#the major hangup is that i don't write fic

[lurafita]

I need immortal husbands who accidentally travel back to current times from like a century or two in the future. And Alec is super relaxed because while he keeps in shadowhunter shape just in case, he has been retired from official clave business for over a century and malec are currently the owners of a small island b&b. And anyway island life Alec falls through a portal and lands in season 1 and has to tell himself to chill out.

Anyway, you are the place I send my weird fic ideas I don’t have time to write. I love reading yours when you post them!

If season 1 Alec, then immortal future Alec probably has a bit more to tell him than just to relax. A lot of fans like to forget that early Alec had some major hangups that fortunately he grew out of. But an older self coming back to this mirror of the past, and dragging him into a room and telling him exactly what a bullshit statement "Downworlders are slaves to their instincts" is, would just be *chef's kiss*. Also how there was more to life than leading an institute the way his parents and the Clave want it to be led. That adhering to tradition too stubbornly stands in the way of progress. That life is nothing but a meaningless list of tasks to complete if you aren't true to yourself. That the respect of his subordinates isn't earned by standing in his family's shadow. That loving your siblings doesn't mean that you should go along with every cockamamie idea they have. And yes, he uses words like cockamamie now. And so on. Just imagining the possible butterfly effect of change it could bring if Alec got an early start for a change of perspective, and did things differently. Especially if this meant that he and Magnus would get together quicker. And then when future Magnus steps through a portal to collect his husband (it probably took him a bit to figure out what happened and where Alec ended up), future Magnus can take a bit of a crack at past Magnus as well. Why not give him a head's up about the whole Valentine disaster? Why not deal with Iris Rouse sooner? Why not lay the groundwork to cut ties with Camille once and for all? Why not prevent Ragnor's death? Why travel back in time at all if you don't change things for the better. Magnus isn't worried that these changes would affect his and Alec's relationship. They have stood the test of time. They are rock solid. And they both believe in their love. So many lives can be saved, relationships repaired, diplomacy practiced, and so on. Two Magnuses going up against Lilith and Asmodeus? Two Alecs leading the institute to a frontal assault against Valentine, Malachi and Altertree? Hell, maybe they can even help Johnathan. At that time, he hasn't commited any atrocities yet. And then they can go back to their time and island living. With the added occasional visit from Ragnor, who is promptly tlaked into babysitting the latest kids that Malec have adopted, so that they can have an anniversary date under the stars.

Keep the fic ideas coming. I love responding to your messages. XD

Hope you are doing well, and remember to drink enough water.

[dlsintegration]

Using @iwtvfanevents's a meal to remember event as an opportunity to celebrate some of the sickos beautiful authors in this fandom 🧡 here's a list of some of my favourite recommendations, all of them Louis-centric and/or involving louis in a major fashion.

I will also be adding a song that I associate to each of them!!

🐺Leslou🐑

canon/semi-canon compliant

Pour (E) by baberainbow / @baberainbowao3: Kicking this list off with one of my all times favorite, manages to capture their voices perfectly. You'll never go wrong with one of babe's fics, they're all canon in my head 🧡

song: holy terrain - fka twigs

Glass (E) by baberainbow / @baberainbowao3: Melting just thinking about this one. I can never be free of them.

Pieta (E) by baberainbow / @baberainbowao3: Gabrielle gives lestat something he needs and gives louis something he didnt know he needed 🧡 Gabrielle is so kind 🧡

song: let go - tinashe

song: mary magdalene - fka twigs

Tides (E) by @nlbv: Tides my best friend. had to stare at my ceiling for at least 10 minutes after that one and it doesn't lose its impact no matter how much I come back to it. Masterful grasp on both louis and lestat's characterization and the toxicity that permeates their relationship.

song: tear you apart - she wants revenge

Roadkill (E) by @baberainbowao3 and @nlbv: TELL THE AVENGERS TO PACK IT THE FUCK UP. This is the most ambitious crossover of our generation. Roadkill my wife my beloved my soulmate. Read it so many times i've managed to convince myself it was canon. and it is. What is a family meant for if not for going to the circus, commiting horrifying acts of violence and making plans for the future 🧡

song: savage good boy - japanese breakfast

someone buy me roses (E) by indigostohelit: Perfect dialogue, impeccably true to their characters, illustrates louis' religious hangups and repression in a subtle funny and intimate way.

song: save a prayer - duran duran

Amour Rouge (E) by revengefrnnk: Louis exploring femininity. Big big fan of putting that man in lingerie personally. 10/10 certified s1 deleted scene to me.

song: blood and butter - caroline polachek

AUs

Reformation (E) by verseau / @greedydemands (MODERN AU): The sacred texts. We all remember where we were. 10/10 will make you go through the full range of existing human emotions. I laughed. I cried, a number of times. I sweat, I danced. I got... a shot, I ate and... I had many epiphanies.

