#i know it's not the longest ever by longfic standards

[ilovedthestars]

Random Summary Tag Game

Ever need to summarize a long fic that you wrote so you can pitch it to someone else, but it's hard to distill it down into just a few paragraphs?

Never fear! Wolf on the Murderbot Diaries Discord came up with the genius idea of a longfic sampler that randomly chooses a paragraph from each chapter, to assemble a summary that is certain to make even less sense than anything you could come up with, enticing readers to read your fic to find out what it's actually about!

I'm exporting it to tumblr as a tag game with her permission.

Here are the instructions:

Choose a long (or long-ish) fic that you wrote. Randomly select a single paragraph from each chapter. If the fic has too many chapters for this to be reasonable, randomly select 5-10 and then choose random paragraphs from those. If the fic is all one chapter, randomly select 5-10 paragraphs from it.

(One easy way of doing this is to copy the text into a document and format the whole thing as a numbered list, which will number each of the paragraphs. Please don't count paragraphs by hand unless you really want to. Here's a random number generator you can use.)

Then, put all your randomly selected paragraphs in order to create your amazing summary. You're allowed to reroll to avoid spoiling major twists.

Here's mine:

Her hands were trembling. I will ensure that your human is safe, said a voice in my head. I am capable of seeing to its treatment with the MedSystem, the mysterious voice asserts. (Who is that? Another crewmember, in a different part of the ship?) It adds, As well as repelling any attempt by the SecUnit to harm my crew. I don’t know why, but that made me angry. I’m not afraid of you. You can’t do anything to me that’s worse than I’m used to. I attached a few memory files of punishment from the governor module, so it knew exactly what I meant. ART said in the general feed, It would be best if I could continue to monitor SecUnit in the MedSystem to ensure that treatment was successful. She stared at the ceiling for a little bit longer, while I sat there nervously. Eventually she said, “Did you really think they were going to hurt you?”

This is from my Murderbot fic Acceptable Mission Cost! (Probably not a longfic by most people's standards, but it's my longest fic, lol)

Please consider yourself tagged if you see this and want to participate! Tagging some friends who were involved in the discord discussion: @every-eye-evermore @blessphemy @wtf-skittens @specialagentartemis (As always, no pressure!)

[postalninja]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Ooo, thank you for the ask! But how will I choose?? I definitely have a recency bias with my writing, partly because I know that I've gotten better over time so some of my older fics aren't really up to my current standard in terms of things like pacing, especially. But setting that aside, there are still some of my early fics that hold a special place in my heart, so I'll try to pick from across the board. 1. Starting with an old fic, actually, The Measure of a Man (Octopath Traveler, Rated E) is still a favorite of mine, even after 3 years. I just really enjoyed the deep dive into Olberic's sense of self and exploring how, after getting married and starting a family, he would still have some struggles in terms of his purpose and his worth. It was kind of like taking his canon story and bringing it full circle (by the gods I love that man!) 2. Next, Sins of the Father (Skyrim, Rated M), my first novel-length longfic! I put a lot of work into this one, and it was the first time that I managed to successfully develop a plot with, like, a story arc and whatnot. Still very proud of how this one turned out, since it required a lot of playing with lore and developing the backstory of characters who didn't get much of one in the game (including my first fully fleshed out original character who really stole my heart) 3. Another favorite is Fashion Party Confidential (Drawtectives, Rated T) I had so much fun putting together what is essentially meant to serve as a bonus episode after season 2. I structured it similarly to a real episode, complete with drawings made by each of the characters and an original NPC for them to harass help. I re-watched the series before I started writing and felt like I had a really good grasp of the character voices, and I'm very happy with the dialogue and how in-character it feels. And I had fun with the fashion theme of the story, given my background in fashion design and the fact that it fits in canonically with York's story, as well as the opportunity to reflect the players' fashion knowledge - or lack thereof - in the drawings (sorry, Nathan)

4. Next is Would She Love Me If She Knew? (Octopath Traveler, Rated M) I debated including this one on its own or combining it with the sequel (which, spoilers, is also on this list), but I feel like they are different enough thematically that I can talk about them separately. This fic was me diving headfirst into the royal/guard trope and essentially writing an entire romance novel, lol! It took me 9 months to write and was (at the time) the longest thing I had written. By this point I was starting to get the hang of pacing things properly without rushing them, letting the story breathe and take its time getting where it wanted to go. And I have to admit that this is my favorite version of H'aanit and Olberic that I've written so far - I absolutely loved making them face adversity before they could get together, putting obstacles in their way so that they would pine and despair about ever being able to have a relationship. Oh, that delicious angst! This fic set a new bar for me, and I've become a better writer because of it. 5. And of course, the as yet unfinished (but so close!) The Head That Wears the Crown (Octopath Traveler, Rated T). More than two years in the making, and I'm still stuck on the climax of the story, argh!!! Nevertheless, crafting this one has been so rewarding, given that it ties into WSLMISK but uncovers all of the sinister hints that I left in that story of a bigger issue to come. There's a mystery to solve, a conspiracy to uncover, and so much goddamned trauma to deal with! Some of my favorite character development to date is in this story, and I can't wait to (somehow get through this writer's block and) hopefully give this whole thing a satisfying ending. I've learned so much about plot and how to do foreshadowing and developing a complex villain while writing this fic. And as a bit of a bonus... I'll just say that I have a new Octopath Traveler 2 fic that I am *nearly* ready to start posting (just waiting on feedback from my beta, which *should* happen today) that I am currently in love with. Recency bias may play into this, of course, but I can't wait to share it! It's a Castti/Osvald Gothic Romance AU titled Memories Seep From My Veins :)

[baronetcoins]

15/chapters out of a planned 22 drafted

this is going to be a big boy

[emmys-grimoire]

AU/OC Michael Concept - Prelude (100 follower special)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Aliases/Titles

Michael the Archangel,

Saint Michael (Human World),

Archon of the Celestial Council,

Commander of the Legion of Angels,

The Enslaver (Devildom),

Lapdog

Birthday: September 29

Astrological Sign: Libra

Likes: Sweets, Gourmet Food, Astronomy, Nature (and Glamping), Fashion, Humans

Dislikes: Loudmouths, Poor Quality Food, Snakes, Liars, Demons

  BACKGROUND

Michael and Lucifer were not Father's first creations.

