#how did i write TWO multi-chap fics last year?

[monbons]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tags @artsyunderstudy, @bookishbroadwayandblind, and @bachusekart. It was lovely to get your updates today.

Honestly, I probably shouldn't be posting because I have so little to show for my efforts recently, but I thought perhaps putting out "please cheer me on" vibes into the universe would help motivate me.

STITCHES After what I think is almost three weeks now, I have finally (mostly) finished tooth-fairy Baz, and he is lovely. I just need to add some earrings when they arrive in the mail and then stitch his head on.

I've also cut out all the pieces I need for this Baz's Simon, but I haven't started sewing because my hands have been giving me trouble. So, he's just on hold until it doesn't feel like I'm being stabbed in the wrist whenever I pick up a needle and thread.

SENTENCES In fic news, I have two WIPS currently. The first is a very messy friends to lovers AU with cheerleader Simon and soccer player Baz. My Simons tend to be lovely and sweet and my Bazs are always angsty vampires. Neither is true in this fic, and it's been harder to make progress than I expected as a result. But, here are some sentences anyway, Baz POV talking to Dev.

���Seriously, what did you see?” I strain to peer around him, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. Agatha and Penny are standing next to a couple of milk crates filled with purple and white cheer poms. Trixie is wrestling with the portable speaker—a chunky black cube the squad rolls with them everywhere. Keris has a clipboard and she seems to be taking attendance amidst all the girls I don’t recognize. Then, my eyes finally spot the one anomaly. The one person wildly out of place. Amidst the sea of skirts is a singular boy. A boy with bronze curls and blue eyes and billions of freckles. More freckles than he had the last time I saw him. An impossible number of freckles.

My second WIP, a Dark Rise AU-ish thing, is in the colorful post-its planning stage still. I have a very rough outline of the main plot, but there is an incredible amount of backstory to reveal and I am currently trying to figure out where and how to do so. I think I may need dual timelines and several POVs I've never written before, including the CO adults. Find some Malcolm below.

MALCOLM I wish you could see him, Natasha. Your son. He is bold and brilliant. Top of his class. A fine magician.  The best of you. The best of me.  I tried to protect him. To hide him in plain sight.  I taught him to be cautious. Stoic. Discreet.  I insisted he never reveal the inner workings of his heart. I provided a template for him—a guide he could follow—with my own.  One cannot be vulnerable when one remains indecipherable, Basil. Be unreadable.  Unknowable. Or be undone. He is a magnificent student, Natasha. The very best. He didn’t just learn; he excelled. He kept everyone at arm’s length. (Including me.)  I tried, Nat. I tried.  To keep him healthy. To keep him safe. I failed all the same.

(If you have read C.S. Pacat's Dark Rise series and the unicorn horn scene has been branded into your brain the way it was in mine, then please know that this fic is me attempting an AU just for that scene. The brain rot is SO real.)

Anyway, head pats are appreciated. Hellos and high-fives.

@alexalexinii, @argumentativeantitheticalg, @aristocratic-otter, @arthurkko, @artsyunderstudy

@best--dress, @blackberrysummerblog, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @bookish-bogwitch,

@confused-bi-queer, @cutestkilla, @drowninginships, @emeryhall, @facewithoutheart

@harrie-leithillustration, @hushed-chorus, @iamamythologicalcreature, @ic3que3n, @ileadacharmedlife

@katatsumuli, @larkral, @letraspal, @martsonmars, @messofthejess

@mooncello, @noblecorgi, @orange-peony, @prettygoododds, @raenestee

@rbkzz, @rimeswithpurple, @roomwithanopenfire, @run-for-chamo-miles, @shrekgogurt

@skeedelvee, @stitchyqueer, @supercutedinosaurs, @talentpiper11, @technetiumai

@the-beard-of-edward-teach, @twinkle-twinkle-up-above, @theimpossibledemon, @thewholelemon, @valeffelees

@whatevertheweather, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold

[gallawitchxx]

weekly tag wednesday thursday <3

omg how is it wednesday thursday again already?! where has this week gone? i've basically been MIA here since the last one lol so thank you to @jrooc @creepkinginc @energievie @deedala @gardenerian

@blue-disco-lights @sgtmickeyslaughter @vintagelacerosette for the tags! i love you all! i love this place! i'm so happy we get to scream about it today!

- - - - OKAY LET'S GET INTO IT - - - -

how did you get into the fandom? i fully fell into gallavich in the spring of 2021 & starting shoving fics in my face faster than ian & mickey took their clothes off when ian went to get the gun back, mickey. then i started noticing that people were linking their tumblrs in the end notes & so i lurked suuuper hard through the summer until i finally made my own blog!

how long have you been here? almost three glorious years <3

what’s the first fandom channel you found? (Youtube, Reddit, Tumblr, Insta, Twitter, FB, other?) i suppose youtube is correct because i watched a bunch of edits that really cemented my obsession, but tumblr was the first place i interacted with fandom friends :)

what’s your favourite now? i'm a tumblrina for life!

which mutual have you known the longest in the fandom? this will always make me so fucking emotional -- my first mutual was @metalheadmickey & now i've been to their wedding *sobs forever*

which tumblerino’s did you have your first fandom crush(es) on and wanted to get to know? oooohalskfj this is a hard one! there have been so many! when i first showed up, i started collecting beloved mutuals like pokemon... but to steal from mel, there was a real HUZZAH moment around getting a message from @whatwouldmickeydo & now i'm gonna go to their wedding *continues sobbing forever*

first Gallavich fan fic you read (or that blew you away that you remember) the holy trinity of my early fandom days were absolutely like real people do by grayola, restoration by @palepinkgoat & the increasingly poor decisions of ian gallagher by @goodkwuestion

first fan art that blew your mind? yooo we are so blessed around these parts & at the beginning it was another trilogy lol - @steorie @psychicskulldamage & @darthvaders-wife

fanfic trope that you were sure wasn’t for you but now you low key (or high key) love? a/b/o! truly shocking to discover & then love & then WRITE A WHOLE MULTI-CHAP FIC OF

What surprised you most about this fandom? omg how smushy soft everyone is! halskfjalfj - like, it's a pretty hard show to watch at times & the characters are all so messy & not saying we have it altogether over here or anything, but everyone's just a kind little marshmallow! :)

moment in the show (or YT vids if you’re one of those) that you fell in hyperfixation with Gallavich? the first one was probably s3 "not everybody gets to blurt out how they fucking feel every minute!" because i was like, OHHH OH THIS IS GONNA HURT ME & then it just kept getting worse....

Ian or Mickey? mickey baby ily so much. but to echo others, they really are two halves of the same brain cell & they've fought so hard to be together. so idk how you choose!

Which Gallagher or Milkovich are you? jeeeez, maybe fiona? lip? liam? hahaha probably none of them tbh, but i love 'em like family!

- - - - -

tagging @thisdivorce @rereadanon @sickness-health-all-that-shit @crossmydna & @heymrspatel if you wanna play! if not, i'm smooching you on your nose <3

[grace-williams-xo]

One Direction is the reason I’m the writer I am today.

Sure I was writing stories and printing them to put in a display folder when I was 8, before one direction existed, but fanfiction has become everything to me. The first one I ever read was one direction, in 2013, and within a few months I’d started several one direction multi chaps.

I created Grace Williams in 2014, to share one direction fics in a safe space. Look at me now. The natural crossover got me into 5sos fics, and their fandom, then one direction was over. They lived within me longer than 2015, even if they barely have for the last few years now. The writer they sparked to life in 2013 will always live within me, and for that I must be thankful.

I’m not blind, I’d seen the spiral of Liam since the band ended. It’s not hard to connect how the one touted as the responsible leader of the group fell apart from the pressure of that label, and the lack of structure outside the group everyone told him to take care of. Many things in the past six ish years and have made me question so much about so many things, because, for those unaware, Liam was my favourite in the band. It went on to provide a lesson in parasocial relationships that wasn’t particularly fun, but many teenage girls go through.

One Direction gave me friends that far transcended the band, in time and commonality. It’s weird to think that there’s friends I made a decade or more ago, because of a little band I only ever saw live once, that I either still talk to or they—at the very least cross—my mind fondly and sporadically.

Liam was complicated, as was loving him, but that’s the humanity of it. A not small part of me was still processing, though not head on or particularly well, the horrific and indefensible allegations that surfaced in the last few weeks. It can be, and is, true that victims deserve compassion and that no one deserves to die so young. There’s almost grotesque parallels between the grief of his alleged victims, and that of his friends and family. No one will ever get the closure they truly deserve.

