#but the amount of comments i’ve received on ao3 like this is insane

[comatosebunny09]

People don’t like it when you pressure them back. Someone tells me to update a fic without context, feedback, kudos, or anything else. I simply ask them, “Why?” They block me. That’s fine—curate your experience how you see fit. However, you can’t get upset when I match your energy.

[mamamittens]

Oh, Sweet Child of Mine (Thatch +18 AU End)

As requested on AO3 by snowflakebeads and likely someone else I can't remember. AU end for Oh, Sweet Child of Mine.

Thatch X GN!Reader

Warnings: Yandere/obsessive/possessive behavior, marathon sex, aphrodisiac, dubious consent, unprotected sex, oral (reader recieving), food play, creampie, and cock warming.

Word Count: 2,533

Thatch had been suspiciously eager to try out a new recipe. Insistent, in fact, that it be a bonding moment for the both of you.

It was weird because from how he described it, it just seemed like a chocolate cake. He did allude to a ‘secret’ ingredient but besides that… yeah. Just a chocolate cake. You glared at him as he cozied up to your side to beg for an afternoon with him. Arm thrown over your shoulder as he whined about feeling ‘neglected’.

“You spend so much time with Ace and Marco~! You’ve gone and left poor old me behind! Can’t you spare just a few hours for a lonely man?” Thatch begged softly.

You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Maybe if you weren’t being so weird, I would.” You hissed, poking his side only to receive a light jerk away from you. Thatch pouted. “Why now suddenly? You weren’t so ‘neglected’ yesterday.” You added with clear suspicion. Thatch grimaced sheepishly.

“Well…” He started. “I just got in a new ingredient that would be just the thing! And I wanted to try it with you!” You stared at him for a long moment.

He… seemed sincere. And he’d always been a little weird about spending time with you. It couldn’t be too bad or Marco would have came over to smack him for being pushy.

“…Fine.” Thatch lit up, grabbing your hand and pressing it to his cheek.

“Great! Meet me in the kitchen after dinner! We’ll bake a cake together!” Thatch cheered. You smiled wearily at him, still suspicious of his motives.

What kind of secret ingredient could he have been waiting for?

Guess you’d… find out?

The entire dinner that afternoon, Thatch kept looking over to make sure you were still there. Ignoring the teasing he received from his fellow chefs and, occasionally, Ace.

“I’ve never seen him this excited before.” Ace laughed. “What are you guys even doing? I heard he’d made his division clean up after themselves more than usual to make sure the kitchen was clean early.”

You frowned at that.

“Honestly? We’re baking a cake? I don’t know why he’s making it so weird though.” You mused. Ace lit up, looking excited. “Don’t even think about it. I just know he’d kick your ass for ‘intruding on our bonding time’.” You laughed as Ace pouted.

“Aw, come one! I’d take just a spoonful! You’d never know it was dirty, I swear!” Ace whined and you jumped as a warm hand fell onto your shoulder firmly.

“ACK!” You spun around to find Thatch standing there with a wide grin.

“Not a chance in hell! Maybe next time~!” Thatch denied Ace instantly with a strange gleam in his eye.

“Ah, that time already?” You asked and Thatch nodded.

“Yep. C’mon, we’re going to my personal kitchen. It’ll be over an hour before they finish cleaning the main one.” Thatch commented. You frowned.

“You have a personal kitchen?” You asked and Thatch laughed.

“Yeah, for testing recipes when I can’t trust some people to not interrupt or sneak some away. Thick door that locks and everything!” Thatch declared.

Well, with hungry bastards like Ace, you supposed some extreme measures needed to be taken when it comes to food.

The ‘personal kitchen’ was pretty deep in the ship. Closer to the storage areas than any main living quarters. And a ways off from the main kitchens. Definitely not somewhere you end up by accident if you want food. The promised door indeed thick and with a heavy lock.

Thatch slipped a key from around his neck and opened it for you, locking it back behind him before stowing away the key.

This kitchen was fairly reasonable in size. More like one you’d find in a house than one meant to feed the insane amount of people on board. Big enough for maybe four cooks to move around in and brush shoulders but that was about it. An array of ingredients already laid out, including a jar of thick, rose gold liquid.

“Ah, that your ‘secret ingredient’?” You asked, approaching the clear jar. “I was wondering what a chocolate cake could be missing… mixed honey?” You picked it up, the heavy glass jar plucked from you hands.

“Oop! No, no! No touching! Took a long time to get my hands on this beauty! It is honey, though. Specialty honey from near a particular harvest of flowers. Changes the flavor profile quite a bit.” Thatch declared proudly.

“Ah… what kind of recipe for chocolate cake calls for honey though?” You asked.

“Honey cake, of course!” Thatch declared. “Now, onto the mixing while the oven preheats!”  Thatch handed you a bowl and dumped mix into it along with eggs and a very cautious measurement of honey. Dutifully, you mixed it.

“No sugar?”

“Nope! That’s what the honey is for!” Thatch cheered, watching as you mixed it all together.

“You know, this is a pretty simple task. Are you sure you even needed me for this?” You asked as the dry mix turned into a thick sludge.

He laughed.

“Well, it’s about an hour of time with you until we can enjoy a nice dessert to ourselves!” Thatch shrugged.

He had a point. If it was so hard to get the honey, it would likely be impossible to make this cake for the whole crew.

“Thanks for inviting me then, I guess.” You sighed, your arms starting to ache. Thatch plucked it from you and set it onto the counter, pulling out the cake pans. He spread butter on them and distributed the thick mixture equally.

Barely fifteen minutes and they were in the oven to bake. Thatch must have been desperate for bonding time if baking a cake is all he could think of.

“Well, are you ready for the best part?” Thatch asked coyly, presenting the mixing bowl and two spoons.

“Isn’t that how you get salmonella?” You asked as you took a spoon with a smile.

“Haven’t gotten sick yet!” Thatch countered, scraping a spoonful of chocolate batter, but his eyes were on you as you tasted it.

It was delicious, of course. Sweet and rich from the chocolate. An odd, warm and tangy after taste that reminded you vaguely of honey.

“Mm! It’s good. Think it’ll be even better when it’s done baking?” You asked taking another spoonful as Thatch finally dug in himself. He looked oddly smug.

“I bet it will.” Thatch responded simply as you huffed, feeling a tad flush. Maybe from the vigorous mixing you did.

You frowned, noticing how clean the bowl was now. The batter was too damn good to be raw. And you felt hot. Your skin tingly, particularly your lips and lower body.

“Hey Thatch, what kind of honey was that again?” You asked faintly, setting your spoon in the sink. Thatch came up behind you, pressing into your back as he placed the bowl in the sink and poured water into it. His breath washing over your neck as he leaned in close.

“I already told you. Specialty honey.” Thatch breathed. “Why? You feel something?” His damp hands settled on your waist.

Specialty honey?

“T-Thatch, was that… spiced honey?” You asked breathlessly, feeling the heat growing inside you as his touch felt electric where his fingertips brushed under your shirt.

“Hmm, so you’ve heard of it before, huh?” Thatch asked in amusement. Setting the jar on the counter and popping the lid. His fingertips gliding across the surface and scooping up the thickness. It was a considerable amount as his other arm wrapped around your waist. The honey covered fingers pressing against your lips, sliding over your tongue as you panted. “Not as sweet as you though, look at that~ Eat up, I got it just for you~” Thatch cooed as you sucked his fingers. The honey much more potent in it's raw form.

He pulled his fingers free and licked what little was left. Ducking his head to kiss you breathless. You couldn’t help squirming against him as he pinned you to the counter, tongue running over your mouth like he was chasing the lingering taste of chocolate and honey before pulling away.

He grabbed another spoon and scooped up a generous amount. This time drizzling it onto his tongue before pulling open your mouth. Sliding the mouthful of honey directly into yours, smearing it onto your tongue and down your throat as you both moaned. The heat only getting worse as you swallowed.

“T-Thatch! D-Dirty ass trick—” You whined, tugging on his shirt as he laughed.

“But worth it to have you fall apart in my arms like this. Here, one more for the road. Don’t swallow though. Keep it warm for me~” Thatch scooped up another spoonful with honeycomb and placed it in your mouth. You sucked on the silverware as he lifted you up and placed your front on the counter. “I hear eating the honeycomb makes you go mad with lust.” Thatch stabbed his own section of honeycomb and ate it. Before returning the spoon and ducking behind you. His hands hot on your waist as he pulled down your pants.

When you were bare, your toes barely scrapping the floor, he pulled apart your thighs and licked up the soft skin. You could only moan as you sucked on metal and honey, his hot breath washing over your sensitive skin. Wet tongue laving to your entrance. Pressing in softly as you whined, honeyed drool seeping from your lips as every touch electrified you.

He spread apart your walls eagerly, like he’d get more honey if he just pressed his tongue deeper. Lapping at your quivering hole as you whined, pinned in place for his hunger.

“So damn sweet, knew this was a good idea. Glad I kept this just to us, aren’t you? Wouldn’t want to share this sweetness with anyone else.” Thatch swore softly against your clenching hole as you came suddenly, cum spurting down your thighs as he licked up the mess. “Better than the batter~” Thatch kissed your entrance deeply, spreading apart your cheeks as he dug into your overstimulated walls.

The honey quickly watering down in your mouth as your face tingled in the smearing aphrodisiac.

