#i think I'm finally ready to even slightly link the two blogs

[incubus-puppy]

seriously considering reviving my mental health/psychology blog to do a little sociology/psychology probing about experiencing alterhumanity (in both kink and general life) and dissociation post-covid. im very 👀👀👀

[alisonwritesimagines]

Study Dates ~TASM!Peter Parker x Reader~

Summary: You need help with chemistry and your lab partner, Peter Parker, offers to tutor you.

Author’s Note: I'm writing imagines based off of what you guys wanna read. If you wanna see more certain characters, feel free to take this poll for me so I know what you guys wanna read more about.

Link: https://forms.gle/whTG6XZt6szD8UQM8

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: None

Please do not post this anywhere!!!

Side Note: This is a secondary blog. If you comment a question down below, I will not answer since this is not a main blog. Please send the question to my inbox if you want a response back!

Science was hard if you weren't a genius or had started to love it from a young age. It was slightly complicated for most people, including you. Chemistry was a requirement for your college major and you were blessed to have Peter Parker as your lab partner.

"Are you ready for the midterm coming up?" Peter asked you as he came in with a doughnut bag for you.

"No. I failed the last test and now I'm at a C in the class," you pouted.

"Don't worry. You're gonna do great," Peter said.

"Yeah but you're super smart in chemistry. That's not fair," you tell Peter.

"If you'd like, I can help you study?" Peter offered.

"Oh my gosh, will you?"

"Yeah. I can come over to your place and we can study. Or you can come over to my place to study," Peter offered.

"We can go over to your place. My parents and siblings are really loud," you tell him.

"Okay. I'll give you my address," Peter told you.

Ever since he met you, Peter had been slowly falling for you as time went on. You two had been great partners during the lab and had become great friends. You both had lunch together, hung out outside of school, and have gotten jobs at the Daly Bugle together.

"Since when did you start cleaning the house?" Aunt May asked Peter as she noticed him tidying up the place.

"No reason," Peter lied.

"Oh please. The last time you did this, Gwen came over. Do you have a girl coming over?" Aunt May asked Peter.

"Maybe."

"Who is she?" Aunt May asked happily. She was thrilled to hear that her nephew (practically her son) was moving on.

"Just a friend from my chemistry class."

"A friend?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

You felt nervous about going over to Peter's place to study. You had liked Peter ever since you were assigned to be lab partners. Who couldn't like him? He was nice, respectful, and very good-looking.

"So you're finally going on a date with Peter?" Your best friend asked.

"It's not a date," you tell her.

"It's a study date. Come on, you've been crushing on this dude ever since you met him," your friend called you out.

"Is it that obvious?" You asked.

"Yes! You both even work at the Daily Bugle together."

"That means nothing."

"Weren't you the one who said to him, oh let's do it together! It'll be fun," your friend said, mocking you in a friendly way.

"Well, even though I like him, I don't think he likes me back," you tell her.

"Yeah right. Well, let me know how it goes later," your friend tells you.

"Will do!"

After finding Peter's house, you approached the front door and rang the doorbell. You waited patiently until his aunt opened the door.

"You must be Y/n," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi. You must be Peter's aunt. It's nice to meet you," you smiled as you offered a handshake. Peter's aunt shook your hand before letting you in.

"Peter! Y/n, is here!" Aunt May called out.

"You have a lovely home," you tell her.

"Thank you."

Peter rushed downstairs to see you talking to his aunt.

"Hey, Y/n," Peter greeted.

"Hi, Peter. You ready?" You asked.

"Yeah. We can study up in my room," Peter tells you.

"Okay. It was nice meeting you, May," you tell her.

"Have fun studying," she said to you as you walked upstairs.

"Oh, and Peter?" Aunt May stopped him for a moment.

"Yes?"

"Keep the door open," she warned.

"Of course," Peter nodded before following you back upstairs.

The two of you lost track of time as you both studied. Your eyes felt like it was burning from the amount of staring you did from looking at your textbook, your notes, and your laptop.

"Want to watch a movie? Take a bit of a break?" Peter asked.

"What movie?"

"Harry Potter?"

"Okay," you smiled. You both sat on his bed as he played the movie on his laptop.

"By the way, thank you," you tell Peter.

"For what?"

"For helping me study. I couldn't have done it without you," you tell him.

"Well isn't that what friends do?" Peter asked.

"Yeah. But still. You're smarter than I am so I owe it to you," you tell Peter.

"You're smart too."

"Not as smart as you," you tell him. You both looked at each other before leaning towards each other for a kiss.

"Y/n, would you like to stay for dinner?" Aunt May asked as she knocked on the door. You and Peter quickly pulled away before you looked over at her.

"I'd love to stay for dinner," you smile.

