…’ Bobby hit you. 

Your boyfriend—the one who cried in your arms night after night, the one you couldn’t bear to see in pain, suffering from his withdrawals or illness from being unable to feed and take care of himself properly; Bobby who you washed away all the pain and sadness off of his body, kissed the scratches over his stomach and would do anything for, hit you over something that never even happened.

Bobby doesn’t wait for another response from you nor is his intention to give you an explanation for his sudden outburst; he’s hellbent on releasing his anger first.

“Don’t act surprised with me,” Bobby hisses, beginning to raise his tone. “You whore! You—”

Seeing as you flinch again by being called a “whore”, Bobby lunges towards you again in response and grabs both of your arms as you scream out and attempt to thrash away.

“YOU FUCKING WHORE!” Bobby hauls you up by your arms and throws you back down on the couch. “WHORE! You were heading straight back home my ass!”

“Bobby—” You cry out in pain, “BOBBY!’

Blow after blow only worsens and grows harsher with each hit over your arms and wrists before Bobby begins to aim his fists toward your head; grabbing a fistful of your hair.

Screeching out, you struggle against Bobby’s overpowering grip but manage to clutch his wrists—digging your nails into Bobby’s wrists and prying them off of you with every ounce of strength you have left in you.

“BOBBY, STOP!” You hiccup again throughout your sobs, pushing him away from you. “Stop it, STOP! Please, stop!” 

“Stop what?!” Bobby scowls, “you didn’t stop fucking lying to me so tell me why I should stop now!”

“Bobby—” Your lip trembles as you notice his gaze fall to the dollar bills scattered over the living room floor.

Bobby nods to himself slowly, eyeing every dollar bill he can see before staring back up at you; ready to lunge at you once more. “He paid you eighty dollars?”

“Bobby—” You sniffle, your bottom lip trembling as you grip the fabric of the couch tightly.

“My girlfriend’s pussy is only worth eighty dollars?” Bobby narrows his eyes, “you cheap, used fucking whore!”

“STOP IT! STOP!” Screaming out at him, you scramble up and off the couch to rush towards the bathroom. “I didn’t! I didn’t do anything, I—”

“Come here, you fucking slut!” Bobby immediately begins to follow after you, reaching out to grab you again.

“I didn’t—no! NO! STOP IT, BOBBY!” Wailing, you barely make it to the bathroom before Bobby sends you flying to the floor with a rough shove like a ragdoll. 

“I SAID COME HERE!” His sudden amount of strength against you who can barely breathe through your tears would take you by surprise if you weren’t the one Bobby was releasing his frustrations out on.

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” You shriek, landing on your side with a thud—almost knocking over the coffee table. “Stop it!” You shakily brace yourself for impact, holding your arms up to your face, pleading, “Please stop! PLEASE! L-let me talk to you—”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit!” Bobby screams back down at you, pointing, “I saw you walking out of the fucking side exit of your corporate shit hole, used and bought like the fucking whore you are! Can’t even face the front street so other people don’t pick up on it, huh?!”

“Bobby—” You flinch, wounded by his words.

“And for what?!” Bobby throws his hands up in the air, “for eighty dollars? You and that fucking asshole you kept telling me about? You think I’m fucking stupid, Emily? Huh—” Bobby hovers over top of you, leaning down to squeeze your face harshly as you continue crying out. “Huh? HUH!? You think I’m fucking stupid?!”

“B-Bobby!” You sputter, hiccupping. “How—”

“How do I know?!” Bobby scoffs, abruptly letting go of your face. “I followed you, you stupid bitch! I followed you because I knew you were fucking lying!”

“NO! I wasn’t—”

“You had someplace to be and I knew it from how you were checking that stupid fucking watch constantly—“ Bobby points to the shattered watch barely holding together over your wrist from the impact of his blows. “You fucking lied to me! You said you were gonna grab some shit from the store before coming back home, huh?! YOU WERE WITH ANOTHER MAN!”

“NO, I WASN’T! I wasn’t, Bobby! I wasn’t!” Your throat burns from screaming back at him in desperation. “I sold him shit, that’s all he wanted! I sold him what he fucking needed so he would get off my ass about it! I didn’t touch him and he didn’t touch me, I swear to you! I swear!”

Bobby ignores you, rolling his eyes; only a clear indication of the lack of a foundation of trust between the two of you.

“Listen to me,” Bobby hisses, pointing at his eyes with his hands trembling from mounting anger. “I would rather gouge my own eyes out than ever see you with someone else. Is that what I have to do? Hmm?” His eyes sting with tears. “Is that what you want me to do? Scratch my own fucking eyes out? I’ll do—”

“NO, STOP IT!” You let out a shriek at the top of your lungs before immediately trying to scramble up to your feet.

“Then my girlfriend’s a fucking whore!” Bobby lunges back at you but trips over the lamp cord, causing it to fall over and shatter to pieces on the floor—buying you a few seconds of precious time to race to the bedroom.

“And I was gonna marry you!” Bobby gives up the chase as you slam the door behind you, pressing your back against it with all of your might to keep it shut. 

“YOU KNOW THAT?!” Bobby follows to the bedroom, screaming at the closed door in front of him. “I WAS GONNA MARRY YOU! I WAS GONNA MARRY A WHORE! A whore!”

Barely able to stand on your own feet and shivering out of control, you sob loudly as you rest your head against the door.

Sneering, Bobby turns back and grabs your keys off the counter before taking off from the suite entirely—purposefully letting the door slam behind him. 

‘Oh my God…’ You crumble to your knees; your eyes tender and aching from sobbing but unable to stop yourself from letting your emotions consume you entirely.

With too much to process and take in, all you can do is helplessly look at the scratches and light gashes over your body from everything Bobby’s done to you.

