#gosh i am an avid writer

[jacky-rubou]

HOW DID I WRITE 10K WORDS FOR THIS FIC ALREADY AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[ariseur]

So excited to see a new DMC writer on Tumblr 🎉🎉 could I request just some domestic headcanons with Dante?

domestic dante hc’s 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪

dante (devil may cry) x reader

┊ ˚➶ notes ｡˚ 🎼

thank you for this req!! saw the lack of dmc fics and decided to just make some myself lol. hope you guys enjoy my stuff 💕

┊ ˚➶ warnings ｡˚ 🎼

few curse words? just lots of fluff mainly

. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄

❥ oh my gosh please take care of DANTE because he honestly neglects himself and his place

❥ whatever you do, don’t imagine you and dante doing dishes—an activity he absolutely hates—while you tell him all the gossip you find out

❥ he simply gasps and ‘ooh’s at everything, mouth occasionally dropping open at certain scandals

❥ he’s literally the perfect person to gossip with

❥ whatever you do, don’t imagine running your hands through dante’s hair as you lather the shampoo, the suds tinted a dark red and brown from all the blood and grime of his job as he throws his head back with a groan

❥ whatever you do, DON’T imagine dante placing his hands on your waist as he tugs you closer to him, feet coming down from their resting spot on the desk so you could stand between his legs as he looks up at you with gazing blue eyes

❥ i am feral oh my goodness

❥ and definitely don’t imagine tending to the bruises and scrapes that he comes home with

❥ even though dante’s body perfectly capable of healing itself, he loves when you baby him

❥ because he’s at work a lot or is tryna pay off his bills, he loves just coming home and spending time with you when he can

❥ honestly collapses on the couch (or bed, whichever’s closer) and encourages you to join, face still buried in the pillow as he beckons you over with an open hand

❥ if you wear makeup and fall asleep with it on, dante will try his best to clean it off for you

❥ except he’s like.. rlly bad at it lmfao

❥ but the thoughts there!! he’s trying his best 💔💔

❥ the type of guy to call you the cheesiest nicknames tho

❥ like.. babycakes? really 😭?

❥ also gives light swats at your ass if you bend over, i’m sorry but it’s true

❥ likes touching you with at least some part of his body, if you sleep then your legs gotta lock or if you’re on the couch his arms around you

❥ but good luck because this man is a FURNACE

❥ if you have anemia / low iron or like any other condition where you can get pretty cold, this man is your lifeline

❥ read a fic about dante carrying like tons of bags after he spoiled you and went shopping with you despite not even having money to pay bills at the devil may cry and let me just say i am an avid believer of that as well

❥ you’ll literally be walking away from a cute necklace or pair of shoes and then you turn around and think wheres dante?

❥ then you just see him hauling ass towards you as he tries to keep up with all the bags he has in his hands while you spot the small rectangular velvet box in his hands

❥ ugh

❥ i wont him

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈ ｡ﾟ

DANTE watched as soft snores fell from your parted lips, hair splayed out below you crazily. he knew those would be a bitch to comb out later, but he couldn’t focus on anything else on the fact that the sunlight was hitting you just right, your skin coated in a deep gold as it reflected off your body.

you could’ve told dante you were an angel, and he would’ve believed you in a heartbeat. he’ll admit, he was a sucker for moments like these. even if seemed odd in retrospect, he just enjoyed seeing you so serene.

his eyes flickered around the room, trying to find a way to occupy his brain without waking you up before they finally fell on the black plastic remote that lay under your head.

dante’s hand slowly inched over, fingers almost tip-toeing their way over to you as he touched the remote. he was careful to pull it from under you, tugging it very slightly despite the weight of your head resting on it.

you stirred, making dante’s eyes widen as he paused his movements and bit his lip, even making a point so as to hold his breath. you licked your lips, dry from sleep as your head turned over to the other side of the pillow, sighing as you felt the coolness beneath your face.

dante exhaled in relief, before grabbing the remote and turning the tv off as he made sure to turn the volume down so you wouldn’t awake. even if a few minutes later you did anyways.

your eyelashes fluttered open as you caught dante muttering something at the tv, his eyes glued to some crappy reality tv show as they cut to an interview of a girl on the show. he scowled when he saw her, to which you softly laughed, tone gravelly from the thick coat of sleep still layering your voice. dante turned his head, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear as he softly shushed you and coaxed you to go back to sleep.

“‘s alright, just go back to sleep baby.”

“can’t really go back to sleep when you’re shit-talking the contestants, dante.” you smiled at him as he admired you, gazing down upon you as you stretched your limbs and rubbed the sleep away from your eyes, attention turning to the tv.

“what season is this?” you asked. dante’s hand never left your hair as his hands ran through it, careful not to snag on any tangles before responding with a quiet, “three.”

and in that moment when you looked back at him, eyes filled to the brim with nothing but adoration, he could’ve sworn his heart had stopped. dante felt as if the sun favored you, because every time you stepped in it, somehow you looked absolutely ethereal.

yeah, dante thought, he liked these small moments you two shared.

myvampyrez™

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ this is my only account. there should be no works similar or identical to mine under any name on any other website. i am not on wattpad or ao3 or anywhere else, only tumblr. i do not give permission for my work to be plagiarized, translated, or shared anywhere else unless it is reblogged here on tumblr.

[sicklyworm]

Hi yes I would like to hear your thoughts on Shang Qinghua and his characterization (both in canon and in fanfic). I've always really enjoyed the fics with the like,, BAMF!Shang Qinghua tag, but i also can't decide if his cowardice is an act or not, if that makes sense? Or if it's a bit of both.

Oh my gosh thank you for this ask. Please forgive me anon for the absolute rant that's about to happen because of it!!!

I'm going to break down this ask into chunks so properly and thoroughly answer every part of it!

Starting with,

SQH's cannon characterization:

I spent several hours trying to type out a good yet manageable description of his characterization but I found that no matter how hard I try it's a bit too long for a reasonable Tumblr post.

So instead of just ditching this like a normal person I instead started on a essay going over Shang Qinghua's characterization with quotes and analysis!

At the moment of posting it is not currently completed but I'll make sure to reblog this post with the link to the document once it's done!

Now moving on to,

SQH's characterization in fanfiction:

I'm an avid fanfiction reader myself so I see a plethora of different authors writing different arcs for SQH so obviously he's going to act differently in each one.

The thing I think makes or breaks alot of fanfiction with him is whether the author can properly distinguish between their voice and his. As a highly relatable character a lot of us writers can have a pretty hard time distinguishing him as a character from ourselves! When this happens writers can accidentally take bits and pieces of themselves that don't quite match up with him and kind of force them into the characterization of him!

There's also like the cases of hyperfeminization or character bashing but I feel like those are more of a generalized problem then something SQH specific.

