#i'll probably never actually write this story because historical fiction is HARD

[ljf613]

In honor of Mina's appearance today, I whipped up a quick little mockup cover for the Jonathan/Mina prequel love story that lives in my head rent-free.

(Silhouette and concept design both stolen borrowed from Melissa de la Cruz's Alex & Eliza.)

[clairelsonao3]

Since I've been on Tumblr for about a month now, I've decided it was time to compile a list — for anyone who's curious — of things you'll find in my writing, and things I look for in others' writing. And here it is, subject to change, of course.

My things:

Types of whump:

I'll give just about anything a try once, but I largely gravitate toward:

Prison/captivity whump

Slavery

Pet whump (BBU not so much, though)

Historical whump, with or without fantasy elements

Modern/contemporary whump

Any corollaries of the above.

Alongside the whump:

All the hurt followed by all the comfort. A short whump story doesn’t necessarily have to contain comfort for me to read it, but if I’m going to get invested in something longer, it usually does. 

NSFW, including sexy/spicy scenes, sexual references, and sexually suggestive dialogue (always earned and plot- and character-appropriate, never porn without plot).

Romance. The more forbidden and/or seemingly impossible the better. I'll read any type of pairing, but I write M/F almost exclusively. Romance-related tropes I like include enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, medium and slow burn, mutual pining, forced proximity, (un)resolved sexual tension, flirtatious banter, etc. etc.

Mystery/thriller elements. Probably my favorite genre other than romance. In fact, I would say if I were to describe my ideal fictional story, it would have whump, romance, and mystery in almost equal measure.

Implements and techniques:

Shackles and restraints of pretty much every type, size, and description. This includes both old-timey, rusty shackles/manacles or newfangled law enforcement-style handcuffs/chains, etc.

Collars and leashes, although I usually don't write about them because I just find them too complicated to figure out (not literally, but you know what I mean). I tend to like collars as accessories/symbols of subjugation rather than performing a function, such as shocking the whumpee or controlling their behavior somehow. 

In general, whumpees forced to wear accessories, clothing, or other outward symbols of their subjugation/servitude/inferiority.

Chains of every size and kind, attaching whumpees to walls, ceilings, floors, each other, etc.

Physical and emotional torture of all kinds; really, I'm not particular, but it's preferably done while fucking with the whumpee psychologically and preying upon their deepest fears, traumas, and insecurities.

Hands and especially injuries to the hands. Hands are my favorite body parts, so it totally makes sense that I enjoy seeing them maimed and disfigured, right?

Cages and cells, preferably with actual bars and solid steel everything, the harder, more brutal, utilitarian, and uncomfortable the better. 

Some types of involuntary body modification.

Tropes and motifs:

Humiliation and degradation of most kinds, whether it's physical, verbal, or emotional (but see the exception below under squicks).

Dehumanization, and even better, REhumanization. Breaking down is good, but building back up is better. Someone who has been thoroughly and consistently dehumanized suddenly or gradually coming to be viewed as a person by others (or by themselves) 

Whumpees who compliantly allow themselves to be placed in cuffs or shackles, either because they're just too tired and/or broken or if it's part of a grand master plan to fight back later.

Whumpee being forced to watch another whumpee being tortured.

Whumpee being forced to do menial/humiliating chores and/or hard physical labor (bonus if they're in chains at the same time). This is such an underused trope and I don't understand why because it's a fantastic one! If anyone were to write a story heavily featuring this and tag me in it I would love you forever.

Interesting power dynamics, even ones that shift back and forth within the course of a scene.

Struggles and differences related to social class, money, and wealth.

Character traits:

Male and female whumpees. I'll read and write both, but the way I handle them is sometimes different.

Defiant whumpees. Whumpees can break down as far as it's possible to break, but if there isn't that spark of life or defiance left in there (or even a chance of it coming back) I won’t be particularly interested.

Male and female whumpers.

Creepy/intimate whumpers, whumpers who are just plain assholes, or whumpers who are sympathetic/morally gray/have interesting motivations/backstories. I'm pretty open when it comes to whumpers, actually. 

Caretakers who are or become romantic partners.

Carewhumpers and bad caretakers, to a certain extent. This is a new thing for me that I'm exploring and I'm still puzzling out how I feel and how I handle it. Stay tuned.

Other random things:

Humor, wit, and banter, even in extremely dark situations.

Nerdy, oblique references to things I'm passionate about, especially music, theatre, and literature.

