#very very funny to me to be like writing in my word document 'Emulation is a litigious issue in gaming as the reverse engineering of

[vraska-theunseen]

(works for 30 minutes skimming articles and fleshing out an intro paragraph which helps give me steam for outlining how i can structure my whole paper and what i should focus in on) hmmm. i think i deserve. 40 minute legend of zelda break

[spencersawkward]

switchblade faith // spencer reid - chapter 1

summary: one month after joining the BAU, Clea is still settling in. between solving murders and getting acclimated to DC, the only comfortable thing in her life is her friendship with Dr. Spencer Reid.

relationship: fem!OC/Spencer Reid

word count: 3.4k

hi all! welcome to my new story.

I've never written a baby Spence fic before, but I'm gonna try my best. I just wanted to get something out of the way before the book starts:

aside from the fact that it's young Spencer, this book isn't placed in a specific season. I might pull cases from different episodes, but the characters will remain the same. I've included Emily and Rossi as characters because I couldn't bear to have a story without either of them (wouldn't want to subject any of you to a Prentiss-less world).

that's pretty much it. I'm glad you're here. if you wanna read my other stories, my masterlist is here.

happy reading :)

"HA!" I slap my hand down on the pile of cards and slide it towards me, organizing them in a neat pile with a smug expression.

"this game is a sham." Spencer sighs, reaching for his book.

"you're just mad you lost." I raise an eyebrow and shuffle the cards again. "you don't wanna play another round?"

"why would I? the only skill this game requires is fast reflexes." he runs hazel eyes down the page with an alarming quickness. I scoff at his disinterest.

"maybe if you trained those reflexes as much as you trained that big genius brain of yours, you'd get a leg up." Morgan teases from his spot next to me. Spencer glances at him with a frown, his cheeks turning a light pink, before looking to me. I throw up my hands.

"he said it, not me." secretly, I smile at the fact that Derek is backing me up.

"I could beat any of you in poker." Reid defends.

"easily. it helps that I don't even know how to play." I slide the cards back into the holder and cross my arms over my chest with a sigh.

"you don't know how to play poker?" he's shocked.

"I told you, I hate card games like that!" I emphasize. things like poker, blackjack, anything that involves multiple players, I usually don't enjoy much. Emily glances up from her case file with a tiny smirk.

"why?"

"I'm a sore loser." I admit, averting my eyes. there's also the risk factor involved, which includes giving up coins or pretzels or peanuts if I lose. I tend to cling tightly to all three. Prentiss lets out a laugh and Spencer flips the page of his book.

"and winner, apparently."

"you're sassy today, aren't you?" I grin at him, pleasantly surprised.

in the month I've been working here, I haven't spoken to Spencer very much. he's been polite and I've gotten to know his intellect quite well, but he doesn't spend a lot of time with us outside of work. when we go out to get drinks, he either declines or heads home before we can even ask, a bag full of books pressed to his side.

I think he just takes a while to get comfortable around new people-- that's what JJ said when I asked why he seemed to be avoiding me. the fact that he played cards with me today felt like a victory in itself, so I'll take what I can get.

Spencer doesn't reply to my dig, only crosses his long, narrow legs and settles into his book.

"we should start briefing before we land." Hotch and Rossi walk over from their spots at the front of the plane to sit on the couch by our table. I nod eagerly and watch as Emily flips open her laptop to FaceTime Penelope about the case.

the first couple cases were more difficult than I expected because I had never worked in the field before joining the BAU, but I'm starting to get used to flying around constantly and examining actual dead bodies. working sex crimes meant I spent most of my time in front of a computer screen or just staying in the office. this is incredibly different-- which I'm starting to find might not to be a bad thing.

"--the virus killed her hard drive and left that on the screen." Penelope explains, referring to the picture of Heather Woodland's computer.

"'for heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself'." Morgan reads the message aloud from the case file. the words feel familiar in my mind and I try to remember where I've heard them before.

"that's exactly what William Heirens left behind." Spencer sparks the memory. I sit up straighter.

"the Lipstick Killer?" my fingertips trace over the case details. it's a weird aspect of the murder to emulate, especially because he didn't even leave the message in lipstick. I guess he's not really concerned with that; based on the unsub's previous victims, we have just under 36 hours to find her.

"his first victim was Melissa Kirsh, 26," Reid scratches his nose as he reads, frowning so hard that I start to think he'll form permanent wrinkles. he's got such a baby face, it's almost funny. "stab wounds, strangulation."

"so he stabbed her first, and then strangled her to finish the job?" Morgan repeats.

"what's with using a belt for the second murder?" Emily flips through the papers, confused. Spencer stiffens in his spot as he realizes this is the perfect time to share his freakishly expansive forensic knowledge.

"strangulation with your bare hands actually isn't as easy as you would believe. he probably tried it, found that it took too long, then stabbed her. and blood takes a long time to clean, so he decided a belt would be more efficient."

"he's perfecting his method." I can't tear my eyes away from the photos, despite the roiling sensation they put in my stomach. even with the things I've already seen, I don't think I'll ever get over photographs like this.

"we'll be landing soon and then we're meeting up with the Seattle field office. be ready to split up once we hit the ground." Hotch snaps shut his case file and stands up, breaking off to go sit alone. Rossi takes note of the old card deck that sits on the table.

"poker?" he looks between the four of us.

"nope." Emily chuckles.

"this one doesn't know how to play." Morgan gestures to me, causing Rossi to turn to me.

"were you raised in a barn?" he asks in his usual manner of speaking: blunt sarcasm with a hint of mockery. I frown sarcastically.

"something like that."

"at some point this week, we'll sit down and I'll teach you." he gets up, pats my shoulder, and walks over to join Hotch. I lower my voice once he's far enough away.

"is he actually gonna make me do that?"

"you don't know Rossi." Morgan shakes his head slowly, slides his headphones back on, and sinks into his seat.

"I'll join and bring JJ with me." Emily winks at me reassuringly, noting the tapping of my nail against the surface of the table. Rossi is a legend in the field and I've read all of his books, but didn't want to freak him out by telling him so. it was embarrassing enough when I met him and got tongue-tied while shaking his hand. he's got an elusive energy that intimidates me, and I'd prefer not to showcase that by humiliating myself with poker.

instead of dwelling on thoughts of how I'm going to fail in front of my idol, I open up one of my books and try to pass the time.

