#my writing list for november

[cuteniarose]

Things about nobody's son, nobody's daughter that absolutely crack me up, in no particular order (because I'm hella proud of that fic and need to stroke my own ego a little):

Aiza must be the only person in the world who got gender envy from looking at Zaheer. Transition goals: Look like your loser baby brother

Most of the conversation between Summiya and Aiza is literally an aromantic trying to convince a panromantic that love isn't real (bonus points for both of them at that point being completely convinced that they're cishetallo)

The day before I finished the fic I had a mental break and chopped off 2/3 of my hair, and my first thought was that I looked like my sister. The day after I was yelled at for being a disappointment by both of my parents over a meal. Aizacore without even trying

Summiya saying she'd destroy any woman who slept with her husband, meanwhile one of the brothel girls he'll eventually visit the most (not now, though, since Shezan is still a child at this point) is her future bestie/friend with benefits (destroy them in the bedroom, maybe 🤭)

Jia taking a hammer to Aiza's egg with the sheer levels of her thirst

The year the fic takes place in being the absolute worst year to be an older sister (this one is less funny but it's still a neat, if unintentional, coincidence)

The Magnificent Century reference no one but me will get

[comfortlesshurt]

Skyler's October 2024 AO3 Recs

Boysssss, I have been slacking with sharing other people's fics, so I'm gonna work on being better with that. Below the cut is a non-exhaustive list of fics I've started/finished in October 2024 (i.e. all the ones that didn't get too buried in my AO3 history page and aren't PWP) that I enjoyed. I tried to sort fics from least to most traffic, so the higher on each list, the more it deserves some attention!

I didn't read a ton this month, so we've got a pretty short list. Expect the same in November, but December is usually a big reading month for me.

I enjoy stuff others find triggering, so particularly in the whump-focused section, make sure you read the tags first. I didn't relist triggers that the authors already noted on the stories.

More Whump-Focused

Since October's weird because of Whumptober, I'm just going to link to my whumptober reblogs tag to knock all the Whumptober fills out! I liked all of these, but there are far too many to go into detail on. You'll find a lot of shorter fics under this tag because I mainly follow people who tried to complete every day. It's mostly VLD in there, but I know a few FMA fics made it through! If you're as much of a Keith stan as I am, definitely hit all of @perpetuallylatetothefandomparty's posts under this tag. There are more than what I reblogged for everyone in this tag as well, so follow these people for more! I just burned out halfway through the month and needed a break from oneshots. You'll see 'em reblogged later though.

Swoon by Le_Tournesol: pre-Klance. short oneshot. chaotic dumbasses keith and lance, my beloved.

Even the People in Your Dreams Will Lie to You by popering: Klance, but the ship's not so much the focus imo. LONG. technically, I did NOT find this in October but I haven't hyped it up nearly enough yet, so here it is anyway. also, I re-read it in October, so maybe that counts. follows keith and lance being rescued from galra captivity. the author describes it as a science fiction mindfuck and that is so accurate. plenty of angsty content, but not like... over the top. like it all has a plot purpose. this may have usurped my previous all-time favorite fic... unfinished but I have no reason to believe OP won't come through with the rest, and it is close to complete. catch me in the comments as I work on my re-read.

The Future Freaks Me Out by gghostnebula: Klance. longfic. I forget how long ago I found this, but it COUNTS because I read it again this month. (I say as though I don't reread it every few months obsessively.) when I say my ideal fic... very Keith-focused. lots of hurt/comfort. slowburn Klance with fake dating. painful backstory that gets resolved. somehow takes a couple tropes I hate and makes me love them. heavily inspired something i'm writing now, so if you don't like it, you're gonna have a bad time following me in a few months... if this fic has no diehard fans then i am dead.

More Ship-Focused

To Whom It May Concern by heavily_caffeinated: Klance. short. a follow-up fic to Dear Reader in the relatively near future! modern AU. Cute & a nice little chance to get back into that AU for a bit. Strongly recommend reading Dear Reader first, but I guess you don't have to.

to breathe in this mirage by existwound: Klance, but pre-slash (sort of). there's time travel, so technically it's also not pre-slash, but you see the vision here. pushing that border between what I consider medium and long for a fic. canon-verse. this is 1) adorable, 2) just that little bit of angsty, and 3) so fucking well-written. (am I biased bc I love existwound? yes, what of it?) unfinished but I trust Astra with my life, so the other chapter will come.

