#pansting all the way

[evviejo]

ugh i kinda created a community - which i will probably regret (either because no one joins it or too many people join it) - but it's pending approval and it's taking forever

it's for writers of original fiction, btw. i'll link it when it gets approved

[atmosphericwrites]

I went through my nano novel doc for the first time in almost 3 months, and I think I’ve decided I’m going to restart... the plot is nonexistant, the characters are 2-dimensional, the setting is boring... it's painfully obvious I did zero planning before starting, and while I hate the idea of getting rid of all of my progress, there's no way I can continue on with it in the state it's in. So, here's my plan...

I'm going to try and salvage as much as possible- some of it I like, particularly a couple of the characters, but most of it will need heavy reworking...

...particularly the plot- currently it's a sort of "teens find supposed-to-be-dead city," that's really more like a couple of vague ideas thrown into a story, rather than anything coherent or even interesting. I have ideas for a new plot...

...but I'll need to plan first. look, I hate planning, and there's a reason I didn't do it for nano, but it's obvious now that completely pansting it just doesn't work for me. I still don't plan on doing anything heavily detailed planning-wise, but an outline, worldbuilding and character backstory is desperately needed if I'm really going to try and save this project.

the idea of restarting is... more than a little daunting, but I really do love the core idea for this novel, and I'd love to continue on it... I'm going to start making and posting monthly project goal lists to make things a little more approachable for myself, as well as more regular updates for planning and eventual (fingers crossed!) writing!

stay tuned, and apologies for this meandering post...

[georgelthomas]

Zero Drafting

Zero Drafting - What is Zero Drafting and how can it help you in your writing? #WritingCommunity #WriterCommunity #ZeroDraft #Writing #Writer #AmWriting #WriterLife #Draft #Drafting #Outline

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today I am going to be exploring the idea of zero drafting! Zeo Drafting Many people believe that if you want to write fiction, you have to start with a complete and detailed outline of the plot and all of your character arcs, while others believe that you should “pants” your way through (pansting refers to the act of writing by the seat of your pants with…

[nanowrimo]

Pantsing Vs Plotting

It's time to face one of the hardest stages of writing your novel: plotting. Are you a pantser or a plotter? If you're not sure yet, NaNo guest Will Soulsby-McCreath will take us through their steps on how to figure out where you and your project fall on this particular spectrum. 

People will talk about being a pantser or a plotter like you’re going to land in one of these boxes and stay there for the rest of your life, but I just don’t think that’s true. I think it’s better represented as a galaxy: people orbit (or don’t orbit) different planets at different times and to different extents.

Plotting, pantsing, and plantsing all have their benefits and downfalls, which is why it’s important to try to figure out what will work for you as soon as possible.

Don’t forget, what works for you is defined as what gets you to the end of your manuscript with the most ease. 

So how do you figure out what planet you’re orbiting?

1. Take a look at your life.

Do you plan everything? Is your whole life set to a schedule? Do you love calendars and scheduling and time blocking?

Try plotting: it’s like a plan for your book.

Are you chaos incarnate? Does your house look like somebody upended a Bag Of Holding in it but you know where everything is (or at least the most likely 3 places to check)?

Try pantsing: follow your whims, keep the story in your head until you’re ready to write that particular bit of it. Personally, I fall into the mentality of “if I write an outline all my motivation is gone because now the ending is right there so what’s the point?”

Do you sit somewhere in the middle of these two extremes? Try to see if there’s one ideology you identify with more than the other.

Do you take a planner with you wherever you go/reliably use the planner app on your phone? Try plotting first. 

Do you set alarms or you’d never get out of the house on time? Try pantsing first.

2. Take a look at your writing preferences

Do you like editing? Or is it the worst part of the writing process?

Any pantser worth their… pants(?) will tell you that editing is the most important part of pantsing a book. Wrangling those unexpected plot twists to make them look intentional can be challenging but it’s also a lot of fun. So, if you love editing, pantsing might be the right route for you. If you hate editing, you might want to try plotting (note: plotting still needs editing, just often not as much).

3. Take a look at your reading preferences

Do you like examining books for story structure and fitting the plot to a pattern? Try plotting with your favorite story structure.

Do you find story structure to be boring at best and incomprehensible at worst?

Try pantsing, see where it gets you.

4. Try Different methods and don’t feel beholden to a particular label

There are so many potential outlining methods, and so many different points in your writing process you could decide to outline, you can still count yourself as a pantser while using outlining sometimes and vice versa, you could pants a bit but not a whole novel and still call yourself a plotter.

If you’re stuck in a scene (whether you’re pansting or plotting), try writing a quick bullet-pointed list of what you want to happen to get you to the next bit. If your outline got stilted and impossible somewhere around act 3, try free-writing (it’s like temporary pantsing).

And, if the thing you tried didn’t work, if it didn’t get you to the end of your manuscript, try the other thing. If you tried plotting but got bored halfway through your outline, or your character motivations didn’t match up with the actions you wanted them to take, try pantsing. If you couldn’t get to the end of your narrative by pantsing or got too tangled up in possible plot loops, try plotting instead.

Will Soulsby-McCreath (It’s pronounced “Souls-Bee-Muh-Kreth”) is absolutely not secretly 14 cats in a top hat. Obsessed with every way to tell a story and every possible use for one, Will had few choices other than becoming a writer. Too nosy for their own good they like to invest their time fixing other people's problems, and when that doesn't work they hand out stories to make you feel better, like their debut novel Merry Arlan: Breaking The Curse, which releases 26th October 2021. You can check out their website, social media, and short story blog to find out more.

Top Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash  

[sweet-as-writing]

A lot of writers will create an outline at the start of writing their first draft, then actually begin writing their story and realize that the outline is all wrong and the real story just isn’t going to end up where the outline intended it to be. This can cause a sort of panic and reversion to pansting your entire novel, which is generally not a good idea (especially if you are the type who does make an outline at the beginning because then I assume you are at least somewhat a plotter).

One great way to minimize the shock effects of straying away from your outline is to create a reusable document that plans each scene when you write it. Often, these documents contain which characters are in the scene, what will occur in the scene on a surface level, and how that will move forward plot, side-plot, character development, or the theme of the story.

When you finish writing that scene, keep the template and just fill in the blanks with the new characters, plots, side-plots, etc. that are relevant to the current scene you’re writing.

This way, you can follow a sort of outline based on your initial plan, but you don’t have to follow that rigid structure that doesn’t even apply anymore. Instead, you take it day-by-day, making sure to focus on what you’re writing in the here-and-now and how that can still connect with the bigger picture of your story down the road.

Hope this helps!

[sleepylixie]

Fic writer tag~

Thank you for the tag, lovely demoness @whiteprincessofnohr / @multi--kpop--fanfics

1. what fandoms have you written for (but do not currently)? -I used to write for BTS, way back in the old days of 2016 when they were still in HYYH era 

2. what fandoms are you currently writing for? -Stray Kids, ATEEZ ( drabbling in TBZ and NCT soon )

3. how long have you been writing? -I’ve been writing since...2012? Got into storytelling around then. So...9 years? WoW. 0_0

4. on which platforms do you post your stories - Had a Wattpad, but I only post on Tumblr ( with the occasional ao3 cross post )

5. what is your favorite genre to write? -Romance and Fantasy AUs. I have a particular soft spot for royal themes and e2l 

6. are you a pantser or a planner? - drabbles are pansted and fics( especially collab fics) are planned

7. one-shot or multi-chapter? -One shot, right off the bat. I’m intimidated by incomplete multi-chapter stories, but I have no problem reading complete ones ( More and More and Paradise Lost are the only incomplete series that get to haunt me the way they do :) )

8. what is the perfect chapter length in your opinion? Depends on the story, but anywhere between 3-8k is okay, i think? 

