#maenadiq

[sigmundite]

7, 20, 53, and/or 74 for the writers ask meme!

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

It depends on whose feelings are most significant in that part of the story. I tend to write in third person limited perspective, so whatever's happening is going to be colored by that character's thoughts about them.

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

Man.

The kind of shit I have discovered through writing and crafting stories is more suited for a psych eval. My fanfics tend to be shippier but my original stories had me pegged as aromantic long before I learned that was a thing. I have limits for how much angst/whump I can do in my writing but even when I start with a positive premise, everything is just a little bit off. Even when my blorbos of choice are engaging in human connection and affection, there's something wrong about it that manifests in my writing every time.

53. How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

I spend more time and energy on the writing side. Even if I'm not actively working on something, I'm usually plotting. My fanfic reading habits are pretty irregular in comparison. I tend to go from not wanting to read anything to straight up binging tags for days. In the month leading up to Rebirth I read like a million words of Zakkura after leaving it on the backburner for years. It's always been a fave of mine but Remake didn't unleash the same insanity in me that Rebirth did.

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

If it's a long enough fic to have multiple scene changes, it'd probably be a mildly ominous declarative statement about what just happened and the scene changes. If not, it might be the introspection.

There are probably more obvious tells than that but I think I'm just seeing them as flaws.

Get to know your fic writer meme!

[genevievefangirl]

Gen's Top 100 DBDA Fics - PART 2

For all caveats/rules/backstory, please read the Master Post

Bites and Bandages By: ahyperactivehero (ahyperactiverhero) @ahyperactivehero Rating: T Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland, Hurt Edwin Payne Summary: After dragging one of their clients to Hell, a hellhound turns its attention to Edwin. Thankfully, Charles is there to step up and save the day. XXX based on a prompt request over on my tumblr featuring “I can’t help you if you don’t let me!” and "Don’t move, you’ll only make it worse!” My Notes: The injuries are quite intense in this one (I mean it is a dog, so picture extreme dog bite injuries). I really liked the section where they are jumping through various mirrors to escape and Edwin calls Charles clever.

boyfriend jacket By: skadii @maenadiq Rating: T Tags: Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, Aftermath of Torture, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Five times Charles gave Edwin his jacket and one time Edwin stole it. My Notes: The detail this story gets into about the smell of the jacket sticks with me. And I mean, Edwin wearing Charles' jacket is just too cute.

Breathing Space By: coloursflyaway @coloursflyaway Rating: T Tags: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: It happens in the blink of an eye. A flash of light, violet and yellow and blue, sparkling in a way that would be beautiful if Charles couldn’t taste the curse in it, like rust and blood and soil, and then Edwin is crumbling beneath his own non-existent weight, and Charles knows he is screaming only when he hears his own voice ringing in his ears. During a case, Edwin gets hit by a curse and won't wake up. My Notes: Seeing Charles slowly lose it over Edwin not waking up hits right in my feels. Also... Sleeping Beauty references are always fun.

Burns and Hidden Pains By: Infinite_beginnings @infinite-beginnings Rating: G Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Protective Edwin Payne, Protective Crystal Palace, Hidden Injury Summary: This takes place after the season ends. Both boys are a bit roughed up physically and emotionally from their trip to hell and Esther's treatment. They try to take care of each other but Charles is more hurt than anyone realizes. My Notes: Some Charles whump is good for the soul sometimes right? The relationship between the trio here is really strong. Everyone is also really touchy in this fic which I appriciate.

By Lantern's Light By: babyseraphim @babyseraphim Rating: T Tags: Kidnapping, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland, Sensory Deprivation, PTSD, Non-Consensual Touching, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: Edwin is terrified. He feels as though he is a wounded deer caught in a bear trap, simply waiting for the hunter to discover his misfortune. The room is dark enough that he cannot make out a single landmark, the deprivation of all sounds playing tricks on his panicked mind. He swears that he hears distant giggles, the sound of grotesque dolls laughing at his renewed torment, but no creature ever makes an appearance. A hysterical laugh threatens to spill past his own lips, accompanied by a sudden rush of tears. He closes his eyes and wills them away, steeling himself for whatever is to come. The question is not whether Charles will come; the question is when. Until that question is answered, all Edwin can do is endure. --- A heartbreaking story of love and near loss told from three separate perspectives. My Notes: The entity that kidnaps Edwin wins an award for sticking in my head long after I read this fic. Seriously that guy is creepy. I really liked how each of the 3 chapters was written from a different character's POV. How worried Charles was in chapters 2 and 3 broke me.

