#but not the vibe for my wips sadly

[aza-trash-can]

I have splatoon music playing rn, and I can't take anything seriously

[morrigan-sims]

I'm going to fucking explode.

(aka, "the most (non-violent) physical contact Rook has had in at LEAST 3 years that didn't happen when he was dead/unconscious/injured.")

and here's the context from my prose write-up of this scene.

[dangoulains-devotion]

tag talkin

[physalian]

“How do I know if my story needs work or if I’m just being hard on myself?”

As I sit here accepting the fact that at 70k words into Eternal Night’s sequel while waiting for my editor for Eternal Night itself, that I have made an error in my plot.

Disclaimer: This is not universal and the writing experience is incredibly diverse. Figuring this out also takes some time and building up your self-confidence as an author so you can learn to separate “this is awful (when it’s not)” and “this is ok (but it can be better)” and “this isn’t working (but it is salvageable).”

—

When I wrote my first novel (unpublished, sadly), years ago, I would receive feedback all over the chapters and physically have to open other windows to block off parts of the screen on my laptop to slow-drip the feedback because I couldn’t handle constructive criticism all at once. I had my betas color-code their commentary so I could see before I read any of it that it wasn’t all negative. It took me thrice as long as it does today to get through a beta’s feedback because I got so nervous and anxious about what they would say.

The main thing I learned was this: They’re usually right, when it’s not just being mean (and even then, it’s rarely flat out mean), and that whatever criticisms they have of my characters and plot choices is not criticism of myself.

It did take time.

But now I can get feedback from betas and even when I hear “I’d DNF this shit right now unless you delete this,” I take a step back, examine if this one little detail is really that important, and fix it. No emotional turmoil and panic attack needed. I can also hear “I didn’t like it” without heartbreak. Can’t please everyone.

The only time I freak out is when I'm told "this won't need massive edits" followed up by, in the manuscript, "I'd DNF this shit right now". Which happened. And did not, in fact, require a massive rewrite to fix.

So.

What might be some issues with your story and why it “isn’t working”.

1. Your protagonist is not active enough in the story

You’ve picked your protagonist, but it’s every other character that has more to do, more to say, more choices to make, and they’re just along for the ride, yet you are now anchored to this character’s story because they’re the protagonist. You can either swap focus characters, or rework your story to give them more agency. Figure out why this character, above any other, is your hero.

2. Your pacing is too slow

Even if you have a “lazy river” style story where the vibes and marinating in the world is more important than a breakneck plot, slow pacing isn’t just “how fast the story moves” it’s “how clearly is the story told,” meaning if you divert the story to a side quest, or spend too long on something that sure is fluffy or romantic or funny, but it adds nothing to the characters because it’s redundant, doesn’t advance the plot, doesn’t give us more about the world that actually matters to the themes, then you may have lost focus of the story and should consider deleting it, or editing important elements into the scenes so they can pull double-duty and serve a more active purpose.

3. You’ve lost the main argument of your narrative

Sometimes even the best of outlines and the clearest plans derail. Characters don’t cooperate and while we see where it goes, we end up getting hung up on how this one really cool scene or argument or one-liner just has to be in the story, without realizing that doing so sacrifices what you set out to accomplish. Personally I think sticking to your outline with biblical determination doesn’t allow for new ideas during the writing process, but if you find yourself down the line of “how did we get here, this isn’t what I wanted” you can always save the scenes in another document to reuse later, in this WIP or another in the future.

4. You’re spending too long on one element

Even if the thing started out really cool, whether it’s a rich fantasy pit stop for your characters or a conversation two characters must have, sometimes scenes and ideas extend long past their prime. You might have characters stuck in one location for 2 or 3 chapters longer than necessary trying to make it perfect or stuff in all these details or make it overcomplicated, when the rest of the story sits impatiently on the sidelines for them to move on. Figure out the most important reasons for this element to exist, take a step back, and whittle away until the fat is cut.

5. You’ve given a side character too much screentime

New characters are fun and exciting! But they can take over the story when they’re not meant to, robbing agency from your core characters to leave them sitting with nothing to do while the new guy handles everything. You might end up having to drag your core characters along behind them, tossing them lines of dialogue and side tasks to do because you ran out of plot to delegate with one character hogging it all (which is the issue I ran into with the above mentioned WIP). Not talking about a new villain or a new love interest, I mean a supporting character who is supposed to support the main characters.

—

As for figuring out the difference between “this is awful and I’m a bad writer” and “this element isn’t working” try pretending the book was written by somebody else and you’re giving them constructive criticism.

If you can come up with a reason for why it’s not working that doesn’t insult the writer, it’s probably the latter. As in, “This element isn’t working… because it’s gone on too long and the conversation has become cyclical and tiring.” Not “this element isn’t working because it’s bad.”

Why is it bad?

“This conversation is awkward because…. There’s not enough movement between characters and the dialogue is really stiff.”

“This fight scene is bad because….I don’t have enough dynamic action, enough juicy verbs, or full use of the stage I’ve set.”

“This romantic scene is bad because…. It’s taking place at the wrong time in the story. I want to keep it, but this character isn’t ready for it yet, and the vibe is all wrong now because they’re out-of-character.”

“This argument is bad because…. It didn’t have proper build-up and the sudden shouting match is not reflective of their characters. They’re too angry, and it got out of hand quickly. Or I’m not conveying the root of their aggression.”

—

There aren’t very many bad ideas, just bad execution. “Only rational people can think they’re crazy. Crazy people think they’re sane,” applies to writing, too.

I just read a fanfic recently where, for every fight scene, I could tell action was not the writer’s strong suit. They leaned really heavily on a crutch of specific injuries for their characters, the same unusual spot getting hit over and over again, and fights that dragged on for too long being unintentionally stagnant. The rest of the fic was great, though, and while the fights weren’t the best, I understood that the author was trying, and I kept reading for the good stuff. One day they will be better.

In my experience beta reading, it’s the cocky authors who send me an unedited manuscript and tell me to be kind (because they can’t take criticism), that they know it’s perfect they just want an outside opinion (they don’t want the truth, they want what will make them feel good), that they know it’s going to make them a lot of money and everyone will love it (they haven’t dedicated proper time and effort into researching marketing, target audiences, or current trends)—these are the truly bad authors. Not just bad at writing, but bad at taking feedback, are bullies when you point out flaws in their story, and cheap, too.

The best story I have received to date was where the author didn’t preempt with a self-deprecating deluge of “it’s probably terrible you know but here it is anyway” or “this is perfect and I’m super confident you’re going to love it”.

