#i only learn about literature so i can apply it to my fave ships

[waldeinsamkeit-feeling]

in the ode to Venus in “de rerum natura” by Lucrezio, there’s a passage in which the author asks Venus to keep Mars at bay, for art cannot prosper under war. and he does so by saying she knows how to placate Mars: by letting him lay on her bosom, his neck stretched backward, looking at her, gapingly, his breath hanging upon her lips and I swear to God that’s how I imagine Anakin: sprawled on Obi-wan’s lap, being tormented by the war inside himself, but as soon as he gazes into obi-wan’s eyes, everything goes quite and calm. He can only sense the peaceful, grounding, safe love he feels for his soulmate. There’s no yesterday and no tomorrow, there is only Obi-wan’s fond, gentle glance, promising Anakin will always have a place to return to and to feel safe. And after all, Anakin ponders, we all feel most secure at home; I’m glad mine has greyish eyes with green speckles and strong yet gentle arms. Then he dozes off lulled by his beloved calming breath.

“Nam tu sola potes tranquilla pace iuvare

mortalis, quoniam belli fera Mavors

armipotens regit, in gremium qui saepe tuum se

reicit aeterno devictus vulnere amoris,

atque ita suspiciens tereti cervice reposta

pascit amore avidos inhians in te, dea, visus,

eque tuo pendet resupini spiritus ore.”

“For thou alone hast power with public peace

To aid mortality; since he who rules

The savage works of battle, puissant Mars,

How often to thy bosom flings his strength

O'ermastered by the eternal wound of love-

And there, with eyes and full throat backward thrown,

Gazing, my Goddess, open-mouthed at thee,

Pastures on love his greedy sight, his breath

Hanging upon thy lips.”

[cupkayke]

For the fanfiction questions thing: 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 21, 25, 27, 36, 40, 41, 46, 50 and 51 (I hope these aren't too many)

 Not too many at all! I like talking about myself lol.

Under a cut because longggggg.

1) What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Oh gosh, definitely Tokyo Mew Mew. I never wrote fanfics for it but I co-owned and then owned an Avidgamers RP site for TMM called MewUSA back in like 2004-2006. Avidgamers was a forum site engine that was pretty damn nice for its time (also FREE, that was a plus) and I spent HOURS creating characters, storylines, and layouts for it. There were TONS of individual in-character boards and I think we may have had up to 100 unique users at one point. The detailed characters/plotlines were BASICALLY fanfiction- I think I did an entire rp with myself between a few of my characters once- and it was a whole lot of fun. Some of the OCs from that site were repurposed into a longrunning rp I have with @liarino on AIM and I am FOREVER grateful that I met them through that site

Fanfic-wise, it was Full Metal Alchemist. I had a horrendous LITERAL self-insert OC fic called ‘Nice of Me to Drop In’ that was based on an RP I did with a different friend. Plot? ‘Fangirl of FMA LITERALLY FALLS INTO HER TELEVISION AND WAKES UP IN THE UNIVERSE AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH ALPHONSE’. The end. I never finished it but holy shitballs it got SO MANY REVIEWS. I’m surprised how many people actually enjoyed it- I did get some criticisms but despite the fact that it was so cringe-worthy that I took it down it still got sooooo much positive feedback. I sometimes wonder if people would still be reading it on ff.net if I hadn’t taken it down the last time I overhauled that account. I still have some Ouran oneshots on there that I wrote TEN FUCKING YEARS AGO that still get reviews. Dayum. 

3) What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

I have to say it’s a tie between the Tokyo Mew Mew fandom circa 2003-2006 and the Ouran fandom from about 2006-2008. My experience with them was limited to RP boards but I had the MOST FUN running MewUSA and a long-running Gaia RP ‘Hosting the Hosts’ because of the warm response to the concepts. The TMM fandom especially was super creative even back in the day- there were so many fan mew mews because the formula was so easy and that was one series that I didn’t mind OCs because the concept was easily applied. In-universe, the creator could have easily made more Mew Mews. So the possibilities were endless. That’s also the fandom I learned the majority of my writing skills from, even if I did get called out a couple times for shitty RPing. I got better and I was so sad when the engine finally kicked the bucket. Aside from the RP sites the TMM fandom had sooooo many fansites dedicated to the show- my other favorite being Neko Tokyo. I think that site might still be up… 

Ouran was limited to that RP I ran but damn I never had one so fun. That group of writers was hysterical and I actually met one of them in person because by sheer coincidence she lived near me. She moved soon after we figured it out but she came back for a convention and we hung out all weekend. Unfortunately I don’t remember her name and I lost her phone number T_T I wonder where she is sometimes. I wonder where a lot of my fan friends from back then are. The problem with early 2000s internet.

