#but the author keeps trying to do all the worldbuilding through dialogue

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Sometimes a book isn't exactly good, but the vibes are right and that ends up being enough.

[physalian]

What No One Tells you about Writing #3

Opening this up to writing as a whole, because it turns out I have a lot more to say!

Part 1

Part 2

1. You don’t fall in love with your characters immediately

But when you do, it’s a hit of serotonin like no other. I’d been writing a tight cast of characters for my sci-fi series since 2016 and switched over in a bout of writer’s block this year to my new fantasy book. I made it about ⅓ through writing the book going through the motions, unable to visualize what these new characters look like, sound like, or would behave like without a ‘camera’ on them.

Then, all of a sudden, I opened my document to keep on chugging with the first draft, and it clicked. They were no longer faceless elements of my plot, they were my characters and I was excited to see what they could accomplish, rooting for them to succeed. Sometimes, it takes a while, but it does come.

2. Sometimes a smaller edit is better than a massive rewrite

Unless you’re changing the trajectory of your entire plot, or a character’s arc really is unrecoverable, sometimes even a single line of dialogue, a single paragraph of introspection, or a quick exchange between two characters can change everything. If something isn’t working, or your beta readers consistently aren’t jiving with a character you yourself love, try taking a step back, looking at who they are as a person, and boil down what your feedback is telling you and it might demand a simpler fix than you expect.

Tiny details inserted at the right moment can move mountains. Fan theories stand on the backs of these minutiae. One sentence can turn a platonic relationship romantic. One sentence can unravel a fair and just argument. One sentence can fill or open a massive plot hole.

3. Outline? What outline?

Not every book demands weeks upon weeks of prep and worldbuilding. I would argue that jumping right in with only a vague direction in mind gives you a massive advantage: You can’t infodump research you haven’t done. Exposition is forced to come as the plot demands it, because you haven’t designed it yet.

Not every story is simple and straightforward, but even penning the first draft with your vague plan, *then* going back and adding in deeper worldbuilding elements, more thematic details, richer character development, can get you over the writer’s block hurdle and make it far less intimidating to just shut up and write the book.

4. It’s okay to let your characters take the wheel

I’ve seen writing advice that chastises authors who let their characters run wild, off the plan the story has for them. Yeah, doing this can harm your pacing and muddy a strong and consistent arc, but refusing to leave the box of your outline greatly limits your creativity. I do this particularly when writing romantic relationships (and end up like Captain Crunch going Oops! All Gays!).

Did I plan for these two to get together? No, it just happened organically as I wrote them talking, getting closer, getting to know each other better in the circumstances they find themselves in. Was this character meant to be gay? Well, he wasn’t meant to be straight, but you know what, he’d work really well with this other boy over here. None of that would have happened if I was bound and determined to follow my original plan, because my original plan didn’t account for how the story that I want to tell evolves. You aren’t clairvoyant—it’s okay if it didn’t end up where you thought it would.

5. Fight. Scenes. Suck.

Which is crazy because I love fantasy and sci-fi, the actiony-est genres. Some authors love battle scenes and fistfights. It comes naturally to them and I will forever be jealous. I hate fight scenes. I hate blocking and choreographing them. I hate how it doesn’t read like I’m watching a movie. I hate how it could take me hours to write a scene I can read in 5 minutes. I hate that there’s no way around it except to just not write them, or put in the elbow grease and practice.

Whatever your writing kryptonite is, don’t be too hard on yourself. It won’t ever replicate the movie in your head, but our audience isn’t privy to that movie and will be none the wiser of how this didn’t fit your expectations, because it’s probably awesome on its own. It could be a fight scene, sex scene, epic battle, cavalry charge, courtroom argument, car chase—whatever. Be patient, and kind to yourself and it will all come together.

6. Write the scenes you want to write first

And then be prepared to never use them. It can be mighty difficult working backwards from a climax and figuring out how to write the story around it, but if you’re sitting at your laptop staring at your cursor and watching it blink, stuck on a tedious moment that’s necessary but frustrating, go write something exciting. Even if that amazing scene ends up no longer working in the book your story becomes, you still get practice by writing it. Particularly if you hate beginnings or the pressure of a perfect first page is too high, you’re allowed to write any other moment in the book first.

And with that, be prepared to kill your darlings. Not your characters, I mean that one badass line of dialogue living rent free in your head. That epic monologue. That whump scenario for your favorite character. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out anymore, but even if it ends up in the trash, you can always salvage something from it, even if that’s only the knowledge of what not to do in the future.

7. “This is clearly an author insert.” … Yes. It is. Point?

No one likes Mary Sues, because a character who doesn’t struggle or learn to get everything they want in life is uncompelling. The most flagrant author inserts I see aren’t Mary Sues, they’re nerdy, awkward, boring white guys whose world changes to fit their perspective, instead of the other way around—they don’t have anything to say. I’m not the intended audience to relate to these characters and I accept that, but I don’t empathize with the so-called “strong female character” who also doesn’t have flaws or an arc either.

A good author insert? When the author gives their characters pieces of themselves. When the “author insert” struggles and learns and grows and it’s a therapeutic experience just writing these characters thrown into such horrible situations. They feel human when they’re given pieces of a human’s soul. They have real human flaws and idiosyncrasies. I don’t care if the author wrote themselves as the protagonist. I care that this protagonist is entertaining. So if you want to make yourself the hero of your book, go for it! But make sure you look in the mirror and write in your flaws, as much as your strengths.

[lilbittymonster]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @crackinglamb, tysm 💜

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

Currently 33

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

110,421

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Currently writing for Final Fantasy XIV, but I have also written for Borderlands 2, Fallout 4, and Critical Role

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Only A Thought Away - Critical Role, Widomauk, Soulmates AU.

This Is Home - Critical Role, Widomauk/Fjorester/BeauYasha, Domestic slice of life.

I Will Endure - Critical Role, Widomauk, background Yashagard, Canon Divergence.

Forgiveness - Critical Role, Genfic, a bit of catharsis that still ended up happening in game just not the way i first envisioned it.

Boy, Oh Boy - Critical Role, Genfic, modern au.

All of these were done for a discord event several years ago.

5. do you respond to comments?

I do, I make an effort to respond to every one I get. Only exceptions being a couple "moar plz" "when's the next chapter?" type ones that I just deleted.

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Extinguishing the Last Light, my worst end Lightwarden AU where the Scions fail to defeat the final Lightwarden and the First continues to drown in Light.

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

Walk to the Water, a 10k Borderlands Gaingel MerMay AU

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not yet, but if anyone tries it they've got another thing coming :)

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I've written plenty, I've only posted the one E fic though. Mostly gay elf porn.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, though I'd be fine with it as long as I'm added as a co-author with a link to the original English.

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

I have, I was doing a pretty large scale Critical Role rp fic with four other people. It disintegrated from some interpersonal tensions and one person leaving the fandom entirely but I still think very fondly on it. Before that, I was doing a Borderlands OC rp with a friend.

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

You ask me, a bisexual, to make a choice? Lol. Lmao, even. I do not have a One True Pairing, I have learned the mature art of multishipping like a goddamn adult.

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

OOF well this is a tie between Sometimes Goodbye and A Thistle's Thorns, both being all but abandoned due to fandom drift and loss of motivation. I found the original outline I had (thankfully) written out for Sometimes Goodbye, and I have started another BL2 playthrough, but FFXIV has eaten my life at this point so idk if I'll ever come back to it properly.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Show don't tell, detail descriptions, I have been told my characterisation through dialogue has been consistently on point (which is a relief), worldbuilding

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Finding a good place to end. if left to my own devices I will Just Keep Rambling. That was actually one of the reasons I kept my FFXIVWrite entries so short. I needed to get over the hump of just letting things end.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I haven't had this particular problem yet, but I will once I start writing stuff for Stormblood, because Kitali is multilingual.

When I'm reading it, though, I prefer to just have a dialogue tag indicating which language is being spoken and then either a bold, italics, or both to show what's being spoken in what language. It saves me the trouble of scrolling back and forth and back and forth from the notes at the end of the chapter or trying to remember what was said where exactly and in what context.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Borderlands 2

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written?

That would be Dragoon Age: Origins, the telling of Kitali and Estinien's first clash which I definitely did not just spend the last hour or so rereading nope not me

Tagging: @captainsparklefingers @screamingvikings @ir0n-angel and anyone else who wants to take a shot, I have lost track of who writes and who doesn't lol

[saintsenara]

i’ll go for 💞 🍉 🌻 for the ask game!

thank you for the ask, anon!

[writing ask game here]

🌻what makes you want to give up on writing? what makes you keep going?

having a neurological condition which makes sustained focus and task-completion difficult.

lisdexamfetamine.

🍉 in what ways has writing helped you process trauma and/or navigate through your own life?

my writing has very little to do with my real life, which is why it’s never about medicine - it serves as a distraction from the things which are stressful or traumatic about my day-to-day existence, rather than something which i use to work through those things.

obviously, though, there is some bleeding between the two halves of my life - as is made clear by my absolute conviction that pretty much everything in the worldbuilding of the harry potter series can be seen as a comment on anglo-irish relations - but in general i prefer to keep the heavy things in my life separate from my writing. my personal view - which should, therefore, not be taken seriously by anyone for whom this isn’t the case - is that writing is more enjoyable, and you are much less likely to stress yourself out over your fandom presence and experience, if you can look at your fics, your characters, your place in the fandom community etc. with some degree of distance from them. if you self-identify deeply with a character, and if you therefore use them to work through an experience you have had or are having in your life, then there is a tendency for that character to become less interesting, owing to the perfectly understandable impulse the author will have to either be unwilling to criticise them or too willing to, or to be unwilling to have the focus off them onto other characters (e.g. the amount of hermione self-insert things which assume that worrying about her should be everyone’s priority, and that ron and harry not doing that constantly is because they’re horrible, abusive people).

recognising that your blorbo is irrelevant to lots of other characters, and that they can also be a bit of a cunt, is an enjoyable experience, but it does require a certain level of detachment…

💞 what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff, the figurative language?

the characters - and, above all, the characters feeling like actual, complex people. you can flop on everything else - plot makes no sense, spelling isn’t perfect, dialogue is clunky - if your characters aren’t just cardboard cut-outs whose only role is to be perfect (or to be perfectly evil) and to repeat stock phrases which read like a textbook. every single one of your characters - from your hero to your villain - should be messy and unpleasant and abrasive and complicated and kind and funny and trying and so on, and everything you write is better if they are.

[nowis-scales]

Just Leave A Comment Fest July 2023 Final Results

What a lovely comment fest it was this time! Just as lovely as the last, I’d say. My total this time was 22. It’s a little less than last time and I was hoping to shoot for 30, but at the risk of sounding like I’m going against the “no excuses just results” motto… between a job working with kids and a case of aggressive sniffles, I’m still pretty pleased with what I managed to do. I’ll just try and keep up the momentum for afterwards! Still have two unfinished comments I need to drop, after all!

Anyway, here are the fics I chose for the Fire Emblem side of things. If you happen to be a Danganronpa fan as well, click here to see my picks for that fandom! Anyway, without further ado, here’s my July 2023 Just Leave a Comment Fest results!