Not (really) my things:

These are things I'll generally shy away from, but aren't enough to make me stop reading something I otherwise like:

Hard BDSM. I have and do feature some light bondage and d/s in some of my work, but it's rarely the focus.

Excessive focus on rape/noncon and/or recovery from it. I'll definitely read about rape/noncon as long as it's not portrayed as romantic or positive in any way, but I find myself generally reluctant to portray onscreen noncon, especially of female characters. Noncon in backstories, though, absolutely.

Gags, blindfolds, hoods, and anything that covers most of the face. I do have a thing for muzzles, however, especially when you can see the whumpee's entire face through it. (My characters are pretty, I want to see them!)

Whumpees gagged and bound head to toe with rope, and other heavy bondage-type stuff.

The more ridiculous aspects of the BBU (drugging, memory erasure, sex slaves called "romantics," boys literally shipped in boxes, etc.).

Excessive gore/body horror, especially evisceration and similar.

Vampires/werewolves/angels/fairies/monsters/nonhumans, including superheroes/villains (I'll never say never, but in general, I prefer good old humans)

Pure sexual slavery, when that's the slave's one and only function. (See above).

Totally passive whumpees who are just swept along by the narrative and/or are completely dependent on others for help/rescue.

Conditioned whumpees who never become unconditioned, or slaves portrayed as happy or content that way (again, see above).

Whumpees who stutter, speak robotically and/or in the third person, or behave as if they have the mental age of a preschooler.

Unhappy endings to longer works, although I'm fine with short pieces with ambiguous/unresolved endings or no endings.

Squicks:

Honestly, not many.

Noncon, abuse, and/or toxicity portrayed as romantic. (In general, this stuff is fine). It's the big one because it shows up in a LOT of slavefic, which is my preferred genre of whump. I think many people have the idea that all slavefic glorifies and/or romanticizes abusive master/slave relationships, and that's simply not the case. And harassment and censorship aren't cool, especially when you haven't read the story in question. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

A/B/O dynamics and/or mpreg.

Forced cross-dressing, feminization, or any similar humiliation tactic related to gender.

Humiliation tactics involving exchange of bodily fluids (see above). (Not including NSFW).

Anything foot-related. As much as I love hands and doing things to hands, feet are the opposite. (But ankles are okay, otherwise, we couldn't have shackles!)

Some of the more out-there sexual kinks, which I'll spare you from having to see described here. You can probably guess what they are.

Onscreen harm to very young children and/or animals (threatened harm or as backstory is ok)

If something doesn't appear on this list anywhere (or even if it does), you can probably assume I'm at least open to it!

And of course, obligatory promo for my current WIP, Good Slaves Never Break the Rules, where — if you happen to share any of my things — you can find most if not all of them.

[permanentreverie]

top 9 books

rules: list your top 9 books (duh) but i will be cheating a little bit - combining authors and giving honourable mentions, because i can

tagged by @wherepoetsdie, thank you michelle i love ranting about my favourite books but also this is gonna be SO. HARD.

1 : the starless sea / the night circus by erin morgenstern - both of these books are exactly my kinda vibe. the worldbuilding, the romance depicted, the portrayal of magic and surrealism, both books remained in my head for MONTHS after first reading them. i think both of these books perfectly fit my criteria for 5 star reads on goodreads - books that cracked open my skull and altered my psyche

2 : the youthful you who was so beautiful by jiu yue xi - so is your comfort book an incredibly niche chinese book that doesn't even have a proper english translation and publication, or are you normal?? i read this book late last year, reread it early this year, and already have been wanting to reread it for months. the writing is by no means perfect, but there is something about this story that i will never get enough of. chen nian and bei ye's relationship, the stress on their characters and the trials they face, it all just. it all breaks me i want every single person to read it but also they have to GET IT.

3 : jane eyre by charlotte bronte - this book has remained a staple for me for years. the first time i read it (when i was 12) i actually didn't like it, but every reread since has solidified my love for jane's character and the beautifully twisted love story of her and rochester.

