#okay this is the year of finishing wips because oooh my goodness this is not the only example of something sitting in the pile forgotten 😭

[sparklee-gem]

“A vessel no more, instead a crown bearing deity.”

I got really into Cult of The Lamb, and my brain did what it did best and smashed together my other major hyperfixation and the idea of Atem as The One Who Waits and Yugi as The Lamb would NOT leave my mind.

I initially drew up a quick sketch back in August of LAST YEAR,, and my motivation died out back when I wasn’t able to finish anything. It would stay an unfinished sketch…

Except the super amazing @book-keeper loved the crossover idea so much that they wrote a twoshot for it, and my motivation immediately came back to life.

It only took a year and some change, but I’m so grateful to them for bringing my motivation back to finish it 💖

Go check out their fic A Vessel No More ; my sketch isn’t a one-to-one match with their depictions in the fic, but it’s my initial drawing that I was able to finish and dedicate to this fic in return :]

No background vers and no color/linework vers under cut

[ifyougoillfollow]

Fic Writer Interview

Oooh, this looks fun! Thanks @plusultraetc for tagging me!

-- How many works do you have on AO3?

16. Huh. Didn’t think it was that many tbh. Yay me? :D

-- What's your total AO3 word count?

97,793! Almost 100k! Yipee!

Fun Fact: Before my latest fic, it was at a nice, very satisfying 88,888. I’d like to say that’s why it took me over a year to upload another fic, but well. I’d be lying lolol.

-- What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

a definite sign of what we will be (someday)

be my fictional obsession (my newest daydream)

you know i make you wanna scream

like sugar and cyanide

like heaving through corrupted lungs (‼)

(^ Didn’t think she’d make the cut! Proud of her!!)

-- Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love responding to comments!! It’s a wonderful excuse to ramble about my writing and share my thoughts about my beloved blorbos with like-minded souls. Unfortunately, I am. Shy. I’m usually good at responding when a fic first drops because the sheer adrenaline/euphoria of finally posting something propels me out of my shell, but once that wears out. Help.

I do read and cherish every single comment I receive tho - and I’m very lucky to receive such thoughtful comments, too! Just know that if you’ve ever commented on any of my fic – ily <33

-- What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Uh. All of them? Aldkjfskfj okay, that’s a lie, but tbh it’d be easier to point at the ones that don’t have kinda bummer endings. I love me some angst. :3

The title for Angstiest def has to go to ‘friend make sense of me’ tho. Yowch.

-- What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Oh, ‘be my fictional obsession’ for sure. Although ‘strawberry soju' is a strong contender, ultimately ‘bmfo’ is simply Sillier, so she takes the crown. :3

-- Do you write crossovers?

Not really! Though I have toyed around with writing AUs in other settings, the most recent of which is a BBC Merlin AU, which, let me tell you, has been tons of fun, even if I’ll probably never get around to finishing it lol.

-- Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I was about to say no because everyone has always been so lovely to me, but then I remembered that one person who bookmarked ‘like sugar and cyanide’ only to call it ‘lame’ for being self-indulgent and not ending with EraserMic getting together. Which was kinda funny ngl, because, like, my guy. The Unresolved Romantic Tension is right there in the tags, and also I repeatedly dunk on myself for being self-indulgent in just about every chapter note, so like, move along, sister, this is not the fic you’re looking for lmaoo.

-- Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope! Love me some innuendo and crass humor, but the most I ever see myself doing is a fade to black or maybe some vague allusion to the act (← see, I just did it), because it is simply not my cup of tea.

-- Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I’d be open to it for sure!

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

Another no, though I’m not sure I’d be a good fit for it tbh. I’m a bit precious about my writing process. 😅

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

Oh god, this is a Question. I mean, I have to say EraserMic given how much of my (fan) life it has consumed these past years, even if I do have some complicated, and at times contentious, thoughts and feelings about it.

QPR MicNight is right up there, though! I have just as complex and much less contentious feelings about QPR MicNight, my beloved. <3

I have so many QPR MicNight WIPs, you guys. One of these days, I’ll even finish one. orz

-- What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

CRIES. ALL OF THEM.

Okay, non-dramatic answer is ‘as the mists roll in at midnight,’ which is a WIP I started and finished outlining back in 2021 (it even got a title!) and then never got past the second chapter.

It’s a sort of house horror AU, featuring EraserMic, QPR MicNight, unexplained happenings in the woods, and a haunted inn that just wants to keep you safe. I love it so so much that I kind of got overwhelmed by my love for it, and thus my need for it to be perfect, and now I fear I shall never get back to it. </3

The same is true for so many of my WIPs, if I’m being honest. Shout out to Midnight Time Loop AU, ‘a song for a song,’ and ‘you know i make you wanna scream,’ the latter of which is the reason I no longer post multi-chap WIPs. rip.

-- What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and narrative voice. I get so many niceys comments on both, especially my narrative voice for Mic, which makes my heart do a happy dance every time. :)

-- What are your writing weaknesses?

Establishing and describing setting, unfortunately. The struggle to not end up with characters talking and introspecting in The Void all the time is real. OTL

Also there's the more technical stuff like my abuse of adverbs, em-dashes, and run-on sentences, as well as my point-blank refusal to kill my darlings at times, but I like to chalk all that up to Style, Vibes, and This Hobby is Supposed to Be Fun, Damnit, so we don't count any of that. :3

-- What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

No strong thoughts in particular, just the usual 'as long as it's done well' caveat. Though I do like when honorifics and such are sprinkled in here and there, hence why I tend to do so in my fic. I find it serves as a helpful reminder that these characters are Japanese, and thus hopefully helps to stave off some of that dreaded, inevitable Americanization of everything.

-- What was the first fandom you wrote for?

BNHA, which, let me tell you, came as a surprise not just to me, but also to anyone who knows me irl. I was famously Not Very Much Into Anime for most of my life. Go figure.

-- What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

BBC Merlin!

I watched (and was obsessed with) the show way back when, but have only recently gotten into the fandom, and good GOD has it been a struggle to not hop right in to writing fic for it, especially for Gwen/Morgana, my beloved toxic yuri queens. Only reason I haven’t is because I’m loathe to add to my already heaping WIP pile.

-- What's your favorite fic you've written?

Oof, this is a hard one.

‘strawberry soju’ has my heart right now because it felt like such a different undertaking than most of my previous work (it’s a 9k, non-linear, Aizawa POV one-shot! There’s actual kissing in it!) and also because I learned a lot while working on it. I didn’t have a real outline when I started writing, only a premise, one or two strong images of interactions I wanted to include, and several themes I wanted to touch on. It was a struggle working with such bare bones at times, but I'm glad I kept at it, because I'm proud of how much of the core themes and concepts came through in the final result.

However. If I’m being honest, my real answer to this question is the fic I wrote for Something Just Like This, an EraserMic zine I contributed to that is currently in production. I wrote that fic back in February, and it’s been absolute hell not being able to share it this whole time because I’m just so goddamn proud of it!! I won’t say anything else because I could go on forever about it and I’m contractually obligated to not spill the beans, but GOD I can’t wait for you all to read it. 🥺

-

Okay, that's enough yapping for now, but this was so much fun!! Thanks again for tagging me! <3

As for me, I'll tag @scream-mans-friend (no pressure!!) and anyone else who wants to take a crack at this. c:

[rescue-ram]

💕, 🥳, 💡, 🔮

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Of the fics I consider Finished, I'm shouting out Making the Most of It. REALLY happy with how that came out :)

🥳 Why did you start writing fanfic?

