#i could very easily overthink a plot for this

[buddiedaydreamer911]

so is there any fics out there where buck and shannon are best friends, then buck slowly falls in love with her boyfriend/fiance/baby daddy or do i gotta get to work???

[strwberri-milk]

Hii!! I love your writing for LADS 🫶🏻🙈 may I request you write for Sylus talking to the most famous or beautiful woman of N109zone or of princess mafia in a exclusive event while the reader is watching them afar with her jealous energy? Then right after; the reader feels needy, possessive, wanted love and smutty 🔥, don't want to talk to Sylus, and it leads to miscommunication/don't get the wrong idea trope. You can add Luke and Kieran as cameo to make the situation worse telling the reader about Sylus and the girl's history together with a sense of humor that doesn't make the reader feel any better then Mephisto there CAW CAWLING over the fact seeing the reader turns red in frustration 😡😂 I really appreciate and love your work! Hope it be a little long word count (with bulletin points) if you write/accept this request! 🙏🏻

this is so booktok coded and you can interpret that however you wish bc i have Strong opinions about booktok and the current state of media literacy - but unfortunately i am a sucker for the trope and even if this isnt super duper smutty i do love a good jealousy plot - just as a heads up as I say w longer requests - i wont do everything and smut is harder for me to write so in interst of you not waiting months for a request we're gonna go a little off of what your reuquest was bc i also got confused reading it - which is why i always recc not to be too detailed bc then i get pigeon holed and focused on the wrong details :( - ive also combined these two requests bc theyre p similar to me!

You are fully aware that Sylus needs to work with a lot of people for his job. He's got powerful connections because of these events and you've never had a feeling that he was unfaithful. However, that doesn't mean that you can't help but feel insecure when you see how beautiful some of the people he works with are. You know that he loves you and he makes it very clear with his actions but the way he easily smooths things over with that dulcet tone of his.

You're resigned to having to spend the evening with Luke and Kieran - not exactly a punishment but also not the greatest as they give you the whole scoop on everyone Sylus talks to. The way their breaths catch and the quick darting of their masks to you lets you know that there's something else you're not being told but they refuse to let you in, citing respect for the boss' privacy. You know that you won't be able to get them to snitch on him at this rate, forced to watch as he continues to butter her up for whatever reason. You saw the way that others looked at her and for a moment you wondered if he was looking at her the same way, trying not to overthink things because you're also aware of how much he loves you.

You watch angrily as Sylus wraps his arm around her, whispering something into her ear that makes her laugh. The twins look at you and despite being unable to see their eyes you know they're just as confused as you are. They don't stop you when you get up to leave, deciding to follow you. They know his personality well and know that it seems a little out of character for him to be so forward during a meeting.

You decide to go back to his home, locking yourself in the bedroom as you deliberate on what to do. You know you could confront him if you really wanted you but part of you doesn't even want to do that - you feel like you'd be more content to see him grovelling and begging for you to forgive him but you also know he really isn't like that. So you decide to ignore him.

He comes home later that night, fully intending to explain himself but when he sees you fast asleep he simply decides to slide into bed with you. He holds you through the night, not knowing how upset you are with him. In the morning you're gone and he finds that he can't seem to reach you. You run around with your tasks for the day, barely saying hi to him in passing. He knows you're not that busy so it makes no sense to him.

He ends up having more meetings with the woman, much to your anger. After an especially long meeting he finds you standing outside of his office, an angry expression on your face that he just can't take seriously as he finds you adorable. He leans down to give you a kiss and you end up yelling at him about how you know he's giving her more than just his business.

You actually didn't know anything - just that he was far too friendly to her and you wanted to see what he would admit to. He immediately starts to set the record straight, telling you that there's no way you seriously believe he's looking at anyone that isn't you. You cross your arms stubbornly, telling him that isn't going to work on you.

It ends up not mattering when he picks you up to throw you onto his bed, covering you in kisses as he digs his nails into your hips. You can't escape his hold, bent this way and that way as he teases you for really thinking that he sees anybody that isn't you. He calls you possessive names, moving against you in ways that make you see stars over and over again.

Safe to say your new silent treatment to him is not because of you not wanting to speaking to him. Your voice is hoarse, body barely able to leave the silken sheets on your skin as he continues to dote over you with reminders that it'll always only be you.

[thunderstomm]

Sharing one of the many hypothetical directions I think season 2 of A New Wish could go in, in regards to rekindling Dev and Hazel’s friendship!!

There is a lot of potential in Hazel’s friends knowing about fairies, but I also think that this could very easily become overwhelming, especially for someone like Hazel, who tends to overthink and internalise a lot of things. Perhaps Antony, Winn and Jasmine start to ask Hazel to make wishes for them. It starts small, a little thing here and there, and it’s a non-issue. They’re her friends, she cares about them and wants to help them in every way she can ! It’s common sense! But slowly, this becomes very overwhelming to her. It’s almost exhausting, having all of her friends knowing about magic, and knowing at any moment, they could swarm you for wishes. Hazel knows they’re well meaning, they don’t have any malicious intent whatsoever, and she wants them to be happy, but it’s come to a point where she is barely making any wishes for herself anymore. Cosmo and Wanda (and maybe Peri?) are more than happy to grant the influx of wishes, but they are aware of the toll it’s taking on Hazel. They even encourage her to say something, but she insists to keep going- her school and home life are now a part of her magic life, and it seems wrong to let them know about magic, and not reap some of the benefit. But she’s also tired. She wants a bit of escape, one part of her life where magic doesn’t matter, and she can have a normal thing. And this is the push to befriend Dev again. Their friendship has been up in the air since the finale, but with his memories of magic gone, maybe he’ll be more receptive to being friends again.

So Hazel and Dev become friends again, and it’s oddly comforting to her.

It’s almost an inverse of what their connection was in s1. Dev was once the only person who she could share the secrets of magic with, and now he’s the person she goes to in order to escape it. She’s happy to have their friendship back again. There is undeniable guilt regarding hiding his past actions from him, but then again, part of that is why she’s here. If Dev didn’t have his memories of fairies, she wouldn’t have chosen to seek him out.

Hazel’s friends and brother finding out is a natural progression. They’d probably be upset, and Hazel is in another hard place, having to explain a very complicated situation and her general feelings. Her friends are upset, she wants to spend time with the kid who took over fairy world, instead of them? Does she regret making her wish? Meanwhile Hazel has been bottling up her feelings, instead of actually sitting down and setting boundaries with them. (They would eventually make up, I’m sure the show would not make this choice just to tear even more people away from Hazel ): )

You could even have a sub-plot in this friendship rekindling, involving Dev ! Perhaps his father is still working on Project H, and needing more information on Hazel, he asks that Dev pretend to be Hazel’s friend, in order to figure out why she isn’t buying anything, and he comes to the conclusion he doesn’t want to betray Hazel like that, when they spend more time together. Perhaps Dev DOES still have his memories, or he gets them back? There’s the sunglasses theory, but it’s also important to note that you can regain your memories of fairy world if you are reminded of what exactly it is you’ve forgotten. Perhaps Dev catches another glance at the Project H board, still covered in scribbles, and it all comes back to him, so becoming friends with Hazel again is a way for him to both rebuild their bond and trust, but also to protect her from whatever it is his father has planned. In any of these scenarios, it somewhat balances the playing field for Hazel and Dev, with them both hiding secrets from the other, but having them go unsaid out of fear that the friendship will be ruined again. The reveal of both parties’ secrets has the potential to be amazing, and they could draw a contrast with Operation: Birthday Takeback by having them make up, and their bond is made stronger by it. They can fix this issue together!

Reminder that this is all speculation and hypotheticals ! (:

[box-fivephantom]

BRIDGERTON SPOILERS

KANTHONY SPOILERS

I’ve had a few hours to process the rest of season 3 regarding to Kanthony, since it was why I am (or rather) was a fan of the show.

I cannot get over how bad the writing was for them was this season, the choices the writers made lead to nowhere. If I’m being honest the whole season didn’t feel cohesive. I understand Kanthony cannot be have much screen time but at least write something that makes sense within their characters.

In season 2 (and somewhat in s1) it was very heavily emphasized how Anthony was burdened with a duty he could not escape, how he wanted and needed a viscountess to fulfill part of those duties, that’s why he was so unhinged all the time. But Kanthony apparently had a 6 month honeymoon, then returned only to leave again for the extended honeymoon and then when they returned now they are to leave for india?? Where are the duties that were so important? What are those duties? How can you easily leave? In s2 Anthony tells Violet that his future bride would be in charge of his sister’s debut in society and suddenly Violet is the one that is still in charge. Kate threw one party (and not even a ball) and Anthony was like ; yeap baby viscountess duties full filled LETS GO TO INDIA.

