#which i will definitely be writing about once I have written the 47 other things on my list

[yeoldenews]

A selection of strange and cryptic personal ads from The New York Herald, 1860s to 1890s. 14/?

[gorogues]

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: This is just my opinion but Ostrander's revamp of him was the worst thing thing to happen to him character wise. Fans of Boomerang are sometimes straight up harassed for what Ostrander did to his character. Like on one hand, one of the reasons why he was on the suicide squad for so long and we see him AT ALL is because of Ostrander but I'm sick of being called racist because of how my guy was written by Ostrander.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Identity Crisis was bad for Digger still though. It also made me kinda dislike Tim Drake fans but I also get that for ages their only exposure to Boomer was that comic. And the Knight Terrors: Robin comic bringing that comic back into the established canon did no favors either seeing that it was through the eyes of someone who wasn’t even there. An artistic choice for sure, but it’s also made Tim Drake fans feral about how AWFUL Digger is.

Unfortunately this is more of a fan problem than a writing one. I definitely sympathize with people who love pre-Crisis Digger but hate his post-Crisis self, because modern Digger can be a lot. But people being jerks to other fans because of it is 100% a problem with fandom, and it's got to stop. There's nothing wrong with liking problematic characters as long as you're honest about their flaws, because they aren't real people and they haven't actually hurt anyone real…and just because you like them doesn't mean you approve of everything they do.

It's also fine for people to dislike a character or avoid other fans if they make you uncomfortable for any reason, but it shouldn't get to the point of mistreating a real person over fictional stories and liking/disliking fictional things.

(To make things extremely personal for a moment, it took me over 25 years to figure out why I gravitate to unpopular villains: it was only once I understood that I was the family scapegoat that I realized I like unpopular villains because I'd been considered one/treated like one my entire life. People can have their reasons for liking villains and problematic characters that have nothing to do with the shittiest thing(s) the character(s) have done.)

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: And with Owen, arguably his worst characterization was in that one Supergirl comic where he tried to get with a 15 year old Supergirl while being established as an adult man and was like, “I’m not a creep” but then on the same page also called her “jailbait” which uh… Gross. I must say I’m not fond of him because of that and therefore didn’t mind the kinda bad revamp back in Suicide Squad (2016) #47

The question was "the most common way they're written badly", and while that was weird and creepy, it was thankfully just a brief anomaly in the Supergirl book (that's why his strange Rebirth revamp didn't get my pick; it was just one story). I found Owen's intelligence and skill level varied wildly throughout his appearances, and sometimes he was competent and sometimes he was a clueless dumbass. He seemed reasonably smart in his debut story, so IMO him being an idiot was the primary example of being written badly.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Sorry that my thoughts are kinda all over the place on the Captain Boomerangs.

That's completely okay, it's why we're all here! :)

parkakingrolo replied to your ask post: I'm gonna go a little against the grain on Lisa, and say some of her other characterizations I'm not too fond of are when she's now the moral compass, and I agree The Rogues should have a stronger one, but forcing it on Lisa feels awkward. Don't get me started on when she hinted at feelings for Barry too. Maybe it's just two extremes and they struggle for a healthy middle.

Yeah, that's fair. That one's a problem too, though the one I mentioned bothers me more so I guess that's why I went with it. Truthfully I think both versions are manifestations of sexist beliefs about women, one benevolent ("women are morally better than men") and one misogynist ("women are crazy bitches, especially ex-girlfriends" -- and on that note, I really hate what was done to Magenta by Waid and Johns. She should have been included on the previous list).

It would be good if DC strove for some middle ground between the two, because Lisa should be flawed but not constantly jonesing to slash people's faces.

[warpedlegacy]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @dreadfutures! Tagging @effelants and @kiastirling-fanfic.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 47

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 739,512

3. What fandoms do you write for? Resident Evil/Biohazard, Dragon Age, Mass Effect

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Recovery, a post-RE2 Remake Leon/Claire smut (340) The Rise, part 1 of my DAI-timeline series that starts with the prologue and ends with the arrival at Skyhold (140) Bracing, a 350-word drabble for Dorian/Bull (71) A Terrible Bore (350-word Cullen/Theresa drabble) and An Evening In (one-shot Cullen/Theresa fluff) are tied for fourth (64) Fiercely Perish, which is essentially Die Hard in Thedas, with Bull as John McClain (56)

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to respond to everyone and try not to be overwhelming in my gratitude lol. I so rarely get comments that each one feels like Christmas Morning to me and I want to cherish it forever.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? The Black City - the second part of my post-Trespasser Cullen/Theresa series, which ends with their relationship in tatters and them coming to the conclusion that the only way they can heal from their grief is apart. One of the hardest things I've ever written. T_T

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Swept Away - my super indulgent Josephine/Isabela adventure romance. I wrote it as a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean meets Jane Austen. I adore them!

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, never! I've been very lucky.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yup! I've written one-shots as well as scenes incorporated into longer stories. It's almost never PWP though - I have tried and literally can't. For some reason it always ends up at least partly a character study lmao. And because it's me, there's also usually some angst worming its way in there. I am hopeless. ^_^;

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Nope. The closest I've ever come was D&DA Effect, which was me just taking the idea of "what if the plot of DA was actually just the crew of the Normandy playing D&D?" and cranking out a short dialogue-only scene. It reads like a transcript lol. It was definitely fun, but overall I don't have much interest in crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I've had a couple people ask if they can translate one or two of my fics, and I've always granted permission. If they ever completed the translations, I was never tagged in them.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? A couple times, yes. I've participated in a couple round robins with my fellow server members, and did a pinch hit on an exchange event with another writer.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Oh gosh I have so many.... My favorite to write for is definitely Cullen/Theresa, Theresa being my OC Trevelyan Inquisitor.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Look. I really, REALLY wanna finish my Reprises & Reprisals series. I promise!!! I'm about to pick it back up in fact. But my worry is that once the fourth game comes out I may lose interest in writing for Inquisition for a while. And who knows when it'll come back. So I'm hoping to at least finish MOST of book two, which will at least get me to the end of the base game and the big revelation I've been sitting on for literal YEARS.

16. What are your writing strengths? Character and dialogue, and I've also been told that I write action well

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Repetition. Descriptive prose and scene blocking. Every time I have to describe what a character is physically doing in a scene, I immediately forget how to exist in a body or how to move one lol.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? If you are fluent enough to write in that language, write it out. Or if not, at least run it by someone who is. The more often languages other than English are included in stories shown to a primarily English-speaking readership, the less "other" it will become. Otherwise, it's best just to write it in English (WITHOUT writing the accent) and describe what language it's being spoken in. Conlangs and ciphers are definitely trickier, and I try my best not to lean too heavily on them, just because I don't feel I'm well enough versed in linguistics to really parse the nuances of such use without accidentally falling into unfortunate implications or stereotypes.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Mass Effect

20. Favorite fic you've written? As much as I love my Cullen/Theresa stories, I have a deep fondness and love for Swept Away. I poured a lot of time and effort into its writing, and it remains, in my opinion, one of my best-paced, best-written, and most engaging stories.

Blank form under the cut

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

[deniigi]

Heya Matt! For your author questions thing: 1, 47 (referencing the fic for question 1), 25, 4 (referencing your favorite fic), and 15 (but specifically for Star Wars)

Heya Em!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Definitely "Inimitable." Or "In Technicolor". I need people to know that, regardless of what Fandom I am in, I am dead serious about my various "crack" premises and will turn them into full narratives that will make you laugh and cry chapter by chapter.

47. If [insert fic] was a pair of shoes, what kind would it be? Describe the shoes.

Inimitable would be a pair of fucked up Van's. High tops. multicolored. Shoelaces are broken and tied into knots. There is a puncture from a nail in one.

In Technicolor would be a loafer. Black and peeling because it's not actually leather.

4. What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

I am really proud of how I handled the archeological dilemma of owning a family heirloom which is also an invaluable cultural object in "center stage." I think I did a fairly good job showing the tension between the academic institution, family pressures, and the memory of the once-owner of an object. I am also really in love with the cyclical story telling I did in the chapter about jedi cloaks in that story.

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

For Star wars I use wookiepedia but for "center stage" I tend to draw on the historical recreation side of YouTube, on my own experiences as someone who uses experimental archeology as a methodology in academic work, a really good podcast called Articles of Interest, and the various debates/trials/experiences that I see my academic colleagues going through.