I think I was in 3rd grade, maybe 2nd- I typed "Digimon Stories" into Google and was delighted to find stories about my favorite show. I was so little I didn't totally understand how to navigate websites, and thought you just got 20 random stories every day, so you can imagine my :D when I discovered the "next" button and how to use the search feature lol. I don't remember my first fic exactly, but I wrote it after the movie came out and it was some insane Digimon crack fic lol.

I just really wanted to make up my own stories about my favorite stories, and I've always had an affection for plucky guys I felt got done wrong by fandom and wanted to do better to make people understand why I loved them so much- I wrote fanfic about Davis from Digimon and Boromir from LOTR. The only fic I left up on FFnet was an HP fic that I might port over to AO3 and revise, and maybe finish or at least add authors notes of my outline, because I do mostly like what I had, but for Obvious Reasons have not been super motivated to write for that fandom in recent years lol.

💡How many WIPs do you currently have?

Oooh okay, a lot of things in the hopper, let me categorize:

Actively Working On

Truly unhinged Hawnk fic for kinktober kfkfkfk

The Courage To Be

Star Wars fic 'Resolute'

Actively Pondering/Nibbling On

CharHawk Fake Dating

HouliHawk role play fail

Two age play fics that are similar in tone, one CharHawk and one Hawkahy- not sure if either will get finished, but don't think I'll write both, so pondering options

Hawkeye "turns into a cat" gen fic

Hawkeye Goes To California and BJ Goes To Maine at the same time without telling the other and swap lives for about two weeks.

Two post-war fics, one that is a sequel to Making the Most of It and one that's more focused on Daniel and Hawkeye's relationship, although BJ and Trapper are both there. Pretty distinct, but with enough overlap I need to pick one to prioritize to make sure I don't write too similar of scenes between them.

Soft Hibernation

The next part of my Rescue Bots fic- I know what the next bit will be, touched the doc last month, but not actively working on it

Under the Banner of Heaven case fic/undercover in a gay bar fic. Haven't worked on this in a few months, but I still really like the idea

Hibernation

X-Men Band AU. Been over a year since I worked on it, although I have a pretty good outline for a lot of what needs writing

1920s X Men AU. Soft abandoned, I remember some of my ideas for this but don't think I'll write it.

Succession KenStewy fic. I have some scenes and an outline, but it's hard to get in these assholes (affectionate) POV...

Captain America Clone Fic I haven't touched in almost a decade now god help me. Functionally abandoned but I still think on it occasionally kgkdjdkd.

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

Keep pondering, keep nibbling, and don't be afraid to shelve an idea and come back to it later. Fanfic is supposed to be for fun after all lfkdjjd

I have found it helpful to make the world's worst outline to act as a kind of checklist document and help connect scenes of I get stuck at one point and need to skip ahead a little.

I also like to try and focus on an emotional vibe to carry the fic, which helps get in the characters head so I can get in that trance state where the little guys are Doing Things and I just have to write it down kfjdjf. Sometimes I have an idea I like but it takes some pondering to find an emotional angle to connect with the character that makes sense as to why they are Doing The Plot, so nailing that angle before I commit to writing helps...

If I start getting bogged down in research I do the "five link" rule, where I only let myself read five things about the topic, try and cobble together enough of an explanation to pass a sniff test, then move on kgkrkrkdj

Also with skipping, the Sticking Point comes when I get too far ahead and then lose motivation for the part I was writing. Trying desperately to avoid this with my two multi-parters rn jdkdjd. Only letting myself write one or two scenes ahead helps a little...

[shubaka]

ahhh thanks for the tag @amidalleia <333

How many works do you have on AO3? 22!

What’s your total AO3 word count? 68,137 - i am not good at writing long fic hahaha

What fandoms do you write for? mainly Kinnporsche the Series... and I guess all the jeff multiverse jeffcest ridiculousness.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? The Wiked Lies We Live, It's Kim and Chay and Chay's Phi Jom, the height of romance, Nice Legs (omg old Teen Wolf fic haunting me lmao), these tulips were made for talking.

Do you respond to comments? usually, yes! i did fall behind on WLWL... was hoping to catch up on comments in the next few days haha

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? oooh that is probably the Big/Porsche ficlet three kisses (that did, shouldn't have, and didn't happen)

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i have a few with cute/happy endings, but i'll go with It's Kim and Chay and Chay's Phi Jom.

Do you get hate on fics? no just requests to update faster (sorry my friends, but unless i come into a large amount of money, i don't think i can take the time to spend all of my time on writing)

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yes. what does this mean what kind??? i'm still kind of "aksdjlfaw AHHH!" about it, but it feels more comfortable each time -- kind of like action scenes.

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? if the mood strikes? hmm, i do have a Death Note Howl'sMovingCastle!AU fusion on my old LJ account but I don't think that really counts as a proper crossover. In Which Sunako is Sent to Ouran Academy to Become a Lady is the only crossover I've posted on ao3. It's a Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Wallflower) and Ouran High School Host Club crossover from.... 2006. ohmygod.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that I'm aware of!

Have you ever had a fic translated? yes. hand wash with care has been translated into Russian

Have you ever co-written a fic before? i guess so. @snickerdoodlles and i were "yes and-ing" on tumblr with a drunken kimchay thing that accidentally went down the path of knife/blood play lmao. it's up on ao3 as drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart. also did a ridiculous "yes and-ing" survivor-idol-show kimchay thing with @subtextsays and @mightyyoiko you can read part 1 here and part 2 here.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? listen, if it takes me 10 years, it takes me 10 years. i'm not giving up on anything yet!!! hahahaha

What are your writing strengths? uuuhh. i don't know. maybe things on the sweet and silly side? i feel like i do my best writing when i'm having fun with it.

What are your writing weaknesses? writing consistently? i cannot for the life of me stick to a writing schedule. deadlines for fandom exchanges/events are fine. i'm great at meeting deadlines. but if it's me setting some arbitrary writing deadline for myself??? especially for multichapter fics?? HAHAHAHAHAH *disintegrates into nothing*

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? if it's necessary. sometimes there's cultural contexts to consider and sometimes the english equivalent just doesn't sound right.

First fandom you wrote for? gundam wing fic on some long gone yahoo group. good luck ever finding it.

Favorite fic you’ve written? ahhhhh how to choose?? i have a big soft spot for the height of romance because it got me back into writing fiction after over a decade hahaha. but also if you want an answer that will call me the fuck out, i'll say you are what you eat (they're twins) (the filmania!kim x boc!kim pwp) because i am way too invested in jeffcest. just tattoo that sickos image on my forehead *sobs*

okay snickerdoodlles, subtextsays, and mightyyoiko, i'm going to cheat and say you've all been tagged to do this (if you want) and of course if anyone else wants to do this, please do! i wanna read your answers :D

[erstwhilesparrow]

any/all of 3 12 19 29, for ao3 wrapped?

:D

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

[scrambles to ao3 to check what i posted this year] oh my god i posted so much this year. and i like so much of it too! i think i might actually be most proud of the body so quiet it can hear the soul? there's definitely stuff i put more time into (aufest fic) and stuff that required similar [reviewing a bunch of videos to get it right] (double life fic) but this one was so deeply weird and i put so much into it without giving myself away; i'm really happy it exists and that i did that!

