#sorry i basically just wrote a fic outline in the tags

[loregirlsam]

Ikr! Especially because he was not technically supposed to survive possession. He was supposed to die in the fight so who knows what kind of side effects he's gonna end up with. Maybe he's left with some of Lucifer's tricks. Like he snaps his fingers once and the person next to him is instantly vaporized. That would be very fun for me personally

that would also be very fun for me <3 i love when sam is in pain and i think accidentally vaporising/killing someone with his powers would cause so much guilt for him, but also fear that dean will once again see sam as something to be hunted like he told him in s4. @supamerchant left some interesting tags about his emotions affecting his powers, so the more upset he gets with himself the more his powers fuck things up, a never ending feedback loop overwhelming him to the point where he'd do anything just to make it stop. and maybe his desire to make it all stop is fuelled by hallucifer taunting him that its his own grace left inside sam that's causing all of this, and sam thought being lucifers vessel was bad but having his grace linger in him might be worse.

i promise i do like sam i just like causing him pain ♥

[daryltwdixon]

Hihi! I’m here with some writer’s asks (sorry if it’s a lot 😅)

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis

🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both? 

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual?

📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app? 

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Thank you sm for the love 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

when I was part of the 1d fandom in 2012ish I wrote a tonnnn of fanfiction on my blog 😅 I had no business writing and reading so much filth

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

oy vey. Honestly, id give it like a 6, it’s not terrible but rereading the same thing over and over again will make me crazy after awhile LMAO I do like it cause I’ll write a pretty basic outline of a scene out then go in and fill in where I can to add layers and texture!!

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

@chockholdsillegal not saying we’d be great at covering our tracks but this my homie right here (and your job might help us be able to get rid of evidence in a way other people don���t have access to 🤔)

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

forever and always will rec @heathermason6060 like holy shit their Matchmaker Merle pt 1??? Serial killer rick and daryl??? 🧑‍🍳💋

🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis

@weirdoneattheparty your internet sleuthing is incredible and more people need to appreciate the work it takes for the shit you are able to dig up

🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both? 

I like reader inserts ! Writing them and reading them personally! Like partially yes I am the character but also they are their own character at the same time w a totally different lore than me and putting myself in their shoes is just as fun. Like would I make all the decisions fmc would? No but im not about to complain about a character acting morally gray or making bad decisions cause if they didn’t there would literally be no plot lmao

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

speaking of lore hmm you want like normal? I own my own pet sitting business on the east coast in the US :) I’m also a surrogate baby and have a bunch of half sibs that I’m close with now as an adult!

🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual?

slide into them DMs and let’s be friends OR if you reblog good stories or write interesting stuff! I also follow people who regularly comment on my writing cause I love you sm

📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app? 

here’s a screenshot of something I saved for Heart of Us inspo! I have a long note of drabbles of dialogue / scene ideas and screenshots of things I find so this one was from tik tok

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

god as cliche as it is I love a good and juicy love triangle. I also love when reader/fmc is able to handle herself and is tough as nails. I mean I’m literally writing the fanfic I want to see so idk what else but also I love @heathermason6060 because she writes an amazingly desperate and needy daryl so whenever I need a hit of that to my system I go to her ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

honestly I love any and all comments when they’re kind! But esp when someone is like “holy shit” lmao or even just a really nice “can’t stop reading this” or “so glad I found this” I’m telling you comments make my day and make me want to keep writing!! I love any and all!! ❤️

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

ooof… well I’m gonna go with a character I hate at this exact moment in my rewatch which is Eugene. Let me complain then I’ll say something nice. EUGENE YOU WERE SO EASY TO MAKE THE FLIP TO NEGAN YOU ASSHOLE WTF. Ok nice things he’s v smart for someone who was a liar / fraud he still knows how to do SO MUCH !!! He also was v kind when he told negan’s wives he knew they were there not of their own volition and didn’t want to take advantage of them. I also understand why he flipped to negan so readily because they treated him so freaking well and he was always being ridiculed and told he wasn’t enough back w his old group!

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Other than the obvious in watching the show, god I love music. Whenever I hear a good lyric I’m like oh shit I need to base an entire story around that or the feeling music will give I’m like this is how daryl would feel or fmc would feel when this and that happen!! Poetry is also a huge one, as seen above with my recent screenshot to my notes.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

when I’ve been on tumblr before I knew short and sweet is usually best, and the fact twd fit so well into Daryl Dixon I said let’s try this lmao and it worked!! So now I am Daryl the walking Dixon lmao

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

this goes for books/novels as well. You need to show me how a character is feeling, show me the scenery, the atmosphere instead of TELLING me. My favorite example of this comes from Harry Potter which does way better to explain than I could writing out everything:

Instead of “Harry started crying”, in GOF it says “The thing against which [Harry] had been fighting on and off ever since he had come out of the maze was threatening to overpower him. He could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of his eyes. He blinked and stared up at the ceiling.”

This goes for atmosphere/scenery too! What the heck are the smells! The sounds! What does it feel like!! So whenever fanfic or books do nothing to embellish any feelings I usually click out or DNF

[mrslittletall]

fic writer self-recs

tagged by: @misskriemhilds (thank you and sorry for taking forever to do this)

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

Alright, without further ado, let's begin:

A Storm is coming (Dark Souls) This fic came to be because I was stuck with another fic of mine and frustrated and was like "Okay, but what would happen if Ornstein followed around the Chosen Undead during the second half of the game?!" I wrote the first chapter and added chapters whenever I felt like it and then this thing had over 40 kudos despite them not having gone on the adventure yet and I was like "??? Where did'ya all come from???" And then I started to put effort into this fic. My Chosen Undead, Tempest, grew into a proper OC. The story became a clear structure and outline. And the relationship between the two grew into a slowburn mutual pining romance. That is my most popular Dark Souls fic and I consider it my Magnum Opus as a writer. I sometimes write these two still for one-shots and they always always are so easy to write. They feel like a part of me now. Thanks so much to everyone who gave this fic a chance and stayed with it. Thank you so much.