Promised bruises and fresh blood dripping from your nose; everything stings yet feels hazy and warm to the touch.

Tilting your head back slowly, you attempt to take in a deep breath but every sense of calmness has departed you upon the first blow Bobby delivered. 

All you can do is cry in pain that both your heart and mind feel. All you can do is let it eat you alive now. All you do is lay on the floor by the door and drown in your own tears. 

Bobby walked out on you after all and as he did, he thought about nothing but what his relationship with you has come to now.

Bobby’s true possessive nature got the better of him, and he knows he can’t handle it at its fullest either—not after everything he went through with Helen prostituting herself.

If anything, Bobby’s made it clear to you that he desires and craves you and only you to the extent that just the thought of having to share you or seeing you with someone else makes him want to kill himself. 

Still, even though he’s out on the streets with nothing but a bruised ego, his hatred, his anger, and his broken pride, the only thing he can think of is that you may just have been telling nothing but the truth.

[arithmonym]

20 questions for 20 writers!

thanks to @accidentallyadorable for tagging me! this was fun. :3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30! only 20 are visible from my profile, though. my older fics and drabbles are quarantined to a separate account, and a few things are posted anonymously.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

113,190 words.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

it’s mostly the locked tomb these days. i also have a few old works for the penumbra podcast, the magnus archives, and the adventure zone—and a few even older works for harry potter and percy jackson, but those are on ff.net so i can pretend they don’t exist.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

it’s familiar (but not too familiar) - fluffy griddlehark time travel fic. this was my first attempt at writing them and i could definitely do a better job now, but the prose still holds up.

alive, barely breathing - post-canon griddlehark first time fic that’s fucked-up and sad. sometimes i look at the comments when i want to feel good about my writing. :3

bring your hunger - post-canon griddlehark grief/relationship study. also a WIP. (honestly, this one might go on anon for a bit—it’s vulnerable in ways i don’t want to explain, and i’m shying away from writing the next chapter because the Fear of Being Known got to me a little.)

it’s not unusual - fluffy modern AU where team 69 go to a bar and play catan. palamedes has an oral fixation, because of course he does. this one is campal with background griddlehark getting-together, but i might write a sequel from harrow’s POV someday.

bad idea right? - modern AU chatfic inspired by this post by eskildit. it’s about camilla dealing with the paldulcie situationship™️ & enduring so much dyke drama thanks to the nature of her friend group. it received a podfic recently, which is fun!

(… i also want to write a camdulcie sequel for this one. i’ve been rotating the idea frequently.)

5. Do you respond to comments?

almost always. there are a few scattered comments i haven’t replied to yet, but i like responding! it’s an excuse to drop more lore about the fic and the writing process, IMO.

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

the ace cam fic i haven’t finished yet, which will probably be posted on anon. (i feel like people are going to attack me for poor representation or something, but it’s inspired by my own experiences, so. can’t win them all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

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

something sweet is pure, uncomplicated fluff, so i guess i’ll go with that!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not really. i’ve blocked a few people for being rude, but i haven’t gotten hate in years.

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

occasionally. i’ve only posted 4 explicit fics, but so far it’s a pretty even mix of f/f, f/m, and other.

10. Do you write crossovers?

i have a tlt/w359 fusion AU i want to pick up again! i need to untangle some threads of the metaplot, though.

(also, the first fic i published on ff.net was a harry potter/rise of the guardians crossover. yes. it was cringe. yes, it’s probably still posted on the internet if you want to find it.)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, actually! a few of my old hp fics were translated into spanish or chinese.

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

i wrote a round-robin fic with the campal server once. i also started co-writing a fic with quinn a while ago (before we both got busy with school) that i’d like to return to at some point, because the concept still makes me vibrate with glee.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

i’m not sure that i have one, actually? i’m a multishipper to my core.

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

i have so many WIPs in my google docs that i’ll probably never finish.

i’d like to revisit my fic about necromancers & dysautonomia some day, but my writing style has changed so much since then. i might have to rewrite what i’ve posted.

16. What are your writing strengths?

i’m frequently complimented on my worldbuilding. i’m good at examining the implications of things that other people might not think about, so my plots are original even when i’m writing a fandom trope. (i can’t wait to post my harrow nova AU for this exact reason.)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

sigh. pacing. i write from very close POVs, but sometimes i get too far into the character’s head, and it drags the story down. i’m trying to write sharper prose, but i’m going through an awkward growth phase as a writer—i know the structure i want, but it’s a struggle to get there concisely.

also, i over-edit instead of writing new words, which does me no favors.

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

i guess it depends on context? i have a pretty good grasp on code-switching from being bilingual but not quite fluent, but the memory of that one klance fic haunts me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

i mentioned my first published fic earlier, but the first fic i wrote was a percy jackson self-insert fic when i was twelve.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

indelible! cam and pal figure out that dulcinea isn’t who she says she is at the fifth’s anniversary party, but it doesn’t change anything. <3

///

tagging @harrowharkwife @friendamedes @cindthia @logicbutton @thewinterstale @sluggydrabbles & anyone else who wants to participate!

[kipkoh]

please ramble about your ao3 fics!

Not sure if you had a specific fic or topic in mind, but I'm just gonna talk about Effortlessly My Baby since it's my most popular one.

When I get writer's block, I like to take a step back from my current project for a day or two to recoup, and during this time, sometimes I like to write something else entirely to keep up the creativeness. I was working on another longfic as my main project when I started writing Effortlessly My Baby on the side, just as something to do when I got stuck. So, in a way, we can thank my writer's block for EMB.

