#len draws your fic wips

[lenle-g]

“Scott, and I’m one-hundred percent serious about this, do you want me to come down there and make you some pasta?”

from Love is Stored in the Pasta @astranite <3

[py-dreamer]

@furornocturna, @violetjedisylveon

hey! Remember that shadowalkers au wip a while back?

And I mean damn, like what a leap? Amirite?

(Just realized I forgot Mac's pouch, Mei, & Wukong's beads

...oops

Pls forgive me I'm a forgetful klutz and am lazy)

Ok so well this be quite the turnabout from the last sketch um:

I included the shadows on the floor, it is called shadowalkers for a reason, and added the wee faces in them like I did for the first piece

The background was a pain in the ass and I tried a lil something something with the lighting/lens flares. Something similar to the lighting in the piece I did where they're cuddling

Now everyone might say multiply on the layers does miracles but can I just saw 'add glow' and 'glow Dodge' are my new best friends? Srsly they give that damn good zest that it needs

I had so much trouble just doing Mac's face in particular. Like the contrast between the dark scalera and light irises was too much even though I did it before and it worked then-

And like his proportions were way off even though they matched the f*cking sketch which looked fine and they didn't match up with Wukong's at all-

Then his hair looked too big and clunky like a large chunk rather than hair and cause Mk's head was blocking it, I couldn't shade correctly-

AND I WAS STARTING TO BLOODY LOOSE IT I WANTED TO PUNCH THIS LIL BI-

But then I made his head bigger and it all worked out 'u'

Here's the og sketch for comparison:

I will admit though, I am quite happy with how my art style has progressed over time and this just might be one of my best pieces.

Genuinely to any of my old marshiemallows, thanks for sticking around! And I welcome any new marshiemallows joining me on my little art adventure so here's love from a random artist on the internet who appreciates your presence to her wacky ramblings and drawings

Oh and btw, I will start to get more busy so pls relax ur expectations in terms of posting schedules (not that I really had one anyways but regardless-)

That birthday challenge was fun but man did it do a number on me

And especially cause I wanna try to focus more on writing the next chap of mah fic 'When the sun sets forever' on ao3

(Shameless plug but which you should totally check out btw, angsty monkies, time travel, Macaque bullying train, it's so much fun)

Oh! And for my fellow marshiemallows who have frequented the dreamscape a couple of times, not guaranteed and I am a wee noob with absolutely no experience in this very little chance I'll do this and it's mainly to see any interest in it so pls don't expect much-

BUT.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Don't Speak 46

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, obsession, stalking, manipulation, reclusive behaviour, disordered eating, dissociation, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Reader is a reclusive loner who ventures down to the library on a simple mission. Her task is complicated by the man she meets there. (f!short!reader)

Character: librarian!Andy Barber, Steve Kemp

Note: yeah.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me 

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. Take care. 💖

You stay in the room for much of the day. You’re not sure what else to do. The house is empty. You feel small. Lonely. 

As you think about the way things were before, you feel woozy. Not Andy, but Amber. When she went to work, the house was quiet but you didn’t feel so desolate. You knew she would come home and when she did, everything would be okay. 

Even if you could go home, you shouldn’t. Steve says you’re not ready. You don’t feel ready. You don’t have anything. In fact, you have even less than when you left. You think you might even be even more broken than before. 

As the day wears on, so do your nerves. You take out the tablet, your stomach mulching nervously, and you turn it on. You try to draw but your hand is shaky. Then you just stare at the screen, anxious as a thought needles in your head. 

You tap the icon for the camera app. Andy moved the camera but it’s still on. It’s in his bedroom. You shudder. He’s not there but the bed is a mess and your things are strewn over the floor. At least, from what you can see. 

A notification pops up at the top of the application; you have unreviewed footage, tap to review. You hesitate before you press your finger down. A page full of frames pops up and you scroll down, squinting. You see Andy, sitting on the bed, laying down, and even looking into the camera. 

You hit play on a frame. He’s snarling into the lens, “come back, Dove! Please. Why are you doing this? You’re hurting me--” you drag your finger to skip through then let go. “If you don’t, I might just do something. I have to make sure you’re okay, Dove. I love you, honey. You know I can’t do nothing. I will do anything to make sure you’re safe.” 

You hit the back button several times and throw the tablet to the end of the bed. That was a mistake. The blaze in his blue eyes clings to you. You don’t know what he meant but his threats crawl over your skin like insects. You shudder and scratch your neck restlessly. 

After some time, you find the strength to get up and put the tablet away. It’s all you have now. It’s not just a window into what you ran away from, but to Amber. When you’re ready, you’ll message her. You’ll tell her you got free and that you’re better. Just not right now. Not yet. But you’ll get there. 

🕊️

When Ann gets home, she comes into your room without knocking. She treats you like a child as she tells you to make your bed. You do it as she struts out. When she returns, she throws something onto the foot of the mattress. 

“Put that on, sweetheart. You want to look nice for dinner.” 

She smiles, her lips a perfect shade of candy apple red. You reach for the dress but as you do, she nears. She cups your chin and makes you look at her. Her eyes skim your face and she pokes her lips out. 

“You are so delicate and young...” she says. Closer, you see how her foundation cakes in her wrinkles. She looks older as shadows pool around her eyes. “Aren’t you, dear? So gentle and soft and...” she shoves you back and you stumble, “easy.” 

“Ann?” You squeak. 

“What’s the matter, baby? Last night was delicious, wasn’t it,” he grabs you by the shoulders and angles you against the bed, “you taste so good.” She urges you back until you’re forced to sit. “A good girl,” she grins and pushes until you lay back. You quiver, helpless. “Yes, you stay like that.” 

She drags her hands down your body and squeezes your chest. She purrs and kneads through the shirt. She teethes her lips and steps back, running her hands up and down her torso as she shimmies. She trails down to the skirt of her dress and slowly tugs it upward. 

You push yourself up on your elbows, “I can help cook--” 

She hushes you and a rocky giggle rolls in her throat. He bunches her skirt above her hips, revealing a pair of black panties, and she rubs the fabric with a hum. She drones and lets out a gasp. 

“I’m so wet, baby,” she slithers, “you want to taste?” 

“Ann, I... please...” 

You sit up completely and she rips her hands from between her thighs. She shoves you and you bounce onto your back again. 

“This is my house, you are my little slut, so be quiet,” she hisses. 

“I... I’m not--” 

“What do you call a girl who seduces her therapist, hm? And a married man at that?” She snarls as she steps closer. “You’re lucky I’m not a vindictive woman.” 

You look at her in horror, “no, I didn’t--” 

She hushes you again and tuts as pushes her panties to the side. She touches herself again and drones as her eyes roll up. She pulls her fingers away and shows you the glisten. 

“You’re a cute little thing. I like it,” she steps up and bends over you as she grabs your chin and pokes her fingers against your lips. You open as her painted nails poke against you and she rams in until you gag. “Mmm, see how wet I am for you. You made a mess of me and now you have to clean it up.” 

She moves to straddle you, climbing over you as you lay paralysed in shock. What is she doing? You squeak and clasp onto the bedspread as you close her eyes. 

“Come on, baby,” she hovers over your face, “have a taste.” 

She lowers her cunt until it meets your lips. You whimper and tweaks your ear, “don’t be a bad girl. Open up.” 