song: heaven - shygirl / be sweet - japanese breakfast

hold me tight, & fear me not (E) by boltcutters / @wordforworldisforest (TAM LIN AU): Me when I find a beautiful fairytale book in the evil yaoi section. Read if you love beautiful writing and if you want to find out what happens to lost little lambs that stray from the path.

song: i cant breathe - gwsn

Part of Your World (E) by weathermood / @weather-mood (LITTLE MERMAID AU): I never know where to start when praising POYW, from how real and alive the world feels to the sense of tragedy permeating Louis and Lestat's entire relationship, to how much it's made me miss the sea. Oh and also the monsterfucking ❤️

song: like real people do - hozier / sea, swallow me - cocteau twins

House of Gold (E) by dirtygoldensoul / @revolution-starter : I don't usually read A/B/O fics but I love this one so much, for many reasons, the main one being how bad the family dynamics get me... Can't recommend it enough 🧡

song: work song - hozier

Like a Heathen clung to the Homily (E) by @thelioncourts (SEX CLUB AU): One of my favorite insights into Louis' internality and his lingering religious trauma, and how it still affects him, chapter 4 almost made me cry... Can't wait to see where it goes next.

song: after dark - mister kitty

🥀Loumand🎭

canon/semi-canon compliant

dirges (E) by boltcutters / @wordforworldisforest: Can't make my way into loumand territory without mentioning my beautiful wife dirges. Ziska if you read this know that you will be dealt with shortly. Loumand bed death allegation hours: CLOSED FOREVER.

song: posing in bondage - japanese breakfast

Alluvium (E) by serpenstkirts / @knifeeater: The best way I can describe Laïs' fics and how they make me feel would be to liken the experience to drowning into a lake and being grateful for the dark water filling your lungs. This fic is about eroticized latex gloves and finger sucking btw.

song: only seeing god when i come - sega bodega

vanishing point (E) by serpentskirts / @knifeeater: Motorcycle sex as religious experience. Day 67 of my campaign to get Laïs in that writing room.

song: sunset - caroline polachek / nascar - stella smyth

Selfsame (E) by @vampdf: 70s LOUMAND CRUISING ERA MY BELOVED. Number 1 on the list of the crimes Eli has to answer for. 1000/10. Died five separate times reading this. Rolin look at me. Rolin dont listen to AMC. You need this in s2. It is crucial that we get this. Louis deserves it.

song: a pill to crush - evelyn / sulk - tr/st

Prey Drive (E) by The_Lame_Goat / @iwtvdramacd18: Speaking of loumand's 70s insane bdsm practices 💔💔💔 s2 script just leaked. Is your eternal vampire marriage hitting a rough spot? Try our newest predator/prey large-scale roleplay!

song: lullaby - the cure / on the run - kelela

Mark Deep (E) by The_Lame_Goat / @iwtvdramacd18: Goat you have my blood on your hands. No added commentary needed actually. The damage this fic has done to me is irreversible. Read if you want some more quality t4t loumand insanity.

song: pang - caroline polachek

Rumpelstiltskin (E) by weathermood / @weather-mood: Most normal loumand roleplay night. Louis wakes up in a tower. I literally refuse to say anything else until you all read it for yourself and go through the sheer range of emotions I've went through when first reading it. #Their princess/captor slay is real and alive and thriving. This fic is also part of the NMHMRGPINE (No Matter How Much Rashid Gets Paid It's Not Enough) verse btw.

who is she ? - i monster / big bad wolf - shakey graves

AUs

the night island (E) by @vampdf (MAFIA AU): I don't know much but I know Armand was made to be a mob boss and Louis was made to be a mob wife. One of the most insanity-inducing byproducts of the career dom s2 teaser Armand scene(tm).

song: bitch bites dog - cecile believe

🚬Armand/Louis/Daniel📚

thy fearful symmetry (E) by mothmaiden: 70s era. One of the flrst iwtv fics I ever read. Never left my mind since. Delicious dynamics between the three of them, got me gasping and covering my mouth many times. Can't recommend enough.

song: soul control - jessie ware

Little Kidnaps in the Dark (E) by @gayvampiredivorce : The damage little kidnaps has wrought on my crops, my mental health, my friends and family can NOT be overstated. Masterful interpretation of the evolution of their relationship and dynamics through the haze of vampiric existence. Anne could never have done this.

song: when the sun hits - slowdive

Lethe series (T/E) by serpentskirts / @knifeeater: Quite simply one of my favorite series not only in that tag but in general. Every sentence Laïs writes pulls me into a dark void that I hope I'm never getting out of.

song: hopedrunk everasking - caroline polachek

🖤Lestat/Louis/Armand/Daniel💀

Good to Love / Ruthless in Love (M) by themasterletters / @brightfelon (MODERN AU): Reading Toni's fics makes me feel like im a teen again, waiting anxiously for updates and calling up all my friends to scream and , am in love with all of Toni's readings of the characters but his Louis truly gets me. That fic doesn't only live rent free in my head it's also led me places I wouldnt go to with a gun. I have seen the best minds of my generation led to madness by toni's loumand. btw.

song: career boy - dorian electra / genghis khan - miike snow

Lestat/Louis/Armand

A Potentiality for Corruption (E) by @vampdf: The thing is. I can't talk about Eli's fics without talking about Potentiality. However. Talking about Potentiality also happens to send me into a state of delirious hysterics. Daphne Du Maurier found dead in a ditch. Charlotte Brontë shaking and crying. Guillermo Del Toro found jobless. There's a new Gothic classic in town.

song: ptolemaea - ethel cain

[dragonagitator]

Hey, fanfic readers and writers: Got strong opinions about POV? I want to hear them!