...

while I'm writing some notes on one of the many white boards scattered throughout the field office, I realize that I'm one of four other women in the room, including Emily. she's talking to Hotch and another agent at the opposite end of the room; Reid is unpacking his signature book bag and seems deep in thought. Rossi is reading a document. everyone around me seems to be in a hurry to do something, and I begin to feel dumb.

"you okay?" Morgan asks me. I realize that I've been standing with my marker hovering over the board. my fingertips press into my temple before I turn to him.

"yeah, definitely. just thinking." my mind travels to the map we've got pasted up and the red marker lines that Spencer has already created with the geographical profile.

"looks like we're getting the classic Seattle treatment." Derek points outside to the rain pelting the windows, streaming down the glass and distorting the glow of the city outside. it's gloomy today, with a slight chill running through the streets. I nod and turn back to my task, suddenly realizing something.

"he's willing to travel with the body." I mutter to myself. Morgan steps up next to me, crosses his arms across his chest.

"he must drive a vehicle that can conceal one, then." he glances over to Hotch to see what the unit chief has to say, but Spencer speaks up first.

"one in seven point four drivers in Seattle owns an SUV." it's like a flip switches at the mention of a statistic, diverting his attention from something nebulous in his mind to the tangible case. he's a little similar to a robot.

"an Explorer with tinted windows?" Morgan speaks again as he looks over the case photos.

"those rate higher among women." Spencer again.

"sure, but how do we know it's his car?" I wonder.

"what about a Jeep Cherokee?" Hotch chimes in, almost startling me with the deep register of his voice. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as I think on it.

"Jeeps are more masculine." Reid comes close to me in order to examine the picture I'm holding. he smells like clean laundry and some nice soap scent that I can't place. maybe it's the gel he uses to slick back his hair. no cologne or aftershave. I don't think he'd need to shave, what with his smooth baby face.

Spencer has some special quirks that make him a little more interesting. he usually avoids physical contact with other people-- doesn't shake hands-- but at other times, he doesn't seem to have self-awareness. like right now, where the shoulder of his red sweater is just barely touching mine. I hand him the picture and step away.

"unsubs love to assert their masculinity."

Hotch nods along, encouraging me to share more of what I'm thinking. after swallowing down a lingering nervousness, I tap the push pin marking where the last body was dumped. "he dropped her out-of-state, so he probably has a previous knowledge of law enforcement. maybe he's got a criminal record?"

"good, Williams." Hotch praises me. my fist clenches triumphantly at my side as he turns to the agent who has been watching us intently. "when do we meet with your task force?"

"four." the man replies. I balk at this, my posture shifting. the shortest time constraint I've ever had here has been a full day. it's already one in the afternoon.

"you want an accurate profile by four today?" I glance between Morgan and Spencer, but the latter is rocking back and forth on his heels with his eyes glued to the white board. Morgan doesn't seem put off by it.

"we can do that." Hotch scowls, snapping shut the case file with a finality that tells me we're about to split up. "Dave and Morgan, head to the last dump site. Williams, Reid, I want you to talk to Heather's brother and try to find out what you can about her life. Prentiss and I will stay here in case of new developments."

I nod curtly, grab my jacket, and glance over at Spencer. he runs his hand over his hair, although I can't imagine what there is to smooth down, then walks over to me.

"you ready to go?" I ask, brandishing the file. he and I have only done two interviews together; I spent most of my beginning weeks working with Emily to get a feel for the job. both times with the boy genius have been fine, if not a little awkward.

he nods in answer to my question. "would you mind driving?"

"no license?" I tease to lighten the mood, but he doesn't get the joke. instead, he frowns at me with something of a distracted expression, adjusts his bag.

"no, I don't like driving in the rain."

"oh," I recover quickly and put a friendly smile on my face. "no problem."

"thanks." he walks ahead of me and I cringe at my own behavior. he acts so differently from earlier on the jet that I start to wonder if I did something wrong. maybe he's just in his head or something; I know I would be if I had an IQ that enormous.

when we get to the house of Heather Woodland's brother, a gorgeous golden lab greets us in the entryway. she puts her paws up on my legs and I reach down to scratch behind her ears with a smile on my face.

"Sandy, calm down." her owner grabs her collar gently to calm her. "sorry."

"no, it's fine, I love dogs." I wave it off and step inside. Spencer is eyeing Sandy warily, but she seems just as eager to say hi to him as she was to me. when she lets out a singular, enthusiastic bark, he startles.

"Mr. Woodland," I suppress my laugh by changing the subject. "I'm Special Agent Williams and this is Special Agent Dr. Reid."

we shake hands, my colleague giving his usual wave and polite smile. the interviewee takes in Spencer's appearance. I know what's coming.

"you look too young for medical school." Woodland says to Reid. this has happened a couple times since I joined the team, but Spencer never seems to mind. if anything, he lights up at the opportunity to share the reason for his official title.

"they're PhD's. three of them." he gives a little smile as we walk into the house, me shaking a few stray raindrops from my hair.

"so... are you a genius or something?" Heather's brother leads us past the hallway into the living room, which is unkempt and littered with pictures, catalogs, and toys. he must have kids in school right now. that would also explain the breed of dog.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified."

"he's being modest," I glance over at Spencer. "Dr. Reid can read 20,000 words a minute-- he's definitely a genius."

Woodland stares at Spencer for a second as he tries to fathom the speed at which someone's mind would have to turn in order to process all that information. I still can't imagine it. Spencer's eyes avoid Woodland's shyly. instead, he watches me as I pet Sandy.

soon after, we ask him about Heather's personality and tendencies. her brother is more than willing to give us all the information we need. I'm surprised, however, by my partner's ease at wandering around Woodland's house, flipping through the magazines on top of the TV and reading the spines of books on shelves. he's quite conspicuous about it.

about halfway through my mental list of questions, Sandy keeps jumping up and wagging her til.

"I'm gonna take her to the backyard quick," Woodland tells us. "one second."

he ducks out of the room and I wait until I know he's out of earshot before sidling up beside Reid.

"there's an immediate relationship established between a buyer and a seller," he tells me, holding up a Datsun Z catalog. we know that she was in the market for one. "if I want to coax a young woman into my car..."