9. what is your longest published story? -YOO, it has to be one of my Twisted Fairytales (Possibly Lost Boy, the Swan Lake X Felix fic)

10. which story did you enjoy working on the most? -Oh man you can’t ask a parent to chose amongst their children like that T_T I really can’t choose ! All my stories are different experiences, so it’s difficult hm... Forget and Never Forgive would be the most recent one, methinks  

11. favorite request you’ve written and why? -That Mixtape Love and Imperium Universe-3: I Hate to Admit . Both of which are Chan fics, now that I think about it LMAO OMG

12. are there reoccurring themes in your stories? - must I expose myself this way :o E2L, Strong female characters and banter are some things I feel are a classic Ella fic recipe hehe

13. current number of wips? -Somewhere between 5 and 10. I have some cards up my sleeve rn :D

14. three things you have noticed about your writing? - I’ve recently started focusing on body language in my characters lately, my emotion description has always been elaborate, and I enjoy putting my characters through an unfair amount of pain >:) 

15. a quote you like from a published story? -Gonna take some liberty and choose a couple oops

“ You see, I forgot loss, pain, heartbreak- but I didn’t forget possession. “ - Never gone, my love

“Everybody knows about the youngest true incubus of Lilith who was once all blonde hair and dangerous beauty, a tale of caution for a broken heart, a reminder of how flying too close to the sun will always have end in a savage fall to the ground.” - The Dreamwalker

16. a quote from an unpublished story?

The longer you looked at him, the more boyish he looked- in the curve of his eyes, the soft angles of his nose and jawline, the almost petulant pout on his lips, all you could see was a boy trying very, very hard to look like a man. Like he’d grown up faster than he was meant to.

17. space for you to say something to your readers~~

Stay safe and happy my loves :) Thank you for joining me on this journey of writing and new experiences <3

tagging: @aliceu @chogiwow @lavenderbexlatte @popisdead @delicatewerewolfsoul @mingkii

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi! I'm writing a story, and I've found that I've written myself into a corner (I'm pansting my way through this bc plotting was hard and I was left not writing for months on end bc I couldn't think of anything "plot worthy"). Should I go back and re-write everything from the beginning? I've only written a few chapters so far.

How to “Un-Corner” Yourself in a Story

When you’ve written yourself into a story, here are two things you can try to see if you can get yourself out of it. Thankfully, neither option requires going back to the beginning.

1) What’s the Worst That Could Happen? One way to get yourself out of a corner in a story is to look at where your character is in that moment and ask yourself: what’s the absolute worst thing that could happen to them in this moment? Then, make that thing happen. You’re essentially getting your character out of one problem by giving them a bigger/worse one. It allows you to get the story moving forward again. Once you get to the end, you can see the story you laid out and figure out a way to make it more cohesive.

2) Rewind to the Last “Fork in the Road” Stories are moved forward by the decisions characters make in response to things that happen or things that need to happen. So, when you’ve written yourself into a corner, sometimes all you have to do is back up to the last decision that was made--the decision that led to them being “in the corner” and have them make a different decision. Take the character back to that point and look at the other options. What other decisions could they have made in that moment? Where would those choices have led to? Choose one, and follow it.

I hope that helps!

————————————————————————————————-

Have a question? My inbox is always open, but make sure to check my FAQ and post master lists first to see if I’ve already answered a similar question. :)

[shorkbrian]

INBOX

SO! I know I hoard asks. It’s a bad habit. Reasons?

I like to go look at them when I’m sad because they cheer me up.

I don’t want anyone to get annoyed that my blog is clogged up with asks, it’s a fear of mine that someone will think I'm annoying.

BUTT! My inbox is so cluttered right now, It’s hard for me to find certain requests. I saw someone else do an mass ask answering like this, and I LEARNED that if I tag it, I can look that tag up on my blog!

ALSO PSA you can also comment on my pics or message me to talk!!!!! I will never turn anyone away!!! I love you all!

ANOTHER PSA - if you want to not have to see this in the future, pls block the tag “shorkbrian answers a lot of asks”

Lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!!

These are in no particular order! Know that if you don’t see an ask you sent, it’s because I plan on writing something for it, probably like a lil Drabble cause those are my favorite (can you tell?)

Hello! My pronouns are They/Them or He/Him! I want to like give u a big ole hug for this question, You’re super sweet!

OOP Okay listen I’ve had a couple dreams with very unsavory happenings and each one is awful and so so scary. I hope your dream didn’t make you feel icky or anything dude. I Lub u, stay safe.

I am speechless. This is.... wow man. This is an amazing, positive review of my work and I feel so blessed and honored that you took the time to message me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading what people think of my work, and this one made me just like. I am like so blessed dude. Speechless (in the best way possible)

AHHHHH Thank you!!!! Look at those emojis!!!! SO bright and colorful and fun!!!!

As a fellow Hornee person that is dumb, I would like to say...... Why stop at a chefs kiss? are you afraid to kiss me on the mouth, homie? For future reference, I like tongue. (asdaslhjkah sorry I’m stupid but Thank you for these kind words!!!! What nice descriptors man, I’m like wilting under the praise its too much!)

Yes, reader is NOT going to have a fun time. Thanks for reading! I appreciate your support so so so much!!

Hey, listen! Requests are “closed” so I can have time to catch up without getting overwhelmed. If one or two slip in, they won’t get deleted :)

Bro, I recently talked to a friend with a similar experience. I’m so sorry for the things you’ve had to deal with, it sounds awful. The world is big and scary and VERY loud, and you are so amazing for navigating it. Bakugou would give you insane cuddles to help u feel better, remember dat okie?

Maybe! I’m getting around to things babey, it might take a hot second. But I will try!

Thank you! I try babey I try lol. I Lub u by the way thank u for msging me

I accept this wisdom. Thank you for sharing. I pray for a time when I will be able to use it.

You nailed it. I want this on my tombstone pls and thank u.

omg omg thank youuuuuuuu!!!!! Honestly, I think Izuku is still so so so shy, even when it comes to doing stuff with his darling.  ugh his poor darling. Ur right tho, no one would ever believe that Izuku was doing bad stuff. But once again!!! Thank YOU for reading and taking the time to send me an ask!!!! Warms my heart

wait wait okay I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kirishima I am his BIGGEST simp and this compliment? SENT ME TO OUTER SPACE. I squealed so hard I got like liftoff and I made it out of the atmosphere. This is the BEST thing EVER Thank you SO much my heart is POURING out love Grimm I would DIE for u no cap 

idk? Personally, I hate being touched so I probably would politely be like “Pls dont ahah” but I would hit him with paper airplanes with cute little notes inside.

I wish I wish with all my heart that I could turn into a small person tonight. Like, I'm crying. I am 6′0 and built like a refrigerator aint nobody able to manhandle me... *sobs in big man syndrome* I will continue to feed u tho bc it is a GIANT fantasy of mine to be manhandled and tossed around. lets goooooo

I don’t want to be a religion, can we start a cult? I’ll be the sacrifice.

bonk bonk bonk bonk bonk bonk TOO LATE (Also thank ant the comment abc my humor! Inspires me and tbh enables me)

no U 

“hey google?”

��What can I help you with today?”

“Why do I have the SWEEEEEEETEST followers ever? How did this happen? They make me blush I can’t handle it”

I have a SIMP???????? Come off anon u and I are going to talk and then passionately kiss. (not rlly but I do Lub you, thank you for the kind and gentle words)

bonk bonk bonk bonk (Also this was sent to me on a Sunday? I live in America bruv)

Pls don’t I almost peed my pants I was snorting at 2am and trying my hardest not to disturb my cat it was very hard (Repeat I almost PEED my PANST U HEATHEN)

wait stop stop u always give me such amazing comments skid I want to give u a candle made with wax and tears of love. You are so sweet. Pls never hesitate to reach out for a chat I luv u okei

BLACK HEART ANON I’m dedicating everything in my will to u, hope you know that. Okay, but seriously - I get being afraid of people. I don’t think you’re being hypocritical, I think you’re being kind and selfless and reaching out a helping hand to a loser like me. Black heart emojis low-key always make me think of you now and it fills my heart with warmth. Thank you for existing dude,

What have I said about the chefs kiss? Kiss me on the mouth u cowards. Do it.

Also this ask made me SAWFT I want to gibe u like idk a candy heart necklace to show how SOFT and Ugh demonstrate my LUB

I am glad I found YOU!!! Not everyone bothers to comment or interact or send me nice asks. They make my day man. You rock!

YYaaaayyyyaa!!! I’m cool with all the canon characters of BNHA except for Bakubro. I adore his fanon personification, but just how he acts in the show..... that aint it chief. I totally get u

TYSM!!!! Heart heart!! Aizawa has the potential to be so creepy and awful, he’s super interesting to try and write for! I’m glad you like my content, and thank you for telling me such!!!!!!!! LUB U

GRIMMM STAWWWWWWP I’m like on the verge of like melting into a PUDDLE of goopy admiration how the heck do u even know my blog ur so cool and I still can’t believe I can like.... talk to you. Ur rad dude.