You whine and obey. The sickly sweat taste of her flesh stains your lips and seeps into your mouth. She clutches a wad of your hair and pulls your head up into her. 

“Get your tongue out,” she demands as she tilts your head and her hips. You push your tongue through your lips as you cling to the blankets. Your eyes sting as she smothers you, grinding into your face. “That’s it, baby, oooh, so soft. Move your tongue—yeah, like that.” 

The noise of your mouth and the smear of her arousal sickens you. Worse than anything, is your helplessness. Yet, you can’t hate her for this. She’s right. Steve is her husband and you’re here, distracting him, doing those things with him. 

“Mmm, yes, oh, I see why he likes you so much. Oh, baby, I want to see you suck his cock just like this.” She bucks faster, until you’re suffocated in her. You shake as she uses you, rolling her hips harder until your head is spinning. “Mmm, here I--” 

She bites down on a grunt and spasms, rocking into your face until she stills. She stops, breathless, dripping onto you as you pant breathlessly. She curls her shoulders as she leans on her hands and snickers. 

“Wow, that was...” 

“Ann,” Steve’s voice rumbles through the open door. 

“Ah, there you are,” she wiggles, spreading the mess across your face before she climbs off of you, “wanna join?” 

“The kids are home,” he hisses and steps inside, closing the door. “They’re watching Bluey.” 

You can hear the TV blaring. You turn your face away from him as he stomps toward the bed. You’re mortified as Ann’s scent wafts in your nose. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Enjoying our little toy,” Ann snips. “I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you.” 

“Get out,” he snarls. 

“Oh, don’t be like that--” 

“Out,” he repeats. 

She huffs and taps away on her heels, grumbling before she sweeps through the door with a creak and a snap. The bed dips and you flinch as Steve touches your arm. You squeak and try to roll away. He holds onto you. 

“Dove, hey, I’m sorry about that. Are you okay?” 

You sniff and wipe your face. You swallow and turn your head straight. It’s just new. That’s all. It’s like he said. You’re all together. And if you get to be with him, then it’s not so bad. 

You grab onto his forearm and pull yourself to sit up. You look at him through glittering tears. You hook your arm around his neck and bury your face in his shoulder. He coos and rubs your back. 

“Oh, sweetie, it's okay, I'm here now,” he hugs you back. “It’s alright.”

His hand trails down your back as you cling to him. Slowly he follows the curve of your bottom and traces along your leg. A shiver flutters through you. You pull back and look him in the face. 

“Dinner...” 

“I’ll let the kids know you’re not feeling well,” he lowers himself down on his side, taking you with him. Your chest pumps wildly. “Let’s just stay like this, huh?” 

He tickles along the back of your thigh and you moan. His touch feels so nice. Not like Andy’s. No, you don’t feel afraid. You drags your hand back and touch his chest. He’s strong. You believe him when he says he wants to take care of you. 

“I wanna try it again,” you whisper. 

“Hmm?” He arches a brow. 

You look down at his pants then at his face. You giggle and pet his sweater. You move closer and bend your leg around him. 

“I want to have sex. With just you.” 

His forehead creases and his throat bobs. His eyes search you and he nods.  

“Alright, sweetie, but we gotta be quiet, right?” 

You nod and a smile blooms in your cheeks. He brushes his hand along your bent leg then lurches all at once. He pins you under him as he turns you onto your back. You gasp and he shakes his head. You seal your lips to keep your voice inside. 

He feels along your thigh and beneath the hem of your shirt. You never put on any panties. You’re in the same shirt he gave you that morning. 

As he delves along your folds, you’re already wet. It’s a surprise. Was it Ann or him? You don’t know and you don’t care. His touch feels so good. He plays with you gently, flicking you clit, twirling around it, pressing down until you’re squirming. 

He growls and dips his fingers into you. He rocks his hand as he pushes down on your clit, tension clustering in his palm. He moves his arm steadily as you groan and push your head back. 

“Sweetie, shhhh,” he warns as he pulls his hand free, “you’re being a bad girl.” 

He shifts his weight, holding his pelvis up, and pushes heavy on one knees. His zipper whispers down and his belt clinks open. You reach down to help shove down his pants. A swell of desperation surges inside you.  

He holds himself over you as he guides his tip along your cunt. You feel along his back and he sinks into you. You squeak and he catches your voice in his hand as he covers your mouth. You clench around him as he bottoms out. 

He nuzzles your neck and sighs as he wiggles his pelvis. Your moans are muffled in his hand, muted by his weight on your chest. He teethes at your throat as he starts to thrust. Slow, long, strokes that tickle your insides.  

Friction burns between you. Fire seethes in your veins as you arch into him. He snakes his hand up your shirt and fondles your chest as he ruts harder and harder. He keeps your mouth trapped, his knuckles blocking your breath as he shakes the bed. The clap of his flesh echoes louder and louder. 

Your lashes droop and your drift beneath them, carried away by a tide of dazed delight. He bites your neck as he grunts and groans, growling as he pinches your flesh. You twitch and cum around him, swathing him in your arms. 

He keeps going. Harder and faster. He sucks and nips at your flesh, until it hurts, until you’re eyes are wet with tears. The delight gives way to terror as your bones ache with each thrust and his teeth threaten to cut through your skin. You can’t breath as his large hand smothers you. 

“Oh, oh, sweetie, I'm going to cum,” he rasps against your shoulder, “yeah, I’m gonna... inside... oh, you’re so warm, so good.” He chuffs as his body tenses, the fabric of his sweater rough against your lower stomach, his pants chafing your thighs, the buckle snapping and clinking. “Fuck, fuck, I’m gonna fill you up. Mm, yes, sweetie.” 

You clasp onto his wrist as you peek out from under your heavy eyelids. You vision speckles with flashes of his snarling face. Your head pulses and your lungs burn. You try to move his hand so you can get air but he’s too strong. He’s too caught up to notice as he fucks through his climax and you feel him spill into you. 

The world ripples as drops onto you, puffing and panting, droning in his afterglow. You cough as finally he drags his hand away. He cups your cheek and kisses the other as his balmy breath dampens your skin. 

“Is that what you wanted?” He sneers, “you bad, bad girl.” 

You wince as your body tingles from hot to cold, “bad? I’m not bad.” 

“No, baby, you’re good,” he pushes deep into you. “You’re so good taking all of me.” 

[thatgirlwithasquid]

yo, genuinely curious about your Flopsy/Mourner wip 👀

I don't have too much of it written cause any time I open that wip I just wanna draw them instead cause I have a lot of fun sketching them being cuties together haha

It's (hopefully, if I actually work on it lmao) going to be a 5 + 1 fic of Flopsy seeing the Mourner around before, during and then after her death and being initially quite afraid of it. Eventually she realises that the Mourner isn't out to hurt her and is actually just a sweet lil omen that can't help but keep popping up around her cause she's essentially always on the verge of death since being resurrected and that maybe she's going to choose to be around him from now on <3

I will die on this rarepair hill. I think they're adorable and that they belong together and I will spread my gospel with my (mediocre) prose

Snippet:

The first time Flopsy sees it, she doesn’t understand just what it means.  It’s a day like any other, one that finds her as mundanely content as ever. She eats her breakfast in her void, as always, alone and sleepy and ready to get on with her day. Her radio hums a happy tune as she scrapes the dregs of her cereal from the bowl and to her mouth.  She and Lotus are supposed to meet up later, as soon as she’s gotten her work done. There’s a lot to be photographed in the voids; an understandably neverending list of goings-on in the never-ending, numerous expanse of voids, all of which require a photographer’s attention. The lens of her camera gleams in the morning light as Flopsy picks it up. Her dishes have now been washed, teeth have now been brushed, and she’s ready to start her day. That’s when she sees it, a shadow out of the corner of her eye.

