#sqsn spotlights: sweet little lies

[sqsupernova]

“Are you sure this is gonna work? The last thing I want is another boot being flung at my head.” Emma said as she glanced outside Regina’s living room window at the crowd who seemed to migrate even closer to them. Regina coated her lips with another layer of red lipstick. “It’s our only option, just let me do most of the talking. Your mouth has already gotten us both into enough trouble as it is.” “Your mouth wasn’t much better, Madam Mayor.” Emma backed away from the window and went to join Regina in the hallway. “Let’s get this over with.” Regina placed her lipstick on the side table and turned to Emma who had just joined her. “How do I look?” “Stunning,” Emma answered and then slammed her palm against her forehead, forgetting for a split second that she couldn’t lie. Regina just smiled smugly in response before leading the way to the front door.

Sweet Little Lies, @cryingoversq

[sqsupernova]

Art Spotlight: sweet little lies {art} by @brooklynights​!

I really love how simple but evocative these are, and the striking color themes you chose for both! These really have a cool movie poster quality to them and are super eye-catching… Oh gosh I love these. I could totally imagine them on billboards across the country… These are super cool! I haven't read the fic yet, but I get such a thriller vibe from the style of the artwork omg… I like the mystery sounding everything and how the eye is automatically drawn to the fact that their mouths are "missing"... I really like the colors you chose, and the way the writing and the bits of their mouths both kind of look scratched out (looking closer i particularly like the detail at the edges of the scratched out mouths)... the coloring on this is so NEAT and the screencaps you chose for both emma and regina fit perfectly!!! they’re exactly the regina and emma i imagined when reading this story!!... The choice of the pictures are great, they really give you that feeling that they're confused and a bit terrified by the fact they can't lie… I love how their mouths are wiped out, as though not being able to lie means they don't have anything to say at all… i like the way they each have their own color theme going on, and and the text! the way it looks painted just like the paint streaks across their mouths. and the way they're blending into the black background. it's all so simple but the vibe says so much!… The font you used for the title is also beautiful and I feel like it really suits the story… The image fits the concept of the fic so well, like, in this their mouths are gone, so they wouldn't be able to speak, like in the fic where they can't speak lies! The colors together with the darkness around their faces are so pleasing, especially with the contrast in the Regina one! i have no clue how you did this, but i love it!

Enjoyed this art? Be sure to give back and feed the artist! A happy, appreciated artist is one who’s going to be more motivated to gift us all with more of their beautiful work.

[sqsupernova]

COMING SOON...

“Is Emma still coming over for dinner tonight? I want to show her my new comic book.” He asked upon swallowing his first mouthful.

Regina tensed at even the mention of Emma’s name. She had purposely forgotten to ask Emma to attend their dinner that night and she really had no desire for her to come over. She had only invited Emma over for dinner once before and it had been reasonably okay until Henry had fallen asleep on the couch and Regina had had to make pleasant small talk with her until the end of the movie which they’d been watching. That night she had learnt that Emma Swan had a preference for bear claws, fluffy socks and ‘always rooting for the Disney villain because they were always the hottest character”.  After that discussion, it was safe for her to say that she and Emma were worlds apart from one another.

[sqsupernova]

“You’re a terrible liar by the way. Not once did I believe a single one of your lies.” Emma looked up to meet a particularly smug looking Regina. “See, normally I would try and prove you wrong but y’know.” Emma pointed at her lips and shrugged animatedly which caused Regina to chuckle and shake her head. “What made you want to move here? You could have easily stayed where you were and visited Henry. Why did you stay in Storybrooke?” Regina asked, it was a question which had kept her up many nights especially when Emma had first moved to town. Emma thought for a minute, the decision itself had been spur of the moment but even when she and Regina were at their worst stage in fighting, she had still not even thought about going back to Boston. “I guess that I had nothing to lose and everything to stay for.”

Sweet Little Lies, @cryingoversq

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Rave Reviews for Sweet Little Lies by @cryingoversq​!