BLACK HEARTTTTTTT You are never invading my privacy. Your asks are two that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I reread them over and over and they help when I’m having sucky days. Pls pls pls recognize that you’re an amazing person and you lift up my spirits and you are genuinely awesome. I love u Black Heart

I LOVE Kiri, have I mentioned? He’s my fav. And yes!!! I am VERY open to ideas!!!! Love pretty much everything and anything that comes my way!!! thank u for sending me an ask dude, means a lot :)

Sensitive anon, my dear dear friend if ur reading this know that I adore talking with u and I like hearing about ur day and You are so sweet and you make the world a better place by being in it

WE SIMP...... TOGETHER!!!!

Another beautiful baby that I always see interacting with me!!! I love you so so much and Each time your name pops up in my motifs I get so excited to see what you say!!! I’ve been holding onto this ask FOREVER because the little picture is SO CUTE and it makes me softer than melted butter man.

Okay, we’ve done it lads! I love each and every one of you!!!!!!!

[icanbehardcore]

Top 10 WORST Powerpuff Girls Episodes

For a long time, I have been wanting to make a project resembling a countdown list, being inspired by the likes of @umbramagna777��, @phantomstrider​ and even the Nostalgia Critic. After some considerate years, I have finally decided to make a list based on my all time favorite show The Powerpuff Girls.

Cartoon Network's breakaway hit of the late 90s and early to mid 00s starring three adorable, precocious little kindergartners with superpowers was a cultural phenomenon. Spawning hundreds and thousands of merchandise, a theatrical film, several TV specials, an anime and a reboot, it's unbelievable that a cartoon with an all female lead would become an icon in the cartoon industry.

Created by Craig McCracken fresh off two pilots in the "What A Cartoon" shorts and evolving from the earliest incarnation "Whoopass Stew", The Powerpuff Girls became the highest rated cartoon debut at the time. Critics praised this show for being so unique, entertaining, epic, action packed and nothing like anything else at the time, but most of all, this show was very, very funny.

But that doesn't mean this show gets all the glory and praise 100% per episode, like every television show, there will always be flaws and bad episodes and, the Powerpuff Girls is no exception when it comes to rotten entries in the line-up.

Whether you like these episodes or not, remember to respect each other's opinions, including mine. If you like these episodes, that's great, you're more than welcome to have your say, but be nice.

I am only counting down episodes from the ORIGINAL series, this won't include the movie, the anime, the Dance Pansted special, The tenth anniversary special, the christmas special or especially the reboot.

Mixing either of these up would be one big mess and would derail my points of view. With that being said, let's begin.

NOTE: Spoiler alert ahead.

 10. Keen on Keane   This episode was a new era for the original show, it had a new art style which was first introduced in the movie. So if you hadn't seen it, you would have had to get use to this new art style before getting puzzled or confused.

Unfortunately, these episodes were somewhat mediocre and after 2002, show creator Craig McCracken left the show to Chris Savino, so he could work on Foster's Home for Imaginery Friends. Usually when this happens, that's a sign of a show losing it's...err...Mojo. No pun intended. For a first of this newly animated version of the show, this episode is just ...well...sappy.  

So what's the story: It's Valentines Day...oh boy, what a way to start the new era of an already great show. I am NOT a fan of this holiday whether I'm taken or not. I prefer to keep romance and affection personal.

While receiving various little Valentines from her beloved students, Ms. Keane gets the one simple innocent question asked by the girls: "Where are you going out tonight?" and "Who's your sweetheart?" (don't you just love precocious little questions coming from kindergartners). Ms. Keane explains to the girls that she doesn't have time for going out on dates and is too busy for that sort of thing, this leaves the girls slightly worried, knowing she may be lonely and in need of a significant other half.

Later that evening, the girls are all at dinner with the Professor whose attention prompts the innocent, curious little question from an inquisitive Blossom "Why aren't you going out, tonight?".

Personally, if he WAS going out, he may need to hire a babysitter for the girls and knowing the Professor, he may end up calling someone but being delayed or on hold due to everybody with their arms round each other, making googoo eyes and lip wrestling all evening as they bask into their romance.

Anyway, the Professor tells the girls that HE doesn't have time for dates or going out, nor does he have a sweetheart...(hope he hasn't forgotten the events a long time ago when meeting Ima Goodlady who turned out to be using him and was revealed to be Sedusa).

On hearing this, the girls trade rather sly and calculating looks to each other, a plan has hit them. If their father isn't going out and doesn't have a sweetheart and Ms Keane doesn't have a sweetheart, why not get them together for date?

At Ms. Keane's place, she is busy grading homework. On hearing the doorbell ring, she goes to answer the door only to recieve a love letter from a secret admirer and a rose. Oh bittersweet cliches...

Round the same time, the Professor too recieves an identical love letter from a secret admirer (by the way, I do love how he recieves a red rose and Ms Keane recieves a pink rose).  The two admirers meet at "Petes-A Pizza", an obvious parody to Chuck E Cheese, you can just feel how out of place these two are.

Not to hurt each others feelings, the two adults try to strike a conversation, but seem to show no interest in each other, all they can do is slap on a plastic smile each.

As they try to communicate and interact more and order, Ms. Keane suddenly forces a hearty little smile, stunning and questioning the Professor. As she tells him to look behind him, he sees that his own daughters are hiding in the large ball tank, this catches on as both Ms Keane and Professor Utonium have realized that they had been set up.

Unfortunately, the evening was unsuccessful and the Professor offers his date a ride home with three dejected little girls in the back. Their high hopes sunk to the bottom, gone down like a ship, but the Professor tells them if they did end up going out, then he wouldn't have enough time to spend with his own daughters. As he walks her to her door, Ms. Keane trips on a crack, the Professor immediately dashes forward to catch her. After bewilderment and indecision on what to do next, Ms Keane and the Professor's hearts become intertwine. As they stand up straight, they both share a nervous laugh while blushing (by the way, I find this scene amazingly cute, I mean...the Professor here is just...OMG, how can you not just want to reach out and dive into his arms...ahem...).  Finally,  they hold hands and are somehow...in love. Also note this is the only time in the episode where they see each other  face to face. Feeling accomplished, the girls smile knowing that their mission is complete . The following morning, the girls notice that not everything is all hunky-dory! Now having a significant other half, the Professor neglects his family duties and lab work and Ms Keane neglecting her school duties and even forgetting to feed her cat. Why? Because the two most important role models in the girls' lives are now sickeningly sweethearts talking to each other endlessly on the phone together, complete with EVERY single sentence ending with a mushy pet name. And you know what? It's really degrading! Also that phonebill must be really expensive by now,

Because of the neglection, the girls don't know what crimes are being caused....seriously, not even watching the news? Also, doesn't Ms Bellum have a light for a signal? Why couldn't she  just set that up in the sky for them?

But no! Instead, Sara Bellum gets kidnapped while the conversation continues until the Mayor sneezes, causing the couple to realize that they were holding up phoneline and neglecting their duties, including feeding the cat. This upsets the Professor and complains about the past event where a cat made him jump off a building which somehow, Ms Keane doesn't believe and causes them both to suddenly break up. Hmm...like every other couple today right? Okay that was bad.

Overall, this was a weak episode with no crime fighting at all and for a new start of upgraded animation, this was pretty bad. Especially being a Valentines themed episode.

9. City of Clipsville  I ought to let you know that seasons five and six sucked. Big time and this episode is no exception. I am not much of a fan of clip shows and this one was really weak, lame and the repetitive dialogue is as entertaining as a stale book made for toddlers. "Remember when Mojo Jojo turned us into dogs?"...umm...yeah? There's like two episodes with pretty much the same chunks of animation of it and it doesn't help that they referenced BOTH episodes! Also, did we really want to be reminded of some of the more mediocre episodes?

Mind you, most of these little trips down memory lane never happened. These include The Professor marrying Ms Bellum...for some reason, the girls losing their superpowers without realizing until they fall off a building...the Professor turning the girls AND all of Townsville's citizens into helpless infants...(no, seriously...make way for cliche'd moments whenever a baby is in a cartoon, which I'll get to later), complete with Blossom spitting up over the Professor's shoulder.