I get that marrying Kate changed him, made him free in a way. He is no longer burdened but he should still be focoused on his family it’s one of the things Kate and Anthony have in common, they may no longer feel they owe their family but they sure care for them a great deal . Tell me why a man who was so affected by his father’s death, who almost watched his mother and sister die during childbirth, who almost watched his wife die right before his eyes, are you telling me this man would put his pregnant wife on a ship for several months? Wasn’t that journey alone like 6 months? Anthony tells Kate he wants the baby to be born in India but let’s be realistic…that baby is to be born on that ship. Anthony cannot have changed that much to put his wife at that risk, there must be things he still overthinks…the security of his wife and baby perhaps?

I know India it’s a plot device but the writers could have come up with something more realistic and not OOC.

And to give Kanthony a sole plot line: Have a baby. And then NOT SHOW THE BABY AT THE END was foul.

For two years we’ve been told the lack of Kanthony in s3 was because Jonny was so busy filming fellow travelers and with the rehearsals for Wicked but it turns out it was BRIDGERTON who had priority in Jonny’s filming schedule. The problem wasn’t the amount of time they had for filming its was the writing.

I’ve seen Simone has confirmed she’s returning for s4 and Jonny wasn’t at the premiere yesterday so we have no idea if he returning aswell.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Who do you find the easiest & hardest to write as and/or what is the hardest topic for you to write about? Your page covers a wide variety of topics so I'm interested in what you enjoy writing most.

Easiest to write would probably be anything that doesn't take too much brain power. For example, if I'm just being excited about new upcoming Twst content, that's pretty easy for me to keyboard smash about. I don't like to do this often though, as I feel it can get too chaotic and difficult for readers to follow along with what I'm trying to convey. In terms of creative writing, I find fluff (especially character dialogue) very easy to write because you don't really need to focus on weaving intricate plots or complex feelings that may come with fics covering darker or more serious subject matter. However, I do really like writing emotionally challenging or angst fics or analyses that focus on inner turmoil and character growth; those just take significantly more time and energy to capture the vibes I'm looking for. (Just because something is easy to write doesn't necessarily mean that's what I most enjoy writing.)

Hardest for me would be action scenes (for creative writing). There's a certain rhythm to fights and it's hard to keep that pace. Go too fast, and the scene seems short/the fight is seen as not serious. Go too slow, and the scene seems dragged out/the fight is taking forever. Action scenes also require a lot of usage of verbs; it takes a particularly skilled hand to not constantly repeat "punch", "kick", etc. All the usual culprits. I admire anyone who can bang out an extended action scene like it's nothing, haha!

I also find writing my own theories hard, but it's for a very personal reason. I would consider myself very pragmatic, so little details that other people could easily blow into a crack theory, I perceive as "there was literally no meaning behind that and you're overthinking it". It also takes me a long time to gather the information I need, since I like to back up my theories with hard facts (like voice lines). It just takes so much effort to put together! It's easier for me if people come with popular fandom theories already prepared and ask me about those, since there would already be a pool of evidence for me to refer to. It cuts my research time in half, essentially.

Another thing that's challenging for me to write are replies to questions that involve real-world concerns. For example, I have been asked numerous times to weigh in on fandom discourse as well as to discuss potentially sensitive subject matter. The thing is, people often come to me already thinking one way about the topic. The challenge for me, then, is researching these topics and then conveying the information from as many sides and with as much nuance as possible. Sometimes I also offer my own opinion, but ultimately I would like to just provide the information and then allow others to come to a conclusion for themselves, or at least offer a counter to preexisting sentiments, to show there are other ways of thinking or seeing the same issue. I get anxious when others put such immense weight on what my take is, so I feel as though I have to be especially mindful about how I phrase things. I'm not an expert on everything and I often have to remind people of that 💦

Of course, there are also those few topics that make me uncomfortable so I choose to not respond to them altogether. I try to not completely discourage “dark” subjects entirely though; I feel it is important to discuss them from an analytical standpoint so we can better understand them, as well as ourselves.

[lunar-rcp]

Hii!! I have a request, if you don't mind! It's Sandy x Amber too btw hehe

Can you make a fluffy oneshot of Sandy realising she has feelings for Amber, and getting shy everytime she's near her? And eventually, she gathers up her courage to confess to her, but plot twist- Amber confesses first!

Thought this would be cute. :)

Board your way into her heart, Sandy!

☆ . . Tags: pure fluff! sandy is a total girlflop /affectionate 

Sandy was a person who could easily comprehend herself. The leader kept a cold head at all times as she skateboarded through the hot sands of Treasure Vile.

It was no wonder why she was appointed as leader of the Desert rescue team. Others had envied the vehicle. They pondered; How does she never lose her cool? 

A question that never had an answer attached to it.

Sandy thought it would just stay this way, and she was quite fine with that outcome.

That was until she met a peculiar van. A sweet, kind girl. Everytime the van passed by; Sandy could feel her heart skip a beat. Everytime the van even said remotely hello to her; Sandy felt her face heat up completely, often worrying the ambulance to whatever she was down with a fever.

Everything had changed for her. And this time the leader who had usually a way to comprehend situations with ease;

Couldn't even comprehend herself.

“What do I do!” Sandy cried. “I just completely shut down whenever she even flashes a look at me!” Sandy buried her face into the comfort of her own arms. A metaphorical purple miasma emerged from Sandy, causing Droney to sigh dramatically.

“Jeez, you're such a hopeless romantic sometimes!” Droney shook his head like a disappointed mother, even when he was younger in age. “Get a grip of yourself! You're never going to get a chance with her if you continue sulking.” Droney huffed, placing his hands on his hips.

“Although, Droney could be nicer about that..” Keaton cleared his throat. “He's.. sort of right, sorry.” Keaton rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“What do I dooooo..-- Wait, what if she doesn't even like me?!” Sandy slapped her hands on cheeks, panicking over the worst possibilities that could unfold.

“Calm down!” Keaton exclaimed, placing a hand onto her shoulder as comfort. Anything to make the worrywart shut up. “You're not going to get far if you just keep overthinking,” Keaton rubbed his chin, trying to think of a possibility to cheer up the poor girl.

Then, it was almost as if a light bulb shone over his head.

“So why not hint at your feelings for her?!” A sparkle of excitement glimmered in Keaton's beady eyes. “You're such a sweet person, she'll like you for su–”

“Wh-What?!” Sandy (very) loudly yelled at such a daring suggestion, much to Keaton's dismay. “Are you crazy?! That's– way too bold!” Sandy cupped her cheeks. She felt the warmth of her cheeks radiating against her palms.

“C'mon, dude! Get a grip of yourself!” Droney rolled his eyes, groaning. “Sandy, you're our leader!  Surely, you can show signs of wanting a relationship with her?” Droney smugly smiled. “Or.. are you just too much of a scaredy cat to do it, huh?” The young drone mischievously chuckled.

All of Sandy's panic washed away almost immediately. She despised being called a scaredy cat. She felt almost challenged. “No way!” Sandy stood up, glaring daggers at Droney. “Y'know what, fine!” She transformed into her vehicle form, quickly heading off towards the direction of brooms town.

“I'll prove to you that I can do this!!” Sandy shouted proudly. Her voice slowly fading away as she drove further from the two.

“Hey, that work–” Droney was met with a direct slap on the back of his head.

You can do it, Sandy.

Confess your feelings to this beautiful girl, how hard can it be?

You're a leader of a team, there's no need to be scared!

..But what if she doesn't pick those hints up?

“Gosh, what did I bring myself into..” Sandy whined silently to herself as she was getting closer to Broomstown. Now that she was just minutes away from the town, she couldn't help but feel panic inject in her veins.

“No, no!” Sandy shook her head profusely. She can't turn back now! “I got this–”

As soon as Sandy turned up to the port, a very.. very peculiar van called her name.

A van with the cutest siren shaped like an adorable bow, a girl with a smile that was brighter than the sun itself; a true beauty.

“Sandy! Ah, it's been a while!” Amber exclaimed with glee.

Oh my god. 

Ohmygodohmyohmygodohmygod.

Sandy immediately lost the confidence she had just gathered. Her heart raced faster than the fastest police car in town. She felt like her cheeks were set on fire. She gulped, just how was she able to tackle this?

Ah, I know! Just simply say hello back. Sandy thought.

“U-uhm, uh..” Sandy muttered out only stutters. “H-Howdy! Amber, hi!” Was what she managed to spit out.

Sandy silently screamed at herself. She mentally (and physically) cringed at herself at her words. Who in the world says ‘Howdy’? She was the leader of the Desert rescue team, not some cowboy!

“Howdy, huh?” Amber giggled. “Howdy to you, too!” A cheeky smile pulled at her cheeks. She adored to tease Sandy at times, she was overjoyed when she found out there were also other female rescue vehicles out there.

Sandy managed to keep a squeal within her. God, saying she was adorable was an understatement. “Haha,” Sandy sheepishly maneuvered her tire. “I-It's funny, isn't it? She cringed heavily at her stutter. However, she was somehow managing a conversation with the girl of her dreams! Sandy had to admit, she had to pat herself on the back for that.