"offer her a test drive." I finish his sentence. of course, within ten minutes of sifting through this woman's house, Spencer has figured out the ruse used to lure her. Woodland returns a moment later with a smile, but we tell him that we've gotten the information we need before leaving.

in the car, Spencer theorizes about the unsub's mental condition as I try to navigate traffic in the storm. thunder rumbles overhead, occasionally sending a vibration through the car. my knuckles tighten around the wheel a bit. I also hate driving in the rain. his rambles fills the silence, however, and somewhat soothe my nerves.

"he doesn't have the MO of a paranoid psychotic. dumping the bodies out in the open, with a weapon nearby... that doesn't align."

"he covers their eyes with duct tape multiple times over, though. he knows he's going to kill them, but he doesn't want them to see his face?" my fingertips drum over the wheel nervously.

"what's wrong?" Spencer asks suddenly, glancing at my hands and then at my face. I still my movements at the change in subject.

"huh? nothing. I just don't like driving in the rain, either."

"oh. I'm sorry." he straightens a bit in his seat. the apology surprises me a little, but he seems genuinely sympathetic. I guess I really don't know him that well.

"it's cool."

we fall into an awkward silence and I bite my lip. we should get back to talking about the case. heaven knows Spencer has more facts to spew, more theories to share about this unsub. anything is better than the gap in conversation. I open my mouth to say more about what we learned at the house, except Spencer speaks first.

"so... how are you liking working here?" he asks awkwardly. it takes a second for the question to register with me. he sounds uncomfortable whenever we're alone and that makes me uncomfortable in turn. where everyone else was quick to include me in their jokes and discussions, Reid always sounds like talking to me exhausts him. it's obvious that he's socially awkward. there's no judgement from me; I'm just surprised that he's pushing to talk about non work-related subjects.

"I like it," not really an accurate summation. I don't think a heart-to-heart is exactly the right move when talking to him. "a little stressful, though."

"you worked in sex crimes before, right?" he looks out the window. there isn't much to see except for the rain-blurred skyline. I nod.

"yep."

"that sounds... hard." he shifts in his seat as he tries to come up with more points of conversation. it's kind of endearing, honestly. I throw him a bone.

"so is profiling."

"why'd you switch?" his eyes flit over to mine as he quickly adds, "if you don't mind me asking."

I take a second to come up with an answer. of course, there's the classic response: I've always wanted to help people— which isn't wrong— it's also not the whole answer. all through college and the Academy, I had my head focused on one thing. I could interview killers and get inside their heads, but there's something entirely different that you don't get from pure research. and one person inspired that in me before I had finished high school.

"don't tell him I said this, but I really wanted to work with Rossi." I say in a hushed tone. there's a slight smile on my lips because I haven't told anyone on the team in fear of being teased. I don't think Spencer is likely to gossip with Rossi about me, though.

"really?" now he sounds surprised.

"I've read all his books and I've been to a couple lectures. he doesn't remember me, evidently." the thought is more funny than embarrassing. he spoke at my college a few years back and I recall being on the edge of my seat, trying to come up with the courage to ask the questions that filled my head. I was too shy.

"does he know you're a fan?" Spencer loosens up a bit.

"nope," we pull off the freeway as we near the field office. I stop at a red light and look over. "I didn't want to embarrass myself with the whole 'your work changed my life' spiel."

at this, Spencer lets out a short, nervous giggle. it's a nice sound, that laugh. it makes me smile when he seems to relax in his seat.

"that's exactly what I did." he says. I frown.

"you told him his books changed your life?" I blush as I realize I just inadvertently made fun of him.

"I, um... well, I got excited to talk about his research." he averts his gaze again and his cheeks turn a slight pink. there's a dimple in his cheek, I notice, that keeps tugging upward. this is my first time having a non-forced moment with Spencer alone; a wave of satisfaction washes over me as I realize the potential for another friend here.

"trust me, I get it." I laugh. we pull into the parking ramp for the field office and I find a spot by the door. Spencer hoists that bag into his lap and runs his hand through his hair. when I pull the key out of the ignition, he waits for me to get out of the car before we start walking toward the door.

it's small, but I appreciate that he doesn't run off without me. we don't talk as we walk, our footsteps echoing along the cement walls.

oh my god first chapter holy fuck! it's short, but I don't wanna overwhelm. I'm so excited for this book!

[snowdice]

Sometimes Labels Fail (Bonus Features)

Want to know what I’m blathering on about? Click below!

AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Title in my Word Document: The Correct Label is Baby. He’s Baby. (Yes, I label my WIP’s with memes when at all possible. No, I am not taking constructive criticism)

Technical Writing Facts:

This fic appears in three different places in my documents. First it started in my Ideas word document, then it transferred over to a file called TSSS superhero (which has now become where I store things in this universe until they become their own stories or one-shots. Currently I have 13,746 unpublished words in this folder… most of it is piecemeal, but I digress.). Then I decided to rewrite parts of it and put it in the word document mentioned above.

I wrote most of the story during finals week. The last chapter was written while I proctored my student’s exams. Logan’s crack about being asked questions about his class by students at coffee shops was me venting over something that had happened recently. Please, do not come up to me with your laptop open in a public place. I just wanted a cup of tea.

Patton did not originally have a large role in this fic. Then I wrote the first paragraph and thought it was funny to have Logan being absolutely serious as he listed out the way he segmented his life and just input random not as serous things, and Patton convincing him to put jam in cookies came up and then the binder part came in and suddenly it wasn’t a joke and they’d been married for decades.

In part 2, Logan comforts Patton by hugging him, rubbing his back, and laying his cheek on top of his head. In part 3, you see Patton comforting Virgil in the exact same way. This is intentional as Logan observed this behavior from Patton over the years and emulates it.

I wrote the whole story before giving Logan and Virgil superhero names. Instead I just wrote (Logan) and (Virgil) every time so I could “control f” their names with parenthesis when I decided on something.

I couldn’t stop calling Virgil Shadow Crawler and I don’t know why. I kept having to go back and find and replace in my word document for it.

I immediately regretted calling Logan Bluebird. It was fine for his chapter and then I couldn’t stop laughing every time Virgil seriously called him that in his head.

Character Facts:

All of the sides + Emile and Remy exist and are sympathetic in this AU.