Keeping it together (Dark Souls)

This is the fic I was stuck on and why I started to write Storm. It is basically about Ornstein dealing with Artorias' death. Horribly. I had a hard time myself during writing this, living through burnout. The year 2019 was my year to heal from everything and I made good effort but then... well, you know what happened in 2020... Anyway, I struggled a lot with this fic, but I think the last chapter of this is the best chapter I have written in my whole writing career. And it only happened because I took a deep breath and then suddenly everything was clear and I knew what I had to do. Off Balance (Hollow Knight)

Ah, another case of "I am writing this on a whim." This fic came to be because of some art of teenage Hollow and I was like "Oh, I want to make fic to this art". I first thought it might be a one-shot but I got ideas and continued and then it turned into a full fix-it and PK redemption arc. You can see in this fic how it grows and the characters with it. You can see how I make WL from sad mother to the queen she is, how PK grows into the role as a father but never stops struggling and how Hollow turns from the Pure Vessel into a child that enjoys life. This fic was extremely well received and I regurlarly receive kudos on it. I am coming back to this universe, I promise. It was just... after 2022, my life turned into hell. Hollow, Pendry, Rydellia, you are waiting for me, right?

Frenzy (Bloodborne)

Is that one of my best works? Honestly, it isn't, I really need to rewrite parts of it. But it is very dear to me. The idea was "What if Laurence got too close the Amydgala and turned into a catatonic state as result?" It was an exploration of the Frenzy status. Mostly from the caretaker POV of Ludwig and a little bit of Laurence (because he is not really there most of the time in the fic). I did quite some research on the topic but I vomited out this fic in a week (YES, REALLY), so it is pretty rough around the edges. Ranni and the horrible, annoying, obnoxious Tarnished (Elden Ring) I got this idea after the Mini Ranni quest in Elden Ring. I was like "Wow, she needs someone that shuts her up." And then I though "Hm, I need a Tarnished who can annoy her to no end." And who was grinning at me?! My version of Laurence (Bloodborne), who can be a horrible annoying obnoxious asshole! So I made an Elden Ring version of him and wrote him into this story. And it WORKED! This fic actually got quite some numbers. I guess I am not the only one who wanted to annoy Ranni xD Alright, let's see how many fic writers I can think of tagging... @within-its-cave @ruthlesslistener @deluxinn @redsixwing Go on, give your fics some love!

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @davycoquette!

Writer Questionaire

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

I mean, it's my greatest passion, but it's not what I do or plan on doing for a living in the future, so I'll go with hobby. To be honest, I'm fine with that. I think I'd enjoy writing a lot less if I was doing it professionally.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

Sorry guys, clean manuscript. I do a barebones outline to start, then just write the thing top to bottom. I know first drafts aren't supposed to be pretty, but I can't help myself.

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

That's a tough one. I read a lot, so maybe Sanderson or Tolkien, but honestly, the person who inspired me to take writing more seriously is a guy from my weekly dnd group. He was the first person I met in real life who wrote and had published stuff. He proved to me that regular people can be authors too.

4. Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

Listening to me since, easily. I can't sing, but I'm fine with that. I'm not emotionally invested in my singing ability like I am with my writing ability.

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

Maybe a little? I feel like a lot of my characters are based on different parts of my own psyche, so really I'm just leaning into those. Because of that, writing about them has made me more accepting of different parts of my own identity.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

I'm only on Tumblr at the moment. I don't intend to put my writing anywhere else because I feel like sites like AO3 aren't really made for original fiction.

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

Not on AO3, but I just did the math and between three Honor's Outcasts books and two and a half Mortal God books, I'm at 644,000 words. Add up all the miscellaneous short stories I have floating around and I'd put myself at an even 650,000. Not bad!

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

The Name of the Wind was the first book that really showed me what could be done with prose. I don't care that the third book is never coming out, Kingkiller Chronicles will always have my heart <3

The Foundryside Trilogy is an underrated series that basically inspired Mortal God. It weaves fantasy and sci-fi perfectly, has some of the best villains I've ever read, and the ending still makes me sick to think about. Which is a compliment.

And, of course, the Stormlight Archives massively inspired my worldbuilding. I always strive for the layer of depth and strength of character found in those books.

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

The best comment I've ever gotten isn't exactly a compliment. One of my beta readers once commented on a weak metaphor, "You can do better, you started with a symphony." That really stuck with me for some reason. It reminds me that I do have the capability to write beautifully, and that I shouldn't settle for anything less.

10. What defines your writing style?

I've been told my narration is very conversational, cut through with fanciful descriptions. I've also been told the voice of whichever character I'm writing from the POV of tends to slip through into my writing style. Descriptions in Sepo's chapters are darker and more grim, the narration of Ivander’s chapters gets more sarcastic, Twenari’s chapters focus more on the smaller details, the voice of Astra’s chapters has some more of that country flair, and so on and so forth.

I'll tag @fantasy-things-and-such @wyked-ao3 @rotting-moon-writes @finchwrites and anyone else who wants in :)

[arokel]

8(?) days of TBITB

Late to the party because I have mono and my energy levels have been approximately zero all week, but I'm speed running the days I missed! Thanks so much to @seasidesandstarscapes for the fun idea <3

1. December 18 - choose a fic/artwork and talk about how you came up with the premise, what the process was like, anything you want to share!!!

I guess I'll talk about People Like Me, because that one had the longest gestation period lmao

The inspiration behind it was I was seeing a lot of fics with the "period typical homophobia" tag where the homophobia seemed to stay in the period itself and not touch any of the actual characters, if that makes sense? That is to say that the setting sort of had the trappings of 1930s homophobia, but all the main boys were kind of anachronistically chill. And I realized that I was guilty of it too because honestly it makes for more enjoyable fics a lot of the time, so I thought, what would happen if I wrote a fic with *actual* period-typical homophobia?

The basic premise came to me pretty quickly but I tossed around a lot of options for which boy would be the pov character and which boy would be gone - for a long time it was Jim, not Chuck, but in the end I realized having Jim's captain energy around was nice and that there was something to explore in losing the fun-loving spirit Chuck brings to the group. I did toss in a little platonic Chuck/Roger betrayal because I just can't help myself.

I wrote this one straight through in order without an outline (which was a challenge for me) with one exception - I wrote the final few paragraphs of Joe, Dutch and Shorty seeing Chuck before I wrote anything else and kind of used that as my guiding thread for where I wanted Shorty to be emotionally by the end of the story.

It was kind of a nerve-wracking process lmao, because I was really unsure how it would be received! I actually toned down most of the homophobia from my initial ideas of what each boy would say because I felt like it was just gratuitous and I didn't want to write trauma porn, but I was still worried people would be angry with me for writing it. But the response has been lovely!

2. December 19 - Hardest scene to write/draw?

Somehow I just could NOT write the middle parts of Don't Try to Talk, and I whined about it incessantly to @borealopelta for like three weeks. Sorry about that :(

Or I guess you could say the next chapter of May I Have This Dance, since, you know, I haven't written it.