BUT the most most shameful fan-service cringe-worthy moment would have to be a quote on quote flashback of when the girls sped up time and became teenagers. Oh my god! Just...yeah. Complete with their midriff showing, slender figures, skinny jeans and stereotypical valley girl accents and mannerisms such as blowing bubble gum talking on their cellphones and ...discovering boys, teenage boys...in this case, the Rowdyruff Boys.

Yeah...remember when I said that the whole counterpart thing is a drag, well they do it here too. But this time, they are somewhat getting along, yet the girls are ditzier. I do love some of the hidden innuendos snuck in this scene visually and audibly.

Besides this episode being a weak one, I do admit that I like how the girls looked as teenagers, a bit two fan-service material-esque but still cute. I love how Bubbles still kept her pigtails in, but are a little longer, Blossom's red hair still makes me jealous *seriously...) and Buttercup growing out that little bob, it suits her.

Of course, I can't mention this scene without the fact that it was a reference to Craig McCracken's fan mail he was  receiving from fans about what would happen if the girls and boys were couples. He hated the idea so he decided to poke fun at this little trope.

Interestingly, there was going to be a scene that never made it, but there were storyboards lying around of the teenage girls becoming popstars...obviously a reference to the likes of Mandy Moore, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and other teen idols, maybe even the lesser known band that have since broke up, No Secrets.

The episode gets more stupid as everyone somehow ends up in the house until the episode ends which turns out to be filmed in front of a "live audience". Yeah, just...weak.

If you do like this episode, that's great, it does have a few funny moments but I still feel like it's just another cheap bland clip show.  

8. Neighbor Hood Good god was this episode lame? The moral was a good one I will admit, but first, the story...Bubbles rushes home from school in time to watch her favorite show: The Wondrous World of Whimsical Willy. Mr. Willy being the host of the show (and an obvious parody of Mr, Rogers) greets his audience warmly, at first, he seems like the typical friendly, harmless, yet unsettling kind of person on a kid's show. He never snaps, he's calm and mellow. But when Daydream Lane loses all of the happiness and joy, Mr Willy asks his audience to hand over all of their cash to him so they don't lose hope.

Being naive and simple, not wanting the show to fall flat with misery, Bubbles somehow breaks into the town hall and takes off with the money in the Mayor's vault and hands it over to Mr Willy and the rest of the crew on set. By the way, the Mayor also donated...yeah, he's a man child. lol

Meanwhile, back at home, after getting a phone call from the Mayor, Buttercup and Blossom notice their sister live on TV with a huge bag of money, thanking Bubbles, Mr Willy and his gang celebrate until Bubbles' sisters barge in telling Mr Willy to literally drop his act.

Sweaty and nervous, Mr Willy finally snaps and reveals his true plan to steal all of the money of Townsville, showing his true colors at last. Bubbles demands an explanation and tells her sisters that Mr. Willy isn't a crook, he just needed the money to help save Daydream Lane. Blossom isn't buying it and tells Bubbles that none of this is real and that the whole set is just canvas painted with scenery and backgrounds and the crew are all crooks in costume.

Now shocked and realizing she had been conned along with the rest of the those who donated, Bubbles loses faith in Mr Willy and the show and even refuses to save his fall. In case you might guess, Mr Willy is arrested and thrown in prison and Bubbles apologizes for her foolish act and also that she shouldn't believe on what she sees on television. In a way, this is a great moral for kids, especially when the main cast are kindergartners, but come on, the girls are more precocious than this, they are better than this. This is basically a weaker version of Film Flam.

This episode is really unsettling for many reasons.  Mr Willy asking for donations from little kids, isn't that a little creepy and somewhat makes him a pedophile? But to go as far as flying all the way to the set on your own and revealing the stolen cash is even more risky and dangerous.

I have read something interesting here from the PPG wikia, this episode was based real-life events in a 1965 New Year incident where Soupy Sales, miffed at having to work on the holiday, ended his live broadcast by encouraging his young viewers to tiptoe into their still-sleeping parents' bedrooms and remove those "funny green pieces of paper with pictures of U.S. Presidents" from their pants and pocketbooks. "Put them in an envelope and mail them to me," Soupy instructed the children. "And I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico!" He was then hit with a pie. He later admitted that he was joking and that the money would be donated to a charity, but Sales was negatively affected by the incident.

Also I learned that this episode was actually written back in 1999 as a season 2 episode, but was scrapped since the staff feared a lawsuit from PBS, so instead the story was given to DC Comics named Remote Controlled. The story was much better and less mediocre compared to this one. It's such a downfall when a great cartoon runs it's course and episodes that were originally written for the comics suddenly have elements thrown onto the screen and never live up to how they could have been.

There's something else I would like to point out here. I saw this comment on the PPG wikia by a user named Crossoverfan4ever and he pointed out that Bubbles commited a crime and got away with it, and did she get punished? Of course not, because she's, cute, innocent adorable, precious, sweet little Bubbles who can probably get away with murder if she tried.

So...in A Very Special Blossom, Blossom steals a rather valuable set of golf clubs and gets punished for it with 200 hours of community service, yet the Professor asks the cops to go easy on her and she's also sorry (seriously, you can feel her sorrow in her voice and that face just says it all).

In the fan-loathing controversial episode Moral Decay, Buttercup commits a crime by breaking into the local villains homes and steals their teeth for money from the "tooth fairy" after already beating up crooks for committing crimes. Her punishment: Ambushed by her worst enemies as her sisters sadistically watch her get beat up (note that Buttercup is a little girl, so can you imagine the pain inflicted on her?). Going back to Neighbor Hood, yeah, it's bad. One of season five's worst.

7. Crazy Mixed-Up Puffs

Season six was definitely the weakest link in the original show's run, so in a way, it's a breath of fresh air when McCracken and Savino declined a season seven from Cartoon Network (much to the disappointment to the fans).

CMUP just made way for some really weak points in writing and character development and derailment. Whichever one, even my feelings for this are mixed up...or mesed up. Whatever!  

In this episode, Mojo Jojo is watching old clips of the past fights and battles he has had with the girls and soon stops for an ice cream break. Unforunately, a little girl is in front of him and he deters her. As Mojo orders his three scoops (which happen to resemble the signature colors of the Powerpuff Girls), the little girl throws her ball at him, causing him to drop the ice cream onto the floor. As it does, Mojo gets an idea.

Mojo then goes home to his lair and creates a dummy of a girl calling for help, attracting attention from the Powerpuff Girls, they fly over to save her and are immediately caught in his trap.

The machine swirls the girls together, fusing them all into one and because of this, the girls find it hard to fly, spin and even keep their own balance, not to mention worsening their arguments every single time. It's really unpleasant to watch.

From here, the girls  now have to rely on each other with trust and work as a team to stop Mojo. After finally making their way to Mojo, they defeat him, destroying the fuse machine with a huge blast, but are still stuck together as one.

As they make their way back to the Mayor's office, they get Professor Utonium to try and seperate them. Feeling hopeless, the Professor breaks down into tears knowing that his daughters will never be the same, but they tell him that they don't mind being this close and reassure him that everything is going to be okay. The Mayor finds a thread from their fused dresses and pulls it which somehow...separates the girls restoring them to their glory. I do love when the Professor tells the girls that he loves them all, it's moments like this that always make the show great, it's too bad this episode suffered from mediocicy, unpleasant arguments and...this (Really? After all you've been through, you decide to add this in here?) NOTE: Never let Paul Stec or someone else write a Powerpuff Girls episode storyline which may result into tasteless immature fart jokes...speaking of which...

6. Reeking Havoc Season six...why? Why did you have to go with this crap? An entire episode about flatulence? Really? Okay, well silently but still visually. I for one don't care for this kind of humor, it's immature, lame, not funny, pointless and...just go watch South Park if you're into that stuff (by the way, I'm a huge fan of South Park, freakin' ironic I know! lol).

The Girls have just returned home from enjoying a beautiful sunny day in spring, admiring the fresh air until their noses are suddenly inflicted with the smell of something ...not so fresh, in this case, chili. Yep! Because how else are the writers going to come up with an episode which is ten minutes of fart jokes. Real mature. Not.