It was something like, “This is my first book and I know it has flaws and I’m nervous but I had a lot of fun doing it”.

And yeah, it needed work, but the bones of something great were there. So give yourself some credit, yeah?

[scratch-house]

the starshine always kept you warm.

alright so i'm continuing my thing of finishing up old wips, this being one of them. i sketched this out during the #finishinfinitytrain trend, but obviously (sadly) that's well past over. i think. they should finish it anyway. for me

i had sketches for each of the books, but s2 was the one i had the most motivation to finish. i love s2! i think lake being transmasc and having a crush on a boy did a lot for me at the time. i identified differently when i watched it than i do now

the song i picked for this one doesn't quite fit perfectly, like jesse isn't famous or rich or anything assuming the lyrics are from lake's perspective, but i figured jesse's life being comparatively kinder than lake's might make up for that. just the general vibe of having escaped on some level into a better circumstance. it was all kind of accidental though--the background color came before the song did, and the lyrics just kind of popped into my head after that. i was very much going for a summery, warm, out-on-a-hot-afternoon feel, and the entire album is very that

[doxiedreg]

So I read the watership down graphic novel a few days ago (it was very good, great adaptation of the original book though some things were missing/lacking) and it gave me the itch to draw bunnies again. So instead of, idk, cooking or eating dinner I drew a bunch of watership down bunny rabbits :) Its almost 12 am and im starving but I just needed to get it done today, i wanted to share the watership down love. Who knows, maybe if I had stopped, it would have ended up in wip limbo/hell and i didnt want that to happen Anyhow, I sadly wasnt able to fit everyone but I tried to include most of the main bunnies. I was gonna squeeze blackavar in there but i was all out of brain juice and also canvas space. I used photo references of wild rabbits to try and get the shapes right but the ears were very challenging. Im afraid some might have turned out looking more like hares instead but I really tried my best! (this took me like over 4 hours rip) I also tried really hard to make their coat colors and patterns varied but still believable/natural-ish. Vervain is a lil random because honestly i didnt know what to do for him so i just let the vibes guide me. To fill the empty space beneath pipkin i included tiny El-ahrairah, the black rabbit of Inlé and frith because i despise having empty space on sketch pages. Anyhow im gonna try to figure out what to eat now, hope you guys enjoy!

[kasienda]

Fanfiction Year in Review 2023

I fill this out every year. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me. Allows me to reflect on everything that I’ve written and kinda think about where I want to go next. And I like it better from the ask games because I don’t have to wait for asks to come in and can compare my answers from one year to the next. ^_^

1 List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:

Displaced (Ladrien oneshot)

No Regrets (Ladynoir oneshot - smut)

You Don’t Have To Pretend With Me (Platonic Adrino oneshot)

Representation Reveal (S5 Adrinette oneshot)

Kisses in the Rain (S5 AU Love Square - technically multichapter, but it’s shorter than many of my one-shots)

Would Trust You With Everything (Adrino multichapter)

Just An Ordinary Girl (Marichat oneshot)

Love Remains (Ladynoir multichapter)

Spin the Bottle (OT4 with cour four - technically oneshot, but it’s longer than Kisses and has more kisses in it. Haha!)

2 Number of words written: 

Written: 166,114 words

Published: 151,018 words (more than twice 2022’s number!! Go me!!) 

Those numbers are incredibly close together because I haven’t been redrafting as much. Those numbers include six one shots, three completed multi chapters. And another four multi chapter WIPs saw at least one update.

And in another fun milestone! I broke a million words published on Ao3 just this last week!! (I've been writing fic since 2003 and everything I've ever written is on Ao3!)

3 Your most popular fic:

Not Part of the Plan - I suspect that this is mostly because being a teen pregnancy fic, it’s my most tropiest story this year. Haha! 

4 Your personal fav:

Aftermath - This story has usurped Right Behind You as my favorite. I’ve been able to connect to the raw hurt and grief in this story, and there’s something very raw and human about it that others seem to be able to connect to as well. I think it’s some of my best work, and that is also thanks to an amazing beta in @ladyofthenoodle who has lent her expertise in more than one way in making this one more true to lived experience. 

5 Your fav scene:

It’s so hard to pick a favorite!! I narrowed it down to my three favorites in no particular order. 

The last scene in Ch 5 Love Remains - Chat Noir give amnesiac Ladybug a geography lesson from space. It’s got Whole New World vibes, and I just loved the imagery of it.

Ch 4 of Aftermath - I’m particularly proud of Marinette’s panic attack when Adrien tells her she doesn’t have to keep coming over. Like it feels like it comes out of nowhere, but it just totally makes sense. And how it manifests and how she soothes herself (it’s not healthy, but it’s so GOOD!)

Ch 7 of Would Trust You With Everything - The scene where Chat Noir tries to tell Nino who he is, but inevitably doesn’t. And how Nino reassures him through all that. This scene feels so raw, but so heartwarming in light of Adrien’s fears. And I don’t know - it’s beautiful to me.

6 A fic or scene that challenged you:

I really struggled with Right Behind You this year, though it wasn’t for lack of trying! I had started out the year hoping to go back to an update a month here and I only updated it three times throughout 2023. 

This was incredibly frustrating because the initial drafts of scenes would come pretty easily, but I couldn’t seem to make them pop the way the earlier chapters did. The good news is I think I figured out what the issue was. Most of my writing this year has been speed writing. And a big part of that is just where I’ve been emotionally. I’m very very out of practice in editing and redrafting, which this story and Aftermath both definitely need. 

I’ve only been able to edit Aftermath because I’ve had a ton of help. (Thanks Noodles!) Sadly, it’s harder to find betas for rarepairs, but I have succeeded! (Thanks@coffeebanana!)

7 A line of writing you’re proud of: 

“She wanted to be there to see it. To see him.”

This line is way better in context, but I’ve made myself cry about three times with it. And I refuse to explain it because that would give its power away. Guess you’ll just have to go read Aftermath. 

8 A comment that touched you: 

I can never answer this question without mentioning several!! 