4 : little women by louisa may alcott - again, a childhood staple. there is something so incredibly magical and intimate, the story of the march sisters, and so many good lessons on love and childhood and family and ambitions! jo march has and always will be *my* heroine, she gets me and i get her and she pulls the strings in my heart in an aching way

5 : i'll give you the sun by jandy nelson - this may be my no. 1 favourite book of this year. it's just such a beautiful story of grief and sibling relationship, a book that truly feels like a coming of age and is written in a way that some would call pretentious - which means it spoke to me, personally <3

6 : deathless by catherynne m valente - i guess you can tell that i prefer books that have prose > plot lol. again, this book is just so beautifully told and i'm a sucker for slightly-fucked-up relationships akfjdsk <3

7 : pachinko by lee minjin - this is possibly my favourite historical fiction i've read. there is So Much to this book, talk of femininity and motherhood and immigration and race and so much more. it's all beautifully told and has some of the best characters i've ever read.

8 : beartown by fredrick backman - if you know, you know. i am going to read anxious people soon (will probably be my next read) there is just something in the ways that fredrick backman writes and weaves dozens of narritives on community and girlhood and friendship and parenting and love and loss and grief and everything that these books are about.

9 : all for the game by nora sakavic - listen. listen. listen. i feel like i HAVE to include this series. not everyone will get it!! but i do!! this series is literally crack cocaine. batshit insane plot and the most intricate of characters and messy dynamics and found family and made me feel feral. enough said.

honourable mentions - howl's moving castle by diana wynne jones, northanger abbey by jane austen, if we were villains by m.l. rio, the folk of the air by holly black, a good girl's guide to murder by holly jackson, six of crows by leigh bardugo, beach read by emily henry, alone with you in the ether by olivie blake

tagging @hollyfhumberstone @mixtapedoh @acotars @thebirdandhersong @daydreaming-optimist @andsjuliet @sandrson @delilahsbard

[indigowriting]

this or that tag game

tagged by @liv-is (thank you so much!!!). you can find her post here.

|| HISTORICAL or FUTURISTIC ||

i like both, but when i'm writing, i tend to prefer futuristic. i don't know what it is, but the endless possibilities of speculation for futuristic works really get to me. it probably also has something to do with the fact that i care too much about historical accuracy to write anything anachronistic, which is a problem futuristic works bypass by nature of being speculative. also, i really like all the bright shiny aspects of futurism. that said, i love a good steampunk setting.

|| OPENING or CLOSING CHAPTER ||

i have written so many opening chapters but i've never written a closing chapter for an original work, so i would love to have this happen.........someday. also i feel like openings are much easier for me to figure out than closings, which poses a nice challenge.

|| LIGHT+FLUFFY or DARK+GRITTY ||

both? both is good. i really can't choose—i feel like my ideal story has both light and fluffy elements, and dark and gritty ones. the slow, mundane moments only serve to highlight the horrifying and painful ones, you know? i'm a woman of simple tastes—i like to have my cake and eat it too.

|| ANIMAL COMPANION or FOUND FAMILY ||

i always have a hard time writing animals if they're not anthropomorphic </3 found family is much easier for me to manage, and offers me a chance to develop dynamics and relationships. also i think i would wind up killing off a pet :/

|| HORROR or ROMANCE ||

not to go "both" again, but...........both. i love romance and horror. i love when the horror is romantic. i love when the romance is horror. they are, in my mind, very complimentary—be it because the love is so large it consumes, or because the horror is doing this out of a warped understanding of romance. also, women covered in blood are hot. i said what i said.

|| HARD MAGIC SYSTEM or SOFT MAGIC SYSTEM ||

as a reader i love a hard magic system, because there's so many rules and interesting ways to go at it. as a writer, if i have to give more explanation than "it happened because magic", i'll scream so loud it shatters the windows. also, i am an inherently hedonistic, decadent person—i think that magic should be used in whatever way makes the plot as ridiculous, overwrought, and ostentatious as possible. people can fly? the water system of a city is controlled by river nymphs? you can turn your physics prof into an inanimate object on accident? toddlers are accidentally setting things on fire? you solved your travel issue by teleporting? that bust you own is actually a talking, opinionated ghost of a minor roman official, because you don't really know how to use magic and you accidentally bound him to it? hell yeah.

|| STANDALONE or SERIES ||

i would love to be the type of person to write series, but i am...............not, unfortunately. generally speaking, all the ideas i come up with are things that wrap up in a single novel, barring side short stories or flash fiction or other miscellanea, but honestly, i'm not too bothered by this. i've accepted my niche, and i'm mucking around in the shallow mud puddle and finding cool rocks.

|| ONE PROJECT AT A TIME or ALWAYS JUGGLING 2+ ||

marking both, because it's complicated. right now i have only one wip, but usually, i'm the type of person who's constantly shouldering fifty-thousand ideas, as my notes app can attest.

