#only to get that free trial and find out that no you can't ♥

[al-norton]

I think if companies want people to stop pirating their movies and books... maybe they should start making them available in counties other then us and uk

[writingquestionsanswered]

I'm a teen aspiring author. I live in a house with three children and my walls and door are not very soundproof. Do you have any tips to get focused not by reducing distractions but getting focused while still being in the middle of chaos?

Focusing Despite the Chaos

Even if you can't eliminate distractions, it's still worth trying to minimize them, so I want to start there... then I'll get to what to do if you can't. Here are some things you might be able to try...

1 - Minimizing Noise - In a perfect world we could all afford a nice pair of noise cancelling headphones, but there are other ways to minimize the noise that reaches your ears. For example, many convenience stores and stores with pharmacy areas sell packets of disposable ear plugs for just a few dollars. These can reduce noise enough to make it less distracting, so definitely worth a try.

2 - Utilize Continuous Sound/"Noise Colors" - Continuous sound, like the deep rumble of a waterfall or the gentle roar of heavy rain, falls on a spectrum called noise colors. White Noise covers all frequencies equally, so it provides a soothing background hum that can help to minimize other sounds. You can find white noise generators via different apps and places like YouTube or web sites like A Soft Murmur. Or, you can put on a loud fan, air purifier, air conditioner, etc. Pink Noise is a little softer, like the fall of gentle rain, so this might be something like a fan on a lower setting. Brown noise is a step lower than that, like the ambient noise you get from having the window open on a quiet but breezy day. White, pink, or brown noise can be a great way to reduce the impact of chaos coming from the rest of the house.

3 - Put on a YouTube Ambience Room - YouTube is absolutely bursting with "ambience rooms" and channels dedicated to study music, sleep music, relaxation music, etc. These can be a fantastic way to promote focus, not only because they give you something steady to listen to, you can often find things that gel thematically with whatever you're writing, which can help you block out other distractions.

4 - Try a ZenWare Writing Program - OmmWriter, ZenWriter, Focus Writer, and others provide features that help you focus on your writing, such as simple interfaces, special typing sounds, white noise and sound generators, and word counters. These are not typically free but are usually reasonably priced.

5 - Shift Your Writing Time - Even a chaotic house has its quiet times. It could be early in the morning before everyone else is awake, late at night after everyone else is in bed, during mealtime, or when everyone is away. Pay attention to when the chaos is at its lowest each day and try to utilize those times for writing if you can.

When you can't minimize the chaos...

Any combination of the above tactics can still be great ways to help you focus a little more, even if it doesn't really reduce the noise or chaos. Just having things like a special screen or special audio to focus on can help you mentally block out distractions. To some degree, it's something that takes some trial and error--to see which tactics work for you--and practice. I know writers who can write on plans, trains, buses, car rides, in the middle of busy places... it's just something they did out of necessity and got good at with time. You will, too. ♥

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[valiantlyjollynightmare]

ahhh your fics are so good!!! i love them!!! i was wondering, as a fellow miraculous ladybug writer, do you have any favorite fics??? ♥

Oh my god thank you so much!!!! This means so much to me!!!

I do!!! I read a lot of fanfiction and I like to think I have quite the extensive library, hehe XD

I don't know if you like M and E rated stuff too so I'll include stuff like that but at the end.

The works are in no particular order, just the order I remember them in, but there are many, many more that slipped my mind right now. Just imagine that I have over 700 bookmarks XD plus, i managed to close tumblr 2 times wothout saving the draft. I thought i'd die XD I hope you,ll like at least some of these and please make sure to check out the writers' entire list of works because most of them have a loooot of amazing works!!!

1. poppy seed lilies by @fragileizy

“The woods are dangerous, fair maiden,” he calls out to her, like he always does.

“Be my familiar and I’ll be protected,” she replies, like she always does.

2. Once Upon a Time by kao_rei

(In which Marinette is Little Red Riding Hood, Adrien is the Wolf, and they fall in love somewhere between deliveries, flower fields, and shiny red apples).

3. Gestalt by @miabrown007

Hakwmoth had finally been defeated, secret identities are out in the open, still, the future has never been so uncertain. Adrien is grateful for Marinette’s efforts to ease the knot in his stomach on the eve of the trial, but there is something else they need to untangle.