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

God it's hard because "center stage" is so me, but "Inimitable" is narratively solid and inspires so much creativity. But I think "Pigeon and Crow" has a special place in my heart because it's just like. It draws on the insecurities that I have and experienced and it represents a Peter Parker who is truly existing as an ordinary person who is distant and ever tinged by loneliness and fear of ostraization. And that makes him a little silly and messy and I like how he works through that in that series. It is really poignant to me.

[profanetools]

38, 39, and what kind of question is 47???? give me the twelve tones shoes

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

Twelve Tones was and still is far more widely read than I ever expected it to be. I sincerely believed that six followers would read it before it would be promptly forgotten about. The fact that it's three years old now and that people are still reading it is remarkable to me. I wouldn't say it's massively popular by any normal metric but having complete strangers on a discord server mention how much they loved that lesbian dwarf romance fic with Kagrenac and her robot wife in it is definitely more popular than most OC-based TES fics.

but I really couldn't tell you why it's popular beyond this blog having some traction, having some relatively popular mutuals who shared it, and it being both finished and well-written. I don't think f!Kagrenac/f!dwemer OC is what people are screaming for, as cool a concept Bthemetez is.

39. Is any aspect of your writing process inspired by other writers or people? If so, who?

Terry Pratchett's '400 words a day' principle guided me through writing the first half of twelve tones and has helped me through much of my writing.

A piece of advice I picked up from another writer - who I forget, apologies to them - is to keep a 'dump document' full of snippets you can't stand to keep.

Another process thing I've picked up is sleeping on it, looking it in the morning.

Generally the bit you're desperate to keep isn't a bit that fits / works well, as a rule. I've learnt this the hard way.

47. If Twelve Tones was a pair of shoes, what kind would it be? Describe the shoes.

A pair of almost antique custom heavy worker's boots - factory floor style, like solovairs or docs - that have had the original leather changed for very pretty patchwork geometric print leather in different faded colours, painstakingly stitched on at some point. The left is a half size larger than the right. The whole effect screams 'massive dyke'. They were once cared for, but shoes are not in the best condition - they need a solid polish as it stands. (I will edit Twelve Tones properly / re-write chapters some day... some day).

also, since I misread 47 as 48 at first:

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

Vedam's bound in a boquet, here: https://www.tumblr.com/vedam/713340321433583616/bound-in-a-bouquet-on-the-way-to-bed-mavus-finds This is such a sweet fic and a really good exploration of tricky family dynamics, I really loved it ;-;

[calaisreno]

Ask game for fanfic writers: 2, 40, 47, and 49 please?

Thank you for the asks!

2) talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.” This question made me laugh. It's rare that this happens, but it does. Synchronicity began as a very different story, where John and Sherlock were boyfriends at school and broke up, only to meet years later. Originally it was meant to be alternating POV, but once I began with John's part, I realised that he wasn't just sad, he was really angry at Sherlock, whereas Sherlock was oblivious. No, they hadn't been boyfriends, John said. Sherlock did something unforgivable, in John's eyes, and even years later, he was furious. So it became enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, with John's resistance gradually wearing down as Sherlock became more and more ridiculous and understood why John was mad.

40) best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten. A published author came to talk to a writing class I was in years ago. She said, take your draft and tear off the first two pages. Throw them away. Page 3 is where your story begins. The idea was that inexperienced writers (which we all were) usually write a lot of backstory or character description or other things before they get into the action. A good story incorporates those things once the plot is rolling.

It's a variation of the advice to "kill your darlings," that is, to be willing to cut out the parts you love if they don't work in your story.

I prefer this: Don't kill your darlings, recycle them.

If you've ever written a perfect scene or dialogue or description, and then had to scrap that part of the story because it doesn't work, it's tempting to try to force it to work because it feels like such a waste.

But no writing is wasted: Just because you've written something that feels good doesn't mean you should use it. It's not wasted effort. I've recycled a lot of good bits of stories that didn't work for one reason or another. Keep it, and eventually you'll find the right place to use it.

47) what story are you most proud of? The Last Envoy: I worked on this longer than any other story I've written, did more research, and I think the idea is my most original. I'm happy with the way it turned out.

49) do you want to be published some day? No. I'm not sure that would be more fun than writing fanfiction. There's a lot of freedom in writing like this, making up stories for a bunch of fans who love the same characters I do. No pressure to sell books. Publishing has changed a lot over the last twenty years, so there are many options we didn't used to have (i.e. back when I sent off my very thrilling space-opera epic to the only publisher who still received unsolicited manuscripts). I think it depends on why you write, and I'm definitely a hobby writer, doing it just for fun.

[simplymurdock]

I posted 827 times in 2022

That's 509 more posts than 2021!

47 posts created (6%)

780 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@peterthepark

@heytherejulietx

@indouloureux

@fleurfairie

@hellfirebabes

I tagged 145 of my posts in 2022

#doctor who - 11 posts

#maddie speaks ✩‧₊˚ - 10 posts

#maddie rambles - 9 posts

#simplymurdock - 9 posts

#eleventh doctor - 8 posts

#halsey - 7 posts

#spotify - 6 posts

#mutal love letters 💌 - 6 posts

#doctor who eleventh - 6 posts

#maddie after dark 🌃🩸🔪 - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 107 characters

#i feel like he would be down to just walk around the museum with and talk about everything and i’ll let him

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Into It

summary: you gush about your boyfriend JJ (i honestly can’t think of anything to put so sorry it’s short)

pairing: jj maybank x gender neutral! reader

warnings: that’s all i could think of but if i missed anything let me know and i’ll add it <3)

word count: 814 words

authors note: so this once again another fluffy jj imagine is anyone shocked? Anyways this one was surprisingly hard to write even though i had my basic ideas and plot down nothing was coming when i was typing it out. Which is why it is so short. Anyways i hope you all had an amazing new year and enjoyed your break. (my request are open just please make

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101 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

#4

Mystery Box

summary: you suprise the doctor with a mysterious small box.

pairing: 11th doctor x reader

warnings: fluff, just prue fluff (that’s all i could think of but if i missed anything let me know and i’ll add it <3)

word count: 896 words

authors note: so this is another short one, but since it’s february i wanted to write more fluffy stuff. and who better to start it off with then none other then the doctor i have a build-a-bear of. this is also hugely inspired by @heytherejulietx 11th doctor works that y’all should definitely check out. but i really hope y’all enjoy it <3 (also my request are open so please make sure you read the rules before making a request!)

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115 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

#3

So You Need A Time Machine?

summary: after (y/n)’s laptop crashes a familiar doctor comes to her rescue.

pairing: eleventh doctor x reader

warnings: fluff/comfort, some cursing, it’s mostly fluff (that’s all i could think of but if i missed anything let me know and i’ll add it <3)

word count: 1148 words

authors note: When @heytherejulietx tells you your writing is amazing you write more immediately. This truly brought me so much joy to write and i loved the thought of the doctor with a companions that is an art history major. so don't be surprised if i write more things like this cause i already want to do something with river and this character type. (also my requests are open so please make sure you read the rules before making a request!)

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144 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#2

Hey! I’d love to request an eleventh doctor x reader where the doctor is completely dependent on and in love with the reader - she’s his anchor - but he doesn’t tell her cause you know… he’s the doctor. The reader is oblivious to those feelings and one day something happens - you choose what - and he might lose the reader. What will he do when he might possibly lose his anchor?

Her Doctor

summary: What happens when the Doctor’s anchor slowly loses herself in the asylum of the Daleks.

pairing: eleventh doctor x fem!reader

warnings: cruising, mentions of losing someone and death, some angst but I make it up with some fluff in the end and sprinkled about. (that’s all i could think of but if i missed anything let me know and i’ll add it <3)

word count: 4,154 words

authors note: this hands down the longest thing i’ve written on here and it took forever. this lovely request came from @okay-j-hannah who you can blame for allowing me to write some sad shit (i’m 100% being sarcastic here lol). but in all seriousness thank you so much for requesting i really hope you enjoy this <3 (my requests are open so please make sure you read the rules before making a request!)

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160 notes - Posted April 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Alone

summary: after getting separated from everyone in the hotel with changing hallways you corner yourself into a room. only to be met with your greatest fear.

pairing: eleventh doctor x reader

warnings: cruising, and description of fear but other than i don’t think there’s any. (that’s all i could think of but if i missed anything let me know and i’ll add it <3)

word count: 1700 words

authors note: the god complex it one of my favorite episodes mostly cause i like creepy eerie mystery type stuff and this hopefully fulfilled that same thing. (also my requests are open so please make sure you read the rules before making a request!)

