#give your self credit fanfic writers.

[batcavescolony]

Ok let's be real a second. Someone made a comment that I saw that said something along the lines of 'Fanfic isn't that deep it's not Social Commentary, it's just writing' and they couldn't be FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

First the definition of Social Commentary

Every song you listen to, every book you read, every art you like is social commentary. When you headcanon a character as POC or Queer, when you base a fic of something that happened to you, the second you begin to write your fanfic you're now producing Social Commentary.

Fandom and Fanfic isn't in a void, it interacts with the world. Anne Rice the writer of Vampire Chronicles (+others) sent Cease & Desist orders to popular fanfic writers. You know how writers put 'I do not own [original work], it belongs to [author].'? That's because of her! How many books now are ex-FanFic! How many fics are written to spite the writers? How many fandoms have raised money for a cause? How many people write to feel seen?

While fanfic IS a fun way to express yourself, whether you see it that way or not, that's not the ONLY thing it's is. it's an act of defiance, it can change how people see the world, it's can actually change the world! Fanfic IS political, it IS social commentary, IS that deep and don't forget that.

[diamondcitydarlin]

Alright real talk now without sassiness bc the whole anti thing against beetlebabes has me thinking about self-indulgent fantasy as a literary/storytelling device and it's something I've been thinking about with different medias lately, so this is topical ig for my current hyperfixation. Specifically I've been thinking about fantasy disavowal and the role that plays in self-indulgent/self-insert type fantasy stories, whether canon or extrapolated within fanfic. I first really learned about this concept in name from this video from contrapoints, so I have to give her credit for discussing this and explaining to me how it works in a way that blew my mind apart at the time, and I think it's the sort of thing that puts a lot of what goes on in self-indulgent fantasy stories into a different perspective, particularly when we're trying to evaluate said stories under an IRL moral microscope (and is why that approach pretty much never works or applies within this kind of story)

(Semi-long post under the cut where I mention Harry Potter as an example of a literary device- as I say within the writeup, I do not condone or support JKR or her beliefs and this is not an endorsement of her but rather a well-known example I think most people will recognize. Be aware if it's triggering for you. I also mention Twilight lol, incase that's an issue. It takes me a minute to get to Beetlejuice/Beetlebabes but I promise this is all relevant to my point, your honors)

Recently I saw a discussion within a Twilight fan group I'm in (yes I'm a Twilight fan and a rattie iykyk) about how toxic certain characters behavior would be IRL, particularly in the way several of them have a habit of making choices for Bella against her will, gifting her with things she's said she didn't want and insisting she use/wear them, etc etc. As a former Twilight hater (cuz I used to be that too many years ago!!!) I knew where they were coming from in being critical of these characters and calling them toxic, because in any other setting that would absolutely be true. Within fantasy disavowal, however, these 'toxic' behaviors are actually a way for the reader/writer (who is living vicariously through the main character) to have the main character get what they think she should have and want her to have without compromising her character or the integrity of the fantasy. Bella Swan, for example, is meant to be modest, selfless, 'not like other girls' and usually uncomfortable with bringing too much attention to herself (which makes her relatable to those who would live vicariously through her story), but of course many of those reading WANT her to have a big wedding and traditional dress anyway so that's where, for example, Alice's insistence she have those things comes into play. Yes, IRL that would be controlling, obsessive, weird, and a complete disregard of someone's wishes and boundaries but in a self-insert fantasy that tactic serves an important role to the purpose and point of the setting. WELL if you INSIST, Alice, I guess I'll just take your very generous and expensive gifts and deal with it, sigh, oh WELL!!! /s In that sense it's less demeaning and more empowering, if you're viewing it from the pov of someone wanting to immerse themselves in the fantasy.

Another example of where this is kinda used in self-insert fantasy is Harry Potter (and many others like it, and this isn't to condone JKR's terfism, this is just the example I think most people will recognize), wherein the children reading are meant to want to live vicariously through Harry and his friends and their adventures. For those children reading (and I know bc I was one once lol) the idea of being in a dangerous environment that the adults don't really shield them from entirely is very cool, it gives them a sense of independence and self-sufficiency and a sense of 'trust' from the fictional adults in their abilities to take care of themselves. From an adult's perspective now, particularly one with a child of first-year age, it's seemingly horrific how neglectful and reckless the adults in that series are with the wellbeing of the children they're responsible for (like, idk, sending a bunch of 11 year olds into the known death forest for their first detention sentence, at night, while knowing some beast is eating unicorns in said forest). But of course, within the story this constant, casual endangerment of children is never really brought up as an issue or as a reflection of some kind of immortality in the adults responsible for them as it would IRL, because it serves the purpose of self-indulgent fantasy for the children reading. It's not MEANT to be seen as a moral failing or child endangerment AT ALL so much as just the adults characters getting the fuck out of the way so the kids can have fun- unless it's like Umbridge doing it, who is established as an villain and immoral even in that setting from the jump. (And again this isn't a defend JKR post, just an explanation/example of what I'm talking about) IDK if this qualifies as fantasy disavowal perse, but it's a similar phenomenon of how behaviors -particularly those of supporting characters- can seem immoral/toxic under a real world lens but within the story serves a purpose to the reader living through the fantasy.

The way this relates to Beetlebabes for me is mostly fanon focused, but I think there are elements of disavowal in the canon as well. A lot of us who ship beetlebabes feel a kinship to Lydia in some way or another, especially those of us who watched the first film and cartoon as we ourselves were coming of age (and also probably weirdo goth kids too at the same time, I definitely was lol) and while it obviously isn't a fantasy for everyone, for a lot of us the idea of a 600-year old demon choosing and becoming obsessed with our weirdo asses BECAUSE of our weirdness is really cool actually lmao. To others, Beej pursuing Lydia so ardently against her outspoken disavowal can only be seen as intentionally toxic because they're not part of the fantasy, nor do they want to be, so seeing the merits (and empowerment) of his pursuit within this setting is beyond them. And of course, there's something to be said for the inherent nature of gothic romance as a setting, as well as the fact that movieverse Beetlejuice isn't really meant to be the pinnacle of moral direction in real life, it's meant to be a creepy, kooky dark comedy that pushes the boundaries of societal norms (not unlike what we do in the shadows). As others have said, this also isn't unlike the film Labyrinth much at all, though I RARELY see anyone coming after the Jareth/Sarah ship despite Sarah being a child in the film and Jareth being, yknow, also an ancient spirit of some kind. Perhaps because most people better understand how Labyrinth functions as a self-insert fantasy, that Jareth's obsession with Sarah is meant to be an empowering thing within that context for the young people like Sarah watching it, not an endorsement of IRL predatory behavior (ofc, Jareth being mostly a creation of Sarah's might aid with the sense of her power over the situation).

Honestly, I think it's also true for a lot of people against Beetlebabes that they identify with Lydia too, but in a way that doesn't include wanting a 600-year old demon to be obsessed with them (you do you boo, more of him to go around ig lmaooo), but instead of seeing and accepting the merits of Beej's obsession in this other kind of fantasy, they instead choose to apply real-world morals onto not only the story but the people who enjoy this story as well as their personal discomfort demands. For as much as they want to accuse others of 'not having media literacy' for shipping it, they sure jump right over the point of this literary/storytelling device. And to that end, I can't wholly blame them, because it was only within the last few years that I really realized and accepted how this works too- but I'm doing my best to explain it now, for whomever is interested.

I guess what I'm ultimately trying to say is that self-insert/self-indulgent type fantasy stories are, by design, not meant to be viewed through a real-world moral lens. The entire point of them is to transport a reader/viewer into a world where real-life doesn't apply, where someone like them is loved and obsessed over for the things that they are often disparaged for IRL and within a context where they (and the main character) still hold the reigns of control, as Lydia does over Beetlejuice time and time again (despite being a powerful 600 year old demon Beej sure lets his wife kick him around a lot, doesn't he???). It's not meant to be an endorsement or romanticization or even a depiction of IRL immorality either, as that would ruin the effect of the fantasy.

So yeah, I feel like trying to evaluate most of these stories in a real-world moral context is a fundamental misunderstanding of how this kind of storytelling works- that's not to say one can't evaluate them that way if they want, and sometimes (like other things used within the HP series) it's due, but I think it definitely becomes an issue when this 'moral evaluation' turns into one of the people who enjoy the fantasy too. The fictional flights of fancy that people like to immerse themselves into are just that; fantasy. And what's more, different people like living vicariously through different kinds of fantasies, different people are going to find different things empowering in said stories and just because one thing feels empowering for one person but demeaning to another should not mean the former person is immoral and gross in real life or would even want these things to happen in real way.

