#hrm. i'm not sure how to tag this.

[gieguee]

first meeting.

pluto belongs to @koterkot!

[therealgchu]

Snippet Sunday - Hot or Not To the Shore Style!

thanks @fangbangerghoul for the reminder <3. tagging the rest of the coemancer crew, @silurisanguine, @atonalginger, @a-cosmic-elf, @toxiclizardwrites, @samcoesclub, @eridanidreams, @bearlytolerant, @aislingdmdt, @staticpallour and whoever else i may have missed. i'm kinda doing this on the fly.

instead of a sneak peek into the new chapter, i'm going to put up some funny dialogue pieces. i just finished playing mass effect legendary edition, and there was the scene with edi and joker in the club discussing hot or not. so, i kept hearing the dialogue in my head of sam and hwa discussing who's hot or not.

all of the romanceable characters are canonically bi. i have a whole headcannon that sam had a crush on delgado when he was young. and hwa, while not exactly i would call bi, also isn't the straightest person, either. so, here's just some fun little dialogue bits. these will eventually get published on ao3. but, i'm still writing them as they occur to me.

if you want to read my whole fic, To the Shore, check it out on ao3.

Delgado

Sam: well, he is pretty cute. Hwa: really? You think so? Sam: I mean, he’s a pirate, and who doesn’t love pirates? Hwa: me, actually. Pirates are kinda stupid. The whole pirate romance thing was nonsense. Scurvy, buggery, frequent starvation, not my idea of a good time. As someone that spent way too much time in their teen years reading Horatio Hornblower and learning about Lord Nelson’s Navy, being a pirate was pretty shitty. Sam: yeah. But, they’re still hot. Hwa: hrm…looks at Delgado again. Ok, I’ll give that one to you. The red scarf is nice. And, I suppose scurvy isn’t nearly the problem now as it was in 1700. To be on the safe side, you should check his teeth. Sam: I’m not checking Delgado’s teeth. That’s just…weird. Hwa: I thought you said he was cute? Sam: And, how do you think I should check his teeth? What, do you want me to kiss him? Hwa: only if I get to watch. Sam: and what if I say no? Hwa: then you don’t get to kiss him.  Sam: how about you check his teeth. Hwa: I don’t want to kiss him. I don’t go for bad boys. That seems more your speed. Sam: you’re not wrong…

Naeva

Hwa: hrmmm Sam: what? Hwa: how about Naeva? Sam: how about Naeva what? Hwa: She’s curvy. I like curvy. Sam: Eh, not my type. Hwa: you don’t like curvy? Sam: I don’t like psycho Hwa: yet there’s Lillian Sam: touché

Hadrian

Sam: wow Hwa: wow Sam: yeah Hwa: yeah Sam: Hadrian? Hwa: Hadrian. Sam: she’s very strong Hwa: she’s very curvy Sam: you like curvy, don’t you? Hwa: you like strong, don’t you? Sam: yeah Hwa: yeah Sam: I bet she’d look hot wrestling a terrormorph Hwa: that’s where your imagination went to? Sam: what were you thinking? Hwa: not terrormorph wrestling, that’s for sure. Sam: ok, where did your brain go to Hwa: flowing silk dresses, hot summer sun, silk dresses with removable silk ties, bedposts. Blindfolds. You know, normal sexy stuff. Sam: takes out slate to take down notes…normal sexy stuff. Got it. Hwa: what are you writing? Sam: a grocery list

[sighonaraa]

tagged by the brilliant @jamiesfootball and the stunning @lady-of-the-spirit and the gorgeous @abubblingcandle! thank you all for the tag MWAH <3

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

11

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

120,102

3. what fandoms do you write for?

ted lasso (quick everybody act surprised), daredevil (i WILL get back to that fic i prommy), thor & loki, and uh. i haven't posted anything yet but somehow succession got me to care very deeply about billionaires so. watch this space............

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

It's the Great Father's Day, Ted Lasso (ted lasso)

It's the Great Valentine's in May, Colin Hughes (ted lasso)

hear you calling from some lost and distant shore (thor & loki)

and do not recognize us as we pass (ted lasso)

It's the Great Moving Away, Sam Obisanya (ted lasso)

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I DO. I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LIE AND THAT IS BECAUSE IT IS. i have been woefully bad at catching up with responding to comments........... however i will fix this once school gets out.

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

hmmm. despite the fact that my fics tend to be Incredibly Angsty, they almost all end with deep and abiding sappiness. i suppose at the moment the sun is only a God if you learn to starve has the angstiest ending, although that's mostly just because it only has the one singular chapter atm.

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

probably It's the Great Father's Day, Ted Lasso! i love that ending very very much.

8. do you get hate on fics?

thankfully not yet!! pls be nice to me im This Tiny (i am not short at all) (be nice to me anyways)

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

i have not! maybe one day, possibly, but i'm very [blushing] about writing that right now lmfao.

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

i haven't written any crossovers before! i tend more towards AUs (as we can attest)

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

as far as i'm aware, nope!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

no but if anyone ever wants to, i'm so incredibly down for that

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

no! BUT! i would LOVE to! come to my dms and let's brainstorm.

14. what's your all-time favourite ship?

all of my favorite characters/therapy. tbh.

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

i will finish every WIP i've posted a chapter of because i will. this is my Brave Face Mantra. in terms of ones i want to finish in my head.... the ted lasso s3 fix it will hopefully eventually happen but not for A While.

