#honestly my worldbuilding for that wing au is so divergent there's really no point in calling it a wing fic anymore anyway lolol

[clenastia]

when your brain rabbit traills from your task and you re-read an old original ficlet and you sit there like bruh where's the rest of it.

and there is no rest of it.

because you never finished it.

but you love it.

(you also do NOT want to finish it)

[youreyeslookliketheocean]

youreyeslookliketheocean’s DSMP Fic Recs!!

Figured it was about time for one of these... :)

Mostly SBI-centric because they’re my favorite dynamic. I’ll probably add to this list as time goes on, and I also want to go back through my ao3 history and find some lesser-known fics I really enjoyed to rec them all. But for now...

* oneshot  ** unfinished work

** the lights go out (my heart goes still) by curseworm

With his old home unwelcoming and his new one gone, Tommy is alone. After hours of staggering through the freezing snow, he finds a cabin.

Technoblade’s cabin.

He hides himself away in the deepest corner he can find, taking only what he needs to survive, wasting away in the cold and the dark. He’s petrified at the thought of being found out, terrified of what he thinks Techno would do to him.

When Techno finds his injured teenage brother huddled in a filthy little cave beneath his basement, the rage he feels is immeasurable. The voices demand blood, and blood he will give them. Dream won’t be getting away with this one.

(On the other side of the world, in a country that floats on a man-made lake, Philza gets himself in a bit of a pickle.) 

** The hearth down under by Crystalquill

A tiny change gives Tommy the courage to flee to the Nether instead of the cold tundra, finding an unlikely ally in the midst of a fiery hellscape.

But tiny changes can alter the course of history. The SMP will never be the same.

(Lots of cool Nether worldbuilding in this one!!)

to be a wanderer, wandering by hydrangeasheart

Tommy's feet drag in the snow.

It's so, so cold. He's so cold. His toes are freezing. His exposed shins feel like they’ve been cut open-- even the one that’s bandaged. His wings have gone numb, which is almost, almost good, because now he can’t feel the shifting, broken bones inside of the left one, just under feathers and muscle.

He doesn’t know why he’s still walking.

-

Or, Tommy leaves the exploded ruins of Logstedshire behind, and walks until he finds somewhere safe.

And things keep going from there.

(A canon-divergent AU, splitting off somewhere around when Tommy started hiding out below Techno's house.)

that’s, like, a hundred miles by No_one_you_know (and then “as long as i’m here”, and “he’s my brother, i just raise him”)

Dream would kill him. Dream was going to kill him- he was going to- no, he wouldn’t. Dream was his friend- friends don’t hit each other- Dream was supposed to take care of him- Dream /was/ taking care of him.

It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. He couldn’t clear his thoughts as he stumbled to the family computer, pulling up a tab on google and frantically typing the name into the search bar.

The words Technoblade Watson stared back at him, the little black bar at the end of the letters blinking slowly, mocking him.

Why, of all people, did it have to be Technoblade?

in short: the one where dream sucks as a parental figure, tommy runs away, and visits his least favorite family member technoblade.

passerine by thcscus(blujamas)

Do I really need to put the summary here? Pretty much everyone knows this fic. Also, though, if you enjoy this one you should totally read thcscus’ connected fic, “shrike”!! It’s only at 2 chapters right now but it’s already really good and has this dark, foresty aesthetic I love...

not with a bang but with a whimper by dip_dyed_ghost

He knows Tubbo doesn’t care about him anymore. He knows that. He’s been shown that. But it doesn’t stop Tommy from caring about him. He brushes the pads of his fingers over the compass’s glass and wonders how he’s doing, if he’s tired of it all yet, if he needs help. He watches the way it points strongly in the direction over the ocean. He hopes he’s alright.

Even after everything, he hopes he’s alright.

During his exile, Tommy finds a drugged and hurt Tubbo on his doorstep. He can’t not help him.  

(This one has a neat take on potions, in my opinion. Also it’s only 4 chapters so it’s a quick read!)

take this compass, follow it home by lightning_anon

Tommy's a fuck up, he can't pay attention, and never sits still. He taps his hands, pushes people away, and has never had a best friend. He's a screwed up, forgotten kid lost in the foster system. He's also just been placed with a new family. Tommy knows how this goes, he never ends up staying long. After all, no one wants a fuck up like him.

Why would this house be any different?

Or: the obligatory sleepy bois foster fic, but with a focus on the neurodivergent kids that inevitably get lost in the system.

(Genuinely want to see more books like this in original fiction. It’s part of what inspired my newest og wip, “To Build a Home.” So sweet and I feel like I had my eyes opened to some neurodivergent tendencies I never knew existed. I read this in a day and can’t rec it enough.)

bloodlines by youreyeslookliketheocean

Tommy’s an orphan on the run from his previous guardian. Philza’s a king who prides himself on keeping his kingdom in an era of peace. Wilbur’s the crown prince, and Techno’s right beside him as his adopted brother. When Phil’s kingdom of Pogtopia is threatened by the bloodvines—a strange, brainwashing plant infecting many of the surrounding kingdoms—the four must work together to keep the kingdom, and their family, safe. --- A royal au sbi fic... + the bloodvines, for spice.

