#i have the 'write under cut' option now BUT AT WHAT COST

[witchwhaat]

can tumblr stop with the updates. bc i hate them.

[copperbadge]

Every time, you guys. Every time I look into alternatives to Lulu.com for self-publishing I come up with “Wow Lulu really is the best of a bad set of options, huh?” 

Recently, Draft2Digital bought Smashwords in order to bring a print book company under their aegis; they’d formerly only done ebooks. I thought I might investigate them as an alternative to Lulu, which I’ve used for about twelve years now. For ebooks I would venture D2D is probably top of the line. For print books they are....not. 

I’m writing this out half so other folks can see it but half so that in the future I can look this up and remind myself of why I’m still with Lulu. 

TLDR: Not only does Draft2Digital want 60% of my print book royalties where Lulu takes 0%, and $30 for a proof that costs me $11 at Lulu, but I also appear to have solved the problem of why Lulu was making me price my books so goddamn artificially high. Which is like. Honestly the best anti-anxiety drug I’ve experienced this week. 

Basically there are a number of elements that go into self-publishing with a print-on-demand service. For some publishers, there’s a “setup fee” which doesn’t really set anything up, it’s just there to be a fee, everything is done by computer on the back end. Traditionally, Lulu has not charged a setup fee. Smashwords used to charge $50, but Draft2Digital currently waives it. I was heartened by that because the setup fee was keeping me from migrating, since I can afford $50 but I balk at knowing I’m paying them $50 for nothing. 

Next is the cost of printing -- what it costs the company in paper, ink, machinery, labor, etc, to just make a book with no profit. Lulu’s price calculus isn’t super clear and I’ve never bothered looking at what the breakdown is, because they’re pretty up-front -- they tell you in the process of setting the book up how much it’ll cost. In this case, a 140-page 6x9 trade paperback, no frills, which is how all my books are printed, is $5. Draft2Digital doesn’t tell you the flat price anywhere but they do offer the breakdown information; it costs $1.22 flat plus $0.0133 per page. So, for a 140 page book, the at-cost is $3.08. So far so good. 

Now, if you’re going to sell through Lulu, the “at cost” is the minimum price. You won’t make any money but you CAN charge just $5 for a $5 book. Any pricing above that is your cut. So -- let’s price this 140 page trade paperback at $13-$15. That’s a bit high to be honest but let’s just see. At Lulu, your take is roughly $6-$8 based on those prices, because you’re just dropping out the cost of printing from the retail price. 

At Draft2Digital, the same 140-page trade paperback, which remember is quoted as costing roughly $1.20 less to print than Lulu charges, gets you $2.75-$3.50 in royalties per book.

....wait, what? 

So now we need to sidetrack a little but I promise it’s for a reason. One of the motivations for looking into a change to Draft2Digital is that I didn’t like that Lulu was setting higher “minimum prices” than I was accustomed to -- they would tell me the book only cost $5 to print but require me to sell it for $12 or similar, and I couldn’t work out why. I’m an idiot but the penny did finally drop: it’s because when you distribute them outside of Lulu (say, on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or similar) your royalties drop like a stone. $7 in royalties purchased through Lulu comes out to like twenty-five cents purchased through Amazon. So Lulu forces you to price the book at a point where you even GET royalties and don’t end up weirdly owing Amazon money. The “global distribution” is what’s driving that minimum up. 

So in price-quoting a competitor I actually solved the problem with Lulu. 

Which is good, because the fun doesn’t stop there. If you want a proof copy of a book from Lulu, it’s the at-cost of the book, plus tax, plus postage. Buying a proof copy of this book from Lulu would cost me $11. Lulu makes you order a new proof copy every time you make a change, which is shady, but usually I only need to make 1-2 changes across the life of a book, so at most the cost will probably be $35 and for that I’ll get three copies of the book. Draft2Digital doesn’t give you an option. If you want a proof pre-publication, it’s $30 flat. If you want to publish and then buy a copy you can, but you can only make one change to the book every 90 days once it’s published. If you want to make more than one change, it’s $25 every time you upload a new version of the manuscript within that 90 day period.

So Draft2Digital’s books cost less to print but they take a massive cut of your royalties out of the retail cost of the book. If the book costs $3 to print, and I price it at $15, that’s $12 in profit on the book. Of that $12, however, I only receive $4. Draft2Digital literally wants 2/3 of my royalties per book. They want $20 more than Lulu to send me a proof copy. If I need to correct the proof, the correction is free, but I’m assuming the second proof will also cost me $30. Any changes after that, within 90 days, will cost $25 plus $30 for a new proof.

Which means my upfront costs at Lulu are about $35 per published book; to do the same thing at Draft2Digital is between $60 and $105 depending on whether I need to make changes after the second proof copy. And even after that, my royalties at Lulu are just about twice what they would be at Draft2Digital per purchase. 

So, well, Lulu it is. And the problem I was having with Lulu is solved if I decide to just retail through Lulu rather than selling globally. Which...selling globally has done two things that I’m aware of:

1. Fucked up my author page so badly on Amazon that one of my books is still attributed to Kathleen Starbuck, and one of her books is for sale on my author page. 

2. Raised the minimum price I’m allowed to set my books at by like, 40%. 

So I think probably what’s going to happen is going forward my books will be for sale only on Lulu. I can still assign them ISBNs and they still will ship worldwide, and the prices will fall significantly. My deepest apologies to those of you who have paid an artificially inflated price for the last few books; I’m going to fix that going forward, I’m going to go in and try to fix it retroactively in the books that are already on Lulu, and if it’s any consolation at least the cash came to me, and TWO THIRDS OF IT didn’t go to Lulu. 

It’s gonna take me a little time, untangling Lulu’s relationship to other retailers is tricky, but eventually the Shivadh Omnibus and Twelve Points should come down significantly in price, and there ought to be a dollar or two drop for the older books as well. 

This is why it always pays to do the math, even if like me you are dreadful at it. 

[fanauthorworkshop]

Applications for the Spring 2024 session are now open!

The Fanauthor Workshop is a biannual Zoom course for writers of fanfiction. My goal is to create a supportive space for fanauthors to receive constructive feedback on fanfiction, original fiction, or creative nonfiction. If desired, I also provide guidance on moving outside of fan spheres to traditional publishing or other creative writing programs such as MFAs.

Participants of the workshop receive

Attendance in an 8-week Zoom course during which you’ll provide feedback to your peers and workshop one piece of your own work, up to 6,000 words.

Access to the Fanauthor Workshop Discord server, an active community where we host weekly accountability meetings, write-ins, and other events and activities.

A one-hour consultation with me to go over your workshop feedback, come up with a plan for revision and/or publication, or anything else you’d like to discuss regarding your writing.

Open enrollment option in future workshops.

When

The workshop meets on Fridays from April 12 through May 31 via Zoom. You can apply for one of two sessions:

Group A: 12pm - 2pm EST

Group B: 6pm - 8pm EST

Cost

The cost is "pay what you think the experience is worth," with a recommended amount of $300. To be as inclusive as possible, I don't want money to be a deterrent for anyone interested in participating.

Payment can be made before, during, or after the workshop, via PayPal or Venmo.

How to apply

Eligibility

Anyone over the age of 18 who considers themselves a participant of fandom and who is familiar with fanfiction may apply. A stable internet connection is also required. Submissions must be written in English.

Application requirements

To apply, you will need:

A brief cover letter discussing your fan history and goals as a (fan)writer (more specific instructions on submittable).

Maximum 1,000 words of your writing, either original work or fanfiction. This may be previously published/posted.