Logan:

Logan has a doctorate degree in math and physics. He double majored in both and went straight for a PhD in math after his undergrad. He picked the physics one up later. He also went and got a bachelor’s degree in biology. (No this wasn’t so he could understand Patton’s research papers better. That would be an irrational reason to get a college degree.)

Logan became a superhero out of academic spite because of course he did.

When Logan first became a hero, it was shortly after a scandal that happened where a major superhero’s identity was exposed, and it turned out it was the spouse of an important political figure. It was a very public and messy divorce. Logan swore to himself he’d never get into a relationship with someone who didn’t already know he was a superhero, citing it was a bad foundation for relationships. The catch 22 was that he refused to tell anyone his secret identity. Patton ended up figuring it out on his own. Logan had not accounted for this.

In fact, Logan at the end of this story, had never told anyone his secret identity. At the end of this story only three people knew: Patton, Virgil, and Remy. No one ever told Remy and they never discussed it with him. He just kinda figured it out and didn’t say anything. Logan knows he figured it out and also hasn’t said anything. Remy is a bit salty about this and likes to send subtle jabs at Logan about it. Both Patton and Logan know he knows. He’s known almost as long as Patton. It’s almost an inside joke between them at this point.

Virgil:

Virgil doesn’t know anything about his birth-parents other than his birth mother died in childbirth.

Virgil once stole something that was not money or food and it was completely accidental. He broke into a museum just to look as a 14th birthday present for himself. He got caught by a guard and panicked. For some reason, his panicked brain told him since he was a villain, he had to make it look like there was a villainous reason for him to be there… so he stole a statue. Yeah, he doesn’t understand it either. Yes, he ended up getting it back to them. What was he supposed to do with a statue?

Virgil plays the clarinet and is actually pretty good. He wasn’t able to get into any of the bands you have to audition for (he’s just in the general non-audition band at school) and was never able to really practice. Plus, his clarinet is one of those meh loaners from the school.

Virgil ends up majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and attends the same college Logan teaches at.

I haven’t quite decided what Virgil’s going to do for his career when he grows up, but I’m leaning toward something in the medical field, though not a surgeon like Patton. Maybe a pediatrician.

Patton:

Patton was the one originally with the name Sanders. Logan took his name when they married.

Patton’s family life wasn’t… great in his youth. He had some unhealthy perceptions of relationships and his place in relationships he had to work through.

The café Virgil and Logan went to in the last chapter is where Patton and Logan first met! Patton almost poured an entire cup of coffee on him because he was exhausted after a shift at the hospital. He didn’t even notice that Logan used his powers to prevent an accident. Logan wasn’t sure if he was acting like he didn’t noticed and was plotting something. He decided to keep an eye on him. (Spoiler alert: he did keep a very good eye on him.

Patton saved the life of the current mayor. She had been the chief of police about a decade before this story. She was majorly injured in the line of duty to the point where basically she was a lost cause. Patton, though, saw her two elementary aged sons and went absolutely not. With the permission of her wife, he took her in for multiple surgeries (many experimental) and by pure force of will stitched her back together. She woke up half a year later. Will she ever walk again? No. Did she get to adamantly insist on carrying boxes on her lap while riding a wheelchair to help her sons move into their college dorm this past fall? Yes.

Because of the above, Patton gets invited to many high-profile events. Patton does not like going to these things alone. Which isn’t a problem until Bluebird is on the guest list.

Remy:

Remy has been working with Patton for basically forever. He’d been working for less than a year before he got swept up for an emergency surgery because he was the closest one around and it was a very high-profile case that needed to be dealt with right that second. That’s when he first met Patton and due to certain events, everyone in that room ended up with a certain tie to each other. He’s basically been Patton’s nurse ever since even when they just worked together in the ER. Everyone knew Remy was Patton’s nurse even though he wasn’t officially. When Patton stopped being an ER surgeon and became more of a specialist, Remy followed him right out the door and now works with him and two other doctors.

Roman:

Roman didn’t appear in this story, but he was mentioned and he’s around. He started going out in a prince costume when he was 17. (He is 3 years older than Virgil). He gets away with it mostly because everyone “knows” Roman’s too dramatic and likes to boast. The boy couldn’t keep a secret like that to save his life. So, what if that guy has superstrength like him? Look he’s sitting right there. Wait that’s Remus? …Nah, still couldn’t be him.

Remus:

Remus is Roman’s twin and has the same powers as him. He is not active during this story, but he will end up as a “villain.” He actually ends up working with a government agency to basically go undercover as a supervillain and helps bring down villains. He’s really good at it. His mothers know, but honestly, they kind of expected something like this. They’re just glad their other son is just a normal actor who has no interest in risking his life…

Deceit:

Deceit was actually mentioned (though not by name) in the first chapter. He is a vigilante and has been since before Logan was on the scene. Logan hates him. He probably would have gotten over being shot that one time, but then he made the mistake of needing medical care and kidnapping a doctor… He didn’t harm Patton at all, and Logan found him in like two hours, but none of that mattered. Logan was super, super pissed. The funny thing is, Deceit was not and still is not aware of Patton’s personal connection to Bluebird. He isn’t quite sure why Bluebird treats him with more disdain than he does most villains, but just figures he’s an asshole.

Emile:

Emile is a pretty well-known psychiatrist. He offered his services free of charge for people affected by the school shooting. He even extended the invitation to Bluebird, letting him wear the mask the whole time. Logan took him up on it because honestly, it was a traumatic situation and he figured he should deal with it now rather than later. Emile is currently dating Remy. He was not 100% sure why the superhero Bluebird seemed to be giving him dating advice at a party, but it worked out. (No, Remy is not aware Logan set him up.)

Feel free to keep sending asks about this story going forward. I love them and I have a lot more about this universe in my head that I didn’t put here either unintentionally or intentionally.

Click here for asks already answered in chronological order.

[farfromsugafanfic]

glitteringconstellations interview

Before we get started with the interview, do you mind introducing yourself (whatever name you are comfortable with) and telling us a little about yourself?

Hi everyone! I’m glitteringconstellations, Glitter or GC for short. I’ve been writing fanfiction for well over 15 years now, though I only started sharing it around 2005. I minored in Creative Writing in college and I love writing in pretty much any capacity! When I’m not headcanoning one new story or another, though, I’m either adulting (ugh, adulting) or playing video games. These days it’s mostly Skyrim. I’m fluent in Korean and passable in Japanese and Spanish. I drink way too much pop to be healthy and I hate most fruit (though, give me any kind of melon and I’ll be a happy girl). Oh, and I’m a fledgling figure skater! I’m just a hodgepodge of random hobbies haha!