Thatch kept going, his appetite incapable of being satiated as you came so easily on his tongue and fingers. Spreading you open to blow across the heated flesh teasingly. Each orgasm coming along faster as the heat continued to build, sensitivity growing between your thighs as his honeyed lips spread the effect.

There was a ding and Thatch paused, a deep growl vibrating against you as you were pushed over the edge again with a muffled cry.

Thatch pulled away with a curse, leaving you cold and shaking as he took out the cake pans to cool.

Before you could turn around though, Thatch’s heat was back and his cock pressed against your sopping entrance. Slipping in easily to the hilt as you gasped, spitting out the spoon and what was left of the honey.

“A-Ah~!” You panted, your face pressed against the hot counter into the pool of thick, pink tinted drool.

“D-Don’t be wasteful!” Thatch tsked at you while you whined back at him. His balls smacking into your thighs as he started to fuck you hard. “Go on! Clean it up or you won’t get any cake either!” Thatch scooped up the honeycomb and pressed it onto your loose tongue. Your lips sucking on his fingers as he rubbed it to the back of your mouth.

Thatch pulled his hand away to adjust you further up, shoving your face into the cold puddle to lap at it. Your face tingling at the exposure as you obeyed, moaning with every wet slap of his hips. The watered down honey still so sweet and hot as you licked it up. Thatch’s hands rubbing your sides and slapping your ass hard when you stopped to breath.

“Ah! T-Thatch~! P-Please~! Ooooh~!” You drooled onto the counter as his cock brushed just right against your walls, sending shockwaves through your whole body. Thatch leaned over your back, grinding that spot as you cried out in overstimulation.

“Please what, baby?” Thatch huffed, licking up the mess and following it to your panting lips. “What do you need from me?”

“M-More! More, please more, Thatch! H-Harder! A-Ahhn~! Oh! OH! O-OHHH!” You wailed as Thatch grabbed your waist in a bruising grip and fucked you as requested.

“Fucking gladly!” Thatch grunted, the kitchen echoing with the sound of wet smacks. His lips brushing over yours as you moaned under the relentless assault, body burning for more. Thatch slammed into place suddenly, shoving your hips against the counter as he came in a hot burst of thick cum. Grinding harshly for barely a moment before going back to his frantic pace, cock still spurting cum down your thighs. “Y-You know, the seller warned me the effects could last for hours~ w-with just a spoonful!” Thatch chuckled against your lips.

You whined.

“H-Hours!?” You keened, trembling against him as you came on his cock.

“Hours~!” Thatch cooed. “And we still have a whole cake!” Not pausing as his cock jerked with a fresh wave of cum again.

“Th-Th-ThA-AAHcH~!” You wailed, cumming hard as he laughed.

Thatch laughed again as you whined, sitting on the counter as he fed you cake. You squirming on his cock as he fucked your sopping, wet entrance gently.

“Every bite, babycakes~! If you leave it to just me, you won’t be walking for weeks~!” Thatch cooed, eating a bite of cake covered in a thin layer of honey and powdered sugar. “M-Mmmm, break!” Thatch put aside the fork and plate, grabbing your hips to bounce you on his thick cock. A thick spurt of cum dripping down his thighs and balls to the counter.

“O-Oh! T-Thatch~!” You whined, leaning back against him and raking your nails across his shoulders as you squirmed. The heat unbearable in your blood. “M-More~!”

Thatch grinned, kissing your wet cheek as he fucked you harder. Not in the mood to make you beg. This time.

Your eyes sliding over the two-tiered cake barely eaten. Thatch had made it clear neither of you were leaving until it was all gone. Unwilling to share the delicacy with anyone else.

“More honey? Sure thing, baby~!” Thatch scooped up some honey from the jar and smeared it on your hanging tongue. “My, you’re so hungry, maybe we should make another one?” he teased as you wailed, a fresh wave of arousal surging through you and down his thighs.

“Tha-ahhcht~!” he laughed, groaning as he shot another round of warm cum into your.

“M-Maybe this should have been shared with more people…” Thatch chuckled. “But I can’t imagine sharing you, baby! So, I guess we’ll just have to power through it together.” He cooed, kissing your bruised neck as his pace slowed. Finally letting you rest against him despite the raging arousal inside you, his cock still hard and pulsing.

He picked up the cake again and you whined. Torn between exhaustion and excitement—though how much was natural was heavily debatable.

Regardless, you weren’t complaining.

[johnslittlespoon]

So, I've reread TAS about 6 times, maybe. With every read through, the story somehow gets better. Anyway, I gotta know: when Gale chooses the horror movie before their first kiss, did he do it with the intention of scaring John into his arms? I remember that cliché from media growing up. The guy choosing the scary movie so that he can wrap his arms around the pretty girl.

You write Gale really well, and he's doing the whole "we're taking this at your pace" thing. So I want to know if the scary movie was a calculated decision.

Also, thank you SO MUCH for writing this story; it is my current obsession.

okay gonna get into some TAS gale pov asks bc i have a few >:) but SIX TIMES???? i will literally never ever be able to wrap my head around anyone rereading my stuff, it’s so mind boggling and it makes me a little (a lot) teary wtf :’)) <33 that’s actually insane LMAO thank u this is so so sweet 😭💗 ok buckle in bc i had a lot to say oops

tbh i definitely had that cliche in mind while writing it, like as soon as i decided they’d be watching a horror movie, i knew they’d have the cliche ‘hold me i’m scared’ moment, because it would be a good way to ease into the first kiss. however i don’t think it was fully intentional on gale’s end, because really, i think gale would’ve been happy to sit through like a three hour documentary if that’s what john had wanted lol.

so i don’t think he was swaying john one way or another, but he definitely had zero complaints about having an excuse to hold john when he got scared ;) and obv at that point, gale’s not dumb (and john is not subtle lmfao), so gale was probably 99.9% certain john had feelings for him, and he was giving john every opportunity to do something about that, since gale was so stubborn about giving john space to figure things out for himself and make the first move. :)

another rereader i cryyyy <333 thank you, would also run thru a brick wall for u 😭💖 YES gale’s pov very much interests me, i’ve got a whole section for it in what i call my TAS masterdoc lmfaoo. i have a stupid amount of oneshot ideas now in his/other character’s povs that i’d love to get to at some point!

but also hey ouch thanks for hurting my heart <3 😭 i do feel like there were probably a few “oh no” moments for gale after meeting john, like the classic ‘i’m fucked’ realizations, and i think seeing him smile properly for the first time would be one of those. john’s so caught up in his own head half the time that he probably didn’t notice the way gale stopped breathing the first time he was on the receiving end of his sunshine smile :’)

i genuinely think gale’s internal monologue during that moment would just be ‘fuckfuckfuckfuck’ because really, what else can he do but fall head over heels? i’m sooo excited to dig into gale’s pov eventually, to get into how much he wrestled with himself and how he’d told himself never again after losing johnny, and then in walks this gangly, sweet, loud–mouthed college kid, and gale’s never been so happy to have his life turned upside down.

(john and gale actually do have a little bit of a conversation about this in ch11 because i couldn’t resist, but until that’s up, i leave you with the assurance that gale was smitten from day one and just trying to repress it for a multitude of reasons, but then the incident happened where gale saved him from the blind date, and it was all over from that moment on. the urge to protect john and to keep a smile on his face hasn’t left gale since that moment <3)

LOLL. definitely an admonishing “gaaaaale” moment. 

i’ve had so many questions in AO3 comments asking if i’ll write gale’s pov of the conversation he has with marge, and i 100% want to, it’s the first gale pov oneshot (aside from the smut i posted lol) i’m planning on writing for this fic. i’ll try to answer some of those other questions here just to keep them in one place:

i think marge definitely had her suspicions about gale’s feelings for john — she knows gale too well to not know when something’s up, but she also knows that gale comes to her about things on his own time, that she just has to be patient, it’s how he’s always been since they were kids. but there’s no way she wasn’t squinting at gale when she found out john had spent the weekend (multiple times) at his house.

the first time is one thing, because when gale explains that john had gotten wayyy too drunk and seemingly had some situation he didn’t want to go home to, she’d understand gale letting him crash at his. she sees how gale is with john at the beach after that, and it probably gets the wheels turning in her head, but she also knows gale to have a big heart and to be prone to taking strays in, so it could just be written off.

when she finds out that john’s been staying at gale’s every weekend after the incident with his mom, at the very least she had to have asked him who takes the couch just to watch gale squirm, which then confirmed her suspicions lol. after that it’s only a matter of time before gale spills it all to her, and her reaction will eventually be detailed in one of those gale pov oneshots :-) 

[tortoisebore]

ff author interview !! 🧚

wahhhh thank u for tag @fruityindividual 🧚✨🧚✨

How many works do you have on ao3

2 (#3 is in the drafts & i’m mustering the courage to post on anon 🧚)

What’s ur total ao3 word count

212,244

Top 5 stories by kudos

#1 is hey, sharpshooter (she’s still going insane w waves of new readers like im shocked)

#2 is the anon smut i posted forever ago lmfao

Do u reply to comments

i love responding to comments but i am so behind rn im so sorry 😭

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending

technically it’s a wip & i dont think it’ll ever be finished or published but it was a sad little remus pov thing (typical) where he was just miserably in love w his childhood best friend for like 15 years & sirius was having a very bad time forever and ever & not able to make room for anything but surviving even tho they loved each other etc etc (i think i listened to house song like 100 times in one day & said wow. wow how can i make this even gayer and sadder)

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending

hey sharpshooter !! also the ending of the sequel is already written & it’s perhaps even happier !!

