#that his revised work is better than the book that was written years earlier

[ohcorny]

hey corny. so i always see people recommending to outline their story before starting it, but could you talk a little bit more about what that means? what is an outline and how do you structure one? how long are the ones you write, depending on the project? do you focus on plot beats or feelings? how specific do you get? can u recommend any readings for learning more?

up front i don't have any resources for this, only experience. and outlines feel like one of those things where it's like... there are a million ways to do it and the way that works for me might not work for you. i have a friend who writes out all his ideas on index cards and that, for me, is insane. but he's also a better writer than me so who can say what is right or wrong.

anyway an outline is essentially a sketch but for a story. you go through the whole thing, start to finish, and figure out what goes where and what happens when. the idea is that this is the stage where you work out all the big picture stuff and make sure it all fits together, now, and not after you've drawn twenty pages and suddenly go "wait shit that doesn't work" and have to do it over. it is much easier to delete and rewrite a paragraph than to redraw several pages.

doing anything more, ie including dialogue or feelings, depends entirely on how useful that information is to you at that point in the process and whether the purpose of the outline is for your own guidance, or so somebody else can tell what you're trying to achieve.

this got really long with multiple examples

here is an excerpt from the original outline i used to pitch Hunger's Bite to publishers. this one had to be polished to a professional standard, because somebody else was going to read it and decide whether they wanted to give me thousands of dollars to tell this story. (also several of the details are no longer accurate. for instance it now takes place 9 years earlier lmao)

this paragraph represents the first eight pages of the book. the final book is 264 pages long, and the outline was 12 pages of paragraphs as dense as this one.

it establishes where we are, who's there, and what they're doing. i describe their conversation, but i don't commit to the dialogue. i will occasionally include snippets of literal dialogue, but usually only if it's Important Dialogue, or i just don't want to forget a good idea i had while outlining. it's not expected at this step.

an outline written as part of a pitch to a publisher should tell the whole story, with all the important details, and leave nothing ambiguous. they need to know the tone, shape, and the arcs. no secrets! all the spoilers. outlines for yourself should do this too, but outlines for others need to be as clear about your vision as possible. again, an outline like this exists for the purpose of getting you paid thousands of dollars. you should write it like that.

in comparison, here's an excerpt from the outline i wrote for revisions to my WIP prose novel, so i could show it to my agent (who already read the draft) to be like "do these changes sound good?" i'm not selling it to anyone yet, just making a guide so i can have a conversation about it. so it doesn't need to be neat, it just needs to be functional and clear. the first chapter was entirely new stuff. the second bit was just writing down what was already in the chapter that existed.

i have historically been very bad at outlining things when i don't think i "need" to, and only wrote this one after having written like 60k words of the book without any overall plan. i gave what i had to my agent for feedback and then sat down and figured out how i could apply it. it's made the whole revisions process significantly less daunting. now i have a checklist for things i need to do! this one was a paragraph or two for each chapter, with the ones that needed a lot of rewriting given a bit more detail.

lastly, here's a bit of the outline for the first roger crenshaw book. i was the only person who had to see this, and since the story was planned to be very short i didn't have to worry about a whole lot. as long as i knew what was supposed to go where, it would work. honestly it's not a whole lot different from the previous example.

this one was like five paragraphs and it did the job, and this story was like 15k words. you only need as much or as little as will actually help you on the page.

basically if you take nothing else from this, it's that there are multiple ways to write an outline, that it does not need to be perfect if you're doing it for yourself, and that it only needs what you think is important (unless it is for other people. then it should have everything). and also it's a good idea to do it earlier in the project than after you've written 60k words or drawn--jesus christ i got up to 12 chapters in never satisfied? it's amazing i didn't quit sooner

[pricechecktranslations]

What do you think about Mothy’s writing? I’ve been recently reading some reviews of Mothy’s first novel, both in English and in Japanese. All of them were saying the same thing: his writing is bad.

What do you think about it? Do you think his writing improved? If so, how well did it improve?

Just up front, I would be cautious about English reviews of his first novel (that is, the original Cloture of Yellow, not the VG version that I translated) because the only translation available for it is a steaming pile of garbage (and this translation was the only one available for Cloture at all for many years before I came along). I would take the word of the Japanese reviews alone on that.

(also worth noting that my translations of Cloture and Wiegenlied were my first completed book translations, so even my "good" translation is clumsier than it should be)

I will say though, yes--his writing at the beginning is very amateurish. But in my opinion there is noticeable improvement as the series goes on. I'll put a disclaimer in here though that it's pretty much impossible for me to look at this with an objective lens, being in the position I am. And that it's hard for me to judge Japanese writing standards overall--I haven't read a huge body of work actually in Japanese.

Mothy has a very brown prose, blunt style to his writing. This is what makes the initial novels in the series feel so clunky. He has a lot of exposition to deliver, but it's not always given in a very interesting manner, and it sometimes feels jarring. Actions are simply put and at times can feel silly. Emotions and thoughts are conveyed in a manner that's straightforward and without much wordcraft. And there are some times (both then and now, albeit) where he will just skip over an action sequence to get to its conclusion.

I think he's someone who envisions scenes largely in terms of visuals and dialogue, rather than words on a page (or maybe I just think so because I write that way). It's clear he has a solid picture of what's going on both action-wise and in the mind of each character, but not always the best way to convey the emotional and tonal impact of it to the reader.

I think a lot of what makes mothy's writing better in later books isn't that he's become more creative with his prose (although he has), or that his writing style has changed (it hasn't), but rather that he gets better at knowing when to provide detail, how much, and how to be more emotionally provocative with what he provides. The simpler the writing style, the more crucial it is to be able to encourage a reader to project onto a scene, and I think he just gets better at doing that.

...Eh, I don't know if I'm making sense here. Been a while since I read all of them and it's hard to compare. --The short answer is yes, I think his work improves in quality over time. It's definitely still genre fiction aimed at teens, he's not writing the Next Great Novel, but it no longer detracts from the actual thing I'm reading for, which is the characters and worldbuilding.

(I guess to give an example of what I'm talking about with being provocative, maybe...Cloture features a scene where Allen screams for an entire paragraph. This is extremely funny, and the scene is meant to be very sad. This is the kind of thing where encouraging the audience to imagine Allen's breakdown would have been more effective than just writing out the scream itself.)

[lovely-jily]

almost caught

something for @jilytoberfest! prompt: "if we get caught-" "i'll make it worth your while, i promise."

i wrote this quickly and didn't revise it a ton, but im just excited to contribute for jilytober!!! hope you lovely's like:)

"Okay, James. I'm going to be completely frank here- and I wholeheartedly mean every word when I say this- this is perhaps the stupidest idea you've ever had- and you've had loads of stupid idea's."

"Oh, come on. Try to have some faith in me," James whispered back, opening one of the drawers of the desk. They were in the Ravenclaw Prefect's office. James had suspected that the Prefects were somehow involved with their Quidditch team cheating by using weighted and magic-infused balls. The only evidence he had to back his theory up was a "gut feeling" and the fact that the bludgers seemed to target the other team more often, which Lily chalked up to confirmation bias. While she disagreed with cheating, she figured a better idea was to talk to their Prefects, not snoop through their office.

"Famous last words," Lily rolled her eyes, "I can't believe that I let you drag me into this. If we get caught-"

"I'll make it worth your while, I promise," The boy reassured her as he looked up at Lily, messy dark curls hanging in front of his eyes. He had finished looking in the first drawer and moved to the one below it, quickly searching. Lily wasn't sure what he meant by that, "Besides, we won't get caught. Now, are you going to start searching, or are you going to make me do all the work like usual?"

"Like usual? Excuse me?" Lily said. She was standing in front of him, hands firmly planted on her hips disapprovingly before turning to the cabinets. Besides breaking his collarbone last night in a quidditch game (Which Madam Pomfrey fixed just fine, and if he followed her instructions, he'd be totally healed in days), the year was going swimmingly for James and Lily. She enjoyed working with him as Heads and was seeing real change in him. He was no longer a bully, and in fact, he always shut that sort of thing down.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for."

James just chuckled as he closed the second drawer, kneeling to search the third drawer, "Probably anything quidditch related."

"You've got the wrong person for this," Lily sighed. That was probably true. She knew nothing of sports- both muggle and wizard alike. She turned to the cabinets on the far wall, which was full of books, mostly student records, and smelled musty.

"You know, this would be so much easier if you just agreed to use the cloak with me," James commented as he stood up and brushed off his pants. Lily had grown to like him over the past few months and didn't mind working with him as co-Heads. He was kind, responsible, and enthusiastic enough that almost everyone adored him- even Lily. She was even starting to get butterflies around him, something she never thought could happen.

"I'm never going under that damn cloak with you," Lily said as she took out a book of student records. She dusted it off and then put it back where she found it.

"Never is a strong word," James said as he walked over to the wardrobe. He opened it up and stepped inside, pressing against the back of it to see if any secret openings were on the back wall.

"I know," Lily said, following him and standing behind him, "That's why I said it."

That's when they heard the door handle jiggle, indicating that someone was trying to come in.

Lily, panicking, looked up at James. He quickly grabbed her by her waist and lifted her into the broom closet, quietly slamming the door. One hand was on her waist, the other over her mouth to try and keep her quiet. He gently took it off and put it behind her head. One hand was still on her waist as he tangled his other in her hair.

Fucking hell, he was hot.

Lily's hands were holding tightly at the bottom hem of her skirt. She knew that if she didn't plant them there, they'd undoubtedly find themselves tangled in James's dark locks.

"Maybe you were right about that cloak," Lily whispered as they were both breathing heavily and pressed up against each other. She wondered if he could feel how hard her heart was beating. She wasn't sure if that was from fear of getting caught or being so close to James.

James just brought his finger back to her lips and shushed her softly. His breath was softly blowing on her bangs, which caused them to tickle her forehead. All Lily could do was look up at him, remembering what was going on outside the cabinet, hearing the door open. He then anxiously looked out through the crack of the wooden doors, trying to watch whoever she heard come in. Lily tried to ignore the way he was clenching his jaw. She noticed that was a sort of nervous tick of his, something that he did when anxious. One hand was still on her waist, the other resting on her hair on the nape of her neck.

Why was she caring more about James's hands on her than she did at the idea of getting caught?

"Weird, I swore I heard voices," Sabrina Wood, the sixth year Prefect, said.

"So did I," Robert Thomas responded.

James, seeming to spot something above Lily's head, quickly reached his hand up. However, he never got to inspect what he wanted to. Lily heard the sound of his collarbone crack, implying that it was rebroken. While Madam Pomfrey had patched him up just fine, she said he needed to refrain from sudden movements of reaching above his head. Lily now realized this was why.

James leaned forward and grimaced in pain. Still on Lily's neck, his hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled at it slightly.

"Fuck," He groaned quietly in Lily's ear, and she felt his hot breath against her ear and neck. Her eyes widened at how attractive that word was coming from his lips, silently cursing herself at the sinful thoughts that flashed in her mind.

The sound of footsteps walking around the office brought Lily back to the current reality. She looked above her see his arm clenched in a fist. He was in a lot of pain.

Wordlessly, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at his broken collarbone. She had practised nonverbal spells a number of times, although never this one. She wasn't sure if she'd ever done this one on a human before.

The footsteps were walking towards the wardrobe and she looked at James. He had relaxed his grip on Lily's hair (much to her disappointment) and moved it to her waist. He nodded slightly, giving her permission to try.

She wordlessly performed the healing charm. James gripped at her shirt in response to the painful snap of bone back in place, just as they heard Robert say something about how they needed to get back to their rounds. They heard the two leave and the door close, listening to the charm the Prefects performed to lock the door. Once they determined they were alone, James let out another groan as he brought his hand down from above Lily's head.

"Good girl," He exhaled as he melted into her, and Lily's eyes widened again. That should not make her feel the way it did, but regardless her toes crinkled and she tightened her grip on her wand.

"You alright?" She asked sheepishly, trying to relax. She was feeling bashful and disappointed that they now had to exit the wardrobe.

James, slightly sweaty from the pain, nodded and raised his other arm to what he wanted to look at earlier. He pressed against the wall, and a hidden drawer slightly popped out. He reached his hand in and pulled out a piece of parchment from inside it.

"Lumos," he said, still breathing heavily. The room lit up, and Lily looked at James, light reflecting on his glasses. He was looking so damn good, skin sticky and lips soft. She fought against the image of something else that could make James groan, sweat, and breathe heavily.

They both looked at the parchment, and written in neat handwriting was "For those who forget, use wingardium leviosa to control replaced quaffles."

James looked up at Lily, a victorious smirk on his face, which Lily couldn't help but smile at.

"God damn it," Lily said, annoyed that he was but also influenced by his contagious smile, "You actually were right."

"We did it, Evans," James said excitedly, putting his hands on her face and shaking it with enthusiasm.

Lily laughed, blushing at his hand placement, "For Ravenclaws, they really are thick. That was way too easy to find."

James shrugged and dropped his hands, "I don't really care too much. We'll take this right to McGonagall. She'll sort this whole thing out."

Lily nodded as he opened the wardrobe door, feeling the cooler air hit their skin. She blinked at the sudden brightness as he helped her out.

"I can't believe you could do that spell so well, and wordlessly too! You never fail to astonish me with your brilliance," James ruffled her hair with his empty hand and pocketed the parchment with his other.

Lily, blushing harder, smiled at him, "Says the idiot who rebroke his collarbone."

"True," James just laughed, putting his hand on Lily's back to push her forward. He then put both hands on her shoulder and shook them back and forth as he guided her out of the door of the office and down the corridor, "What would I do without you, Evans? My saviour."

Lily just laughed as she shrugged off his hands, playfully pushing him. She looked up at him, his hands clasped behind his back and glasses peering down at her.

"Probably walk around with a broken collarbone."

"Of course," He looked forward, "I've got a question for you, Miss Evans."

Lily's stomach lurched at that statement, and she bit her lip in anticipation, "Yes?"

He stepped in front of her, stopping her. His hands were still behind his back, and he looked down at her. They were nearly as close as they were in the wardrobe.

"Did you think about kissing me in that wardrobe?"

Shit. Fuck. How did he know??

Her stomach dropped, and while she was taken back from the question, but decided she wasn't too mad about it. So they were doing this now?

Lily, full of panic and anxiety, was determined to remain as calm and collected on the outside as she could. She smirked and tilted her head flirtatiously.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

James smirked back and stepped back to Lily's side as they started to walk again, "Why didn't you?"

"For starters," Lily said, deciding to remain confident, started to lie, "You had a broken bone and seemed to be in a decent amount of pain."

James scoffed sarcastically, "I don't know what you're talking about. Didn't hurt at all."

"Ah, of course, it didn't," Lily looked at her feet as they walked as she remembered the way that he grabbed at her hair and his tone when he whispered "Fuck" in her ear. She got chills again.

They were heading to McGonagall's office. She wasn't sure how James would explain how he obtained the evidence to McGonagall, but she wasn't thinking about that too much at that point. They were talking about kissing, something much more compelling and appealing to Lily.

"Regardless, and back to the more important thing at hand," He smirked at her as he leaned to whisper in her ear, sending chills up Lily's spine, "Perhaps we can get stuck in another wardrobe soon- and don't hold back next time. I still have to make it up to you for nearly getting caught."

[bittersweetcandybowl]

howdy! kind of a weird question for ya. how do you navigate situations where characters say offensive/bigoted things? as a long time reader, I've noticed rewrites removing almost all usage of the r-slur from the comics (which is appreciated lol), whereas early Paulo still uses the f-slur a LOT (the "-cake" one). I hope this doesn't come across as accusatory or angry! bc I know the cast isn't meant to be always morally correct or reflective of your views. just super curious! thanks for your time!

Oliver: I used to be on the freeze peach side of this argument when we did revisions for printed books, because I truly believe these are mid-oughts high schoolers and that it's worse for the comic to represent characters dishonestly! In principle, I wince at the idea of sanding down the edges of uncomfortable art, and I despair at fictional works filled with squeaky clean characters written by authors frightened of their audience.

