#if you're anxious and don't know what you'll find in the read more section: it's literally just the songs i've used in the caption + gifs << /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[aquamarinest]

writing an A+ essay for the humanities courses by your TA, step by step:

First step is always to read your guidelines very carefully and take note of the format; this means the word limit, referencing style (MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard), and spacing. Write down the steps your professor expects (announcing your topic, first draft, meeting etc.) and their due dates.

finding your topic

🎀 start with your syllabus, is there any topic that you'd like to delve in to more? something that catches your attention? is there anything in your notes that you'd like to explore?

🎀 alternatively, you can take a look at your reading list and take note of journals that the articles were published in. you can write down some of the journal names and read through their latest publications through your library access for inspiration.

🎀 after you have a general idea of what you'd like to research, do an initial web search, a jstor search, and a library search. skim through the abstracts and selectively read what looks interesting to have an idea on this area of study and note down the kind of questions they try to answer in these papers.

🎀 book an appointment with your professor. chances are you're already required to let them know what you'll be writing on before you hand the paper in. so go to their office hours and tell them this is what you'd like to research, even if you're kind of scared or anxious or nervous, go and talk to them. they'll ask you some questions about how you'd like to go around researching your topic, and you can tell them about the kind of questions you found that could be interesting to pursue. they can advise you on how to narrow your topic down or point you towards some useful material. with that, you can start researching!

how to research

📚 while there is no one-size-fits-all research method, something helpful to do is picking out books on the topic and going through the bibliography. don't try to read everything ever written on this topic, but look at the abstracts and key words and skim through papers & books to find things relevant to your topic.

📚 definitely look into your professor's recommendations and you can jump from there, just bibliography hop and note down page numbers and citations on your word page that you'd like to use.

📚 as you read and note quotes, after some point you'll see a pattern and a shape of an argument forming in your head. arrange your quotes into logical sections that follow that argument and read a bit more to see if you can specifically find things written about that argument you've discovered. continue noting quotes.

📚 remember that for an undergrad paper, your professor will advise you on how many references you should ideally have in your paper and you should follow that. in your quotes stage, try to shoot a little bit higher than the advised number of bibliography you're expected to have. always, ALWAYS write your citations correctly with page numbers, even if you've paraphrased their arguments for your notes.

writing your paper

🩷 now, at some point you'll need to slow down on reading and start writing. you have some writing on your word page already, and chances are, you're already sitting with an over-the-word-limit paper just containing quotes. this is ideal.

✨️ start with trying to articulate your argument, and summarising the thread you've built with quotes. what is it that you're trying to answer here? how does it relate to your material (your primary source, this could be a literary book, an archaeological evidence, a building, an object, a painting, etc)?

🩷 do a little sectioning with your quotes, label 2 or 3 sections and group the quotes this way. then, write down what this group does, what do they argue for, what is the context of this argument, and how it relates to your argument.

✨️ go through all your sections like this. you can strike down some quotes, or choose to paraphrase them (you still need to cite them when you do this). try to use quotes that communicate with each other, or build a bridge between your different quotes. Add two more sections labeled: introduction, conclusion.

🩷 in the introduction you should give a brief context of your primary, verrrry brief, and then your argument that is stated as clearly as possible. you can give a short path as to how you're going to argue and what kind of proof you have; and also write down how you've organised your paper.

✨️ in the conclusion you summarise your argument and write down the implications of this in the general context of this area of study; what does it mean for this topic in general, what impact does it have, does your argument fill a gap, does it contradict the general consensus, does it prove that the general view is correct? you could write down what could be further studied for extra flair.

editing

🪸 check your citations, references, and bibliography. check them again. are they in the correct format? do they include all the information you need to provide? is it alphabetical? have you correctly gave references everywhere you needed to do and did not accidentally plagiarise anything?

🪸 check your spelling and grammar. try to do this about three days after you've written the paper. if you're pressed for time, have someone else read it for you. you will not be able to catch your grammatical errors after writing it because you become blind to your own writing after a certain time. if you want that A, the paper should look polished and have the correct formatting.

🪸 make sure your name is on the paper so you'll see it marked with an A+. Well done!

[fixfoxnox]

What are some good writing tips to give? Your book has me quaking I wanna be as good lmao

First off, thank you so much! I appreciate the love 💙💙💙

So I'm just gonna drop some general things that I've kinda learned over the years have helped me. A couple of notes first:

I've been writing for close to ten years at this point and believe me when I say it has been a very slow learning process. My writing even a year ago wasn't as good as I consider it to be now, and I'm still very much learning/not an expert.