Q1: What kind of fan fiction do you normally write? Have you ever written fan fiction for other fandoms other than your current one?

A1: I tend to gravitate toward angsty fics. It’s long been my outlet of frustration, to put the character I love in harm’s way. The more pain, the better, haha! Though I do love the hurt/comfort aspect of it. Recently (as in, the last year lmao) I’ve been writing for the Voltron fandom almost exclusively (and sometimes YURI!!! On Ice), but before that I was in the k-pop ficdom (Super Junior, for the most part) for a looooong time, nearly 10 years. I won’t be opening that particular can of worms, though--I have Feelings and Opinions lmao. Before that I jumped around from anime to anime.

Q2: I see in addition to fan fiction that you do commissioned fan art! I’m not an artist myself, so I find it really interesting and cool. Do you want to talk a bit about that? And, feel free to plug yourself!

A2: This is actually a common misconception--I can’t draw to save my life!! I took commissions for fan fiction back in late June as a last resort to pay my rent. Typically though I’m horrible on a deadline so I don’t like to do it too often because I feel terrible making my commissioners wait. The art you’re referring to is the comic spread for The Parting Glass, if I’m not mistaken? I actually commissioned another artist by the name of Cota (@ccooooostuff on tumblr, go check her out she’s amazing at what she does and super sweet!) for that comic with the money I got for my birthday this year.

Q3: Do you write anything outside of fan fiction?

A3: I do! I journal a lot, or I try to anyway. This year I’m hoping to tackle an original novel for Nanowrimo, but more than likely, that particular project will start as fanfiction and we’ll see if I turn it into original fiction or not. I spend more time thinking about the things I want to write than… actually… writing them lolsob. My notes will be this gigantic document but when it comes to putting things together in a cohesive manner? Haaaaaa….haha…. The blinking cursor mocks me, I swear.

Q4: I see on your profile that you are 26. I think when most people think of fan fiction writers they think of someone younger, usually a teenager. Do you encounter younger writers a lot? What do you think of this assumption?

A4: I do encounter younger writers a lot! Surprisingly, though, most writers I know are either in their late 20s or late late teens (say, 15~19). Most people tend to think I’m young anyway just because I look a lot younger than 26, but as far as fandom goes, it doesn’t really bother me if people think I’m younger than I am. Usually I’m pretty forward with how old I am on my profile anyway! But yeah, I’ve been around the fanfiction scene a while. The k-pop fandom in particular had a way of reminding me just how long on a pretty frequent basis lol.

Q5: Why did you begin writing fan fiction? If it was for a fandom, why did that particular thing make you begin writing? And, for your current fandoms?

A5: I used to tell myself stories to get to sleep or on long car trips as far back as I can remember, and most of the time they involved characters from my favorite shows of the day. Pokemon and Digimon were two big ones for me before I hit those fun preteen years. As far as what got me started actually putting those stories to paper, it was born of frustration with shows not going the way I wanted them to, so I’d write the ending I wanted to see. For Voltron in particular, it’s just SUCH a fun sandbox to play in, be it by utilizing the incredible world-building or the plethora of interesting characters to play around with. So many possibilities! *3*

Q6: Do you ever want to be published in a professional capacity one day?

A6: Yes and no. I flip flop on this ALL the time. I’d LOVE to see my stories on shelves, but I’m actually very insecure and sometimes the thought of people reading my stories makes me want to die of embarrassment and sink to the center of the earth. That said, if I win Nano this year, I may run it by some publishers, even if only to get feedback. (Although if you want to get TECHNICAL I am officially a published journalist; I was an assistant editor for one of The Big 3 kpop news sites for a while. The one that starts with S. Also another can of worms.)

Q7: Has writing fan fiction taught you anything? About writing? Reading? The fandom? Etc.

A7: Oh absolutely. I definitely would not be the writer I am today without fan fiction. I wouldn’t say I’m super skilled, but the critique I’ve received over the years has helped me more than I have words for, honestly. Not even just in the capacity of writing fiction; my academic and professional writing has improved too. Also, just like reading anything in high volume, reading fanfic has helped me learn to read like a writer, how to pick out things that authors do that I admire and try to emulate that, and conversely what doesn’t work for me so I can avoid those things.

As far as fandom goes, fanfiction can be quite polarizing, as I’m sure you’re well aware. Just in my experience by and large it can be kind of toxic, to be quite honest. The particular issue Voltron faces that I experienced to some extent in other fandoms but not quite to this degree, is fandom policing. I find that certain members of the fandom (which, in my experience, tends to actually be mostly among those younger demographics, though not exclusively so) see certain topics as morally wrong and therefore anyone who writes those topics are 1) romanticizing said topic and 2) automatically a disgusting, horrible person and they have no problems telling you about all about it. The number one thing I try to put out there in my interactions is live and let live, ship and let ship. If it makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay! But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong, and it’s definitely not okay to go around purporting hate in the name of “morality.” Sorry, didn’t mean to go off on a tangent there haha...

Q8: What is a piece you’ve written that you’re most proud of?

A8: Just in the Voltron fandom, I’d say the fic I’m most proud of is The Parting Glass, by far. Funny story about that one; I’d never heard the titular song before I came across a cover of it on Facebook one day around St. Patrick’s Day, and let me tell you something. The reaction I had was almost a spiritual experience, it was so visceral. I was in tears when I heard it, and the story came so hard and so fast that I wrote it in 2 days. It stayed with me until I got it down in writing. It was an interesting challenge for me, exploring the grief part of a character death fic while almost entirely omitting the actual dying part. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had such a vivid vision of exactly how a fic is going to go from start to finish and I’m quite happy with the way it turned out. Which is why, when I had the money to do so, I commissioned Cota to illustrate what had to be the hardest and yet my favorite part to write. She brought the scene to life so beautifully too, I’m really happy with how it turned out. Months later I still go back and stare at it!

Q9: Do you notice any stigma surrounding fan fiction or fan fiction writers?