I am reminded of two things. First, the death of comedian Lenny Bruce and the way that was immediately exploited in ways similar to TMZ’s actions. It says so much about how society struggles to find humanity for the living, when some can’t even find humanity for the deceased. The second thing I’m reminded of is a funeral I went to, of man who passed at a similar age, and at the funeral his family found out he had had a girlfriend for the last almost two years. It says that we so often miss things in the lives of those closest to us, and also—I think—that we should love so openly. Love is not finite, but life is.

Lastly, on an ever so slightly lighter note, I’d like to once again suggest you all listen to (if you want to listen to some of his music) the First Time EP. First Time (the song) is meh but the rest of that EP is the strongest releases of his solo career. They have a vulnerability most of the rest of what he did after the band doesn’t, and easily display how this was the man instrumental in writing so much of One Direction’s discography. Liam and Louis’ writing was a perfect storm in the band.

The core of my feelings eludes me, feelings running away from coherent sentences to describe them, but that’s the humanity of grief and love.

–GW xo

[clumsydragon28]

2 Years of clumsydragon28 ✨

On June 17th, 2022 I posted my first work ever on ao3. After an almost 9 year hiatus from writing, I once again picked up a pen and began again. My life has only gotten better after making that decision, and I am so grateful for the ones who inspired me to once again embrace such a huge part of who I am.

If you would like to see a general recap of my first year of writing, you can read Journey of Words on ao3. Below you will find an in depth look back on my second year of being in fandom ♥️

I would say my first year of fandom can be summed up by the word "excitement". Once I got that first story down, the floodgates opened. Every idea felt like a good idea, and I couldn't get them down fast enough.

My second year, however, I would define as "thoughtful". Compared to the 17 fics I posted in year one, this past year I only published 8. Even though that number is signicantly less, these eight feel more special. Before any of those 8 ideas became more concrete, I asked myself "is this truly what I want to write?" Everytime, that answer was yes. And by writing less, I was able to give each story the time and energy it deserved to be the best it could be. And so, I would like to go a little more in depth as to why each one is special to me.

We begin with Floral Hues. I wanted to write something with my bois for pride month, and after seeing the "flower picking" prompt for rare-pair June, this idea slowly formed. This is the first instance where I really started to experiment more with formatting in my poetry. I wanted to talk about colors and have the words resemble a rainbow, and so I let those forces drive me in writing. I am really pleased with what I was able to pull it off in this one.

Next came Matchmaker which was my first (and certainly not last) dip into writing MitsuCho. The prompt "cat's day" was perfect because I am obsessed with the adorable Mikazuki. I wanted him to drive the poem, bringing the two lovers to together. And I wanted the formatting of the poem to reflect that as well: the stanzas slowly move out and then come back to where they started on the page, just like MIkazuki leads Mitsuki to Chocho and then both of them back home.

Then I took a little break from poetry to write Unanswered Questions. The friendship between Shikadai and Boruto is such a special bond I love, and one I always want to see more of in canon. With the ending of the OG manga, I just couldn't help imagining how Shikadai would view the change in their relationship. Is there a part of him that would remember? Would he be totally fooled by the changes caused by omnipotence? And so, with their friendship bracelets as a catalyst, this story was born. This is one of (if not) my favorite one shot that I've written. It also includes sweet Inojin offering comforting snuggles and kisses to his boyfriend, and it pushes forward my Long Haired Inojin agenda hehe.

SPEAKING OF LONG HAIRED INOJIN, we are now at my only multi-chap story of the past year: our hearts belong on the sea. When I asked @unioncolours what she would like as a birthday present and she gave me this prompt, I could not have been more excited. I had said before that we need a pirate au in the Shikajin fandom, but I never thought I'd be the one to write it. But boy, am I glad I did. I had the absolute best time and the most fun writing this story. Many moments are heavily inspired by the Pirates of the Carribbean movies, but I gave it my own spin and really just went for it. The idea that loves conquers all (a very Bex-core theme hehe) is something I will never tire of writing. I love this story and I love this world I created. I can't wait to one day return and write even more about these swashbuckling lads ⚔️

And now, we come to Sunshine + Starlight. First, I must give another thank you to @keijidraws who created the most stunning artwork to go along with this. I will try not to go on too long about this poem (because I easily could) but this one means so much to me. It took me 9 months to finish this poem. Not because I was struggling and running out of ideas, but because I knew this one was something special. Writing this poem brought me inexplicable joy and happiness and I wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as I could. I knew as soon as I was done, I would be sad to no longer have it to work on. But accomplishing this poem is one of my greatest achievements. It encompasses everything I love about poetry, everything I love about my own writing, and it is everything I could have ever hoped for it to be and more.

Then I made another return to prose for @backgroundcharacterno5's birthday with The Fabrics of Friendship. I always love to figure out how to put a story into the world of canon. So when given the prompt of matching pajamas, I knew where exactly I wanted to fit it in. The dynamics of the InoShikaCho kiddos are my absolute favorite, as are they Mon's, and I throroughly enjoyed exploring each of their own individual thoughts and feelings in regards to the results of the chuunin exams. Their bond is unbreakable, and I look forward to writing even more about it.

In case you haven't noticed yet, I love to gift works. And so my next poem, Pigments of the Imagination was also a birthday gift. This time for the lovely @notquitejiraiya. This one is also inspired by an amazing artwork by the talented @keijidraws. When I write for a friend, I like to incorpate as many of the things I know they love that I can into the story. And with this one, I really tried to have so much of Becks shine. Some were more subtle than others, but every mention I could sneak in just made the poem stronger. I also really went for it in terms of formatting on this one, trying to emulate Inojin's artistic nature with how the words are laid on the page. My most favorite is probably the heart shaped stanza hehe. This is another poem I really treasure.

And now for my most recent work, we take a dip into a new fandom with In Memoriam H. W. G.. This is a poem I wasn't even going to originally post when done. But once I started working on it, I knew I had to. I am incredibly proud of this work, but in a different way than I am of my others. This was a very big step out of my comfort zone. For the first time I had to write poetry not as I would myself, but as somone else. I had to channel the thoughts, grief, and anger of a character while following a very strict rhyme and rhythm in order for it to fit within the context of the novel. And I did it. For this to be my 25th fanfiction feels very special. I think it excapsulates the growth I've gone through as a writer. And I am excited to see how the leap I took with tackling this poem will strengthen my writing in the future.

In terms of being "thoughtful", I must also make note of my reading habits. Before, I just devoured fanfic. I piled up stories left and right and consumed it all as quickly as possible. Now, my reading style has changed. I have not been reading nearly as many fics as I used to, but it is because I want to read more carefully. For those who have seen comments from me, you know that the character limit on ao3 is not my friend. There was a time that I was afraid to leave comments, thinking that my ranting and raving would be annoying to an author. But I am glad I chose to stop holding myself back. When an author replies to one of my comments, telling me my thoughts and feelings have made their day...that is worth far more than any comment I receive on my own writing. Because it is my truest unfiltered self in those comments, so hearing that it is accepted and loved means the world ❤️

So what is in store for year 3 of clumsydragon28? I think we will see yet another change in pace. More slowed down, and even more thoughtful.

For those of you who have read Plié-sed to Have Met You, and if you happened to catch Sway that I posted here a few months ago, you will see that I have big plans for a part 2 to this dance AU. I think this fic will be my next Sunshine + Starlight. I really want to take my time with this fic and savour every moment of writing it. I am excited to put all my focus into one singular work and give it everything I've got. I don't know how long I'll need (I've already spent almost two years just thinking about it haha), but I vow to make this story the absolute best I can.

I will end this look back on a quote the lovely Bex shared with me in a comment:

"The treason of the artist; a refusal of the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain"

This is one of the greatest honours I could have bestowed upon me: to be considered a traitor artist. There is alot of pain and hurt in this world, and I agree that we need to recognize it. But there is also so much beauty in this world. Beauty that needs to be celebrated. So I choose to focus my writing on the magic of life and love. Because it is by hoping and belieiving in a better future that we can achieve it.

For those of you who have showed your excitement and are waiting as patiently as you can for my next story, I thank you wholeheartedly. You are who drive me forwards and push me to be my best self. I would not be here were it not for you, my dearest darlings. I hope to gift you the story you so rightfully deserve ♥️

-clumsydragon28

P.S. will a Shikajin poem or two sneak itself in between now and then? I am a poet after all so...I might not be able to help myself hehe 🤭

[professorspork]

I hope this doesn’t come across as like a pushy “update pls” I promise that’s not how I mean it. I’m curious at what point you feel like a multi-chapter fic is ready to post? Do you write it in its entirety and then edit chapters in between updates, write and edit it in its entirety, write most of it and continue writing the rest between updates? I’m very curious about your process since you’ve been writing some monster word count fics

I really appreciate you asking!