But in relation to Paulo using what most people would recognise as "the F slur" when we were editing an earlier volume, Vero once said something very clarifying to me that governs how I approach any of this stuff now. Basically, if it's distracting to a large proportion of the audience, then that's actually far worse writing than not accurately representing the vocabulary of a 15 year old American in 2007. Better art would sidestep the problem and be read effortlessly in the voice of the character!

There's a few words in 2006-era BCB that read like a bit of a gut punch — or a political signal — in 2021, and if they can be substituted with something else, then the right choice to make is to substitute them. The job in editing isn't to robotically preserve all words a character likely would say, readers be damned, it's to thoughtfully communicate who those characters are to a audience, and language gives you a lot of paths to achieve that.

Regarding the slurs that remain in the omnibus and might be written today: it's our subjective judgement. I think "fr**tc*ke", while a homophobic slur, doesn't currently meet the threshold of something that's distractingly offensive, and so that's why it's still in the omnibus. To communicate his homophobia, Paulo has to say something homophobic!

The fact you're not typing the word in full indicates that maybe things will be different in a few years and even that word will be too jarring to readers. But we need to draw the line somewhere, and it'll have to stand that this slur seemed an appropriate way to depict Paulo's homophobia in 2021.

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Healing Hands

A/N: I wrote a sequel to Healer! Though I think it could be read as a standalone too. It’s actually longer than Healer is but I wanted to write about what happened afterwards. It’s cute, it’s a little bit funny and a little bit steamy. Enjoy!

Title: Conrad Sewell - Healing Hands

Summary: Draco arrives at the readers flat to build the bookshelves.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

Requested:

Warnings: a little bit steamy 

Word count: 1.6k

A knock on the door signals his arrival. The butterflies in your stomach haven’t settled since you walked out of St Mungo’s.

“I brought Chinese food,” He says as way of greeting.

You groan, moving to the side to let him in, “My saviour. I am so hungry.”

He places the food on the table, leaning against the kitchen counter as you grab the plates and cutlery. It all felt very domestic; having Draco in your kitchen, in your home. It felt right.

“How was work?” You ask him, grabbing the takeout boxes.

“It was long, but I had this one patient – hurt herself building a bookshelf, if you can believe it.”

“She sounds like an independent woman,” You state, raising an eyebrow as you lift a forkful of food to your mouth.

Draco swallows his mouthful, “I don’t doubt it, but she was the highlight of my shift. It helped that she was cute.”

“Was!?” You shout, affronted.

He laughs, hands up, relenting, “Okay, you’re always cute.”

You point your fork at him, “That is correct, Draco. I’m ridiculously cute.”

Draco smiles; the kind of smile where his eyes crinkle and his teeth show. It makes him look so much younger and you wonder how long it has been since he’s had evening like this.

“You didn’t have to do this, Draco. I completely understand if you just wanted to go home and sleep.”

“I want to do this. I want to spend more time with you,” He says, honestly.

“You know Draco, I think you might be too good for this world.”

“Don’t be silly. Now hand me the instructions.” Draco mutters, grabbing the instructions and holding the close to his face – an attempt to hide the blush you had so easily brought to his cheeks with a number of words.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bookshelves start to take shape in no time at all. Draco does most of the work, only accepting minimum work from you.

“Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself again,” He says as if it’s a good enough reason.

“Nonsense. Hand me the instructions, Malfoy, I am the resident expert on Ikea flatpack.”

“I think the screwdriver begs to differ.”

“Oh, we’re making jokes now. We’re joking about my injury?” You gasp, holding your injured hand to your heart, pouting at the blonde-haired man in front of you.

Draco laughs; the sound of it making its home in your heart. At Hogwarts, you never knew such a warm, luscious sound could fall from his mouth.

You remember your vow from earlier; determined to make that sound the soundtrack of the rest of your life.

Draco focuses on connecting the piece of wood that would make the back panel of the bookshelf. “How did you get into writing?”

“It was a coping mechanism after the war.”

He nods silently, a sign for you to continue. “I picked up a pen one day and didn’t stop until I had written my first book. It needed editing, desperately, so I did that. And then there were further revisions and such but after a couple of months, I had my first book, I sent it off to a publisher, and I was sleeping through the night again.”

“That was the worst part of it for me as well,” Draco murmurs, “The not sleeping. I’d be awake for days on end. I did try to sleep but every time I closed my eyes, I saw it all again, every awful thing I did. I started to avoid sleeping, eventually crashing after a few days.”

“Is that why you turned to healing?”

Draco nods, “My family… they did so much bad through the war. There would be no redemption or if there was, there would be very little. I wanted to help people; I didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. So I started to read what I could on the subject; raiding my family’s library and it went from there. I love what I do, it’s helped me become a better person.”

“That…” You pause, thinking of the right words, “That is a very noble reason to become a Healer, Draco.”

A blush stains his cheeks, “Thank you. Do you talk to anyone from school?”

You take a sip of your drink, “A few people, not many. Hermione and Ron never fail to send me flowers after a book is published. Neville sends letters from Hogwarts, telling me how happy is to be teaching. Do you?”

“Not really. I spoke to Potter not long back, wanting to apologise for my actions in school. He forgave me, surprisingly. Hermione was harder; I was so awful to her, but she still forgave me. I have no contact with anyone from Slytherin.”

“You aren’t the same person as you were at school, Draco. They know that and they understand that.” You state, remembering the conversation you had with Hermione when she had mentioned that Draco had stopped by and asked for her forgiveness for his actions through their education.

Quiet falls between the both of you; the only noise coming from the hammer being used on the bookshelves. It’s comfortable, and you’re practically assaulted with visions of a possible future – complete domesticity for you and Draco; an office for each of you where you can write and he can catch up on paperwork, but the both you know that he would rather sit in your office on your couch so he can be near you through your thought process. You see early mornings in the kitchen, the both of you still bleary-eyed with sleep – soft touches and kisses exchanged over the first cup of coffee for the day. You see the celebration of another of your books being published coinciding with a promotion for Draco; champagne opened and quickly forgotten as Draco presses you into the couch in the living room.

It’s over just as quickly as it began, and nothing has changed yet everything has changed – for you. Draco continues to build the bookshelves. You, on the other hand, have been knocked breathless by the strength of how much you want the man in front of you.

“I never asked: what do you write?”

You blink, recovering from your realisation, “Romance, mainly. Some Fantasy.”

“I have to admit, I haven’t read anything of yours.” Draco says, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

You chuckle, “That’s okay. I bet you’ve read nothing but medical textbooks for the last few years.”

“Got it in one,” He says, smiling widely.

“I’ve got plenty of copies of my books. I’ll happily give you one.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer. It means I’ll have to come back for the others,” He says, cheekily.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some form of sadness washes over you as the bookshelves finally stand independently. It’s as of Draco’s work is done, and the idea that you might not see him again for some time opens a hole in your chest.

You help Draco move the bookshelves into position against the wall; all the while, you’re wondering how you could see him again, trying to work up the courage to ask to see him again.

He beats you to it.  

“I would really like to do this again,” Draco says, grabbing his jacket from where he placed it on the back of a chair.

“What? Build my bookshelves?”

Draco looks at you unimpressed, “No, I meant see you again.”

You bite your lip to keep from smiling; you don’t miss how Draco’s eyes home in on the sight of your teeth sunk into your bottom lip.

“I’d like to see you again too,” You whisper.

You both linger in the doorway. Draco’s jacket still in his hands as if he doesn’t want to put it on because if he puts it on, it means that he’s leaving, and he doesn’t know when he is going to see you again, and deep down, he doesn’t want to leave you.

“Can I try something?”

“As long as it’s you kissing me,” You say bluntly.

Draco drops his jacket. His hands caressing your face as he brings his lips to meet yours. They glide together effortlessly, as if they were made for each other.  

He presses you into the wall, his body lining itself up with yours. A hand travels to your thigh, squeezing. One of your hands finds purchase in his hair, grabbing at the blonde locks and pulling, drawing a groan from his mouth. You smile into the kiss; Draco responds by biting down on your lower lip – something he had wanted to do since he saw you bite it. He kisses you with passion, with unrelenting feeling.

It’s almost too much; the feel of him pressed against you, it’s almost too much and you can feel yourself start to internally combust.

When you pull away to take a breath, Draco begins to press open-mouthed kisses to your jawline, travelling down your neck before settling on a spot to leave a dark purple bruise. One of your hands runs itself through his hair; the other begins to pull at his shirt, trying to get it off, off, off.

Draco continues his pursuit down your neck; very much enjoying the breathless moans falling from your mouth. He stops when you whisper one word: “Stay.”

He pulls back placing not one, not two but three light kisses to your lips. He relishes the sight of you chasing his lips. “Stay,” you repeat.

He nods, searching your eyes for the permission despite it being spoken, and that’s all it takes. All the both of them need to know.

****

Harry Potter (general) taglist: @the-hufflefluffwriter @obsessedwithrandomthings @kalimagik @lupins-sweater @summer-writes

Draco Malfoy taglist: @cheapglitter 

Healer sequel taglist: @onebatch--twobatch @sydneyisnotawriter 

[lets-steal-an-archive]

'Golden Girls' Polishes Its Scripts: Daily Revisions Geared to Sharpen Story and Hone Those Laugh Lines

TRUE OR FALSE:

Actresses Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White write their own dialogue for "The Golden Girls." (FALSE)

Older female writers write all 25 episodes each season because no one else could understand the problems of older females. (FALSE)

In order to keep the shows consistent from week to week, one writer prepares all the episodes. (FALSE)

Ten staff writers work together to prepare a season's worth of scripts. (TRUE)

It's a Monday morning in early October and on a sound stage at the small Renmar Studios in Hollywood, the "golden girls" have gathered to read a new script. This will be episode No. 60 of the series and it will air about three weeks later — on Halloween.

Everyone in the room has heard about this week's story line: Rose writes a letter to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. But apart from the writers, no one has seen the final script until now. It was completed on a Saturday, photocopied 150 times on Sunday and distributed this morning to NBC; co-producer Touchstone Pictures; the show's creator, Susan Harris; the show's lawyers and researchers, and the "Golden Girls" cast and crew.

"Hopefully, they'll laugh," murmurs head writer Kathy Speer as she prepares to hear the "table reading." "If they don't, we'll be here fixing the script for a long time."

The table reading really is at tables — eight of them arranged in a rectangle. The actresses and guest actors sit on one side, facing the writers. To the actresses' left are director Terry Hughes, executive producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas and co-executive producers/head writers Speer and Terry Grossman. To the actresses' right sit NBC representatives, the show's casting director and props and wardrobe personnel.

They begin. Director Hughes reads the stage directions: Interior, kitchen — day. Sophia is seated at table. She is reading book entitled 'Magic Made Easy.' Dorothy enters.

Bea Arthur, as Dorothy, reads: "Hi, Ma."

Estelle Getty, as Sophia, reads: "Give me your watch."

Another week is under way. As the actresses go through their lines, everyone else listens intently. They laugh (or don't laugh) and take notes. By the Friday-night tapings, this script will need to play at 22 minutes. But Friday is a long way off.

As soon as the table reading ends, the writers, producers, director and an NBC program executive huddle to discuss script changes. Then, while the actresses begin rehearsals using the first draft, the writers rush off to their yellow stucco two-story building nearby to begin rewriting.

"The secret of TV half-hour comedy shows is the revisions," explains Dean Valentine, NBC director of current comedy and also the program executive on "Golden Girls." "What they start out with is 75% away from what they end up with."

"I don't think this episode is going to need much work," co-head writer Terry Grossman announces cheerfully on his way back to his office. "It got a good response at the table. We just have to cut it, smooth out transitions and clarify some story points. New jokes will be the tough thing." He anticipates a few hours' work.

"Early in the first season we were throwing out whole scenes," he recalls. "Now we know what works for each lady and what she does best. That's the advantage of being in the third year of the show. The disadvantage is that stories are harder to come by."

Grossman heads into the office he shares with his wife Speer, who is also his writing partner. They are in charge of the writing staff. "That means we are the two who get yelled at the most when something goes wrong," he jokes.

Also piling into the conference-sized room are supervising producers Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan and producer Winifred Hervey. Despite their titles, Grossman explains, "We're all writers."

"We are the five most dull people," Nathan insists.

"We're much funnier on paper," Hervey adds.

These five, all in their 30s, met when they worked on "Benson," an earlier Witt-Thomas-Harris series. They have been with "Golden Girls" since the beginning, and every Monday they jointly rewrite the script being taped that week. They jokingly call themselves The Gang of Five.

While they start rewriting, the show's other five staff writers — Chris Lloyd, Jeff Ferro, Frederic Weiss, Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss — go back to their own offices to work on new scripts.

"To keep quality, you like as many writers as you can afford," Speer explains. "This year, we have six 'entities' (writing teams) — four sets of partners and two individuals. And we also use a few free-lance scripts each season."

Approximately 25% of the show's budget goes to the writers, executive producer Tony Thomas says. Staff writers on a comedy series earn a weekly salary plus separate payments for completed scripts. A free-lance writer who does a story outline, a first draft and a second draft can earn about $11,000. (Note: All outside script submissions must come through agents.)

"A good comedy requires a lot of teamwork, a lot of people sitting in a room working together," Thomas emphasizes. "A good team is rare, but it's not extremely rare. It's like winning the NBA title. We had it in 'Soap,' and we had it for some years in 'Benson.' Obviously this is one of the most successful staffs we’ve ever put together."

Both Witt and Thomas deal with day-to-day details on "Golden Girls." Harris, who created the series, is less involved this season because, according to Thomas, "She is working on a feature for Disney with us. But she reads all the scripts and is familiar with most of the stories."

Flashback to the previous Friday, a week when "Golden Girls" wasn't taping. Every fourth week during the season, the show shuts down, giving the actors and crew a rest and allowing the writers to catch up.

The Gang of Five is trying to explain how their writing process works. They insist on telling, rather than showing, because, as they say, they're shy. "At the beginning of the season, even having our new writers in the meeting made me a little uncomfortable," Grossman admits. "It slowed down the process."

"One of the most important things that exists with this group is that the bottom line is making the show as good as possible. It's still very difficult when your script is read for the first time and the material doesn't work. It hurts for a moment. But there's no time to take it personally. It didn't work, and the clock is ticking. You better keep moving and get it right."

Like all sitcoms, "Golden Girls" has a "bible," a book that synopsizes everything that has happened on a series. Thus, new writers don't have to watch all the previous episodes. But there is no master plan of what will happen in the future.

The idea for "Letter to Gorbachev" surfaced last May at a beginning-of-the-season meeting of the writers and producers. "It was one of 20 or 30 story notions kicked around," Barry Fanaro recalls. The obvious similarity to Samantha Smith's letter to then-Soviet leader Yuri Andropov isn't mentioned.

"Most of them didn't work,” adds Fanaro's writing partner Mort Nathan, "but this one sounded amusing. Because Rose is a childlike character, we wondered what would happen if she wrote a letter to Gorbachev about world peace. We started fleshing it out, but we couldn't think of a second act. We went round and round, and finally six weeks later we came up with a way to make the story work."

"The five of us went over it scene by scene and agreed it was workable," Fanaro continues. "Then Mort and I went off and wrote it. It took about 10 days because we were also working on other things."

Each "Golden Girls” episode is written to a formula: "the idea, the act break and the resolution," Grossman explains. "Usually there's an 'A' story and a 'B' story going. It's the natural structure."

Although Fanaro and Nathan, who won a writing Emmy last year for a "Golden Girls" episode, wrote the basic Gorbachev script, the story the audience will see has gone through the usual "Golden Girls" grinder: The Gang of Five read and dissect the first draft, adding new scenes, new lines, new jokes. "It's really a team effort," Grossman stresses.

The jokes can be the easiest part — or the hardest. "They're only hard to write when you've got one that isn't working," Grossman says. "A joke in the middle of a scene can be weak, but the 'out joke' — a snappy one-liner that ends the scene on a laugh — has to be strong."