That all being said, here are a few things:

Choose your POV and stick by it. I cannot stress this enough. If you're constantly changing between 3rd omniscient, 3rd limited, switching between different characters,etc. Things can get very muddled very quickly. Any changes in POV should be very deliberate.

To give an example: In SiTO I stick with 3rd limited. Roach has tended to be my focus, so most of the story is over his shoulder. When I break this, its done to either add emphasis to something, or increase a feeling of chaos in the story. So, for example, in some of the newer chapters that will be coming out, you'll notice me switching between characters much more

Read your work out loud, especially dialogue. This helps you a ton with editing as you can typically hear when something sounds off. With dialog especially, if you find yourself reading it and going "this doesn't sound like something someone would say" you probably want to go back and change it

Description is important, try to show your audience what is going on and explain feelings to them rather than simply tell them. So for me, I draw from a lot of my own experiences when describing emotions. Saying "He felt anxious" doesn't have nearly as much of an impact as explaining that he felt "tendrils of anxiety creep up his throat"

I'm still telling you the emotion, but I'm helping you understand how that emotion actually feels

With regular description, its a bit harder for me to explain because I know the way that I do description isn't universal. For me, I'm able to put a scene together in my head and watch it play out.

The best way I can explain is to tell you to think of it like a director who is blocking a play. There is a lot more to a scene than just characters walking around. If you can create that scene in your head, it becomes easier to transcribe on paper.

Do not be afraid to act things out!!! Put yourself in your characters shoes. Stand up and talk to yourself if you need to. It will help you understand the small things a character might do!

I know it can be tempting to turn on a TV or have something going in the background while you write, but a lot of times those things act more as distractions than help.

If you're like me and sometimes need the extra stimulation though, I recommend putting together a Playlist for whatever you're writing and listen to it as you write! So for SiTO, all of the songs that I use for chapter titles or quotes at the beginning are actually in a Playlist that I listen to while writing

Listen to your writers block!!! If you're blocked, it may mean that something in your story isn't working or is stopping you from progressing the story. Take the time to go back and reread what you've written. If something feels off, consider trying to rewrite it. (Ik this can suck sometimes because concepts can be so good, but sometimes they just don't fit)

When I'm writing chapters, I find that it helps me to not necessarily plan out the chapter in detail, but rather have certain points lined up that I want to hit.

So typically I have three points that I choose for a chapter: something that happens at the beginning, something that happens in the middle, and something that happens at the end.

So for the current chapter I'm writing (trying to stay as spoiler free as possible here lol) I knew I wanted the beginning to feature a conversation between Roach and a Doctor. I knew I wanted a middle section with Roach having a flashback. And I knew I wanted the end to feature Price and Laswell.

With these things picked out, I can write my chapter while keeping in mind where I'm going and what I need to work toward. So If I'm starting with this conversation with Roach and a doctor, I need to figure out how this will eventually connect into that middle section and how it will transition into the end. It generally helps me keep things more cohesive

Use Metaphors/Similes sparingly!!! I know it can be tempting to shove those things everywhere. It makes things sound so much nicer! But, eventually those things can get so crowded that it almost becomes a drag to read. When you cram so many in at once, they become watered down and the text becomes super dense.

One last note, if you use something like Grammarly to edit, make sure that you are checking over every suggestion that they give you. Sometimes those machines make mistakes or will try to water down something in your writing because it isn't "professional" enough or isn't necessarily "correct."

[princessmia-tarot]

hello! i am gi, and i’d like to know how people in my new university will react or think about me in general. i am quite an introverted person but i know that i have to start being social. i’m worried that people will find me too anxious or intimidating and i will end up friendless again, thank you for all the time effort and insight 🤍🤍🤍

Hello Gi 🤍,

Let's explore how people in your new university may perceive you with the 10 of Pentacles:

The 10 of Pentacles is a card associated with stability, tradition, and a sense of belonging. It suggests that people in your new university are likely to view you in a positive light, even if you consider yourself introverted. Here's what they may think about you:

Grounded and Stable: People may perceive you as someone who is grounded and reliable. You give off an air of stability, which can make others feel secure and comfortable around you.

Respectful of Tradition: The 10 of Pentacles also represents an appreciation for tradition and heritage. Your respect for these values may be seen as a positive quality, especially in an academic setting.