Tho I think Boueibu will be my new modern fave fandom.

6) List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

 Ohhhh dear. I’ll keep it to ones that I actually ship characters in because a lot of my early fandoms were MYSELF AS AN OC X HOT MALE CHARACTER. OTL. I was a weeb. Most of these are fandoms I’ve rped in rather than written fanfiction for, however.

Tokyo Mew Mew- PuddingxTart. I like to read IchigoxKisshu fanfics sometimes but that ship is highly problematic looking back on it lol

Code Lyoko - THROWBACK. JeremiexAelita. Adorable.

Ouran HSHC - I’m fond of HunnyxHaruhi (as evidenced by my mostly abandoned ff.net account) but basically AnyonexHaruhi is super cute. I think I read a fic once where Haruhi was in a relationship with ALL of the guys and it was actually super interesting. I don’t think I can find it again, tho.

Harry Potter - Drarry.

Walking Dead - CarolxDaryl FTW. and Richonne. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing fanfics for WD but never quite get up to it.

Mass Effect - Shakarian. Fuck yes. Fun fact I have an unfinished smutfic on the mass effect kinkmeme livejournal that I will EVENTUALLY FINISH ONE DAY AND PUBLISH UNDER MY NAME buuuut for now it will remain an anonymous abandoned fic.

Boueibu - …All of them? OTL I can’t pick one ship… tho if you force me… IoRyuu and BeppuMoto OT3.

YOI - I think everyone’s OTP is Victuuri.

11) Who is your current OTP?

Victuuri.

17)  Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Since Boueibu is my current fandom- I immediately was drawn to Enatsu since s1 had a relatively large focus on them but I’ve kind of fallen out of actively shipping them. I like them as a couple and I think they’re def boyfriends material but they’re definitely a comfortable ship. Their personalities are just… drama-free, so their relationship to me just seems like a quiet background relationship. IoRyuu is a little more volatile and I really like ships where there is a lot of between-the-lines interpretation and potential for conflict. Also I just really like the Beppus

21) What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The aformentioned ‘Nice of Me to Drop In’ FMA OC Mary Sue Self insert fic. Definitely the first one I ever published on the interwebs. Although I think TECHNICALLY my very first one was a Pokemon story that I was writing for a little kid neighbor of mine back when I was like… 11. I think I had just gotten a computer in my room and I remember typing it up and drawing some cover art for it… it was basically an expanded version of the episode where Meowth and Pikachu were handcuffed together or something… except there were more Pokemon involved and ALL of the characters were friends. Like Brock and Tracey were both with Ash and Misty and all of the Team Rocket people were friends for some reason. Idk I was a weird child.

Ohhh maybe a tie for the FMA fic was a Code Lyoko one I wrote around the same time called ‘Desert Rose’. I can’t remember now which was published first because I deleted them all. Another Mary Sue OC fic but I actually am still kind of proud of how I expanded the Lyoko universe in my head. I came up with new areas to Lyoko and like a central region and how they all connected. Nevermind the fact that the girl with a CAT THAT COULD OPERATE THE COMPUTER was the main character and obviously I shipped her with Odd because YumiUlrich and JeremieAeilita were OTPs. It was weird.

25) What’s your most popular fanfic?

If the story was still up it might have been ‘Nice of Me to Drop In’ because that fic still haunts me. Buuut it’s either ‘Naptime’ or ‘Desire’, one of my two Hunny x Haruhi fics from my Ouran days that I left up on ff.net for posterity. I have no desire to go read the cringe and find out which one has more hits but I bet it’s the G-rated ‘Naptime’ cuz ‘Desire’ is a) the first M rated Hunny x Haruhi fic on ff.net EVER and b) really really bad porn written by like, 16-year-old me. Oops. It’s a smidgen OOC on the part of Haruhi if I remember right buuut I actually still stand by the idea that Hunny is not as childlike as he seems.