..Even if the conversation was so painfully awkward for others to bear.

“Soo,” Amber looked to the side, seemingly in thought. “Would you like to go around the town with me? You never had a chance to see what our town's truly like!” Amber smiled warmly.

“W-What?!” Sandy's eyes widened, but she quickly comprehended herself by clearing her throat. “I-I mean, yes! Of course!”

Sandy couldn't believe it. Could this be her chance? It must be! She can't screw this up now, can't she?

“Very well! Then it's settled.” Amber steered herself towards the south gate. “Follow me! I'd love to show you our headquarters! Perhaps we can even hang out there a little, hmm?” She giggled, already driving off.

“A-Ah, wait for me!” Sandy quickly followed suit.

The two drove through the lively forests of Broomstown. Considering spring had already started, flowers were already blooming and full of color at this point of time.

“Woah..” Sandy's mouth was slightly agape. She was so accustomed to the dry environment she had been living in. The sandy dunes were all she knew, so this was a whole new experience for her. “It's really pretty.”

“It's amazing here when it's spring!” Amber transformed, picking off a flower from the ground and bringing it closer to her nose. “They're all so pretty, and smell amazing too.” Amber hummed.

Sandy was more mesmerized by Amber than the most beautiful flower can do. She adored on how sweetly Amber had been rambling about the flowers, it was such an adorable feature. Sandy averted her eyes towards the other line of flowers. They were softly waving through the breezes of the wind.

Most of the flowers were less of color, a contrast to the bright green grass.

Well, one flower stood out.

As on cue, a pink flower stood proudly in the middle. Sandy had noted that the flower was practically overflowing with petals. It was a pretty sight to please one's eyes, Sandy had to say.

This flower seemed so familiar with the girl. Sandy had pondered on the question; The name of this beauty of a flower.

Da..

Dah..

Dahlia!

That's right! Sandy had read in a book about flowers once. Naturally she was curious over flowers, as the only flowers that had ever sprouted in the desert were only flowers growing on cactuses.

Sandy had connected the dots together. The flower reminded her of no other than Amber.

A flashback occured. Sandy had remembered Keaton was once rambling for what felt like the thousands of times about Camp's many travels.

One peculiar time he was talking about how flowers had meanings. A flower may look pretty on the outside, but it has a blossoming personality from the inside. That was the true beauty of a flower.

Ironically, he had also spoken about the meanings of a Dahlia.

A Dahlia symbolized;

Beauty. A factor Amber's looks already had.

Eternal love. Amber's love for everything around her was one of the many things Sandy had adored.

Inner strength. Even in the most dire times, Amber had pushed through. No matter what was thrown at her, she managed to stay on the path of determination.

Dignity. Amber had always kept herself on the right track, she was a gentle soul.

And lastly, kindness. One could theorize Amber had invented the word kindness by how sweet the medic was.

This was her chance. And Sandy gathered the courage by handing this flower to the girl of her dreams.

Amber was about to walk into a further part of the forest, but paused her steps when Sandy called out her name.

“Uhm, Amber!” Sandy's voice trembled. She was nervous, but she wasn't going to give up. “Before we go to the headquarters, I-.. uhm, want to give you something.”

“Oh?” Amber raised an eyebrow, turning to face Sandy directly. “A gift? How lovely!” She clasped her hands together gleefully, excited to whatever Sandy had in store.

Sandy plucked the dahlia from its row. With a seeking feeling in her heart, she gently moved the flower into Amber's hands through the gaps of the medic's fingers.

“It– reminded me of you.” Sandy looked down towards her feet in shame. Was this too cheesy of a gesture?

Although, Amber had thought differently about the gesture. A soft gasp escaped her mouth, but then a slight flustered giggle followed after.

“Sandy.. Do you like me?”

“H-Huh?!” Sandy's head rose up from the ground, her face red as a beet. She waved her hands around, desperately trying to find an excuse to counter Amber.

“Hush, it's okay.” Amber reached one of her hands out, intertwining her fingers with Sandy's. “I like you too.”

Sandy's eyes widened. She didn't speak for what felt like a hot minute. So many thoughts were rushing through her mind, but none of them were able to form a coherent sentence.

“Did you know?” Amber raised a hand towards Sandy's cheek, brushing it softly. “Flower language could say so much more than any word any one has spoken. I knew what you were doing there.” Amber's cheeks were slightly flushed, but a soft loving glimmer reflected in her eyes.

“Amber.. I–” She couldn't believe herself. She had done it. And the girl of her dreams, a girl she thought she could never achieve;

Liked her back.

“Thank you.” Sandy smiled softly. It was a development from the nervous smiles she striked whenever she spoke to Amber.

“No need to thank me. You're the one who gave me this beauty, didn't you?” Amber giggled. “But you're more of a beauty to me!”

“Awh, shucks..” Sandy's cheeks flushed once more. She was surprised anyone had ever said such romantic words to her.

“Now,” Amber lent a hand out. “Shall we? We can't keep them waiting to get to know you better, can't we?”

Sandy stared at Amber's hand for a moment before leisurely placing hers onto it. “Yeah, let's go.”

And now, just like a flower, something had bloomed.

A beautiful relationship blossomed. With this blossoming of a relationship, the two shall now venture through the stages of their newly found life.

☆ . . wordcount: 1.940

they're very cute!

[absolutebl]

I need to call the expert in! I am teaching an undergraduate Global Studies course (seminar style) that will include forms of soft power from around the world. For LGBTQA+ rights, I was thinking about using Thailand's BL industry as an example and pair readings with a required series to watch. Which series available on a free platform like YouTube might be a good starter show for a younger audience that likely has no frame of reference for the genre? Eclipse feels too overtly political, but I could easily be overthinking it....tropes are welcome, I want to focus on quietly emphasizing rights and queer identity and a nod to Thailand's beaches/travel industry is always okay.

Undergrad huh?

Which Thai BL series (on YT) might be a good starter for undergrads with no frame of reference for BL?

Tropes welcome.

Emphasizes rights & queerness.

Includes Thai tourist industry

2 BLs That Satisfies this Criteria

Lovely Writer - the first bigger BL to outright challenge the BL industry while still leaning into all the BLness of it, lots of conversation to be had with this one but simple to understand, sound effects issues tho, because it's still sweet and very much OF the genre, it's my top pick. (If they like it point them at A Tale of Thousand Stars next.)

Bad Buddy - Romeo & Romeo is an easy to understand premise and it's a lot of GMMTV correcting for its mistakes, great production values, fantastic acting but subtle on the queer rep aspect, has beaches. (If they like it point them at The Eclipse next.)

Other's I considered and rejected (and I explain why)

Until We Meet Again - too many triggers, blushing maiden

He's Coming to Me - not popular enough to rep for the genre

Oxygen - not queer or popular enough

A Tale of Thousand Stars - not enough on rights/queerness, it's there but VERY subtle

Not Me - more about politics

My School President - too YA for university level course

Moonlight Chicken - this one is low on tropes but high on everything else, it's not fluffy or campy and is very different for BL, so not quite representative of the genre as a whole, and no nods to the tourist industry, bit high heat for school

The Eclipse - too overtly political, bit confusing on plot and setting unless you are familiar with the Asian version of the boarding school trope

Star in My Mind Star and Sky - not good enough on queer rep

Wow, this was much harder than I thought it would be!!

[bl-bracket]

Greenest Flag - Loser's Bracket Round 6: Lan Sizhui (The Untamed) vs Pisaeng (Be My Favorite) vs Tan (We Are)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Lan Sizhui: "Smartest, politest, most competent baby boy. Without spoiling, one could say that the whole plot is about keeping him alive to bless everyone else with his presence. He couldn't treat you wrong if he tried."

Pisaeng: "He is amazing! Pisaeng remains a good friend, a good lover and a good son despite everything. He is kind, gentle and very patient."

Tan: "He is the king of consent"

"Literally best boyfriend ever He liked Fang and what did he do to get him? he asked him out! like that in itself in a BL is a novelty, guys taking ages to ask the other out for one reason or another. and then when they got together he was the most loving, supportive, encouraging boyfriend ever, always making Fang feel loved, listening to him andbeing with him in the moments he needed it the most He was head over heals for Fang and treated him like a prince making him laugh, always taking time to be with Fang, expressing his love and affection in a healty manner, even if he was jelous he accepted that Fang had a past, even following along Fangs time and not pressuring him 10/10 bf"

"Tan is the greenest flag of boyfriends ever to exist. He’s supportive and thoughtful, a constant font of affection and positive affirmations. He delivers snacks and helps with homework assignments. He asks for consent before everything from kisses to cute nicknames. He’s perfectly okay with keeping the relationship quiet even if he’s bad at it and mostly only sulks to amuse his boyfriend. The only time it’s real when confronted with his boyfriend’s ex, he easily lets it go with conversation, making couples bracelets and a kiss. One of my favorite green flag scenes from him includes the lines: “Babe don’t overthink it, because you’ve done your best all this time.” And “But I want to be your family and your safe space.” And Tan is the only place where Fang is able to truly let down his cool exterior and be soft and silly."