16. what are your writing strengths?

hrm. hrngh. i hate complimenting myself. people have told me i have a good grasp of character voices and also prose? so? [throws that at you and runs away]

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

i am THEE absolute worst at describing settings/environments. i'm not a visual reader at all which translates into not being a visual writer and it's just. urgh. HELP.

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

hell yea! most of the characters i've written for so far have been mostly english-speaking, but for characters who are bilingual (dani, sam, richard) i try to include phrases in their native language they would use. if i were to ever write a lot of dialogue in another language, i'd probably give an in-narrative translation, or just stick 'em in the end notes.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

when i was 12 and infinity war came out i was so distraught that i wrote like 10 fix it fics and none of them will ever see the light of day.

20. favourite fic you've ever written?

and do not recognize us as we pass & find a new place to be from! yes i cheated and chose two.

tagging! not sure who has and who hasn't done it yet so! @altschmerzes @jamietarttsnorthernattitude @iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid @thirteenemeraldcats @nativestarwrites @orbitalpirate + absolutely anybody else who would like to participate and use me as their tagger! MWAH <3

[dogueteeth-fhr]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Thank you @silvery-bluish & @glitchy-npc for the tags! Not sure who else to send it to atm but if you see this on my page and decide to pitch in with your answers feel free to @ me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I've got 12! Most are oneshots, others are series.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

47002 on AO3 at the moment! And so much more in my docs.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily Fallen Hero, with a dash of TWC and some other fandoms sprinkled in my WIPS but I've been on Fallen Hero brainrot for a long time now so the other fandoms are currently neglected.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Nightmare (surprisingly enough) w/ 28 kudos

focus (it's harder than you think) (also surprising lol) w/ 20 kudos

new pavement w/ 18 kudos

anamnesis w/ 18 kudos

freefall w/ 13 kudos tied with bath(toaster)tub also w/ 13 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to respond to all of them! But some days I just don't have the spoons to and I forget, but I really appreciate any comments I receive.

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

HA. you want me to pick??? Ok hrm. maybe bath(toaster)tub? anamnesis also has so me pretty angsty pieces in there.

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

PFFF. ok gotta. go look for this one. Maybe sargasso sea, though it's technically not the last iteration in its series between a continued plotline hinted out in after the fall and a third part planned for its series.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! I think.

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

(slaps brain) this bad boy can generate so much smut. I write pretty much any kind? Soft, rough, indulgent, M/M, F/M, F/F, other any everything, kinky or emotional, etc. Just whatever strikes me at the time, but most just dont get published bc I'm mid.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I typically HATE crossover fics they just aren't my thing I do write AUs of X story set in X story's universe, just haven't published them (wait does that still count as a crossover).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nah, considered it once tho.

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

Nope! Haven't found someone with the vibe ig, it's just never crossed my mind to co-write a fic and just never been asked too.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

(cue strained breath) i have no all time favorites BUT. but. Ricardo/Wei gets me SO soft ok. i just. unrequited years long attraction finally requited and i. AAAAA. place sidestep in there too and i'm just so happy. i need poly rep in my life sometimes ok.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I stare into the google docs hell and ask you how you could expect me to pick one but. BUT. Praeludium//Allegro. A piece meant to dive in how Sidestep is able to experience the moment someone dies through their mind.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Shorter pieces! They tend to be about ~2000-5000 words per part, that's usually when I feel I've done my best. I'm also. Decent at NSFW writing? Sometimes, at least.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely long fics. I had a plan for freefall and have scrapped and adapted it multiple times now, pus it's just difficult to keep myself interested in specific but necessary chapters.

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

It's fun! I've included Spanish and Russian excerpts into my fics before but I don't do it a lot. Considered writing fully in Spanish at some point for an Ortega POV but I'm not confident in my grammar abilities. Spanish verb tenses my beloathed.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Naruto. On a different old account best left to gather dust.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Hm, I'm not sure if I have a favorite. I do really like the NSFW piece I wrote from Remy's POV, though. Short but good.

[greenplumbboblover]

Relationship Tag Thing!

Finally got to it! Thanks @nocturnalazure for tagging!

Tell me which of your OC you would rather be in a romantic relationship with, and why?

Aside from me being in an actual relationship, (I honestly lost interest in finding characters super sexy or getting super into them. Unless it's Garrus Vakarian lol)

But I guess if we're talking about *dating* material, I'd probably go with Christopher? The way I write his humour is pretty close to what I'm dealing with on a daily basis. :p

I guess it's most likely also because I love my men to be empathetic and good listeners where emotionally necessary. Not judging the sensitive part of me and just, in some way, playful (intellectually mostly). Especially since I find myself doing that towards other people in IRL.

And generally, someone where I can just turn off for a bit and do some social recharging with, without feeling drained, because Introversion.

Plus, who doesn't want to go fishing occasionally, and just chilling with a cool dude with a cool beer! :p Even if the fish aren't biting.

And also tell who you would rather be friend with and why?

Ohh that's a tough one! ... hrm, I'm sure this would change when writing more into the story, but I'm guessing either Zelda or Morgana. If I had to choose, Morgana though.

I think with Morgana I'd find myself being quick into this "I need to mentally help this person" mode, which to be fair, is how most of my friendships have always started... Plus, I think she seems like a nice person to have a good chat with!

[grapecaseschoices]

what kind of art would someone make about you? here

tagged by: i stole it; tagging: @serenpedac @galpal95 @quinnorion @mt07131 @sustainably-du-mortain @unitedindistaste @griffin-wood @sun-teas @honeylemonbutte @sunshineandviolets @straightuppotato-ocs @graysonblck @queerdetectiveblue @queerbrujas and anyone who wants!