The short version is that I've learned over time that what works best for me is completing a work in its entirety before I start posting; above all I like posting on a reliable schedule for my audience, and I simply do not write quickly enough (or coherently enough) to do that any other way. There are a lot of reasons for that and I WILL ELABORATE ON THEM AT LENGTH:

I have several multi-chapter WIPs from the Glee days-- when I was in college-- that I never finished because I'm a delicate hothouse flower when it comes to maintaining hyperfocus, and I found a new fandom to be in before I could complete them. Back then especially, I was much less disciplined about writing sequentially: I would write parts of the story wildly out of order, focusing on whatever interested me most at the time. That means my hard drive is a graveyard of unpublished content, which sucks-- not only did I never give my audience the resolutions they were looking for, but I never got to receive feedback on parts of the story I was really proud of. I found that really dispiriting.

Going to grad school for screenwriting really helped me focus on telling a story in order, because there is literally no other way to write a screenplay than one scene at a time; it's far too reliant on momentum and consistency to jump ahead to "the good bits" and come back. I also did several projects-- writing my multi-chap Frozen&Tangled polyamory epic for a friend's birthday; pre-writing all my 2015 Cartinelli Week one shots far in advance so I knew they'd be perfect come posting day-- where I had a deadline I wanted everything Done By, which got me in the habit of writing to completion before posting. It wasn't something I thought I was going to be capable of because I'm like Tinkerbell, Finn, I need applause to live feedback is incredibly motivating to me, but having the ability to go back and change things in chapter 2 if I realized they weren't adequately setting up what I wanted to do in chapter 5, or whatever, proved to be just as powerful a motivator in a different way-- it meant I could tell the stories RIGHT, if I took my time with them. I also learned to get at least one cheerleader I could leak snippets to as I went, so that I still got the dopamine hit of the feedback even though I'm ages away from posting for real.

I also found that, as a reader, I always really appreciated when authors could stick to an update schedule so I could look forward to new chapters like I would episodes of television. It's not a standard I expect from anyone, but it is something that makes me really happy-- and the two ways to do it are to either write fast enough that you're just constantly churning out new content (not an option for me, especially on the occasions when I'm actually employed and can only write on weekends) or to pre-write and then slow release. it gives me a feeling of... mastery, I guess? Like "hey everyone here's a gift I'm giving you," as opposed to writing and updating when I can, which makes me feel like I'm always chasing something (BEING chased by something?) and risking losing my audience/my own fickle concentration if I were to wait too long.

My "ONLY post after everything is done" rule is a new one, because I burned myself on rely on certain certainties, the last D/s epic I wrote (lmao can you tell this topic interests me). I worked on that for a year and was 132k in with no end in sight when I started posting, but I was part of a Kristanna discord at the time, and I wanted to seize the audience I had before it disappeared-- which is always the danger of movie fandoms, which never have as much staying power. I had hoped that because I had such a big buffer I could keep writing ahead of the updates as they came up from behind, but I tapped out at 172k when I finished the end of an arc. That kills me, because I have SO MUCH unreleased content for that story which will never see the light of day, because-- again-- I'd let temptation win and wrote ahead to The Juicy Bits instead of forcing myself to go in order.

So, two things I've learned:

Only ever outlining the juicy bits that come late in the game, instead of lovingly finessing their every word, is a great way to trick motivate myself into continuing to write in order so that I can GET to the juicy bits, full stop; if I don't exorcise them they keep haunting me and that helps me stick it out until the end

By holding stories back until they're complete, I give myself the ability to complete them because I'm able to dig myself out of holes I've written myself into. In the old days, if I got stuck because I realized the real root of my issue had come chapters earlier and that's why it's not working now, I'd just... be stuck at that wall, unable to move forward, and that would be that. The idea of going back and editing a published story for narrative content is mortifying to me and something I personally could never do, so-- this way I'm giving myself more tools and options, so that I can tell the story I want to tell and tell it right.

In terms of my actual process, I tend to work like this: my most productive time is when my ADHD meds are at full power, so in an ideal world I am writing new content from like 10am to 3pm or so, getting as far as I can in New Content. Evenings, when I'm no longer in Hyperfocus Productivity Mode, I'll go back and reread things-- sometimes chapters from much earlier-- both to entertain myself and to make edits and changes. Often, that's just moving words around here and there for cadence and flow; rarely, it's adding whole new moments or thoughts to the chapters. I try to write In Order as much as possible, getting chapters beta'd as they're completed. I'm a nitpicky perfectionist, so keeping a hold on my early chapters until everything is posted means I can change them over and over and over again without anyone knowing but me, which I love-- and those changes are getting made right down to the wire. even when the fic is "complete" and I'm "only posting" I'm still making edits; some of people's absolute favorite parts of Newsbees were added literally the night before, when it was the "get everything into AO3 and do the final pass for typos and formatting" stage. Like, Penny writing sudokus on the fly for Ruby at the hospital? Ruby thinking in Adam Font? Those were 11th hour strokes of genius.

So yeah-- that's a very long-winded way of saying that I've found writing to completion first not only makes me more likely to actually finish my WIPs, but it makes my WIPs BETTER because it gives me far, far more time with them. I know it's not something that works for everyone, but in terms of my own sense of like, duty and responsibility and goal-setting, it keeps me on track without risking Guilt completely paralyzing me-- which is what happens when I post as I go and then get interrupted.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY RAMBLE.

[kisames-corner]

FAQ – 👻KisaWeen 2024👻

What is KisaWeen? KisaWeen is a Halloween themed event that's centered around Kisame :) Just like how Kisame Week is, we post prompts, and you create something based off that prompt. That could be absolutely anything you can think of. Maybe a gif set, a headcanon list, a one-shot, a multi-chap, a drawing, really the sky's the limit.

How do I participate? Check out this guide for how to participate.

Do we accept submissions which use AI? We here at Kisame's Corner do not tolerate AI art/fic of any kind. Basically, if you use an AI bot to create your art and/or your fic this is not elidable to be submitted. Using AI for ideas is okay, however your creations must be your own. Reposts are okay so long as you have the explicit permission of the original poster. Since it is nearly impossible to get explicit permission from the original artists whose art is fed into AI bots, and original fic writers who've had their stories scraped, we have decided that all AI work is prohibited. We repeat, all creations must be your own or you must have explicit permission to post them.

Is there a limit to how many prompts I can do? Nope! You can do all or just one, two in one day, whichever! If you want to combine prompts be our guest! The only rule is that if you combine prompts, they have to be for the same day. We want to make sure the specified content gets the spotlight. Doing a multi-chap or something like it for the whole week as one cohesive story is okay too!

How many prompts will there be? 6 this time! We will be hosting three per day for the last weekend of October. Since we started so late 😅

How should I interpret the prompts? Any way you'd like! The prompts are to spark inspiration, so go wild! Just make sure that Kisame is at the center of them!

Are prompts going to be ship based? They are not going to be ship based. It's more along the lines of an idea like a word or a phrase or a scenario, and you create content based on that. If you want to write a non-romantic Kisame-centric piece, that is totally welcome!

What pairings are welcome? All ships including Kisame are welcome! As long as the characters in question are of age, everything is accepted as a ship. This includes non ships, × Reader, × OC ships, and childhood aus as well. If you want to keep it platonic, that's okay too! Just remember that if someone doesn't share the same idea as you, it's okay to take a breath and move on.

Is there a word limit for fics? Not at all!! Write as little or as much as you'd like for any of the prompts!

How dark can the content be? As long as everything is tagged correctly and the rating is appropriate, as dark as you want. We don't want to put very much limitation as to how much freedom creators can have. Whatever you feel comfortable making is fine for us:)

Can I submit art and fic? Of course you can! You can do the same prompt with art and fic, you can do one prompt with art and the other with fic, or you can do either or and switch off. There are no limitations for how much you'd like to contribute.

I didn't get to vote for the prompts. What happened? KisaWeen gets its prompts usually from the server members at Kisame's Corner. However, this year, we took a vote from the prompts that weren't picked in 2020 and 2021 when we first did KisaWeen. Long story short, prompts were picked by sharkfam in the 'cord (is that real slang or am i making that up)

I saw something about a Discord Link but I can't find it. Where can I find it? Right here!