"Perfect. Dinner will be almost done soon," Aunt May said before walking back downstairs.

You looked back at Peter who had a red face. You smiled at him before kissing his cheek. You leaned your head on his shoulder before looking back at the screen. Peter looked over at you with a smile before leaning his head on your head.

"Hey, Y/n?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go on a date sometime?"

"Yeah. I'd like that," you smile.

[spencers-renaissance]

Rain is a Chance to be Touched Ch.10

I'm never not thinking of you

Chapter Nine

This is the tenth chapter in my ongoing hotchreid fic! Please click here for the fic summary, full tags, trigger warnings, more information etc.

Last Chapter: Penelope revealed her feelings for Emily, a shit ton of fluff occurred, and Aaron and Spencer went on their first date!

In This Chapter: Aaron and Jack help Spencer with a bad day, Aaron goes on a case and talks with Emily, and finally comes home to Spencer.

TW: usual apply; Spencer has a particularly bad day so mentions of depression are higher than usual

Word Count: 3.5k

This chapter is split into two: the smutty end is published on my nsfw blog (link at the end of this post) and should only be read by adults, but this chap reads great without that end too!

RCT Masterlist // Main Masterlist // Read on AO3

AARON

"Just in case you ever foolishly forget; I am never not thinking of you." — Virginia Woolf

The only reason Aaron doesn’t break any traffic laws in his speedy drive over to Spencer’s apartment this early on a Saturday morning is his anxious little boy sitting in his backseat.

He’d told him where they were going as he’d hurriedly buckled him into his carseat, but Jack was smart enough to notice the harried concern rolling off him in waves even if his five-year-old brain couldn’t comprehend it enough to know the right question to ask. Every time he glances at him in the rearview mirror, Jack is staring back at him with his brows furrowed. Aaron knows himself well enough to recognise that his returning smile is far from convincing.

“Everything’s fine, Jack,” he tries as they near Adams Morgan. He thanks the heavens that they don’t live far across the Virginian border. “Spencer just needs us to come and cheer him up.”

“Will Penny be there?” Jack’s eyes are wide and filled with confused worry, and Aaron runs his palm down his face. Navigating situations like these were never his strong suit. He remembers the time Haley’s mom had her stroke: even though she was the one fearing whether the mother that would greet them at the hospital would be the mother she knew and loved, she still spent the whole time consoling Jack, who had easily picked up on the nervous energy that shrouded the two of them.

“No, buddy. Penny’s out with a friend today so it will be up to us to make Spencer all better. We can do that, can’t we?” He tries for another cajoling smile and it’s at least slightly better than the last time.

“Yeah.” Jack nods confidently in answer to the question. He’s probably noticed how Spencer’s frown always turns into a fond smile at Jack’s attention. “I love Spencer.”

“I know you do.” So do I, Aaron thinks as he steps on the accelerator a little harder, desperate to be at his apartment building already. The thought doesn’t scare him as much as he expected it might.

It’s been nearly a fortnight since his first date with Spencer and they’ve been the best couple of weeks he and Jack have had since Haley’s passing, really. He’s spent every day the team has been at home over at Spencer’s or driving across town to bring him back to his own place, and although Penelope had told him that nothing would fundamentally change when they finally made this thing between them official, the material shift in their relationship is hard to miss.

Things haven’t magically gotten better for either of them since they became ‘boyfriends’ as Spencer liked to put it (Aaron smiles everytime Spencer says it, even though it feels far too young for a man in his early 40s like him), but life is definitely… happier. The first thing he does each morning is either wake up to an armful of sleepy Spencer or, if he’s away on a case, ring him as he gets ready for the day.

Somehow they’ve settled into a kind of peaceful rhythm, a simple domesticity far more emblematic of a decades-long marriage. He tries not to compare it to his relationship with Haley, but it’s hard. Granted, dating her in their high school years was dizzying, it was exciting and new and had his heart going crazy. But with Spencer, it’s easy. He feels guilty for thinking it — part of him still can’t let go of this pointless and unhelpful obligation to hold Haley on a pedestal — but if soulmates are real, he knows he’s found his in Spencer Reid.

Of course, it helps that Jack can’t get enough of him; Aaron might actually feel jealous if he wasn’t so over the moon about their growing relationship. A ridiculous smile spreads across his face whenever he catches a glimpse of the two of them together: Jack climbing into Spencer’s lap when he’s still sleepy after a nap or Spencer making him dinosaur shaped sandwiches while they chat about his day at school.

The feeling of family and belonging that had died a slow death in his heart when Haley had walked out on him is slowly regenerating, cells humming and muscles buzzing as everything he thought would never happen for him again happens right before his eyes.