Hiyam:

films [yes!]

you are wild and there’s no way for your essence to be captured in a frozen format. you are a character and the only way to describe you is to capture you in motion. you are electric. people are naturally drawn to you because you exude confidence. everything you do, you seem to know what your next step is. you are the muse to many, even if you don't know it, but deep down you do. people tend to fall in love with the idea of which i'm sure can be exhausting.

Bethany Josnel:

music [hrm]

you are a breath of fresh air. you are soft and free. you disappear as quickly as you appear, and everyone wishes you had stayed around longer than you did. your voice is what makes people fall in love. everything you say is in harmonies and codes, and only the most experienced listeners can fully understand you. your presence is always enjoyed but you aren’t always given the praise you deserve; people will let you stay in the background. all you want is for someone to really listen to you.

Lala:

poetry [!!]

you choose your words carefully and your words will be heard. you’re smart as hell. you know it and so does everyone else and you carry yourself with a sort of confidence. you’re a bit of an artist yourself, even if unintentional. you can find beauty in mundanity but you also know when to be a realist. people fall in love with you because you are a confident mystery and they're dying to find out more. you fear that this attraction that people have to you is based purely in curiosity and nothing else.

Alana:

novels [pretty much!]

you fall in love easily and hard, and you are the image that pops into someone’s brain when they think of a love interest. you are a romantic and find yourself falling in love a hundred times a day because your imagination is wild and certainly knows how to get the best of you. you are soft and delicate and need to be handled with care, because a heartbreak would break you into a million pieces. you don’t want much else except to be loved and to love. you want to live out your wildest dreams, and the person that loves you can't help but let their imagination run wild with you.

Ori:

paintings [... yeah, i can see it]

everything you do is a work of art. you are beautiful without even trying, simply lounging around looks like you’re posing and waiting for someone to sketch you. you come off as light and easy but you are often misunderstood. people don’t tend to see you for who you really are, and focus too much on how effortlessly you appear to navigate the world. there's some kind of darkness behind your eyes that only some can see under all the layers of paint.

[after-witch]

THEEOOO are you alright???

Please tell me you're alright

Give us some update T_T

hey 'non so uhhh, u mm. I didn't want to post because I feel like lately all I do is just post "my life is going to shit" but ;;; YOU ASKED... SO IT'S OKAY.... and uh, truthfully:

I'm not okay. At all. Things aren't okay in a serious way.

gonna 'keep reading' cut this so it's not clogging up anyone's dash ;;

Furnace tech came out, there's a crack in the furnance (He showed me & I got it confirmed) and he tagged my furnace as unsafe for living conditions and turned off power/gas to it.

So I have no working heat throughout the house. In the winter. In an area where it can get down to the 10s/20s or colder, particularly as we get into January-February.

I don't have the money to buy a furnace, but I literally need one to live in this house and make sure my pipes don't freeze/burst, and to sell this house for anything remotely resembling a reasonable price.

They send someone out for an estimate, and it’s $4000 for a new furnance install. I don’t have it. And they gave me info to apply for a loan, but like. I can’t... take out a a $4000 loan to pay for a new furnace when I’m supposed to be moving in 2 months. 

My family found a used furnace, but we need someone licensed to install it. So far the quotes for installing it are just as much as buying the new furnace and having it installed, so it’s like. Hrm. People are asking around to see if we can find someone who will do it for a different rate. But I mean, it’s a complex installation, so I’m not hopeful.

And on top of all this, it's just like. Me trying to sell the house on my own? Somehow? Trying to declutter and clean and pack a 2000 square foot house and then figure out how to list it and for what price and do all the paperwork?

All this was already overwhelming without the "I HAVE NO FURNACE NOW" element hanging over me. And now? I just feel so lost.

So I got approved for the apartment which has a move-in date in early March, but now I'm just like, how am I going to afford the apartment $500 hold deposit in 2 weeks and later on afford the move-in costs and get a furnace installed and get renter's insurance and sell a house with presumably no working furnace in the winter and get everything decluttered and packed in very cold temps and still pay my regular bills and start saving for the next round of car insurance and make enough for gas and and and...

I've actually never felt this level of stress and despair before. I just keep bawling. Like, "when someone you love dies" level of bawling.

I'm just really not okay.

My cat and I are currently in my office with a space heater while I try to do some remote freelance work so I can pay my current bills, hopefully she joins me in the bedroom after I warm it up & stuff a blanket in the doorway cracks to keep it in. I also bought room thermometers so I can see if it's getting to dangerous cold levels and if it is, go to a relative's house.

Thankfully, I do have places I can stay at during the night (siblings houses) but the financial situation & making sure my cat is safe & making sure I'm not in dangerous cold conditions & making sure my pipe's don't freeze is just... overwhelming. idek what to do at this point.

Every time I'm like "Okay, it can't get worse," it just does. Every little positive thing (finally getting my driver's license, finding a way to pay for car insurance, getting help from commissions & amazing donations so I can get my furnace fixed last month) is immediately met with a massive backhand.

Def going to like. Post more about emergency commissions & stuff like that soon. Just right now I need to... figure out... what to make a priority.

Sorry for the long rant. I wish things were going good so I could just say that. I wish I just. had a secret stash of money that I could use to pay for this stuff and not have to worry. 