Are you accepting late entries? Yes we are up until the end of the rest of November! Feel free to post your stuff by then :) (but also if you take longer we don't mind )

Have additional questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

[happiness-of-the-pursuit]

2023 Fic Round Up (Part 1: Fic List)

I have been tagged in about a million different round ups of sorts, so here's Part 1: A Comprehensive 2023 Fic List sorted by month posted (if a multichap, I listed it the first month it posted), featuring the major details and a single-sentence summary/quote (so a fun challenge for me).

I'll post Part 2: Favorite Quotes and Part 3: Channeling Nora Holleran to Bring You My AO3 Data over the next two days (for the data I want to wait til the last possible day).

Without further ado, here is my 2023 Fic List:

January:

Nothing, I was still a lurker.

February:

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Answer the Web’s Most Searched Questions (T, 2.4K, YouTube Script Fic)

10 Things Alex Claremont-Diaz Can’t Live Without (T, 3K, YouTube Script Fic)

10 Things HRH Prince Henry Can’t Live Without (T, 2.5K, YouTube Script Fic)

March:

Prince Henry and FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz Take a Couples Quiz (T, 5K, YouTube Script Fic)

The Super Six Take a Lie Detector Test | Vanity Fair (M, 7K, YouTube Script Fic)

Baby's First Pride (E, 10K, WIP Multi-Chap)

Post-canon, canon-compliant (ignoring bonus chapter) look at the Super Six celebrating their first pride after the emails—I want to come back and finish this (I got interrupted by Life) but my writing has evolved a lot since March and I'm daunted by all the editing I'd have to do, lol

ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ COMMUNES WITH HIS ANCESTORS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones (T, 3K, YouTube Script Fic)

April-June

Trying to survive the end of the school year as a teacher before I left my job :)

July

PRINCE HENRY SENTENCES US TO THE DUNGEONS WHILE EATING SPICY WINGS | Hot Ones  (M, 3K, YouTube Script Fic)

August

FirstPrince Sings Queen, Lil Nas X, and Taylor Swift in a Game of Song Association | ELLE (T, 2.5K, YouTube Script Fic)

Claremont 2008 (M, 26K, Complete Multi-Chap, Canon Divergence)

A world where Ellen gets elected in 2008 instead of 2016, and the friends-to-lovers path that puts Henry on. If you want to relive the early 2010s, enjoy epistolary fics, or want a glimpse of a world where Alex & Henry go to college together, you might like this.

September

How well you play...that's up to you (M, 4K, FirstPrince Week)

Grey's Anatomy-Inspired AU, where Alex & Henry are both surgical residents—currently a one-shot, but I plan on writing a multi-chap prequel for this at some point.

Keep this Love in a Photograph (T, 2.6K, FirstPrince Week)

Post-Canon: Henry finds Alex's old photo album and they take a stroll down memory lane.

The Starwand (T, 1.7K, FirstPrince Week)

Three vignettes from Alex's life (two featuring Henry) where a sparkler makes an appearance—both a kid fic of Alex and Alex with his kids.

Somebody Call 911 (M, 2.4K, FirstPrince Week)

College AU where Alex is sneaking around with Henry behind his roommate's back—until it all goes to shit.

October

Sets on the Beach (M, 4K, FirstPrince Week)

Crack Treated Seriously, Alex and Henry are on rival queer beach volleyball teams.

Water over Blood (G, 3K, FirstPrince Week)

Post-Canon 5+1 of five times Henry's niece loved Alex, and one time she loved Henry

L(ate) S(leepy) A(morous) T(exting) (M, 1K, FirstPrince Week)

Text-fic of a missing moment from the book, because I am convinced that Alex did, in fact, study for the LSAT (it's just more realistic if we're to believe he scored well enough to get into NYU)

November

Freaky Friday (I woke up in my enemy's body) (M, 9K, Halloween, Huh?)

Canon Divergence, Freaky Friday-Inspired Body Swap AU, Crack Treated Seriously: Between Cakegate and Alex's visit to London, the boys swap bodies and proceed to learn a lot about each other. And themselves.

December

Alex Claremont-Díaz Answers Your Questions | Actually Me |GQ (M, 2K, YouTube Script Fic)

Super Six and the Siren's Call (T, 111K Total, Posting Bi-weekly)

The Percy Jackson AU, co-written with @read-and-write- and @inexplicablymine. Quests and Greek References abound! Check out more @auntiepezzasupdates

(Dil)Do It Yourself (E, 16.7K, New Traditions Advent Calendar)

Alex attends a DIY Dildo Workshop for the holidays, where he meets Henry, who's helping to lead the workshop—and eventually, helps Alex in other ways. The tags will tell you all that you need to know.

Thanks to @rockyroadkylers @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @kiwiana-writes @welcometololaland and anyone else who tagged me that I missed! I was waiting to post all my fics for December before I did this :) Since I'm pretty late, I'll tag @ssmtskw @matherines @affectionatelyrs and an open tag to anyone who's made it this far and wants to do this!

[garbinge]

The Long Game

Din Djarin x f!Reader

Day 29 these April Prompts: “Deep Breaths”

Summary: You contemplated (overthink) the news you have to tell Din as he walks you home. 

A/N: This is the start of a larger multi-chap (a theme I have LOL) not sure when I’ll get to posting more parts. I also haven’t watched s3 yet (I know I know, I’m waiting for my partner to catch up on Boba Fett so we can watch together!!!) but this is a little AU from the canon plot anyways. Also in this fic, the Mandalorian code has some stuff about marriage and love in it. Just to add some dramatic effect. First time writing for Din, I hope to get more comfortable as I write more!

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Mentions of pregnancy, anxiety/panic attack, overthinking, stress. 

Mando Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics​

Your nerves were starting to manifest into bile in your throat. You stared at the back of the helmet of the man you had been sleeping with for, well, years at this point, and yet you were nervous. 

“Din.” You said at a mumble, part of you hoping maybe he didn’t hear you and you could call this an attempt and try again tomorrow. 

“Yea?” He turned to look at you. Now his visor was staring directly at you, and even though his eyes weren’t visible you felt them burning into your own. 

It was a scene that was familiar to you, you'd pretty much seen it everyday, and when he was away on a bounty hunt, it was something you truthfully missed. The dark sky with bright stars, the low lighting of the town since everything had closed and the cantina was usually one of the last things to shut down every night here in Nevarro. But the vision of him standing there to walk you home was comforting, or at least, it had been before you had news to share with him. 

“Walkin’ me home?” You took a deep breath, the first of many, and stepped towards him, not letting your eyes move from where you assumed his were. 

“Of course.” His helmet rasped. You weren’t sure if the helmet altered his voice to sound like that or if that was just how he spoke since he’d never taken it off in front of you. Honoring his code despite the situation you two had. That’s when you started to spiral in your head. You never even saw this man’s face. You were lucky to have his bare hands touch you, in intimate situations as well as not. You knew his full name, but that was after months of him visiting you on Tatooine. Suddenly, the bile that had settled for a moment was rising, the thought that you might not really have known this man was eating at you and you were getting overwhelmed. Breathing was becoming hard, your chest felt like there was a bantha sitting on you. But something cut through the noise. 

“Take a deep breath, what’s going on?” 

Din was now standing in front of you, and his gloved hands were lightly touching your shoulders, in an attempt to ground you without being too forceful. It was something you never told him calmed you but just something he picked up on from knowing you. Right, knowing you. Din knew you. You knew Din. You might not have known his face but you knew him. His intentions. His life. His personality. 

You inhaled and let your shoulders rise, his hands not removing themselves as you did. 

“I’m good.” You kept your reply simple as you nodded your head forward to show you wanted to start walking.

He didn’t question any more, his hands dropped and he walked alongside of you on the path that began your journey home. Another amazing thing about Din, he didn’t push.

“Do you remember when we first met?” You looked up at the sky almost like you could envision that moment entirely right there. 

A chuckle left Din’s helmet. “Do I?” His boots crunched on the pavement as he walked. “I have a permanent scar to remember it forever.” 

“Sorry.” You smiled and looked over at him. “You're my best friend, you know?” You said after a long pause. 

“We’ve known each other for a long time.” Din agreed in his own way. 

It was funny, because he was right. You did know each other for a really long time. But yet, you never established any definition of the relationship you had. He visited you frequently on Tatooine when he was there for work. He brought you with him to Nevarro when your house burned down on Tatooine, he walked you home every night, you two started fooling around somewhere in the midst of all that and you never established any ground rules or titles, except you hid the intimacy from everyone. You understood the Mandalorian code, and you knew how much Din honored that. You didn’t argue it because well, it's part of what made him, him. 