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349 notes - Posted February 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[looye29]

Hey, its James. This is my review of the ClickBank University 2.0 where I’ve tried to give you an open show of hands on the product – a fair and unbiased take on what it claims it is and what it really is! I hope you find this useful! ClickBank University 2.0, as the name states, is an updated version of the earlier ClickBank University program. The new program is quite a step-up from its previous counterpart, which was seriously lacking in several areas. The Product So, first things first, what is ClickBank University 2.0? As per the website, “ClickBank University 2.0 delivers the latest up to date strategies, methods and, tactics for you build your ClickBank business rapidly.” With ClickBank University 2.0 training, the odds of you being successful online developing or promoting ClickBank products go up DRAMATICALLY. In layman’s terms, it is an online training program and a community with access to a forum, live webinars, and more. It is mainly composed of two key aspects – becoming a vendor with Clickbank by creating your own digital products and learning how to promote other existing products at Clickbank as an affiliate. Here’s what you get inside the member’s area of ClickBank University 2.0: 12-week Vendor schedule 8-week Affiliate marketing schedule Traffic center Tool Kit with access to actual products you can use and discounts on purchases of others Live Webinars with real-time QnA sessions with other experts Recordings of earlier live sessions The Creators The Clickbank University 2.0 has been jointly created by the trio: - Matt Hulett (ClickBank’s current CEO) - Justin Atlan (Product Publishing Instructor) - Adam Horwitz (Instructor of the Affiliate track) For me, the Instructor list lays the initial trust foundation because, just like me, if you’ve been in affiliate marketing niche, you would have heard of Justin and Adam’s million-dollar success stories. If these guys are going, tell me how to do it, I’m in! The Sales Page The presentation and content of the site had me impressed. There is no vague information and double-ended phrases – the page tells you what you get when you pay. It shares a lot of details on what the product contains, how long each course etc. Its more information than most other products that I’ve seen – and when people give details, that just goes on to show that it’s solid. The video is long and honestly makes a lot of tall promises, but just to be fair here – that’s what a sales pitch is all about! Pros Here’s what I found once I was inside the member’s area of ClickBank University 2.0: The first impression that I got is that it’s all so organized! There is a definite schedule to follow plan for you to the very last detail. The course contains a lot of videos – but none are overwhelming. They are short and crisp – giving you just the information you need in a clear, understandable manner. There is never an information-overload feeling. There are downloadable files for you in every module. I saw that most videos had files I could save to my computer. They contain a synopsis of what the video taught in easy steps – basically a quick recap of the video in writing. There is a lot of reading material that’s sure to keep you busy. The guides are concise and well-written. The Product Publishing track is really very comprehensive – it covers a lot of ground. If you are a complete newbie to the affiliate marketing world, the information and training here is hugely helpful. There is a lot that a mid-level experienced affiliate marketer can also learn – I found some very nice tricks! The “exclusive community” they promise you as part of the program is actually quite active. I saw posts made on a daily basis by other members helping each other out with their queries. For me, it was a nice feeling – I felt that if I have a problem, there are people willing to give me a hand! Cons The ClickBank University 2.0 has noticeable shortcomings, and here’s my take on the downside:

The support system isn’t really that great. The initial response they send to any is usually a canned one. They did solve my query in the next mail though. For me, the support service can do with some more attention! Proper examples are missing in many places. The Instructors are telling us what to without actually ‘showing’ us what to do, if you get what I mean. For example, you can tell me that I need to use a good email marketing program, but if you actually show me how to use one to get results, it just makes more sense. In this regard, I will go on to say that I found a few tutorials lacking ineffectiveness. There’s a hidden upsell of about $600, which you realize once you are about halfway through. This is optional, though, so it's not really necessary for you to spend anything extra. They believe in revealing content as you go along which means there’s locked content. All of the data is not available to me as and when I want to take a look and it also does not unlock on immediately finishing the previous section. There are a minimum number of days that you need to wait for, for some sections. This was a little annoying as some people may learn faster than others. The community is not moderated frequently which means that incorrect or just plain bad advice is sometimes given which can be easily avoided if the forum is well-moderated timely. My Verdict Overall, I would say that at $47 per month, ClickBank University 2.0 is a good investment for beginners who need direction and actionable advice. However, if you are an intermediate-to-expert-level affiliate marketer, I doubt you will gain too much from this program – it mostly covers the basics, and sometimes in an unnecessarily simplified way.

[jacaranda-bloom]

FIC WRITER QUESTIONS

Thank you to the lovely @allwaswell16 @runaway-train-works @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @uhoh-but-yeah-alright and @evilovesyou for tagging me to answer some questions about my writing.

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

47

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

901,445 (Hoping to hit the Magic Million by the end of the year!)

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

1 (One Direction)

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

When Tomorrow Comes 1155

The Baby Whisperer 950

Love, Ever After 898

Harry Poppins 856

Play Me A Memory 760

More under the cut…

5) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oh gosh. Uhm. I don’t really write angsty endings? All my fics have Happy Endings and most have epilogues to round them out and tie them up in a bow. Perhaps I’d say If You’re Out There (I’ll Find You Somehow) purely because (spoiler ahead) the epilogue is written 100 years into the future so they’ve both passed.

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Interestingly, I would actually say the answer is the same as above, If You’re Out There (I’ll Find You Somehow). The epilogue is so uplifting and I cry happy tears every time I re-read it. It’s written from the POV of their granddaughter and you get to see the world they had a hand in changing for the better through her eyes, so you get a sense of how impactful their lives were on the rest of society. Oof, tearing up right now just thinking about it.

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Yeah, I have actually. I really enjoy doing new takes on an existing universes, although they aren’t always the easiest thing to pull off tbh. I’m not sure which I would say is the craziest, but the hardest to write was definitely The Peter Pan/Hook AU.

Harry Poppins - Loosely based on the book/movie Mary Poppins, but without any magical aspects.

Playing To Win - Set in the Big Brother house.

The Pirate and The Piper - A Peter Pan/Hook AU which I took a lot of liberties with.

In The Still Of The Night - My Dirty Dancing AU.

A Hungry Heart - This is a Great British Bake Off AU that is due out in September for the Cliche Fic Fest!

8) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Whoa Nelly. Yeah, I do. All the time. Every fic actually. There’s only one, Exposed, the only fic I’ve published that’s not rated Explicit and doesn’t have smut. But, to be fair, the challenge was to write exactly 666 words and I still managed to get the implication in there. Plus, Louis was naked and Harry was applying body paint for the majority of the story, so like, I think I can get a free pass on that one - I tried!

In terms of what type of smut, I guess it varies depending on the story. I tend not to push the boat out too far, but I do dabble in BDSM in quite a few of my fics. A recurring theme in the comments I receive is that my smut scenes are well constructed and detailed, without being too tedious or drawn out, which is lovely feedback to get because they can be challenging to write.

9) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Absolutely. Every single one.

10) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not often, people are usually so kind, but there have been a couple.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of!

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, quite a lot, particularly on Wattpad, all with my full consent. That said, I’m thinking of stopping this because it’s getting a bit out of hand and I’ve been feeling uncomfortable about it recently for various reasons that I won’t bore you with here. 

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope! I don’t think it’s really my thing tbh. I get very in my head about writing and struggle even to brainstorm or share too much until I’m well into a story.

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

Of the 47 fics I’ve written, there are 45 Larry, 1 Narry, and 1 Louis/Dermot O’Leary (I think mine is still the only fic with this ship hahahaa), so that’s probably a good indication of my fave writing ship.

15) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I have one lonely WIP sitting on AO3 from 2018. I keep promising myself I’ll finish it and it’s on my schedule every year, then I get distracted by other fics/fests and it gets pushed back. Plus, it needs a complete rewrite because my style has developed so much since I started it, so it’ll be a big job. Based on that, I think that the fic, in its current form, won’t ever be finished as the rewrite will completely wipe out what it was, although the underlying plot will still be there.

16) What are your writing strengths?

World building (or so I’m often told). I write very visually and people often say they can imagine the scene exactly, or that it’s like a movie, or that they think it’s actually a real place I’m describing, when most of the time it absolutely isn’t, it’s just something I’ve created in my weird brain.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue (although my lovely beta disagrees) and telling rather than showing. They’re both things I’m actively working on.