[xxnashiraxx]

for the fic writer questions: 2, 14, 29, 39, 43, 54, 72! ❤️❤️

Thank you for asking, my love 🖤🖤🖤 You can find the original post here!

2. Do You Plan Each Chapter Ahead or Write as You Go?

Look, I'm not really a "details" person, lol. I have always been shit at planning, which usually turns out to be my Achilles heel. I've gotten really lucky with this story- I've outlined the very basics and noted down key events and plots I'd like to unfold and write during the duration, but mostly I've just started and not stopped writing- thank god this game has quests or I'd be dead in the water. I work around the natural progression of the game, toss in some tropes and silly little things and dialogue, and hope it all works out, and so far it's done just that! I will say this is the most organized I've ever been in writing, and I'm really pleased with what I've done so far- this is the best work I've ever done, and I'm really proud of it. 🖤

14. How Do You Write Emotional Scenes? Do You Ever Feel What the Characters Feel? Do You Draw From Personal Experiences?

I love writing emotional scenes, they can be gut wrenching or joyful and I like to try and emulate what I'd feel when the characters I'm writing about are experiencing those things. I have a lot of angst history, unfortunately, but that's been great in helping me realize what happens to me when I go through those feelings. I like to touch on the senses- smell, sight, sound, touch, all of that. I try to immerse myself in it all like how a panic attack can leave you scattered and how your chest feels tight and that there's not enough breath in your lungs, or how a kiss can make you feel like there are butterflies in your stomach (cliche, but hey it happens) alongside the less glamorous descriptions of sweating profusely and feeling like everything is on fire. Emotional scenes weren't always my strong suit, but I've never looked at them through the lens of how I would feel in that moment, and doing so has really helped me improve.

29. What's Your Revision or Editing Process Like?

This is also pretty scattered! I was smart enough this time around to plan out my fic before I started writing, and in doing so, I spent April to the end of July of this year writing out nearly all of Act 1 for my fic without posting or uploading anything. Now that we're in October, I'm nearing the end of everything I've written, and up until this point, I've taken the week between chapter postings to polish and tweak the third drafts of all the chapters (that had already gone under extensive editing during those 4 months) and sometimes re-write things entirely. It's taken a lot of my free time, hence my shift to an every-other-week release, and as I finish posting all my pre-done material, I will now be writing a chapter the first week and going through edits the second week before posting. I don't plan on burning out, but there's always the chance the release schedule could shift again to accommodate more for my time and best work. 😊

39. Share a Snipper from a WIP.

Aww, I simply cannot resist 🖤 Have some angsty Chapter 12 from With Stars to Fill My Dream stuff since all the snippets I've been posting this month have been horny, lol.

He holds her until she yawns and he guides her back to her tent, a soft trembling laugh tickling his ear when she stumbles over her bedroll. He sits next to her as she gets tucked in, long hair fanned out around her flushed face, while some savage creature tears and gnashes at his chest from within. “Astarion?” “Hmm?” “Sorry about earlier.” He peers into her eyes, watching them grow foggy. “When, darling?” “In the windmill. I… it was really silly of me. I didn’t know how you felt, and I let that… uhh… word? Get in the way? I guess…” She laughs and there’s amusement in her eyes, the alcohol slurring her words. “Anyway, I usually don’t fall for people this fast, I just didn’t want to mess up what was going on between us with my feelings. You just want sex, though, so I don’t have to worry about those anymore.” Oh. He should leave before she reveals any more secrets she intends to keep. Yet… he can’t help wanting to hear them. Part of him wants them like he wants power, like he wants leverage. The other… lingers on the fall-for-people line, the words stuck behind his eyes as she looks at him and continues on. “But we can't do that. I'm sorry that I can't tell you yes,” She smiles, too far gone to realize she should probably shut her mouth. “I misunderstood big time, but I promise I don’t feel that way anymore. You don't want me that way, so we're just friends. We'll never be anything else...” She closes her eyes, exhale shaking out of her lungs with a weary rattle. He sits until her breathing evens and stares at her, odd warring emotions unfolding beneath his ribs. He's confused- confused at what she said, at what she meant, at why she sounded like she was hiding the truth away from him as she spoke, and perhaps even from herself... The creature savages it all, making him finally tear his eyes away. Before he can stop himself he leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, before leaving and disappearing into the night.

43. Do You Take A Sadistic Joy in Whumping Your Characters, or Are You More the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" Kind of Person?

Kind of both, lol. I love making them all stupid and broken and then healing them and taking that all away- it's really very cruel, but I'll be damned if they get too comfortable. I would love to take mercy on them, but I'm not a merciful god. :(

54. What's Your Favorite Part About the Fanfiction Writing Process?

I just love thinking of how I could give more depth to situations that I felt could have used it, or grow bonds between characters where I saw a lack of before. I love the imaging part- I usually do this with a bit of music (which, fun fact, is the only reason I'm writing my long fic, thank you Crazy on You by Heart) and I sit and immerse myself in the sounds and lyrics as I think about how they could apply to the situation I'm thinking about and it all comes together. I've planned many scenes in my writing this way and gotten inspiration from them. 🖤

72. What Order Do You Write In? Front of Book to Back? Chronological Favorite Scenes First? Something Else?

I sit at my desk and just go at it, man. I have that loose plan, those key scenes in mind, and I try to fill the gaps in between! I always try to stick to chronological order and go from there, but there have been a few times I've written out a future scene and I love coming up on them when I hit that point only to take a wrecking ball to them sometimes, but at least I had the bones to start and that really helps. 💗💗💗

Thank you for asking, again! I really love doing things like this 🖤🖤

[citrus-cactus]

fanfic ask game! 1, 3, 22, 55, 77!

Ask game is here!

1). Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

I tend to daydream a lot! I think that's a large part of my "outline" process these days: sooooo much thinking before committing anything to paper (which is not the best process, I'll admit! Because sometimes I end up forgetting things ;_;)

It used to be that a lot of my fanfic ideas were born out of pencil and paper sketches while letting my mind wander, which feels similar to the "daydream" process (and then I would brainstorm while drawing!)... but these days I don't do a lot of freeform drawing (;_;) and the brainstorming takes place almost exclusively in my head. Sometimes I'll have snippets and dialogue occur to me that need documentation NOW, so that feels more like a "when the idea strikes" sort of thing... and then when I've collected enough snippets/dialogue and have enough of a general idea where the fic is going to go, that's when I start writing in earnest!

3). Do you share your fic ideas, or do you keep them to yourself?

I tend to keep them to myself. I've been... trying to get better about this... maybe?? That was what last year's fic/WIP summary and the creative check-ins and some of my random, sporadic posts over the past few months have (partially) been about. But now that I look at them... I'm not sure it's clear to anyone but myself what the heck I'm working on?? I would like to get better at this, perhaps?? Summaries are good (lol), but I usually save those for last!