Quiet Confidence: While you describe yourself as introverted, others might see your demeanor as one of quiet confidence. You don't need to be the center of attention to make an impact.

Approachable: Contrary to your concerns, people may find you approachable rather than intimidating. Your calm and composed presence can make it easy for others to initiate conversations with you.

Reliability: Your consistency and reliability may stand out. You could become known as someone who can be counted on to deliver on commitments and help others when needed.

Respect for Learning: If you're in an educational environment, your dedication to learning and academics could be admired by your peers. They may appreciate your commitment to your studies.

Potential for Friendship: While you might be concerned about making friends, the 10 of Pentacles suggests that your genuine nature will attract like-minded individuals. Over time, you'll likely form meaningful connections with people who appreciate you for who you are.

Inclusivity: The card also hints at the idea of a close-knit community or family. You may contribute to creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere within your university group.

Remember that it's entirely normal to have concerns about fitting in and making friends in a new environment. It's also okay to be introverted. Authenticity is key, and as you embrace your genuine self, you'll naturally attract people who appreciate and value your unique qualities. So, take things at your own pace, and don't be too hard on yourself. You've got a lot to offer, and the right connections will come your way. 🤍🎓📚

xx

Mia ♥

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[mamachu]

Yandere profile - Shenhe

Warnings: fem reader, noncon, non graphic mentions of bone breaking, physical abuse, Overstimulation and bondage

Not fully proof read

Template by @cinnamonest !! :3

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

Considering how dense she can be when it comes to understanding her own emotions, Shenhe may not even be aware of her own yandere tendencies. Before she can even realize it she's trailing behind you a lot more often, her protective stance causes people to start avoiding you. An obsessive nature takes her over- always never too far from you, always anxious you may be put at harm.

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

It's almost pitiful how fast she is to whisk you away, instinct completely controls her. Maybe the one day she wasn't there to look over you- maybe you suffered from an injury she considered too much for you to handle. You'll soon find yourself in a new abode, a place you can't recognize from your home region- somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

Don't even let the thought cross your mind. Even with no restraints you're in a place completely unfamiliar on a mountain, if she were more keen on her emotions Shenhe would laugh at the attempt you had to find your way around. She doesn't understand why you would even think to try- you are in her territory. Brute force will always easily bring you back but at one point if the attempts become too many Shenhe may feel the need to make some modifications. Its all in instinct when her already iron grip becomes too much on your ankle, crushing through whatever will you had to try and escape her in the first place.

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

It's less of, "they're too smart to manipulate", more of a, whatever you're trying to do will go completely over her head. She definitely isn't stupid but Shenhe only knows how to restrain and put people in their place. Your attempts to deceive her will grant no reaction, maybe even cause a misunderstanding which ends up getting you farther away from your own goal.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

If you behave well enough Shenhe will opt to get you something you may have missed back at Liyue Harbor. Be it a favorite snack of yours or quite literally something you left behind / missed. You aren't allowed out of the house whenever Shenhe is expected to travel, either the exits being blocked off by some supernatural force or early on restraining you to one section of the house before she takes off.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

Perhaps the most laughable. Shenhe already had to bind her own homicidal nature- but you've completely brought her back to that state. Anyone who decides to even slightly get near you already tests the limited patience she has, many ways to get rid of the perceived rival already flowing through her head. Pre-kidnap Shenhe probably took it the worse, knowing she couldn't directly get rid of someone upfront, especially right in front of your eyes. But now? It may be better on yourself to keep your mouth shut whenever another presence lingers near aside from your captor and yourself.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

It's hard to reach true anger with her own darling, but you definitely could annoy her into an aggressive state if you push hard enough. Maybe she was already having a particularly hard day, red stains accompanying her clothes. She seeks your embrace but you shove her away, the smell of iron deafening your senses. It only takes one direct glance from her to have you on your knees apologizing profusely but you've already set her off. Dark spotted bruises serve as your remind to treat her as a proper "lover" rather than captor.

Do they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

To Shenhe, you are neither above or below her, but definitely not equal. The connection she attaches onto you is confusing to both you and herself. It's not that she thinks your incapable at taking care of yourself and weak- but it's not as if she treats you like some goddess either.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

The unrequited love may hurt her at first but then she takes into consideration that she's the only one to truly have you. It doesn't matter how much you avoid her attention because at the end of the day you're stuck with her, like it or not.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

Shenhe's behavior completely depends on how you act around her. A pliant little darling will be treated with great respect, no worries shall come to you as long as you're in Shenhe's care. A darling who refuses to settle down and outwardly acts aggressive will get 10x the aggression back.