I've been working on developing my own House MD isekai fic, but so far all I have is a partial outline, a bunch of lines of script-like dialogue, and a zillion scenes that I've vividly imagined dozens of times as they would appear on TV but have yet to write down.

Converting my maladaptive daydreaming into prose that other people could understand is a lot more difficult than I'd anticipated. It would be so much easier to write in the format of a television script, but script format is an instant turn-off for most readers, including me. I refuse to read fics in that format, so I'm certainly not going to write in that format, even if it's the closest to what's in my head.

I'm otherwise ready to begin writing the first draft of the first few chapters, but I'm stuck on deciding which POV to write in. My instinct when writing an author self-insert is to write in the first person -- my abandoned Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate WIPs were all first-person POV -- but I don't think that would work for this story:

a) Most readers seem to dislike first-person POV, to the point where many refuse to read it at all. Given that I'm writing a relatively unpopular trope and rarepair in a shrinking fandom for a show that has been off the air for 12 years, it's already going to be difficult enough to find readers even without using known instant turn-offs like first-person POV.

b) OFC's first-person POV doesn't really work for my planned plot because there are several important scenes that my OFC isn't present or conscious for.

c) The House/OFC slow burn romance won't make much sense without knowing what both parties are thinking because they both have hangups that prevent them from initiating. Wilson's perspective as an outside party would also add a lot.

So it seems that I will need to write from multiple characters' perspectives for the story to make sense, but head hopping is almost universally disliked these days. Also, as a reader, I vastly prefer third-person deep POV to third-person omniscent, so I'm disinclined to write in the third-person omniscent.

How does everyone feel about third-person deep POV, but with the POV character switching from chapter to chapter? Like how GRRM wrote A Song of Ice and Fire?

I'm already planning to break the story up into many relatively short chapters because I want to quarantine common triggers in their own separate chapters so people can easily skip them as needed. So, starting a new chapter every time I need to switch POV shouldn't be a huge issue because I'll already have frequent chapter breaks regardless.

But then how should I handle scenes where knowing multiple characters' perceptions would be useful? Write overlapping chapters covering the same scene? Write the scene from one character's POV, then write the other characters' perspectives as them ruminating on their memories of the scene?

There's also the question of how many POV characters to include? A lot of romances are written from both POVs and switch off each chapter, but there are some important events and conversations in my story that neither House nor the OFC are present for. However, it would be weird to drop a single Foreman POV or Kutner POV chapter into the story out of the blue.

So if I want to include other characters' POVs, it seems like I would need to write from a bunch of alternating perspectives from the very beginning, again like GRRM did in A Song of Ice and Fire. Having regular POV chapters for the OFC plus every major character from the series likely makes the most sense, but I don't know if I'm a skilled enough writer to master a dozen different POVs. That seems rather ambitious for a first fic.

On the other hand, every major character on the show has at least a handful of fans who are completely obsessed. It shouldn't be too difficult to stalk the character-specific tags on Tumblr and draft a few beta readers for the chapters written from their beloved Blorbo's POV, right? I suspect many fans would jump at the opportunity to provide the feedback "he wouldn't fucking say that" before the mischaracterization is immortalized on AO3.

If I do go with ensemble POVs ala ASOIF, then these are the characters whose POVs I might include in the chapter rotation:

OFC (required)

House (required)

Wilson (required)

Chase (probably required)

Foreman (required for at least some scenes)

Kutner (required for at least some scenes)

Cuddy

Cameron

Taub

Thirteen

Masters

Park

(Adams will most likely never appear in my story because House won't go to prison in this timeline. Also, I find her character tedious.)

If I do include everyone on the list, then I'm going to need to come up with extra content for most of them. Fortunately, I'll be stealing a ton of scenes from canon, so that will provide at least some of the material for the other characters' POV chapters. Unfortunately, some of the characters would be incredibly challenging for me to write, e.g., Cameron was written so inconsistently in canon that I have no idea how to write her unless I headcanon that she has borderline personality disorder. (I might do that regardless simply because it would explain SO MUCH about her character.)

Your thoughts? I'm currently leaning towards ASOIAF-style rotating third-person deep POV, but I'm not wedded to it.