Next is,

Is SQH actually a coward or was it just an act?

This question was one I wrestled with quite a bit when I was first starting to dissect his character.

He plays dead and grovels easily when he feels threatened yet displays tremendous courage when it has to do with MBJ. Whether it be saving MBJ from falling to his death or from MBJ'S own uncle, he is necessarily putting himself in danger just for the safety of someone else.

These behaviors by definition conflict with SQH being a coward but It still feels incomplete to just say "he's not a coward case closed." Because he does act incredibly pathetically at times and has betrayed quite a few people!

So after a bit more deliberation I came to the conclusion that "his coward status is determined by his personal connection towards the subject"

If the subject is not close to him or his heart then it is completely subjected to all of SQHs shady and cowardly tendencies. Even if the subject is kinda close to him I believe these cowardly behaviors will definitely cut back some but under enough threat he will ultimately choose his own personal safety.

But in the case he has a deep emotional connection to the subject he seems willing to show tremendous courage and bravery in order to protect said subject.

Example of this playing out in cannon is:

The Sect - low emotional attachment = full rat bastard mode.

Shen Yuan - mid emotional attachment = normal level of courage but will cave under pressure.

Mobei-jun - high motional attachment = huge levels of courage that won't cave under pressure.

✧✧✧

Extra:

My ADHD was going off the rails with this post so I have no idea how coherent it is.

Anyways i am also a big fan of the BAMF!SQH tag and would love if you dropped off some recommendations in my ask box!

[honeyhotteoks]

I just finished reading into the aurora a couple of days ago. I think I saved it while you were in the middle of posting new updates, but I was nervous to read it as I'm not usually into idolxreader fics. I can say that I was completely wrong to think that and am blown away by how amazingly lovely ita is. your writings were and are so respectful, and I hope I can reflect that in my own work. I'm thoroughly waiting for the new updates you've made for ita book 1 and patiently waiting for book 2(no rush whatsoever. as a fellow writer/artist, I understand taking as much time as needed). I will definitely be a continued supporter and an avid readerִ ࣪𖤐.ᐟ

you've inspired me to make my own and venture outside of my comfort zone, so I thank you.

oh my gosh thank you so much!! i appreciate that and i’m so glad you tried ita anyways and enjoyed it!

i work really hard to be thoughtful and respectful and i am so glad that resonated with you.

[kithtaehyung]

I JUST this year found out about 3tan and I have GOT to say that seriously, I LLLLLOOOOOOVEE your works, like 3tan was the first one I started but the first chapter had me hooked and by the second chapter I was DEVOOOTEDDDD TO YOUR WRITING, like it all feels very organic, I can immerse myself so easily in this story and I loooooveee the way you write Every. Single. Personality. In this work like, they make sense, shit I love Jimin being such a real one, I love how I can feel the anxiety and tranquility after every intrusive thought and every reassurance, it's all very guttingly beautiful, I feel like crying cause it's such a great work, I had to remind myself to stop for a couple hours cause I was reading at work and by the time I read it at home I'd started pulling all nighters without even noticing cause it's just so gooooood. I was feeling so elated cause I hadn't felt this avid about a story in so long and had mostly just read one-shots and by the time I finished I just needed to read every work of yours and oºoºh my god, I'm still not done but seriously, I wish I had a book cabinet with a podium of favourite amazing writers and works cause yours would easily be within the top 3, little light shining on it and glitter glittering around it, the holy music in the background, the whole works. Seriously thank you so much for your work, I'm thaaaankful for finding your work because even at the dialogue and internal thoughts, they all clicked so good. I could just go on and on about this (I need a whole essay on this or easily a rant channel or smn idk) because I love it so much but I'm not even writing this right and I'm so hype and I hope your food always taste grate, your blankets always feel like safety, your mornings always feel great, your coffee always taste good and warm, your friends always make you feel loved, your favorite movies/series/books/works are always within reach for you and I hope you feel loved by the ones you love every second. Holy shittt thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you so muuuuuuch ✨✨✨✨✨

AHHHH when i tell you the absolute smile i got on my face after reading this, and then the way it got even wider the more i kept reading! organic writing is literally what i work extra hard for, so this made me very, very at peace.

these stories are meant to be escapes from everyday life. worlds you can run away to whenever you need. i'm glad you ended up finding them! (jimin is such a real one omfg)

you can cry! i cry while writing these all the dang time hahaha it's only natural if you are moved enough. totally okay and i will be there to give you tissues. gosh, i remember those times where i lost so much sleep just from being sucked into a fic or book. good times spent!

I was feeling so elated cause I hadn't felt this avid about a story in so long and had mostly just read one-shots and by the time I finished I just needed to read every work of yours and oºoºh my god, I'm still not done but seriously, I wish I had a book cabinet with a podium of favourite amazing writers and works cause yours would easily be within the top 3, little light shining on it and glitter glittering around it, the holy music in the background, the whole works.

THIS PART MADE ME SOBBBB oh my goodness you are so sweet and i wish you the best things in life for years and years! what an incredible compliment to receive as a creator. super honored.

we're having fun on the 3tan discord if you wanna join! we're all there to bond over all things 3tan and other similar interests :D it's super fun and chill.

damn i.. i am just so thankful. this was a thoughtful message and i am gonna sleep so peacefully. thank you again!

[marvelbookclubforadults]

Book Club Meeting: Force of Nature

Hi everyone! Welcome to the meeting this week with me @chuuulip​ or you can call me Marshmalloween 😉 I am first and foremost a fanfic reader turned sporadic fanfic writer. Marshmalloween was supposed to be a character of a ghostly/ghoul but cute marshmallow, I still have an icon that represents it correctly in my AO3 account. As for the meeting today, I like to do something like afternoon tea. I am actually an avid coffee drinker but now converted due to some digestive problem. Booze is also out of the picture but don’t fret, we still can have fun! So, please pull your chair closer and get comfy 😊

Since it will be an afternoon tea, I will serve my favorite Irish black tea with milk (lactose free one). I also add two teaspoons of condensed milk for the sweetness. That's how I like my tea. I also have several teas you can choose and other types of milk (oats, soy, almond and non lactose free one).

For today’s sweet, I would like to present chocolate eclairs with a little bit of white chocolate on top and a mini size strawberry shortcake. Both are things I like to bake if I have a lot of spare time (nowadays I would say I’m lucky if I can make pancake 🤣).