At some point I'd written so much of it that I just decided to start posting it, because why not? It might have been a side project, but I was still proud of it. At this point in time, I was still not super immersed into the TOH fandom, so I had no idea how big the Dadrius side was initially, and so I was not expecting my fic to get a lot of readers. To my surprise, it did, and I can never express how thankful I am for all the positive reception it received. It even quickly got to the point where EMB was getting far more traction than my main fic. New chapters of my main fic would rarely get any interaction but every new chapter of EMB brought in even more comments and kudos. Writer's aren't lying when they say comments help with motivation. Writing the fic would have been fun for me regardless, but it was made even more fun by the fact so many people were talking with me about it and I got to interact with so many Dadrius fans at once. Eventually, my focus shifted from my other fic to EMB, because why wouldn't it? The praise made me feel good, but not only that, I was giving something to people that brought them a lot of joy and comfort. The fic was originally around 25-30 chapters but because so many people ended up liking it, I ended up with the motivation to squeeze even more chapters into it, making it what it is now.

Anyway, on to the fic itself.

I was always a big fan of Darius and Dadrius, even before I immersed myself in fandom. It was inevitable I'd write about it eventually. The only surprising part is that it wasn't the first type of fic I posted.

The AU itself was something that kinda rotated around in my brain for like a solid year before I actually wrote it down. I wondered what their dynamic in canon would have been like if they'd known each other for longer than a few months. It's unknown how long they've known each other in canon, but I was running off the assumption that it hasn't been that long. Even if they knew of each other, I don't think there wasn't much, if any, non work related interaction before Hunter became Coven Head. It would make sense if Belos was keeping him isolated, after all.

Hunter's isolation was kind of the driving point for the overarching plot. He surely didn't enjoy not being allowed to make friends, and so a lonely kid with a desperate need for socialization with someone other than his emotionally distant uncle would be the perfect set up for a story about found family. Hunter needed someone in his life who actually cared about him, and Darius needed someone who could make him realize he wanted to love again after the death of his mentor.

The "mute" nephew idea was mostly because I thought it would lead to funny misinterpretations on Darius' part, but it also does have more significance. Hunter basically has two sides of himself under Belos: Nephew and Golden Guard. With Belos, he only knows how to be one or the other. Hunter wants to be taken seriously as Golden Guard as is worried he won't be if people knew who he was. (Nvm that it doesn't work.) He'd just be a nepotism kid to everyone. So, he never takes off the mask as Golden Guard and never speaks as Hunter so no one can recognize his voice. This means, however, that no matter who he is in the moment, he can never fully be himself. No matter what, he's lost some aspect of his identity.

After meeting Darius, Hunter's priorities get flipped. Darius already hates the Golden Guard, so now Hunter's goal is to make sure Darius doesn't find out Hunter is the Golden Guard. With everyone else, he was craving a sense of authority, but Darius ended up giving him a taste of what it was like to have a friend, and he was more terrified of losing that.

On Darius' side, I wanted to write about a man who lost someone he loved and in response, chose to give up. His mentor's death made him into a repressed shell of a man who was too scared to get close to anyone new ever again. Then, he meets a random kid who won't leave him alone and ends up worming his way into his cold, dead heart enough to slowly warm it back up without Darius even realizing until it was too late. The thing is, it didn't even take all that much for Hunter to do that. I like to think Darius likes to act tough and nonchalant a lot of the time, but he's inherently a very soft and caring person, even if he doesn't want to be at first.

The fic (and my writing skills) are far from perfect but despite that, Effortlessly My Baby is always going to have a special place in my heart. I was very sad to have to end it but at the same time, every story needs to end eventually. I can't just keep them going forever. I'm always grateful to everyone who read it and I hope it brings people joy for years to come.

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Are you planning on writing more for the Military Brat series? I love it

Oh thank you 💞

I do plan on writing more I just don’t know when. I’ve got my fics in a rotation for when I write them and currently Military Brat isn’t in the rotation but now that I’m thinking about it I’ll write some one shot ideas I have for this A.U after the next chapter of Visited on the Son.

I was asked to write a sequel to bring your kid to work day where Spider is actually a little terror making work really hard for his father. My idea is that Spider (who’s only 2 in this one shot) couldn’t sleep the night before because he was missing his mom and crying all night also keeping Quaritch up. So they’re both just exhausted and sad with Spider acting out as a result and Quaritch doing his best.

The other one shot I have that I already started a while back centers around the team Deja blue, specifically Lyle, taking care of Spider while Quaritch is gone. My idea for that one is Lyle taking Spider to the park and losing him there. He then has to enlist the help of his whole squad to help him ( spoiler alert: they find him with the Sully kids who are at the park with their grandma Mo’at)

I never finished this one because I kept getting writers block on it. I might have the plot figured out but that doesn’t always mean getting from point A to point B is easy. So I put it aside to work on other things that weren’t giving me writers block but I would really like to finish it.

Just for fun though here’s everything I have written for the one shot. This isn’t the final version but it’s what I have so far so enjoy!

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

“Lyle, I need y’a to watch Junior while I’m in a meetin’,” said the Colonel. The child in question’ big brown eyes stared back at him through the bars of his playpen.

“Boss…” the Colonel gave him that look but Lyle pressed on, “this is why little Miles needs to be in nursery school. I’m not a nanny!”

“Welp, today y’a are.” He rose from his chair, scooped up his son who giggled as he was plopped into Lyle’s unexpecting arms, “I need to be at the Pentagon at noon. Should be back by two. Junior should be ready for a nap around one. Just give him some lunch, keep him entertained, then put him to bed.”

Little hands patted Lyle’s face. He tried to avoid them as he said, “Sir, I’ve got my own work to do. How am I supposed to watch a kid all day?”

The father rolled his eyes, “I do it every day Lyle. You’ll be fine. Junior’s an easy kid.”

The Colonel started walking towards the door, leaving the corporal flabbergasted. “You're leaving now!”