In the years you’ve known Din and been sleeping with him, he’d gone away on hunts and he never questioned what you did when he was gone or vice versa. You picked up business as usual when he came back. You never did anything, although you did flirt with people at the bar, even when he was back, it was how you made a decent living and you thought he knew that but as the news you had to share with him right now mulled in your head you started to wonder if he truly did. 

Maybe he did keep warm bodies around when he was away. Maybe even more than that, and this was just what it was, friends with benefits. But could you even call it that? Friends? Benefits? Especially now? Then you remembered you just called him your best friend. Probably for the first time, or was it? Why was it such a big deal you hide whatever this was from everyone? They knew you two hung out? Oh, right, Mandalorian code, that calmed you down for a minute, but then the next thought funneled in. Well, there had to be a work around with that? He couldn’t have been the first Mandalorian to fall in love? Fall in love? Who were you kidding, you didn’t even know if calling him your best friend was appropriate and now you’re assuming he’s in love? Maybe you thought that because YOU felt that. Holy shit, were you in love with a Mandalorian? Your next thought shook you to your core. Not just a Mandalorian but YOUR Mando. Your Mando? Again the man who you couldn’t even call your best friend without going into an overthinking spiral? Your stomach turned. There it was that bile again. Making its way up your throat.

“I have to tell you something.” You blurted out, getting overwhelmed by your own thoughts. 

Din said nothing and stared at you waiting for you to say something. 

You stared at him, and for some reason, pushed all your thoughts aside. It was what you did every time you spent time with him, it was what you did to put you in this situation so it would have to work to let it out. You took one last deep breath before speaking. 

“I’m pregnant.”

[killerandhealerqueen]

Tag game for fanfiction authors!

Tell us:

The story you're proudest of: Three-way tie between Die Trying, Monster Like Me, and 恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer.

Die Trying because it's my longest oneshot to date (the record was previously held by Monster Like Me) and because it was my first like sci-fi story that I tried my hand at and I really like how it turned out. Monster Like Me because it was my longest one shot and because I think it's my best culmination of like...all of my mafia stories that I've written? Like I put all of my favorite mafia tropes in it and it turned out perfect (even if it did take me over like...a month to write and over three drafts to perfect). And my Killer and Healer rewrite...how could I not be proud of her? She is my baby. I've worked so hard on her and I can't wait to keep working on her

Your story that's gotten the most love online: Wait, We're Married?!

This fic seems to be absolutely loved by The Devil Judge fandom and I'm very honored that people really like it, seeing as it was my first devil judge fic that I ever wrote

Tease a current WIP or idea you're working on:

A small snippet from probably my last fic of the year "Afterglow"

            “Oh no” he whispered before he looked at the man, who looked at him in confusion, and blushed apologetically.             “I’m so sorry, but I have an early shift in the morning, so I have to go” he explained.  The stranger nodded.             “Of course” he replied, causing Chen Yuzhi to nod before he pushed himself to his feet and pulled out his wallet, only for the stranger to hold out a hand.             “No.  Drinks are on me” he declared, making Chen Yuzhi look at him in shock.             “Are you sure?” he asked.  The stranger smirked.             “Next round’s on you” he replied, making Chen Yuzhi look at him with wide eyes before he laughed softly and nodded.             “Alright” he agreed before he turned and headed towards the door, just as the stranger pushed himself to his feet.             “Wait, let me walk you home.  It’s not safe out” he stated, making Chen Yuzhi stop and turn to look at him in confusion.             “What do you mean?” he asked.  The stranger smiled slightly.             “Don’t you know?  The demon prowls this area.  Don’t want you getting snatched up” he explained, making Chen Yuzhi look at him before he huffed softly.             “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be alright” he assured.  The stranger frowned slightly.             “Are you sure?” he asked.  Chen Yuzhi nodded.             “Yes” he replied before he turned and headed out of the bar, the stranger watching him before he hummed softly.             “Song Rong” he called out.             “Yes sir” the bartender replied.  The stranger motioned to the door.             “Follow him please.  After all, there is a demon out there” he stated, making the bartender, Song Rong, smile slightly before he dipped his head.             “Yes sir” he replied.

Your top 3 fandoms: Killer and Healer, S.C.I. Mystery, Under the Skin

Your top 3 ships: Jiang Yuelou/Chen Yuzhi, Bai Yutong/Zhan Yao, Zhan Junbai/Yu Tangchun

Rec someone else's fic: imagining the integration of our images by @breitweisergallery

I know Took doesn't really write for the devil judge anymore, but my god this fic...I still think about it. The way this fic is written, it's just...it's just too damn good. (And Took, I don't expect you to continue it, but please just know that I love this fic and every TDJ fic you've written)

Pick one!

Fluff or Angst: Both. Always both

Oneshots or longfics: I like both, but my oneshots at this point are basically longfics...unless longfics are multi-chaps which I don't understand why you don't just call it that...but I like both. Just depends on what I'm in the mood for

Canon compliance or canon divergence: I like canon complicit. Keep everything but the same but change one or two things (basically what I'm doing to with my Killer and Healer rewrite). But I do like both...again, just what I'm in the mood for. But if I had to pick, I honestly like AUs (secret third option)

AO3 or FF.net:

AO3 all the way baby

Tagging: @clawbehavior @sunriseverse @breitweisergallery @ahhhnorealnamesallowed @hils79

@theotherwhybietoldmeso @hyperbolicgrinch @zennialemo @randomingoftherandomness @dramaloverrants and anyone else who wants to play

[deadqueernoldor]

End of Year Fic Recs!

I got tagged by @camille-lachenille for this, and boy I havent had time to read fic in a hot minute but this was literally the perfect opportunity to go through my ao3 and tumblr bookmarks again! Also I feel really bad that I couldnt get 5 for the first 3 categories, so pls dont take it personal if I forgot. My tagging system is a mess and idk if it works but if you want more tumblr writing recs go into the "writing that has me foaming out the mouth like a rabid dog" tag I have at the top of my account.! There's so many good drabbles and ficlets i couldnt possibly name them all! Also i likely could have tagged other author's tumblr accs but i didn't feel like looking bc I'm exhausted. I love these all sm

Also I cheated with the self rec bc one is from 2022 but I didnt want to rec only my OC lol

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Beneath a Boundless Sky by @runawaymun — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Elrond’s two new wards both struggle to feel at home in Rivendell. The wounds from their slavery in King Frumgar’s court are still fresh, and the scars are deep -- and they’re not the only ones. Maglor is home at last, but each day he lives he is haunted by guilt and grief. Elrond is nothing if not patient, and he is certain that given enough time in Rivendell, all three will heal.

I am always frothing at the mouth at OCs and world building and this work *and the prev work/part 1 of the series* is SO good

dare you see a soul at the white heat? by millyfaraway — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Lómion is reembodied, but struggles to cope. His uncles try to help.

BABY BOY GETS FAMILY THERAPY ABBY BOY SLOWLY GETS CONFIDENCE AND PUPPY LOVE SOBBIG ITS WHAT HE DESERVES anyway go read

The Last Heir of Fëanor - Part Two by Astrance — 87k — Rating (T)

Summary: This is the second part of the tale of the surviving child of Celebrimbor of Eregion and how she fared through the Ages of the world. From the Fall of Ost-in-Edhil to Imladris and the vastness of Second Age Eriador, the fight against Sauron seems never ending. Plans have been set in motion across the Misty Mountains, but, in Lindon, many tasks await.

Have I mentioned how much I love OCs? This is literally one of the best OCs I've read, flaws and all, and the way the whole thing is written is chefs kiss. Cant decide if I'm sweating from the amount of sobbing I've done with this work *and the previous/first part* or because of the delicious angst.

and rain will make the flowers grow by @swanmaids — 800 — Rating (G)

Summary: Glorfindel and Idril; on the Helcaraxë, in Nevrast, in Gondolin.

THEM. THEM. THEM. That's all I have to say. bUT THEM!

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

your veins are empty of dust by @echo-bleu — 1.7k — Rating (G)

Summary: Anairë finds her late one day in her workshop, surrounded by slabs of stone larger than her. Nerdanel is hammering forcefully at one of them, the barest hints of an elven shape already taking form in the marble. Bitter, stinging tears run down her cheeks and into her collar, and her arms ache with exhaustion.

The body is only barely sketched, but the face is already chiselled, smooth curves and angular cheekbones.

Fëanáro emerges out of the marble, looking like he’s about to take life.

