#not to toot my own horn but i really like this fic i wrote here so

[pitter-patt-art]

hhhh okay i was really planning to actually make au-gust update post today but uh lol i have like less than 25 min to make that a reality and work in about 5 hrs sooooo i'll have to do that later i guess oops. i also really really wanted to post the day 31 fic today and like. theoretically it SHOULD have been achievable. literally incapable of being concise. on the bright side i did officially surpass 50k written in this one month and thats with writing almost nothing the whole week of my vacation last week lmao so uh Take That nanowrimo haha

[ak-vintage]

Thank you, @jolapeno, for coming up with the idea of sharing our favorite things we created this year and encouraging us to toot our own horns! This is such a fun way to wrap up the year! You can find jo's original post here.

I have a few things I created this year that I wanted to share, so here it goes!

Favorite Fics:

Quarry

Din Djarin x f!reader. Canon-compliant slow burn that I began in May of 2023 and finally finished in December of 2024. It's far and away the longest thing I've ever written, and I'm so incredibly proud of all the work that went into it and how it turned out.

Work of Art

Marcus Acacius x pregnant f!reader. An AU oneshot that I wrote for @joelmillerisapunk's PPCU Body Worship Writing Challenge before Gladiator II was released and all we had were promo pics and a trailer. I never expected this fic to take off in the way that it did, and I'm so grateful that it has. I am so in love with Acacius, I barely know what to do with myself, so to get to share that with others is so much fun.

I'd Like To...

Din Djarin x plus size f!reader. A modern, dating app AU oneshot that I wrote for @hellishjoel's Hot DILF Summer Challenge. This was absurdly fun to write - so much so that it quickly ballooned to a whopping 18K words when it was never meant to be more than 7K at the most. I am completely obsessed with this couple, and I have resolved to coming back and writing for them again in the new year. They deserve it.

Favorite Mood Boards:

Miller Tours | Secret Springs Resort

This moodboard has a little ficlet attached to it, but I feel like the picture is really the star. It came out so light and airy and carefree, exactly the feelings I was trying to evoke when I made it. Created for @secretelephanttattoo's Secret Springs event.

Whiskey's Sour | Secret Springs Resort

Also created for the Secret Springs event, this might be my favorite moodboard I've ever created for anything I've written, ever. I come back to look at it all the time.

Here is my masterlist if you're interested in checking out any more of my work!

For my friends who also deserve to toot their horns (feel free to ignore if you've already done this, I'm a bit late to the game):

@80ssong @pr3ttynpiink @peepawispunk @almostfoxglove @chronically-ghosted

Shout-out to @saradika-graphics for the dividers on this post.

[gloromeien]

Hellooooo I hope your day is good? Have an ask!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love! <3

Whoo, my first ask! And from the exceptional and lovely @zenaidamacrouras1, whose fic Monoclonius I'm re-reading right now and loving just as much as the first time. An all-time fave, really, with just the best, sexiest, nerdiest Bucky and the sweetest dad Steve. Check it out if you haven't!

But this of course is supposed to be about *my* fics, so let's get started.

Five Favorite Fics That I've Written:

History Repleating (Or the Proper Care and Feeding of One Steven Grant Rogers), Modern AU, Shrunkyclunks, kidfic

Summary: Captain America!Steve receives a letter from Dr. J.B. Barnes, Brooklyn Historical Society. Except not quite that J.B. Barnes. This leads to Steve and Bucky having a meet cute via Bucky's work as a history teacher. Smut, fluff, and a smidge of angst ensue.

Comments: This one is, IMHO, the best fic I've ever written. Which is not to say it's good, exactly--your mileage may vary--but I don't think I'm ever going to get to this place again. It was winter 2022. We were all just re-emerging from lockdown. I was in the process of caring for my sweet little corgi girl at the end of her life, and I just needed some joy, you know? Something fun to look forward to. I feel like I channeled a lot of those emotions, that grief, into the Steve in this fic. Though it's not a sad fic by any means! It's full of bad jokes and sarcasm and sweetness and found family and people just caring for each other beyond reason. Bucky here is a bright light that comes into Steve's life at just the right moment, that allows him to believe that he could have a real future with someone to love. I really needed to hear that right about then, and so, as Alexander Hamilton sings, I wrote my way out. For that reason and many more, this will always have a special place in my heart.

Last Exit to Brooklyn, Modern AU, Shrunkyclunks, SoulMark

Summary: When Steve Rogers emerged from the ice, he wound up not only in a whole new century, but also with a brand-new soul mark. Knowing that the person he was destined to be with might be just around the corner made it easier for him to settle into a future where happily ever after was a sure thing. Until the Romanian drummer of a 'popular in Europe' heavy metal band, and freight car of personal baggage, come crashing into his life...

Comments: This fic is a confluence of so many things I really, really, really love. Soul mark AUs, for one. I looooooooove those. But I only wanted to write one if I felt like I could bring something new to the table. Once I hit on this particular idea, I knew I had to write it. Also, Tommy Lee!Seb kept me up nights, friends. I loved his look in that so much. As a teen, I had a whole hair metal phase. And it was a fun way to pay a little tribute to Seb's Romanian heritage, so... anyway. I particularly adore some of my Romanian OCs in this--two of them being not so veiled versions of Nadja and Laszlo in What We Do in the Shadows, LOL. Feeling kind of weird about tooting my own horn here, being Canadian and all (Sorry. Sorry. Sorry?) But anyway, they were all really fun to write, even if I think the fic ended up being a little too long and more angsty than I expected. A good thing? A bad thing? You can decide for yourself. ;)

Cut Him Out in Little Stars, Medieval AU, kidfic, arranged marriage

Summary:

Two Houses, both alike in dignity In fair Venora, where we lay our scene

Three years after a brutal, bloody war that saw their formerly friendly queendoms at odds for the first time in history, Prince Steven Rogers of House Grant seeks to solidify the peace between Lehigh and Venora through an alliance--marriage with Prince James Barnes of House Buchanan, his childhood friend turned unexpected enemy. But after years as the Fist of Hydra and a long recovery from brainwashing and torture, Bucky isn't in a place to marry anyone, let alone someone he doesn't even remember. Stubborn to the core, afflicted by tragic losses, and still half in love with someone who might only be a memory, Steve and his family journey to Lynbrooke, the capital of Venora, to attempt to end the tension between their queendoms, and perhaps heal his wounded heart.