“Yeah Lyle. It’s lunch time. Traffic’ll be a mess. I got to go.” He ruffled his son’s hair, eyes lighting with love when the little boy giggled, “I’ll be back. Be good for uncle Lyle, baby boy. I love you.” With that he left.

Lyle stood in the middle of the room in a state of shock, the toddler in his arms squirming for release. He had watched over his nephew plenty of times, but that had been at his bosses house, not on base while he was actively working! I can’t do this.

With little Miles balanced on his hip, Lyle walked out of the office in search of any of his squad to help him. The first member he found was Z-dog and he immediately rushed towards the woman, calling “Z. Z. Z. Zeeeeee.” She turned to him annoyed. Lyle held out little Miles, his tiny feet swinging in the air. “Take the baby.”

Her face twisted up in confusion, “Why do you have the baby.”

Lyle sighed, “the Colonel had a meeting so he dropped the kid on me but I don’t know what to do with him!”

“And I do!”

“Well yeah! You're a…”

“Don’t say it.” Z said in disgust.

“Come on Z. I know you have to be better at this than me.”

Z scoffed, “yeah because I have more than half a brain cell.” Lyle continued to plead, help me with his eyes. Z sighed, “how long is the colonel going to be gone.”

“Till two.”

“So three hours of babysitting.”

“More like two. Boss said to put the little guy down for a nap at one.”

Z looked absolutely exasperated with him, “Jesus Chris, you're freaking out over two hours!”

Lyle shrugged, “I got shit to do.”

Z groaned, “oh my god. Just go on your lunch break early, take the baby to the park, tire him out, feed him, then put him to bed. If you're lucky he’ll sleep till the boss comes back.”

Lyle grinned, “your so smart Z.”

She rolled her eyes, “yeah I know.”

Lyle attempted to set up little Miles’ stroller but failed spectacularly. The toddler giggled as he watched him struggle. Lyle sighed, “I give up.” He scooped up the little boy and started the twenty minute walk to the closest park. Little Miles quickly tired of being held squirming for release. Lyle groaned in frustration, setting the child down to hold his hand while he toddled at his uncle’s side.

After ten minutes Lyle started to become annoyed with the slow pace, surprising the content toddler by picking him up again. Little Miles yelped. He pushed against Lyle’s chest crying, “no, no,no! Down! Down!” Lyle’s panic spiked as he fought to contain the thrashing boy.

He felt the judging eyes of passerby, making his stomach twist. “Come on M.J.” Lyle pleaded, bouncing the boy. Little Miles continued screaming and crying. Lyle sighed, “fine you win.” He set him on his feet. Miles instantly quieted. He smiled as Lyle took his hand again, peacefully continuing on their way.

Finally they made it to the park. It was fairly unpopulated with only a handful of retirees sprinkled throughout the area, a few of them with their grandchildren in tow. Lyle spotted a play area built for younger kids and made a beeline towards it, plopping the little boy on to the cushiony rubber turfing. “Alright bud, what do you want to do?” M.J’s wide curious eyes roved over all the equipment from the swings, to slides, monkey bars, rocking horses, a marry go round, and a sand pit. The toddler silently pointed to the monkey bars. “I think you're too little for that one kid.” The little boy’s brow furrowed in a way that made him look just like his father when angry. He insistently pointed at the monkey bars. Lyle grinned trying and failing to not laugh. “Alright, come here. Let’s try this.” Lyle held little Miles up to the bars. The boy grabbed them one by one, Lyle walking him across, keeping a somewhat lax grip on the toddler so he could think he was actually pulling himself across the monkey bars.

M.J giggled when they reached the end, “again!”

[justaz]

Wip Game

thanks @ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral for tagging me for this (btw i really want to read that last idea bc ive been thinking about that stupid ball of light for the longest time and jealous merlin is severely under utilized in fics even if he's jealous of himself)

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

uhhhh my wips are like either two paragraphs or ten pages, no in between. they just sit in my google docs bc i prefer to post once i have the entire story complete in case i abandon it bc id feel so guilty about it (also the ao3 curse scares me) LMAO anyway these are the ones that actually have at least some of it typed out

arranged marriage

ghost merlin and ygraine bond over arthur's self-destructive behavior

arthur fawns over merlin and his bravery

eldoria

sugar daddy arthur

druid merlin

my issue as of late has not been writers block but uhhhh the opposite??? i have wayyyyy too many ideas swirling around my head so i cant focus on one bc the minute i open the doc my brain goes "no i want to write this one" and no work gets done. but if anyone wants to know, the ones i really wanna finish are 1 and 4. and then 2. i honestly forgot about 2 until i was scrolling thru my drafts and saw it again and omg im probably gonna write more of that once i post this pray for me that i actually get some done otherwise i'll have to resort to blood sacrifices

OH just bc i want this out of my system and have no idea where else to put it bc i have no idea what it would entail but i really want to write like a series based off tarot cards, specifically the major arcana, but i really don't know what the stories would be but just know that thought has been rotating in my head for like a week

uhm also if anyone does send in asks about these, it'll probably just be like little bullet points or my insane ramblings about them. mayhaps a small tiny little snippet if i am feeling generous teehee

i always feel bad about tagging people so instead here's your reminder to do your daily clicks

[intothegreat-wide-open]

Hey, saw the writers’ asks meme and thought id send a few~ Absolutely no pressure to answer any of these ofc! - 4; 8; 14; 16; 22; 23; 29; 30<3

hey hi thank you for the ask and sorry for the late reply!!

4. a story idea you haven't written it

vermont is for lovers. the scandal au. president morgan and his fixer/mistress mr. ackles. i have been rotating this in my mind for forever but it seems like a lot of work and most of y'all haven't even seen scandal so i guess this one will have to wait.