[crystalelemental]

Yeah, there's more. I've been going through a lot of quick ones, it'll slow down very soon. But for now, have a quick Erika/Jasmine fic. Caitlin/Cynthia is my main, but I do really like Erika/Jasmine, too, and the fic came to me while writing up the S-tier the other day. It had to happen. It compelled me very strongly.

This is pretty straight-forward, meeting in their Celadon spot for a lunch date that isn't really a date but definitely ends as one. Nothing major to examine, really, but there is something I'll talk about.

I feel like, when I started writing, I was kind of...holding back? A bit? This is kind of hard to explain, but basically I was going over some of the Caitlin/Cynthia stuff I had written and felt like it didn't really click with how I'd fully conceptualize them. In particular, it feels sometimes like I tone down Caitlin's brattiness a bit, in service of being more digestible. I don't want to say "afraid of it being misinterpreted," but it's a bit of that. I am not particularly prolific, and I worry sometimes about how things I write are perceived.

I am trying to get past that. This is still mild enough that, when I explained this particular hangup to my wife, she expressed understanding but absolutely made a look for a second like "I don't think you're doing that, and I don't think this is all that different." But I can absolutely identify a few things I would've at least hemmed and hawed over with Erika here, but keeping it as presented felt more true to how I see their relationship and dynamic.

It's never truly malicious, but Erika is at least a little bit of a mean girl. She's gossipy and actively teases Jasmine for funsies. Jasmine's affection would be because of that, rather than in spite of that, given how much of her personality it is. I like to think of it as Jasmine not really minding the teasing, even if it does legitimately fluster her, because she knows it's not malicious and Erika isn't actually going to go beyond just teasing. This does translate well to Erika taking a strong initiative in a relationship, retaining that teasing nature and, in some sense, being a little pushy about her affections and what she wants. That just feels more true to how she is, and that's part of what I like about their dynamic. So at least with the fics going forward, I'm trying to write with less concern for how things might be received, and instead writing them as I see them, fully with what I like about the dynamic. Hopefully you enjoy it too.

[shadowmaat]

Artificial Incompetence

The conversations around "artificial intelligence" are getting a bit bonkers. Not that they're really conversations so much as screaming matches. And not that we're talking about true artificial intelligence so much as algorithm blending programs.

I don't like the recent fad of ABPs. It has a lot of the same earmarks and defenders as NFTs had, and boy howdy did that not work out well for folks. I don't think ABPs have been tied to the fake currency market, but their current implementation is still going to do more harm than good, in my opinion.

I'm not gonna say that writing or art should be "hard" or that people need to "struggle" in order to create things. I do, however, believe that they need to do the goddamn work themselves. Feeding prompts into a content generator doesn't make you a writer or artist. Well, scam artist, maybe. It's taking words/brush strokes from someone else and claiming credit for it. Even if you mention you used an ABP you still didn't create the art yourself, you just fed a program some prompts or the name of some artists you like and it spat out something you claimed as your own.

That's one of the big hangups I have with this fad: taking credit for someone else's work. Reaping all the perceived benefits (kudos, reblogs, etc) without actually doing anything to earn it.

If I give someone a prompt and they write a fic based on it, that story isn't mine. Sure, they might mention I gave them the prompt, but they were the one to write the actual story. Not me. My name doesn't go on the author line and I can't boast to others about the fic I wrote. Because I didn't.

I'm all for accessibility tools to help people complete tasks, and if ABPs were being widely used to help make creative efforts more accessible, I might have a different opinion. As it stands, however, the vast majority of people currently using ABPs aren't using them to help with their own creativity, they're using them as a substitute.

The arguments about data scraping and plagiarism are important, especially if we want to make sure that ABPs stop doing that, but from where I stand it still all boils down to people trying to loophole past responsibility and effort.

It gets worse when you switch gears from fic writing to essays and articles. At least in fiction stuff is supposed to be made up, so, all jokes aside, if some details are wrong it doesn't really matter.

When students start submitting essays to their teachers that they didn't write or sites try using an ABP to write articles, facts become a lot more important. And ABPs are infamous for making shit up whole cloth, even to the point of citing imaginary sources for their facts. That is, quite frankly, dangerous.

You think the past few years (decades, centuries) of misinformation have been bad? It can get a whole lot worse. These programs can seed in just enough "real" information to sell their bullshit as legitimate, and if even some experts have to double-check stuff to figure out what's false, where does that leave the rest of us? Especially all the ones who don't fact check at all before reblogging/believing something they read?

I think the future of artificial intelligence- real artificial intelligence- could be incredibly cool, and when the first AI submits a fic to AO3 I hope I'm around to read it. Right now, though, it's less about exploring potential and all about exploiting it.

[bropunzeling]

For fic ask game, ★ for linger, ❖ for linger and don't ever be a stranger, ☰ for last call x second chance romance (no I'm not fishing what do you mean)

already answered the first one, so!