It turns out that the girls father Professor Utonium is cooking this...chili for the "2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off" in Townsville. The girls reluctantly try a sample, as expected by them and those watching, it doesn't go down well (we even see a shot of Buttercup losing it in the waste-bin). Worried that he may lose again, Blossom decides that they should tell the Professor, but her sisters object due to the year before, in which the Professor lost and broke down.

Later that night, the Professor still thinks his chili needs something extra...or should that be "x-tra"...with that, he adds a drop of Chemical X into the concoction. Sure, because somehow that works right? Also, maybe adding COFFEE into the chili is the reason it doesn't taste so good. Later on that night, the girls (one by one) also happen to put a drop of Chemical X in the chili.

The following morning during the annual chili contest, the judges (which happen to be Ms Keane, the Mayor and Sara Bellum) are trying out all the dishes that have been made for the event when soon, they try the Professor's chilli causing reactions that they never experienced before. With that, the Professor is declared the winner of the contest and is awarded the trophy and with that, the Mayor hands out free samples of the prize winning chilli.

What then follows is nothing but flatulent puns, visual and audible, one after the other while everyone's guts start growling and all that gas happens to escape and creates...a giant methane monster. No, seriously! A giant cloud made out of everyone's gas! What were the writers thinking, seriously? It's like they have watched Ren and Stimpy and got some ideas off there, no? 

The following day, the methane monster soon causes chaos all over Townsville and his stench is so unbearable that it causes everyone to feel nauseous and complain. This then causes the Mayor to call the girls and...*sighs*...watching them trying to fight off a huge flatulent monster is just...well...yeah. Lame.  

As if stinking up the city has already been done in season 2's Down and Dirty, but that as caused by Buttercup refusing to bathe, but nope, we get a full on episode with gastronomical proportions and bad jokes!

From here, we get some rather ridiculously stomach churning moments including the girls actually trying to suck the monster up...err...gross? So...after the mention of a "match", Blossom gets an idea and takes off and returns again in seconds with...a giant match...no seriously AND to make this episode even more cringy, she mentions that she got it from the same place where she got the giant jar in "episode two season one". Was that really necessary?

I don't wanna go on since its pretty cliche'd with the fact that entering a chili cook-off with an ingredient that happens to be linked to chaos, it's obvious what that equals.

This was a bad episode and I mean really really bad. GOLDEN RULE: Keep fart jokes off this show! Oh wait...the reboot pushed that further! *sighs*

5. Gettin' Twiggy With It Consider this the Pet Sitter Pat episode of The Powerpuff Girls. Nearly every character in this show is likable, funny, great, relatable and somehwhat a decent role model. All but one...that being a less major character: the girls class mate Mitch Mitchellson. A sadistic, nasty, evil, selfish, greedy, manipulative  child who takes pleasure in bullying his fellow...ahem...classmates. Think of him as the Nelson Muntz of Townsville. Think of him as Ren Hoek off Ren Seeks Help in Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon, or maybe even Stewie Griffin. In this episode, it's Friday and that means one of the kids has the responsibility of taking the class hamster Twiggy home. The girls volunteer, but somehow Ms. Keane chooses Mitch to look after her.

This episode is legimately painful to watch in my opinion. As an animal lover (especially hamsters) who hates animal cruelty to a degree couldn't even watch this. It isn't funny, isn't a pleasure to watch, it's just sick, twisted and evil, I'm glad though that the episode itslef wasn't treated as comedic, that would make me up this episode straight to number one in my opinion. Mitch apparently says he never owned a pet before, yet you can clearly see that he has a snake in the background, what the hell?

I like how when Twiggy becomes a vicious monster, the girls do their part to save him, but still teach him a lesson in harming little Twiggy. It's rare for an episode to be played out seriously for the most part, yet this is just so difficult to watch. Especially all the ways Mitch tortures the hamster.

Gettin' Twiggy With It is just nasty and an unwatchable episode. It's unpleasant, demented and just uncomfortable to watch. For a better review on this episode, I suggest reading this: https://www.deviantart.com/regulas314/art/1001-Animations-Gettin-Twiggy-With-It-517452789. He does great reviews and provides decent detail.

Overall, Mitch Mitchellson is hands down my most despised character in The Powerpuff Girls, maybe even worse than Princess Morbucks. And that's saying a lot. 

4. Girls Gone Mild I don't think there's one countdown of top ten worst PPG without this episode at least appearing on there. It's bad, the story, the premise, the fact that this episode was inspired by letters Craig McCracken received from parents thinking the violence was appropriate as a defence, pretty much the Three Girls and A Monster of the Chris Savino era. This episode is basically like a reminder that parents and legal guardians are the ones who should ultimately take responsibility for their children's actions instead of just blaming other people for it. But for what it is, it's not funny or entertaining and definitely one worth skipping. Need I point out that the two people of "P.A.P.P" (People Against Powerpuff Girls) were played by the same people behind the voices of Cosmo and Wanda from The Fairly Odd Parents?

But seriously, where do these two come from? Clearly not from Townsville otherwise they'd be more than happy to ask for the girls help, but no, instead they eat everything up with complaints and threaten to sue the Professor if the girls start using their superpowers again. I hate tropes like this, especially when we all know in the end, they go back to normal and do what they do best. Now if only they were kicking Stanley and Sandra Practice's butts instead.

3. Moral Decay *sighs* some of you have definitely seen this one coming but you can see why. It's one of the most unpleasant, mean spirited and degrading episodes of the Craig McCracken era. What were the writers actually thinking?

Buttercup's nothing but a straight up sadist in this episode, the moment those mouth muscles form a malicious slasher smirk, she has straight up changed in personality throughout the episode. After accidentally knocking one of Bubbles' teeth out, she learns of the "tooth fairy" bringing money in exchange for teeth under kid's pillows and what does she do? She constantly abuses Bubbles just to try and knock out her teeth.

First off, Buttercup may be tough, but she loves her sisters dearly and wouldn't think of abusing her own sisters for kicks. Sure she gets into scrapes now and then, argues and teases them, but she would never want to hurt them to this extent!

UmbraMagna's stated this before on YouTube but have they go something against Buttercup, did they hate her character? Why did she always get the rough stuff in punishment and treatment? Think about it? In Down and Dirty, she refuses to bathe and even gets kicked out the house until she gives in and is forcefully given a full scrub by her own sisters. In Cover Up, a whole opportunity is wasted  on a story that could have had a heartwarming peptalk scene between Buttercup and the Professor, there, Buttercup feels vulnerable without her security blanket. You gotta remember that she is a little girl, it's normal for someone her age to have a baby blanket.

Going back to Moral Decay, it's a terrible episode that's just painful to watch and do NOT get me started on the ending. The Professor at his most non-caring right here, not to mention that close out ending scene. As punishment, the Professor pays covers Buttercup's dental bills with the money she "saved". By the way, I suggest you check out @UmbraMagna's extended review on this episode. Since mostly I'd be shadowing and echoing what she has said, along with A Very Special Blossom in her top 10 worst PPG eps countdown.

2. Sun Scream/The City Of Frownsville I put these two together because...well, they both aired together, simple as, bit cheap and not so well explained or thought but what else. These two episodes are just torture! Despite being on different topics. 

First off, Sun Scream. This episode is just a chore to get though. The girls all catch the sun after refusing to put sunscreen lotion on while trying to stop a solar flare from plummeting to the earth. What do their fans and the rest of the citizens do? They laugh at them, instead of showing concern for three kids who have badly been sunburned. Just...what has happened to Townsville?

The rest of the episode is nothing but the girls struggling to get up out of bed and trying to answer the hotline, getting dressed to even struggling to attack some con artists. I won't spoil this episode but if you have made it through till the end then good luck, this one's just painful to watch.

Then we have The City of Frownsville. Although being dedicated to those who lost their lives during 9-11 (with all my respect, I pray now even). Despite this, this episode is nothing but everyone sobbing their eyes out for ten minutes. If you can't stand nails scratching on a chalkboard, then you will definitely not be able to make it through this episode.

All of Townsville's put under a spell by "Lou Gubrious" and his machine that causes everyone to cry uncontrollably, this then reverses his mood giving him the new name "Hal Larious" (please, seriously?), the rest...ugh.

Skip this one while you can guys.

Before I get to number one, I'd like to give out a few dishonorable mentions.