Comments: My least-viewed fic by a wide margin, but one that I really love. Playing with the big tropes can be so much fun, and arranged marriage is one of the biggest and messiest. I also rewatched Seb in Kings right before writing this, and it started as a crossover between the world of that series and the idea of arranged marriage. But eventually it took its own path. I have a total soft spot for the Bucky in this one. Probably the most broken I've ever written him. I shy away from Winter Soldier recovery fics--love reading them, will never write one myself--and this is the closest I'll probably get to that. One of the reasons it's close to my heart is because I feel like they really earn their happy ending in this one.

A Slaying in Scarlet, a LOTR Mystery

Summary: On the eve of Aragorn’s coronation, Legolas and Elrohir are charged with investigating a brutal murder at the Citadel.

Comments: My AO3 account is split into two eras. From about 2002-2010-ish, I was heavily involved in the LOTR fandom, specifically writing Legolas/Elrohir, but also a few other pairings, including some OOC pairings along the way. After that, I went off to be a romance writer for a little while (and yes, I'm going to shamelessly plug my Stoker & Bash mystery romance series, because I'm fucking proud of them.) Then watching FatWS knocked me for six, and here we are, all Stucky, all the time. All this to say that my early LOTR work, I am certain, is not good. I have not re-read anything in ages, nor will I ever, most likely. But it was in writing those fics that I found a bit of my voice, and they gave me courage as a writer, and so I couldn't leave them off this list completely. This one is a Sherlock Holmes type deal, because I am also obsessed with mysteries. Hopefully it stands up a little bit. Buyer beware.

A Place to Rest and Remember Yourself (In My Arms), Shrunkyclunks

Summary: It's 2015, and Steve is living in a post-publicly coming out world. His every move is scrutinized in the tabloids and on social media, he's still wrestling with life in the 21st century, and the paparazzi never give him any peace. Making friends who aren't co-workers is practically impossible, let along dating. His solution? Have a regular, no-strings 'arrangement' with one of Natasha's honeypots. Bucky is a former spy and adventurer who used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., but left for *reasons*. Having just gotten his heart ripped to shreds by a traitorous ex, he finds the idea of a discreet, 'with benefits' arrangement with his teenage-years crush very, very appealing. But you know what they say about what happens the minute you stop looking for love...

Comments: I wanted to write something quick and fun and smutty as hell for Stucky Week 2023. Instead... *sighs* You'll note that this ended up being 18 freaking chapters long. Why am I like this? I wish I knew.

One of my fic-writing missions is to give Steve Rogers the ending he deserves. The MCU did not treat him or his PTSD right--this is well-established in both fandom and a ton of metas more insightful than anything I could ever write on the subject. But where I feel like I maybe can address this a little is in fic. My aim here was to just spoil Steve rotten. To give him the literal world back, in the form of a Bucky who has serious wanderlust. It was also so much fun to play with Doctor Strange and the whole Sanctum Sanctorum stuff, Layla and Marc, Darcy of course, Nat and Sam. The 'love shield' Steve throws up in front of the press was inspired by Harry Windsor's PR move from many moons ago. My favorite part, about this fic, about writing fics in general, is when love just kind of happens to two people who aren't really paying attention, and suddenly it's everything, and they have to conform their lives to this new gorgeous reality. Anyway that's what I'm going for in every fic I write.

This was more talking about myself than any Canadian should do in a month, let alone a day. I need to go lie down. I don't love tagging other authors in these things, but if @burberrycanary, @bluesimplicity73, @musette22, @leveragehunters, or @dontcallmebree haven't done this yet and feel like it, I would love to read your thoughts on your incredible fics. And you, readers, please don't miss any of their tremendous work. Take it from me, their amazing stories (and Zenaida's) keep many a monster at bay when the night is dark and full of terrors. Big love to everyone out there sharing their creative endeavors with the world! <3

[hux-and-gay]

Kylux Short Shorts Fest 2024; Day 1: Vacation

—————————————————————————

Kylux Summer Vacation (Crack Fic)

this translates way better as a comic but comics take time. So i wrote more a script then a fic. maybe I’ll make a comic later or maybe some kind soul wants to waste their time doing it for me. I don’t really care anyway, not to toot my own horn, but this is really funny. I was thinking of the Lego Star Wars specials when I wrote this so picture that vibe. Hehehehehe

pls pls reblog! I dont have AO3 yet

Warning: Suggestive content, brief nudity (it’s played off as a joke)

Kylo: (announcing triumphantly, fist in the air) We’re going on vacation! 

Hux: (sounds unfazed) What? 

Kylo: (repeats previous gesture) We’re are going on vacation!

Hux: (no even looking up from his datapad) We’re in the middle of a war. We can’t just leave on vacation. 

Kylo: My grandfather went on vacation…

(Teary eyed dreamily looking off into the distance picturing the scene from the Lego Star Wars summer vacation special where Vader is being forced to apply palpitate’s sun screen) 

Hux: Oh so that’s what this is about. (Shakes his head) Predictable. Well we can’t. 