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

oh boy. uhhhh. okay, counting only stuff that has a google doc created for it and that i do in fact fully intend to finish, it's... seven? rapid-fire it's: ethubs vs desertduo last life, wcsmp vampire hunter au, 3rd life mech au poetry collection, wra triptych, owen/martyn pirates smp, secret life post-lizzie's death, new life smp scott + sparrow exploring bodies.

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

oooh. GOOD question. hm. i don't know that this is the kind of thing i ever really plan to do, i just watch videos and five minutes later i'm pacing in circles going, "okay, wow, scott smajor??" oh! flower husbands. i've heard tantalizing things about them recently and i'm wildly curious because i strongly suspect the fanon versions of them have had all their interesting edges sanded down and i want!! to know!! about the sharp parts!!

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

mm. oh, it's gotta be one of the two trout ones, right? let's see...

Pixandria has long stood at the edge of imperial territories, styled itself as the last bastion before the wide, searing sweep of the desert. But it has never turned away travellers from Mezalea — messengers, or merchants, or those hopeful or determined or foolish enough to pluck up their mesa-grown roots and walk under the eye of the glaring sun with all their worldly possessions in tow — that show up on its streets. If the Fulgurant King’s carromancy carries reasons for the way Pixandria shuts itself up like a puzzle box undoing itself, those reasons don’t make themselves known to her expatriates.

it feels like it took effort to make the words come together, but the effort was worth it. like, the language fits together and does exactly what i want it to do? there's a lot of lines in this fic that just as easily could have been the answer here though.

[emsylcatac]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @jattendschaton for the tag!! (see their answers here for links to their nice fics & all 👀) I'm not sure I can be considered a writer still with how little I'm doing nowadays but I appreciate you thinking so 😂

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 25

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

95,070

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only ML !

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Compatible, We'll be together, always. , A little push, Kiss shy and Of silver and pink

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Usually yes but I haven't been good at it lately 😬 I like letting people know I appreciated them commenting, but I've been pretty lazy these days so I haven't answered much (or sometimes I see a comment and it's been posted weeks ago and I feel awkward answering so late after dfjhjdf). But I do read every comment and I appreciate greatly people taking the time to do so 😭 I've noticed a few times recently same readers commenting a few of my fics at once or in only a few days and big love to you all, thanks so much ♥︎

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

Oooh most definitely the one I wrote this year which is we'll find your new colour

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

Most of my fics have a very happy ending but I guess one of the fluffiest and most heart-warming one I wrote was A game of pretend

Rest is undercut!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I can't remember getting any right now. Maybe most I got was someone correcting my grammar and that was it, or some confusing bookmark comment that I can't remember exactly.

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

Nope!

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

No

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of. An idea stolen yes I believe but that's kind of it

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, I think someone translated 2 of my fics in Russian

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

I don't recall so.. I think there were plans with people but it never led to anything.

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

Lovesquare definitely!!

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

I have an aged-up Ladrien/Ladynoir one shot wip that I'm afraid will never see the light of day. And I really really want to finish ask her (me) out, also because it's a gift to a fandom friend, but I'm afraid I'll never get to sit down and finish it. We'll see, you never know maybe one day I will 😂

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uuuhh...... I think I've been told I have good dialogues or that I'm good at making the characters seem in-character? But I'm not sure hahaha you'll tell me

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm bad with description among other things

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

Okay so I will say: if some characters are switching languages and the reader isn't supposed to understand the language picked and it's short, then yes (or if the reader needs to understand and there's a translation)! Otherwise personally not too into it. For ML, especially random words in French thrown into the dialogue or the text in general with no translations and for no reason (a nickname or something / swearing for instance then sure I'm fine with it and do it sometimes too, but I've seen in some fics at times the most random words/sentences translated to French and it's always thrown me off a little. And sometimes no English translation of these words are offered - at least I'm French and can understand but someone who doesn't speak French might just be confused hahaha). But that's my personal feelings about it, I understand why some writers like to do it and I respect that & it shows how dedicated they are especially when they're not French themselves so don't feel bad if you do it yourself!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

ML again haha

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

That's hard.... I think Compatible is one of the fic I had the most fun writing. Today I'd def write the introduction to the fic very differently because it's a lot of "telling not showing" before getting into the fic, but the dialogue and banter in it was a lot of fun to write

tagging if you feel like it & weren't tagged before : @cakemousse @ladynoirist and @2manyfandoms2count !

[jewelledfoxes]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks @medusasfinalgirl for tagging me!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 16 atm! (1 anonymous) Which is wild to me. English was my least favourite subject in school.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 198,609 which, again, absolutely wild.

3. What fandoms do you write for? At the minute, just stranger things. But my early fics were Game of Thrones and Bridgerton.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? I'm just going off ST fics so:

(Anything You) Want - friends to lovers mutual pining Nice (Just Ain't My Type) - silly celebrity rivals au (I Don't Have To Tell You But) You're The Only One - AYW college sequel This Be The Verse - on a theme of parenthood Stay - AYW Eddie POV

I only consider 2 of these to actually be amongst my "best" fics tho.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! I definitely try my best to respond to everything as quickly as possible. I feel very honoured that there are people out there who take time out of their day to let me know they enjoyed. Makes my day every single time!!

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oooh okay, Haunt Me, Then! (kinktober spectrophilia fic) for now, but it's very possible that She's Got A Boyfriend Anyway (classic cheating-on-Jason fic) might beat it when I get round to finishing it.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I don't know if any of my fics have particularly strong happy endings, but off the top of my head it's got to be This Be The Verse.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Defo not on hellcheer ones! Everyone's so nice here!!! <3 My very first fic got SO MUCH hate on it but that's because I wrote it when I was 17 and it WAS terrible.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Really never thought I would, but more of my fics have smut in them than not these days lol. Idk, something about hellcheer just really made me go ...these two should be going at it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I don't, and I'd be very surprised if I ever do tbh.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Nope!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope again!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I haven't, and I'm not really sure I can ever imagine myself co-writing.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? I mean, I've not written 13 fics for any ship other than hellcheer so that's something. In terms of longevity, Katniss/Peeta and Finnick/Annie still have the same effect on me as they did when I first read the book at like 13 years old.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? What a stressful question! I doubt I'll finish off Hard to Forgive (Hard to Forget) because it would be one of those proper multi-chapters (40k words ish by my estimates) and I just don't think I could do it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Hmm I'm not sure. I used to be quite good at setting a scene but I think I'm losing that a little. If I'm honest, recently I've been really proud of the sheer volume of what I've been writing and my willingness to venture out of my comfort zone.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? God, where to start. Weak dialogue, my repetitive writing style, difficulty writing endings, complete inability to do anything concisely. But I genuinely feel like I'm slowly improving bit by bit!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I did French and Spanish in school, French to a slightly higher level than Spanish, so I'd feel comfortable including either of those at a school level (like them trying out saying things like "at the weekend I like to go to the park" and "I have two brothers and no sisters" in a class) but wouldn't want to risk anything more complex!

19. First fandom you wrote for? The Hunger Games. I never posted it anywhere, but I still have my old drafts for fics that I look back on every now and again just to see how far I've come!

20. Favorite fic you've written? So hard to choose! This Be The Verse because it felt so immensely personal to write or Cherry (sapphic hellcheer) because it was a long time coming. Both are eclipsed by a soon-to-be-uploaded kinktober foot fic that I will reveal is called Heart and Sole (and yes it's as dumb and silly as the title implies)!

Okay that was fun! I'm not 100% sure on who I follow writes but I'm p sure @gingertumericlemon, @bibiche007 and @achilleanenjolras all do, so would love to hear your responses if you fancy it!