[Nsfw section]

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

Shenhe herself is not outwardly a sexual person, in fact I doubt she would even have the right amount of experience. Early on you'll never see such behavior come from her- but sometimes, late at night, you may feel her hands drift across your skin, always lowering themselves toward your sensitive parts, lingering for longer than you'd prefer.

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

Whenever she decides she needs it, she gets it. Your unwillingness sparks a sort of primal reaction when she realizes how easy it is to restrain you and take you. Your crying does nothing to deter her.

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Shenhe's favorite thing to do is restrain you only from the wrists with red rope, using her iron grip to forcefully tear your legs apart and keep you there open for her. The face you make when you're completely overstimulated and tear stricken only makes her want to stay in between your thighs for as long as she can. Though sometimes when she still has enough stamina will bend you over, red rope in hand while she rocks you from behind. (Whether or not she has a strap or a penis is up to you)

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

I debated just skipping over this part entirely but under certain circumstances Shenhe may opt for a child as a way to finally bind you to her. Other than that a family would only interest her if you yourself bring up the conversation.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

If the overstim isn't enough Shenhe can always leave you tied up, exposed and messed up after whatever previous session. The red Knotts are tied just so tight enough that your breasts will be swollen from how hard they've been squeezed. She doesn't take you down until your babbling out incoherent apologizes while your tears fall from upside down.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Shenhe's hands are always rested on your thighs. The soft skin oddly calms her down and the little squeaks you give out when she squeezes you will never not be cute to her.

!!••••!!

[mxdarling]

[Cold to them, sweet to others (2)]

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅• •❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

ೃ⁀➷: summary: Yan. idia, & malleus with a darling that’s cold towards them but sweet to others + knows about their obsession towards them.

ೃ⁀➷: Word count: 953

ೃ⁀➷: Reference/Inspiration: N/A

[|.]

[note:] If there is anything else triggering here that I didn’t list in the warnings section, please tell me. I don’t condone this type of behavior, this is merely just for entertaining purposes and some sort of coping mechanism for me. If you continue to read beyond this point, ignoring my warnings, I am not responsible for your actions from here on out.

[Warnings:] monopolizing behavior, spoilers for malleus' & idia's backstory, yandere behavior, possessive behavior, isolating, stalking, taking pictures and videos w/o consent, being watched by a camera w/o, kidnapping.

[GN reader]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ :Malleus Draconia;

➮ MALLEUS DRACONIA is in one word heartbroken by your behavior towards him. Malleus has spent most of his years being isolated from people, due to them either being scared of him for being the most powerful mages or having a huge hatred for him (cough Leona cough). Even though he doesn't mind being alone, away from other people, it's not the same as when he is with you. Malleus considers you his most treasured friend (or lover? I don't think he knows the difference between platonic and romantic love) and the fact that you out of all people is being cold to him is just hurting him in every way possible. He really treasures you, truly and hates that he's the reason you're pushing yourself away from him. I mean the only thing he wants for you is to be happy. So please tell him what's he doing wrong so he can fix it right away. He's so lonely without you. He needs you.

➮ I think it might take him a while to really observe the fact that you're much more kinder to others than when you're with him. Probably either Sebek or Lilia would most likely inform him about this, possibly even Silver if he isn't sleeping that is. I can see him slowly but surely turn possessive over you. It won't be obvious at first but he'll slowly turn everyone away all by just sticking around you whenever someone wants to talk to you. At first, all he wanted was to spend some time with you but after hearing from the others that you're acting this affectionate with other people makes him wanna keep you all to himself. Little by little people will start to avoid completely just because of Malleus' demeanor. Maybe having people avoid him is a good thing after all. Now all you have is him to keep you company, isn't that just lovely?

➮ I don't think he'd really mind that you know about his love (obsession) for you, in fact I think he's very much happy that you know how much he loves you! He loves you so so much, it hurts. It hurts him to see you being happy with other people and being so emotionless and cold when you're with him. He's trying so hard just so you'll stay with him. He desperately wants a friend, so he'll do almost everything to befriend you even if possibly you'll never reciprocate. Please just give him a chance. He's been so lonely for so many years. All he wants is just company, even if it's just one. Even if it's just you. He'd be satisfied.