OMG I CAN'T BREATHE. MY ABS HURT FROM THE LAUGHTER OMG. THIS IS HILARIOUS… I was having a pretty shitty day until I started reading your fic. This is putting me in an excellent mood!... of all the stories i have read so far, yours has me laughing! love it! brilliant... watching them together is a riot. you write their banter so well!!... i love how casual they are about their flirty banter and it's so NATURAL but also it's driving me insane… You're writing them perfectly in character and like even though they're unusually honest with each other it still feels in character to the point that I can basically hear them saying every line xD…I loved their banter and sniping! It felt really authentically S1, and all the back-and-forth that I first fell in love with with SQ… i loved the soft beats between emma and regina, with every conversation they had you could see them growing closer and closer with one another!!...  damn they're bonding and my heart is melting over them being so soft with each other, sharing things about their past, being honest with each other… GAH can they be any softer?? probably not omfg… i love that we got to watch them go from ‘prickly acquaintances’ to lovers. my favorite trope haha! i found myself literally laughing out loud…SWOON! So cute! So many funny lines and wonderful family feels… I liked how, while ofc it was funny and fluffy, the wish made them confront truths and served to move their relationship along!... I had a good laugh over all those funny lines and it really made my day and filled me with feels… it was all so smooth, and your writing is effortless to read. this whole fic was amazing and completely enjoyable… This was very cute and fun to read and there was a lot of character growth in there too!... lol i literally tried to kudos again. overall i love this so much omg. you did such a good job through and through… That was so cute. I was smiling and giggling the whole time while reading the whole fic. Great job!... thanks for writing this and this making me smile today x

Enjoyed this fic? Be sure to give back and feed the author! A happy, appreciated author is one who’s going to be more motivated to gift us all with more of their words.

[sqsupernova]

She was worried about what could come out of her mouth next so she thought it would be best to change the subject altogether. “Why do you think we can’t lie anymore?” Emma shrugged, she hadn’t really thought about it. “Maybe someone cast a spell on us?” Regina hadn’t expected that answer but then, did she ever really know what was going to come out of Emma’s mouth? “What?” “Or maybe it’s a curse?” Emma glanced around the room for emphasis and then kept her eyes focused on the woman sitting across the table from her. “Who have you pissed off recently?” Regina chuckled far too affectionately than she usually would. “You and Henry share the same wild imagination.”

Sweet Little Lies, @cryingoversq

[sqsupernova]

Today, we spotlight Sweet Little Lies!

All Henry wants is for his moms to be honest with each other. So when his birthday wish actually comes true, preventing his moms from saying anything but the truth, Henry is delighted. Regina and Emma, on the other hand, are not. Amidst misunderstandings, hijinks, and mayhem, the two very different women are forced to do the impossible and actually work together.

Will they ever break the spell? Will Henry get the family he always wanted? Will the Mayor and Sheriff make it through a truth-filled town meeting without inciting the wrath of Storybrooke’s spoiled constituents? Find out the answers in this amazing fic, as @cryingoversq takes the “no-lying” premise in unexpected and hilarious directions. The delightful humour, season 1-esque banter, and Swan-Mills family goodness are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And make sure to check out BOTH equally fantastic pieces of gorgeous movie-poster art by @brooklynights!

Have your own favorite quotes from Sweet Little Lies? Want to make a rec post or related artwork? Submit the post or a link to us and we’ll add it to our spotlight!

[sqsupernova]

“I doubt your mother would have been any help, she prefers making messes rather than cleaning them up.” Henry shook his head and poured some orange juice into his glass. “That’s not true, Ma helped with the bouncy house.” “I wouldn’t call that helping but you two did look adorable trying to clamber out of that thing.” Henry’s eyes bulged open theatrically and he had to do his very best not to choke on his juice. “What?” He gasped, not quite believing what he had just heard his mom say. Regina had frozen; she had not meant to say that out loud, especially not in front of Henry.  “You looked adorable.”

@cryingoversq, Sweet Little Lies

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Author Interview —  sophie_evelyn!

We sat down with sophie_evelyn to talk about Sweet Little Lies, their process, and their Supernova adventure!

What inspired your story?

Well, I was watching Liar Liar and I was like, ya know, that would be really fun to have Regina and Emma not be able to lie. So I borrowed the whole birthday wish trope and went from there really.

How do you form your stories? Do you outline beforehand or write by the seat of your pants? Do you write linearly or out of order?

I try and outline the whole story, kinda like a skeleton plan but this always ends up changing as I go along. I do always write a bullet point list of what I’ll be including in each chapter beforehand though. That definitely helps as I don’t want to forget a crucial point or anything. I try and write linearly unless I get a really good idea for the ending or something.

What in your fic are you most proud of?

Probably remembering that throughout the majority of the story neither of the two protagonists could lie. I really didn’t realise how often people generally lie.

Is there anything you'd change now?

I probably would make it a little bit longer and add in some more comical exchanges.

How do you deal with writers' block?

Badly! Luckily Laura, my cheerleader was there to help me out of it or else I probably would still be stuck somewhere between chapter 8 and 9 right now.

Was this Supernova experience different than your typical writing experience?

It was a lot more compact and rigid but I think that was a good thing as I usually never stick to my own deadlines.

Any advice to other writers who might want to write a longfic, or participate in Supernova next year?

If you have a good idea for a fic then you should definitely go for it. It’s a really fun challenge and you get to talk and work with some really talented people!

You can read Sweet Little Lies on AO3, along with sophie_evelyn’s other works! And don’t forget to feed the author!