I keep trying to wrap this post up and failing, but that's basically it. I'm posting this because I know others will probably have way more intellectual insight and feedback to add about this kind of storytelling and I just think it's really fascinating to talk about. What do yall think?

[sinon36]

Echoes of Salvation: The Deal (Part I). Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x afab reader  (Zombie AU)

Part II

The story starts after the dash.

Warnings: some gore, some mistakes, some bad writing (eh… we all have to start somewhere), not proof read, some independent woman surviving on her own without the need of help from men (cause I like self reliant women and people in general, they are a great inspiration to us all, really).

Disclaimer:

Dear readers,

Please be kind. This is my first fanfiction ever that I wrote and posted, so please be kind and overlook any potential inaccuracies, mistakes, grammatical errors as I’m not a professional writer and also English isn’t my native tongue. Though I have studied British English I am sure I haven’t really managed to accurately portray the British way of speaking, so please, feel free to point out anything that might poke you in the eye while reading this.

Also, I would like to tell you that this fan-fic is the love child of my obsession with our favourite masked man Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley, and my love for anything zombie apocalypse or world-ending alternate universe or actual universe. Tbh If I wasn’t a poor student I would probably be a prepper, just like Frank from HBO’s TLoU. Most likely will be. I’m a little weird like that, you’ll see more in the future.

To close this little rant, I hope you’ll enjoy it, even if it’s short, I would really like to continue this if you deem it worth it enough. This will probably be a slow-burn kind of romance: 1. because I’m a sucker for the kind of slow-burn strangers/enemies to lovers fanfics, and 2. because it’s more realistic, let’s calm the whore-y instincts and be reasonable people that don’t climb masked 6-feet-tall strangers like trees.

With everything said I do not own the Call of Duty character Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley (*whispers*Though I wish I did*) BUT I do own this piece of fanfic. Please don’t steal it. Repost it but please do give credit to other people’s work. You may notice some similarities to other fanfics, cause duh, I also read a lot of that, (isn’t that one of the incipient stages to becoming a fanfic writer?), but I would really like to give a shout out to the fanfic author that really inspired me to put fingers to keyboard and a fanfic into Tumblr, please, *drum rolls* a round of applause for @nsharks with her lovely fanfic ‘Bleeding Blue’. She’s really wonderful and you should really check her out.

Have fun reading and don’t forget to leave a comment or a heart. I wouldn’t mind suggestions of what to name Simons’ daughter. That would really make my day 😊

P.S. Sorry to all the fishing loving people out there, what I said was based on my impression of the fishing experience and should be taken with a grain of salt.

            Yours truly <3

Synopsis:

It’s been five years since the outbreak happened. Five years ago, in London, a terrorist group released a virus in the city center. 24 hours later, people start developing flu-like symptoms. 48 hours later the infected turn into mindless ghouls biting healthy people and spreading the infection. Everything happened so fast. The army came in and tried to contain the outbreak but soon chaos engulfed the whole country. You learn that similar attacks happened all over the world: New York, Beijing, Moscow, Athens, and Tokyo. City by city, the whole world is ending.

You survived thanks to your mid-twenties life crisis that made you move into a cottage house by the lake in Lake District. The land you own is surrounded by thick lush forest that offers perfect cover for the tiny brick house that is your safe haven. With a water source close, off-the-grid energy, and a garden full of plants, fruit trees chickens, and whatnot, you live a comfortable life tucked away, far from the dangers of the cities. You are so far out of reach that in the past years you only saw a handful of infected, survivors that traveled far to escape and distant neighbours that got infected in the towns nearby. You can’t remember the last time you saw another person. But you are used to your loneliness. The end of the world brought only a mild inconvenience, now that you can no longer order things online and watch movies on Netflix or HBO. But with a library full of books, a homestead to keep you active and your Border Collie companion, Bellamy, life is good. Life is peaceful.

One day, while you are out fishing, a masked man, armed to the teeth and carrying a young girl in his arms threatens to kill you if you don’t provide him with medicine for his sick daughter.                     

-

The sky is cloudy above but some sunbeams break through to warm the crisp air this fine early spring morning. It’s a good time for fishing now that the water is warmer, they come closer to the bank in search of food. It’s a boring task after you arrange all your tools and launch the line in the water. It’s a game of waiting and watching for any small tugs or movement of the neon-coloured fishing line. You picked up fishing after a couple of months into moving here, when everything was a mess and so many repairs and renovations had to be made around the house. The guy from the tutorials you used to watch on YouTube talked about the calmness and relaxation fishing brought to him. Maybe you weren’t cut out to stand all day on shore and gawk like an idiot for hours at the thin plastic line submerged in the lake water. But you cannot deny the proud feeling catching a fish brought to you when the line finally went taught.

You try and ward off the boredom and instead try to focus on the warmth that spring brings after months of endless cold. The birds are singing in trees, preparing nests for future offspring, and the lake is calm, with bubbles on the surface indicating the abundance of fish. Life is good. Bellamy enjoys sunbathing next to you rolling in a patch of grass. Everything is peaceful. Nothing really happens here anyway. You close your eyes basking in the good feeling that overtakes you.

A branch snapping behind you wakes you from the meditation you have fallen into. You raise and turn from where you are crouched over your equipment. You come face to face with a strange figure.         

‘Show me yer hands’ he tells you in a thick British accent, eyes focused on you and handgun aimed at your chest. He wears all black and a haunting white skull mask. He is tall, at least 6 feet tall, body poised to kill. In his other arm, you can see a little girl hugging his neck.

You slowly raise your hands. At your foot, Bellamy growls baring her teeth at the stranger sensing danger. You shush her grabbing her by the caller to keep her from attacking the armed man. You stand still watching in apprehension as the man studies you. You look at the ground where you left your backpack and your hatchet.

‘Don’t even think about it’ comes the gruff order. You nod trying to convey that you understand the situation. ‘There’s nothing in that bag worth a bullet’ you tell him in an even tone despite fear creeping down your spine. He hums in agreement. ‘And if you wanted to kill me you would’ve done it by now.’ He watches you like a hawk its prey. ‘So…’ you pause carefully measuring your words, ‘what it is that you want from me?’ he gestures you to take a few steps back and you drag Bellamy by her collar.

He kicks at the backpack spilling the contents. A bottle of water and a half-eaten sandwich, a hunting knife, and a rectangular box in which you keep the hooks, lures, fishing lines, and other small fishing equipment. He turns his gaze back at you and nods toward your dog. ‘Put a muzzle on it or I’ll shoot it’. your blood runs cold at the thought of losing your sole companion. You scramble to untie the scarf you keep tied around your wrist that you use to wipe away sweat from your forehead. You wrap the piece of cloth around the dog’s snout tight enough to not slip away. Next, the dark-clad man tells you to pack your fishing gear and collect your backpack, with one hand keeping it outstretched to the side and the other one grabbing at Bellamy’s collar guiding her forward. ‘Move. Eyes forward. Any sudden moves and I drop you.’

He walks a couple paces behind you. For how big he is you can barely hear him walk on the path. You can feel his gaze burning in the back of your head and the gun pointed at your back. As you start down the path you can make out the roof of your small house. Once you get at the gate you stop. ‘open it’ he instructs. ‘The key is in my right pocket’ you say slowly gesturing to said pocket. ‘Mhm,’ you hear him grunt. You slowly release Bellamy and fish for the key in your jacket’s pocket. You slowly take it out and put it in the keyhole turning it and opening the gate.

The familiar sight of your front garden does nothing to appease you in this situation. Bushes full of colourful flowers hug the narrow path toward the house. The wind catcher hung above your porch clinks melodically as a gust of warm wind catches on it. you take a few more steps on the stone path before you and you hear the gate closing behind you. What once was your safe space now traps you in with a stranger ready to shoot you or worse.

‘Tie the dog to that pole’ he orders you again. On your right, there is a small pole stuck in the ground. He throws a roll of paracord next to you. You don’t move at first. You had never tied Bellamy down before. You can’t even remember when you last put a leash on her. She likes to roam free and run around. The click of the gun behind you tells you that you have no choice. You drop the backpack and start to drag her to the pole. She tries to resist but you shush her and urge her to move. Once you finish tying her you turn towards the stranger. He nods towards the house and you start walking hands raised on either side of your head. Once you open the door he urges you inside.