[clareguilty]

3 and 12 ( for the ao3 wrapped)

LEMON HELLO HI HOW ARE YOU?

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

oooh okay so I really wish Steel Horses got a little more love because i think it was a pretty ambitious project for my skills at the time and I would have liked it to get the same kind of attention as Mavericks??

but also some of my Sailor Moon fics have such a unique voice and style that i really really love and am proud of right now even though a lot of them are like a year or two old

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

okay so technically i put together my WIP list at the beginning of every year by throwing out anything that I dont think will be worth finishing, but if we want to talk about projects that I have open as of right now... i have like 23-24 WIPs that were either grandfathered in from last year or started this year...

a good number of those are personal projects that likely wont be published, and a lot of them will probably be tossed out/abandoned for next year. I may try and spend the rest of the year tidying up and finishing anything that I'm able especially since i want to clean up my AO3 account and round off any incomplete works but fandoms move so fast these days that a lot of projects ive started arent even worth publishing anymore or will have to wait until the next season of whatever show comes out

[lesbian-in-leather]

Fanfic Writer 20 Questions

I was tagged by @virginian-wolfsnake - thank you!!! This was so fun to do!!

1. How many fics do you have on ao3?

Technically 40 but actually 39 lmao. When I first started posting my wwdits october prompts last year, I posted the first two as chapters on the same fic before reposting them (and all the others) as individual works in a series. But I refuse to delete the original because I got some nice comments on it ^.^

2. What is your ao3 word count?

94,076

3. How many fandoms do you write for and what are they?

Well I've only ever posted for A Series of Unfortunate Events, What We Do in the Shadows and Harlots, but I've got WIPs for Hunger Games, Why Women Kill, and School for Good and Evil as well (some of which will hopefully also get posted... at some point lmao)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Disclaimer: I have not read these fics in ages and I have no idea what the writing quality is like lmao

That's Not The Point (wwdits) — Nandor gets defensive of Guillermo when Nadja and Laszlo start insulting him. I honestly didn't really like this at all when I was writing it and I cannot believe that it is overwhelmingly my most popular fic with almost a 100 kudos lead on second place

His Good Lady Wife (wwdits) — set in the aftermath of the gang's attempt to capture the Sire, it focuses on Nadja/Laszlo with a strong emphasis on Nadja and how she's feeling. This one is also actually my oldest fic! It's really nice to see that it's doing so well, especially since it's the only fic to make the top five that isn't tagged with Nandor/Guillermo (a feat in and of itself lmao) ^.^

What A Way To Spend The Evening (wwdits) — Guillermo being jealous of Nadja and Laszlo being cute... what more is there to say?

An Eternity With You (wwdits) — a classic "the squad gets drunk" fic wherein Guillermo has to take care of a sad-drunk Nandor while Nadja and Laszlo are, once again, cute. Is anyone else sensing a theme here?

A Wish, Unfulfilled (wwdits) — now this one I do still like the concept of; Guillermo makes a wish that accidentally turns him into a vampire and the vampires into his familiars. However, because it was written for one of the october prompts, it is rather rushed, and I did actually start work on a multichapter version of it. Hopefully someday I'll get around to finishing that

I knew none of my asoue fics even came close to my wwdits ones in terms of stats, but I was not prepared to see the numbers because like... woah. That's a lot of kudos. Thank you!! There's also an (admittedly quite funny) trend of my Nandermo-adjacent fics doing way better than anything else, despite the fact that I wrote far more Nadja-centric content, and haven't posted anything at all for wwdits in almost a year

(giving a lil bonus as a treat: my top asoue fic is Figuratively Speaking, and it's the only asoue fic I've written that managed to beat any of my wwdits fics in terms of kudos)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why / why not?

Yes, absolutely! I love getting comments so so much, they always brighten my day and I think about them like... all the time. So I just want to leave a little acknowledgement and let people know that I really appreciate them taking the time to say that they enjoyed my writing! I spend a lot of time on my fics, and hearing that someone out there liked one of them enough to tell me that is... so so lovely, and I love being able to thank people for that!!

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oooh okay this is a hard one because I don't tend to really write happy things. I think I'd have to say Insistent (asoue), because the ending of that one is probably the most overtly angsty one (I think, although there are a couple other contenders). This was also the one where someone commented that I owe them for their therapy bills so I feel like that's a good indictor lmao

7. Do you write crossovers?

I don't write crossovers in terms of having characters from different universes meet up (unless you count the one time Mina showed up in a wwdits fic but I feel like that's just canon from the lore the show's given us so far about fictional vampires) and I've certainly never posted an actual crossover... but I do have an AU in the works where the characters from asoue are living in the Hunger Games universe (replacing all of the characters from THG instead of coexisting with them) and that might get posted someday?

8. Have you ever gotten hate on a fic?

Nope! To be fair, I don't think enough people see my fics to get someone hating on them, especially since I write for smaller fandoms where, as far as I've seen, the people are all very nice and encouraging!

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

I certainly don't post smut. I've tried my hand at it once or twice (on a couple of asoue pairings actually), but I'm not sure I ever really hit the mark so I probably won't ever post them. They are still sitting in my WIP folders though

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know. Again, not being super popular and writing for smaller fandoms certainly reduces the risk, along with the fact that the fandoms I do write for are very lovely

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again, not to my knowledge. It'd be SO cool if someone ever wanted to, though

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Nope! Honestly, I'm not really sure how that works for people?? I think I'm too unreliable with schedules and going off-plan for anyone to put up with me lmao

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Oh god that's a hard one. I have a lot that I really adore (like, a lot), some of which I've never even had the chance to write for. As much as I love Esmé/Georgina (and they may be my favourite to read), I think Beatrice/Esmé is my favourite to write, purely because you can do so much with their dynamic and it's very interesting to me. Also they're both chaotic and problematic and that is my JAM

14. What’s a wip that you want to finish but you don’t think you ever will?

Possibly the extended version of A Wish, Unfulfilled that I mentioned earlier, or my entire rewrite of wwdits season 4. I've been super uninspired for wwdits in months because I'm honestly really disappointed in the show's writing, and there are so many other fandoms that I still adore writing for that I'm not sure I'll ever get the inspiration to go back and finish either of them

15. What are your writing strengths?

Okay this is kinda hard for me because I know I'm very critical of my writing (it's something I'm working on but we're not there yet lmao). I've been told my dialogue is a strong point, and I do enjoy and spend a lot of time on trying to capture how different characters would speak, so I'm going to say that!