Do you write crossovers

noooo crossovers always feel very that’s-so-suite-life-of-hannah-montana to me lmfaoo i haven’t ever been able to get into one

Have you ever received hate on a fic

idk ab hate but i have received passive aggressive comments/asks ab how often i update & i have been subtweeted bc some teenagers didn’t like that i made remus a jock </3333

Do you write smut

atp almost exclusively, it’s just all being posted on anon lmfao

Have you ever had a fic stolen

no 🧚

Have you ever had a fic translated

yeth, some very nice ppl are translating hey sharpshooter into russian over on ficbook

Have you ever co-written a fic before

no </3 im so sporadic in my writing motivation that i fear i’d be a terrible co-writer & everyone else would be Frustrated With Me & then i would have to pull out all my hair & run into the forest & throw myself off a bridge etc etc

What’s your all-time favorite ship

atp i feel like it has to be wolfstar bc i’ve been solely interacting w it for like 5 years. they r so special to me

Whats a fic that you want to finish but dont think you ever will

that angsty little remus pov </3 it’s too sad to finish lmao

What are your writing strengths

i am being so very genuine when i say i have no idea. probably like conveying violently self-destructive amounts of yearning lmfaoooo

What are your writing weaknesses

my motivation isn’t consistent & when im not in a very specific headspace i cant get even a single bare-bones sentence out of my brain. also i sort of write in circles & over explain things lmfao it’s all basically just me rambling in a character’s pov

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

i am guilty of this 😈 very very grateful for the french speaker who left a comment on hey sharpshooter like a month or two ago & said “uh hey. this doesn’t make sense <3” & saved my life lmfao

Whats a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

idkkkkk im so stuck on wolfstar i haven’t even thought of writing anything else. this is the only “fandom” im even a little bit into anymore & i barely interact w it outside of tumblr/ao3 jhfgfkjg

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written

has to be hey sharpshooter simply bc i cant believe i actually finished it lmfaooooo

tagging @moonheavens (sorry if u’ve already been tagged/posted 💕) & anyone else that wants to play 🧚🧚🧚🧚🧚🧚

[hailuchiha]

NOTE because I don’t wanna be blasted by non dark content blogs and writers if you find this: Yes, this is a post about writer’s woes, and yes, I write dead dove content. It’s always appropriately tagged, and I don’t invade anyone’s spaces to insult them, so do me the same courtesy. Thank you.

I don’t know how to feel about this. It’s always a pleasure to know readers are enjoying your content and how it made them feel.

But this just made my smile disappear a bit. I spend considerable amount of time on my fics and I love them to bits. Yet, the engagement on ao3 is subpar in terms of comments in general. The views are insane, and on some works, the likes are pleasantly surprising. On the other hand, on tumblr, there’s only reblogs and likes, and with usually nothing in the tags (sorry I enjoy reading feedback). I get enough love in the inbox here, so that’s all fine!

Still. I would never have known this person read my fics if they hadn’t told me, because forget commenting- they didn’t even bother to leave a like on any of the other fics. Even on this fic, there’s no like.

It’s not that I expect everyone to like and comment, but if you’re enjoying the content, the least you could do is leave a like. I thought most of ao3 hated my content and that I just had a handful of readers there until I started noticing the insane likes on some works, which I’m grateful for.

I guess I’m just somewhat taken aback because I’ve always liked and commented on everything I read- doesn’t matter what fandoms or ships I was in. It just always felt respectful and a way to show appreciation for the bit of enjoyment in my day. Of course most readers don’t think the same way, but it just feels a bit weird being on this receiving end lol

EDIT: Please if you read my fics on ao3, do NOT say anything to the commenter if you come across that comment. This post is just for me to vent.

[girlintotv]

20 questions for fic writers

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

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

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

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

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

Word count means a lot to me.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

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

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

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

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

Limelight Love Story (Chenford)

Let’s Get Together (Chenford)

A Full Moon Curse (Chenford)

For Fake and For Real (Chenford)

King of My Heart (Chenford)

5. Do you respond to comments?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Do you get hate on fics?

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

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

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

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

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

Second place: Out With A Bang

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

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

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

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

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

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

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

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

Always open to a collab!

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

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

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

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

16. What are your writing strengths?

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

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

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

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

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

19. First fandom you wrote for?

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

20. Favorite fic you've written?

There are a few.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alright, time to go back to writing.

[adhd-merlin]

2023 WRITING REVIEW

I really don't write much but it's the second time @eeverlark tags me in a writing meme (I think) soooo alright lys I'll do it. for you 🫶🏻

1. number of stories posted to ao3: 4, and yes I'm counting the fic I updated in early January because 7 out of 8 chapters were written in 2023

2. number of words posted last year: 49k

3. fandoms i wrote for: only Merlin I'm monogamous 💛

4. pairings: Merwenthur; Merwaine; background Arwen in an Arthur & Merlin fic if that counts

5. stories with the most:

KUDOS || BOOKMARKS: Call It Anything We Want (281 | 48)

COMMENT THREADS: my merwenthur vignettes have 31 threads (excluding the chapter posted in January 2024). makes sense given every chapter is basically a self-contained ficlet

6. work i'm most proud of (and why): every fic I write is simultaneously the best and the worst I've ever written and it remains so until I post a new one.

Honestly though every fic(let) has some things I like and some I think I could've done better.

Having said that, Call It Anything We Want is the first fic I posted on ao3 after a long writing hiatus so. I'm proud of that and of the amount of time I've put into this story as a whole.

7. work i'm least proud of (and why): hmmm see previous answer.

there's a ficlet called The Hunting Trip that I think I could have done better – mainly the conversation Arthur and Merlin have about Uther – but I just wanted to get it done tbh. I do like how it starts though. And Cavall the dog :)

8. share or describe a favorite review you received: I absolutely love any time someone says they liked my characterisation. for example:

your characterization is insane i am so obsessed. its so so good. like. idk how to describe it you just write relationships meshing so well together and not in like. an unrealistically flawless way but in a warm and familiar way. im in awe.

or

I love this story, your writing, this relationship, this dynamic, your details, your characterization, your everything and I’ve been meaning to tell you for a very long time. I’m sorry for not expressing this earlier. Your continuation of the original story was incredibly, believably, wondrously fantastic.

Comments like these give me life 🥺

9. a time when writing was really, really hard: 99% of the time if I'm being honest

10. a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: I wrote a ficlet that was supposed to be magically genderbent!Merlin x Arthur smut but it ended up being fem!Merlin x Gwen instead because Arthur wasn't cooperating

11. a favorite excerpt of your writing:

“Ah, the court sorcerer himself!” Gwaine exclaims, spreading his arms wide, and some wine sloshes out of his goblet and spills on the floor. He claps one hand on Merlin's shoulder. “Congratulations, Master Merlin.” “I told you to stop calling me that.” Gwaine just looks at him. Head to toe, with a grin that does nothing to hide what he's thinking, and must therefore come across as incredibly lewd. “You look good in green,” is all he says. Merlin raises an eyebrow. “You think I look good in anything.” Gwaine leans closer; close enough to purr in Merlin’s ear: “And even better in nothing at all.” Mainly for the pleasure of watching the tips of Merlin’s ears flush pink. — UNWAVERING

12. how did you grow as a writer last year: well I actually wrote something which is a good starting point

13. how do you hope to grow this year: I'd love to write a multi-chapter fic with an actual plot someday. also get better at titling things

14. who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): I think all the lovely people that left me some feedback made me push myself a tiny bit harder to keep writing and posting. a special shout-out to @castelled-away for writing whole essays about my merwenthur ficlets, I've loved every single comment 💛

15. anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: nothing apart from my desire to kiss Colin Morgan on the mouth

16. any new wisdom you can share with other writers: sometimes done is better than perfect. just get it done and move on it's fine if it's not a masterpiece. at least that's what I often have to tell myself but also I suspect I have adhd

17. any projects you're looking to starting (or finishing) this year: I would like to finish my Sefa-centric WIP, I wrote like 8k words but I'm not sure where it's going

[sunnysidesevenup]

My best performing fic by a wide, ridiculous margin is heart’s in a different place—and, overall, it’s done pretty well. Especially for my first published fic in years, and first one on ao3, I’ve been BLOWN AWAY by the response I’ve received, but…. Well, here are the statistics for it:

Kudos: 3,487

But the hits are 96,136.

I know hits aren’t a truly accurate count of how many people are reading—rereads, reopening the page, people visiting it more often—but that’s an INSANE gap. That’s crazy.

I don’t write for attention, I write because I want a fic like mine to exist—I write things I personally want to read. But at the same time, I have a job, I draw, I have other things to work on throughout my day-to-day life, and someone going “hey, I like your fic”? That motivates me to an insane degree. Writing is HARD. Art is hard too. Even if we love what we do, and I do, I REALLY do—I’m essentially writing a novel for free, here.

For reference, heart’s is over 500 pages in my doc. That’s an entire novel. And it’s not even completed.

What people are getting at here is the degradation of appreciation for fan content. Or, not even just fan content, content in GENERAL. There’s just less and less appreciation for art, less desire for connection, everything just feels so…. Corporate. Like fan creators and fanfic writers are just sort of expected to produce work for you to consume. I don’t blame anyone, I do it too—it often slips my mind to kudos, and I’m often not logged in to anything so I think “oh, I’ll comment later” and then forget. It’s just the culture nowadays. It feels so distant, and cold, and strange.

