#just wanted to write a regency ball scene

[mllersjoel]

good old fashioned lover boy

Pairing: Regency!Wyll Ravengard x gn!reader

Summary: It's dreadfully boring at this ball, especially when Lord Gortash won't stop talking to you. Lord Ravengard steps in, and just maybe, this night can be saved.

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: why does no one write for my bb boy. i love him. have some regency au (writing comms r open btw!)

It’s your second year as an eligible member of society, and you are bored out of your mind. Your guardian has dragged you to yet another ball, with dancing and schmoozing that you would rather die than be doing. Thankfully, you’ve managed to avoid just about everyone who wants to sign your dance card with a glare or pretending to choke so hard tears well up in your eyes. You came here because your best friend, Astarion, promised to accompany you this time and fill up your dance card with his name only, but that plan swiftly fell out the window as he laid eyes on a pretty half-elf.

You could see him check out of the conversation, eyes flitting to them then back at yours. 

“Just go, Astarion,” you sigh, shoving him playfully.

His eyes blink back to yours, trying and failing to pretend like he wasn’t ogling another person. “I have no idea what you’re on about, darling.”

“I can handle myself and it’s pathetic watching you try to concentrate on me. Go.”

Astarion smiles broadly, kissing your cheeks. “Have I ever told you you’re the light of my life?”

You snort. “Just when you want something.”

He shrugs, taking your hand and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. “If you need me, just shout.”

He leaves, and you’re barely able to let out a breath before another man (greasy, looking like he needs two decades of sleep) takes his place. Without asking, he signs his name on your dance card. “Enver Gortash, Lord of this estate. Care to dance with me?”

You are pulled to the dance floor before you can even answer and you desperately try to come up with an excuse. “I—I can’t dance right now,” you protest, attempting to extricate yourself from his grasp without seeming rude, “I’m waiting for someone.” He ignores you, laughing. 

“Don’t play coy,” he says, assuming a waltz position. The music begins, and you have no choice but to dance with him. You catch Astarion’s eye and watch him square his shoulders, ready to pull you out of there as you minutely shake your head at him. 

‘Don’t make a scene,’ you mouth.

The entire time you dance with Lord Gortash, he drones on and on about his estate, how he fought for his wealth (although it was an open secret that he participated in less than savory business practices), and how immodestly he thinks women are dressed now. The song feels like its going on forever, then, blissfully, the music stops. There is a slight bustle as everyone switches partners, looking at who’s next on your dance card. Lord Gortash takes your hand, and with a predatory grin realises you have no one else on your dance card. As he takes your pencil, eager to write his name again, a hand grips his wrist and stops him.

You look up and see a beautiful man, dark skinned, hair braided closely to his head and a slight stubble covering his cheeks. He has a deep brown, almost black eye, while the other seemed pale and translucent. His smile is charming and bright, without a hint of sleaziness the other man seemed to carry in bucket loads. “I’m terribly sorry to cut in,” he says, the dulcet tones of his voice sending a slight shiver down your spine, “but I believe it’s my turn to have the pleasure of their company.”

Lord Gortash scoffs, brandishing your dance card towards the handsome man. “Your name isn’t on there. Mine is. Get lost, Ravengard.”

The man—Ravengard—nods, taking a step back. He seems as if he’s about to leave, and your heart sinks at the prospect of another dance with this man when he leans back in, pointing near the back. “Oh, before I go, I fear I spy Lady Karlach on her way. She mentioned something about—what was it now?—getting even?”

You see Gortash’s face turn white as he whips his head around, trying to spot someone. Without sparing you a second glance, he practically runs out of the ballroom, tripping on his own feet as he’s nearly sent sprawling. You hide your laugh behind your hand, catching the eye of Ravengard. “Thank you,” you say, adjusting your clothes, “he just wouldn’t stop talking.”

“You seemed like you were in need of saving,” he says, taking your hand and planting a feather-light kiss on the back of it. “Lord Wyll Ravengard, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

You give your name back which he tests immediately, smiling at the way it sounds. He gestures to your dance card, his hand still holding yours. “May I?”

You nod, delighted that this night seemed to be turning around. He writes his name in neat, precise cursive, finishing just as the band begins to play the notes of the next song. His hand is warm as it envelops yours, large, course fingers wrapping around your glove, leading you to the middle of the dance floor.

A slow dance begins to play, and suddenly you are swept up in his movements. He dances easily, leading you as if it was second nature. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” you say, matching his movements easily.

He smiles bashfully, looking down for a second. “Ah, I’ve been away.”

“And how do you like being back?”

He twirls you, catching you easily when you return back into his arms. “I like it a lot better now.”

As you waltz with him, you catch Astarion’s eye once more. He mouths, ‘Good?’

You nod and smile, glad when he gives you a thumbs up of approval. ‘He’s sexy,’ Astarion tells you, and you accidentally snort, looking away when Lord Ravengard raises an amused brow at you. “Too clichéd?”

“No, not at all!” You scramble, trying to school your face into a neutral expression. Every time you looked at his face, however, you started giggling again. Lord Ravengard laughed along with you, still not missing a step and barely even wincing when you inevitably stepped on his toes. “My friend is being stupid, that’s all.”

“Well,” Lord Ravengard starts, stepping closer than what was deemed proper, “if it’s not my horribly cheesy sayings, may I say that you look more stunning than the goddess Aphrodite herself?”

You gasp in jest, smiling. “Careful, my lord, your hubris may see you cursed.”

The song ends, yet he remains still, holding you. “A small price to pay to adequately compliment your beauty.”

Your heart stutters as he steps back, bowing as you hesitantly remember to do the same. “May I see you again?” You ask, hoping your forward nature doesn’t put him off like so many other men.

He smiles broadly, genuine. “I would love that.” 

[dvilkings]

how i would write and wish the rest of the bridgerton show would go (following the books but putting the spin onto things as the show has done): includes spoilers!!!

s3 p2 ~ colin and penelope

colin and penelope are engaged, announcing to her family and his. but eloise, upon finding out, forces pen to tell colin that she is lady whistledown. and she does with much nervous anticipation. maybe after she speaks with colin more about his own writing, encouraging him to publish his work. colin’s reaction to her being LW is angry of course — though not like he was when he said he would “ruin” lady whistledown's life upon finding out who the writer is. he is angry at pen for putting herself in danger of getting caught, and the backlash she will undoubtedly face if the ton finds her out.

this will lead into colin demanding pen retire. though she does not want to, for colin she would. she makes her last entry and calls it quits and continues on with her engagement to colin in a peaceful manner...

(this is where part of me wants a different outcome. that pen does not retire as LW and instead keeps writing, after convincing colin why she must, and his anger and jealousy turns to acceptance. i want this outcome a little more because it will keep the mystery of lady whistledown with the show for longer. and keeps a good narrative for the story to move -- and it would be so sad to not have julie andrew's wonderful voice taking us through regency london. the only downside i see to this is the rest of the seasons, which are notably not in the limelight of society and the eyes of the ton like the previous ones are. they are more on the outskirts and the quiet life of the regency era. and thus, LW would not be able to see much of the goings on for the rest of them. and besides, now that penelope will be married, and to the man of her dreams no less, she doesn't much have need for LW anymore. that comfort and wall will be replaced with colin and her future with him. so there are definitely pluses and minuses for each)

during this time, the queen will announce a bounty put on LW: whoever comes forth and exposes LW’s identity will receive a certain amount of money. this spurs cressida to make her announcement that she is LW, thinking the money could help her and her family so she is not forced into an arranged marriage with someone older who she will not like at all. except pen will not let cressida be known as LW and essentially take her work. so she posts her one last issue of exposing cressida, and then she is confronted in her home where cress explains how she knows pen is LW, and pen's slip up.

since finding out pen is LW, colin has been very tense with her, realizing that he is more jealous than anything, that she had a purpose for so long and her writing while gossip filled, was truly very good. and something he thought he could never live up to. but pen keeps insisting he is wonderful.

pen goes to colin, where he sets up his elaborate scheme with anthony, just like in the books, and announces to the entire ton that pen is LW at the last ball of the season, coincidentally, a masquerade ball. which is also where benedict meets the mysterious lady in silver, aka, sophie (opting not to use her last name in case it is changed due to any ethnicity changes the show (hopefully) makes for her), and he falls in love with her at first sight, having their private moment and kiss before she flees from the scene, most likely when colin makes his big announcement and uses it as a quick escape.

upon the ton accepting pen as LW is how s3 will close, leading to benophie's story for s4

s4 ~ benedict and sophie

time jump ~2 years into the future… benedict is stuck and fixated on his lady in silver, trying to find her after 2 years of searching, to no avail. not knowing her name, what she looks like as she was wearing a mask, knowing nothing about her but for her smile and mysteriousness and the raw need of needing her as his wife.

we will receive flashbacks throughout of sophie’s life with the cowpers, living with araminta as a mother and cressida as a sister. her biological father, lord cowper, not seeing her as anything more than a burden, and lady cowper suggesting she’d make a much better use as a mere servant. i believe at the end of s3/into the time jump, lord cowper will pass and araminta and cressida will be left with close to nothing, especially after cress' embarrassment after trying to announce herself as LW. she is a spinster at this point, something nobody ever thought would happen to her. but we see sophie and cressida as children, growing up as friends and the closest thing to sisters either will have (going off of cressida mentioning to eloise in s3p1 that she had a friend when she was young). but the cowper's dislike and disdain for sophie is clear from her childhood.

when the last ball of the season, the masquerade happens (s3ep8), the other servants helped sophie be able to attend for one night, but she is later on discovered by the cowper’s for her efforts and casted out. forced to find work wherever she can.

this lands her in a wealthy home as a servant. she meets benedict here when he attends a party at the home, where he saves her from the hands of her master’s son with filthy intents to touch her. and he takes her to the closest and safest place he can think of: the mondrichs, parents to the new and young lord kent.