They are not thousands of millenia old. Only Father is, and none of Father's first creations remain. They were too crude, too primitive to remain useful in the wars against the Demon King and his demonic spawn, and thus they were tossed to the trash heap where they belonged. Countless sons shared this fate...

... until Lucifer.

Lucifer was the most exquisite, the most perfect of Father's creations. All paled in comparison. The Morningstar would undoubtedly bring the demons to heel.

Father created more sons to aid him, thinking they would certainly be as flawless as the eldest.

Only the next wasn't quite as exquisite. The one next even less so. For reasons that eluded him, he could not replicate his Morningstar, try as he might. Eventually he conceded, and retreated to heal the wounds he suffered at the hands of his corrupted brother, leaving Lucifer and the rest to fight in his stead.

And they fought.

And died.

Only the two brightest survived.

~*&*~

Michael the Archangel is the greatest angel of the Celestial Realm. He is the de facto leader of the Celestial Realm, second to only Father in authority and majesty.

It is a reputation he has carefully cultivated and maintains. It's deservedly earned, because it takes an impressive angel to compete with the epitome of perfection that was Lucifer.

Everyone acknowledges he is not as perfect as Lucifer once was. Michael himself wouldn't even dare to say otherwise, even now. And perhaps because of that fact, Michael was never quite as bound by his pride as the fellow Seraphim he admired the most. Lucifer was a perpetual reminder that there was always something he had to improve on, and Father made it no secret who he favored between the two of them. Still, Michael was desperate to remain at Lucifer's side, so he did everything he could to ensure he did; he might not shine as brilliantly as the Morningstar, but he will shine more brilliantly than everyone else.

Or, at least, that's how it was... for the longest time...

Now he finds himself alone at the top. His once cherished friend now a being he was taught to hate, expelled from the Celestial Realm by his own hand. How did this happen? How could it happen?

PERSONALITY

(+) Positive Traits: Charismatic, Poised, Loyal, Magnanimous, Strategist, Trouble-shooter

(-) Negative Traits: Blunt, Controlling, Demanding, Intolerant, Overbearing, Sadistic

Michael isn't much of a mystery.

It isn't difficult for him to be the ideal image of what people expect an angel to be, because it isn't much of an act: contrary to what Father chose to believe, Michael is much more his son than Lucifer ever was. Flaws and all (though spoiler: Father doesn't think he has any flaws). What separates him and his father is one small, but increasingly significant detail: Michael still cares about the denizens of the Celestial Realm. He cares about them more than anything else. Without them, there's not much more for him to live for.

His father has lived so long that almost all day-to-day concerns of the realm he created now appear pointless and without obvious merit, so Michael and the Celestial Council are tasked with overseeing them. It is a position Michael serves in with the utmost seriousness, and now with Lucifer gone he has even more on his plate. Thankfully, he is a skilled troubleshooter who can quickly assess a situation and he is excellent at delegating jobs to the right people. Unlike Lucifer, he avoids taking on all tasks upon himself and overworking, but he is known to be a very demanding overseer. He's arguably the more tolerable boss simply because he's usually in a better mood when he's around, so delivering bad news to him goes over marginally better... unless it involves ordering the wrong latte or serving him subpar food.

He has a soft spot for kids and animals, the latter of which he's learned to communicate with as a result of the Ring of Wisdom "choosing" him. He is generous and enjoys finding the 'perfect' gift for those close to him on birthdays and Christmas, and frequently invited the brothers to dinner and on outings (sometimes fudging their work schedules with the specific aim of making sure they're available to hang out with him). He's prone to spoiling Luke when he's around, which has incurred the envy of his other underlings.

Due to his controlling nature, he pays much attention to the behavior of things and events in all three realms. He knows the worlds are constantly changing (particularly the Human World), and he tries to be in fashion with the current trends thereof to better move his plans forward. He is stringent about who he allows to interact with the Human World because human-angel interactions sometimes lead to unpredictable consequences he can't control or foresee (Lilith being the most infamous example). He had multiple spies in the Devildom, but gave up his demon-controlling powers when he gave the Ring of Wisdom to Solomon. Diavolo's exchange program, however, has given him eyes into the Devildom once again — which was one of the big motivations behind the Celestial Council accepting the program.

In the other realms, he will sometimes meddle (usually via his agents) and try to initiate a sequence of events that lead to an outcome he prefers, which usually involves stymying the influence of the Devildom, much to the chagrin of Diavolo and Lucifer. It's an odd game of cosmic chess the three are playing — with Simeon occasionally being a willing participant as well (though he of course insists he's merely a pawn on the board).

Michael's sadism is less overt than Lucifer's, but it's unquestionably apparent to those who work under him. It's usually reserved for those who willfully undermine him or spite him, rather than something he subjects fellow angels to for simply failing (though that may change if it becomes a routine occurrence). His punishments of choice usually involve spell-induced ego-fragmentation and hallucinations, which is arguably worse than physical torture methods, but are considered beneficial by Celestial Realm standards (particularly if the victims in question are demons).