But at the end of the day, the pieces of fanart I’ve received, the comments, the bookmarks with little notes on all the things they like about my fic—those are things I look at over and over and over again. I don’t think you understand the countless amount of times I’ve read out comments to people irl, because I’m so giddy and excited about it. I go “hey, I think I might be a good writer. I think people like my work.” and for once it wasn’t me trying to convince myself, I had EVIDENCE to back it up. Artists and writers frequently suffer from anxiety, but having some PROOF to combat it is amazing.

So, like your favorite author’s work. Share it. Comment what you like about it. Reblog that artist’s post, make that fanart for that fic you were nervous about, tell someone how amazing you think their work is. They’ll read it over and over again, and they’ll probably never forget it.

I know I won’t.

Okay so this has been something I've been chewing on for a long while. About making this post I mean.

This one is to those who actively ingest fanfiction but seen to think it's okay to just read free fiction that people have put time and thought and crafted prose for your enjoyment.

So we ever ask for and all we ever want is for y'all to AT THE VERY LEAST hit that kudos button if you like the work. That is the BARE MINIMUM of what you SHOULD be doing. Especially all of you who say you're too nervous to comment or don't wish to be perceived. And if you don't want your account on the list, you can log out and send a guest kudos.

But as I said, BARE MINIMUM. If you loved the fic, if you got something out of it that left you feeling good and energized (or whatever angst does for y'all) then I want to take a moment and strongly urge you to comment, subscribe (if a wip), and bookmark those works. Did you know there's an option to even mark it as a Fic Recommendation? You can put notes in to and say why you liked it and things like that (DO NOT DO A RATING IN PUBLIC BOOKMARKS HOWEVER). And, you can indeed make them private! The writer still gets the number added to their stats but your bookmark we won't see.

Anyway, I now wanna turn your attention to Exhibit A:

This is a list of my best performing fics. Do you see the problem with this? The green highlights are the hits I've received for those fics. The red is the Kudos and comment threads. Now the kudos is obviously right?

Let's look at my number one fic right now, Accidentally in Love (a Malleyuu fic from Twisted Wonderland fandom). It's the seventh fic in a romance series. As you can see, it's doing great as far as hits, right? And I know it's an amazing fic from the comments I have received and just from rereading it myself. Note, I am probably the biggest bully to myself as @sunshineandteddybears and @mellosdrawings and @romantichopelessly can tell you in great detail. So when I am saying it's really damn good, you can probably trust it's gonna be pretty damn good. And yet, a fic that has 4K hits only has 119 kudos. And now to bring your attention to the comment threads. So honestly with how bad readers are on actually commenting (which by the way if you log off you can send anonymously as a guest—you'll have to put in your email address but we authors won't see that)... 107 seems pretty good right? But you guys don't see that. You see what's on the info for the story. Unfortunately, on the fic info at the top of the story, it counts every single comment (including the Author's). (The comment threads is just every single starting comment, i.e. the first comment received from each commenter.)

The thing is, I—and probably quite a few other writers—do respond to every single comment.

So that means where the info on my fic itself says 230 comments, in reality, I'm at half that when I subtract my half of the comments. So that's actually 115 comments from other people. So some people might see that 230 and think oh they got a lot of comments so I don't think they want to hear from me or I can't be fucked and they're already doing good so.

NO. NO. NO. Do not look at the numbers as a guide if a fic is good or not. Do not look at the numbers and think that we don't need or deserve to get any more. And finally WE WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL.

Excuses need to stop.

Speaking of numbers. Here's my over all stats current on AO3.

In the 3 years on this AO3 account (I've had others in the past and accounts on ff.net and live journal. I'm an oldie fanfic writer lol. 21 years of fanfic. My gods. 🤣) It didn't used to be like this guys. Back in the day I'd get 12 plus comments and this is on stuff a teenager wrote.

We have got to get back to the point of supporting each other and building each other up. Also while I'm at it, I have a huge beef with the fact that fanartists get so much more positive feedback and replies and comments, but the thing is, even their numbers are skewed. You can go into the notes of a fanart on here that has 10k notes to see they have maybe 100-1K reblogs (if that, I'm being generous) and maybe 10 or so replies (if turned on) and the rest are all likes. EVERYONE has been on here long enough by now to know that likes do nothing to get a post in the algorithm and tags only do so much. Reblogs are the only way their art (or our fanfictions for people who post them on here) gets seen! By sharing!

So y'all gotta get better. Yes, we write for ourselves first, but ultimately a story is meant to be shared with everyone and feedback should not be optional.

TLDR:

IF YOU FUCKING LIKE A FANFIC. KUDOS AT THE VERY LEAST BUT BE BETTER. COMMENT. BOOKMARK. SUBSCRIBE IF IT'S A WIP YOU LOVE. (Like, comment and reblog if on Tumblr)

IF YOU FUCKING LIKE A FANART ON TUMBLR. COMMENT. LIKE. REBLOG.

DO BETTER AS READERS AND US WRITERS AND ARTISTS WILL GIVE YOU THE WORLD (AND MANY OTHER WORLDS TO BOOT)

That is all. Please reblog the fuck out of this if you agree.

(and tagging my current and last fandoms so this can get in fandom spaces where it needs to be.)

[somekndofnature]

No Other Way #24

Hello all! So, please be patient with me, I have a little bit to say before we get to the actual story. I’ve got another one for the domaystic2022 prompt list. I’m determined to finish before the end of the year. 

I’ve decided to go back and add the number in the title of these posts so people can tell which ones they’ve read or not. I hope that helps @shikonstar I can totally understand why it would be frustrating. (I’ve been loving reading your tags by the way; makes my day 😁) (as does the tags and comments from all of you❤️ I totally haven’t expected the warm reaction these shorts have received.)

Once I finish with this challenge, I’m going to split the entire story up by fandom on AO3, but I wanted to wait until I reach the finish line. I hope you all understand; my neurotic brain won’t let me change up the formatting of each chapter in the same collection too much before I reach that goal. It would drive me insane and completely derail me.  

Anyway...I hope you all enjoy my first story about human Inuyasha. I hope to delve a little deeper into this in my longer story but here’s a taste. I won’t deny that hanyou Inuyasha is my favorite, but I love the idea of him being a little more emotional and irrational on his human nights. There’s a bit of role reversal in this story. Inuyasha gets into some trouble and Kagome comes to the rescue.  

I quoted the song that this story is based on in this fic because it just felt so apt for the moment. If I had a Spotify, I would add the actual song at the bottom but I still haven’t signed up for it. If you’re interested, go listen to No Other Way by Jack Johnson wherever you get your music. It is a really tender and bittersweet sort of love song, very relevant to the joys and struggles of an every day life shared with another person and a love that endures all of them. 

Okay...that’s enough rambling from me.  I hope you enjoy the story. It is non-explicit, sfw.   

Day 24: alt. What’s that burning smell?

Fandom: Inuyasha; modern MMA AU

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Rating: G

AO3

Resolve is Just a Concept That's as Dead as the Leaves

Kagome hurried home and glanced up at a dark moonless sky, trying to shake off the lingering frustration from her work day. When she had taken the part-time position at the student library, she had never expected to be so labor intensive. Nor had she expected to get home this late. She looked at her watch; it was nearly nine. Good thing she had remembered to text Inuyasha and tell him she would be running late. She could just imagine the amount of grief he would have given her if he had waited at her bus stop that long.  

Her pace quickened as she approached their building and hit the button for their apartment, hoping Inuyasha would buzz her in. Nothing happened… 

Kagome frowned; he had to be home. He hated leaving the apartment on his human nights.  She pressed the button again, holding it down for a little longer. When she was answered with silence, she dug into her purse, searching for her keys in the bottomless pit. Groaning when she couldn’t find them, Kagome pulled the bag in front of her and held it open under the muted light. There at the very bottom her keys shined back to her; illusive little jerks. She yanked them out and waved the key fob over the lock, pushing through the door.  

Kagome headed toward the stairs, bypassing the mailboxes. She could check it later. Right now, she was a little more concerned about why Inuyasha had gone suspiciously silent. That was never a good indication; either something had gone horribly wrong or…he was sulking.  

She couldn’t really blame him for being so morose on the nights that he was human. In her mind–and only in her mind–Kagome likened to a condensed version of her monthly cycle, when she was cranky, emotional, and just didn’t feel like herself. Not that she would ever dare to voice that comparison outloud; she could just imagine Inuyasha’s reaction. Still, it helped her have more patience with him. She could endure his grumbling and extra prickliness for a night. More often than not, they ended up snuggled on the sofa, watching TV or playing games until the wee hours of the morning, amid his muttered complaints about being weaker, slower, tired. 

Kagome sighed and slowed on the last flight of stairs, rolling her sore neck as a mild exhaustion crept over her. Maybe she could coax him into a few hours of sleep tonight. Kami knew she needed it. 

She pushed through the entrance to their floor and immediately knew something was wrong. A worrying smell was growing stronger the closer she came to her apartment door. Kagome shoved the keys into the lock and it opened into a cloud of smoke.  

“Inuyasha!” she called, abandoning her bags in the entryway and letting the door slam closed behind her. “Inuyasha! What’s that burning smell?” 