they stay there with them for some time while sophie decides what to do with herself, where we see some of the mondrich's life and their son being raised to be the next lord kent as he is older now (early teenhood i believe?). benedict has no idea that sophie is his lady in silver, and sophie is beginning to fall in love despite her never being able to be with ben. and eventually, ben starts to feel the same, and while he wants to have her as his mistress, knowing she wouldn’t be a fit wife as she is a servant, and he still must marry a woman of proper lineage — she refuses, as she does not want to end up like her mother and have a child who would live just as she has. so he takes her to his mother’s new home (having moved out of the bridgerton house as kanthony have started their own family) as that is the only place he can take her where she will still be close to him — where she becomes a lady’s maid for the girls, eloise and hyacinth.

things follow closely here from the books for benophie. meanwhile, francesca has married john sometime during the time jump (presumably right after s3 ends, close behind polin) and travel between scotland and london. now we are introduced and see some of michael and his life and maybe longing for frannie. this season john most likely dies and we see the beginning of frannie and michael’s story start to unfold, both dealing with the heartbreaking loss. she finds she is pregnant with john's child, and thus the wait happens to find out if her child is a boy, and whether michael will become the new lord of kilmartin or not. but she has a miscarriage, and michael is to become the new lord of kilmartin. and frannie needs him in her time of mourning and strife, but he cannot see her and instead leaves for india, most likely because he had a recent discussion with kate about all the places to see and visit.

and with sophie living with violet and the girls, she grows close to them all, even eloise who has been writing letters mysteriously. sophie is the one to notice this and inquire more about it but eloise is still stubborn and tight lipped.

some time goes by until sophie is spending time with kanthony's children who are visiting violet's home and hyacinth, leading to the scene with her wearing a cloth to cover her eyes and leaving only her mouth exposed. benedict walks in and immediately knows that sophie is his lady in silver. they discuss, they argue, sophie reveals who she is and how she is the illegitimate daughter of the late lord cowper. and she runs away. right into lady cowper discovering sophie is working for the bridgertons and she schemes to get sophie thrown in jail for stealing immediately. which leads then to benedict and violet saving her from being hanged, even cressida becoming involved (sophie was her very first friend, and close to a sister, her character being a perfect mixture of rosamund and posy from the books). and benedict announces their engagement, unbeknownst to anyone, even sophie, right there.

upon finding out ben is now engaged, and the recent letter from phillip (her mysterious letter writing receiver) that she has still yet to respond to, she decides to run away to him, to see if she too could find happiness as half of her siblings have found thus far.

the season ends with sophie and ben engaged and planning to live in the country where it is quiet and out of society's prying eyes, frannie being a widow and losing her unborn baby while michael has offed to india, and eloise running away to sir phillip crane.

s5 ~ eloise and phillip

marina crane has died a year or two earlier (while she thought her life could be full of happiness and contentment with her children, she did not find it to be good enough to keep on going), and her children are older now, but phillip does not know how to act as their father as they are out of control and he did not have good parentage growing up. he has been writing back and forth with eloise bridgerton for some time since his wife’s death and he would like to meet her in hopes she will be a good wife and mother to his children, something he is desperate for. and then eloise shows up without notice.

they discuss, and go on as planned, where they can see if each of them will make an acceptable spouse. both finding the other to be not quite what they imagined after a year or two of corresponding. the children do not want eloise there, and in fact continue to lay traps and prank her in hope to make her want to leave - though she is not deterred. and after a particularly nasty prank that leaves eloise harmed, things change from there between all of them.

her family still has no idea where she is, even after many days away. but it doesn't matter to eloise, because during her stay with phillip and his children, she is growing attached and she believes she could be falling in love with them all. but one night post the accident of the children causing her harm, ending up with a bruise on her face, all of her brothers appear one night to confront the situation and phillip, questioning what has been happening. and though nothing that would warrant scandal, it will still come upon them since eloise ran away, without a word and without a chaperone (despite her being a spinster) and thus leads to a proper courting. eloise is taken to stay with benedict and sophie, living not too far away out in the country and phillip goes back and forth to court her every day as such is proper, while they are chaperoned by eloise's family.

we also see some of francesca living with being a widow, and missing john more than anything. her struggle with wanting a child but not being ready to find a new husband. and missing michael since he has left to india with a list of places to visit from kate. she is still lady kilmartin while michael is away, and taking care of the estate in scotland, which keeps her mind and body busy enough to not stop and think about her grief for too long during the day. and hyacinth is now out in society still, on her first or second year out and while she is from the bridgerton clan (notorious for their attractiveness and looks and popularity), her prospects dwindle due to her "un-lady like" personality that seems to scare off any man. seeing her try to navigate the marriage mart differently than her sisters, with her mischeviousness and stubbornness and unable to stop talking and picking arguments. then seeing a little bit of gregory as an eligible bachelor now, still young and nowhere near wanting a bride, but wanting to find a purpose for himself like all his siblings have seemed to have done. and also seeing a glimpse into kanthony's marriage family life. kanthony as the viscount and viscountess with their children, maybe one or two by this point. and hopefully some sight into daphne and simon (hopefully have recasting simon by this point, sad to say) and their numerous children. hopefully polin will have a child by now, or at least pregnant.

when eloise runs away to benophie's home after one of her fights with phillip, instead of their son getting sick, i believe it will be sophie, in the middle of her being pregnant - benedict is distraught and when phillip shows up to find eloise, seeing a tenderhearted moment of his understanding on the fear of losing a wife and child all in one. and later phillip explains to eloise how marina died in fact compared to the story they were telling the public, and how they will get married. that eloise is not leaving, contradictory to phillip's fears. they find their way into loving each other as they continue to court more, with the chaperone of anthony, and their dynamic as a family - how eloise comes to love phillip's children despite them not being his, and not being hers. and how they decide to navigate parenthood together, promising that they are not their parents or the ones that came before them, and will be better.

[this is where my thoughts will become shorter just because we don't have much build up from the show, aka the supporting characters and what not, so my thoughts will most likely be just as they are in the books, hoping the show will try to stick closely to them]

s6 ~ francesca and michael

michael decides to return to london after some years in india. and francesca has decided to rejoin society, end her mourning, and find a new husband so she may have children of her own. and while michael did run away after becoming the new lord of kilmartin, and needing space from francesca, he is still very much in love with her, unbeknownst to her. but we see more of this, of the heartache he has put himself through over the years. watching his cousin and the woman he loves be happy together, and then the one thing that was keeping him from her happened, and he couldn't let himself take that happiness.

watching frannie and michael reunite, and try to find their friendship again, to michael learning frannie wants children and will be looking for a husband this season, to frannie seeing michael as more than just the friend/cousin he once was to her when john was still alive, to michael making frannie jealous with his numerable admirers.

more people start to notice michael's feelings for frannie, most notably violet and colin (surprisingly). and even seeing their new closeness. as frannie frequently visits michael's home to care for him and his malaria he contracted in india. their relationship becomes more than friendship as francesca battles with her feelings towards michael and not knowing what to do with them. and after finally giving in to their desires, francesca flees back to scotland in the middle of the season. leaving michael confused and unknowing of what to do. colin is the one to spur him into action, telling him it is better to try for his happiness than to not, just as he had with penelope. i can imagine even violet will mention such the same to frannie as well, violet finding another happiness in marcus anderson, lady danbury's brother. that it is okay for frannie to go after her own happiness in someone else, that she can still honor her late husband, and live for him even after he is gone.

and so michael pursues frannie, running after her to scotland. accepting that john would have wanted him to be happy, even if it was with frannie. and francesca continues to battle with herself over her feelings for michael. and after finding her in the kilmartin estate, confronting one another, and asking frannie to marry him, her not knowing an answer, to getting stuck walking through the hillsides in the rain, fleeing to the land's caretakers old home, sleeping together again - michael almost wanting to prove to frannie she could get pregnant after her insecurities that she could not. to frannie speaking with john's grave and accepting that this is what john would have wanted for her too.

and so she says yes to michael, she will marry him.

the rest of the married bridgertons have started their families, found happiness with their spouses, something that drove francesca into jealousy because why not her. (i don't have much idea to what the lives of the supporting characters and other bridgertons will look like at this point as we don't see much of them in the books and the timeline is all off now, so this is what i have thus far) :

violet will have found happiness with marcus (i hope so at least)

kanthony will have several children by now, and have long completely taken over the bridgerton name and kate becoming a wonderful viscountess. anthony is proving to be an excellent father, something he seemed to have been born to do, showing so with his siblings in earlier seasons

daphne and simon are still happy and with several children of their own

polin are as in love as ever, with a child or two now, having spent some of their early life traveling together. and colin having a book published and working on more.

benophie are happy in the country, living the quiet life with a child or two, living close to

philloise and keeping a good friendship between their families, as eloise and sophie grew close when she was el's lady's maid. and their children while years apart, grow up together as friends as well.

[hyacinth's story will follow and then gregory's, though i have yet to finish hyacinth's story and have not started gregory's. i will update the thread once i have done so!!!]

s7 ~ hyacinth and gareth

tbd

s8 ~ gregory and lucy

tbd

[morallysuperiorlips]

Struggling With Your Worldbuilding? Here's Some Help!

Alright, so. Worldbuilding. It's either your favorite thing in the world, or the bane of your existence. Either way, I'm here to help.

Worldbuilding, for me is a very long, tedious, and never ending process. Like everything I output, I base a lot of my things on vibes and aesthetic and personal feeling. It's all innate. However, I can't teach innate so let me tell you about the "routes" I go on when I'm mapping a world.

When it comes to worldbuilding, whether you're writing fanfic or something original, I found there are two roads you can go down when building up your lore:

Character-Based Worldbuilding and Fact-of-Life Worldbuilding.

Character-based worldbuilding is exactly how it sounds--it's a matter of feeling out the character and seeing what it is they like to do and how they function. From there, you might find "oh they like to do X, I want them to do X in the plot." From there, you can determine how X would work its way into your world, and from there you continue to ask yourself questions to further build your blocks upward.