A9: Without a doubt. People hear “fanfiction” and they think one of two things: the pudgy neckbeard who lives in his parents’ basement, or the rabid tween/teenage fangirl. It’s a rather unfortunate stereotype, because some works of fanfiction are truly works of art, more masterfully crafted than some novels I’ve seen published. Yet they get dismissed simply on the basis of being fanworks and not “original” (which, let’s be real, nothing is truly original anymore). One such example that comes to mind of a beautiful fic is those glittering instruments in the EXO fandom, which was based on the real-life destruction of the Library of Alexandria. If you can find a copy of it floating around the interwebs I HIGHLY recommend giving it a chance no matter what fandom you’re in!

Q10: If so, how do you feel about this stigma?

A10: Like I said, it’s really a shame. The thing, too, is that as young girls we’re often shamed for the things we’re passionate about, like boy bands and, well, fan fiction, while boys don’t get that kind of shame to such an intense degree (at least, not about the usual suspects, like sports and girls and such). Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but there’s something terribly sad about seeing more young people afraid to talk about a hobby that makes them happy because they’re afraid of being perceived as weird or gross or something like that. Hell, even to this day I have very few friends from outside the fandom sphere that know I write fanfiction, because they still talk bad and make mean jokes about fic writers. It’s such a silly thing, because a lot of famous works are derivative fiction and people don’t even realize it! So I hope the day comes soon that we can get over this silly stigma and just enjoy what people share (for free!! Seriously!! FULL NOVEL LENGTH WORKS. For FREE.)

Q11: Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to talk about or be asked that no one has asked you about or given you the opportunity to talk about? (And if so, feel free to answer/talk about it).

A11: I really had to think about this one! I couldn’t really pick one topic that I’ve really wanted to talk about that I haven’t already discussed, but no one has ever asked me if I was okay with having fanart of my work. Which I would answer with a resounding YES. I am more than okay with it QuQ

Oh, I guess I do have something!! It’s unrelated to writing (well, I guess it could be related, depending on how you look at it) but since I have your attention, if you’re an American citizen GO OUT AND VOTE. The midterm elections are one week from today in the USA and it’s important you go vote!! I won’t tell you who to vote for (a third can of worms I’m not opening up. WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY WORMS) but I assure you, your vote matters, now more than ever. I believe in you!! Go vote!!!

Q12: What is your prefered site for writing/posting fan fiction?

A12: These days I prefer to use AO3. It’s a work in progress, but it’s far and away the superior fic platform of the time. Back in ye olden days (circa 2010~2012) Livejournal was my platform of choice, and FF.net before that. A surprising number of people prefer to post their fic on tumblr, to which I say, are you out of your flipping MIND?!?! Tumblr is soooo temperamental, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to restart a post or go into the HTML editor because the rich text editor decided to be stupid. Noooooo thank you. I’ll stick to AO3 thanks ahaha!

Check out Glitter’s Tumblr and AO3.

Interviewer Note: Glitter used her free question to encourage everyone to vote and I would just like to stress the importance of this, especially if live in the US. Young people are the demographic that votes the least, despite being the demographic that will have to live the longest with the outcome of the vote. If you are currently not registered, please register as it is important for all of our futures. And, remember the deadline for the upcoming US election is Nov. 6th, so make sure to get to those polls and/or turn/send in your ballot. If you need information on how to do any of these things, do not hesitate to reach out to my page and I will point you to trustworthy resources. 

[iancumminsauthor]

Why Write a Book?

‘Why on earth did you write a book?’ is the question I’ve been asked a few times recently. Well, it’s one of the three most frequently asked questions, and the other two are just variations on this question but with more rude words in them.

If you read my memoir (An Accidental Salesman) you will know that my working career was peppered with occasions when something was suggested to me (go to Boston for a day for a meeting  - Boston, Massachusetts that is – go to Australia to look after the company branch for a couple of months, were just two examples) I would tend to say “Sure, I’ll give it a try” when maybe I should have said “Let me think about that for a while”.

My method made for a much more interesting life, I can tell you. And so when lockdown came around just after I had retired and I had finished even the lengthy to-do list that my wife had prepared for me, I remembered that a few people had said to me “You know – with all those funny stories you tell about your career, you should write a book”. And there were plenty of stories – the car that ran out of control into a river, and the incident of the elderly hippy, the flight attendant and olive oil, to name but two. So, I decided to give it a try.

I’d worked for eight different companies over the previous forty-five years, so I thought “If I can get ten thousand words out of each of the first three, I’ll continue.” And so I sat down, I did, and I did.

Along the way I found several online resources that were very useful. A software tool called Grammarly has a free version that you can use to eliminate most of your grammar mistakes. There is a more advanced version which costs money (and of which I have heard mixed reports) but since this was a hobby rather than a potential breadwinner, I stuck with the free one. I also found a tool which gave you an analysis of which words you had used in a chapter and how often. This helped me eliminate some over-usages and, in the opinion of one or two people, made my book more readable.

I also picked up several hints and tips from writers and tried to emulate them where possible (basic things like eliminating as many adverbs as possible and editing out as many non-needed words as you can).

Finally, I followed advice that I had seen several times, and left my book alone for three months and then edited it one final time. I then sent copies to a couple of family members who were kind enough to proofread it and let me know (some of) the mistakes I had not noticed.  

What I found surprisingly easy was converting my Word document into a book online – thanks to Amazon and KDP – a publishing method which suited me since I was more interested in the hobby of writing than achieving publishing success. I’m told that if you are more seriously intending to make money out of writing, there may be better alternative publishing methods. And of course, if you can find an agent to represent you, that must be the holy grail!

I contacted a company that had been recommended as a professional cover designer, and they sent me a couple of ideas, one of which I liked and after a few back-and-forth emails with them, the final version arrived, I uploaded it to the KDP website, and two days later I became an author.

Now came the difficult bit. Selling the book. Luckily, I had kept the email addresses of many of the people I had worked with, and had contact via LinkedIn with many more, and there were enough of them interested to find out if (a) they were mentioned in the book and (b) what I had said about them.

No author ever reveals how many copies of a book they’ve sold (at least until they get into the six-figure region) so I must abide by that rule. But I did sell enough to cover the costs of having the cover designed and obtaining a few author copies to give away – and to honour my pledge of donating half the proceeds to a homeless charity.