"We may decide a scene needs a new opening," Speer explains. "There will be a long moment of silence. Then someone will ask if anybody's eaten at some new restaurant. In the course of conversation, somebody will say, 'Wait a minute. I have an idea.'"

"With five of us, at least one of us is paying attention," Hervey deadpans.

"Good writers should be able to write for men, women, old or young," Grossman says. "We all draw on other people in our lives — parents, grandparents. Part of the reason for the show's popularity is that these are very vital people. The very same story you've seen 100 times on every sitcom takes on new light with characters in this age group. That makes life easier for us.

"Also, these four actresses are sensational. To have the entire cast be able to give such high-caliber performances means you don't have to adjust your material. You write the material, and they deliver. If they can't make it work, there's something wrong with the material."

The week goes by quickly. On Tuesday morning, the "golden girls" read over the revised script and discover that one scene has changed considerably. Some lines have been cut, while others have been sharpened. There are several new jokes. A press conference scene has been shifted from a hotel room to the ladies' living room.

On Tuesday night, the Gang of Five works late. During the day's rehearsals they realized that the revised scene didn’t play well so they jettisoned it and added some new dialogue and a few more jokes.

Following Wednesday's rehearsals, they hone the script a little more. Time is pressing. By the Thursday afternoon dress rehearsal, the actresses try to be script-perfect, although they often aren't. By now, the original 52-page script has been reduced to 50 pages, and almost every page has had at least one alteration.

For instance, on Monday when Blanche accidentally spat Coca-Cola on a Soviet Embassy official, he responded by saying, "No apology necessary." Now he says, "No need to apologize. In Moscow, we have to stand in line four hours to get this."

Late Friday afternoon, the audience files into Renmar Studios to watch the first taping. The writers are standing by, just in case a last-minute problem occurs. During the 90-minute dinner break, while a new audience is arriving, the cast, writers and producers calmly discuss how to improve the second taping. A few lines are cut, the taping is completed, and it’s on to the next week.

Source: Mills, Nancy. 1987. 'Golden Girls' Polishes Its Scripts: Daily Revisions Geared to Sharpen Story and Hone Those Laugh Lines. Los Angeles Times, October 30, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-30-ca-11702-story.html

[beeblackburn]

The First Law for the fandom ask! 😁

The first character I ever fell in love with: In hindsight, Logen Ninefingers, given how much he eviscerates his character trope so completely even then, but in the immediate, at the time, sense? The moment Sand dan Glokta first complained about the steps, my heart was gripped and it took awhile.

A character that I used to love/like, but now do not: On a personal level, too many to count, everyone’s either such a piece of shit or were written sympathetically enough before Abercrombie knocked the pedestal off them in this series. That being said, Sand dan Glokta. I still really like him, partly thanks to The Trouble with Peace and one hell of a choice scene, but after what he did near the end of Last Argument of Kings, and revising the series, I can’t help, but realize what I liked about him was the potential that he’d grow a heart and stop doing awful things, and him doubling down at the end was disappointing, if not surprising.

A ship that I used to love/like, but now do not: Jezal/Ardee. It was cute when I first read it, and I generally think Jezal had enough strength of character to try to do right by her, if the kingmaking business hadn’t been a thing, but I think it’s super telling that, upon being king, he thought about making her his mistress instead of realizing that wouldn’t have placated Ardee and she’d be bitter about the broken promise. In the end, they never fully knew each other, Jezal never knew the full extent of Ardee’s past, and what attracted them to each other was the dream of something better rather than anything substantial. I pity them, but they absolutely wouldn’t have worked out like Glokta/Ardee ended up doing.

My ultimate favorite character™: Logen “The Bloody-Nine” Ninefingers. But Black Calder and Crown Prince Orso are really close behind and they could easily climb overhead Logen with The Wisdom of Crowds. I’m expecting it with Crown Prince Orso, depending on how his character goes.

Prettiest character: Probably Crown Prince Orso? I know Leo dan Brock, Jappo mon Rogont Murcatto, and Stour Nightfall (though Jappo and Stour’s more my type) are objectively more handsome, but I like a little pudge in my handsome boys and Orso’s got that while having a prettier personality.

My most hated character: Collem West, easily, but I think Malacus Quai could've been better, character-wise.

My OTP: Everyone/Therapy. Seriously, Shy/Temple. Abercrombie can write some really sweet couples for such a self-professed cynic, given Calder/Seff, Bethod/Ursi, and Shenkt/Vitari.

My NOTP: Bayaz/Power. Seriously, Shev/Carcolf. Shev, please stop going after someone you know is toxic. Walk away and close that door forever. You deserve so much better, you gay babe.

Favorite episode: Red Country or The Heroes. 

Red Country has such a somber tone of bittersweet past and longing for redemption that I just ate up and broke my heart against. Lamb, Temple, Cosca, Shivers, Shy and the Felllowship, so many people want to do better from their pasts like in his past books but this time, maybe, just maybe, Abercrombie lets some of them win against their inner demons. It’s such a haunting book, men with the ghosts of their pasts hanging around them and the inevitability of changing times creeping onto them as they trek the Near and Far Country.

The Heroes is basically a typical cookie-cutter war story except it’s Abercrombie writing it. The entire Northern subplot of The First Law distilled into a narratively and thematically tight book, with some tremendously strong supporting characters, some of my favorite POVs (PRINCE CALDER! FINREE DAN BROCK! BREMER DAN GORST!) and carrying some of my favorite scenes of the entire series! It’s such a treat and I’ve loved each and all of my five rereads. This book puts all other war stories to shame for not even coming close.

Saddest death: Count Foscar (Monza relating him to the boy Benna was, laughing in the wheat, breaks me every time). Antaup (how dare you take a chapter to establish how heartbreaking a cock-blocker’s death would be, Abercrombie!), Tul Duru Thunderhead and Scale Ironhand. Oh, those hurt. Those hurt so much. And, despite how much of a shithead he was, Nicomo Cosca’s death hit me surprisingly hard. Sad and pathetic and broken.

Favorite season: Tricky. Because The Great Leveller and The Age of Madness have my favorite books in the entire series and the former’s got The Heroes and Red Country... but it’s also got Best Served Cold, which was I admittedly colder (heh) on. I’ll take the bullet that it’s a me problem and it’s still a fundamentally well-written book. The latter’s got A Little Hatred, which was a far better The Blade Itself in some ways, and, especially The Trouble with Peace, which was a roller-goddamn-coaster of a book with absolutely some of my favorite material by far. I’d say The Great Leveller for now, but I’m holding my breath on The Age of Madness usurping The Great Leveller in the end, given The Wisdom of Crowds sounds like it’s getting into all the revolutionary and freaky stuff I love about the trilogy, a relentless inferno for society and the soul.

Least favorite season: Look, I love every book in the Circle of the World, but The First Law was the result of Abercrombie stretching his legs for the first time, writing-wise, and it shows. Logen’s wife and children never fully breathe as a necessary part of him and his early magic shows growing pains in Abercrombie’s writing, West’s material isn’t as incisive a character deconstruction as it could’ve been (dude should’ve been more insidiously a piece of shit in his mind to subvert his “good commoner” trope), Dogman’s only gets by himself particularly interesting at the leg end of Last Argument of Kings, and Craw does his character better I’d say, Cathil and Ferro were underwritten (though I think Ferro’s got interesting stuff in her POV), and everything to do with Terez. Just. That. Ugh. The writing bones are solid and the main trio, Logen, Glokta, and Jezal, are all wonderful POVs, but I think it’s safe to say The First Law is Abercrombie’s freshmen writing, compared to his more affecting material in The Great Leveller and The Age of Madness.

Character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: ... Shivers? I do love him in The Heroes, Red Country, and The Age of Madness, but it always drives me a little crazy how much Shivers’ worsening moral decline is linked to Monza fucking Rogont and not him instead, making him out to be an entitled hyper-jealous asshole, and I ended up being disgusted by him. Add in the fact that he knew what he was getting into when he took a violent job and kept going, despite at least two targets, and kept caving into Monza’s higher payments, Shivers was always a piece of shit in his own right. He fell, he wasn’t pushed by Monza. I like enough of Shivers’ Best Served Cold material, but I just like his later material far more, even if I respect his earlier journey.

That being said, if he sacrifices himself for Rikke’s life in The Wisdom of Crowds, I’m going to rescind all this, because that’s the sort of perfect grace note to the anti-Logen and paaaaaaaaaaaaain. So let’s just go with Threetrees because, by god, he’s a relative snooze compared to the other “straight edges” of the series.

My ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: This could define almost anyone in this series, frankly. I guess Logen or Gorst? I really love their material, but they both definitely belong in a landfill.

My ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Can it be anyone but Crown Prince Orso? Dude’s the only one in this world who thinks “there’s a moral question” to rulership aloud to another and isn’t homophobic, racist, or sexist (looking at you, Leo). Even Calder’s got murdering Forley and Reachey in his dark deeds and Temple’s spent years helping Cosca, which... shudders.

My ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: Monza/Shivers. It’s got some good material and I really hope they can make peace in The Wisdom of Crowds, but also *waves hands* everything else about them, honestly. God, they really did both suck to each other.

Also, Leo/Stour. It’s so wrong, yet so right. I don’t even know if it’d be hate-fucking if they got together at this point, but these two morrions deserve each other.

My ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Jurand/Glaward, Rikke/Orso, and Cas/Vick? They’re pretty cute and could easily give each other some happiness, I feel.

[what-a-treat-nz]

World Book Challenge: China

Officially, the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion. It covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, and is officially divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

The areas in dark green are under direct Chinese control; the areas in light green (Tibet and Taiwan) are contested. For the purposes of this challenge, I’m treating China, Tibet and Taiwan as three separate countries. Because I can.

Number of Chinese people in New Zealand: As of the 2013 Census, there were 163,104 people of “Chinese (not further defined)” ethnicity in New Zealand - 10,008 of those were in Wellington City.

Have I been there? Yes! I visited Shanghai with my Dad in December 2011. I bought a really nice coat, had tea that tasted like warm Fanta (it was oddly addictive), and got hugged by Dave Grohl. So, the usual Chinese experiences, really.

I also had Peking Duck for the first time in my life, and holy hell I didn’t know what I was missing. I’ve tried to make up for it by eating copious amounts of it since.

The books

For “China” on my reading challenge, I read three fantasy novels - Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and the final two books of the Poppy War trilogy (The Dragon Republic and The Burning God) by R. F. Kuang, a Chinese-American author.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (魔道祖师 / Mó Dào Zǔ Shī)

(Book 30 of 2021)

Given the fact that I have an entire subsection of my blog about how much I love the live-action TV show based on this book, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that I had Mó Dào Zǔ Shī at the top of my list of Chinese books to read.

Mó Dào Zǔ Shī tells the story of Wei Wuxian, a loathed cultivator of dark and demonic arts who resurrects 16 years after his tragic death. His return to the world brings him to reunite with the people in his first life, including his soulmate, the honored Lan Wangji (who mourned him for 16 years, during which he branded himself with the same mark as Wei Wuxian and kept his memory alive and I’m okay, I promise). Wei Wuxian then begins to remember his time before his demise 16 years ago, from his beginnings as a young cultivator to his descent to dark magic. Together, they solve a mystery linked to a dark tragedy from Wei Wuxian’s first life, then live happily ever after.

This novel was originally published on the Chinese web novel site JJWXC from October 31, 2015 - March 1, 2016, with additional side stories that continue to be released sporadically. The revised version of the main story was later published online until September 7, 2016. A paperback version was released on December 12, 2016, with a total of four volumes in traditional Chinese. The first of three planned volumes in simplified Chinese, titled Wuji, was released in 2018, but release of the following installments has stalled after the locking of the novel on JJWXC since January 2019.

Mó Dào Zǔ Shī isn’t officially available in English, and given that it depicts an explicit danmei relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, I don’t think we’ll ever see an official version. Though there are official translations into Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, and Burmese, and the tour for the TV traveled to Toronto, Los Angeles and New York, so maybe one day there will be an official translation.

For now though, you can read the entire novel for free at Exiled Rebels Scanlations, where it has been translated in full by a then-highschooler called “K-san”. It’s hard to actually judge the merits of the writing of the original novel, given I was reading an unofficial translation, but that was actually half of the sweetness of it. It was kinda rough - K-san tweaked the terms they used as they gained more confidence with the translation, and I enjoyed reading the translator and editor notes that accompanied most chapters - especially notes such as “we’re translating as fast as we can, stop asking for faster updates!”. It felt really organic and friendly, and the story is good (though much gorier than the TV show and good god boys, learn what lube is, it’ll make your lives better I promise).

I read the book more as a companion to the TV show though, rather than a novel on it’s own merits, so I’m not sure I can judge it as a novel on it’s own merits. Though the book did teach me one very important piece of information: Lan Wangji canonically smells of sandalwood.

Would I read it again? If an official English translation comes out, I’d probably read that. I’m more likely to watch the TV show again, or dive into one of the sesquillion Untamed fanfics on AO3 ( Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn was the most popular ship on AO3 in 2020, with 12,878 new works about these characters being published that year).

The Dragon Republic and The Burning God

(Books 34 and 35 of 2021)

I read The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic back in September 2019 (when I wasn’t counting how many books I was reading, but I did have a record of them), and I decided to re-read The Dragon Republic because I couldn’t exactly remember where the story was up to.

And it’s a good thing I did, as something I thought happened at the end of The Dragon Republic actually happened at the end of The Poppy War, so oops?

The Poppy War trilogy is a grimdark fantasy novel set in fantasy China, with a Chinese protagonist and written by a Chinese-American author. It’s spectacular. The trilogy draws its plot and politics from mid-20th-century China, though it’s atmosphere is more inspired by the Song dynasty. The conflict in the first book is based on the Second Sino-Japanese War (though this time, it’s the Chinese empire against the Japanese empire), in the second on the start of the Chinese civil war (Chinese empire against nascent Republican movement), and in the third on the end of Chinese civil war (Republicans versus not-Republicans).

It’s a massive trilogy. It’s incredibly complex, with a huge scale and massive numbers of characters, though the fact it’s all seen through Rin’s eyes (with the occasional first and last chapter from the point of view of other characters) helps.

The story follows that of Fang Runin, better known as Rin, a poor war orphan in southern Nikara who trains in secret to test into the elite Sinegard Academy. Throughout the trilogy she deals with racism, sexism, elitism...most of the isms, really. Author R.F. Kuang said that Rin's life is meant to parallel the trajectory of Mao Zedong, and I had fun trying to match events in Chinese history to the events in the book (the easiest ones to spot are the Rape of Nanjing, the nuclear bombing of Japan and the Long March).

I don’t remember Mao Zedong having the power to call on a fire god, however. It’s probably a good thing that’s not something that happened in real life China, as Mao’s policies killed enough people without him literally being able to spit fire.

I described the first book as “If Kvothe from The Name of the Wind was female, Chinese, and allowed to say fuck.” Those two books felt really similar to me - they’re very much your “outsider is accepted to elite academy, winds up pissing off most of their classmates and chooses an obscure major to specialise in before being thrown into a conflict they are key to winning.” But honestly, I preferred the Poppy War trilogy, even if the final book did get super dark.

Rin is a really refreshing character, and the world seen through her eyes is a very different place to one I’m used to reading about. Kuang said that she "chose to write a fantasy reinterpretation of China's twentieth century, because that was the kind of story I wasn't finding on bookshelves", and I’m so glad she did. The world needs more books like this. I’m as pasty and as white as they come, and I loved reading a book where the heroine was authentically Chinese. This isn’t a pakeha author trying to fit themselves into someone else’s shoes - this is someone with a deep understanding of Chinese military history and collective trauma using that understanding and pain to build a new fantasy world.

I loved it, and if you can stomach war scenes, I recommend this trilogy.

Will I read the Poppy War trilogy again? I might do. It’s a bit darker and more desperate than I usually read - particularly The Burning God - but I did enjoy them. So that’s a firm “never say never”.