Oh dear maybe that’s why I like Yumoto so much. Similar character type. OTL

27) What do you hate more: Coming up with titles or writing summaries?

I feel like I’m horrendous at both but lately it’s titles that are giving me trouble. 2 of the 3 Boueibu fics I’ve written had different working titles that got changed the second the story went up to be published. I’m having a brain fart and can’t remember them but both ‘All the Pretty Little Horses’ and ‘Completely’ were titled something really stupid. And your giftfic was ‘?’ until I decided on the central theme lol.

36) What’s your favourite genre to write?

I don’t like reading romance novels but I love writing shippy stuff. Tension, build….smut

40)  What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

Pacing in longer works, definitely. Also just… keeping up with it. I am a horrible procrastinator and if I don’t actually have a deadline with external consequences then I never get anything done. I can’t set my own deadlines because I can always move them. I can’t get my family or friends to set them for me because I know they’ll forgive me if I fail (how horrible lol). I have tons upon tons of unfinished fics from fandoms past sitting somewhere in the depths of my word documents folder and about as many original short stories. I have so many ideas but because I get easily distracted and also because I am now working full time and suffer from typical adult exhaustion I can only put a fraction of them on paper. 

My inner critic is also a fucking bitch. I can’t get her to shut her face long enough to write a sentence sometimes. Again, I have to have a deadline looming before I can put her on mute most times. If I have infinite time, she doesn’t shut up and makes me rewrite a sentence 100 times because it sounds stupid.

41) List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

Ahahahaha… I don’t have 5 simultaneously because I can’t just… not finish reading something before moving onto the next one. I don’t also read things that are unfinished unless they sound REALLY interesting because I’m stupid impatient. But I guess for my current fandom (Boueibu) I’ll link 5 fics I read recently that I liked! 

1) Pink Blood - @magiccatprincess (okay actually this is one I’m going to read soon because it looked interesting… so it fits the question lol)

2) tuesdays - @vagarius (because how can I not love something written for me?

3) Liar - BlackJoker77 (A whoooole lot accomplished here in not a lot of words. Also, Yumoto character study/reading between the lines? Yush.)

4) ….. ok I ran out of ideas. I don’t bookmark anything OTL. I’ll come back to this question at another time with an ACTUAL answer.

46) If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why?

I’m most proud of ‘Completely’ at the moment- I really like how I pulled off Ryuu’s voice and it’s most definitely a scene I wanted to see written… so I’m happy that I was able to provide that scene

50) How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

It was basically an extention of RPing for the writing portion of it- ‘Nice of Me to Drop In’ was basically a cleaned up RP and when it wasn’t rping it was fan gratification for the other early fics I did. As a kid I used to (and still sometimes do) make up stories in my head when I was about to go to sleep, and a lot of them were episodes of my favorite shows that I wanted to see. So I’d put some of them on paper. And then it moved into the ~romance~ category; I was a hopeless romantic as a teenager and like a lot of teenage girls I was kind of horny so fanfiction was a way to explore my sexuality in the comfort of my own head, basically. I still like me a good smutfic and bonus points if it’s romantic AND smutty. My bf can definitely tell when I’ve been reading something naughty….

51) Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

Okay, Imma do both! And I have 2 things to rant about because I can’t shut up.

Rant: This is more of a thing that I hate about MYSELF reading fanfics, but I hate that I get turned off of fics so quickly because of writing style. When I can push past beginners writing mistakes or mediocre quality writing I can sometimes find gem fics with plots/characterizations I find adorable, but more often than not I click out of fics after just a few sentences because I can’t stand poor writing. And I feel so elitist about it! Fanfics are free, fan-generated content. A lot of fanfics are written by kids or beginner writers. I have to keep reminding myself that not every fanfic author has gone to school for writing. They may not know the conventions of literature. They may not realize that they’re head-hopping in the middle of paragraphs. They may not know the proper way to punctuate dialogue (and I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW until grad school!!!!). If I let mistakes get in the way of content I may miss out on an up and coming writer. And lord knows I was horrendous when I first started. Everyone starts somewhere. I hate that it takes me so long to get out of teacher/writing student mode and truck through some writing that may not technically be the best but their heart is in the right place. 