“Nothing!” She heard him shout from the direction of the kitchen.  

Kagome coughed and waved a hand in front of her face as she rushed towards the sound of his voice. “Inuyasha!” 

She rounded the corner, eyes going wide at the six inch flames billowing up from the pan on the stove. Inuyasha stood on the opposite side of the kitchen at the sink, sprayer in hand ready to flip on the water.  

“No, no, no,” Kagome cried out as she snatched the lid off the counter and dropped it over the skillet, flipping off the burner in the process. 

Grabbing a towel, Kagome scooted the pan off the heat, holding the lid tightly in place. When it was clear that the fire was smothered, she released a held breath, but it was too soon to relax. The shrill sound of the smoke alarm was still ringing through the apartment and her head.  

“Help me open the windows,” she shouted at Inuyasha over the din.  

He nodded back at her, jaw stiff as he stomped to the balcony door and slid it wide open. Kagome did the same to the two windows in their bedroom and grabbed a couple pillows off the bed before joining him at the open door. She shoved one into his hands and together they fanned the smoke out of their apartment. After several long minutes, the excruciating noise went quiet.  

Kagome blew out a relieved breath before tossing a smile to her partner that he didn’t return. “Well, that was an exciting welcome home.” 

“Exciting?” He scowled at her, his dark gray eyes hard and flinty. “What about that was exciting? I nearly burned the fuckin’ place down!” 

“It was an accident,” she replied in an even gentle tone. “They happen–” 

“Yeah! To humans!” 

“To everyone,” she assured him, trying her best not to let his sharp tone ruffle her. “Why should you get to be immune?” 

He dropped his gaze and growled under his breath, sounding less guttural than normal but no less formidable. 

“Inu–” she whispered while reaching out to him.  

He shrugged off her touch, snatching the pillow from her hands and disappearing into the bedroom. 

Kagome sighed and wandered back into the kitchen to assess the wreckage. There were black scorch marks surrounding the stove, but it looked like the cabinets above and ceiling received the brunt of the damage. They would probably both need a new coat of paint. 

There was water everywhere. It looked like Inuyasha had been battling that blaze for at least a few minutes before she arrived. Kagome shook her head; why didn’t he just grab the fire extinguisher from under the sink? That’s what it was there for! Her brow twitched in irritation but she took a deep breath, striving to be more understanding. He must have been panicked and just a little bit scared; the thought made her heart ache.  

Inuyasha returned a few seconds later, eyes still downcast and contrite hands held behind his back. Kagome looked him over with fresh eyes. The inky black bangs around his face were more scruffy than usual, a few strands no doubt falling victim to the flames. His dark red shirt was streaked with black and had several holes, revealing patches of irritated skin beneath.  

“Inu?” she asked gently. “Are you hurt?” 

“M’fine,” he mumbled, hunching his shoulders. “I’m sorry about the–” 

“I don’t care about that,” she interjected, as she crossed to his side. “Are you okay?” 

“I said I’m fine!” he snapped without looking at her. 

Kagome pursed her lips, trying to rein in the retort crawling its way up her throat. “Then can I see your hands?” 

His scowl deepened, hiding more of his arms behind his back. 

“Inu, please? I just want to make sure you’re alright.”  

After several long moments he complied, holding his hands out in front of her. Angry red burns streaked his arms but his hands were the worst. White blisters had already formed all over his palms, several torn open and oozing clear liquid, no doubt thanks to his admirable efforts to help. He must be in so much pain. 

“Puppy,” she breathed, tears already gathering in her eyes. 

“It’s fine,” he replied in a sullen tone, already trying to hide the injuries from her again. “It’ll be gone tomorrow.” 

Kagome wordlessly grabbed his elbow, leading him towards the sink, and flicked on the tap. She drew his damaged and trembling hands under the water, cooing in nonsensical reassurances as she cupped some liquid in her palms and poured it over his arms as well. Inuyasha released a relieved breath, the tension in his clenched jaw dissipating the longer she held him under the cool stream.  

“Little better?” she asked, rubbing her damp palm across his back in soothing circles.  

He nodded, lips still tight in a thin line.  

“Come on,” she said, giving him a gentle nudge. “Let’s get you patched up.” 

“But the kitchen–” he protested, giving a significant glance to the destruction surrounding them.

“Is not as important as you.” She slipped two of her fingers into one of the belt loops on his jeans and pulled him in the direction of their bedroom. “Don’t argue, puppy.” 

Perhaps sensing that she would not would not be swayed, Inuyasha acquiesced and allowed her to lead him to the bed. 

“Arms up,” she instructed, helping to remove the remnants of his ruined shirt. 

Kagome pulled it over his head, sending the heavy weight of his long dark hair falling down his back. She dropped his shirt to the floor and frowned, brushing her fingers near the reddened skin on his chest and abdomen. It was nowhere near as bad as the burns on his hands and arms but it would still sting.  

Kagome leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss next to one wound. “Poor baby.” 

“Stop fussing.”. 

“Hush,” she chided. “It’s my job to fuss over you when you’re hurt. Now sit down, I’m gonna grab some medicine and bandages for those burns.”

“Keh,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You’re wasting your time. They’ll all be gone in the morning.” 

“Well there’s no reason you need to suffer for the rest of the night.” 

He met her eyes in a silent challenge. 

Kagome raised a dark brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “Inuyasha, sit.” 

He ground his teeth together but still dropped onto the mattress.

She nodded and spun on her heel, rushing into the bathroom and grabbing the well-used first aid kit. When she returned, Kagome bit back a tender gasp at the familiar picture he created, slouched on the bed with a petulant frown etched in place. He looked years younger, more like the vulnerable boy she grew up with, instead of the strong and fearless hanyou he was now. 

Her brows drew together in sympathy as she approached, placing the kit beside him and flicking it open. Kagome dug out a tube of burn cream, hoping it would be enough to soothe some of his pain.  

“Lemme see your hands,” she said, squeezing out a line of medicine onto her fingers.  

Inuyasha lifted his palms up for her inspection and winced as she slathered the cream on his skin with featherlight strokes. It wasn’t until she worked her way up to his wrists that he finally released a pained hiss.  

“Shh, shh, shh,” she cooed, gentling her touch even further as she finished up his arms. “It should start feeling better in a few minutes.” 

Kagome wiped away the last of the cream from her fingers before grabbing a few packets of special bandages and placing them over the worst of the blisters and charred skin. As she pulled out a roll of linen gauze and knelt in front of him to start wrapping his arms and hands, Inuyasha broke his silence. 

“Why am I more angry than you?” he asked in a quiet tone.  

Kagome didn’t look up, hiding a small smile as she continued about her task. “Because the apartment doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re okay. Because you’re embarrassed and probably telling yourself that it wouldn’t have happened any other night.” 

“It wouldn’t have.” 

She shrugged. “Who knows?”

“I do,” he insisted. “If I had been able to smell right, I would have known that something was burning sooner.” His leg started bouncing in agitation. “I only left it alone for a few minutes. By the time I got back, it was already on fire. Then, I sprayed some water on it to try and put it out, but it just got bigger.” 

Kagome gave a sage shake of her head as she tucked the end of the gauze around one wrist and switched to the other hand. “Never throw water on a grease fire. That just spreads it around. You want to smother it…or you could have used the fire extinguisher.” 

“I’m a fucking idiot!” he bit out, glancing heavenward. “How the hell did I forget that?” 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It happens in the heat of the moment, Inu.” 

“But I put that there…for you.”

“Yes, I remember.” 

“Because you’re the accident waiting to happen.”  

She took a calming breath, finishing up the last of her work and tucking in the end of the wrapping. “How sweet of you to remind me.” 

“But that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” he said as she stood to her feet. “Shouldn’t you be more smug?” 

Kagome tossed him a confused look as she gathered up the trash and threw it into the small bin by the dresser. “What good would that do?” 

“I don’t know,” he replied. “It would put me in my place, that’s for damn sure.”  

She scoffed, stepping between his spread legs to run her fingers through his hair. ‘Inuyasha, do you really think I’m so petty? I don’t want to put you in your place; I just want to help you. I don’t feel smug or angry or any of the things you seem to think I should feel. I feel worried about you.” She lifted one of his hands, placing a kiss against the bandages. “I hate it when you’re hurt.”

“Keh, stop blubbering,” he muttered. “I’ll be fine.”

‘I know, but that doesn’t stop you from hurting now,” she explained, grabbing up the burn cream again. “Stand up, I need to get your stomach.” 

Inuyasha stood to his feet, waving her away. “It’s fine, that’s not as bad.” 

“Be still and let me put this medicine on, Inu.” 

He grumbled but didn’t fight her as she swiped it onto his tender skin, the muscles jumping at her touch.  

“Better?” she asked, screwing the cap back on the tube and packing the first aid kit away. 

“Yeah, yeah, I told you I’m fine, woman.” 

“Don’t snap at me. I’m trying to take care of you.” 

“Toss me a new shirt then.” 

Kagome rolled her eyes and reached into the dresser on her way back to the bathroom, pulling out a fresh one from the drawer before throwing it at him. Inuyasha caught it from the air just as stepped through the door, putting the kit back in its place beneath the counter. By the time she returned he was fully dressed and pulling his long black hair from beneath his collar. 

She approached him, smoothing her hands over his chest. “There, you’re all taken care of. So now, we can worry about the kitchen.” 

“I’ll clean it up.” Inuyasha wrapped his arms in a loose circle around her waist.