Cover Up - For shaming Buttercup being a softy. Also her sisters cruelly laughing at her. Twisted Sister - First off, I don't hate this episode as a whole, I don't like what they did with the new sister Bunny. She's unstable, but her slurred speech and lack of English, as well as dying in so called comedic fashion's a bit too much. Fallen Arches - Blossom's unbearable in this episode. Sure, we should respect the elderly but refusing to fight these crooks and throw'em in jail. Just...no. Sweet and Sour - Ugh, cutesey animals getting away with crime and the citizens are just as clueless because they are "TOO CUTE!". Come on! Pee Pee Gs - Unsettling and nothing but pee jokes. Umm...no, unfunny and a cringefest. Prime Mates - Mopey Popo's constant complaining and rambling in his Droopy-esque voice and the girls not having enough screen time make this a true downer. A Very Special Blossom - Ugh, one of the first of episodes where one of the girls does wrong and gets punished for it. In this case, Blossom's dark side shows when she steals a valuable set of golf clubs just to please the Professor for Father's Day. That's Not My Baby - Ah the baby cliche! Whether it's abandoned or just being looked after the whole package is there. The baby never stops crying, and when it eats, it's diaper needs to be changed yada yada yada, I'm sick of this cliche and this episode's no better. HOW did they not even notify the Professor even? I left it out of here because the ending was actually clever. Cop Out - Forgettable, bland and yeah. Unfunny, also that cop. Ugh. Custody Battle - Just doesn't feel like a PPG episode, but a Rowdyruff Boys spinoff. Also the whole two daddies thing...nah. Divide and Conquer - I know education and learning's important but an entire maths episode...nope. Save Mojo - I'm a bit of an animal activist, no lies but...a cartoon chimpanzee with constant diabolical plans to destroy the Powerpuff Girls and take over the world, that's different (plus a cartoon), and...yeah. Basically Girls Gone Mild with animal activists and protesters. Say Uncle - Absolutely forgettable and lame. Mizzen In Action - I love the Crack McCraigen pun name but over all, this swash buckling episode's one of the show's most forgettable episodes. Seed No Evil - Bland and boring and...seriously, what's this all about seeds in olden times? The City of Nutsville - Bubbles gets stung in the throat by a bee/wasp and her sisters actually laugh at her...messed up. Also, squirrel apocalypse. Insane. West in Pieces - Ugh...ancestors of the Powerpuff Girls? really? As if Seed No Evil was no better.

And the number one worst Powerpuff Girls episode is...

1. Toast Of The Town I HATE this episode! Talk about character derailment, especially when you're in the middle of season five. If you can get through this episode listening to the Mayor speak in the third person, good for you, because there's a lot of it and it's enough to make your eardrums split.

The Mayor has a huge craving for toast (say, at least SOMEONE now has a toaster unlike everybody in Too Pooped To Puff few seasons back) but his toaster is out of range, so he goes to the Professor to have it fixed. And with that, we get some of the most cringe inducing audio, lack lustered story writing and some of the most ANNOYING dialogue in any episode! The Mayor is basically nothing but...a child in a man's body here. The Professor won't fix his toaster because he's busy, but after more complaining from the Mayor, he gets on with the job and the Mayor is so impatient he asks in seconds if it's done yet...really? The Mayor is an idiot, that's for sure, but at least he means well and loves his city and job and looks out for the girls. BUT his stupidity here is both questionable, childish and dumbed down to a tee!

The Professor makes the Mayor wait somewhere in the lab which he does despite still dejected and impatient. What follows is...the Mayor curiously pressing buttons like a child and setting off an alarm and causing a huge explosion in the lab...err...is this Dexter's Lab or The Powerpuff Girls? Some weird pattern here! Anyway, the Professor then proceeds to let the Mayor stay put by putting him in a high chair...for...some reason...

Later on, the Mayor discovers a can of Chemical X and rubs some of it on his head thinking it's hair growth formula and...his entire body is now the size of King Kong, complete with a shameless parody to boot. I don't need to explain anymore of this.

Seriously? The Mayor's third person speech and childish behaviour here is some of the worst character derailment I've ever seen. As I said with Gettin' Twiggy With It, there's a more detailed review here by Regulas314: https://www.deviantart.com/regulas314/art/Animated-Atrocities-Toast-of-the-Town-475588395

There's no other way I can mention this episode without any...ahem spoilers, but I suggest avoiding it while you can. SERIOUSLY! This episode's unbearable!

Compare the Mayor in episodes like Uh Oh Dynamo, where he was against the girls having the city destroyed (even though it was the Professor making the girls use the Dynamo). Then compare him here...it's just painful. And with that, let me know what you think which episodes do you think are th eabsolute worst? 

[ao3feed-jaydick]

Bruce & His Boys

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/37wrSEh

by CastleCanary

Bruce started hearing whispers from Tim, then Jason, and finally Dick.

‘What I’m not suppose to your top secret pl-”

Suddenly three pairs of hands reached at Bruce’s briefs and yanked them all the way down. Bruce almost tripped while his sons grabbed his black underwear from around his ankles.

“What the hell is that matter with you boys?!”

So Bruce was now standing there, butt ass naked, in the kitchen with his three sons all laughing at the fact that they’d pantsed their father into complete nudity.

•

Or... Bruce gets pansted by his sons which leads to nasty things.

Words: 2995, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Smut, Incest, Parent/Child Incest, Father/Son Incest, Sibling Incest, Brother/Brother Incest, Humiliation, Body Hair, Oral Sex, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Come Eating, Outdoor Sex, Size Difference, Foursome - M/M/M/M

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/37wrSEh

[ao3jaydickfeed]

by CastleCanary

Bruce started hearing whispers from Tim, then Jason, and finally Dick.

‘What I’m not suppose to your top secret pl-”

Suddenly three pairs of hands reached at Bruce’s briefs and yanked them all the way down. Bruce almost tripped while his sons grabbed his black underwear from around his ankles.

“What the hell is that matter with you boys?!”

So Bruce was now standing there, butt ass naked, in the kitchen with his three sons all laughing at the fact that they’d pantsed their father into complete nudity.

•

Or... Bruce gets pansted by his sons which leads to nasty things.

Words: 2995, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Smut, Incest, Parent/Child Incest, Father/Son Incest, Sibling Incest, Brother/Brother Incest, Humiliation, Body Hair, Oral Sex, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Come Eating, Outdoor Sex, Size Difference, Foursome - M/M/M/M

[spnfanficpond]

December 2019 Pond LiveChat Recap - Structuring Longer Plots

We had a great time chatting with @jhoomwrites​, today! Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your wisdom and experience!

Our chat was all about structuring longer plots, filler vs plot, and the different types of structures that are out there. (Mostly, we talked about how we don’t always have a structure in mind when we’re writing, and how we deal with it when a story breaks apart the structure we’d so carefully constructed.) A rundown of the chat, as well as general Pond news, is below the cut!

For those who don’t know her, Ashley is an avid writer, not just of fan fiction. She’s popular on Tumblr and AO3 for Destiel stories of all lengths, from little emoji ficlets she bangs out from requests (where followers send her a short string of emojis and she writes a story using them all) up to epic stories. She’s currently working on a hockey fan fiction that was her NaNoWriMo project, but with 120 SPN works on AO3, we’ve got plenty to read while she’s distracted with her hockey boys! (I’ve convinced her to be a member of the Pond, so hopefully we’ll see her around a lot in the future!)

We started off talking about how long our fics can get ( @katehuntington​ won with her Sullivan Series, which is currently at 570k), and whether we’re planners or pansters or a mix. Kate and Ashley are both kind of mixed, while @mrswhozeewhatsis​ has never successfully outlined a story, yet. 

Q: Was My Liege Lord (her longest at around 80k) planned or pansted?

Ashley: It was both. I had planned out some things, but then I got new ideas as I went that I wanted to explore and it padded out the length. I had a whole fic worth of plans, but just the amount of time in their lives I ended up covering necessitated adding things. Kate: I do that too. I stick to the plan, but I add soooooo much stuff along the way.

Q: When you write, and plan out a story, do you use a particular structure?