“The Cruel Light of Morning” by Topaz Crystals (Topaz_Enigma): A FE Echoes one-shot written about Berkut and Rinea, specifically confronting their issues with communication. What I really liked about this one is that it doesn’t paint an entirely rosy picture of their romance. You can still obviously see that there is love that was shared there, that the two of them chose to be together long ago for reasons that are beginning to seem not as strong. They cannot reconcile their differences when it comes to matters of wars, and though neither of them says it, you know it is driving them apart. I love how this fic isn’t afraid to confront the more troublesome side of the Berkut/Rinea romance, and makes it clear that things are crumbling… and that it’s not just Rinea who notices. This is a refreshing, interesting interpretation of their romance, so I was really glad to find this one!

“Flower Rising on the Wind” by absolutebearings: I picked this one up not too long before the comment fest began, and boy, did it deliver on everything it said it would be. This one is a long fic centred around a romance between Tsubaki and Hana of FE Fates, also confronting worldbuilding and relationship building aspects. It toys a lot with Tsubaki’s anxiety and Hana’s desire to prove herself, playing with the push and pull of their relationship. It is still in its early chapters, but the characterizations are crisp and the writing just sings. With the additional confrontation of things like Hoshido’s sexism, for example, I think this story will be one that a lot of people can come to enjoy. Definite recommendation, and one I know I’ll be looking forward to for a long time.

“Quietus” by PsychedelicatePoltergeist: A short FE Awakening/FE Heroes drabble about Chrom/Robin. It’s an angst piece about Fell Chrom placing his trust in Robin one last time. The word choice is stellar, each sentence carefully crafted to hit the emotional beats with precision and ease. Honestly, it’s a perfect example of how to make the most of a drabble! You can just tell how much care to the author put into making it, which made it a great read.

“Improving Relations” by SuperAnimeNinja: This one is a FE Fates two-shot about Xander trying to improve relations between Hoshido and Nohr by helping to care for a sick-and-stubborn -about-it Ryoma. What I loved about this one was how it greets the situation with both honesty and a bit of a sense of humour. The dialogue between Ryoma and Xander feels very natural, being quippy, intelligent, and properly silly at times. You definitely feel sympathy for what Ryoma is going through, but you know that he would benefit from Xander’s help if he would just let it happen. Overall, the best way I can categorize this one is just “fun”. It’s an entertaining read — the perfect thing to sit down with when you just need a Fates-related smile!

“Mess With My Hair and Tell Me I’m Safe” by UnePersonneLouche: Another FE Fates one-shot, this one is Hinoka-centric in a Conquest timeline. It goes a bit further in depth on her childhood, talking about how she handled the loss of Corrin and her father, and how this informed the relationship that she formed with Ryoma. As a big of Ryoma and Hinoka and their relationships as siblings, I was all over this one. It’s angsty, it’s emotional, but it also presents a hopeful ending in the form of Xander. You never get the sense that things will be completely okay and that Xander will replace the big brother Hinoka held so dear, but it cements the idea that she will never truly be alone, and in a way I find that makes her calmness in the original Conquest ending more believable. Going more in depth on Hinoka was a brilliant idea, and the author did an amazing job.

“She Walks in Beauty” by anubisfkr: This one is set to be a FE Engage longfic about Diamant/Ivy, set specifically in an AU where the two of them are going to have an arranged marriage to help cease Brodian invasions of Elusia. Right away this one cemented itself as a great story for Ivy fans, characterizing her perfectly as both a leader and a person. It gets a little bit into her backstory, what with the concubine situation and her relationship with her mother, and also serves to highlight the more political aspects of the world of Engage. I loved this one right away, and I am so looking forward to where it is going next! I just had to put this one in my bookmarks, and make sure that I left a comment for the author telling them how much I loved it.

“The Flower’s Obsequies” by Zauzhi: A FE Engage two-shot, written as a character study on Céline. This one really caught me by surprise, because when you’re reading it, you can just tell how much thought the author has put into it. Their effort with getting into Céline’s mindset is so obvious, and they write both her and the surrounding characters so intelligently, sometimes you feel like you need to read some phrases a few times to make sure you’re getting the more complex thoughts. It also goes more into Céline’s childhood, particularly her relationship with her father, and makes for just a really good, well-planned character study. I think anyone with even a small interest in Céline should give it a try.

“Epiphany” by mooneichi: A FE Three Houses one-shot about Claude awkwardly trying to figure out Marianne. In particular, this one centers around him trying to understand her relationship with Hilda. It's also worth mentioning that this one is a modern volleyball AU, although the effect on the story is mostly setting. Overall, Marianne strikes him as quite mysterious in the story, so it's adorable to see how she just seems to melt as Hilda comes up and confirms for Claude that they've been dating for awhile. Seriously. I love stories where either of these two girls melts for the other because they're just so damn cute (it's a favourite Fire Emblem ship for me, what can I say?), so this was just a delight. It's a simple premise but oh so sweet, and I enjoyed it very much.

“Quick on the Uptake” by Dots: A FE Fates two-shot about Xander/Laslow! Have you ever admitted something while drunk, not meaning to have said what you said? Then you can probably sympathize with Laslow, who blurts out to Xander that he loves him, and promptly forgets overnight… Only problem is, Xander doesn’t. This one had some of that spectacular romance drama thrown in, and I couldn’t help but excitedly devour every word. Between Xander trying so hard to be cool about it, but also seeming like he didn’t know what to say… and Laslow slowly coming to realize what happened… gosh, it was amazing! And I’m pleased to say it has a happy ending, too, for someone who needs something of just the sort.

“Ash in the Wind” by Felikid: A FE Awakening one-shot where, to my surprise, Future Lucina and Risen King Chrom get an ending of their own. Lucina returns home in an effort to find her father, or rather, the corpse of who he used to be… and decides to forge a new future, just the two of them, even when little else remains. This one puts a positive spin on things that seem so desolate, and though it is still bittersweet, it is more than enough. For someone who loves Chrom and Lucina as deeply as I do, I was so happy to see the author’s unique take on an ending for them as father and daughter. I would never have thought of it myself, but it was pretty much perfect.

“In Moments, In Moonlight” by missmalyari: A FE Fates one-shot (you know I really didn't realize how many Fates stories I'd done until I got here, what can I say, it's my favourite FE) set to an AU without Corrin. Instead, it puts Azura in the Northern Fortress as a forgotten princess of Nohr, left there by Garon to be cast aside as the daughter of his late second wife. Similarly abandoned by his parents, Jakob is the one member of the Northern Fortress who has ever truly made Azura feel comfortable. The story follows a romance that blossoms between the two, carefully and gently, building up to an ending that just feels befitting of the two characters. As someone who has liked Azura/Jakob for a long time, I greatly enjoyed this AU. I'd had it in my bookmarks for ages, and now that I finally got around to reading it, I can confidently say it was worth the wait.

“Hiraeth” by Emblian: A FE3H one-shot about Flayn’s transition from Cethleann to Flayn, dealing with her Nabatean heritage and how she had to learn to be something else to be safe around humanity. As someone who has always been deeply interested in the presentation of race in novels, I loved the way the author used hints of the “Nabateans as an allegorical race” concept, and how they confronted the conflict within Flayn as she had to learn how to give things up that were once as natural to her as breathing. It was thoughtful, well-written, and a genuine delight to read. I am always craving more stories confronting the Nabatean experience, given that they are critically underused in FE3H, so this one was more than just a little satisfying.

[garbria]

8, 17, 24, 27, 28, 68, 72, 77 :P

8 Post an out-of-context spoiler from a wip.

He blinked at the sight in their kitchen. Pelna was at the stove, stirring something that smelled familiar. Crowe was loading groceries and what looked like containers of some of Libertus’ food, already made. 

“Come on, sit.” Libertus guided him to the couch and pushed until Nyx sat. He was still staring at Pelna and Crowe in the kitchen.

“They made the official announcement today.” 

Nyx looked at Libertus, letting out a sharp breath as the words hit him. It was real.

“Don’t just come out with it like that!” Crowe smacked Libertus on the back of the head as she leaned on the arm of the couch. “Ignore that idiot,” she said as she punched Nyx on the shoulder, more gently than usual.

“We’re here to keep you company, and make sure you take care of yourself.” Pelna sat down next to him, shoulders brushing. “Darya wanted to come, but she had to look after the kids.”

“We brought you food, so you’re not allowed to just not eat, understand?” Crowe poked him in the shoulder with her finger.

Nyx nodded, ignoring the sudden burning in his eyes. It was nice to not be alone in this house. 

17 Do you have a writing routine?

I do not. I probably should, it would probably help me finish things, but mostly I just hope I’m not too tired after I get home from work and eat dinner to try and get some words down.

24 How do you choose whose POV to write in?

It depends on whose perspective I’m most interested in exploring the events through. I write mostly in third person limited pov, so I’m in the head of whoever is narrating it. If Nyx is the one driving the action I want to cover, that’s the pov I’m most likely to cover. That said, more than once if I get stuck, it’s because I need to change povs, and writing from a different pov moves the narrative along.

27 What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

Dialogue. Snappy banter isn’t just one of the things I enjoy writing most, it’s one of the things I feel like I do best. I may just be amusing myself, but I am my most important audience. 

28 What area of writing do you want to improve in?

So, so much. Description is one of the things I struggle with most, describing where people are and what they’re doing in a satisfying manner without dragging everything down. Action scenes, trying to convey where everyone is and what they’re doing drive me crazy. Much respect for the authors that are so good at it.

68 Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

All the fics I read influence me on some level, through characterization, word choice, pacing, and the like. There are so many talented authors in this fandom, I learn a lot from reading fic by better authors. Even if the style or execution isn’t for me, I can take something away from having read it. All the wonderful talented detail oriented worldbuilding out there has given me something to aspire to.

Some of the talented writers whose fic have influenced me are @ertrunkenerwassergeist, @yuzukimist, and @caparrucia

With a special shoutout to my friends and enablers, whose fic and advice have definitely made me a better writer: @awlwren, @whumpwriterforlife, @whostarlockeda03, @meissashush, @starjunco

72 What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

I love and appreciate all comments, but my favorites are the ones that say I’ve made their day a little better. It warms my heart that my silly little stories can have a positive impact on someone I’ve never met.

77 Why do you enjoy writing fanfiction?

There wasn’t enough content that catered to my tastes, so I caved and decided to be the content I wanted to see in the world. XD

I enjoy finding out what happens to my blorbos when I put them in situations, and exploring the results. Also, making them kiss.

[saving-word-crawls]

"Diary of a Teenage Dragon Wrangler"

By: Unicorn_Cupcake

“Diary of a Teenage Dragon Wrangler”

Not all dragons are big, fierce creatures needing to be slain. Some of the smaller ones are able to be tamed. Though they can be rather awkward to handle, a bit like an interrupting pet parrot or an exceptionally stubborn feline.

What I mean to say is that dragons are perfectly manageable if you know how to handle them. I’m still learning how to handle them. And daily life doesn’t always help on that front, as you’ll soon see for yourself.

A fun fantasy writing crawl for all would-be authors; featuring daily challenges, word sprints and writing prompts. It will be posted in parts so keep your eyes peeled on the forum site for updates.

Preptober - pick a pet to accompany you on your author’s journey (story idea, plans to avoid writers block, self-care treats, additional goals).