I think, because I publish fics so infrequently (and have WAY more abandoned ideas and WIPs than actual published works!), I default to being pretty secretive about my ideas. Mostly because I don't want to jinx myself with the inability to finish something; if no one knows about it but me, no one can be disappointed!! But also, since I almost exclusively write short one-shots, the element of surprise feels, somehow, important to preserve up until the moment of publishing. I'm not sure how to balance the two wolves inside me ("excited to share" and "SECRETS!!")

22). Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Usually during. A lot of my titles seem to crystalize during the daydream/brainstorming process... though again, sometimes I don't want to reveal the title until the fic is further along, in case I end up changing my mind! Sometimes it does take me a little longer to figure it out, but not often. I guess how I come up with them is... I figure out the theme of the story, and think of a way to make it work as a title? ("Rose-Tinted" is my favorite recent example. Because yes, it's about a pair of pink-colored sunglasses, but ultimately it's about looking at a situation through a more optimistic lens!)

Sometimes I'll try to be clever and make the title a literary reference. I've repurposed lines from Sherlock Holmes, Brigadoon (the musical), and, most recently, Sophocles' Antigone. Because whoa boy, do I love themes. And allusions!!!! And parallels!!!!!!

55). Have you noticed any patterns in your fics?  Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

What an interesting question! I think, as generic of an answer as this is, my stories all end up being about love. This takes many forms: romantic (this used to be a huge theme, at least earlier on in my fanfic career!), but also platonic, the "soulmate" bond between human and digimon partners, and also (sometimes) unhealthy expressions of love. Also they can be born from things I personally love, like hats and in-jokes for very small audiences :3

My published fics tend to be either fairly fluffy(/goofy/jokey), or a bit dark. There's very little "neutral" up in here, though I do enjoy writing Emotions(tm).

I do enjoy ending a fic on a good stinger. I love me a juicy... just a teeny-tiny surprise, subversion, twist, or echo, wrapping it all up with an impactful little... pop. Absolutely delightful when it feels like I can pull that off. I live for that.

77). Why do you enjoy writing fanfiction?

I enjoy writing fiction because sometimes I have ideas that feel too large or complex to convey in a single illustration or a short comic. I enjoy writing fanfiction because other people's characters, stories, and ideas have become lodged in my brain and I am (occasionally) compelled to work through my feelings about them in prose XD I love writing (and reading!) things that are having a dialogue with canon, filling in nebulous details, expanding on characterization, having a fun day out with my faves, or otherwise taking some dumb/brilliant/random idea (either mine or someone else's) and running with it to a logical conclusion (by some definition of the word "logical"). My favorite thing to do as both a creator and a fan, whether in art or writing, has always been to tell stories… and I genuinely don't know where I’d be if I wasn't able to do that!

These were fun to think about, thanks for the asks!!!

[mi6-cafe]

End of the Year Survey Summary

Thank you all for all of you who left feedback this year! We’ve had the chance to look through your comments and, with the help of our new volunteer team, have distilled them into some actionable items. Now a community survey is nothing without the community, so here we’ll provide a summary of some responses, hint at some plans for the future, and share your best moments!

Full details under the cut, but in short: One new rec list focused event, many returning events, and look out for a quarterly theme coming near the end of the year.

007 Fest and WIP Wednesday are always at the top of the favorite events list, but it was nice to see some newer events were in the top five as well, like Remix and our Halloween commenting challenge. Both of which we plan on doing again this year.

There wasn’t really a huge consensus on whether you all prefer themes or prompts, so that won’t be changing much. We will keep sprinkling in specific prompt lists throughout the year, but some months will just have a broader theme for you to draw inspiration from.

A few people suggested doing more to encourage rec lists, and we are trialing a new event: Weekend Wonders. Once a month we will give a theme/trope/character and ask that you suggest one fanwork in which it features. We will then do a round-up post of all the recommendations at the end of the weekend. You can see the January one here.

It’s been some time since we had writing workshops and there’s been some requests for these again. We are working on trying to develop something with a simpler format so that it’s easier to host. If you want to help with this, please reach out and let us know!

There’s also some interest in creating a zine, but your mods know nothing of this. If any of you do and would be willing to create a community document of what it involves, please do and share it with us!

Saturday Cafes have been much quieter lately, but we now have a set of prompt questions pinned to the writer’s corner slack channel for anyone to answer and hopefully spark some more discussion with whoever else is around and writing.

We tried doing a year-long theme of Characters of Bond last year and it... well, middling success. You seemed to like the idea even though we sometimes forgot to promote it and many of you were busy. Someone suggested quarterly themes and we really like this idea. We likely won’t start until the end year, but we loved the idea!

You all said you do enjoy our creatively named months even if there’s not a specific prompt to go with it. Which is good, cause we enjoy coming up with silly alliterations. Those won’t be going anywhere.

And finally,

Do you have a fun fandom moment/highlight from this year to share? 

Definitely Mac making her entry in the 00Q fandom! I’m not an avid fic reader but her work is always so on point I have a hard time not seeing 00Q through her lens anymore.

i'm obsessed with WIP Wednesdays. I adore seeing snippets of new works

Getting kidnapped during Fest was pretty cool!Honestly the slack in general has been fun. It's hard to have a place to feel safe in fandom these days.

I absolutely loved Remix! It was such a fun challenge and I loved seeing how my own work was remixed.

During Fest, Team 00 had a spreadsheet for contributions (like lyrics to be inspired by, photos, etc). The absolute chaos as we discovered only two of us knew how to use a spreadsheet was AMAZING (and hilarious).

I loved interacting with the authors and getting to know them through their writing and ongoing works and prompts.

Fest was awesome.

This year was a blast. I worked on 4 longish 00q fics (two of which were based on MI6 Cafe themes). My collaboration with Anya for Harry Potter and the Fucking Audacity was possibly the most fun (and also stressful because it was unplanned and I had other things to work on), but I also enjoyed writing my crossover AU and my NTTD fix it. Basically, toward the end of last year I was worried that I was running out of stories in this fandom, and the themes MI6 Cafe supplied definitely spurred new ideas that kept me excited and creative... even if I only used one or two of them in the year, they kept me busy much of the year. And Fest is always fun, but I particularly enjoyed this year. Seriously love you guys! I feel so fortunate that you maintain this wonderful fandom community and space that feels safe and I can contribute to, but that will survive without me when I get too busy with RL (or FTH) to participate much. Thank you!

I’ve enjoyed the fandom since joining, thanks for the work you do and spaces you keep!

Fest is usually a delight

I very much enjoyed the 007 fun Fest and being able to participate in the smaller, less time consuming challenges. It was the first time I had done something like this and my personal highlight was being able to come up with my very own 4 line poem in a bid to rescue the fic author from the villains team :D

For me it was just joining the fandom. I joined around the start of summer this year and it has been a blast so far. I don't engage in fandom spaces often and to join one that is so supportive and chill in its own way is definitely a highlight.

appreciate everything mods have done! This was a fun year.

Oh goodness: Fest. It was amazing! LOVE all the creativity! And it seems like it created a momentum throughout the year.

There have been so many moments for me, as a new member of the fandom, to be bowled over by the sheer talent and incredible camaraderie. Thank you, thank you, for the welcome and the amazing creative community!

[quetozcoatl]

For the fanfic game: B, F, and R!

Original ask meme here, feel free to send me a letter!

B: Any of your stories inspired by  personal experience?