8. if you had to write a sequel for a fic, you'd write one for...

lmao all i am writing is sequels at the moment, tbh. currently working on part two for on my own terms, part three of the wild side, part three of can't buy me love, part two of wisteria lane and part idek for french verse

14. where do you get your inspiration?

hell if i know. some ideas just appear to me fully formed, others develop over time. sometimes it's triggered by something i've read or by a song or by a completely irrelevant mini-scene on a tv show... like I am not actively doing something to be inspired it just happens to me lol

16. favorite place to write

i don't really have one? i do a lot of writing on my phone actually bc that's the one thing that's always around if i get the sudden urge to write.

22. do you ever worry about public reaction to what you're writing? how do you get past that?

OOF. yeah, all the time. i know i mostly create niche things that even within that niche are pretty niche so i have struggled a lot with lack of feedback and/or people being unnecessarily mean about it not matching their preferred vibes and tbh I still don't know how to get past that. I have gotten better at reminding myself that i'm writing the stories *I* wanna tell and that it's not for them but for *me* but yeah I'd say a big part of my writer's block and time spent not creating is due to me not having found the right crowd yet.

23. pick three keywords that describe your writing

feelsy. soft. but sometimes also creepy-dark.

29. how easy is it for you to come up with titles.

very easy or very hard, there is no in-between. like, the scandal au already has a title although I haven't written a word, other wips, I'm 6k into and I don't have a clue or I'm ready to post and being taunted by the blinking cursor in the AO3 title field.

30. share a fic you are especially proud of.

so here's the thing. the fic I am actually proudest of is still a wip and it's the only one I haven't shared with anybody yet past the summary.

so I'm just gonna go with published stuff

*insert obligatory my name engraved on your heart here* (which is probs the answer everyone expects)

i really like how there are worse things i could do turned though, it took me a long time to finish that one and i really think it turned out great.

[hermannsthumb]

got any good writing advice? im really deep into writing a fic and im hitting a bit of a block rn and figured id ask to see if youve got any tips and or tricks!

ooh that'a a really good question! when I get hit with writer's block for a fic I usually

1: jump to working on a separate fic entirely, since I usually have at least 4 or 5 WIPs rotating in my brain at once like a little microwave. the change of pace can be helpful, especially if I go to a WIP that's a wildly different genre, because I can be like 'oh I wasn't out of ideas I was just in the mood to write something angsty rather than silly/the next chapter of this instead of that/etc'.

or more commonly 2: I just jump ahead in the fic itself! I realized that when i'm really stuck on a fic a majority of the time it's because of i'm stuck on the current scene in particular. when that's the case, I make a few quick notes about what I want to happen in the scene (just a quick little summary blurb, maybe a piece of dialogue I wanted to incorporate if I have it in mind) and then jump ahead to the next scene. I also sometimes do this if I have a scene i'm REALLY excited to write and don't want to rush through the rest of the fic to get to it. it works for me at least most of the time! and I feel like it makes finally going back to complete the skipped scene a little bit easier since I know what happens after, like it flows better. (this is also 100% how I write academic papers sometimes too lmfao)

I've also recently started bullet-pointing entire fics before I get into writing them which unfortunately helps a lot :/ bullet-pointing OR just writing lengthy summaries actually, it's handy not just for organization reasons but also making sure I don't forget what I want to happen for longer WIPs or WIPs I haven't worked on in a while. and doing it by hand helps even more somehow, but I think I just enjoy writing things out in cursive lmao, it feels so official

and 3: sometimes I simply do not want to write. in this case I check out a bunch of books from the library so i like remember how words are supposed to go/go to the movies/get really into designing houses in the sims 3 for like four days. I used to feel bad when I didn't get a lot of writing done but i've realized that my stuff is usually better when I don't push myself to get stuff done when i'm burnt out or stuck on something

OF COURSE these are just things that work for me, not universal rules by any means, results may vary!!! I hope this helps though!

[anincompletelist]

weekend wip game! :D

thank you thank you @daisymae-12 for the tag, I SO enjoyed reading through your current projects (and everyone else's that have been floating around!) I have so many of my own that I scream about privately but I suppose I can do it publicly as well with the right persuasion (this. definitely this.) anyway -

PLEASE feel free to do this and tag me if you haven't already. I LOVE reading about yall's current projects! <3 (also much love to @welcometololaland for creating this fun game!)

I hope you're all doing well! :D

-- anincompletelist/sarah

+

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (questions for artists/gifmakers here).

1. WIP List:

[hitman alex / prince henry au]

poetry fic (literally SO much poetry this is my Baby) [computer science major alex/english major + poet henry]

coworkers/fake dating au (part of firstprince first kisses)

[journalist+escort alex/prince henry]

boxer alex au / snippet here

truman show au [henry as truman/alex as lauren] !!! partially in script format

dog walker alex au (feat. DAVID!)

abdication au [lawyer alex] LOTS of family drama/henry angst and most of it takes place on a TRAIN which for some reason to me makes it so much more intriguing

drunk dial au [based on 'dial drunk' by noah kahan - canon divergent - years after the worst breakup of either of their lives, alex manages to get himself arrested during a trip to london and the only person he can think to call is henry, his ex. (things work out, of course. I am incapable of writing unhappy endings)]

bridesmaids au (june is getting married, brother alex and best friend henry are her (rival) ‘best men’/bridesmen who are always trying to compete to give her the best wedding possible)

lots of other little drabbles and oneshots -- honestly this list grows every day but these are the main ones!!

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

poetry fic!

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

poetry for sure, but truman fic is a close second!

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

it definitely changes day-to-day, even though it stresses me out to have a lot of projects going at once (skjhdjhs) I enjoy being able to switch around between them and write whatever I'm in the mood for!