Pet:

Earth Dragon – for fans of fantasy worldbuilding

Air Dragon – for the soft-hearted romantics (humorous misadventures may or may not be included)

Fire Dragon – for fans of fast-paced action adventures

Water Dragon – for insightful literary fiction authors

Spirit Dragon – for fans of spine-tingling mystery/thriller/horror stories

Worst Character Trait and How to Avoid:

A. Stubborn – sticking with an idea is a positive skill but don’t write yourself into a corner. Try using ‘what if’ questions to find alternatives. B. Flighty – sticking with an idea is a positive skill! You could try using dice, a coin, or a game scenario to take the choice out of your hands so you can just run with it. C. Impatient – as long as you reach the end of your story you can do it whatever bite size pieces suit you. Start slow, try a paragraph or scene first before attempting a full chapter. D. Overthinker – the no edit rule may be heavily enforced but it’s hard not to backslide into over analyzing previously written or upcoming scenes. While other authors are setting high writing goals set yourself much lower ones, to be spread out across multiple scenes to make up your daily numbers. E. Emotional – some days are great, other times you just want to trash everything you’ve ever written. Keep going and it will all work out in the end. Use writing prompts and word count goals to make yourself put words onto paper and be sure to use your self-care treats for your efforts.

Likes:

A. Snacks and naps B. A frothy bubble bath/mini spa session C. A film night D. Some nice new stationary E. Scented candles

Bonus Points:

For every book you prep for in your fantasy series.

For organizing your own writing group during NaNoWriMo.

For not becoming a recluse and managing to maintain an active social life in the month of November.

For ending with a fully drafted novel that only needs editing.

For being an unstoppable force of nature and completing well over 50k.

Day One – Write the first sentence/scene/chapter of your story. If your writing meets any of the following criteria you also have to do the additional challenge(s).

If your story begins with:

Prologue – your dragon wakes you up, as always, but this time it’s well past the alarm – do a twenty-minute word sprint to catch up on the homework you were hoping to complete before breakfast.

Surprising Stranger – your dragon really doesn’t respect your personal space – complain loudly about annoying pets to the next nearest family member then write a scene of dialogue featuring two or more characters.

Country in Turmoil – your dragons aren’t getting along at all today, separate them into different rooms and write two additional scenes.

Interruption of a Character’s Regular Routine – take your restless dragon for an early morning walk, if you reach a thousand words today reward yourself with a self-care treat.

Prophecy – your dragon has an uncanny ability to predict your mood, keep a diary of the following week and discover when your most productive writing hours are.

Just as you’re about to leave for school a mysterious letter appears through your letterbox. Strange, you didn’t think the postman ever delivered this early. You open the envelope to find a flyer advertising the next dragon quest challenge - a grueling contest of mental skills and physical agility – and an anonymous note admiring your skills. Before you have a chance to consider it your dad is pushing you out the door towards the bus stop. You crowd on with all the other children and get a seat beside your best friend, the crumpled flyer still in your hand.

Day Two – come up with fifty key words for your story and write at least a sentence for each of them. If you’re struggling, use your chosen dragon to assist you.

Earth – You must include at least one important artifact needed to complete your character’s quest. You should include a brief visual description of the artifact and the strange incident that occurred when your character first encountered it.

Air – One of your key words should be the name of a character. If your romance also has a fantasy element you should also give them their own title.

Fire – Change the pace of your story but writing about an unusual method of transport.

Water – At least one of your sentences should include significant weather and how this affects your characters actions in that scene.

Spirit – Use one of your sentences to foreshadow something in the future of your story.

All day at school you struggle to concentrate, daydreaming and drumming your pencil impatiently against the top of the desk, and your favourite teacher has no choice but to give you your first lunchtime detention. As soon as you get home you rush upstairs to your room, ignoring your rumbling tummy and the snack cupboard that usually calls to you. Surrounding your bed, on every available surface of wall space, are posters of past dragon quest challenge champions – the heroes and legends that have dominated your children’s cartoons and colouring books since infancy. Now just fourteen you finally have a chance of becoming one of them. All you need to do is win.

[carica-ficus]

“Fourth Wing”

25/12/2023

Reading progress: 105/498 (21%)

Read through since last update: 105

I'm not going to lie, throughout this last year or so, as "Fourth Wing" reached the height of its popularity, I kept thinking whether or not it would even make sense for me to give it a chance. Sure, I do like a good YA novel, and I am a huge lover of dragons, but I know this book would potentially not be cut out for me. Still, when I noticed my library finally had a copy available, and when I heard my friend actually liked it and thought of it as fun, I decided to give it a chance. I don't expect this to be my favorite book. Far from it. But I do hope it's at least going to be entertaining. So I'm staying positive! I actually do hope I'll like it in the end. And I do hope I'll like the romance part of it!

And so, without further ado, the notes so far: (Spoilers ahead!!!)

I hate when female characters, especially teenage or adolescent ones, are portrayed as if they hate their perfect, curvy body because it's not up to another character's standard. It's such a pet peeve of mine. If you want to have an unattractive or flawed character, at least try to make one. Don't try to sell me a beautiful girl that somehow doesn't understand she's beautiful. We've been over that trope one too many times.

The dialogue is so tacky. I feel like I'm reading a fanfiction made by a 13 y/o.

She's surprised she passed the physical even though her mom mentions she was one of the top applicants?

Wait a second. The riders quadrant is the only sector that takes up only volunteers. But what about Xaden then? And the other rebels?

Chapter 1 is done. It's extremely info-dumpish. Too much is said, as if the author wasn't ready to let go of her first draft and was concerned her bland characters wouldn't keep her reader's attention, so she compensated by revealing too much, which, in my case, didn't work. I started reading this with low expectations, but seems like they weren't low enough...

At least three people have asked her if she's really the General's daughter in the last 5 pages.

Maybe it's because I just read "Gideon the Ninth" and was blown away by how realistic Muir portrayed physical exertion, or if it's my own experience in sport, but I don't vibe with the way Yarros writes about Violet's training and her approach to high stress during some performance (like walking over the parapet). It feels so... Plastic. Unrealistic.

Things are looking up after chapter 2. Even though I feel as if there's still too much happening, it's at least becoming more interesting. But I am yet to find a character I actually find likeable. All of them are so bland...

It gets a little better, then it gets a little worse. That scene with Xaden on the rotunda and Dain trying to protect Violet is so forced. And for what? And now she's running? And for what? Is Xaden really this animalistic to hurt Violet in broad daylight, without being provoked? (Going back to this after continuing with reading and I still don't really understand the point of it?)

I hate how easy this romance is structured. Xaden is the bad guy that secretly probably has the hots for Violet, while Dain is the "good guy" that seems to be the right choice, but is way too overprotective. And Violet is the token beautiful, snarky female protagonist that doesn't comprehend her worth. It's like they were picked straight out of the "generic love triangle mold".

I do wanna read this book. I wanna know what comes next, I'll confess that much. But the balant info-dumping that happens in every chapter... Not to mention the incredibly poor worldbuilding... It sticks out too much for my own liking.

Okay, okay! Now we're talking! That Battle Brief class was actually very well constructed! Much better that what I've seen so far. Now that was a good scene where I got a lot of information in a very interesting and entertaining way!

As for stuff that's been revealed. I like the idea of wards. I like the idea that they're faltering. I like how Violent used her chance to prove she's cunning! Nice nice nice.

Okay, I'm 50/50 on the sexual talk. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's so forced. The fact that guys train without their shirts? Idk, weird and yucky in my opinion. I know this is a romance, and I'm no prude, but like... Not liking this choice. Mostly because it's kinda stupid. They don't wear shirts cause they fear someone is gonna grab them by it and use it as their advantage? By that logic, they should be completely naked? (You could say I'm nitpicking, but it's weird. And I'm entitled to my own opinion. 🤷)

The training montage was cool! I really like how brutal Imogen was with Violet. Made the ending so much more effective. And painful. That's going to hurt for a while.

Can Dain just fuck off already?! I know he's worried, but damn. Leave the girl alone! She doesn't know what she's doing, but she's smart enough to push through anyway.

I do love the relationship Mira has with Violet. And I like how they kept that one little memory of Brennan. Yes, it's useful, but it's also obviously comforting, and I love how that feeling was portrayed in the text.

I get you, Violet. I'm not keen on names either. I suck at them. But still, Yarros really doesn't have to keep making a background out of every single character that appears in this book. Violet doesn't know their names because she doesn't have to. Like, come on, just say it's some guy and move on with the dialogue.

I really liked that snarky little remark from Xaden when he says she should go back to bed. 👌

Speaking of which, glad to know the separatists are teaming up and scheming. Because now I'm wondering what they're scheming about. What's the catch here? 🤔 I'm guessing that there's more to the rebellion that meets the eye. In other words, the Naveare ain't as guiltless in the whole thing as they present in Basgiath.

Yoo, Rhiannon and Tara?? Nice. Knew there was something fruity about her.

Oh, stuff is cooking. I like the whole part with Brennan and Naolin, the former rider of the black dragon, though there's something left unsaid here. It's unlikely he wanted to revive Brennan just because he wanted to win a favor with the General. Something else is at hand here. Maybe love? Maybe treason?

Violet really put herself into deep shit by going a little too far with her concoctions. Fighting Xaden next? What an ending to a chapter.

Okay, I'm done for now. Probably gonna continue tomorrow (especially because I got sick and now I'm bedridden :<).

After a very rough beginning, this book started to be really fun and I'm glad I kept reading! It is generic, but at least things are finally starting to fit into place and it seems like Yarros finally grew into her style. (If that makes any sense.)

[austinhardwicke]

First Impressions

In writing my own stories, I get too wrapped up in “Worldbuilding,” and live in the universe for months and years. While this has positive effects, like being able to explore every possible aspect of the world and its magic systems, there are profound negative effects, like not being able to let anyone inside. I get to wrapped up in my own concepts, that the story becomes incomprehensible

What's the point of building a big beautiful house, if you don't have any doors to let people in? And you built it deep in the country without a road for anyone to drive down to get there? “Yeah, it's real great, you just need to walk through marsh land for about an hour, and then you can finally see it!”

This is a serious issue, not just with myself, but anyone that's moved away from  writing fan fiction, and moved into creating their own “Original Content.” Sure, writing all that erotic Dragon Ball Z fanfic allowed you to skip right past explanations of the world, the characters, their abilities, and let you focus on getting good at writing "the fun part," but now that you've filed off the serial numbers and you're trying  to write your stories, you don't have decades of canon to lean back on. GokuxVegeta was only hot because everyone knows their prior history together.  What's so hot about these new boys? You can't just tell me their love is forbidden for "reasons," you gotta prove it to me.

As someone that essentially writes fanfic of his own content, I never learned how to write that part of the story. Not only do I not understand the process, I have active hostility for that part in any fiction. When re-reading books, and re-watching shows, I will commonly skip the first episode or chapter. It's universally the place with the worst dialogue. And yet, you can't have a story without beginnings. And, furthermore, beginnings aren’t just at the beginning. Every new character, new land, and new power, have beginnings. Over and over throughout your story. Its an integral part of the storytelling process

Stephen King says you get better at writing by “writing a lot, and reading a lot,” and so I'm going to twist that advice and try to read a lot, but track my mental progress as I go through the books. Try to see how the road is built(to keep using that exhausted metaphor.) I will keep these write ups posted publicly, for the sake of posterity, and to embarrass myself later on in life.

And now for rules(cause hobbies should always have rules, right? Or is that just me?)

Rule 1. Only read chapter once before doing a write-up

People don't commonly re-read a chapter of a book they're enjoying. They plow straight ahead. It's not uncommon for readers to miss important facts, either due to issues on the readers part, or the author not bringing enough attention to it. In an effort to catalog my own mind, I should try to stick to this, no matter how foolish I come off

Rule 2. Do not look anything up (amended to allow me to look up how to spell fantasy names)

If I don't know a word in the book, or how its used, that just something I have to live with

Rule 3. Lean towards emotional charged impressions

Emotional significance is more important than a factual recounting. I want to see how the story is built, not a census of the world. 