Bonus book! 

These Violent Delights

I read NZ-Chinese author Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights earlier this year (book number 20 of 2021), before I set myself this challenge, so it doesn’t technically count as an entry for “China” in my book challenge. But it is amazing, and I love it, so I wanted to give it a quick shout out here (because if we’re talking fantasy reimaginings of Chinese 20th century history by Chinese diaspora authors...).

These Violent Delights relocates the story of Romeo and Juliet to 1920s Shanghai, casting the two leads as the heirs to rival gangs. It’s brilliant, it’s beautiful, there were sentences that made me stop and gasp for the sheer delight of having read them, and there’s a monster made of bugs driving the citizens of Shanghai insane. The way Gong has woven the characters from the play into their 1920s counterparts is delightful (I say this as someone who’s never actually read the play, though I think I saw the Leonardo DiCaprio movie because it was difficult to be a tween in the late 90s and not be exposed to his films).

15/10, would definitely read it again, it’s been on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks for a very, very good reason. Stop reading this blog and go get a copy. Now.

The feast

I admit, using China as my first country may have been a bit of a cop out, given my familiarity with Chinese food - though, living in a Western country, I’ve probably eaten more Westernised Chinese food than authentic Chinese food.

Which is why I was chuffed to learn that spring rolls are, actually, authentic Chinese food. I always thought they were a Westernisation, like sweet and sour pork or fortune cookies.

For my Chinese feast, I turned to The Woks of Life, a delightful Chinese cooking blog that I can’t open without being inspired to cook like 9 million things.

When I started this project, I originally was only going to cook one dish from each country. I figured I’d go easy on myself for China, and make 花生酥 (hua sheng su), a traditional sesame peanut brittle.

It’s something I’ve made before - I make little bags of it for my colleagues each lunar new year.

I don’t follow the Woks of Life recipe exactly - for example, I’ve never once roasted and shelled my own peanuts. I tend to use a mix of blanched and pre-roasted peanuts in my 花生酥, and I think it comes out okay. Next time I’m going to increase the amount of sugar I use - I find that 270g of rock sugar is not quite enough to cover the peanuts totally. Which is a pain. Next time I think I’ll use 300g, and turn the heating on in my kitchen so it’s warmer, to stop the brittle from hardening before I can properly get it into the tray to cool.

But then I changed my mind, and decided to throw a full on feast.

For the feast I threw, I made two more dishes from the Woks of Life - Easy Peking Duck with Mandarin Pancakes, and 年糕 (nian gao), or stir-fried rice cakes (though I did them with chicken, not pork, as that’s what I had in my freezer). I also cooked up some spring rolls, as I had them leftover in my freezer from my housewarming (for which I over catered, because I cannot do anything but over cater any event I throw). I should have marinated the duck longer. That one was on me.

I also made some 核桃酥 (he tao su), walnut cookies, which were delicious and I definitely want to make again. I think I’ll add some hazelnuts in as well for additional crunch, and make them slightly smaller - they were 12 very big cookies.

But delicious cookies.

Kisu was most distressed that we did not feed her anything from this feast.

The Playlist

I ended up finding this “Chinese Indie & Rock” playlist on Spotify, which I really enjoyed. I could understand none of the songs, but I enjoyed the heck out of a lot of them. I’ll probably keep listening to this playlist - they were definitely my sort of jams.

[thenightling]

My scatter-brained review of Wonder Woman 1984 (written partly while watching and then revised afterward)

I finally got curious enough to watch Wonder Woman 1984.  

Warning: There ARE spoilers here! 

I was reluctant to watch it because I knew the plot would deal with wishes coming true “But at a price” and Wonder Woman’s love coming back as a result of this plot Magoffin. This is something I have seen many times before.   And frankly I was bored with it years ago. 

 The predictable plot beats being a “Be careful what you wish for” theme.  The Monkey’s Paw (and all adaptations of the story) and variations like The Twisted Claw in “Are you Afraid of the Dark?” It was obvious to me that such a wish would bring Steve back and he would eventually “have to “ return to being dead. Frankly, I’m tired of that.  I think a great twist would be if the person didn’t have to return to being dead for once.  I’ve seen this plot done too often in comics, TV, and film.

Now for the good.  I LOVE the early 80s aesthetic.  I even got a bit of Legend of Billie Jean vibes.  It’s very accurate to the look and feel of a 1980s film.  It felt authentic, not just “Hey, remember this!”    

Nineteen minutes in and I saw the ham-handed tell-tale signs that Diana would have to learn to love again, to trust and open her heart, and to invite others in again.  And to heal she would have to “learn to let go” of Steve.  But as I said, I’m tired of these grief messages. Especially now, especially in 2020.  I want a new twist . I want the lost loved one to come back, I want the happily ever after with the formerly dead loved one.  I’m tired of this trope.

They even out-right compare it to “The Monkey’s Paw” story in the film.  Acknowledging that something is a cliché doesn’t make it any less of a cliché. You’re just trying to lampshade it by pointing it out in story and it just didn’t really work for me.

The “Dreamstone” in this does not look like Morpheus’ ruby amulet but instead it resembles the “ruby” (this one is a citrine) from Justice League Dark (the animated movie).  And no, the God mentioned is NOT Morpheus.  The God in question is a “trickster and a liar.”  Gee, I wonder who that could be?   I suspect the “true name” wasn’t given because they were afraid of confusion with Marvel’s depiction of the same character.  A lot of people don’t realize Loki is in the public domain.  Even Joanne Harris (author of Gospel of Loki) thinks her book can’t be adapted into film because Marvel / Disney owns Loki but that’s not true.  The character is as public as Snow White or Robin Hood.  Anyone can use him. 

There’s some subtle hints of Diana’s bisexuality.   I’m glad for this, I still come across fans who refuse to accept she’s bi and insist word of author (Gail Simone) don’t count because she didn’t “create” Wonder Woman.  The same people should REALLY look up the behind the scenes life of the man who did.  Anyway, I almost thought Diana lean in and kiss Barbara after the rescue in the park but she didn’t.

Maxwell Lord offers Diana a nineteen inch TV.  Note to kids: that is NOT big even by 80s standards.  We did have large screen TVs back then. My grandfather had a very big one back in the 80s.

I also really like the soundtrack.   

When the camera spun around Diana and Steve’s reunion it made me dizzy.   I don’t like that effect.   It’s so common with romantic scenes but I found it dizzying.  Flashbacks of the film Legend of Hercules from 2014... 

The dreamstone in this appears to have been made of sand all along so maybe it is one of Dream of The Endless’ dreamstones after all.  But that’s the only hint to even suggest this.

When Steve shows up, it’s like the writers forgot modern history.  He shouldn’t be THAT impressed with an escalator or a a subway.  Subways were already in existence when he died! The New York City subway, for example, opened in 1904.  And he knows what trash cans are!  I know that was meant to be funny but that’s stupid.  He’s from the early twentieth century, not five-hundred-years-ago.

How did Maxwell Lord know Steve Trevor was inhabiting someone else’s body but didn’t know for certain Barbara had made a wish?  Does he just know everything the stone touched or does he sense the desires of others?  How did he know to suggest “Don’t you want to be a real boy?” with Steve?

Steve’s fate was painfully predictable, so much so that I felt nothing when she had to let him go.   See, these “realistic” / “have to stay” dead plots they’re shoe-horning into comic stories are now done so often that they are trite.  You know what’s coming.  You know what they want you to feel and you (or I, at least) went numb instead.  I think I would have felt more if she somehow got to keep him . But the fact that he wasn’t even in his own body was the first clue that my prediction was right.

Finally, I actually really like how they resolved the Maxwell Lord (Trump-esque) plot and his character arc.   It was very late in the story that they decided to show a sympathetic side to him, and flashbacks of his upbringing and I feel it should have been done earlier in the film but it still worked.  I like that love for his son is what saved everyone.  I am a sucker for a redemption story.  

  I like the themes of love and hope even though I still resent the predictability of what happened with Steve Trevor and the hamhanded “She needed to learn to move on” part.

The Steve plot was the weakest part of the story, in my opinion.   But as far as superhero movies go this was decent . It wasn’t boring and the morals weren’t too preachy.  Sure, it had some corny and predicable moments (Not just with Steve Trevor) but in general it was enjoyable to watch.   

I don’t think it was as good as the first Wonder Woman movie but I do like it more than most of the Marvel sequels so that says something.   I’d like it a lot more if the Steve Trevor plot wasn’t even in there or had a new and interesting twist rather than the “You have to learn to let me go.”  As I said, I’m tired of death.  I’m tired of grief plots.  And I’m tired of how predictable this new obsession with perma-deaths in comic book-inspired stories has become.  

I’d say the film is a seventy nine out of a hundred for me, maybe three and a half out of five stars.  Not the best superhero film and definitely not as good as the first Wonder Woman movie but still better than many other superhero movie sequels.   

Also a certain outfit was added to the movie shamelessly to sell a new action figure.  Even kids know the trick.  A superhero movie gets a sequel, that means the hero has to get some new costume, or their look has to change in some way, just to sell a new action figure distinctly from this movie and not the first.  Marvel did this all the time. Loki went through three distinct outfits for three films.  

I loved Lynda Carter’s cameo in the end credits bonus scene for her.  That was the perfect role to her and very respectful to her legacy as having been the 1970s Wonder Woman.   That was one of the nicest and most respectful “original actor” cameos I had ever seen. 

Something else, I kind of wish the films would reveal the Greek Gods aren’t dead.  It really bugs me that they have implied since the first Wonder Woman movie that all the Greek Gods are dead / gone.   Then why do things imbued with their power still work?   I wish Hollywood would be more respectful to the old lore and polytheistic beliefs that many people (such as Neo pagans) still have.

Anyway, good.  Not great.   But still god and better than a lot of other superhero sequels and still better than more than half of DC’s other films of the last ten years.    

[cicelythereaper]

Hello! I was wondering if you had anything on Y Gododdin 😃

hey! fellow gododdin enthusiast! what a delight

i presume this is a request for reading recommendations - i don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, or how accessible these will be, but i’ve tried to cover most bases here. i WISH there were more literary criticism, maybe there is in the welsh-language scholarship and i just haven’t found it? 

it’s entirely possible that i will have missed some obvious things here, i’m mostly sticking to stuff that i personally have read. if something mind-blowing has come out since the last time i did gododdin reading then it’s not here, i’m afraid! 

but enough disclaimers. on to the recs!

text and translation:

for a translation, i cannot recommend enough joseph p. clancy’s translation as found in the triumph tree: scotland’s earliest poetry, 550-1350, ed. t. o. clancy (1998). this is fantastic. it’s poetic, it’s a joy to read, and having used it as part of a deep read last year where i went through the welsh text in detail i am honestly AMAZED regularly at how well clancy handles the many translation issues that arise. it’s loose, and it doesn’t translate every single stanza unfortunately, but for the spirit of the poem you really can’t do better

that said, if you need another translation to check against/to fill in the gaps, i’d recommend kenneth jackson’s the gododdin: the oldest scottish poem (1969). it’s a prose translation, so it’s harder to use in conjunction with the text, but it’s pretty clear and accurate

text-wise... things get complicated. honestly, the best edition is probably still ifor williams’ canu aneirin (1938), in terms of faithfulness to the words on the manuscript page. (i also really enjoy his textual commentary, but it is in modern welsh so not accessible to everyone.) the major problem with it is that you are not going to get the stanzas in the order they appear in the manuscript - he reorders them into groups of perceived variants. this also makes it harder to distinguish between the A-text and the B-text. AND it means that the stanzas are not in the same order as in any of the translations!

if you can get hold of it, i really really think it is worth having daniel huws’ llyfr aneirin: a facsimile (1989). the introduction is SO useful for understanding the manuscript context, and it comes with gwenogvryn evans’ transcription of the book of aneirin, which you can compare with williams’ edition if need be to work out where a stanza actually goes.

there’s a conspectus of editions which i think thomas owen clancy put together but i cannot for the LIFE of me remember where it is - if you think you’ll need it, PM me and i’ll see what i can do

dating, textual criticism and historicity:

t. m. charles-edwards, wales and the britons, 350-1064 (2013), chapter 11 - this is from more of a historical perspective than a strictly linguistic/palaeographical/dating perspective, but it’s a really good general introduction and i definitely recommend starting with it. if you read nothing else, read this. this whole book is a godsend

t. m. charles-edwards, 'the authenticity of the gododdin: an historian's view', in astudiaethau ar yr hengerdd, eds. bromwich and jones (1978), pp. 44-91 - this kind of lays out the standard view which everyone has been deconstructing ever since. we don’t know anything about what’s going on with y gododdin, but at one point we thought we did know something and this was what it looked like

d. n. dumville, 'early welsh poetry: problems of historicity', in early welsh poetry: studies in the book of aneirin, ed. b. f. roberts (1988) - and HERE is the deconstruction! a pretty good overview of the issues with “knowing anything” when it comes to y gododdin

p. sims-williams, 'dating the poems of aneirin and taliesin', zeitschrift für celtische philologie 36 (2016), 163-224 - i don’t have any notes on this and haven’t read it recently, but i remember it being good (it’s sims-williams so of course it is). almost certainly contains linguistics, but is probably also written readably

o. j. padel, 'aneirin and taliesin: sceptical speculations', in beyond the gododdin: dark age scotland in medieval wales, ed. a. woolf (2013), pp. 153-75 - if you can stand linguistics talk, padel does his best to make it understandable here and gives a good overview of the linguistic arguments for and against suggested dates for y gododdin. this whole book is actually very useful

g. r. isaac, 'canu aneirin awdl LI', journal of celtic linguistics 2 (1993), 65-91, AND 'readings in the history and transmission of the gododdin', cambrian medieval celtic studies 37 (1999), 55-78 - DEEP IN THE TEXTUAL CRITICISM. honestly, my poor attention span means i find it hard to pay attention all the way through these two, but if you want a really in-depth look at the possible relationships between the A and B-texts of y gododdin, this is the way to go

historical discussion and background:

charles-edwards in wales and the britons chapter 11 again

j. rowland, 'warfare and horses in the gododdin and the problem of catraeth', cambrian medieval celtic studies 30 (1995), 13-40 - this is a pretty cool look at the role of cavalry in y gododdin and while i don’t agree with all of it, i think it’s really useful reading if you’re going for a historical take on the poem

p. m. dunshea, 'the meaning of catraeth: a revised early context for y gododdin', in beyond the gododdin again, pp. 81-114 - makes some ESSENTIAL points re the question of: is catraeth catterick? moreover, IS CATRAETH A PLACE?

c. cessford, 'northern england and the gododdin poem', northern history 33 (1997), 218-22 - a historical perspective on the poem with some very useful points, comparing the situation as sketched out in y gododdin with what we know of the area at the time

m. wood, 'bernician transitions: place-names and archaeology', in early medieval northumbria: kingdoms and communities, AD 450-1100, eds. petts and turner (2011), pp. 35-70 - a welcome look at the archaeological and place-name evidence for what was going on in bernicia as it changed from a brittonic to a germanic-dominated area. really useful to have in mind both when reading the poem and when reading more literary history

r. collins, 'military communities and transformation of the frontier from the fourth to the sixth centuries', in the same book, pp. 15-34 - pretty fascinating look at the earlier background running up to the time period depicted in y gododdin, and the possibility of continuity between the roman occupation of hadrian’s wall and the post-roman era there. useful social/archaeological perspective!

f. h. clark, 'thinking about western northumbria', in the same book, pp. 113-28 - an early medieval english perspective on the area at the time, useful for comparison and completeness’ sake 

literary discussion:

ifor williams, lectures on early welsh poetry (1944) and the beginnings of welsh poetry, ed. bromwich (1972, 2nd ed. 1980) - THE CLASSICS. an old-fashioned, not to say outdated, viewpoint, but that’s because this is the guy who INVENTED the viewpoint back when it was new! even now there’s a lot of good stuff packed into these and ifor williams’ prose style is a real pleasure to read. not to be missed

a. o. h. jarman, 'the heroic ideal in early welsh poetry', in beiträge zur indogermanistik und keltologie, ed. meid (1967), pp. 193-211 - likewise somewhat old-fashioned now, but lays out the classic viewpoint well and makes some good literary points. it may also be worth reading the introduction to his edition/translation, aneirin: the gododdin (1988). (i don’t recommend using it as an edition because he conflates the A and B texts and renders the text into modern welsh - this means it reads very smoothly but is quite a bit further away from what’s on the manuscript page.) 