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ :Idia Shroud;

➮ IDIA SHROUD probably thinks you hate him now! He must have done something wrong for you to act such a way, right!? Did he say something to offend you? Did he did something to make you mad at him? or maybe... Maybe, you noticed the camera he placed in your bedroom so he can watch you sleep during the night..? Whatever the reason is, he's devasted. He's pacing around his room, trying to find a way to make you not hate him. Ortho definitely notices his brother acting weird cause he's behaving very anxious in his own room! A place where his older brother usually is very calm and relaxed. So out of curiosity and concern for his brother he checks up on Idia and knowing Ortho he'll worry about him until he tells him what's wrong so he spills him the beans and like the good brother he is, he ultimately tries to help his brother with this little problem of his. He couldn't be more grateful with the extra help.

➮ It's probably the same thing with Malleus. It will take a while for him to actually noticed how sweet you are towards other people since he rarely never goes out of his own room. Even if he uses his tablet device, he barely pays attention to other people that aren't you specifically. I think if he asks ortho to secretly (stalk) follow you around the campus is when he'll finally know how you act around others, cause he'd ask ortho to tell him everything that happened down to the smallest details of how your day went. When Ortho explains your interactions with other people he begins to realize how happy you sound talking to other people, why didn't that happened with him? Why was it that whenever he is mention the cheerful aura you have suddenly goes away? Was there really something wrong with him? Insecurity easily overpowers as he stays up at night thinking if there's really something wrong with him despite the reassurance from Ortho, it's not enough to calm him down. He's certain there's something wrong with him. That's why you don't love him yet! But don't worry, he'll change, he'll changed himself for you.

➮ He's so embarrasses that you know his love for you, its almost kind of cute. If you ignore how he would tell Ortho to stalk you and watched you in your dorms from his cameras every second. He says he does it with love but it's so creepy... Constantly feeling eyes on you, even when alone you still feel like you're being watched. You're so sick of it! Doesn't matter how much you try to avoid his yellow gaze, he'll find a way to keep eyes on you. Maybe.. It's a good time to take you to his room. Don't worry he's spend much time in researching what you like and dislike to make you feel comfortable confine in his room. Please don't make it harder on yourself by struggling to get away. All you need is him and Ortho, nothing else.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅• •❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

[a/n; Ahaha yea I'm been dead, hello again people!! Sorry been so away I just couldn't find any motivation to write until now but it will most likely go away at some point but I will finish your requests. I'll drag it to 2023 if needed to finish it. I've also been kind of out of it with the twst fandom, I'm still part of it but it's not my hyper fixation right now, but I've been getting into ensemble stars lately so there might be more content for them soon. Most of you guys probably don't remember me now but that's okay. That aside, thank you for requesting this! I haven't gotten a request where it's the repeated scenario before. This is also my first time writing for malleus!! I hope I did a good job portraying him as a yandere!! After I post this I'm gonna be dead for another month so enjoy this content while its still new lol]

[nicolewoo]

Speakeasy Part 1

Pairing: Fergal Devitt X Reader. Finn Balor X Reader

Scenario: Desperate to make enough money to live on during the great depression, Reader gets a job at a Speakeasy, and finds a dangerous ally. Can she trust this man and his stories or should she listen to her friend's advice and steer clear of him?

Warnings: Part 1 has no warnings. Future parts probably will.

The minute I walked in, I could smell it.... the stale smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol were practically oozing out of the walls. This wasn't going to be good for my throat, but then again, this wasn't going to be good for anything except paying bills. It's 1930 and a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do.... especially living alone in Chicago.

I had a job at a diner, but the breakfast tips weren't enough to get by, and I'd been frantically trying to get a job in a proper theater. The problem was that everyone wanted dancers that could sing. I had the singing part down. The dancing? Well, I've got 2 left feet. No matter how many lessons I took, I just couldn't dance. So, here I am, in a speakeasy, getting ready to try out for a bunch of mafia guys, risking getting arrested just so I could pay the bills.

Count your blessings, girl. A lot of people are a lot worse off. I told myself as I remembered leaving Hutchinson Kansas due to The Great Depression. I remembered the sight of homeless families and bread lines and brawls for crumbs. Yes, I was doing something illegal, but I was going to be able to live because of it.

I was shaken out of my thoughts with the sound of a trumpet squeaking out. I knew before I even looked that it was my friend Tony getting my attention. “You made it. You look great, doll.” Tony said coming up to me. “Let me introduce you to the band.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me over to the stage.