As everyone has their own tea and sweets on the table, let's get started. I would say I’m kind of an old fan of Marvel in general (maybe not that old, definitely less than 5 years) but I tend to stick to specific pairing. It will take me some time to switch pairing or OTP. I would like to elaborate a lil bit if everyone doesn't mind. Loki x Darcy is the first OTP I shipped. After that, it takes me a year or two to switch interest to Steve x Natasha. In the meantime, I read one story that has Steve and Natasha as one of the character relationships but the major relationship in that story was Bucky Barnes and a female character. That story I believed was the start of my journey diving myself into Bucky Barnes x y/n or Bucky Barnes x reader fanfic. The story called “Force of Nature”

The “Force of Nature” was written by Totallynotashieldagent. She also has tumblr with the same name although she has been inactive on tumblr for a couple years now (although her Ao3 account is still active, and she also posted a lot of other stories!). I would like to quote my comment on the last chapter in Ao3 “I spent my weekend last week to finish this story. Honestly I am glad that I wait for it to be completed first before I read it, it's been there in my steve x natasha bookmark everytime i refresh it lol. It's been 2 days of a roller coaster for me hahaha, gosh this story seriously affects me in some ways because of the angst. But I really love this story, you my dear have a really good ‘tell a tale’ in every chapter ♡” (M, 2018).

This story in my opinion was really rich with action, romance, heart broken, romance, broken soul, smut, angst, apocalypse you name it. The whole story is a bit of a mix of The Avengers and X-Men first class. Set in a modern environment, the female protagonist (reader/you) is somewhat kind of a damsel in distress but that’s not for long. I love Bucky here but again who doesn’t love him? You need to be patient because this one is a slow burn kind of story that will captivate you. Some things that I love from this story were the details and its multi character focus. I would love to reread this story again sometimes just to feel the pain (honestly I’m not good at keeping up with angst). It’s been two years since I last read this story but I still can remember vividly how this story made me feel at that late night, almost dawn after I read the last chapter.

If you love a Bucky x Reader slow burn mix angst and some action, you need to read this one! I hope you enjoy today’s Marvel Book Club for Adults and let me know what your thought after reading it!

Chuuu💋

[dramaticsnakes]

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in. / 17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favorite? / 42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing: / 💖

Oh my gosh thank you for the questions!! 💖 I love your blog!

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

I actually haven’t been a very active shipper in that many fandoms. I just kind of existed in the fandom until someone converted me into a shipper of their ship. Here are the things that come to mind though:

If anyone talks to me consistently for a little while I’ll probably eventually talk about my obsession with the old Donald Duck comics, where I will always have a soft spot for Scrooge McDuck x Glittering Goldie.

I really like the web comic The Glass Scientists and I’ve written two fics in the past with the ship Jekyon (Henry Jekyll x Robert Lanyon) 

And finally for Sanders Sides, the one fandom where I am an avid multishipper, I can get behind most ships. I have a soft spot for any Janus ship really. Judging by the amount of Moceit content I reblog though, I’d have to say that.

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favorite? 

In terms of the Sanders Sides fandom I actually think Logicality was the first ship I sought out content for. They aren’t my favourites anymore but I am still soft for them at times.

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing

Oooh here we go! Appreciation time! I didn’t know whether I should tag them or not. I think I am just going to link them for now, as I am still a bit scared of tagging people. One day I will get over that.

@/anxiously-creating is an amazing writer! I’d recommend Perfection doesn’t last and all the other great things he has written! He is very good at descriptions and dialogue and his works always make me feel things.

@/a-vintage-snake Goodness, if anyone wants some amazing dukeceit you need to go read The Mountains are Calling And I Must Go. It’s incredibly well-written and the characterizations are on point!

@/rose-gold-roman Shatter is the first multichapter Sanders Sides fanfic I got into and I love it so freaking much. The community around it is also very wholesome, and it’s just a great fic! I love all the other things on his ao3 as well! There is a lot of amazing stuff!

@/whenisitenoughtrees writes such great fics! I am blown away every time!!! i picture it soft and i ache was the first fic of theirs I fell in love with.

And you @/notveryglittery! You’ve written several fics that have made me soft! I am just going to link the first part of the birthday prince series, because damn thank you for giving Roman the love he deserves.

There are others I really like but I am linking these for now!

[demyrie]

So after stalking your tumbler due to EraserMight issues I'm (not) coping with, I bought your book. I just want to say its brilliant, and funny, and scary and fascinating, and I absolutely loved it. I hope you're up for writing many, many more Midnight Tour stuffs, 'cause I now have Midnight Tour issues to go with the EraserMight ones... In short, your book is good, your tumblr is good and I hope you feel good. Anon because not on tumbler, Ook on A03

AAAAANNNNOOOOONNNNNN (THAT ACTUALLY HAS A NAME)!!!!!

Thank! You! THANKYOU! Oh my gosh there are so many things to say. 

Firstly, thank you for drinking at my (very deep) Erasermight waterhole!! i am SO happy you have fallen into EM hell with me because it’s actually super fun down here. There’s nothing to cope with!!! just endless projection and soft angsty horny dads!!! love~~~

Secondly AAA??!?!?! I’m so glad you finished and liked the first novel that just sends me through the ROOF!!!! I swear I teared up when I read your message. This ... just .. YOU ... THANK YOU ... those are all the words I ever, ever wanted to be associated with my writing and my stories so thank you for gifting me that. And that you’re excited about more ... oh god please Ook you’ve got me on my kneeeeees ;______;

Thank you. Thank you SO much friend. I am absolutely overcome, super inspired and hopeful, and feeling especially special that you took the time to send me a message about any of it <3 It’s the first of what will be 13 books and will intertwine with @rainbowstarbird‘s own series of babies we co-created and I’m horribly excited for ALL OF IT.

Please, tumblr friends, my first original book has been out for a week and I’m losing my mind with happiness!! It’s only $3.33 and you can read it on your phone like fic, i promise!

Please do a longtime fic writer and avid fan a favor! Thank you so much for hanging around and being interested in my stuff <3

[elcrivain]

It’s time. You have to pick up that dreaded classic you have lying around. Maybe it’s Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, or even worse, William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Those things look terrifying with all that fancy bindings and annotations. But you have to read it anyway, either because some lame English professor assigned it or because you want to be well-read. Either way, you know it’s going to be hard.

Why do we struggle so? Why do such books make even the most avid of readers tremble in their boots? What is the problem with these damned things?

It’s all about the context. Or, rather, about how most modern readers lack the context to understand and appreciate classics. The boring dictionary definition of context is: The circumstance or setting in which an idea or even can be fully understood. If you don’t have context, an idea — such as the ones in classics — are liable to be misunderstood or outright overlooked. We, in all of our modernity, lack context for many classics in several respects.

The Context of Prose and Style

Language evolves. Sentence structure shifts. Words fall in and out of fashion. Even word meanings metamorphose.

It takes only a quick survey of English literature to see how much can change in a few hundred years (and we’re not even getting into translations):

A wys wyf, if that she can hir good,

Shal beren him on hond the cow is wood,

And take witnesse of hir owene mayde

Of hir assent; but herkneth how I sayde.

— Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Wife of Bath” in The Canterbury Tales (1475)

This isn’t the work of a drunken five-year-old with atrocious spelling skills. It’s Middle English, a variant of English spoken after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and before the 16th century. It bears some resemblance to modern English, but it’s gosh-darn hard to read without annotations (and alcohol).

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? — To die, — to sleep.

— William Shakespeare, Hamlet (1603)

Now that we’re in Modern English — yes, Shakespeare is modern — the spelling is improving, but it’s still tough to get through. Shakespeare’s heavy use of figurative language flummoxes us, literal-minded modern readers. No, those slings and arrows aren’t real!

The ledge, where I placed my candle, had a few mildewed books piled up in one corner; and it was covered with writing scratched on the paint. This writing, however, was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters, large and small — Catherine Earnshaw, here and there varied to Catherine Heathcliff, and then again to Catherine Linton. In vapid listlessness I leant my head against the window, and continued spelling over Catherine Earnshaw — Heathcliff — Linton, till my eyes closed; but they had not rested five minutes when a glare of white letters started from the dark, as vivid as spectres — the air swarmed with Catherines; and rousing myself to dispel the obtrusive name, I discovered my candle wick reclining on one of the antique volumes, and perfuming the place with an odour of roasted calf-skin.

— Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (1847)

Compared to Shakespeare, Brontë seems straightforward, except for one thing. Like many other 19th century writers, she uses long, flowing, and descriptive sentence structure that seems incongruous compared to today’s staccato sentence structure.

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

— George Orwell, Nineteen-Eighty-Four (1949)

Now that we’re in the really modern part of Modern English, things are so much better. Orwell adopts the simpler, more direct style that we’re more used to. Whew! (Note that simple and straightforward prose doesn’t always translate into simple and straightforward meaning.)

Not all troublesome prose comes from old and dead white folks. Some contemporary authors eschew plainness for some flair in their prose. Whether you find that dazzling or confounding is up to you.

…I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire… I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.

— William Faulkner, The Sound and Fury (1929)

Faulkner’s convoluted prose forces the reader to focus single-mindedly to follow along. Confusing as it may be, Faulkner’s marriage of the stream-of-consciousness writing of modernists and descriptiveness of Romanticism give a certain ��lan to his writing. Just don’t read him before bed as you’ll fall asleep without any memory of what you’ve read.

Now a member of the company seated there seemed to weigh the judge’s words and some turned to look at the black. He stood an uneasy honoree and at length he stepped back from the firelight and the juggler rose and made a motion with the cards, sweeping them in a fan before him and then proceeding along the perimeter past the boots of the men with the cards outheld as if they would find their own subject.

— Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (1985)

McCarthy’s combination of complex sentences and a disdain of punctuation gives his writing an air of inscrutability. Love or hate him, you have to admit that the dude got a style.

The Context of Historical Settings and Culture

Most authors write for their contemporaries, not for some unknown high school student 100 years in the future. They assume that their reader knows the social and cultural contexts. Once a book survives the test of time, this assumption fails.

Jane Austen’s books serve as a good example of how our ignorance of the social mores of early 19th century genteel society can lead the reader to miss allusions that would’ve been obvious to a contemporaneous reader.

“Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet?”

“Yes, ma’am, all.”

“All! What, all five out at once? Very odd! And you only the second. The younger ones out before the elder ones are married! Your younger sisters must be very young?”

“Yes, my youngest is not sixteen. Perhaps she is full young to be much in company. But really, ma’am, I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should not have their share of society and amusement, because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early. The last-born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth at the first. And to be kept back on such a motive! I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind.”

“Upon my word,” said her ladyship, “you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age?”

“With three younger sisters grown up,” replied Elizabeth, smiling, “your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it.”

Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.

“You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure, therefore you need not conceal your age.”

“I am not one-and-twenty.”

— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

A reader unaware of the importance (and meaning) of “being out in society” in Georgian gentry wouldn’t note how uncouth it was to have five sisters out all at once, a serious social misstep by the Bennets. (And no, “coming out” doesn’t mean the same thing as it does today.) They would also have missed how tactless it was for Lady Catherine to harp on this point and Elizabeth’s impertinence for evading Lady Catherine’s question. This is why an unschooled reader would overlook the biting satire in Austen’s novels, which is a horrible shame.

Many classic novels attack contemporaneous cultural, religious, and social conventions. If you don’t understand the norms under attack, you lose context to why the novel was so daring, so bold.

I made this mistake with Jane Eyre. Upon my first reading at 13, I dismissed it as melodramatic slop. When I revisited it at 18, I saw how Charlotte Brontë criticizes the prevailing religious belief of charity and how remarkably independent Jane Eyre is, a shocking thing for a Victorian woman. I, however, still think that the book has too many dei ex machina (overly convenient plot twists).

The Context of Narrative Conventions

Following or breaking it, many classics take a stance on narrative conventions. Thomas Hardy embraces the pastoral and tragic narratives in Tess of d’Urbervilles as James Joyce bucks the Realists’ more removed narratives with his stream-of-consciousness writing.

To understand a book’s attitude toward narrative conventions is to understand why certain writing, plot, or characters elements exist (or disappear) from a novel. These expectations ease the way for your reading. Really!

When I began reading Tess of the d’Urbervilles, I knew that it was a pastoral tragedy, which prepared me for two important things. First, since it was a pastoral, I knew Hardy would describe the setting to such detail that the town(s) would become characters in their own rights. So I was prepared for passages like these which would seem unnecessary and boring to the average modern reader (fairly enough):

The village of Marlott lay amid the north-eastern undulations of the beautiful Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor aforesaid, an engirdled and secluded region, for the most part, untrodden as yet by tourist or landscape painter, though within a four hours’ journey from London.

It is a vale whose acquaintance is best made by viewing it from the summits of the hills that surround it — except perhaps during the droughts of summer. An unguided ramble into its recesses in bad weather is apt to engender dissatisfaction with its narrow, tortuous, and miry ways.

— Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Second, since Tess is a tragedy, I prepared myself for many frowny-face moments. If you go into a Hardy expecting a happy ending a la Pride and Prejudice, you’ve taken a wrong turn in the 19th-century bookstore.

The Context of Symbolism

When you’re a high school student studying The Great Gatsby, it might seem like the teacher is inventing all those meanings from rivers and currents to justify their paycheck. You think, “Damn it, why can’t a boat just be a boat?”

English teachers’ flights of fancy aside, symbolism is a real thing. Under the best of circumstances, symbolism deepens existing themes and ideas already present in the novel. Problems begin when you don’t recognize the signs of symbolism.

Here’s an example: The last lines heard ‘round the world:

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…. And one fine morning-

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Scholars have quarreled over the meaning of this passage for decades, showing that there is no purely correct answer. Therein lies the subjectivity of literary analysis — but it remains vital that you understand the purpose of symbolism and are able to recognize it. (Hint: watch for recurrent motifs and ideas.)