I find it's really helpful to start with a character and find things you want to see them doing, then spark the road of block-building questions by kicking off with a "okay, how can I get this to work?" And this can go for a major plot point, or something as trivial as a side scene. And prepare to KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS because things will continuously pop up as you think about it and consider different angles, etc. etc. etc.

Fact-of-life worldbuilding can come from little puzzle pieces and inklings of things you want to see built into any given world and basically doing the same as above and crafting upward. This can go for a major plot point or some background lore that doesn't see much of the light of day but is there to help build a more lived-in world.

Still unsure of where to begin? There's also room to look at a story and think "what am I writing? What aesthetic/vibe do I want out of this?" and once you can answer that, do some visual intake to jump start your brain.

Look up things that are in line with the vibe you want. Watch shows that follow an aesthetic you crave. Read books in a similar bracket. Take notes of the things you've seen and push and mold them together in a way that reflects what you're going for.

FOR EXAMPLE, my WIP is heavily noir-esque, gothic, dark, so I took in a lot of content that catered to my desired vibes. While doing that, it helped me build into the "routes" I have.

I watched certain scenes of Attack on Titan, and as I witnessed the titans obliterate everything, I decided "Okay, I want the eldritch beasts in my world to get big enough to obliterate everything, what do I need to do within my world, that fits the setting and isn't directly copying AoT that can make that happen?"

When I watched Bridgerton and saw these women in flowing dresses in a regency aesthetic, I said "I want to put my protagonist in that aesthetic in this story, with a modern, darker, twist, so what needs to happen in the universe to get there, why would that aesthetic exist in a modern society?"

When I watched Hunger Games and saw all the capital people mingling around one another at the Victor's Ball in Catching Fire, I said "I want a scene like that in my fic, what needs to happen in universe for that to make sense?"

Likewise, I witness a lot of dumb shit irl, or am apart of certain things, or hear certain things and just think "I want that in my story, how do I need to build my world to get these things to fit?"

It's a lot of trial and error and cutting and reshaping. The world for my current WIP took me 10 years to build up and to this day I am still chipping away at it and changing things about it.

Side note, but I also always encourage working both major plot worldbuilding and trivial worldbuilding, because oftentimes major plot worldbuilding can lead to trivial worldbuilding and vice versa, and you should never knock the background shit. It gives readers stuff to theorize and speculate about aside from the plot, which I think is always fun. And again, that helps provides a very lived in world, which should always be the goal.

As always, have fun and go fucking write something today <3

[tinacentury]

2024 Fic Year in Review

Before re-reading my 2023 fic year in review post, I think I would have said “I’m feeling kind of weird about fandom stuff lately”. In 2023, I felt like fandom was kind of slipping away from me, and like, what the hell I am still doing here? In retrospect, I’m feeling less weird about it than I did last year, or at least have accepted the weirdness that comes along with still enjoying in a hobby that many have moved on from.

This year, I find that I’ve reflected more on the nature of fandom friendships than on fandom itself. I reposted a thing on bluesky a few weeks ago that was like (and I’m paraphrasing) “fandom friendships go from we like this same thing to here’s my trauma to please review my resume”, and I added “and then they go to not really talking and feeling wildly guilty about it or not really talking and feeling rejected or not really talking but still looking back on things fondly.” I think all of these things can be true at different times in the same friendships, and now I find myself looking up research about the nature of online intimacy, etc in an effort to understand (my psychologist brand remains consistent).

I guess my main point in saying all of this is that I’m sorry to anyone whom I’ve made feel bad by not staying in touch—I really do treasure every connection I’ve made across two different fandoms—and thank you to those who have made me feel like I’m worth it even when I’m not always great at maintaining relationships myself stayed in touch with me, even if our relationship looks different from how it used to. Every text (even the ones I have very, very delayed responses to), card, Facebook message, gift, comment and in-person meet-up (was lucky enough to have a couple of these this year!) has meant a lot to me this year. I hope you all have a cozy last few days of 2024, and I truly wish you all the best for 2025.

Anyway, on to the writing reflections.

List of fics completed this year (in order they were finished):

lol none 😬. I got married this year; life was busy.

Number of words written:

11,504 (lol see above)

Your most popular fic:

A Change of Time

Your personal fave:

A Change of Time

Your fave scene:

I think it’s the ball scene in a Change of Time, when Kate realizes Anthony isn’t a groom.

A fic or scene that challenged you:

My Before AU. I see now that it’s been almost a year since I updated it. I just wasn’t able to get into it this year, but I recently re-read it and was like, “oh this is good; I should continue”, so…that’s the goal.

A line of writing you’re proud of:

From the Before AU:

“ ‘I didn't say I was bad at it. Just that I didn't care for it.’ Kate laughed at the disgruntled huff Anthony let out that she could only describe as … adorable. It made her want to push—to tease—just a little bit more.”

A comment that touched you:

Someone commented on A Change of Time “thank you for being such a wonderful voice in the fandom” and, as someone who 1) didn’t feel at home in the fandom at the beginning and 2) often feels like I’m just word-vomiting thoughts that people secretly (or not-so-secretly) judge into the void, it meant a lot.

Something that inspired your writing:

@grantairesbottle, who got me out of a writing slump with her encouragement (also I’m coming back; it’s just been hard with holidays!)

Your proudest accomplishment:

Hmm last year one of my goals was to get back into writing regency Kanthony, and I’m proud of myself for doing that with a Change of Time

Do you have any writing goals for next year?

-finish a Change of Time

-finish write the next Chapter of my Before AU and take it from there

-stop getting in my own head and just enjoy this little writing hobby of mine

I tag @misstwentyynine, @grantairesbottle, and @uglygreenjacket if any of you want (and also anyone else who wants to!)

[theblackdandelion]

my theories for Bridgerton S3 pt2

might be a bit spoiler-y, so don't read if you want to be 100% in the dark (which is fair, i wish i had that kind of self-control)

my guess on what's gonna happen based on the teaser for pt2 and some photos that were released and then deleted from different ig accounts (about which i know thanks to Sammy Bates's videos):

afer Colin announces the engagment, Eloise and Pen have the arguement where El asks "does he know?" - Pen tells her she's gonna stop, that she will write her last column where she will say goodbey, she'll maybe even use a line from the books - "i cannot make heads or tails from a world where Penelope Featherington will marry a Bridgerton" (i'm paraphrasing). Eloise isn't happy but is willing to accept this for the time being

Queen is gonna be displeased with this - one of her few entertainments is going away? no way! we're gonna hunt her down using the ton and 5 grand!

Cressida gets on the train, El refuses to help her (saw this here, sorry, don't remember the user, but their friend from Ireland is a reporter and saw the whole season an told her what happened, apparently; plus one of the photos in Sammy Bates video is of what Cressida has written as LW), and this fake Whistledown is what gets delivered when Colin is looking scared or whatever around the 0:32 mark in the teaser for pt2 (see attached picture). Also, i think this whole scene is happening during their engagement ball or something similar, but also might be on their wedding, but i hope it's before the wedding

Pen gets angry, because no way is she letting Cressida of all people take her work, and decides to publish one more time. Colin finds out (one photo from Sammy's video is of Colin seein Pen in the printer shop with her blue cloak on), que Carriage Scene 2.0 (i heard there might be another one, but i don't recall whether it was just a someone saying "if only" or if it was someone who said they knew it was gonna happen). They fight, they take time apart, they'll make up. Sometimes during this Colin starts to figue oout "shit, i wanna be a writer", and Pen releases her pamphlet about Cressida not being LW

Cressida figures out Pen is LW and starts to blackmail her. Pen freaks out, Colin tells her to chill, he's got it covered (he loves to save Pen, this is basically another of his wet dreams coming true), he plans to tell everyone so Cressida won't be able to hold it above their heads, he tells Anthony and the rest of the family (at this point i'm just following the book's plot)

Pen has no idea wha Colin has planned, is very stressed, faints, everything ends up well. Her faintin was because she's pregnant (another user pointed out that in regency era stories fainting often meant that that chracter is pregnant and she doen't know yet), she's the one to give birth to a boy (her sisters have daughters), and she's the new Lord Featherington's mama

Bridgertons' reaction to who LW is

i also read somewhere that different people will find out who LW is and there's gonna be an array of reactions to the news. So, here are my guesses at he reactions:

Anthony - shock, just shock. He'll be looking at Colin for 5 minutes and just asking what??! with question marks instead of pupils

Benedict - he's gona laugh his ass of

Colin - anger, betrayal, jelaousy, acceptance, pride

Daphne - no Daphn this season, so no reaction. shame

Francesca - calm surprise

Gregory - he won't care that much, he's not that interested in gossip

Hyacinth - she's gona be over the moon. Her new sister is Lady Fucking Whistledown?! Fuck yeah!!! (she won○t be too happy about having to imitate glue, though. IYKYK)

Violet - she'll try not to lose her cool, and will be mostly perplexed. It's a depth of Penelope she never expected to exist, but at the end of the day, Colin loves her and that's all that matters to Mama Bridgerton

Kate - Kate's gonna be probably happy there's another person with more than half a braincell in this family, and won't be angry (there wasn't that many bad things Pen wrote about the Sharmas)

Also, I very much hope for bi!benedict to happen this season. if it doesn't i'll survive it, but it would just make sense if it did

If you read all the way here, congratulatons. Sorry for the typos and me giving up on upper case somewhere in the middle of this. Have a nice day. Get yourself a coockie, you diserve it.