You can apply via submittable. Applications close March 8. There is no fee for applying.

FAQ under the cut.

FAQ

Are there any content restrictions to what I can workshop?

The only restriction is word count (max 6k), with the following caveats:

If you workshop a piece in a form other than prose (for example, a script), your peers may not be able to offer constructive feedback on that aspect of the work. Participants are asked only to have a familiarity with prose.

Content warnings are required for each piece (if applicable), and participants who are uncomfortable reading certain subject matter may abstain from your workshop.

I want to participate in the workshop, but these times/dates don't work for me.

While the workshop is a big part of my life, I have to prioritize my own schedule, and as of right now, these are the only times/dates I can run it.

However, I'm working on developing other workshop models that may be more accessible for people who can't attend the regular spring/fall session. For example, a summer sprint workshop (meeting more often per week for fewer weeks) and/or an asynchronous workshop (written feedback only, no Zoom meeting). More on that later this year or next.

What is the time commitment of the workshop?

As a participant of the workshop, you'll be asked to:

Workshop any piece of your own prose up to 6k words, which will need to be uploaded to the group folder no later than the Sunday prior to your workshop.

Read 2 pieces per week, write a 1-page crit letter for the author, and attend the workshop itself.

What is the timeline of the workshop?

In week 1, we go over the syllabus and do a writing exercise. Weeks 2 through 8 will be a workshop, a discussion of an external reading, or a writing activity. Prior to the start of workshop, you'll be able to sign up for the week you would like to workshop your piece.

Structure of the sessions:

Question of the day

First workshop

Short break

Second workshop

We'll go over my workshop model and the syllabus in week 1.

Do I have to participate in the Zoom meetings (camera and mic on)?

Attending the workshop itself is required, and everyone is asked to offer at least one note of positive feedback on each piece, so mics are necessary. Cameras are preferred but not required.

You can't asynchronously participate, i.e. read the pieces and offer written feedback without attending the sessions.

What are the benefits of being in the Fanauthor Workshop community?

We have an active Discord server open only to those who have participated in the workshop. Once you've completed the workshop, you'll have access to attend weekly accountability meetings, write-ins, and other events we host.

You'll also have an open enrollment option in future workshops, where in lieu of applying again, you can pay a portion of what you intend to pay and secure your seat in the upcoming workshop.

I'll be working on rolling out additional events and benefits throughout the year.

Can workshop participants submit to OFIC Magazine?

Yes! Part of the reason I run the workshop is to inspire and promote the original work of fanwriters. You can follow us on tumblr @oficmag.

Who is running the workshop?

@bettsfic! In short, I lived a dreary cubicle life as a banker until I found fanfiction at 24. I loved it so much that I quit my job to get an MFA in creative writing. I loved the MFA so much that I became a writing teacher. I have some publications, awards, an agent, and 2 million words of fic on ao3. I don't have a book out yet but I'm getting there.

Currently I'm a writing coach and freelance editor. I also have a lowkey writing-related newsletter. And I've been answering writing advice asks on my blog for 10 years.

If you want an idea of the kind of writing activities I create, last summer I worked with @books on a workshop series which includes craft essays and some fun prompts.

If you're interested in my original work, my short story "Not If, When" is a good representation of my writing. For something darker, check out "Shut Up and Kill Me."

What is the workshop like?

Check out G's experience of attending the workshop. And here's some feedback from previous participants.

One final note: I'm working on updating the copy about the workshop on my website and move it over to OFIC's website. This post and Submittable has the most updated information on the workshop. If you have questions about discrepancies (or anything at all), you can shoot me an ask, DM me, or add me on Discord (I'm bettsfic there too). Or you can email me at ekweeks@gmail.com.

[ficwritersretreat]

FIC WRITERS' RETREAT 2024

Registration Now Open!

WE'RE BACK TO ANNUAL, EVERYONE!!! Seventh Ontario Fic Writers' Retreat, first held in 2016, coming once again in 2024.

To Register, Click Here

When: August 8-11 2024

Where: Blue Mountain Chalets, Collingwood, Ontario

What is it? Four days spent with other fic writers, at all levels of experience. There will be a mix of workshops (Topics TBA and open to suggestions), prompts and challenges, and plenty of independent writing time for your own personal projects. (This year there's also a hot tub and an optional trip to the beach!)

It’s also an opportunity to make connections with people who share your interests and passions, and where you can focus on your own goals and creativity.

Cost (in CANADIAN DOLLARS): $450.00 

(approximately $332 USD as of this posting)

Here’s what you get for it:

Food Costs (with all participants helping with prep and cleanup - see note below)

Accommodation (Shared rooms but NOT shared beds - sorry)

Use of a hot tub and sauna at this year's venue (New this year!)

Daily workshops and writing sessions (2+ per day)

Registration fee included in the price

Registration Process:

Click on the Registration Link, above.

Complete the form and submit it.

Select a payment option: a) e-transfer (Canadian residents only) or b) PayPal (link in registration form)

Make your deposit of $225 CAD (50% of total cost) to complete your registration

Second payment is due on July 9, 30 days before the retreat begins.

Space will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis. There are 24 spaces available, after which names will be placed on a waiting list (no payment will be required unless you are offered a spot).

Travel to Toronto is not included.

However, since several participants (and the organizer) live in the area, we have always been able to arrange ride-shares from the Toronto Airport to the various venues. These connections will be arranged after registration.

Contact me with any questions! Or see the FAQ Page

***A note regarding meals: They'll look a little different this year - we'll be making our own! The venue is a pair of summer chalet/cottage spaces with full kitchens. All participants will be asked to take part in making meals happen - either for planning, picking up groceries, preparation or clean-up. The cost of the food is included in the price.

Tags under the cut. Let me know if you want to be tagged in this. If you’re not tagged it’s because I didn’t know you were interested. (Or I used an old list and forgot, or I thought you'd asked to not be tagged - correct me if I was wrong!) It's not because we don't want you! Please come.

@totallysilvergirl @blogstandbygo @addictedstilltheaddict @onwallsjcfwrites @amindamazed @fearlessdiva930 @cirquedereve @antheiasilva @inevitably-johnlocked @pippn-frodo @stellacartography @muaddib-iswriting @keirgreeneyes @missdaviswrites @nautilicious @otter-von-bismarck @mydogwatson @pipmer @aquabelacqua @may-shepard @pippn-frodo @weneedtotalkaboutfilms-blog @shirleycarlton @daringlydomestic @quesarasara @laughing-at-the-darkness @ellipsical-elle @fluffbyday-smutbynight @kettykika78 @vulgarweed @hellonewsletter @atlinmerrick @podfixx @stellacartography @1-800-get-sherlocked @thegildedbee @letteredlettered @inexplicifics @storyshark2005 @tiger-in-the-flightdeck @seriouslymarythough @anyawen @topsyturvy-turtely @noadventureshere221b @gay-pirate-anime @simpledontmeanpeachy @helloliriels @hopipp @masked-alias @doctornerdington

[moonlight-prose]

Hi!!!

I love your work (I've read some of your stuff MULTIPLE times already it's so good) and I just saw that you're writing another Eddie fic!!!!