Kylo: (Angrily/Whiny) Why! 

Hux: I dont have time for this (Starts walking off)

Mitaka: (comes in, stopping him by the door) Sir… Did you authorize 30,000 credits worth of first order funds to be spent on (squints at his datapad) “Beach fun surprise?”

Hux: (looking up angrily) No! What even is that?!

Mitaka: (nods awkwardly) right I’ll cancel i-

Kylo: No! (Stepping forward) I authorized the purchase! (Turning to Hux dramatically) There’s no turning back now general! (Pointing to each person as he speaks) I’m taking you, and Phasma, and Mitaka, and… (points at a random dude walking by) THAT GUY, and we’re going on vacation!

That guy: Uhm sir I don’t even work here… I’m just visiting my wife…

Kylo: LETS GO! (Marching forward) 

~Later at the beach~

Kylo: (walking up to Hux wearing his helmet  and swim trunks that are definitely too small for him) Why are you wearing a shirt? 

Hux: (eating a suspiciously shaped popsicle) Why aren’t you? 

Kylo: (leans back) isn’t that like, constricting? 

Hux: You’re just trying to get me to take my shirt off. 

Kylo: What? No! (Clearly lying) 

Phasma: (walking by) I’d take this off if I was allowed too (gesturing towards her sports bra style top) 

(#free the nip)

(They both just blink at her stunned before she walks away and then they turn back to their arguing) 

Kylo: I still think you should take it off (huffs)

Hux: Then take off your helmet! (Pokes it)

Kylo: (crosses his arms) I dont want sunburn! 

Hux: The rest of you is practically naked! 

Mitaka: (rushing up carrying way more than one man should carry) Sir? 

Kylo: (not noticing Mitaka) I could arrange that! but I don’t think this is that kind of beach!

Mitaka: (trying to get Hux’s attention) Where did you want this sir? (Holding up all the stuff some of it falls out of his hands) 

(Still not noticing Mitaka the two of them glare at each other and Hux menacingly bites off the tip of the popsicle which has now melted all over his hand) 

~Seconds later~

Kylo: (pointing) oh look beach hockey!

Hux: (deadpan) No

Kylo: (Pointing) look there’s limbo!

Mitaka: (Still trying to get their attention) Sir this is kind of heavy…

Hux: (deadpan) No 

Kylo: Live music? (Gestures to the stage, where, idk, the Cerveza Cristal meme is playing or something)

Hux: Too loud 

Kylo: There’s a bar? 

Hux: I suppose that’s fine 

Mitaka: Sir?! 

(They start walking to the bar where Phasma already is) 

Mitaka: Why do I even bother (Sighs) 

(Meanwhile at the bar. Kylo has his helmet off now. the group was drinking (Cerveza Cristal!… No! Stop! You already made that joke!) when they see familiar faces walk onto the beach)

Kylo: Well look who it is (smirks) 

Phasma: The resistance scum (scoffs) 

Hux: How convient, you’d think this was a Crack fic (looking directly at you) 

Poe: (sauntering up) Hey Hugs 

Hux: (immediately standing to go) That’s it we’re leaving! Vacation over! 

Poe: (leaning on the counter) That’s a shame, we were just going to invite you all to a not so friendly game of beach volleyball. Right Finn? (nudges him) 

Finn: uhhhh… right. 

Poe: (whispers) Sound more confident 

Finn: (Yells) Right! we’re gonna beat your asses into the sand bitches! (Whispering to Poe) Was that too much? 

Kylo: Good luck trying. (Smirks standing up) It just so happens that… I don’t like sand~ (Turning to the others) Are the rest of you with me? 

Mitaka: (panting running up) I Just put everything down sir! 

Hux: (not noticing Mitaka again, setting his drink down) Well I suppose… if it’s a challenge (smirks)

Phasma: (cracking her knuckles) Oh I think it’s time they met the true power of the first order~

Poe: Good come meet us on the beach! (He gestures and runs off, Finn following, flipping them off as he goes. The others get up from the bar laughing and heading towards the beach) 

Mitaka: (exasperated) Did I miss Something?  —————————————————————————

(Look i could write out the volley ball match but I’m lazy so if someone wants to pick this up have at it) 

~Later that day~

Kylo: (running down the beach to join Hux in the water) Wait for me! 

(Hux’s shirt isn’t off but it’s open) 

Hux: (standing in the water, raising an eyebrow) Do you even know how to swim 

Kylo: Pfft, yeah totally!

Hux: That sounded oddly suspicious but if you say so (shrugs) 

Kylo: (walking very slowly into the water) Yeah I definitely learned how to swim, that’s definitely something I did, I mean like, it’s easy, I’m not a pussy!

Mitaka: (standing beside Hux) Is it just me or does it sound like he’s trying to reassure himself instead of you? 

Hux: (nonchalant) oh yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like. 

Mitaka: If he can’t swim shouldn’t we stop him? 

Hux: Let him try, it will amuse me (smirks) 

(Kylo goes deeper in the water, even deeper than the two of them, probably to prove a point) 

Kylo: I’m… I’m doing it! (A wave crashes into him) Fuck! I’m not doing it!  (He starts flailing and splashing wildly even though where he is definitely isn’t that deep)

Mitaka: (looks concerned) Sir I believe he’s going under. 

Hux: He’ll be fine. 

Mitaka: I Really dont think he will be…

(long awkward scilence)

Hux: He’s drowning isn’t he? 

Mitaka: It appears that way. 

Hux: Ugh fine! 

(He goes after him and Drags him out which is definitely a struggle) 

Hux: (dragging him by his foot onto the beach) Why are You So fucking heavy?! (Looking up to Phasma who’s tanning on the Shore) Thank you so much for your help Phasma!