Rule 4. This is not a review of the book, this is a review of how I process the book

This is more of a content warning for any stranger that comes across these posts. There's no grade system at the end of reading the book. The purpose is for me to take apart critically acclaimed stories, and see how they tick. Disregard any negative comments as a condemnation of the novel. If I'm taking it apart here, that means it's probably worth reading

[sleepysuiteheart]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Omg this blog is new, so thank you v much for tagging me moonlitinks I really do appreciate it ^-^

1) What motivates you to write?

Wanting to give others a way to escape reality for a little while and get absorbed into a place that they would rather be. Idk, I had a turbulent childhood but being able to vanish into a book gave me such an immense amount of comfort, and being able to see/experience things through the author’s voice was so inspiring. I just want to be able to do that <3

2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

I write both poems and short stories, but I’m more comfy with sharing one of my poems:

“I learned recently that not everyone deserves the love you give.

That no matter how much you shower someone with your warmth, they can choose to remain cold.

Or no matter how hard you try to be seen, they will close their eyes. 

And how much you beg to be heard, they will not listen.

Love cannot heal those who won’t let it in.”

3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Oh this is so tough. I have an elderly grandfather OC that is half-blind but sassy as all hell and I adore him to pieces :D

4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Daydreaming about my ideas, choosing names, and editing my first drafts. I love being able to start seeing my work come together and getting to pick all the little details is like piping the icing on top of a cake for me <3

5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Dialogue! I lean a lot on dialogue to help establish things and give the reader a better picture of the relationships between characters and the world around them. 

6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

How helpful everyone is! And the honesty. I’ve taken classes, watched many videos, and listened to many older established writers talk about how rewarding writing is but not so much about the loneliness and negative effects writing can have on you. It’s lovely to be able to see and discuss both sides throughout a whole community. Makes it much less lonely(:

7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Omg yes, like moonlitinks said, Scrivener is a miracle app for me since I bounce between different forms of writing. Music helps me, and beautiful scenery. It inspires me. I love being able to write outside and listen to instrumental music while I do so.

8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I love all the little details I add about the weather. Weather in my stories is extremely important to me, so I’ll always add little details throughout my writing about how the weather is and how it’s making my characters feel.

9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

Omg, moonlitinks gave such wonderful & thoughtful advice, I can’t offer anything nearly as good T.T 

I guess if I really had to say anything, I would say be patient with yourself. I don’t believe there’s a ‘one way’ is best for writing, and every single writer has their own system for their creativity. Our experiences and lives all vary drastically, so it’s reasonable that the way everyone expresses themselves is unique as well.

So when you’re stuck, or feel like your writing is different and it’s starting to get to you, just breathe and don’t panic. That can be a beautiful thing! Writing takes time and however you go about the process of creating your story, as long as it works that’s all that matters.

I keep seeing writers discussing word count per day, which can be incredibly stressful to think about. Especially if your life is a little chaotic. But Neil Gaiman tweeted once that he wrote Coraline with 50 words a day. One of the most iconic writers of this time !! Dude gave no shits about a high word count and ended up creating a masterpiece. 

Patience & kindness towards yourself. You’re your biggest supporter and believer, always <3

Sorry, this was v long, but since I'm still so new I'm going to leave this here and if anyone, (literally anyone at all) wants to do this, just tag me, please! Would love to read more of these :D

[ace-trainer-risu]

I’ve been reading the Locke Lamora/Gentlemen Bastard series, and like-

the first one I tore through, I really really enjoyed it, but I had some criticisms about how it handled its female character (or lack thereof…) and felt like the world-building of this as a world without sexism did not succeed. Like the author seemed to have an extremely shallow understanding of what sexism actually is, so his attempts to write a world without sexism fell really flat. It's not enough to just be like yeah women are allowed to have jobs! (honestly I could go so much more into detail on why I felt like this aspect of the story failed. maybe another post.)

The second book I thought was way better (altho still flawed) w/ regards to female characters - but was also an overall less enjoyable read. the pacing was really uneven, the worldbuilding wasn't as good (Tal Verrar is just like Camorr 2.0, and what is the author's fixation on cities with multiple/major waterways. very weird.), and it was just less compelling and entertaining...but was still totally readable!

I'm reading the third one now and it’s like. All the worst traits of the previous two combined. Way more sexism (Locke says the word "bitch" like every other page, and that's the least of it! Let's not even get into the fact that he's basically stalking Sabetha and we're apparently supposed to think that's romantic!) and also far less entertaining/compelling. I’m honestly struggling to get through it! It seems ridiculous to DNF on the third and final book in the series but I’m straight up NOT enjoying it! I can only read for like ten minute increments before I get bored and/or pissed off. What happened here!

esp with regards to the sexism, I’m so baffled! The prior books were clearly trying to not be sexist. I didn’t think they succeeded, but props for trying, and again the second book had a lot of improvements over the first, even if Ezri getting fridged was disappointing. So why is this book so much worse, both with regards to the setting being more sexist, and the actual story/characters being more sexist? What the fuck happened here? I’m so disappointed.

I'm reading goodreads reviews while I write this post and several reviews comment are like "Oh the plot is more boring in this one but the characterization and dialogue are are really great!" But I've been sitting here thinking that the characterization and the dialogue are really weak in this book, so, yikes! if those are supposed to be the strong points??? ppl keep being like ohhh the dialogue is SO witty, but like a) I personally don't feel like locke swearing at ppl and describing weird sex acts or talking about excrement is particularly witty, and b) I keep feeling like the characters are just quipping rather than having Conversations. and don't get me wrong, I love quips, I'm a quippy person, I know a lot of ppl are anti-quip these days but I'm not one. but damn it can go too far and feel forced and artificial, and I think this book suffers from that. esp when, again, the quips are not very good quips but instead mostly just ppl being vulgar. and the characterization is just so flat.

(it's not that being vulgar is wrong you understand, but it doesn't replace cleverness. an insult is not inherently clever or amusing just because it references an obscene sex act. you can be obscene and clever, but obscenity is not inherently clever.)

and also apparently this isn't the last book, but is setting up a fourth book....

so yeah I don't think I can do this. I gotta DNF this book. the only reason i was considering pushing through was to finish the series out, and if there's a whole additional book, and each book has been increasingly low quality so far, then yeah I'm not interested anymore. so disappointing considering how much I loved the first book. such is life, I guess :(

[catalists]

Chrome’s Shadowgast Fic Rec List, Vol 2

Alright, as threatened, it’s time for another list of fic recs, since you guys keep churning out absolute bangers. If you missed the first list, check it out here.

As before, the rules:

I’m limiting this list to one fic per author (but may repeat some authors from list #1.) I also link author profiles, so please check out their other fics as well!

 These are MY personal favorites. That means if you reply “you’re wrong because you missed X”, no I’m not.

Without further ado, (More of) My Favorite Shadowgast Fics:

* = fic is rated M or E 

Dunamancy 101: The Practical Application of Romance Upon Two Unsuspecting Wizards by Dragonslaeyr

Professor Caleb Widogast and Dr. Essek Thelyss' students just wanted a break from the sheer amount of assigned readings they had. As it turned out, both professors were single.

Events escalated from there.

It’s epistolary! It’s outsider POV! It’s a university AU! It’s literally everything you love! This fic is hilarious, heartwarming, and brilliantly rendered in the form of syllabi, chat messages between Essek and Caleb’s students, emails, and Rate My Professor reviews.

Refuge by kae_hunter

Essek watches Caleb languidly through the lashes of his usable eye. He has unquestionably just endured the worst day of his entire life: his title, his Den, the respect of his Queen, everything he’s worked towards for the past half-century, crumbled to dust in an instant. Adding injury to insult, he barely survived the two separate ambushes set by his former colleagues long enough to deliver himself as a warning to possibly the only people who might avert the impending apocalypse. In the past half hour, he has been repeatedly (and very painfully) jolted to and from the brink of death like a child’s yo-yo. And yet...

And yet, seeing this human’s face—this foreigner, who, not so long ago, he might have imprisoned or killed as “Empire scum” without a second thought—the tender studiousness of Caleb Widogast’s expression, as he gently dabs at Essek’s eyelid with a damp cloth... Essek finds himself strangely at peace with it all.

This is an older one--to the point where it’s not canon compliant anymore--but still 110% worth a read. The author has wonderfully vivid language and a superb blend of emotion and humor (and Yussa’s appearance is a ton of fun).

Hard Mouth* by road_rhythm | @road-rhythm

There's something in Caleb's dreams. It wants him to know that he's not alone. It wants him to know that he'll never be alone again.

Elves don't dream, so all Essek can do is watch.

A long canon-divergence fic that assumes Caleb didn’t take Mind Blank has his eighth-level spell and Trent Ikithon played a longer game in trying to take him down. If you’re looking for the emotional equivalent of getting repeatedly knifed in the gut, this fic is for you! Warning for dark themes; please be mindful.

It used to be if you don’t like it you could leave by thought

In which the humans do a politics, the Xhorhasians learn about potatos, and everyone decides five hundred years of living in disguise and on the run isn't actually a great life plan, Essek.

This fic is an absolutely delightful post-canon Shadowgast epic. It has it all: Essek and Caleb slowly inching their way into a relationship Without Talking About It, while all of Xhorhas is talking about their torrid love affair, with incredible dialogue and a beautiful look at the rest of the Mighty Nein on the side. Can’t recommend this one enough for the thoughtful worldbuilding and warm fuzzy feelings. Also, title is from “Rome” by Dessa, which is a banger.

The Upward Arc of Sun and Moon* by marsastronomica | @marsastronomica

Shadowhand Essek Thelyss of the Kryn Dynasty has been selected to spend the year at the Soltryce Academy, teaching the basics of an esoteric school of magic known as dunamancy. While the goal is to build better relations between the Dwendalian Empire and the Dynasty, it’s also the best way to prove to his mother he is committed to furthering the reputation of their well-regarded Den.

Renowned former adventurer Caleb Widogast has recently been appointed the Archmage of Civil Influence. Beloved by the common folk, Caleb finds himself frustrated with cutthroat peers and a morally lackadaisical aristocracy. Being able to attend every dunamancy lecture, plus new students and old friends, should keep his troubled mind away from unfinished business.

Though Essek and Caleb met three years ago, a misunderstanding put them at odds. The more they talk, the quicker Essek falls into his first romance…which unknowingly leads them both into a web of underhanded machinations.

Oh, man, I can’t say enough good things about this epic-length (seriously, long as hell, and if you’re anything like me you won’t want to stop reading) fic. It’s a gorgeous alternate universe, blending elements of canon with a university AU. The development of Caleb and Essek’s relationship is thoughtful, the dialogue is excellent, and the author even got me to enjoy things that usually aren’t to my personal taste.

Lay Your Bones by LadyOrpheus

Footsteps pad down the hall and past the stairs. Actual footsteps. Verin can’t remember the last time he saw Essek walk on his own two feet. He feels a twisted knot form beneath his sternum; something isn’t right.

Thinking only of justice and restoring his family's honor after Essek's betrayal, Verin Thelyss finds something he never expected, an Essek he never expected. A mission for justice turns into a race against time and a family finds their world upended.