[anamelessfool]

Ribbons & Ties (AO3 Link) Chapter 5

M/M, GEN (Ch 4 Here) (Start here on Tumblr!) 2000ish words

Terzo x Omega, Terzo & Family, Terzo & His Ghouls, Cardinal Marian is in there for like ten minutes

Tags: Domestic Fluff, Commitment, Rom Com Energy, There's a Wedding, Secondo is Papa Emeritus, Gift Giving, The ghoul names are all messed up sorry it is for plot purposes, I can't have Fluff without some Angst sorry

For reasons beyond Terzo's understanding, he wants to give Omega a present for the ghoul's "birthday". It proves to be a lot more complicated than Terzo realizes.

Art by @kabukiaku used with permission

Chapter 5 Below the Cut! (We like Reblogs, Comments and Kudos omnomnom)

Terzo’s eyes flew open. He stared at his ceiling, his mind racing. He knew. It was 2 AM and he finally knew what gift he wanted to give Omega.

5

Terzo’s eyes flew open. He stared at his ceiling, his mind racing. He knew.

It was 2 AM and he finally knew what gift he wanted to give Omega. It wouldn't be easy, but he decided if he cared so deeply about the ghoul nothing could stop him for long.

Now all he had to do was get out from under this naked sorella in his bed.

She settled in, her arm closing around his neck. Terzo’s eyes rolled in his head as his mind calculated a solution. He slowly shimmied out from under her, gently resting her on her side. She sighed, shifting and reaching for him. In the moment she raised her hand to look for him he was free.

“Mmmph?”

“I’ll uh…I’ll be back,” he mumbled, although that wasn't necessarily the truth. He leaned over and gave her bare shoulder a gentle kiss.

He got to work throwing on his undershirt, slacks and shoes. Something about this sudden revelation required urgency. He did not want to wait a moment more and risk overthinking it all. He closed the door as quietly as he could and scurried down the stairs.

The courtyard was seemingly empty as he journeyed just within the shadows. Chairs and decorations had been toppled by guests and the nighttime wind. For a moment Terzo thought no one was there, but as he passed by the obscene fountain it looked as if a statue had been installed at it's edge.

Earth Ghoul sat on the rim of the fountain, his head tilted upwards. He was surrounded by the half broken down party mess, his hands calmly on his knees. Terzo flattened himself against the wall of the arcade, shuffling past as quickly as he could. Earth probably noticed him but remained still. Terzo didn't want to stop to talk as he continued his hurrying towards the Sanctum.

Terzo could see well enough in the dim light of the Sanctum. The dark made the sweep and spread of the arched, ribbed ceiling even more dramatic, more stomach-droppingly steep. The bronze filigree across the Altarpiece gleamed softly in some unseen light source, its doors the only barrier between this world and the Void from which Omega and the other ghouls were brought forth.

Beyond the choir box, under an archway was an often overlooked area of the Sanctum, unless you were a very under-supervised and lonely small boy in the early 1970s. A place with a certain fondness that now returned to him as he looked upon the carvings surrounding the locked entrance.

The catacombs.

The bars of the catacombs gates were easy to slip through as a tiny kid. But Terzo was now just over forty so the childish contortionist act was out of the question.

It was a good thing he was still proficient in picking locks. He always kept a few bobby pins attached to the inside laces of his shoe. He pulled two out, bent and arranged them in a way that at this point in his life was second nature. The lock fell as easily as the few times he had picked it before.

There is always a last time one visits a treasured place, although one rarely knows when that last time is. He didn't remember when was the last time he stood at these steps looking down toward the darkness. He closed one eye, his human eye.

He did however, realize that this time the curse of the Infernal Eye helped him see perfectly well in the dark. “I can keep my shoes on, at least,” he chuckled to himself, and the words fell flat in the thick air.

The steps then were easier to navigate than the countless times he'd wander down her before, although his feet remembered which way to go. The catacombs were cool, reminding him of the thin shirt he wore. It was constructed of bricks and cobble, with various concrete and stone sculptures of skeletons and mourning shrouded maidens perched in corners and alcoves. There were urns stacked on shelves. Some grander stone sarcophagi were built into the walls, sporting carved names and phrases like ROCKEFELLER, GATSBY, CAMINO and COMMIT FLESH TO EARTH AND SOUL TO VOID. He passed his favorite carving of a winged death’s head skull, remembering the times he made crayon rubbings and taped them to his wall.

Terzo turned a corner and there was a small tunnel to the left side, waist height. He suspected it was some sort of drain to keep the place from flooding. Here. Here was the place. He stooped down and settled in. He could still sit cross legged with his back up against the wall, albeit he had to stoop a whole lot more. As he nestled himself amongst the rocks the familiar posture and texture brought the memory to life again— the solidness of cool smooth cobble against his back, the security of his body crumpled just so in a comforting darkness. It was the closest thing to being held by the Earth itself.

No wonder he would come down here when he just couldn't take it anymore. He let out a sigh.

He looked down further into the tunnel. The Infernal Eye gleamed as if illuminated by invisible moonlight. He could see his prize, twenty feet or so down deeper in. He unrolled his body and crawled towards it.

And the walls enveloped him, a little too tightly now. He didn't want to think about what grime he was dragging himself through, but then again at ten years old he barely cared. He army-crawled on his stomach, blowing cobwebs off his face. His singular focus started to waver. Doubt began to arrive and take a seat.

I'd love to meet him.

Terzo unfortunately did not successfully steal the whole top of the cake that evening. Although he did charm his way into collecting eight slices to present to Omega, who was impressed just the same.

He was stuck. He had been stuck like this before, many times, as a younger, spryer kid. Now this was getting ridiculous. He knew how to get out of this jam but he had to commit to going further. He felt a soft skittering across his bare arm that he hoped was not a spider.

“Come on, Terzo,” he muttered to himself. He exhaled, flattening his chest and pushing his body forward through the shaft. His arm strained, the tendons across his shoulder blade stretched. He could see his prize just a foot further ahead and he reached as far as his limb could take him, swearing. His fingers grazed the corner of a papered wood surface— a box, his box.

“Porca troia, come on!” In this case Italian swears were needed for their unique flavor of frustration. He didn't want to think about the possibility of getting stuck, but he was so close to collecting the box at this point that he didn't want to give up just yet. One more exhale, one more tiny shove and he felt the knee of his slacks tear open.

And his fingers fully on the box.

Terzo managed to slip the box towards him fully into his hand. He backed out of the shaft, knocking his head a few times. At last he was back at the opening, curled up again and looking down at a dirty little cigar box he had reverently placed there. He stroked the embossed paper seal on top of this reliquary dedicated to his deepest self, found in the deepest place below the Sanctum.

Inside the box were treasures he had not seen in nearly thirty years. A yellow diecast roadster. A few dried Ghost Pipe flowers gently pressed into a folded piece of parchment. A photograph of a pretty nun with deeply sad eyes. A rusted harmonica. A collection of crude sketches of nudes he drew as a curious kid that needed to be buried securely and never ever be discovered by his stepmother, not even a decade after her death. He chuckled softly at the memory.

But he was looking for the most important thing. It was hidden under a few foreign coins. A white stone, no bigger than his palm. There was a hole in it, a hole worn away by a thousand years of some ancient river caressing its body.

He thought it was perfect. And so he put it in his pocket.

***

Terzo wasn't even halfway across the courtyard before he felt a rush of intense feeling through him, a psychic tap on the shoulder. He stopped and looked. Earth Ghoul still sat there, on the fountain edge.

TERZO.

Earth Ghoul at last had his head turned towards his summoner. And with two small but firm gestures of his hand, the ghoul summoned him. Terzo had no choice but to draw near.

Ghouls picked names for themselves when they arrived. Terzo thought it was pretty presumptuous of the ghoul to name himself “Earth” but his presence immediately brought a sense of calm and solidness that proved he deserved such a name.

YOU KNOW THE STARS MAKE A SOUND. A BUZZING SORT OF SOUND.

The Ministry Compound itself was located high in the mountains, far away from the city lights that bleached the sky. Up here anyone could see a dazzling show above. And usually there was at least someone awake, observing them.

Terzo was compelled to settle beside the ghoul as he sat on the fountain rim. He glared up at the sky, squinting as if it would help him hear better. He jiggled his leg as nothing stepped forward for him.

ONE THING I NOTICE IS THIS WORLD NOW IS NEVER SILENT. THERE IS NO LONGER TRUE SILENCE. LONG AGO YOU COULD REALLY HEAR THE STARS THEN.