All of those things are just my theories and nothing more. I don't know anything about the production of this or any other TV show. I am just an obssessed 25yo

[mortal-sarah]

please tell me about your regency AU bc I think about MethasJJ every time I hear the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack 😭

Yay thank you so much for asking! Okay now that I have to write this all out I’m a little self-conscious about properly conveying all the thoughts in my head! So bear with me please as this may get rambly, but basically the au follows both MethasJJ and OabWan. And MethasJJ is more Lizzie x Mr Darcy vibes/inspired and OabWan is a little more Bridgerton/almost tropey

Wan is a distant cousin of JJ’s family and after his parents died he was taken in by them as a ward. And if JJ is the Lizzie then Wan is kinda both his Charlotte and his Bennet family. Like they’re each other’s closest companion but Wan (much like in tldhlb) has a habit of getting in embarrassing situations and he’s kind of made a name for himself in the ton as being not up to society’s standards, some people feel he drags JJ’s reputation down by association.

There’s an incident at a ball where Wan trips and ruins the food table which is being set up/was cooked and prepared by none other than Oab who is working as a chef for the family that is hosting. Wan and Oab have a little fight, people gossip even more about Wan, and JJ gets all protective and drags him out of there. Oab also gets fired by the family because they blame him for the embarrassment the whole scene caused, even though it arguably embarrassed him and Wan more. From then on Wan stops being invited to balls and JJ refuses to go as well in solidarity and just because he’s protective and annoyed with the way polite society treats Wan.

Soon after this event Methas, who is of course a rich business man from a family with lots of money, moves into a property his family owns in the same area and one day he sees some asshole harassing and making fun of Wan and JJ on the street and JJ is just telling this man off and Methas steps in to be their charming knight in shining armor and JJ is like “I’ve got this handled” and is very not impressed by Methas which kind of throws him because people are usually fawning over him because he’s rich and handsome.

Methas finds himself unable to stay away from JJ and wanting to know more about him and as he spends a little more time with him he learns about the way the ton feels about Wan. He realizes this stresses out JJ so he comes up with a plan. They’ll bring in a rich handsome man to very publicly court Wan and everyone will be jealous and start to think better of him because he can get such a catch. The problem is that Methas doesn’t really have any friends or people he could trust to do this favor for him. But, he did one time screw over this family and the ward of the family still owes him a debt so he calls that man up. And that man is of course a recently unemployed Oab. Basically Oab has a similar backstory to his one in the show but instead of an apprentice to his master he was a ward taken in by their family and when Methas forced them into ruin with his cruel business practices Oab offered to take on the debt to try to help the family that helped him.

Methas pitches his brilliant plan to Wan and JJ who are like okay I guess? If you think it will work. And so Methas throws a ball to introduce the new couple to society. When Wan and Oab meet again they’re like “YOU!” But they both agree to go along with the fake-dating plan because they both feel stuck, Wan feels bad for being a burden to JJ and Oab has a debt to pay. So they pretend Oab is a rich Lord or something that Methas knows from university.

The plan miraculously starts to work. People look at Wan more favorably because of this perceived advantageous match. No one really recognizes Oab as the chef from the party because rich people never look at the help. But the father of the family who threw the party where the incident went down does recognize him after a while so Methas pays him off to not say anything. By this point JJ and Methas have started to have some banter and some of the disagreements like the ones they do in the show and Methas kind of uses this to be like “see money can buy anyone’s silence, people with money have the most power”.

I also kinda want Kluea to be here. Maybe he and Wan met in a shop one day and bonded and he is poor but he starts to become a rival for Wan’s hand and it makes the society even more interested in Wan because oohh he has two people trying to court him.

Oab and Wan start to very genuinely fall for each other and of course because they are disgraces to polite society they get a little hot and heavy (maybe in a hedge maze or something fun like that). Wan starts to feel like this all may work but he does reject Kluea when he tries to officially ask to court him and some nosy people listen in and it becomes a very public thing. Wan still feels good about things with him and Oab but! Then the guy who knows Oab isn’t a lord that Methas paid off decides to reveal Oab’s true identity. Oab and Wan are disgraced and their reputations once again come crashing down.

JJ is pissed. Oab has skipped town, Wan has basically locked himself in his room crying over losing Oab, and Methas is facing little to no repercussions or judgment for his role in all this because people inherently respect him more because of his money. JJ goes to confront Methas about the plan failing and frankly making things worse and Methas is all like “you’re over-reacting it will all be fine! In fact I have an idea that can fix this all: marry me!” And JJ is all what?? And Methas is like if you become my husband then Wan will technically be my family and people will respect him because of my good standing. And JJ just goes off on him, a la Lizzie’s rejection speech to Darcy after he proposes. He’s like “I don’t care about reputation or those stupid things, I never did! I just care that my brother and best friend was in love and now he’s heartbroken! I don’t want your money or your good standing or your protection! I just want my family to be happy! Against my better judgement I was starting to fall in love with you Methas but now I can see that you never cared about helping Wan or me. All you care about is money and the power you think you have over people.” He brings up that even though paying that guy off failed to keep him quiet Methas was still right in a roundabout way because people have left Methas alone about his involvement in the whole scandal because of his money and place in society. JJ is all “I guess you were right about how money conquers all and since that’s how you see the world I’m out”

So JJ leaves Methas heartbroken and he and Wan leave town to go stay with JJ’s parents (in my mind JJ’s parents went on like essentially a vacation to somewhere but liked it there so much that they ended up buying property there and living there mostly full time). Methas wallows for a few weeks realizing he fucked up. Eventually he decides to take action to get his man so the first course of action is to find Oab and 1 cancel his debt, and 2 convince him not to give up on his love for Wan just because of what happened. Then he and Oab go to where JJ and Wan are staying to both apologize and reconcile. Wan and Oab talk things out and realize they love each other and they only need each other and don’t care about what others think. Methas apologizes to JJ for all the problems his actions caused and actually articulates to JJ what he likes about him and that he has been in love with him for sometime now. JJ hesitantly forgives him and they all spend some time at JJ’s parents’ and Methas of course charms the hell out of JJ’s mother.

In the end JJ decides to sell the family home where he and Wan were formerly living and moves in with Methas into his summer home. I imagine it somewhere like Bath, where it’s a town that’s popular at certain times in the season for like courting but it has an off-season where it’s just a quiet little town. Methas spent most of his childhood summers here so he’s got some feelings about it because his family still died tragically in this au but they all agree they need to not move back to the society that judged them and treated them so harshly. Oab and Wan want to open a restaurant together and so Methas very graciously buys them a property that they make their home/restaurant. The restaurant becomes a well-loved staple of the town and both couples are very happy. Eventually Methas proposes to JJ very romantically in the beautiful gardens of their new home and he accepts. And they all live happily ever after!

Whew! That was a lot! I realize that there maybe wasn’t a huge focus on MethasJJ but in my mind while Wan and Oab are kind of the main conflict, Methas and JJ are very much the narrators who are having conversations with each other as all this goes down around them and are the perspective through which we see the story. Oab and Wan’s story kind of serves their story in a way if that makes any sense?

[scriberated]

Bridgerton S3 Part 1 Thoughts

TLDR: Worst season to date.

Specifics/spoilers below the cut.

In no particular order:

The costuming is awful - and I don't just mean historically inaccurate, cause they weren't the 1st two seasons either and I wasn't expecting them to be. Pretty much everything is either ugly or blatant product placement or both, with very few exceptions.

The Featheringtons are funny as shit and possibly the greatest redeeming quality of this season.

Too many subplots. Way too many. Mondritchs, Violet & Lord Anderson, Benedict and his FWB situation, Cressida & Eloise, Francesca (I understand they're setting up her season so I get it but it's a lot of screen time to spend on someone who isn't supposed to be the MC this season).

Collin did not do enough groveling.

Debling and Penelope are both hypocrites and ill-suited to each other. Both claimed they wanted a practical match with someone they could be companionable with but inevitably didn't work out because Debling wasn't okay with Penelope being in love with someone else (odd for someone who wasn't seeking love) and Penelope claimed she was resolved to a practical match but was actually hoping for love the whole time.

Considering they're supposed to get glow ups for their season, Collin's… wasn't it. His hair was awful and so was all the botox/lip flip. The coat was acceptable but felt very out of place.

They did make me sympathize with Cressida, which I didn't think was going to be a thing. I like her and Eloise together. Even if they don' t make it canon, I ship it a little bit.

The Balloon was the DUMBEST thing this whole season. The whole scene felt forced and insanely slow - like Pen had a whole 84 years to get out of the way, and it did not feel nearly as dire as they tried to make it out to be.

The soundtrack was the best thing about this whole season.

While I appreciate the parallel between Cressida and Penelope - both in their third season, practically on the shelf, facing dire futures - it didn't land the way it could have. Felt like a wasted opportunity.

Benedict and his FWB situation is annoying and stupid and was given entirely too much screen time.

Mama Bridgerton is canny and I love her for it. The blatant "oh btw Penelope is getting proposed to tonight" to kick Collin's butt into gear is fabulous even if it was obvious.

Brimsley and the Queen's relationship is still my favorite. Besties 4 Life.

I love Francesca and John just sitting together in contented silence. <3 Big fan.

Collin's attempts at being a rake didn't land. Like, if they were intending to do it as a way of showing him trying to be someone he isn't, it felt very forced and flat. Collin's characterization this whole season honestly feels very flat. It almost feels like he is still adrift, not invested in the stakes of the season.

Eloise calling on Cressida during calling hour is Gay and I will die on that hill.

Collin writing regency erotica is eternally funny to me. I see many potential AUs of him being a romance novelist and Penelope being his unwitting muse.

The Queen's wigs getting more and more ridiculous just absolutely sent me. The swans?? How did that even work mechanically? Like I'm all for some creative license but come on.

The Queen striking out three seasons in a row with her matchmaking is hilarious but also kind of sad.

Eloise and Cressida in the box during the last ball? GAY. I like them together. I know Eloise is supposed to wind up with someone else (Sir Phillip?) but GD they have chemistry.

Idc about Danbury's feud with her brother. It's so out of left field. Like I know they're maybe trying to build up to Violet finding someone to... tend to her Garden (and that person being Marcus) but it just feels... bleh. Unnecessary.

Portia Featherington is a shit mother and she deserves to be slapped.