He parks in front of Spencer’s apartment and lifts Jack out of the car, putting him on his hip instead of letting him walk, and for once, Jack doesn’t complain about it. After letting himself in with his key downstairs, he takes the elevator up to the third floor and lets himself in again. Despite the circumstances, his insides warm at the reminder Spencer’s keys on his keyring brings him. Home.

“Sweetheart?” he calls, letting Jack down from his hip as he closes the door behind them. There’s no sofa lump today so Aaron assumes he’s still in bed. It’s not a totally bad sign: it is only 8.30 am, but it takes a lot for Spencer to ask for help. He knows he must have deliberated over sending the message asking him to come over — especially on a Saturday when he knows Aaron will be with Jack — for a long time, meaning he’s likely been awake for hours, tormented by his own mind.

He leads Jack across the dark apartment and opens the door to Spencer’s room quietly. He’s lying on the bed facing the door and his eyes are open as they come in, Aaron immediately lifting Jack onto the bed. Spencer shifts and opens his arms for Jack to cuddle into, eyeing Aaron with a tired smile on his face. He toes his shoes off and climbs onto the bed too, wrapping one arm around both his boys.

“Thank you for coming,” Spencer whispers as the three of them lie there, Jack sandwiched between the two of them.

As sad as Aaron is that they had to drive across the city this morning, being wrapped up in Spencer’s bed, watching his son and his partner cuddle closely for comfort, being surrounded by so much that screams home at him is quite possibly the best start to the weekend he could’ve hoped for.

He leaves it a little longer, reluctant to exit the warm cocoon of blankets that smell like Spencer, but eventually he extracts himself from the cuddle. “I’m going to assume you haven’t eaten, baby,” he says, watching as his movement causes the other two to stretch and rearrange themselves. Spencer nods, smiling as Jack buries his face in his chest, little puffs of breath ruffling Spencer’s t-shirt.

He and Jack ate before Spencer’s text message came through, but he brings a tray of pop tarts and cereal for everyone, knowing that his son absolutely cannot watch somebody else eat without having something for himself. Jack sits up eagerly, but Spencer’s face doesn’t register any interest, so he climbs carefully onto the bed and slots himself in between his son and his partner. As Jack tucks into his second bowl of Reese's Puffs, Aaron turns to Spencer.

“Hey, let’s get some food into you,” he says gently, lifting Spencer up slightly into a sitting position. It always surprises him how easy his boyfriend is to lift, and it always makes his heart sink when it hits him that he’s only this light because he’s been suffering for so long; because he was too self-involved to see it.

“Not hungry.”

“I know. But you know as well as I do — probably better than I do — why you need to eat.” He hands him a small bowl of cereal and a blueberry poptart. “Come on. For me? For Jack?”

Hearing his name, Jack, naturally, chimes in. “The cereal is really good, Spence,” he mumbles through a mouthful of milk and puffs, “and I’m gonna have three whole pop tarts after this.”

“You can have one pop tart after that,” Aaron corrects him, chuckling at his son’s growing appetite.

It’s enough to convince Spencer, though, and he tucks into the cereal. Thankfully, he doesn’t slurp like Jack does, so only one side of him is horrifically noisy as his two boys eat their breakfast. Haley used to hate it when Jack ate his cereal like that; she would leave the room while he was at the kitchen table having his lucky charms, and it never failed to make Aaron laugh.

He’s been noticing recently that memories of Haley don’t carry the same pain they used to. They’re like fleeting thoughts that make him smile without festering in his stomach for the rest of the day, making a rotting home for themselves as they ache and ache and ache. It’s a nice change, reminding him that he’s healing.

Once breakfast is finished, Aaron leaves Spencer and Jack to cuddle quietly on the bed together for a moment, smiling when he hears Jack whispering all the animal facts he can remember as he pulls the door to. He sets about making a cosy fort in the living room, spreading all the blankets and cushions he can find on the rug in front of the TV and queueing up Finding Nemo before inviting the other two in.

Watching Spencer become acclimated to children's movies was one of the simpler pleasures in life. He’d slowly realised that correcting every factual inaccuracy on screen generally meant he never shut up, and after a not-so-subtle move from Jack — reaching up and covering his mouth with his germ-covered five-year-old palm — he’d got the hint.

Aaron thinks he secretly has a soft spot for watching kids’ films now; he’s the one to suggest them half the time. Jack definitely loves him for it.

They spend the rest of the day munching their way through all the snacks Aaron can find in Spencer’s kitchen as they make their way through every age-appropriate movie in the apartment. Spencer cuddles close to Aaron’s side, laying his head on his chest as he lies down, sagging his weight against him. Jack makes himself comfortable in between Aaron’s legs, his head resting just under Spencer’s, and although Aaron’s wildly uncomfortable by the second film, he doesn’t move. He’s never been happier, he thinks, than in this exact moment.