Would Trust You With Everything - this story had a ton of enthusiastic followers - way more than rarepair work usually gets, and I wrote this story right after my life fell apart and all the commenters here made throwing this story together just that much more joyful during a time when I REALLY needed it. (I'm looking at you, @bittersweetresilience, @bbutterflies @flightfoot @coffeebanana and so many others that I don't know your tumblr name!!!) Not Part of the Plan Comments - I added sex ed lessons to the end of each chapter here because there’s so much about fertility and pregnancy that people don’t know if typical pregnancy fics are anything to go by, and this seemed to inspire so many people to share their pregnancy stories!!! And these have been so cool because I’ve learned that these stories just don’t often have an opportunity to be shared. And it’s neat that this story with its accompanying lessons could create a space for that!! Aftermath comments - lots of people who have really struggled with moderate to severe depression have apparently felt very seen by this fic. And that a story that is essentially about two characters who feel very alone and like no one can understand can help people feel LESS alone and MORE understood is simply amazing!! I love this story so much!! AHH!! Here's one from @neurovascular-entrapta that meant a lot to me.

9 Something that inspired your writing:

Grief and the need to feel things in a distant abstract-these-are-story-book-characters kind of way so I don’t have to feel my actual feelings as closely every moment of the day really kept me writing the whole year long.

10 Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

My writing has been really raw and messy this year, and I can’t keep tenses straight to save my life. But there’s something powerful about the rawness that I really like even as all the grammatical errors and the lack of effort on the technical side of most of my stories has driven me nuts. 

I am proud of myself for being able to get back into the big projects in these last few months after not being able to face them from April to October. And I’ve started participating in a few writing events here and there again in addition to working on my own pet projects. 

11 Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

Well, I wanted to finish Not Part of the Plan in 2023, which didn’t happen only barely! So hoping the last chapter and the epilogue make it out within the next month. Once that’s done I think I want to try and make Aftermath and Right Behind You my primary focus projects this year. And of course, I’m sure new plot bunnies and writing events will take over my brain on occasion. Last year, I said I wanted my writing to become a reliable mental health tool for me again, and I’m glad to say that it definitely was that for 2023. I hope I’m able to use my writing this year to continue my healing journey. 

And maybe go and proofread all of the fics I finished in 2023 to fix all the inconsistent tense issues to prepare them for being bound eventually!

12 Anyone you would like to thank?

SO MANY PEOPLE!

@jennagrinsoverml for being one of my oldest fandom friends! For becoming a real life friend for all that we haven't actually met in person. For all the times you vented to me and listened and sent me pictures of your family and gushed over pictures of mine. I'm lucky to know you!

@ladyofthenoodle - for showing up in my DMs, For being a most insightful beta, for dragging me into a larger community over and over again, for listening to both my real struggles and my first world problems, for being my friend!!

@thelibraryloser - I don't know how to put this into words. But I very much look up to you. For your resilience through difficult times - you are role-model for how to handle this world with grace and kindness. Thank you for your stories!

@coffeebanana - for being so enthusiastic in the creation process before and after! When I have a story that is getting no attention one comment from you makes it so it doesn't matter. You give me all I need.

@bittersweetresilience and @wackus-bonkus-maximus for just being so kind and enthusiastic and supportive of any idea I happen to be talking about in any given moment. I guess for enabling me. Haha!

@blur0se and @mila-beedoodling for sharing your ideas and inspiring me to create new things!!

@asukiess, @chocoluckchipz, @sariahsue, @miabrown007 for creating so many beautiful things and for being kind and engaging in so many conversations!

And now, I'm really nervous that I'm forgetting someone because this is the first time where I feel like I've had more than three fandom friends. Haha! It's a good problem to have I suppose. In general, thank you to the miraculous community for helping me to survive this year. <3 <3 <3

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I invite anyone who wants to, to fill this out! (Or something similar because I think it can be modified for artwork pretty easily). But if you do, please tag me, so I can be a cheerleader for all you've accomplished this year!

[fayannah]

wip wednesday

so i’ve been working on this fic for about a month and i’ve written a couple scenes. it got the approval of one of my irl friends so if i’m posting it here

“Tch, stop denying it. You totally have the whole posh British librarian vibe down.”

Phoenix leaned down and whispered to his dog in an exaggerated low British accent that Miles assumed was supposed to represent him, “You have quite fetching eyes, my dear.”

“We don’t say the F-word in this house. Pess tends to get…excited. I, also do not sound like that. I’m not even English!” Miles turned around from the pot of homemade sauce bubbling rapidly, spatula still in hand.

“Sure, you aren’t buddy! That accent isn’t fooling anyone.”

Miles leaned back against the countertop, spatula waving wildly in the air as he thought, “Your statement is that I am faking my accent, but that is call conjecture, my good man.” Miles smirked at Phoenix, pointing the spatula in his face, “You’re going to need some evidence for that argument.”

“Jerk.” Phoenix muttered.

If Miles was a better man he would’ve closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around the man, murmuring in his ear, “Yes, but I’m your jerk aren’t I?”

Instead, Miles turned back to the stovetop, returning the spatula to the pot and mixing the sauce. “Yes but this jerk also happens to be making you dinner right now. If I were you I wouldn’t insult the person responsible for feeding you.”

Miles heard the cracking of joints and a heavy sigh. He assumed Phoenix had sat down at the table. Looking over his shoulder, Miles saw Phoenix leaning back in one of his dining chairs, arms crossed and head tipping over the edge of the chair.

“Be cautious, Wright. It would be saddening if you were to hurt your ever-aging back.”

“Says the guy who was born 50,” Phoenix shot back, “Why are you allow to insult me but I’m not?”

“Careful there, remember I’m providing your housing. You’re lucky I didn’t go with the apartment with no guest room. Sadly, there wouldn’t be any place for you to sleep.”

Miles had to move on before his mind got a hold of that sentence and ran wild with it. He felt a flush blooming on his cheeks as he look over at the man in question.

Phoenix looked at him quizzically, “You wouldn’t. You’re too much of a softie for that.”

Miles chuckled, “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that thinks that.”

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. A) Itmf fics where wwx is actually a servant. B) Or has a specialized skill that is not cultivation related, possibly one he's known for?

1A)

The Myrmidon by Basingstoke (E, 33k, wangxian, NHS/WWX, LXC/JGY, major character death, graphic depictions of violence, underage, WWX raised as a servant, spiritual weapons, gusu summer camp, Flirting, they're young, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Behavior, War, WIP) sadly this is probably never going to be finished, but the WIP is great on the concept of wwx actually being raised as a servant to the jiang household

~*~

2. Itmf any fics that readers of this lovely blog absolutely adore. Their favorite fic, and please tell us why! :D Did it have beautiful writing? A plot you think about even ages later? Introduce a new idea or change ur mind about a rare pair? Was it a tearjerker, or make you laugh till you cried? Did it make you warm and fuzzy to read, or scare the bajeezis out of you? Let us know! :D

The Bunnies and The Roomba: A Love Story by Nikki373 (T, 6k, wangxian, modern, Fluff, Humor, Idiots in Love, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Siblings, Siblings Try and Are Trying, College/University, 1 if by phone; 2 if by text; 3 if by mouth, Kisses, Romance, Falling In Love, LXC is the eternal captain of the good ship Wangxian) I adore The Bunnies and the Roomba by Nikki373. It's a hilarious and sweet story that I believe is hugely under-appreciated.