I'll give them props for the increased representation - it was nice to see HOH/Deaf & disabled representation, even if it felt a little... token-y? I'm hoping there will be more so it will level out.

The carriage scene. Was it steamy? Yes. I'll give it to them. Luke and Nicola have great chemistry. But did Collin earn that??? After ruining her prospects and then literally ruining her???? No. His proposal immediately afterwards felt impulsive and lust driven instead of love driven, maybe even duty driven since he 'ruined' her. And we saw way more of him being into her than we did of her being into him, I felt like.

Overall... rushed, too crowded by subplots, flat, and frankly disappointing. I really hope they bring it back around come part two but the teaser honestly just makes it seem like it's going to be more of the same. It's missing the charm of the first two seasons - or of the Queen Charlotte spinoff, which I really enjoyed.

[macaroni-rascal]

I hate to say it, but Bridgerton has got to be one of the most uneven-quality pieces of media I've ever consumed. The way it can go from brilliant scenes with exquisite acting and writing and turn around a second later and have CWcore levels of manufactured drama and hokey performances. I'm utterly bored one minute and enthralled the next. They spent so much time building up Cressida but she just ended up being more of a plot device than a character and was unceremoniously discarded the second she'd served her narrative purpose. Kate has kicked Anthony out of bed TWICE this season, whymst? Couldn't be me. And the sheer whiplash from the slow burn Polin deliciousness in P1 to the overcrowded and crammed P2 where almost no moment could be earned or savored because the season should've been at least 10 episodes instead of 8. There's incredible detail and insane craftsmanship to all the design of the show but such silly continuity errors that I sometimes wonder if the different departments even talk to each other. On a certain level I should know what to expect from a Shondaland production at this point in my TV watching career, but I can't help but think that the show never *truly* reaches its full potential. It's just such a mindfuck that a show can both be junk food for the brain *and* approach generational cultural milestone status. I appreciate so much of it but at the same time I want to change so many things, especially surrounding pacing and focus, it's infuriating.

Here's my take: I think it's a show to watch with soft eyes.

I agree with you on almost everything, but I also don't want to take the show too seriously, because I'm just here for the dumb fun regency romance of it all. If I really dove deep I would 100% change stuff, but I'm making the conscious choice to just float on the surface of the water and go 'ohhhh pretty girl in pretty dress getting loved up! ohhh ball gowns! ohhhh drama! angst! hands kisses!'

I could also spend hours on the Shondaland of it all, but I would rather just stare at gifsets of Colin and Pen being in love/adorable/hot with each other, so that's what I'm gonna do. Not trying to yuck your yum, feel all your feelings and think all your thoughts. For me, personally, some media avails itself to closer inspection, and some of is just fluff that makes hearts happy as long as you don't look too close.

[21stcenturygworl]

A Blank Dance Card

Arthur Morgan x (female) Reader, Regency AU 💕

For the Valentine Gift Exchange by @rdrevents! Written for @starlight-starwrites. Thank you for the great prompts, Star! I hope I did them justice.

This is so extremely campy, but I had great fun writing it. I hope y'all have great fun reading it too!

.✧.

One of the joys of being a debutante on the marriage market is finally, finally being able to indulge in the gossip firsthand. Previous seasons, you had to wring every last drop of information out of your friends, who one by one were swooped off their feet by gentlemen looking to win their hearts. Now, you can huddle together with the other girls, whispering and giggling amongst yourselves as you steal glances at the eligible bachelors at Lady Coulston's ball.

You’re quite some years older than most debutantes of this season. It was your mother’s decision, mostly (your father had just told her, “Yes, dear. As you wish, dear. Anything you want, dear.”). She didn’t want you to be married off too young, instead wanting you to become a well-rounded young lady first through travel and further education. You had protested initially, terrified of ending up a spinster, but your mother had promised that she wouldn’t make you wait that long.

You still feel like a spinster between all the younger girls, though.

The ball hosted by Lady Coulston is a grand affair, with the walls adorned with intricate tapestries and richly painted scenes. The floors are marble (Italian marble, she had pointed out to your mother), polished to a glossy sheen, and the ceiling is painted with beautiful frescoes. Walking across the marble floor already has your heels click with a satisfying sound, and you can only imagine what it would be like to walk through this ballroom by yourself.

Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, adding a touch of opulence to the room. Music fills the air, with the strains of a string quartet and a harpsichord playing romantic melodies. Many guests have taken to the dance floor. They twirl across the marble to the melody of the music, the dancers becoming a blur of colours, beautiful fabrics catching the light of the chandeliers above.

Unlike them, however, you have nobody to dance with.

Not a single eligible bachelor has approached you all night. Occasionally one would approach your little group of debutantes, but always to ask one of the other girls to dance, or to make a turn around the room together.

The paper of your dance card is a plain, stark white. Blank.

It’s mortifying, almost. But at least Lady Coulston’s pastry chefs make your attendance worth it. You take solace in the delectable cannolis that nobody else seems to have noticed. Lady Coulston must really like Italy.

.✧.

Arthur doesn’t want to be here.

He hadn’t even wanted to travel across the pond in the first place, and neither did John. But Dutch had insisted that for the adoption process to be finalised, they had to come with him to London. “We’ll head back immediately after,” his now-father promised them.

Apparently in England, “immediately after” means a month or two later.

So here he is, standing in Lady Coulston's ballroom, trying to blend in with the crowd. Arthur had heard stories about the balls, and he’s received countless instructions for how to behave, but he still feels terribly out of place. The grandeur of the room is intimidating and almost suffocating to a young man like Arthur, who spent years sleeping under the stars on windswept prairies.

It’s almost inconceivable to watch Dutch, the same man who had once told Arthur that he was done with the upper class, working his charm on the guests at the ball. It's almost unfathomable that this is the same man who had spent so much of his time in America swindling the wealthy, and yet here he is, a Baron of all things. Arthur is silently hoping that Dutch will turn and give him a sly wink and tell him “It was all just a scheme!”, but it never happens.

Dutch had deemed John too young to attend a ball, meaning Arthur is now stuck by Dutch’s side as he speaks to a Lord and Lady Gardner, who are both hanging onto every word he says as he tells them about his exploits in the American West.

“I will say, I was tempted to stay there,” Dutch says, gesturing vaguely as he speaks. “It’s a very different land from here. A land full of opportunities. The people here in England do not have the spine to take risks the way those in America do.” He pauses, as if reminiscing. “And all the unspoiled nature… By God, Lord and Lady Gardner, it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. Beyond beautiful.”

“My, I can hardly imagine it!” Lady Gardner says, wearing a giddy smile. “It all seems so far away. Perhaps we should visit too someday, dear? It would be so nice to travel a little again, just like we used to when we were younger…”

“Perhaps,” Lord Gardner says, smiling a little uncomfortably. “But perhaps we should first make sure our daughter is married before we do.”

Lady Gardner puts a reassuring hand on her husband’s arm. “Of course, dear.” Turning to Dutch and Arthur, she asks, “Have you met our daughter yet? It’s her first season on the marriage market this year. Very exciting.”

Dutch smiles, corners of his eyes crinkling. “Very exciting indeed. I do not believe we’ve had the pleasure of making her acquaintance yet.”

“Let me see, where is she…” Lady Gardner peers across the ballroom, then lets out a little “Oh!” before she begins calling to her daughter.

.✧.

You whip around from where you stand next to one of the many refreshments tables, halfway stuffing a cannoli in your mouth.

“Dearest!” your mother calls out to you, waving you over with an excited smile. Oh, this is mortifying. You try to swallow the cannoli quickly before other people notice, but it’s already too late. At least you didn’t get any crumbs or cream on your dress this time.

Quickly you compose yourself before striding over to the little gathering, weaving through the crowd. When you reach them, you realise that the men your parents are speaking to are the Baron of Whitchurch, and one of his recently-adopted sons.

Now here is where the gossip comes into play. You had heard many a scandalous story of how Lord Van der Linde (whose family weren’t even English aristocrats to begin with!) had run off to America for nearly a decade. When he finally returned, he brought back two orphans with him who he had adopted and made the heirs to his titles and estates. The legality of it was dubious at best, and immediately a new scandal was born. The future Baron of Whitchurch would be a man with not a single drop of aristocratic blood.

Nobody had told you that the future Baron of Whitchurch was also incredibly handsome.

Your mother is your saving grace, because only when she speaks to introduce you, do you realise that you’ve been staring. You quickly avert your gaze and curtsy with your head inclined. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” Straightening out, you remember your manners and ask, “Are you enjoying tonight’s festivities?”

“We certainly are, thank you kindly for asking,” Lord Van der Linde says. “This is my son, Arthur.”

Arthur. You like that name. It suits him perfectly, highlighting the impressive stature of his broad shoulders and tall frame. Yet, despite the impressive physicality, there is something gentle about him, something that you can't quite put your finger on. After a moment's thought, you realise it’s his eyes; the way they seem to reflect an inner kindness, a beautiful shade of blue.

“This is the first time Arthur is attending a ball,” your mother tells you with a low voice, as if it’s a secret. (It’s really not.) “Why don’t you take him for a turn around the room? I’m sure there’s lots you two can talk about.”

You and Arthur unintentionally share a look, and you seem to reach the same conclusion as him: We have nothing to talk about.

You muster up an almost-convincing smile as you take a step forward. "Shall we take a turn around the room, Mr Van der Linde?" you ask, feeling a bit strange at the formal words coming out of your mouth. Arthur nods, then seems to remember himself and offers you his arm.

.✧.

The two of you walk in silence for a few moments, strolling along the perimeter of the impossibly large ballroom, until Arthur finally speaks. "Erm… Apologies for my lack of conversation skills, Miss Gardner," he says, his voice a bit awkward. He’s suddenly terribly aware of how different his accent is from yours, and the realisation only serves to make him speak quieter. "I… I ain’t used to being at a ball like this, and I'm not sure what to say."