[jolalibrary]

love your writing so much. for real, no strings attached is... fucking me up big time. your frankie has ruined all men for me, but nevertheless, she persisted. the latest installment was too much!!! i scream!!! making my way through late night texts right now as well and... *fans self aggressively* i have a few questions from this tag if this is alright!

🚀 🥳 and selfishly for myself because i always wonder how to broach this topic 🤖

this is so niceeeee 🥹🥹🫂 can we hug? please say we can hug! I absolutely adore that you love them so much! and the latest one was so much fun, I love that they’ve just gone so far past kinks and now I’m just writing a series 😂😂😂 but, I adore them, and I love that you love them and I could talk forever about them, but you have questions so lemme answer them!

🚀 so I used to do a version of an outline, but normally outline it. but now, I’ve liked plotting it out and hanging out with them in that format, making sure I know the full of arc before I begin? I do still like to skeleton chapters out in the beginning and my ending, so it’s like an elevated version of what I used to do. but I am loving an outline now!

〰️〰️

🥳 I started writing fanfic because I was reading some stories and I had an idea and I thought, hell, why can’t I? I had a lot going on in my personal life, and I was struggling with somethings and I basically was like “how would these characters handle it” (as I wrote character x character first). and I didn’t think much of it, I didn’t think I was any good I just had a story and n I thought what’s the harm? and then I made a friend, and someone told me that it helped them, and so the next idea I had, I went in with a plan, and before I knew it I had multiple series and a nice community. I moved to reader fic with daredevil and then just slowly moved through fandoms till I found this one. this is actually the longest I’ve been in active in a fandom since my first one, and that’s down to the lovely and kind people who don’t mind that I take up a little space and share a few things 😘 so thank you

〰️〰️

🤖 so, some know. the ones who count do. I don’t make it a big thing with every acquaintance, but my closest friends do. they know sorta know what I write but I don’t go into it too much. one of my best friends has read a few of the pieces (hi if you’re reading this 😂). I think because I’ve always been open about it, it’s never fazed me? but I know that isn’t the case for everyone and it was a unique situation and I guess because it was helping me with my mental health, I found it easier to go “I’m doing this now and that’s why I’m better and present”. obviously my husband knew first, (he wanted to know why I was writing all of a sudden) but I don’t share with him more than ideas. I know when he made LNT into a book I was like “oh god he’s read it” but he just said he read the first two chapters, laughed but didn’t want to read more without asking me (which is nice). he does get to see the original things I have worked on/working on, as I love his opinion on things. I remember for a short article I submitted I gave it him and he was so complimentary about it I wrote another for that same online magazine. I have rambled, I’m so sorry. but I do know my situation is very unique, and the way I told people was very one on one, but it’s nice that they do because it’s made it easier to say “I think I want to write something original”.

also, omg I hope you love LNT, and thank you so much for being so sweet and lovely!

[ygodmyy20]

weird questions for writers: 1, 10, 22?

Hiiiii! Thank you for the questions! Sorry it took me so long, I couldn't get my fingers to work and type answers last week.

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

Just Arial hahah I am basic.

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

Yes. Kegare by Zillasafe. It is.....that fic gave me nightmares. In a good way! Like it is so good, so intense, so visceral, so...god I can't even describe it. Give it a read, but mind the tags it is the heaviest piece of fiction I have read in a long, long time. It would not leave my brain, like a spider in my skull.

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

I use Google Docs. I used to not write outlines but I went and wrote one out for Black Sweatshirt, my long-fic. Which honestly helped a lot with figuring out where to build up tension and find my arcs.

For black sweatshirt it has a pretty detailed outline. My post-canon fics as well since they are all in the same verse. I have outlined them too.

My one-offs tho, it is just an idea on a page.

I also do break my chapters up into different docs. God i can't have that long of a doc........if i had one doc for Black Sweatshirt I may die hahaha

[jamiesfootball]

Some random fic questions for you!

1) in the Leverage AU you definitely aren't writing, which episode(s) are you most excited to (definitely not) adapt?

2) how did you come up with the ideas for the subplots in OGYGGI(YHNBGL), and how did you go about weaving them all together? (also typing that acronym requires. concentration)

3) free space! answer whichever question you wish people would ask about your fics

Aaaaaah, I love random fic questions! Thank you!

1) in the Leverage AU you definitely aren't writing, which episode(s) are you most excited to (definitely not) adapt?

While I have a massive prompt table (that I shared somewhere in my leverage au tag forever ago), I'm fairly sure I won't end up using all of them. That said, there are a few episodes in particular that have been added to the Web Of Character Arcs and are for sure getting used:

The Juror #6 Job (with Roy as the juror)

The First David Job / The Second David Job

The Broken Wing Job

The Grave Danger Job

The Three Card Monte Job

The Rashomon Job

Of the ones I'm most looking forward to adapting, I think The Three Card Monte Job is at the top of my list. It's going to be the Jamie's dad turns up episode.

Now. For job titles I currently have on the chapter list:

The First Second Job

The Little Sister Job

The Equity Trust Job

The Juror #6 Job*

The Just Married Job

The Faberge Dilemma

The Hammer Job

The Broken Wing Job*

The Son's Gambit

Special Note: The Broken Wing Job, while it shares a title, is very much not a fun little one-off romp and is not a 1:1 retelling of the episode it's named after. The Juror #6 Job, on the other hand, is very much like it's namesake, only with Roy in the place of Parker trying to learn how to get along with people without cracking skulls. Growth, baby <3

2) how did you come up with the ideas for the subplots in OGYGGI(YHNBGL), and how did you go about weaving them all together? (also typing that acronym requires. concentration)

(I rely on my phone for the acronym now)

The subplots were very much a listing of 'here's everything I wish they'd handled differently in the finale, now what can I do to fix this?'

Jamie - I think we know this one. His dad. That scene of him visiting his dad in rehab. This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. This is what took it from 'hey I wrote a thing about Roy and Jamie discussing him reaching out to his dad' and turned it into a multi-chaptered behemoth

Roy - very much did not care for the fight in the last episode, and what (to me) felt like a lack of resolution. Did very much like that he decided to go to therapy. Decided to spin it so that the fight was why he ended up in therapy. Now I get to talk about both of those things as much as I want- yaaaaaaaay

Sam - Why. Why would you definitively have Akufo say Sam would never get to play for the Nigerian team. And then have the next thing be a shot of him on the Nigerian team. WHY. So the basic outline of Sam's subplot in this fic is him vs. Akufo, who has built a Nigerian restaurant right around the corner from Sam's restaurant.