The Fifth Type of Non-Contact Force by Caixx (Not Rated, 83k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Fluff and Humor, Actually Somewhat Canon, Mutual Pining, Horny Teenagers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Graphic Smut) this fic has been on my mind a lot lately!!! i love the yearning and exploring the complexities of their relationship in this setting. i also just love the way the author's prose

ruined me with your regard by laallomri (T, 46k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Slice of Life, Introspection, Epistolary, it is not all letters but there are quite a lot of letters, Discussion of Canon Events, Pining) there's so much lyricism and elegance and emotion and I keep going back to it every time I need it.

Keep Holding On by abCEE (M, 316k, JYL & WWX & JC, wangxian, canon divergence, demonic cultivator JYL, YLLZ JYL, yunmeng siblings dynamics, role reversal, ghost general WQ, sunshot campaign, angst w/ happy ending, established relationship, accidental baby acquisation, PTSD) I’ve always LOVED roleswap AUs, and this one is the most in-depth one for mdzs. I’ve always loved reading WWX in JYL’s role just because I have the inner need to see him doted on and loved like she is, and this has all of that. Even past that, everyone in this fic is very fleshed out and all of the arcs still follow the og mdzs timeline, but have just enough divergence so it’s fresh!

~*~

3. Itmf wwx and wicked musical crossovers. Esp anything that uses/has the vibes of the song "no good deed goes unpunished"

it's not *technically* a fic, but I think the asker would enjoy this song parody

~*~

4. pretty sure this answered this before, but i couldnt find it for the life of me. im looking for fics where jiang cheng (usually its him) makes wwx be forgotten or erased from the timeline and things just go downhill from there. if its bashing or at least not friendly to the other characters its preferably

The Way It Wasn’t by KouriArashi (T, 72k, WangXian, XiYao, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, (eventually haha), Slow Build, Family Feels, Moral Ambiguity, Eventual Happy Ending)

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

5. hello and thank you for all that you do. i was hoping you could help me with the itmf post and share some fics of wei wuxian’s core getting restored, perhaps with a focus on dual cultivation being the cause of it? and if none come to mind then what other fics handle the restoration of wei wuxian’s core well and stand out?

🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 117k, WIP, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

these colours fade for you only by doodlebutt (T, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everybody Lives, Golden Core Transfer, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, …eventually, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Mutual Pining, like really unreasonable amounts of pining, Slow Burn)

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence) WWX meditates his core back, not realising he's actually taking his own core back from JC

Golden Core Reveal / Golden Core Fix-It Comp

~*~

6. Hello Mods! 😃 for ITMF I was wondering if there are any fics that

A) have LXC be angry at JGY for everything that happened/he did, or just let LXC be angry at JGY

B) do something with WWX being the Yunmeng jiang head-disciple, like focusing in on that or it being a plot point or something like that

C) show JYL and WWX being close and spending time just with each other, - I can't really find any where get to do that without JC being there and while I like Yunmeng trio I would like to see them have a bond independent of him

thanks! 😃 and have a great day!

6A)

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics) in 12 moons and a fortnight verse, there's this lovely scene (and I belive it also is recurring addressed through the series to various degrees of lxc dealing with how he feels about jgy and what jgy had done) where lxc *spoiler alert* has a rebellious breakdown and starts slashing up the Lan rules with his sword *end spoiler*

There's a fic that I can't find yet, its short (tagged angst) where lxc hurts himself with his sword in guanyin temple as leverage so jgy doesn't hurt wwx. he's either angry or cold toward him iirc

6B)

Check out "First Disciple WWX" under The Untamed fandom here

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics) (Link in 6A) literally the opening premise of 12 moons and a fortnight is based around the training that wwx received as the first disciple. He was always intended to be jc's second in command - who could even lead the sect in his absence or injury etc

🔒 Heart's Courage by RighteousInAdversity (T, 19k, wangxian, WWX & WQ, NMJ & WWX, WWX & Yunmeng Jiang Disciples, WWX & WN, Lotus Pier, Sunshot Campaign, No Golden Core Transfer, Golden Core Destruction | Golden Core Melting, WWX has a Golden Core, Genius WWX, Jiāng Family Critical, not Jiang family friendly, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, BAMF WWX, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canon JC Characteristics, Jiang Family Has A Redemption Arc, WWX Still Leaves Lotus Pier, not YZY friendly, Bad Parent YZY, not JC Friendly, As for JFM and JYL, not Bashing exactly, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia)

6C)

it's a long road but we're not alone by Stratisphyre (M, 62k, wangxian, JYL & WWX, LWJ & LJY, LJY & LSZ & JL & OYZZ, Canon Divergence, Not Everyone Dies, Canon-Typical Violence, Parenthood, Grief/Mourning, Family Feels, Reunions, Golden Core Reveal, Getting Together)

Atlas by Folderol (T, 2k, JYL & WWX, JYL & YZY, JYL & SL, JC & JYL & WWX, Child Neglect, Metaphors for living life with a cultivation disability)

~*~

7. Hi!! for itmf, could i ask for ppl's fave canon dynamics authors? (self-recs very welcome!!) i was advised to avoid untagged E-rated fics but then i feel like i'm missing some great fics, so i'd love some help! thank you!! 🙏🏽💙

hi! i asked for 7, and i didn't wanna over-explain, but since it was asked, maybe you could add this to the itmf to clarify, if it's not a bother? 😅 thank you

i do mean top lwj and bottom wwx (only because sometimes the other dynamic can get a little ooc, which is fine, put the blorbos in situations! but not what i'm looking for currently), but /also/ canon dynamics for me means exploring while keeping their personalities: lwj being mean and bitey and awkward, but respectful when it counts, wwx being bratty but confident and enthusiastic. both dom & helpless waif wwx are interesting headcanons rather than canon to me. (also cnc/breeding kink r nice but not obligatory ofc adskjkfs)

tl;dr basically i've been 4+ years in this lovely fandom, and i feel im still not done appreciating the thoughtful way mxtx writes the characters and their dynamics, literally none of her MCs or MLs can be called 'typical' in BL standards

these authors do mostly tag their works but to be sure: 🔒kizukatana, diamondbruise, and saltyfeathers are some of my faves

~*~

8. i’m in the mood for fic where wwx is a talisman genius! @efavs

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 712k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) This is absolutely *the* fic about WWX being a talisman genius

🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 117k, WIP, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

💖 Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing) his main invention is an array but talismans too

~*~

9. For itmf, does anyone have any recs where folks treat wwx gently? Thanks!

🔒 Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 27k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, aside from wangxian of course, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot Campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, but wwx is still the lynchpin of the war, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ) (link in #11) depending on your definition, instead (in #11) counts for #9 as well?