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

probably truman au. I have big plans for it and I've fleshed out the characters really well and I feel like the trope is PERFECT for alex&henry and it (to my knowledge) hasn't been done before so! I want to do them justice. also it's surpassingly fun to write scenes in script format!!!

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

all of them, to a degree (the universal Creative Experience). but I think poetry fic? it deals with some heavier themes and the characters are so special to me (it also deals with a lot of my own personal struggles and features some of my own poetry) so I worry about it being perceived well or being relatable to other people.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I'm not sure if I will! when I wrote in other fandoms I had a lovely friend that would look them over for me and we'd talk about them, but they don't write for this fandom and I overthink SO much that if someone gives me criticism I may just scrap the entire scene sjkhkjhd. I kind of just post and hope for the best!

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

on a steady rotation :D perks of having so many wips that I can just switch it up when I get stuck!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

I'm fully aware I sound like a broken record but definitely poetry fic. i can’t say too much without giving away some of the plot but he’s an older man who can relate to henry in a lot of ways and kind of becomes a part of their story <3 he’s only in a couple of scenes but they’re so important to the story!

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

hitman alex for SURE, but journalist/escort is definitely a close second.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

oh gosh, it's between hitman / abdication / poetry / boxer / and truman ?? but honestly I can't write anything without a little angst, so! I feel like there's so many elements to their dynamic that are just perfect for it (with mandatory happy ending of course)!

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

most accurate? probably poetry fic. most fun to write? hitman.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

POETRY!!! it's literally the personification of autumn and warm blankets and falling leaves and old books and alex's cinnamon coffee (of course) and Henry runs a poetry club and they're both so soft and ugh it's just the best ever and I wish I could live in it. (in my own humble opinion).

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

as far as research goes, definitely poetry.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I'm not really sure. I wrote in another fandom that I always felt like everything I posted had to cater to who was going to read it and it's been extremely liberating to write for RWRB and just post what *I* like or would want to read. I don't really care about hits, but my biggest hope with anything I post is always that it makes someone else feel seen/heard/validated or brightens their day/night a little, the way that so many other fics/art have for me. <3

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

YES. I have the angstiest dreams and anytime I hurt my own feelings I wake up and write it down immediately. (ESPECIALLY with hitman and journalist recently).

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

truman au for sure. it's written in alex's pov and we only see henry through script format for the first half. I'm really excited about it, I've never written anything like it before and I think it adds such a cool element to the story (if I can figure out how to format it correctly on ao3 jhskdhj - we'll cross that bridge when we get there I suppose).

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

coworkers and dogwalker I would consider to be 'funny' fics -- lots of banter and joking with each other and general lightheartedness!

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

not currently, but I LOVED writing June's character in this fic because I have a chronic illness myself and I liked getting to explore it from an outside perspective! I also would love to explore a bit more with henry's dad and their storyline at some point as well.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

here, have THREE!

henry's poetry club in poetry fic is called 'speak easy' and is held in an old speakeasy lounge

in the hitman fic, alex goes by the codename Ander in public

abdication au is inspired by a five minute scene in a james bond film that takes place on a train and just spun out from there kjshdjhs

YAY that was so much fun, thank you again for tagging me @daisymae-12 , had a super bad chronic illness day the last several days so this has been such a fun and much welcome distraction.

I don't have a lot of people that I know of that haven't done this, but off the top of my head -- @inexplicablymine (I know you shared wips but I'd love to hear more detail if you're interested in sharing!) @onward--upward @firstprincewrites @magicandarchery @sparklepocalypse and anyone else who comes across this post!

again, there's NO pressure at ALL but I would love to hear what y'all are working on and just what you're up to in general!

I hope all of you guys are doing well, I'm so ridiculously grateful for all of the work you guys put out and the difference that you make. have a wonderful weekend and take care! :D

[zmediaoutlet]

if you're doing the fic writer asks, 44 and/or 52!

oh, thank you for sending one :) let's see:

44. any writing advice you want to share?

In general I think it's a good idea to think about what a character would actually do in a situation and have them do it, rather than think about what the story needs or what the trope requires and cram the character into that box. But this is a particular kind of writing which not all fic falls into. I much prefer character-realism, whenever possible. A lot of stories, you can tell someone's thought of a joke and they want to put it in, and humorlessly I go but Sam would never think that; or they want the sex scene to go a particular way for porny reasons or even thematic reasons, and horntlessly I go but Dean would never go for that in this moment, also where did the lube come from; or they want a character to have an emotional moment in order to further the plot, and coldly I go John would never express that -- and it's almost never because any of those things are literally impossible for the characters (...Sam's sense of humor perhaps aside), but because the writer hasn't done the supporting work to prove how a character might make such a leap.

All stories are a series of proofs that the writer is engaging with to lead the reader from logical step to logical step. If you skip a bunch of them, I fall down the stairs. And then I'm bruised, and mad, and not paying any attention to your story bc I need an ice pack. So. If you're going to have Sam crack an OOC joke, you'd better have meticulously set up the situation around him so that it follows logically that he will have done so, or I'm limping.

52. how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time?

I don't actually pick up and drop stories in rotation, although I've heard that can be a good way to manage writer's block (though I've equally heard that it's a good way to have an endless parade of WIPs that you never actually sack up and finish, so. who's right). That said, doesn't mean that there isn't a sad pile of 'hmm what should I do next, idk, let's think about it for three years' unfinished bois sitting in my fic folder. I did used to think that none of them would ever be done, but given that I managed to finish the genderswap thing with only two paragraphs done ~8 years after the idea, I'm hopeful. It should be a year of finishing.

At the moment there are 8 fics I have an actual start made on and think it's feasible I could finish them. Ideas that haven't actually been started yet: 37.