(Yes I’m self-promoting. But, in my defense, I’m very proud of it. If you checked it out it would mean the world to me :’))

Heat Waves by tbhyourelame

Dream has always held a gentle admiration for George, but when their nuanced friendship trickles into his sleeping mind, he awakens to a new world of conflicting emotions and longing. Lost in the midst of a heat wave, he continuously listens to a song that works itself in to the very core of his heartache. Floridian nights, unsent messages, spiraling infatuation, and terrible, terrible weather.

Another fic I think pretty much everyone knows about. Listen, listen... I was once an idiot who said “Oh no, I’ll never read Heat Waves. It’s irl, not characters, and it’s probably cringe”... No. I was so wrong. This fic is wonderfully written, with a pretty quick moving plot and great characterizations. You do need an ao3 account to access it, though. Just to let you know. (Also read “Helium”, unfinished and hasn’t updated in awhile, but it’s the continuation). 

Guitar Strings and Keyrings are What it Takes to Build a Home by Anonymous

Techno was adopted by Phil when he was 12 years old.

He'd been enjoying his morning before Phil came to him asking if he would mind them taking in another kid. Against his better judgement, Techno agrees and ends up with two new foster brothers who he was determined to not get attached to, no matter what.

Tommyinnit’s unbeatable method of avoiding sudden death by eneliii

“I uh,” Tommy starts, not knowing how to break this to the hero lightly. He hates to be the bearer of bad news. “I think your powers are broken? It’s not a bad thing of course, but like, I swear you tried to mind control me and it like, totally failed. Which is fine, honestly, don’t feel insecure. Everyone’s power stop working sometimes… I think.”

Sheesh, this is very awkward. Why is no one else talking? Why is Philza looking at him like he grew three heads? Why is the Blade staring at him so intensely? Why is Willow still frozen?

“Did I, did I hit a nerve? Yikes,” Tommy hisses, “Well um,” He steps back, bracing his legs and bending his knees, “This was like super fun, but I’m - I’mma head out.”

or,

in which Tommy manages to annoy the hell out of Phil, Techno and Wilbur by being both impossible to catch and irritatingly endearing.

or or,

a crack fic where Tommy is a vigilante and Phil, Techno and Wilbur are the heroes hunting him down.

(Feel like I am obligated to say how incredibly funny this fic is. Seriously. I have a distinct memory of sitting on my neighborhood park’s swing, giggling hysterically, while reading this. Well...until the end... but we won’t get into that...)

** bones in the ocean by bunflower

“Your reputation precedes you, y’know.”

“Does it, now?” Philza watches him coyly from where he’s now leaning against the wall, arms folded around his chains and gaze half-lidded, his lips curled in an arrogant, cat-like smirk.

“The Angel of Death, the ferryman of the Styx, the terror of the western seas. One of the most feared captains ever to sail, and yet, I have to wonder… how did a man like you end up all on his own? We searched the area where you were found—not another soul in sight. So,” He fixes him with a long look, allowing the silence to hover like a dark cloud, the words rolling off of his tongue with all the venom and smugness he can muster, “—tell me, Philza. Where is your crew?”

OR: Technoblade is a naval captain, and Phil his unwilling prisoner. Somehow, they manage to come out of it as friends in the end.

(Is this fic considered popular like passerine/Heat Waves now? Cause I feel like it’s reputation precedes itself, at this point... Pirate au.)

****

Okay! That’s it for now. Like I said, though, I want to add to this over time and also dig back for some older things I’ve read. Also, if you have any recs feel free to send them in! I’m about to go back to school and therefore might not have time for reading fun stuff, but whenever I get the chance I’d love to check them out!!!

Happy Reading!!

[serceleste]

questions for writers

@peonypossumprincesa tagged me for a writers’ quiz and you know I love talking about writing, and also I’m procrastinating, lol.

1. When you start a story, do you usually have a general plot overview or do you make it up as you go?

Hahahahahahahahaha. I am a fly by the seat of my pants sort of writer for sure. Outlines are for wimps! JK. I envy you your outlines and plans. I mean, I do sometimes have an idea of where I want the story to get to (and sometimes I really, really don’t, lol) but I tend to just sit down and right without planning anything. Sometimes the story goes in entirely unexpected directions. This isn’t to say that I don’t spend time thinking about a story and brainstorming when I can’t actually write, but I do that as I go along, not before I start.

2. What’s your preferred POV to write from? 

Close third, usually. I find it’s the most natural for me and allows the reader to get inside the head of my POV character, which usually I want, without the issues inherent in writing first person. I also like the narrative opportunities it creates, because the reader can see what’s happening maybe a bit differently than my POV character does, and it can even get a bit challenging at times to make sure everything I want to get across actually shows when I’m limited in what I can put on the page – my POV character needs to be present, and they obviously only can see and feel and think what they see and feel and think, not anyone else. I have written in the first person too, though not in years. It’s a trickier form to manage and I think only works in certain scenarios.