You tilt your head slightly, looking up at him through your lashes. Arthur feels his chest tighten. “It’s alright,” you say, your gloved hand giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. “I can only imagine how strange all of this must be for you, Mr Van der Linde.”

A nervous chuckle escapes him. “Strange is an understatement.” He pauses, considering his words, and then carefully says, “I… I prefer Mr Morgan, actually. Dutch— I mean, Lord Van der Linde only really became a father figure to me when I was already a young man.”

You nod, seeming to understand his reluctance. Or at least pretend to. "I'm sure that's true for many adopted children," you say, voice gentle and sympathetic. You smile at him in an attempt to offer some levity. "How are you enjoying your time in England so far? It must be very different from what you’re used to. Especially the weather, I would guess.”

Arthur returns the smile as his nerves slip away. You’re trying your best to be warm and welcoming to him. Though it is at the behest of your mother, it’s still more than he can say about the other people at the ball — who have mostly stared at him while whispering amongst themselves. "It is," he says, "The weather too, I s’pose. But mostly the people, and the, uh… way of life.” He looks around the room, taking in the elegant décor and the finely-dressed people. "It's all certainly an experience. I ain’t ever seen anythin’ like this before. I wasn’t… raised in high society."

“Well,” you begin as you mull over his words for a moment. You then flash him a wide smile. “You’re going to have lots to learn and catch up on before you become the Baron of Whitchurch.”

Arthur feels his heart skip a beat, and he swallows thickly. “I’m afraid so,” he says.

“I’m sure you’re up for the task, Mr Morgan. I believe in you.”

Despite the rather disappointing start of the evening, Arthur now suddenly doesn't want it to end anymore. He finds himself liking the way you hold onto his arm, speaking with him and making him feel like he's the most important person in the world right now. You're so, so beautiful, too. Half of your hair is pinned up, the loose sections cascading down your back like a waterfall of silk. The bodice of your dress fits snugly around your chest, the skirts flowing gracefully with every step you take. You feel like someone so far out of reach for him, yet you’re right here next to him.

He blinks when he realises he’s been staring at you. He’s grateful when he sees that you’ve been looking elsewhere — but your expression is wistful. You’re watching the people on the dance floor twirl about and laugh giddily amongst themselves.

“I hope I’m not takin’ up too much of your time, Miss Gardner,” Arthur says, and you look back at him. “I’m sure there’s another gentleman waitin’ for your attention.”

You shake your head, a sad smile gracing your features. “I’m afraid not, Mr Morgan. Nobody’s asked me to dance, tonight.” You show your dance card with your free hand, and Arthur sees that it’s empty. “I fear I may not be as tempting as the younger ladies,” you say with a hollow chuckle. “But it’s alright. I’m enjoying myself here with you.”

Arthur's heart twinges at your words and he finds himself wanting to say something comforting, but he's not sure what. All these fools wouldn’t want to ask a beauty like you to dance with them? Anger bubbles in his chest, but he quickly pushes it down. It’s a completely stupid and hopeless task, but he knows what he has to do. Mustering up every ounce of courage in his body, he clears his throat and then asks, “Miss Gardner, would you do me the honour of dancin’ with me?”

You look up at him, almost as if you can't believe your ears. Your eyes light up and you smile, a brilliant and genuine smile that makes Arthur's heart flutter. "It would be my pleasure, Mr Morgan," you say, before curtsying gracefully.

He takes your hand in his and leads you to the dance floor as the music changes, and the musicians begin to play a waltz. Arthur holds you — as he learned during his lessons — and though his steps are a little awkward and stiff, you’re most certainly dancing together. As you start twirling around the room, Arthur finds himself mesmerised by you. He had thought you beautiful before, but now, as he watches you spin around and laugh with him, he's certain that you are the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

How tempted he is to lean forward and kiss you.

It’s not the right way to do things, though. Not here, not now. Not with a woman of your standing. So he spends the rest of the night with you. Dancing, talking, and even laughing together. And when the evening draws to a close, and your parents have called you to tell you that it’s time to take the carriage home, Arthur takes your hand and presses a kiss to your gloved fingers.

“Miss Gardner, before you go,” he begins. He straightens out, still holding your hand. “May I… may I call on you tomorrow afternoon?” he asks, stumbling over his words a little.

You look at him adoringly, cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink as you smile and nod. “Yes. Yes, you may.” You bite your lip, trying to suppress a giddy smile. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Mr Morgan. Good night.”

[crotchety-old-emu]

Hi can I ask about your writing process regarding "our love is these days' piano"? How do you usually write, do you plan out everything in advance, or just use a general outline? How hard it is to write a story that takes place in the Regency? Do you do a lot of historical research? (I really enjoy looking up the little things you sprinkle in there, like Robin Adair) What is the best advice you wish you would have known when you started writing?

hi! thank you so much for this amazing message. it makes me feel like a *real writer*.

i usually follow the same process when writing a story. i always start with an outline, which i break up into scenes so i know exactly when certain events take place.

however, with olitdp my outline has changed a million times. i usually wait until a story is finished to post it, so it mostly ends up being pretty much what i originally planned it to be. with olitdp, i've had so much amazing feedback that has helped change the story substantially. it was only ever supposed to be 6 chapters. so in all honesty, if you like the story, it's as much your accomplishment as mine.

i have to admit, though, it is bloody hard writing regency. i'd say this is probably the most challenging story i've ever written, because - for some unfathomable reason - i wanted to stay as close to regency english as i could and it requires a fuckton of research. i'm not a historian, and certainly not a historical linguist. so most of the time i spend on this story, goes into looking up if certain words or expressions existed in the regency era. i have several tabs open with etymological dictionaries and thesauruses as i write, plus i consult pride and prejudice (my main inspiration) on project gutenberg constantly to see if jane austen used certain words.

i want to make it extremely clear, though, that i am not saying that i've never used any words that did not exist in regency times. i 100% did, but i try to avoid modern words that would stand out like a sore thumb as much as i can.

this is why it takes me a million years to complete a chapter, by the way. pretty much all the dialogue is written out for the entirety of the story (unless my amazing readers inspire me to change the outline yet again). but all the actions in between, choosing the right and period-appropriate words to describe them, takes hours and hours of research.

as for other research, i have gone down many a regency rabbit hole. i have spent days reading about the correct order in which to enter or exit a dining room, the layout of upper class regency houses, the way a regency household is structured, popular books and songs of the time, clothing items and fabrics and lately, regency dances (which will play a key part in the next chapter 👀).

if you're writing regency stories and want detailed information and video clips of regency dances, this website is the most brilliant resource. it has helped me out so much. highly recommend.

a few other great websites, that gave me a lot of insight and understanding of the how and why of the regency period are, in no particular order:

jane austen's world (just great in general)

regency history (especially the page i linked to, on how to behave at regency balls)

ellie dashwood (youtube channel that has truckloads of information on regency novels, a lot of them jane austen's)

if i had to give any advice - not that i am in any way an authority on writing recency pieces - it would be to not do it 😅. or at least, don't stick to the regency english. it has slowed down my writing so, so much and while i am quite pleased with all the research i've done, i have made it so much harder to tell the story i want to tell, and i am constantly worried i am veering off into purple prose territory with the words i do decide to use.

i have been working on a new penthony-story (mostly in my head, though) for a while and i'm definitely setting it in modern times because i just want to be able to write without second-guessing myself with every word.

should you decide to try and stay as true to regency language as you can, i would heartily recommend pulling up a regency novel (doesn't have to be austen) and checking it for certain expressions and vocabulary as you go along. i think that, far more than the etymology websites, has helped me decide on the wording of my story. plus, bonus re-reading of some of your favourite pieces of literature. (i do get lost in p&p every once in a while, and i LOVE it).

if you managed to get to the end of this ranty post, i commend you, dear reader. thank you so, so much. i cannot tell you guys enough how much your interest and interaction with me have inspired me and helped me shape the story.

and you, @cardeakelsey: what an amazing ask this was. thank you so much for taking the time to notice the tiny things i put in there and for appreciating them. it genuinely means the world.

[nebulousfishgills]

Behind the scenes for Necrosis please!

1, 6, 7, 11, 17, and 21

Okay let's see here, one essay coming up :)

1) How long did it take you to write this fic?

According to AO3, I published the first chapter on April 20th, 2023 and finished it on October 5th, 2023, so theoretically that's just about 5 and a half months. Of course that doesn't include writing that first chapter and planning it out.

Although, I have planning messages (I wrote my outline on Discord like a Normal Person) that I first wrote on March 29th of that year. So... like six and a half months or so? Give or take?

Damn, when I do the math I'm kind of insane for that.

6) What do you need to write? Is there anything special you need to do/have to help your creative flow?

I have to have some kind of background noise, but that's just a general necessity for me. I can't do complete silence or I can't function. My headphones are going like 70% of the day playing music or whatever.

Writing specifically though, and for Necrosis specifically since that's the focus of the ask, typically it was like, rain/castle/fireplace ambiance. This one was my go-to:

Sometimes I'd also use instrumental tracks/playlists depending on the vibes, or even my Emily playlist (the Twilight one, ofc... god the fact that I need to fucking specify...).

7) What inspired the idea for the plot?

Okay so honestly, with Necrosis I just kinda found the plot along the way.

I knew I wanted to do a sequel to Diplopia of some kind to really give myself a sandbox to play in and see where this story could potentially go. But, eventually I found what I would consider to be my three main plot points, what I would later consider to be the three main arcs or "acts" of the story: Mele and Emily's "unwitting motherhood" arc, the ball and the disaster that befell that, and what I like to call "The People vs. Aro Volturi."

Mele just kind of came to me in a flash of inspiration after scrolling through wikis and looking into Life and Death (genderbent Twilight) and to be honest, all of it kind of stems from that idea. Life and Death has a lot of similar beats in the backstory for the Volturi presented. Sulpicia witnessing Didyme's murder, reporting it, having Mele steal Aro's gift to give it to her before he's executed. Regency ends up two-thirds female, you get the idea. Shipping her with Jane was just me having some fun.