(Phasma Holds up a drink nodding to them) 

Hux: (sets him down on the wet sand) Well he’s breathing (slaps him on the face) 

Kylo: (coming to, spitting out ocean water) Hey! That wasn’t mouth to mouth… (looks down disappointed) 

Hux: (sarcastically) Oh no! he stopped breathing guess I can’t save him! 

Kylo: (glancing at himself) Oh! my shorts fell off in the water, and your kind of straddling me so- 😏

Hux: (glances down instinctively and quickly looks back up) Mitaka? 

Mitaka: Yes sir? 

Hux: Google if It it’s legal to feed someone to the sharks.

~The end~

That Guy: Has anyone seen my wife yet?

@lessdenied @fives-ren @jaynesilver @thegeneralorder @diabollicallyangelic

@existing-sadly

@theosb0rnway

@dragonflies-draw-flame @hpdmism @fridayincarnate @tomatette

@transmasc-vampire-is-tired

@bostarsky

@kyluxshortshorts

[backmarkerr]

Fic Writer Interview 📝

tagged by @brawngp2009 ! Thank you, it was fun!

Heads up, I'll be keeping this to my F1 writing only! --

How many works do you have on AO3? 7 😎 What's your total word count? The ao3 stats page tells me it’s 30 302. My writing programme tells me there's 20k more in wips but that includes notes and stuff that aren’t really fic writing What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Isn't the stats page so great? Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do! I don’t always see them right away, but I like to say thank you to each person who takes the time to let me know they read and enjoyed something I wrote :) What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? I’m not sure... I don't really have any fic that ends angstily, but I guess the closest would be either Winter Pitstop or Head in the clouds? They’re more ambiguous than angsty, though… What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? I’d say Eyes on the prize has the happiest ending out of the current finished ones. Do you write crossovers? I don't write actual crossovers, but I love crossover AUs! I tend to draw them more than write them, though. Have you ever received hate on a fic? No. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Hell yeah!!! I only started writing smut "properly" in the past couple of years, it can be very challenging but that makes it extra rewarding when it's done. As for what kind, just m/m so far. I’d like to diversify it one day, but who knows... Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not a full fic, but lets just say there's a reason I no longer share WIP snippets. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but honestly all my fics are so rooted in what Ghost and I come up with together that she might as well be a co-writer. What's your all-time favourite ship? Simi. I was definitely not planning on being so incredibly compelled by a ship of two older retired blond drivers, but here we are. The lore is incredible and I learn something new every day, the parallels are out of this world, the reason a megapost is so hard to write is because there is truly SO much. But also their love is so refreshing! Most of my fandom life was spent stuck in ships that were doomed from the start/impossible so Simi is really freeing for me. What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will? I sure hope I’ll finish all of them! What are your writing strengths? Not to toot my own horn, but I think I’m pretty good at “show, don’t tell” in a way that the reader can put the dots together without me spelling it out for them. For example, I think I make it pretty obvious that Seb and Kimi love each other, even if they don't say it and the word "love" itself barely shows up in my writing. What are your writing weaknesses? Grammar and punctuation, especially in regards to dialogue. English isn’t my first language and I learned writing in a different style, so it can be pretty difficult. Also prepositions like on/in/at are a nightmare. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? Like everything else, it depends on how it’s done. I’ve seen fics where it’s used really well in the context and heightens the experience, and others where it’s just unnecessary. Personally, I’d have to be really sure that the language is correct before I used it, and really sure that it fits the situation in the fic. What was the first fandom you wrote for? As far as you’re concerned, F1 is my first fandom ;) What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to? Honestly I’m just here for Simi. No other F1 pairing inspires me to write. What's your favourite fic you've written? You never forget your first, right? Winter Pitstop is still my personal favourite. Maybe it will lose that spot once I finally write and post the sequels I planned last year.

-- I'm not sure who has been tagged already, so i tag @racingghost and whoever else sees this!

[anitalianfrie]

i was cooking when i wrote that diggianini fic i was struck by god and lighting and blessed by the muses. YES i am tooting my own horn i just reread it and i think gawd i really know what i like to read uh? anyway. i think people should be proud of their work more often, especially on here. if you think that something you made is good, or great, TALK ABOUT IT!!! SHARE IT!!!! I promise that people will love it too, and if they don't, well, their loss! go on with your agenda. with your weird art. with your weird ships and your weird fics TRUST ME everything will be better and you will have so much fun that way AND you will find your people

[javierpena-inatacvest]

hi bby ✨ I’m hoping to spread a little love around today (it is someone’s birthday after all — so you might see others answering this)!

I am a big fan of people enjoying cake and celebrating, and sometimes cake can be just tooting your own horn 💁‍♀️ so with that in mind, I’d love to know what THREE pieces of work you’re super proud of that you’d recommend others reading, and why 🍰

Hi my sweet Jo!!! 🥺💛 Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!

I’m not normally one for tootin’ my own horn (although fun fact I did play the trumpet in middle school LMAO) but I appreciate you thinking I even have enough to toot about 😂 that being said, here are my 3 things I think I am the most proud of out of all my work!!

1. Whatever My Wife Wants- husband!javi x wife!reader

This is a more recent one I wrote from a request from my sweet @honeyedmiller (hehe ily dev) based on the pictures of Pedro as Lucien (YUM). I know notes are so subjective, but I was not expecting that fic to blow up the way it did, and I was super proud of how it turned out 🥹

2. Cramps- Husband!Frankie x wife!reader

This was my first fic I ever wrote for Frankie. I was SO nervous to post bc I was a Javi exclusive girlie before this, and was so worried that people wouldn’t like it, or I wouldn’t get Frankie right, but I was really happy with the final product and flattered that so many people had nice things to say about it!!