A really powerful blend of kidfic and one of my personal favorite genres, ‘Essek gets arrested by the Dynasty and the M9 save him’. The use of POV is excellent and the characters are written thoughtfully and realistically.

a mirror to the sky* by renquise

Essek shows up on Caleb's doorstep in the bitter cold of winter.

It is still early in the day, barely three-sixteen, but the sun is already disappearing between the city houses, leaving only blue light in the streets. The temperature is falling with the sun and the moons are high in the sky, white and pink shadows against the blue. Essek is dark and indistinct in the doorway, the shape of him muffled by a heavy cloak, and they have need of each other’s complicated company.

As with all of renquise’s fics, this is a beautiful and delicately written fic about intimacy. The dialogue is exquisite, the language and POV is impeccable.

Out of Season* by aboxthecolorofheartache | @aboxthecolourofheartache

Caleb knows what it is to be hunted.  He sees it in Essek’s careful placement of his minimal luggage, how he has not unpacked anything more than what is needed at the moment, the modest respectability of his nightclothes, how he sets his boots by the bedroom door instead of on the tray in the foyer.

The Dynasty’s memory is longer than lifetimes, and Kryn lives are already long.  Ludinous Daleth keeps fat ledgers.  Their quarry will go to ground tonight with his head on Caleb’s pillow."

Another post-canon fic about Essek on the run, and Caleb, and Essek and Caleb together. If you enjoy being punched in the gut by your own emotions, this fic is for you! This fic is so well constructed, and it manages to hurt a lot and be warm and hopeful at the same time.

the fire kept closest (burns most of all)* by mousecookie | @ariadne-mouse

“Okay, you definitely have something new,” Beau said when he stalled for too long. “Spill.”

Essek continued to chew his thumbnail.  “Tour group on the lava field.  There was a sudden breakout from a soft spot.”

“...And?”

He took a breath, then shrugged.  “It looked like hands?”

(Aka, the spooky volcanology AU that absolutely no one asked for.)

The concept of this fic is fucking bonkers but the emotions it will cause you to have are worse! I feel especially compelled to recommend it because It’s Really That Good, No Really, I Swear. Funny and heartwrenching in equal measure.

The Climb by Chekhov | @thechekhov

It’s... the stupidest thing. Essek grits his teeth. It’s a trained habit - a way to redirect some of the pain without showing any symptoms. A Shadowhand never shows his hand, and it is this he excels at - a poker face, a well-concealed illusion of poise and grandeur and tolerance. But today, he is unlucky. Because there is little that escapes the keen mind of Widogast - and here he has quite the disadvantage. It is, quite literally, his least favored terrain. Stairs. ---

When keeping mages in an enclosed terrarium, please keep in mind the following: They need lots of places to hide and explore. Provide enrichment opportunities for them to keep them from getting bored - plenty of books, hidden treasures, and secret chambers. And if you're feeling bold, think about including an Anti-Magic staircase just to challenge them. See what they do with it.

A light-hearted one to end the rec list with; while of course I love Essek and Caleb at their most tortured, have a delightfully funny one with great, snappy dialogue where they’re only at the mercy of their own pride, stupidity, and each other.

And if you’re still on the hunt for more Shadowgast fic, there is my own ouevre, but I will rec my most popular one:

only code it knows is rote survival by Chrome

 Essek clung to her; his fingers gripped the front of her coat. He looked small in a way he never had before, frightened in a way that Caleb hadn’t fully processed he could be. It wasn’t Essek’s nervousness, the anxiety of a brilliant man who could see danger all around him, who could see the falling dominoes and the way the web he had woven had entangled him. It was the fear of a small child, or indeed, a stray cat—the fear of a creature trapped in a terrifying world it did not understand.

 Essek, brilliant Essek, Essek who believed he could find the answers to everything, unable to understand a thing—the thought of it stabbed at Caleb’s heart.

---

In a world where Trent makes it back to Eiselcross before the Nein do, Essek spends a night under the effects of the Feeblemind spell. Caleb undertakes a duty of care, and the Nein learn how Essek feels about them beneath everything.

[vermillioncrown]

i want to say something adjacent to the post i reblogged, re: op's request and perspective for not wanting mdzs/cql meta tagged as 'worldbuilding' or 'lore'.

i almost didn't reblog it. not that i didn't empathize nor understand why that post was made, but it felt like... not my place to say since i didn't do meta.

but it made me realize the feeling it stirred up in me was the type of avoidance and deflection learned after years of growing up as diaspora, being treated as alien, learning how to laugh off and play ignorant to microaggressions and other off-color remarks just so i didn't 'rock the boat'.

first and foremost, if i was still doing that, i wouldn't have written dream before daybreak. i want people to know that no matter the humor, no matter the silliness, the inherent cringe and self-indulgence of writing an si: i wrote that because it made sense. the feeling of isolation, of being not quite right - isekai into something that didn't require handwaving to understand and survive because the culture should fit; and it doesn't. and it will never. it is analogous to my diaspora experience. no other piece of media ever felt quite right to write for - if you've seen my 'project: double bastard' tab, i've had naruto brain rot since middle school. that's nearly two decades. and yet it was this story that i found and immediately latched onto.

mdzs is a chinese story. sounds obvious, right? because a lot of us are writing in english, communicating with other english-speaking fans, you can say you know but your brain is very good at getting used to things. if this is not a conscious thing that you are looking out for, you will miss it if you're not chinese.

i am happy to interact w readers, write funny and absurd things, be a clown, make connections, all that. i also don't treat writing that seriously as a craft. i do treat the content of what i write with deliberation, though - no matter the spectrum of silly-to-serious, from an ask that's joking around to each chapter i publish. the cultural consideration is always there in everything i post for mdzs or svsss. it's overtly there for chinese-based media, and i can't hide even if i tried for everything else because that's who i am. i am diaspora chinese.

my writing can stand on its own without the cultural perspective (eh. maybe not with the bilingualism in dream before daybreak). you can still enjoy it. i've put it out there, it is free to read, no one can stop you. but this is from the mouth of the author: you will never understand or follow 100% why something is happening if you are unable or unwilling to recognize that the base media and my fanfics are chinese (chinese-adjacent) by nature. even in something as cracky as lorenz attractors resemble butterflies - especially for that fic. it's easier to forget because i'm not up in your face with the chinese phrases all the time. and it's the collective effort of all the readers willing to have fun with me, so it seems very light-hearted and for the lulz.

here's me telling you the effort it takes to write that fic, hell, the entirety of the 'endure through the night' series. every piece of dialogue is thought through for how it might sound in chinese. i need to carefully balance zyx's inner thoughts versus how they'd talk. mannerisms. how someone is thinking. i also can't help that i'm american, and have english essentially as my first language. i'm always catching myself through speed writes, editing my drafts, correcting my outlines because some shorthand or thoughts came out automatically from a western perspective.

i try to keep things civil and fun on my blog because frankly, i wouldn't have the energy to deal with a perpetual fight in something that's my hobby. however, this is an important fight, one that i'm part of regardless of choice. this post was written as-is, so it is likely not very concise and hard to follow. but i hope that if you took the time to read it, you guys can continue to have fun reading my work but also have more understanding of where it comes from. i believe that understanding can only lead to more enjoyment.

[wordsnstuff]

Guide To Writing Historical Fiction

PLEASE REBLOG | Tumblr suppresses posts with links :/

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Finding Credible Sources

This can be a major struggle, especially for those who don’t possess a lot of skill in writing research papers or writing informative works. I could write an entire article on this subject alone, but instead I’ve decided to link a few helpful articles that can help you identify credible sources. A good rule of thumb is to pay attention to how recent the information is, who wrote it (what are their credentials), and who/which organization published the information. If you’re unsure of whether one or all of these things indicates a lack of credibility, cross-reference against other material, and always keep the list of sources you’ve used handy for future reference.

Familiarity vs. Accuracy

The ultimate goal of writing historical fiction is creating an immersive experience for the reader, which takes place during a period in time they didn’t live through, or in a location they didn’t experience during that time. It’s about immersion, and it’s important that you don’t sacrifice that experience in an effort to make the material as factual as possible. You are an artist, and you have the room to pick and choose where accuracy is necessary, and where familiarity can supplement it.

Write For Your Reader

When choosing which information to include in your writing, you need to keep the reader at the forefront of your mind. What do they need to know? What can be omitted in the interest of individual interpretation? Where does specificity take away from the excitement of a moment in the story. There should never be a scene that is completely focused on unpacking the research you’ve done on the time period. You do the research and learn the information to aide in your ability to tell an immersive story, and you edit include information sporadicly with the intention of keeping the worldly aspects fresh in their mind. Each piece of information is a reminder to the reader’s imagination of where and when they are. It’s not about teaching them anything. That’s why it’s fiction.

Authenticity vs. Accessibility

A lot of historical fiction works become problematic when the author prioritizes factual accuracy over accessibility to the everyday reader. The majority of readers come for the taste of another time or another culture, or both. If they wanted to read a history paper, they would. If they wanted to read a 120 page report on 16th century Japan, they would. Keep this in mind. Accessibility is a deal breaker for most readers. If they can’t see the story through the information, they’ll put your story down, because they want what’s been advertised.

Differentiating Between Classes

Class is one of those things that, when imagining what it’s like to research for historical fiction, you forget to consider. In most cases, the experience of lower classes or the middle class were not documented or recorded in the past because it wasn’t considered worth remembering. Be mindful of who your characters are, because if you’re writing about a time period that predates modern methods of recording life and events, you may struggle to find information on anyone other than royalty and the general upper-class.

Common Struggles

~ Being a detail-oriented writer who struggles with efficiency… Here’s the thing. Write down the questions you come up with while writing, put a signifier in your draft, and then move on. Continue writing, because in all reality, it’s not worth your time to squeeze all of that minuscule detail into a first or second draft. Get the actual story done with a solid foundation of information about the relevant subjects, and then when you’re confident in your current draft, move onto the little things.

~ How far should I go when taking artistic liberties?… Make the time period and the location familiar and make the characters fit logically into it. Beyond that, nitpicking is not your responsibility. It’s historical fiction. Unless you’re wildly misrepresenting a serious issue or an important detail, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take liberties where you see fit. It’s one thing to decide tomatoes did exist in Italy during the 14th century and another to erase a minority struggle in your historical fiction story. It’s fairly simple.

~ Speech patterns and vernacular of different time periods… Speech patterns are difficult to smoothly incorporate into text anyhow, but if it’s relevant to your plot, there are a lot of resources on speech during different time periods and the dialects in various areas of the world. The vernacular of languages are more important to research, especially for dialogue, but this is also something you can hire an specialized editor to work with you on. I would use texts of the time period as a jumping-off point, translated into their original version but in whatever language you speak, and then compare patterns you see between them.

~ Portraying historical figures… This is subjective, and whether the figure is dead or alive is also important to consider. Unless they’re an integral character in your story, my best advice would be to portray them with the enduring attitude of the majority, such as neutrality for a figure like John F. Kennedy, or negativity for figures like Adolf Hitler. This is highly subjective to your story and their role in it.

~ Depicting more recent time periods… If you have no experience with that time period and the events within it, and you have the option of asking someone you know, I recommend doing so. However, take bias and perspective into account when incorporating the information you glean into your story. Try to depict them with more nostalgia than stereotype.