‘Where do you keep the medicine?’ he grumbles urgently. ’Bathroom.’ you nod to the right of your living room. ‘Go get it!’ you don’t wait around you spring toward the white door. After a couple of minutes grabbing most of what you keep in the over-sink cabinet you emerge hands filled with gauze of all sizes and different bottled pills. You return to find the man placing the girl on the couch. She appears to be asleep. You almost forgot about her. She looks about 8-years-old. Brown hair is chopped short in a pixie cut. She’s wearing blue-washed jeans and a dark green hoodie that’s too big on her.

You watch as he peels the hoodie from her limp body. Underneath she wears a striped t-shirt, but what catches your attention is her left upper arm. Red stained gauze is wrapped around. You are still in your approach keeping a safe distance. ‘Was she bit?’ the words rush out in apprehension. From where he kneels next to her his eyes snap at you. ‘No’ he denies the implication of your words. ‘Put that on the table and go sit by the door’ You do as you're told eyes darting between the girl and the man. You drop everything on the coffee table and go sit by the entrance door hugging your knees. You watch as he works on bandaging the kid. Your eyes are glued to the girl’s arm.

Even though you lived so far out into the wilderness you saw pictures on the internet of bites from the infected. You read the posts of the survivors and heard the news broadcast on all channels. Then everything went quiet. The cable didn’t work and your phone had no signal. You knew shit hit the fan and that it was serious. Then, a few weeks later you saw your closest neighbour, Neil, an elderly farmer who lived about half a mile further up the river’s bank, growling and stumbling trying to catch Bellamy who was running scared towards you. You tried to talk him out of the trance-like state but to no avail. He kept stalking towards you, ready to take a bite out of you. You tried to tell him to keep his distance and warned him that you would protect yourself. The rest was a blur. You faintly remember grabbing the hatchet that you used to cut down logs for your stove. And then the struggle with the man, Bellamy barking, you crying out pleas for him to stop. In the cacophony of noises, you hit him with the blade right in the neck. The next thing you knew, your neighbour lay in a pool of dark blood hatchet still. It took you a while to register what you have done. You just killed a man. You couldn’t forget the way he lay there, on the gravel, hands stretched outwards bloodshot eyes staring emptily at the sky. That was the first time you encountered an infected. You distinctly remember the fear and adrenaline that took hold of you. The feelings that gripped your heart so tight and that made you take a life take over you as you watch the little girl, possibly infected, unconscious but on her way to the same madness that turned Neil into a savage monster all those years ago.                                                 

'She's feverish. You got meds or something to bring the fever down?' his question brings down from your rising panic at the thought of being stuck inside with a possible infected. ‘There should be some anti-inflammatory pills and some antibiotics. They are out of date but they could still work.' He grabs hold of the med kit you brought. He sorts through the drugs checking the expiration dates. When he comes across the antibiotics, he studies the pack carefully, his eyes darting back and forth from the label to the girl. 'How much can I give her?' he asks with a hint of concern his stern facade crumbling slightly.

You look at him unsure what to say. Those pills have been bought before the start of the outbreak. You doubt expired drugs have any effect anymore. You refrain from saying that though. He is stressed, he might take his anger on you. ‘She’s a kid, you mumble, so, about half of each.’ He carefully considers his next action. ‘She’ll need water to take them, you add from down the floor. And some food…’ He nods in understanding. ‘May I?’ you don’t know why you offer this stranger help. First, he disturbs you from catching dinner, next, he threatens to kill you and your dog, now he takes over your house and medicine. But you can recognize the desperation in his look, the way he fumbles with the packaging. He is a parent trying to save his kid. Even though you don’t have any of your own you recognize the parental instincts, the same ones you exert on Bellamy.

He looks at you unsure of what to do. He surrenders in defeat and nods at you to go on. You rise to your full height, which doesn’t add up to much compared to him. You walk past them all the way to the back of the living room where you disappear behind a white door. After a couple minutes, you reemerge from the kitchen with a glass of water in one hand and a bowl of steaming vegetable soup you made this morning. You slowly approach the couch watching him for any sign that you might cross a line. Instead of any aggression he takes a step back and allows you to go closer to the girl. You place the bowl and the glass on the coffee table and kneel next to the couch.

The girl opens her eyes and looks at you with distrust. Like father like daughter… you think to yourself. But you try to smile at her try to reassure her. ‘I brought you some soup, love’ you say in your most sincere and kind voice. ‘You must eat a little and then take some pills that will make you feel better’. You try to persuade her. She stares at you for a minute then at the man. They are suspicious of you and they have all the reason to be. You are a stranger to them as much as they are to you. Funny you are in the position to try and win their trust in your own home. You take the spoon you brought for her and dip it in the bowl. You take a spoonful and hover it close to your face blowing a little over it and then you swallow it. You can’t help the little moan of appreciation for your own cooking skills. ‘See? It’s good.’ You look at her with a small smile.

You don’t know where this came from; you blame it on the 6-foot-tall armored stranger whose stare drives daggers at the back of your head and your desire to keep your head on your shoulders and all your blood in your body. You don’t outright hate kids but you were never good around them. With a sigh, she sits upright and takes the spoon from you. She eats slowly. You keep watching her. She is a pretty kid. She has blue eyes and freckles on her small button nose. You wonder if she looks anything like the man behind you. She is pale and sweat collects on her little forehead most likely from her fever. She eats half of the soup you brought her and then turns her gaze towards the man. He hands her the two halves of the pills. She takes them in her small hand and grabs the glass. She hesitates. ‘It’s okay’ you reassure her and with a nod, she puts the half tablets on her tongue following up with large gulps from the glass. She scrunches her little nose in disgust at the chalky taste. ‘Atta girl’ you hear him utter from behind you. ‘Now lay down and rest.' he says to the girl in a stern yet gentle voice. He watches her nod and lie back on the couch her eyes half-lidded. He sighs, 'Good for now. ' he mutters under his breath. His eyes are fixed on her as he gestures to you. 'Come with me.' You rise from the floor and follow him outside the front door.

He leads you outside. When you cross the threshold, he takes a deep breath and a look of relief washes over his stern features. He gestures for you to sit on the front porch with him. 'We need to talk...' 'Yeah' you say crossing your arms defensively over your chest and standing as far away as the length of your porch allows. you take a moment to study him as he fixes you with a cold stare. You notice the many pockets on his vest and belt. A patch on his chest reads S.A.S. He's ex-military, you muse. His uniform makes much more sense now. But the mask still unnerves you.

He leans against one of the wooden porch support beams right hand hovering on the pistol holster. You think it's an act to intimidate you, to remind you that he is still armed and ready to strike you down in your own home.  You stare at him a little defiantly. You’ll be damned before you let this weirdo intimidate you on your turf. He studies you from head to boots and back up. You sigh and square your shoulders showing him you are not afraid of him. ‘I’ve been watching you.’ He tells you in a matter-of-fact tone. You try to suppress the surprise on your face. You look down at his boots avoiding his icy gaze.

He’s been stalking you, and the realization dawns on you. You didn’t even notice his presence around the house. Stupid, you think to yourself, I’m growing complacent. But not even Bellamy caught his smell and she usually barks when someone or something comes close to the house. But earlier at the lake, he took you both by surprise. He’s good at keeping his presence concealed, you have to give it to him. You nod to yourself in understanding. He probably knows the layout of your house by now, he knows you are alone, and he waited for you to be outside and ambush you. You start imagining all the horrible things he could have done to you. But no, he instead approached you, gun pointed at you, nevertheless, when he could have already killed you and taken over your house by now. You hum and make eye contact with him.

‘Why keep me alive then?’ you ask him without beating around the bush. You study his mannerisms trying to catch something, anything to prove you he’s human. But he’s as unreadable as a statue. His gaze remains fixed on you, unblinking and stoic. You feel him studying you, taking in every detail of your person. He seems intent on reading into your every move.