[sunset-a-story]

Writer Q&A Tag Game!

I got tagged by @touloserlautrec on this one and you can see their answers here.

I'm not sure who hasn't gotten this one yet but I'm no pressure tagging @squarebracket-trick @captain-kraken @vsnotresponding & @tisiphonewolfe (and open tag)

1. What motivates you to write?

The whole absurdly-large scope of Sunset is going on in my head whether I'm writing it or not. You know when you have a song oppressively stuck in your head and the only thing that helps is to listen to the song all the way through? It's like that. If I don't write it out, my brain just churns it over and over on a loop.

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

Ooo. Hrm. Here's something from Arc 2.

Gerrit's heart sank. The idea that this sort of attack was more than a sporadic phenomenon was a dreadful, heavy thing that he didn't have proper words for. But that was the benefit of telepaths--he didn’t have to. When Gerrit would normally have needed to look away, attempting to grasp his fingers around some sort of words that even remotely fit the gravity of what he was being told, instead he just looked at Penn and felt. Penn held his gaze for a moment and Gerrit felt a gentle nudge of his telepathy. Penn understood. “Go.” Penn clapped him on the back.

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

It's tough to pick! I'll say Marek just because I enjoy his antics and stalwart refusal to be a "serious corporate adult" while being one of the most competent people in the Corp. (Plus he and Baguette are a package deal.)

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

I guess I'd have to say planning/mapping the big picture. Sunset covers a lot of threads that all branch out to affect others down the line with cascading consequences. It's all connected somehow and I feel like I do a decent holding it all in my head.

(That and I think I can write some pretty damn funny dialogue to break up the tension of the rest of the story.)

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

The people! It's so amazing to meet so many supportive writers and get to get excited about everyone's projects. Listening to other rant about their oc babies brings me so much joy.

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

I've been using StimuWrite 2 which has been a great motivating tool. It's a program helps to keep me focused and I can create a mini fake coffee shop background with it.

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

I love our take on telepaths because it's not a matter of just hearing thoughts or seeing them like on a movie screen. It's synesthetic and young telepaths have to learn to translate this internal language.

Each telepath's experience is different. Penn's is heavily smell-based like information he takes into his body from outside. Jake's is more external with sounds and physical sensations pressing themselves onto his skin, wrapping around him. Reeve's is more internal with tastes and colors that flow from the backs of his eyes and down his throat like a liquid--so if his knack gets overwhelming it can make him feel like he's choking or drowning.

I like to think that how telepaths perceive their knack has an influence on them in the same way that what knack someone has will influence who they are. (This also makes conflict between telepaths really interesting to write!)

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

Allow yourself to have fallow times where you aren't writing. That's part of the process. I think the saying is something like anything in nature that is producing endlessly without rest or renewal is dying.

Don't give up on your projects, write that shitty first draft, but don't beat yourself up with guilt when your brain needs a break.

[serenanymph]

writeblr positivity tag

tagged by the lovely @macabremoons! gently tagging @lyssa-ink, @reneesbooks, @scroll-of-aves, @space-writes, and anyone else who wants to hop in! this is gonna be a long one so I'm gonna leave it under the cut.

1. What motivates you to write?

All the lovely comments I get!! I honestly just love seeing how people react to my writing. Also just thinking about my characters in general. They're just a bunch of silly little guys <3 (they are unbelievably traumatized). And thinking about those specific few scenes I'll get to write later in the book too!!!

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

Uhh honestly I have mostly forgotten and all the good lines really only make sense with context, but I guess I am?? Mildly proud of this bit??

The air smells of sweet perfume. It’s a sharp, potent scent, thick and cloying, overly concentrated and enough for Beatriz to choke on. That’s the first thing she notices. The second things she notices is everything buried beneath it – dust, the faint, lingering tang of chemicals stinging her nose. Decay and rot. The air smells like death.

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

Wait is this your own OC or someone else's. Okay I can't really pick between my children BUT I do really love @reneesbooks Birdie!! Smol chaotic magic child, absolutely adorable. I want to give her all the pastries she could ever desire

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

On one hand, creating the first draft from scratch is really fun, but on the other, working on later drafts with the knowledge you're refining something and making it better is also so satisfying. Hrm. I'd say first draft wins but only by a small margin (because nothing in the latter stages will exist without it).

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

Uh. I have no idea but apparently a lot of people have said I'm really good at descriptions?? So. Descriptions. I guess

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

Honestly I think everyone's answers are gonna be about the same but, y'know. It's the community. Everyone here is genuinely so friendly and talented, and all the games are really fun!!

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

I use microsoft word which is like. About all I use. Really boring ik but I'm used to it and for whatever reason I think it came with the laptop?? So yeah

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

I really like exploring the magic system!! Magic for Beasts is largely emotion-based, and can be affected by a variety of factors (everything from target to affinity to environmental conditions) so it's been really fun figuring it out, but still making sure it doesn't become overpowered or a deus ex machina. There's also magic for mages which is a lot more precise and restrained. You can kind of think of it as Beasts having powers while mages have spells.

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

Honestly most people would probably say something along these lines as well - even though I don't know what's causing your rough patch exactly, the only way to solve this not-writing problem in the end is to write. If you write, you can make it better. If you write, someone out there is bound to find it and love it. So, y'know. Just write. It can only go up from here.