Other Resources

Resources For Writing Royalty

Commentary on Social Issues In Writing

Describing Setting

Resources For Worldbuilding

Resources For Describing Physical Things

Things To Know About Your Real-Life Setting

Guide To Political World Building

Tips on Introducing Political Backstory

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : High Middle Ages & Renaissance

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1600s

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1700s

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1800s

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1900-1939

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1940-1969

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1970-1999

Writing Other Eras

World Building In Historical Fiction

Historically Accurate Dialogue

Accuracy vs Relatability

Guide To Writing Historical Fiction

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[littlemisspascal]

The Last Mandalorian

Chapter One: The Warrior in Carbonite Part 3

Fandom: The Mandalorian / Pedro Pascal

Eventual Pairing: Din x Togruta!Female!Reader

Word Count: 4,320

Rating: G

Summary: A series that is a mixture of Mandalorian, Star Wars, ATLA, and my own imagination. The Imps have seized control of the majority of the galaxy, including your homeworld Shili. You and your sister Ahsoka have developed a daily routine despite the stormtroopers keeping your village imprisoned. One morning you make a startling discovery that will change the course of your lives forever.

Warnings: I don’t know much about starship mechanics so probably nothing in this is accurate but it’s fanfiction people so cut me some slack please, reader gets a nickname 🥳, plot plot plot, discussion of loss of loved ones, worldbuilding, dialogue heavy, this is a slow burn but it’s also ridiculously self-indulgent so I’m including as many cute getting-to-know-you scenes as I can, reader is 17 and Din is 19 so I’m going to warn this as underage even though nothing sexual or even vaguely romantic happens in this chapter.

Author Note: Thank you anyone and everyone who has read even a sentence of this story! Special thanks and love to @dindja for creating this stunning, fantastic, amazing piece of fanart for me 💖💖💖 I still can’t believe how perfect it is. I mean, I’m such a sucker for pinky promises it’s not even funny and this is just beautiful 😍😍😍

Part 2

Cross-posted on AO3

For as grand and wide-reaching as the Galactic Empire has become in its ten years of existence, it had relatively small beginnings. A group of radical Force-wielders banded together under the leadership of an old, beady-eyed man named Sheev Palpatine who believed it was his divine destiny to seize control of the entire galaxy, rewriting the ancient laws to match his own beliefs. His cult, the Sith Order, gained attention by attacking Jedi temples, capital cities, places with large populations until every corner of the galaxy had heard of them. Most regarded them with fear, but over time they began garnering a startling amount of followers who were discontent with the status quo and willingly drafted themselves as soldiers in Palpatine’s fight for control.

At first everyone in your village thought Palpatine and his cult of followers weren’t worth worrying about—after all, Shili was a peaceful planet that never drew much attention to itself. But within the first year of its inception, the Sith Order captured Ryloth and the similar peaceful characteristics between the Twi’lek planet and Shili were too glaring to overlook. A seed of anxiety took root in every Togruta’s mind after that, and continued to grow with every planet seized as the years progressed.

The Decimation of Alderaan didn’t start as a tragedy, believe it or not. The Mandalorians, Jedi, and Alderaanians combined their numbers in an all-out fight against the Sith Order. It was the largest battle ever fought in the history of the galaxy, thousands of souls willing to die to defeat Palpatine’s followers. For the first three days of warfare, the fight seemed to be in favor of the allies with many noteworthy Sith members reportedly killed in the fray, such as Palpatine’s second-in-command Dooku and lethal Zabrak assassin Maul. You remember there was a sense of hope felt within your village as everyone listened to the news reports blaring across the Holonet. A belief that things were finally, finally going to return to normal after so much chaos.

But on the fourth day, the Sith Order brought their own ally onto the battlefield.

At the time there wasn’t a name for the droids that slaughtered every opponent they faced. They were described as indestructible, unharmed by blasters and the intense heat of Mandalorian flamethrowers. Not even lightsabers could damage them. The allies didn’t stand a chance, brutally murdered one by one, their dying screams echoing across the Holonet, forever haunting listeners far and wide.

The Dark Troopers were unleashed upon Mandalore afterwards and out of the ashes rose the Galactic Empire, except, in a twist nobody—not even the Sith Order—saw coming: Palpatine died before taking on the title of emperor, passing away in his sleep. A mediocre ending for the monster who permanently altered the foundations of the universe. One of his loyal followers from the cult’s early beginnings took control in his place, a vile man with a penchant for spilling blood and a deceptively bland name: Gideon.

Only seven years-old then, you didn’t understand the unbalance in the Force your aunt kept referencing. You didn’t understand the meaning of the word genocide either. But you did understand the galaxy would never be the same ever again, and the lesson was only further established as truth when the Imperials seized your village. 

There is no normalcy to return to anymore.

And as long as Emperor Gideon remains in control, there is no future to hope for either.

__

Silence reigns in the aftermath of Maar’s explanation as the long list of tragedies hangs heavy over the four occupants. There is tension in the air as you await the Mandalorian’s response to the extinction of his people, whether that be an outburst of anger or tears, and each passing minute only intensifies the nervous energy thrumming through your veins. Your leg starts to bounce restlessly, a bad habit you have had since childhood.

The Mandalorian stands eerily motionless. Your eyes keep flicking from your lap to his visor though you know it is rude to stare. His helmet hides his expression, but you don’t need to see it to know he is floundering right now, mind scrambling to piece together all the details thrown at him. From personal experience, you know the loss of a loved one hits like a tidal wave, hitting you over and over again until you must decide if you are going to stand up or surrender to drowning. Grieving the loss of your parents is the hardest experience of your lifetime to date.

But this...this is vastly different. The Mandalorian didn’t just lose his loved ones. He has lost his friends, neighbors, comrades, acquaintances, everyone all at once. This loss isn’t a tidal wave. It is a kriffing avalanche, burying him ten feet under in total darkness, and there is no one he can count on to save him. 

Finally, after the longest five minutes of your life, he shifts, resting his hands upon his belt with an unexpected air of seriousness. “I need to go.”

You frown, head tilting. That is his reaction?

“Go?” Ahsoka echoes, sounding as incredulous as you feel. “Go where?”

“To look for survivors,” he answers, blunt and harsh, the words forced through clenched teeth. 

Ahsoka is struck silent, and you feel your heart break on his behalf. Your mother’s stories about the Mandalorians had always included, one way or another, their lifelong bonds with each other. You had felt those ties when you had connected with the Mandalorian, believed for a moment as strongly as he did that his fellow warriors would come search for him, that his absence would be noticed and missed amongst them. And here he is now, still desperately clutching to them, unable—or, perhaps unwilling is more apt—to believe a stranger telling him those bonds have been cruelly severed. 

“What you need is to rest,” Maar says, gentle yet firm, letting her authority as the eldest in the room seep into her tone.

He shakes his head, not backing down. “I’ve been asleep for ten years. I don’t need any more rest.”

“Your ship, it, uh,” your shoulders hike up defensively when his visor snaps in your direction, pinning you with its blank stare. Clearing your throat, you continue with a slight grimace, “It’s going to need some repairs before it can take off. I can help you fix it.”

Ahsoka looks over at you in surprise, and then in worry. You don’t blame her, especially since the offer had slipped out without you consciously meaning it to. Once again, the Force is calling the shots and you are just along for the ride, a passenger in your own body.

He considers you for a long moment, then asks, “What do you know about the mechanics of a gunship?” 

If anyone else had asked you that same exact question, you would have bristled at their condescension and retracted your offer in the next breath. But with the Mandalorian, there isn’t even the slightest hint of patronizing courtesy. It is a serious question prompted from genuine curiosity.

You sit up straighter, smiling at him now. “Enough to confidently say I’m your best shot at getting off the ground.”

__

“What’s your plan, exactly?” Ahsoka asks you, braced against the wall with one eye on you and one on the Mandalorian across the garage, patiently waiting for you to finish assembling your tool kit. 

“Huh?” You reply distractedly, trying to decide if you should bring your carbon chisel or not. 

“You don’t have one, do you?”

Not. There are bigger concerns than a bit of carbon scoring. You move to grab your favorite screwdriver with a tapered socket, only for Ahsoka to snatch it away, holding the tool hostage.

“Hey!”

“Have you thought about what you’re doing?” Ahsoka asks slowly, staring you directly in the eyes. “Once you fix his ship, he’s gone. And he’s taking our best chance at escaping Shili with him.”

A quick glance over your shoulder shows the Mandalorian studying the scattered BB unit parts on your workbench. You are missing a few vital components needed in order to bring the little droid back to life after a stormtrooper shot a plasma bolt through it for accidentally bumping into his leg, and haven’t had any luck convincing the village traders to track them down for you when they went to the capital. 

“We can’t keep him here against his will,” you manage at last, turning back to your sister. “Otherwise we’re no better than the Imps.”

When Ahsoka doesn’t say anything, you shrug a shoulder, adding, “Besides, I think I’m supposed to fix it for him. The Force seems pretty insistent about it.”

She makes a face at that. “I liked you better when you ignored your Force instincts. You didn’t make me worry as much.”

A laugh escapes you, embarrassingly loud in the otherwise quiet space, and your cheeks immediately start burning. Ahsoka’s lip twitches like she wants to smile, but instead she schools her features into a blank expression when the Mandalorian’s head turns at the sound. Only once he diverts his attention elsewhere again does her stare lose some of its intensity, looking less like she wants to dissect him beneath a microscope. You can practically see her protective-older-sister-instincts buzzing, reacting to the warrior’s presence. 

As much as he is a chance at providing an escape, he is also first and foremost a complete and total stranger. Even worse, he is a complete and total stranger who knows how to handle weapons. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” You squeeze her arm reassuringly. “Shouldn’t take longer than a couple of hours. You’ll be so busy smoothing the Elders’ ruffled feathers you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Ahsoka finally relinquishes the tool, exhaling a quiet sigh. “You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know for certain you can keep.”

__

Walking side by side with the Mandalorian in silence isn’t awkward, per se, but it definitely isn’t comfortable either. He is close enough your arm keeps accidentally grazing against his, the cold brush of metal against your skin startling you each time. You would have considered his nearness strange if you hadn’t heard Ahsoka threaten to castrate him if you wound up hurt before she sent him flying at the juni tree branch outside your window with an unnecessarily strong push of Force. 

To his credit, the warrior handled her rough treatment with the same ease he has handled everything else thrown at him. You are beginning to think Mandalorians don’t just wear beskar—they are made of it too. Other than the few glimpses of frustration earlier in Maar’s office, he keeps his cards close to his chest, impossible to read. 

He watches everything though, reacting to the slightest of movements and sounds. Constantly alert. You are certain he is watching you right now, despite the fact his helmet is facing forward, your nerves prickling in response to the sensation of eyes upon you.

To your surprise, he is the one to break the silence first. “You sneak out often.”

It is a statement, not a question. 

You suppose the dots are easy enough to connect to reach that conclusion. Still, the certainty in his voice has your heart skipping a nervous beat. He hasn’t even known you a day and yet he is privy to secrets no one outside your community is aware of. “Yeah,” you nod your head after a brief lapse of silence, “Ahsoka can’t train in the village. Not with the stormtroopers around.”

“Has your village tried to run them out? Fight back?”

It is only because you know he is just trying to understand your village’s predicament with the little bits of information he has that you don’t snap at him for being so insensitive. He has no idea what these past five years have been like for you all. No idea the amount of losses and sacrifices the community has suffered. 

Your grip on your tool kit tightens. “I was twelve when they came. The community is mostly traders and hunters, not trained fighters. The few weapons we had were nothing compared to their blaster rifles, but some of the adults tried to defend the village, including our parents. They...” You swallow, or try to, at least, your throat suddenly dry as sand. “Our aunt looked after us until last year we woke up one morning to find a note she’d left to join the rebellion. We haven’t had any contact with her since.”