Caught in the whirlwind of different dynamics, who are they really to each other?

4. Save You a Seat by @miabrown007

Alya once read that you should invite random celebrities to your wedding — with the more than likely assumption that they won’t attend, only send you a card and an overpriced coffee machine.

Luckily, the chances of Hawkmoth’s son reading his mail and showing up to the event are microscopic. Marinette will be busy enough trying to get to know the boy behind Chat Noir’s mask — if he does decide to come — she doesn’t need to worry about being able to look Adrien Agreste in the eyes.

5. Those Benevolent Stars by @peachcitt

i think this is literally my favourite fic. I can't get over how beautifully it's written.

adrien meets his soulmate, a thief who calls herself ladybug. he falls for her, but she seems determined to maintain a space between them.

6. To Hell with Propriety, For Now and Forevermore also by @peachcitt

This is probably my second favourite fic and is the main inspiration (in terms of fics) for my own witch au. You should really check out all of Peachcitt's works because they're literally amazing!!!

adrien is trapped in a cage made of performance and propriety. as the hallow's festival approaches, he finds himself befriending a benevolent witch and breaking free from his cage one night at a time.

7. I'm Here to Dance by kisstheprincessofpurewhite

aka i'm a sucker for break dance aus

Alya drags Marinette to the hot new club "Miraculous" where it's winner take all on the dance floor. After an embarrassing first encounter, Marinette dons a costume and challenges the champ, Chat Noir, as Ladybug. Marinette embraces the Paris break dancing scene, but times are getting tougher and competition even more so.

8. Dance with me, Chaton by @chocoluckchipz

Adrien had always been an obedient son, allowing his Father to manipulate him every which way. Once an adult, Adrien isn't sure any more he wants to remain locked in his gilded cage as a brave stranger defying his father's authority catches his attention.

9. Where Have All the Heroes Gone and Where Are All the Gods by Amethyst

On their fourteenth birthday, the Agreste triplets' world is turned upside down. Their government has been overthrown, their city taken, and superheroes all over Europe have suddenly and mysteriously vanished-including, to their shock, their parents. They'll need to work together, and become the heroes Paris needs, if they're going to save both their parents and their country.

10. Marinette, the Teenage (Sassy) Witch by piscesroyalty

this is very very crackish but i love this fic a lot lmao

Meet Adrien. All he wanted to do was live his life being the most powerful wizard in the kingdom. Except he's cursed and a cat. Meet Marinette. All she wanted was to summon her idol, Adrien Agreste, save him from whatever spell he's surely under, have him fall in love with her, get married, and live happily ever after while also being heralded as the greatest witch to ever live.

Instead, she gets a cat.

11. Seal It With a Kiss by @mostlovedgirl-writes

It has been months since Adrien started lodging at a farmhouse on the edge of the woods with a charming young woman and her three adopted children.

In that time, he has yet to answer an essential question: would kissing his landlady awaken ancestral witch powers in her, thus making her a danger to herself and the children?

And also, who the hell thought it was a good idea to plant a vegetable garden at the intersection of two ley lines?

12. Your Hands Are Cold by certainasthesun (lionofsounis)

Marinette locks herself outside in the cold. In her pyjamas. Again. (Aged up/married adrienette)

13. Chasing the C/h/atwalk by Inkkerfuffle

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

14. Elle me dit by @msbricolage

She stares at the little plus sign and enjoys approximately 3.6 seconds of joy before reality hits, like a sledgehammer with the words dread etched on the side. Because now she has to tell everyone. Everyone. And Marinette really isn’t exaggerating when she says she’s the least dramatic in her circle of friends and family, and she’s just spent nearly a half an hour sitting in a bathroom stall thinking up various rebuttals to the fictional argument her boss is going to have with her. In rhyme. You never know when your life is going to turn into a musical after all, and this is Paris.

Marinette’s bad. Everyone else is so, so much worse.

15. new marinette by @rosekasa

marinette may not remember their first kiss anymore, but she has no doubts that adrien is the man she will spend her life with.

amnesia has nothing on her love.

16. Sixty Minutes by peonydee and mikochan_noda

Alya Césaire, award-winning pursuer of truth, is honored with an intimate interview with Ladybug and Chat Noir. However, she doesn't count on finding out certain things that are making her regret asking in the first place.