A King and His Fisherman by heavily_caffeinated: Klance. long and finished! modern AU. sold me on dad Lance (coming from someone who typically hates fics involving child characters).

it's you that's haunting me by perfchan: Klance. long and finished! this is the first fic, but it's a whole finished series. ghost-hunting AU (I know, I also didn't think I liked those but this is different, I swear). I binge read this whole series in like... 3 days?

And just in general, here are my AO3 bookmarks for everything else I loved but didn't read this month. The include and exclude filters are your friends, so pls no bully for what I like thx. I think we've all spotted my weird niche by now.

[vexic929]

Día de Muertos Prompts

Send a character and a number for a ficlet! (to be posted 1-3 of November)

ofrenda

calaveras de azúcar

pan de muerto

La Catrina

papel picado

familia

reunión

nostálgico

el más allá/inframundo

veladora

dulces

fotografías

naranja

viaje

los espíritus

comida de los muertos

cerveza

cempasúchil

[gothsuguru]

getting an iced pumpkin chai in the morning and then my personal goal is to spend the whole day writing and i hope i can come back to this post tomorrow and rb w how much progress i’ve made!!!

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Potential November Reads

Moving into the process of wrapping up my reading for the year! I won't hit my optimistic reading goal (let's be real: I've been behind since February) but I have stayed on top of the books I wanted to get to this year. For November and December, I have all of three TBR books I need to read; the rest can be mood reading if I want.

Currently Reading:

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett - a little over 100 pages left

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger - I only got about an hour into this one yesterday

TBR:

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James - 335 pages (my last Alphabet Challenge book! and if this one doesn't work out, I have several other "Q" options)

Other Potential Reads/Rereads:

a reread

a fantasy

a sci-fi

a classic

a sequel

a nonfic

[teufelme]

*eye emojis*

[teriwrites]

NaNoWriMo 2023: Beyond Alder Creek

Round 2 (AKA the second draft)

Genre | Fantasy POV | 3rd person limited, past tense Setting | A fictional turn-of-the-20th-century town and its counterpart, the fae realm of the Beyond Themes | Human nature, Folklore, Trust, Familial Bonds, Friendship

Synopsis

When Winnie Pewitt first heard about her brother, Bran's, abduction by the fae, she couldn't believe the acceptance of his fate by the townsfolk around her. But when she goes to investigate his last known whereabouts, and stumbles upon a strange man within a faerie ring offering to strike a deal, Winnie runs home without looking back. As the days pass, and Bran's funeral looms over the town, Winnie finds herself turning over the strange man's offer. With nothing more than an idea, a hatpin, and a book on all that's known of the fae realm, the Beyond, Winnie seeks out the faerie ring once more. But this time, she won't be caught unprepared.

Excerpt

Before Winnie, perfectly centered in the ring, stood a strange man. He seemed entirely carved out of gold - no, there was life in his features that even the greatest sculptor could’ve have imitated. It was more like the touch of Midas, a life captured beneath the shimmering hue. His face might’ve been fine, had he the look of a mortal man, but the effect was quite lost in his aureate complexion. “My dear, who might you be?” When the man spoke, his voice was high and rang like a bell. A wide smile revealed a row of gleaming, golden teeth. Had she let herself be caught in shock by the unearthly presentation before her, Winnie might’ve answered him. In fact, she began to, only managing to cut herself off after, “Well, I am - ” His smile stretched slightly wider, and the friendliness in his eyes gleamed suddenly with greed, snapping Winnie out of her reverie. “ - you may call me a friend.” Rather than annoyance, Winnie’s introduction was met with amusement. The golden man’s smile twitched for a moment into a smirk. “Tell me then, friend, what is it you seek?” he asked.

Tag List:

@akindofmagictoo @cecilsstorycorner @howdywrites @happyorogeny @avian-writes

Feel free to ask to be added or removed from the tag list!

[neondiamond]

.

[non-un-topo]

I have roughly 9 assignments due in the next 4 weeks, why am I not losing my mind?

[rpf-bat]

*sigh* I’m trying to remind myself to be happy for others instead of comparing myself to them.

[penname-tbd]

i want to do nanowrimo so bad this year but idk if it's actually like Feasible… mental health in shambles, busy with school, etc. i was already gonna modify to just "write something every day" with no word count goal, but i'm not even sure if i'll be able to swing that :(

[arkham-ayden]

I'm following a prompt list for October! You can read it above on ao3 or below the cut here!