✿ did anything major change when you started writing [fic] to when you finished?

originally this fic wasn't going to be linear! i had vague thoughts of doing something similar to collide the spaces that divide us, where it would start with the 2023 asg and then go back to the 2020 asg and work forward again. in that version the conflict was going to be much more about the trade itself instead of matthew's deep-seated emotional hangups about being vulnerable. i tried writing the opening and went oh this isn't working and then switched to the structure you see now.

☰ send a fic and an unrelated trope and I’ll remix it [last call and second chance romance]

lmao i sure was giving them one more year than they got!!!! but okay here's what i think happens to trevor and jamie after that fic:

trevor does get traded, right at the deadline. jamie, too. it sucks and maybe the worst part is they're barely talking anymore, that one night in cabo strung up like a barbed wire fence between them.

smash cut to years later in another city. jamie hasn't had the career where he gets to stay in one place for long, but he’s been here a few seasons at least. has his friends, a bit of community, is making a home for himself. the injuries are what they are but he’s hoping for a few good years, maybe some cup runs if they're lucky, and then he'll retire and go back to the gta.

then, in the spring, the team makes a trade. for trevor.

and it's EXCRUCIATING. the social media people keep having them do videos together. most of the team (who aren't children, anyway) expect them to be buddies. and trevor is as bubbly and charming and fast talking as ever, but jamie knows. it's been years; he knows when trevor's hiding things, and now is no different.

except they are on a playoff run, and trevor seems to be making friends (jamie has the selfish urge to be like they were my friends first, which isn't even fair) and one night in mid april they're all out celebrating a win, and trevor looks at him across a table, and it’s like they're fucking twenty again, it's everything jamie ever wanted then, and he has to swallow hard because it turns out he still might want it now.

[toomanytookas]

You mean to tell me I have TWO OCs of yours that I have to care so damn much about? What??? Honestly, though, it's not a burden because your writing is such a pleasure to read!

Lennie's hangups and worries feel so relatable and so multi-dimensional. I love the extent of her herbal knowledge (that must have been so interesting to research!) and how resourceful she is, too.

Her budding relationship with Joel is so lovely and soft. I always enjoy seeing Jackson versions of him where he is confident in leaning in to love and family. This line from Beet (that whole scene really) just plain knocked me over: “Then let it be perfect, Lenora.”

Major kudos for how you write each and every one of the characters and their relationships with one another. They all feel very nicely fleshed out and full of history, even if we don't always see all of the details (Joel and Tommy in particular—I loved the moment in Onion where Tommy's grin gives us that flashback to so many other times Joel's seen it).

I know this fic is on hiatus until you finish The Margay, but I look forward to reading more when you find the time and inspiration! :)

You Brought Me Poison Flowers

Series Summary: Joel and Ellie settle into life in Jackson, one more easily than the other, until Joel is reminded of what normal feels like. A series of one-shot glimpses into a relationship (no real plot here, people.) Soft!Joel. Two touch-starved babes. Slow-ish burn. * - Denotes smut. WIP - Undetermined amount of chapters.

Pairing: Joel Miller/Herbalist!OFC Lennie. Age-appropriate age gap.

Rating: Explicit 18+ / Minors DNI

Chapter 1: Larkspur Chapter 2: Yarrow Chapter 3: Lettuce * Chapter 4: Echinacea Chapter 5: Onion * Chapter 6: Cherry * Chapter 7: Maple Chapter 8: Beet * *NEW* 1/11

Twenty Questions and Then Some - Poison Flowers Drabbles

Summary: Joel asks a lot of questions. Shorter drabbles. Forthcoming.

How Old Were You? What Was the First Thing You Stole? Lover? Did You Have a Car? Can I Tell You Somethin'?

YBMPF Moodboards

Lennie’s Shop Ad Lennie's Apartment

Old chapters are hosted on the OFFS Library page. New chapters will be posted to Ohforficsake - follow me over there for future updates.

Shoot me a message @ohforficsake or comment under this post if you would like to be added to the taglist for updates! Thanks so much for reading.

[possumbreath]

A non-exhaustive list of things I want to happen in the traveling salesmen au, in no particular order:

* Ford makes a roadtrip hookup mistake in the name of science and gets turned into a vampire and has to be dragged kicking and screaming into getting cured

* The next week he meets a werewolf and makes the exact same fucking mistake

* Stan and Fiddleford film a low budget commercial and with each script rewrite it gets both better and more stupid. it airs once at like 3am and they are both so proud of themselves

* Fiddleford and Emma-May have a very nice phone conversation while Stan and Ford fight a monster in the background, nobody thinks this is out of the ordinary or cause for alarm

* The boys have to watch Tate for a while for whatever reason and he gets roped into helping with sales. They slap a little bow tie on him and he's cute enough to triple profits overnight

* The running joke of Fiddleford making adjustments and 'improvements' to the RV whenever it is convenient to the plot or would just be really funny. Of course we have rockets why wouldn't we. Of course there's a weapons locker under the sink