Ashley: I haven't written out a plan for a fic in some time, but I was really consistent with the style I used for a while. I would do a chart with the main plot points to the left, and then details (excerpt of dialogues, notes about specific scenes, etc) to the right. Here’s an example:

Ashley: It helps me when I get ideas later, I can find parts in the story by looking to the left and then add notes. It's my favorite way to plan out a story, especially if I know it will be multiple chapters and if I might not be starting it any time soon. This is much nicer than the outline for the story I'm working on now, which is just a list of events in chronological order (and another list of "things i could add but i don't know where this goes"). I wrote the outline about a day before I started so I didn't need as much structure.

Q: Having a plan helps, then?

Ashley: I didn't used to plan, but then I started a multi-chapter fic and realized...... I don't have an ending. So, I like to plan that out to make sure I have an actual beginning, middle, and end. Michelle: When I start, I have an idea and an ending. That’s it. All my stories have the same ending, though: And then they kissed and lived happily ever after!

Kate: It does give freedom, not having a detailed outline.

Ashley: That is true, it does make me sad when I get somewhere in the outline and there's something I'd liked, that I'd wanted to include, but it doesn't work anymore and I have to scrap it. Gotta balance sticking to the outline vs adapting to how the tone/characters have developed.

Q: Is your planning method something you learned, or something you developed? And do you use the same structure for all of your stories?

Ashley: Something I developed. I haven't had any real training or instruction in writing. I was struggling with longer fics being unorganized and not coming together at the end, so I needed something for myself. I like making charts, so I figured that was a good way to start! lol It's not something I do as much, anymore. It was a great tool when I started doing it, and I did it for years... but possibly because I've gained more writing experience with longer stories, I don't need to do it anymore. I start a fic with a general idea, I figure out where that idea is going, and start writing. I do more of a mental checklist now. Of course, for original stories, things I hope to one day publish, I will still outline.

Q: Do parts of your structure have names? A quick Google search on how to structure novels brought back about a lot of different methods for structuring a novel, all with different numbers of steps. Each step had a general idea, like rising action, climax, falling action, etc. I guess I mean, what parts of a story do you feel need to be there for it to work? What are the parts of your structure?

Ashley: Having never paid particular attention in my English classes, I would be hard pressed to put names on different parts of my story structure. I view it as beginning (set up, putting things in place), middle (the actual story more or less, all of the action), and ending (wrapping things up, resolution).

Q: When you half wing it and the story is coming along, and then you hit a plot hole, how do you handle that? 

Ashley: Well uh... **points vaguely towards abandoned WIPs** it can be rough. I do have some people I work with in terms of brainstorming. And if I get stuck with a fic I'm committed to, that I'm enjoying writing, then I talk it through with them. Sometimes, those issues are coming up--not because the story wasn't outlined--but more because I've just lost that spark of interest that I had before, and it's time to move on, anyway.

Q: There was a question submitted to the Pond by @kittenofdoomage​ about filler vs. plot.

Ashley: I think that's a real issue I face, filler vs plot. For some stories, I feel like I write a chapter and then can't really see what it adds to the story except maybe giving more characterization. My Liege Lord, I can think of some examples... and sometimes those things are cool, they're fun little ideas to explore and that's the only universe you could do it in, so you do it maybe for your own sake more than the story's. I think there's also a difference between reader and writer perceptions of what's filler. For my current project, there are scenes I wanted to include because I felt they were necessary to the plot, but I got the impression from people I'd polled that they would not be interested in those scenes (basically it's a romance and I was going to include things that were not directly related to the romance aspect and they said if it was more than a few paragraphs or so they didn't care). Michelle: I struggled with that with The Babysitter. Almost half of that fic is flashbacks to when the brothers were growing up and how their relationship with the reader developed. I considered cutting them all, but the fic felt thin. Sometimes, I'd pop a flashback chapter in there just to slow down the action in the present a bit, if you know what I mean. Like, chapter X is the night before the big battle, and chapter Y is the big battle, but it felt rushed to just go from X to Y, so I stuck D in between them. Ashley: Yeah, pacing is important, so the "filler" can help regulate that. It might also depend on if you view stories as about the plot or about the characters. If you view it as plot, then yes, you don't want that non-plot filler. If you view it as characters, then the filler doesn't necessarily move the story, but it adds depth and dimension to the characters and makes you appreciate them more. (I mean... I love the characters so much, I'd watch an episode of them just doing chores around the bunker...no plot, just them.) Kate: I just write what I feel like is right. Plus, I’m a sucker for a slow burn myself, so I’m not scared to let the readers wait.  I like to use fillers as a stairway to the big reveal or moment. What I love even more is to put a lot of foreshadowing in there, so when they read it the second time, they go: oh! Rhi: The thing is that I've found is that filler serves a lot of purposes. As mentioned above it's great for dropping a bit of foreshadowing. It's also great for expanding your background and making your characters more than two dimensional. It also gives your readers a breather. Especially if it's a heavy plot. I often find myself rambling in filler, which is where rereading is key. With longer stories, I have a brief outline of what I want. Sometimes I'll write the major points first, the ending etc then follow up with the filler. On occasion, your filler will end up imploding your plans but that's cool. That's when you either roll with it or take a break and neither of those are bad choices. It depends on the individual.

Q: (In one of the articles linked below) Peter Behrens mentioned a novel idea. He basically said he doesn’t worry about structure until the revision stage. He writes what he wants to, and then when he’s revising, he tweaks the story to fit whatever structure it fits to best.

Ashley: I do like that, and that's something that @unforth-ninawaters​ has mentioned. We're working on shorter stories that would need to be under 7.5k and I said I don't know if I could hit that. She said to write the whole story, even if it's longer, and then have someone edit it with an eye to shorten it, if necessary, and you'll probably end up with a tighter story that way. So, basically, that's how I view writing things, now. I write what I want to write for the story, and if it needs to go, it'll disappear later in the editing process. But what if it does belong? Well, then it's there, already. And yes on slow burns... for fic, it's a staple, and for WIPs, it's part of the lure, the draw in, as a reader--knowing that maybe they will maybe they won't hook up this week.

To close out the chat, we talked about the story structures listed in the following two links:

How to find your novel’s structure - This article discusses the traditional 5-stage plot structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution) and the 3-act structure (setup, confrontation, resolution), as well as some other points, like how characterization can affect structure.

Writing Cooperative -  Use a story structure to make writing your novel a lot easier - This article lists several structures, and includes links to read more about each one and their strengths and weaknesses. Different stories might do better under different structures, too. A romance novel wouldn’t necessarily need the 12 steps in The Hero’s Journey.

These links are definitely worth checking out if you have any fears or concerns about your story’s structure!

Next month we’re going to talk about Real People Fiction! We’re still looking for a guest speaker, so if anyone is interested, send a message to @mrswhozeewhatsis​!! Date and time to be announced!

General Pond Updates and Reminders

What we’ve got cooking up next: Not much, at the moment, since everyone is busy, so we’re just trying to keep up with the day-to-day at the moment! Our to do list is still long, though, and will not be neglected forever! Next up is organizing the tagging system on the blog to make it easier for readers to find the stories they’re interesting in and for writers to find the help they’re looking for!

Reminders:

Angel Fish Award nominations are accepted all month long! No need to wait to tell us how much you liked a fellow Fish’s work!  IF YOU HAVE SENT IN A NOMINATION, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PRIVATE MESSAGE CONFIRMING WE RECEIVED IT, WE DIDN’T GET IT. Be sure to use Submit instead of Ask!

Don’t forget to submit your stories to be posted to the blog! When your stories are on the blog, then they are easier to nominate for Angel Fish Awards!

Say hi to November’s New Members! (If we missed someone, let us know!)

Check the Pond CALENDAR to see when Big Fish will be in the Skype chat room/discord general channel and other Pond and SPN events are happening! Know of something that’s not on the calendar, send us an ask or submission with the deets info details!  The calendar offers a lot of features, such as showing you when things are in your own timezone! Since we’re an international group, that’s a definite plus!!

We’re looking for a guest speaker for January to talk about RPF! If you know of an RPF writer that you’d like to hear from, let us know!!

[monluna-dreamer]

If you’re still taking malex prompts: Alex is self-conscious about his leg and doesn’t want Michael looking at it or touching it, but Michael reassures him that he has absolutely nothing to be self-conscious about. I love your writing!!!

I changed it a bit but I hope you’ll like it!

Alex is self-consciousabout his leg, but Michael reassures him that he has absolutely nothing to beself-conscious about.

There's not a thing that I would change (AO3 link.)