Colin - I'm so sorry, buddy, but that kiss definitely outed you. There were cameras, bud. There were so many cameras....... HOWEVER. That is not the totality of Colin's arc! Colin's arc is very much a 'what now?' sort of thing that I shall continue to be vague about.

Keeley - Look, the show may have been lazy in her plot lines, but they left a lot of solid, strong storybeats to play around with. Her subplot really focuses on the rebuilding aspect of everything: rebuilding her relationships with Roy and Jamie, rebuilding her company under the weight of crushing guilt and debt that she now feels to her best friend for bailing her out, rebuilding her image after the leak, the breakup, and Shandy (jesus). She has a lot going on, and due to the messiness of her interpersonal relationships, there's no one area that doesn't affect the others.

Beard - Beard and Jane happy ending my beloathed. You weren't even in the first draft, but boy if I didn't find a way to sow the seeds of your inevitable destruction by lowkey giving Beard a new foundation for his support system

Nate - I just feel like they got him like. 90% of the way there. There's just a little more fine-tuning on his character arc I'd like to spiff up.

Higgins - just kidding nothing to fix here, I love him for who he is. Someone's got to keep a level head around here and keep the boat moving forward

Isaac - oh I'm sorry did you think I forgot about my boy the way my show forgot about my boy? Nuh uh. Subplot for Isaac.

As for how I weaved them all together? I've got no idea. Really, I don't. When I started to outline everything, they all just- slotted in together. I think a part of what made that easy is I have this (usually unmet) want for characters to interact with people outside their immediate plot lines in meaningful ways, which ultimately makes them part of the plot line. For example, if Sam is struggling with Akufo, then it makes sense that Jamie, someone who likes Sam, would already have sought Sam out for his own reasons. It's not like I'm doing backflips to get everybody in the same room. By wanting to be in each other's lives, they naturally become part of each other's plots, whether they realize it or not.

3) free space! answer whichever question you wish people would ask about your fics

Okay, this one stumped me, so instead I've found a question from one of those ask games:

What fic are you most excited about publishing/updating next?

The next chapter of OGYGGIYHNBGL! It is written! It is obscenely long! Longer than the first chapter! 22k words and 66 pages! But it is badly in need of edits and still has the odd [bracket fix this later] and I've just been so burnt out lately that every time I look at it I want to cry.

But that is my goal for this weekend! I want to get a decent chunk of this thing edited. I'm quite excited for it to finally see the light of day.

[thompsborn]

Hi! How are you?

First, thank you for create tbaf and hb, I really love the au's you create and how you tell stories, idk you are amazing. I just needed to tell you :D

Now, I'm sorry if this ruins the 'no spoilers' but can you say if there is a happy ending for homeward bound series or is there not one planned yet?

Have a nice day, thanks!

hello!! i’m pretty good, actually! i hope you’re doing good, as well!!

no one has to thank me for tbaf and hb, these two projects have been very fun to write and have helped me a lot in terms of developing my writing styles and exploring different approaches to writing in general, and i genuinely LOVE writing them (even if i sometimes go a Very Long Time between updating them lmao) so please no need to thank me!! thank YOU for reading them !! ❤️❤️❤️

honestly i’m not against giving spoilers, i’m more just worried about posting them and anyone who may have wanted to avoid them getting upset? it happened a few times back when i wrote reddie fics (the reason i stopped writing for the it fandom is because i would get a lot of messages and asks that were in general not nice and very demanding about what i write and how often i post and it just took all the fun out of it) so i’m just like… overly cautious probably lmao

but!! if anyone WANTS vague spoilers, there are some that i don’t want to share at all because i’m very excited to see peoples reactions to them (there are things i haven’t even told oddy, who i have messaged A Lot about hb and have told the most about my plans for it) but i’m down for some spoilers/hints !!

here’s my compromise i guess for anyone who WANTS to see these hints and mild/vague spoilers and stuff: i’m down to post them, but i’m gonna put them under a read more tab and maybe i’ll start a hb spoiler tag?

homeward bound fic is my tag for the series (i also follow the tag in case anyone else ever wants to post about it pfkfkf) but i’ll tag this homeward bound fic spoilers and any posts in the future that drops hints and shit will be tagged the same !!

anyway, your question: will hb have a happy ending? look under the cut if you’d like to see my answer!!

okay, so here’s some transparency about the series: i don’t have the whole thing planned out.

i have a lot of ideas and i have certain things decided and vague ideas about the other parts, but past the last three chapters of the first fic, i don’t have like proper outlines or anything just yet. i didn’t even have a plan for the first fic when i posted the first like two or three chapters—i was coming up with it as i wrote it and it wasn’t until i was a couple chapters in that i started planning ahead because it was at that point that i realized how massive i wanted the fic to be and it was around that time that i started thinking about making it a series instead of a stand alone fic.

i’m still trying to decide who the antagonists of the second fic are gonna be (i know one, but i’m debating adding more and am ironing out subplots and such)

basically: i don’t know how the series is going to end yet. i’m planning on having the four main fics that will basically be the main story, and then having additional one shots/short fics that kind of fill in gaps and provide moments after college, as the four fics are supposed to encompass one of their school years. this might change, i might make it three fics or add a fifth one or something, but as of now that’s my plan.

while i don’t have the actual ending figured out, i can say with certainty that i want it to be a good ending. maybe not necessarily a super happy one, but it’s not going to end in tragedy. harley and peter are going to have a future together. the spidey squad is going to remain a found family and support system for each other. (also the spidey squad is going to consist of more than the core four we currently have, but i’m not going to spoil that part. it’ll start to be clear who else will be in it group as the series continues. matter of fact, the last chap of the first fic starts that process!)

the one shots that i plan to write based after the end of the main fics will have a lot of snapshots of moments as they all grow up — ups and downs, highs and lows, relationships taking next steps and having fights and making up and everything in between.

this answer is kind of long and rambly, sorry, let me try to summarize my answer in a few sentences:

while the ending of homeward bound has not been officially decided, it is not going to be a bad ending. it’s not going to end in sadness or tragedy. that being said, it might not be a super upbeat ending either, because life will always have its struggles, but the ending will be hopeful and happy in whatever way is most fitting of the series once it ends.

hopefully that answers your question well enough? idk i don’t wanna make it sound like it doesn’t have a happy ending at all, because i definitely want the best for these characters and their futures, but homeward bound has, at its core, been the embodiment of being a realist—not an optimist, not a pessimist, but a realist. the reason i started writing the first fic was because in the emotional turmoil following nwh, i wanted to try and take a realistic approach towards what peter’s story could be following the spell and may’s death and the loss of everything that his life used to be. and also wanted to explore how harry and gwen could be introduced and how harley could be brought into the loop. and of course as a parkner shipper how to make it into parkner as well lol.

life is hard. these characters have been through a lot (and will go through a lot more as the series progresses) but they are strong and they are full of love for each other and that will get them through it.

thank you for the ask!!! genuinely i LOVE answering questions about my fics and having a chance to ramble about them so please feel free to send more!!