* Stan takes Tate fishing and it is tooth-rottingly wholesome

* Ford has an entire section in his Weird Shit Diary speculating about Emma-May's bangs and what is under them. Does she have eyes? What color are they? The world may never know. Fiddleford and Stan refuse to tell him anything one way or the other and this is half the reason he continues to care about it, because either they're messing with him (rude) or she really IS a cyclops

* Ford stays with the McGuckets-and-Stan polycule in Palo Alto when they aren't traveling around and has to put up with the three of them being lovey-dovey right in front of his salad

* Because this is an AU where Ford didn't stay in Gravity Falls long enough to get suckered by Bill, Bill keeps trying to entrap him and always fails much like the coyote never manages to catch the fucking roadrunner. This is just background noise to the whole thing, this one dumbass triangle shrieking in rage because in this universe there is a wall of love and support between him and his target and he keeps smacking into it

* In general everybody has a nice time because it's my au and I say so and canon already provides me with enough angst anyway

* They All Smoke A Weed

[venus-haze]

For your newest one shot, first of all amazing and I'm going to read it maybe ten more times today, but also I want to give you some perspective as an undergrad psych major. You really did hit the nail on the head as to many of his core issues and how his own personal issues and hangups made it easy for the colonel to manipulate him, and you were absolutely right that Freud would have a field day with Elvis. Also don't know how knowledgeable you are about the APA but they would not take to kindly to reader sleeping with a patient regardless of her having fired him right before, so bye-bye license. (Though TBH a case maybe able to be made because they do go by a case by case basis, and their code of ethics sometimes feels contradictory, like how it is seen as unethical to get lunch with a former client after being five years away from eachother but somehow not unethical to sleep with a former client after the same amount of time is something that comes to mind, but also this is the 70s so they maybe under different standards and also taking into account for the gender dynamics of the time who knows) But if she did lose her license to practice, I can 1000% see that being a net positive for Elvis because now she can focus totally on him.

Also I have to ask you this sincerely... Did Elvis somehow know she would be at that restaurant or was that just a coincidence? Again amazing story that I am always going to think about.

Oh my god thank you so much🖤 I’m so glad you enjoyed this fic, and I appreciate the compliment on my writing! I took an Intro to Psych class my freshman year of college, but I mostly drew from episodes of The Sopranos and general stuff I’ve come across online for the psychology aspects of this, so I’m glad that aspect was realistic.

I can definitely see Elvis maneuvering to get the reader’s license revoked without him being directly associated with it so that as you said, all of her focus can be on him. That’s definitely something to think about if I made a second part.

As for the restaurant scene, that’s up to your interpretation🤭 I’m so happy to hear how much you liked the fic, it means a lot to me. Thank you so much again.

🦇 Battie

[gerrydelano]

hiya! as a fellow writer of a Big fic project, may i ask?- how do you manage to not, like, scare yourself out of posting, from the fear of getting Something Wrong? you know, like "characterization being off", or "this plot point is tacky", "this hc clashes w the majority", or whatever fears that Writer Brain likes to conjure?

granted, it may just be Mental Illness (sighh. ocd gang) that likes to exacerbate it, but since you write for a fandom that's got a lottt more depth than mine, i thought you might, like, know that worry regardless

hi hi! i totally understand your fears here, i have a big hangup about making sure i'm doing things Exactly Right at All Times and whatnot, too. the important things to remember is that everyone makes mistakes eventually and we have to just learn to grow from it, AND in this case, that media is for the most part highly subjective!

the majority HC isn't always going to be the most "accurate," or even something you'll enjoy reproducing. don't think you have to adhere to popular fanon just to get views. sure, it helps sometimes, and a big part of why we write fic is for the validation, but if you're not having fun because you have something else you put your whole heart and guts into, seriously JUST do that instead! in my experience, deviating a little and doing that usually gets a person here or there saying "thank you for doing that, i never see X thing represented in media or fic and it made me feel really seen." and i personally value that a lot more than hits (which. i DO admittedly value!)

plot points and characterization are things you can and should workshop with a friend and/or beta reader! that is actually the biggest piece of advice i could give you here, because that's exactly how i overcome my nerves when they hit me. i've had plenty of times i was uncertain of how something would be received, but going over it with ren to talk out how well it holds up against/alongside canon and my server to test audience interest and reception has helped a great deal. i am a very collaborative creator, i focus a lot on feedback and incorporation of conversations i have into my stuff, and i think it's made me not only better but more confident!

don't let other people fully dictate your writing, though. i have also made that mistake. don't compromise a principle of yours because someone else wants you to write something you're straight up not comfortable with, and you should be fine.

that, for me, was also mental illness! i am shaking your hand, we are wearing gloves. but either way, i hope that you can outsmart all of that good ol OCD catastrophizing and feel better about publishing your work sooner rather than later! i definitely find that friends, feedback, and workshopping are the best ways to combat this type of spiral. sometimes i repeat myself a lot or ask for reassurance on the same thing too many times but i'm really lucky to have friends who Get Why and we always work it out. i wish you all the same!