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

In the interest of not spiralling tonight, I'm going to say either using dashes too much - because I really do use them all the time - or my tendency to italicise words far too often. (haha, see what I did there? I'm so funny) Oh! Or my habit of accidentally having a favourite word, that I realise upon re-reading I used wayyyyy too often for the relatively short length of my fics

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but also I think that I'd be too scared to try it unless I knew someone who spoke that language that could help me out. It's also not a problem I've ever come across though, and since my preferred style of narration is 'intimate third person', I'd probably just write "they said something in spanish" or something to that effect if my chosen character can't understand what's being said

18. What is the first fandom you ever wrote for?

The first fandom I wrote for is harder to answer, because I write a lot of stuff that I don't post, but the first one I posted was for wwdits

Not including the couple of things I posted on my old ao3 account that I do not, have not, and will not ever attach to myself in any way shape or form

19. What’s your favourite fic that you have ever written?

Okay, I don't really have a favourite, but there's a few that I'm quite proud of for one reason or another (note: I'm not re-reading these before listing them here so if the quality is questionable... please don't blame me I did my best):

Under the Moonlight (asoue) — Beatrice/Esmé. This is my most recent fic, and my longest by a relatively significant significant margin, and I actually really like it

Don't You Miss How We Were? (asoue) — Esmé-centric (because of course). This is an older one, and I believe it's the only one I've ever written that is explicitly TV-verse. Still, I do like it, even if it's sad

The Dream (wwdits) — Nadja-centric, where the whole thing is literally just her having a nightmare that explains a little bit of how I see her transition going after she was bitten

The Incident (wwdits) — Now I absolutely have not read this in ages, but the concept of it is; 'the others are forced to realise that Guillermo is actually dangerous and they don't handle it well.' It's another one that I kind of wish I'd dragged out a little more, but I'm also glad that I didn't because if I had, it probably wouldn't have ever been finished/posted

20. Who do you tag?

Obviously no pressure, but @gray-zelle, @changelinq, @tangentiallly, and anyone else who wants to give it a go!!

[darthnell]

6, 8, 14, 16, 23, 25, 39, 51, 56, 71

Ooh ty for the ask !! <3 This one is so fun, I'm excited :D Thank u for sending so many also !! Okay, I'm putting this one under a readmore because it's quite long lol.

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

Okay, I've actually only had one of my works beta'd and that was the recent one I posted, The Bridges We Burn. I wrote this one for an event in the THG server I'm in, and this story has... I'll just say, one of the gnarliest injuries I've ever written, so I really wanted some extra eyes on it to make sure it read as I wanted to and also tied in with the themes I was writing about. Oh, and making sense from a medical standpoint LOL (one of my betas for that fic has knowledge in that area hjvfh).

In general though, I'm my own beta. Maybe I'll look into getting one for my next fic, but we'll see !

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

Oooh... Writing or reading..? Hm either way, I don't know.. I do love opening scenes though, both reading and writing. And also ending scenes... And the middle is.. well you could do anything there HBJDH. I do also love coming back to the start of a story after finishing writing or reading, it's refreshing almost. But. Yeah, I don't really have a good answer for this one. I just love stories ;-;

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

Mannn I looooove emotional scenes !!! I think... making myself feel what the characters are feeling is part of the process for me. Maybe that's one of the reasons I like writing so much...? I don't know ! Also re: personal experience, hm. That's a hard one.. I think I have like. Personal experiences that I can sometimes vaguely apply to scenes I'm writing, just as a reference for certain emotions, but it's never like. Explicitly copy-pasted from that. I've never watched a human being get brutally murdered in front of me, so I just have to get creative on that front LOL. (Uh context for anyone unfamiliar - I write hunger games fics bvdbfh)

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

Oh lord.. So Many. I have a list in my personal discord server, it's... a Lot. Some of the main ones, I guess... I have some drafts for the events of what happened for both of Venatrix's parents' Games, since they're both Victors (different years). I also have a sequel to True Vengeance planned. I'm planning to rewrite the Victory Tour fic for 168th Games. And I'm also planning an SYOT for the 175th Games, where the Quell twist is Victors choose the tributes. :D

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

God, I say this so often but. Write for yourself !!! If you're not obsessed with what you're writing, then no one else is going to be ! And I'm not saying it's a sin to want feedback or praise or comments or kudos for your writing. I simply mean that, since You're the one writing, you damn well better love it. Gonna end this response with a quote from Mary Shelley about her novel Frankenstein (which I just read ahah) that really resonates with me:

"And now, once again, I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper." <3

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

Oooh.. Hm, well, I'll never say no to more responses for True Vengeance LOL. But I think for the moment, I'll have to plug The Bridges We Burn since it's my most recent project. I did just post it, and all at once, so it makes sense that it hasn't gotten much traction outside of the discord server yet!

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

Oh god a wip.. I haven't. Written anything for TrV in ages, but I do have one chapter in the backlog. ...Oh this one is fun (:

Growing up, there had only been one instance in which Venatrix truly felt terrified of her father.  Before any of them were permitted to start training, their parents decreed it necessary to watch the entirety of their respective Games. Eight years old, he’d taken her down to the basement of their home, alone, and turned on the screen. She’d been excited at first, to find out what exactly made her dad a hero. It melted away with the fire.

:D totally normal family events.

51. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Ahaha... Total: 467,503. For just THG: 448,413

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

Oooh.. I think I write fighting and action scenes well. I know that's something that people often have trouble with, but I've been told I do a good job with it. And I enjoy reading back what I write generally. I also think like... my writing is very visceral, and it has to be because that's how I feel the stories. Idk. If I feel it in my chest, that's generally a good thing. Does that make sense? No? Yes. Yes it does.

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

Oh god.. question of the century lmaoo.. The only real example I have of this is True Vengeance (the fic stands at 250k rn) and its. Honestly a horrible example HJBVHBVFH. "How do you keep track of outlines" well first off my outline for this fucking fic is 130 pages I am really not who you should be asking BHVDHBFV. It's literally unusable, but on the bright side, being 253k into the fic means I know the characters and story like the back of my hand pretty much so that's good.

The outline was basically my original dumping grounds for any thoughts about the story that I wanted to include. Yes, there is an outline within the outline. Yes, I had to go through and reorganize the entire outline at one point for anything to make sense.

But yeah, story wise, that's where I'd put all the little details and then major details that I wanted to include. Right now though.. In my current fic document, I have a few notes under the sections where the remaining chapters are gonna go. So when I go to write those chaps, I'll see my notes down there (that I migrated over from the outline) that I need to make sure I include as I write.

Timeline is pretty straightforward since the story is linear. But I did make like.. a concise outline of the timeline of what's happening in the Games themselves by day, which was very helpful. I also have notes for each character to track the injuries they get and when (the comments function in gdocs is v helpful for that, I use it Frequently).

The development I guess is just. Idk... that's the meat of the story. Being aware of like. Where Venatrix's mindset has been during each part of the story has been pretty important. Since I write very closely to her character, that's basically where I get like.. the tone, I guess? It's been especially important as we saw her, uh, mcfreaking lose it last chapter so. That was fun. Like, the characters are naturally gonna be in a v different place at the end of the story versus at the beginning, and being aware of the steps it took to get there is. Good.

Ven isn't the only pov char of the story, and even w the characters that don't get povs here (like Mariposa and Dagmara and Percy in the case of TrV), it's important to be aware of where they're at and make sure they have agency outside of the pov char's head. So... yeah my main recommendation is to write everything down. Just Everything. But.. also ideally in a manner that's organized enough where you can reliably use it as a reference. And if the story changes as you go despite your outline, that's fine too ! Good even - it often means the characters are developing wills of their own and wanting to take the reins, and most of the time, you should let them.

Thank you again anon for the questions !!! Hope you enjoyed my rambling LOL

[kckenobi]

hii :) 19 28 30 for the fic asks?

ahh hi cato!! Hope you're doing well :)

19—Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Obi-Wan felt around the back of his head, eyes narrowing. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“We both have them?”

Anakin nodded.

Obi-Wan didn’t look panicked–just pensive. “Is it something you could remove?”

“Me? I’m good with droids, Obi-Wan, not people. Do you really want me messing with something that’s attached directly to your head?”