The Context of the Original Publication (or Performance)

This oft-overlooked context can massively alter your reading of a classic. Many classics weren’t originally presented in the format in which it is read today. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales was performed in verse. Shakespearean plays were meant for the stage, not small English classrooms. And so it goes.

But those are well-known examples. The examples nobody talks about are these 19th-century epics, most of which were originally published in a serialized format where the author was paid by the word (Anna Karenina, A Tale of Two Cities, The Count of Monte Cristo). This small detail completely alters the structure and flow of those stories. The serialized format and the pay scheme encouraged such writers to write more, more, and more. This is why Anna Karenina clocks in at almost 1,000 pages filled with descriptive passages of Levin moving grass. The format also means that the author didn’t consider the “flow” of narration from chapter to chapter, creating a disjointed reading experience as the story hops from one perspective to another. These stories were never conceptualized as a novel in today’s sense. You might even benefit from reading in small bursts, just like these newspaper readers did more than 100 years ago.

If you happen to read a classic out of its original publishing context, be mindful of how that’ll affect your experience. To get the fullest and richest experience, you might want to revert back to the original storytelling form, such as watching a Shakespearean play or movie. (I recommend Much Ado About Nothing, just ignore Keanu Reeves.)

Context is everything. Without the right context, many classics appear inscrutable and downright mystifying. Most of us aren’t born with a knowledge of Middle English syntax and deep knowledge of manners among the English gentry during the Georgian era.

Where does that leave us, the befuddled readers? It leaves us with the hard reality that we need to investigate the context in which the classic was written. That means glancing at a Wikipedia page about the French Revolution before (and during) reading Les Miserables. It also means preparing yourself for a fantastical twirl through time in a South American village before you read One Hundred Years of Solitude. With some preparation, you can actually appreciate those dusty little classics.

N.B. I adopt the more expansive definition of classics as notable works of literature due to their excellence and significance, rather than the more traditional definition as pre-17th-century works of literature.

[laughing-with-god]

Hello! I myself am working on a yandere series for bts and I just so happen to love your writing and feel inspired by it every time something new is up. I was wondering if you could give me some pointers for writing yandere type stories or just writing descriptions since you are very good at it in my opinion. ~✿Anon

1. Infatuation is a really big part of yandere. Biggest mistake you can make is an underdeveloped process in which the yandere becomes obsessed with the OC. Instead of doing a “he saw her...it was love at first sight.....he knew he just had to have her” pls dedicate a good couple hundred words where the yandere is taken aback by the OC’s appearance, persona ect. or the Yandere’s slow progression into obsession. Like the thing I did in pen Pal where Jk first sees the readers picture and we see the detailed musings of his mind triggered by the readers image alone. or Paparazzi’s Jimin slow process of becoming more and more dedicated to the reader as time goes on. Real obsession takes time and has a triggering point. Make ur readers believe it.

2. Yandere readers are tired of dumb OC’s. Please, while in the midst of escaping or handling the yandere, think for a second “would I do something like this?” while crafting your main characters response. If the answer is no bc you’re likely more intelligent than that, then pls redirect your main character’s plan of action accordingly.

3. In my experience, readers would rather wait longer for a nice and lengthy update then get quicker hundred-something worded chapters. My personal rule is it doesn’t get posted unless its over 3k. As an avid reader myself, it’s literally so frustrating to love a plot or writer but have to settle for like 800 to 1k words per chapter. It makes it hard for readers to really sink into a story and get involved when the chapters are short and end abruptly. Make sure it’s of a decent length, and moves the story forward in some way. Filler chapters really annoy readers.

4. This is random but I see it in fanfcition literally all the time and it grinds my gears. Pls don’t dedicate any writing to the past. It’s hard to explain but like I’ll try my best. Have you ever read a fan fiction where out of nowhere the flash backs are like really fucking detailed and always a sob story and for some reason the author always makes them long as hell so sometimes the flashbacks get their own fucking chapters? It’ll be so fucking detailed too, to the point where as a reader your like “....I literally don’t care about half the shit that apparently happened 5 years ago that the author spent like 2.8k on....” ppl could make the argument that it’s for the sake of character development so you get to know someone’s story but like tbh I think you should focus on the present. Like with Pen Pal’s OC, I could’ve taken the time to take you back to that day where her sister was killed but tbh that’s a waste of writing that would be inefficient to the story progression. Show don’t tell. I showed how bad her sister’s accident fucked her up, I sprinkled in some info here and there but didn’t break a sweat trying to get super fucking technical with it. I BEG OF YOU...STAY AWAY FROM FLASHBACKS.

5. Last thing, readers like to discover info with the main character. It makes the story more thrilling and makes readers hooked. Readers will want to figure out stuff about the yandere with the OC. For Pen Pal, how the fuck would that cookie crumbled if I was like “lmao guys so Jk is a serial killer and here’s who he killed, why he killed them, and what he plans to do with Y/n”. Like no....it’s more exciting to find out about the crimes and piece together the puzzle with the OC. Although, stories where we are going through the plot with the Yandere instead of the OC are really good ways to show progression of obsession. 👀☕️

6. Details are good but like sis...do we need to know this shit?? In a lot of fan fictions, some authors get so far up the OC’s (ass)life and it really shows👀. Here’s an example;

“You woke up and got ready for school. You took a warm shower whilst using the strawberry shampoo that always made your hair smell so good. Then you got dressed and decided to wear a orange crop top, green high waisted jeans and some cute brown boots. Highlighted by some hoop earrings and a gold necklace. You put on some makeup, light eyeliner, blush and some lipstick. Next, you put your hair up into a messy bun and went downstairs for breakfast where you ate a bowl of oatmeal, and some fresh fruit. Freshly cut strawberries, mango and berries. Then you filled up your cute purple waterbottle and headed to the bus where you took the window seat and plugged in your headphone to listen to “song by artist” bc it honestly made you feel so “emotion”. Gosh...you’re so quirky🤪”

Like sis, ur readers couldn’t give a shit if the OC picked the blue shirt or the green shirt or what EXACTLY she had for breakfast or what type of pencil she used....

Good luck sis. Don’t let anyone tell you shit about your writing either dude. So many times I wanted to quit just bc some asshole hit up my inbox spreading some negativity. Like most artists, writers are also sensitive about their shit 🤧. Srry if my tips were long asl but tbh I just unloaded like YEARS of shit I wanted to yell at some awful tumblr writers. Also, let us know when it’s posted and what it’s called bc you kno me and like my 3 followers are STARVED for yandere.