”We should cancel,” Alex mumbles under his nose butMichael still hears him. He stand in the doorway of their bedroom and observesAlex and his heart breaks a little bit. “Yeah, we should cancel,” Alex saysagain, this time firmly.

He turns to Michael and their eyes meet. Even from thedistance between them Michael can see anguish and anxiety in his boyfriend’seyes. After a moment Alex breaks their staring contest and sits on their bedwith a heavy sigh, putting crutches away,.

“Will you call them?” he asks Michael in a small voiceand Michael’s heart breaks even more. He covers the distance between them andgets on his knees in front of Alex. He rests his hands on Alex’s knees andsqueezes.

“Babe,” he starts and waits for Alex to meet his gaze.“You have nothing to be scared of. You have nothing to worry about. You knowthat. They are our friends, our family,” he continues softly.

“I know that,” starts Alex. “I know that… theoretically,”finishes Alex in a whisper and looks away. But Michael has not finished yet.

“Alex, darling look at me, please,” Michael says gentlyand waits patiently for Alex to look at him. Alex takes three deep breaths andmeets his eyes. “Here you are. Hi,” Michael tells him with a smile on his faceand is relieved when answers him a shy smile on his boyfriend’s lips.

“Hi,” replies Alex with a shaking voice. “I know I’mstup…”

“Whoa, whoa, don’t go there,” Michael interrupts himsturdily. “You are not stupid. Your feelings are rational. What you feel isvalid,” he tells him definitely and takes Alex’s hands in his own. “You’ve comea long way and I am so proud of you. And there are no words that can describehow much I love you,” he declares and places a kiss on each of Alex’s hands,not breaking eyes contact. “We love you just the way you are.”

“I love you too,” answers Alex tenderly, tears in hiseyes. “But they have never seen me like this,” he adds in a small voice.

“You know what your doctor said. You overstrained yourleg and you have to put away a prosthesis at least for a week. No work and no prosthesisfor you. Only crutches but without exaggeration,” Michael says pointedly andlets go of Alex’s hands to spread his arms wide open. “And my arms,” he addswith a cheeky smile and Alex can’t help himself and he bursts into giggles. Hethrows himself in Michael’s arms and melts into his embrace.

“Your feelings are important to me. You are importantto me. So if you really don’t feel you can do it I will cancel. I understand.They’ll understand. Don’t worry about upsetting them,” Michael whispers intoAlex’s ear and Alex hugs him harder. They stay like that for a moment, contentwith each other.

The moment is interrupted by an engine of the arrivingcar and Michael sighs. He places a kiss on Alex’s temple and stands up, helpingAlex sit on the bed. He looks out the window and shakes his head.

“Of course, it’s Isobel,” he tells Alex. “Does shealways have to show up too early?” he grumbles more to himself but Alex hearshim anyway and laughs. Michael turns to him with a soft smile on his face. He takesa deep breath and crouches again between his boyfriend’s legs.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“I can do this,” Alex answers and nods to himself. “Theylove me and they won’t care.”

“That’s right babe,” says Michael and rolls the leg ofAlex’s panst till his stump is in the view. Alex stares at him with wide eyesand Michael just smiles at him. He places a tender kiss on scarred skin andhears Alex gasp. “I love you,” he whispers looking into Alex’s eyes and then hecovers back up a stump and stands up. Alex still stares at him, blinking back tears.

“So, what it’s gonna be? Crutches or my arms?” Michaelasks playfully.

Alex reaches out for his crutches and approachesMichael, so they stand chest to chest.

“I love you so much,” Alex whispers, his lips brushingagainst Michael’s. “But crutches for now,” he adds and places a chase kiss onMichael’s mouth.

“Ok,” Michael nods. “But remember all you have to dois ask,” he says with a shameless smile and spreads his arms to mark his point.

“Maybe I will,” Alex answers cheekily.

Their staring contest is broken by impatient Isobel andhonking. They burst out laughing and go to welcome their first guests.

[fyresydepublishing]

[Preptober pt.2] Mindmapping v. Outlining v. Pansting

[Preptober pt.2] Mindmapping v. Outlining v. Pansting #writingcommunity #bookblogger #ThursdayMotivation #marketing

***Before I get to the juicy stuff, let’s get some housecleaning done. Be sure you read all the way to the bottom for some ways you can access to exclusive content not available to the public. If this is your first time joining us, we here at FyreSyde are a husband and wife duo who made the decision we wanted to offer a community to help our creative entrepreneurs, readers, bloggers and authors…

[dicktim-ao3feed]

Bruce & His Boys

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/37wrSEh

by CastleCanary

Bruce started hearing whispers from Tim, then Jason, and finally Dick.

‘What I’m not suppose to your top secret pl-”

Suddenly three pairs of hands reached at Bruce’s briefs and yanked them all the way down. Bruce almost tripped while his sons grabbed his black underwear from around his ankles.

“What the hell is that matter with you boys?!”

So Bruce was now standing there, butt ass naked, in the kitchen with his three sons all laughing at the fact that they’d pantsed their father into complete nudity.

•

Or... Bruce gets pansted by his sons which leads to nasty things.

Words: 2995, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Smut, Incest, Parent/Child Incest, Father/Son Incest, Sibling Incest, Brother/Brother Incest, Humiliation, Body Hair, Oral Sex, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Come Eating, Outdoor Sex, Size Difference, Foursome - M/M/M/M

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/37wrSEh

[thetreesofdreaming]

My Year in 100 Songs

Reading the Wrappers – Trust Fund

Crisps – Trust Fund

Mentre Dormi – Max Gazzè

Senza Stringerti – Dente

L’ultima Preoccupazione - Dente

Evening Prayer – Jens Lekman

To Know You Mission – Jens Lekman

What’s That Perfume That You Wear – Jens Lekman

-

Brick Wall – Fred Thomas

Pulling Teeth – Petite League

Abbiamo Vinto La Guerra – Lo Stato Sociale

La Felicità Non È Una Truffa – Lo Stato Sociale

Amarsi Male – Lo Stato Sociale

Niente di Speciale – Lo Stato Sociale

Shape of You – Ed Sheeran

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

Intertwined - Dodie

-

Andate Tutti Affanculo - The Zen Circus

Bruci La Città – Andrea Bianconi

Amanda Lear - Baustelle

Il Nano – Fabrizio De André

Portovenere – Canova

Threesome – Canova

Il Cielo D’irlanda – Fiorella Mannoia

-

Incontro - Francesco Guccini

Venezia - Francesco Guccini

La Canzone delle Osterie di Fuori Porta-  Francesco Guccini

Due Anni Dopo - Francesco Guccini

Vorrei – Francesco Guccini

-

My Bloody Valentine - Sunny Sundae Smile Beat Happening - NoiseShermans - Happy Being Lonely Rocketship - I Love You Like The Way That I Used To Do The Electric Pop Group - Parliament Square The Parcels - Jessica Pancakes Saturday Looks Good To Me - Alcohol Belle & Sebastian - We Are The Sleepyheads The Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine Comet Gain - A Million And Nine Orange Juice - Falling and Laughing Dolly Mixture - How Come You're Such A Hit With The Boys, Jane? Haywains - Forget Me Not Free Loan Investments - Hard To Smile Stereolab - Pinball Heavenly - C Is The Heavenly Option The Death Of Pop - Don't Hang Around Tullycraft - Wild Bikini Jens Lekman - Clap Your Hands Panst Yell! - Dont's Show Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - 1999 -

Pezzo di Me - Levante

Teresa – Max Gazzè

Ti Sembra Normale – Max Gazzè

Betty – Baustelle

Manzarek  - Canova

Expo – Canova

In Undertow – ALVVAYS

Not My Baby – ALVVAYS

Pellaria – Carl Brave x Franco126

La Musica Non C’è – COEZ

Gazzelle – Quella Te

Paperopoli – San Diego

-

I’m in Love With a Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist - Another Sunny Day

Outerlimits - Dressed Like Wolves

Country Walking - Dressed Like Wolves

Tiny Ides - Dreessed Like Wolves

Dying in Space - Dressed Like Wolves

Deat of Girls - Dressed Like Wolves

Slate - Dessed Like Wolves

You've Been Drinking White Russians All Night and Now Your Bones Are Strong

Ship Song - Dressed Like Wolves 

Tendons - Dressed Like Wolves 

Churches - Dressed Like Wolves