The archangel does not like demons and finds it very difficult to trust them. It is in no small part due to his social conditioning as an angel, but the horrors he's had to endure and witness during the countless wars between the Celestial Realm and the Devildom are also still fresh in his mind. He is in constant inner conflict with the knowledge of how he should behave and how he actually feels, what he's expected to do and what he knows is right, particularly when it comes to Lucifer and his brothers. Thankfully, Lucifer senses this, and has given Michael greater breadth in angel-demon dealings and negotiations than he likely deserves.

Will he get better? ... Maybe.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Since this is threatening to become quite lengthy, I've decided to post it in more digestible parts starting with this. Once I've begun actually writing I'll start adding more sections: next will probably be powers (most notably the Ring of Wisdom and what he used it for), followed by relationships.

Still not 100% sure if I'm going to actually write the fanfic (which will certainly turn into a longfic), but this can count as a rough draft of what the prologue will probably be (re: Lucifer/Michael's origin story/purpose at least). Hopefully Season 3 will give us juicy details on how the Celestial War went down so I can have a better idea of where things should fall. I think fanfiction is the only way to give it the grisly carnage and drama it deserves.

For title ideas, I'm thinking Starfall, but we'll see...

[luckystarchild]

Just checked, and as of the past couple of updates, Lucky Child has become the second longest fic in the YYH archive on FFnet (and the longest YYH story ever on AO3).

Emotions are mixed.

I'm happy I can write something this long, but I also know that the length is in no small thanks due to a lack of editing.

My policy with original fiction is to cut about 25% of my word count after finishing the initial draft; more cuts inevitably follow after that. LC would no doubt be shorter if I had the time to edit like I should. The length is a source of shame for me in that respect.

But fanfic (at least fic updated serially and not prewritten ahead of time) is usually the equivalent to posting an error-riddled first draft for the world to see. Final products given proper revision end up being different works entirely.

I guess this is me saying that if you're updating serially, and you feel like your work isn't up to your standards, keep writing anyway. Most writing doesn't get truly good until the revision stage; don't sweat it if your first draft isn't perfect.

First drafts aren't meant to be perfect. They're meant to exist.

LC just "exists" right now. But I'm still proud of it, and I'll keep writing it no matter how many times I wake up in a nervous sweat at the thought of the story hitting that million word mark.

You can't afford to lose momentum when you're writing longfic. You just gotta keep on truckin'.

Thanks for truckin' along with the story, readers. Warts and all.

[grayintogreen]

I have a question about some sort of writing insecurity. It's a bit of a downer so feel free to ignore this. So, I used to write a lot in the past but as the years go by I found myself wanting to write less and less. I write maybe once a year as a birthday present to a friend and I don't feel happy with what I come up with but when I try to write something I want to, I can't. When I read some of my past works I can't help but think that I'll never write as good as I once did. Do you have advice?

Hi! I had to sit on this one overnight, because as someone who is not a professional and who does suffer from a lot of "wow my writing is trash and will never be as good as x person's" I don't know if I'm even qualified to give advice, but I think as someone with Severe Performance Anxiety, I at least know what does and doesn't work for me.

Now some background. I've been in fandom for [squints] about two decades now. I went from FF.net to LJ to AO3, but by the time I hit AO3, I was pretty much not writing as much because I was into LJ/DW roleplaying games and I did that pretty seriously for a decade, so there was a ten year gap where I was not seriously writing fanfic.

And then I smashed onto the scene last year and wrote over a hundred fics in a year, so... That happened.

But let's backtrack. I didn't write fanfic for ten years. I did WRITE, because RP is a writing hobby but it's a very different writing hobby. It's really hard to craft a story in that kind of situation. It's hard to get exactly the right things you want out of it. You just end up kinda going with the flow and using it to examine character more than you use it to tell a story. (Why are all my pieces character driven? TEN YEARS of this.)

But I digress. I wouldn't say this experience killed my ability to weave a good story in its cradle, because prior to this, I had never weaved a good story in my life. That's not self-deprecation- I looked at my LJ and the longest story on there is 8k. I was writing a lot, but I was writing short pieces that were just for fun. My FF.net has been utterly nuked and before that happened, my only longfic was a darker and edgier sequel to the movie Over the Hedge that I never finished.

So how do you go from a history of never writing anything longer than a ficlet, to ten years of character-driven RP, to... whatever the hell I'm doing right now?

You just write. This seems like cliche advice, but it is LITERALLY the only reason I'm doing this.

Let's go back again. When I was in high school, I had notebooks filled with self-indulgent fanfic that would never ever see the light of day. I will never clean those fics up and post them. I will never expose anyone to those plots. Sometimes I didn't even write full fics. I'd write scenes that popped into my head. I still have all of those notebooks for no reason other than they were fun for me and it's cool to see what I was obsessed with as a teenager and what I did with it.

It didn't matter if it was good. It was just something to do when I was bored in class and my head was drifting and I needed to do something. Writing was my stimming. (Undiagnosed ADHD my beloathed.) Being terminally online gave me something of a VALIDATE ME PLS complex, but I also spent a long time on LJ and if you think FF.net and AO3 are voids, try LIVEJOURNAL where if you're not getting comments, the only way you knew you're getting seen is if someone recced your fic and you found it on Delicious by searching your username.

So basically, while I still crave that sweet, sweet validation, I learned how to live without it (but I still want it always). Writing on LJ was honestly about the same as writing in a notebook at school, except now people could see it if they WANTED to.

I am extremely long-winded here, but... Writing for the sake of writing makes you better. If you want to write, then first you have to commit to the idea that sometimes things you write won't be up your standards. (Also I'm gonna be straight with you- there are things I've written that I thought were the most basic trash I could come up with that ended up being VERY popular, while things I crafted with my blood and tears get crickets, so beauty is also in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes people want cakes without a bunch of fondant.) Writing without intent to post isn't a waste of words. My WIP folders are the way they are because sometimes I started writing things and then completely forgot the point I was trying to make. One day I'll salvage them. Or if not then well... It's a thing I wrote.