I wanted to ask if you have any more information on it (like is it fluff, smut, angst) and if you have any idea of a release date :))

No pressure at all though!!! I'm sorry if it sounds that way you don't have to reply to this I'm just EXCITED!!!

thank you darling!! multiple times??? i'll propose marriage be careful!💀 i am writing an eddie fic! and i would love to say i'm so close to finishing, but it's gonna be a massive one and i am nowhere near the finish line.

and yes to all three. fluff, angst, smut, mutual pining, romcom vibes of the early 2000s. i'm shoving it all in. i'll drop a small hint under the cut for you.🖤🖤

People shoved you to the side as you walked. Doing what you could to refrain from slipping on the icy bits of the sidewalk. Taking a cab was out of the question. With what little cash you had stuffed in your wallet. Your boss decided to withhold your paycheck for the second time - claiming you should have come in the collect it.

The temptation to scream at him in person left the second you realized the money wouldn't even cover the rent next month. So like an idiot…you booked a flight to New York (much to Eddie's delight) and packed a bag large enough to stuff two weeks worth of clothes in it. He believed it was his incessant nagging that finally got you here; you didn't have the heart to tell him that you held no other option.

"Watch it," you snapped at a man who's coat probably cost more than your grandmother's gold ring you wore around your neck.

He scoffed, turning back to the conversation he was invested in on his phone. Getting into a fight wasn't exactly a part of the plan. But the anger began to eat away at your heart - gnawing at your patience the longer you were here. Wandering the city streets. Alone.

"Now that's not the Kit I know."

You whipped around, eyes wide and hair upright on the back of your neck as Eddie's broad smile came into view. The leather jacket he wore complimented his tall figure; the once skinny shoulders you remember now grown into a broad form you certainly didn't expect. Hazel eyes sparkled with a joy that still managed to entrance you in a single glance.

It felt pathetic how quick you turned into a simpering girl in his presence. Still the eleven year old he used to push into muddy puddles because it made him laugh. Somehow that made heat spill into your cheeks - a flustered expression flashing across your face.

He squinted, hands on his hips, as he bent down slightly to push his face directly in front of yours. "What'd you do with her? My little kitten?"

"Fuck off Eddie," you scoffed, shoving at his shoulders.

[antimony-medusa]

HELLO QSMP FANS

I am come to you with my hat in my hand to tell you about a Fun New Event *jazz hands* that's running this fall that I am trying to lure people into. Ahem.

So Fic In A Box is one of the major multifandom fanfiction exchanges, so it runs on the People Submit Tags To A Tag Set > Everybody Signs Up With Ships From The Tag Set They Want To Write And Want To Receive > Assignments Go Out > Work For Two Months > Reveals Once Everybody Gets A Gift. However, it has some interesting fun quirks which make it really fun and which is why I'm trying to lure QSMP people into it so I can match on QSMP plz plz plz.

First thing: It's a 10k exchange. You get two months to write it, but everybody makes or receives (unless you have to drop) a 10k gift or equivilent. Don't you want a 10k gift? Come onnnnnnn do ittttt.

Wait, Equivalent?

Yes, this is point two. One of the things Fic In A Box is famous for is that you can opt into a whole bunch of rulesets, and they break everything down to 1k-equivilent increments, and so you can get 7k of fic, and 2k's worth of propoganda posters, and 1k worth of podfic, for example. 4k of birth chart analysis of your fave characters, 6k of in-world cost analysis spreadsheets. 2k fic, 8k worldbuilding headcanons. This ruleset is CRAZY in terms of the sort of stuff you can opt into, I encourage you to take a look at the tag set, it's everything from dress-up game to art remixes of your existing fic to in-world reddit articles to interactive fiction to poetry to gifsets to costume design. I'm personally looking at in-world RPF and in-world social media for QSMP and chortling madly as I imagine.

So wait, you might get one 10k gift or you might get several smaller gifts?

Yes, point 3. The other thing Fic In A Box does that they're famous for is swaps, which is where you look at all the sign ups in a handy app, and you go shopping among them, and then you go to the mods and say "I want to do 4k on my original assignement, and 2k of usernamealpha, and 3k of usernamebeta, and 1k of usernamthree" and they say "i'll see what I can do", and then the mods run everybody's requests through the single most complicated spreadsheet in the world to make everybody's requests balance out to 10k, and then you get little micro assignments to work on over the two months.

This means both that if a 10k fic seems daunting, you can write a couple smaller gifts and work up to it that way, and also, though this isn't like something to plan for, if life gets bad you can do partial defaults and just turn in your 4k, you're not *necessarily* on the hook for 10k.

So now you're seeing why I want to recruit more QSMP people, eh? Currently I'm only matchable with one person. Please sign up. I want to do swaps. I want to set myself four impossible assignments. JOIN MEEEEE. Sign ups are open through September 3rd! Message me for more information and I will happily infodump and explain at you!

(more about the tag set and thus the stuff you can request/offer under the cut, cause it gets long)

There are like over a thousand individual fandoms in the tag set to choose from for your sign-up, and in addition to SMPEarth, DSMP, 3rd Life, Hermitcraft, Empires, and Outsiders SMP being in the tag set, this is the list of QSMP tags. It has a good assortment of options! I was nominating and I was trying to hit the high points!

BadBoyHalo/ForeverPlayer (QSMP)

Cellbit & JaidenAnimations & Roier (QSMP)

Cellbit/Roier (QSMP)

Chayanne & MissaSinfonia & Philza (QSMP)

Chayanne & Philza & Tallulah (QSMP)

ElMariana & Juanfillipa & Slimecicle (QSMP)

ElMariana/Slimecicle (QSMP)

Etoiles/Philza (QSMP)

FitMC/Philza (QSMP)

ForeverPlayer/MissaSinfonia/Philza (QSMP)

ForeverPlayer/Philza (QSMP)

Luzugames/Quackity (QSMP)

Luzugames/Quackity/Wilbur Soot (QSMP)

MissaSinfonia & Philza (QSMP)

MissaSinfonia/Philza (QSMP)

Quackity & Tilin & Tallulah & Wilbur Soot (QSMP)

Quackity/Wilbur Soot (QSMP)

WB: Any (QSMP | Quackity SMP)

WB: Egg Revivals (QSMP)

WB: Egg/Code Connection (QSMP)

WB: Federation Kidnappings & Cryosleep (QSMP)

(NOTE: WB tags are all Worldbuilding tags, and they mean that you want a fic or a gift that focuses a concept more than a relationship)

So there is a BOLD assortment of tags to pick among, SURELY on that list you can find at least one. Technically to sign up you only need one relationship! They ask for three fandoms or they won't hold the exchange for you if you need to be pinch-hit (if your original gifter needs to drop), but if you're willing to take that risk, you can fully and legally sign up with an only-spiderbit or only-tntduo signup!

So! Shoot me a message or reply if you have questions! Join me! Fic in a Box!

[theluckywizard]

In the Shattering of Things, Ch. 70: Chasing Shadows

Summary: Rose continues to uncover the chaos behind the scenes at the Winter Palace and alerts her advisors to her discoveries.

Fic Summary: Lady Rose Trevelyan's idle, aristocratic life blinks out in a haze of irrelevance when the breach destroys the Conclave. She may be soft and coddled when she joins the Inquisition, but there's a fierceness inside her she's yet to fully recognize. Armed with only a few relevant skills and the mark that makes her a legend, she is thrust onto a path delivering hope where it’s long been scorched away and finds comfort in the grumpy, handsome stick in the mud charged with her protection and training. As she stumbles her way across southern Thedas, she begins to realize she's tangled at the center of machinations she barely understands, and she's not alone in that. Enter Hawke.

Excerpt below the cut 👇

“We found more evidence of foul play— a lot more. Which may or may not be related to the Tevinters.”

“Then perhaps we should warn the empress now,” he says, leaning to peer through the door back into the ballroom.