Came up from that lake of fire By: ghostinthelibrary @ghostinthelibrarywrites Rating: M Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Alive Charles, Alive Edwin, Case Fic, Kidnapping, Possession, Minor Crystal Palace/Charles Rowland, First Kiss Summary: “Are you a zombie?” Niko peers into Edwin’s eyes. “Because the Night Nurse told me zombies exist. Do you hunger for brains, Edwin?” “Hardly.” Remembering being splattered with gray matter in the not-so-distant past, Edwin shudders. He cannot imagine consuming it. “I’m not a zombie.” “What about a vampire?” She almost looks excited by the prospect. “We’re only a couple of hours from Forks. It would be perfect!” When they’re caught during their escape from Hell, Charles and Edwin have no choice but to make a deal: they have one hundred days to find and entrap a powerful, malevolent spirit, or both of their souls are forfeit. But when they’re both temporarily restored to living bodies to aid in their search, being alive brings with it a host of new feelings, which neither of them know how to cope with, especially as their deadline looms closer and their quarry proves increasingly dangerous. My Notes: This is easily my favorite fic involving the boys being brought back to life. The case was deep and interesting while the interpersonal feelings of the characters were developed extremely well.

come on in, the water's lovely By: dftea (demon_faith) @dftea Rating: T Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, PTSD, Drowning, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: 'If it was a choice between drowning again and Edwin’s afterlife, it wasn’t really a choice.' or Edwin is dragged underwater. Charles follows. My Notes: Charles facing his fear to do an underwater rescue for Edwin makes my brain so happy.

Cry With Joy At The Depth Of My Love By: coloursflyaway @coloursflyaway Rating: T Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Feelings Realization, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: “Edwin?”, Crystal asks, and Edwin would say something snarky, maybe even something mean, but Charles is wrapped around him like he’ll never let go again, and there are more important matters at hand. “Crystal, what has happened here?”, he asks, and a few seconds later, their new psychic is standing in front of him, trousers splashed with the coffee she dropped, disbelief written across her face. “I was gone for a few hours and now Charles… and the whole building…” He’s not quite sure how to put it, most likely because he still doesn’t understand, and Crystal looks at him like he come back from the Cat King’s lair with an additional head. “Edwin”, she says, slowly, like she is still searching for the words, “what are you talking about? You’ve been gone for six weeks.” ------- Edwin takes the Cat King up on his initial offer, so instead of a few hours, he is gone for six weeks. Charles isn't good at coping with it. My Notes: This fic made me cry and broke my heart. Charles losing his mind over Edwin vanishing for weeks by itself would hurt, but the way that the details of that time are slowly revealed over the course of the story in flashbacks is sooooo good. Like so good you'll remember it forever.

deshabille | shieldable By: DarkStars (Worlds_Okayest_Goalie) @busywithmyennui Rating: T Tags: Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Someone needs to look after Edwin, is the thing. Edwin looked after Charles, shepherded him into this afterlife, and Charles decided right then and there that the first person looking after Edwin would be himself. My Notes: Sometimes there are fics that are hard to describe why they are so good and this is one of them, but I will try. The way Charles and Edwin are written here is fantastic. There's a moment at the end of ch 1 where they talk in morse code after Ep 8 (which YES). Ch 2 is a mini case fic by itself. Ch 3 hits you stright in the heart with Charles home life feels. And ch 4 wraps it up in a nice bow. This fic goes so many places, just read it if you haven't

The E rated fic is below the cut - (tw - Non-con)

Caging Spell By: Anonymous Rating: E Tags: Rape/Non-con, Rape, Aftermath, Trauma, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: For the DBD Kinkmeme Prompt: [Catwin, Payneland] Non-Con, Not a fair and consensual Cat King. I want evil Cat King... and Charles and Edwin dealing with the aftermath. My Notes: This is the most controversial pick on this list for sure. And it is a very self-indugent pick because I love when Charles' clothes go entirely black after the whole thing goes down. Such a great concept. Would love to see it more in other fics.

[shadowquill17]

tagging @lolotr, @dont-offend-the-bees, @oatflatwhite, @nix-nihili, @tragedy-machine, @wordsinhaled, @many-gay-magpies, @williamvapespeare, @maenadiq, @tumblerislovetumblerislife

and anyone who also wants to do this!