3. It’s Never Too Late- Javier Peña x OFC

NTL will always be my pride and joy. This was the first fic I ever posted, and I have poured so much of my heart and soul into this silly lil story. Never ever EVER in a million years would I have thought it would have blown up in the way it did after deciding to post it on a whim, but I will be so forever thankful the I did. I will always be so proud of this story 💛 ily Javi and Osita

And ily my dear Jo, thanks for letting me do a little birthday bragging 😭🥹💕

[forlorn-crows]

How did I miss that you wrote quintessence stuff until now?!?!? Oml now I’m gonna have to binge read it all. Don’t be surprised if I return with ideas for you though

-🍁

not to toot my own horn here but when i first started writing (mis)use of quintessence, id only seen one or two other fics prior that explored that topic.

and its really expanded past just the hypnosis aspect now that so many people have this hc and write about it, and i get to read a bunch of my favorite kink ncbdhdhdh

also theres a tag on ao3 now ♡

but yes, boy do i write it haha. i tag it all as "quintessence as hypnosis" on tumblr if you want to see the ficlets too. im not gonna say i helped start a Thing but, being a little selfish here, i kinda feel like i did? i guess yall can let me know if you think thats true or not

enjoy xx

[joelscruff]

hi bby ✨ I’m hoping to spread a little love around today (it is someone’s birthday after all — so you might see others answering this)!

I am a big fan of people enjoying cake and celebrating, and sometimes cake can be just tooting your own horn 💁‍♀️ so with that in mind, I’d love to know what THREE pieces of work you’re super proud of that you’d recommend others reading, and why 🍰

jo this is so cute 😭😭 i love you sm

for me, i think first of all feelings on fire is something that i'm so incredibly proud of. it started from such a small and simple idea i had about guitar teacher!joel and has evolved into its own beast entirely with the most incredible readers & supportive angels who mean the world to me. ik i don't update it as often as i'd like to, but i love it so much and i'm looking forward to the upcoming chapters and for it to eventually be completed. it's going to be such a huge accomplishment for me 😭❤️

secondly, i'd have to go with soft!dom joel. this started as a one shot and was never meant to go any further, but i couldn't stop thinking about the dynamic between these two and i ended up writing a whole story around that one fic, so much so that the initial one shot is now the third (? i think?) part and no longer the introduction. i'd really like to return to them at some point and see what they're up to tbh

and lastly (and predictably) i'm gonna have to go with one thing i'm missing, AKA the first joel fic i wrote and finished 🥺 it's a very simple premise but i had so much fun writing it and it's what introduced me to the pedro fandom and all the wonderful people here who i've now become so close with. looking back, the writing isn't exactly on par with my current standards but, for what it is, i'm sosossoso proud of it and will love it forever.

[youngpettyqueen]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

aaaaa ty Sarah!! boy lets see what are some of my favs...

a matter of the heart is currently like. my top favourite thing at the moment. months went into 16k of Charleshawk, Charles and Hawkeye character study, gratuitous amounts of hurt/comfort... it is everything To Me (shamelessly gonna use a second to promote this one to anyone who hasn't read it yet PLEASE read my Charleshawk mania)

like a dog because its just so fucking funny. I would say "not to toot my own horn" but this game is about tooting your own horn so ill say it I wrote this one in such a way where I can literally picture it as a canon scene in my head. I reread it whenever im in a bad mood and it always cheers me up

leave your roles at the door I maintain is my most underrated fic. I love it a lot, I think Margaret and Radar's dynamic is criminally under explored both in canon and in fanfic, I do really need to write like a 10k fic about the dynamic I envision for them in my head their friendship could be sooooooo good

a welcome awakening is one I wrote for a request but I want to expand on it tbh. it as a scene works FANTASTICALLY imo I love it a lot I love the moment I captured but I love it so much I want to like, write a fully-fledged fic about the entire scenario + the aftermath. maybe when I get through a bit more of my insane WIP backlog

and miles to go before i sleep while there are parts of this fic I wouldnt mind revisiting at some point, I still love it very dearly for being my first multi-chapter work since I was a teenager. I still love my take on Hawkeye/BJ here, I really like the way I went about a getting together fic for them, so while I do at some point want to go back and do some edits, overall this fic still holds up as one of my favs

also hope we dont mind some honourable mentions here cause some just barely didnt make the cut-

a very important question listen this one didnt do as well as like a dog but it makes me laugh till I cant breathe

what do you do with a drunken major? my first Charleshawk fic and still a fav just cause it uses my fav canon Charleshawk thing which is Charles using Hawkeye as a teddy bear when he's drunk

and then a tricky one cause its still a WIP but I already know its a fav. here's a preview for an upcoming Houlihawk fic-

But when she turns to tell him all of that, the words stick hard in her throat. Because Hawkeye just meets her teary glare with a quiet, sympathetic frown. He doesn’t say a thing, and he doesn’t have to. Her resolve crumbles like sand and so does her glare, falling away as she presses her lips in a thin line in a last ditch effort to save face. She can’t throw him out. He knows, he understands. She needs that. Needs him. “Hawkeye…” She mumbles.  Hawkeye sets the flowers down on her bed. He opens his arms to her. “C’mere.” He invites. She’s not proud about how she throws herself into his arms. But she doesn’t care much about her pride right now. She’s not a Major right now. She just wants to be held. She just wants to cry. 

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

2023 Tumblr Top 10

I saw a few of these posts around and I got curious! There are definitely some surprises in here. Thank you everyone who has interacted with my posts and writing, forever grateful for you all ❤️

1. 5,941 notes - Oct 29 2023

This one still hurts. RIP Matthew 💔

2. 4,953 notes - Mar 25 2023

I still have to pinch myself whenever I see the love for Seams 🥹 I’m absolutely gobsmacked that this is approaching 5k.