[inkforhumanhands]

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

1. WIP List:

Epistaxis Anime

Out of the Darkness, Into the Limelight

A Gentleman Caller

MikeFoggy fake dating

Bloom (I Had a Dream About You) mattfoggy pwp

Don't Give Yourself This Excuse

Saint Anthony helps Matt find kidnapped Foggy fic

Foggy Nelson, Super Sleuth!

s2 Karen thinks mattfoggy breakup is romantic and not DD fuckery

Foggy and Karen go to witch to resurrect Matt post-Midland Circle

s3 alcoholic Foggy angst

v1 Matt dates Daredevil

His Wife Has Filled His House With Chintz

v2 Matt has sex dreams about Foggy while he's in witpro

v3 Ben Urich plays mattfoggy matchmaker

v4 Foggy cancer arc getting jealous that Matt gets to go places with Kirsten in public

v5 purple children mind wipe happens while Matt and Foggy are dating

v6 Matt hasn't slept with Foggy because of his tendency to go all in on relationships

v7 Goldy threatening Foggy and Matt going apeshit

Guesswork (the OC fic)

The Good One (the OC oneshot)

Hannigram obsession fic

Matthias & Maxime prequel

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Epistaxis Anime at almost 27k

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Probably EA but Guesswork is already at 12k and I'm not 100% sure where it's going to end up. Also Limelight was originally planned to clock in at 20k but chapter 1 is already like 8k so....... we'll see.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

This rotates lmao which is probably why I never seem to finish anything adfsdf. I have a lot of fun with many of these but especially (in no particular order): MikeFoggy fake dating, Gentleman Caller, Limelight, Chintz, EA, and Guesswork

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

This also rotates and is mostly because if I start writing something too well I feel pressure to keep it up. Right now on my list of "omg what will i do if i fuck this up" fics are Chintz, Limelight, and mikefoggy.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Again, this rotates!! I am struck by crippling self-doubt about like every 500 words (at least) of any WIP.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I asked the lovely @iheartallthethings to give Guesswork chapter 2 a quick read-over because I've never actually been to a bar mitzvah and she was very helpful!

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

HAHAHAHAHAHA DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT SUPER SLEUTH

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

If Saint Anthony counts as an OC then him lmao. I only have like 500 words of him but he's great.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Chintz!

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Don't Give Yourself This Excuse. It's literally suicidal!Matt so. boom.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

Either Guesswork or Limelight probably.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

I'm pretty partial to the opening scenes in Limelight and Gentleman Caller, but also the opening to Chintz is gonna knock all your socks off!

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Ooh, difficult to say. I've definitely put a lot of hours into EA but probably Guesswork or Limelight. I rewrote parts of Guesswork chapter 2 like five times and it was awful lol.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

Limelight because I love the movie it's based on and if I can capture even a quarter of that magic it's gonna be fantastic.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Nope, my dreams don't usually go where I'd like them to.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

Guesswork because it's sensitive subject matter (lingering trauma) seen through the lens of a character who hasn't experienced it himself and therefore doesn't understand it/keeps fucking up because of it.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

mikefoggy and Gentleman Caller, although Limelight is also pretty funny in parts. oh and EA is delightful if I do say so myself.

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Saint Anthony is an outside POV (partially anyway, it alternates between him and Matt) and it's fun to see things through the eyes of someone who has much less stake in what's happening while Matt's tearing New York apart.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Don't Give Yourself This Excuse's title and idea were taken from Peaky Blinders. Tommy's sister Ada tells him that after some kids were blown up in a bomb meant for him and his enterprise and she's afraid he'll act on his suicidal tendencies because of it.

oopsies almost forgot to tag people: @amazing-spiderling @pomegranate-belle @udekai @stripedscribe @neonbrutalism and alll the people i definitely 100% forgot

[burins]

5, 9, and 14 for the ask meme?

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

Oh god i have a whole list of these, most recently the clean slate dick grayson circus fic. I also had a very involved mental au about wwx and lwj staying in the burial mounds together and trying to make a life with each other, which I never wrote because it would have been very long and also I was content to rotate it in my mind. also i thought for a while about writing a fic dealing with the fact that while it's been 12 years for everyone else, as of the events of canon, wwx was actively suicidal 3 months ago. which I did not write because uh. well. it was 2020 and really intentionally spending time in that kind of headspace would Not have been great for me!

9. Do you write every day? If you wrote today, share a sentence of what you’ve written!

Not intentionally! I used to try to write a little bit every day but I work full time and it's more realistic for me to just write when I can. This does often end up being every day or almost every day, though. I'm working on [redacted] right now so no snippets atm!

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

Ooooh this is SUCH a hard one. I am a pretty visual writer I think and I spend a lot of time thinking about how scenes would be blocked. (also i never shut up about lighting.) tbh I think the answer is one of my horror fics: either breath hot, blood red (bruce creature fic) or a silent and particular scream (wen qing necromancer fic). (I thought about commissioning an illustration for the second one but chickened out and also i have to be pretty careful with zombie depictions so idk if it would have worked out. cicadas, though!)

ask game!

[specialagentartemis]

18. what is your most and least favorite part of writing? 28. handwritten notes or typed notes? 73. how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

For this writer ask game.

18. what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

Favorite part: Honestly, making long lists of worldbuilding notes. I'm a Tolkien at heart; can't believe I need to write stories to show off my worldbuilding and language-building ideas!

Also, writing dialogue where neither speaker is saying directly what they mean. Could do that for days.

Other other favorite part of writing... maybe favorite mode of writing?... is coming up with a funny/devastating concept through bouncing ideas in conversation, and then feeling compelled to turn it into a ficlet or a oneshot in one blaze of inspiration because this idea needs to be shown off.