🙌🙌🙌

Get to know your fic writer!

Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Do you like constructive criticism?

Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?

How do you choose which POV to write from?

Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

Do you comment on stories you read?

Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

Link your three favorite fics right now

how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

How do you write smut scenes? Do you get very visual or detailed? How important is it to be realistic?

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

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

What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

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

Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

Best writing advice for other writers?

Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

What’s your revision or editing process like?

Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?

Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

Do you want to be published some day?

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

How do you write kissing scenes?

How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Would you ever write commissions?

Share a snippet from a WIP

If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

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?

What mistakes do you keep making no matter how many times your beta corrects you?

Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

What do you look for in a beta?

Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

How long is your longest fic?

What’s your total AO3 word count?

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc) 

Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?

Why do you continue writing fics?

Thoughts on cliffhangers?

Something you hate to see in smut.

Something you love to see in smut.

Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

How do you deal with writing pressure (ie. pressure to update, negative comments, deadlines, etc.)?

Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

What scene in [Fanfic Name] took the longest to write? What was difficult about it? 

Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]? 

Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from [Fanfic Name] story/chapter? 

[genevievefangirl]

That's a Wrap!

This was so much fun to make! Thanks again to all the authors who made the list, but also thank you to every fic writer in this fandom! I had to make a lot of cuts while putting this list together because there are so many great fics out there! (I have almost 400 DBDA bookmarks now... I have a problem)

Also, thank you to everyone who liked/reblogged along the way! I had a blast and perhaps I will make more lists very soon...

Here is the link to the Google Sheets version:

And one final shout out to all the authors I could locate tumblr blogs for! (under the cut and broken up weirdly because tumblr won't tag more than 5 blogs per block of text - why? IDK)

@a-jasminator @ahyperactivehero @acediscowlng @asidian @atlantis-is-burning

@aworldonfire @babyseraphim @paraphwrites @bookholichany @busywithmyennui

@c-rowland @carpediemma @catalists @clive-staples-lewis @coloursflyaway

@cordelia-noir @daffietjuh @dear-lucrow @dftea @dont-offend-the-bees

@dryadgurrl @dulltulipz @edwinspaynes @finleycannotdraw @flowerbritts

@ghostinthelibrarywrites @gremlininthemachine @haledamage @handwrittenhello @hey-its-elisa

@historia-gloria @infinite-beginnings @intranel @juliasfanart @laney-rockin

@lemurafraidofthunder @lesbicosmos @lolotr @maenadiq @nuria-schnee

@oddessea @owlberries @oxbellows @pisces-swirlix @qwanderer

@riceinthechurch @safaiagem @sanctuaryforalluniverses @shadowquill17 @skateboardtotheheart

@starcrossedstarfishes @starsandatoms @steampunk-dandy @technically-human @that-trans-autistic-guy

@thepopsicle @toomoonfic @tragedy-machine @vamillepudding @williamvapespeare

@writerofstuff @zmorak @ice-elf

Master Post - Gen's Top 100 DBDA Fics!

It is finally here! My personal top 100 DBDA fics!

My friends in the DBDA Haunt Discord server know that I am an avid fic reader. I read multiple hours every day and have read a very large chunk of all the DBDA fics out there (that are tagged Payneland). I constantly recommend fics in our fanfic channel and thought, "Well, why don't I make a huge rec list in recognition of how wonderful the fic writers of this fandom are?" And thus the idea for this list was born!

I have been working on this since the cancellation announcement almost 2 months ago. It has taken me that long to go back through my over 350+ DBDA bookmarks and select only the best of the best to be featured here.

Thank you to every fic writer in this fandom! You are all amazing and I love your work! Your creations are what keep the fandom alive and healthy!

Some caveats before we begin:

These fics are in alphabetical order by title.

I have a Payneland bias. All of these are Payneland fics. Maybe I will make a list sometime that has more ship variety, but for now, that is what is on the list.

I also have a very strong hurt/comfort & angst bias, so there will be a lot of that on here as well! But there are a few fluffy fics too!

There is no smut on this list. Sorry, smut just isn't my thing. There is exactly one fic rated E on here.

Not all tags are listed! I have selected the ones that I feel are the most important and in some cases added some that I felt were missing. But please read the full tag list on the fic itself!

I will be releasing 10 fics a day for 10 days, to make the posts more readable and to have some fun!

And now... THE LIST!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11 - WIPs

(and yes I will link a google sheets version once all the parts are out)