In an even tone, he answers, 'Because you’re not a threat.’ His response catches you off guard, ego a little bruised at that, but you can’t argue with his logic. If he wanted to, he could have killed you by now, that’s for sure. You remain silent for a moment, processing his response. ‘But that doesn’t mean I trust you.’ He adds kicking off the beam and taking a step closer to you. He looks down at you tilting his head a little like a bird of prey watching a mouse, waiting for it to give chase and make the hunt more fun. You don’t give in to the urge to run inside and hide in your bedroom. Instead, you take a step towards him and look up at him ‘Because you need me’ you speak quietly. You can imagine a raised brow under that mask. You smile in triumph; even though he acts tough he needs help and all the intimidating façade was in a desperate attempt to get it.

‘I get it’ you continue having him figured out. ‘Your kid is sick and out there dangers are lurking at every turn. You need a place to stay until she gets better.’ You finish voicing your theory on why he’s really here having this conversation with you. His eyes closed in defeat. Gotcha, you smile even more widely at your deduction. ‘You can stay, you say as you turn and walk down the three steps of your porch heading towards the gate. ‘On one condition, you add stopping in your track. You turn fully towards him and he watches you curiously as if you’d have any power to demand him anything. ‘No harm comes to me or my dog’ you say remembering his earlier threats of him offing you both. ‘Do we have a deal?’ it’s not unreasonable, though it irks you that you have to bargain for your safety with a stranger. ‘Deal.’ He says in his usual gruff voice nodding to you in sign of respect for your demand.

‘Good’ you say as you stalk off towards where Bellamy lays muzzled and tied like a prisoner of war. You free her and she jumps at you happy to be in your proximity. She must have been worried sick here all alone. Poor thing. You then go to the gate and slide the too-large bolts meant to keep any unwanted guests outside. Or inside in your case. ‘And to think nothing interesting ever happens around her, right, Bell?’ your rhetorical question is met with a bark of agreement.

[starleska]

Could you please grace us with control freak general headcannons?

oh my God absolutely!!! i've been hoping someone would ask about Control Freak for a while, i love this dweeb 🙈💖 here you go:

Control Freak general headcanons 📺🧡

🧡 Control Freak actually knows how to dance! you see those twirls and pirouettes he busts out in Fear Itself? i reckon his mother forced him into dance classes as a teen after realising how anti-social and media-obsessed he'd become, hoping that he'd meet some friends there 🙈💖 the only way she could get him to go was by insisting that all real supervillains are elegant and poised to conduct their evil plans with grace...and it worked!! from what we've seen, i'd guess that he either took ballroom or ballet 👀

🧡 Control Freak needs glasses, but refuses to wear them because they don't look evil enough! a guy with all that screentime is not going to come out with 20/20 vision, but Control Freak doesn't want to be pigeonholed as your stereotypical computer nerd (characters who often get a terrible rap in the shows and movies he adores). you'll see that Control Freak idolises both the baddies and the protagonists of his favourite media, and he thinks glasses would take away from his badass mystique! i put Control Freak as being somewhere in his early-to-mid twenties, and i think by the time he got past his teens he started needing to wear glasses at home 💖 🧡 Control Freak has written hundreds of thousands of words worth of fanfiction! this was originally just a headcanon, but i found it in Vol 1 Issue #23 of the Teen Titans Go! comics, it's actually canon that he does write fanfic...and in it, the villains always win (a man after my own heart 🥰). i think he's one of those fanfic writers who is known in every fandom he's in for writing lore-heavy epics which are absolutely revered among fans, even though he's toxic as fuck in online circles...but he keeps his ultra-indulgent self-insert fanfic hidden under an alt 😉 though maybe that's giving him too much credit for being self-aware - we all saw his Clash of the Planets self-insert OC, Count Rol Freako, and he'd put a lot of thought into his backstory! 🔥

[amethystfairy1]

What’s your writing process? Like do you do outlines or just jump right into plot etc… I’m a young writer (14) and really admire your work and want to get better myself. Ty!

✨WRITING PROCESS✨

...

this.

this is my writing process.

OK TO BE REAL THO

Firstly, I don't do outlines.

I KNOW THAT'S BAD BUT I JUST DON'T

What I usually do is word vomit whatever idea I have for a fic into a notes file.

For example! Here's a little random nonsense I just copied verbatim from my notes file that might look familiar!

Tango and Z in sky, blue cracks, Z decides to drop a container with info and his phone number into the rift. He wants to talk to the hybrids, maybe he’s some sort of researcher, he went AWOL from the biotech Institute, something like that. But he is human. Then, tango finds it, or it is brought to him, because he is a direct aid to doc in the labs. Tango ends up deciding to call Z, and they end up becoming really good friends, but only over the phone. Have some fun stuff, where both Z and tango are getting a crush, but how can you crush on someone you’ve never even seen? Tango is freaking out, because he’s not the type of hybrid that can pass as human. he knows he’ll never be able to meet Z face to face. But Z is a little more determined that he gives him credit for. Also have X be a side character in the labs, voidwalker, something like that! Maybe Z is an AWOL scientist, and scar, picked him up to work in his hot guy lab, with cub.

This is the blurb that spawned the Zedango arc in TTSBC.

In case you can't tell I use the dictation function in notes because like 90% of the time I have ideas while I'm driving so I'll just tell my phone to write down whatever I'm thinking and then talk it out

So yeah! I do this, which I dunno is kinda like an outline? I do it for more or less all of my fics.

As far as other stuff, I think the best advice I can give about being a "better writer", which has to do with your question about 'jumping into plot' is to know about your characters and your world , even if you don't plan to share that information in the piece you are writing, or even like, ever.

It's the way you make your characters feel like people. I was actually talking about this with @honeylashofficial not to long ago! You should know why your characters make the choices they do, even if that information never comes up. You should know what they like and dislike and why, if they have traumas then how would those traumas affects them in small daily ways?

Jimmy in TTSBC grew used to being threatened for his wings, so now he has a love-hate relationship with them.

Tango spent a long time without a truly safe place to sleep as a child, so now he has insomnia because he has an internalized fear of falling asleep/being vulnerable.

Zed was treated very poorly at his previous workplace, and he had a terrible experience where his professional lifes work was torn to shreds in front of him, so his self-esteem is very low, and he tends to be very self-deprecating even in a joking fashion.

Cub has sensory issues that severely impact his mood because of his warden hybrid traits, so he typically keeps himself very low energy as a baseline to avoid seeming like he has mood swings.

Even little stuff like what characters notice about their surroundings! Again in TTSBC, Jimmy pays close attention to the weather and the sky, Scott notices people features and expressions, Cub has more detailed thoughts about sounds than he does about sights, stuff like that!

Also I'm gonna give ya the piece of advice no one wants to hear when they're just starting. Just write. Write a TON.

Write even if you only have half an idea. Write even if you think it's gonna be bad. Write if you have even the slightest smallest bit of a motivation to do so, just WRITE WRITE WRITE.

And I will say while I could just be one of the lucky ones, I have been posting on various fanfic websites since I was 13. And in all that time I can count on one hand the amount of hate/negative comments I have received. Over a DECADE of writing and posting and I’ve written and posted A LOT and I have only ever been met with kindness, excitement, and encouragement.

Also, the delete button exists for a reason. You curate your experience on these websites. Especially on A03, with the ability to reply to comments, you can make very clear very quickly what sort of comments you want, which ones you don't, and the vast vast vast majority will be people who are excited about your work and want to encourage you!

If you need a mood booster or some encouragement, you can find my old old stuff on FF.net under the same penname, Amethystfairy1. Just promise you won't come back over here and send asks laughing at me for how bad those stories are, ok? 😆

My point is, you learn best by doing. As you write you will get a feel for your characters, for how they interact and react, for what your specific writing style is going to be and what you enjoy writing the most. And write what you enjoy! Of course you should stretch your writing style, but also make sure you never feel like you're slogging through your writing, especially if it's for fun or creative!

OH ONE MORE THING! 👏

I HIGHLY RECCOMEND DOING A WRITING CHALLENGE!

Stuff like Whumptober, Febuwhump, Novemcomfort, AU-gust, or different fandom weeks that come up, you can find them all over tumblr! Try to participate in one of those and get in as many days as you can! It'll make you write a lot in a short period of time, and you won't have time to overthink it, which I believe is really helpful for finding your writing style and getting comfortable with writing and posting content! It'll also give you a connection to a community of other writers who are participating, especially if you plan to post your updates to tumblr like I do!