18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve never really considered it. It’s not something I’d shy away from necessarily, but it’s just never come up.

19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

One Direction. First and only.

20) What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Wow. This is really tough because it changes over time. I find that once I’ve finished a fic I don’t want to revisit it for a few months because I’m kind of over it. But I find comfort in them after a while, like I get to go back to that happy place and immerse myself in that world and the characters again, similar to catching up with an old friend. It’s familiar. I think I also like different stories for different reasons and I’m drawn to various ones depending on my mood. My top 3 (although, ask me next week and the list will probably be completely different!) would probably be:

1. If You’re Out There (I’ll Find You Somehow). Written for the hybrid fic fest (a fest I created just for this fic lol). It’s not everyone’s cup of tea due to the hybrid aspect, but it’s one of the stories I feel is the most rounded from a character development perspective and the world building was pretty epic, if I can be so bold as to throw that out there myself!

2. No Going Back. One of my Big Bangs from 2020. I adore the way their relationship develops in this fic and the setting (as remote lighthouse keepers) was such a lot of fun to write. Plus I got to collaborate with an amazing artist who created an entire website as an accompanying travel blog which was truly wonderful.

3. From The Heart. This is a series I wrote for wordplay back in 2019. I had no idea that what I was doing was so unusual and so meta by having Louis essentially write for the equivalent of wordplay in the fic. It was such an fun way to share my writing process and challenges I encounter (exactly how many synonyms tabs do I have open at any one time?!) and I thoroughly enjoyed the outcome (although getting there was definitely a struggle).

~

This was really fun and thanks to anyone who made it this far! Writing brings me so much joy and is a wonderful outlet for all the imaginings in my head, so I appreciate everyone who supports me and joins me on that journey.

~

I’m pretty late with this and I’m not sure who has already done it but I’ll tag @fallinglikethis @homosociallyyours @lululawrence @reminiscingintherain and @beau-soleil-louis if they’d like to do this and haven’t already.

[isolemnlyswearpevensie]

And This Is How It Starts | Susan Pevensie x Reader Soulmate AU

Warnings: Slight homophobia, shitty friends???

Time/Era: Modern AU

Word Count: 1.9k

Summary: Everything your soulmate loses, you receive. Turns out, Y/N’s soulmate is very forgetful. 

Request: helloo. can you write a sapphic susan fic please! take it whatever way you'd like :)

A/N: I’m not sure how many people read Susan fics, but I really like this one :D

masterlist | narnia playlist | read on ao3

“Gross, can you guys please cut it out?” Y/N stated, watching her best friend suck faces with her soulmate. She was on his lap and their make out session was starting to grow more intense than Y/N was comfortable with. Hannah pulls away from Alex with an exaggerated groan. 

“You’re just jealous you’re still stuck in the ‘lose it and receive it’ phase. Not my fault you haven’t found him yet.” Her voice was light and teasing, but Y/N couldn’t help but fell her heart rip. 

“I’ll find her eventually,” Y/N sighed, taking a book out of her schoolbag. It was a small, very beat-up copy of The Hunger Games. 

“Her?” Alex responded, tearing his gaze from Hannah’s face. “How do you know it’s a her?” 

Y/N opened the book delicately to reveal “Susan Pevensie” written in perfect cursive on the back of the front cover. The book had multiple stains on it, most likely tea judging by the color, and the same perfect cursive riddled the pages. Whoever Susan was, she adored this book with her life. Y/N’s fingertips lightly traced the writing before turning the book for her friends to see. Hannah scrunches her face at it. 

“It could be his friends, you know. Like she lent it to him and he lost it,” Alex kisses Hannah’s cheek. 

“Or this Susan girl is his girlfriend,” Hannah smirks.

“Or,” Y/N was growing frustrated. Whenever she hinted that her soulmate might be a girl, everyone dismissed her suspicions. “My soulmate is Susan Pevensie and she keeps losing her things. And besides, this book is really loved, she wouldn’t just give it to someone.” 

Hannah scoffed, tossing her hair in a very I know everything, and you don’t kind of way. “Fine, believe what you want. Not sure why you would want a girl soulmate anyway, I know I wouldn’t.” 

“Well, yeah, of course you don’t. You’re straight,” Y/N flipped to a random page and read the gorgeous handwriting that was scrawled in the margins. Her mouth twitched slightly at how perfect the script was. 

“What? And you aren’t?” 

“No, I’m not.” Y/N’s eyes didn’t move from the page as she spoke. The teens sat in silence. “Is there a problem?” 

“No! No, of course not,” Alex answered quickly. ‘I guess we just, uh, didn’t expect it… I guess.” 

“Well, surprise. Now that that’s out of the way, do you guys like The Hunger Games?” 

The two grew even more uncomfortable at the sudden tension they were feeling. “No, not necessarily.” 

“She seems to. A lot. And there’s a cute little strawberry bookmark on page 47,” Y/N sighed dreamily picturing what Susan must look like. Based on her cursive alone, she must be absolutely jaw-dropping. 

“Has, er, Susan lost anything else recently?” Alex asked. Y/N nodded excitedly, digging in her bag again. She pulled out a set of keys with a feather pendant keychain, a light pink lipstick, a glass water bottle, and a small fabric coin purse. Y/N grinned down at the items then looked back towards her friends. 

“Oh, she must be quite forgetful. Do you have any other stuff?” Y/N’s grin brightened even more. 

“Oh, loads, this is just what she’s lost within the past week,” The keys jingled as she moved her hands. “The keys must’ve really ruined her day. I wonder what they’re to.” 

“Hopefully somewhere in England. Where’s the money from?” Hannah gestured to the yellow coin purse. Y/N shrugged and tossed it towards her friends. It was rather small, barely the size of Y/N’s palm, and it had a gorgeous diamond quilt pattern. 

“No clue. I haven’t opened it if I’m being quite honest.” Alex’s noble fingers undid the clasp and looked inside. 

“Well, it’s definitely British currency, which is helpful.” He tipped the pouch and emptied the contents into his hand. As expected, a variety of different coins came toppling out, along with a folded piece of paper and various pins. “Can I have this?” 

“No, you cannot have my soulmate’s belongings. Give me that,” Y/N grabs ahold of all the bag and its contents. With her hand cupped like a funnel, the pins and money fall smoothly into the coin purse. Y/N discards the pouch into her bag and begins to unfold the paper. 

She had expected the paper to be riddled with text, like a to-do list or a small reminder. Instead, it appeared to be a little photograph of a family. The paper itself seemed to be fragile as if it had been handled a lot or had gotten wet, so Y/N handled the photo with care. 

The scene depicted the smallest of the group, a little girl, giggling up at the oldest as the other two looked on with large smiles. Y/N turned the photo to look at the back, just in case any date was included with the photo. In the same gorgeous script as the book, Lucy laughing at Peter because Ed insulted him “in the name of justice.” June 15  was written in black ink. Y/N turned the picture over frantically and scanned the faces of the family. 

Susan was absolutely beautiful; her dark brown hair was styled in effortless waves and her lips were painted with a cherry red color. Her eyes were wrinkled in the corners, due to her contagious smile, and she looked like she was filled to the brim with happiness. Y/N had never seen such gorgeous baby blue eyes. 

The poor girl was speechless, her mind running a mile a second and vision focusing on only Susan’s portrait. 

“She’s gorgeous,” Y/N murmured breathlessly. 

“Who is?” 

Y/N looked up at her friends, turning the photo to show them. 

“Susan, my soulmate.” 

~ 

Susan read over the essay that sat in her lap, taking in every detail of the writing. It wasn’t hers, but it was her soulmate’s misplaced homework. The topic wasn’t overly exciting, an analysis of a book Susan hasn’t read, but just the way her soulmate wrote captivated her. Y/N L/N, which was the name written on the top of the paper, had such a poetic way of writing. It was as if she was telling Susan a story, rather than writing about an 18th century novel. 

“Reading the essay again, are we?” Peter snickered from next to her. Susan would have hit him with the paper, but she didn’t want to risk damaging it. 

“Yes, what’s the problem with that?” 

“Nothing, Su, I just don’t think rereading missing homework is going to bring Y/N any closer to you. It’s over a year old.” Peter had found his soulmate when he was young, so he didn’t quite understand his siblings’ desire to find their other halves so quickly. 