3. 3,156 notes - Apr 16 2023

I was so nervous about continuing Seams. I was convinced that it would flop, but I’m glad I pushed through those doubts.

4. 2,368 notes - Aug 20 2023

I forgot about this shit post - y’all really liked that little strap on the Nokia 😂 Also, not to toot my own horn, but damn these gifs are nice.

5. 2,209 notes - Jun 4 2023

The hardest chapter of Seams I’ve written to date, but probably my favourite to re-read!

6. 1,975 notes - Jan 13 2023

I’m shocked that Letterman Jacket is almost at 2k. I remember everyone else was posting Joel fics, but there I was dropping my first and last take on our favourite Agent Tight Pants 😎

7. 1,858 notes - Mar 9 2023

8. 1,638 notes - Feb 25 2023

I’m so happy that Grays II made the top 10. Frankie and Shiv will forever be my favourites.

9. 1,621 notes - Jul 16 2023

I can’t believe I last updated Seams in July... I know I’ve written drabbles since, but they don’t really ‘count’, I suppose.

10. 1,350 notes - Sep 27 2023

Butter is the last full-length piece I wrote this year. I’m so glad this fluffy piece just made it into the top 10 🎂

Created by TumblrTop10

[ronanceautistic]

1, 8, and 30 for the asks?

the last sentence you wrote - it's incredibly boring i'm afraid.

She walked up to them, straightening her jacket a little. “Hi! I’m Blousey.”

if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

hmmm! maybe my The Good Place AU. I think the reason I won't, however, is because a) I think at some point the fun of it being Nancy and robin will wear off and it'll just feel too similar to the show itself and b) as good as it is, turns out that show triggers my moral ocd! I am, unfortunately, very similar to chidi.

share a fic you’re especially proud of

I will share two! Because obvious answer is trapped between two lungs due to how much work I put into it and the reception it received, it felt awesome to see people loving the work as it came out, especially with something so planned out and plot heavy.

Other than the obvious choice, I'm gonna go with this one here! Hate to toot my own horn but this is legit my comfort fic and I think it's underrated!!! It was my first time writing in present tense, and I really like the feel of like, time kinda fleeting and dipping in and out, along with the majority of it being sort of inner thoughts rather than dialogue or description of what's going on. I just enjoy the sense that Nancy is really there or engaging with anything. Y'all should read (and comment plesplesples)

[prattery]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thank you for the tag @queerofthedagger <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

242,705, which is absolute madness. didn't even realise i have that much to say abt merlin and arthur lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

BBC Merlin xx

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

stone cold: the one where merlin was turned into stone. bit heavy i have to admit, no idea what i was on when i wrote it

through storm and hellfire: the one where merlin was kidnapped to force Destiny™'s hand , things went to shit, and arthur went through a Difficult Journey of Discovery (or: the wringer) where he learnt that his dad was not, in fact, a good guy....among other things

flickering embers: the one where arthur lost merlin to the veil between the worlds only for merlin to be spat back out, lose his memory, and become a druid leader

winning the battle: the one where old religion claims everything that makes merlin merlin as a price for the immense magic he used to win arthur's battle

quiet light: the one where merlin stayed mad after agravaine convinced arthur that gaius was a traitor

my takeaway from this is that people enjoy it when i make arthur suffer

5. Do you respond to comments?

i do try but i am genuinely horrible at it. it's so so nice to receive them and i read every single one but i kind of don't know how to respond to them sometimes. one day we will get there

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i did intend for the long way round ANd a line that goes all the way to have angsty endings but oops guess my hand slipped.

the number of times i intended a fic to have an angsty ending only for me to faff with it later... unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on where you stand on this) my mind would not let me rest until I added a happier ending

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

the three trials. it ended well for everybody. and not to toot my own horn or anything but i'm quite happy with it. i think i have a tendency to rush endings generally speaking, but i quite enjoyed writing the ending to this one.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not yet and tbh i'd prefer to keep it this way thank you xx

9. Do you write smut?

i do like thinking about writing it but i just can't bring myself to actually type it out before i give myself the ick. maybe one day

10. Do you write crossovers?

no

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

i think the fact that im still in here 10 (?) years after the show ended on says something about merthur lol. once and future ship init

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

the sword and his shield. i still really like the concept i have for it and i still have the ideas for it rattling around in my head, but i just feel like it flopped. i write for myself and clear my head of plotlines and random bits of dialogue rather than external validation, but it just feels a bit like mumbling into the void

16. What are your writing strengths?

banter and describing emotions that are not my own <3

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

worldbuilding. coming up with the concept is fine, i can do that, but i find the keeping track on them challenging

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

i mean if somebody else wants to do it, go for it, fair play, but personally i will not. only because i can't be 100% sure that i wouldn't get things wrong

19. First fandom you wrote for?

fairly sure i wrote HP (drarry), just never published it. don't remember what it was about, either.

the first one i published on ao3 was marvel (stevebucky). i have not touched it since my return to fandom and tbh im not going to

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

i feel like i should say storm and hellfire because it is my child, it is the longest thing i've ever written, and i feel like it is the only thing i write that resembles an Actual Story (idk how else to put it). i surprised myself by actually finishing it. think it took about two years and i was a bit bereft after the last chapter was posted.

that being said, the fic i enjoy rereading the most (i.e. without cringing) is probably a line that goes all the way. it ticks all my own boxes and caters to all my interests lmao what can i say

not tagging anybody in particular but if you'd like to do this, feel free to say i tagged you xo

[kitausuret]

Harry Osborn/Flash Thompson Fic Recs

(Harry and Flash at Flash's birthday, Amazing Spider-Man #789; Slott & Immonen)

After writing my own HarryFlash fic, and also at the request of a friend, I realized it might be a good idea to recommend a few of my favorites I've come across! It's a small ship but one I've become very fond of. Full disclosure, I haven't read everything out there, and if anyone has any recommendations, feel free to add them on! But here's what I've found on Ao3 and am happy to pass on.