One of my old RWBY fics is me angsting about my neurodivergency via the lens of Professor Ozpin. NGL, I'm considering deleting it, it's... embarassing, and not my best work.

On top of that, the backstory for one of my WoW OCs was based on, for lack of a better term, my daddy issues. It's a fucking cringe backstory and it just turned melodramatic and I'm so glad I reworked it.

But for a more light-hearted response, it's a fic I'd like to write. When I was young, one of my teeth was loose. I complained about it to my older brothers, and one of them responded with: "Oh, your new tooth is going to grow into a vampire tooth" ...or something along those lines. Knowing my younger self, she was terrified and probably cried.

I think it's a perfect concept for Klint and Barok van Zieks!

F: Share a snippet from one of  your favorite dialogue scenes  you've written and explain why  you're proud of it.

As much as I want to post a snippet from my roleplaying on WoW, I won't, because it will require a paragraph of lore-dumping, which I am prone to do at a moments notice, just read any of my AU fics.

I have a LOT of WIPs, and some of them do have dialogue I quite enjoy. However, one of them just takes the cake: it's from an AU inspired by Baldur's Gate 3 (a very good game!) and tried to work within the canon of Dungeons and Dragons. In it, Klint is a bard of eloquence, rather than a ranger. I decided to make Balmung his stuffed hell-hound that Mama van Zieks made for him and he cherishes deeply, and my favorite dialogue is Klint talking to that Balmung:

”What was I thinking, Balmung?!“ No one would hear him, he had wards specially installed to prevent that. In here, he was free to talk how loud he wanted to an inanimate object, and no one to judge him for it, either! “Acting like some sort of seductress, touching her with my bare hands!” He gives Balmung a squeeze. “I don't want to be a harlot, and, I must have frightened her terribly with these talons of mine.”

This too, which happens some lines later:

“Hells!” He snatches his head back in. “Can you believe this, Balmung?” The dog did not respond, on account of being just a stuffed animal.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

First off, Guillermo del Toro. He is one of my idols and I look up to his storytelling a lot. I love that he does not sacrifice color to tell dark stories, and that his works have taught me to accept that I'll write what I want! Another one is Zack Morrison who writes and draws the webcomic Paranatural, which I have kept up with since high school. They made the swap to a blend of writing and art sometime in 2021, and the descriptiveness and cleverness of the writing has made my jaw drop.

Next, Another one is Eiichiro Oda. That man can casually reference something he wrote hundreds of chapters ago, and no matter how crazy things get, it feels perfectly plausible within the world of One Piece. But unfortunately it's come at a cost due to him being a mangaka, and I must stress the importance of taking care of yourself before anything else.

These two are well-known for their diverse cast of characters, and Zack Morrison does little, but effective things to make the characters stand out even more in the mixed setting and it's genius. However, an honorable mention to Andrew Hussie and Homestuck, for popularizing the concept of using limited things in text like numbers and cases to distinguish the characters.

Now, the next is sillier: Elizabeth Hoyt and Tessa Dare. Yes, they crank out regency romance novels but they know their niche, damn it! My first romance novel was Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt, and it's helped me really come to terms with the fact that what I read is not necessarily what I want. I love the fantasies romance novels bring, but the idea of actually BEING in a romance makes me want to run away screaming!

[sculpture-in-a-period-drama]

Writing Related Stuff To Do When You're Not Writing

Whether it's procrastination, writer's block, not having enough time, or whatever, I'm sure we've all had that mood where we wanted to work on our WIP but didn't want to/couldn't write. This tends to make writing feel more like a chore when it should be fun. So, here's some stuff to do in the meantime.

- Outline! I consider this as sorta-writing, since you're establishing the "bones" of your story without writing in your draft. You don't have to worry about prose or dialogue this way, you can just write "They went here. They did this." and it would still work

- To Pinterest we go. Make boards for your WIP, your characters, search for faceclaims. Thoroughly indulge yourself in the Vibes™

- Make fanfiction of your own work. Alternate universes, shameless fluff, whump, backstory, anything, really. This is technically still writing, but you're not writing in your main document. You still get to explore your story with less pressure.

- Back to things that don't require writing, try to make playlists. @music-recs-for-writers is a whole blog dedicated to what it says on the title, and I've found some gems that way (everyone say thank you @/music-recs-for-writers).

- Interact with fellow writers! It shouldn't be a surprise how helpful and refreshing it is to talk with a fellow writer, see their excitement for their own work, and to have someone take interest in your work. Ramble to each other in messages, participate in ask games, etc.

- Read. I cannot stress this enough, read. This is kind of related to interacting with fellow writers, but this is more like interacting with the works of fellow writers. Whether seeing a published book brings you hope that your own book can be published, or you find dissecting a book through a writer's lens a fun activity (try it, it's actually fun lol), reading helps your writing.

- Interact with your source of inspiration. Maybe you're a fic writer (I love you guys). Consume stuff from the piece of media you're writing for, remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place!

- Draw (if you can) (or maybe if you can't. Give it a try lol). Make concept art for your OCs, their clothing, hair, make them look like they're in a movie poster, draw settings in your WIP, all that stuff :D

- Make a WIP journal. I just started mine and it's so fun. Write about your progress, maybe make some illustrations, put in your favorite pieces of dialogue, and anything you can think of! It's yours.

That's all I can think of for now, feel free to add onto this post with your own suggestions!

[shin-knee-gami]

lawlight fic recs [3]

lawlight fic recs [1]

lawlight fic recs [2]

let's give some love to the fics that are still in the writers' WIP folders. and don't say I didn't warn you--I'm making it clear here and now exactly what you can expect from them.

**I plan on updating this list for the foreseeable future, so remember to check this original post on my blog for updates!**

Rating: Mature - Explicit

Status: Incomplete

Other: mostly Top!L and Bottom!Light, moderate to heavy plot details, canon divergent, very messy relationship (because they're messy people), ALL multi-chapter fics, mostly either L or Light's third-person-limited POV

'Behind the Lens' by @arcadevia (E)

if you're looking for a college/university AU to quench your thirst, you're in luck--this one's a three-course meal with all the trimmings. a meet-not-so-cute at a college film club meeting leads to mutual animosity and undeniable curiosity. L is hiding a dark past and Light is obsessed with uncovering the truth. there is an adorable kitten that I would die for and a beautiful garden tucked away on campus, which is an appropriate choice of scenery as the feelings between these two begin to blossom. (this author’s written a lot of great stuff and is regularly active on ao3, so go check out his work!)

'Every Day a Little Death' by pearltea (E)

finally, some lawlight-style in vino veritas! don't mind the deus ex machina, these drunken confessions and the steamy night that follows are well worth a read.

'Glitter and Gold' by booklovertwilight (E)

did you order a multi-chapter stripper!Light AU that's heavy on plot with a side of exquisitely vindictive Kira? no? well you should've! my favorite part about this fic is definitely the tango L and Light dance as they circle one another, waiting for the other's moment of weakness in order to pounce.

'where evil grows' by ghastlymint (E)

L has some interesting ideas about what the word 'rivalry' means, and no regard for discretion. he insists that rivals can never be in a successful romantic relationship, but in the same breath, that being lovers with a rival isn't off the table. from there, the plot spirals out of control on a beautifully chaotic canvas. if you're looking for a fic that walks the line between absurd and on the business end of a knife, I highly recommend this one.