“Marty,” Tony called out getting the band leader's attention. “This is Y/N, the singer I told you about.”

Marty barely looked up from the sheet music he was reviewing, “Hey. Let's hear those pipes, doll.” He sounded less than enthusiastic. “Guys.” He yelled to the band. “Give me some Mean to Me.”  He motioned me over to the mic.

Ok, well, let's do this. I sidled up to the mic, trying to insert some extra swag into my walk so I'd look more experienced than I was. The music began and I reached up to hold the mic stand as I started to sing.

“You're mean to me. Why must you be mean to me?” Marty looked up with a look of surprise.

“Gee, honey. It seems to me. You love to see me crying.” Tony gave me a big thumbs up to encourage me.

“I don't know why. I stay home. Each night when you say you'll phone.” I started to see the band members nodding and smiling to each other.

“You don't and I'm left alone. Singing the blues and crying.” I saw a couple of men come from the back room to see who was singing, but I couldn't make out their faces in the dark room.

I was ecstatic to see such a great reception, and I was pretty sure I'd gotten the job. As the song swelled to the harder part, I focused on hitting all the right notes and making the song sound as sexy as possible.

I saw one of the men who'd come in from the back signal to Marty, but I didn't know what the signal meant. I peeked at Marty, but I couldn't read his expression. He made me wait until the end of the song.

“Ok, kiddo. You got the gig. We'll see how tonight goes, and if you do well, we'll talk about something permanent.” Marty showed no emotion. I'd gotten the impression that he'd gone through a lot of singers, and didn't expect any better from me. “Guys,” He yelled over the sound of instruments playing different sections of the songs and talking among themselves. “We start a full practice in ½ an hour, so go get some food now. We're gonna be busy tonight.” He dismissed the band with the same lack of emotion as when he'd hired me.

Tony ran to me as excited as me. “You did it, doll!” He hugged me tight. Then started to lead me outside. “Lets get some chow.” He said as he pointed to a diner across the ally from the speakeasy.

As we sat down, I asked, “So, does Marty want me here or what?”

Tony chuckled under his breath, “Oh yeah yeah! He doesn't show emotion,” he explained. “But don't worry. You're in!” He assured me.

“I didn't know what the signal was from the guys in the back.... or even who they were.” I explained.

“Yeah, Hey. So....” Tony paused. “Ya know not to talk about... ya know.”

He didn't finish his thought, but I knew what he meant. Although I'd never spent any time in this seedy underworld, I was no dummy. “Say no more.” I replied.

“Ok. If you have any questions, just come to me, but not at the club.” He assured me. “Just focus on singing and let them do their stuff.” His gaze bored a hole in me, and I nodded in understanding. “Most importantly,” Tony reached over and put his hand on my arm, “DON'T get romantically involved with any one there. Do you understand?”

“You don't have to worry. I know who they are.” I assured him.

Tony was like a big brother to me. He'd been a regular at the diner where I worked; me always starting my day as he was ending his over breakfast. We became great friends, and Tony and his wife had taken me under their wing, inviting me over for dinner, watching out for me. Working at the speakeasy wasn't what Tony and his wife wanted for me, but when I couldn't get a theater job, they had finally given in and got me the audition. Tony had promised his wife that he'd protect me from the going ons of the club.

After dinner, I sat with Marty going over what songs I knew and what songs I needed to get to know in order to keep working there. He was pleasantly surprised at my song knowledge, and we both felt we had enough to put on a good show tonight. It was perfect because Marty had had to sing himself since losing their last singer. We went over the songs with the band until we were comfortable with each other's styles.

Afterward, I practiced in the back, pouring over the pages of sheet music Marty gave me while tinkering the notes out on an old, out-of-tune piano in a side room, hoping to add in some of these songs soon. The closer we got to show time, the more anxious I got. It was more than if I'd be entertaining... I was worried about getting arrested. Tony had assured me that if the cops came in, and I couldn't get away in time, he'd bail me out before morning, but still. A proper girl like me didn't get arrested. What would my parents think if they were alive? I pushed those thoughts out of my head and tried to focus on the music again.

I heard the band start, happy music flooding through the whole building. I peaked out at the crowd and was shocked to see the club almost full already. What surprised me the most was the class of the people in the club. I had expected to see hardened criminals and desolate prostitutes, but instead, the crowd was full of Chicago's best. Ladies in fine dresses with fringes everywhere. Men in tuxedo suits sporting walking sticks and monocles. I glanced at my own aged floor length dress that I'd bought from a theater who was throwing it out, and lamented at the state of it. Would these rich muckedy mucks accept me in this ragged thing? Before looking at them, I thought I'd looked good, but now. Now, I was wracked with every insecurity I'd ever felt.