(Across the sea, her sons lead a funeral.)

Frothing. Gnawing. I love the writing. The angst. Fucking mourning. Gimme all and then hurt me some more.

Babysitting #01 by @lordgrimwing — more chaps likely, atm oneshot

Excerpt: "She brought her children."

"Who did?”

"That Elwing woman, the pro bono case Celegorm talked me into."

Modern!scenario fix with Exhausted!lawyer!maedhros. He's tired and that's very sexy of him. Maglor is secy. They all are. Idiots. But very sexy. Elrond and Elros best boys. No argument.

Dreams of Doom by @camille-lachenille — 3.8k — Rating (M)

Summary: “She runs in the dark, alone. Where her feet carry her, she knows not, and her heart is heavy with dread. Someone - something - is watching her.”

Niënor from the moment she arrives in Brethil to her death.

THE ANGST THE LOVE THE TENDERNES THE FORESHADOWING I AM BITING THIS BC I CANT FIND GLASS TO CHEW.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies.)

Those Peaceful Hours by SpaceWall — 3.9k — Rating (T)

Summary: At the end of the Third Age, faced with her impending return to the home she left before the sun, Galadriel seeks out the one person who will understand her fears and grief.

It's so well written and the premise as a whole is so great!. Compelling and Galadriel characterisation is just so very sexy to me.

Their oath will drive them, and yet betray them by musing_and_writing — 2.2k — Rating (G)

Summary: Elrond had hours to spare, and if Maglor wished to spend the short time they had together reminiscing, he would not blame him for it. As Maglor began singing, Elrond settled himself across the clearing in his own bed of autumn flowers. Maglor’s voice resounded in the clearing, clear and powerful, just as it had upon his fortress’s ramparts as he pushed back Morgoth’s forces with a Song, just as Elrond assumed it must have echoed before the poisoning of the Trees in his family’s halls as Feanor crafted his cursed jewels.

Hehehehehe cryptid mf with a heart I love it the angst the tenderness it's just so *holds gently* while also *bodychecks maglor*

Double The Baggins, Twice The Took by fogisbeautiful — 138.5k — Rating (T)

Summary: The Baggins twins, Briallen and Bilbo, have spent their whole lives taking care of each other. So when the world outside makes an (uninvited) appearance, only one thing is certain. Not for wizard or king or mountain or dragon will the two of them part. Not if they have one word to say about it.

And besides, as Gandalf points out: It never hurts to have a spare burglar on hand.

I'm a sucker for Thorin x hobbit, and you give me a fic with bilbo's sister who's so lovely characterized? I'll kiss you sloppy style

The One With All The Birds by clothonono — 46.5k — Rating (G)

Summary: Would it never end? Would there always be one more mother standing on the shore, looking out to sea, full of a grief made more terrible by hope?

Elwing and Nerdanel in Valinor in the Fourth Age; a story about children coming home.

I think swanmaids recc'd this to me once upon the time when it hadn't been finished and I want to kiss their forehead for it. It's so good! Go read bc I lick my screen every time I re-read it.

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Bitter end — 6.4k — Rating (T)

Summary: Maglor has one brother left.

Both have one more fight in them.

The ghost you dress up as (knows how to haunt) — ongoing — Rating (M)

Summary: Maedhros was not the first Finwëan to be captured and taken to Angband, nor did he remain there the longest. Ranyatinwë, twin of Caranthir, was the first.

She escapes.

(Series) Old Maggie Took — 7 works — 402k — all Rating (G)

Summary: The headcanon about Maglor, second son of Fëanor, lives hidden in the Shire? Yes.

[northerngoshawk]

2023 Year-End Fic Round Up

many thanks to @itsmoonpeaches and @chocomd for the tags

oh boi i have not written a lick of a word since starting college again but here goes nothing

Words written (published or not, WIPs totally count too!): 149,165. probably have more due to wips that i started (but didn't finish) last year but for now i'll go with this number

Smut scenes written (if applicable): 0

New things I tried:

dabbled a lil in the Spiderverse fandom with my drabble a thin thread of trust, broken

tried my hand at a more romantically inclined fic premise with a love worth fighting for, my kataang forbidden lovers au

tried my hand at integrating Chinese culture a lot more into the ATLA world with Pangu, my kataang week fic written for the Injured prompt

other than that, there wasn't that much i experimented with. it felt a bit like the same old, same old

Fic I spent the most time on: definitely a love worth fighting for. twas a multi-chap with 6 chapters, with the word count ranging anywhere from 2k to 6k words? maybe even more. but not only did i want to portray the romance, i also wanted to flesh out the worldbuilding, develop other relationships b/w characters in this au, and so on. thus, this fic was warranted to be the one i spent the most time on

Fic I spent the least time on: a thin thread of trust, broken. it was really just a drabble from Thoughts i was having about Across the Spiderverse, specifically about Gwen and her relationship with her friends and Miles and also as a response to the unwarranted Gwen hate that she got post-movie something something misogyny something something redemption not being necessary for her because she was just a teen caught in a horrible situation but i digress

Favourite thing I wrote: oof idk. i think i really love how Pangu turned out, mostly because that was my first really deep dive into trying to integrate Chinese culture into the ATLA world. i know the premise of the fic was for kataang week, but my intention here was to delve deeper into the loneliness and burden Aang would inevitably feel in being the Avatar, and how it's always Katara (and his other friends) who help carry that burden with him. i think the story of Pangu really helps act as that parallel to Aang, but where the giant in the story was alone and eventually perished under the weight of his burden, Aang's friends help shoulder that weight with him and help him live.

Favourite thing I read: i'll be honest, i haven't really read a lot of fics recently, but one that does stand out for me is @chocomd's Enough, a kataang hanahaki fic, and its sequel The Deal. the writing between these two fics is incredibly gorgeous and haunting, managing to capture a kind of horrific beauty in both the hanahaki that afflicted Katara and the hope-turned-horror of Aang's eventual deal with... well, you'd have to read these fics to find out.

Writing goals for next year:

i'll probably take a sharp right turn from ATLA for now and head off towards writing fic for Genshin. i don't really have any good ideas for ATLA for now, which probably means i need a change of pace and to discover new material to work with. i'll probably come back to ATLA someday, but right now, between school and impending work and my hyperfixation on Genshin, i just can't find anything to work with.

in a similar vein above, i'm probably gonna take a break from romance and introspection and try my hand at action and adventure. unlike most of the Genshin fandom, i don't really ship anyone with anyone, and i also don't care about what the fandom thinks - i'm happy in my own little corner. i also recently read Six of Crows and i think it's high-time i try and conduct my own kind of plot. maybe through a mafia au? dungeon au? apocalypse? spy? who knows

even though i'm looking to eventually turn to Genshin, i do wanna finish up my pending Demon Slayer AU fic The Last Wind-Breather. i kinda want it to be a series of fics in the world, but for now i think i'll finish up the 2nd chapter and then come back to this au from time to time, write whatever comes to mind.

aaaand with that being said, i should probably at least get a chapter or two out for see the sky and sea (and remember me). started this fic in 2022, but even then i want to tie up my loose ends, give these fics the endings they deserve

Tagging (no pressure): @flameohotwife @benwvatt @shameaboutthedilettantism @coyotelemon and anyone else who wants to join in, feel free to!

[galvanizedfriend]

⭐️ for Gasoline and Spin! (two of my favs)

Gasoline is something that I started writing for a different fandom, about a billion years ago, and for some reason it suddenly gave me Klaroline vibes. I love a good musicians AU, so there's also that, and the idea of exploring a very messy side of Caroline and that relationship was something that enjoyed a lot. They're both extremely screwed up in the head in that setting, but Klaus fakes it better, while Caroline soldiers on by being extremely focused and disciplined, but she didn't get the clean cut she wishes she did, and it shows how much that affects her. I was originally going to write it as a long multi-chap, had the whole thing planned out. It was a bit of an ensemble story, where other characters would get their own development and so on, but I totally lost my mojo and then posted it as a one shot only, because I really liked that first chapter and I felt it worked anyway. But then @definedareasofuncertainty (she's behind everything, always lol) asked me to write a sequel and I decided to give it to her a birthday gift (I'm such a lame friend tbh 🥲), and so I had to include smut, because she's always calling me names for my fade to blacks 🥲

I like the open ending tbh, the idea that they can face the fact neither of them is completely happy and they have all this resentment for each other, but that there is no easy fix because they simply want different things from life. I was very particular about how I thought Klaus would be the ~~~softer part in this finale, because that's what he's like when he's with Caroline. He understands her needs, allows her to rage and scream, and always leaves the ball in her court. She's the one who makes the important moves. And so in that moment, he's just giving her what she needs, which is a closure of sorts and a promise that, maybe, further down the road, they'll finally be on the same page. It's all about timing and how bittersweet and heartbreaking it can be.