The other advice I can give is that reading really does help. When I feel like crap and don't want to write or my writing feels trite, then I read and usually my inspiration perks right up, because sometimes another person's way with words can inspire you to write and will also improve your grasp of narrative. Like seriously, it works. There's always going to be a little bit of UGH I'LL NEVER WRITE LIKE THIS, but my brain always tries, anyway, and that's how I've built my style- off the tactics I learned from of every writer who has ever wrote a sentence that made me go "damn."

I don't know if this helps you, nonnie. But it's what's gotten me from ten years of not writing (and ten years of not writing anything with substance) to a year of intense writing. I didn't appear out of the void, fully formed writing a million damn words and being a complete madwoman. I just sort of worked in the shadows honing my craft and then splooged it on my fandoms at once when I needed an outlet for my plague depression.

[rielity]

2017 Writing Round-Up

source

Total year-long word count: 90303

Word count by fandom:

BNHA: 4891, 4 fics DGM: 3414, 2 fics Haikyuu!!: 81998, 36 fics

Fics completed:

39/42

Works-in-progress:

3/42 - Of Demons & How to Chase Them | twenty-four hours | for the voiceless (though this one... is debatable) crossfire is also, technically, a wip. but at the same time... it's not, lol.

This year I wrote and posted:

Timeless: 4 Across the Ages At Sunrise Back Home Beyond Nightfall

soft kitty warm kitty: 2 cat that got the cream catching catnaps

writing with snowdrops & others: 21 the little bits and pieces of this world with nothing in our hands Of Demons & How to Chase Them (DGM, chapter 3) on eggshells crossfire Runaways (chapter 2) Role of a Captain People You May Know forever is a mighty long time one-way ticket destination: forever the longest, darkest night the weight of you (DGM) cold (BNHA) safe (BNHA) twenty-four hours herding cats (BNHA) for the voiceless molten gold spring (BNHA) when I think of winter

SASO: 15 the owl and the duckbutt at the end of the world terms and conditions count on me, count on you best-kept secret light years from home (you) fear and bravery midwinter silence two chairs to a table crying is contagious phantom passing the baton control, and the lack thereof mirror

Total: 40 fics + two updates to old fics

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?

At the start of 2017, I wrote on Lofter and Tumblr that my target would be to hit 60 published works on AO3 by the end of the year. I have 79 now, so I wrote twice as much as what I was aiming to. I definitely didn't expect to write so much, and I have SASO to blame (thank?).

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?

Anything to do with the Miyas (duh!)... and also Seijou. But I guess the one that I would have never expected myself to write would be Matsu//hana: I wrote one-way ticket on a bus ride home after reading chapter 258. I hardly ever read Matsu//hana fic, much less ever feel inspired to write it, so one-way ticket really caught me off-guard.

What's your own favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?

I thought about this question for a long time and skipped ahead to answer a few before I came back to this. At first I thought it was a really hard choice to make - how can you ask me to choose a story out of all 40 that I've written this year? - but then I realised the answer's always been really clear. 

It's the weight of you, my Laviyuu fic based off of Vienna Teng's Enough to Go By. I wrote it in one sitting, with hardly any problems in terms of storyline or thematic exploration. it was one of those fics that just. came to me and let me embrace it. half a year later, I'm still incredibly proud of what I achieved in that meagre expanse of 1000 words. once in a while when I need to be reminded of what my writing can achieve, I reread it.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

I signed up for SASO. I was definitely not planning to write as much as I did, LOL. It taught me how to write fast, and to not be as hung up over the editing as I always do. I'm a slow writer because I like to write and edit at the same time, but with SASO it was just writing and minimal editing. I also got a bit more comfortable with working with prompts, though I'm still terrible at it.

I also signed up for two zines this year, one of which was for Kacchako, a pair I'd never written before. And to top it off, I was struck by writer's block when I was working on my submission. I don't know, it taught me to not sign up for zines when I'm drowning in schoolwork and that impulsive decisions are never a great idea (but are they really?).

Your best story of this year:

What's the difference between favourite story, best story and most popular story? I'd say it's either the weight of you or molten gold. the former for reasons stated in the earlier question, but molten gold because it's a fic that clearly shows how far I've come in writing ever since I started writing for HQ last year. when drawn parallel to Storm, my first Noya character study (and my second ever HQ fic), the difference is stark. It's still not perfect, and there are still things I wish I could've included, but I'm proud of what I achieved in it.

Your most popular story of this year:

By 'most popular' I'm assuming most kudos.

herding cats for BNHA and overall, and the little bits and pieces of this world for Haikyuu!! - neither of which are surprising results.

herding cats is a lighthearted and fun fluffy piece written for a ship that is gaining traction in a very thirsty fandom, while bits and pieces has the HQ fandom favourite trope of enemies to friends to lovers, and the benefit (?) of it running parallel to canon story.

Story of yours most under-appreciated by the universe, in your opinion:

At Sunrise. previously I would've said Across the Ages, but as I read and reread my old works, I've come to realise that At Sunrise is a piece that delves very deeply into the emotions of my characters, and really builds up an emotional bond not just between my characters, but also between my story and my readers. The amount of actual emotional pain that I inflicted on myself while writing it really shows in my writing, and my readers can feel it too.

I get why people don't read it. I really do. I've said it before, a few times now. Major character death scares a lot of readers away. Being a fantasy AU, and a Part 2 in a series turns people off. And it's Kage//hina, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it being a major ship means that a huge amount of the people who click in soon find that they're not here for this content.