Rant2: I don’t like how isolated fanfiction can feel sometimes. It seems like people don’t comment on fics as much as they used to, and I see these posts going around on tumblr about how authors LOOOOOVE comments and want more of them but then comments just… don’t appear. It’s not so hard to post one thing you really liked about the story, and even one thing you didn’t like. Comments help authors grow.I also don’t like how it’s so hard to find a beta reader or three to bounce ideas off of and proofread your work.

Gush: I love communities. I love the events fanfic authors put together. I love how when communities get tight-knit how everyone builds each other up and gives one another ideas. I just love fanfiction in general, really

aaaaaand SHEW. That was a lot. BUT DEF NOT TOO MUCH

[whimsiesofanerdgirl]

(YA) Book Subscription Boxes to Check Out

Welcome back to the #bookmas series here on Whimsies of a Nerd Girl! Today I’m going to give you the breakdown of many popular subscription boxes you can order. If you’ve been pondering on which to order you’ve come to the right place! Below you’ll find the info. on what kind of genres they offer (although I focused mainly on YA), what price range they run, and what makes each subscription special. I figured it may make it easier for you to decide on one if you’re really wanting to get a bookish box sent to you monthly or to a friend/family member you’ve been gift shopping for!

So grab a nice hot comfort beverage of your choice, whether it be tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and sip your way through these 18 book subscription boxes! :)

1. OwlCrate

What’s included: One YA novel as well as other bookish items such as “...jewelry, bookmarks, stickers, prints, toys, accessories, and all sorts of wonderful randomness!” - Owlcrate.com

Perks: Where do I begin? I’ll be honest they are probably a top fave for a lot of readers. They put so much detail into their orders and don’t get me started on their online book community.

Price: Monthly - $29.99 + shipping

3 Months Prepay - $86.98 + shipping

6 Months Prepay - $167.94 + shipping

2. And the Story Begins

What’s included: Two YA novels that are brand new with high ratings.

Perks: Saving the planet one order at a time by using 100% Eco Friendly wrapping paper + Free shipping for US Only

Price: Monthly - $16.99 + shipping if it applies to your area

3. The Book Drop aka Bethany Beach Books

What's included: One YA Book

Perks: Receiving a book while supporting an Independent bookstore.

Price: Monthly - $10.99 (for YA Book selection) + shipping

4. Book of the Month Club

What's included: One Book + Add on books (if you choose to do so).

Perks: Always free shipping (only available to US) and you get to choose one of five books for your order and the option to add other books for an additional charge.

Price: Monthly - $14.99 (<- I believe, there was no set price on the website details until you add books to cart) + Add ons (if you choose to do so)

5. Bookship

What’s included: One hard cover YA book as well as products to help you “...read, relax, and revive.” - Bookship

Perks: Info. card with a Spotify playlist

Price: Monthly - $39.99 + shipping

3 Months - $109.99

6 Months - $199.98

6. The Book(ish) Box

What’s included: One YA book + Book nerd items (Goodies + YA Book selection)

Perks: The customization of choosing how much or little you’d like in your order and what you can afford. They have selections for just getting the shirt / shirt and book / shirt and goodies / shirt, goodies, and book / etc. with shirt sizes between XS - 4X

Price: Monthly - $28.99 + shipping

3 Months Prepay - $82.00 + shipping

6 Months Prepay - $163.00 + shipping

7. FairyLoot

What’s included: One YA book and 5-6 author/book related items

Perks: They give you a unique hashtag so you can cyber meet up with another fellow FairyLoot subscriber so you can have the option to buddy read (this seriously sound like fun).

Price: (Currency conversions are estimated and should be used for informational purposes only - GBP is the original currency base)- Monthly - ~$34.06 US + shipping

3 Months Prepay - ~$102.19 + shipping

6 Months Prepay - ~$204.39 + shipping

8. Illumicrate

What’s included: One new book release and other bookish goodies (such as a tote, pins, bookmarks, etc.).