Despite Aaron’s stern mask, his mind is anywhere but the case they’ve just been assigned. He never likes leaving Spencer in the middle of these ‘flares’ as they’ve come to call them, especially when he has to watch his eyes glisten with unshed tears he knows will spill down his cheeks as soon as he leaves the apartment. The gentle kiss he’d pressed to Spencer’s forehead and the tight hug he’d wrapped him up in for a few beats too long aren’t enough to satisfy the soul-deep ache he feels at being away from him.

He tells the team that they'll debrief before they land before making his way to his usual seat and pulling out his phone.

I miss you already.

He can’t help the fond smile that spreads across his face as the very message he’d wanted to send his boyfriend is staring up at him already. Spencer had beaten him to it.

I miss you more. How are you feeling?

He’d left Spencer’s apartment in a hurry this morning, driving Jack over to Jessica’s before racing into the Quantico offices with barely time to spare before everyone else showed up. Even with the hurried goodbye and scarfed down wholemeal toast that had amounted to his morning with Spencer, he’d been able to tell that he was feeling at least a little brighter than the day before. For one, he’d actually got out of bed, and he hadn’t turned down Aaron’s offer of a bowl of cereal either.

Much better, Spencer replies. Still glad I have today off though. I’m not really feeling up to much.

Just take it easy, baby. Work can wait until tomorrow.

He locks his phone once he receives a simple ‘:)’ in response, feeling significantly more at ease knowing Spencer was doing better. As much as he’d still rather be cuddled up in bed with him, he can at least focus on the case with his head in the right place.

His closer study of the casefile doesn’t get very far, though, because before he can read past the first page, Emily’s sliding into the seat opposite him. He takes a deep breath to steady himself before leaning back in his seat and meeting her eyes. This pattern of his team asking after Spencer instead of talking to him directly is getting old fast. Every time it manages to bring him crashing back down to the reality he’s been trying to push away — and that reality is every member of the team letting Spencer down.

She doesn’t start talking right away, instead leveling him with an intense look for a few seconds before leaning forward. “How are you doing, Hotch?”

That’s… not what he expected. He feels himself freeze as his brain pauses for a heartbeat before he recovers, trying to look as unsurprised and unaffected as possible.

“I’m fine,” he asks, narrowing his eyebrows suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”

She heaves a sigh before leaning back against her seat. “I ask because the last time I wondered whether somebody was okay, I didn’t ask, and I’ve spent the past few months beating myself up. I’ve learnt my lesson.”

This conversation is catching him completely off-guard. “I see.” He’s let go of a lot of the anger he’s been harbouring towards his team over the past few weeks. He knows that it’s unproductive and half borne from his own repressed guilt, and his subordinates realising their wrong-doing has allowed him to release himself from the role he’d kept himself in: righteously defending Spencer when no-one else was up to the task.

He knows for a fact that Emily and Spencer have messaged a few times over the past couple of weeks, and he knows that Spencer connected deeply with her apology and felt ready to start rekindling their relationship, so he probably should have expected more from her when she sat down.

“I’ll ask you again, Hotch,” she says quietly. “How are you doing?”

He exhales forcefully through his nose as he considers how to answer that question. “Really, Emily, I’m doing well.” He allows a small smile to creep onto his face as he thinks about all the beauty in his life at the moment. “Jack’s getting on well at school, and I couldn’t be more content with the direction my life is taking.”

“Oh my God,” she whisper-shouts, her eyes widening as she reads between the lines, “you’re dating Spencer.”

Well. At least she kept her voice down. “Yes,” he confirms, smiling again. “I’m dating Spencer.”

She looks utterly stunned for a few seconds as she tries to wrap her head around the admittedly mismatched pairing. “But… I asked how you were doing because you’ve looked actually miserable at times over the past few weeks.”

“Being at work means I’m not with Spencer,” he replies, sort of enjoying managing to surprise Emily Prentiss — everyone on the team can attest that she has a reputation for being unshockable, “that’s a good enough reason to be miserable as far as I’m concerned.”

“Damn,” she mutters, relaxing back into her seat as the news settles in. “I did not expect that.”

“It’s still fairly new, but it’s been a long time coming. Obviously though, Emily, you need to keep this quiet, for multiple reasons.”

“Of course.” A few seconds pass before she smiles excitedly. “I can’t believe you guys are dating! This is so exciting. Please tell me Penelope knows, I need someone to talk to about this.”

He rolls his eyes at that, already anticipating the teasing and gossiping in his future. “Yes,” he sighs. “Penelope knows.”

As nice as talking to Emily about Spencer is, however, it just makes him miss him more.