~*~

10. ITMF fics where jiangs are actually a family. Like not that they're only fam in name and are living together like in canon.

The Late Great Custody Debate by stiltonbasket (G, 9k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, LXC/NMJ, JC & WWX & JYL, modern, Domestic Fluff, baby a-yuan, Single Parent WWX, LWJ is a confused rabbit owner, nielan are married, nhs is: xoxo gossip girl, Custody Arrangements, engagement, Confused WWX, WWX voice: if i'm the one with the kid why are you suing ME for child support?, LWJ kills his own love life in the worst way, Happy Ending)

~*~

11. Hi! For itmf, does anyone know of any fics where JC and LWJ find WWX in Burial Mounds after Wen Chao throws him in there but before WWX learns to conduct resentful energy? Like, they scoop him up and rush him to healers and WWX never goes down the single plank bridge?

🔒 Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 27k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, aside from wangxian of course, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot Campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, but wwx is still the lynchpin of the war, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ)

Hope Dangling by a String by KouriArashi (M, 70k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, everyone lives, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, psychic bond, telepathy, communication, emotional/psychological abuse, jiang family feels, lan family feels, canon-typical violence, canon-typical politics, improper use of sacred forehead ribbons, gratuitous hair washing) I'm not sure if this counts or not for 11. Lwj saved wwx just a few days after he's thrown in the burial grounds, but wwx still learns demonic cultivation. He's never alone though, and has support from lwj and his family

~*~

12. Hi!! Is there any fic where Wy is indeed Jfm's illegitimate son?

leading tone by silencemostofall (G, 32k, WangXian, Modern AU, Soulmates, with a lil twist, Eventual Happy Ending, lesbian wq rights, Music, Orchestra, platonic and romantic pining)

~*~

13. For your next itmf I’d like to find fics that focus on wwx’s kindness. It can be any setting except a/b/o. I just want to read stories where we see his kindness and generosity shining through.

Thanks for all your help.

~*~

14. Are there any fics in which wangxian are in military? @constellationdks

囍 | a ghost wedding by sweetlolixo (E, 11k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Ghost wedding, Pining LWJ, Ghost Groom LWJ, Corpsefucking in the most romantic way possible, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Explicit Sex, Love at First Sight) probably not quite what OP wants, but LWJ is technically military in this fic

~*~

15. Explicit ITMF! I recently reread the incense burner extra and I would just love to read some more stories where wwx is already soft and open without prep because of their everyday! Thank you lovely mods and reccers (novel dynamics only please!)

To Know, To Be Known series by cqlorphan (E, 38k, wangxian, Cock Warming, Multiple Orgasms, Marathon Sex, Under-negotiated Kink, Porn with Feelings, Aftercare, Dom/sub Undertones, Established Relationship, let LWJ get railed agenda, LWJ Learns Some Things about himself, sex tears, gratuitous use of names, Begging, Kink Discovery, Post-Canon, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Switching, Light Bondage, Blow Jobs, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Let wwx get tied up but also let lwj railed, Repressed LWJ, and his journey to sexual abandon aided by, Inventor WWX, Cock Rings, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dirty Talk, Rough Sex, Dildos, Rimming, Edging) a treat really this entire series, mentions of u what u asked for AND lwj being soft and open w/o prep as a bonus

~*~

16. hello! are there any fic recs or lists about a Lan Sizhui Sect Heir? thank you! @mexicantransman

~*~

17. Does anyone know of any WangXian Sentinel/Guide aus? Sentinels are kind of like superhumans with heightened physical senses, and Guides are like empaths and/or mind readers. The two usually bond with and balance each other.

Hyperprosexia by malkinmalkout (E, 192k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Sentinels & Guides, Sentinel WWX, Guide LWJ, Empath LWJ, Slow Burn, Rivals to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, WWX POV, LWJ POV, Tags Contain Spoilers, Telepathy, Marriage, outsider pov, they have a kid, Telepathic Sex, Rough Sex, public exhibition, breath play, Rimming)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[albonoooo]

Hello I would like to ask about the pirate and siren fic because that sounds interesting? Thank you!

aahhh thank you so much for asking!! out of all my ideas, this is probably the one i wish to be able to execute one day the most!

the idea here is that oscar is part of a pirate crew and they get stuck in nassau on their way to key west (the logistics here are an afterthought, if even that. you'll see in the snippet lmao). oscar seeks refuge on the beach to get away from the hustle and bustle and discovers a siren (lando) lounging on a sandbank. he's intrigued and a little worried cause, you know, sirens are dangerous etc. mAYBE unbeknownst to him, lando has been watching him since they arrived and decided "i want that one" the moment he first discovered him. or something, i'm not sure.

long story short, they eventually interact and, uh, beach shenanigans ensue. the idea fizzles out into very vague suggestions here. the snippet under the cut is sadly the only thing i have written so far. the first two paragraphs were just an attempt at kinda setting the scene and the vibe for future daydreaming. the third paragraph was an attempt at seeing if i'd like a dual pov moment and i think it could be nice?? idk idk idk. for now, this vividly lives in my head.

edit: i just wanted to add that their ship is called victoria because max is the captain and named it after his sister lol.

wip-title game

With each passing day that they are stuck in Nassau, Oscar's hope that their journey will continue as planned dwindles. The sun beats down mercilessly on the harbour and the unbearable heat slows down every movement, animal and human alike, to an unnerving, syrupy inertia. Oscar's body has surrendered to the sizzling midsummer as well, feeling heavy and lethargic, but his mind is racing, one thought more frantic than the next. With every miserably slow hour they waste here on fruitless negotiations, they lose valuable time; they should have left New Providence long ago to reach Key West in time for the meeting with Sargeant.