The Mandalorian’s gloved hand brushes against your knuckles. This time you think it might have been on purpose.

“I lost my parents as a child, too. There was a riot and they died protecting me,” he offers his own private details with the same reluctance as one volunteering to have their teeth pulled out. “The Mandalorians took me in, raised me as one of their own.”

You say nothing about the way his breath slightly hitches when he says Mandalorians, appreciating his openness as it puts you both on somewhat equal footing with each other. 

“I owe it to them to look for survivors,” he tells you, and your montrals detect the quietest hint of a plea in his voice. 

“I understand,” you answer, keeping your tone light to preserve the fragility of this moment. This kind of situation doesn’t happen often—two strangers on the same wavelength, exposing their vulnerable underbellies, desperate to be heard and yet skittish at the same time—and it is oddly therapeutic. 

A decision is made right then and there in the span of a heartbeat. And even more significantly, it is 100% your own choice without any intervention or manipulation from the Force. 

You stop walking, causing the Mandalorian to halt as well. He scans the area for a threat, then visibly jerks when he turns back to find you have your hand held out towards him, pinky raised high, reacting as if you are pointing a weapon at him.

“I don’t understand,” he says, blunt and almost suspicious sounding. Are you just imagining it or can you actually hear him frowning? “What are you doing?”

“Haven’t you ever made a pinky promise with someone before?”

“...A what?”

You snort, ducking your head to hide your smile, and then reach for his hand. Surprisingly, he doesn’t protest your touch.

“A pinky promise,” you repeat as you make his hand form a fist, curling his fingers towards his palm, and then adjust his pinky so you can wrap yours around it. He watches the whole process wordlessly. “It’s a sacred vow shared between two people. The Elders say once it’s sworn, the promise can never be broken.”

He cocks his head, skeptical. “Never?”

“Never,” you reaffirm with a nod. Licking your lips, you look at his visor, right where you instinctively know his eyes are staring back. “I promise I’m going to help you. No matter the odds.”

And something leaks into your voice then, something resolute and binding and otherworldly. A tremor shoots down your spine, too quick for you to make sense of it.

Your sister’s words echo in the back of your mind, ‘You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know for certain you can keep.’ 

You try to pull away, self-doubt gnawing a hole in your stomach, only for the Mandalorian to wrap his pinky tighter around yours, holding you still. A gasp escapes your lips, muffled by the bleeding sincerity in his voice as he swears:

“I promise I will be there when you need me. No matter the odds.”

And although your sister could undoubtedly provide you with a long list of reasons why you shouldn’t, you believe his promise to be true.

__

The Mandalorian heaves a heavy sigh at the sight of his crashed ship. 

“I can’t do much about the landing gear,” you inform him, believing honesty to be the best policy for cases like this. “And I brought some foam-jet for the cockpit viewport, but it’s not a permanent fix. You’re going to have to find someone offworld to replace them.”

“Right,” he agrees absently without turning his eyes away. It occurs to you then that this ship is the closest thing to a home he has now. One of the few precious relics from his past he can still physically cling to. 

“Does your ship have a name?” you ask.

He looks at you, as if coming back to self-awareness, and answers, “Razor Crest.”

A good name, you think. Strong. A bit mysterious. Just like its owner.

You nod decisively. “I like it.”

His modulator crackles faintly, a quiet noise produced from a sudden exhale of air. You blink at the unexpected sound, surprised to realize you recognize it. A laugh. The Mandalorian just laughed at something you said. What is next in store for you? Are akul going to sprout wings and start flying?

He steps around you, heading for the side entry door still open from yesterday with its ramp laying on the ground, pebbles shifting noisily beneath his boots with each step. You don’t realize you are staring, oddly entranced by the swish of his cape and his purposeful strides, until he calls out your name to ask if you are coming.

You nearly drop your tool kit in your haste to follow after him into the Crest’s interior, ignoring the flaring heat radiating from your cheeks. 

For the next few hours, you and the Mandalorian work in companionable silence, engrossed in rerouting wires and welding damaged components with your trusty hand torch. The gunship is older than you initially assumed, perhaps even as old as yourself, and you idly wonder if the Mandalorian found it in a scrapyard somewhere or maybe inherited it from another Mandalorian. You notice the way he handles each piece with an experienced and respectful touch; the same kind of care someone reserves for their most cherished possessions. Anyone with eyes can see how much he loves the Crest just by watching him.

Once you have finished sealing the numerous cracks dissecting the cockpit’s viewport like a spiderweb with foam, you approach the Mandalorian to see his progress on returning power to the dashboard. He is on his back beneath the steering controls, rearranging a mess of wires, and barely acknowledges your presence when you squeeze yourself into the tight space next to him.

“The red wire goes before the white one,” you point out, noticing the mistake immediately. “Fire hazard.”

He pauses, looks at where you have gestured, and corrects his error without criticizing your intervention. You bite back a smile, pleased to be heard. Within your community, even though you have proven your skills time and time again, some of the villagers, usually men, don’t always adhere to your advice, thinking you are too young and too female to know about technology, until they inevitably make their problems worse for themselves and come back to you with their metaphorical tail between their legs. 

You help him reattach the cover plating once he has finished, screwing the bolts back into their corners, and then watch, fingers crossed, as he attempts the ignition sequence, flipping a series of switches.

None of them light up with even the faintest flicker of life.

“Dank farrik,” he growls under his breath, slamming a fist upon the console.

You take a tiny step forward, hesitant to direct his frustration your way. “Can I try?” 

He tilts his head, probably thinking he knows this ship better than anyone and if it doesn’t work for him then you aren’t going to have any luck either.

Eventually he steps back with a shrug, uttering a simple, “Sure.” 

Although you can’t remember the last time you were on a ship, it doesn’t take long to refamiliarize yourself with the various controls and screens once you take a seat in the pilot chair. When your hobby for fixing broken machines changed into a passion you wanted to pursue as a future career, you started memorizing any reading material you could find on the Holonet, including the flight manuals for different classes of starships. You flip through the stored information in your mind about gunships as you press a few buttons on the panel overhead, trying out different sequences for a response.

When your third attempt fails, you bite your lip, racking your brain for a solution. You think about Huno’s kitchen droid and how you had been on the verge of ripping off one of your head-tails trying to repair it after one of its fuses blew, causing it to malfunction. Your tools and knowledge hadn’t been able to fix it in the end. It had required a special remedy to bring it back to life.

You lay your palms flat on the console, just as you had held onto the droid’s square torso. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice the Mandalorian fidget, as if he wants to come closer but is hesitant to crowd you. You ignore him, pressing your fingertips harder against the metal, visualizing in your mind the unseen gears, cables, and components stiff and powerless. You imagine the parts working properly, a current of electricity running through each wire, life ultimately returning to the entire ship, and whisper under your breath a request to the Force.

“Please work, please work, please work…”

An invisible pulse of energy burns down the length of your arms and discharges through your fingertips, strong enough you jerk backwards against the seat. Every button and screen on the dashboard lights up all at once, beeping with alarm at being so rudely resurrected.

You sit there helplessly, stunned and breathless, hands twitching in your lap. The kitchen droid hadn’t required even half as much energy to restart, barely a pinch. Now your body feels like you have been thrown against the electric fence a dozen times. Wordlessly, the Mandalorian comes to your side to help, punching buttons and turning knobs until the alarms quit blaring. A distant part of your brain thinks the Razor Crest as a whole seems strangely soothed by his presence, not quite as cold and dark, but it is hard to follow that train of thought due to the distracting pain throbbing along your temples.

“That’s quite a spark you’ve got,” he says, not unkindly or accusingly, just a statement of the obvious. He looks down at you, not outright asking for an explanation, but giving you the opportunity to open up if you wanted to.

“Yep, that’s me,” you reply, forcing a cheerful smile, praying it doesn’t resemble a grimace. “Sparks Tano at your service.”

He chuckles again, oblivious to how your heart stutters at its raspiness. “Thank you, Sparks. I appreciate it.”

“Well, we’re not done yet.” You rub at your temples under the guise of adjusting your headband. “I need to take a closer look at the engines before we attempt flying out of here. I—”

“I’ll do it,” he cuts in, already heading for the ladder. “You stay here, see if you can update the navicomputer settings.”

You know he knows that updating the navicomputer is child’s play for you. Clearly you aren’t as great at concealing your pain as you thought you were and this is his way of giving you a break. A small part of you is irritated at being treated like a porcelain doll, but you push those negative feelings aside as quickly as they develop. Your aunt always used to remind you and Ahsoka it was okay to accept help when it was offered, that needing support didn’t in any way make you weak. 

“Hey, wait a second,” you call out as you spin around in your seat, freezing him right before he disappears from view into the hull. He holds onto the ladder, waiting patiently for you to continue.

“Back at Maar’s place you didn’t introduce yourself and it’s weird just calling you Mandalorian in my head,” you say, awkwardly drumming your fingers on top of the armrests. He doesn’t answer, eliciting a sigh from your mouth after a drawn-out beat of silence. “What’s your name? You do have one, right?”

“I do, but I can’t tell you it,” he admits at last. “By Mandalorian Creed, only other Mandalorians or my riduur—my spouse,” he corrects, seeing your confusion, “are allowed to know my name and see my face. This is the Way.”

He doesn’t linger to hear your response, dropping down into the hull with a resounding thud. You slowly turn back around, staring absently out the glass. Every culture is unique, including your own, but you think there is something especially interesting about the Mandalorians’. It sounds like a lonely existence, only able to show your face while in select company. What would have happened if he had been unconscious and you had slipped the helmet off his head? What consequence would he have faced? 

And if there truly aren’t any Mandalorians left besides him, his spouse will be the only one to ever know him completely. It almost sounds like a love story, if not a little bit heart-wrenching. 

Two high-pitched dings from the console jerk you out of your thoughts with a wince. You look for the source, finding the radar lit up and actively scanning the area, and bristle when you see a pair of red dots moving across the screen. 

Not even a minute later you are sprinting out of the cave, ignoring the Mandalorian’s alarmed shout from the roof of the Razor Crest. They’re early, you think with panic, looking towards the sky where two starships with Imperial logos are heading straight for your village. Why have they come back so soon?

You push your legs to run faster, your surroundings a blur beyond the trail in front of you, but the effort is meaningless. You won’t make it back home before they land.

And when your absence is noted, bloodshed is not a possibility. 

It is a guarantee.