[hangmanbradshaw]

Hi Steph! I have sooo many questions, so let's see which emoji I can remember: 🤡✨️❌️🤗✅️🤭 Thank you!! - Mo (not on a train)

My dearest Mo!!!! Friend!!! I'm so sorry this got buried in my asks okay I'm gonna do this. I've just been...chugging along you might say ;D

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Omg I love throwing comedy in so there's a lot but hmmm maybe in IWTBY when Jake & Bradley are spying on Mav and Ice's date they parent trapped them on, and they're running around like idiots ducking behind sand dunes. Or you know....basically the entire crack fic I wrote that's princess & the frog themed where rooster turns into a rooster lmao

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

Oh god you picked the hard one huh? Okay. I feel like my brain is full of so many little AU worlds and I hope they're portrayed in both fun and emotional ways?

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

Idk if this counts as a trope but unrequited love. That and unhappy endings. They might be dumb about it for a while but it's always gonna be both in love & happy at the end.

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

You CAN do it, first of all. I just started writing in February and I definitely thought I couldn't do it, but you can and it gets easier the more you do it. I like to sometimes just close my eyes and let my mind play out an idea or story like a movie in my head for a while before I write. It sparks a lot of ideas and then I jot them down. That and if you're going for long- a fluid outline is very helpful (main plot points for each chap but then if you make a reference in a chap go to a future outline chap and add a note about referencing it again so things don't get lost and little things are wrapped up nicely.) Oh and don't worry about what people will think- write the story that makes you happy, the story you want to tell. When you write about what you're passionate about, it carries into the writing and I feel like you can just tell.

✅ What's something that appears in your fics over and over and over again, even if you don't mean to?

Comedy. I love adding some funny parts. Banter. Oh my god I love writing banter and conversation. PLOT TWISTS. I love a good plot twist or everything not being as it seems. Music/song/movie/sports references (intentional), references/nods to my other fics (intentional). Trope wise...I think a bit of a possessive kink finds its way in there as well as obliviousness. And one bed. It always comes back to one bed. Now that I'm thinking about it sports find their way in a lot too.

🤭 Do you have a favorite tag to use when posting your works?

On here I tag them all my fics or by the fic or series title cuz I'm too lazy to do anything else lmao

[tl-trashtalk]

details on angsty gavi/joao for the wip ask/tag thing por favor 😳

max!! omg hi. okay so dude im sorry its taken me days to answer this. i wrote 3k words in one day and then i was traveling back home from mexico to california and immediately went to work today and now im finally getting a chance to answer you.

but anywayyyy

i have an entire not!fic typed out for this. which is basically a super rough extra long summary with a few hyper specific detail. so sorta of like an outline as well?

but the concept of the fic, if you don't wanna read the not!fic that ill put in a read more down below, is that gavi and joao are fuckbuddies of sorts but they dont talk about it and theyre really not even friends. but when joao wont let gavi reciprocate in anyway, because joao has some internalized homophobia stuff going on, there's a fight and drama. when they eventually make up they decide to only be friends. but there's a sweet fluffy ending where they become a bit more but in a more honest way know that theyve gotten close.

here's the angsty gavi/joao not!fic with more details: (not edited so go easy plz)

So imagine an alternate João and Gavi that are not so close off the pitch. Their chemistry when they're playing is Great. they celebrate together and have some very sweet moments like the hugs and João picking Gavi up, ect, all the stuff we've seen. But then everywhere else, João is standoffish. Still cordial, respectful but doesn't go out of his way to be friends with Gavi. Which Gavi doesn't normally care about gaining the friendship of teammates, he has plenty of friends in his mind. But there is something about João that is intriguing to Gavi. So there is some part of him that is a little disappointed that João doesn't seem to want more.

But then after a match, maybe one where they're some Tension on the pitch that Gavi misinterprets as João upset with him or something. Gavi asks him about it after the match. João pulls Gavi into some deserted room and instead of explaining himself, he's getting on his knees for him, peering up at Gavi with pleading eyes. All he asks is "can I?" With his hands on Gavi's shorts.

Gavi is nodding, agreeing before he can think it through and then João sucks him off, efficiently and rushed but amazing. He swallows every drop, ticking Gavi back in and leaving before Gavi can even thank him or ask for explanation.

Life continues as normal for a while and then it happens again. João gets this look on his face when they're celebrating João's goal together and Gavi can tell he *wants*. Sure enough João finds after the match again. And the same thing happens. João gives Gavi a bj and leaves before Gavi can even offer to reciprocate or talk about it.

Gavi thinks it's strange for sure but João is Asking to get him off and if wants to...who is Gavi to say no? The noises he makes are clear signs that he enjoys himself while doing it. But still something isn't setting right about the whole thing in the back of his mind.

The third time it happens, Gavi finally speaks up at the end. theyre sitting in gavi's car this time. He quickly grab ahold to João's bicep, trying to keep him from leaving. João looks terrified at the sudden gesture and won't hardly look Gavi in the face. gavi lets go immediately and says something along the lines of "i didnt mean to frighten you" and joao seems to accept that and relaxes just a little. after a beat of joao just watching gavi with his doe eyes, gavi finally asks "what are you getting out of this exactly? not that i dont enjoy it, i do, very much. so i want to make sure you're appreciated in return. and gavi tries to reach for joao's thigh on the other side of the consol. and joao gets a bit spooked again.

joao doesn't look at gavi when he answers something like "im fine, i dont need anything in return, i swear this is enough. also my motive is none of your business" which makes gavi laugh because "of course it is. dont you think i deserve to get to know the person im having sex with?" but joao doesnt know what to say to that so he answers with a scowl (that gavi finds adorable actually) and murmurers quietly "that's not on the table for us" but wont explain it to gavi.

gavi looks at him consideringly and after a few moments, he sighs and crosses his arms and tells joao "then i am off the table. until you want to be honest with me" joao doesnt answer him and doesnt look at him. just gets out of gavi's car and leaves.