Oscar sighs, closes his eyes and leans back against the shed he has retreated behind. During their last stopover in Port-au-Prince, they had stocked up on food supplies and all the other necessities; the halt in Nassau was only supposed to last two days and serve as a short break for recuperation and some minimal repair work before they head further north. Instead, the Victoria has now been anchored for a week and Florida seems to be disappearing further and further behind the horizon.

—

The young man on the beach has been looking at him for a long time. Lando has yet to return the eye contact, keeping his head turned towards the sparkling sea despite the excitement buzzing in his veins. He usually enjoys basking in the attention of a handsome sailor, but this one’s heavy gaze is burning into his skin hotter than the blazing August sun. It’s so intense, the dark eyes focused on Lando. If he concentrates enough, it almost feels like a real touch.

[savythatsimmeryt]

Sims 4 Base Game Save File - WIP UPDATE 💭📝

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a lil update on my base game save file progression. 

✨Lots in Oasis Springs are done being placed, I'll probably add some finishing touches on them.  (all lots have been grabbed from the gallery from creators and some edits by me have been done to them to fit the aesthetic of the vibe - everyone has been credited in the builds description + will be in the main save file post when it's released)

📝I started making this save file back in May, Sadly I lost the work I did on it due to a glitch with my computer but everything is good now and I had the inspiration + time to work on this again! This save file will be heavy on the LORE and STORY BASED. 

✨💭Willow Creek will be a MISSION/GOAL based town which I'm sure some of you will love! (I'm really excited about the lore for WC and all the character development I get to create!!)

I don't want to give away too much because I want it a surprise, so I'll keep Willow Creek's lore and backstory a surprise in the meantime. 

Enjoy the sneak peek! I am hoping to release this at the end of this month or October! I don't want to put a true timeline on this because this is such a fun creative project for me and I don't want to rush it!

-Big virtal hugs! 

Savy 💗

[ncoincidences]

all the fics I read this year, part II — drarry edition

Here's where you go for part I (jily). Drarry is my second top-ship of 2023! Personally, I am so awed by the drarry writers on here, their wonderful & unique fics out there, plus the many podfics! I hope to enjoy more podfics next year ❤️ For now I'm highly grateful to have read all these incredible fics which have comforted me during hard times ❤️🫂

Magic Man by @dracogotgame = dracogotgame - Draco is a Muggle Magic Performer, and Harry's sure he's using real magic, which he isn't allowed to do, and naturally sets up to investigate, but what follows is a fluffy romantic fic instead!

Tiny Dragons & Where to Find Them by @tasteofshapes  - Harry's tiny dragon is missing! It's with Draco 😳😏😍🥰

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead)* by dustmouth, nerakrose asexual Harry! This fic was so amazing, the vibes were soft and p calm ❤️

Far From The Tree by aideomai - GOSH THIS FIC. goodness where do i start. It's like enemies with benefits except we know we're not going to end up together because your future kids accidentally time travelled here and at least i don't end up in azkaban in the future also there's an evil swordlady trying to kill us all AND MORE. this fic has a great concept, amazing execution and a PERFECT ending.

Nice Things by aideomai - every drarry fic list must contain an 8th year fic! This one also has some interhouse friendships and the vibe is quite cosy. This is the fic where all the 8th years are accomodated in a house called 'Gatehouse'. Kind of gives off a bit of a 2012 Avengers fic, iykwim.

The Star Splitter by @oflights - ahsvgdjsknbvghk this WIP is the bane of my existence the object if my desires etc etc. Latest update has left me hanging! It is heart-healing but angsty at the same time, and has lots of world building. Features 35 yo drarry, plus lots of time-travelling. I'm putting a lot of trust in that "happy ending" tag!

if the bees know by fanfairmod, oflights - everything about this fic screams fall amd spooky season. it is cosy, starts a bit sadly but ends on a beautiful note. also feat. cute harry & scorpius moments!

go to it laughing by oflights - v cute meet-cute!!

along each garden wall by oflights - veela Harry! Feat. A Draco who wants to whisk Harry off in his hot air balloon and a time-stopping ship. It's funny and a nice read overall.

the first in line by oflights - so many misunderstandings in this one oh my god!!!! overall it's a funny and comfort fic feat. Vet!Harry 🤩😍

Close Behind* by oflights - angsty angsty fic! Betrayal, death, lots of worldbuilding and a gripping plotline!

Byzantine by oflights - alexa play jealousy, jealousy by olivia

What dreams may come by @lastontheboat  - i LOVE the unique concept this fic is based on! Amnesiac Harry has his memory regained by Healer Draco, but in the process they must have sex! The smut was incredible.

Assumptions by  @indigo-scarf - asexual draco with hurt and comfort that patches you back together!

Tomorrow by space_wingding - Harry and Draco are older, Harry's dying, Draco's a biographer, and this is how the fic starts. In the process of writing, they fall in love as they discover more about each other ❤️

It Was All Just a Game (Rewrite) by write_me227 - holy shit is this a ride. This is angsty, adorable, angsty, romantic, etc and has all the rockiness of a teenage relationship accompanied by lies and dark lords and wartimes. it had me totally under its powerful grip.

hear me (with your whole body) by @teacup-tai - this was an interesting fic, focussing on the intricacies of drarry, how miscommunication and not enough talking planted misconceptions in their minds about their relationship

[Podfic] GOODNIGHT FROM YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND by GallaPlacidia by greenmegsnoham, PhenomenalAsterisk - truly phenomenal podfic, so many fun moments and laughter! this was my first podfic, both the fic and the reading were great, i loved consuming fic in this form ❤️

*[Asterisk marks a fic i haven't completely read.]

[fountainpenguin]

Small 'Fic Posting News

I moved a lot of early FOP character studies and warm-ups to my unrevealed Riddle WIPs collection on AO3, so they're easily on hand for me to tag and post when I feel ready.

A lot of these are things I enjoyed, but didn't feel comfy sharing back in 2016/17. They're cool to look back on and I'm ready to let them go. Some are suggestive, some are emotionally intense, some are very simple character studies, so as always, tread with care.

I also think they're neat because they don't build on each other, so they're pretty low-brainpower reads (imo), which some people may like.

I don't expect to post one of these old things every week, but they'll probably show up on Mondays or Wednesdays or something like that (Once Life of a Loser stops posting on Wednesdays, which is in two weeks).

As per the norm, M and E works will be under the ScarletPenguin pseud, so if you know that's not your cup of tea and you see the email, you can delete it without needing to open it or check tags.