Terzo realized that he was covered in dirt and cobwebs. He fussed with his hair and some sort of grit from the catacombs flaked out. Earth said nothing, continuing to be more interested in the stars overhead. The silence was unbearable. The fact that Earth had not admonished him for crawling through a hole was excruciating.

“You both…must hate me.”

Earth made a gravelly sound deep in his throat.

ALPHA HAS HAD BAD EXPERIENCES IN THE PAST. HE WORRIES ABOUT IT. HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE HIS TIME HERE IS WORTH IT. HE MAY NOT BE CHOSEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW.

“But you've come back,” Terzo said. “You've come back many times.”

THERE’S A SECRET TO THAT. I NEVER ASSUME I GET A SECOND CHANCE. AND YET SOMEHOW, I ALWAYS DO. Earth sighed, deep enough it felt like the ground shook. ALPHA WILL LEARN THAT. MAYBE THIS TIME. MAYBE THE NEXT TIME. BUT THAT IS ON HIM.

“I don't even know why any of you want to be here. Sometimes I don't…want to be here.”

I FIND THIS PLACE INTERESTING. TWO THOUSAND YEARS AND IT NEVER CHANGES. Earth shook his head. WHY DO HUMANS HOLD ON TO SO MUCH?

“We’re stupid,” said Terzo. He got to his feet, and he became aware of a pulled muscle in his back. He would definitely be feeling it tomorrow. “Good night, Earth Ghoul.”

Earth Ghoul snapped his fingers, once. As if calling to a dog. TERZO. YOU ARE NOT THE WORST PAPA I HAVE SERVED.

“Congratulazioni, I'm just getting started,” Terzo snorted.

I SAID THAT FOR A REASON. YOU WOULD NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING ELSE I COULD SAY TO YOU.

“I don't listen to many things.”

YOU'RE IN LUCK. I'M IN YOUR MIND. ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO PRETEND TO IGNORE ME.

“Okay, then what do you have to say to me?”

WHAT ARE YOU AND OMEGA GHOUL UP TO?

Terzo knew Earth Ghoul had some inkling. He was tied to him as a being created from his own essence. But ghouls believed more in the value of actions than thoughts, So Terzo had to play into Earth’s hands. “Omega Ghoul and I…we are together. We are…in love.”

Earth leaned forward, knitting his fingers together as if rolling that concept around in his head. It was a unique sort of agony to watch him. IT’S NOT RARE. IT’S NOT COMMON EITHER. IT’S JUST… Earth patted his chest. THERE’S LIMITS. GHOULS ARE NOT AS STRONG AS YOU THINK. THE CONNECTION TO THIS BODY IS FAIRLY FLIMSY. IT DEGRADES.

“Your bodies can be restored. Fairly easily.”

THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN. Earth shook his head. I MAY BE FOREVER. BUT I KNOW NONE OF US HAVE FOREVER.

“I don't want to think about that,” Terzo replied quietly.

IT IS WHAT IT IS WHETHER IT IS THOUGHT ABOUT OR NOT. Earth rattled his head. IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE THAN TIME’S SLAVE YOU NEED TO DIVERT ITS FLOW. CHOICE IS NECESSARY.

“Sometimes I don't think I'm making the right choice.”

WELL, DO YOU FEEL YOU'VE MADE A GOOD CHOICE?

Terzo unconsciously slipped his hand into his pants pocket, finding the stone there. He stroked it with the pad of his thumb. “Yes.”

It felt like Earth was smiling behind his mask. THEN IT'S THE RIGHT CHOICE. He got carefully to his feet, rolling his shoulders. GOOD NIGHT, TERZO. GET REST. TOMORROW COMES SOON. IT ALWAYS DOES.

Terzo nodded, watching the ghoul slip back into the darkness of the stone arcade. He sat down again, brow furrowed, glaring up at the stars.

But he still didn't hear anything.

My AO3 | Tumblr Fic List | My Terzo/Omega Fics

Please reblog! Thanks and have a lovely Solstice season!<3

NEXT CHAPTER (LAST ONE!)

[night-market-if]

I was rereading the masterpiece that is the first book, when I noticed the options and I believe you for putting those options LMAOOO poor miloooo, not me still clicking in the most angst ones muahaha

Another thing I wanted to tell you, maybe I'm a little late but... I know that being an author who publishes the chapters at the moment, the pressure and opinions of the readers can be difficult to handle but try to ignore us with all this crap lol

I myself wasn't quite sure if I wanted a polyamorous relationship between MC Malcolm and Milo because I felt like it could easily get out of hand, on the one hand Milo and Malcolm already had a past that could have perfectly continued if it weren't for fate separating them, which can make some people feel more insecure.

On the other hand, MC being who they are, a fundamental support for Malcolm (lamplight 💙💙) as well as a reminder of both Milo's mistakes as well as a reminder of his former love, so, if not handled well it can end up being either overwhelming or not very credible (with this I'm not saying that I don't think you're capable of doing it, quite the opposite, if there's anyone here who can do it, taking into account what I've read of your stories, it's you)

But, and it's a big but, I think that's exactly why that relationship is worth it. A complicated relationship, with its ups and downs, its pros and cons, jealousy not so much for possession but perhaps for insecurities, complexity... I understand that not everyone is polyamorous but I also think that you shouldn't judge a book until you've read it.

As I said before, at first I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to continue with polyamory (even if I had the option to do it separately, I would do it without hesitation) but now that I continue reading the story, and I see the interactions between the two, I don't know, it seems to me that they are also made for each other and (and this is my opinion) if a person throughout their life can love several people and have had different partners, why couldn't they love two at the same time?

sorry for making such a long post lmao I guess starting to reread the first book made me think with all this, what I'm trying to tell you is that you are the one who knows your characters best and therefore you have to do what you think is best for them when it comes to developing their plot, feelings and future, there will be people who like it more or less (you can't please everyone) but if they really like your writing, they will stay and continue supporting you. Also, Malcolm and Milo are not your only male characters (Gabriel my beloved 💙, and I have to say that death boy [I put it in masculine because my gay ass couldn't choose bisexuality at birth, lmao] in the few chapters that they has come out they has become if not my favorite character, top 3)

So, thank you so much for all your hard work, people really appreciate it and I hope you really try to not overthink about all of this, you are doing such a good job!

Finally getting around to some of my older asks. Thank you for this one! It does me good to see. And yes, a lot of book one starts to make some terrible sense when you reread it. I giggled each time I put a foreshadow in.

As for complicated relationships...

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this, actually. I have always been the kind of person who likes messy relationships in media. I like complication. I like the unconventional. I like exploring things that we don't always see. My life, including my love life, is pretty normal. It always has been. So, I think I like to explore different things in my fiction life. I'm also a big role player. It is how my husband and I met, actually. I am very used to romancing all sorts of different characters just to see what will happen. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But it's a lot of fun along the way.

I think that we may be taking our media too seriously sometimes. With everything that has been happening in my life lately, I have been taking a big step back to examine things. And it comes down to, I'm going to always try new things in my writing because I'm a consumer that wants to see new things. And so, sometimes, us writers have to create that content to get others to do so as well.

I don't know if this goes in line with your tangent at all but your post made me think of that. Thank you so much for sending this in.

[ltwharfy]

Rewatching "I Love You, Man" and Overthinking Rudy's Iconic Halloween Costume

One night this week, when I was feeling particularly tired after work, I noticed that the 2009 movie “I Love You, Man” starring Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, and Jason Segel, had just started on one of the commercial-free movie channels, so I decided to watch it. I had seen it a long time ago and thought it was pretty entertaining (I pretty much always find all three of the movie’s leads entertaining in anything, so…_). But I’m pretty sure I hadn’t seen it since “Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street” came out, and certainly not since I became a person who writes “Bob’s Burgers’ fanfic and posts stuff about the show on this silly website. So, some thoughts on “I Love You, Man” specifically as the source of Rudy’s iconic Halloween costume:

-Man, this movie is R-rated! I had looked that up a while back, and it amused me because Louise also makes reference to R or TV-MA rated stuff (No Country for Old Men, Pan’s Labyrinth, Game of Thrones, just off the top of my head). But, I couldn’t exactly remember why it was Rated R, and if that rating made sense. Rewatching it reminded me that there is a lot of sex-related dialogue in the movie. It could not be cut out or toned down that much. It is actually pretty central to the plot (I’m not going to go into details, since I don’t want to put a content warning on this post, or spoil a 14 year old movie for anyone). It’s not a movie I would feel okay about watching with a  9 year-old that I was responsible for.

-So, did Rudy actually see the movie? There are definitely other times on the show where it is pretty clear the kids haven’t actually seen the more adult entertainment they make reference to (“what’s Caligua?”) It’s quite possible that Rudy may have just been familiar with Paul Rudd from more age appropriate fare (Ant-Man or something) and seen the poster for “I Love You, Man” somewhere and thought Rudd’s outfit looked cool (I mean, it’s a sweater and jeans, but this is Rudy we’re talking about).