As always, heed the tags and summaries, and have fun! Remember to kudos and comment!

Got to Believe It's Worth It - by turnofthesentry (1k, T+) - 616

Short, sweet, a little sad, a little smutty (mostly vague/suggestive). Set right before Flash ships off for active duty. I love this one even though it hurts my heart a lot. Bonus, there's a comic adaptation by @oliveroctavius which you can find right here!

Not a Math but a Science - by turnofthesentry (1k, Gen) - 616

So this one isn't solely HarryFlash, it's more like Harry pining for everyone, but it's a beautiful 4+1 fic (4 kisses Harry wanted, and 1 he got) and the bit for Flash is very sweet. I'm feelings.

phone calls - by kingdavidbowie (~2k, T+) - TASM

I think this might be a sequel to hallway by the same author, but I liked this one in particular because of its blending with some things from comics canon, especially for Flash. It's a little sad but they are sweet boys...

had they not been interrupted - by softgrungeprophet (1k, Explicit) - 616-esque-ish

trans!Flash? trans!Flash! Nadia wrote this wonderful little fic as part of their series..es..? where Flash is a trans girl. This one is a personal favorite, Harry is very good and very sweet to her.

better there than perfect - by blue_bees (2.5k, Gen) - 616

I really like this one because it's from the roommates era!! (oh my god, they were roommates) It's sweet and a little bit sad in parts but what good Coffee Bean ship isn't.

"The ladies dig a man in uniform." - by blue_bees (4k, T+) - 616

My favorite thing about this fic is how definitively it is set in the silver age of comics - Oli talks a lot on his blog about the importance of historical context with comics, and I love the way he uses that in this fic. It also makes it a little sad, of course (queer men in the sixties, and all) but god, it's so good. Also, getting frisky in a car is fun.

I hear the soft sigh of his inhale - by softgrungeprophet (9k, T+) - 616

This one's just plain fun. And look at that word count! It's inspired by the Spidey newspaper strip, which had a little B plot (or maybe more like a C plot) about Harry and Flash running a roller disco. This tick-marks a lot of my favorite things to see in fics, like the whole supporting cast. There are so many characters in this one!! It's fun! There's a scene that takes place during Halloween! It's got DAD!HARRY! There's also a lovely drawing by Oli at the bottom.

Cover Me In Bruises - by BlueCrowAnxiety (12k, Explicit, Incomplete [currently at ch. 10]) - Raimiverse

Let me preface this by saying I am not that into Raimi!Spider-Man, but I know there are a lot of Raimi fans out there and this is from what I've seen the only fic that falls into that category. I know from their other fics that Blue has a good knowledge of comics canon and that shines through here and there in this fic. I'd never considered HarryFlash in that universe before this one! It's neat!

Learn to Let it Show - by Kitausuret (2k, Gen) - 616

Not to toot my own horn, but I did just publish my very own HarryFlash fic last night. It's set after Venom: Space Knight because I like Flash as Venom and dad!Harry.

I hope you have fun with these suggestions! If anyone knows of any outside ao3 or that I missed, for sure feel free to add them.

[da3drat]

20 questions for writers

tysm @wispstalk for tagging me! :D tagging back @ghoulingcooper as always but I thinkkkk everyone else has been tagged already. Questions under the cut~

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Three

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3,413

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just elder scrolls so far, though I do have ideas for a palia fic floating around.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

lol. my top one is In the End, the World Still Turns. Which doesn't surprise me bc it's my only Oblivion fic.

5. Do you respond to comments?

YES sometimes it takes me a while to get around to it though because I have the memory of a goldfish

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Not Dead (Yet) will definitely have the angstiest ending when we finally get there. We love tragedy in this house.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhhh none? lets go with none of them.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope ! <3 I love you elder scrolls fandom

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nah. frankly I don't think I would be any good at it so I prefer to just allude to sex and leave off right before or pick up right after. also to be real with you I'm still getting over my just came out of the closet lesbian repression. so maybe we'll get there eventually.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

My one Palia fic would be an Oblivion crossover! But idk if it will ever actually get written. The plot and lore in Palia interest me and I really think the effect they and the setting have on Celeste is interesting but I have so much Elder Scrolls fic I want to write that I just don't know if it'll ever be at the top of my to write list. Not to mention my personal project.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No and tbh I don't have the readership numbers to be worried about that lol.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also no!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

noooo but I have co planned a LOT of them with Cat even if they haven't been written. s2g they will someday.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I mean I think we all know its Ayem/Nerevarine lol. I think it shines a really interesting light on Almalexia and gives you the opportunity to dig into her character. It also implies an interesting Nerevarine (imo not to toot my own horn here lol) because it requires them to understand the danger of meeting someone who quite literally murdered you in a previous life and then still show them vulnerability and compassion. Idk shipping is sort of an exercise in character analysis to me, and I like what the Nerevarine can draw out of Almalexia and vice versa. With Meri and Almalexia specifically they're two chronic liars who meet someone that knows their tells and that's the closest to honesty they can get. And that breeds an interesting form of codependency. Having one person in the entire world who can see you for who you are no matter how hard you try to hide it, and then accepts and even loves that person even though they objectively kind of suck lol.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Don't have any atm! My only wip is Not Dead (Yet) and I'm so fucking determined to finish this even if it takes me years.