Even so, I still think it deserves better.

I published it on April 1. It's December 28 now, and these are its stats.

Hits: 614 | Kudos: 37

Go figure. *salt

Most fun story to write:

Honestly, any story with Futakuchi as a narrator is great. It's a toss-up between when I think of winter and People You May Know. with nothing in our hands comes close as a runner-up though.

Story with the single sexiest moment:

You're asking me, a writer who can't even write kissing scenes, about a sexiest moment...??? I guess it'd be Back Home, if only because it's the fic with the most snogging.

Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:

mirror. It's not wrong per se, just not what I would have usually done for a Haikyuu fic. I think a lot of readers were taken aback by its hidden twist.

Story that shifted your own perceptions of the characters:

I don't really have an answer to this. It might be cold, my first ever Todo//baku. Writing it gave me a lot of insights into the Tod//obaku dynamic and understanding them better, but shifting my perception? I'd be hard-pressed to name it as such.

Hardest story to write:

on eggshells, At Sunrise, midwinter and molten gold. The first two because of how emotionally taxing they were, the latter two because of how difficult they were to actually write. I set out on each of these stories with a clear image of how I wanted to end it, but the process of going from start to finish was a long, long winding road, whether in picking the words that I needed to evoke the exact nuance and atmosphere I wanted to portray, or in letting myself hurt for my characters as I wrote. Sounds dramatic, but unfortunately true.

Biggest disappointment:

I hate to say it, but, Beyond Nightfall. I feel like I could have done a lot a lot a lot more with it, but I also don't know what exactly I could have done. I realised my biggest problem with writing longfic manifested when I was writing Beyond Nightfall - the incessant need to make everything tie up perfectly, which on hindsight was not the best decision because it made everything too neat, and also forced my story in a way that it didn't necessarily want to go. 

Moving forward, I hope I can work on this (I've already started to do so starting with when I think of winter) and I eventually plan to come back and rewrite Beyond Nightfall.

Biggest surprise:

forever is a mighty long time. I'd been toying with the idea of a reincarnation AU for Kuroyaku for the longest time, but never really wanted to actually start on it (...as is the case for 80% of all my fic ideas...) because I'm not a fan of writing tropey AUs (oh, look at that holier-than-thou attitude in that sentence LMAO JK). But when inspiration struck for me to put a twist on what would otherwise have been a very standard reincarnation AU piece, I decided to sit down and get to work on it.

Looking back, it's a good fic. not my best, but it's good.

Most unintentionally telling story:

on eggshells. It wasn't unintentionally telling, though. It was intentional, every bit of it. eggshells was the first time I dared to dig deep within myself to write a story based off my own emotional experiences, and while I found it cathartic, it's certainly not something I hope to replicate anytime soon.

Favorite opening line(s):

Futakuchi was not pining. He was absolutely not pining over Karasuno's vice-captain with the shaved head and rumpled training vest - what the hell, they even shared the same number, ew. - People You May Know

Favorite closing line(s):

kuroo stretches a little, his toes touching the calf of yaku’s leg, warm, solid and present, and very much alive. very much here. “yeah, i know.” - forever is a mighty long time

And the worst part of it all is that when he looks into the shards of broken silver lying on his bedroom floor, he still can’t stop seeing ‘Samu looking right back at him. - mirror

But in fact there is nothing much to say at all, when those shoulders that have been tempered with fire are more than capable of holding its weight. - molten gold

Favorite 5 line(s) from anywhere:

Moonlight scatters on the floorboards, a miniature Milky Way filling the space between them, but Yaku takes a step, then another, and then he’s falling into Kuroo’s arms, no longer a cold ephemeral spectre for Kuroo to gaze at from afar, like the twinkling stars through window grilles, but a warm, solid and real body that fits right against Kuroo’s own, a puzzle piece slotting back into place. - midwinter

And he would have liked to think himself invulnerable, with a mask stoic enough that nothing could shatter, a heart cold enough that nothing could touch, disillusioned with the evils of humanity that he had borne witness to. - the weight of you

where issei would usually retort with some comeback about takahiro’s birthday, today there is only silence. the train pulls to a stop, doors beeping an arrhythmic melody as their knees knock together with the movement. issei’s pulled out his phone now, the bend of his arms making his elbow dig into takahiro’s side; takahiro wonders if he, like him, is trying to feign deafness to the echoing chasm that seems to have opened up between them over the course of five sentences. - one-way ticket

His hands clutch at his throat, run ragged and raw by the smoothness of poppy petals. What an apt irony then that poppies should signify peace, because Aone is and has always been the peaceful, stoic rock to the swirling tempest that Kenji is, but their mere existence is doing the exact opposite in calming Kenji’s raging heart, their stem a noose around his neck. - fear and bravery

He takes a deep breath, and steps onto the court, into the fray. He can feel eyes on him - from his teammates, from his opponents, from the stands. The numbers on his jersey feel like they’re branding himselves into his back, and he squares his shoulders, embracing the burn. He’s not Nekoma’s number 3, but he’s Nekoma’s number 12, and he’ll show them what it means to be Nekoma’s libero - what it means to be guarding Nekoma’s backs. - passing the baton

Top 5 scenes from anywhere you would choose to have illustrated:

Lavi in front of Kanda's grave, at the remains of the old Black Order - the weight of you

Kuroo and Yaku doing work at the kitchen table, their legs barely touching - forever is a mighty long time

Oikawa and Futakuchi in front of the irori - when I think of winter

The moment when Shirabu and Kawanishi realise that Futakuchi's read the map upside down and they're now hopelessly lost - with nothing in our hands

Hinata, through Kageyama's eyes, when he tells Kageyama that he won't forget him - At Sunrise

Fic-writing goals for next year:

15 fics in total. It's a downsize from this year because the first half of next year will be occupied by uni and transition into adulting, so I don't want to give myself too much pressure. I'm still on the fence about signing up for SportsFest (SASO's successor) but I'll think about that when I get there.