'Sweet Little Lies' by NeonPancakes

oh boy, where to even start? I'm nowhere near caught up on this fic, but the premise--although it paints a bleak picture of L's situation--alone is enough to draw in any reader with good taste. Light may be Kira, but L has secrets of his own, accompanied by a traumatic past that haunts him to this day. this read is on the slower side, making it difficult to parse out exactly which plot details are most relevant, but it's a wonderful choice for those rainy days when you have nothing to do except curl up on the couch and read.

'Shades of Light' by BelladonnaVeilsin (M)

Light figures out that he used to be Kira. but he cares about L too much to allow Kira to win, and he devises a plan--training his mind, body, and heart to protect L so that even when he gets his memories back, he won't be able to end the detective's life. I was immediately drawn in by the creativity of the premise--this author has managed to make Light's actions believable, and I have faith that if/when we get an update, his motives will also finally be made clear.

[lenle-g]

from this fic WIP by @mariashades, requested by @janetm74 <3

The engine of Lee’s little Piper PA-28 fixed wing roared into life and little Scotty, all of four years old, squealed in alarm and clapped his hands over his ears. Jeff, standing well back at the hangar, scooped Scott up and held him close until the plane had taxied over to the runway.  “Y’know, planes aren’t that scary,” he fondly said as soon as the plane was far enough away. “It’s just noise, nothing to be afraid of.”  “‘S not?” Scott asked, big eyes looking up at his father as he peeled his hands away from the sides of his head.  “Nope.” Jeff smiled. “Besides, we need the noise to fly, and that’s what we’re here to do, right?”  “Right.” Scott nodded, his little face so serious it made him go all gooey on the inside at the sight.  “So,” Jeff affected a serious mein (Lucy always called it his ‘Top Gun’ face), pulled his aviators out from where he’d hooked them on his shirt and put them on his nose. “Let’s saddle up, kiddo.”  Scott immediately put on his kiddie sized aviators (and Jeff went even gooier on the inside) and announced “Let’s saddle up!”  “Attaboy!” Jeff beamed as he walked over to his plane.

[sproutwings]

One, how was I not already following you? I deserve a punch to the face for that. Two, I have two asks for you to expound upon from that WIP nudge because I am a lizard brain who just needs to know. So here we go: A) Coldwest time travel. Is that the one with the scene where she's in the freezer? SO GOOD. B) hallucination! Len?

Ha, turns out I wasn't following it either, which is weird because I could have sworn I was. *pokes Tumblr* Anyway, now I am! \o/

The Coldwest time travel fic (actually, I don't know why I said 'Coldwest' on the WIP post, it's pretty much Coldwestallen even though Barry would only be in the fic for about 5%) isn't the one with Iris in the freezer, no. Thematically, hallucination!Len is probably more like that one!

The time travel fic starts with present day Iris having a run-in with a hostile meta who sends her back to mid-S1 era where she finds herself at the mercy of a Leonard Snart who's only just started dealing with having the the Flash cross his plans.

Here's a few paragraphs:

"Time travel." Snart throws her a dubious look, like he doesn't believe a word she's saying. It's almost funny that Snart of all people is so reluctant to accept the concept of time travel, but Iris doesn't feel like laughing. "What, you've seen a man move as fast as lightning, and a guy who controls the weather, and a giant psychic gorilla, but time travel is where you draw the line?" "Hadn't heard about the gorilla, but fair enough. You got a point. So, why don't you just —" He makes a little 'up and away' flourish. "Go back to your own time?"

I used to have this fic all planned out in my head. Unfortunately, that's where most of it still resides. D: Whether it ever manages the transition from there onto a Word file remains to be seen.

---

Hallucination!Len is actually one of the largest files in my WIP folder, but it's also one with the least recent changes (last time I opened this before today was in 2018! /o\). I started writing it after Mick was "seeing" Leonard in LoT S2, and it has Barry (a bit like Iris in the meat freezer scene) 'hallucinating' Leonard whenever he's in danger. (Obviously, he's not actually hallucinating, but Leonard's being caught somewhere in limbo after the explosion at the Vanishing Point.

Excerpt:

"Your puns used to be more creative when you were alive, Snart." Maybe he should invest in a good therapist. Or maybe it's just that his mind has been constantly replaying the conversation with Mick, and he needs to confront his muddled feelings about Snart's death to move on. He swallows. "Mick says I got you killed. That you joined the Legends because of what I said. Because you wanted to be a hero for me." He winces at the awkward phrasing, at how damn telling it is. He momentary forgets that there's nothing to be embarrassed about because he's the only person in the room, because the man in front of him looks too damn real. The corners of Snart's mouth rise into a sardonic, humorless smile. "That doesn't sound like a smart thing to do, now does it?"

NGL, I'm not having particularly big hopes for either of them, but I'm also too attached to them (and to stubborn) to admit defeat and move them into my 'abandoned' folder...

[zet-sway]

@the-wip-project day 35:

I don't know what today's question is but I gotta write a wall of text about what happened last night because holy shit

I was on the verge of falling asleep and, like I usually do, I decided to hunt for some spicy fanfics to read on my phone. I found one.

All my posts are long but this one is real fucking long. CW for touching on dub-con and injury mentioned in the type of context it probably shouldn't be.

It's time for me to admit that not only am I a oneshot writer, I'm also a oneshot reader. I am drawn to short fanfics. If I click on a chaptered fic, it's (usually) because it's rated E for smut and I'll go in with every intention of skimming it for the spicy bits. I'm not proud of this. I've avoided saying this for years because I don't want to disappoint people who work hard on their very long and well thought out chaptered stories. I have a short attention span, and I know what I want.

But anyway, last night I clicked on a fic with 5 chapters and some amount of words, around 30k? Long, by my standards, but I was tired and I just wanted something to read while I dozed off.

This particular fic hooked me in, though. I still skimmed it, but the writing was so unique in a way that made me writhe with writer's envy and admiration. Whoever wrote this had their own language - nothing borrowed - their own vision.

I guess I should tell the good people who read my posts (ya'll, seriously, thank you) that the fic in topic is called Fault Lines by Recidiva on AO3. I would link to it but uhhhh I may be using my work PC for "extracurricular purposes" right this moment ^^; so maybe when I get home I'll remember to add it.

I skimmed it - like I said above - for the spicy parts. It generally follows the plot of Bioware's canon. Thane begins as possessive and manipulative, likely uncomfortably close to dub-con for a lot of people. He kisses her and knows full well that his kiss will make her willing but intoxicated, and how he will use that to fulfil himself. But as the story progresses, he falls in love. Their relationship is what I'll call "edgy." Both of them are renegades. There's a scene where they get down in the shuttle after a fight and they're both still injured and it borders on downright unrealistic but fuck it, it's fanfic and I bought it. However their relationship develops a certain heart-wrenching tenderness. She asks him what Siha means over and over again, and eventually tells him she thinks "bitch" when he says it. But in that moment they have a playful banter, he knows full well she's probably already looked it up on the extranet, and they fall into bed together. The smut is mind-boggling.

By the time it gets to Shepard's arrest, he's taken up a place on Earth and visits her, breaks into her house arrest. There's a scene where they see each other for the first time in a while, she tells him how much she's missed his mouth and how it's not right how bad she wants him, and wants him bad enough to smother him with affection. She says something to the effect of "if you're looking to die, I'd volunteer to be the cause," implying that her lust is powerful enough to endanger his life. And it was at this moment I realized I fucked up.