I saw Tony rise from his seat at the bandstand and come backstage to me. “You ready?” He asked all excited.

“Tony!” I almost started crying. “Those people. They're all so fancy. This dress is so old and ratty.” I started to say, but he placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Doll, the minute you open your mouth, everyone is going to fall in love with you. You've got the voice of an angel. We can buy you more dresses when you get paid. In the meantime, don't worry about it. You look amazing, and the stage lights are going to hide any imperfections in the dress.” He gave me a quick hug as I heard Marty announce me.

“Ladies and gentlemen, We've got a special treat for you this evening.” How the hell did Marty have emotion now? He sounded positively jovial. I guess he was just a good actor. “Tonight, for the first time at Club Red, we are proud to present our new singer, Y/N.”

The crowd responded to Marty's happy announcement with excited applause. Tony took my arm and escorted me out to stage, depositing me in front of the mic before taking his own seat in the horn section.

We started with Ain't Misbehavin', and the crowd went silent as they focused on me. I prayed they were enjoying the performance, and I poured every ounce of energy I could muster into making the song sound sexy. I wasn't sure how I was doing until the song ended, and the crowd went nuts! They were applauding and giving me standing ovations. I even heard some lewd whistles from near the back where the mob guys had been earlier. I was a hit!

When I turned to find out what song we were singing next, Marty smiled warmly at me. “You did great.” He whispered just to me. “Am I Blue” is next.

The music sounded and the crowd quieted as the slow song changed the mood in the room.

“Am I blue? Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eyes tellin' you.”

Marty whispered over my shoulder, “Go walk through the crowd, engage them.” he encouraged.

“Am I blue?” I slowly left the stage, pleasantly surprised when the spot light followed me with no notice. “You'd be too. If each plan with your man just fell through.” I placed my hand on a lady's shoulder emphasizing the phrase and she reached up to pat my hand in understanding. I wandered to another table. “Was a time. I was his only one.” I crooned to a table of men, and they smiled broadly at me. “Now I'm the sad and lonely one.” I continued to wander through the crowded room, placing my hand on a shoulder here, singing closely into a gentleman's ear there. The crowd was eating it up. “Now he's gone, and we're through. Am I blue?”

My eyes settled on a man at the table next to me in the back of the room. He was quite frankly the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, with a chiseled jaw, perfect black hair, sparkling blue eyes and his black tuxedo, black shirt and white bow tie matched by a white pocket square. He oozed money and sex. Logically, his table should have been the next I visited, but the way he was looking at me... lustfully... deterred me, and I skipped his table. He made no indication that my turn away from his table bothered him, but his eyes didn't leave me for the rest of the song causing butterflies in my stomach. He gazed so intently at me, I felt like he could see through my dress to my naked body.

I managed to gather my wits again as the song ended and I walked back up to the stage. This job was too important to me. It was this or I ended up being the one in the bread lines tomorrow. I couldn't let anyone, not even this wickedly beautiful man, get in the way of me making this money.

I stayed on the stage the rest of the night. I already had the crowd eating out of the palm of my hand, I didn't need to pander to them anymore. At the end of each song, the crowd cheered for me, and I noticed the lone man in the back smile as he gauged the mood of the crowd.

It was late... very late.... and I was tired when the show ended. “Heya doll. How bout I give ya a ride home?” Tony said as I started leaving the club with an extra few bucks in my pocket as the sun peeked over the horizon.

I was so tired, I could barely speak, but I nodded yes to Tony. He was full of energy, praising my performance, telling me how happy he was. Saying he was sure I'd be hired permanently tomorrow. I fell asleep in the gently rocking car, and Tony laughed when he had to wake me up. “Guess you're gonna have to get used to the schedule.” He teased. “Good thing you're not working at the diner this morning.” After I thanked him for the ride, Tony watched until I was safely in my apartment building before heading to the diner to get some breakfast before he went to bed. I didn't care that I was hungry, I took off my dress and fell asleep in my underclothes.

I dreamed of music notes flying through the air, of gathering them in a bag and presenting them on beautiful sheet music to the guests. I dreamed of the smoky bar and the man seated in the back and that he paid me for one of my music sheets, a small contained smile on his lips.