28—Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

Okay SO I recently had a concussion and it was very shitty BUT one positive is that since I couldn't/still can't read much, I've been listening to audiobooks! And I think that's actually helped me with my writing because it's allowed me to hear the flow of the language and the pacing of it, and helped me think more about how each voice is supposed to sound. So idk if that really qualifies as advice, but it's something that's been helping me recently!

30—Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't.

Oooh hmm.....I started this fic like a year and a half ago where Anakin runs into Obi-Wan right after he finds out Maul is back, which is also right after the Deception arc. So there's a lot of awkwardness and turmoil where Anakin wants to see if Obi-wan's okay but he's also still pissed off and upset about obi-wan faking his death. And I finished it like 75% of the way and then just....,stopped! Who knows, maybe I'll finish it one of these days?

fic asks

[itsgoldleaf]

1, 14, and 23 for the asks?

I’ll keep this one brief, because I’m sure everyone is like shut up about the Pacific Rim AU but it’s the Pacific Rim AU. I loved the whole process of this one, I really pushed my writing style and tried something new with its not-entirely-linear format, and I just really ENJOYED the worldbuilding. This fic just flowed out of me - in fits and starts though, I didn’t write it all in one sitting, but whenever I did sit down to work on it I never struggled for the next sentence. I also tried to make the romance more understated, it’s there, it’s overt but not, you’re not getting a full blow-by-blow sex scene but it’s happening between the lines, which is pure self-indulgence because that’s absolutely the sort of thing I love reading but this whole fic was utterly selfish, haha. Sequel is coming along very nicely but it’s a little pet project so will def be probably like, February before it’s finished.

14. Honestly I could give the same answer here but I think I’ll be a bit more abstract and say ANY McShep fic whatsoever? This ship just came flying out of left field and wrapped itself around me like a plastic bag in the wind, like, I went from 0 to 100 in ten sentences when reading my first McShep fic in like, April this year. And it’s not like I wasn’t entirely unaware of the ship, like, I managed to be spectacularly oblivious during its heyday despite being 100% glued to livejournal around that time but I mostly via osmosis was aware that when you look for Stargate fic (because I am and always have been a huge Stargate fan from day zero but just never really got into the fic until this year) you’re gonna get a hell of a lot of Sheppard/McKay stuff and I just… never gave it a second thought past ‘wtf why do people ship them’. LOL. Fast forward to the wiser version of me (who actually, y’know, READ A FIC TO FIND OUT (thank you, War Bride)) and hello, I have 8 trillion WIPs and am solid gone forever goodnight let’s have the second McShep renaissance, I’ll bring the popcorn.

23: OOOH okay this is a tricky one, since I like to consider all of my ideas like, not not written but just not written yet, and I don���t like to go too much into detail with them because my brain mentally checks them off and I lose all enthusiasm for actually working on them if I reveal my sEcReTs. Actually okay, I probably won’t get around to this one, but I really wanted to write a little gen thing about Rodney and Jonas set during the Redemption 2-parter from SG1, because I love post-Siberia still-an-asshole SG1-era McKay and I just adore Jonas and I think they’d be really cool to bounce off one another since they’re both gigantic nerds but at the opposite ends of the personality spectrum. They’d be good foils for one another, I think, but alas we only got like a 1 minute long interaction between them in the show. (Jonas, I will write a fixit for the end of your storyline one day, I promise.)

[recurringwriter]

Fanfic Writer Tag Game

thank you @omgkalyppso for the tag!

What's your all-time favorite ship?

hmm probably at this point it's rodriguela but i was always a big fan of chrom/sully. before that though i really liked cormag/tana (platonic). i think i've always been too much of a multishipper for an otp

How many works do you have on AO3?

i have 41 works at the moment! and hopefully many more to come (i certainly have many more wips)

What's your total AO3 word count?

522,825 in 2 years! yikesies!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

say it with swords - the polyamorous felix birthday fic i wrote last year! it deserves the top spot because there's 4 swordfights and felix gets to see how much everyone cares for him. rated T, 4 chapters

this diminuendo only gets obscene - yeaaaahhhh!!!! the morning after rodrigue and manuela hook up when he visits the monastery in ch5!!! and everyone is acting oh so strangely and he can't figure it out. rated M

Hate to let you down - the Eh-U!!!!!! with oc Mia and Felix and oodles of character growth. i'm So Close to being done the next chapter but i keep forgetting to work on it. rated M now, i don't even know how many chapters anymore. over 70.

whatever doesn't make me stronger kills me - VW syl/vix. don't read this. M rating, angsty and whatever. 4 chapters. i never loved it and published too fast/without putting as much care into it as i could've.

caw'll me maybe - henry awakening and marianne 3houses talk about crows. fun. delightful. lots of cute puns. rated G. please read it

Do you reply to comments, why or why not?

yes!!! i love comments and i love replying to comments and i'm so behind and feel ridiculous because it's been 2 months now but ;u; i appreciate them so much and need to let my commenters know that

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

hmm it's probably between the abovementioned syl/vix and i love you, sincerely, yours truly, yours truly which is a sci-fi thing where sylvain goes into the future and meets a robot lady who looks like ingrid. oh and the divorce au which is just angsty all over. but it isn't ended per se

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

how can i not say steal of two, where Claude and the Golden Deer play for the Fodlan Brier Championship? yes, this is a curling fic. i'm going to be loudly egotistical and say it might be the best curling fic ever written. also familiar starring catboy rodrigue has a quite happy ending that makes you go 'rowodriguwue'

Do you write crossovers?

i did! i wrote a 3houses x pokemon coliseum crossover! chapter one, anyway. and then there's the 3houses x awakening one. but it's not something i want to do lots though.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no, thank goodness! i've gotten a few comments where i've been like 'okay, i think you don't appreciate the love that went into this particular chapter or fic' but nothing that's been outright mean. so grateful for how nice people have been. are people scared of me?

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i have...been making some attempts lately because i Want to. so yes. i now have 3 E-rated fics and there's more on the way. and i will not say anymore

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

oooh not to my knowledge! if anyone has i wonder if that's where all the hate comments meant for me ended up

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, and i can hardly imagine the process! that sounds like such a difficult task and i bet translators must really have to love what they're translating.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have not and am on the fence about whether or not i'd ever want to. it seems cool, but also Very Difficult. i'm particular about weird stuff and lazy about others, so i'm not sure what kind of person i'd work best with. i am curious to try someday, though.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

i think that if i want to finish a wip then i will. i have a curling fic that i started and left hanging--i don't think i'll finish it, but only because i don't really care about it anymore. maybe someday i will.

What are your writing strengths?

i have so many strengths. action, dialogue, apparently i'm improving at setting which is Wow Incredible because i always struggled with it, when i bother to describe clothing i do it well. i generally write about things i care about, so i try to write with care. i also write fast. i write lots. and i have fun while i write.

What are you writing weaknesses?

i struggle with writing character descriptions. i can do it, but it's Hard. same with clothing, and food that isn't breakfast. sometimes i write too much dialogue for what i intended a scene to be, because i get carried away. getting carried away might be both a strength and a weakness.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

if it's done well it's done well. i don't know other languages well enough to do it, nor have i read much where it's been done? aksdjhgfkjhg so i haven't given this much thought.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

i wrote a fire emblem fates vignette before the game released (on my main blog and you'll never find it). before that it was oops! all original, and never shared.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

steal of two has been mentioned already, and to be honest? i love almost everything i've posted. some are a little on the euuugh not quite side, because i rushed them or they feel SO niche that i'm self-conscious, but in general? i wrote it because i loved it. i hope other people can enjoy them half as much as i do.

i think most people have already been tagged? if you were missed in this though now's your chance to do the tag game. yes i am speaking to you directly. i don't even need to tag you.