“Aside from Josephine skinning us alive for being too obvious, Celene’s advisor Morrigan said she’d be by her side,” I explain.

“Did her advisor even make it that far?” he asks.

“I’m not sure.”

“We should check,” he insists and moves to stride back inside. 

I catch Cullen by his hand before he draws too much attention looking eagle eyed and overly alert at someone else’s party.

“Not like that,” I scold him. “Here— give me your arm. We have to act casual.”

“Andraste have mercy,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. “What does that even mean?” 

Apparently he used up all his patience for playing it cool earlier. He holds out his elbow stiffly. I tuck my hand into it.

“Smile,” I instruct. I pretend to delight in my surroundings before glancing at him. “Act like you’re having a good time.”

Cullen stares at me blankly, addled by how far outside his skill my directive falls.

“Well— just, try not to look so antsy,” I say. “Talk to me.”

“About what?”

“Explain to me— the finer points of our latest siege capabilities.”

Cullen’s gold embroidered epaulets fall an inch. “The ballistas or the mangonels?”

I grumble softly, waffling my head around in frustration. “Take your pick.”

We move back into the ballroom and Cullen begins explaining the rationale behind our array of mangonels and the benefits of single projectiles versus scattershot. I nod and smile, and snatch us two glasses of punch from a passing tray, offering one to Cullen.

“I’m not drinking tonight,” he argues, baffled once again.

My eyes do a somersault. “It’s for show. Just— pretend to take a sip.”

Apparently incapable of pretending to drink, Cullen dribbles a splotch of punch on his uniform. He curses under his breath and I stifle an unruly laugh.

“At least it’s red,” I note in a whisper. “I see part of Celene’s dress around that corner. Keep going. Mangonels.”

Cullen continues, discussing a few options for setting payloads ablaze and which are the most cost effective. Celene comes fully into view, clearly in discussion with someone I can’t yet see.

“She’s talking to someone— don’t look.”

“I’m not,” he protests. Cullen cranes his head and looks.

I poke him sharply. “Tell me about the tar.”

He scowls at me momentarily before continuing. “The tar pits of Edgehall are rather close, fortunately. Geologists believe—”

Morrigan’s raven black and wine-colored form appears from around the corner as she emerges to sweep her eyes over the room. A young heavily armored man stands vigilant beyond Celene. Morrigan nods to me subtly.

“She’s there. Along with Celene’s champion I believe,” I remark, allowing the breath I’d been partially holding to leave me fully.

Read the rest here

Start the fic here!

DAFF Tag List:

@warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @ir0n-angel | @inquisimer | @crackinglamb | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @about2dance | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @melisusthewee | @blarrghe | @agentkatie | @delicatefade | @leggywillow

[spencereidwannabe]

a real (not promoting products) glow up guide

atp i like to think i am pretty good at glow ups, physical and mental. the main principal to remember: you are going to want to make lots of little changes and one more noticeable one. let's start with the smaller ones to improve yourself!! <33

physical

• skincare

(requires products)

- first of all implement a simple skincare routine (cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen for the morning, cleanser and moisturizer for night). 10 steps are not necessary. if you want to go an extra step at night, double cleanse (water based and then oil based cleanser)

pro tip - when purchasing look utilize a pore clogger checker to check if the ingredients are harmful, then make sure the product matches your skin type (i use the app skin bliss)

and (!!!!!!) - check if the company tests on animals or support occupation, we want take care of ourselves but never at the cost of others

- make sure to bring all products down to your neck

- spf everyday

- try to do skincare about an hour before bed (so the product doesn't transfer to your pillow and has time to absorb). if you can sleep on your back (i can't to save my life)

- DO NOT WASH YOUR FACE AFTER FACE MASKS (you the oils everything away)

- before sleep vaseline under eyes (only do this if you own vaseline already, don't repurchase, they test on animals)

!doesn't require products

- ice face once a week, ideally before a facemask

- make a ricer toner (!to then use after cleanser before moisturizer!)

- wash makeup brushes once a week if you can

• body care

- use an african net cloth, holds less bacteria

- double cleanse body

mental

- write down three things you are grateful for everyday (i use the app three things, to make my life easier)

- listen to an affirmation tape on youtube or meditate every day

- do one thing everyday that involves your hobbies (for me that's reading)

lifestyle

- move your body once a week in some way (i dance and take exercise classes)

- green tea after meals if you are interested in reducing bloating (but remember, bloating is so so normal. you're going to have to leave insecures behind for this project)

- 8 hours of sleep over everything and everyone

- use a water tracker and look up how much water intake based on weight

remember this:

- korean skincare

- indian hair care

- african body care

- arab perfume

transform all of these things into a habit tracker to keep you motivated (to summarize, ill show you what we discussed)

daily:

- wear spf

- skincare × 2 (using the phases and rice toner we discussed)

- vaseline on eye bags

- green tea

- gratitude

- meditate / affirmations

- insert hobby

weekly:

- clean makeup brushes

- ice face

- exercise

and keep in mind the tips to incorporate (like bringing products to the neck, apps, ecc...)!

now the one big change, by big i mean something noticeable: hair dye, hair cut, piercing, new clothes, ecc...

this is optional but with all the little improvements your glow up will stand out even more <3

[arosnowflake]

Something I don't see acknowledged directly very much when it comes to writing minority representation is this: you have to be okay with messing up.

A lot of the time when talking about writing representation, we talk about the importance of doing research, and rightfully so: research is, obviously, absolutely integral to writing good representation. But research has its limitations; when this is acknowledged, we talk about how important is it to find sensitivity readers and talk to actual people in the minority group you are writing about. Which is also true! This is good advice! The point of this post is not to counter or argue with this advice. The key aspects of writing representation are research, and listening to the people actually part of the minority group you are portraying. Ideally, everyone writing any minority has done extensive research and gotten sensitivity readers for their project.

In practice, however, it's more complicated than that. Research takes time and energy, and on top of that, requires learned skill to do properly. Chances are, you won't be able to find a person from the minority group you're representing to interview/talk to, and sensitivity readers might cost money that you don't have. Furthermore, not every writing project is created equal; a novel manuscript intended for professional publication is not the same as a fanfic one-shot, and while the first may justify (even require) years of research and paid sensitivity readers, the second doesn't.

And even if you think you're doing everything right, you might not be. As I said, research requires skill; it's very possible that you will be under the impression that you've researched thoroughly, only to realize that, actually, you were researching the wrong things in the wrong places and have based your writing on inaccurate and/or limited information. You might start a project on a time limit, thinking you can do the research, only to run out of time because you underestimated the amount of research after all. Your sensitivity readers are human, with opinions and biases and limitations in their life experiences; their feedback reflects the opinion of one person, and cannot be taken as the word of an all-seeing god. You might publish your story and realize that they had blind spots that affected the representation in your story, or that their opinions are not actually nearly as universal as you believed, and now a not-insignificant portion of the people you'd tried to portray is uncomfortable with your story.

The truth is, there is no magic cheatcode to doing representation well. Hell, there are a lot of ongoing debates on what it even means to do representation 'well', or what 'representation' even is; these are not stagnant, universal concepts. I'm not going to go further into that because I don't think it's particularly relevant to this post, but y'know, even if you DO actually manage to do everything perfectly, you won't please everyone. You have to be okay with that.

So, once you realize that despite your best intentions and efforts you are imperfect in ways you cannot meaningfully rectify, you can chose between two options: cut the representation entirely, or accept the possibility (or even the certainty) that you'll mess up.