“We will clean it up,” she corrected, rising on tiptoe to plant a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Then we can order out for dinner. Sound good?” 

He nodded, still seeming a little down.  

“Come on,” Kagome said, plucking at his shirt. “If we tackle it together, we’ll be done in no time.”

It still took them over an hour before they finally decided that it was the best they could do without a much needed trip to the hardware store. The cabinets and ceiling were still stained a blotchy black brown and the burnt  pan was dropped into the sink to soak. Kagome was still hopeful that they might save it.  

Inuyasha remained quiet and downcast, only speaking when it was strictly needed. It took a monumental amount of restraint not to prod at him, checking the urge to ask if he was okay every few minutes. She knew it would drive him crazy but Kagome only grew more unsettled the longer the silence went on.  

It wasn’t until after dinner, when they were cuddled in bed in the wee hours of the morning that she finally began to relax. Inuyasha was lying between her spread legs, arms resting at her sides, and face nuzzled into her cleavage. He took a deep breath and released it on a weary sigh, mumbling against her skin.

‘What was that?” Kagome asked.

He lifted his head, resting his chin on her breast bone. “Thank you…for rescuing me.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Inu.”

“Of course I do,” he replied, watching his finger trace patterns into the skin over her heart. “You saved my ass.” 

“Well, you’re saving mine enough,” she said, threading her fingers into his hair. “Sometimes, it’s nice to be the one protecting you..”

Inuyasha’s eyes slipped closed, leaning his head into her touch. “What’re you saying? You want me to burn down the apartment more often?” 

“You didn’t burn anything down,” Kagome chuckled. “It was really more of a charring.”

“Thanks,” he said in a dry tone, moving his head around until her fingers found the right spot. “I’m sorry, these new moon nights are such a pain.” 

“You’re not a pain,” she soothed, tenderness swelling in her heart as she scratched her nails through his hair just behind his human ear. “You’re still my puppy, even when you’re human. I’ll always take care of you, Inu.” 

Wide gray eyes glanced up at her. “I love you,” he whispered, vulnerability layering his voice.

“I love you, too,” she responded immediately, coaxing him to lay more comfortably against her chest. “Try and relax, puppy. Everything is fine and there’s only a few more hours until sunrise.” 

Inuyasha settled his weight more firmly against her, releasing a contended groan. 

Kagome went back to drawing her fingers through his glossy hair, singing out a soft melody. “Now, please close your eyes, baby, please get some sleep. And know that if I knew all of the answers, I would not hold them from you know all of the things that I know. We told each other…there is no other way. Mmm-mm-mmm.” 

Inuyasha sighed, breaths growing deep and even the longer she sang. Kagome held him through the rest of the night, soothing him back down every time he became restless. By the time the light of dawn graced their windows, both hanyou and human were snoring softly, tangled together in a dreamless embrace.

[neondiamond]

✨ 2022 Writing Self-Evaluation ✨

I was tagged by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @hellolovers13 and @onlythebravest

1. Number of stories posted to AO3 this year: 26 (How did that even happen? 🤯)

2. Word count posted for the year: 132,344

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson/Liam Payne, Liam Payne/Zayn Malik (as a side pairing)

5. Story with the most:

Kudos: I’d Walk Through Fire For You (Just Let Me Adore You) (I don’t often look at the amount of kudos my fics have so the fact that this has gotten just over 600 kudos in half a year is insane to me!)

Bookmarks: I’d Walk Through Fire For You (Just Let Me Adore You)

Comments: One for the Books

More under the cut!

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): 

I think I have to say Here You Come Again. This is the second longest fic I’ve ever written (after my advent-ish fic from December) and I think the one I spent the most time working on this year. As someone that’s usually all about the fluff, it’s definitely a bit of a different one for me. It’s got a bit of angst, lots and lots of feelings, and I’m so proud of the way it turned out. It takes you a on bit of an emotional rollercoaster reading it, but I absolutely love it.

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

I’m going to take the easy way out here and say none. I can honestly say I’m proud of every single fic I have put out into the world this year. <3

8. Share or describe a favourite review you received:

I love every single comment I get on every single one of my fics. I guarantee you I smile every time I get one! But there is one ‘review’ in particular this year that just touched me so much. It’s something @lululawrence said in her podcast about my fic Baby, Don’t Apologize. This fic is so close to my heart, and hearing the way she described how it made her feel seen just made my heart so so full. This was exactly the intent I had with this fic and hearing her words definitely made me cry a little bit. 🥹

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

The last few months have been pretty busy and a lot has happened in my personal life that has made it a little more difficult for me to find the time and inspiration to write as much as I would like to. So I’d say from like mid-September to now-ish.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

The smut scenes in On Thin Ice were a big surprise to me (which make up about half of the fic if I were to guess; which is another surprise in itself lol). Writing smut is something I struggle with a bit, and when I do write it, it usually ends up being pretty… vanilla, I guess? Nothing spectacular and I don’t usually play with kink… except for this fic, apparently. I knew I wanted to have smut in this fic, but I wasn’t really planning anything different than I usually do. And then I started writing the first scene, and Harry suddenly had a praise kink. It came as quite the surprise to me haha! But I do like the way it worked out!

11. A favourite excerpt of your writing:

It’s so hard to pick just one!! I’ll go with this tiny exchange between Louis and Harry from one of my Wordplay fics, Waiting by the Tire Swing. It’s short, but I feel like it really conveys what this fic is all about:

“We can take it with us to the new house if you want,” Harry says softly, pulling Louis from his thoughts. “There are trees in the back garden. I’m sure one of them will be sturdy enough to hold it.”

Louis appreciates how patient and considerate Harry has been through this whole moving ordeal, and he actually considers his suggestion for a few seconds before shaking his head.

“No,” he says, giving the swing a gentle nudge and watching as it sways slightly. “This is where it belongs.”

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I think this year I really sort of let go of the idea of writing things to please other people. A LOT of my fics this year were really self-indulgent, and I didn’t really care much if other people read them or not, because at the end of the day, I write for myself first. I also wrote a lot of short drabbles and ficlets this year that I would bang out and post within a day or two, which isn’t really something I ever used to do because I used to think my shorter fics weren’t as good or worth my time as my long ones… but I fell in love with writing little fic babies whenever I want and that’s definitely something I want to keep doing next year!

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

Going into next year, I’d love to continue writing whatever I want, try my hand at slightly longer fics, and expand into writing new pairings, perhaps.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

If you’ve read, left kudos, commented, bookmarked, reblogged, or rec’ed any of my fics this year: this one goes out to you! I feel like there’s always a lot of love for writers, betas, etc. (and it’s very much well deserved, don’t get me wrong) but I feel like giving readers a little appreciation today. You all rock! 💕

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Whether I like it or not, there are always little parts of me that slip into my fics, often in the form of a habit or personality trait I give a character. The one that stands out the most though is for sure Baby, Don’t Apologize, in which I made Harry ace just like me. 💜

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I’m pretty sure this is what I said last year but: Just write what YOU want to write. Have fun with it, and the rest will work itself out!

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: 

I’m surprisingly not bringing a whole lot of wips with me in the new year. I have one nesting fic I’ve just started writing for the Omega Harry fest, an outline for a potential Narry fic I’d like to write, and a few smaller ideas/prompts for shorter fics. I do also have my eye on a few upcoming fic fests I’d maybe like to sign up for, but apart from that, I’m keeping things fairly open to fresh new ideas in 2023.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

@disgruntledkittenface @wabadabadaba @larrieblr @littleroverlouis @alwaysxlarrie @lunarheslwt @brightgolden @thinlinez and whoever else feels like doing this! ❤️

[moonstruckwytch]

★ 2022 fic goals ★

thanks to @corvuscrowned for starting this trend and for tagging me, as well as @orange-peony and @avenueofesc! i started writing in 2021, so it's nice to take stock of some goals for the new year. i'm tagging @helle-bored, @secretartlair, @the-starryknight, @tackytigerfic, @cavendishbutterfly, @ronbinary, @starlitsilvereyes, @lou-isfake, @isamijoo, @americanmoths, @geesenoises, @bubble-gumhead, @rockingrobin69, and anyone else who wants to participate, so sorry if you've already done this!

★ finish my wips: i have an insane amount of wips in my gdocs (something like 50 before i opened kiss prompts) and in the vein of my biggest overall goal of 2022, i am going to finish them. no more languishing in my drafts if i can help it

★ leave comments: this year i’m really going to work on leaving comments on almost everything i read, even if it’s just to share that i loved it. comments are always really lovely to receive, and i want to share that more regularly

★ fests: i have a short list of the fests i want to participate in, and this year my goal is to finish them on time, and worry less about whether or not they hit a self-imposed word count, and more about if they’re quality writing

★ move everything to ao3: this is a more technical goal, but i want to move everything i’ve published to ao3 so it’s in an actual archive and can’t be lost to time on tumblr

★ one microfic a month: i cribbed this directly from crow, but it’s a good goal, and an achievable goal, and i’m considering it a personal challenge to keep myself from going months without writing entirely

★ stay on top of tag games: i am the actual worst at this but i love being tagged in things and i love seeing what people have to share. part of it is just remembering this is all for fun, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, so i can just do it, part of it is time management. either way, i want to be more active

[coeurdastronaute]

Fic Writer Review!

Tagged by @lena-in-a-red-dress I never do these things, but it seemed fun to try as I venture out into the world away from fandom a bit. 