h. fulton, 'cultural heroism in the old north of britain: the evidence of aneirin's gododdin', in the epic in history ed. davidson, mukherjee and zlatar (1994), pp. 18-39 - a pretty interesting read, about the mindset expressed in the poetry, its purpose and its construction

this isn’t lit crit but i’m putting in my favourite g. r. isaac quote from his article ‘gweith gwen ystrat and the northern heroic age of the sixth century’, p. 69: ‘Koch writes that the Book of Aneirin’s ‘immediate milieu is… not the Celtic Heroic Age, but the High Middle Ages’, as if the ‘Celtic Heroic Age’ were a period of comparable historical status to the High Middle Ages. This is not the case, however. A ‘heroic age’ cannot be the ‘immediate milieu’ of any literary production, a ‘heroic age’ cannot produce literature, because a ‘heroic age’ is itself produced through literature (taken in the broadest sense). It is a literary product. The Homeric epics are not the product of  a Bronze Age Achaean heroic age, but vice versa. The Irish Ulster Cycle is not the product of an Iron Age, pre-Christian heroic age, but vice versa. And the medieval Welsh poems of ‘Aneirin’ and ‘Taliesin’ (and Triads, sections of the Historia Brittonum, and much else) are not products of a sixth-century North British heroic age, but vice versa.’

honestly there just is not nearly enough lit crit for y gododdin, in english at least, especially to explain cool shit that the welsh text is doing that isn’t visible in the translation, and/or things that could be subversive or ambiguous about it - so, i don’t know what your level of engagement with the medieval welsh text is, but if you’re curious, if you want to know more about what’s going on in a specific stanza (or which stanzas are extended puns), or just which things i’ve been dying to yell about all year, PLEASE message me and I! WILL! YELL! 

articles which are almost certainly good and useful but it’s been too long since i’ve read them to say:

t. o. clancy, 'the kingdoms of the north: poetry, places, politics', in beyond the gododdin again, pp. 153-75

m. haycock, 'early welsh poets look north', likewise in beyond the gododdin, pp. 115-52

FINAL NOTE:

one of the problems with translations is that they give an impression of way more certainty about the meaning of the text... than is actually there. you’re pretty safe with clancy or kenneth jackson, but tread carefully. again, i don’t know your level of engagement with medieval welsh, but if you want to know if there are any major textual issues with a stanza, hmu and i will gladly consult my copious textual notes! but in general, BEWARE of basing anything too heavily on the following groups of stanzas:

A40, A41, B5, B6 (Am drynni drylaw drylenn; Clancy ‘For the feast, most sad, disastrous’)

A42, B25, B35 (Eur ar vur caer; Clancy ‘Gold on fortress wall’)

A48, B3, B24 (Llech leutu tud leudvre; Clancy ‘Standing stone in cleared ground’)

A62, B14, B15, B16, B36 (Angor dewr daen; Clancy ‘Anchor, Deifr-router’)

the Gorchanau if you’re interacting with those, especially the Gwarchan Maeldderw - if anyone tells you they know exactly what is going on in these, do not believe them. isaac has a full translation of the gwarchan maeldderw in cambrian medieval studies 44, and it’s useful, but i’m not by ANY means completely convinced by it, so tread carefully.  

the more stanzas there are in a group of variants (or at least a group that shares lines), the more likely it is that those stanzas are going to be SUPER DUPER TEXTUALLY FUCKED UP, is a pretty good rule of thumb.

[sweetfogarty]

Three’s Company (Sweet Pea x Reader; Fangs Fogarty x Reader)

Summary: Sweet Pea has always enjoyed being watched when he gets intimate, but lately he's been wondering what it would be like to do the watching, and so, in the depths of the university library, he watches you have sex with Fangs Fogarty.

Word count: 5.1K+

WARNINGS: SMUT, 18+ only.

Author’s note: This was written for @riverdale-events‘ Kink Week 2019, under Theme Three (Across the Universe (of Paraphilias)). Enjoy!

MASTERLIST

The university library was quiet and cold, the stark overhead lights enough to give anyone a headache, let alone if they were hours deep in Shakespeare exam revision like you were. Your head was pounding, and as you looked longingly at your three empty coffee cups that adorned the table you were working at with Fangs, you realised the caffeine probably hadn’t helped your throbbing head.

It was late December, and with most students having left to return home for Christmas, you felt like one of the only students still slogging it out ready for your exams when you returned to your studies after the new year rolled in, and you were grateful that Sweet Pea and Fangs had agreed to stay for the extra few days before taking the long drive back to Riverdale with you.

You glanced across the table and caught Fangs’ eyes- he looked just as miserable as you did as he sat with his head against the headrest of his seat, staring at the ceiling. It was getting close to 11pm, and you’d been here since the late morning, telling yourselves that if you worked that bit harder, you could take more time off over Christmas and not feel guilty.

Fangs wasn’t himself after a long day at the library; he had faint dark circles under his eyes and his hair wasn’t styled in its usual quiff, but instead it sat messily across his forehead from running his hand through it in frustration.

You eyed Fangs carefully for a few more moments before slouching back into your seat with a loud sigh.

“You giving up too?” He asked from across the table, tearing his attention away from the ceiling towards your dishevelled form. You nodded reluctantly, pursing your lips together in response, shifting in your seat so that you could lean forward against the table on your elbows. Usually you’d be the two pushing each other to carry on, but right now both of you had resigned yourself to being done for the night. “Good, because I feel like an earthworm and there’s only so much longer I can spend looking at your ugly ass and this textbook before I go certifiably insane.”

You laughed from your chest, flicking your middle finger up at Fangs with a grin. “You wanna know something?” You asked, not caring whether your study partner would say yes or no, having the full intention of telling him anyway. “Firstly, you’re a dickhead. Secondly, this system is complete bullshit. We sit in classes for hours and spend even longer doing homework and making stupid notes on why Juliet is the sun, amongst other shit, for there to be literally no guarantee of a job. To be honest, I played myself, because they say that university ‘opens doors’, but the only damn doors I’m knocking at are all locked.”

Fangs looked at you profoundly, a smile playing at the ends of his lips as you groaned and slumped further against the table. “You need to get laid,” he mused, tidying up his notes and closing his textbook. “Speaking of getting laid, where’s Sweet Pea? Has he decided to ditch us already in search of a better life outside of the library?”

“He’s slacking, clearly,” you laughed with a shrug. “But he did text me half an hour ago saying he was on his way.”

“30 minutes ago?” Fangs asked confusedly, his voice booming in the silence that you’d been sat in. “You can literally see the library from your house, is he lost? Maybe all this studying has killed the last of his brain cells.”

“No, I’m not lost, you asshole,” Sweet Pea replied, appearing between the stacks of books with three coffee cups balanced precariously in his hands. “But maybe I’ll keep your coffee for myself now- I need it to replenish all these brain cells I’ve lost listening to your dumbassery.”

“I take it all back,” Fangs grinned, reaching out for his coffee which Sweet Pea pulled just out of his grasp. “Your brain is not completely dead, and there may be some hope left for you. Now, give me my coffee.”

Sweet Pea ducked, placing soft kiss to your forehead before handing you a warm take-away coffee cup. “A hot chocolate for you, because you clearly don’t need any more caffeine, angel,” he nodded towards the ornamental coffee cups with a playful smile. “And Fangs, you’re lucky that this coffee isn’t a gesture of good will, but is in fact a bribe, because I need help with my Macbeth essay.”

Fangs grabbed his coffee, taking a sip and exhaling a satisfied sigh at the taste. Sweet Pea had gone to the good coffee shop a few blocks in the opposite direction from campus, which explained why he was late.

“As much as I’d love to help as a thank you for this, I’ve mentally checked out for the night. I will help you tomorrow though,” Fangs smiled, clutching his coffee a little tighter. “But for now, I don’t want to hear any more talk about education, it’s making my brain ache even more and I want to enjoy this beautiful drink without being reminded of the guilt I’m ignoring about not studying right now.”

“You know, I might just drop out and sell pictures of my feet online,” you mused, sipping from your hot chocolate which was still impressively warm considering the distance Sweet Pea had travelled with it. “Or I’ll start a career on Porn Hub. Porn must be easier than this, and at least I’d have an actual job.”

Fangs snorted into his coffee, whilst Sweet Pea cocked an eyebrow, eyeing you over the brim of his cup with a dark look you knew all too well. “If you ever, and I mean ever, need someone to star in your videos as ‘young stud with a girthy cock’, I’m your man.”

Fangs’ widened eyes flicked between the two of you with a look of concern clearly adorning his face. “That was genuinely the worst thing you’ve ever said, Sweet Pea, I think you’ve put me off my coffee,” he groaned, setting his empty cup down on the table, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest dramatically. “Can you two just go home and bone already? I don’t know if I can do another session in the library tomorrow with this unresolved sexual tension distracting me from the heights of Shakespeare.”

Sweet Pea looked between the pair of you sat at the table. You were doodling in the back of your notebook with your coloured pens that you’d been using to make notes with earlier, and Fangs had regained his original position looking at the ceiling, pondering whether the library life was worth living anymore. The longer he stared, the more his idea seemed plausible and reasonable. Long nights in this dusty, quiet corner of the library surrounded by shelves of books, had zapped the life out of you both, and he wanted his best friends back on their top form for the Christmas festivities that were bound to take place back in Riverdale.

Once, during a game of drunken truth or dare, right at the beginning of your relationship with Sweet Pea during the dating stage, you’d admitted that you’d fantasied about what it would be like to be with Fangs, and Sweet Pea knew Fangs thought you were attractive, so the perfect storm was brewing.

Sweet Pea had always enjoyed the thrill of being watched during sex- you’d found that out when he asked you if you’d be willing to let him fuck you in the window of your dorm room during your first year of college. You’d been hesitant at first, but after some thought you’d agreed. That night was one of the most electric nights you’d ever had, and that night you saw a different side to him that you’d craved ever since.

It was a few weeks later, after some drinks at the Wyrm during the Easter break, that he’d suggested the idea of him watching you with someone else. The idea had come to Sweet Pea one night, and he hadn’t been able to shake it since. You’d been intrigued by the idea of your big brute of a boyfriend stepping aside to let you experiment with someone else for both of yours’ pleasure, considering he was protective at the best of times, and a little jealous at the worst, and so you agreed with little hesitation. If he wanted it as much as you did, you were willing to oblige.

It was now, in the depths of the top story of the library at the quietest time of year, that he saw an opportunity arising.

The library had become even quieter than it was when he’d arrived with the coffees and hot chocolate- nearly all the students were at home with their families and the staff were at the front desk, five floors down, moping about how they were still working so close to Christmas in this godforsaken place. The chances of you getting caught were slim, but the thrill made him want it even more.

It was now or never; an opportunity as golden as this would never arise again, and Sweet Pea hoped that you two were feeling wild enough, in your library haze, to agree.

“Guys,” he swallowed, pausing momentarily as he waited for your attention. “You both need a study break, right? I’ve got an idea, but you both have to trust me on this.”

“I trust you.” You smiled, putting the caps back on your pens as you sat up a little in your chair, interested at what was going through Sweet Pea’s head.

“I wouldn’t trust you as far as I could throw you, you fat lard, but I can feel myself getting closer to death with every second I spend in this chair, so I’ll bite,” Fangs shrugged, knitting his hands in his lap, though both of the knew that he trusted Sweet Pea with his life.

Sweet Pea laughed dryly as he took your hand and squeezed it gently. He was nervous to even present the idea to the two of you, and even more nervous to hear your reactions to it, but he knew he had to be confident to get you to agree. After finally steeling his resolve, he stood and made his way towards the corner of the library that held the old Law Reports from the 1800s. It was a corner that was not only notoriously quiet, but it was also out of the view of the CCTV cameras that were dotted across the ceiling, making timed rotations to ensure that students weren’t doing the exact thing Sweet Pea was about to propose.

“Why are we going over there?” Fangs asked loudly, causing Sweet Pea to whip his head around and shh him with a glare. “All this dust is going to send me into an asthma attack, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s asbestos over here ready to give me lung disease.”

The library lights weren’t as bright over in the farthest corner of the library, blocked out by the ceiling high bookshelves, the majority of the light came in through the windows from the streetlights a few floors below. The yellowish hue made the boys’ skin look like caramel, but also highlighted the dust and cobwebs that covered the untouched, cloth bound books.

“He has a point, Sweet Pea,” you whispered as you came to a halt in a corner you were unfamiliar with, dragging your finger across a shelf before blowing the dust off the tip. “What are we doing over here? I thought you were giving us a study break, not a tour of the library.”

Sweet Pea paused, shoving his hands in his pockets as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Do you remember what we talked about over Easter?” He asked, placing a hand on your hip as he waited for a response. When you stared at him blankly, he sighed before continuing. “I said I wanted to watch.”

A grin spread across Sweet Pea’s face as you realised what he was referencing, and you almost choked on your words trying to comprehend his offer. “You want to watch, now? Here?” You asked. “With who? Fangs?”

“Wait, what are we doing right now with Fangs?” the shorter Serpent asked, looking between the two of you, his eyebrows furrowing. “What are you watching? What’s happening here? Why are we speaking in code?”

“Fangs be quiet for a second, please,” you told him. He held up his hands and turned his attention to Volume One of the 1876 American Law Reports, busying himself whilst you tried to work out what was going through Sweet Pea’s mind. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious,” Sweet Pea nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear that had fallen into your face. “There’s never going to be another opportunity like this, we both know it, doll. Do you still want to try?”

“Well, yeah,” you nodded enthusiastically, peeking over Sweet Pea’s shoulder at Fangs who was surprisingly engrossed in an ancient looking book. “But only if you’re okay with it.”

Fangs snapped his book shut, sliding it back into the lonely alcove before brushing his hands off, sending dust into the air around him. “If you’re okay with what, Sweet Pea?”

“You fucking my girlfriend.”

Fangs swallowed, blinking dazedly and fiddling nervously with the rings on his fingers as he rocked back and forth on his feet, wishing he’d never asked. “I don’t want to sleep with you,” he started, turning his attention to you, but fumbling over his words when he saw a slightly offended expression take over your usually kind face. “I mean I do. I mean… oh god I don’t know what I mean.” He ran his hands through hair, chewing on his lip awkwardly. Once he finally noticed the two of you grinning at him with a glint in your eyes that was anything but innocent, his heart stopped hammering as fast and he dropped his hands to his sides, a warmth spreading across his skin. “You’re gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but you’re Sweet Pea’s girlfriend and I’m not gonna do him dirty like that. I may be a snake by name, but not by nature.”

“But it’s not doing him dirty because we bothwant it,” you smiled, placing a hand on Sweet Pea’s chest as he snaked one around your waist, squeezing you tightly into his side. You gave Fangs an encouraging smile, softening your gaze to something more sultry. “Please Fangs, just say yes. For me?”

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Fogarty, we both know I’m not a sharer, so this is it. She wants you, you definitely want her too, and I’m playing nice- it’s a no brainer.”

Fangs studied you two for a moment, arm in arm, staring at him with a hopeful look in your eyes, as he tried to make sure that you weren’t playing some kind of elaborate prank on him, before he sucked up his confidence and answered you.

“Okay, okay, I’m in.”

A wide grin wove over Sweet Pea’s features as he detangled his arm from your form, turning you to face him in the process. He ducked his head down, kissing you softly with a hand on your cheek. “Keep it quiet- we don’t want anyone up here knowing what’s going on and ratting on us to security. I want this to last,” he reminded you with a hungry smile, gently pushing you towards Fangs with a slap to the ass. He settled a few feet away, leaning against the windowsill with his back and elbows, legs crossed lazily beneath him.