3. Do you write fan or original fiction?

Fanfic only. I think I have a bit of a complex in regards to original fiction, I struggle with plot and I don’t have faith in my ability to create characters anyone would care about. I’m also honestly happy with fanfic, I like writing and do it as a hobby, and it suits me to just stick with exploring characters and worlds I love.

4. Which one do you prefer?

I only write the one, so I prefer that for writing, lol, but for reading I enjoy both. I read more original these days but I have definitely spent countless hours enjoying fanfiction, some of which is truly amazing, so I always get a bit peeved when anyone knocks it.

5. For fan fiction writers, do you like using AUs or canon settings better and why?

Ah, well, it depends. I think AUs can be phenomenal for doing something different and exploring what makes characters who they are, when the setting is different, but sometimes I’m so in love with the world that I don’t want to transplant them anywhere else. (STAR WARS. Why would I want to write about them studying for exams or making lattes when they can be swinging lightsabers and flying X-wings??) It’s fun to get lost in wikis, digging up obscure canon details that probably no one will even notice. AUs sometimes get a bad rep for people writing them so they don’t have to do the research necessary to set things in canon, but I think that’s a bit unfair. (And honestly, while it’s not really my thing, if someone just wants to spend time with characters they love and stick them in high school, more power to them. Fanfic should be about what you want it to be, not what anyone else does.) Canon-divergent AUs are always, always great, the way you can change a plot point or two and see where the story goes.

6. What’s your favorite platform to post your work to?

I find AO3 is good for me. It has its issues of course but I appreciate the ease of posting and the readability, and I like the tagging system as opposed to sites like LJ and ffnet and ye olde random fandom/ship specific archives where I used to post when I was a wee thing. I pretty much post exclusively on AO3 now, sometimes on Tumblr too, though Tumblr is honestly terrible for posting fic. I of course love and adore comments but I like that kudos are available, for anyone who might be too uncomfortable to comment, or for whatever other reason they might prefer to click the kudos button. The organization is far from perfect but the searchability and stats are more appealing to me than any other site I’ve used.

7. How do you feel about unsolicited criticism?

Eh. I’m a bit sensitive about my writing, and once I’ve posted I’m not looking for some stranger to tell me what’s wrong with it. I seek out betas and friends when I’m looking for advice on how to improve a fic, and once it’s posted, well, it’s done. I’m reasonably happy with it, or at least I’ve reached the point where I don’t care anymore and just need to be rid of it. Like, I know I’m not a perfect writer, but if I post something and someone just points out everything that’s wrong with it, it’s not going to help me improve, it’s just going to make me feel shitty. (If you want to message me privately and tell me I missed a big typo, though, that’s a bit different, ha.)

8. Again, for fic writers, what’s your favorite fandom to write for?

Right now I’m obviously in Star Wars hell and not likely to resurface any time soon. I’ve loved Star Wars since I was a small child so there is a huge sense of nostalgia in it for me, and I just the story and the world and the characters so much, I wanted to LIVE in Star Wars. So fanfic is the next best thing! My introduction was through the originals, and I grew up with the prequels, and I spent an awful lot of time reading fic, but I never actually wrote anything until The Force Awakens came out. And then I was lost, lol. I love that it’s such an immense, immersive universe, with so much to explore. So much canon and extra-canon, opportunities for worldbuilding, potential to play with tropes, the ability to go dark but the inherent core of hope and love. I love other fandoms, and I write for other fandoms (not as much lately, to be fair), but there’s something about Star Wars that just really grabs me and won’t let go.

9. What is it about a certain character/relationship/fandom that inspires you to write about them?

I’m not sure, honestly, and I’ve wondered this a lot. There are fandoms that I love love love, but never get particularly fannish about. There are fandoms I love but for whatever reason, can’t write. Sometimes I think it’s a matter of feeling like I have a story worth telling, or feeling comfortable in the world. And sometimes certain characters will just lodge themselves in my brain. (POE.) I went a couple of years without writing anything, to the point where I thought maybe I would never write again, and then discovered a fandom and a set of characters that just resonated with me, and though I’ve moved on, I’ve never stopped writing again.

10. Do you do much research before starting a piece?

I generally research as I go, as needed. I think the most research I’ve done prior to starting was when I was writing a historical AU, and I ended up getting a bit bogged down in details, enough so that I got discouraged from actually writing and I never finished the story. Realism is of course great but I think at some point you learn you might have to take a liberty or two or you’re just not gonna get done, or at least, that’s what I learned. I think it’s important to make an effort to be as faithful as possible but you’re also telling a story, and you need to be in service of that story. Your details might not be absolutely perfect, and that can be okay. Sometimes making shit up is the best thing you can do! But I’ve definitely enjoyed getting lost down a rabbithole of research too, where by the time I surface I can’t remember what I started looking up in the first place.

I also love seeing other people talk about writing, so if you are a writer and see this, please feel free to take part! Tag me in your answers!