• Pairing: Ben/Mal

• Prompt: Carving pumpkins

• Word count: 1906

• No additional warnings

“Mal! Over here!” Ben called from across the way.

The courtyard was adorned with bright decorations; spiderwebs, comically sized ghosts and bats, garland strung up from every available surface and then there were long tables with an array of giant oranges on them.

She’d never seen oranges that big, hells, they weren’t even mouldy! She walked over, meeting Ben halfway and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“What is all this? On the Isle, Hallows’ Eve was just everyone getting drunk at Facilier’s place.”

“We like to do a big school event, and I had a feeling you guys wouldn’t have had the more festive things, so I set you up with something that everyone does here.”

He gestured to the oranges, now close up, Mal could see knives and spoons set around them.

“Eating oranges like an insane person?”

“No,” he laughed. “These are pumpkins, you carve them, make fun patterns, and then you put a candle in them to make them glow at night.”

She cast a look down the table, Evie was pulling a mass out of the pumpkin, not looking all too thrilled. Carlos was using a tiny knife to carve circles above a triangle, where Jay was taking the biggest knife and making a large almost circle at the top.

"Ben, this is sweet but I don’t get it. What purpose does this serve?”

“It doesn’t have to serve any kind of purpose. Back in the day it had some special meaning to it, but now we just do it for fun.”

Seeing her raised eyebrows he continued.

“I know, it’s probably really weird, but it’s your first holiday here in Auradon. We, I wanted to do something nice for you. Come on, give it a try.”

Mal shot Ben an amused but reluctant smile, taking a small carving knife. She made a lazy circle on the top of her pumpkin, not piercing hard enough to pop it out like Jay had done moments earlier. She fought with the knife for a few moments before realising it was stuck. Her shoulders slumped inwards as she tried to pull it out, to no avail. She tugged and tugged, eventually dislodging the blade, catching herself on the upswing. She cried out, more from shock than pain. Ben whipped his head around from his own pumpkin. Mal had instinctively sucked on the wound to staunch the blood flow.

“Hey, let me show you, okay?”

It was more of a question than a statement, but Mal raised her hands and went to step away before Ben pulled her to his side. She stiffened but it seemed like Ben hadn’t noticed. He picked up the biggest knife on the table and handed it to her. She blinked in shock, this had to be some kind of test, right? No sane person would hand a villain a weapon willingly. He pressed it into her palm, taking the handle in his own just above where her hand clasped it.

Together, they plunged the knife in, it was a pillowy sound rather than the cracking sound she expected to hear. They pulled it as close to them as one swipe would take, before taking the knife out and repeating the process until the cuts met.

“That’s not a circle,” she almost giggled.

“Nope, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Here’s the gross part.”

He lifted the closed shape by a thick stem, pulling with some difficulty. When it came up, there were stringy memmbranes connected to the innards, seeds mingled in the mess.

Mal raised a hand to her nose, an unfamiliar scent permeating the air. It was earthy, with almost a hint of sweetness to it. Not an artificial sweet either, it was subtle and succinct.

“And then,” Ben rolled up his sleeve as he spoke. “The equally gross, yet fun part.”

He stuck his hand deep into the cavern, a squelching sound making Mal cringe. Up came thick clumps of the membrane seed mix plastered to his fingers. He smirked, nose wrinkling as he held it close to Mal’s face. Her hands darted up to protect herself from the foul smelling goop. He put the mixture into a bowl just off to the side. There was a small tendril left on his thumb, taking the chance to wipe it on his girlfriend’s nose.

“Ew! Gross, Ben, seriously gross.”

“Gods, the look on your face, if looks could kill.” He laughed heartily.

“Right now, I wish they could.”

He took a moment to breathe and compose himself.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. My mom always used to do it to me and I never saw the appeal. But that look made it all worth it.”

“Yeah, yeah. What next?”

He handed back the smaller knife she attempted to use.

“You can make a design on this side. You cut all the way through and pop the pieces out, or you can cut the skin off to make it glow less.”

“What kind of design?”

“Anything you want! I’m pretty sure Evie said she wanted to make some kind of crown, Carlos is doing some kind of face, and Jay,” he snickered. “Well, I’m pretty sure Jay’s just having fun with the knives. Don’t worry, we’ve got Lonnie watching him to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.”

“I can make anything on this?”