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

Okay so first off, @allianaavelinjackson (though she isn't really part of writeblr), for always putting up with my insane ramblings about the little people in my head, losing it when reading about the little people in my head, and just being a really great cheerleader. Love ya. Also @lyssa-ink for being one of my first mutuals and having really interesting story ideas!! And @reneesbooks for her continued support and just being a super talented writer (seriously, lacuna lives rent free in my head). Plus @squarebracket-trick, @e-klair and @space-writes for all the STS questions giving me a chance to yell about Beast at someone, and lastly tagging back @macabremoons for all her support!! I could really go on and on and on but then this post would never end but to all my mutuals!!! Know that I love and appreciate every single one of you and y'all are awesome people!!

BLANK QUESTIONS

1. What motivates you to write?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[auncyen]

WIP List meme!

Tagged by @bad0mens, tagging @nautilusopus, @cateringisalie, and @darrelodin

Actively Working On (for a certain value of working on...I'm going to say wips I've touched recently lol)

Sneaky Santa fic it's partikari. I can say that without giving away who I got LOL

In Stars and Time Isabeau's First Impression of Sif this is mostly stalled in that it's just a character piece and idk like. I don't have a way of making it interesting yet.

In Stars and Time Alt Act 5 SO. I wrote an alternate scene for act 5 about a week or so ago I think? and I wasn't sure how to continue it but that sure has been floating in my brain now. without spoilering act 5 is the climax of ISAT so it'd basically be exploring a different way for things to hit a climax and how that might play out. I STILL DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA DO THIS AS A FIC, PARTIALLY BECAUSE I AM TAKING COLLEGE COURSES ATM BUT ALSO I WANNA GO BACK TO...

Backburnered Fics

Speaking of fics floating in my brain for a long time.

When the Cat Dragged In the Trickster-p5, au where Ann is the leader and the PT only know Ren as the delinquent transfer student who keeps getting falsely flagged on the Phansite until Morgana runs away and teams up with him. it feels like this fic is going to haunt me until I die or it gets finished LMFAO I haven't had any new p5 fic ideas recently, this 100% is what I'd be going back to writing in the fandom for if I do. Why has it been stalled forever? I hyped the next chapter up too much for myself. What other fic did I do that with?

Overcast. This is a mostly canon-compliant (I'm pulling a little timeline fuckery with crossed paths so the group has a half-sane itinerary) OT2 fic mostly exploring Hikari and Castti through each other's eyes. It started as Castti-through-Hikari but then I suddenly got an idea in the Timberain chapter and was like "NOW HIKARI". the problem: I feel like I have to do something really big with Hikari's Shadow besides what happens in canon and I'm not quite sure what that is. Like yes, he's having more trouble with it and I have one idea for how Castti might react to it, but...hrm. HRM.

Doubt Before Dawn. OT2, slight au during the Journey to Dawn chapter where Temenos' good intentions pave the way to hell. ...Okay they were mixed intentions but he didn't mean to hurt Throne. I think this is probably the backburnered fic I should go back to first even though/because it's the one I'm least "hyped" about because it is fairly straightforward in what it needs (just one more chapter).

[shadesofmauve]

2022 Writing Wrap Up

Total words published: 149, 266. All but 947 of them published three days ago.

Additional words written: Oh, hell, your guess is as good as mine. I've got Perpetual Soup documents simmering over here, I take bits from them and add to them all the time. Like, google is crashing rather than admit that the Epic Scrap Yard doc has been around and perpetually changing since 2011. I know I had 4000 words on the next chapter before the clock struck midnight on the 31st; I can't remember how much I added to @swaps55' fav upcoming arc (aka Kai Leng's Worst Mistake Ever) or the Vortex of Tears, but I know it was something.

Grand total of words: 149,266++! Only not, because I didn't write all those; many were first published years ago, and even the re-writes represent about three years of work. So who the hell knows.

Fandoms: Mass Effect, of course. I've also added small amounts to an original novel idea, but mostly world-building notes.

Highest everything (raw kudos, hits comments): Of all time? It's always A Star to Steer Her By for hits, kudos, and bookmarks. I'm pleased to see Sunset and Evening Star beats it for subscriptions, though!

Highest kudos-to-hits ratio: Okay, I don't think this is fair. People come re-read aStSHB, but they can only leave kudos once. Like, far and AWAY the biggest k:h ratio is for Copilots, which is a tear-jerker short fic I gave to @musanocturnis in a holiday exchange because I'm a horrible friend. It only has 45 hits total, but people who go "I know, I want to CRY!" and click on it are apparently getting what they signed up for.

New things I tried: Um. Hrm. @swaps55, what did I try that was new? :P I wanna say there's something in the Emotional Cascade Failure chapter, but it wasn't so much new as hard. There's a lot of emotional stuff in SaES that's very much putting myself in situations I have no experience with — which is always part of writing, and is new every time.

Fic I spent the most time on: Sunset and Evening Star, no question.

Fic I spent the least time on: Shipmates, my lil' exploration of how Joker and Kaidan met.

Favorite thing I wrote: I like a LOT of what I wrote this year, which is an awesome feeling! I get giggly-excited over some space combat sections that haven't seen the light of day yet, and about anything with Alejandro. I'm very pleased with coming up with the Poss'm acronym. And Joker and Kaidan's ridiculous N7 Craft Hour conversation cracks me up more than it should, for sure.