[distant-stargirl]

Hey my lovelies,

Soooo if you’ve been following my Twitter account (link to which is in the menu bar of my page, please visit it, my beautiful page which I tried so hard to set up for all of you is getting lonely 😢 ) you’d know that I recently went out and bought a LOT of books from Barnes and Noble! Heck yeah! Gosh I absolutely love books and it’s been wayyyy too long since I’ve been at my local B&N store. It’s just so soothing for me to visit it, get myself either tea or hot coco with a pastry sit down and just r e a d. Yeah, I’m a geeky bookworm and I love it. Books, and the occasional manga, are my sustenance and it’s also been too long since I’ve bought some of my favorite books/manga for myself and added to my growing book collection. Also shout-out to the incredibly friendly and chill Barnes and Noble staff who absolutely took all of my queries about where certain books were located in stride and not once were irritated by how often I returned to ask where another one was located. You guys are the best and thank you so crazy much for putting up with me and my stupid queries!!! So let me deconstruct these books, why I bought them for myself, and why they’re my favorite in this PART 1 post:

Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tcholke  Honestly I know nothing about this book, it just jumped out at me as I was looking for the other books that are in the picture and after reading the flap summary and finding out that it was a dark fantasy novel with its own world and females having magical killing powers I knew this was the book for me and I had to have it so I could read it for myself. Sadly I haven’t read it yet, but it’s definitely sitting high up on my to-read list right now.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia This Young Adult realistic fictional novel I’ve read before based on a recommendation from a local librarian friend, and once I got past the awkward beginning I just couldn’t put it down and finished the rest in almost one go. The book is about an awkward teen named Eliza Mirk who is an artist/author for a famous online websomic called Monstrous Sea. Whilst she is practically famous and extremely adept at the online sphere she keeps this persona very separate from her real life, thus making her out very awkward in her high school and constantly battles with negative thoughts from her social anxiety. Thankfully all of this changes when she meets a fellow Monstrous Sea fan Wallace who is actually... well nah I’m not gonna spoil it for you guys :P But anyways, I absolutely loved how this book described social anxiety along with the depressive thoughts Eliza faces later on and it really touched me at how accurate and realistically it described them. I knew I had to have this book for myself and today was the day I decided to get it

Kitchen Princess Volume 1 omnibus by Nastumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi So some of you may not know but I’m an avid fan of Japanese comics, otherwise known as manga. Well, this is another series that I’ve read before about a girl named Najika who has a special talent of having absolute taste which means that if she tastes something she can almost always recreate the recipe almost perfectly for what it is, if not improve it too! But Najika isn’t too focused on her special talent, what she wants is to find the boy who first inspired her to live by giving her some flan to eat after her parents passed away leaving Najika all by herself. And the only thing she has to go by is a spoon that was included with the flan leading her to the prestigious Seika Academy. The manga follows Najika through her ups and downs at Seika Academy as she discovers and navigates through her inherent cooking/baking talent and secretly searches for the boy that stole her heart so many years ago. So. I am a total sucker for insipid high school romance stories and this was one of the prime ones I’ve read a long time ago. Plus I’ve already read manga with Kobayashi’s artwork and Ando’s storyline and I knew I loved their artist/writer combination so this one wouldn’t disappoint me. Of course this is only 1 of 5 omnibus volumes which contains both volumes 1 & 2 and I can’t wait to slowly collect the rest of the volumes month by month, so excited!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride by Kore Yamazaki Another manga I’ve been wanting to get for a while! So for a while I’ve seen this manga really gaining a huge following over the years to the point that I even saw it being sold at my high school’s Scholastic book fair. Honestly, I wasn’t all about this book back then especially after reading summary of it despite it really being everything I should want in a manga (I was stupidly only focused on those insipid high school romance manga I mentioned before). But the years passed and I once again happened upon it at my local library and thought heck I may as well try it and see where it got me. And boy did it get me. Right from the start I was dragged under with its basic yet fascinating fantasy elements especially with its otherworldly characters and lore behind it all. It had pretty much everything I could ever hope for: an immersive and developing side-world within the real world, unique and magnetic characters, a developing magical lore, and even a small hint and undercurrent of a budding romance between the two main characters. And if my memory serves me right, I believed that the first novel actually was the one that explored the character relations and romance aspect the most so I decided to finally buy it for myself so that I could return to it at any point I wished. plus the first couple volumes had the most magical lore exploration and artwork as well so heck, another reason why I should buy this novel! Aaaaaand finally... last but not least:

Waiting for you by Susanne Colassanti Yeah, yet another insipid high school romance novel by one of my favorite YA authors. What? I love these novels especially the ones that explore the heavy mental disorders and how it feels/is to live with them on a day to day basis. This one features Marissa a teen high school girl that suffers from general anxiety and the depression that stems from it as well. The book is pretty much how she navigates her spiraling family, her search for a boyfriend, and how to support her friend Sterling who is constantly attracted to boys that are well outside her age range. Although I do love this book to absolute bits because of its mental health awareness, I feel like the book is more of a summary of the things Marissa goes through and it doesn’t really emotionally or spiritually connect with the situations that she faces. They kind of fall flat most of the time since a lot of these things are mostly told rather than shown I guess. Shame because this book really faces some serious thoughts about depression and all.

So these are some of the books I’ve been dying to buy for myself and finally decided enough was enough and bought them for myself a few days ago. Of course this isn’t a complete list of all the books I’ve wanted for myself, which i why this is just a PART 1 post as I’m already planning to buy the books which were out of stock at B&N’s today. So definitely tune in and follow me to get a notification about the future post about the other books that I decide to buy for myself and a possible deconstruction behind them as well!!! Thank you for everyone who read this post to the very end, and here’s a kookie as thanks and congrats 🍪<---- kookie!!! I really hope I didn’t bore y’all out of your minds with this deconstruction, and for those who left in the middle of it, I’m really sorry you didn’t decide to stay to the end but I understand that I can be very monotonous at times (damn me and my perfectionist nature!!!).

Anyhow, thank you all my lovelies for reading all of this again, and follow me to keep an eye out for a part 2 of this!!! Good night my lovelies, sweet dreams and as always.... I’ll catch you all on the flip-blog side!

~ Distant-Stargirl out!

[phdmama]

Can I pick 15 — as in, is there something you wish someone would ask you and hasn’t? If that’s too weird, how about 9. :)

Ahhh oh my gosh!! Well I’ll pick 1! :-D Thank you, my friend!

1. What made you start writing fanfic? 

So I’ve never really considered myself a creative person, especially as a writer - that was my sister’s domain. (I mean, it’s weird when I look back, I was in theater for a LONG time, I seriously considered going to conservatory because I was a very serious violinist and violist, I am avid photographer and have been since I was 16.) But back in 2016, I was reading everything I could get my hands on in both Larry and Drarry and I just thought, hey, a fake boyfriend trope, I want to try that. I’ve always struggled a bit with pacing and taking my time (I am, in many things, very impatient), and it was hard but I also somehow got hooked. The more I wrote, the more I felt like my mind was offering me ideas and stories. And over time, I think they’ve gotten more original, more creative maybe? But I started writing because I was reading so much, I was inspired. 