[northelypark]

Hey, I hope your hellish weekend is going A-Okay(tm). Just think, what would Clive do in bad times? Destroy London. Nevermind, bad example. But I hope this ask makes you feel better 👍 2, 7, 8, 13, 15, 22, 24, 25 and 30~

2 - What time of day do you think is the best to write?

My schedule is a bit weird, so I write whenever I can find the time, whether it be early morning, late afternoon, or after midnight. I don’t think a particular time of day is better than any other. As long as it’s quiet and I can relax without any pressing schoolwork or other obligations I need to worry about right at that moment, I’m good to go.

7 - Which character that you’ve written is most like yourself?

Probably Amelia because she’s 1) the protagonist and 2) written in the first person, so a lot of my personality, thoughts, and feelings have gone into her development. Even before writing Lamplight Letters, there were some similarities between me and her character in Eternal Diva: we’re both introverts, both loners to an extent, both always thinking and asking questions, and both have blonde hair and owlish eyes (more as a kid, as an adult I just have tired, serial killer eyes). It’s funny because even as I’ve shaped Amelia with my own personality, she’s also shaped me. I had only a passing interest in chess before writing L^3 and now I love chess and have started (very, very slowly) to sharpen my skills and better appreciate the game and its history, in general. 

8 - Which character is your favorite to write?  Why?

The main four are all fun to write for different reasons. Amelia because she’s a lot like me and I can relate to many of her experiences, at least in how she deals with them. 

Gemma is fun because her dialogue is always so spontaneous - I can really get creative with it and have her say things the other three would never say. Gemma interacting with everyone is also a blast to write because she’s the heart of the group, the one who keeps everyone from retreating into their thoughts.

Clive because of the challenges his character presents, knowing what’s he’s been through and where he’s eventually headed and how that connects to who he is in the story currently. Writing him is always intimidating, especially because I have to write him through Amelia’s eyes instead of getting directly into his head. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface with him, a lot that the reader (and Amelia) can only guess at. It’s difficult, but fun, especially when I get to write his more dorky, softer side that emerges with his close family and friends. 

And Bernard because he’s Bernard. He always gets the best dialogue and I always have too much fun writing it as I cackle, wishing I could be as snarky and deadpan as him in real life. 

13 - Which authors or styles do you try to emulate in your writing?

I think every author I’ve read has rubbed off on me one way or another. Every book has left its own impression on my skills, shaping my writing style over the years. There are also quite a few authors in particular who I’ve intentionally emulated (and who’ve also undoubtedly influenced me well beyond of what I’m aware).  Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Trenton Lee Stewart, C.S. Lewis, Lemony Snicket, J.K, Rowling, and Richard Addams to name a few.

For Lamplight Letters, I’ve tried to write in a style that seems like it would fit with the Layton world. An older style, with what I hope is more of a timeless feel. Though writing in first person, I also like to incorporate some modern elements like a few stream-of-conscious moments for intense situations and playing around with sentence structure to mimic how Amelia might think in a particular situation. I also try to keep the idea in mind that Amelia is telling the story after a number of years, as if she’s looking back as an adult which would explain why the style is maybe a bit more polished and mature than it might otherwise be for a 14-year-old. 

15 - How do you plan your writing?

It’s hard to know where the process begins and ends because in planning out one chapter I’m also planning for future chapters by throwing in hints and foreshadowing and set-ups for conflicts and consequences to come so it’s more like a never-ending chain of dominoes I have to keep from spiraling out of control, especially now as I near the end with a lot of the set-up behind me and tons of big reveals ready to go off like bombs in upcoming chapters that all need to be carefully managed.

 But. Anyway. I start with a rough outline of a chapter, just a brief little summary and how it fits into the story at large. This I roll around in my head for awhile, adding this or that until I’m ready to write a proper outline. I’m not a huge outline person, as in I don’t go for the long, detailed outlines. There’s got to be some spontaneity to the process, as well, so I try to keep my outlines to the basics - the big events in the chapter that have to happen and that will move the story along. If I happen to think of a really clever piece of dialogue or a little character moment along the way I’ll throw that in so I won’t forget. Once I have the outline I’ll either start on the rough draft or do some research depending on the chapter itself.

I also have several extra documents with important information, research, detailed summaries of all of the mysteries, how they connect, and every single reference to them in the story so I know exactly what the characters know. Wow, I’m tired now. 

22 - Do you listen to music when you write?

I’ll listen to music when I draw, but I can’t do it when I write. I like to have silence save for my fan. Music is important during the planning process, though. I like to go for walks and listen to music that has helped inspire the story and just let the ideas flow. I actually plotted the initial (very rough) outline for the ending of Lamplight Letters this way. That was an intense walk. 

24 - Do you prefer first or third person?  Why?

Both. Both is good. I think first-person is easier to write, because you have that direct connection with the protagonist, while with third-person there’s a bit more distance. First person also has more of an intensity to it, especially if you choose to write in the present tense. Third-person, though, can be more versatile and it’s easier to switch between characters. I think if I ever wrote an L^3 sequel I might write in third-person and include chapters from the perspectives of all of the main four, instead of just Amelia. (I know, I know. Why am I thinking about this? Focus, brain. Still 14 more chapters to write). 

25 - How do you defeat writers’ block?

I just try to keep writing. If there’s a particular part of a chapter that’s proving to be a stumbling block, I’ll write the poorest, quickest excuse for a scene and move on. Once I’ve got the rough draft completed, I’ll come back to it. Seeing it in the context of the whole chapter somehow makes it less intimidating. An example would be the scene in chapter 25 where Amelia summarizes part of the tournament and the whirlwind of matches she plays. That scene took forever because of the research that went into it and also just the struggle of making it flow smoothly. But instead of agonizing over it, I wrote a terribly sketchy collection of paragraphs that provided adequate if not clunky transition and moved on to something not as difficult that bolstered my confidence and made it easier to return to that bad section.

30 - What’s your favorite part about writing?

That’s a hard one. I love writing in general, so it’s hard to break it down and find that one element that sticks out more than the rest. I love creating and developing characters and worlds and storylines, bringing them all to life, the satisfaction of finding just the right word to use, looking back and seeing how my skills have grown, sharing my stories with others and hearing about the impact they’ve had. I also love using writing to explore my own thoughts and feelings, to ask questions I can’t really ask anywhere else and to help me make sense of things I struggle with in my own life. I also love thinking of new ideas and planning new chapters and the hours of enjoyment that can bring. Also, meeting other writers, finding new inspiration…etc. Think I could write a book about it all ;) 

[zerohour1974]

When it comes to computers, I’m Weird...