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[grittyreadsfic]

hello my friends, one singular person asked for this weeks ago so i’m here with my most unhinged rec list yet: tk and nolan.

now, this one was hard to reign in, so i really didn’t. this pairing had maybe 230 fics in the tag when i first started reading hockey fic, and it’s now over 900, and i’ve read far too many of them, and that makes it so hard to parse it down. so i just...didn't!

so with that said, please enjoy so you want to get into tknp: a beginners guide to a classic case of idiots to lovers

i told myself that i couldn’t rec an author’s entire body of work but then i remembered this is my blog and i do what i want, so i did some consolidating. here’s a list of the quintessential authors for this pairing, you can start at any of their profiles and pick any of their fics at random, and it’ll be one of the best ones for the pairing, hands down.

therainbowsedge: i’d start with the summer camp fic, or the sex toys one, as both beautifully capture the true idiots to lovers nature of this pairing, but just top tier writing all around

manybumblebees: the wedding fic is so tender and port stanley is a classic, but literally pick any single fic and you’ll have a perfect tknp fic. i’m not kidding

jamesvanriemsdick: their tknp fics in their series are some of the hidden gems of this pairing (the tk heartbeat fic makes me LOSE it) but the delaware fic or the seattle fic…..there’s really something for every mood

catchascatchcan: start with era of gods because i could write literal essays on how it’s some of the best fantasy worldbuilding i’ve ever read, but then just read everything else on their account, including non tknp fics. you won’t regret it

hackysack: ao3 user hackysack has written one of two timeloop fics that i absolutely adore, and i thought about just calling that one out in particular, but all of their work deserves the attention

canary: nothing to prove was the first tknp fic i ever read and i was immediately hooked. all of their fics are a good starting place for the pairing, and just really give you a feeling for the pairing

and now, for the fic recs!

to be, despite it all by smudgedfreckles

summary: or, nolan patrick’s gender thesis, by travis konecny.

why i love it: there’s not a lot ofo nonbinary characters in media, even in fic, but this fic’s treatment of nolan and their path to figuring out their gender just feels so real and made me feel so seen. tk’s characterization is also just top notch, and it’s just a super sweet story about two people who love each other

last ones standing by makeit_takeit

summary: If you’re committed to finding your future spouse, reads the last line of the ad, and are ready to look at yourself and your love life in a whole new way, apply now.

At the bottom of the ad there’s a link, and Travis finds his finger hovering over the screen, lip still caught between his teeth.

“I mean,” he says very reasonably, speaking out loud to his empty apartment like some sort of possibly-crazy person, “just applying doesn’t mean anything. Maybe I just fill it out, and see what happens. It’s not like I’m really gonna get picked to be on TV, come on.”

He snorts out loud, just to show his apartment he hasn’t lost his grip on reality or anything; he fully understands how ludicrous that would be.

Then he clicks the link anyway, because yolo or whatever.

why i love it: what part of a married at first sight fic doesn’t make you want to immediately dive right in? the concept is fun, the execution is absolutely flawless, and it captures their dynamic so well while letting it develop naturally

motivation by connectknee

summary: Kevin knows when to back off, the article said. He knows just when to shut up and leave Patty alone, something Travis has never known how to do.

why i love it: the thing i love about this pairing is that tk is loud and in your face, and nolan’s more reserved, a little quieter, a little harder to read. this fic does a really great job of exploring how tk could feel like maybe he’s just a bit too much and is one of my favorites in terms of miscommunication

a tenderness grows by rusesdeguerre

summary: Nolan wouldn’t say that landing a job as the Philadelphia Flyers’ psychotic and probably clinically insane mascot was a childhood dream of his. Maybe tangentially: playing pond hockey in –30°C weather and pretending to be Sidney Crosby is practically a rite of passage when you grow up in Manitoba. That, and experiencing the distinct displeasure that is thousands of mosquitoes sucking your blood out when your father drags you on a father-son camping trip into the backwoods of the northern Canadian Prairies.

why i love it: this was the first fic i recced on this blog, and i stand by that decision. a fic where nolan is not only not a hockey player, but is in fact the person in the gritty suit? absolutely perfect, and so charming from start to finish

meet me at my window by springsteen

summary: Travis has lived in Philadelphia for a few years now, long enough to know there isn’t a major city in America where superheroes don’t destroy an entire city block trying to save humanity or whatever. He can deal with all the super-shit, but Travis did not sign up for getting woken up from a deep sleep because some fucker’s trying to break in through his window.

(5 times the super-villain known as "The Cat" breaks into Travis's apartment, plus 1 time Travis invites him in.)

why i love it: there’s a lot of things to love here, but the concept is just absolutely one of my all time favorite aus ever. it’s fun and charming and the perfect glimpse into a world where heroes and villains exist, and what it’s like just to be a run of the mill kind of guy existing in it. tk and nolan’s back and forth in this make it so engaging, and it’s such a top tier fic

body’s in trouble by cloudsandpassingevents

summary: “Oh, sorry,” someone says. “Didn’t know anyone else was here.”

Nolan freezes, then turns around very slowly. When he looks up, Nicklas fucking Backstrom is standing behind him in a hoodie and baggy sweats, holding the biggest bag of Swedish Fish Nolan’s ever seen in his life in one hand.

“Uh,” Nolan says around the pop tart between his teeth. “Yeah.”

What the fuck, his brain helpfully supplies.

why i love it: from nolan’s inner voice, to the way the author explores all the dynamics within the team, to the way they write the unexpected but actually, it kind of makes sense friendship between nolan and backstrom, is just absolutely fantastic. there’s a lot of moments that circle back and build on each other in a way that really just makes it super compelling

rhizomatic foundations by lighthousetowers

summary: Twenty days after he moves in with Kevin Hayes, twenty days – three months, five months, depending on how you look at it – after not talking to TK, TK shows up at the front door with a plant the size of a basketball in his hands.

TK grins. "Patty, meet Reginald." He lifts up the plant. "Reggie, meet Patty. He's going to be your new - caretaker."

"What the fuck," says Nolan, not moving a single muscle.

Or: That Nolan can hear the plant talk might as well just happen.

why i love it: this is probably my favorite magical realism fic just about ever. it’s fun and charming and a little weird, but in the best possible way. there’s such a wonderful narrative in it, and lighthousetowers always has such beautiful writing, and it really shines in this one. the dialogue and nolan’s characterization are also part of what set it apart for me as one of the best tknp fics

in the dark of any town by mengetpegged

summary: If the voice has an accent at all, it’s a flat prairie Canadian, with none of G’s French-Canadian softness at the edges. But mostly, the accent is just ‘pissed off,’ which TK believes is a default setting for ghosts.

“Who are you?” TK asks, and he doesn’t like how strained his voice sounds, doesn’t like the tinge of anxiety tinting the rise of his question. He tries to regulate his breaths—in through his nose, hold, out through his mouth—but it feels like he’s not getting enough oxygen, which makes him panic even more.

“Someone with a fucking migraine, dickhead,” the voice says. “So keep the lights off and shut the hell up.”

(or: Nolan Patrick, Hotel X Ghost)

why i love it: i’m usually not super into ghost fics, both the spooky kind and the nonspooky kind, but this one is a rare exception. it’s charming and fun and tender and it’s got some of, in my opinion, the best characterization of tk and nolan in any fic. the way the author writes their dynamic and their dialogue is just unmatched

lets_make_this_moment_a_crime.mp3 by honeydripping

summary: Travis meets Nolan at a Midtown show in 2002 when he punches Nolan in the face. He can’t help it, “Like A Movie” just goes off.

But he does feel guilty about it.

or

TK and Patty work at a bakery together. They go to punk shows to pass the time.

why i love it: idk if anyone asked for an early 2000s emo/punk/alt au but wow! i sure am glad it exists! really the vibes of this fic, as silly as that sounds, are absolutely unmatched. i love the structure with the music, the development of their relationship, and just everything about how the author wrote the setting (there’s this whole thing with tattoos in it that makes me feel absolutely insane)

you’re ripped at every edge by you’re a masterpiece by conformityissuicide

summary: “Ugh, look, this yoga teacher has it out for me, man. And I can’t go back there without at least having some of the basics down. I’ve got to win this battle.”

“Yoga isn’t really something you win at,” Hartsy starts.

Travis cuts him off, “You can win at anything if you try hard enough.”

+++

OR that time Nolan's a grumpy yoga teacher and Travis realizes he wants to bone him and prove him wrong about Travis' non-existent yoga abilities.

why i love it: listen, if you want tknp, at least one of them has to be an idiot, and this tk absolutely captures the obliviousness i love to see in him in fic. it’s such a great characterization of them both and such a great concept (and even better execution)

you form a terror pack (and i’m aware of that) by dalmatienne

summary: “Can I help you?” TK snarks, both eyebrows hiked up in a way that has earned her many elbow checks to the ribs.

The chick looks down her nose, long thick eyelashes fluttering. Red-bitten lips part to blow a florid pink bubble and TK can smell the chemical sweetness when it pops.

“Yeah,” she says in this monotonous voice that seems almost at odds with her bubble gum and neon skates. She jams her stopper into TK’s thigh again, literally inches away from where it’d really hurt. “Tie ‘em.”

why i love it: to be honest, i generally don’t read rule 63 within hrpf, but this one is just absolutely knocks it out of the park. the concept (i fuckin’ love roller derby), the characterization of nolan, the pacing, the rituals, the tone of the entire fic, it’s just all around a perfect read from start to finish

thrills and grills by bitter_leaf

summary: Travis can’t even begin to wonder what he did in a previous life to incur the wrath of this fucking cook. Travis thinks he’s a nice person, doesn’t conduct himself in any way that could be considered particularly dickish, and unless this guy has some sort of issue with hockey bros or people from the boonies, he’s not sure how he started shit without even knowing.

__

Patty has a vendetta. Travis just wants to eat his eggs in peace.

why i love it: honestly this is the enemies to lovers fic i’ve been waiting for. i remember seeing the reddit post when it first went viral and thinking it would make such a great fic premise, so stumbling across this one was just so wonderful. super engaging and fun and so hilarious to read!

nothing but room for you by fightingfuries

summary: When his agent tells him he’s going to be traded to the Devils, Nolan isn't sure how he feels about it. Might be easier if he was going somewhere farther away, like California or fucking Florida. Somewhere sun-soaked and foreign. Someplace so different from Philadelphia that he can forget he ever played for the Flyers, forget everything that happened there.

Or Nolan fucks up, gets traded, gets his shit together and falls in love. Not necessarily in that order.

why i love it: i cannot stress to you how much i love trade fics, and this one is one of my absolute favorites. the trade to the devils-so close to philly, still, but there’s more to distance than physical miles-was such an excellent choice and the split timeline adds so much to the narrative, and the emotions are real and messy and complicated in the best way

a couple of runaways (i’m glad you stayed) by overturnedgoal

summary: The person in the video he’s watching is super annoying. Some obnoxious holier than thou granola type who keeps talking about their environmental impact as if they aren’t driving a gas guzzler around, but the basic idea of living in a van, driving around wherever, camping all the time, just going hiking and swimming and seeing the whole country? It sounds pretty dope, honestly.

why i love it: i like to watch tours and conversions of vans/buses into tiny homes as a self soothing method, and this fic has the same impact that watching those do. it’s such a fun concept, and it’s so fuckin’ soft, and the dialouge between tk and nolan is just *chef’s kiss*

all candor and style in the crook of your smile by p3trichor

summary: It’s a photo of Nolan on his knees with someones’ fingers in his mouth, lips slick with spit. Travis flicks by it almost too fast and he’s only got seconds to decide if he wants to screenshot it, if he wants to just give up the ghost right then and there. Except Travis’s phone freezes momentarily and then the group refreshes, sidcros87, Bert59 and 14 others took a screenshot!

It’s gone before Travis even has time to process it and he already wasted his replay of the day on a stupid video of a stupid fish that Hayes caught.

Can you send me that screenshot Travis texts Bertuzzi before he can overthink it, his dick already stirring in his sweats. Tuzzi sends back the cry-laughing emoji and then the screenshot before Travis can be too annoyed at him.

Or, Nolan is being weird about Travis's break-up and TK is maybe not straight.

why i love it: i genuinely don’t think i have words for the amount i love this fic. it took me forever to actually read, but it’s absolutely one of my favorite fics, and it’s an absolutely riot to read. carter’s meddling and the presence of tyler bertuzzi both make it extra fun, in my humble opinion