17. Photograph by abbysue - If I wished myself a superpower, I would make this moment last for hours

 Or, Marinette deals with the fact that she will someday lose her memories, and Adrien is there to comfort her.

18. Now Kiss by KrazyKyStaHatter

A year after leaving school, Marinette is living her dream. Never could she have imagined working alongside Adrien and his father, let alone living with them. But with closeness comes clashing, which results in explosive tension and confused emotions. And now with her in front of the camera with Adrien... Oh god. She was doomed.

19. I think it's time i told you (i'm a fan of your universe) by @clairelutra and a_miiraculer

Years after Hawkmoth’s defeat, Ladybug and Chat Noir have a conversation about life, love, and marriage.

20. What is a Name by @thenovelartist

It's far easier to fall for a name than an identity. It's a lesson Ladybug learns the hard way, but she isn't sure she regrets it.

21. Save me from heroes by whatarubberchicken

(AU YEAH AUgust -17- Sidekick) In a world where the Ladybug Miraculous was never activated, our heroes are having a hard time dealing with the akumas. But Marinette has to deal with both akumas AND heroes! And sometimes, she's not sure which one's worse....

22. Caught by AmaVix

Gabriel rounded the corner, fully prepared to wedge himself between the two arguing adults, just in time to see his son push his intern against the wall and snog her senseless. It hardly took a second for the girl to recover and yank him even closer, tangling one of her hands in his hair in the process. The blond reached down and hooked his hand under her knee, pulling her leg up to wrap around his waist, giving her slight leverage from being pinned against the wall.

This was probably THE most aggressive and terrifying make-out session that Gabriel Agreste had ever accidentally witnessed in his entire life.

23. "5 Reasons Why You Should Agree to Marry Me" A PowerPoint by Chat Noir by Hey_its_Laura

Adrien should really learn how to organize his computer files better.

24. Shared Characteristics by SailorChibi (@tsuki-chibi )

Out of all the things Nino and Alya could've inherited from their kwamis, it would be a heat.

25. scoreboards and banter by breeeliss

Ladybug bit her lip and tapped Chat Noir on the nose. “I do fear that was a euphemism.”

“Slander, my Lady. As if a gentleman such as myself would stoop to such a level.”

“Hm. Such a shame. I rather enjoyed that euphemism. And emphatically agree with it.”

26. Spotty connections by @agrestenoir

I love this chat fic specifically because it's not just a chat fic with text messages and nothing else. It has legit prose too and it makes it really really nice

Marinette sends a text to the wrong number, and things progress from there until it becomes the right one

M and E rated fics:

27. Life Pact by rosebud100 - by careful if you read this one because it deals with depression and suicidal thoughts, but if you do read it, also read the poems linked in the fic

Going back to school was surreal. Adrien had thought he’d never set foot in the building again.

"Are you glad it didn't work?"

28. Green Tea by icingsugar

after making love, chat noir always has a cup of green tea. ladybug hates it.

29. The Pole Kit and Kaboodle by @chatonne-rousse

When Adrien tries to make getting undressed a bit more entertaining for Marinette, he ends up revealing more than just his underwear.

30. C.A.U.G.H.T. - unfortunately not finished ,but there was only one more chapter until it would've been complete so it's quite satisfying as it is.

Inspired by F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Adrien and Marinette learn that hiding their identities from certain people and their relationship from everyone is not as easy as it seems.

31. The Well Dreased Series by ThornQueen

This series is an exploration of the sensuality and sexuality that comes along with a relationship that has grown out of love, trust, and superheroics. No matter the masks they wear, they are the same people, but they bring different aspects of themselves into their encounters with each other when in and out of armour. Their multifaceted relationship offers a unique dynamic that is entirely too fascinating not to explore.

32. For Your Eyes Only by Talktoself - it's a wip that updates almost daily and i'm living for it!

When Adrien receives an email entitled “For Your Eyes Only” he definitely wasn’t expecting it to be a video invitation to the apparently weird and wonderful sex life Marinette and Luka share behind closed doors.

33. Midnight Roses by piscesroyalty

It's abandoned and it doesn't even end in a satisfacatory point, but god, do i love this fic.

They say that something's happening in that town that's haunted by its decaying dreams. They say it's something dark, darker than midnight. They say it's something they've never encountered before, something they don't know. But she knows exactly what it is.

Vampires.