You knew Fangs wouldn’t make the first move, out of respect for Sweet Pea and their friendship, as well as his friendship with you, and so slowly you approached him. Something was different now; the air was thicker, hotter and full of an unspoken tension. After a few steps, you were face to face with the boy you knew so well, and he looked divine. “Can I touch you?”

Fangs nodded, a softened but excited look adorning his face. “Please.”

Goosebumps prickled up your arms as you snaked them around his neck, your fingers tangling into his hair like second nature. You knew there was a chance of you being caught, despite the fact that the library looked like a ghost town and that you were buried deep in the shelves, and the thrill sent a warmth between your legs. Despite the danger you wanted to savour the first few moments of this new experience and so your touches were soft and gentle, as if it was forbidden.

“You can touch me too,” you smiled, scratching his head in a spot that made him purr. “I’d like it if you did.”

Fangs threw a glance towards Sweet Pea, an unspoken look exchanged between them before he carefully settled his hands on your hips, squeezing them and pulling you closer to him. You let out a content sigh, pushing yourself against him as he dipped his head, stopping when there was a hair’s breadth between your lips.

You took a few moments to simply look at each other as his breath fanned across your face and he tried his hardest to hold back before he knew he wouldn’t be able to anymore. His honey-eyed look of adoration made the pit of your stomach stir, but the longer he stared, the darker his gaze got, and finally the stir in your stomach turned into a growing warmth between your legs.

He traced your jaw gently from your ear to your chin with the tips of his fingers, following the curve of your bottom lip with his thumb. With a fervency that almost knocked the air out of your lungs, he kissed you, clutching at your cheek with one hand whilst the other snaked around your lower back, hand creeping under your top and stilling, splay against the warm skin. Your back arched with the curve of his hand, feeling a warmth bubbling within you as you stood, your frame flush against Fangs’ muscular form.

Sweet Pea watched carefully as the kiss took place, noticing how your fingers tugged at Fangs’ hair and how he melted against you as you did so. He shifted against the windowsill, trying to get a better look as your chests pressed together and your hands dropped from Fangs’ hair, to his neck and shoulders. You let out a whimper as his hands moved to your ass, skimming all the curves of your body down on the way and squeezing it through your skirt. Sweet Pea grinned in response, his bottom lip coming between his teeth as he adjusted himself in his jeans, pleased that Fangs was finally getting into his stride.

“Touch me more,” you mumbled against the column of Fangs’ throat as you pulled away to catch your breath. “I want you to touch me.”

“Touch her,” Sweet Pea interjected from where he was stood with an eyebrow raised. “We’re in public, so we’re on borrowed time.”

With that in mind, Fangs found some determination to take control of the situation. He dipped his hand downwards and beneath your skirt, pushing the material of your lavender coloured panties aside to rub your clit with the tip of his pointer finger. The grin on Sweet Pea’s face widened as your knees buckled beneath you and you clung to Fangs’ shoulders to hold yourself upright.

“Holy shit,” you moaned quietly, letting your head fall back and your mouth hang open. Fangs’ lips attached to the newly exposed skin, leaving wet kisses along your throat. You felt him smile against your skin as he elicited another whine from you, the high-pitched noise coming out louder than any of the other noises you’d made before.

Fangs’ hand came across your mouth as he kissed up your throat, leaving purpling marks as he did so. Fangs sucked forcefully on your pulse point and nipped at the skin above the vein, making you buck against him involuntarily as you writhed in his grasp. Your arms erupted in goose bumps and your toes curled inside your shoes, another whimper finding its way out of you, but this time caught by Fangs’ hand across your mouth. “Be quiet, princess,” he told you as he nipped at your ear. “Or this whole thing is over, and I’ll leave you wondering what I could have done to you.”

You nodded keenly and pushed yourself into his fingertips on your clit, your own hands reaching down to fumble with his belt and jeans.

Sweet Pea stepped a little closer as Fangs pressed you up against the windowsill, fisting your skirt into a bunch up around your hips, his lips reconnecting with yours in a bruising kiss. You dragged your fingers down Fangs’ arms, following the curve of his biceps, your gaze dropping downwards when he removed his fingers from your clit. Your eyes scrunched tightly shut as he slipped two fingers into your opening, his thumb replacing where his finger was before, rubbing lazy circles on your sensitive bundle of nerves.

“Take your shirt off,” he murmured against your lips with a commanding tone in his voice, pausing for a brief moment with a grin twisting at his lips when he saw your eyes widen. “Or are you too scared we’ll get caught?”

You shot him a defiant look, glancing over at Sweet Pea who was watching you with a look that was filled with mirth and an interest to see whether you would comply with Fangs’ challenge.

You shot him a wink before you pulled your top off, revealing a lacy lavender bra that matched your panties. You pushed up onto your toes, bringing the swell of your chest up towards Fangs’ face, a playful look in your eyes as your hands cupped your breasts.

“Like what you see?” You asked, with a purposeful lust in your voice, lips pouty and eyes innocent.

Fangs hummed in agreement, using his free hand to pull the straps off your shoulders and the cups down. He ducked his head downwards, taking a nipple in his mouth as he sucked, his tongue rolling across it and his teeth gently biting at the sensitive bud. Fangs looked up at you through his thick, black eyelashes, curling his fingers inside of you, a dirty look engulfing his face as you let out a strangled whine and a blush flushed across your chest and neck, settling onto your cheeks.

“Fuck, Fangs,” you moaned through gritted teeth, trying your hardest to stay quiet as your fingers threaded through his hair, brushing the stands that had fallen into his face away. “Take your trousers off, please.”

With his free hand, he pushed down his jeans and boxers just enough to free his cock, you hand immediately running down his chest and taking it into your grasp, rolling your thumb over the tip, eliciting a hiss from him. Slowly, you began to stoke him, watching as his face contorted into something filled with ecstasy and he groaned against your chest, sending a bolt of electricity straight to where his fingers were fucking you.

He pulled his lips away from your breast with a lewd pop, standing back up to full height, thrusting into your hands, frustrated at how agonisingly slowly you were stroking him. Fangs’ forehead dropped against your shoulder as he pressed butterfly kisses to your collarbones, whispering profanities against the rosy skin. Between his hand working between your legs and the kisses against your sensitive skin, you could feel a knot forming in your stomach with both ends of the rope being pulled, ready for it to come loose all at once.

“Fangs,” you whispered breathlessly into his ear, causing him to shudder. “Pull your trousers down some more, or are you too scared we’ll get caught?”

Fangs’ head snapped up, his gaze meeting yours, a challenging look weaving its way across your face as your head dropped to the side, waiting for his next move. “Touché, your wish is my command, angel.”

You whined at the loss of contact as Fangs removed his hands to pull his trousers and boxers down further, clenching your thighs together to try to emulate the sensation, but it was nothing compared to the magic that had been coming from his fingers.

Confusedly, Fangs’ attention was drawn away from you as he felt a tap on his arm, looking around to see Sweet Pea holding out a neat foil packet. He nodded in thanks, shooting his best friend a smile as he rolled the packet between his fingers.

Sweet Pea stepped back, nodding back at Fangs in response, returning to his spot at the windowsill a few panes up from the window you were at. His demeanour was relaxed as he leaned against the wood of the window frame, his tongue caught between his teeth in anticipation of what was to come.

Fangs didn’t want to rush the moment, and had you been in private he would have done all sorts of nasty things to you that he knew would make you weak at the knees, but he was acutely aware that you were in public and that with every second that passed, the more likely it was that security would sweep the floor and discover the two of you wrapped up in each other with Sweet Pea watching, so, as you pressed butterfly kisses to the column of his throat, he rolled the latex condom down the length of his cock that was thick with lust.

As Fangs guided his cock between your legs, you met Sweet Pea’s gaze over his shoulders, both of your eyes pooling with lust. His bottom lip was sore and swollen from biting it as he watched you, and you could clearly see the bulge in his trousers, pushing against the jeans and tenting the material. He was clearly aching to be touched, and you knew that after this was over with Fangs, your night would continue with Sweet Pea. The smirk on his lips confirmed your thoughts and you moaned into Fangs’ shoulder at the thought of it, your hands weaving around his wide back, ready for what was to come.

“Fuck me Fangs,” you whispered, your breath ghosting the shell of his ear. “I know you’ve thought about what it would be like, so fuck me.”

A groan rumbled from the deepest part of Fangs’ chest in response. You were right- he’d thought about it late at night before, wondering what it would be like to find himself between your thighs, to hear his name rolling off your lips like silk, and now it was finally a reality. He knew he shouldn’t think about it, but there was something so enticing about you. You were the forbidden fruit, and he wanted a taste so badly.

With his cock at your entrance, he slowly sunk in, wanting to remember what that moment felt like forever, but his thoughts quickly vanished into nothing and he could only focus on how tight and warm you felt around him. He stilled for a few moments, breathing deeply as he attempted to control himself from ravaging you there and then, before beginning to thrust at a controlled pace.

His hand dipped downwards, fingertips working small, neat circles on your clit quickly as he thrusted, watching your face become a picture of bliss. With one hand on his back and the other splay against the glass, you pulled him against you tightly, wrapping a leg up and around his waist to steady yourself and let him get closer. You wanted to feel as much as of him as you could, in case you never got the chance to again.

Fangs’ free hand came around your throat, squeezing a perfect amount of pressure, thumb and fingertip curving upwards to press into the pressure point just behind your ears, dizzying you in way that made every movement he was making feel so much more intense, the sensation electrifying every nerve in your body.

Fangs’ thrusts began to pick up speed as he felt himself grow needy, chasing a release, his muscles tensing beneath your hands every time he thrusted into you, each one becoming more bruising and intense than the last.

The exhilaration of getting caught by security or being seen through the window along with Fangs’ movements overwhelmed your senses, and you could feel yourself come undone as you met Sweet Pea’s gaze over Fangs’ shoulder through your hooded eyes, your nails leaving crescent moons in Fangs’ caramel silk skin and your knees buckling beneath you.

You kept your eyes locked onto him as you came, and he cursed under his breath, running one hand through his hair whilst adjusting his jeans with the other, the material feeling increasingly tight as he cock grew thicker with every second that he had to watch. In that moment, it wouldn’t have been hard for him to come over and intervene, wanting to have his way with you too, but he remained leaning against the windowsill, waiting for Fangs to finish before he approached.

It didn’t take long before Fangs joined you in ecstasy, his chest heaving, and hair matted against his forehead which glistened with afterglow.

After a few moments, Fangs pulled out, knotting the condom before pulling up his trousers and handing you your top. It was quiet between the three of you, and before he could step away, you pressed a sweet kiss to his lips as a thank you.

Sweet Pea’s approach had been almost silent and unnoticed by the pair of you. He placed a hand on Fangs’ shoulder, shaking him in a brotherly manner with a smile twisting at his tips, before pulling you in for a heated kiss which left you feeling breathless.

“I really fucking liked it,” he mumbled against you lips, grabbing your hand and guiding it to his bulge. “That was unbelievable, holy shit.” Sweet Pea let out a rumble of a groan as you squeezed his bulge, his eyes darkening and his gaze becoming something dangerous. “If you’re finished studying for the night, we can go back to my place. My roommate won’t mind, hell, after that, he might even join in.”

Fangs’ head snapped up at the inference, his cheeks flushed and skin looking like honeyed in the light. “Fuck yeah he won’t mind.”

[goodshipsherlollipop]

Self-interview (but not really) Part 2

Thanks again @sherlollyappreciationweek

Comp1mom

Q: What made you decide to create a “Christian” version of Sherlock?  According to the BBC version, he is a self-avowed atheist.

A: When I look at Sherlock’s true nature, I see such potential for him as a Christian.  He exhibits so many characteristics that we, as Christians, try to show - forgiveness of wrongs done to him (note how he doesn’t fight back when John assaults him); sacrificial love (his willingness to die for others, as in TRF); the desire for true justice, the way Moriarty says he’s  “on the side of the angels”.  At least for me, I was intrigued by the idea of converting him to Christianity, to give him a true purpose for his life that has eternal consequences.  

Q: Do you think that portraying Sherlock as a Christian is important? Why or why not?

A: I am always hopeful that people will read and see the validity in my reasoning for him becoming a Christian, given how often he has escaped death.  Quite often, in stories, Molly puts the question to him - Why are you still here?  Why have you escaped death so many times?  That should be enough to make anyone reevaluate their life’s purpose.

Q: Molly Hooper is the one who proselytizes him, right? Why do you use Molly? Why not John, who must be a believer in Christ in some way or he would have had a problem with christening Rosie?

A: For me, it HAD to be Molly.  Her character and the way she behaves in the show is consistent with the behaviour of a Christian.  She loves Sherlock unconditionally; she sees beyond the detective persona to the real man beneath.  She needs to be the catalyst for Sherlock to be open to the idea of Christianity, because he loves and trusts her.  John, although he certainly believes in God and has some Christian (or Catholic in my story canon) background, does not live a life that is consistent with Christianity and its ideals.  He has multiple sexual partners.  Although I think he is an ethical man, I don’t believe he has the kind of sexual morality that is typical of committed Christians. Identifying yourself as a Christian because you were raised in a Christian home and went to church, does not make you one if you display behaviour that is contrary to what the Bible teaches.  Either you’re committed to what you believe and try to follow what the Bible teaches, or you are not really committed to your faith, (not that Christians are perfect - far from it, but we do try to follow what the Bible teaches, and we feel guilt when we fail).  There’s a difference between being a Jesus fan and a Jesus follower.

Q: What evidence does Molly use to convince Sherlock of a Higher Power?

A:  In various stories, Molly points out the beauty and balance of creation, that it does not make sense for that balance to have occurred spontaneously.  She also points out the complexity of the human body and how it is built with all its systems designed to work in harmony.  Personally, I believe these two facts are huge considerations, and that it takes far less of a leap in logic to believe something created this beauty, rather than it happening spontaneously.  Molly also points out the fact that Sherlock has been spared from death so many times and asks him to question why that is so, whether there is a higher purpose to his life because of that.  

Q: How do you maintain Sherlock’s acerbic wit and still have him believe that Jesus Christ is more than a swear, is a deity, the Deity?

A:  I try to show that Sherlock is not the “perfect” Christian.  He has many years of conditioning in one type of behaviour, and that is something that is going to come out from time to time. I don’t find it as difficult to write him as someone who does not use the name of Jesus Christ in a profane way, because he doesn't talk that way in the show (unlike John). Personally, I am also not comfortable in writing (or reading) stories that use the name of Jesus Christ as an expletive.

Q: What does belief in Jesus Christ do for his detective work? Or does it influence his detective work?

A: Oh, I definitely think his faith adds an element of compassion to Sherlock’s detective work.  He is no longer answerable only to himself, but he is trying to behave in a way that displays his faith and pleases God.  That means thinking before he speaks, caring about the people involved in the case, rather than just the case itself. His motives, to glorify God in his work, are his priority.

Q: Is there any evidence in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing that Sherlock Holmes believes in Something Higher than himself?

A:  I absolutely believe ACD’s Sherlock believed in God, which is one of the reasons I felt it believable to change BBC Sherlock’s atheistic stance.  ACD’s Sherlock mentions Providence, as evidenced in this quote from The Naval Treaty.

“Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”

Also, in The Boscombe Valley Mystery, when Sherlock lets a dying killer go, he says, “You are yourself aware that you will soon have to answer for your deed at a higher court than the Assizes.” This implies God will judge the man after he dies.

Penelope Chestnut

Q: How long have you written  Sherlolly stories? What made you start writing?