“Yeah of course, just nothing Fairy Godmother wouldn’t approve of. I’m gonna work on mine some more, there’s a contest for best dressed pumpkin and I’m trying to outdo Jane this year. You’d think she’d get some kind of restriction considering who her mom is.”

He shook his head and turned back to his own craftsmanship. Anything, huh? Mal considered some of the art she’d made on the Isle before deciding this was far too small of a canvas to recreate anything. But it seemed just big enough for something new she’d wanted to try. She started to work, making larger cuts here and smaller shavings of the skin there. After a good ten minutes, she was almost done, roughly estimating she was five or so minutes away from completion.

Ben had finished on his, he was holding it like someone would a baby, it was a near perfect recreation of his castle’s shield emblem, there were a few shaky lines here and there, but it looked almost identical to the shields adorning lampposts. He turned to show it to Mal, hastily covering her own work.

"What’d you think?”

“It looks great.”

“What about you? How’s it coming along?”

“It’s not done yet. No peeking.”

He raised a single hand, firmly holding his creation with the other.

“Okay, okay, I’m handing mine in. Judging starts in 10 so if you want to get it in, keep an eye on the time.”

“Gotcha.”

He started to walk off, Mal going back to her own work. She stepped back for a moment to look at it in its entirety, suddenly doubting her skills. What if it looked nothing alike? It looked good to her, but the standards in this place seemed to be so much higher than the Isle, where any effort was a cut above the rest. She bit her lip, did she even want to submit it? After not much time, she realised she had to submit her work. None of the rest of her family were planning to, Jay was still playing with the knives much to the dismay of Lonnie, and Carlos, who’s pumpkin he’d accidentally disfigured with his antics, and Evie had abandoned hers in favour of the punch bowl and trying to flirt with Chad, asking about his castle most likely.

She had to put it in for judging to at least prove to the rest of them that they could do good, they could be recognised as more than villains if only for a few seconds. She finished the final touches and handed her pumpkin to Fairy Godmother, offering it sheepishly.

When she arrived back at her table, Ben was already waiting for her, two glasses in hand.

“I got us a drink, did you hand yours in?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”

She took the glass with a small smile, still not used to the kind gestures Ben offered, despite how consistent they were.

“Fairy Godmother’s going over them now, we should head up to the front to see who wins.”

She nodded, taking one of Ben’s hands in hers. He was always so warm where her hands felt more like ice than flesh, a downside of being part draconic due to her mother’s spells. She relied on outer sources for her heat, unable to make her own without the sun.

“Mal, you’re shivering, are you okay?”

“Mm? Oh, my body can’t make its own warmth. I’m okay, just a little chilly.”

Ben took his jacket off and placed it around Mal’s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Nestling her head in the crook of Ben’s neck, she immediately felt warmer. Not just her skin, but it was like her insides were being warmed up. It was a weird feeling, chalking it up to the inadvertent curse. They stayed like that for a few minutes before the dark haired woman took the stage, three pumpkins with designs facing her.

“Welcome Auradon Prep students, to our annual best dressed pumpkin contest. As you may all know, I’m quite good with a gourd,” She laughed at her own joke, Ben quickly explaining it.

“Without further adieu, I’d like to present our winners of this year. In third place,” she spun around the leftmost pumpkin. “King Benjamin and the royal crest.”

There was scattered applause, most too busy indulging in sweets or conversations to pay much attention.

“In second place is Jane with her beautiful silhouette of a pumpkin carriage.”

Again, scattered applause, though a bit louder. Presumably, it was from Jane’s friends, finally focusing in.

“And finally, in first place we have,” she trilled, trailing off slightly.

Mal was crossing her fingers and felt a surge of warmth flow through her as Ben embraced her in a hug to try and warm her up some more.

“Mal from the Isle with her portrait of King Ben.”

As the pumpkin was spun around, there were audible gasps from the small crowd, some people pausing their conversations to take a look at the art. Her art. Ben pulled away from the hug briefly, mouth slightly agape as he looked in awe. Fairy Godmother beckoned Mal on stage, with a small push from Ben, she went up.

“As winner of this year’s contest, it is my honour to give you this token of $25 and an opening to our art programme here at Auradon Prep.”

It was Mal’s turn to be shocked, mouth agape.

Cheers from her friends erupted and cut the harsh silence.

“Go Mal!”

“How’d she do that with these things?”

“That’s my girl!”