Favorite thing I read: I've done way, way more writing than reading of fic, but it's got to be one of the scenes with the Yang Gang from @swaps55' Cantata. I just love their whole dynamic. The needlepoint wall sends me, and I'm going to work a reference to it in somewhere. I also really liked Wish I May, Wish I Might by @spaced0lphin, who's out there single-handedly providing every possible form of content for the Shoker fandom including a frickin' game mod. (Which I haven't yet played for the same reason I haven't read the Tiger By My Side rewrite, @spaced0lphin — keeping my own story clear while I'm neck deep in it, and not having time :( — but the original TBMS was my fav Shoker long fic, back in the day, so...)

Writing Goals for 2023: PUBLISH NEW CHAPTERS! We're lookin' good, just gotta keep going.

New works: Just Shipmates, I think. Though my main fic is so damn long I sort of feel like the new chapters count. That'd be A Bunk on the Normandy, Emotional Cascade Failure, and Possum, most of Trust, then the new chapter Shipmates (which is different than the short fic, titles are just hard, okay). There's other new stuff through-out, but those are almost 100% new.

Tagging: @writes-in-space, @spaced0lphin, @virusq

[millieindeed]

Hah, haven't done this in a while. Tagged by @notabuddhist

Ages ago admittedly, but then I lost the tab in my pile of tabs.

1. are you named after anyone?

Yep! A few people actually. Millicent comes from my great auntie Millicent. A ferocious and seriously impressive lady. I only met her a few times due to being several continents apart, but she always amazed me. I'm somewhat also named after Millicent from Ozy and Millie, the excellent comic by Dana Simpson.

My middle name Alice also comes from my Grandma. It's actually her first name though she typically goes by her middle name. Plus I like the association to a good friend and to she of Alice in Wonderland.

2. when was the last time you cried?

I think about a week ago? I've been rereading the exceptional Old Addictions Die Hard by @logjammer9000 and there are quite a few parts that made me sob. Indeed a big part of why I started my third reread is the most recent chapter included a character death that had me absolutely sobbing. She knows exactly how to destroy me it seems.

3. do you have kids?

No, but I'd love to. It's gotten harder (being trans is a complicating factor), and I often worry that I won't get a chance, but I really would love to be a Mum. On the plus side my sister is interested in having kids and I would be pretty happy to be a cool aunt to them.

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

Hm. I don't think so. I think I did when I was younger, as I seem to remember having that as a reputation? but can't recall specifically.

5. what sports do you play / have you played?

Tennis and Basket Ball. I think the tennis was mostly just learning not matches, but it was outside school so I think it counts. The basketball was matches, and our team were....not amazing. But I really enjoyed it and it was crazy how much better I was at it than people who didn't play (crazy to me because I assumed I was bad) when I tried it out later.

6. what's the first thing you notice about other people?

Hrm. I'm not sure there's like, a body part or w/ever I go to consistently. It's mostly just 'do they have any distinguishing looks that make them look a bit queer', otherwise my attention often doesn't last long. Y'know, cool jacket, tattoos, pins, coloured hair, that sort of thing.

7. what's your eye colour?

Brown. I used to dislike that cause it was 'boring' and 'normal' but I think it's a fairly nice shade.

8. scary movies or happy endings?

Yup! Love scary movies, all about that. Love happy endings too, big sap for stories where things are just, nice. Doesn't even necessarily need stakes some of the time.

9. any special talents?

I'm bad at complimenting myself so I sorta just don't think I'm good at anything? I'm a bit of a jack of all trades and can pick things up pretty quickly. And generally do them reasonably well when I get a chance to figure it out. I can be really good at retaining instructions and then teaching others (was complimented on this recently so I can ignore the internal criticism).

I also think I'm pretty good with people. Listening to them and empathising when needed. I've been told I have capybara energy which I think is pretty special.

10. where were you born?

Misread this as 'were you born' and was wondering why Macbeth was fishing for information.

I was born in Arica, in Chile. I have few memories from there, mostly from when I revisited at age 5. We left after about 2 years.

11. what are your hobbies?

haaaah. Well. All of them.

I draw and paint; I crochet and knit; I like building models; I do puzzles; I game; I run & rock climb; I write; I like making things in general regardless of medium; I paint miniatures; I make games; I play TTRPGs (mostly D&D).

Not all the time, but those are hobbies I like and where I haven't done them in a while I intend to return to them when the mood takes me.

12. do you have any pets.

Yes! I have an absolutely adorable cat named Kita. She's a princess and meows a LOT and likes to sit on my chest while I work.

I also just recently got a puppy! His name is Ozy (officially Ozymandias King-of-Kings). He's a bit of a terror at the moment due to the puppy madness, but I adore him. He's the softest and cuddliest thing you've ever seen and when not mad, he's a pretty chill and snoozy guy. Also real smart, it's a danger.

13. how tall are you?

Last I measured I was 5'11. That was before the hormones though, so it's possible I'm shorter now.

14. favourite subject in school?

I loved anything that let me be creative. I got a lot out of creative writing, photography, painting etc. Sadly didn't really pursue many into the later parts of schooling as I went with the uni required English Lit which wasn't creative and was just reading and analysing which I didn't like. Some good teachers tho. I also loved Programming (the class had a few names) and was pretty decent at it. Also what I do now for a living.

15. dream job?

Ahhh, I'm currently struggling with this personally! I don't really know. The work I do is...fine. It pays well and keeps me engaged at least some of the time. I was liking it more because I got them to give me a 4 day week. But I found the income hit hard and am back on 5 days and hating it.

I think my current dream would be to run a Bookshop/Event Space. Somewhere fairly cosy with room to host like queer community events, or D&D games or that sort of thing.

That or some kind of artist/writer.