Whatever you do on your writing journey, I hope it brings you much joy, fun, and creativity! You'll create something beautiful, I just know it! 💖

[writerscafehub]

𝙸𝙽𝚃𝚁𝙾𝙳𝚄𝙲𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙰 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈: @the-iceni-bitch

ೀ ㅤ۫ ㅤ۪ㅤ۫ ㅤ ♡ ㅤ . 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐄:

From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

Oh god, a 3.5? I will admit that it’s very hard for me not to downplay myself, it’s what I’m best at. I will say that I have gotten much better as a writer since I took it back up.

2. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I think probably my dialogue. I find myself able to sink into relationship dynamics quite easily and am able to show a character’s personality through their conversation with other characters rather than just describing it.

3. Are there any writers that inspire you?

Well, I have to give credit where credit is due as @stargazingfangirl18 is the whole reason I started writing fanfic. Other fanfic authors I find myself drawing inspired from would be @angrythingstarlight, @boxofbonesfic, @slothspaghettiwrites, @onsunnyside, and @howdoyousleep3. For my non-fanfic writing I draw a lot of inspiration for Ursula LeGuin, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Tolkien of course.

4. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

Definitely In the Pines. It’s so different from anything else I’ve ever written and I honestly love it. It’s so haunting and I’m very proud of the prose.

5. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write and which do you find most difficult to write?

Easiest is absolutely the quadrouple - my Ransom/reader/Ari/Jake kinda polycule that’s part of my No Love Like Your Love AU. I also find it really easy to write for Natasha and her peach from that same AU. Most difficult? Oof, off the top of my head Mike Weiss, he’s just kinda depressing.

6. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

Again, the quadrouple. They’re my comfort characters for a reason. I also just love writing about people in relationships, about them being in love and working through tough times but coming out better for it. I love when two (or more) people are just completely open and honest with each other and do their best to make each other better.

7. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about!

Fic wise all the upcoming stuff for the NLLYL verse, and there’s a lot. But I am most excited about my novel! It has so many characters that I love so much. It delves into stuff I’ve never written before but that I found surprisingly intriguing. And of course, there’s a ton of bangable characters. Blorbos for everyone.

8. First fandom you ever wrote for?

The Chris Evans fandom. I can’t help it, I want to fuck so many of that man’s characters. 

9. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

Omegaverse for sure. Specifically knotting and scent. I just want a giant, masculine smelling animal of a man to fuck me and then have his cock locked inside me for an hour. And the snuggly vibes of nesting and just having a bunch of soft and comforting things around you that smell like someone you love feeds the marshmallow romantic inside me.

10. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

Look, every time I say I’m never going to write for something I end up writing it. But I can hopefully say that scat will never happen.

11. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

Probably the one where Deadpool is stuck in a self-insert fanfic. It breaks the fourth wall and it’s short but it’s weird as fuck.

12. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

Ari and Jake. They’re so soft and sweet and perfect and I am never going to let anything bad happen to them ever.

13. Do you listen to anything while you write?

With my ADHD I have to. It’s usually just the tv though. I’ll put some sitcom I’ve watched a million times on in the background.

14. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

This is kinda tough! I love creating AUs but I feel like those are more a bunch of one shots that just happen to be for the same couples in the same setting. But I also really love the actual series I’ve done. So I’m going to say multi-chapter.

15. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

Constantly! I mean, if I daydream about it I typically add it to my WIPs which is why I have so many. It’s usually just about my characters being happy and living their best lives in some way.

16. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Not yet! I will say I’m a little bit intimidated still about writing for a male reader but after my first foray into it I feel much more comfortable.

17. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I can’t think of a specific one but I’ve gotten a few from people who have told me my fics provide a little bright spot for them and I always enjoy hearing that! There was also an ask I got where someone told me they recommend and discuss my writing more than they do real authors and that felt pretty good.

18. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

This goes back to what I mentioned before but definitely writing for a male reader. The reason I wanted to do it was part curiosity to see if I could do it and part desire to write for an audience I hadn’t had a chance to connect with. It turned out really well and aside from some cliche accusations of fetishization I had a lot of positive engagement.

19. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

Fluff, always fluff. If I do the angst I end up living in it for days and I hate it. (I say this while hosting a giant angst ask a thon on my blog)

20. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

For my fics, aside from my reader characters who in spite of being inserts are basically OCs, there’s the second generation of my NLLYL core group. All the kids are so cute and when they grow up there’s a lot of fun to be had, new romances and I could just go on and on about them. For my novel, oh my god you guys. There’s the Viking pirate sealord, the feminist icon, the super hot himbo best friend, the tiny and fiery lady of the lakes, the sexy villain, the spoiled but handsome prince. And that’s not even all of them.

21. If you could enter the universe of any one of your fics, which would it be and why?

Would it surprise anyone if I said the NLLYL verse? Because that’s the one. It’s like my security blanket.

22. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

Just that I have zero control over where my muse goes. If you’re craving the next installment in a series or an AU I am also craving it, but I’m also not going to force my muse to go somewhere and put something out that isn’t up to my standards.

23. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

“The cold wind whipped through your nightgown and tangled it around your limbs as you stared at the sky in rapture, bathed in the silvery light of the moon like some kind of goddess.” - In The Pines

24. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I just love the community I’ve been able to cultivate in the fic writing community. Not just the members of this server but so many readers who leave thoughtful and sweet comments that always make my day. 

[aevallare]

Hi! I'm stoked for all your writing, your stories' plots in particular are so good (which is something difficult to find in fanfics). Question/headcanon/observation: I noticed your Astarion is pretty smart. He has some wrinkles in that brain of his. He can think within a two days foreshadowing, which can't be said of the in game version. I adore how much of a dumbass he is in there (cue my OC getting head lesions for all the facepalming), but I also love how you gave his brain some ridges!

first of all, thank you so much. plot is my bread and butter but it's also So Fucking Scary to put out into the universe. i really appreciate it.

secondly, if i can be controversial for a second:

i know why we joke about astarion's smooth brain. i know the writer canonically called him a dumbass. i get all that. but i just cannot for the life of me believe that a man who has been through all of that wouldn't be capable of critical thinking. i know a lot of people buy into the nepotism theory for how he became a magistrate but i just... can't. hell, he hatches a plan to sleep with the MC to gain a shield for himself. it's self-preservation, sure, but it's also him planning ahead and trying to account for the worst possible outcomes.

it's funny when he's dumb. don't get me wrong! but i do think he's smarter than fandom often gives him credit for. in particular, i think he's got street smarts like you wouldn't believe. you don't survive cazador for two centuries without developing some, even if you didn't have them in the first place.

[cherrycherryking]

Requests Guide + Masterlist

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requests status: CLOSED

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REQUEST GUIDE

Before requesting...

Please check the request status!

Will be deleting requests made while the status is closed as to not add to my workload, sorry!!

English is not my first language so some stuff may sound weird

I write and draw, if not specified i will choose whatever medium inspires me, maybe use both

following this please don't ask for both on the same request

I can write yandere but i go for the obsessive side instead of the manipulating possessive one! don't feel comfortable writing about it.

As of now i'm not confident writing NSFW, so please refrain from asking for it! (suggestive may be fine but i can always choose to not do it)

I have the right to decline requests, so please don't be mean about it!

And sometimes i don't do requests i don't feel like i have ideas to write? All requests are appreciated tho so thank you very much!!

dos/donts

↝I can hcs and fanfic.

↝I can do romantic and platonic.

↝I can do polyamorous relationships :]

↝For Welcome Home, if you give me an idea for an oc or self insert i can flesh it out!!

×Will not be doing anything remotely close to incest, pedophilia, bestiality and similars.