That many would say is a strange statement and you would probably be right.  However in my case that statement is also very true.

I don’t follow convention.  Never have and probably never will but I don’t equally follow the path of the alternate to the letter either.  Confused ? You will be…

I am typing this on a Windows 10 machine using a minimalist word processor called Focuswriter .  Why? now this is where it gets weird.  If I was to have started this in Microsoft Word or Open Office, you would have nothing to read.

When I open up these programs I regularly find myself staring at a blank page.  No words will come to mind, it will be a complete blank.  Are these programs more than capable of accepting these words.  Yep and probably a lot more besides.  

However in these environments I become unproductive.  My brain sees it and switches off.  I see all of those stupid fonts and buttons and my brain goes Nope, not playing ball with this and that’s it.  I will stare at a blank page until I get frustrated and normally quit the program.

Start up something like this and I type away happily.  Now here’s a crazy thing.  I used to work with a program called Atlantis Ocean Mind (now just Atlantis) it was a Microsoft word clone but a lot lighter but it had a quirky little feature that when you typed it made the sound of a typewriter on every keystroke and when you got to the end of a line it even dinged to tell you it had got to the end of the line.   I loved this program I even bought a license which I have since lost.

This I also spent far too long with the system clacking away like an old typewriter and it inspired me to write.  How mad is that?

Now I have used many word processors over the years.  Some have stuck and I still use them occasionally.  Many have been cast by the wayside.

On the Mac I tend to use two different word processors.  The first is Word Perfect 3.5 for Macintosh which works on Mac OS 6 up.  The reason I used this regularly was its grammar checking software Grammatik was much more concise than any version of any word processor, including the later versions of Word Perfect.

The second is Writeroom when using OS X.  Writeroom is a minimalist word processor in fact the first one I ever used written by Jesse Grosjean of Hogbay Software.  I love this piece of software I got version 2 for free when I signed up for the Nanobundle at Macheist.

I later paid for a key for version 3 many years later when I moved up to a G5 Mac.  Both the G5 and the key are no longer with us.  The key was lost due to deleting an email I shouldn’t have and when I tried to recover it. It failed.  Ho hum, such is life.

To give you an example of how much I enjoyed this software.  A lot of my earlier blog entries were written using a VM of OS X (Mountain Lion and later El Capitan) on a Windows machine using VMWare.  The data was then saved into a shared directory and then opened in a further word processor and copied to the clipboard which was then pasted into the Tumblr blog window in a browser.

That’s the first of my computer quirks…

Another thing is I have messed around with virtually every alternative OS to Windows.  If it exists I have probably tried it from ReactOS, Syllable, SkyOS, BeOS (now Haiku), Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, AROS and more.  However I still use a Windows 10 base.  Have a major dislike for Linux well documented elsewhere.

That’s because I can normally get Windows to do what I want with the least effort, sure it has issues but not to the degree I have had with the Linux derivatives out there.

Now OK a lot of the alternatives have fallen due to lack of software support.  However I really did like BeOS.  It was fast as hell.  The programs seemed to work well of what there was.  Sure Abiword for BeOS went weird and refused to word wrap when used but most stuff worked.

Haiku while started off with a bit of a comeback seems once again to be dying off again.  One day we may get beyond Alpha 4 without running a nightly build.

I like the quirky bits of software nobody cares about.  I liked Lotus Organiser nothing has been made similar since. Well that’s not true there is a program like it on MorphOS but I am not paying the silly price for a license to run it on my G4.

Digita Organiser on the Amiga is similar too but I don’t use my A1200 as an everyday machine.

When everyone was messing around with Microsoft Visual Basic (Yep it was once a thing people actually used) I was looking at Delphi and Kylix (Delphi Linux version) from Borland.  Yep Pascal and as people got interested in Delphi, my interest ran out.  I’m odd as I said.

When emulation first began getting done on the internet I was permanently downloading things like MAME, Fellow, Z80 by Gerter Lunter, JPP, Callas, Magic Engine and much more for DOS I was permanently chasing around the VG Network keeping tabs on things.

Then a lot moved to Windows did I follow, well for a long time I didn’t.  I had Windows but I found the early API hideous stuff as an ex DOS programmer so I refused to run a lot of them on principle alone.

Now virtually everything is emulated and yes I think I have tried virtually every emulator out there.  In fact the more obscure the emulator the more likely I am going to try and do it.

I was saying about running Mac OS X in a VM to use Writeroom.  however when OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) was released I was trying to get it running on a PC emulated PPC software called Pear PC.  It was slow, it was buggy but damn I was determined I would get it working to a degree and sure as hell I did.

I have Hackintoshed many PCs with varying levels of success or failure.  Several I have documented.  Why do I want to run Mac OS on a PC?

Simple they have fascinating programs like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro X.  I want to have the best of both worlds.  Why should Mac have all the fun programs.

I want a machine that can run both without issue and more.

I have used programs like Quark when InDesign is the known standard just because I found InDesign awkward to get used to.  However I will continue to use Photoshop even though many alternative exist out there.  As I said I’m not consistent.

I complained about Microsoft Office for Windows but the funny thing is I love to mess around with Word 5.1 on Mac OS.  I hate the Gimp as a photo editing software but will much happily use something like Xara Studio for vector work in preference to Adobe Illustrator.  

Overall I am a quirky computer user.  I use what ever I want and may not always use the same tool everyone else uses.  I like the odd and the strange programs but equally get frustrated if certain programs don’t do what I want.  I’m fickle…

Many will ask my opinion on what software to use.  What antivirus, what Office software, etc.  To be honest I am probably the last person on this Earth you should come to for software advice.

Find what works for you.  Try a bunch of stuff, see what sticks.  If you don’t like it, try something else.  That’s what I do.

I will try and make machines do everything they are not meant to do.  If you can emulate it I will try it, if you can virtualise it I will try it, Can it to something else stupid it was not originally designed to do.  That’s what I will be trying to get it to do.

I’m like that if I had a Mac I would be trying to get it to be something else probably to do with Windows or something even more stupid just because I can.

As I said at the top of this article when it comes to computers.  I’m weird…