This choice is going to be context dependent; I cannot make it for you, and there is probably not going to be an objectively correct answer. As a writer, you have to make choices, and as previously discussed, those will not please everyone.

But too often I see writers avoid writing minorities entirely because they're scared of messing up. They stick to very narrow minority groups (if they incorporate any at all), and abandon attempts at representation at the first real hurdles. They realize they messed up in previous attempts (either due to self reflection or outside criticism) and get so overwhelmed by guilt and panic that they avoid ever trying again. The possibility of messing up scares them so much that they convince themselves they're better off not trying at all.

I'm here to tell you: not only is it possible you'll mess up, you WILL mess up. If you commit to trying to write outside of your lived experience, you will mess up at some point. You'll write a scene on a farm that will have farmers laughing their asses off at the inaccuracies. You'll make confident statements about dinosaurs that will have paleontologists rant to anyone who'll listen. You'll write a trans character that will make trans people roll their eyes back into their heads.

The solution here is not to avoid writing about farms, dinosaurs, or trans people; the solution here is to do what you reasonably can to be accurate, and accept the flaws caused by ignorance. Make note of your mistakes and do better next time. If you avoid writing anything you're not absolutely 100% confident writing about, you won't get to write a whole lot, now will you?

Stop being scared of messing up and make your peace with it. You are not doing yourself or anyone else any favors by refusing to write outside of your own experience out of fear.

[niuttuc]

New budget Commander cards: Lost Caverns of Ixalan: White

You know these by now, we’ll go color by color, mixing main set and commander set. Reprints can be included if they brought the price down under our bar or are otherwise notable. All the cards presented here are under $2 at time of writing. Cards will be evaluated as part of the 99, not as commanders.

Let's start with three cards for the price of one, three one-drops to keep your curve lean and clean, with useful effects in some decks. Helping Hand is solid recursive value but will need specific decks that are running a toolbox of cheap creatures.

The reliquary is a very serviceable removal if your deck will reliably have stuff to throw away to cast it, adding Ward to an O-Ring makes it a bit less likely for it to be removed. Being a one-mana artifact also means you can find it, a removal for any creature or artifact, off of a Trinket Mage if you need to, which could be clutch.

The Gnome will basically shield you from early aggression then be cashed in as a cantrip later, particularly in decks that can sac it themself. With a reliquary, for example!

I don't know how long this will stay in the budget, but Karnstructs are strong. This represents two artifacts by itself, can be blinked or reused, and even without a board it's not hard to flip it with a few equipments or artifacts lying around and start pumping out more Karnstructs every turn. Consider it in token decks, in artifact decks, in artifact token decks...

Abuelo's Awakening is not great reanimation in any form, but four mana to bring back any powerful enchantment or artifact is pretty much the cheapest we've seen this effect... Just don't be banking on that artifact or enchantment surviving too long. And you need to know what you want to be doing to be playing this, it won't just go in any deck.

A sun titan for 4 is an interesting offer, and one that will do work in pretty much any deck. We're not replacing Sun Titan here (nor Guardian Scalelord) though, Coven requires you to have at least three creatures around, which makes this significantly worse at redeploying after a board wipe and will be much more of a feels bad when you just don't have coven when you need it, and attacking with a 3/3 on the ground can be tricky to trigger it later. I'll stick to my existing options for the time being, but if I ever run a deck that wants 4 different Sun Titan effects and has plenty of creatures, this likely would make the cut.

This is a good removal. White has a plethora of good options for removal, but have another here that's both versatile and efficient, your middle-point between a Swords to Plowshares and a Generous Gift on versatility vs cost.

Grasp of Fate on a body for just one more mana! Of course, that means it'll die much more easily, but that's why the activated ability is there to munch on things... Which will end up costing you a lot more than four mana to get rid of stuff permanently. If your pod can expect a creature to survive a turn cycle though, might still have some places to play this, particularly if you can hold up mana and threaten munching on stuff at instant speed if they point something in your foragers' direction.

This is a two-mana mana rock for artifact decks, that also happens to loop artifacts once or twice. Play it in all your artifact decks with white. Exiling your own stuff means you're less likely to go infinite with it than the average artifact, but if it merely brings back your other infinite pieces while also being a rock, it's good enough.

If you want your board wipes to be artifacts, you now have one more option in white. With a lot of artifact support pieces being creatures with low power (did you know all the Urzas have power 2 or less?), and you picking for all players, this should allow you to keep your best cheap enabler while leaving the opponents with hopefully less impactful dorks. Beyond that, the flip side is a pretty great windborn muse: who would skip their turn of casting spells just to attack you? And you get a 5/3 flier, which isn't too shabby either.

It's a new flying Pridemate, and one with quite an upside when your opponent finally removes her or wipes the board. Beyond the classic souls' attendant style decks, she will also make her way into aristocrat decks, where every blood artist turns every creature sacrificed before her into more creatures when you run out, allowing relatively easy aristocrat combo wins.

Reanimating every turn is nice when you start on the first turn, though the six mana are pretty steep here, you'll want to make sure what you're reanimating is impactful every turn. A card for angels, dragons, demons and such, but in those decks, the top of your curve tends to be filled with creatures of that type, so you might not find room for this.

[firstdraft]

— FIRST DRAFT writeblr reintroduction

ABOUT ME Hello! I'm Evan, also known as firstdraft or evancetera. As it's been over two years since my last introduction, and my pinned post is woefully out of date, I thought I'd write a new one. I'm also coming off a writeblr hiatus of sorts, and I'm very glad to be back!

So, about me! I'm 32 years old, non-binary, bi & aro/acespec, and my pronouns are they/them or he/him. I'm currently a part-time undergrad student, tentatively majoring in computer science, and I live in Michigan with my family and my cat. I have adhd, depression, and social anxiety, and I get chronic migraines.

LINKS twitter // wattpad // instagram

WORKS IN PROGRESS under the cut

CINDERWITCH Elisabeth Pryce is a witch, a dangerous thing in the kingdom of Vendyer, where magic users are conscripted to join the King’s army. Ell, however, is determined to keep her magic a secret, like her mother did before her untimely death. But when her father remarries, her new stepmother is quick to discover her secret.

The new lady of the house gives Elisabeth a choice. Use her magic for the benefit of her and her daughters, or be turned into the authorities. With her stepmother’s threat hanging over her head, Ell has no choice but to obey. After all, witches who ignore the king’s edict have burned — or worse.

When king holds a masquerade, intending to find a suitable wife for his only son, Ella’s instructions are simple. Attend the ball, dance with the prince, and cast a spell so powerful that he’ll fall in lover one of her stepsisters, making her his bride.

Do this, and Elspeth will be free of her stepmother forever.

All is not well in Llendyr, however, and Elspeth’s task will send her deep into a rebellious conspiracy, where romance is the last thing on her mind. Finally, her powers might be used for good — but at what cost?

BEAUTY'S THORN (working title) It’s been years since Belle managed to escape the monstrous Beast and his enchanted castle, sneaking off into the forest and finding her way home. She’s returned to her sisters and father, but the nightmares have remained, despite doing all she can to make sure that her and her family are now safe.

But when she hears that another girl from her village has gone missing, taken by the Beast, she knows that she has no choice but to save her, returning to stage a daring rescue. But how will she succeed, when the missing girl doesn’t wish to be rescued? Has Belle been wrong about the Beast and his castle the whole time? Or Is there something more sinister than even she imagined, tying them all to the cursed castle?