[nicostolemybones]

I'm working on 2 collabs and this is always a fear I have so I have advice.

Person a I'm collaborating with is somebody I don't speak to regularly and isn't online much. To work around this, we are doing half each. Person a is writing the first half, I'm writing the second. We spent a while discussing our idea and what we wanted in each section before we even decided which parts to take to make sure we are both content with what the other writes. I chose them to collaborate with because I've read their fics and despite our different writing styles I'm confident I can work with them. We also discussed a word count we both believe we can meet and split the work evenly.

Person b is my significant other. We're super in synch and often share writing with each other. So for our collab, we're doing different POV fics of the same pre-event build-up. We took the character we're most similar too each, and we gave each other a vague plan because we both trust the other's style.

With person a, they are a lot more pressed for time and it's close to the deadline and they aren't finished. I already knew this was likely, we discussed it- I am completely okay with the lack of time. I've taken the second part because I'm the more confident writer and I believe I can make it mesh well. I've also taken the part where the relationship begins- because person a trusts that I can write it well just the same as I trust they can write the early content amazingly. We are both writing the parts we're comfortable with.

With person b, there's a lot of time constraints too, but we communicate every day. I am completely secure that they will have it done on time and because we have similar-ish styles, it is going to be coherent despite the fact we're barely talking about the fic together.

My point is: collab takes trust. When you find a writer you trust, who has similar ideas to you, and you discuss it beforehand, you'll have a lot less fear. You can discuss directions you don't want it to go. In order to collab, you need to find a writer you trust. You can't write with somebody who's writing you find hit and miss. You're going to spend the whole time anxious about it going wrong. The writers I'm collaborating with write fics that interest me and I enjoy. I haven't found a recent one I do not like the direction of. They have similar tastes of what constitutes healthy for their OTPs as I do. So I'm not scared that they'll go in a direction I don't like- because we've discussed it and I've seen in their writing that we have similar ways of thinking.

If you can, write with a writer who writes for challenges or writes a lot or updates weekly or a friend you know can work to a deadline well. Why? Because they post regularly- they can handle the workload and deadlines and you will feel secure knowing that they can. A lot of content creators simply do not have the motivation or the spoons or the time to work to deadlines, and if you're anxious about collaborating, whilst those writers are still completely valid and appreciated, collabing with them will require a lot of flexibility. I'm personally very flexible so I would have no issue collaborating with someone who may not be able to write to a deadline, but for a first collab I recommend finding a writer you know can meet a deadline, especially when you're having trouble with relinquishing control.

Do not be afraid to say that you don't think you can collab with someone. If your ideas are just too different and you don't feel secure or trusting enough and you're anxious about it, that isn't healthy for you. You can always find somebody else or keep your options open. This is why before agreeing 100% to collab, you should see what their general writing style is like and discuss the contents of the potential collab and their ability to work to deadlines- because sometimes you just won't be able to work with somebody and that's okay.

Finally- it requires a lot of patience and waiting. Regular check-ins on progress may help. But for the majority of the time, you're going to be in the dark. It requires so much trust and patience. There may be sudden changes in circumstances that affect their ability to collab and meet the deadlines. You have to be prepared for that before you collab otherwise it won't be fair on either of you

Simply:

Find a writer who's style you trust

Write with someone who writes similar things/ideas/headcanons to you

Different collabs=different rules

Find someone you know can handle deadlines

So much patience

Communication is key

Do you have any general advice or checklists for collabing with another writer? I’m worried I’m too much of a control freak to give up the “right” to half a fic...what if the partner takes it in a direction I don’t like or writes me into a corner? I get that it probably shouldn’t go that way, but what are some things we should be sure to talk about in advance?

I think maintaining good communication with your partner is a great way to build trust. With that trust, you’ll be able to let go of that need for control. 

What that means is that you have continual conversations, not just a quick chat at the start of the fic. Sure, you’ll need to set up how you’ll work together and who’s going to do what and what the plot of the story is. But more than that, you’ll need to talk to them when you’re unsure of something. You’ll need to let them know if they’re going in a direction you’re not comfortable with. If they’ve painted you into a corner, tell them that, and then the two of you can find a way to get you out. 

Working with a writing partner is a partnership. You both succeed or fail together. It’s not a competition. It’s a relationship. And like any relationship, if you keep things bottled up then you’ll eventually explode. 

I’ll stop here and let the rest of the blog share their insights. For me, this is the biggest piece of the puzzle.