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MASTERLIST

Welcome Home

(Character Ideas)

You can use this for your oc's or self inserts! If it is only inspiration no need to credit me, but I would really appreciate if you tag me so I can see your little guys!

gardener puppet

writer puppet

(Wally Darling)

miscellaneous wally x reader art

modeling for wally

drawing wally

gardener puppet reader

forgetful reader confessing by accident!!

being teased for your crush for wally

writer puppet reader

first date (drawing)

wally feeling down (drawing)

found him in the rain! (drawing)

(Julie Joyful)

general julie x reader hcs

(Eddie Dear)

writer puppet reader

and more characters i hope <3

[nectar-cellar]

💕 self-love time! talk about which ones of YOUR creations (edits, artworks, fanfics) you like the most then send to other sim-blogs to do the same 💕

i love this question, thank you for spreading the positivity!!

i really love my vlad and bella one shot. i make story posts so rarely because i struggle with writer's block and writing is a skill i don't often practice. i cant even name the last book/story i read... i've really neglected my hobby of reading and writing. but i just love the photography and mini story i came up with for that.

here's the link for those who want to read it from start to finish.

i kind of cringe at the writing tbh. but it's ok. i give myself permission to write imperfectly.

obviously, my count vlad sim is one of my favourite sims i've ever made. sometimes i change up his beard and his outfit, but his face has stayed the same, that's how perfect he is to me. 💘

for my cc, i can't believe i've actually created so much stuff when you browse through the tag on my blog. i love the sportswear set i came up with. at first i just wanted to make a tight compression shirt. then my ideas kept expanding until it ended up as a whole set. also, i got a few people to test it out for me and i loved seeing their sims wearing it. i think that download sums up my blog and sense of humour pretty well. i can't believe how many downloads it got and i often see it in other people's screenshots. i just love it. show me all your pixel beefcake.

i am also really proud of the beard packs i made. first, because figuring How To Make A Beard was such a journey. second, because i use those beards sooo much on my own sims and they just make them look so good UGH! third, because they're also the items that get downloaded the most which i never expected. at first i only planned to make one beard pack, i never thought i'd end up getting so many ideas or that i would be able to actually execute them. i see those beards in so many ts3 screenshots here, on twitter, and on youtube, it just makes me feel like wow i really contributed something to this community that everyone can enjoy over and over again.

and i can't even take full credit for making them because they wouldn't have been possible without the textures by @/imamiii , simple life, omega starr, etc. so it almost feels like a tribute to the creators who came before me and whose stuff i loved before i ever was a cc creator. that is how i feel about making cc, like it's my way of giving back and continuing the tradition of making and sharing cc for fun, creativity, and community above everything. 💗

[ninazadzia]

Why I ship Bucklena, and I hope the Thunderbolts movie pairs them together

https://twitter.com/Gothamette/status/1488939466852945923

Link to the fanmade trailer this screenshot is pulled from here. 

Okay, so I’ll start off by saying this - if the execs at Marvel Studios have the cojones to make Yelena asexual/aroace, like she is in the comics (at least from what I’ve seen online, haven’t read all of the comics so I can’t speak to how canon this is), I am 100% on board, and give the studio a lot of credit for showcasing asexual representation in a *huge* property.

However, as this twitter thread delineates way more eloquently than I could ever hope to, there is a very good chance that either Yelena’s sexuality will not be addressed at all in the Thunderbolts movie, or they’ll pair her in a heterosexual relationship - in which case, if it’s the latter, Bucky Barnes is the obvious (and, imho, only) choice. But before I say anything else, I just wanted to get that out of the way - I am all for asexual representation in Marvel properties, and genuinely, if Yelena being asexual is explicitly made canon in the MCU, I’m on board. *Editing to add, because this was an oversight on my part ~ if Yelena is confirmed as lesbian/bisexual, and the writers decide to pair her with a woman (like, say, Kate Bishop or Wanda Maximoff), I’d support that as well. FOR THE RECORD*

But until that happens ~ Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes are the best potential pairing in the MCU, imho, possibly ever.

In case you’re new here + haven’t been spammed by the Bucklena fanfiction writing kick I’ve been on these last couple of months - hi, I’m your resident 27-year-old fanfic writer, and I’ve written fanfic for over half of my lifetime, for just about every fandom you can think of. I generally veer towards pairings that are canon-adjacent (not quite crackships, *could* feasibly be made canon, but it likely isn’t gonna happen), and in the MCU have shipped ScarletStrange, Romanogers, Kate Bishop x Peter Parker, etc. Given that Bucky and Yelena are about to be in a movie together, and not currently engaged in existing romantic relationship - of the list of pairings I’ve outlined above, they’re the most likely to wind up having some sort of romantic relationship. And I’mma tell you why I’d be excited to see that happen.

#1) They have similar backgrounds, and can relate easily to one another

This one is fairly self-explanatory - their stories have obvious parallels. Both were brainwashed by Russian organizations, turned into assassins against their will, and defected/escaped later on in life. While Bucky has displayed clear signs of PTSD, from what we’ve seen, Yelena is a little tougher to read/more stoic, however this could be a front - regardless, their respective ways of dealing with their past traumas could be an interesting dynamic to explore in the Thunderbolts movie, particularly since of the two of them, Bucky is going to take on more of a “Team Leader” role, if you will. Maybe part of Bucky’s job is going to be to get Yelena to open up? Whatever it is, I’m game.

#2) While they have a hard exterior, both are not-so-secret softies, and are sentimental when it comes to their found families

Case in point: Yelena’s reaction to Alexei calling their family unit back in Ohio “fake,” and Bucky’s reaction to Sam giving up Cap’s shield in Falcon + The Winter Soldier. They’ve both lost so much (their biological families, friends, years of their lives to evil organizations, etc.), and neither of them have much of a support system + family unit. And while that alone shouldn’t be the basis of a relationship, the way they view their “found families,” and the respect they both have for it - Bucky with Steve, and Yelena with Melina, Alexei and Natasha - shows they have similar values, and want the same things, even if they don’t state it explicitly.

#3) Yelena is effortlessly charismatic, and Bucky - while a bit out of practice - can be quite charming, too

Look no further than Yelena’s scenes with Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, and Bucky in just about all of the first Captain America movie - Yelena isn’t necessarily flirty, per se, but she has a natural charisma that radiates in her conversations. And Bucky, while definitely rusty and in need of some of some practice, is a complete flirt when he’s interested in someone, which could make for some entertaining banter + chemistry between the two. 

And, finally ~

#4) They both deserve love + happiness, probably more than any two characters in the MCU

This is another one, imho, that’s pretty self explanatory - Bucky and Yelena have both been through A LOT. They’ve both lost people, spent years of their lives brainwashed, and somehow, they’re still standing - and beyond that, they still live by a moral code, and aren’t villains/didn’t allow their traumas to make them evil. They deserve some happiness, and if it’s as a romantic relationship, awesome.

[owlbearwrites]

that's one fine-looking manuscript you've got there

tl;dr: if you've got a book in the works, I want to proofread and/or edit it; I'm good at what I do, and because I'm building a new business from the ground, my rates are on a sliding scale that will put a Slip'n'Slide to shame; message for deets; trust me, I'm more scared of you than you are of me.

This isn't a pitch. (Although I never could resist a douchey post title.) This is just me reaching out to fellow writeblrs, with a so-informal-I-had-to-blur-my-zoom-background offer/request.

If you have a manuscript in the works, I want to proofread and/or edit it. Maybe you're planning to self-publish, maybe you want to score a small press, maybe you want to pitch to agents. Heck, maybe you're book-binding a fic and want it to be as shiny as it gets! Whatever you're planning to do with your book and whatever your budget is, I want to help.

I'm starting my own business as an independent editor. It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time, and last week, my steady freelance writing gig of eight years folded in the scope of one afternoon due to corporate shenanigans (yay, capitalism!), and I figured: if I was looking for a sign, that was it.

I'm a good writer, and also a good editor. I have an eye for detail, an ear for language, and a butt for staying in the chair until the job is done. Also, thanks to my deep roots in fanfic, I've got a ton of skill points in characterization, voice and the ability to match a story's style and vibe.

I've been writing and editing my own and other people's work for the best part of 15 years now, but because a lot of it was ghostwriting, putting together a portfolio is going to take some time. Having an editor or proofreader credit on a handful of titles that are finished and out there would make a world of difference: which is why, if you take a chance on me at this so-early-it's-still-late stage, you'll get a very low price, very good service, and a fiercely loyal word wrangler on your side for years to come.

This is where I should sign off with an enthusiastic call to action. I've tried a bunch and deleted them all. I know you're supposed to project confidence at times like this, but I've written way too much marketing copy in my day, and being fake on the page makes me queasy. I like being honest, and the honest thing is, I'm trying something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I'm excited, and also scared. Starting a new thing is hard, but I know I can do a good job if a handful of people give me a chance. So if you're one of them, message me, and I will treat your words with the care that they deserve. I am a writer myself, after all. I know words are precious. I know stories matter. I want to help you tell yours.