A: A dear friend of mine recommended watching Sherlock, and my husband and I binge watched it in the summer of 2017.  After the final episode, I was so sad that the Sherlock and Molly dynamic was not resolved, I was moved to write a happy ending for them.  My daughters have been involved in fanfiction for years, so I knew people did this kind of thing.  My intention was to write a one-shot happy ending for them, just for my own satisfaction.  After I wrote it, though, I found I didn't want to let the characters go.   I had fallen in love with their story, and I wanted to keep writing for them.  60 chapters later, I decided to start publishing my story, A Journey to Love, Faith and Marriage.  This was just over 3 years ago, on November 7th 2017,  when I joined fanfiction.net.  I later joined ao3 as well and was publishing on both sites for quite some time.  I've had a better response though on fanfiction.net, so have pretty much limited myself to that site over the past year and a half.  I continue to make revisions and correct errors on my fanfiction.net stories, while I don’t really do anything on ao3. I have been likened to a writing machine on a couple occasions.  To date, on fanfiction.net, I have published over 1.9m words.  Putting that in perspective, in three years I've published the equivalent of more than 7 volumes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the longest book in her series), or close to two and a half volumes of the Holy Bible.

Q: Do you have a certain routine you follow when you write?

A: I don’t have a set daily routine, but I do set myself a goal to complete a certain amount of work per week.  This has changed over time.  Currently, I set myself the goal to write at least one chapter of a story each week, to keep myself in line with my publishing schedule of one chapter per week.  If I am writing an installment for my COVID-19 series that is published in addition to my regular publishing schedule, I still try to write that in addition to my usual chapter writing for the week.  So, at times I write more in a week than other times. I am also working on revising one of my AU’s into a Christian historical romance I hope to publish professionally next year.  

Q: What is it like being a Christian author?

A: It brings me joy to spread a Christian message through my work, but, like anyone else, at times I do suffer self-doubt.  I've questioned in the past whether my limited audience makes worthwhile the enormous effort I put into writing these stories.  It can definitely be discouraging to get very little return on your work, and I have a bad habit of comparing myself to more “popular” writers in the fandom.  I am, however, getting better at recognizing my own self-worth, having confidence that the lack of readers is not a reflection on my ability and talent as a writer, but more a reflection on the general lack of interest from the majority of Sherlolly fans in reading stories with Christian themes and the values that go along with it (particularly sexual purity outside marriage). Just as I don’t care to read stories of characters with a colourful sexual history because I don’t agree with that kind of behaviour due to my Christian beliefs, I imagine those without similar beliefs are probably not interested in reading about sexual purity or abstinence before marriage, as it is not something they can relate to. Thankfully, I am blessed to have a small but vocal support group who really give me the impetus to keep writing these Christian stories.

Q: Are there any devices you use in your writing as a legally blind author?

A:  As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely would be lost without my iPad.  Actually, it is the larger sized iPad Pro.  I would also be lost without programs that give me the ability to resize the font so I can read it!  Thank God for technology!

If you made it to the end of this two-part interview, I hope you enjoyed getting to know my writing journey better.  God bless!

[kingofmongrels]

Do you have a azulaang fic rec list? Did you read that soulmate au?

Well, Anon. Being on this ride for far too freaking long, I suppose I do. Although you might be better off approaching people who aren’t lacking in taste. But I suppose I can give it a shot. No point in bragging about shipping it for over a decade if I can’t contribute in some way. Lanterns By  A-Terrible-Anonymess Probably the granddaddy of all Aang gives Azula therapy stories. Technically probably forever unfinished, but c’est la vie. Also notable for being written by an author from 4chan, based on the authors notes. (Thanks, /a/.) Distorted Reality By Ogro AKA  Baithin Fire, Earth, Water, Air... Wait a minute, that’s not how it goes. This is another very old story, in which an Aang from a reality where it has been a few years since he and his friends failed to stop the Fire Nation before Sozin’s Comet wakes to a pair of very familiar Fire Nation siblings in a world where the Water Tribes started the war and sets out on a quest to find some way to get home. 

Notable for being dead since 2010, with the author having posted an entire chapter summarizing how the rest of the story was planned to go... Until earlier this year, where suddenly he returned and decided to continue the story and revise the older chapters.(Revisions still in progress.) 

Whether or not it will actually end in Azulaang is up in the air, since I actually have been around long enough to remember the cancellation and summary indicating that it wasn’t the endgame pairing... But since the author’s returned and deleted the summary, it seems some things are subject to change. There’s plenty of Azulaang ship tease in the mean time. And I feel it’s important for the newcomers to know their history. ... Also because much younger me thought it was the coolest thing ever. Three Families By  James Golen Hoo boy. This one. I’d like to point out the currently second longest non-crossover A:TLA fanfic in existence (clocking in at over 1.2 million words) is technically an Azulaang story. Now the question is how do I summarize it without dipping into spoiler territory? Oh well, might as well borrow the official one. > "Three Families seek the Avatar. Three Families find the Avatar. Three Families use the Avatar. The story of how three sets of siblings are changed by the Avatar, amidst an endless war. AU, Want of A Nail."  And lots of spirt nonsense, even more world building, and non-canon ships ensue. And words. So. Many. Words. The Sapphire Flame By TintedS Another Aang seeks to help Azula after the end of the war story. And another one that is likely dead but ends at a place that counts as a solid stopping point by the author’s own admission. Funny how that works out, huh? It’s like pottery, it rhymes. I know a lot of people swear by sablefalls , but I’ll admit to not having much experience with their work, but I might as well link ‘em. Their works are also on AO3 but you need an actual account to access that which I don’t because I’m still behind the times. Rehabilitation by breeeliss Another recovery story for Azula.  Albeit a much shorter one than some of the others I’ve linked since it’s told in 50 Word Prompts and around 10k words. Still very nice from what I remember. And is a nice progression of their relationship. In more recent stories... The Avatar and the Fire Princess By  Loopy /  Loopy777 Aang’s captured by Zuko during the Blue Spirit and locked up for years, Azula convinces him to marry her to get out of prison and so they can get back at the now Fire Lord. People love their Arranged Marriage AUs it feels like. Anyway, it’s written by Loopy, so that means it’s good. Seriously, I know this is supposed to be an Azulaang rec list, but I’m quite found of Loopy’s work so I’ll shill and you can’t stop me.

WriteBecauseYouCannotBreathe ‘s work is also worth checking out.  Cold Brew Heart ,  Blue , and  Weightless  are all cool in my book. So to answer your other question, yes I have read the Soulmate AU. War_of_Stars has written  The Secrets We Keep  and  The Fallen Princess , both of which I also believe are worth checking out.  Man, I still can’t believe we have so many Azulaang stories being posted and updated in 2020. Feels good. The Island By themoonfish   I know a lot of people on here like this one, so I’ll put it here even if it didn’t really click with me when I was browsing through it. But who knows? I might change my mind. The Avatar, the Princess, and the Chakras By  Agus_Fagaimid_Suid_Mar_Ata_Se Aang helps Azula, featuring Chakras! Everybody loves Chakras! I actually made a dumb meme based on an author’s note for this story because I think my utter lack of Microsoft Paint skills is hilarious. That, aside I’m really looking forward to this one updating. Alright. I think that’s enough for now. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come up with more recommendations, so you might want to ask some of the other lovely people in the Azulaang tag to help you out, just in case. I’m pretty sure there is one with their own recommendation post somewhere around here...

[joeys-piano]

Writerfest - Joey’s Interrogation

Tagged by the lovely @thewriterinthecottage , who really wanted to pick my brain and see what kind of writer I am so we can compare notes

Fandom: I’ve written for a few different fandoms in the past; but as of right now, my focus is on Bungou Stray Dogs. I’m not much of a fandom-hopper when it comes to creating content, so you won’t find me juggling a lot of fandoms at once because it’s easy for me to lose track of things that way.

Where do you post? I post on Twitter, Tumblr, AO3 and sometimes my Kofi page. All of those links are in my blog description. Twitter is more for experimental writing and whatever floats my boat, my Tumblr audience gets the best content I curated from my Twitter writing, AO3 gets the best content from both Tumblr and Twitter, and Kofi is there for me to post some wholesome stuff occasionally. So if you want to participate in polls and vote for wacky shenanigans or writing challenges you want me to do, Twitter is my sandbox in that regard while the other platforms get my more polished stuffs.

Most Popular Oneshot: For the BSD fandom, my most popular oneshot was an odazai smut I wrote back in April called Hold Me A Little Closer. I was stressed with my creative writing professor at the time and pretty much wrote this story because I wanted to create something that I wanted to create. I was sick and tired of his assignments and pretty much fueled all of my pent-up creativity and into this lovely oneshot that many of y’all have enjoyed :’3

Most Popular Multichap: For the BSD fandom, I don’t really have one. For fandoms that I’m no longer a part of, I have a few.

Favorite Story Written So far: Hands down, it has to be the grueling and very monostorious fic I wrote back in August for Oda - called Savor The Moment. As of right now, it’s the longest BSD project I’ve ever published and it’s at a whopping 12.5k ish. Oda is one of my favorite characters from the series and what inspired this story was my fascination for Dark Era, my fascination for Oda’s past and where he came from before joining the Mafia, my fascination with his relationship with the kids, the curry shop owner and Dazai, and my love for writing about the weather and food. I wrote, rewrote, edited, and revised this story in the span of a month and of everything I’ve written, you could tell how much love I had for this project and for what I was doing. It’s not an easy read by any means and you definitely have to take your time with it because it dives into light and heavy themes, but it’s a worthwhile read if you really love what I mentioned and want to see how I flesh out Oda.

Fic you were nervous to post: Anything regarding physical intimacy because I don’t get it, but I find it fascinating. As an autistic biroace, exploring physical intimacy through writing is an interesting endeavour and I do believe it shapes how I approach a lot of the relationship writing that I do and what I tend to gravitate towards when I write how comfortable characters are with each other and when they share some sweet or indulgent moments. I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, per se - but as someone who’s exploring topics like this through my own perspective and what resonates with me, it does make me wonder how people not like me perceive it. If that makes sense.  

How do you choose titles: I’m not ashamed to admit that I wander through Goodreads and see what titles are being published, find a few that I like, take the elements that I do like, and mesh something together that I find fitting for a story. I like looking at published books for inspiration for titles to see what the trends are and how other writers do it. Sometimes, I’ll use phrases or lines of dialogue from my fic as the title if I find it fitting or I literally use the theme or main message of the story as the title.

Do you outline? I outline enough to know the rules of my story so I can figure how I want to break them (if it’s a multi-chapter project), and I outline enough to at least know the beginning of a story so I can start writing. I struggle with beginnings so knowing how I want to start makes things easier for me. Sometimes I’ll draft what the general path of the story will be, but I always deviate when I’m actually writing because I’m a discovery writer and through the act of writing, I have a much better grasp of what the story wants to be. I don’t care if I deviate a whole lot or if I have to rewrite what I’ve written. To me, that’s just part of my process and I embrace that. I find that I enjoy writing a lot more when I’m loose about these things because that’s where my experimental style really thrives.

Complete: Ever since April of 2020, I’ve made a goal of publishing one fic onto AO3 per month. That’s why I’ve been a productive fic writer this year despite the world going to shit and the Hell that is remote learning. More than anything, that goal has taught me a lot of things about myself that I didn’t know and it’s helped me fall back in love with writing and in me figuring out why I write and what I want to write. Since April of 2020, I’ve posted 18 works onto my AO3 and many more on my Twitter and Tumblr. Ranging from drabbles to ficlets to oneshots and poetry!

In-progress: I’m currently working on a writing challenge that my Twitter followers voted on, and it’s an AU where Oda and Dazai left the Mafia together and burned the belongings that indoctrinated them into the organization -- Dazai burns his overcoat while Oda burns a pair of sunglasses (reference to his original character design where he wore sunglasses ToT). Another fic I’m working on this month is transcribing a poem I wrote in October and making it a full-fledged fic! Once again, it revolves around Oda and Dazai. However this time, they’re an established and domestic couple who’re snuggling under a blanket as winter encroaches upon their futon. That’s a feel-good fic and I’m all for it!

Coming Out Soon/Not Started: I have a TBW (to be written) list that I don’t want to reveal just yet since those fics will come out in 2021, but I can tell you that they’re intricate character studies and of me exploring different relationships and dynamics that may’ve occurred while in canon :3c

Prompts: I fulfilled 10 kiss prompts that I received in October and finished the last one earlier this week or a week ago. With the holidays approaching and with me wanting to finish some stories before 2020, I’m afraid I won’t be taking on any more prompts for this year. However, if you want to prompt me something for me to think about, my Tumblr ask is always open for that or you can participate in my random and occasional Twitter polls where you get to pick what I do for a story.

Upcoming Work Most Excited About: I have a soukoku WIP that I wrote back in September. The first draft is complete. It just needs a lot of rewriting and edits. But when I’m done, that’ll be my longest published work for the fandom. Why this excites me is because it’s the only time I’ll ever write a main pair fic that’s 20k+ in word count and knowing how this fandom views soukoku, I’m interested in what engagement would be like compared to me writing for my OTP and just experience what that’s like.

[thorne93]

Unforeseen Chasm (Part 8)

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.

Word Count: 1537

Warnings: Language

Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my novels). It’s a collaboration with the amazing @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo. It started as a funny “What if…?” and it evolved and got huge. This took two years to write. We are both proud and happy and we hope you enjoy it. It follows from Thor 1 to Endgame in the MCU. Some of the timelines may be off in order to fit certain people, and some characters may show up earlier or in different ways than they have in the movie. But for the most part, it follows the MCU. It also has a bit of crossover with some other Marvel characters throughout the story.

Masterlist for Unforeseen Chasm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shannon, 

It's good to know you are receiving the letters. Trying to find a raven was rather difficult, but Thor managed to borrow his father’s. This feels almost like Harry Potter, doesn't it? Writing via letter, and sending it through magical realms on a bird? Hehe.. I wasn't sure the raven would even know how to find you. 

I miss you and Lucky very much… I hope you're giving him a kiss every night for me.

I am going to go mad. But I take solace knowing that Tony will ask you on a date very soon. Believe me, Shannon, that man is head over heels for you. It will be any day now.

That is good about Jane. She will be a great asset to the team, I'm so glad my data helped you. 

I am sending the phone back with the raven. I hope you can upload the photos and see what I see. And as a matter of fact, King Odin has asked for my help. He is looking into getting me a job with some elite scientists. Thor told him of my work on Earth and he felt my skills should not go to waste. I am looking into studying their atmosphere. 

Shannon, this world is incredible. They have fruit sweeter than candy, meat that needs no seasoning. They use and believe in magic. Queen Frigga and Loki are well versed in magic, probably what we would call witchcraft back home. I tried to take a picture of them performing magic, but the energy won't show up. But yes, Frigga and Diane would get along great! 

Funny story, I got a “formal” portrait of the royal family. It took a lot of begging on my part, and convincing on Thor and Queen Frigga's. It looks amazing. Odin is on the throne… you'll see. Thor lets me take all the pictures I want. Frigga is shy, but she allows photos so long as it is in the evening. Odin forbids them except for the portrait. He was not amused when I tried to take a selfie with him. Loki, I tried to steal a few photos of him, but he is clever and wise to me. 

I decided to drop a note at Loki's door. He seems to be quietly brooding, constantly on edge. I thought maybe if I reached out, and gave him the chance to approach me, it might be better. I basically told him in the note I know what it's like to be overlooked, to be unwanted. I told him that it doesn't matter what his father thinks of him, or his brother. What matters is what he feels his worth is. I dropped that at his bedroom door this morning, so we shall see. 

He hasn't spoken to me since I broke up their fight two weeks ago. It’s killing me. I can't explain it but I desperately wish to get to know him. I want to help him, and I don't know how to get him to open up to me.

No promises about the battles, hehe. My footwork is getting better, or so Thor and Sif tell me. Tomorrow I will practice against Fandral, which makes me very freaking nervous. Wish me luck. 

The books about Asgard actually aren't foo far off the correct path. There are a few things I need to revise but so far we've gotten it mostly right. I am going to have to stress how stunning this world is. I may even update some of the politics. They run things somewhat differently.

I will ask Thor what he would like from Earth, for his gift, haha.