[supremeinlilac]

okAy, my updated Wip List :)

No promises that I will get these all done this year because no doubt I will sack some off for new things whoops :/ but anywayyy I am planning on posting a whole lot of them in June when I go away for a lil while :))

bold means i've finished it, crossed out means I've posted, I'll keep updating while I go along:

Billie Dean Howard

Ease my mind- Ben Platt songfic

Bitter- Fletcher, inspired fic

Billie awards night [nsfw]

Cordelia Goode

“Can you shut up for once in your life?”

Shake it out songfic

Delia and daughter!reader

Part 2 And your touch burns [nsfw]

Temporary love

Sally Mckenna

"I think you might be my soulmate."

Possessive Sally [nsfw]

Descriptive Sally fic

Ally Mayfair Richards

“I’ve never wanted anyone this badly before” and "Your head between my legs sounds so good right now." [nsfw]

Domestic Ally

Shower smut [nsfw]

Wilhemina Venable

Outpost Venable 4 part series, 1, 2, 3, 4

Very fuckin complex lilac Venable slowburn

Literally just office sex [nsfw]

Hurt me once variation fic

Character study fic that got deleted rip

Mildred Ratched

Arguement angst

Hospital smut oooh [nsfw]

Angel of mercy fic

Tammy

Reader getting shot on a job

First time fic [nsfw]

Xandra

Literally just smut without plot [nsfw]

Other

Mina x Delia, Grow as we go- Ben Platt

Three's not a crowd, part 6-12

Mrs Coulter smut [nsfw]

Rose Weil x Lou Miller

Alice Macray fic

Mildred x Gwen [nsfw]

Venable x reader x Cordelia jealousy fic [nsfw]

13 x River Song

Heather Tate fic

[ljbrary]

2021 fic review 🤠

tysm for the tag AB!! @anxiety-banana 😊

now sit tight while i overshare 🥰✨

total number of completed works: 18! wow i know thats not a lot in the grand scheme of things but its more than i was expecting considering last January i was proud of myself for posting 2 fics 😭

total word count: on ao3, 65,292! but thats not including wattpad or wips ive done this year, so hold on one moment.... 

oh... oh wow... i have more words in wips than i do in posted works and it comes to about a whopping 67,271 words but thats not including stuff in my notes app or on paper because im too lazy to go through that lmao

but anyway that puts the rough total at... 132,563 words holy crap i need to get a life-

looking back did you write more, less, or the expected amount of fic this year?: MORE DEFINITELY MORE LAKSDJLJDS,F i didnt really expect to write at all really so yeah definitely a lot more

your own favorite story of this year?: dont- dont ask me to choose something i am the most indecisive person i know- especially when all the options are bad ones

okay in all seriousness id say weighted words hurt more than loaded fists (if you know how to use them) because its three of my all time favorite things: rex and ahsoka brotp, pure and unrefined angst, and modern aus. 

did you take any writing risks this year?: um id say posting my writing to begin with? considering im mortified of people finding out about this lmao (eg. this summer when my older brother sent this text to me after finding my wattpad, tumblr, and ao3: “so I just found out you’re a fucking nerd. the jig is up.” with a screenshot of my tumblr page and i wanted to either kill my brother or myself but unfortunately chose to do neither and just panicked by digging up blackmail to hang over his head 🤩

do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?: idk, nothing too big probably, but i really really really want to finish some of the wips im super excited about, like this angsty modern au one shot i started like last feb/march featuring anakin and ahsoka that i have sitting in my google docs with no discernible plot yet and 16,110 words 

most popular story of the year?: in terms of kudos/hits, lean on me (but let me laugh, first). basically, ahsoka purrs in her sleep, and everyone finds it very amusing (except for her). ill be honest i dont like this one; i dont like the writing but ig people seem to like it well enough?? somehow the only angst-free fic i wrote is my most popular and idk how that tracks but it does ig

in terms of how people have received my fics, ive been told by people that they like it’s not good grief (but it’s better) which is just anakin and ahsoka post wrong jedi arc (and angst, per usual)

story most under-appreciated?: id say weighted words hurt more than loaded fists (if you know how to use them) because its pretty much at the bottom of my stats on ao3 for both kudos and hits yet it if i had to choose one i like the best it would probably be that one

most fun story to write?: OOOH DEFINITELY MY CRIME AU SERIES JSKDHFS

trust goes both ways (or neither) its not the most glorious of writing but hey it was so so so fun to plan and write and- oh hey author look! its not done yet! (im sorry i promise i havent forgotten about it skjdhfdsljfk sorry AB @anxiety-banana 😭)

most unintentionally telling story?: idrk what this question is supposed to mean in all honesty but maybe im just dumb but im still gonna pretend i know how to answer it

maybe when there is nothing left but us (and of course it had to be you)??? because its my first fic on ao3 and yeah i guess thats kind of self explanatory. its basically an order 66 au where (spoiler alert), rex sacrifices himself for ahsoka to escape, and in the process maul tags along -- uninvited, as always. 

biggest disappointment?: myself

sorry i couldnt help it it was asking for it.

i guess id say the road to hell is paved with good intentions because i planned it all out and then never worked on it again which sucks because its totally something i want to read but ig thats not happening anytime soon 💀

biggest surprise?: all of them. im not kidding. none of them were planned and all of them were the product of both poor life decisions and even poorer executive functioning skills.

but maybe i’m not here to save you (you will save yourself)?? because its a six of crows fic and id only written star wars stuff until that point, which was in fact like four weeks ago so-

no pressure tags: (sorry if youve already been tagged haha) @ashgryff @ahsokryze @lynnpaper @hannah-schooler @dashedwithromance and anyone else who wants to do it!! 😊

[novantinuum]

Fandom: Steven Universe

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 1.6K~

Summary: The question— incomplete, and yet bursting with long-held curiosity— emerges from thin air while he’s about to tuck Steven into bed in the back of the van one night.

In retrospect, no parenting book could’ve ever prepared him for this one.

A Greg and Steven focused fic, set when Steven is freshly four. This is one of those I had on the poll a month or so back, ahah! Finally finished it. Apologies for the wait. The good news is that my list is now whittled down to three non-Crack the Paragon WIPS! Woo! That’s rather exciting.

There’s some brief meta rambles on the AO3 version. If you read this and enjoy, I’d greatly appreciate your support through reblogs here, or kudos/comments on AO3. Thank you! <3

____

“Where’s yours, Daddy?”

The question— incomplete, and yet bursting with long-held curiosity— emerges from thin air while he’s about to tuck Steven into bed in the back of the van one night.

In retrospect, no parenting book could’ve ever prepared him for this one.

“My...?” Smiling encouragingly, he lets the word dangle unfinished in the air for a moment, and gestures to try and prompt the little tyke to continue. “My what, kiddo? My... pajamas?” he says, pointing towards each item his kid bears in succession. “My... stuffed tiger? My very own... tickle monster?!”

In the spirit of good-hearted mischief, Greg tousles his boy’s dark, flyaway curls. When he then moves his hands to tickle his sides, Steven breaks into delighted peals of laughter, squirming nonstop.

“Noooooo,” he giggles breathlessly, batting his small pudgy hands at him to stop the affectionate onslaught. “No tickles, your gem! Like mine! You ‘aven’t never showed it.”