at practice, it's awkward and terrible and they cant play together for a few days. by the 3rd day one of them ends up picking a fight and they both get into trouble, having to run extra laps. when they get back to the changing room mostly everyone is gone, and while theyre showering joao can see gavi in the stall next to him. he cant keeps his eyes off joao and then suddenly he's in joao's space and crowing him against the wall. joao is biting his lip and looking down at gavi and whispering "please don't kiss me". gavi wants to. so bad. and he knows joao wants him back. but he listens to joao, stepping away and going back to his own stall. and joao looks *shocked* and then it fades into a really soft smile and he nods at gavi and finisheds up, leaving the showers.

later that night, gavi gets a text from joao, asking him to meet up before training with an address. the next morning gavi pulls up to the apt building and calls joao and he tells him how to find his apt. once inside, joao tells gavi, "just because im telling you this doesnt mean that i'm going to sleep with you. or let you kiss me. im telling you because you respected me and that's very rare for me experience." so then joao unloads on gavi, tells him all about his past.

how joao had a secret relationship with an older married man when he was much to young to be doing so (but not underage). and that when they were caught, he was paid off to keep quiet and it was never reported and even if his parents never said anything, he could feel their judgement for getting involved with a man. he's never trusted anyone else since and doesn't get invovled with men to keep his parents happy. but then he got to know gavi, and he was really hard for joao to resist. so the best compromise joao could come up with was to not let gavi recipricate so that he wouldnt feel so guilty for allowing himself to give in. gavi hugs him then, holds him close and tells him how brave he is, and that he is not guilty, and tells him he understands how difficult this must have been for joao to trust him with this information. and just lets gavi hold him close for a moment before they have to go to training.

they actually get close for real after that, an unspoken agreement to not go back to hooking up quiet yet. take time during practice getting to know one another, text and ig message each other memes ect. until eventually, joao asks gavi to come over, cook for him, have dinner, and its the *best time*. joao kisses gavi against the counter, when theyre cleaning up for dinner, the sink behind gavi's back, his wet hands on joao's face. and its perfect. gavi stays to watch a little tv after dinner and they fall asleep, waking up in the dark tangled up together.

joao tells gavi he can stay, sleep in his bed. gavi agrees to stay, but insists he's fine on the couch, telling joao he'll set an alarm and probably be out before joao is awake. true to his word, gavi is gone when joao gets up, blanket folded on the couch, coffee made, and a scribbled note by a cup, telling joao good morning and see you at training with a heart.

joao is all smiles all through training and him and gavi are reallly in tune, impressing everyonee. they both feel hopeful going into the match that weekend. and for good reason. they totally slay during the game, kicking butt and each getting a goal and assist for the other. after the match, gavi is buzzing, so visibily excited and joao is so enamoured by it. when theyre walking out together, gavi asks if he can come over to celebrate with joao. joao looks hesitant but then, he's grinning and telling gavi yes.

they have a wonderful night, once again, except that they get take out. and joao intentionally asks gavi to come to bed with him and they finally sleep together for real. and its beautiful and wonderful and amazing. and joao knows he's not *fixed* and they still have a long way to go. but he cant help but feel hopeful because of the way gavi looks at him and then kisses him before they fall alseep. but even more so how he's still there when he wakes up.

[transfenris-truther]

Fanfic Author Self-rec

I was tagged by @blarrghe, @rakshadow and @tea42 to do this fic author self-rec. Tagging @merrybandofmurderers and @holsmi to choose five of your own fics to recommend! (Sorry if you've already done it!)

I'm going to steal @blarrghe's method for organizing these by length.

No Town More Barren Than Our Town

Words: 78, 980

Rating: E

Summary: Pretty much a retelling of the game from Fenris' perspective as he gets closer to Hawke and the Kirkwall Krew and works through a lot of personal baggage around gender, love, and magic.

Hype: "This fic is so refreshing in that everyone is in character, but they're just nicer to each other." Skeletonships on AO3

"I'm sat at my kitchen table at 2am crying into my hummus." FtLoShakesphere on A03

If you like the kind of slow burn where all the characters know they're in love but need to get into a healthy place before they can act on it, this is for you. If you like minor Isabela/Fenris FWB, sympathy for Carver, and general posivity about all the Kirkwall Krew, that's what this fic is for!

No One Will Get Away With Anything

Words: 56,785

Rating: E

Summary: Basically a drama outlining how Leto becomes Fenris with a heavy emphasis on gender identity, manipulation and complicated sibling dynamics. The POV switches between Leto, Varania and Danarius. Heavy dose of transgender body horror and a lot of abuse inherent to the premise, so if that's not your bag, please don't read it!

Hype:

"I've had this story on the back burning for a while because the dark twist here hit so perfectly hard. Please take that only as a complement." @tea42

"YIKES dude. Love it when Danarius gets just one snappy little line of being the absolute worst person ever. Anyway this whole chapter had my heart racing with rage ahhhhh Leto." @blarrghe

If you want to read something that makes you angry and sick, this is a good option. Definitely read the tags and warnings, because it's a dark fic. I reccomend it if you like stories where everyone's motivations make sense from their own perspective but still result in tragedy. Or if you're really interested in a more fleshed out Leto, Varania or Danarius.

Through the Fog

Words: 42, 587

Rating: M

Summary: Fenris' time with the Fog Warriors, from start to unfortunate end. All about healing and learning to be a free person. Also about the power of rage against your oppressors. He's trans in this one too but it's not explicitly stated.

Hype: "There's a voice in the back of my head warning me not to get attached to the characters because we all know how they'll mostly end up, but you are making it difficult. I love them. They are nuanced, the way you write the interactions with them feels natural and the cultural shock for Fenris is so well done. He's torn between ingrained loyalty and yearning for this freedom without noticing it and slowly but surely lowering his guard. Love it!!" SuzaMuza on AO3

If you're curious about the Fog Warriors and want to read about a LOT of Fog Warrior OCs helping Fenris grow as a person, this fic is my baby and I still really love it.

Fenris' Streching Routine

Words: 1,515

Rating: E

Summary: Pure and unashamed PWP. Fenris is trans and intentionally being a tease. Really nothing else going on here. I wrote this while drunk.

Hype: "I wasn’t expecting some trans Fenris pwp but it made my gay trans ass very happy. This was immaculate!👍🏻👍🏻" Atomic fanfics on A03.

It's exactly what it says on the tin. If you like gay trans Fenhawke PWP, this is that! I think it's okay! Very clearly written by a drunk guy, IMO.

Words: 822

Rating: T

Reading Lesson

Summary: Just a bittersweet drabble that didn't fit into any of my own cannon. Fenris is struggling to write and gets defensive when he catches Hawke staring. But Hawke isn't judging. He's just surprised to see Fenris is wearing the favor.