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

40

2. Whats your total ao3 word count?

1,264,254

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

Technically 4, but let’s be honest. It’s just 2. 

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Essays in Existentialism Giant Nerd Duck Kiwi

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

I once did, but it’s a little hard. I have been putting a lot of time into being more engaged on patreon. For the most part, I do take the time to respond to commentary that is engaging. I always appreciate when people take a moment to leave a “great!” or “loved it” or “can’t wait for more” and I’d like to issue a blanket thank you and I love you and I read every single one and on bad days, those fuel me to write mroe and try to be better just as much as others. But If I have a finite amount of time, I find it best to engage with people who are asking questions or making thoughtful commentary. My favorite thing to read are lines or parts of it that someone liked the most. 

6. A fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending

Well, I reckon it’s The Wrestle even though that doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t particularly work in angst. I’m not that angsty. 

7. Do you write crossovers?

Kind of. I mean, I play with universes a lot, I don’t know if they’d be crossovers. 

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

Um, yeah, here and there. You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s okay if they let you know. I try to follow the guideline of “Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia (Kurt Vonnegut).” So I have a handful of people who have been reading me for literally years. Like I have people I’ve gotten to know and have spent years growing with, and I write for them to enjoy. It helps. 

9. Do you write smut?

Not well.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, actually quite a bit. I don’t understand why, to be honest. It takes absolutely no talent to steal, and I find it really repulsive. 

11. Ever had a fic translated?

No-- I feel really bad about this because I would love to share it with other people. I mean, the reason I write is to give a happy ending and some sweet moments to a group of people who don’t have many of them (even if they’re badly written and contrite), but there’s this kind of ownership of my words, and what if the feelings aren’t right? It makes me too nervous. I’m more and more open to it though, so if anyone is serious about it, let me know. I can’t promise it’ll happen, but I’d love for it to be a collaborative thing. 

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No-- I am an insanely irresponsible writer on a good day, and I couldn’t in my right mind subject someone else to this. 

13. All time fav ship?

Emily/Naomi-- Skins. 

14. WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The Wrestle-- I just... I lost it, you know? I lost the plot. 

15. Writing strengths?

Welp. I wish I’d read through these more carefully before starting. I think I can do some dialogue okay.

16. Writing weaknesses?

Writing.

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I think it’s fun. Adds a little depth to characters. I think it should be used sparingly. 

18. First fandom you wrote for?

Skins

19. What’s your fav fic you’ve written so far?

This is a really hard question I get asked often. It changes daily. I’m really having fun with Atlantis right now, but that’s because Aquaman is my favorite comic. Fear was a good time. It’s hard. All of them have taught me important lessons about writing. Maybe Heart-- I very much regret not making that a full-length story. 

[jenivi7]

writing tag game!

Thank you @clyde-side and @bdeblueyes for the tag!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22 plus a small handful on ff.net that I still intend to move over to AO3.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

30,445!  I’m surprised it’s that much considering how short most of those stories are. (And it’s a little deceptive since it doesn’t include the 80k monstrosity that is Ryou and the Thief. That one’s probably going to stay on ff.net though.)

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Those Things He Keeps for Himself (Total agreement. Personally I think this is the best thing I’ve written so far.)

Human (Was at #1 until very recently! I attribute this entirely to the story being on @shinayashipper’s Rivalshipping Rec List. Thank you Red! <3 )

Black (From when I wandered into Homestuck fanfic for a brief time! I’m still stupid proud of this one though.)

Ghosts, Goths and Other Anxieties (original short story) (I swear I’ll get back to posting the big bang version soon)

Finality (This one’s so old but I guess people still like their tendershipping! I mean, same~)

4. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do try to respond to everything! I so appreciate when other authors respond to me and do my best to return that good good energy. Also I genuinely like chatting with people (especially about something I wrote lol) even if I get overwhelmed sometimes and can be slow ^^; 

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

This is a tough one cause when I start a story, it’s usually with the goal of giving the characters a happy end but it’s probably Coffee and Cigarettes. It was for a pairings competition where the random pairing was Mana/TK Bakura and I gave them a weird little break in the middle of canon where they both know what’s about to happen and it just came out sad.  NO WAIT I’M WRONG. Lol I just gave my story list another look and it’s definitely Crazy for You! That was an insane asylum AU that’s ABOUT everything going straight to shit.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Oh goodness, almost all of them! I love a happy ending. Like, the story doesn’t have to be all fluff, it can have an impossible looking problem or be about two people who just don’t go well together but I love a good, satisfying resolution. Most recent happy ending is No Betting, just a bit of adorable, domestic, peachshipping fluff. Favorite happy end is probably A Million Missed Chances, Mai/Valon. I feel like Mai is a challenging character to give a happy ending to. She’s just stubborn like that <3

7. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

So, I haven’t written a crossover yet by myself but @miss-moberg and I will often throw around ideas for ones where we will use YGO characters or parts of the world building or magic system to fix things we don’t like in other canons. Right now we have a RP that’s a BNHA/YGO crossover where… oh, spoilers for BNHA: instead of going crazy and faking his own death, Toya grabs both his brothers and just fucking leaves. They run away to Domino, get picked up by Ryou and Akeifa (TK Bakura) and it quickly becomes the found family story I didn’t know I needed. We do some wild things blending the two canons. Domino is this little pocket where shadow magic keeps the hero and villain nonsense out and the citizens are pretty ok with it. Yugi and Atem are the city’s guardians. Ryou and Akeifa are not allowed to use shadow magic though they have access to it. I think Ryou and Yugi had proper quirks that they sacrificed to the shadows at some point, each for something different thing that they wanted or needed. Oh! We have quirks being derived from shadow magic at some point in the distant past and the shadows are always happy to take a quirk back to fulfill a wish or desire. They’re tricky though and usually corrupting. Very classic fairytale where it’s a thing you don’t want to make a deal with. Seto is quirkless and basically runs the city behind the scenes. He can’t deny the existence of heroes and villains but still refuses to believe in magic. This always gives Atem a headache when they have to coordinate to protect the city. Which is often.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

A couple criticisms but no outright hate I don’t think. Or if I have it was so long ago I don’t remember. I was on ff.net at the worst times too and somehow all the hate just passed me by.

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

I love smut so much but I rarely write it. For stories I just usually end up with one or two erotic sentences. RPs are the exceptions to that though and are where all the good stuff happens. >.>

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. Haven’t had one stolen, haven’t had one taken down. I’ve stayed small enough to fly under the radar for both things luckily enough!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I wish! Man that would be amazing <3

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

Yes! Ryou and the Thief is a cleaned up version of @miss-moberg and my very first RP. (And the only RP of ours to ever hit an actual ending.)

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

Puzzle with Gemshipping very close behind though I ship many, many things.

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

Phoenix. It was one of my very first fanfics started almost 15 years ago and while I’d love to finish everything, that one’s just not going to happen. It’s been too long and I’ve grown way too much as a writer to go back to it now.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think it’s dialogue. And maybe the ability to be amusing. Not funny-funny but like, lightly humorous when setting scenes or winding up to something.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

RUN ON SENTENCES. Sometimes they get away from me a bit XD

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

Haaaa, actually when I first started writing fanfic I would throw in Japanese phrases and honorifics and looking back, it’s pretty cringe. BUT I can appreciate it as it was originally intended: learning and practicing a new language. If it makes sense for the character or situation though it’s really cute, like in Allargando by Slaycinder where Atem uses Arabic endearments for Seto. (Have I gushed about that fic on my blog yet? It’s so good.) Ancient Egyptian is the exception to everything I just said. I absolutely LOVE when someone takes a stab at putting ancient Egyptian in their fic. I go a little feral for it and it was the hardest but the most fulfilling thing about writing Ryou and the Thief was doing all the research write actual AE dialogue for Akeifa early in the fic.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Yu-Gi-Oh. I’ve done a handful of things for other fandoms but Ygo is the one I keep coming back to and definitely the one I’ve written the vast majority for.

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh no this is hard! They’re all my babies and I love them! Probably my favorites have been listed in previous questions already. Ryou and the Thief because of the sheer amount of work that went into it and the fact that we ran the boys through a whole ass adventure, Coffee and Cigarettes because it’s such a fun, quirky little thing with a great atmosphere and Those Things He Keeps For Himself because I feel like I was able to really capture the idea in my head effectively and there’s some great imagery in it.

TAGGING:  Oh my god this took me so long to finally sit down and complete that probably everyone I would tag has done it already!  So not tagging anyone this time but please do it if it seems fun!