-But I think it’s more fun to imagine he actually saw the movie. It’s implied that Rudy has a number of older cousins (we meet Mandy, and he wants her to tell the others about his attempt to sled backwards) so I can imagine him seeing the movie at a family thing with a bunch of his older cousins and just being so excited to watch a grown-up movie with the older kids that he thinks it’s the best thing ever despite a ton of the jokes going completely over his head. (There are a lot of movies I saw with my older sister as a kid then when I revisited them as an adult I realized I had completely missed some pretty racy stuff in them.)

-Also, I then imagine Rudy later innocently asking one of his parents about some term he heard in the movie that he didn’t understand, which leads to the older cousins getting in trouble for letting him see it.

-There are definitely parts of the movie I could see Rudy understanding enjoying. The first conversation between Rudd and Segel’s characters is Segel pointing out how another guy is clearly holding in a fart because he is trying to impress a woman he just started dating. This seems to very much be on the level of humor of most of the Bob’s Burgers kids.

-And it’s pretty easy to see Rudy enjoying Paul Rudd’s character in the movie, because it’s basically just Paul Rudd playing a nice kind of dorky guy in a pretty typically Paul Ruddy manner. His character is into fencing, which I can easily see Rudy thinking is a pretty cool hobby. (I can totally see Rudy and Louise trying fencing when they get older).

-Rudd’s character also plays the bass, and there is a running gag of him saying “I slap the bass” in a bad attempt at a Jamaican accent. I can see Rudy enjoying this and repeating the line to the point of annoying people (“You don’t even play the bass, Rudy, you play the drums!”) I may be projecting because that’s certainly what I would’ve done as a kid.

-If you managed to read this far without knowing the plot of the movie, Rudd and Jones’ characters get engaged and it is pointed out to them that Rudd has always been a “girlfriend guy” who doesn’t really have close male friends. It’s kind of interesting to think about that in the context of Rudy, since it seems pretty clear that Louise is his best friend, and I find it interesting to think about who Rudy’s best male friend is. I have this headcanon that it’s Jeremy just because he is at Rudy’s birthday and his appearance seems kind of random if he’s not actually good friends with Rudy. (It’s easy to see Harley going to that party because she’s super friendly and seems up for anything, and Rudy could’ve gotten to know the Pesto twins through Louise, but why is Jeremy there?!)

-That said, the male characters Rudy has the most friendly interaction with on-screen are probably Zeke and Gene (or as I like to think of them, the World’s Best Future Brothers-in-Law). Of course, Rudy is a minor character who is only in 10% or so of the episodes and we basically only see him when he’s with the Belcher kids. It’s possible he has a really meaningful friendship with Hogarth Haber that is never seen or referred to on-camera.

-So, be on the lookout for my Roudise “I Love You, Man” AU Fic, coming soon! (That’s probably not actually going to be a thing. Honestly, I think I’ve explored this joke as far as I can. Well beyond the point of reason, in fact.)

-I had forgotten what a fun cast “I Love You, Man” has! In addition to Rudd, other “Bob’s Burgers” guest stars in the movie include Aziz Ansari, Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel, Nick Kroll, and Joe Lo Truglio.

[duckprintspress]

How to Write a Great Query Letter

Part 2 of a 2-part series of guest posts by Alec J. Marsh. Part 1, “Why Query Letters are Good, Actually,” came out last week; you can read it here!

Alec is also the author of Duck Prints Press’s forthcoming novella To Drive the Hundred Miles, about a young man coming home for the holidays and finding more than he expected. It’s coming out December 21st, 2022. They know what they’re talking about, as an author and about a writer-writing-about-writing, so read on and learn!

Now that you’ve read the first post in this series, and had a week to reflect on it… are you convinced yet? Are you ready to acquire the most important marketing skill of your career? Great! 

If you’re primarily interested in how to pitch to Duck Prints Press specifically, there will be a full post about that coming out in the near future. But I promise, these skills will help you whatever your writing aspirations are. 

1. The Really Boring Part

Most queries open with a paragraph called “metadata.” This is all the marketing stuff that you need to get out of the way so your agent/editor knows what kind of book it is. This includes 

Title: Self-explanatory 

Length: This is vitally important for traditional publishing. If you are a debut author and your story isn’t within the accepted range, you’ll get automatically rejected by most agents. There are very good industry reasons for that, but discussing that’s a different article. If you want to look at the averages, check out this link.

Genre and age range: This is practical for marketing and readership purposes, and it also puts the summary in context. 

Comparative (or Comp) Titles: This is a tricky one, and a full discussion on selecting appropriate comparative titles could easily be its own separate blog post, but the short version is that you should pick titles that your book can be compared to. That can be descriptive—"Supernatural but set in Eastern Europe"—or genre—"For fans of Tamora Pierce"—or even trope based—"Sunshine/Grumpy romance set in a world of danger and magic." There are a ton of options, but the main point is to position your story in the market and make it easy to pick up quickly. 

Logline: This serves a similar purpose as the comp titles do and is meant to sum up one cool part of your story. It doesn’t have to sum up the entire story. For example, Gideon the Ninth sounds wild if you try to summarize the plot, but I’ve been able to convince all my friends to read it by saying simply, “it’s about lesbian necromancers in space.” That’s all you need! In casual conversation, this is often called your “elevator pitch.” Imagine you’re at a convention and you get into the elevator with your dream agent, and you have only the length of the elevator ride to sell them your novel. What do you say? That’s your logline.

***Both comp titles and logline are technically optional, and you don’t need both of them. It’s better to write something unique than to waste the space putting something in just because you think you need it. 

2. The Biography

This usually goes at the end of the query. Don’t overthink it. If you have any credentials, put those in; relevant credentials can include past publications, editing jobs, or a creative writing degree. Then write one to two sentences that make you sound interesting. For example, I say that I like long walks in the fog (because I write moody fantasy) and have a history degree (because it inspires my fantasy world building). 

3. The Body

I left this until the last because it’s the hardest and most important part. A killer summary will make up for dull metadata and a lackluster bio. But if the body of your query letter is weak, no MFA in the world will save you. This section should be 300 words maximum.  

Your simplest formula for including what needs to be in this paragraph is four sentences: LEAD, OBJECTIVE, CONFLICT, TWIST. It’s simpler than you think to write the first draft. I promise. Let it be terrible, get it down, then edit it to a fine shine (much like you’ve already done with that novel!). 

Lead: This is your main character. Name them and describe them by including their profession, skills, or other plot-relevant details. 

Objective: What does your main character want? Try to make this as specific as possible. “Longs for  acceptance” is vague and generic. “Wants to be accepted into the Book Guild” is specific and gives a reader clues about their personality and the setting. You can put in some information about motivation here too. Maybe her father was also a bookbinder and she needs to redeem the family name. 

Conflict: Now we’re getting to the meat of it! Why can’t your main character get what they want? Again, try to be specific and don’t leave it to platitudes. If the bookbinders just don’t like her, that’s generic. If they don’t like her because they think she’s as corrupt as her father was and will bring ruin to them, that’s something a reader can really dig into. We have themes implied now! We understand this is a story about family ties, redemption, and preconceived notions, and you didn’t even need to spell that out. 

Twist: This is the most nebulous part of the query. The twist can be a real plot twist, like her discovering that the bookbinding guild also sells occult books. It can be a cool thing about the setting, like the bookstore being on an airship. It can be the romantic subplot, if she falls in love with her rival apprentice. It can be the historical inspiration, if the book is set in a fantasy world reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. In short, what makes your book special? What’s going to prompt people to shove it in their friend’s faces? It’s similar to the logline in that way. 

You can also put the twist at the beginning of the body paragraph, if it’s really cool. You can weave it throughout. You can put it at the end in a mic drop moment. Just make your book sound cool. That’s literally all this is! 

And those three sections…are basically it! Doesn’t sound so scary now, right? Oh wait, it still does? Okay, then, here’s some more tips to help you!

Write down everything you need in a query in whatever order works for you. I do it like a sad, clunky mad libs just so it’s all on the page. It’s a lot of pressure to include all this important information AND make it pretty in one go. 

Ask your beta readers to help! It’s hard to summarize your own stories when you’ve been living inside them for months. I’ve helped so many friends with their queries because they wrote something perfectly serviceable and technically correct that somehow still made their story sound frightfully boring. (This is not a condemnation of their skill as writers. The skills needed to write queries are completely different.) 

Don’t use rhetorical questions. This is mostly personal taste, but I think they’re a waste of space. “Will she follow her heart?” is sort of useless when 99% of stories are about people following their heart. “She must choose between her ambition and the chance at true love” is so much more clear and includes more conflict. 

The body of your query letter actually only needs to include the first 30-50% of the story in most cases—enough to leave the reader/agent/editor eager to know what happens next, and no more. This isn’t true if the twist is necessary to understanding why the story is exciting. Can you imagine trying to sell Gone Girl without including the twist that it was all a set up? That twist took the story from generic true crime to something truly original. So to some extent, you’ll need to use your judgment, but there’s rarely any need to try to fit the whole plot into that 300-word paragraph.