One of my HUGE big brain moments was me deciding to have Athenodora's murder be orchestrated by Aro because he knew that she knew about his sister. In the original story of Diplopia (the full thing, not the very original one shot), I had Athenodora be dead just to cut down on the chaos of the whole situation, but I actually took inspiration from Caius' canon backstory for it. He hates werewolves in canon because he was almost killed by one and is utterly terrified of them. In my version, he hates them because werewolves killed his wife.

The subplot of Necrosis with Emily finding Athenodora's journal and putting the pieces together about what actually happened is still something I'm very proud of because that wasn't the original intention of Athenodora being absent, and I'm also proud that I had Thena's knowledge be somewhat of a mystery as well, so the reader only realizes it once Emily points it out when she's delivering her litigation.

Anyways, that was a tangent for only one plot point.

I chose to have a ball in the middle because I feel like it can be a staple in Volturi fics, and also because I wanted to include some more traditional vampire-type tropes. I wouldn't go as far to call it like a "red herring" part of the fic since it seems like a weird distraction from the main plot...

And this is where I admit that the HARDEST part of planning this fic was figuring out the conflict, and ultimately I landed on another Twilight fic staple: Newborn army conspiracy.

I knew that whatever this conflict was, it was only meant to be a plot device/distraction from the actual conflict of the fic, which was Emily dealing with this forbidden knowledge about what happened to Didyme. But this plot also couldn't be entirely pointless because it had to lead to some type of explosion that lead Emily to announcing this information. It was a lot of complex pinboarding in my head. So, I kinda just landed on Newborn Vampire Army and let that do what it will.

Fun fact about that, if in that first group of newborns caught in chapter 2, one of those vampires seemed a liiiiittle personal (the one Emily executes herself), it's because I based him on my ex. So.

Anyways, naturally the last plot point was the main reason I wrote the whole fic. Didyme and all that backstory is an aspect of the Twilight lore that fascinates me because it's genuinely interesting, yet never mentioned or expanded upon and I LOVE fics that deal with it.

I had to leave little breadcrumbs leading up to it, and I even foreshadowed it in Diplopia when I had Emily tell Sulpicia that she was sure "someone [t]here has sororicide on their conscience." Which seems like a highly specific and odd detail unless You Know.

Necrosis was all about showing some growth for Emily. She's been in Survival Mode for most of her life, and now that she's comfortable, she can enter that Growth Stage of living. Diplopia wasn't about character development, at its core it was about me being silly. Necrosis' entire thesis is basically me flipping a fat bird to Stephenie Meyer's dumb and hypocritical tidbit about vampires being static beings incapable of developing. Emily has the ability to care about others and for the greater good, she just was never in a position to try.

Those three plot points kind of showcase those developmental phases. Caring for and helping Mele learn and grow (theoretically this parallels Eleven), letting herself be frivolous and enjoy herself for the hell of it (dressing up all fancy, dancing, this arc even opens with Emily in bed with Heidi to explore her sexuality), and then choosing to act in the interest of the greater good because it was the right thing to do.

So, tl;dr, Necrosis' plot was very complicated to map out because I had the different destinations I wanted, but had to do some work to chart the courses.

11) Was there a scene you hadn't originally planned to include? Why did you decide to fit it in?

To be honest, most of Necrosis happened as I planned it, convoluted as it was. There weren't many outtakes, if any that I can remember. I suppose there were tidbits that I'd debated about including or not before ultimately deciding to add them in anyways. Emily and Heidi being intimate springs to mind as one of these elements because I always had assumed that they had some type of physical relationship, but only really implied or mentioned in passing. I felt bold, though, and just decided "fuck it."

I did this silly doodle a while back using that lesbian eyeshadow meme as a template (it's not very good, be warned) and I've made memes about them having some type of intimate relationship.

Something else that I never did explicitly state but I've headcanoned since basically the veeeeeerry beginning was some type of similar relationship between Emily and Sulpicia, even if it was only like once or twice. Maybe in my mind I think the way it goes is that Heidi was very obviously some type of awakening for Emily and when she's confused by this, she asked Sulpicia what the fuck is going on and Emily basically has to get the "gay urges" talk from Picia. Then, perhaps similar to that bit in Game of Thrones with Daenerys and her handmaiden in the first season, Emily has Picia show her what to do with a woman before she tries to work her almost nonexistent charm on Heidi... tbh this might make for a good one shot.

Emily's the embodiment of repression, and she fell into a coven of actual slut vampires that do whatever they want is what I'm saying.

17) What was the hardest scene to write?

"Hard" can have multiple definitions. If we were to say scenes I was dragging my feet to get through, I'd probably say some of the ball scenes because they just weren't as meaty as I would have liked and I was itching to get to the chaos of the After.

Smut actually got easier overtime because I was practicing in private for little personal projects, but the hard part eventually became a wording issue. I've learned how to get nastier with it, but I know I need to hold myself back in certain regards because a) it's not the focus of the fic and b) not everyone is into hardcore smut. It's a balance that must be hit, but as one of my friends put it, "having to be eloquent about it is like pulling teeth."

Hard emotionally, I'd say that the bit in the last chapter when Emily and Caius are talking about outliving everything and everyone they knew. It was my last chapter and I hadn't intended for it to get that deep at all, but it was 2 AM and my brain just kind of led me down that angst ramble unplanned. Finishing Necrosis was always gonna be emotional for me and that just really hit a certain way. I actually had to stop and finish it in the morning because I had started crying over it.

It was the existentialism and my chronic "Emily Leaving Henry" guilt flaring up with a vengeance.

21) What was something you didn't expect people to notice or gravitate towards in this fic?

Something that was funny to me was how you in particular seemed suspicious of Mele and her actions lmao. I can totally see why, but honestly her quick acceptance of vampirism can be boiled down to three things:

1) In some ways she felt like some type of caricature of people who want to be vampires and would be like "yeah sure fuck it."

2) Plot Reasons/Mating Bond with Jane. Mating bonds/pulls aren't technically even a canon thing, but like eeeeeevery fic uses it to the point that it basically is canon. Another example of this is Caius being a painter. Not technically canon per se, but it's a pretty universally accepted headcanon.

3) I'm lazy. Somethings are just easier to handwave.

Although admittedly Mele being some type of twist villain would 100% be some type of shit I'd pull, so I don't blame people for thinking about it. It honestly hadn't ever crossed my mind because my lizard brain was focused on getting to Emily exposing Aro's secret.

And honestly, Emily trying "Caring for a Supernatural Child 2: Electric Boogaloo" was just such a fun concept.

I wonder if Eleven will ever know that she has several non biological/they're emotionally Emily's children siblings. One of them's also named Jane, how funny.

[too-many-rooks]

Writing procrastination game!

Thanks @lastlymatt for tagging me, I got rambly so I’ll put this under a ‘read more’

Tagging @pigandpepper @known-concepts @countessrivers

1.) what’s the name of one of your wips?

My doc names are usually very boring 95% of the time I finish a fic and think it’s ready to post and realise I need a title. How about ‘Yassen Bedroom Visit’?

2.) Describe a Wip in the format of __+__=__

SCORPIA heir Alex + totally normal kidnapping and drugging in the middle of the night get to safety orienteering exercises = childhood trauma

3.) What tags/warnings will one of your Wips need if you share it?

Forced child seperation?

4.) alternative title to a wip?

I don’t really have alternate titles! Titles tend to come pretty late in the process!

5.) which wip are you most likely to update/finish next?

Probably one of my s3 aus I’ve got brewing, there’s a longer thing I posted the first chapter of today but I also have some one shots, one where Yassen gets wounded fighting off Alex’s enemies and Alex basically has to hold him down to say he cares about him, and another where Yassen comes to chat to him in the middle of the night (while Alex is sleeping) and they catch up.

6.) what is one of your wip’s document title, not what it’s name is but what you have it saved as?

Again, extremely boring. Some examples - ‘Tom/House introduction’, ‘stables’, ‘the ball’, ‘heir apparent 1-9’, ‘hunting’ ‘hostage’ ‘orienteering.’

On reflection, these are very badly organised. But, hey Ho.

7.) post any sentence from your WIP?

Okay this took me forever to decide bc I want to share like, all of my sentences, but here’s a sentence from my SCORPIA heir Alex thing where Yassen just tries to take a day off, but is interrupted by Alex sneaking out of school/the country and mountain his school is on

‘Rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, he blocked out the little blonde headache sat before him, and sighed, already imagining the state of his email inbox when he got back to his laptop, which he’d sworn would stay folded in its case for the rest of the day.

“And how long ago was this? When should I start expecting panicked calls from your father?”‘

8.) a scrapped idea from your WIP?

Not necessarily a scrapped idea but evidently one I forgot about and rediscovered as I was flicking through google docs - originally a pre-season 3 idea (but could work post s3) where Yassen retires, and decides it’s time for Alex to retire too, even if he doesn’t want to. Very “congratulations you are being adopted! Do not resist.” Meme with Yassen that I’ve seen on here, the bit I’d written was him contemplating the least traumatising way to kidnap him, to make sure they’re a happy family unit post-kidnapping

9.) what’s a story you would love to write but have yet to start?

Alex sees dead people AU - Ian knows, when he dies his ghost becomes bound to Alex, and helps take care of him/watch over him in the field, Alex bumps into Yassen at Point Blanc and immediately recognises the ghost bound to him as his father, especially as he begs the assassin to stop pretending like he can’t hear him for once and let him see his son, to protect him.

10.) how many WIPs are you actively working on?

Four - regency fic, darker Alex s3 au, two other s3 aus I mentioned earlier. Suprised myself by how much of this longer ‘SCORPIA heir’ Alex thing that I’d put off for a while I’ve actually written. That’s one that I really want to finish before I start posting bc I’m bad at doing work without an immediate emotional reward/it’s a longer than anything I’ve written before and I don’t want to give up on it when it’s half published. I had been delaying it till after s3 but maybe time to get to work (will try and finish regency fic first)

11.) is there a scene your struggling to write now?