As for Spin - honestly, I love Spin. 😂 If I had to rec one of my fics to people, Spin would probably be top 3. I draw a lot of inspiration from my obsession of the day, and this was when I was watching The Politician like a mad person. The whole high school lovers to rivals had me by the throat (even though on the show it's actually very sad and depressing, in spire of the general insanity).

Again, it's an opportunity to have Klaus be a major little shit while also being a sucker for Caroline. I just think this story has so many aspects of them that I love. The bickering, the rivalry, the bitterness. The occasional betrayal. Klaus looking at Caroline like the sun shines out of her eyes, believing in her when everyone else just sort of roll their eyes. The Steroline relationship that is phony and convenient but lacking in everything. Klaus being propelled into impulsive, erratic behavior because of his family. The two of them finding a measure of comfort and understanding in each other, which is the last thing they could've expected.

I don't know, man, I just love them in this. 😂 Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's a very well-rounded fic that adapts their dynamic well into a high school AU. I wish I could write more fics like that tbh.

[agentplutonium]

20 Questions For Fic Writers Game

I got tagged by the ever talented @mr-laveau, thank you veauifer for that! I love games like this actually

I think I'm gonna tag @maxpaulll because you hate tag games and I think it's funny, and also @dizzy-n-busy even though I know you don't have a lot on ao3 at the moment (I just like telling people you also write fics on top of doing cool artwork/lh), also anyone else who wants to do this can! (do it. you don't need my permission. this is a threat. /lh)

1 - How many works do you have on AO3?

41. I have no social life.

2 - What's your total AO3 word count?

168,758. Again, have no social life.

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I write for Redacted Audio and NeXus. We don't talk about my past fandoms /j

4 - What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Welp. Let's get into this.

#1 is Natural Enemies an unfinished spider!deku x Rody Soul multi-chap fic.

#2 is Dances in the Morning a Matchablossom (Kojiro Nanjo (Joe) x Cherry Blossom (Kaoru Sakurayashiki) one shot.

#3 is Infinity another Matchablossom one shot.

#4 is Paranoia an emotional hurt/comfort Denki & Sero one shot.

#5 is Symphony yet another Matchablossom one shot.

I will not explain anything.

5 - Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I love getting comments and I usually respond as soon as I get the email (because if I don't, I will forget they are there-)

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

Uhhhh one sec I have to remind myself of what I wrote. OKAY SO I think the closest contender (I don't write angsty fics) would be The Mission a Kaminari/Shinsou fic. Or possibly even Oh, Captain, Let's Make a Deal which was something i wrote for a fandom event. The only other thing I can think of is an Imp!Milo fic where he loses Sweetheart and basically becomes the same shell that Asher is, but that one is unpublished. I don't really write angst-ending fics, I'm more start with angst and end happily. OH BUT WAS I WRONG (i was looking for examples for another question) I forgot about Space Between an Imp!Freelancer/Vindemiator fic. Oh my god, it’s not my best but fuck does it hurt.

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

Oooo okay so top contenders are Four Years, Not Forever a Sero/Todoroki fic, or once again Dances in the Morning or Infinity. Those last two are in my top five for a reason.

8 - Do you get hate on fics?

I. Don't think so. If I did I don't remember. I think there was one whole comment where someone fucking pulled out one word of the fic and said "it ruined the fic" for them and "they had a hard time continuing" which i won't even get into cause it was like a one-time thing. It was a rediculous comment in context anyway.

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

I don't, I want to, unsure if I'll ever post it though.

10 - Do you write crossovers?

No? I definitely don't now but I think I've gotten close in the past.

11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so.

12 - Have you ever had a fic translated?

There was one offer, but I don't think it ever went anywhere.

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

Technically yes, but it fell through. Would consider co-writing with someone though, depending on who they were/what the fic was.

14 - What's your all time favorite ship?

As of right now Milo/Sweetheart, but I go through favourite ships faster than I go through fandoms so I never have a real answer for this question.

15 - What's a WIP that you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Oh god, probably Eddie... The Love of My Life, or my All I Want series, just because I'm not in those fandoms anymore. I also have plenty of fics in my fic graveyard of a gdocs.

16 - What are your writing strengths?

I'd say my strengths are dialogue/describing non-sexual intimacy. Maybe my world-building? technically? uhhh that's all I can think of actually.

17 - What are your writing weaknesses?

Longer fics/keeping up with multi chaps (again, Eddie... The Love of My Life and Like Real People Do my beloveds I'm so sorry), MY FUCKING COMMAS if you read ANY of my fics I bet you there's way to many commas in it I have a problem, ummm I'd say any descriptive violence, I really wanna work on that. That's all that's coming to mind but I bet there's more.

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

I am not against it, but I have not tried it (that I can remember). I wouldn't mind though I just would be VERY meticulous about how it's written.

19 - First fandom you wrote for?

Off the record? Harry Potter or Percy Jackson (shivers in wattpad days) but if we're looking at my AO3 it would be BNHA with I'm Here (yet another unfinished multi-chap)

20 - Favorite fic you've written?

Oh god, I don't even know. All my fics are my babies. If I had to pick from my published ones I would probably go with Promise Me, Please (I Promise) which is an Imp!Milo/Sweetheart fic of mine that I wrote a year ago. But I am currently working on one that might surpass that, but only time can tell.

ANYWAY I'm supposed to be working on finals but this was fun! I have way too much free time on my hands at all times, and it shows in my writing. I'm gonna go hide in a hole now.

[dreaminonao3]

1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 21, 22, 26, 28, 31, 33, 16, 38, 39 & 40 for the writing ask you reblogged on your main account (I have this one up all the time, not your main, so thptt)!

:P to you too.

Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

The fics that are sequels to The Incubus in the Hallway. I ... was so bad at plotting them, frankly. The basics are fine but I could definitely have written them better.

3. How would you describe your writing style?

Very good beige prose.

4. Do you have any OCs? Do you have a story for them?

Another :P for making me list them, you know I have several now.

Emilia Alexander -- healer-in-training OFC that I wrote so Defender Strange wouldn't be alone.

Evie Strange -- OG Stephen's adopted telepathic daughter

Alina Ennynore -- geologist OFC I made for Smaug

Leland Arnold -- earl OMC I made for Mary Bennet

Thurston Caldwell -- marquess OMC I made for Caroline Bingley

Gabe Bromley -- war hero (canon era) or architect (modern era) OMC I made for Kitty Bennet

There are a couple more one-off OFCs.

7. Your favorite ao3 tag.

Older Man/Younger Woman

10. Top three favorite fic tropes.

Older Man/Younger Woman

Domestic Bliss

Idiots to lovers

21. Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what's your secret?

The best I can do is predict whether it's a one-shot or a multi-chap, and even then, I'm wrong quite a bit.

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again?

We already know the destination so it's definitely the journey. :)

26. What would you describe as OOC?

Someone acting like they never did/do in canon WITHOUT GOOD REASON.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

To be honest, the only writing "advice" that works for me ... ignore all writing "advice" you don't agree with. Stephen King doesn't like adverbs? Good for him, I don't care.

31. What was the most difficult fic for you to write (but in the end you made it)?

My most difficult FINISHED fic? Off the top of my head, There's Something About Penelope. I don't consider myself a smut writer -- I'm a fluff writer who dabbles in smut. This fic has a healthy amount of it and those scenes were not easy.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

I'm great at feels. :)

16. Are one-shots really underrated?

Dear God, yes! Especially if they're under 5K. Please, people, read more short fics. If I can skewer a reader's heart with just 41 words (45 if you count the title), think of how much of an emotional impact I can make with 10x or even 100x that many.

36. How do you come up with fic titles? What's the one you're most proud of?

Oh lord. 99% of the time, the title and summary are the LAST things I think of before I post a fic. If it's a songfic, I'll probably just use the song's title (or one of the other lyrics). Once in a great while, I'll think of the title as I'm writing a fic. I don't think I have a fic title I'm most proud of, but I'm attached to The Incubus In The Hallway since it comes from a line in the fic.

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I have several but I'm going with Steve Rogers is a 730-year-old member of the Knights Templar.

40. Write a 9-word fic.

Oh, fuck that! Ugh, fine...

Brynden wordlessly threw the unwanted ring into the bay.