[tortoisebore]

silly question, maybe, and I'm asking it anon because I don't want you to feel obligated /at all/ to answer (or to feel pressured to read my fic, lol) but.

my question is, how do you deal with the "pressure" of posting on ao3? I reckon for you it can be quite a lot of pressure to have so many people reading your fic / waiting anxiously for new chapters, and feeling that pressure when you're writing.

for me it's kind of the opposite - I post my stuff publically to ao3 but I barely get any hits/kudos/comments, which I know isn't the be-all-end-all of fic writing (I loooove fic writing and would continue to do it either way for my own enjoyment) but it can feel a bit daunting sometimes to post something and not feel insane pressure to /live up to high standards/.

like, I'm not delusional (most of the time), I won't be the next zeppazariel or moonymoment or whatever, but it does feel like a lot of pressure to write something PERFECT in order to be "allowed" on ao3 and receive comments and feedback and word of mouth, you know?

idk this became really rambly but I just figured you might have some good insights into this as you /seem/ really smart and I value your thoughts? anyway hope you're having a good day x

hi!! this is NOT a silly question 🫶 i’m speaking from my own experience so please take it all with a grain of salt and know that those feelings of pressure and discouragement and that need to meet a certain standard are reeeeaalllll and we all feel that at some point when doing anything in the realm of creativity

i have a very specific mindset when it comes to not just writing, but literally everything i create. i went to an art school and had all of my work ripped to shreds in public critique from age 17 on, so i built a very thick skin early and learned to separate myself from my artwork and designs. it sounds very cold, but it was/is necessary in my career and i’m thankful for it now!

all that to say i’ve carried pieces of that mindset into my creative hobbies. when i do something like write fic or make art just for the sake of making something, i’m coming at it from a place of “this is for me and me only.” i don’t find myself looking to other people for confirmation that i’m doing well because if i’m enjoying what i’m doing, that’s all that matters!

i feel like it sounds kind of arrogant to say this, but because of that, i don’t feel pressure surrounding writing fic. i write when i want, i write what i want to see, and no amount of comments asking for updates is going to change my process or make me feel guilty for taking “too long” between updates. i have a whole entire life outside of this (as do you!) and for the most part people understand that you’re a person with a hobby just trying to do something fun.

i’ve also been in fandom spaces since i was a very young teenager and i feel very familiar with the way people act surrounding fic and fic authors, so i knew what i was getting myself into when i posted the first chapter. i expected it to not be seen by many people, i expected negative comments, and i expected lots of backlash about the story not being finished when it was posted (for some reason people hate wips now????). i just got extremely lucky that someone liked it enough to post about it on tiktok, and then on twitter, and it took off from there.

i also don’t really keep track of hits/kudos other than getting the kudos emails (but i do read every single comment i get on ao3!). those numbers don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things and i try not to let them get into my head when i’m writing. i’ve also been extremely lucky in that i think i’ve had one singular kind of negative comment on the entire thing?? and it was someone that just didn’t seem happy with the slower pace of the story. i was able to look at that and be like “great, it’s my story and i don’t care <3” and move on from it quickly.

i know that this is not a universal feeling and that most people do not feel this lack of pressure and anxiety surrounding posting their work. i have such a specific set of experiences that’s led me to this level of comfort surrounding sharing my creative endeavors, and i know it’s probably not helpful to hear, but that’s how my brain has worked behind the scenes about this!

if i had any actual helpful tips to give, i think the biggest one would be to write from a place of self-indulgence! you’re going to be most passionate when you’re writing things for you, and that’s going to come through in your work. other people are out there looking for the exact things you want to write, they just haven’t found it yet.

((also use ao3 tags liberally 🫶))

this was so so so rambly and probably not very helpful i’m sorry fhfhffhfjfh if you ever want to talk more pls dm me or send another ask if u want to stay anonymous!! 💕💞✨🫶

[ianrightsonly]

author interview

tagged by @xgoldendays — thank you friend!

---

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

currently 11

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

327,709 … i don't know how that's possible but it's an insane feeling of accomplishment to really think about that number

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

-where the feigned wind falls

-to feel this kind of thrill

-of slip n’ slides & dumbass distractions

-of locked doors & thunderstorms

-baby, that’s what makes us…

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

i love every single comment and piece of feedback i’ve received across all of my writing, but i’m so bad when it comes to responding. i’m often busy when comments come in, so i read them on the go but don’t have time to reply. and then i can get a bit overwhelmed when i get backlogged, so sometimes i just don’t get around to it. and once i’m finally able to dedicate time to responding, it’s usually time for me to start writing the next chapter already. that’s the weird cycle i’ve gotten myself into, but i’d really like to get better about it.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

i'm personally a big fan of happy endings. i love myself some good angst, but i don't think i'll ever write a fic that doesn't have a positive or happy ending. i've ended certain chapters with a ton of angst, most notably the heavier moments in to feel this kind of thrill, but i always knew i'd be ending the overall story in a hopeful, open-ended manner.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

they all have happy endings! i just can't do angsty endings, honestly.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

i've never written a crossover fic, but i think it's awesome when people are dedicated enough to multiple fandoms to do it!

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

i can think of two times that i've received negative feedback, and both came in strange ways. the first was for 'til the day my life is through, and really had nothing to do with my writing. the person was irritated that ian didn't do anything for mickey on their anniversary, and thought he was being hypocritical with his disappointment in the finale. the fic in question dove into the depths of that plot, so their frustration was misplaced. they were mad about the show itself -- and chose to take it out on me, lol

the second person was irritated by the amount of character aside and introspection that i chose to include in a recent chapter of where the feigned wind falls, which seemed nitpicky to me. it's more of a writing style and choice, as well as something i've been doing since the beginning, so it doesn't really matter to me if someone dislikes it.

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

i do usually include some form of smut in my fics. it's just part of the complete story when i write, and goes along with whatever emotions and thought processes i'm trying to convey at the time. i alternate with the writing style, sometimes making it more descriptive than others. it just depends on the fic and the moment, i think.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

thankfully, i have not!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes. to feel this kind of thrill was translated, which was an absolute honor for me. i still think about how amazing it is for someone to put that kind of time and effort into one of my stories.

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

i haven't, but i think it's an awesome concept! @bellafarella and myself have talked about co-writing a one shot, but i have to get my shit together and find the time, before that can happen. hopefully sometime soon!

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

ian and mickey. and i genuinely don't think that will ever change, lol

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

of my two current WIPs, i'm really going to do my best to finish both. where the feigned wind falls is probably the lengthiest fic i'll ever write, but i will definitely see it through to the end. i haven't really gotten too far into to love and be loved just yet, but i'm hoping to stick with it as i begin to further develop the plot.

15. What are your writing strengths?

i've always been someone who struggles to list their personal strengths in pretty much everything, but i have been told that i characterize both ian and mickey well. i think in AU fics they always stray a bit from canon in inevitable ways, but i really love to hear that i've gotten their voices right.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

my lack of attention span is a big one. i may have a week where i'm completely hyper-focused on writing, but it's often followed up with two or three weeks of writer's block. i always do my best to push through it, but i wish i was more consistent in that regard.

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

i think it's incredible. i don't personally speak multiple languages, so if i ever went that route i would definitely reach out to someone else for assistance.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

teen wolf lmao

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

it’s hard for me to write for a fandom/ship unless i’m completely submerged and invested in them, so i can’t really see myself writing for another fandom at the moment. i’ve had some ideas buzzing around relating to the haunting of hill house/bly manor but i don’t think anything will ever come from them.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

this is such a tough question, because i've put so much time into these fics and it's really hard to choose one. but i guess i'll go with where the feigned wind falls. i've been working on it for so long now, and still have at least six months or more before it will be completed. i love the little world i've built for them and i can't wait to dive into the next portion of their story together.

[lifeofclonewars]

Fic Writer Interview!

This is like almost a month late lol oops but I finally have the time, so why not?

Tagged by @gaeasun ty!

How many works do you have on AO3?

33, but only 18 of them are Star Wars

What’s your total AO3 word count?

168,682 (and that’s with yesterday’s update)

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Currently mainly Star Wars but the others are some Marvel, one thing for Fantastic Beasts, and one thing for DC

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Beginn (no suprise there), Windy City Batcation (my one DC fic),  Drawsoka, Incorrect Fantastic Beasts Quotes (the other singular fic for that fandom), and Time to Fix Some Hives

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond to every comment I get! As a reader, I absolutely love seeing the writer’s response to my comment, but also as a writer, comments give me life and motivation, so it’s only fair that I respond to them 

Do you write crossovers?

Hmm well maybe some of my crack aus with @ameanstoanendor count but other than that, no

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, thank goodness

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I know, no

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone once asked if they could translate my fic into Russian and I gave them the go-ahead but I never received a link so maybe? I don’t know if they ever finished the translation or not

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Well, I think the marching au counts, but for anything that’s been published, no

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Uhhh, man. Over the years I’ve shipped less and less so I’m not really sure

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

There’s this fic that I started writing for Cody Week that’s centered around him and Rex that will probably never get done at this point

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, so I’ve been told multiple times. Hmm does successfully writing non-chronologically and still having it all make sense count? I don’t post non-chronologically so that’s definitely helps it, though

What are your writing weaknesses?

Focusing on writing at times, remembering to add descriptions and how to add them. I don’t think I’ve actually written an action scene yet despite being a Star Wars fic writer

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

Don’t forget different languages have different grammar rules. Most of the “other languages” I read/write in fics is Mando’a and people have to remember that there are going to be missing words and just sticking the English/Basic word in the middle of it and thinking it’s the same isn’t right. Also the amount of times I’ve seen “vods” instead of “vode” has driven me a little insane. Just look at the Wookiepedia Mando’a page, it explains the grammar, I beg you. (Side note: I research like a lot for every fic I write)

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Technically, Harry Potter without knowing it (I was 9). Then, once again, Harry Potter (on Quotev of all places. I only posted like 4 chapters lol). First fandom on AO3 and here I posted for was Marvel

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Ahh why do I have to pick? Beginn’s definitely a favorite, as well as Nu Kyr'adyc, Shi Taab'echaaj'la. I can’t pick between those two, though

tags: whoever wants to, ig