“Not physically, but I already know a lot about her from this one paper. I know her handwriting, how she talks, the way she feels about some things…” 

“Yeah, how she feels about classic literature. Not exactly groundbreaking.” Peter sunk deeper into the couch cushion in an attempt to get comfortable. 

“Maybe not to you, but to me it is. You don’t have to be such a happiness drain, you know.” Susan was growing more frustrated by the minute. She didn’t want her older brother to snatch the paper away from her, so she gently creased it and placed it into her notebook. 

“I’m just taking the piss.” 

“Well, it’s not funny. And shouldn’t you be doing your wash? We leave for school tomorrow.” Susan stood up, lifting her bag off of the floor and onto her shoulder. 

“Yes, alright mother.” 

~

“Y/N! Are you coming?” Hannah hollered over her shoulder. She was walking towards the train station with a large group of her friends. Y/N waved her off. 

“I’ll meet you there! Save me a seat, yeah?” Hannah shrugged her off and continued the conversion she was more invested in. 

Y/N sighed, watching their backs disappear into the distance. She never quite liked the group Hannah was friends with, so them leaving her out never quite bothered her. Especially when she could get sandwiches for the train ride. 

The teen was waiting at a crosswalk when she spotted her. Susan was stood at the newspaper stand outside of the corner store Y/N was going to. She looked stunning as she flipped idly through a Vogue magazine. The sun shone across her hair and Y/N thought she looked similar to an angel. 

When the light turned green, Y/N scurried across the street in order to meet her love. However, she paused a few paces away to steady her breathing. 

“Excuse me, are you Susan Pevensie?” Y/N spoke, voice shaking. Susan turned around, utterly confused. Y/N was right in her assumption; Susan was in fact an angel. An angel that looked even more heavenly in person. 

“Yes, and may I ask who you are? And how you know my name?” 

“Oh, right, um I’m Y/N L/N. I’m not sure if you know who-” Susan’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help but cut Y/N off. 

“You’re my soulmate.” Her red lips were slightly agape as she took in Y/N’s appearance. “Excuse my bluntness, but you’re even prettier than I imagined.” 

Y/N’s cheeks grew hot and her fingers fumbled with the buckles on her bag. She was much more nervous than she had hoped, but Y/N couldn’t help it. Once the bag was open, she gripped Susan’s possessions and held them out. 

“You need to keep better track of your things, love.” Susan’s perfectly manicured fingers brushed Y/N’s as she took back her book and keys. Y/N’s legs felt like jelly. 

“How could you possibly know what I looked like?” 

“You lost a picture of your family. Well, I suppose a coin purse with a picture folded inside. Still, a picture was lost and I saw it.” Y/N rambled, making Susan giggle. “I’ve been looking for you for ages,” 

“And I you, darling.” Susan placed her belongings into her bag and embraced Y/N. Y/N didn’t quite know what to do; Susan smelt of rose petals and honey and her hair was so soft as it brushed against Y/N’s cheek. All the same, Y/N wrapped her arms loosely around Susan’s waist. 

“Am I allowed to kiss you?” She whispered into Y/N’s ear. Y/N could have fainted on the spot, but she squeaked out a small yes. 

Susan kept her arms wrapped around Y/N’s neck as she kissed her gently. Y/N’s thumbs danced across the floral patterned fabric that covered her hips as she kissed back. It was light and fleeting, but it still made Y/N feel like she was going to burst. The pair pulled away and looked into each other’s eyes. Susan’s were even bluer in person. 

“Can I buy you a sandwich?” Y/N croaked, cutting the tension. Susan giggled happily. 

“As long as you let me cover the dessert.” 

[fictropes]

oh boy i sure did write many words in 2020

Hi! I am copying people due to i want to.  This is a lil (well... 63) round up of all the fics I wrote this year! Cos i’m very evil @ myself and writing fic and think i’m either not doing enough, or not doing it good enough, so i wanna full list of what I actually did so I can see my own accomplishments and can maybe... clap 4 myself for once. And honestly writing has helped MASSIVELY with my depression so.. that’s a bonus. 

ALSO. this is a big huge thankyou to everyone! I only joined here + started writing in august and you’ve all been so so nice and welcoming and supportive  <333 ;_; and I know they say write for yourself... but honestly peoples comments and excitement about my stuff has just been really, really lovely and I would never have written this much without all of you cheering me on<3. 

so here is a list of everything i’ve written, organised by length and everything, so if you find yourself bored over the holidays... have a lil browse. (Sorry if u are on mobile and this doesn’t show as a read more) 

Chaptered:

Can we try again? series (M) Complete - 35k  - “Yeah, Phil. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dan answers, softer than he’d wanted because he already knows what he’s about to do next.(or Dan doesn't turn up in 2009 and bumps into Phil 11 years later at a youtube convention 2. I like cupcakes, especially the gay variety (M) Complete - 30k - Firstly, Dan was 29. How was that a mature student?Secondly, his actual book was on the university fucking syllabus.(or the one in which Dan tries university again in a desperate attempt to prolong his procrastination, and his lecturer Phil is apparently something of a fan) 3. 7 Letters series (M) Complete - 9k - Your penpal can be the person you live with, actually. 4. There's Beans in Here (T) Complete - 2k - Phil has his wisdom teeth removed; Phil says many questionable things. 5. Roadtrip (E) Complete - 8k - “Exactly. I am right, as always.”“As always.” Dan agrees.Series 6. night shift, please (E) Wip - 27k I PROMISE THIS WILL COME BACK IN 2021 - Ten years and he’ll never get over how early he has to get up sometimes. In all honesty he prefers the night shift. 7. Still Not Calling it Fate (M) Wip - 14k - It’s become a bit of a thing, a bit of a thing that everyone he crosses paths with takes the piss out of him for 8. when i met you, a blue rush began (M) Complete - 5k - They end up in a small restaurant overlooking the sea, everything here is so blue. The sky, the sea, Phil’s eyes, the shirt he’s wearing buttoned up all the way to the top. 9. Luggage Tags (E) Complete - 2.5k - Just because it looks like your suitcase, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is. 10. Demon in the sack (E) Complete - 2.5k - Dan’s leg jiggles beneath his desk, knee hitting the table as he tries to force himself to hang up and ring the number he was supposed to ring— he doesn’t, he can’t. Long ( for me) oneshots (3k+) 11. Electronics and the Phil's who break them (M) Complete - 9k - The first time’s an accident, a proper accident— a Phil forgot how to hold his cup and now he’s watching his coffee seep into his keyboard type accident. 12. A Letter of Specifics (T) Complete - 4k - You'll know it's your soulmate because no one else on earth could be doing what they're doing. 13. The Benefits of A Weak Floor (M) Complete - 4k - He quite literally falls through Dan’s ceiling. 14. 10:35 on a Thursday (E) Complete -  3.7k - He’s tapping his pen against the paper, acting as though he isn’t asking Phil to take a sex quiz at 10:35am on a Thursday morning. 15. 2009, catboys (T) Complete - 3.2k - “You have your own ears, can’t have four.”“Why?” 16. Wrong Room (T) Complete - 3k - “Congratulations!’’ And he was expecting to hear a cry, or at least his mother telling him to be quiet because a certain baby was sleeping. Instead he heard the deep clear of a throat, a rustling of sheets. 2k-3k oneshots 17. Dinner with a stranger (T) Complete - 2.5k - @amazingphl hi! second year of doing this, sooo if anyone has nowhere to go for Christmas dinner I am once again offering..my flat (and by extension me) ;oSeries 18. Easy Lover (M) Complete - 2.4k - ''Yeah. We're always fine.'' It was always fine. It was always easy, despite always behind hard. 19. Cold Season (M) Complete - 2k - Dan is ill, insatiable and another word beginning with I. 1k-2k oneshots 20. Morose men on rooftops (T) Complete - 1.9k - “Dunno, maybe chatting up morose men on roofs is my thing.” He laughs, and it’s a nice noise. 21. Love with tongues of fire (T) Complete - 1.7k - So when Dan waltzed into the room, declaring his hunger Phil thought nothing of it. Just another night for another takeaway. 22. Your Rocks are my Rocks (T) Complete - 1.7k - Phil wants a new rock for Norman, Dan wants a peaceful life. 23. Joint Content (M) Complete - 1.6k - It started of a as a joke— a Joint Content joke. 24. 24/7 Fantasies (M) Complete - 1.5k - He thinks about Dan 24/7, constantly in two separate fantasies 25. A Conversation in Multiple Hallways (T) Complete - 1.5k - You're still here then? 26. Sharing Space (T) Complete - 1.5k - It's 2010 and dan has had a day. 27. The Obvious (T) Complete - 1.5k - "Can I use that?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, already scrawling it beneath the only three words he currently has— I love you. 28. I'm Thinking of Ending Things (T) Complete - 1.5k - Dan hears half a conversation, jumps to one whole conclusion. 29. Love Language of the Tactile (T) Complete - 1.4k - “I’m just— that’s a hypothetical.” Dan leans in this time, takes the touches that Phil always so freely gives away. “Can’t kiss in secret rooms if I leave.” 30. Don't Let the Self-Doubt Ruin You (T) Complete - 1.3k - “I’m here.” “Yeah, you’re here.” 31. Conflict Resolution (T) Complete - 1.3k - Following recent events we’ve decided it best we take a combative approach to your current workplace issues, we have booked you into a conflict resolution class this Thursday afternoon - we will not be paying you to attend. 32. when it comes to love (i want a slow hand) (E) Complete - 1.2k - And there it is, the refusal of anything in return. This is just for Dan and it always will be. 33. You're Still The one (T) Complete - 1.1k - “What’re you thinking about?” “You.” 34. Teach Me, Dad. (T) Complete - 1k - "Do you think I could be the next Mozart?” 35. The Logistics of a Clone (M) Complete - 1k - “I don’t think that’s a clone, though, like maybe more of a Doppelgänger.” Dan doesn’t know why they’re delving so deep into this, why he’s so damn bothered about being right. “It’s just literally you.” 36. All's fair in Love and Monopoly (T) Complete - 1k - Phil does not play by the rules, Dan lets him win anyway. Under 1k oneshots 37. Hide out in your heart (E)  Complete - 0.9k - The second time Dan comes to visit it’s different. 38. Oh, there you are. (G) Complete - 0.9k - So after all this, after everything, he doesn’t think anything of it when someone else slips into his dms. 39. The Boy has Attitude (T) Complete - 0.9k - “You didn’t tell me you looked like this.”“Like what?”“This!” Phil’s waving a physical copy of the magazine in his face— so that’s where he’d been. 40. Hairties (and how not to use them) (M) Complete - 0.8k - “Why would you do that? Let us settle in, nice and slow and— gently does it.” 41. The Second Apartment. (T) Complete - 0.8k - It’s a stop-gap apartment, a we’re going to get our forever home after this. 42. Japan, 2019. (G) Complete - 0.8k - NO summary, just an obviously I was going to write this after phil's post 43. Doting Man (T) Complete - 0.7k - They’re both drunk, Phil more so— definitely more so.Series 44.  Imposter (T) Complete - 0.7k - Among us is.. a bastard. 45. Ratemyprofessors.com (M) Complete - 0.7k - ‘Maybe if that Phil bloke from the English dep he’s always staring at fucked him he’d stop being so uptight’ 46. Failed Attempts (T) Complete - 0.7k - Dan enlists the help of Phil for his latest Instagram. 47. Bonus Prize (M) Complete - 0.7k - Phil Trash Number One 48. Feels like home (G) Complete - 0.7k - Home is where the Phil is. 49. We can make Forever work (T) Complete - 0.7k - It’s a moment of realising forever may sound too much to people, but we’ll get through everything together— we don’t have any other choice. 50. Scene in the Kitchen (T) Complete - 0.7k - New place 51. 4'11 (T) Complete - 0.6k - Dan is baby 52. Pillow Imprints (T) Complete - 0.6k - Dan is a menace, and Phil loves him anyway. 53. Parachute Jacket (T) Complete - 0.5k - Dan thinks Phil is obsessed with them Those few times I thougt I was goddamn Ri**ard S*ken 54. Home (G) Complete - 0.7k - It’s their forever home, because their actual forever lives inside of it. 55. secrets spoken in empty rooms (T) Complete - 1k - So he wants to be the same, but he wants Dan more. 56. Separately Together  (T) Complete - 0.9k - Phil’s soft hands and even softer words. It gets harder to leave. Gets to the point where Dan turns off an alarm just so he misses the train. 57. It's not hard to fall (T) Complete - 0.7k - Still a little bit of your words I long to hear Some more Epistolary (apart from 7 letters)  58. A Play in One Act (T) Complete - 1.1k - [Manchester Piccadilly train-station, midday, October 19th, 2009.] 59. R/AITA (T) Complete - 0.8k - AM I THE ASSHOLE FOR MAKING MY BOYFRIEND BE A WORM?Series 60. Lonely Hearts (T) Complete - 1.8k - I will not say you were crying on the tube (out of politeness) 61. Conversations of the Lazy Kind (T) Complete - 1k - eggs? wot? Smells like eggs

[redrobinfection]

(16) Graveyard

SociallyAwkwardFox’s Spooktober (2018) - Day 16 “Graveyard”

Tim & Damian | Implied JayTim | Implied DickDami | College AU | No Capes | Crack | actual discussion of literature | Dick Grayson was adopted by the Drakes instead of the Waynes | Want to write/create with me? Find the prompt list here!

~*~

"How about four out of seven?" Tim asked with a shrug, winding up the toilet paper roll again.

Damian, his fellow barista, threw his roll at Tim's head, missing wildly. He glared. "You cheated, Drake!"

Tim rolled his eyes as he retrieved Damian's roll and began winding it up too. "How could I cheat at coffee cup bowling, ‘Wayne’?"

"You wind your roll too tightly. It doesn't unravel as much when you pitch it and thus has more mass by the time it hits the cups."

Tim raised his eyebrows. "What are you now, a physics major? That just sounds like strategy, dude. You are free to roll your roll as tightly as you'd like. That isn't against the rules."

Damian fumed. "The rules you made up! This is why I said we should use the rice crispy ba--customer."

Tim whirled on the spot, seeing that, indeed, a paying customer had entered their little, semi-enclosed coffee shop. Outside, a few students sat or sprawled over the sectional couches that filled the large basement of the university student union in which the shop was located.

Tim turned and vaulted over the counter. He heard a quiet "-tch-" from Damian as he walked to the hinged raise-able section of the counter and let himself in.

Tim straightened his apron and stepped up the register with a smile. The customer stood about five feet from the register, head tilted back, studying the menu board over Tim's head with bleary eyes. The guy was like a zombie, he was that exhausted. Tim cut his eyes over to the clock on the wall. 3:45 am. Hell of a time for coffee.

Tim glanced over his shoulder at Damian, who was reawakening the cranky espresso machine with deft fingers. Seven hours and forty-five minutes with Damian "the Demon " Wayne down, only four hours and fifteen minutes to go. Tim turned back to their customer and sighed. This was going to be a loooooooong morning.

At second glance, there was something familiar about the guy, but Tim couldn't put his finger on where he knew him. The guy had pretty teal eyes, but they were reddened and dull, like he hadn't closed them except to blink in way too long. He was also pretty well cut, Tim noticed, with clearly muscled arms and pecs so defined that Tim could clearly see them through the man's sweater. Maybe that's how Tim knew him? Maybe he'd seen him in the UREC weight room?

The guy's most eye-catching feature by far was the white forelock that curled down over his forehead. He was the third person Tim had met to have a whitened forelock like that; the other two were fraternal twins who had had small patches of albinism right at their widows peaks which affected both the skin and hair. Tim idly wondered if this guy's white lock was natural too. In any case, it looked frickin' cool, a lot cooler than his own; the best thing he could say about his own hair was that he could pull off the 90's curtain cut plus semi-mullet well enough that he could go an entire semester on a single haircut.

Tim was drawn out of his thoughts when dude finally stepped up to the counter and began to speak.

"Uh, hi, could I get a large, double-shot caramel latte?"

"Absolutely. How many pumps of caramel do you want?" Tim asked cheerily.

The guy looked up from digging through his overly stuffed messenger bag. "Uhh…the normal four should be fine."

"Okay, that will be $6.47. Can I get a name for the order?"

The guy didn't look up this time. "Uh, Jason. Gimme a sec', I know my wallet is at the bottom of this thing somewhere."

"No problem, take your time. It's not like we have a line, anyway," Tim joked.

This guy looked so dead right now--inside and out--that if he didn't find his wallet, then Tim would probably just buy the coffee for the guy himself. He understood better than anyone the sudden need for caffeine at odd hours of the day. He's not sure how he would have finished half his computer science projects this term without a much-needed double-espresso every couple of hours, to be honest.