ICHORBORN One of many apprentice engineers in Londonium, Thaddeus Elliston spends his days elbow deep in engines and gears, and goes home to the boarding house at night too exhausted to enjoy the many pleasures of the city. Unlike his fellow students, Thaddeus has no family or sponsor to pay for his education. If he falls behind, he will be cast out, and his chance at a better life will be gone. Fortunately, he is at the top of his cohort, and one of the most brilliant gearworkers the headmistress has ever seen.

But skill means nothing when compared to wealth. And so, when his jealous classmates start a fight, it is Thaddeus who is expelled.

He believes his life is over until he receives a letter from Dr. Bartholomew Hughes, a reclusive alchemist responsible for the invention of Ichor, the new fuel that runs most modern machinery. With no other options, he agrees to meet Dr. Hughes at his country estate.

What he finds there will change his life forever. 

ARTEMIS RISING Captain Artemis Holt has been in charge of the U.N.I.S. Icarus for the past five years. In orbit over Mars, she’s overseen the transport of scientists and engineers to and from her home planet, and leads the first line of defense for Earth. Not that there are any aliens, or at least, living ones. But the evidence discovered on Mars is irrefutable — alien lifeforms exist. Or at least, they did. All that humanity has found are dead bodies and an untranslatable archive.

But, as the Daedalus Project is about to be shelved, the knowledge there too advanced for humanity to understand, the impossible happens. Millennia-old computers suddenly power up, and the archives are accessible once more.

And ships appear in the sky.

What they discover will shake the galaxy to its core. Someone has been hiding the Earth’s civilization from the rest of the universe, thus ensuring that Earth remained separate. But who is behind it? After all, the Vraekel have been dead for over a millennia.

[blueeyedrat]

Steam Next Fest, summer 2024. At this point "hey look at some video games I think are neat" is the one thing I'm still writing about consistently. Maybe I should branch out a little more. A matter for another time.

With the summer event lining up with a whole bunch of game announcements and showcases and whatnot, I cast a wider net and landed some pretty solid catches. Some that were already on my wishlist, some that caught my eye during the week of showcases, some I found while browsing the Steam listings. Additional thoughts under the cut.

From the moment it was announced it seemed like Arranger was a game that existed for me specifically, and trying the demo has done nothing to dissuade me from that notion. Likewise, LOK has held my interest for a while, and I'm looking forward to falling down its abstract word puzzle rabbit hole. Other puzzle games like Townframe, Pup Champs, and SCHiM met my expectations, but I'd like to see if there's more to them than what was presented in their respective demos.

On the subject of expectations, Tiny Glade is pretty much exactly as advertised as a cute little building tool, though the demo is somewhat limited in what options you have available. Tiny Bookshop was a bit of a curveball; the core loop of the game involved minimal input and waiting for a day's work to play out, but everything built around that loop had way more depth than anticipated.

Of everything I tried out, Wander Stars was the most stylish of the lot. An episodic turn-based RPG, where your arsenal is a dictionary of words to assemble into flashy maneuvers. It's a pretty unique spin, and the "pilot episode" in the demo does a good job showcasing both the gameplay and narrative. I had an eye on this game before, and it may be moving up the list quickly.

Beyond These Stars and Airborne Empire are both sequels to city builders I've previously played and enjoyed, and both launched demos for this event… very early, kinda buggy demos, so I wasn't really able to dig into them much. I didn't really need the concept proven to me, though, and they both seem like the final product will have all of the things I liked about their predecessors, so I'm happy for now.

Undusted seems like it could be a pleasant game about cleaning and fiddling around with handheld objects, a slimmed down variant of Powerwash Simulator, but in practice it's a bit finicky and not particularly rewarding, so it fell a little flat. Simple Trains just ended up feeling like a less interesting version of Mini Metro.

For more positive comparisons, Lost and Found Co. seems like it doesn't stray far from the mold of hidden object games, but has some very charming presentation that made it worth the time. Constance wears its Hollow Knight inspiration on its sleeve, and it looks like it could be a pretty solid 2D 'vania in its own right.

On Your Tail presents an interesting mashup of genres. A sandbox game set in a sunny Italian village with sites to explore, activities to partake in, and a colorful cast of characters to meet… paired with a detective story about pursuing a master thief and solving a myriad of mysteries along the way. Both sides of the game have potential (solving a mystery through a board-game-esque abstraction of cards and game pieces was particularly charming), though I wish the demo had more of it to show off. We'll have to wait and see.

Neongarten and Technotopia each caught my attention for similar reasons, being minimalist builder puzzles centered around balancing various building types and keeping pace with ever-growing resource costs. They diverge in subtle ways, from artstyle (though both are striking, Neongarten is simplistic cyberpunk while Technotopia leans more heavily into art deco) to gameplay direction (Neongarten stacks buildings upwards in a confined space, while Technotopia sticks to two dimensions and expands outwards), but my thoughts on both are more or less the same. They're a bit restrictive at times and there's a lot to keep track of, but overall they're both enjoyable. I bet someone could put together some absurd combos and ridiculous high scores in either game… though I'm unsure if I'm that someone. Still, they both have their charms and might end up as hidden gems in an ever-growing genre.

And of all the games that weren't already on my radar until last week, I think Caravan Sand Witch was the most pleasant surprise. It reminds me of Sable in all the best ways — a world of sprawling deserts and forgotten machinery that's as pleasing to look at as it is to traverse. Even in the demo, it felt good to get around both on foot and by vehicle, and that's without all of the fancy tools you'll unlock as the game progresses. This is one I'll be keeping an eye on.

[teine-mallaichte]

Day 31 @augusnippets - write what you want.

Escape plans do not always go to plan.

eugh, so many options!!!! Ok, so I picked a prompt of "sole survivor" and this is the first peice for my new "on the run" series which is an alternative timeline to Asset 84 where 84 and 83 escape from the facility. 44 is a character they end up meeting later.

CW: violence, character death, living weapon.

On the run masterlist Complex 27

44 rushed down the hallway, desperately trying to ignore the blaring alarms and flashing lights. She glanced back to ensure 32, 45, and 39 were still behind her. Relief mingled with dread as she saw them, but there was no time to dwell on it. They had to keep moving.

The escape plan had been carefully crafted, with every detail meticulously laid out by 32. The medic had always had a flair for organization, making sure every possible scenario was accounted for. But even the best-laid plans could falter when faced with the full might of the facility—the very people who had trained them, who knew their every move. How had they ever thought they could escape?

44 shook her head, shoving the creeping doubt aside. They could still make it, they just had to keep going.

A sudden explosion tore through the corridor, sending a wave of heat and debris crashing toward them. 39 was the first to react, instincts kicking in as he shouted, “That all they’ve got?” A teasing grin crossed his face, his way of keeping the tension at bay, even now.

"39! Focus," 45 barked, his tone sharp and commanding.

39 turned to smirk at 45, but the expression faded in an instant as a jagged piece of shrapnel ripped through his torso, sending him crashing to the ground.

44 skidded to a halt, her breath catching as she saw 39’s teasing grin wiped away by the cold hand of death. For a split second, she was frozen, her mind struggling to process the loss. They had been so close—how could it all be unraveling so quickly?

“39!” 32 shouted, her voice a mix of fury and desperation. She dropped to her knees beside him, her hands moving with the precision born of countless hours in the facility’s training rooms. But even as she worked, 44 could see the truth in 32’s eyes: there was nothing she could do.

“No, no, no…” 32 muttered under her breath, her meticulous nature clashing with the chaos around them. She had always been the one to keep them on track, the one who never let emotion cloud her judgment. But now, her hands trembled as she tried to stop the inevitable.