Hype: Wrote this one for a Tumblr kiss prompt. So it's got a good amount of face smooching and a smattering of angst. Not really much else to say.

[crowned-ladybug]

1, 6 (ik you do but I'm very curious on the process), 9, and 21 for the writers asks! ♡

As typical it's taking me ages to actually get to these I'm sorry!!!! Thank you for the ask tho anyway <3

1) Who is your favorite character to write for and is this the character you find easiest to write for?

With all the characters over the years this is a tough one to pick out but proooobably Benrey still. He's got very fun internal monologue in my hands and you can fuck around a Lot writing him, and that does in fact also make him Easy. He's always come pretty naturally to me which explains a thing or two about my HLVRAI fics i'd say sbhdcbhdcbs

(Recent honorable mention to Sam bc he's also been proving surprisingly fun and then Dima destroyed me by saying his POV is the closest to how i talk on discord out of all the characters they've read me write so far)

6) Do you outline your fics? If so, how?

I start with the notepad app and trying to do a relatively basic lineup of just what scenes are gonna happen, so that I can have the pacing and order of things down. I hardly ever go in with a full lineup of scenes/plot already laid out in my brain, so this is where the fic is first actually born

This works half the time, giving me about a sentence for a whole scene, and then other times i end up outlining an entire scene on the spot

Then comes copying the thing over into an actual document that isn't fuckin exhausting to look at and thus the second pass of rounding out the scenes I haven't accidentally outlined well enough already

My outlines have been getting more detailed lately, so here's to believing in ghosts in specific had a Lot of bits near the end where i was just copying notes over almost word for word bc i had entire paragraphs laid out already. Other times stuff gets left at "and then they talk about [topic]" level of detail until i get to it and have to suffer

A lot of fleshing out also happens on the fly while I'm writing a completely different scene or not writing at all and then have to tab back over to the outline and add like two sentences that i cannot allow myself to forget

It's hard to pick a good example without drowning this post but this was the outline for the first scene of poison in the ashes, for comparison's sake

(I very rarely use any dialogue tags at all when outlining unless they're Significant already. I either just know who's talking anyway or if there could be any doubt, I use a chat format instead)

9) Do you visualize scenes in your head before you write them? (Can you picture the setting, character body language etc)

YES

I am a Very visual person so a Lot of the times I'm trying to put entire movie scenes onto paper and even when that's not so painfully the case, I always have the visual counterpart in my brain. Things are always pictured. Hanging onto very Very specific line deliveries which i cannot convey in text is what's less often tho, and thus sadder to forever only be in my brain, unable to hand to anyone

(I've gotten compliments on specific scenes feeling movie-like before and every time it's such huge thing to hear, that the image not only got onto the paper but also into someone else's head)

21) Writers choice - pick any of these questions that you want to answer.

14) What is something you wrote in a fic that you are hoping readers picked up on but you don't know if they did? And/or, what is something that you were excited that readers did pick up on?

There's always stuff and hardly any confirmation one way or another, however very specific example from recently: the way the first collapse scene in poison in the ashes is arranged was very much a callback to the concussion scene in and what comes tomorrow that I never expected to be picked up on and then Dima screamed at me about it so much :D

Also from poison in the ashes: when in one scene they talk about bad tea, and Rafe tells Sam to just tell him to make some next time, and then the next day Rafe is in fact the one making the tea while Sam loiters. Very on purpose. Of all the things Sam has to fill Rafe in on every morning he's decided to include the tea

[allwaswell16]

Title Tuesday

For Title Tuesday you can share the title of your WIP(s) and if you want, you can explain where the title came from!

Thanks for the tag @larry-hiatus!

Okay, so I have two-ish (okay three) WIPs.

Only

So this is a soulmate fic for @soulmatesabroad and it takes place on the most remote island in the world. I feel like it kind of makes sense because there's only the one soulmate out there for each person in this universe. And I like how small it feels if that makes sense. Basically because Louis lives this life that feels small on this tiny island, but he's destined for a much bigger life. The fic is pretty much done, but I need to work on some revisions/edits still.

Unraveling

This is the title of my @1dreversebang at least for now. I might actually go with Unraveled. In this one, Louis is the prime minister of the UK and Harry is a retired MI6 agent who has been recruited to protect the PM during a turbulent time and a time in which the PM's life is in imminent danger. I went with this title because there are a lot of secrets and issues that Harry has to unravel in order to properly protect Louis, and in the process he's learning about and unraveling who Louis is as well. Anyway, I'm about a fourth of the way in? A third if I'm being generous? haha.

Hometown

So this has already been published, but it definitely has the potential to become something longer. And I had a night a few months ago where I wrote out an outline of everything I think happens in their story. Soooo I guess I'll probably come back to this one and this one will become a wip again. I wrote this fic in a very particular style, so if I continue the story, I'll likely do something weird with how I tell it. a;lsdjkf Sorry, this is how I keep myself from getting bored though. The fic is actually a Driver's License au, so you'd think I'd use a word from the song, but no, I didn't. lol. I knew I might go further than just these few thousand words, so I was kind of thinking bigger picture with the title. In the fic, Louis has left for college and Harry is finishing his senior year of high school and has been left behind in their hometown.

Anyway, clearly I'm into one word titles lol. I'll tag @daggerandrose @hershelsue @dryourtearsaway @zanniscaramouche @kingsofeverything @berzerkshires @skipperxao3 @laynefaire @louandhazaf @disgruntledkittenface @londonfoginacup @princelyharry and anyone else who wants to talk about their WIP titles!

[stonefreeak]

I absolutely love your chancellor kenobi series and am so grateful that you've written so much of it, you have sparked much joy for me. I wanted to ask your advice as someone who has written & published a large AU with many moving parts. How do you choose what order to publish things in? Do you have an outline that you stick to, do you publish as you write it, do you go with the flow?

Hello! Thank you so much, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it!

Now, I could probably tell a few horror stories about how I was structuring my files and writing early on before @veilofadyingstar clowned on me enough times to get me to not write more than 5 different fics in the same google doc, separated only by headers (yes really), but I don't think that's very conductive to your questions, so I'll leave it at that, lol.

Chancellor Kenobi (CK) started as directly-into-tumblr ficlets. As in, I wrote everything directly into the text post editor and then just tagged it and pressed save and that was that.

It was also, early on, sort-of-not-really a prompt fic. Basically, I started by writing a ficlet on an idea, and then people wanted more of that ficlet, so they sent me asks. Sometimes they did manage to hit on what I imagined would happen, sometimes they didn't (in which case I would tell them what actually happened). I have so many asks still that I planned on replying to with a ficlet but just forgot, which is why my inbox currently has 156 messages in it, lmao (sorry everyone who sent me an ask!)