Thankfully, they manage to solve the case in only a couple of days and they’re flying back to Virginia on Tuesday night. Spencer had told him during their early morning call, when Aaron was pulling his pants on, rummaging around his hotel room to try and find a clean pair of socks, that he was going into work today, so Aaron expects he’ll probably be tired when he gets home.

Just the thought of Spencer’s apartment makes him feel warm inside these days. It’s nothing special, but it’s far homelier than Aaron’s, the floor to ceiling bookcases and deep green walls, the mismatched furniture and haphazard knick knacks giving the place the sort of character Aaron’s longed for over the past year or so.

It reminds him, somewhat sadly, of the house he shared with Haley. She was incredible at so many things, but he always admired the house she kept: clean, bright, and full of everything that made them a family. His boxy, cheap apartment in Arlington filled with Ikea furniture and absent of pictures that would only make his heart ache is nothing in comparison to the character he was used to.

He doesn’t open his case files on the jet home, opting instead to play online scrabble with Spencer. As soon as he got the poke invitation, a wide smile spread across his face as he imagined his boyfriend curled up in the corner of the sofa or in his bed, eager to spend time with Aaron even before he got home, even by means of playing a game neither of them found overly enjoyable. It connects them, and that’s what matters.

Thankfully, none of the team slide into the vacant seat opposite him and demand details of Spencer and their private life, though he can feel the occasional set of eyes on him which he steadfastly ignores. Everyone had, at some point in the case, brought Spencer up, but generally in a far less intrusive way than has typically been their style. JJ had told him earnestly to send him her love, Rossi had patted him on the back when Derek had made a fond remark about a topic Spencer used to love to rant about, and Alex had asked him casually how things were going when they were alone in the hotel bar at one point.

Things are looking up, Aaron can’t deny that. There’s hope for a reconciled team, for rebuilt trust and relationships, for a future in which his blood doesn’t boil every time he thinks about the mass betrayal of his boyfriend.

The fiery ache in his chest whenever he thinks about it relaxes quicker now, leaving completely on good days and easing into a dull simmer when Spencer’s struggling (or when the irrational anger borne from irreparable grief flares up and snipes at every thought, every feeling he has).

Once they’re back in Quantico, Aaron climbs into his SUV, declining the team’s invite to go out for drinks. Just because they’re slowly starting to make things up to Spencer doesn’t mean he’s quite ready to be around them in an inebriated state. Bitterness would creep in, and he’d be unpleasant, he just knows it. All he really wants to do is drive home and crawl into bed with his boy.

Jack will be with Jessica until the morning when she’ll take him to school, so he misses the turning for Arlington and continues driving into the city. There’s no point in going back to his cold, dark apartment when Spencer’s only a little further away. His stomach sparks in excitement as his surroundings fade into the achingly familiar vibrant landscape of the Adams Morgan district. It feels just as much home to him now as Arlington has for so many years.

It’s not lost on him that in just a few months Spencer’s managed to make an area he was previously fairly indifferent about feel as comfortable as somewhere he’s lived for close to fifteen years.

He leaves his car on the street outside Spencer’s apartment building and lets himself in with his key, taking the stairs two at a time in his eagerness to see his partner. The tired, heavy weight he’s been carrying that had only grown over the course of the case, making his head hurt and his shoulders pinch, lessens the closer he gets to Spencer. All thoughts of serial killers and frazzled police officers fade into insignificance when there’s a beautiful man waiting for him just a few feet away.

Before he can knock or let himself in though, the door is pulled open and Spencer’s right in front of him. He’s bundled up in one of Aaron’s hoodies and a pair of pyjama bottoms, thick mis-matched socks on his feet despite the nice temperature in the apartment.

“Sorry,” he says sheepishly when he clocks Aaron’s surprised expression. “I saw you park on the street and it always takes you approximately two minutes and forty-seven minutes to get from the door downstairs to my front door.”

“Ah,” Aaron grins as an eyebrow quirks up, “so this spying thing is a regular occurrence?” Spencer steps aside and he walks into the apartment, dumping his jacket and briefcase on the chair as usual.

“Not really…”

“Just regular enough to time me enough times to get an approximate time for my travels through the building,” he teases, turning around as Spencer closes the front door and walks over to him. A frankly delightful blush has settled over his cheekbones and as much as Aaron doesn’t want him to feel embarrassed, he looks good enough to eat when he’s pinkened up like this.

“Shut up.” Spencer folds himself into Aaron’s arm, pressing his face into his shoulder as they both relax into one another’s touch. “Glad you’re home.”

“Not as glad as I am to be home, baby.”