It's established that I live in my own headcanon and I'm not burdened with considering the end of Thane's life as part of my fics. And the suspension of disbelief was such that I forgot he doesn't make it. So at this moment in the fic, chapter 4 out of 5, I realized "Oh shit this isn't going to have a happy ending." I skipped to the end right away, I wanted to confirm my fears.

In their final exchange, she asks him to lie to her - something that's repeated in other chapters of the story. I forget what he says, I was reading desperately, but he asks her in return to tell him something true. She kisses him and tells him she loves him, and he breathes his last breath with the lingering tingle of their kiss to carry him to the other side.

I was so entrenched in the depth of their relationship up to that point. The level of fathomless love the author conveyed, unlike anything I've ever managed to write before, but more realistic to my own understanding of love as I've experienced it. Not because they're renegades, but just the selflessness with which they feel, communicate, banter, and make love.

When I read that last paragraph, something inside me broke. That sounds dramatic but that's honestly how I would describe it. It felt like waking up from a night terror, when you bolt up in bed from a dream so bad you immediately get up even if it's 4am because nothing feels real and you're so terrified you have to get up and do something - literally anything to take your mind off it, to ease you back into reality. I put my phone down and stared into the darkness of my bedroom and told myself "it's just a fanfic, no need to get upset." And then I started to cry and I didn't stop for 30 minutes.

My husband was downstairs watching Bohemian Rhapsody and I went down there and wrapped myself around him so tight and cried. Bless this man, from the bottom of my heart - bless him - for his unfathomable kindness. I felt like a fucking fool because I was crying over fanfiction but he paused his movie and just listened while I tried to articulate how it wasn't exactly about the character death, or the characters at all, it was just the writing and how it wormed into my brain so convincingly. I felt the loss like it was my own loss. I am terrified of losing my husband. So many feelings coalesced and I realized one day I may be in that situation, kissing the man I love goodbye for the last time, never to hold him again. I'm at work right now and I'm tearing up because it's so hard.

I tip my hat to the author, but I genuinely wished I hadn't read that fanfic. And isn't it kind of funny after that grandstand I took yesterday about not wanting to write the pain of loss and grief, that I ended up reading it instead and probably fucking myself up just as badly, if not worse, than if I had tried to write it myself?

It gets worse, too. Because it got me thinking about my own writing, and how I could never hope to achieve what that author did. So I sat there crying out my painfeelings while simultaneously feeling like a shit writer and like nothing I put out matters. I got up from the couch, sat down at my PC and picked up where I left off in the Omega DLC in ME3 because video games are great for taking the mind off things. It didn't exactly help with the intensity I'd hoped for, but I managed to fall asleep, by 3am.

Fast forward to this morning. I dragged my sorry ass out of bed 4 hours later and drove to work. By some fucking miracle, no one is here right now except our field director. And I'm stewing in how this one fic really fucked me up bad, reconsidering everything. I feel like I've been put in my place.

So what changed?

Yesterday I posted about how I'm struggling to write a plotline. I know what happens, but I'm not interested in the little bits that tie it together. I want to write the romance. I think there's a way to write the plot and the romance at the same time, but it's damn hard.

I started doing this because I wanted to grow my skills as a writer, and I knew it might be more than I could chew. I'm at that moment now where I'm about ready to give up.

Even if I felt like a shit writer last night (and still kinda do this morning), I know that the stuff I've put out has value. We can't all write these epically tragic smut-romance-renegades-to-lovers tales, we'd all be sad all the damn time. There's a time and a place and - I would argue - even a need for lighterhearted fic out there. There are really no rules. I'm confident in what I know how to do.

But the plot. Fuck it, man. I think maybe I'm trying too hard to be something I'm not. I'm trying really hard to write like other people. I may have mentioned before that I saw a post about how many artists spend their time pining for the skills of others, thinking "wow, when I can draw like that, I'll have made it as an artist." That same post cautioned against this, basically saying you already have your own unique style, it's just harder to see through the lens of your own eyeballs. It's fine to challenge yourself but try to acknowledge what you do that sets you apart already. I feel like I have that something - maybe not to the extent that I wish, but I have something.

So what's the point of the plot? Why do I need to tell my readers how I cured Keprals? I'm asking myself important questions here. I like to think I've come up with ideas that no one else has, but as I said above, I don't read a lot of chaptered fics. I very well may have come to the same ideas as other writers and I'm not even aware of it. I don't know if my ideas are unique but I still arrived at them all by myself.

The challenge here - the thing I'm struggling so much with - is how to put them together with the same elegance of my fellow writers. I'm looking at you, shrios fam (yeah I'm calling you that, yall know who you are). I know I can write words, but it's like I have a bunch of pieces from completely different jigsaw puzzles and I'm struggling to make a new picture out of them. I struggle with the transitions between them.

The point here is I have to find my own way. And I have to stop taking myself so seriously. In fact this level of "seriousness" is one of the things that got me into so much angst over World of Warcraft over the last two years. At least I know how to recognize it.

I have to find my own way. I have my own things that are worth sharing. The author I read last night had a language all their own, and I have a language all my own too. Their wordplay was actually more choppy than I would ever write. I've talked before about how I'm scared of starting too many sentences with pronouns, how I maybe write too many run-on sentences, whatever. This author did that with reckless abandon. It worked for them. So if they can make that shit work, I can make my own shit work.

I have to find my own way.

My most current WIP is Thane and Shepard's first time. I've been working on it pretty nonchalantly because I hadn't intended to publish it until I built up to it. It takes place further into my timeline, and it would probably ruin the point of a slow burn if I put it out there now. There are some really memorably moments in this WIP, and there are other moments that need to be smoothed over as well. I never knew what I'd really imagined for their first time but I think I've mostly developed something that's unique in its own right, and I think will be fun for people to read.

I'm just so fucking torn over what to do with it. I feel guilty for working on it. I should be writing "other shit" leading up to it but I don't fucking want to. I actually wrote probably 2-3k words this weekend, which is a pretty staggering amount by my standards. Some of it was for this smutty WIP and some was for something I just threw together, Thane observing Shepard on Horizon and the emotional toll it takes on her. He's seeing her humanity. I don't know if it's worth it to continue but I wrote a lot of it and the words are more precise than usual for a draft, I don't know. I have so much fucking insecurity. Fuck dude. I want to write this longfic, but I don't want to write it. I want to skim to the spicy bits like I always do.

I am wracked with insecurity, of my own making. I know what I can do but I feel compelled to see this idea through. Somehow I have to find my own way.

TLDR I feel like if I don't publish something soon I'm going to burst and I don't even know what the fuck to work on first and fjslfjsojoiejrj

I would be really down for, like, a bunch of hugs and a bowl of ice cream shared over memes and fanservice.

[citrusella-flugpucker]

Posting “snippets” from that “WIP” challenge post one at a time, part “9″

((This WIP challenge post! I’m probably posting two of these today because I meant to post one yesterday and didn’t.

Second “fic” today from the random draw is #15: Beach City Accessibility Audit but it’s permanent this time

That’s not actually a WIP! Not in the traditional sense!!

A bit into writing my Realism fic (a fic in which Steven faces sudden physical disability (an amputation) after Change Your Mind), I realized I needed to figure out logistically what Steven could easily access in the community and what he couldn’t, especially at the start when he is using a wheelchair full time upon arriving home.