"We have to move!" 45 shouted, standing protectively behind them, his rifle raised and ready, his eyes scanning for their pursuers.

44 hesitated, torn between the urge to stay and the brutal reality that they were running out of time. Her gaze lingered on 39, who had always been the one to lighten the mood with his teasing, even in the darkest of times. Now, his lifeless body lay as a stark reminder of the cost of their freedom.

“44, we have to go!” 45 snapped, his voice cutting through the haze of shock. There was no room for grief, not now—not when they were so close.

A deafening roar of gunfire reverberated through the corridor. As the chaos intenifird 45 returned fire, but the enemy was overwhelming, their numbers and speed relentless.

44 felt like the ground was slipping away beneath her feet as she watched 32 crumpled to the ground, her lifeblood pooling around her like a dark, spreading stain.. She wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish, but there was no time—only the relentless push of survival. Her heart pounded in her chest, every instinct screaming at her to run, to leave the dead behind and escape while she still could.

But leaving them—it felt like a betrayal. They were a team, bound together by their shared suffering, their shared dreams of freedom. 39’s teasing grin, 32’s meticulous care—these weren’t just comrades; they were pieces of her own fractured soul.

“44!” 45’s voice snapped her back to the present, sharp and commanding. There was no hesitation in his tone, only the cold, hard truth of their situation. “We have to go, now!”

44 leapt to her feet, grabbing 45 by the arm and draggin him behind her, she wasn't losing him too.

They manage to push through the final checkpoint, reaching the last barricade—a metal door with an intricate lock mechanism. The clang of metal against metal echoes as 44 frantically punches in the override code, her hands steady despite the chaos.

45 stands guard, his composure beginning to fray as he fires in rapid bursts toward the advancing soldiers. "We’re running out of time!" he yells, eyes darting between the door and the increasingly swarming enemies. "They’re getting too close!"

44’s fingers tremble as she inputs the final sequence. The door shudders, and with a mechanical hiss, it begins to slide open. Just as the gap widens enough for them to slip through, the soldier’s grenade detonates with a deafening roar.

The shockwave hurls 44 against the wall, and she feels a searing pain in her left arm as a piece of shrapnel embeds itself in her flesh. She grits her teeth, the pain almost blinding. "No time for weakness. Just get through. We have to get out." She tells herself.

A strangled cry escapes her lips, but she fights through the agony, pushing herself to her feet with the help of 45. The hallway, now engulfed in chaos and smoke, seems to pulse with a cruel rhythm. 44 stumbles, clutching her left arm as if to hold the remnants of her shattered limb together. Her vision blurs at the edges, but she steels herself, focusing on the flickering light of the emergency exit sign ahead.

A moment of silence envelops her as she struggles to regain her bearings. She glances back down the hallway, now a maelstrom of smoke and debris. The scattered bodies of her teammates and the advancing enemy soldiers paint a grim picture of their desperate situation. The metal door, once a symbol of hope, now feels like a distant, unreachable goal. She forces herself to move, each step a battle against the overwhelming pain.

Can’t let them win. Not after everything. Not after everyone."

If 45 escapes then it will still be a success.

45’s eyes are wide, darting back and forth between the advancing enemy soldiers and the door. His weapon is nearly empty, but he fires off the last few rounds. The soldiers, relentless and methodical, advance in a well-coordinated push, their footsteps like a grim march of doom.

“Go!” 44’s voice is strained, but it carries an urgency that cannot be ignored. She grits her teeth, feeling the intense pain that radiates from her shattered arm. Blood soaks her sleeve and drips to the floor, forming a dark trail in her wake.

45 hesitates, his eyes flicking between the opening door and 44’s pain-stricken face. “You’re not—”

“Now!” 44’s command is sharp, cutting through the clamor of gunfire. But just as the word leaves her mouth 45 stiffens, a strained gasp leaving his throat before he crumples to the ground.

44’s heart races as she watches 45’s body fall. With a final surge of strength, she pushes herself toward the door, the excruciating pain in her arm making every step a battle. She reaches the threshold and looks back one last time, her gaze meeting the emptiness of the corridor where her comrades fell.

The metal door finally gave way with a groan, its heavy frame sliding open to reveal the darkness outside. As 44 stumbled through the gap, the blaring alarms and the chaos of the facility faded behind her. The once overpowering sounds of gunfire and shouts were replaced by an eerie silence, punctuated only by the distant hum of machinery and the whisper of the wind.

The cold night air hit her like a physical blow, a stark contrast to the stifling heat and smoke of the facility’s corridors. She gasped, her breath forming fleeting clouds in the chilly air. The sudden drop in temperature made her injuries feel even more acute, each step against the gravelly ground sending jolts of pain through her wounded arm.

The facility's alarms fade behind her as she limps into the darkness, each step heavier than the last. The thought of the others, of 39’s grin and 32’s meticulous care, is a heavy weight in her chest. And 45… the way he fell right before they reached the end. It’s a haunting image that will stay with her forever.

But she can’t stop. Not now. Not when she’s so close to the boundary, the edge of the facility's perimeter. Her vision blurs, her body numb with the pain of her injuries, but she forces herself forward. Knowing that if she stops, if she gives in to the pain, it will all been for nothing.

[ficwritersretreat]

FIC WRITERS' RETREAT 2023

Registration Now Open!

For the first time since 2019, we are back in action! Full-blown fic writers retreat, as is told of in song and story.

To Register, Click Here

When: August 10-13 2023

Where: Sheridan College Trafalgar Campus, Oakville, Ontario, Canada (Near Toronto)

What is it? Four days spent with other fic writers, at all levels of experience. There will be a mix of workshops (Topics TBA and open to suggestions), prompts and challenges, and plenty of independent writing time for your own personal projects.

It’s also an opportunity to make connections with people who share your interests and passions, and where you can focus on your own goals and creativity.

Finally, all meals and many of the snacks are taken care of so your only responsibility will be to yourself.***

Cost (in CANADIAN DOLLARS): $450.00 

(approximately $340 USD as of this posting)

Here’s what you get for it:

Meals (Three dinners, three breakfasts, two lunches)

Accommodation (2-person suites with private bedrooms)

Meeting space and resources

Daily workshops and writing sessions (2+ per day)

Registration fee included in the price

Registration Process:

Click on the Registration Link, above.

Complete the form and submit it.

Select a payment option: a) e-transfer (Canadian residents only) or b) PayPal (link in registration form)

Make your deposit of $225 CAD (50% of total cost) to complete your registration

Second payment is due on August 7, 2023, the Monday before the retreat begins.

Please note that we have reserved suites for our estimated number of participants so space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Travel to Toronto is not included

...but once you're here you can probably get a lift to the venue without too much trouble.

Contact me with any questions! Or see the FAQ Page

***A note regarding meals: They'll look a little different this year. Other years, the venue has provided catering, staff, dining area, etc. This year, that option became prohibitively expensive, so we've decided to handle it ourselves. (Because @blogstandbygo is a treasure and a scarily competent organizer.)

This will be a mix of outside catering (from which we serve ourselves), DoorDash style take out, and stuff we assemble ourselves. Your registration covers the cost of all the food, and it will mostly be prepared and ready-to-eat, but there may be some assembly required, and we'll all share clean-up.

This has made a huge difference in terms of the cost of the event, which seemed worth it to keep this as accessible as possible.

Tags under the cut. Let me know if you want to be tagged in this. If you’re not tagged it’s because I didn’t know you were interested. (Or I used an old list and forgot, or I thought you'd asked to not be tagged - correct me if I was wrong!) It's not because we don't want you! Please come.