I'm also going to take a break from fandom events for the time being. I've learnt from this year that I write terribly when given deadlines, and I admit that it was bad planning on my part to sign up for HQSS and a zine on top of my own schoolwork, especially when I was already taking a module on creative writing. Creative drought hit fast and furious and made the last two months terrible for me, writing-wise. Next year, I want to make sure that I can give my writing the due time and effort that it deserves, rather than forcing myself to churn out work.

Most importantly, I want to keep growing as a writer. I'm happy with how my style has developed this year, and I want to continue growing. Besides improving my dialogue writing and visual descriptions, I also want to venture into writing more challenging AUs and also characters that I've never dared to try.

I also want to attempt long fic, in particular the fic that I'd outlined for Nanowrimo this year but never had the chance to start on. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I'd make that Nano fic my year-long project for next year, except I don't know if I'll actually be able to make it draw out for as long as I want it to, and also because I doubt my discipline in sticking it out with one single work for a whole year.

Besides all that, I'll be slowly chipping away at making the Kuroyaku anthology a reality. That means REWRITE REWRITE REWRITE. With writing style changes come inconsistency in storytelling. I think I need to find some time and give myself the chance to standardise everything, and fix any glaring errors I might find.

We shall see. 2017 has been a fantastic year for me in fandom, both in writing and in finding a community. I hope 2018 is even better.

[rollychan]

Mwahaha...you asked for it. OK 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 oh man this is a lot 16, 31, 32, 33 uhhhh shoot 36, 39, 40, 44 you know what fuck it just do the whole damn list man (ps I can totes send you a shorter list this is ridiculous I just started reading the list of questions and this happened I'm so sorry)

Oh boy, I wasn’t expecting any asks on that meme anymore lol But I really wanted to do that one so thanks

Answers under the cut (bc I’m nice and won’t make everyone scroll down endlessly to finally get past this post just because I can’t keep it short for the life of me lol)

2. Favorite genre of fic?

I’m sorry that I’m so boring, but I have to say romance lol (because the right romance fics are so much better than most published romance novels). But I also love love love some other plot in it. Actually, I don’t think I really have a set favourite genre? Whatever speaks to me, basically? Many of my favourite fics aren’t really all that similar to each other. But I guess since I’m looking for romance stuff the most, it’s romance.

3. Favorite fandom? 

Another tough question because I am so very indecisive, I can’t have a favourite fandom. I love many fandoms. I mean, I guess I’d have to say Harry Potter because somehow, I’m always coming back to it because there are just so many quality fic in there if you know where to look. It’s kind of also kind of one of my very first fandoms and now I’ve been in it for so long, I can’t just abandon it lol

Just fandom-wise I really really love Haikyuu because that fandom is just so nice? I mean, I’m not all that involved in any fandom I guess, which is why I miss many things and conflicts (e.g. I only found out about all the drama in the MCU fandom re Iron Man vs Cap or the drama in the Teen Wolf fandom through people I follow lol), but the worst I have witnessed in Haikyuu is how some people gave thought-out arguments (without insults) why one character is or is not coded as a “villain” type character (there was/is a dispute about one character because some hate/dislike him and others defend him). And that’s it. Other than that it’s mostly “OMG I LOVE EVERY CHARACTER AND SHIP EVERYTHING” from almost everyone in that fandom lol (or “I don’t care what you ship as long as you let me ship my stuff, ship and let ship”). It’s just really chill. It’s also the fandom that really made me a poly-shipper. Idk, man, I love that fandom.

The Yuri!!! on ice fandom is also really nice. Those people sure like to discuss and explain things lol Also, almost everyone had, literally, the same reactions to the stuff happening in it. Plus, we got a healthy, loving, explicit same-sex relationship in an anime. That’s, like, a really rare thing. The only other genre-anime I know with an explicit same-sex kind-of-relationship is No. 6, and that relationship is so friggin far from healthy it’s not funny (sorry, NezuShi fans, I am a fan of them too, but their relationship throughout the entirety of the series is not healthy by any standard, which is totally explainable by the circumstances, but seriously, they’ll have a lot of growing up to do before it can be called healthy). Anyway, I digress.

6. Favorite fic (or one of them)? 

HOW CAN YOU ASK ME FOR JUST ONE

I shall give you MORE THAN ONE, because I can and I will.

Okay, so, first I just have to tell you about my first absolute favourite fic ever, which, I’m really sorry, but it’s in German and it’s a Yu-Gi-Oh! fic lol

It’s “Paw Prints - Pfotenabdrücke” by someone I’m actually following on here ( @goldandcold ) who is an amazing and talented writer and I really have to read stuff by her again asdfghjkl but atm I’m into very different fandoms and just *cries* I need more time so I can watch the stuff she’s watching and writing for lol can someone, like, gift me a hundred free hours? lol

Anyway, that fic has character death in it, which is something I usually avoid at all costs because I know myself and I know I’ll be depressed about it for at least a week if I read character death. I’m like that lol

But I did because I always make exceptions for writers I like. Well, it became my favourite fic, so I guess I can’t complain. I will always remember the last words in there

“Du bist quer über mein Herz gelaufenwie ein kleiner tollpatschiger Hund über nassen Sandund du hast überall deine Pfotenabdrücke hinterlassen”

which roughly translates to

“You walked across my heartlike a little clumsy dog across wet sandand you’ve left your paw prints everywhere”

asdfghjkl I just love those words, they resonated with me so much and asdfghjk *flails* yeah, first fave fic. (also, now I’m in nostalgia land)