So I audited Beach City’s accessibility as thoroughly as I could manage, using a lens specific to what I needed to look for regarding Steven in Realism specifically.

Except that I did it by liveblogging it on a Discord server, one which later shut down AFAICT, which means I lost the whole thing.

For a bit after that I worked off my mind but I wanted to get it back down “on paper” as it were, so I did it again recently, in a document. This time I even included a few notes on visual accessibility because Just a Little Something Else Instead (which is blindness-related) was on my mind, even though the priority was Realism-related.

...I’m not sharing a snippet. I’m sharing the entire current draft. You can read the accessibility audit in its current form at this link. (It may be possible this link will go private if I decide to significantly change the document down the road, or if it starts getting spammed in some manner. But for now it’s public! I might also remove the link from this post if it makes Tumblr’s tag system mad for some reason. DX No point in sharing a doc for no one to see it.)

The current locations present in it are as follows:

General/city (stuff I just noticed around/generally)

Big Donut

Buddy Buddwick Library

Classic Thyme (a background store between where Spacetries will later go and Suitcase Sam’s, it’s closed in Future)

Crab Shack (the one from Fusion Cuisine, not to be confused with a later background one in this list)

Danny’s (a background store that sells saltwater taffy)

Suitcase Sam’s

Park (the one that’s central in the Beach City area in Save the Light, that one)

Joe’s Original Crab Shack (background location not to be confused with the one from Fusion Cuisine

Fish Stew Pizza

It’s A Wash

Spacetries

T-Shirt store

U-Stor (storage units)

Beach-a-Palooza stage

Funland

Funland Arcade

Beach Citywalk Fries

Abandoned Warehouse

Mini Golf Course

Little Homeworld

Maybe I’ll clean it up, flesh it out, maybe add pictures, then I could call this version a WIP for real and put the “official” one on AO3 or something. XD

(The complete randomly generated order is this:  9, 2, 6, 10, 18, 19, 22, 20, 15, 8, 14, 26, 11, 17, 16, 23, 21, 1, 3, 12, 24, 5, 13, 25, 4, 7 FWIW XP)

))

[abarbaricyalp]

For the ask game... 📌 ⏱ ☀️ ❤️

Ask meme

Hiiiiii!!!

📌 If all your fics/WIPs fell off a ship and were drowning (go with it), and you could only save one, which would it be? : For finished fics "i found something in the woods somewhere' I'm a sucker for my genre pieces. For WIPS, the rest of "We Live Such Fragile Lives"! Of all the things I have going on with the bingo right now, I'm always coming back to this one. I'm such a big fan of YA and this fic is coming really easily to me and I just love it so much.

⏱ What’s the fic you spent the most time on? (Was it worth it lol) : Surprisingly, not my 80,000 word behemoth. It was probably "Put Your Teeth In My Beating Heart" which was a vampire story written for a prompt. Typically, even when a fic takes me 'a while' to write, I get most of the work done in a handful of days, it's just the time between the days that becomes an issue. Put Your Teeth was not that. I fought with that story hard and did a lot of "research" (I watched Blade a whole bunch and read new comics) for the story. Was it worth it? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's done. It could've been a lot better, I think. Which probably means I should've spent more time on it, lol.

☀️ Has anyone ever left you a comment that made your day? What did it say? : I answered that here! But, speaking of a fic I was disappointed in myself in, all the kind comments on fics I'm not happy with are so important to me as well!

❤️ Who is your favorite character to write for and why? : Hmmmm, it's counterproductive to list all of them, right? I really like to write Sam (both people fawning over him and from his pov) because I like to explore aspects of his character that might get left out of other characters' narratives. He's such a rich lens to look at the superhero world though and he comes with so much unworked real estate to cultivate and draw from. His traumas and joys and impacts are so lovely to use in stories where he is the hero. He's so human and so magnificent and I just find him really interesting to dive into and write. (Also Adam Parrish from TRC because I love a good forest godmonster)

[gumnut-logic]

A Nutty 2020 recap

Okay, 2020 was a doozy of a year, both personally and world wide.

In Australia, it started with the continent literally on fire. My wisdom teeth packed it in and then I stepped on a bee and ended up with a foot infection that crippled me for a week. I had dental surgery which I woke up in the middle of and a week later COVID hit the planet and we’ve been in March for most of the rest of the year. Work became an emotional challenge that literally broke me in places it had never broken me before - and I had it easy compared to the rest of the world!

But! During all this, there was Thunderbirds and Thunderfam and thank goodness for that.

We saw the end of Thunderbirds Are Go :( but boy, we revelled in it and met Jeff and continue to explore the possibilities this amazing show left us with.

Scrolling through my archive shows just how active we have been. Admittedly it is through a lens of me, but there is just soooo much stuff created by the fandom, it is frickin’ amazing! So much fic and art and screenshots and gifs and wow, it is such a colourful journey looking back.

As for me...

The other day I had one of my nieces in my studio and was showing her how I did my stamping. She is only little and quite innocently informed me that her Dad says ‘Auntie Nutty never finishes anything’. Some of you may know me well enough to know that I have an issue with this very statement which has haunted me since childhood. I suspect I have an undiagnosed case of ADHD and it has been a battle throughout my life to keep my focus on something long enough to finish it. I have developed techniques and strategies and have made a lot of progress.

So, to my father who started this stigmatism and my brother who is apparently still holding the damned flag, here are a few stats on how I performed in 2020.

I started 65 stories in 2020 (including We’ll Be Home for Christmas which was partly written in 2019, but I’m claiming it for 2020 anyway). That number only includes fics above a thousand words because I archive smaller ones differently and can’t be bothered adding them up.

Of those 65 fics, I finished 53! Fifty-three complete fics ranging from 1000 words all the way up to 68,232 - my second longest fic ever.

I currently have twelve WIPs on my plate from 2020 plus The Hero from 2019. (there are a few from the previous two years, which I’m not counting right now, but then I’m not counting the completed ones either :P ).

So bro and the person who commented on one of my fics complaining that most of them were unfinished, you can go stick that in your craw and smoke it :P

That is a total of 374,808 words in one year!

Apart from fic, I also completed seven TAG artworks and three moodboards.

All the while holding down a day job and running my own business and being a mum (my poor wild children whom I neglect) and a wife (poor, poor hubby). So there! ::gets haughty at imaginary father person and crosses arms in defiance::

But I couldn’t have done it without the support of our wonderful Thunderfam ::hugs you all madly:: I won’t name names, but you know who you are and I love you all for it.

In 2020, we launched FabFiveFeb, International Rescue Relief, WorldWindows, Sensory Sunday and a second Fluffember. We had Pen & Ink Week and Whumptober. We have created sooooooo much this year. A year that saw the end of the latest reincarnation of our favourite show and saw so many challenges on a RL level. I know some of you literally waded through shit last year ::hugs you soooo, soooo much::

So despite 2020 being a bucket of worms (and that is insulting worms, cos worms are quite fascinating), we, as a fandom, and me as a writer, have both achieved quite a bit. And to draw on the tiny rays of sunshine from a very stormy year, we should be proud of what we have achieved despite it all.

And excuse me while I give a few pertinent family members the finger :P

Nutty

(complete with both Mummy and Daddy issues)