|| ONE AWARD WINNER or ONE BESTSELLER ||

i would love to win an award, but like.........awards don't pay money, unfortunately. for fiscal reasons, i'd love to have a best-seller.

|| FANTASY OR SCI-FI ||

sci-fi is my one true love, my fair lady, that which i pine after, etc etc. i like fantasy, don't get me wrong, and love reading it, but for writing? sci-fi all the way. i really enjoy all the possibilities of sci-fi, and all the unique ways i can explore themes—not to mention robots and cyborgs and space-ships and alien species. plus, i find that my descriptive tendencies work better when i'm having to describe something that doesn't exist as opposed to something that has some sort of real-world analogue.

|| CHARACTER DESCRIPTION or SETTING DESCRIPTION ||

another "both", but listen, descriptive writing is my favourite thing in the world. i love it so, so damn much. i love describing a character's actions, and the way that reflects their thoughts and emotions, and i love describing the setting and conveying the tone and premise. descriptive writing is arguably my strongest trait, and it's one i really enjoy about myself. i've had people tell me it really helps flesh out my writing and makes it feel real, and i absolutely love that.

|| LOVE TRIANGLE IN EVERYTHING or NO ROMANTIC ARCS ||

listen, i know love triangles are overdone, but i, for one, am rolling up with a giant roll of POLYAMORY DUCT-TAPE(tm). no more shall they pine after each other! no more the false choice! you're all going to hold hand and kiss and be happy about it! i love romance, i'm a closet romantic, but also, just, the possibilities and dynamics that open when you polyamorise your characters? delicious.

|| CONSTANT SANDSTORM or RAINSTORM ||

i love rainstorms so much. i was born and raised in the subtropics, and my favourite thing is monsoon season. warm rain soaking you to the bone is genuinely one of the best parts of being alive.

tagging @serotoninshift @btranwrites @lyutenw @yedithwrites @theroseempress and anyone else who'd like to participate!

[aliteraryprincess]

BOOK RECS ASK GAME: everything ending in 7, please!

Thank you!

7. a book you did not finish

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. It's so good, but I've dnfed it three times at the halfway point, and I don't really know why. I'm actually reading it again right now, and my goal of the month is to finally finish it!

17. a book with a yellow cover

The Shining by Stephen King. This is what my cover looks like:

27. a book with a purple cover

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

37. your favourite heist book

I don't really read heist books. But I'm pretty sure The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch would count, and I enjoyed that.

47. a book that mentions a place in the title

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, which I just learned to love last month!

57. a book you want to hit bonk your head with

Umm...I don't really know. I'm assuming this means bonking your head with the book in a bad way? Because you're frustrated with the characters or the writing or something? Or maybe just because it's a difficult book? I honestly just don't have one for this.

67. your favourite historical fiction novel

Everything by Sarah Waters, but if I have to just pick one, I'll go with The Little Stranger.

77. a book so useless that you could use it as a coaster

Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir by Lauren Slater. It's a memoir about Slater's life with epilepsy, except she doesn't have epilepsy; she's using it as a metaphor. You never know when she's telling the truth or making stuff up. I had to read it for my memoir course, and I hated it.

87. a book with a predictable ending

I read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and many of those (though definitely not all) have predictable endings because they follow the original stories. I'll go with Beauty by Robin McKinley. Sure, you're aware the whole time of how it will end, but it's still a wonderful read.

97. a book with a hospital setting

I had a hard time with this one, but I've settled on Jill by Amy Dillwyn. It's not fully set at a hospital, but part of it is and what happens is wild. 😆

107. your favourite book in a different language

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is a new favorite of mine. It was originally written in Japanese, and I read the English translation by Philip Gabriel.

117. your favourite anthology

I'm generally not a big anthology person, but I really liked The Secret History of Fantasy edited by Peter S. Beagle. There are some big name authors in there, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and tons of others. And I really liked all the stories I've read out of it so far. I had to get it for my Fantasy Writing course in undergrad.

127. a book you'd read when you're missing somebody

Probably just the All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic because it's a comfort read for me. And if I'm missing someone, I generally need comfort. Although for certain people I might pick up a specific book I associate with them. For example, one of these days I'm going to pick up some of my brother's favorite books since I'm missing him a lot. If I want one I've read before, I'll go with either The Last Kingdom or The Winter King, both by Bernard Cornwell.