[mystikoorime]

hi mysti! i am too nervous to come off of anon but i wanted to tell you how much i adore your stories. i’ve followed your botan&hiei work for years and they just keep getting better and better. your stories always brighten my day. they fill me with happiness when i’m feeling down. you are a very special writer and a very special person. ty for sharing your talents with us.

Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for leaving this heartwarming message! I am so humbled and so happy that my HB stories were able to sweeten a bitter day and leave you happier than before. As an avid fanfic reader myself, I know the feeling very well. The fact that I can do that for someone else is one of the *best* feelings in the world.To tell you the truth, I’ve got a love-hate relationship with my own writing. I constantly struggle with and stress over the writing process and sometimes I feel like quitting altogether - but it’s messages like yours that makes it all worth it. I can’t properly explain or fully express how much it means to me that you decided to drop a message, but I can thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’ve brightened my day!If you ever feel like coming off of anon, I’ll be happy to chat with you privately. Thank you again, you sweet, sweet anon! 💛

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | MICHAEL C. HSIUNG (LOS ANGELES) | VANS US OPEN OF SURFING 2017

Last, but certainly not least, we’re stoked to announce Michael C. Hsiung as our fifth and final muralist at this year’s 2017 Vans US Open of Surfing! You may know Michael for his intricate line work and bearded characters, but Michael is not just one thing. In fact, he’s the House of Vans Art Editor— creating magic on this blog every day. We’re so excited to turn the tables and interview Michael for a change to find out how he first got interested in art, and what project he’s most proud of. Keep your eyes peeled as he transfers his art onto the biggest canvas of his career at the Vans US Open of Surfing!

Photographs courtesy of the artist

Introduce yourself My name is Michael C. Hsiung. I’m an artist/drawer who was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, where exposure to skateboarding, heavy metal and Dungeons & Dragons fueled my imagination. Fun fact: My middle name represented by the letter “C” is actually my Chinese given name that refers to “the Unicorn,” from Chinese mythology! How perfect is that hah.

What’s your medium of choice? My favorite medium of choice has to be pens like Microns because first and foremost I was a doodler, and there’s something about having my hands and elbows press down on the paper that gives me comfort.

Have you ever created anything in a space as large as the skate bowl at Vans Us Open of Surfing? I’ve never have painted anything as large as what I’ll be painting in the skate bowl at the Vans US Open of Surfing. I’m excited, nervous, and just ready to get at it. I’m also super stoked that Vans gave me an opportunity to paint this year alongside so many talented folks like Lauren Asta, Jack Graydon, Andrew Pommier and Teddy Kelly!

How did you first get interested in art? Are you self taught or art schooled? I was drawing and coloring with my talented older sister, Pearl, for as long as I can remember. Drawing was our activity as kids –from drawing our own food to play with to drawing illustrations for our own newspapers!  

While my sister went to art school, I really just thought my drawing talents were more of a hobby.  I never really thought it was something for me to pursue.  It wasn’t till after I graduated college and moved back to LA that I actually started revisiting drawing.  I got lots of positive feedback from friends and folks, so I just kept it going and here I am.  It’s basically been on-the-job training for me the last 8 years or so?

What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever created? One of my favorite things I’ve ever created was for Blunt Umbrellas in New Zealand.  We had worked together with an agency to create three unique and detailed illustrations for their artist umbrella and ad designs!  It was just so fun to make something and then have my name attached to it.  We released all my designs on to limited umbrellas, and I still get lots of cool emails or comments about them, which is so cool. We even won a Gold (New Zealand’s Best Graphic Designs) and Silver (Spike Asia) for the designs!  

What was the first piece of artwork you ever sold? I think the first piece of artwork I sold was a drawing at the first show I ever was in at a space in Echo Park called Echo Curio.  Two talented guys I worked with at a museum opened the space and invited me to participate.  Pretty sure the drawing had something to do with mermen, a favorite subject matter of mine. Gosh I think that was in 2006.

Many of your pieces feature a mustached, bearded man. Who is he and what does he represent? As long as I can remember (I have old drawings as a kid), I’ve always kind of drawn mustaches on people for some reason.  Probably some weird early obsession, but it was something that just sort of happened with characters.  I guess sometimes I thought their faces were too plain or needed more character, so I’d add these features which allowed me more room for detail, pattern and etc. Sometimes they represent old San Fernando valley hippies (I grew up around Topanga) and sometimes they’re just hermity looking people.  Sometimes it is to add a bit more dimension or personality, but occasionally I’ll draw a goatee or something hahah.

Would you say your personality reflects your work? I think whether or not it is on purpose, my personality is reflected in my works.  Usually folks will say that my sense of humor peeks through, and I like to think that I’m a fairly lighthearted person in that aspect. I like to laugh, and I like to make folks smile and laugh through my art.

What project are you most proud of? The project I’m most proud of is the recent work that was selected for Metro LA’s Through the Eyes of Artists poster series 2017!  My illustration and digital collage for the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook was chosen and will be on placards for select Metro buses and trains in LA!  It is my proudest project so far because it’s for Los Angeles and for the public transportation system, two things I support!

What’s the most used tool/item in your studio? Books.  By far my favorite tool and item because I can find inspiration in the old books I’ve got on costuming, scrimshaw, mythology or etc.  I love old illustrations and flipping through books and reading them - I always find an interesting tidbits or stories that can turn into a drawing or I can sort of re-tell in my own weird way.

What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of being the Art Editor for the House of Vans Blog? I think the most challenging and rewarding part of being the Art Editor for the House of Vans Blog is keeping up and staying on top of all the talented artists! It happens to also be the most rewarding part too.  Through the blog, I’ve got to interview so many amazing folks and support the work of artists who I’ve always been a fan of–being able to get their story and art out there is something I’m very stoked on.   

Top 3 songs to listen to while creating: 1. Children of the Grave | Black Sabbath 2. Rainbow in the Dark |  DIO 3. And Classical music from public radio! I KNOW total opposite! ha

What is the last exhibit/show you saw? The last show I saw was the Twenty One group show at Subliminal Projects in LA, celebrating 21 years of Shepherd Fairey’s gallery and studio.  I was lucky to be a participant, and it was filled with so many artists that I personally look up too and respect.  Their next show will be Todd Francis’ Worst of the Worst, the Anti-Hero retrospective August 5th will be killer!

How are you “Not Just One Thing?” First and foremost, while I might be an artist, I’m also an amateur cook / baker, avid reader, art writer, and now I’m a mineral pusher with my wife, Rachel Pitler.  We’ve just recently opened our online mineral / crystal shop called Crystal Habitats which I help to manage and run, while she curates and features stones!