Another favourite fic I love to come back to is “Eclipse” by mijan (Harry Potter this time, back then I read it on fictionalley, but the link doesn’t seem to work atm? Is fictionalley down?). I am still entranced every time I read it and whenever I start it I have to continue reading till the end because I just love it so much. The plot is so amazingly intricate and the character development is THE FRIGGING BEST I CAN’T and everything makes so much sense and asdfghjkl it is just very amazing ok. The amount of detail in that story *sigh* *must resist reading it now before all the exams*

Another two favourite Harry Potter fics are “All Our Secrets Laid Bare” and “Stop All the Clocks”, both by @firethesound. AOSLB is just amazing all around, okay, I even reblogged a rec for it here on tumblr (here). I just love it so very much omg *flails* The idea alone to make them investigate Death Eater safe houses and all the FRIGGING DETAILS IN IT!!!!!! THE DETAILS!!!! SO MUCH LOVE!!!! (yes the exclamation marks are necessary)

I wrote a rec myself for Stop All the Clocks here. Weirdly, it also has major character death in it. But, same as above, I do make exceptions for writers I really like. That fic destroyed me though. I absolutely love the parallels in that fic, too. And how it spans many years. Just. Very beautiful, very touching, very sad. Which is why it’s great that there is AOSLB. I also still have to read all the other fics because I just KNOW they’re ALL amazing

And I’m still not done with the fave fics, guys. I’m sorry I can’t keep it short *cough*

Moving away from Harry Potter... the next one is for Free! Anime again lol It’s, weirdly, another fic that doesn’t end all that happily for the romance, and the fic is “With Vega At Your Left” by threesmallcrows. It’s a different take on a soulmate AU. Like, when the person you’re in love with isn’t your soulmate. A side character also deals with an abusive soulmate. Basically, everything that can go wrong with soulmate marks. And it’s just so real. Trigger warning for attempted suicide though (and mentioned abuse - like, the abuser doesn’t appear in the fic and the abuse is only talked about and the repercussions dealt with, but nothing explicit). I love this fic a lot, but it gives me the sads.

Okay, I still have a few favourite fics but I think I need to stop here, I’ll just link to them:

The Fears are Paper Owls by yaboykeiji (Haikyuu!! Akaashi does time jumps to try to prevent Bokuto’s death - kinda like Butterfly Effect)

Savior by dgalerab (Haikyii!! / X-Men crossover - Haikyuu characters as mutants)

Safety in Silence by survivah (Teen Wolf canon divergent soulmate AU with the soulmate “condition” not necessarily being reciprocated, lots of Sterek pining and friendship and angst, really slow-burn and really sweet and cute, very fluffy too, awesome idea to make it different for different species! Also, werewolves and other species are known to humans etc)

Gravity’s Got Nothing on You by FairyLights101 (Teen Wolf Sterek pretend to be dating AU, also the-Hales-survived AU and Laura is an important character in that fic, and because the Hales survived, Allison also lives, double yay)

Seven Deaths by x-parrot (One Piece, no pairings (le gasp!), just Zorro+Sanji friendship, there’s violence (torture) in it, it’s not very explicit, but be warned)

Aaand I think I’ll stop here.

7. One-shots or longfic? 

I think, if you look at my favourite fics, you have the answer lol. Many of them are 100k+, so yeah, longfic lol I love the development that is possible in longfics. I do like shorter fic too, though in my mind, one-shot just means it’s all in one chapter... and there are 20k one-chapter fics out there, you know. But! I do also like short stuff, it just doesn’t really end up being among my favourites.

9. What is the longest fic you’ve read? 

Tbh, I don’t remember, but Eclipse is over 287k words long, and I’m not sure if I’ve read anything longer than that.

16. How do you feel about character death in fic? 

I think I’ve answered that somewhere in that novel above lol

Usually, I avoid it like the plague because I get the sads and am down for days afterwards. It’s not that I think those fics are bad or anything. It’s just that I want happy endings lol My heart can’t take too much sad. This doesn’t change even when I make exceptions, so that’s kind of the downside I have to live with when I do lol

In published novels and movies and series etc I don’t mind character death, but fic... well, fic are different lol

31. Do you read AUs? 

Yes! I used to avoid them, but then I guess some fic changed my mind lol I really love all them tropes, soulmate AUs, fake-dating AUs, police procedural AUs, you name it. For some weird reason I’m not all gung-ho about coffeeshop AUs. I don’t mind them, and I’ll read them if they’re good, but they seem kinda boring to me. (oh, and pls don’t come with a/b/o stuff at me, it squicks me immensely and I hate it)

32. Favorite AU tropes? 

Fake dating! Soulmates! Specifically for Teen Wolf: Allison lives! The-Hales-Survived! Idk, there are too many lol Well, my fave is still the platonic bed sharing one (not sure if that counts as an AU trope, since it could also be written in non-AU fics). I also seem to like time travel / time jumps / time manipulation.

33. Least favorite AU tropes?

A/B/O fics. I just hate them and I don’t even wanna see them, they squick me *shudder* I mean, to each their own, and I wish it at least wouldn’t squick me that much (it’s a physiological reaction, I get the creeps and it’s almost like I feel one step away from nausea - same feeling I get when I see reader x character fic, squicks me too and is the sole reason I never visit the teen wolf tag because it’s full of those), but it does.

36. Do you like crossovers? If so, favorite crossover? 

I do! But I’m kinda still new to them and they’re not my favourite thing, so I haven’t read many crossover fics yet. I really like that X-Men crossover fic I linked to, and I do like Harry Potter crossovers (like, the other characters as witches and wizards in a wizarding school). Other than that I’ve also read a really cool Criminal Minds/House MD crossover once, and a Criminal Minds/Supernatural one too, and they’re pretty cool. Guess I still have to figure out what I particularly like when it’s about crossovers.