Thank you. 💛

[remyfire]

I think the funniest thing about Hawk being Like That is that Alan Alda has writers credits on the show. This man voluntarily made his character the most touch starved needy desperate person on the planet and that's so fucking insane of him. But also Mr Alda I would like to give you a little hug and a kiss for giving him to us because I love him with my whole heart. And don't even get me started on the fact that Hawkeye yelled to a general "I want to have your baby!" In literally the first season. Like Hawkeye my love not everyone needs to know you want to be pregnant 😂 And truly he deserves to be absolutely smothered with cuddles, everyone loves him and he loves everyone and I think it could help fix him.

Listen my Trap brain is always on, he's my man, I am thinking about him quite literally daily. And now that you reminded me of the priest line I'm gonna think of that too! Like Trapper my love what happened in your past? Did your parents give you that many names in hopes you'd be a priest? Did you pick one yourself for confirmation? Why did you keep all of the names despite seemingly abandoning the religion? I am peering at him like a bug under a microscope and there's nothing he can do about it.

That little coffee through line with Margret is so cute! Even though I'm sure it was unintentional on the show's part I definitely couldn't help but think of it and flash back to The Nurses in both the scenes in Temporary Duty and CAVE. Margaret and cups of coffee representing her character growth is honestly so sweet and I love it. Also ooohhhh self proclaimed Military Brat Margaret Houlihan realizing that the Army Way isn't the only way or even the best way, and the things that would DO to her. The realization that what she's learned her whole life isn't necessarily good, and having to contend with what that means for her and her career and her personality. And also having to face her father after that, because we see in Are You Now, Margaret? that she cares very much about disappointing him and even affecting his career. Would such a realization maybe help her become more of her own person that isn't living only to make her father proud and keep up the Houlihan name? Or is her desire to be a point of pride for her family more important to her than her personal development? Truly she's so fascinating to me. And it's definitely an interesting parallel with Mulcahy, both of them having something so deeply ingrained in them that it h u r t s when it's finally inevitably broken out.

Everyone in this show suffered enough in the narrative for several lifetimes but damn if I don't wanna give them a little bit more hardship to really crack them open and wrap up their character development in the way they deserve. I'll definitely give them softness and love but first they need a little bit of pain I think 😂

(Also I am officially onto season 8! I finished Goodbye Radar last night and was a Wreck. Man I love this show)

Okay hi again anon, sorry for making this sit while thinking too hard about Hawk and Beje and Trap things.

I swear that Alan did more to break and attempt to breed Hawk than any of us fanfic authors have ever done. I am not entirely convinced that this man didn't start getting the bends once he couldn't whump Hawk anymore and instead pivoted to writing fanfics for the old distant zines that popped up in the '80s. He probably has multiple AO3 accounts right now just churning out agonizing pain. Alan we know what you are.

I do hate that we got so little development for Trap compared to Beej but it's also delightful because it means all of us get to sit here and rotate him on a merry-go-round that goes faster and faster and never stops. Anything is possible. He's so INTERESTING!!! He's like half a guy! No matter what anyone says, they could probably make it work! And that means I am in fact slam dunking the religious trauma into him at breakneck speeds. Sorry, bud (lie).

I'm so glad you mentioned Are You Now Margaret because that's one of those underrated episodes that always has its teeth so deep in me. We learn so much about her so fast. Her big friend group!! She had so many people who loved her and who she loves enough that she refuses to endanger them even though she hasn't spoken to make in years!! The fact that she will give her father that kind of deference even though we all know in our bones that he doesn't deserve it! God, Margaret.

I love people like you who run in with a wrecking ball just absolute decimating all these characters that we know and love so that I can come in after in my little clown car with hot chocolate and blankets. I am a simple author. I know what my duty is here. And it's getting everybody laid by everybody else but ALSO giving them extreme amounts of aftercare and pillow nests ;v; We all share such a vital role in this ecosystem.

[365runesoftheamalgamations]

Writer Positivity Tag [ 01 ]

hello and how are you?

We are diving into the Hoard of Tag Games we have still and pulling out random ones and we have another winner for this wonderful day!

Thank you to the wonderful @andromedaexists for the tag! You can find his response right here! :D

Rules? Question Time Baby!

Tagging with no pressure: anyone we tag within the tag game itself! and obviously, an open tag for whoever wants a fun thing to do! Don't be afraid, our tag games are free game for any and all! c:

What motivates you to write?

Both the encouragement of other people - our people and those who are close to us - and ourselves. We have been having a hard time shifting our focus and encouragement but we do want to learn to write for ourselves again.

And a lot of that motivation will come with self-inserts, fanfics, and just random and silly writes that are for us and those we call our Beloveds. (♡´❍`♡)*✧ ✰+ ｡

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):

We have quite a bit of happy / proud writes, but we think we will pull from our Work, Mitch's Journals, for this one.

He watches the scribe, notes how easily he swirls words onto the page. It makes him glance at his work, noting the scribbles that are tinted with doubt and inexperience. He frowns, eyes going back to Corinth as he tries to memorize the way he holds the quill, how he guides his hands along the page. And then the man is looking at him, Mitch blinking before he tilts his head at him. Corinth smiles, an easy thing that isn’t held back by much of anything. He calls for him with a wave and Mitch doesn’t think twice before he is leaping, easily dropping next to the man as waiting patiently. Corinth blinks, a soft chuckle bubbling up as he shakes his head. “I will never get used to that.” Mitch hums, a small sliver of emotion rolling through before he focuses on Corinth. Words bubble up but they sit in his throat, unsaid and unnoticed by the scribe.

We explore and experience so much from Mitch, we love all of the words we can garner from our favorite Observer. (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。

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

Honestly, the one Character that hits those notes has to be the one that we actually ended up making an Intro Post for: our gentle king, Neal Anderson.

He is just... he is what we want with our Characters and our Worlds. He has come and grown and given ourselves over to him - he is also born from one of our alters, so he holds a very special place along with everyone else - and he is something of a wonderful Being.

If we could be given over to any character within the Storyverse, it would have to be Neal.

What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

We think we enjoy all of the parts of the writing process at times, with ebbs and flows with every thought. We also, of course, end up hating all of the parts of writing as well. It is obviously just what our brain and motivation and wanderlust mind is focused on.

Sometimes, we love characters and worldbuilding, sometimes we just want to write for days, and there are times when we are lost in the Void and do no want to be found at any point in the near future.

Just depends, we guess. (≧∇≦)/

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

For ourselves, we think we can write emotions pretty well? We like to write them and make words mean certain things, or different things, or try to give more weight to one emotion over others with different contexts. We like using words in multiple ways.

For others, we probably can write things out pretty well. We do get a lot of compliments on how we write things, and how we end up giving words and thoughts meanings. So we guess we're doing good things if we can write and mean it. (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ

What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

Honestly love the way things are just open and waiting for others to come and go. You can slip in and enjoy your experience and even if you end up dropping off, you can come back and people will still easily bring you back.

We have loved being able to be a Being of Humanity within the Writing Community. It is not like a celebrity making their grand entrance once again; it is simply an old friend dropping down on the well worn couch and being able to warm up with everyone else, no expectations demanded.

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

It would be have to be both Scrivener and the writing bots within Discord.

Scrivener is wonderful bc we can organize everything that we need and want to how we need and want to organize it. And we can tweak and copy and get our own things going and set goals and do all of the things we want to with it. And it is allows us to add fonts and scripts and displays and colors and it is just... a wonderful investment.

The Discord Bots help us with writing. We actually have a specific server - North Haven, our Beloved - that we love sprinting in. And it is bc the bot is shown as a beloved OC of our wonderful @lockejhaven. It definitely helps us, bc we feel like we are with people and doing things and that is thanks to both the server and our lovely friend.

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)

We think the thing that make us super happy with our Worldbuilding is that mostly everything is entirely connected. The Worlds, the Beings, the Beasts, the Monsters, the Magicks, are all connected and similar throughout the Storyverse.

And a lot of the Worlds who are aware of their place within the Storyverse, are aware of the other Worlds.

We even have ourselves a Galaxy Gateway, that connects the Worlds and the Void, and the Galaxies, and everything.

We are very proud of ourselves to allowing our Worlds and Ideas to be connected. Everyone knows of Magicks as Magicks, and everyone knows of the Beasts and Beings as the Beasts and Beings.

And Monsters do precede themselves in the worst way possible.

Tag some people whose works you love / have been your biggest supporters:

We'll be retagging a few people, bc they can be one and the same!