[learned-foot]

I really like the way you write Peter and Tony. It always feels in-character. :D And the quality is fantastic. You always have pretty great plots going too. :DDD I always read your stories, even when the summaries don't immediately catch my attention, because I'm like, "Her writing is great -- I'll probably enjoy this no matter what the plot is!" And now, since you said you'd like to chat about starker... question for you! What headcanons/tropes do you wish you saw /more/ of in starker fic?

First: Thank you so much

My response was getting long, and you shared some great headcanons with me in another ask, so I am going to share my headcanons in response to that. But here are some tropes and scenarios I’ve been wanting to see MORE of recently:

– Backstory Steve/Tony. Not for Steve bashing – I like Steve! – but because I think this would add fun layers of insecurity for Peter. How is he supposed to live up to Captain America, you know? Maybe he feels like he’s just a pale substitute for Tony – another strong superhero to help fill the void. And of course, Tony eventually convinces him that no, seriously, even Captain Fucking America does not hold a candle to Peter in his mind or heart

– Time Travel! tuesday recently posted a great time travel fic that reminded me that I would really love to see more of Peter meeting Tony at different points in his timeline.

– Relatedly: time loops! I’ve written a couple, and have another one I’m working on, but I would love to see more people play with the trope. From funny to deadly serious, it’s just always really fun. And I like anything that gives Peter and Tony a chance to use their brains to figure something out.

– Space adventures. I want AUs where Peter and Tony are the only ones left on Titan and have a long adventure home, or just post-Endgame space adventures. There’s so much potential. Maybe it’s easier for them to slip into a relationship in space, where aliens don’t know or care about the age difference. Or maybe they crash land on a plant and have to survive.

– I also love the idea of them having adventures with the Guardians in particular. Tony & Nebula is my brotp, and I also kind of love the idea that the rest of the Guardians wouldn’t really like Tony (because, love the guy, but he’s kind of an arrogant dick when you first meet him), and WOULD love Peter (because he is a sweetheart who everyone loved). Maybe they go on a long space adventure and Tony ends up feeling isolated and kind of jealous of how well Peter is getting along with the rest? IDK.

– Survival!fic in general is something else I want more of. Stuck in the wilderness, etc. I’m such a sucker for it, and it’s a great excuse for a) them to use their brains, b) forced huddling for warmth, b) slowly getting to know each other as more than mentor/mentee, as they spend hours talking over the fire or whatever.

– Peter NOT having had a longtime crush on Tony. I actually generally love the headcanon that he does, and it’s mostly what I write, but I think it would be interesting to see more fic play with him first realizing his feelings later. Maybe even have Tony be the one to catch feelings first? Just for the variety!

And a few dubcon related things under the cut:

– Sex pollen or other dubcon aftermath. I love me some good sex pollen PWP, don’t get me wrong – heck, it’s all I’ve written in the genre – but I really want to see the “what’s next?” Like, if Tony has been resisting or in denial of his feelings, does he go back to trying to resist, but this time, haunted by knowing how good it could be? Does the sex pollen make one or both realize their feelings for the first time, and if so, what do they do next? Etc.

– Tony/Obie as backstory. I am fascinated by potential inherent in Tony and Obie having had a dubconny, manipulative relationship when Tony was much younger, and how it could effect Tony/Peter. Maybe he is way too cautious because he doesn’t want mistakes repeated. Maybe he dives in headfirst but then freaks out the first time he’s afraid he’s done anything to hurt Peter, because it reminds him of Obie. Maybe Peter is curious to try topping but Tony has a major hangup about it because Obie topped him and it has bad associations. Etc. etc. etc. Cue misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and/or hurt/comfort when Tony finally explains what’s going on. IDK, I’m just really into this idea these days.

You or other people should feel free to chime in with what they want to see more of!

[procrastinatingfeminist]

I've been sucked into the 911 fandom without having watched the show (I am having flashbacks to Firefly, that's how that started, too), so the time has finally come to remedy that. I have two days off plus the weekend, let's see how far I will be able to dive in.

What is hilarious though, is that I know plenty of things that happen in the show from all the fanfic I have already read. And so far the first season looks like a completely different show than the one that I have read about.

- Buck actually does start out as a very annoying bro type character. I got the impression he was slated for a woobie niche right off the bat. He wasn't.

- While the therapy session is seriously fucked up, I have say the way he asked her if she is the one who friended him on Facebook... does sound somewhat manipulative. Also interesting, that this was the one and only therapy session we have seen. Did she refer him to another doctor? Did he stop therapy once he got his dick wet? Did he get only one session covered by the department? So many questions, absolutely no answers. And honestly, it doesn't make Buck look good.