In an instant, the small universe encapsulated inside their van freezes, and he goes momentarily slack-jawed as he struggles to process the words that just came out of his son’s mouth.

“My- w-where’s my gem?”

He lets out a low chuckle at the absurd thought— imagine that, him, having a gem of his own! Where on Earth did his kid acquire this notion? And then... his memory can’t help but drift back to a few hours earlier, when Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl spent a mission-free day with Steven on the beach, surrounded by all manners of summer tourists. Humans coexisting amongst Gems, most entirely nonplussed by their otherworldly appearances. Steven was eagerly padding across the shore in his brand new swim trunks— the pair he received for his birthday just a week ago— the quartz gem at his navel on proud display. Midway through the afternoon, though, the kiddo seemed to become strangely preoccupied by all the human beachgoers. He’d glance at people’s faces, their sternums, their exposed navels, and then scowl in confusion. At one point he excitedly ran up to a dark skinned young woman with hair like Garnet’s to give her a high-five, and returned puzzled, his lips pressed in a thin line. At the time, Greg didn’t understand what all of his bewildered, curious gawking was about, and quietly instructed him not to bother other people. But now, given this latest comment, a theory builds in his mind... oh stars, was he looking for their gems?

Did he somehow assume both from his own and from his frequency of interaction with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl that everyone had one hidden somewhere?

Swallowing, he deliberately makes it a point to mask his nervousness about this topic in front of his impressionable four-year-old child as best he can. Oh, boy. They haven’t had this sort of conversation yet. He always kinda feared it was coming, coursing towards him like a tidal wave faster and faster with each passing moment, but never in a million years did he imagine this moment would be tonight. And now, his tongue dry as a stone in his mouth, he finds himself at a complete loss for words. As best he knows, there’s no one else even remotely like Steven in the entire universe. How does one even convey this concept to their child in terms they’d understand?

Because even if he— ignoring the rose quartz gemstone embedded flush with his skin where a typical kid’s belly button would be— looks the part, Steven isn’t human. That much is obvious. That’s simply a fact. Humans don’t glow as babies. They don’t grow so ramrod still while sleeping that they appear like they’re not breathing at all. They can’t casually lift double their body weight at the tender age of four. Not to mention, in all his years of life thus far, he’s never gotten sick. Never gotten a scrape or cut that didn’t heal up completely in less than an hour. Not once. There’s no way that’s by mere coincidence, Greg muses, there’s gotta be another reason. He’s gotta have some sort of mega-boosted immune system or something, or magically healing cells. No branch of human science can successfully justify the alien nuances of his son’s existence. He just... is. He’s a walking miracle, the light of his life.

Steven’s never been a normal child, that’s for sure.

But how is a father supposed to lovingly and sensitively explain this to innocent ears?

“I, erm- I don’t have one of those, bud,” he says slow, still desperately sorting through his thoughts to figure out what else to say about this.

The kid stubbornly wriggles free from his arms, lifting up the bottom hem of his baggy pajama shirt to showcase the glittering pink gemstone resting at the center of his belly. “But I got one, an’ Amethyst an’ Pearl got one, an’ Garnet, she- guess what,” he says in an attempt at a whisper, wide eyed as if he’s about to impart some sacred knowledge. “She even got two gems!”

“That’s right, she does have two gems!” he nods, only barely holding back his chuckle at the hilarious solemnity of his kid’s proclamation. “But Steven, not everyone has ‘em like you and them. It’s something unique to the four of you. Y’see, they are Gems, just like me and everyone else in town are humans. It’s, um—“ his speech falters as he struggles to find words someone so young could possibly begin to understand— “it’s sorta just who they are.”

The corners of Steven’s mouth turn downwards in an exaggerated pout, and it’s immediately obvious that this blind, clumsy attempt at an explanation didn’t satisfy him one bit. Greg leans back against the inner siding of the van, gently tugging at a strand of his hair as he scours his mind for any potential solutions to this parenting quandary.

Think, think, think... How does one connect this topic to things such a young kid might understand?

“Listen, uh...” he begins again, marked hesitation tinting his voice. “Pearl’s been teaching you about bugs lately, right?”

However, if Steven— bless his heart— happened to notice his heightened nervousness, he sure doesn’t let it show on his face, instead enthusiastically jumping to answer his question.

“Uh-huh!” he nods, and then proceeds to happily babble about what he’s learned, flapping his hands in front of him as he does so. “She tells me all about bumble bees an’ stick bugs, an’ these...” His brow creases as he pauses, combing his memory for the right words. “...fuzzy worms? But they aren’t worms, ‘cause they sleep for really super long and then, then they get wings and fly away!”

He can’t help but smile at his son’s animation about this subject. He soaks up knowledge like a sponge, that’s for sure. Between Pearl and him, they’ve been trying to introduce him to some of the basics lately, stuff kids his age should know. Like reading, and writing, and counting, and music, and basic science. Pearl does the math and science, (those classes were never his wheelhouse in school), and he takes care of everything else. Given, erm... given their kinda strained history, they don’t exactly collaborate on lesson plans, but so far the arrangement seems to be working out okay. Steven’s having fun, at least, which is all that matters in the end.

“Oooh, caterpillars and butterflies, huh?” he says, reaching for the thick blanket folded up against the side wall of the van. “Well, y’wanna learn a cool new thing?”

His son bobs his head, his eyes glittering.

“All those bugs you named?” he begins, unfolding the blanket for the two of them as he goes. “They’re each types of completely different creatures, or, different species, we call ‘em. And humans and Gems, they’re types of species too. And every species has something that makes them unique, different from everything else. You know how all those bugs have special things the others don’t have, like the bumble bees and their stripes, and those caterpillars’ fuzz?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, that’s what it’s like for humans and Gems, too! Garnet and Amethyst and Pearl and you, you all have gemstones, just like yours right here,” he says, tapping a gentle finger over the rose quartz embedded at his midsection. Steven lets out a small giggle at the contact. “That’s your special thing as Gems, something humans don’t have.”

“What’ve humans have?” he asks in curiosity, tilting his head.

Greg purses his lips, his fingers subconsciously massaging the blanket’s rough, time-worn surface as he considers the elements that— from personal experience— he’d consider essential to human life. “Hmm. Well, let’s see... I guess... humans eat, and sleep, and grow from babies all the way until they’re adults. Gems don’t age. They don’t really... do any of that.”

“But I can do that!” he whines, brows creasing.

“Hm?”

“I thought you jus’ said I’m a Gem?”

Greg’s breath stills upon the deliverance of this pointed question, spoken with such youthful innocence, and yet wholly capable of penetrating through every layer of his ill-formed logic. He swallows hard. Once again, he is not prepared. He likely never could be.

His son... oh, his beloved Steven. Without meaning to, he keeps ignoring the inherent humanity that sets this boy apart from the rest of the Gems. He’s similar to them in many respects, yes, but he’s also not. He’s both, but...

He’s also neither.

He’s unique from everyone, his own thing altogether. Something entirely new.

Quite honestly, the best word he can grasp at to describe him is hybrid.

And while at this present moment he has no idea if he’s doing his son a disservice, othering him from the rest of humanity at such a tender age, he figures that he at least deserves to know the truth.

“You’re kinda- uh, both, at once, actually,” he clarifies, these very words acting as a beacon to clarify a wide range of once deep-seeded assumptions in his mind. “Gem and human. You’ve got special things from both sides, how funky is that?”

“Huh.” Steven mulls this new information over, and then flashes a toothy grin. “That's cool!”