(Finally, please advise me of any errors or dead links!)

@totallysilvergirl @antheiasilva @pipmer @addictedstilltheaddict @nautilicious @aquabelacqua @may-shepard @mydogwatson @missdaviswrites @onwallsjcfwrites @amindamazed @cirquedereve @fearlessdiva930 @pippn-frodo @blogstandbygo @quantum-sparrow @weneedtotalkaboutfic @shirleycarlton @daringlydomestic @quesarasara @laughing-at-the-darkness @ellipsical-elle @fluffbyday-smutbynight @kettykika78 @vulgarweed @hellonewsletter @atlinmerrick @podfixx @stellacartography @1-800-get-sherlocked @thegildedbee @letteredlettered @inexplicifics @otter-von-bismarck @storyshark2005 @tiger-in-the-flightdeck @seriouslymarythough @inevitably-johnlocked @anyawen @topsyturvy-turtely @noadventureshere221b

[princesscolumbia]

So a small sidebar to all the everything I'm doing, I'm kinda using "Code of Ethics" to function as a bit of a warm-up for producing original fiction that will sell under the 'self-publishing' model. I'd eventually like to be able to get a full publishing deal for something, but that won't happen until I can show off my writing chops in a non-fanfic level of writing.

(Just to reassure my fans of my Ranmafics and Horsefics, no, I have not abandoned writing any of those)

With that in mind, I've had a few projects that aren't fanfic based sitting in my "to write" pile that I haven't gotten to because I was operating under the notion that nobody would read my stuff if I wasn't writing fanfics. Well, CoE is damn near the closest to fully original fanfic I've ever written. Sure, I use QuietVallerie's framework and foundation for it, but I've got completely original characters (I've MENTIONED some names in the other Troubleverse books, but if I were to swap those out this would be a fully 'ties-cut' original fic from the character standpoint), a VRMMO setting that I'm stitching together from whole cloth and a lot of inspiration from a game QuietVallerie doesn't even play, and the ending isn't dependent on anything QuietValerie's doing whatsoever. She's even acknowledged that most of her work is blatantly 'inspired' by other sci-fi works, so even if all I did was change a few names it'd be a wholly original fic that simply drew from the same inspirational sources for Troubleverse.

That said, I want to keep CoE a firmly Troubleverse fic. Not only would I like to someday (hopefully, wishful thinking, please-please-please-please-please!!!) be granted 'canon' status by QV, I dislike the notion that I should divorce MY stuff from its origin just to make a little cash. The people that are reading CoE are doing so because I set it up as a Troubleverse fic, attempting to divorce my work from that franchise after I've gained a following would be disingenuous at best.

So all that brings me to my first (public) foray into original fiction. I've decided I'll be posting to the following with a 1-week gap when I publish a chapter, and I'll be aiming for 1 chapter per week:

Patreon

Scribblehub

Archive of Our Own

And what, you may ask, will be my first project? I put the choice to my most important audience in all the multiverse; my daughter. From the available options I gave her, she picked...

Goldrush, CO

Over a century after its establishment as a 'company town' for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, the town of Goldrush, Colorado was finally sold off "at cost" to the town citizens, fully separating them from the agency that jumped the shark during the union busting of the 1900s. The town has secrets, starting with the biggest one of all; Goldrush was founded as a 'dumping grounds' for the weird and unwelcome. From dumb artifacts that can control the weather (and corrupt the user) to steampunk androids to a pod of selkies, if the Pinkertons were hired to investigate and dispose of it and it was in some way 'supernatural,' then it went to Goldrush. Now that the town's independent, they still have an entire warehouse district of artifacts and paraphernalia that doesn't officially exist that needs to be stored and managed, so the town hires a logistics specialist. Lois is a woman who's just looking to start over after a nasty divorce that was followed by the tragic death of her ex-wife. So she packed her bags and moved to Goldrush from San Diego in hopes of immersing herself in the history of the unusual town to forget her own tragic history. If only she could do her job without bumping heads with the (unreasonably attractive, built like a Valkyrie from myth and legend, frustratingly stubborn) town sheriff the new job would be perfect.

If you're picking up shades of "Warehouse 13" and (more subtly) "Mystic Bayou," I've done my job in selling this right.

June will be all about finishing CoE as quickly as possible (while still maintaining the quality I demand of myself) so I can clear the decks and focus on doing as much with Goldrush, CO during July as I can before I start releasing on Patreon in August.

I'm excited about this, I hope you are, too!

[pricegouge]

was going back to pick apart and recycle my own work and found this bit of spirk fic which will never be completed or posted but i liked the writing anyway so behold, if that's your thing

It was an absurd thing, really - the complex spectrum of instinctual behaviors Spock often fell victim to while trying to do his job. After graduating from Starfleet, Spock had considered himself quite prepared for a career in navalry, had trained himself to respond to any and all obstacles with a level head and a bright fascination; an unrelenting need to understand honed so sharp that lesser officers often cut themselves on it. It had been useful, economic, a gnomon by which he had navigated a career even T'Pau could not fault.

Starfleet, however, had failed to prepare him for Captain James T. Kirk. A rather egregious oversight, Spock thought, considering how much of a force of nature the man was - but perhaps the Academy hadn't known how to deal with him either.

"Steady now, Mr. Sulu," Jim admonishes lightly, his hand fiddling absently with the armrest of his captain's chair. "We don't want to scare our little stowaways into hiding, do we?"

It is in the lilt of his voice, the cadence irregular but smooth as a cinq pas - the captain is having fun. It makes no sense to Spock and his fingers itch to reach out, to feel the captain's temple thrumming warm and soft as Spock sinks into his mind to discern what the man is thinking once and for all. Instead, Spock folds his hands neatly behind himself, tugs needlessly at his own sleeve. The instinct is misguided and unappreciated. To meld with the captain may save Spock many hours spent in contemplative meditation, but it would cost him just as many hours in sleepless nights to share his own shame with his friend.

The Enterprise slides gracefully to a halt under Sulu's fastidious guide and Spock is moving before Jim even speaks, stepping gracefully to the captain's side as he pretends to weigh his options. It is an affected air; Jim will lead the landing party and they both know it already.

It should not be standard procedure that the captain lead an away team, especially on a planet believed to be uninhabited, with which scans are not aligning. It is illogical that a ship's commanding officer place themselves in possible danger when their first officer - or even lower ranking lieutenants - are fully capable of handling a routine life check; but Jim is having fun and Spock knows he will lead, knows it is futile to argue, and that he will do more good helping from afar than wasting time fighting with the impenetrable hull of Jim's stubbornness. So Spock only stands at Kirk's elbow as he barks orders, impeccably poised as if his professionalism can make up for the captain's lack of it. And when Kirk relents the bridge with a friendly cuff on Spock's shoulder, the Vulcan only nods stiffly and takes his seat, soothes his itching fingers along the captain's armrest.

Spock had never craved touch as humans do until meeting Jim. The captain treats physical contact with a sort of irreverence more appropriate to a barkeep or a host, casual yet affable; an automatic, human instinct he could not for the life of him seem to repress. Spock knew it was not intended with the type of intimacy such affections would be interpreted as on Vulcan, and he knew that any corresponding desires it elicited in himself were both unreasonable and unrequited, but it was difficult to explain that to his body sometimes - a troubling prospect on its own: a phantom sensation at the pads of his fingers, a flush on his cheeks and ears; Spock cataloged these behaviors with his expanding sense of professional and personal admiration for the man in a growing box he wasn't sure what to do with, where to put when he needed to concentrate on the task at hand.