[therealgchu]

WIP Wednesday - To the Shore, An Interlude

it's that time again, WIP wednesay. i think i'm going to blow the friday publishing deadline for the next chapter. instead of writing last night, i started the vanguard questline with sarah. i'm naughty.

but, i do have a sneak peek of the forthcoming chapter!

tagging the coemancer crew, @atonalginger, @silurisanguine, @eridanidreams, @fangbangerghoul, @aro-pancake, @aislingdmdt, @toxiclizardwrites, @staticpallour, and whoever else i'm missing. there really needs to be some sort of macro or group function.

if you want to read the fic from the beginning, check it out on ao3.

On with the sneak peek!

Hwa was taken aback for a moment, as the idea of marriage hadn’t even occurred to her. She was just getting used to the idea of actually being romantically involved with someone. She stared into space for a moment, her face completely blank and barely breathing, then became animated again and responded, ��I don’t know. I’m honestly not thinking that far ahead.”

“But, maybe?”

“Cora, this is all very new to both your dad and me.” Hwa wasn’t sure how much she wanted to explain to the girl about her past, or even if she wanted to at all, and how that affected everything she did. Jane Austen did not prepare Cora to understand complex trauma and how that affects relationships, especially romantic ones. Maybe I should get her The Little Matchgirl or Anne of Green Gables, Hwa thought to herself. So, instead she punted, “Why don’t you ask your dad?”

Indefatigable Cora responded, “Ok, I will!”

Hwa was surprised at how amenable Cora was to the idea of her and Sam getting married. “Would you be OK if we did?” she asked cautiously.

“Hrm,” the girl put her hand under her chin in the same gesture Hwa had seen Sam do a thousand times, “I think so? You make Dad really happy, like the happiest I’ve ever seen him. We love traveling with you. And, I like you a lot. So, I think it would be ok.”

Hwa smiled and felt relieved. She hadn’t realized how much Cora’s approval meant to her until she heard the girl give it. “He wanted me to talk to you about this, actually, which is why I came to talk to you.”

Cora gave a knowing smirk, “He asked you to ask me? He always does stuff like that.”

Hwa narrowed her eyes, “Does he, now? He has other people ask you the hard questions?”

“Yep. He hates doing it himself. Like when we moved to New Atlantis. He had Sarah tell me instead of him. He had just started working for Constellation at the time, and we moved from Akila,” she explained. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Cora leaned closer to Hwa and lowered her voice, “he kinda hates conflict. Which is funny since he seems to get into fights a lot.”

“How do you know about that?” Hwa asked.

“I’ve heard his stories,” Cora shrugged. “He thinks that if I’m not in the room, I can’t hear,” she scoffed. “Anyway, I’ve known you and dad were together for awhile,” Cora continued. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious.”

Hwa chuckled, “That’s what I told him, but he didn’t believe me. I think he thinks you’re still a little kid.”

Cora moaned and shook her head, “Yeah, can you talk to him about that? I’m not eight anymore,” she said in an aggrieved tone. “If I’m old enough to be a co-captain, I’m old enough to notice when my dad is dating,” and rolled her eyes as only a twelve year old can.

“Trust me, I’ve tried. I think he’s in denial,” Hwa said wryly.

“Denial, not just a river in Egypt. I read that in a book, somewhere. But, yes, I’m OK with you and dad dating. You have my blessing.” Cora ended with a magnanimous tone.

“Thank you, that means everything to me.”

Cora reached over to give Hwa a hug, but stopped. “Dad said you don’t like to be touched, but I want to give you a hug. Is that OK?”

“Hugs from you are always OK,” and she reached for the girl and wrapped her in her arms. Hwa wanted more than anything to kiss the top of her head as she’d seen Sam do a thousand times, but she refrained. Cora let go and sat back. “He still gets to decide on whether I can teach you to hack better, though,” Hwa admonished.

“That’s not fair,” Cora grumbled.

[speakeasyyy]

Psst psst @sp-ace-twinkk I did it

1. Are you named after anyone?

I'm named after a fox from a book, actually! Pax by Sara Pennypacker. (Also, technically after the Latin word for peace, but I like foxes a lot.)

2. When was the last time you cried?

I actually don't remember! I don't cry very often, but when I do I usually forget about it within an hour.

3. Do you have kids?

I do not have kids and I don't plan on having kids. I like working with kids though! I'll be a father by proxy by working as a camp counselor or at a daycare or something.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I don't have time for sports anymore, but I used to do show riding! I was also into tennis for a couple of summers. Horseback was a lot bigger for me, though. I miss that sport a lot.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Not really? I will sometimes, but I usually don't because I don't personally like sarcasm, it makes me feel a bit stupid. It's okay in some cases, though.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their behavior for sure. Attitude is a big thing for me and when I first talk to people, I pick up on their vibes so fast. The way a person treats me is really important to me so I almost always take note of that first.

7. What's your eye color?

Hrm. I've gotten a lot of different answers from other people about this, but they're greyish-green with yellow around the pupil. They reflect a lot of the light around them, too, so depending on what I wear or the environment I'm in, they'll look more or less green.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I love happy ending movies a lot! Some of my favorite movies have happy endings, though, like Fantastic Mr Fox or Rushmore (kind of). I also love scary movies, but most of the movies that I like the most are happy.

9. Any talents?

I think you could call art a talent? Although I feel like that's more of a skill. I can sing alright, I think that's a talent that can be turned into a skill, though.