The guy--'Jason' apparently--finally fished out a small money clip then handed over a student ID card. "Put it on my Dining Dollars, please."

"Yeah, no probl- wait a minute!" Tim cut off, staring. Suddenly, it had hit Tim where he knew this guy. "Aren't you that kid who always sits at the front of Professor Hyatt's nine-fifteen, Tuesday-Thursday, Modern European Literature and answers all the questions?"

The dude raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. Why…? Wait…" He squinted and leaned in. "Aren't you the kid who once tried to sit all the way back in the AV booth, since, and I quote, 'the back wasn't far enough back'?"

Tim grinned as he swiped the ID card through the register. "Haha, yeah."

Damian moved as if to step up to the counter, the guy's drink in hand, but stopped dead about a foot away. He stared.

"Wait. Aren't you the guy who always comes in, gets tea, and sits in the window over there and reads romance novels?" Damian asked, eying him appraisingly.

The dude huffed. "Yes. My name is Jason--by the way--and they're not romance novels, it's classic lit. Now can I get my coffee?"

Damian handed the coffee over the counter, but raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You mean to tell me Rebecca is not a romance novel?"

"Wait, what!? Do you mean Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca?" Tim asked as he handed Jason's ID card back over the counter.

Damian nodded wordlessly. Tim snorted, then said, "That's not a romance! That's a totally a murder mystery! You must be confusing it with Jane Eyre. I get those mixed up too."

Jason nodded in agreement, tucking his ID away before taking his first sip of coffee. He moaned, his eyes fluttering for a moment as he savored in the sweet bliss of piping hot caffeine at 3:49 in the morning, then he looked at Damian and said, "Well, actually, I'll give you that one, uh…" --he paused to squint at Damian's name tag-- "...'Damian'; Rebecca is a modern romance novel by classification, but it's also a crime thriller just like--whazzatsay?--'Tim' said."

He turned to Tim. "I'm not surprised you'd confuse it with Jane Eyre, considering that a lot of scholars believe du Maurier adapted it from Jane Eyre."

"Wait, really?" Tim said with a laugh. "I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that! Rebecca is like the less boring version of Jane Eyre."

Jason froze halfway into sitting down in one of the arm chairs that lined the wall closest to the door and looked up at Tim as if he had just suggested burning down the library or something similarly unthinkable. "Whaaaaaat?! I can't believe you just implied that any of the Brontë sisters' works is boring!"

Tim laughed again. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I was only twelve when I read Jane Eyre, so maybe I'd enjoy it more if I read it again now--with a mature perspective--but I remember Rebecca being a blast for thirteen-year-old me so…" He smiled, then shrugged.

Jason stared. "Twelve? Thirteen? Jeez. What else were you trying to read that young?"

"I mean, I read Moby Dick the year before that, in sixth grade," Tim admitted, shrugging until his shoulders hit his ears.

Jason gave him a flat stare. "Moby Dick? Moby fucking Dick? You've gotta be kidding me. And lemme guess, you also thought Herman Melville's masterpiece was a load of crock?"

Tim laughed, but shook his head and waved his hands placatingly. "No, no, no. I only understood, like, every fifth word--so.many.whaling.terms!--and it took me four months to get halfway in only to realize there was no way I was going to finish it by the end of the school year--I ended up skipping to the end and guessing for a lot of the AR test questions--but I definitely got the sense that it was a seminal work and that I was just too young to appreciate it. I've always meant to go back and try it again, but I still haven't gotten around to it."

"Why the hell were you trying to read Moby Dick at the age of twelve?" Jason asked incredulously, leaning back in the chair and taking a long sip of his coffee.

"Eleven, but, ah, well, my mom was convinced I had to be The BestTM in everything, so she pushed me to max out my Accelerated Reader level by the end of sixth grade and demanded that I always get the most AR points of anyone in my class, so I read a lot of the 20 point-and-up books." Tim tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think Moby Dick was 47 points...Rebecca was 25...Jane Eyre was 33..."

Jason stared, shaking his head slowly. "So…what? You're fine with Moby Dick, a romance of the American Renaissance, but a gothic romance of the British Victorian era like Jane Eyre isn't good enough for you? Next you'll try to tell me you think Wuthering Heights is a snooze fest!"

"Well, I mean, I never could get into it, so…"

Jason slammed both hands down on the arms of his chair, incensed. "Okay, Mister, get your butt over here and sit down, we need to have a talk about Victorian Gothic and why, hands down, it is some of the best literature ever written."

Tim laughed again, then bit his lip, considering the offer. He glanced around the nearly empty coffee shop. Then he leaned over the counter and looked out into the lounge--there were exactly four people there and only one of them wasn't completely asleep in their books. Yeah, he could probably afford to humor the man.

He turned to Damian. "Hey, Dames, I'm going to make myself a coffee and take my break. You good to hold down the fort?"

"I told you not to call me that," Damian snapped, but there was no real heat to it; he liked to pretend that he hated the guts of all his coworkers, but Tim knew that he was Damian's favorite. "However, yes, I think I can manage. Go take your damned break, but when you come back I fully expect a rematch in bowling…and don't you dare cheat this time!"

Tim rolled his eyes and groaned, then turned toward trying to coax Ol' 'Spressolino--their affectionate name for the cantankerous espresso machine--into spitting out a double-shot for him. "It's not cheating, but fine, we'll do it your way," Tim replied. "But I'm telling you, you have to buy those rice crispy balls. I definitely don't want to have to explain to Barbara why some of the food on sale looks like it went through the spin cycle in a dorm washer."

Damian grinned smugly. "My pleasure. It will be a small price to pay in order to ensure your swift defeat."

Tim shook his head, grabbed his espresso in one hand and two biscotti off the front counter in the other, ducked under the counter drawbridge, then slid into the armchair across from Jason. He offered one of the biscotti to the other man and Jason accepted the free food with an appreciative smile. He already looked ten times less zombie-like, thanks to the caffiene, and he was honestly pretty damn attractive.

"Okay," Tim said, peeling the wrapper off his own biscotti and dunking it into his bitter cup of joy, "Educate me."

Between sips of coffee and bites of biscotti, Jason began explaining his thoughts on the romantic period of literature, but barely a minute into his lecture, a plastic-wrapped, ball-shaped rice crispy treat about the size of a cantelope whizzed by their feet and crashed into the ten extra-large paper coffee cups arranged in a bowling triangle at one end of the coffee shop, scattering them in a definitive strike.

Jason jumped in his seat and looked around wildly. "What the fuck?"

Tim sighed. "Daaaaaaamiaaaaaaan…"

"Shut up, Drake! I'm practicing. I need to hone my skills and adjust my form so I can thoroughly crush you in our next round," Damian called back. He marched from the counter to the end of the shop to retrieved his plastic-wrapped projectile.

Jason blinked in confusion. "I repeat: what the ever-loving fuck?"

Tim sighed again, then explained, saying, "It gets pretty boring in here during the graveyard shift, so we invented a game, coffee cup bowling. Normally, we'd sleep or study, but Damian finished his exams two days ago and I don't really study for exams, per se-"

"And sleep is for the weak," Damian finished, nodding as he walked past them carrying his sweet, gooey ammunition.

Tim nodded sagely, in agreement. "Sleep is for the weak."

Jason glanced over Tim's shoulder at the coffee cup bowling 'pins' and then over his shoulder at Damian as he lined up another throw. "You guys are insane," he declared.

Tim made a dismissive gesture. "I mean this is my third graveyard shift in a row and Damian here is almost 20 hours into a 24-hour stint. After that much sleep deprivation, you'd lose your sanity too."

Jason tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Fair enough."

"If you want, you're welcome to join us after we finish our coffee and literature talk," Tim offered amiably.

Jason watched as Damian threw another strike, sending one cup so far it landed in the pot of the ficus in the corner, and raised his eyebrows. "You know what…why not." He turned back to Tim with a grin. "I could use a bit of fun before I go back to work on my Native American Lit paper."

"Are you a lit major?" Tim asked curiously.

"I am."

Tim nodded. "That makes sense."

"And you?"

"I'm a CS major--computer science."

"That makes sense," Jason echoed, grinning.

Tim grinned back at him and waved a hand. "Okay, so as you were saying…?"