16. What are your writing strengths?

fuck if I know. I haven't been doing this long enough to have any real idea about it I'm just kind of throwing shit at the page and hoping for the best. I like to believe it's my character work.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

THIS one I could give u a list a mile long lmao but I will say I think I show my hand too early and I tend to lack subtlety. Working on that quite deliberately rn.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I mostly throw in bits and pieces for emotional effect. Terms of endearment and the like. I know basically nothing about linguistics or being bilingual so I feel like I would want to a lot of serious research before I tried anything more serious than tossing a few dunmeri cuss words or velothi nicknames into a fic lol.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

um. supernatural.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

NOT DEAD YET. NOT DEAD YETTTTTTT. it's the first multi-chapter project I've ever attempted and also I care so much about this story and these characters that it's really motivating me to try to improve my work every single time I sit down to write.<3

[pretty-rage-machine]

20 questions for fic writers

I got tagged by meikuree! You should go read her excellent fic. 8)

I can't remember whomst among my mutuals does fic or not 😭 consider yourself tagged if you're interested! Let's all toot our own horns

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

63. My account is here, btw.

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

AO3 informs me it's 244,098, which feels like SO much and yet almost nothing based on the time I have theoretically been writing.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Gonna call out ones where I've written more than a single fic and where I feel it is at least somewhat likely I'll return and write more: Animorphs, Naruto, Blade of the Immortal, and Shingeki no Kyojin, but there's loads of one-offs and smaller fandoms there too. I'd like to write more Gravity Falls, as well.

The rest are under the cut.

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

With All Brightness (Lilo & Stitch), The Girl In The Water (Spirited Away), beauty, her artificers (Greek mythology), I've got Four Voices on the Line (the only one I hear is mine) (Animorphs), and love what you see in the mirror (TWEWY). Perhaps significantly, four of these were written for Yuletide, and one was written as a new year's resolution treat, so also for Yuletide.

5. do you respond to comments?

Yes, I try to.

6. what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ummm. Hmm. One of my friends once told me my fics were "gloomy" but I have a hard time calling out the angstiest ending. 😂Maybe it's Preludes (Naruto), a Kakuzu/Madara fic with Hashirama dying nearby? Or maybe it's On Moths (BOTI), a fic about Makie dying of tuberculosis back when it seemed like that might happen.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

With All Brightness (Lilo & Stitch) is so fluffy I think it has to be it.

8. do you get hate on fics?

I never have! Touch wood

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes! I write the kind that feels right for the characters to me. I like smut as character study and I like insane mindfucks and fucking as another manifestation of a battle of wills between characters.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you've written?

Like, a little drabble of one back in high school, Invader Zim/Kingdom Hearts lol. I really respect authors who can do a compelling crossover, but I don't feel like I'm that good tbh! Crossovers I want: Machineries of Empire/She-Ra (I need to see Kujen and Horde Prime go toe to toe), Gravity Falls/Attack on Titan (Hange and Bill Cipher being buds), Revolutionary Girl Utena/Narnia (ANTHY IN NARNIA. THE PROBLEM OF ANTHY)

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

I had a fic's framing device lifted! It was like. Not a songfic but a poem fic. It was that Monday's Child poem, and I had a line of the poem and then a short bit of writing after each line. Someone commented telling me they liked the Batman version more (lol), when I knew mine had come first based on publication dates. It was weird but I was a lot younger at the time and didn't really know what to say.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, with an ex-friend.

14. what's your all-time favorite ship?

Hmmmm I don't have an all-time favorite! I'm not so much about the shipping, though I enjoy shipfic.

15. what's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

All my currently-in-progress fics are oneshots. The WIPs that are unfinished, I know I'll never finish lolol

16. what are your writing strengths?

Uhh... (digs toe in the ground) character voice and tone? I feel like I don't know my own strengths lol. I used to get praised for beautiful imagery and having a "simple" style (though people would say this and then hastily clarify that they meant it in a good way, which tickled me) but not for a while.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I wish I was better at snappy dialogue and twisty plot, I really admire authors who are great with plot and can write things that give the feeling of like... things going wrong in a way that makes sense, characters dealing with that in a way that makes sense? Hmm.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it can be handled very well or very poorly. I don't know if I myself ever would if canon didn't model doing it, or if I couldn't find someone fluent in the language to check that I wasn't butchering it.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Invader Zim babyyyyyy

20. favorite fic you've ever written?

Hmm. Hard to pick just one, but here are some both old and recent that I especially like:

quelled and quenched in leaves (Stardew Valley) - a spooky fic I had a blast working on, very well received.

🐻🌠👋🗻FRIENDS🍦💎🔪🏄LEND💞🦆🕵️😲A👊👌🤟🙌HAND🤝🧙🔎💖 (Gravity Falls) - a doofy Gravity Falls casefic centered around some pretty rare characters. I jammed as many puns and gags into this as I could and tried some new things in general while I worked on it, and I'm still proud.

Chimera (Gemini) - exchange fic written for an obscure movie, another stretch in genre and tone that I still am proud of.

A Season Under the Kandrona (Animorphs) - fic about Aldrea and her family on an alien world. I just... love Animorphs so much

long still sea (Blade of the Immortal) - fix-it fic for the ending when I really needed that, written over the course of a single day in a borderline fugue state. I wish I could call on that productivity at will lmao

template:

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

3. what fandoms do you write for?

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

5. do you respond to comments?

6. what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. do you get hate on fics?

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you've written?

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. what's your all-time favorite ship?

15. what's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

16. what are your writing strengths?

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

19. first fandom you wrote for?

20. favorite fic you've ever written?