These old pieces will be exclusive to AO3 (Organization, easier for my brain, etc.) On the off chance anything becomes a Prompt, it will go on FFN.

Not planning to do Tumblr announcements or cover images for them. They're off to the side for the people interested. Might shout out a few favorites, though.

AO3 series to subscribe to or avoid at your preference:

🌈 Rainbow Train - All FOP 'fics that aren't 130 Prompts (i.e. It will include these old pieces). 🖤 Off the Rails - Stuff that doesn't fit my main AUs (Cloudlands, City Lights, Reedfilter). Most old pieces will go here since they're non-canon now. ❤️ Red Train - Romantic or sensual works (All FOP AUs).

Additional reminder:

🚂 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash - Everything in this one-shot series is G or T. If you feel uneasy about Rainbow Train, you can filter M and E stuff out by subscribing just to this one!

Under the cut, I have examples (i.e. screenshots of these WIP titles and summaries like what you would see when scrolling AO3) to help people get a feel for the vibe.

Suggestive or gross summaries & commentary; proceed at own discretion. Obviously, #ridspoilers.

Reminder - These are WIP screenshots. The pieces will have proper tags and meta before they're posted. Titles may also change.

Bonus disclaimer: If you see a line in an old WIP that seems familiar... I do yoink things from these sometimes because I wasn't planning to post them, yes <3

This will be the first one:

Exactly what it says on the tin- Super simple.

Here are a few more examples (No specific order)-

A scene from Frayed Knots I've always regretted cutting even though it was for the best, but y'know what? It deserves to be shared because it's funny :)

Another moment from canon translated into my style! There's also a "Flappy finds out Gary and Betty knew about magic the whole time" bit somewhere in here that I had to throw out after "Solo" happened.

I will not apologize for my deity break-up drama. I might apologize for Prince Thursday's seasonal torment, but he's the nature spirit of Leaves, so-

Unpleasant non-con / dubcon situations... We know how this goes.

And the obligatory sequel to the above. That pixie sure can character arc!

Very cursed flirty pixies, my beloved...

Do you have any idea how weird it feels to post pre-reincarnation pieces out of context... skldjf...

It's gross! It's goofy! Cupid's ancestors took her mobility aid because they're unpleasant people! We just keep winning!!

Uncut version of the Ambrolara scenes! I sadly cut some of my favorites lines from "Hate That I Love You" because it would've crossed the line... but I love them....... my cursed OCs who are awful for each other.

No one understands Sanderson's mind, not even me 7 years later... He can do whatever he wants forever.

Foop's romantic scenes during the late-Prompts era are some of my favorite warm-ups... He's here, he's queer, he's having a mental breakdown spitting and crying over his dad not noticing him sneaking in a girl, he was forced to marry someone he desperately does not want to be intimate with, he loves his mom, he's losing the power struggle against his alt personality, he's this close to losing his inheritance, he calls his wife his mistress's name... No one is doing it like him. Probably because he's doing SO bad!!

The preview scene you see in "Trouble Beyond Paradise" finally broke me... It's been a favorite since 2017 and I just really want to share... That one's a multi-chapter and I hope you guys like it. I love Foop/Anti-Marigold and their weird situation... Like, of COURSE if Poof has severe anxiety about accidentally forcing them into dubcon, Foop's genius idea is to get the first time over with before Poof/Goldie can bind them into it. So funny. They are silly little guys... the people have a right to know...

Very old anatomy study. It's about bees ripping apart when they mate. It's... sort of cute? Mostly horrific and full of pain and sobbing? :'D If you pick this up, you will very quickly see why I never intended to post it, but... It's 2024, baby! Welcome to my mind...

- This one will likely get a new title, so be careful if this is one you want to avoid. - Where is that post that goes like "Why do all my ace friends write the most bizarre sex scenes?" followed by "Have to throw in something interesting for us." sdfkj. Yeah... It's me, I'm that guy. And this kind of guy.

And more!! I hope you like reading these old pieces, but if they are not your thing, that is perfectly fine. Some of these are not even my thing, but sometimes you have to write it to know that! Sometimes you knew that and wrote it anyway because ??? idk.

I think it's neat to see my style change over the years. I hope you get some joy out of them, even if they're hyperspecific.

[cliophilyra]

Fic Talk

Tagged by @rdng1230 - thank you! 😊

How many wips do you have currently?

More than I can count 🤦‍♀️ but that I actively working on - about 5-6 I think.

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish? Why do you think that is?

As usual anything potentially multi-chapter gives me the most trouble. I have an idea for a bucktommy + past saltommy thing where Buck and Sal meet on a call and Buck doesn’t know why Sal is being an asshole to him until they get trapped together and Sal eventually tells him either how he and Tommy used to have a casual thing that he wanted to be more but was too scared, or how he had an unrequited thing for Tommy. Anyway the problem is I essentially have one scene in my head but this idea requires a lot more preamble etc and my brain does not want to write that. This is my usual problem with long fic.

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you?

Often it’s a random tumblr headcanon post or prompt that sparks something. Or just an idle thought when I’m on the bus. I have my Dropbox open at work most of the time so I can write on there if I feel inspired and it’s quiet - which is often is these days! Otherwise I just make a note on my phone (I have probably hundreds of these) if I don’t write it down (and sometimes even if I do - thanks ADD) I will immediately forget all about it. Sometimes it’s pretty much vibes only and I don’t even have a firm idea until I sit down and start writing.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different?

Nope. Sadly I can’t listen to music (at least not with words) when I’m writing. It’s just too distracting. I really wish I could though. But tbh I don’t personally really feel much of a connection between my writing and music so it’s not something I think of much. I love when other people do that though!

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organised?

Balls firmly to the wall lol. I have tried to plan and be organised but it never works. I generally find that if I outline and plan a fic then it feels like I have already written it and I lose interest. So I mostly just pants it the whole way!

NP tags - @evansboyfriend @hardly-an-escape @makepeacelovejoy @alchemistc @beefcakekinard and anyone else who would like to play!

[racingliners]

Fic Writer Interview

tagged by @monacotrophywife and @alpinelogy tysm Lima & Erika!!!! 💚

How many works do you have on AO3?

27! Mostly F1 fics with some Star Trek ones too.

What's your total word count?