Perks: You’ll receive the UK edition of the book of any genre and possibly signed items by the author.

Price: Quarterly - $39.18 US + shipping

9. LitJoy Crate

What’s included: One YA book and 2-3 items related to the new release.

Perks: They also offer their Magical Edition and Limited Edition Specialty boxes for favorite fandoms. They give you the option to get the book only for $18.99 + shipping.

Price: Monthly - $29.99 + shipping

3 Months Prepay - $86.97 + shipping

6 Months Prepay - $167.94 + shipping

10. MyBookBox

What’s included: Two genre specified books of your choice and a special item.

Perks: They will randomly provide exclusive items depending on availability. If you subscribe to the 3 months prepay you also get a tote.

Price: Monthly - $39.95 + shipping

3 Months Prepay - $36.95 + shipping

11. Once Upon a Book Club

What’s included: One YA book, 3-5 wrapped gifts, and quote print.

Perks: The wrapped gifts come with a correlating page number to open throughout you reading the book (this is super cool). Not only that, but you also get discussion questions and read along dates for live hangouts/opening gifts with other Book Club members (honestly, this sounds like so much fun).

Price: Monthly - $39.99 + shipping

3 Month Prepay - $100.99 + shipping

6 Month Prepay - $199.00 + shipping

12 Month Prepay - $390.00 + shipping

12. ShelfLove Crate

What’s included: One newly released YA book and 4 or more bookworm goods

Perks: It’s a Fantasy & Sci-Fi genre based subscription box with a monthly theme and fandom items. Offer the option of buying only the book for a subscription for $17.99 monthly.

Price: (Book and Goods) Monthly - $29.99

3 Month Prepay - $86.97

6 Month Prepay - $167.94

13. SpearCraft Book Box

What’s included: One recently released YA book and 4+ bookish treasures.

Perks: It comes with handmade items by SpearCraft or other Etsy/online shops and genres vary if you like all genres. Offers a book only subscription and optional add on items.

Price: Monthly - $29.99

3 Month Prepay - $86.75

6 Month Prepay - $167.50

14. Unicorn Crate

What’s included: One new hardcover YA/NA book and 5-6 bookish items.

Perks: Every box comes with a Fantasy genre book and a unicorn goodie.

Price: Monthly - $36.95

3 Month Prepay - $105.30

6 Month Prepay - $203.96

15. Uppercase

What’s included: (Expert Plan) One hardcover YA book which may or may not be signed or will have a signed bookplate by author and 1-2 high quality book items

Perks: They give you exclusive content and a personal handwritten note. Offers (Book Exclusive Plan) the option of getting everything in the Expert Plan, but without the high quality book items.

Price: Expert Plan Monthly - $23.00 + shipping

Book Exclusive Plan Monthly - $13.99 + shipping

16. The Librarian Box

What’s included: A book and 4-7 bookish items (soaps, stickers, mugs, accessories, etc.).

Perks: Comes with a recipe card and local/other edible goodies.

Price: $50.00 + shipping

17. The Book Hookup

What’s included: One signed newly released book and another paperback book as well as other goodies.

Perks: You get to decide between a multitude of genre book subscriptions: Art & Photography, Feminist Literature, Fiction, Little Readers, Mystery & Suspense, Political Nonfiction, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Timeless Favorites, and YA.

Price: Monthly ranges from $37.50 - $55.00 + shipping

Recurring ranges from $37.50 - $55.00 + shipping

12 Months Prepay ranges from $150 - $200

18. Chocolate and Book

What’s included: A book, something to eat, and something to drink.

Perks: Ships worldwide, contains chocolate, and you can choose from many genres/choices (YA, Chicklit, Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, The Award Winning Books, Hidden Gem, and Surprise).

Price: Monthly - $19.58 US + shipping

3 Month Prepay - $58.73 + shipping

6 Month Prepay - $117.44 + shipping

*Please Note - some prices and availability may vary due to the time you’re reading this/location you want your package shipped to. Some subscriptions also may offer the option for individual one time purchases, but you will have to personally check for that on each box’s website.*

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