Smutty end to this chapter

Chapter Eleven

If this chapter brought anything up for you, hotlines are in the endnotes of the AO3 version of this fic. Bigger countries are listed and a link is included if you live somewhere else in the world. I love you <3

taglist: @criminalmindsvibez @suburban–gothic @strippersenseii @takeyourleap-of-faith @makaylajadewrites @iamrenstark @hotchseyebrows @reidology @i-like-buttons @spencerspecifics @bau-gremlin @hotchedyke @tobias-hankel @goobzoop @marsjareau @garcias-bitch @marvel-ous-m @oliverbrnch @sbeno22 @aaron-hotchner187 @kuolonsyoja @reidreids (add yourself to my taglist via this form!)

[taesthetes]

Hi cat, what advice do you have to keep a writer's inspiration/motivation up and going? Your masterlist has me in awe of how many fics you've written (they're all written very well btw 👌🏽) I've barely written anything all this year, I've finally started something, and it's really messy but I'm excited and yet kinda scared because I've never written something this long 😅😭 Thank youuuuuuu *hugs and kisses* 💓💓

Hello there, sweetpea! 🌸 First of all, thank you for reading my fics!! The thought of people actually wanting to read my writing still seems surreal to me even now haha 😅 And secondly and more importantly, congratulations on starting your first writing piece of the year! 🎉🎉 I’m so proud of you! that’s a huge accomplishment in itself already because the first step (in this case: starting to write) is always the hardest to take, in my opinion.

Pertaining to having constant writing inspiration and motivation, I’ll divide my advice up for the two separate topics. Personally, I constantly have ideas roaming my mind, but I simply lack motivation to write them all. But here are some things I learned about inspiration and motivation.

My advice for inspiration:

Use your personal experiences. I frequently formulate storylines about the things that have happened to me, and in my point in life right now, I’m in college where I have gotten a bunch of crazy experiences. That’s why my recent fics are mostly college au. Sobriquet was written almost identically to my own experience, whereas Caprice stemmed from me seeing a guy in my chem class regularly playing pokemon go instead of paying attention to class and grew in my mind into a fic idea. You can embellish and fluff up your life experience if you don’t think it’s interesting enough, thus whipping it up into great fic inspiration.

Use your dreams. Not everyone remembers their dreams when they wake up, but I remember a lot of the ones I have, and I use them as inspiration for writing. The majority of the dreams I wrote about in The Universe of Us are ones I actually had and then altered them slightly to fit into the storyline. I also have a lot of bizarre dreams that can actually turn into some very interesting fics lmao

Embrace the fangirl life and use it in your stories. Do you like Disney stories? Harry Potter? Anime? Find inspiration within other fandoms you enjoy. Write a hogwarts au, write a hunger games au, write a fic based on The Little Mermaid, etc.

Listen to music. Music is a huge source of inspiration, and you can think up fic ideas based on lyrics for example. Taylor Swift songs always help me when I’m trying to write a angsty scene, like a break up.

Check out prompt blogs. There are many blogs (ex: @/dailyau or this post that compiled a lot of au’s) out there that have writing prompts, which is super handy, if you lack inspiration. You can read through some of the prompts and see if any of them catch your attention.

Read. A lot. Writers get inspired by other writers. A wonderful way to fuel your imagination and inspiration and make them widen their horizons is by learning from other writers.

Be observant. Observe your surroundings, and you might just spot some inspiration. See the two baristas at your local coffee shop always bickering? Or perhaps, notice the boy who made a very creative promposal? Pass by someone and overhear them say something very interesting? You can turn those observations into fic ideas.

Be open to requests or suggestions. Your readers may have interesting ideas, and if you lack inspiration, you can open requests. You are by no means obligated to write them all, but they can spark up some inspiration. You can hold a drabble game, such as having them send in a song to write a song-inspired fic or picking a one-liner prompt. There are a lot of prompt lists out there that you can use for drabble games (ex: here, here, and here)

Daydream. Honestly, just relax somewhere with no distractions that makes you feel calm and stress-free. And let your mind wander. I get inspired as I daydream during car rides or whenever I’m simply sprawled out on my bed, doing nothing except making up ridiculous scenarios in my head.

My advice for motivation:

Be excited about writing. You certainly aren’t going to get any motivation if you’re not excited at all about writing. And, you said you’re excited and a little scared about your writing? That’s great! You should definitely feel excited about what you’re writing. You’re eager and happy to write then. And feeling a little nervous and scared is also good because that adrenaline rush and the feeling of butterflies in your stomach also adds a bit to the excitement, right?

You have to love the idea you’re writing. If you don’t like the prompt you’re writing, you aren’t going to feel very satisfied with your writing. You might even start to dread writing it and lose motivation. So, make sure that you actually genuinely enjoy the idea you’re writing.

Set the mood for writing. Is there a certain time you write best? Is there a certain place that you enjoy writing in? Do you write better when you listen to music? You will feel more motivated to write if the setting is ideal for you.