- For all that fanfic writers love to dump on Abby, like the majority of fandom often does with female love interests in the way of their ship, the only reason Buck turned even a bet likeable at the end of season 1 was because of Abby. She was the character development he badly needed. (Though the way she just disappeared on him is justifiably self-serving. Still, I do believe that she was real with him up to the episode with their second date. That is the moment their romance started fizzling out. There are ways to write about it without turning her into an absolutely heartless bitch).

- I think I wore similar kind of frames as Abby up to fourteenth birthday. Those look so dated. Everyone told me how unfashionable my glasses looked. It's real: everything comes back again.

- Everyone who has a family member that is dependent on specialized care deserves someone like Carla. I wouldn't have loved if my mom had someone from homecare service to help her with my grandma that was at least half as helpful and nice as Carla. Instead of whatever the fuck useless twats she had to rely on.

- What the hell is Chimney's problem? Aren't the guys supposed to be good friends? Like, Buck is Chim's little bro? I can't see anything good-natured in their relationship - or more like the good-natured bit is one-sided. Must be the chip on Chim's shoulder that is the size of the moon that is hiding all his affection for Buck. Chim is an asshole and a bully and I don't like him. Even if Buck comes with his own shitload of problems, he could have just as well kept professional distance, but these constant cutting barbs and barely checked envy and jealousy are so damn annoying.

- I thought the rebar thing was some fan writers idea of spitballing emergencies. I am shook to find out that it is really canon. This sound so fake, I always thought it was the least believable part of any fic.

- Isn't Buck supposed to have some super broad but arcane knowledge? Knowing some pretty weird stuff in weird detail? Haven't seen that in canon just yet. Only thing special about him is that he doesn't have some of the normal hangups.

- Best characters so far: Athena and Hen. Even the cheating arc doesn't diminish how good written Hen is. Instead of unlikeable it makes her more human and relatable. (Also, the actress is so breathtakingly beautiful). Athena ... is just Athena. If I start writing why I like Athena, she will need her own post.

- Goddamn that scene with the handcuffs and sex date had me in stitches. Such brilliant writing.

- Makes me wonder though how insulated she is as a cop against consequences with that 'skanky hoe' thing. That was so not okay, and she still got mad bc she had to file paperwork for a couple days instead of roaming the streets???

- Don't get me wrong, I love Bobby's backstory. But I really think that if he fucked up this badly, that no fire department would touch him anymore; lest give him a job as the captain at the station. The insurance alone would shoot through the roof and make him unemployable. Any asshole that wants to sue the dept and finds out about his history is gonna see dollar signs. That said - his character makes a sad sort of sense. Another piece of brilliant writing.

- In conclusion: if I only had watched season one and only seen the impressions of the show based on tumblr posts I would be wondering what the hell everyone is smoking who likes Buck and Chimney and hates Abby; and wonder where all the other firefighters and paramedics at the station are because we see almost exclusively Buck, Hen, Bobby and parttime Chim. I get that the reason is budgetary constraints but I think the only time we see something approaching the full shift is Chims party. Where was the rest of the station with the plane crash? What about the wedding? Are there at least some people they are familar with on the scene?

[synchronmurmurs]

Bless your heart darling, you're a treasure. I have no expectations that anyone would read what I write, nor do I have any desire to really be known for anything. I just figured if I posted it and had even one person see it, it may be enough to keep me going for my own sake. I have like three (or more, haven't decided yet) fics intertwined so if one suffers my lack of motivation then they all do. I also have some hangups about only posting something that I'm proud of, and many of my fics have yet to impress me, so I just don't share them. Or I have this thought in my head that I should only post a work if I have multiple chapters, idk if other people work that way but I feel like starting a fic with only one chapter isn't enough to really engage anyone, so I don't post it, and then I rarely end up writing more lol

Sorry, this feels a bit like I'm rambling. Thanks for coming to my TED talk 😂

As far as not writing anything that impresses you goes, I feel that so hard. I really, truly do. But I’m certain that’s more a Brain Be Stupid thing, as opposed to any fault in you or your writing. As somebody who knows all the ins and outs of your own story, there’s no real wow factor for you because you already know the damn thing like the back of your hand. It’s hard to be impressed when you already know every twist beforehand. I hope that’s all this is for you, because for a reader who doesn’t yet know the major story beats, you’re probably going to blow them off their feet, you know?

As for having multiple chapters ready beforehand, having one single beginning chapter can be pretty beneficial if done right, I think. Have a good premise that you can clearly establish from the get go, and pair that with a stinger for an ending, and I think you can defs intrigue any reader. The problem is writing it that way. 🤣 I’ve heard of people completing multiple chapters ahead of time (if not completing entire fics) to post on a set schedule, but I think that’s a bit counterproductive for your problem. 🤔

Idk writing is so hard nonnie. 😭😭🤣🤣 I’m obviously no expert, and I would rather literally die than claim to be one, so there’s a limit to the kind of advice I can give beyond really generalised knowledge.