Biggest Supporters: @andromedaexists | @lockejhaven | @smol-feralgremlin | @crypticcodexcreations | @written-in-starlight | @inkspellangel | @enchanted-lightning-aes | @lourek | @pen-for-sword | @perasperaadastrawriting

Beloved Works: @lockejhaven | @andromedaexists | @crypticcodexcreations | @did-i-do-this-write | @blind-the-winds | @sleepyowlwrites | @memento-morri-writes others that we are definitely missing, but brain cannot brain!

☕ Natsume Rune, the Natsume Rune System

[bun-z-bakery]

what inspired you to write sunny days and echoes of deception? Honestly I think your story telling is very interesting! I haven't seen anyone make a DogDay x reader story like yours. That's what drew my attention in!

Same with echoes, the au is an interesting take, we usually see Vanessa as the "bad guy" but never the reader. Will you post more chapters soon? I hope you didn't stop writing for them!

Hi hi! Thank you so much that's so sweet! But ofc I admire all of the dogday x reader writers, if it wasn't for my hyper fixation and reading all the amazing stories I probably wouldn't have started posting anything, so I gotta give them credit!

My main inspiration tends to be kdrama, LOTSSS of daydreaming and music! The whole "write for yourself" plays a part in it too, I love family drama, fluff, slow burns, betrayal, scandals so why not write it but with characters I love? In a way I guess it's a bit self indulgent but isn't that kinda the whole point of writing fanfics? Haha

Also yeah I think it's a 50/50 with Vanessa fics, not complaining but sometimes I wanna see the reader causing problems for everyone 🤭 I'm going to post again soon! I already have a few chapters written I just havent been able to post much because we're taking care of a family member right now :3

[neutronstarchild]

are you supported writers in ao3 against a.i. thieves ?

I did not realize my stance on this issue was super hard to figure out (hint: it's not. I'm against AI and have said so, so this ask seems to be about signaling rather than a sincere request).

Right now A.I. is not intelligent. It is ingesting the unprecedented amounts of data that human beings have created. This is the first time in history that statistics could be applied to such enormous language training sets (can you imagine trying to enter the data onto a computer back in the day when computers were terminals?)

That means that right now, it is taking as much human created data as it can to try to spit out things that are similar but not identical to what it ingested. It's why AI is extremely well-versed in the Omegaverse, because it's been scraping fanfic archives (and everything else, including a LOT of stealing intellectual property that could lead to lawsuits).

So someone coming to an unfinished story, copying it into some AI bot and then saying "give me an ending" even if they have no intention of publishing it is stealing, because it's giving new intellectual property to the A.I. language set to use to more efficiently parrot things back.

Don't buy into the hype that we are three steps away from self-awareness. A.I. can only give us a guessed model of things that it ate (kind of like when I fit a line through lots of datapoints!), often illegally. It's very good at plagiarizing and lying.

So please stop sending me asks about whether I will stand up and say (AGAIN) that of-fucking-course I support AO3 writers against thieves coming in and stealing their stories and feeding ever more into the plagiarism machine.

What else am I doing about it? Well, I reupped my membership to OTW, so that I can voice these serious concerns to the board as they sit with the reality of A.I. and what the unscrupulous are doing with that A.I. AO3 is an archive designed for people to look at things that they loved and closed their eyes and imagined what (and who) their favorite characters could be doing, then sat down at their computers or with their notebooks and actually put to words (or art) those things to share with the rest of us.

So... do you want to know what to do since your favorite story ever ended on a cliffhanger and it's driving you nuts because you want to "know the ending?" Here are some non-A.I. things you can do!

Comment on that fic, explaining why it is your favorite and how it makes you feel (though avoid "when is the next chapter?" comments, they can make the muse go back into its cave to hide).

Make some fandom friends. especially ones that love said story as much as you do, and roleplay an ending privately in a Discord server with those friends. The reason that putting a story into ChatGPT and then finishing it is ucky is because ChatGPT remembers and steals that input.

Ask yourself why you loved that thing so much. Is it because it is a clever trope perhaps? Or the premise is delicious? Well then, sit down and open a document (or notebook) and write your own version, then use AO3's Inspired By to credit the original story. Why is this different than A.I.? Because it's connections you yourself are making, instead of parroting out plagiarism.

Go onto your fandom social media account and say something about how much that unfinished story means to you and why, because you never know if there's a writer out there who just needs that tiny little push to finish.

And when can we think about all this generative A.I. stuff and use it? Well, once policies are in place for transparency in what is in the training set. Ways to opt out your creations (this includes retroactively). Right now the tech bros are running away as fast as they can with the stolen treasure chest and hoping they run far enough that governments throw up their hands and don't tell them to return what they stole. Don't let them do that.

So, there you have it.

I support writers against content thieves throwing their work into A.I., and now you even have a handy-dandy little list of things you can do if you are hungry for the end of the story that does not involve plagiarizing and stealing!

[sadisthetic]

Dude your Jaya hanahakai au is everything. If you're not gonna write that uhhhh can I???? 'Cause it's so creative and intricate. Utter genius bro

Also I really love the unrequited/stay friends ending and the requieted ending. They're both just so good and so well thought out (i also dont want jay to die lmao). Also YES!!! GIVING NYA AGENCY!! You put so much consideration into her feelings and it's making me bark like a feral little dog. Like the worst thing about skybound is how it treats Nya as a character and I just shhdjdjd. This is driving me insane. Ninjago's writing makes me ill but yours has me on my knees.

THANK YOU.............. DRAMATICALLY FALLS TO MY HANDS AND KNEES..... SWEET FEEDBACK AND BOOST TO MY EGO.... i was insane while writing that entire au too.

ALSO ITS FUNNY... I WROTE SO MUCH ABOUT NYAS FEELINGS IN THIS AU BECAUSE IT WAS ENTIRELY NECESSARY. LIKE. I HAD TO. especially for requited end. i knew when i got to that point in the story where i had to address i knew it in my heart that this was like. the most important part. nyas feelings are so important in this au.... and i knew without proper explanation/justification of nyas feelings of why she falls in love with jay again the au Simply Would Not Work. all that consideration is me doing the intense relationship math (math? i dunno. its a process of some sort.) TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THEM WORK. because if anything. jaya should is a relationship that requires work. not effortless in the slightest.

i love jaya. its technically a terrible romance. fucking absolutely wretched and tormented by obligatory heterosexual writing. it only exists because straight writers Have to write het tax into their shows for some goddamn reason. but also. its the ship of all time. its because im delusional and have thought about it so much and put so much thought into how their relationship should BE and also wrote so much meta and shit to fill in the massive gaps in their relationship that canon doesnt address or skips over. YOU SEE JAYA IS ACTUALLY SO FUCKING INTERESTING AS A RELATIONSHIP. ITS SO INTERESTING BECAUSE ITS A FUCKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY ACTUALLY HAVE VERY LITTLE CHEMISTRY AS COUPLE. AND YET AND YET AND YET. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. THEY GET TOGETHER ON SUPERFICIAL TERMS. THEY BREAK UP. THEY GET TOGETHER AGAIN. BECAUSE THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. in my eyes they arent a perfect match for each other. actually. thats literally canon. jay isnt nyas perfect match (god i think about s3 so fucking much i hate it) but they love each other anyways and end up together in the end despite the things theyve gone through. i think theres something real about that. love that is mismatched and tried but they Work through it anyways. thats romance baby. theres something very romantic about love that takes effort (is the guy who is putting all the effort into the ship) (very delusional) (but very self aware about it)

jaya is like. a brain teaser. its like a fun puzzle for my brain to solve (fix) because its such a travesty in canon. the gordians knot of ninjago ships. i love thinking about it so much. i thought about it so much ive tricked myself into becoming a massive shipper who screams whenever they do something cute together

oh fuck im sorry i forgot to answer your question bc i got so fucking heated about jaya. its because im insane about them. it just happened. fuck. jaya............................ i love divorce...... anyways

YES you can write my au. because i certainly dont have the stamina to do it myself. i would like if you credited me for the idea tho if youre gonna use my plot beats. but otherwise? Feel Free. go nuts. i love fanfiction. i always think of my stories as fanfic anyways and man i sure do wish i could read my own au as a fic. but i lack the capacity to write this beast of an au in full. so like. someone else might as well. if you do. have fun