Above all, be specific. 

Do not shy away from giving spoilers (again: BE SPECIFIC). “She finds information that may change everything,” are seven words that tell you nothing. If you say what the information is (“she finds a note from her father that makes it clear he was framed”), you’ll leave the reader desperate to know what the outcome will be, begging for the rest of the story. 

Get the query competent and coherent, and then leave it for at least a week. This is good editing advice for any story, but it’s absolutely vital for a query. Because they’re so short and so much rides on them, every single word you write in the query has to be useful, and every sentence has to be clear, concise, and intriguing. Don’t rush this; it’s better to go slow and get it right then hurry along and face a pile of rejections. 

Have a query beta reader who hasn’t read your story. Make sure it makes sense with no context. Revise it again. Leave it for another week. (I’m sorry. But I’m not really.)

I know this sounds like a lot. Query letters are hard, and the pressure makes it harder. Writing culture loves to hate on them, for good reason. But you learned to write a novel, something that takes years to master! You can learn to write a query letter too. I won’t pretend it’s easy, but it is a skill you can learn, and it’s worth it! With a single page, you can convince people to buy your book, and that’s magical! 

-

You can learn more about Alec here; you can learn more about To Drive the Hundred Miles here, and read a teaser here. And, you can check out Alec’s two already-published erotica works Heart’s Scaffolding and Study Hall.

Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

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[ayaitch]

Well, I got through the Embassy quest. Here's the only clear picture of Chekkatah that I could get. My photo mode finger wasn't very fast when I was going through it, and I most certainly didn't want to restart it for another chance at pictures. Sorry, Chekkatah. Another time.

Other scenes I tried for he was too far into the background and was very fuzzy. He's clear here for the split second before his screen time ends. Spoilers and (lengthy) thoughts below the cut, just in case? Idk.

Chekkatah's about to risk his life to try to pull someone out of further harm's way. (Or so I tell myself.) But alas, he runs from cover just to die immediately with an arrow in his back of all ways to go. It made me sad when I first played that he wasn't even given the "noble"/"honorable" way to go out fighting the enemy, defending someone, or whatever. He got shot in the back.

When I first went through this quest, I actually thought he was trying to run away, which I had scoffed at when I saw it, but (and maybe I'm delusional after having decided that Ikkotah is the best and so want to think his husband was worthy of him, he deserves the best) subsequent views of the whole cut scene definitely made it look like he wanted to get an injured (already dead?) soldier out of the continuous barrage of fire arrows. Which was nice, if a bit futile.

However, I remain a bit annoyed by the Embassy as a whole. I get that they were very outnumbered, fighting against a superior force that had both the high ground, the element of surprise, and came ready to wipe the floor with the very small contingent of individuals gathered for peace talks. But these are supposed to be the Tenakth soldiers who are the best of the best of the best, sir, with honors. They all died far too easily, even Fashav and Javveh, though to a much lesser extent. Again, it was for the plot, I understand, but it still would have been nice if the Marshals could have had more of an impact in the battle or left a more competent mark. Even Nozar, who we're not supposed to like, went out in a better way than the Marshals.

Maybe I'm just too salty about Chekkatah in particular, because his death really sucked, and someone had to tell Ikkotah that his husband died from an arrow in the back. Every single time we see these warrior tropes exercised in stories, emphasis is always placed on honorable ends; to die while fighting or defending. Even the trial by combat after a Tenakth soldier is grievously injured is to provide them an honorable death. To die from an arrow in the back would signal cowardice or ineptitude.

I know I'm overthinking it, and one can make the argument that he died while trying to get someone to safety, but it still feels like Chekkatah wasn't actually using his brain at that moment. Which best of the best warriors should be able to do in the heat of battle. Even a surprise one. He just saw someone needed help and went to go help. I suppose that's noble enough, that his gut reaction is to help without a second thought, but seriously. Under a hail of arrows, you're just going to dash out there? Seriously, Chekkatah? Even Aloy with plot armor doesn't do that. Though the way I play Aloy, she definitely would do that....

This seems to have turned into a proper rant, which was unintentional. I just meant to expound on some thoughts that always bothered me when I think about this quest or play it. The Carja too. They waited way too long to retreat. As soon as Regalla showed up and called out Fashav specifically, it should have been, OK, team, we're out. We did not come to fight, this was a meeting of peace talks, we have no real way to defend ourselves for any kind of fight. Skirmish, maybe, but an ambush would have been retreat in double time.

Again, plot, I understand. As someone who likes to write plots though, I can't help but overanalyze motivations and how realistic and understandable certain reactions would be. I struggle with the Embassy because very little of the motivations make cognitive sense to me. And I try to look at many perspectives. Maybe I'm not as good at that as I thought I was, because there are so many illogical reactions. I know it was a battle and people aren't thinking very well under that kind of stress, but again: best of the best normally have better snap decision making skills and quick assessment abilities.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my talk. Maybe I'm the only one who agonized about the Embassy for a reason that isn't Kotallo's maiming and Fashav's death. At least they both went down fighting.

I'm not saying any of this to start a debate about the psychology of battle or consistent framing of certain aspects of the story and/or cultures, or to actually gripe about this (I love this game and its predecessor too much to actively dislike something), I just wanted to think out loud about why I feel so blah after the Embassy is over. It was high feelings, and an instantly lovable character came and went all in one fell swoop, one our favorite guys gets terribly injured and loses all his close comrades, and Varl gets hurt. And then to have Ikkotah be the most heartbroken sopping wet kitty I've ever met just really seals the deal on how sad that whole thing was.

Also, this particular go through, Aloy ended up in such a position that Javveh's poor dead body was flung at her after the whole thing is over. It was a bit startling when the playable scene sets and Aloy's got Javveh's ankles around her ears for a split second before his body crumples to the ground.

[broke-on-books]

☕️ WNSD

🎶 We're coming after you, We're gonna solve that mysteryyyyy 🎶

No okay but I loooovvvveeeeee What's New so much oh my god. It's probably the iteration of Scooby I've seen the highest percentage of episodes of (excluding SDMI) and if I had to pick my favorite Scooby series of them all. More than any of the others really (although a little WAY), What's New was the Scooby of my childhood, and so many of its episodes are just total classics for me as well.

I think WNSD is very beloved by the Scooby collective (and for good reason) but honestly STILL is underrated in my mind, especially the early episodes. I absolutely adore some of the little "plot twists" of the WNSD era and how creative it could be within the confines of "the Scooby formula". I mentioned many of these in another post recently but having unexpected solutions/elements like "the monkey did it!" or "we caught the wrong guy! We need to go back!" every few episodes just blew my brain wide open as a child (especially the second one there. I'm STILL in shock on that one) and are underappreciated by scooby fandom. (Despite WNSD winning the favorite scooby series poll I did lol)

Being my favorite doesn't mean that What's New is perfect though. There are still some moments I don't like, or that, while useful for a joke, fall flat for me character-wise. One example I think I've talked about before is the scene where they split up differently and Fred is left alone searching for clues with Shaggy. The punchline of this is the idea that Fred and Shaggy just don't have anything in common to talk about, going along in awkward silence until Fred asks Shaggy if he 'saw the game last night' to which he says no and they continue on in awkward silence. For me, that's not my favorite joke because I do believe that Fred and Shaggy are good friends and DO have lots to talk about, and while not my favorite interaction between the two, I can still mesh it pretty easily into my own personal canon with a few simple Watsonian explanations. Ex: They were both overthinking it and didn't know what to say, Fred grabbed a conversation starter from his go to list (he's been working very hard on his social interaction skills, okay?! Only 3/4 of them are about nets/mysteries/the gang/the Mystery Machine!) and struck out big time.

No but as I was saying as much as I adore WNSD, nothing is perfect, and at times (especially in some movies) What's New also suffers from the WAY/TSDS cultural................. awkwardness that comes from the "white guy dressing up as native/cultural legend" plot line.

OH AND THE SOUNDTRACK. What's New rightly gets its due (lol) for having an absolutely killer theme song (and sequence too!!!!) but I think it should get extra points on top of that as well for the chase music in each episode. What's New easily has some of my favorite chase music (leading to some favorite chase sequences) which makes watching it an even better time (some of those songs are catchy!!!!!) And I just love the way it handles music in general. What's New really just finds creative ways to explore and make interesting all aspects of the process, and move between them subtly and infrequently enough that it doesn't feel forced or thrown at you, but as a genuine exploration of what can be done with Scooby by people who care about it. (And while we're talking about music?!?!?!?! THE HAUNTED MYSTERY MACHINE EPISODE???????? 🤯😵🥰💘)

To me, What's New is just a really good show that is kind of seen as being "simple" (plan lol. Sorry I keep doing that but I can't help myself) or basic but really is much more creative and complicated than it looks when closely examined. It's a series that I think gets a lot of love while at the same time still not getting enough for everything it accomplished. Also it has some of my favorite Scooby castings out there. I mean, COME ON! Casey Kasem Shaggy at the same time as Grey Griffin Daphne? With Frank Welker Fred AND Scooby along with MINDY COHN (<3333333333333333333) Velma? Don't get me STARTED.