39. Favorite AU fic? 

Savior by dgalerab, as I’ve already linked above :D

This is also the fic that really got me into poly ships. The relatioship between the four characters just feels so natural as it develops, it feels like that’s how it should be. It also deals with past abuse and there is 120% consent invovled. It’s just a really good fic ok

40. Do you like fluff?

OMG I LIVE FOR FLUFF

So, yeah, I do lol I mean, I do need other stuff in it too, but I absolutely do like fics that aren’t too serious and where the conflicts aren’t life-or-death or heavy on the angst etc. Like, slice of life kind of stuff.

44. How fluffy is too fluffy? 

There is never a too fluffy +_+

Okay, jokes aside, I do want a plot. A story isn’t a story when there’s no conflict, so that’s that. Though that’s the only requirement for me, really lol Otherwise it can be as fluffy as it gets.

I hope I haven’t forgotten anything lol

Rolly out

[kbetolks]

Fanfic Asks! (answered)

General:

1. Do you read fic? Do you write fic?

Yeah.

2. Favorite genre of fic?

Give me all that sugar high only fluff can provide.

3. Favorite fandom?

4. Favorite pairing?

Sterek.

5. Favorite fic author?

russelia.

6. Favorite fic (or one of them)?

The Color of Happiness, Just Act Normal, and recently Bioluminiscent Vampire Squid.

7. One-shots or longfic?

Reading? Writing? I can't seem to write short stuff any more, but I love stories I can read (and write) quickly.

8. Do you read WIPs?

Absolutely. Even if it's not or doesn't get finished, it's better than not having any story!

9. What is the longest fic you’ve read?

Probably my own? Since I had to edit it? I'll go with CLW. (I'm not crazy enough to go after a 350K story. I don't think I've even read a anything around 200K.

10. Favorite trope/element/scenario in fic?

There's only one bed and now we have to share it.

11. Least favorite trope/element/scenario?

Gender swapping half of the pairing to make it a cis straight pairing.

12. What turns you away the most from a fic?

Heterosexuality, violence, dark themes.

Angst:

13. Has a fic ever made you cry?

Yeah.

14. What tropes/elements/scenarios get you the worst?

Death.

15. Do you mind when characters cry?

Not really. We all cry.

16. How do you feel about character death in fic?

It depends on the story. I feel like most of the time writers kill for killing, just to torture them.

17. Any characters who you can’t stand to see in pain?

Derek Hale!

18. Favorite angst fic?

All About Jacob.

Porn:

19. Do you read porn or does it make you uncomfortable?

I skip smut on fics and avoid the ones with just that.

20. Do you like PWPs?

Nah.

21. How and when did you get introduced to smut fic? Any horror stories?

Probably reading Harry Potter fics? I remember that the scene with Cedric telling Harry to take his egg to a bath always ended up with them shagging there. (I was innocent and didn't know people even wrote about those things!) Haha!

22. Biggest turn-ons in fic?

Don't have really any? It's not the kind of the thing I read.

23. Biggest turn-offs in fic?

Same as above.

24. Do you have any dirty kinks that you’re ashamed of?

25. Any kinks that you’d love to try in real life?

Nah. I'm fairly vanilla for tumblr standards.

26. Any kinks that you don’t want to try in real life (but are still hot in a fanfic)?

I've written a bit of arse eating that some deemed good, so...

27. Rough sex or gentle sex?

♫ I bruise easily, so be gentle when you handle me ♪

28. How do you feel about masturbation in fic?

I'm cool with it, though I'll still skip it.

29. How do you feel about non-con and dub-con?

Not my thing.

30. Favorite porn fic?

To this day I've only read one smut in its entirety, so I'll go with it: hello kisses sweet like wine.

AU:

31. Do you read Aus?

I breathe Aus.

32. Favorite AU tropes?

Superhero, and about anything that gives me fluffy moments.

33. Least favorite AU tropes?

One of them kills the other or something.

34. Do you like UAs (universe-alterations, when the main universe and characters are the same but one plot point/decision/outcome is altered)?

First I heard of this!

35. Do you like high school and college Aus?

Yeah. Though I think as we get older it's easier to leave those behind. I enjoy innocent, high school fluff!

36. Do you like crossovers? If so, favorite crossover?

Yes! I can't remember one, but I do like them. Have written a few, too.

37. How do you feel about parent!fics/lovechildren? How about mpreg?

I love fics with kids. The single!dad trope always gets to me! As for mpreg, I don't have a problem with it, but I've never written it explicitly. Like, it's always their kid and that's it. I don't think ~how~ it's been conceived. I've read one mpreg in my life and it was crack, so...

38. How do you feel about genderbending? De-aging? Animalizing?

It's fishy when it's unilateral. If you want heterosexuality that bad, go somewhere else. Uh, is that one of them turning into a kid due to some spell? I'm fine with it as long as it doesn't lead to anything between them before the affected character is back to his adult form. As long as there's no bestiality, I guess it's fine?

39. Favorite AU fic?

The Colour of Happiness

Fluff:

40. Do you like fluff?

*evil cackle*

41. Favorite fluffy tropes?

All of them.

42. Least favorite fluffy tropes?

None of them.

43. Do you like fluff on its own or in conjunction with other elements (angst, sex, etc.)

I'm a fluff purist, but I'll take it with some angst, since it's the most commonly found. Smut isn't a requirement, and I'll just skip it.

44. How fluffy is too fluffy?

The limit doesn’t exist.

45. Favorite fluff fic?

One that got deleted that was about a single!dad with his kid on Christmas! If I can say one of mine, then I’d go with CiaBN