Oh I mean so many but the most immediate stumbling block is with the regency fic, chapter after this one they go to a ball and that’s almost basically written and so is a lot of the next two chapters but there’s things I need to thread into this chapter that just don’t want to be threaded - I need Alex to start being a bit more suspicious of Yassen, and remember that whole thing about his uncle being murdered now he’s a bit passed the initial princess diaries revelation moment.

I was thinking like Alex waiting up for him on Christmas Eve or something and falls asleep then is woken by Yassen sneaking back in and Alex noticed he’s got blood on his clothes or something and Yassen just shrugs him off and reacts more strictly/authoritatively than he has before. But the scene is a bit sludgy I my mind atm.

12.) Not a question but a second kudos!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend Book Review 🦇

❝ She thinks about her a lot, of course. And the days are better when they get to be together. And when she's dressing for balls now she thinks more of what Beth might think of her gown than what any of the young men might. And holding Beth's hand today made her feel more than she's ever felt dancing with anyone...They're friends. Shouldn't she love her friend? ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite Bridgerton pairing? ❓ 🦇 Anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, while Gwen is on her fourth season with no intention of finding a husband. Unknown to them both, their single parents seem to have a history. Getting them married could save all their problems. Only one hitch: they seem to hate each other. Can Beth and Gwen bring their parents together...all while ignoring the budding feelings they seem to have for each other?

💜 I'll admit it: the tagline "a swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance" and promise of a "lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap" caught my eye. Gwen is a firecracker from her introduction, while Beth is everything you would expect from a demure debut searching for a husband. There's an instant spark from the moment they meet; a subtle yet undeniable chemistry many of us have experienced after meeting our (platonic or romantic) soulmates. Every scene between them is full of energy. They're each other's ideal halves: Gwen is bold, energetic, and as charming as her father, while Beth is sweet, amiable, and reserved. They get into Parent-Trap-style shenanigans with one another while simultaneously bringing out the best in each other. We see Beth's character growth through her time with Gwen as much as we see Gwen grow after meeting Beth.

🦇 It's funny but before reading the plot, both the title and cover reminded me of The Fiancee Farce, which led me to expect something more modern. Despite the story's setting in the Regency period, the writing (everything from the prose and exposition to jokes and attitudes) seems more modern than expected. The only aspect that reminded me of any classic story (like Jane Austen) or recent Regency novel (like Bridgerton) was the pacing. The first 30% of the story drags without the type of messy antics or conflicts that would have driven the story forward. It felt like a modern story dressed up as a Regency period tale. The overlapping plots (the sapphic relationship, Beth searching for a husband, and the Parent-Trapping) aren't weaved together with cohesion that would have helped the pacing. Because of the uneven pacing, the transition from friends to more comes off as sudden instead of a natural progression. The dual third-person limited, present-tense POV was also a strange choice, which made the prose awkward at times.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Bridgerton, Parent Trap, and Victorian romances. There are also a few Swiftie references (for those of you who feel compelled to read a book for that sort of thing).

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🩷 Victorian Era Romance 🩷 Sapphic Romance 🩷 Forbidden Romance 🩷 Friends to Lovers 🩷 Dual POV

⚠️ Content Warnings: Domestic, Emotional, and Physical Abuse; Sexual Content; Sexism; Death of a Parent

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[nerdierholler]

Regency vampires and Book of Death!! I would love to hear more!!

Thank you for asking!

The initial worldbuilding for the Regency Vampires is here (fixed link) there's about 15 short posts if you want to know more. WHOOPS the original link was funky and missing stuff. I fixed it.

And I've posted a few things previously for the Psychopomps here.

There's some snippets of both under the cut!

Regency Vampires

TL;DR, In this world, vampires live openly as part of, if not entirely accepted by, upper society and have done so for several centuries. They're bound by strict rules and closely monitored, but of course on the surface everyone is oh so polite. I don't have many scenes for this written but here is the vampire heroine running into a vampire friend at a ball.

“I’m only recently arrived back. A slight wound sent me home earlier than planned.” “I’m sorry to hear that, I hope it was nothing serious.” James rubbed a hand over his shoulder, his face betraying a barest hint of remembered pain. “Nothing of concern and already well on its way to being healed, although I imagine it will leave a scar behind as a reminder.” Bess did her best to hide the concern and surprise that threatened to come to the surface. Those of the kindred did not scar easily, that James mentioned it at all meant it must have been a serious injury. She nodded in unspoken acknowledgement, “I’m glad it was nothing more serious and you have returned to your family. Will you be staying in London for the season while you recover?” “Yes, the family thinks I could use some pleasant diversions after being abroad for so long. They were quite insistent in fact.” Bess understood completely, the Banelfords wanted to parade him before the ton to show the great service their family had provided, in accordance with the charter.

(Psycho)pomps and Circumstance

They really are a bit of a chaos crew. I love them dearly but could never come up with any big plot, it's all slice of life and little conversations. Maybe that's enough? I don't know. I've given up on ever having enough thoughts or ideas to put together for something long. Just not how my writing brain works.

Anywho, Thanatos is the suit wearing middle manager of the bunch with an affinity for coffee, so the coffee shop is usually where he checks on Dani.

“I didn’t think you were going to make it today,” she said. “I’ve had three pickups already this morning and another 12 after.”  They called Dani’s name and she grabbed her coffee, sipping it while Thanatos still waited. “Honestly,” he continued, “I thought about just popping in for a look and a wave but I’m going to need something to get me through the rest of these. Besides, you were already at the front of the line so I didn’t have to wait.” Dani rolled her eyes, “Glad to see where your priorities are.” “Coffee and work are always at the top of the list, you know that.” “I see how it is.” Dani dramatically put a hand to her chest, “Our friendship means nothing. Dear god, you wound me. Is this how I go? A crushed heart?” Thanatos didn’t even pretend to inspect the invisible threat of fate that Dani knew allowed him to see when her death was near. “Not today my good lady.” They called for Thanatos and he grabbed his coffee. He took a long drink and sighed, “Back to work.”

[feeling-asterously-whelmed]

So I want to write a locklyle soulmate au but I don’t really know what style of soulmate au to do. When I read soulmate aus I’m definitely more interested in ones where they have to slowly discover that they are soulmates. So if anyone has any suggestions of one they’d like to see that follows those parameters, I’d greatly appreciate your ideas.

(Also I’m still working on the regency au of the fittes ball scene I just am just struggling since it’s been a very long time since I’ve written anything but that’s still in progress. I’m hoping this will be a bit easier to get the creative juices flowing)

[stephanieburgis]

...And now for a quick rant about the perils of wordcount! (Aren't you glad I have more space here than on Twitter or Mastodon? ;) )

Wordcount is such a lovely, easy metric for writers to track when we're trying to mark progress/finish a book in a reasonable amount of time. But it is a terrible, terrible manager if you let it control your actual writing...and I am way too prone to doing that.

A little while ago, I figured out that if I wanted to finish my current w-i-p (Claws and Contrivances, Book 2 in my Regency Dragons trilogy) as quickly as I'd hoped, I'd have to average 3,000 words a week until the first draft is finished. OK! I can usually manage a pretty steady 500 words a day, so that's not too bad at all...

...Until something comes up, like illness or a plot hurdle or a trip. In the last week, I hit both of those last two issues. First, my nice, steady writing pace slammed to a halt when I came to the point in the book where a big, underlying plot issue finally has to be brought to light, its back story satisfyingly explained...and I realized I still had no idea what the real backstory was. Oops. (The perils of being an exploratory writer in my first drafts!) Sometimes I can figure that kind of moment out on the fly; sometimes I have to really think hard for a while to work it out, and for some reason, this was one of those times when my thoughts got completely snarled up in each other, like a tangled ball of wool.

Second, I was due to head out on a weekend mini break with my older son, which was going to be amazing and also massively energy-intensive (especially with my M.E./CFS). I know there are writers like the late and wonderful Terry Pratchett who religiously hit their planned word counts every day of their lives and put off everything else until later...but (a) M.E./CFS forces me to limit my own activities severely, giving me far less leeway to do other important stuff later, and (b) personally, when I have to choose between my writing and my kids, my kids will always come first, especially while they're both so young.

...which doesn't mean that I don't worry. The truth was, even as I soaked in amazing new experiences and had wonderful parenting moments every day, I also felt low-level guilty All The Time because I wasn't making myself write while we were away. Therefore, I was totally screwing up my wordcount goal...

But guess what? Today I sat down to write for the first time since our trip away...and with my very first cup of coffee, I wrote out the words at the top of my notebook page, "So, what has been going on with Rose's uncle?"

...And the answer was right there! It was waiting for me in my subconscious, helpfully untangled by my back-brain while I was away soaking in new experiences and creative stimulation. I wrote out two swift pages of very thorough notes, and then I wrote 1185 words of the next scene (a nigh-on miraculous amount for me that flowed out as if they'd been only waiting for their chance).

If I'd hammered away at my manuscript, trying stubbornly to hit my planned wordcount without a break over the weekend, not only would I have missed out on a lot of amazing experiences with my kid (which have, btw, already started other new stories simmering in my mental background!), but I also truly don't believe I would have managed to figure out the whole backstory and get as far into the manuscript by today as I have now. Sometimes, our writing-brains just need breaks - time off to putter around unobserved, slowly unsnarling plot tangles. Sometimes, we just need to find a way to get new kinds of creative stimulation to get our stories flowing.

Word count tracking is a nice, satisfying metric, but it's a TERRIBLE and unhelpful line-manager - and I'm passing on this reminder to you in case I'm not the only one who ever forgets this!

Also: have a 21-second video of ocean waves from the beach in Penarth, Wales. I'm so glad I didn't miss them!

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