The news on my parents is promising. The data team here has been going through records and they've found birth records for my month and year. When they find a female baby with my similar characteristics they'll let me know… I hope to know something soon. 

I miss you. 

Love, your bff,

Y/N/N

——----------------------------

Dear Y/N/N,

It's so good to hear from you again, I was hoping to get a letter soon enough you have no idea what's been going on over here.  It feels like im awaiting my letter from Hogwarts except this is so much better! I’m sure Odin doesn’t mind that we’re using his raven. The raven thing works well, although it did give Lucky a good scare when it flew over his head to land on the lab table. 

Speaking of Lucky, he’s been doing alright there’s a few times where he’ll cry because he misses you but I’ll be sure to let him know you asked for him. Ever since I snuck Lucky in and Tony caught me giving him a bath, he’s arranged for us to have a room to stay in. Although Tony won’t admit it, he does like seeing Lucky in the morning. Bruce even makes us have breakfast. Lately Lucky’s been disappearing a lot from my side, he usually lays down under my desk and watches me work, and you won’t believe where I found him. I found him sleeping in Tony’s bed. Seems he’s gotten Tony to actually get to bed most nights. 

Speaking of Tony, you can take solace because I overheard him talking to JARVIS about planning a dinner date for us two but he’s unaware that I heard. He asked me out the next day to say I'm nervous is an understatement i have no idea what to wear I wish you were here to help me pick my outfit. I don’t know about head over heels for me but he did seem different after he asked me out. 

With looking at the research I was able to retrieve for her, I showed Pepper the results and was given the go ahead to fund any further research she makes so as long as I’m able to read through and add to our file. She’ll be getting a letter soon. I’ll let you know how she reacts seeing as you two are good friends. 

I’ll be sure to upload the pictures onto the system and try to locate the heat signals off the energy from their magic. I’ve made some changes to the system. Just make sure its secured on to the raven good so we don't lose it. Seems like Odin is a bit of a stiff man. Does he ever smile?

Good to hear that even on another planet you’ll be helping further some sort of research. They are very lucky to have you there. You have to tell me more about it when you start working. 

It must look formal with how Sif and the other warriors were dressed it must be something out of a story book. In sure Queen Frigga is private about herself which is quite normal, are you planning a way to get pictures of Loki in anyway? Don’t tell me you plan on asking to be taught magic by either of them as cool as it would be there must be some risks. 

Glad to hear your still trying to help Loki but I’m not sure he’s looking to connect just yet maybe give him some more time? Try and get to know him rather than just getting him to see you two are equals?  

Y/N, so help me I will find a way to get to Asgard, don’t you go riding into battle unaware of whether or not your truly Asgardian. Sounds to me like Sif has her work cut out, you always were a quick study kinda girl. Wish you the best of luck and that you knock Fandral off his feet. 

I could send you the book to you so you can make the changes as you see? I’ve finished reading through it and with what you know now it’ll be even better. 

Maybe I’ll send him poptarts he did seem to enjoy those when you told me. Haha 

I'm sure you’ll get the answers you need soon enough, Y/N, try not to stress too much about that. 

Lucky and I miss you too.

Your sister,

Shannon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List:

@essie1876

@magpiegirl80

@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked

@iamwarrenspeace

@marvel-imagines-yes-please

@superwholocked527

@missinstantgratification

@thejemersoninferno

@rda1989

@munlis

@thefridgeismybestie

@bubblyanarocks3

@igiveupicantthinkofausername

@kaliforniacoastalteens

@feelmyroarrrr

@kaeling

@friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo

@damalseer

@heyitscam99

@yknott81

@sorryimacrapwriter

@glitterquadricorn

@xxqueenofisolationxx

@little-dis-kaalista-pythonissama

@bittersweetunicorm

@alyssaj23

@sea040561

@princess76179

@thisismysecrethappyplace

@sarahp879

@malfoysqueen14

@ellallheart

@breezy1415

@marvelmayo

@random-fluffy-pink-unicorn

@cocosierra94

@hardcollectionworldtrash

@capsmuscles

@marvelloushamilton

Loki:

@lostinspace33

@ultrarebelheart

@lenawiinchester

@esoltis280

@tngrayson

@wangdeasang

@harrymewmew

@jayfantasyatyourservice

UC:

@lokis-high-priestess​

[funkymbtifiction]

Si-dom/sensing types

SUBMITTED by sharly85

Hi, I really enjoy your blog and it’s especially helped revive my interest in mbti recently and now enneagram too. This isn’t really a question but I thought I’d submit it regardless. Anyway, I saw your post the other day where you mentioned that it was really hard to grasp Se and Si since a lot of the books are written by Ns. So as an ISFJ, I just wondered if I could help and give at least one person’s first-hand Si perspective. Obviously I can’t speak for all S users, least of all Se users, and my other functions will play a role in how I use it, but I thought it might change how you see Si a bit :) Also, I’ve been recently trying to learn about enneagram and I think I’m a 6w5 with sp but I’m not 100% sure (ironic I know) but that might be worth considering in your interpretation of my description. Si>Fe>Ti>Ne So the base descriptions of S and Si in general always talk about how S’s rely on using their 5 senses to take in information. Whilst this is true, I personally think there’s a lot more to it than that. When it comes to learning and revising for an exam, I would definitely say that I use a lot of strategies that relate to my senses. For example, I make a lot of posters, write in a range of coloured pens, and can still remember a song about mitosis I haven’t listened to in about 4 years. But for me, the more important thing I found out about Si (I can’t remember where from unfortunately) was that information is taken in through your own series of biases. This doesn’t mean that I have a refusal to see or hear some thing I don’t agree with, but it means that what I remember has to have struck a chord with me in some way. Being a feeling type, this usually means it has to emotionally impact me in one way or another (although not exclusively), but it is a lot easier for me to remember it if I was emotionally impacted by it, or equally, if I know I will be negatively impacted later if I don’t remember it.  That being said, as I am an ISFJ, the Si-Ti loop can very much allow me to remember things that don’t emotionally impact me, if I can logically organise them in my brain. I like to think of the Si-Ti loop as a filling system in my brain. Si takes in information, and Ti then tries to categorise and organise that information for memory recall. When I want to recall something, I go to the folder for that category and then have access to all the previous things I have categorised in there. I think there are stereotypes that a lot of ISFJs are not very smart, and NTs are the smart ones for example, but because of the Si-Ti loop, I have always had incredible memory allowing me to be in the top 10% of the class. But as I mentioned earlier, as whatever Si chooses to take in has to go through a series of personal biases, if an Si user is not interested in academic learning, then they would struggle to remember the information because it doesn’t impact them. I enjoyed learning and succeeding academically, so I was invested in learning and hence had reason to remember. And because of my functions, I was able to do this with pretty good success.    Another key thing that S’s are described as is being detail-orientated. I think some N’s can believe that they care about details but I really don’t know if they realise the extent to which an S can be detail-orientated. To put it into perspective, I was recently helping proof read my partner’s essay (he’s a suspected INTJ but came out as Ixxx when I got him to take tests) but I was starting to frustrate him because I noticed every single double space in the document. I really don’t think that most N’s would actually notice this level of detail in something. Because of this level of detail-orientation, it can become very easy to become quite perfectionist, especially for a repeated task that I have completed “perfectly” before. Once I have noticed a detail, I can’t ignore it. It starts to stand out like a neon sign, eating away at me. It doesn’t matter if no one else notices, I’ve noticed it, and so if it’s something I’ve noticed and don’t like, I have to change it/fix it. The same applies to me with having a piece of rubbish fall out of my pocket. I don’t think a lot of N’s would realise the rubbish fell out, and some people (S or N) may not care. But you can be damn sure that I will be chasing that down the street because I know it’s there now. But this detail orientation can definitely cause me to be unable to see the wood for the trees sometimes. I can become absorbed by even a single detail and can find it very hard to take a step back and look at the bigger picture when this happens. So I often need an external source to help pull me out of this tunnel-vision. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have proof-read this and made minor changes or spotted typos but, it’s a lot.  Detail orientation can be in any aspect of the S’s life, and doesn’t just have to be with regard to work. For SFs it can often be with regard to the people they care about. I recall you mentioning something in another post recently about this, but an N can have an uncanny guess about what someone is thinking or feeling without being able to explain how they got to that conclusion. In contrast, as an SF, if I want to know how someone is feeling, I pick up on tiny facial expressions, body language and speech patterns that I’ve seen before to understand. Because of this, it makes my ability to do so more accurate the better I know someone, but as most humans have similar overall facial expressions, it is a relatively transferable skill even to people I don’t know well. I think as a good general distinguisher between an S and an N is that if the person in question can explain their process into a conclusion, they are likely to be an S, even if the conclusion is wrong (e.g. “you have your sad face on”). If they can’t explain at all their mental process and can somehow still get it right, they are probably an N (e.g. “you just seemed upset”).   I think one of the “party tricks” other types (particularly Ns) see me do is remember where an object is. I largely attribute this to growing up with my mother (probably ENFJ) who was very forgetful when it came to small objects. She’d walk in, drop her keys somewhere (but it would never be dropped in the same place twice) and then less than 5 minutes later she would have no clue where they are. But because I’m both a helper type and detail orientated, I can be very good at noticing where things are. In my own home, it is even easier for me because whilst nothing is perfectly tidy, everything has a place it should be (I presume this is SJ combination), and so for me I can almost ignore the background of what usually lives there to find the out of place object. In a house where I don’t have as much control over where things go it can be harder, but I will still probably notice your keys or your phone partially sticking out from under a coat that was thrown on a chair or something, especially if I know the object has significance. I.e. I know that you need your keys to leave the house and you will become stressed if you can’t find them, so it will reduce the disturbance of harmony (Fe) if I can recall where the object is and shortcut the process. But, that means that when I lose something, I can very easily catastrophise the scenario (Inf Ne) and think it’s lost forever because I would know where it was and it’s not there (some times it is still where I think it should be, but as the panic sets in, my Ne takes over worrying about the fact I’ve lost it, preventing good perceptive skills at actually seeing it). As I’ve eluded to, for an Si particularly, environment is a big factor. Introverts already struggle with overstimulating environments as is, but for an Si-dom, I am particularly sensitive to an environment. I often find myself somewhat like a meerkat when I’m in a new place, even if the new place is just a new room in a building I know. I will spend a lot of time looking around trying to notice things around me and basically memorise it, should I need to reference it later. Likewise, if I am walking out and about, I often find myself looking all over, noticing how the light shines through the trees, the pretty coloured flowers in someone’s front garden or the sound of the birds tweeting. So I am always aware of my environment no matter where it is. Once I have some familiarity with a place, it makes it much more comfortable for me to spend time there, because I don’t need to activate the “meerkat-mode” and look around constantly - I already know the environment (Si-Ti memory). But, that means that I will sure as hell notice if something has significantly changed in a place between me being there previously (as I mentioned earlier, once I have the background established, any changes become much more obvious to me). Equally, if the environment I am in is overstimulating, it can be really uncomfortable to be in because I am constantly surveying the environment and can’t focus on whatever it was I was supposed to be doing in that place. I find it really challenging especially as an introvert to be in a loud crowded place because there’s too much to take in, and being an introvert especially with Si and Ti, I find it much easier to process thoughts in a quieter space. So I often end up taking a step back in group conversations in busy environments because I have to put all my energy into focusing on listening to try and minimise over-stimulation.  Another major aspect of Si for me is learning through hands on experience. I think you mentioned recently that S’s are typically the ones who will become world experts in one thing whereas N’s are better at becoming Jack of all trades, and I think that can be true for some but N’s ability to pull abstract pieces of information together can also help N’s in academia in a way that S’s can’t. But the way that an S gets to that point is through hands on experience. Every time I do something that I want to be able to do, I will unconsciously remember, and will also more consciously remember any mistakes I made doing so. Then the next time I do it, I will be ever so slightly better at it, using what worked previously and avoiding what didn’t. But repeat this process as many times as I do it, until somehow I know exactly what to do every single time with very little variation[. For me this is particularly true with fine-motor skills and a few really obscure skills. The one example that springs to mind is I was with an ENFP and an INFJ and the ENFP told us about a tongue twister she wanted us to try: “Tesco, Tesco Metro, Tesco Extra, Tesco Express” (I’m British so Tesco is a supermarket chain and those are the different types of stores they have). But the ENFP told us to try saying it like 5 times in a row quickly. The first few times, I was ok at it, but I was either way too slow, or I stumbled on the words if I went faster. But after each time I tried the tongue twister, I got better until I was able to say it the best out of all of us. It was like watching evolution in front of you, and this was only across the space of 10-15 minutes. Whist I can’t say for sure, this is why I reckon that some STs get really good at being things like mechanics. It’s hands on so they learn well every time they have to fix a car, but equally they probably pick up on subtle noises or visual cues to figure out what’s wrong with a car. Each time they do, they subconsciously remember something about the car and then remember the outcome so that next time they don’t have to figure it out and they can shortcut the process. 

I think the need for routine that a lot of S’s feel (particularly SJs) also comes from this idea of hands on learning and basing everything you do on experience. When an SJ has figured out that some combination of events works, they don’t want to let it go because an alternate method might not work (it might work, but poor N functions means that it can difficult for an S to accurately predict). At a previous job, I used to walk to work every day, and I reckon if you were able to track every foot step I took to work every day and overlay them, they would almost be identical with an identical overall path. There were other places I could have crossed the road (and there’s no jaywalking in the UK so I could cross a road anywhere I want) but I didn’t. I could have walked on the other side of the road just coz, but I didn’t. I had decided that this was the optimal route, so that was the route I took. No need to consider other routes because this works and I know it does, so why change it? A routine that has been established and is known to work and requires a lot less mental energy for an S(J) than trying to figure out what will happen if you do something else, so it makes their life easier. Because of this, when something comes up that requires me to disrupt my personal routine, I will automatically feel negative about it, even if I will enjoy the thing or know what to expect from the thing. It disrupts my routine which normally makes me feel happy and comfortable so I already have to put more effort into thinking about the event than if it didn’t. Traditions go along the same lines. SJs feel comfortable with traditions because they are essentially oddly specific routines that come into play when certain conditions are met. The SJ can predict what will happen when the conditions are met because it has previously been established, and they like that predictability.  I think the last thing I think is really important for S’s is being in touch with your body, especially for Si’s. A lot of N’s seem to constantly be confused when something isn’t quite right with their body and they don’t seem to be very good at putting two and two together about it e.g. I ate fast food all day and then had a full bar of chocolate and now I have an upset stomach, or another classic one is when N’s say they feel really tired but when you talk to them, you find out they have forgotten to eat for the last 6 hours. For me, whilst I’m not a doctor so I can’t diagnose what’s wrong, I feel like I am a lot more aware of it. To put it into perspective, I once knew that I would vomit over an hour before I actually did. When I say as an Si user that I am in tune with my body, I mean it. To me it is a disturbance to my internal homeostatic environment, so some thing being off is a big deal. But as such, it impacts me a lot more in my day to day life. I can’t focus on work if I’m hungry because I am so aware of it. Whereas N’s can probably focus until they pass out if some thing has caught their interest. The combination for me of knowing how my body feels and liking routine was repeatedly able to bamboozle the ENFP and INFJ I mentioned before, when I brought essentially the same lunch to work every day. To them, they couldn’t see how I could enjoy repeatedly eating the same thing. But for me, I knew it satisfied me for the rest of the day but not so much that was uncomfortable, was relatively healthy and cheap and the repetition was soothing rather than boring. The ENFP was particularly bad at judging the right amount of food she needed or wanted but didn’t have the same ability to learn from her mistakes and find a formula that did. She just brought something new each day and hoped for the best - something very odd to me. Sorry that this ended up being so long. I just didn’t want to miss any details out (pun intended). Feel free to use any of this that you need in any way. Even if you don’t use it in a post, I hope it helps your own understanding for typing people etc. :)

ENFP Mod: Thanks! I enjoyed reading it, and am posting it, since it may help others understand Si-dom better. :)