Follow Michael C. Hsiung Website |  www.michaelchsiung.com Instagram | @michaelchsiung Tumblr: @michaelchsiung-blog Twitter: @MichaelCHsiung

[stargazerdaisy]

For the writer ask :) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 15, 26, 28, 35, 39, 50 (just these few :P)

01: When did you first start writing?

I wrote a little bit in high school, when I took a Creative Writing class.  But never did much fictional writing of my own until almost 2 years ago.  I always wanted to, but it seemed too big and scary to come up with a story. I didn’t think I was creative enough.  Writing fanfiction is actually much easier, but I don’t have to world build or dream up the characters.  They exist on their own, and then I can adapt them as I want. 

02: What was your favorite book growing up?

I had A LOT.  Island of the Blue Dolphins, the Little House books, the American Girl books, Number The Stars.

03: Are you an avid reader?

I read a lot.  The past few years, it’s been more reading fanfic, but I still will open a book and read like crazy for a couple of days. 

04: Have you ever thrown a book across the room?

Hehehe, I am trying to remember when/why I did it, and I can’t.  But I feel like I have.  Well, I know I’ve throw books across the room because I was too lazy to walk all the way over to the bookshelf.  I’m sure I’ve thrown out of frustration as well.  I do remember a distinct moment reading @evieoh’s story for my birthday last year (the Skyeward Nikita AU), when I wanted to thrown my phone on the ground and just scream at it.  But, I was on the bus, so I didn’t.  I did yell at her though.  Does that count?

08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?

Oh gosh, I’ve gotten so many lovely comments.  I had one reader who said that she tried really hard to not use the phrase “I love” in her comments (and she always gives amazing comments), but then used it several times in a single comment.  And lemme tell you, I pretty much floated on air for hours. 

I’ve gotten some other constructive comments about how to better structure a story or other things to show and I still think about them often. 

10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?

As a writer?  In my own work?  I hate ending scenes.  I can make characters talk forever, but making them STOP and conclude the action is a lot harder. 

15: What would you say has inspired you the most?

Well…..AoS I guess is the easy answer.  Almost everything I’ve written has been AoS, almost exclusively Skyeward, fanfiction.  So everything has been inspired by that. 

26: Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?

Either physical book or on my phone.  I like my Kindle a lot, but scrolling on my phone is easier and so much lighter to carry.  And the physical book is physically easier on my eyes to read.  I like small paperbacks, not huge hardcovers (they’re heavy).  I dislike reading on a computer though.  I prefer to have it in the dimensions of portrait and without distracting sidebars and such. 

28: Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?

The very ending is excruciating - the exact words to end a story or scene.  The beginning is usually the easiest for me.  It’s connecting all the pieces that can be maddening.  Transitions are HARD and I hate them and they should stop being mean to me.  ;-)

35: What’s your favorite time of day for writing?

When it’s quiet.  Honestly, I am probably at my best in the morning, when my brain is awake.  I tend to write a lot on the bus, because no one is talking to me or distracting me.  I like the evenings for those reasons, but often by then I’m too brain dead to be coherent.  Morning and afternoon are best. 

39: What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?

Oh goodness.  I’m not sure.  I don’t think my ideas are that weird, I tend to like really grounded stories (hence why I prefer AU to canon).  Probably the stuff I come up with for Super Soldier Skye. 

50: If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?

In general……Wow, that’s a hard one.  I don’t know.   Of all my fictional worlds, probably Jacob Verse.  It’s happy and warm and cozy and fun. 

An ask meme for writers

[humanoid-lovers]

An almanac--for Whovians Trivia fans used to wait anxiously for annual almanacs, which contained all manner of information useless to most of the world but fascinating to us. Now that we have the Internet, there's no such anxiously awaited occasion at the end of the year, but Doctor Who: Who-ology is a rich source of Doctor Who trivia. Go to Amazon

MUST HAVE FOR WHOVIANS!!! Oh my gosh!!! I love it!! It covers the entire series from 1963 to 2012 - it stops right at "The Snowmen" with Clara, so you get a good chunk of info on everything. Companions, the Doctor's incarnations, places he's been, plot points, enemy 101 - there's even a breakdown of River's timeline! (That's great because I'm still a bit fuzzy on when she did what.) There's also the Tardis breakdown. I don't want to spoil too much, but if you are a Whovian for life or a Whovian who wants to know more about the series as a whole? GET IT! VERY WORTH IT! :D Go to Amazon

A yes vote from our resident Dr. Who fan I got this for my Whovian son for his birthday. Go to Amazon

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Doctor Who - and then some A must for any Doctor Who fan - From the fist doctor (almost) through the 11th (it only covers the first half of season 11 - to the episode The Snowman).. What do you want to know - what he calls himself - what others call him - his height - how many hours it would take to binge watch each doctor - other sci-fi / fantasy movies each actor has been in - you name it - it's probably in this fact-packed book. Go to Amazon

Great book with lots of info ... My son loved it, so did I. Lots of bits of information on anything and everything Who.... As far as the company goes, Easy transaction, fast shipping, would buy from this seller again. Thanks. Go to Amazon

Love the book Full of all kinds of fascinating Doctor Who facts, who said, how many times did so and so guest star on the show, what was the Doctors first and last words? Awesome book for any Whovian. A must have. I can't get enough of my copy Go to Amazon

GREAT BOOK!!! I am a Dr. Who novice, but already an avid fan. My grandson and his father watch the show constantly. His father stared way back in the late 1960's and early 1970's. He was always talking about it when he came to visit my daughter. I never paid much attention to it, BUT now can not get enough of it. I even bought this for my kindle. The hardback I bought for my grandson for Christmas. Again, like the character encyclopedia, he did not want to put it down to open other presents. He is 19. I also read some of this before giving it to him, that is why I got the kindle edition. I highly recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in Dr. Who!!! Matt Smith, ROCKS. Not to mention has GREAT hair!!!!! He also keeps me laughing. I am constantly amazed at how the writers are constantly coming up with new shows. You would think by now that they had covered just about everything imaginable, but no so. Keep up the good work guys and ladies!!!!!!! Go to Amazon

Oh the place you will go....with the doctor As a long time fan of Doctor Who, this book makes a great addition to our collection.There are no story lines here. Just the facts. This the book for you if you ever wondered what the "40 best ways are to defeat a Dalek"are. Or if you are trying to remember the name of an actor that was a former companion of the doctors. Lots of fun knowledge right at your fingertips. You'll be surprised at the things you didn't realize you forgot. Go to Amazon

Whovians Must-Have Book!!! Great Book. Dooo weee oooh! The author should have done their research Huge Hit with the Whovian Five Stars FANTASTICALLONSYGERONIMOEXTERMINATE!!!!!!!!!! Good for true followers but I love the Doctor Who series Five Stars