10. Where were you born?

I was born in Virginia. I haven't moved out of the state and I'm really happy about that. It's beautiful here. Lots of mountains.

11. What are your hobbies?

Art of several mediums! Mainly sketching, prismacolor, and acrylic paint. I also like playing ukulele and I'm trying to learn guitar. I do a lot of thrifting or visiting antique/vintage stores too. Big fan of old items and clothes.

12. Do you have any pets?

I have four pets right now! A Jack Russel - Australian Heeler mix named Buffalo Bill, a black cat named Hissy Maria, an orange tabby named Trotsky Golden Boy, and a grey/black tabby name Genny! They're all very dear to me!

13. How tall are you?

I'm 5'3. I wish I was taller. :(

14. Favorite subject in school?

My favorite required subject class is English!! I love learning about language and getting better at using it and sounding smart. I LOVE ENGLISH!!!! SO MUCH!

15. What is your dream job?

I want to become a talk therapist, but also would be so psyched if I could be a camp counselor. There's a lot of camps I would love to work as a counselor for, so maybe someday I'll apply for those. I want to make kids happy! That or working in archives for a history museum.

I HAVE NO ONE TO TAG SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO AMSWER THESE

[beileil]

I'm stealing this from @xerox-candybar because I am bored, hee hee ho ho.

Are you named after anyone? I am named after the song Carrie Anne by The Hollies, which is possibly the dumbest song ever. Thanks, parents! It's spelled differently though, because my dad reads a lot of Stephen King and did not want me to grow up and kill my high school classmates with my telekinetic powers after they dumped pig blood on me at prom. Presumably.

When was the last time you cried? Recently, I'm sure.

Do you have kids? Nope!

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Sometimes. I try to limit it to people that I know can pick up that I'm not being serious.

What sports do you play? Does DDR count as a sport? I'm dope at DDR. I also recently went to a batting cage for the first time in my life and discovered that I actually enjoyed it, which is surprising because I was always the last kid picked for team sports in middle school.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Hrm. Facial expressions I guess.

What’s your eye color? Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings? I pretty much require happy endings. Movies are purely escapism for me.

Any special talents? Writing, and a decent chunk of crafty type endeavors. Also I am the de facto IT person on my work team, which hardly counts since everyone else is old af so all I have to do is Google the solution and they act like I'm a genius.

Where were you born? 'Murica

What are your hobbies? Gardening, video games, learning languages, dancing, fanfiction (reading and writing), crafts

Do you have any pets? A black cat named TJ and an orange/white cat named Phineas. We grew up with dogs, so they're very dog-like for cats.

How tall are you? 5 foot 6 inches.

Favorite subject in school? French

Dream job? Hm. How do I explain this. Like, designing green technology and climate change solutions? I want to make solarpunk a reality. I want to be a solarpunk. But get paid for it and set my own hours.

IF YOU READ THIS FAR, I'M TAGGING YOU. GET TAGGED, IDIOT

Thank you so much for the tag, @applescabs!!! 🥰💚

Are you named after anyone? After, of all things, a 15th century noblewoman (whom I always thought was a saint, but actually wasn't, I just found out!) My mom saw an amazing statue of her on a trip and loved it, and her name, so much that she named me after her.

When was the last time you cried? I teared up a little yesterday when I got my friend's wedding invitation in the mail. The last time I properly cried was... huh. I think a couple of weeks ago, watching TV. That's a fair amount of time for me to go without crying, so go me!

Do you have kids? No, and I don't want any.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? A bit less than I used to, and not a lot in general. Only when I think it will be funny, or when I need to make an underhanded comment about something that ticked me off but I can't do much about.

What sports do you play? None. I am a very inactive person, sadly. I hope I can at least start going on more walks as the season keeps warming up.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? If they seem friendly or not.

What’s your eye colour? A very, very dark brown.

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings all the way. I can't handle scary stuff very well at all. 🫣

Any special talents? I'm fairly good at languages (I learned them easily in school and I usually have a decent shot at figuring out what a word might mean if it's in a language that has at least some relation to the ones I know/have studied). Sadly, the only one I'm still fluent in (besides Italian, of course) is English, because it's the only one I use regularly.

Where were you born? Italy, smack dab in the middle of the top part of the boot, lol

What are your hobbies? Writing fic, reading fic, scrolling Tumblr, playing video games (mostly just Pokémon), playing D&D, and very occasionally drawing or weaving bracelets or assembling jigsaw puzzles.

Do you have any pets? My two cats, Sasha and Misha 🥹🥹 They're tabby-and-white twins, they're almost 5 years old, and they're the ones I come home to. 💚💚

How tall are you? 164cm, although sometimes when I'm in a hurry I just say 1.65m 😅

Favourite subject in school? All the sciences and Math, though I also liked English when I started having it as a subject.

Dream job? Writing a single novel, or a trilogy or something like that, that becomes inexplicably popular, gets a movie deal, and gives me enough residuals to potentially live comfortably while bumming around on my couch writing fanfic for the rest of my life.

I am tagging (but only if they want to answer, zero pressure, as usual!) @nicoroni, @imaginatorofthings, @zimithrus1, @thekuraning, @saltedpin, @horikoshi-secret-ao3-account, @damedanedameyodamenanoyo, and anyone else who sees this and wants to play! 💖💖💖

[wingedbeings]

imagine having like a wife and loving each other so much and living together and just respecting each other and genuinely caring abt each other and having cute dates and just having all that skfnlsxjkwbf i'm fuckimg yearning