Back when this was the format CK was in, back in December 2016, I posted ficlets in whatever order I wrote them. I updated daily back then, sometimes even twice per day. After 10 days of this (so on the 13th, with about 10ish ficlets to the story) I asked if people wanted me to collect everything in a masterpost, which they did, at which point I had to go back and actually double check the order of events.

This was all so early on in the story that I just posted ficlets as I wrote them, haphazardly adding them into the timeline where they belonged, without caring about posting order at all.

I had an idea of what would happen, and as it grew more complex and I got further into the story, I realised that posting things out-of-order wouldn't be feasible anymore. The ficlets were becoming far too context dependent (because of the complexity and details of the plot) so even though I was still writing ficlets in the order of "whatever strikes my fancy", I now had to wait with posting until it was actually the next bit of the plot, this is when my updates started to slow down a lot, because yeah...

I started writing down an outline of events, but I never finished that, and I've since lost it lmao. So the actual plot, the story, the details... all of that lives only inside my head. I'm mentally keeping track of everything.

Which, honestly, I don't think I recommend that LMAO

After all, keeping it all in your head means that if you forget something, lmao, it's gone. bye bye

However, I did mention fairly recently that I'd done some organising of my files where I properly placed files out in order and name them, which now kind of works as an outline, lol (I use a writing subscription service for a gamified writing experience called 4thewords). However, there are a few blank files in between the named ones because I know I need more stuff in there in between the named events so it's not really a proper outline either.

So. I still write the fic out of order, which is something I can easily do due to the format I'm writing it in: interconnected ficlets as chapters. This means that I have ficlets that are far in the future of what I have posted, but they cannot yet be posted for the simple reason that the plot is now so complex that things need to be posted in order, otherwise it won't make sense.

As such, I no longer publish as I write, though I used to. At this point, the fic has grown too large and has too many moving pieces for that to be feasible.

Generally, I usually like to finish a fic before I post it, because that means that I can go back into early parts and edit them if need be (say I come up with something cool I need to foreshadow, or I realise that I mentioned something too early, or I realise I introduced a plotline I dropped so it's better to edit it out etc etc). That's not really possible with CK anymore (though, I mean, I guess I could go back and secretly edit stuff and pretend like nothing's up, lmao) so it's entirely possible that this fic has some inconsistencies etc (though I do my best to ensure there aren't any, there's always the risk I've missed something).

Writing CK and sharing it with all my readers has been an amazing experience, and I dearly hope people are not only willing to stick with me to the end, but also that they will feel like the pay-off was worth it.

For some people, finishing a fic before posting doesn't work because they need engagement to keep going, which is absolutely valid! For that, I think having a more structured outline is very useful in order to keep things clear and avoid accidental plot holes. It's no guarantee of course.

Ultimately, how you post and how you write comes down to you as an individual writer.

For me, it's rather flexible. Sometimes I write things in a strictly chronological order from start to finish and that's it. Sometimes I skip around in the story and need to make sure I leave very large empty spaces (metaphorical or literal) so I know where there's missing content that need to be written before the story is finished.

All of this is of course very much personal to me, and what works for one writer might not work for another. But I hope it gives you some help and some insight, perhaps.

Happy writing, anon!

[calltomuster]

2021 Fic Review

thanks for the tags, @hellowkatey, @willowworkswithwords, @the-last-kenobi, and @indigostars!!

total number of completed works: 24

total word count: 203k!!

looking back did you write more, less, or the expected amount of fic this year?: uhhh??? holy shit??? 203k is so many words??? I know other people write more, but to me that is insane! it really added up so quickly.

your own favorite story this year?: I'm very sorry to people to follow me/know me because this story is the only thing I ever talk about, but my favorite story this past year was definitely The Moments That Time Remembered.

did you take any writing risks this year?: I did!! TMTTR was a big risk for me because I'd never written or posted anything longer than 4k max (TMTTR ended up at 71k), and I had never done a multichapter before I started writing. I was also in a few exchanges this year for the first time (and ran one too!), and that was awesome!

do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?: biggest goal is to start and finish the sequel to TMTTR, which will be called The Moments That Time Forgot. I'm only in the outlining process of it right now, but it's an extensive outline and will be a great blueprint for me to write much quicker that I did for the first fic, which took me about 16 months to write.

most popular story of the year?: uh. also The Moments That Time Remembered. I'm sorry for talking about it so much!! but it was undeniably my most popular fic this year, coming in at over 1100 kudos currently, the most I've ever gotten.

story most under-appreciated?: I'm gonna cheat a bit and say the four fics in my Angstpril series! I put a lot of work into those fics (wrote over 30k during my final exam period!) and they each only barely broke 100 kudos. which is still a good number, I'm not complaining! two of these fics were put on one of GFFA's rec lists, which was the most fun heart attack I've had in a while, but still not much engagement.

most fun story to write?: probably Healing Hands, Healing Heart! It's a fic in the TMTTR verse that is essentially just babywan whump for 3.5k words and that is my SHIT, I'm telling you I basically just wrote TMTTR so I could have gobs and gobs of babywan whump, so that one was very fun. also any of the treats I wrote for people in exchanges! I love giving treats!!! OH WAIT AND ALL OF THE SERVICE ANIMAL BOGA AU FICS!!!! AHHH HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT THOSE?!?! THOSE WIN!!!! SO MUCH FUN!! CHECK THEM OUT!!

most unintentionally telling?: uhhhh. ???. hm. oh, I guess maybe instead i took care of you, which is a service animal boga au fic with a much older obi-wan who is struggling with a progressive neurologic disease like dementia, who gets loving help from everyone around him. while I was writing this fic, my grandpa passed away from dementia, and I didn't do it intentionally but I think I channeled some feelings in there.

biggest disappointment?: all year I told myself I would do whumptober this year and then I just,,, didn't. I was so busy at college. I think I just did like one fic for whumptober. oof.

biggest surprise?: seeing that I've posted 203k words this year. absolutely incomprehensible to me. to put it into perspective, I've been on ao3 for 7 years at this point and before this year, my record yearly word count was like 22k total.

my favorite part of fandom this year?: DEFINITELY MEETING PEOPLE ON DISCORD!! the lovely @hellowkatey and I started a discord server called the kenobi kafé and it's brought so many feelings into my life. love you all!!!! even if you cause me pain!!! 😂

no-pressure tags for: @swranger @coalmine301 @catboydogma @calika @ewanmcgregorismyhomeboy12 + anyone else who wants to share!!