Write your short fics all in one sitting. This is just something that works for me personally. I have a super short attention span, which leads me to losing motivation quickly. This is why the majority of my fics are 1k to 4k oneshots because I write the entire fic at once. If I get an idea for a short fic, I write it immediately whether it be on my phone or my laptop because I know I won’t be motivated to write it in the future.

When you think of an idea for a long fic or series, wait a day before you write it. This is another thing that personally works well for me, but might not work for others. With long fic or series ideas, I want to know that I will finish it. I know I won’t be writing it all in one sitting since it’s going to be a long af fic, but I don’t want to write like 10k and then suddenly be like “I’m throwing this out. I don’t like this idea anymore.” I’m a very lazy person, and I don’t want to trash 10k of writing that I had spent hours on. So when I want to make a series or simply a long fic, I think of the idea and mull over it for a bit for a day or even weeks. And then, the next day or week, I ask myself, “Am I still interested in this idea?” If it’s a yes, then I begin to write it.

Make an outline of your fic before writing it. I only use this for long fic ideas that I have, but it works with any fic idea. Having an outline is sort of like seeing a schedule or a to-do list, which is quite motivating because of the sense of accomplishment and pride in yourself that comes when you check off something on the list (or checking off a scene you just completed writing from your outline). And studies show that people are more motivated to do something if they have it written down somewhere and see it daily.

Share and talk about your fic ideas with a friend. I never realized this until now, but having a friend hype up your ideas really boosts up your motivation to write them out. I tell all my fic ideas to fae and she’s always super supportive of them. I sometimes ask if I should do this or that, and she gives suggestions (oh, look at that, more inspiration courtesy of friends!!). I also give her various excerpts of the fic I’m working on, and she yells at me about them, so it’s like constant motivation throughout the writing period. So thanks, pablo, even though you show your support by screeching at me in all caps @zephyoongist​

It’s okay to take a break from writing. If you are feeling unmotivated for a certain idea, don’t force yourself to write. Take a break. Go write a different scenario or make a snack or hang out with friends. When you come back, you will feel refreshed and ready to write. You can reread your writing with fresh eyes and may have new ideas or inspiration on how to continue the fic.

Just write. Let out all your emotions and everything you want to say or convey. Don’t be afraid that it won’t make sense. It’s okay for your fic to be messy during the writing process. You can always go back, cross things out, move sentences around, revise it, and fix it up until you think it’s perfect.

I hope these tips are helpful to you! It’s like 3 am for me now, so I should go to bed, but this is also my prime time for writing, so I’m a little conflicted lmao but anyway, once again, CONGRATULATIONS ON STARTING YOUR FIRST WRITING MASTERPIECE!!! ☺️❣️Best wishes for your writing journey, and I know your story will turn out amazing! And I hope you send me a link to your writing if you do publish it because I’d love to read it 💞💞 And, here are lots of hugs and kisses being sent your way from me to you as well 💌

[yournewapartment]

Hey, how are you? I'm a victim of emotional abuse by my parents and currently trying to get out of it. Do you have any advice (may it be personal or not) about not just healing from it, but also how to cope with it while still being in that situation? I would be more than grateful for your answer PS your blog is a great help and gets me through the day

First of all: I am so proud of you for staying strong and keeping your sanity! Situations like this are never easy, and although I don’t have personal experience with this, a close friend of mine went through something very similar. It does get better once you move out of your parent’s house, and getting to that point may seem difficult to realize now, but by the time you get there you’re going to be so prepared and ready to go. I believe in you!!

Here are two goals that I think you should think about:

Moving Out: Even if you’re underage, there are steps you can start to prepare yourself for moving out of your parent’s house. 

Caring For You: In the meantime, your primary objective should be to take care of yourself as best you can.

Moving Out

1. The first step is to find some sort of part-time job.

I’m going to assume that you’re still in school, so you’re not looking for a job that is going to consume large portions of your free time. A good rule of thumb is working anywhere from 17-20 hours a week.

If this is one of your first jobs (or your first job) you can’t be expected to be paid much more than minimum wage. What you should look for is the possibility to earn small raises as you progress in the job.

You’re looking for something relatively easy. You have enough stress and anxiety in your life, you don’t need anymore! 

And finally (and most importantly) you need a job that you can commute to on your own. You can’t rely on your parents to offer you transportation to and from your job, especially if they aren’t thrilled at the idea of you becoming financially independent. Look for something that you can walk, bike, or ride public transportation to. If you do have access to a car, please ignore this!

2. Check out my job masterpost for specific information on cover letters and writing resumes! I do have a link on their specifically pertaining to finding a job in high school. 