[notquitecogent]

Year End Fic Review

year end fic review!

tagged by @luuver3 & @alittleillusionmachine

1. what is your ao3 account?

notquitecogent

2. how many words did you write in total in 2022?

14,874. I only started writing in September though.

3. how many fics did you publish in 2022? how many multi chapters vs one shots?

four – two one-shots and two two-shots. i'd like to give multi-chap a go but i don't think i have the patience?? i prefer to write little self-contained snippet-y things.

4. what was your longest fic? your shortest fic?

longest complete is netflix and thrill, but two nights will be longer once i finish part two. shortest is look me in the eye (tell me i'm the one).

5. what was your most popular fic? what was your least popular fic?

by number of hits is netflix and thrill, most popular by kudos and bookmarks is baby i'm yours now (dreaming a connection). least popular is two nights.

6. what fic didn't perform as well as you thought it would?

i didn't think any of them would perform well, so they all exceeded my expectations.

7. what fic performed way better than you thought it would?

all of them! look me in the eye (tell me i'm the one) has had really good feedback - much better than i thought it would. i love it when commenters tell me their favourite lines, and everyone seemed to have a different one for that fic. baby i'm yours now (dreaming a connection) also got a lot of bookmarks and i was so flattered by that.

8. what was your favourite fic you wrote from 2022?

the first one: baby i'm yours now (dreaming a connection). i wrote it really quickly for @majicmarker – it's a different style than i usually do and i just really felt connected to eddie's POV.

9. what was your favorite fic that somebody else wrote in 2022?

there are like five million. there are so many incredible writers for the ships i love, and for that i am extremely grateful! here is a by-no-means-exhaustive rec list: for stranger things/hellcheer: teen beat by @floggingink (god-tier literary masterpiece. i honestly feel like i'm not even smart enough to fully appreciate how good it is) reality and other highs by @chrissy-n-eddie voted most likely to run away with you by @blondiest it's nice to have a friend by @cunnninghams marigold by @hangon-silvergirl dirtbag and sick part of a sick thing by @bettsfic to get my soul known again by @staceymcgillicuddy someone reaching back for me and what a lovely way to burn by @enoughtotemptme if we don't leave this town (we might never make it out) by @astorytotellyourfriends baby, then you're in luck by @majicmarker (the GOAT of demisexual Eddie) and it will take a while (to make you smile) by Ao3 user shroomyystar for euphoria/fexi: folsom prison blues by Ao3 user blu1376 (one of the first and an absolute classic of the fexi genre) and no drugs for lexi howard, bye by @changeyourwholepitch everything nice by @actnatural-ly a thrill beyond compare by @stannisfactions (i also loved the fic where lexi is a therapist with about a million ethics violations but i think it got deleted) orange peel by @charmtion one that really screams and sore must be the storm by @shesonlylittle time is on my side by @wrylywriting pick up from the last place by Ao3 user gigi_originally velveteen rabbit by Ao3 user pastaslut knew you'd linger by Ao3 user crookedqueen with lovers and friends, i can still recall by Ao3 user ScarlettWoman710

10. tag your friends to do this year-end fic review as well! I think everyone has been tagged but if you haven't go right ahead!!

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

The tears of Mummers House: An experiment with time (Or, Why I usually don't post WIPs)

Right now, I am posting a fic called The tears of Mummers House. It’s only 3500 words total, but it’s divided into 21 chapters. I started posting it on September 24, and I’ll post one chapter a day for 20 days; there will be two chapters on the last day, October 13. 

Why on earth, you might ask, would I do this? 

Why I usually don’t post WIPs

So, I have posted at least two multi-chap WIPs before, in fandoms other than Carry On. The reception to those stories was lovely and warm, but I felt such intense guilt and anxiety over leaving readers hanging while I was struggling to draft chapters. I did eventually finish both - in the case of one story, literally five years after I’d posted the first chapter. YIKES.

Fun writing lesson for me: It is very difficult to create when you are weighed down by guilt, anxiety, and reader expectations.

So, I switched to my current method instead. I tend to draft and edit a complete piece, and then I post it all in one go. I like it a lot better this way, for a lot of reasons: 

01 My stories are often meant to be read like a film, not a TV show.

When I write a story, I usually intend it to be read in one go, like a film, with a complete beginning, middle, and end. I like the emotional satisfaction of reading a complete story. 

(But I’m also a hypocrite who will torture myself by re-reading old WIPs that I know will never get finished. Incidentally, if you ever watched Witch Hunter Robin, you should read The Disappearing Life by tripping fruit if you want to be tortured too). 

There are some writers who are very good at writing satisfying, chaptered instalments of  a longer work (LalaZee, Dickens). I am not very good at it (at least, not right now. I'd love to work on this more in the future!).

02 You can see how the conflict is set up and resolved (instead of just being stuck at the set up). 

It is sometimes very difficult for me to get reader’s responses out of my head if I am reading comments while also drafting. (I mean, I have enough difficulty responding to comments on finished stories while also drafting new things. I’m working on it!). 

With one of my longer fics especially, I would sometimes find myself frustrated at reader’s (negative) reactions to things unfolding in the moment, and I wanted to say, “It’s part of the story! This conflict is going to be resolved! This is a necessary step in the narrative!” 

But there’s no gracious way to yell back on the internet. ;)

03 It puts helpful boundaries around my vision of the story. 

This is connected to the second point. I don’t know what it is about the other fandoms that I write in, but I would sometimes get comments like, “They should do this! They should communicate like this! What if this happened instead? Why is it like that?” and I would want to be like, Shhhh, I’ve got this. I know where I’m going. 

Even if you don’t agree with the comments, it takes a certain amount of energy to wrestle with them and put them aside when you actually sit down to write.

I’ve cut out that struggle by basically maintaining my vision of how the work will go, and then releasing it into the world in its complete form.

This makes reader comments more delightful, and (if I’m very lucky) fuel for future fics. :) 

The tears of Mummers House: An experiment with time

“The tears of Mummers House” is a bit different from the other WIPs that I’ve posted before. For one thing, it’s complete. The only editing I do now is day-to-day copy editing to catch embarrassing mistakes before I post a daily chapter (and sometimes even then, I miss things). 

I thought it would be interesting, with this story, to turn my current method (posting a complete story) on its head. To play with delay, with deferral, with denial - which can be so frustrating in the moment, but so satisfying in the end (and now, here's me, struggling not to make a joke about orgasm denial, which is a great kink trope, just *chef's kiss*).

Thewesterndoor said (when I was originally brainstorming this), “It’s like the beginning of Carry On, when Simon is waiting for Baz," and I was like YES.

I love the beginning of Carry On, which reminds me a lot of The Third Man (also an amazing exercise in delay and in pay off). It takes bottle to not have Baz show up until page 152, and I am living for it. 

I want people to feel that frustration, that impatience, that delicious agony: Where’s Baz? Where's Simon? What's going on? What will happen next?

Influences on how “The tears of Mummers House” handles time 

I mentioned in the author’s note to this fic that I adore Dracula Daily. I love the real-time unfolding of that story, the digestible chunks, the cross-talk and delays with the post. 

The posting schedule for “Tears” is also inspired by Dear John by wendymarlowe, an incredible Sherlock fic that also played out in real time. I only found the story afterwards in its completed form, and not as a WIP but it must've been SO COOL to follow along with it when it was live.

One of the most amazing video game experiences I’ve had in the past few years is a game called The Longing. You play as a lonely Shade, waiting 400 days in real time for a sleeping king to wake. Playing this during the pandemic was a fucking mind trip (in a good way). 20 days doesn’t seem quite as bad as 400. 

I cannot contain my excitement

I said in some of my responses to comments that this is an exercise in delay, in denial, and in self-restraint for me as well. I want so badly to just post it all at once, but I also want to see this experiment play out. I love mystery stories but I don’t usually write them, so I am excited to dole out this particular mystery, bit by bit. 

I think there is something very cool about the fact that this story is changing day by day, and that my own author’s notes will eventually have to change. That depending on when you jump in, you might have a completely different reading experience from someone else. And that at the end, when it’s all posted, it’ll become a different beast again. These are things that are true of any WIP, but it’s fun to be playing with that dynamic consciously and deliberately. 

Some of the chapters are so short (as short as some of the chapters in Carry On), and so stark and spare that they are more like poetry. So some days will definitely be more frustrating than others.

But I hope the end result is worth it. I hope that this story gives you something to meditate on,  to look forward to - to dream about.

Thank you so much for everyone who is joining me on this ride, for reading and commenting and dreaming right along with Simon. 

<3