Anyways I just have SO much love for this series all the time. All the time. 24/7. Hope that answers your question on how I feel about it

[p-taryn-dactyl]

15, 28, 43, 57, 62!

hi!!!

15: favorite book you’ve read as a school assignment?

A List of Cages by robin roe was during the summer before my freshman year of high school, a while back, and I remember annotating it, loving the plot, enjoying the assignment which was to take notes and annotate the pages if the book was our personal one and then we…didn’t do anything with it except a handout that said “did you do the reading?” with checkboxes labeled yes and no. I was so disappointed but I remember loving that book. There’s also Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan, which is just an amazing true story (the movie is ok but the book is just *chefs kiss*. I’m actually using it in my final project in my psychology course this year!!

28: five songs to describe you?

Damn. This is a hard one….i had to consult the counsel (my group chat) for guidance [edit: some were helpful…others weren’t] [another edit: i did take a few quizzes to find what songs describe me bc i was thinking of songs that i associated with me and idk if thats what this meant lol, can you tell i overthink things?]

no body, no crime by taylor swift

better than revenge by taylor swift

dear reader by taylor swift

human by gabrielle aplin

hi, it’s me by ashnikko (but I’m the best friend)

Ik it was mostly TS but i listen to her a lot so

43: hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket, or bomber jacket?

once upon a time i was recognized by the oversized jean jacket that i wore…not anymore. I love cardigans and leather jackets buttt i have the soul of an elderly librarian so definitively cardigan. (I love librarians, my Grammy was a librarian and she’s the best)

57: the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Coming out to myself. I actually came out to my friends before myself, which sounds weird but hold on. I knew i was queer so i told them, the ones i was comfortable with, about my sexuality. But i wasn’t in full terms with it. I grew up very religious and the way my church and family spoke about homosexuality just made me feel like an outcast. Thankfully, I’m proud of who i am today and while I’m terrified of the day I come out to my family, i know i can make it through the tough times if they come

My belief in god isn’t a struggle per se but i much prefer my relationship with them today than my past relationship with them. In the past i was a nightmare, just a total bitch and even though ik today it was because of how i was raised and what i absorbed and all the internalized homophobia, i still know it’s not an excuse to unlearn all my taught hatred so I’m pretty proud to say that i am a much, much better person today ✨character growth✨

My fear of death. While i haven’t completely overcome this, ive come to better terms with the fact that one day i will die and the only thing i can do is live life to the fullest and just live, not to force myself into a box of what i have to do but just enjoy being alive while i am. My new fear however is the ocean, just being alone in the middle of the sea, no boat just me…my heart beat very fast as I typed that

62: seven characters you relate to?

Percy Jackson. I have neither ADHD or dyslexia but i do wear my sarcasm and humor as my shield. Also, i just feel like he would be such a good friend and compliment to my personality

Tony stark. I do have anxiety and depression but i am not a billionaire or genius. I just get him, ya know? I can easily put myself in his place and see his thought process.

Daniel Jackson. Huge history nerd over here and he’s just the best, i love him

harry potter…my man is way too underrated for the main character. Same thing as tony, i just feel connected to his character

yelena belova. Idk why but i just feel like she’s what i could be if i was put in her situations ya know

alec lightwood, i too am a disaster gay and would be speechless at the sight of magnus bane

Nebula. I know what it’s like to be overlooked and forgotten but thankfully, like nebula, ive a found family that sees me

Thank you so much!!! I’m sorry my answers were so long lol 😅

[write-on-world]

Tag Game: This or That Writer’s Edition

I was tagged and it’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these.  Maybe it’s good to get it out there how much I’ve changed.  Thanks very much @pens-swords-stuff for reminding me and keeping me in the game.  

*note to whoever wants to play (or pass on): feel free to tag others.  I won’t say you have to, like writing, I feel like one shouldn’t be obligated to do something.  Like any other game, you should play because you want to.

1. historical or futuristic

Yes and yes.  Futuristic was always a fun theme for me to work with.  What could have changed?  What’s familiar to us now that I could have made better in the worlds I created.  Can I make it as intriguing as Dune or Star Trek or Star Wars?  There’s the challenge.  

Historical is also fun though.  There’s an established frame in which to work.  But what can I throw in that people might not have known about before?  Clothes?  Political subterfuge?  Warfare?  Ancient technology and terminology?  Knowing the historical stuff also helps to build framework for fantasy stories.

2. the opening or closing chapter

The easiest chapter is the opening - the reader doesn’t know anything about the world that they’re about to delve into.  Everything is a surprise from the first paragraph onward.  

The closing chapter is the challenge - everything that you’ve written up to that point needs to be tied together in a way that will make the reader go, “Whoa!” And it has to be done in a way that will make the story memorable.  That’s hard.

3. light+fluffy or dark+gritty

I got my start writing light and fluffy - kid’s books and later with young teen stories.  Didn’t do it for long, but I wrote them with other writers in my school about some of the things that we were going through.  Normal teen drama stuff, nothing really bad.  My teachers always insisted that there was a pleasant resolution by the end.  Useful as it was to teach me some of the fundamentals about writing, it always stuck with me: there isn’t always a happy ending in real life.  

So if I’m being perfectly honest, I prefer dark and gritty.  The dark stories always seemed more relatable to me.  I read those stories and I think, “Ok, my life doesn’t seem so bad now.”

4. animal companion or found family

For a long time in my life, my dog was my only friend.  And comforting as that was, I used to wish for real friends.  I think this is why in so many of my stories, my protagonists usually wind up making their own families.  Even my own family didn’t really get me because I was an introvert, not the first pick for sport’s teams, or ever the top of the class.  I always like retreating to my own corner with my book to read or my notebook to write in and letting everyone else have their fun.  That’s why so many of my characters are surrounded by people that they choose to be around because dogs can only help you accomplish so much.

5. horror or romance

I never really liked horror.  Too many things in the world are scary as it is.  Romance is easier to do.  Don’t get me wrong, getting a romance story good and believable and (most importantly) to make it satisfying to my own standards is about as easy as walking on the sun.  But yes, romance, all the way.  

6. hard or soft magic system

One of my first writing professors once told me “keep it simple”.  “Magic systems, political systems, money systems... keep it simple.  The less complicated, the more easily your reader will believe it if they don’t have to try and figure it out.”  

My problem is, I’m an overthinker.  I have to know and set the rules or else I might wind up with a hole in the plot that critics everywhere will drive a truck through.  So, yeah... not gonna lie, I make it a hard system.

7. standalone or series

I like series, writing and reading.  Standalone stories are great, but I like to expand on an idea if there’s room for it.  If it’s got to be a standalone, I like to make it as detailed as possible.

8. one project at a time or always juggling 2+

For me, writing is me juggling a chainsaw, a burning stick of dynamite, and a mason jar full of nitroglycerin.  Keeps it more interesting that way.  I should focus on only one at a time, but my stories are like kids and trying to pull you in various directions all at once.  You can’t not just focus on one, you have to work with them all when you can as often as you can.

9. one award winner or one bestseller

If I can be picky, I’d rather have a bestseller.  I’ve got two nephews and a niece to help put through college.  

10. fantasy or sci-fi

I go both ways. But to be honest, my sci-fi stories outnumber the fantasy stories I’ve written by about 5:1.  Fantasy is definitely lots of fun because you can do things with it that you’d have to explain in a sci-fi story (sometimes).  Fantasy: monster exists, no one needs to know where it came from, but it can be slain with this/that magic spell.  Sci-fi: creature was created through twisted science  (or alien exists on a previously unexplored world) and can only be killed by this/that because their origin didn’t include this/that or because their native environment made them vulnerable to this/that.

11. character or setting description

Depends on the story.  Character descriptions need to be given only the once, I think, unless the reader needs the occasional reminder for this trait or that.  But the setting - unless it takes place in the same room/area - for the whole story, changes all the time, doesn’t it?

12. first or final draft

Gold bars go through a less rigorous purification process than any final draft I’ve ever written.  

13. love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs

I can count on one hand - with two fingers left over to scratch my face - the stories I’ve written that didn’t have a romantic arc in them.  Love triangles are a bit tricky though, so I usually end up with an unrequited love arc.  They seem more realistic to me.

14. constant sandstorm or rainstorm

Sandstorms come first, then the rainstorms that follow turn that piled up sand into cement.  

If you see this and want to do it too, please do! Feel free to say that I tagged you, I’d love to see.

If you want to be tagged by me for tag games, click here!