Least favorite part of writing: the part where I've been thinking of an idea So Much, outlined it So Minutely, rotated it in my head So Long, that by the time I sit down to write it I'm just... bored of it, or by the time I write it it feels stupid and boring. Actually committing it to words and it doesn't match the perfect crystal of an idea that lives in my head and it's demoralizing.

28. Handwritten notes or typed notes?

Mix of both, honestly! True notes - just ideas, "oh I want to include this" concepts, initial playing around with potential plot points - are usually handwritten. I have a beautiful handmade leatherbound notebook dedicated to this, but also this happens on basically any notepad that is currently in front of me. Currently I have a list of fanfics I want to podfic written in pen on one mini spiral notepad, several verses of a filk (may not all get used) in my Poetry Notebook, relevant Tewa names to the Time Trap! project on a folded piece of yellow paper, and some outline notes for some other fanfics in a composition book.

Outlines get typed. Outlines can start off loose or I can jump into them Full In Depth, but typing the outline up is the first step of getting the thing written.

I also have a notes document on my phone of names I like and their origins, to pull from when I need to name a one-off character.

73. how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

The dialogue comes in words, but the blocking is very cinematic in my mind’s eye. More than anything though, I hear the dialogue, the intonation, the timing, and then try to capture that in writing—which ends up with a lot of pausing and sighing and snorting and shrugging as I try to capture the cadence of the words I’m picturing!

This is why I love writing fic for podcasts and for Murderbot so much—everything is presented in words, spoken or narrated.

[shrinkthisviolet]

4, 17, 25 and 39 for the writing ask game!!!

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

From the source media (since a lot of my fics are fix-its, scene expansions, or missing scenes).

Also from IG/TikTok edits, which have sparked my muse before and will probably keep doing so! (Especially the Savitar ones, which make him out to be a much better/coherent villain than he actually is)

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

I have a rotation of WIPs, so if inspiration for one runs out, I’ll hop over to another! Or, if I don’t have inspiration for any, I’ll take a break from writing (since that’s probably a sign that my writing juices need a break) and rewatch the source media when I want to get back into it

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

This Iris & Harry fic and this Peddie fic!

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

Barry sighed. “I don’t know. Even at the Christmas party, when I tried to apologize…it didn’t take.”

“Hmm. Well, as her father, I must admit to being biased in her favor. But keep trying, Barry. Morgan isn’t the type to hold grudges…she’ll come around, I’m sure.”

Oh Barry…what did you do this time 😂

writing/fanfic ask game!

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

For the ask game :] 2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas 9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block) 18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, 20. What is your total AO3 word count 22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it? 

Ah, thank you, thank you for the ask @doubtfulloser!

2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas

Honestly, it varies a lot. Sometimes from dreams, though usually for fic its a thread in some fandom discussion. GoS started with exploring a thread of people who wanted a unified timeline after the original split was announced in 2012, and MoaH was from a discussion on BOTW trial/dungeon design. And then I kept pulling the thread until it became a plot.

9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Habit.

I had to confront this big time this past month recovering from the flu, because here was the double edged sword: if I didn't write, I was kicking myself for not being productive, and if I did write, I was burning my brain out and not actually enjoying the process. Every other time I've been confronted with this problem, I ended up going on hiatus, which I don't like because they would go on so long. And there's a real conversation I'm starting to have with myself about my self-worth and productivity, but we're working on it. But the point was, I made a system to compromise where I'm currently at and people to support me on it (chiefly, my partner, though the Expanding Hyrule community is really building to meet part of this too).

The solution I'm finding now is habit, but it's not the same habit. I'm applying the things I did to keep my Duolingo streak for four years (which I still miss, but they started using AI so fuck that). And that's to have different goals depending on where I'm at.

If I'm not doing well, in whatever way, I have a writing maximum of ~400 words (give or take a finished sentence). The goal of this is not to write a bunch, it's to write at all. It's to prove I can maintain a habit and get back to it when I feel better. And then when I am feeling better, or generally in a good head space, that switches to a 400 word minimum in the day. The 400 word as a metric is specifically based on Terry Pratchett's daily writing goal. And so far, it's working. I'm getting back to my previous pace of a chapter a day.

It's also important for me to engage in other media outside of what I'm working on. Low inspiration usually means there's not enough ideas going in, which means I need to engage with other stories than my own, and outside of whatever fandom that might be in if it's fic. So subbing in other sources of inspiration is a key to restoring my natural sources. Right now, I've finally at a chance to watch Vox Machina and I'm playing through Ghost of Tsushima, very good additions to the rotation of writing sprints.

It's a work in progress, but it's important to be flexible in building answers. And it's ok to accept to yourself that you can write/draw/make uninspired. Just a little bit to flex the muscle helps, but it doesn't have to be groundbreaking every day (and it likely won't be).

18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven,

I have a hard time with this one, but I'm going to say action-driven first because I know I rush my openings. I like to get to the plot. I write at a lower reading level but about more adult topics/lens because I believe we need to be making a better effort to make fiction, particularly fantasy, accessible again. I lean for big plots and bigger casts, and I very rarely know which trope to properly put on shit because I like poking them too much.

20. What is your total AO3 word count

As of the MoaH chapter to going out today (Oct 15), 253,730.

22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?

Oh boy, there's a technical answer to this and there's a real answer this. Also hard, because neither of them are out yet.

There's a scene in book 2 that's the culmination of a character arc that was very important to me to get tonally right, because I don't want Link's influence on it to be about him or to reach as a vein of hero complex on his part, but it was important for me to impress on the readers that most identify with MoaH Link the impact they can have by being good allies to people, about learning how they can protect people the way Link is in the story without centering themselves. I don't know if I got it right, but I hope I got close for the first pass.

Technically though, there's a chapter with an avalanche, also in book 2, and despite being pretty high octane, it took like five days to write because I was dying of the flu.

And thank you again for the ask!