3. The job may take some time to secure! In the meantime, get into the habit of saving a specific amount of money each week. Don’t get bogged down on the amount- at first it may be as little as $25. Once you get the job, you’ll be able to incrementally increase how much you’re putting away.

4. If you are over 18, get yourself your own bank account that your parents don’t have access to. Your parents don’t need access to your finances, especially if they’re emotionally abusive. A friend of mine tried to move out of her parent’s house, and her father literally moved all of her savings into his account so that she was unable to move.

Unfortunately, people under 18 will require joint accounts with their parents, so you can’t get your own account. In this case I would recommend you looking for a job that will pay you cash so that you can store this without your parent’s access. Either that, or you could start withdrawing small amounts of cash and stashing them somewhere safe. I would not recommend withdrawing large sums, because it might make your parents suspicious. 

5. Gather as many of your important papers as possible. Papers such as your birth certificate, tax information, insurance cards, etc. If you at some point become estranged from your parents, you don’t want them to be able to hold these over your head. It’s very hard to adult in life without important pieces of information such as these.

6. Talk to customer service professionals. You won’t believe how much of your “adult” life revolves around speaking to people in call centers. Get comfortable talking to people over the phone, giving them precise information, and sticking up for yourself. Customer service people are trained to tell you “no”, but try not to get discouraged. Remember that you’re not being rude if you politely ask to speak to their manager- that’s what the manager is there for.

7. Learn some basic recipes. The more homemade recipes you can master by the time you’re ready to move out- the better! You don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay, just focus on learning the skills to make food that appeals to you. Once again I’m going to be tooting my own horn- here’s the post I wrote about basic cooking techniques.

8. Learn some basic household chores. If your parents are bothered by you doing chores, confine these chores to times they’re not around, or do them only for your items. For example:

Laundry

Washing dishes

Mopping

Vacuuming (especially learning how to clean vacuums)

Cleaning the bathroom

Cat litter

9. Read “How to Run Away From Home” by Orphan Survival Guide. Use this if you absolutely have to. Her blog is fantastic, and she has so many resources for these sort of situations. Unfortunately she no longer updates her Tumblr, but she does update her website and her twitter.

10. Work towards becoming an independent tax payer. You mentioned that you’re from another country, so I’m not sure how it works for you. But in America, your parents claiming you as a dependent grants them a tax break. This tax break is nice for them, but it ends up costing you money, because the government will require you to pay a higher percentage of taxes. If you claim yourself as an independent, your parents can no longer claim you, and they lose their tax break. This essentially takes you out of their income tax bracket, and puts you in whatever one corresponds with how much you’re earning. This means:

You’ll get the tax break and save serious $$

You’ll have a better chance of being awarded Financial Aid because the government will be able to see that you can’t afford college otherwise

You’ll have a better chance at being awarded free health insurance or much lower premiums (in America)

11. Consider dorming or utilizing student housing at a university with some close (and responsible) friends. This gets you out of the house, and as far away from your family as you want. It’s also a nice middle ground- moving straight from your parent’s house to an apartment on your own may leave you slightly shellshocked. There��s a lot of responsibility that comes with owning your own place, and being in debt to a university dorming service is a lot better than being in debt to a landlord who can take legal maneuvers against you. Also:

You’ll be around people your own age = support system

You can switch roommates each semester if you want to

You won’t have 100 adult responsibilities to deal with at once.

You won’t have to worry about separate bills like heating, electric, water, etc. You’ll just have one bill.

You don’t have to worry about a car yet. 

12. If you’re absolutely set on moving into an apartment on your own, check out this post finance-wise. Also this post on finding an apartment.

Caring For You

1. Complete your first level education. If it’s hard to find a quiet space to study at home, utilize local community spaces like parks, cafes, and libraries. Libraries are fantastic because:

They’re indoors (so it doesn’t matter what the weather’s like)

They have computers + printing + free wifi

They have bathrooms

Sometimes they sell packaged food or beverages

They have tons of resources

You can sit for hours and not be disturbed

2. Similarly- find a quiet place to pursue your interests. Your interests are what make you unique, and it’s easy to lose their focus in the face of extreme environmental stress. Are there any local groups/clubs you can join that interest you? Is there a free class you can take? A friend’s house you can paint at?

3. Find three people to confide in. It may seem uncomfortable, but the more people who know about what you’re going through, the better. You’re not burdening people by telling them, you’re not inconveniencing them, and you’re taking care of yourself in turn. Here are some people you can tell:

Your favorite teacher

A guidance counselor

Your best friends

A distant relative who isn’t close with your parents

4. I was going to make an “additional resources” section, but Orphan Survival Guide already has such a good one that I’m just going to use her’s. Orphan Survival Guide’s Resources

If any of my followers have any advice to add, please do! Stay strong babe, you’ll get through this.