Slowly, applause came from the small crowd, becoming louder and louder. Ben pulled her down from the stage and swept her into a kiss, dipping her down.

“Did you seriously make me a pumpkin? That’s the cutest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

She caressed his cheek, kissing back and smiling under it.

“You really made me look good for a gourd.” He parroted the cheesy joke. She tilted her head playfully, tipping Ben’s crown to one side.

“You always look good.”

[emile-hides]

So Wayward Children author Seanan McGuire is going to be what finally brings Overwatch back into hyperfixation town huh.

Alright. See you in November.

[totallynotobsessedwithfandoms]

oooh I might try and do this instead of NaNoWriMo since NaNoWriMo completely sucks now. I love the focus on platonic relationships hmmmm

Please refer to the pinned post for more information.

Prompts available in regular text below!

Comfy-vember 2024 - Prompt lists

PROMPT OF THE MONTH:

Healing wounds — Day together — Forehead kiss

“It doesn’t hurt when I’m with you.”

Song: ‘Safe and Sound’ by Taylor Swift

----

WEEKLY PROMPTS:

Week 1:

Scars — Mug of tea — Slow hug

“You know me better than that.”

Week 2:

Verbal affirmation — Movie night — Loving gaze

“Let's go home.”

Week 3:

Putting on ointment — Care for caregiver — Rain on the roof

“I've got you.”

Week 4:

Apology — Happy tears — Hot chocolate

“You aren't dead?”

----

DAILY PROMPTS:

Day 1: Breaking bad habits — New day — Train ride

Day 2: Favourite song — Holding hands — Walking and talking

Day 3:  Special breakfast — Spoon feeding — Forehead kiss

Day 4: Bed rest — Mug of tea — Soft music

Day 5: Saying their name — Hand on knee — Dressing fancy

Day 6: Weak crying — Trusting — Slow hug

Day 7: Eye of the storm — Sleeping on shoulder — First hug

Day 8: Found — Thunder shower — Fresh fruit

Day 9: Scars — Passing smile — Baking cookies

Day 10: Overcoming fear — Sharing a bed — Lullaby

Day 11: Verbal affirmation — Couch cuddles — Nose kiss

Day 12: Hand on shoulder — Practical gift — Movie night

Day 13: Relearning a skill — Surprise compliment — Fresh laundry

Day 14: After nightmare — Day together — Random gift

Day 15: Shopping trip — Storytelling — Laughing phone call

Day 16: Carrying — Reading aloud — Loving gaze

Day 17: Healing wounds — I love you text/note — Rain on the roof

Day 18: Coming home — Kitchen dancing — Sleeping in

Day 19: Putting on ointment — Thick blankets — Sunset

Day 20: Desperate hug — Sharing food — Care for caregiver

Day 21: Enthusiastic greeting — Late night laughter — Waking up together

Day 22: Bail out — Car ride — Lamplight

Day 23: Remembering medication — Art on fridge — Warm toast

Day 24: Apology — Palm kiss — Campfire

Day 25: Washing bloodstains — Hair brushing — Cheek kiss

Day 26: Confession — Crying hug — Picnic

Day 27: Promise keeping — Quick hug — Beach/waves

Day 28: Cast taken off — Sleepy kiss — Hot chocolate

Day 29: Showing up — Birthday gift — Bicycle

Day 30: In dreams — Happy tears — Dancing in rain

[psijay]

i'm throwing together an organized lore doc for the universe i write about the most, and it's getting ridiculous. we're talking about trying to consolidate almost 10 years of lore. i'm digging through drafts and citing them in the lore doc. i'm figuring out where everything's located. i'm considering creating a conlang TO MAKE NAMING SHIT EASIER. what is wrong with me.

[lycorogue]

Latest Writing Blog Post is Live: November 2024

December 4th is totally within November... right?

Added bonus: most of this post was written in SEPTEMBER and just kept getting bumped back. So... yeah... tooootally makes sense that I'm late to my own party again.

Regardless, the update is now live.

Can I Get a Collab?

Est. Read Time: 20min

Admittedly, this update is small, but a bit heavy.

I talk about my writing struggles and my need for a more collaborative writing. I fret about lack of engagement with my writing. I wonder if the lack of engagement from virtually everyone translates to being only a mediocre writer despite writing (non-professionally) for nearly three decades!

I then try to finish light with a laundry list of digital comics/mangas/manhwas I'm currently reading.