581,636. Let it be known that I do enjoy going off on one.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Rules of Strategy (153)

the og version of Life In The Fast Lane (144)

This Must Be a Mistake (116)

I Guess You Are Right (86)

No Mistakes With You (77)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try my best to! Mainly because I feel like the only way to acknowledge a comment on ao3 is to reply to it, and it's a nice space to talk about my thought process for a scene or bit of dialogue if someone mentions a part that they liked!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I make it a point to keep the angst to a minimum because I'm just too soft dbhdbshbh

I guess the closest I have to an angsty ending is I'll Be Okay, Someday which has an open ending (though with a hopeful vibe)

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Definitely No Mistakes With You - nothing like kissing the love of your life on your wedding day in the bright summer sunshine (I was very much going for maximum fluff in that one)

Do you write crossovers?

Yes! Discretion Is The Better Part of Valour is my beloved Shovson Star Trek AU that I wrote for the hypersoft fest and set (roughly) during Star Trek Discovery. I'm actually in the process of writing a prequel for it (but in prose format) which is v exciting!!!

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Thankfully no (pretty sure it would make me want to stop writing forever)

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I'm very much a hand-wavy, fade to black smut writer (the closest I've got to writing smut was in Depths) only because I think it's really hard to write good smut (there is so much good smut out there like oh my god) and I know that as a writer I'm not at the point where I want to try so for now I'll leave it to the experts until I'm brave enough.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Thankfully not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I'd definitely be open to it!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not in the official sense. DITBPOV which I mentioned above was a collab with @shovson (he drew the most stunning art for it!) and when we were planning everything we bounced a load of ideas back and forth, a good few of which ended up in the final work.

I have absolutely no idea how the process of co-writing a fic even works but if the stars aligned I like to think I'd be down for it!

What's your all-time favourite ship?

For Star Trek it's a tie between Trip/T'Pol from Star Trek Enterprise or Michael/Book from Star Trek Discovery.

For F1 I think Sewis has definitely barged its way into my heart (the 2022 drivers dinner was what sealed it for me), but Shovson has definitely jumped up the list recently.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Not gonna lie friends I am so worried that my re-written version of Life In The Fast Lane is going to be in WIP hell forever 😭. Partially because I hit a bit of a road block with it a few months ago but also because I grossly underestimated how big a project it would be (past me did not leave a lot to work with so a lot of the Season 1/2023 chapters was written from scratch).

I love it so so dearly, it's the fic that got me back into writing for F1 and fic writing in general so I'll always love and adore it for that. Maybe if I just lock myself in a cabin in the woods with no distractions I might be able to pick it up again, I want to finish it because I put so much effort into being able to make it an original work with all the worldbuilding and planning, but my inspiration for it has just sadly ran very dry :(

What are your writing strengths?

Setting descriptions I think. When I'm picturing things in my head it's always quite vivid so I like to write that down for the reader's benefit. I'm also very detail orientated so it just goes hand in hand I feel.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I wouldn't call it a weakness but I definitely feel the least confident in writing dialogue. I constantly have the fear of someone going "they would not fucking say that" in the back of my mind and it's definitely to my detriment. And also because I'm autistic I struggle writing humour and banter because I find it difficult to understand IRL.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think if you're gonna do it you have to do it a) for a proper meaning and b) execute it properly. I can definitely see the appeal for a realism point of view, but as I can only speak English I'll only ever do single words or very short phrases that I am fairly certain will be accurate if I put them into a translator, anything longer or a full conversation and I'll just say what language the characters are speaking in.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

F1! the og LITFL was my gateway into fic writing (hence why I wanted to re-write it in the first place, it has a lot of places for improvement)

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I've mentioned this before but I definitely want to write some Jenson/Lewis. idk what but it's just niggling there in the back of my mind, I feel like there's a lot of potential.

Also every few months I get the idea to write a Tennis AU but I very quickly talk myself out of it because I just do not have the headspace for it right now.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

Also going to do a list bc it's my house

The Rules of Strategy - they say you should write what you want to read and writing Merc Engineer Seb just brings me a stupid amount of joy (writing Lewis winning is also v v nice)

Discretion Is The Better Part of Valour - I had the most fun planning this with Synth, but I also loved playing around with the screenplay format too! And also just merging my interests was so fun

Life In The Fast Lane (original work version) - as mentioned above, my baby!!! I just love my little gaggle of OCs so so much and I really do think about this fic allllllllllllllll the time. It just refuses to translate to typing words into the word doc at the moment.

Sister - Hands down my favourite Star Trek fic I've written, just for getting to write my own interpretation of Kelvinverse!Michael and Spock's relationship.

tagging (as usual, absolutely zero pressure!): @hungriestheidi, @seafoampearlygirl, @kaossbells, @brawngp2009 and @avida-heidia-5

[northwyrm]

Hi hello what's up! STS day wahoo!!! My question to you is about music! Is it present in your story at all? How so? If not, tell me about some songs you associate with your WIP! You can do that anyway, actually, I like songs :)

So sadly I have deleted the epic dance competition from the story, rest in peace Demon Dancy's Dance Competition

(Victor and Harriet in the clutches of dance fever by @zennyzach )

This scene, in which a demon forces everyone to dance for Ultimate Knowledge, included several unnamed tracks along with Abba's Dancing Queen, Beyoncé’s All the Single Ladies, Gershon Kingsly's Popcorn, Lou Bega's Mambo Number 5 and DJ Casper's Cha Cha Slide. As this is a dance competition run by a demon several people were killed by Cha Cha Slide; the rules are if you stop dancing the demon could teleport you to a random location (middle of the ocean, active volcano, your ex's bathroom) and well, when DJ Casper says 'Freeze' and everyone freezes...

HOWEVER this deeply silly scene no longer fits in with the plot so I have cast it aside. Currently Bloodmood involves no music, but I do think some day Victor the vampire will discover music and love it.

I am VERY BAD at associating songs with blorbos - my friends @cydork and @dragonfelling are a lot better at doing this and make whole playlists for characters - Dragonfelling even kindly made a Bloodmood playlist:

^ this has a lot of werewolf songs as Dragonfelling's OCs for my story are werewolves :)

I also had a crack at making a playlist; I watched the Dark on Netflix and was like "wow, this has a banging soundtrack, if Bloodmood was a TV show I hope it would have a soundtrack like this!" - the songs on this playlist aren't closely related to Bloodmood I just think they sound nice.

There are two specific songs that actually fit character vibes, we have This is Love by Air Traffic Controllers which is a 'Harriet' song:

And for a deeply silly and slightly lovesick vampire we have Brian David Gilbert's Abba parody...

BTW 'music I like for bloodmood' isn't 'music northwyrm likes the most' - my personal music taste is just Ghost, Lemon Demon and Blind Guardian.