"Yes, as I was saying…"

Jason continued his little lecture while they continued sipping their coffee and nibbling on the biscotti. When they had finished--the coffee, not the discussion, because Tim was pretty sure Jason would go on for hours about literature once you got him started--they joined Damian in a game of "ten-cup."

It was in the middle of this heated battle of cups and marshmallow-bonded puffed-rice cereal balls that their next customer found them fifteen minutes later. The man, dressed in flower printed leggings and a black hoodie with "Gotham University Aerial Arts" printed across the chest in blue, took one look at them and grinned.

"Oh, hey! Coffee-cup bowling! I love that game! Do you think I could interrupt you guys for just a sec to get some hot chocolate?"

All three of them--the two baristas plus their customer--turned and stared.

"Hot… wait, what?" Jason said, laughing a little. "Man, it's like 4:30 in the morning. Why are you getting a hot chocolate at 4:30 in the morning?"

The man laughed, too, shrugging before he explained, saying, "I don't like tea or coffee all that much, but I just finished a 20 page paper on ethics in police enforcement and I need a pick me up. I need to get my warm fuzzies going again."

Tim rolled his eyes and sighed, moving back toward the counter to get the man his drink. "You're going to end up being the cuddliest cop on the street, Dick."

"You know it, Timmy!" the man--'Dick' apparently--exclaimed, pulling Tim into a bear hug when he made the mistake of passing too close to Dick on his way to the counter. The hug escalated into a full on octopus hug as he lifted his legs to wrap around Tim's hips. Tim, for his part, ignored the grapple, opening the leaf in the counter and hobbling over to the drink bar with the human cephalopod still attached.

Damian and Jason stared. Damian cleared his throat and eyed Dick with poorly disguised interest. "Wait, do you know this man, Drake?"

Tim blinked dully as he turned around, a cup in one hand and a packet of instant hot chocolate in the other. "Yes. He's my brother." Dick made a squeeing noise and nuzzled his head into Tim's neck. Tim sighed. "My adopted brother," he amended testily.

Dick laughed, dropped his feet back onto the floor and stood up. He nearly wrung Tim's neck as he tried to hug him around the shoulders. "Awww, don't be like that, Tim. We haven't seen each other in two whole weeks and I needed my Tim-hugs! Gotta meet my cuddle-quota."

Tim shook his head and handed the hot chocolate back over his shoulder. "You're insufferably, insatiably clingy when you're this tired, Dick. Go home and sleep."

Dick finally released him to take the drink. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, sighing in appreciation. "Thanks, Tim, and yeah, but, only if you do the same. You're just as bad as me when you haven't slept, if not worse."

"Can't. Working," Tim answered curtly, vaulting the counter to escape before Dick's grabby hands could reach for him again. His brother wasn't wrong; Tim was always up for a good cuddle after a long stint without proper sleep, but he didn't like public displays of affection.

Dick took one look at the nearly empty coffee shop, the three of them, their game, and then laughed out loud. "Ahhh, the days of getting paid to drink coffee and make up games at 4:30 in the morning. I kind of miss it."

"Would you care to join us," Damian asked abruptly. Dick brightened.

"Absolutely!"

And so that was how the four of them ended up bowling for empty coffee cups with rice crispy treats the size of spaghetti squash while blasting ABBA’s greatest hits--Dick's terrible, wonderful idea--until the sun rose and their shift ended, at eight AM.

By the time the four of them walked out the door, Dick was trying to convince Damian to join him in the aerials gym before breakfast, and Damian, clearly eager to do anything with the handsome college senior, accepted readily. Jason and Tim, on the other hand, were back to discussing literature over coffee--now focused on the merits and downfalls of contemporary science fiction and fantasy as an art form--and making their way to the East Campus Dining Hall, so they could continue their discussion over breakfast.

Tim snorted softly as he listened to Jason list all the ways Dune defined an era of sci-fi/fantasy, then smiled at the way Jason took his hand--without seeming to realize it--to pull him forward after the crosswalk light changed out of Tim's line of sight. Oh, yeah, this one was totally gay/bi/pan and he was definitely asking him out the minute he saw the opportunity, Tim decided.

He smiled. Who would of thought he'd come out of last night's graveyard shift not only having seen his demon coworker and his older brother hit it off--of all things!--but having met someone for himself too! He laughed, thinking, you never know what crazy things you might see, or the people you might meet, at the campus coffee shop at 4 o' clock in the morning!

[pulledpurplecurtains]

all the odd ones for the fic questions pls and thank you pepster

all the odd ones, meaning 1, 3 etc right? oh BOY are we gonna be here for a while (and i love it 🥰)

it’s morning right now so let’s see how long throughout the day this is gonna take me sdfghjk let’s do it!!

1) what was the first fandom you got involved in?

hmmmm. i wanna say harry potter, more than a decade ago? specifically dramione and scorose

3) what is the best fandom you’ve been involved in?

for all that it has given me i have to say bechloe

5) which fandoms have you written fanfiction for?

so far just for bechloe

7) list your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in

i’m only gonna list pairs i have strong feelings against and from only the fandoms i’ve been most involved in

harry potter: snape and hermione

frozen: elsa and hans (no but for real. why)

pitch perfect: beca and jessie, chloe and chicago

marvel: hm hm surprisingly nothing comes to mind

the haunting of bly manor: same as for marvel

9) what are the best things about your current fandom?

having a space where i can fully be myself, expressing myself freely through my writing, meeting so many wonderful people, having a previously unexplored side of myself revealed to me, finding and delving into characters that make me feel less alone, and so much more. it’s been a real blessing, having this fandom in my life

11) who is your current OTP?

bechloe

(this was the point where tumblr lost me ALL MY ANSWERS FROM QUESTIONS 13 TO 33 so let’s do this again SHALL WE??? i’ll be saving each answer as we go dear god)

13) any NoTPs?

already answered!

15) is there an obscure ship which you love?

hmm i don’t think so? none that comes to mind at least

17) who was your first OTP and are they still your favorite?

my first OTP, before i even knew what an OTP was, was scorpius and rose from harry potter. it’s not still on top of my OTP list, but always has a special place in my heart

19) is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

not really? i mean, there are popular ships that i don’t support, like hermione with bellatrix or natasha with wanda for example. i can see their appeal and i get why people like them. they’re just not for me and i’m okay with that

21) what was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

ah my accidental multi chap baby sdfghjkdfg

All is Fair in Love and War was posted as an one shot, and that was all it was supposed to be. it was my first finished written piece. and then a couple of people in the comments were really nice abt sharing thoughts of where the story could go next and what they’d like to see happen, and they were very enthusiastic abt wanting to see more of that story. so the second chapter was born

sooo one thing led to the other and before i knew it that fic had become an 8 chapter, over 60k words story sdfghjkdf i’m amused and grateful to this day

23) name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of and explain why you like it

how can you ask a mother to pick her favorite of her kids HUH

no but for real, i love all of my stories equally. i’m a perfectionist, so nothing gets posted before it’s perfect in my eyes. plus, all my stories are my babies. each has its flaws and imperfections, each in their own ways. but they’re all beautiful and meaningful to me

what i will say is, i have a particular soft spot for (wondering if you knew) i was enchanted to meet you. i truly think my writing peaked in that story, in all the parallels and tiny but very important things that are in there

25) what’s your most popular fanfic?

based on views and kudos, it’s All is fair in Love and War

ofc that’s a multi chap, so maybe the numbers aren’t exactly equivalent to popularity

my most popular one shot, by a very large margin at that, is (i’ll let you in) and baby, that’s when

27) what do you hate more: coming up with titles or writing summaries?

i honestly love coming up with titles

writing summaries, on the other hand, is the bane of my existence

29) do you have a beta reader? why/why not?

i don’t, and it’s bc i’m literally incapable of taking any kind of critique over anything unfinished. once it’s posted and out in the world it’s fair game; but until then? that’s a big no for me

31) what’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said about your writing?

i honestly can’t answer this question bc every comment is so so special and important to me. i often go back and read them all. even right now while writing this there are so many different comments swirling around in my head. i appreciate and am grateful for all the kind words always 💜

33) do you write one shots, multi chapters, or huge epics?

sdfghjkk definitely not huge epics

i’ve written both of the other two. in the beginning i preferred and wanted to write multi chapters. however nowadays and for the past year or so, i lean more heavily towards one shots

35) do you write drabbles? if so, what do you normally write them about?

i am physically and mentally incapable of writing short things sdfghjkd so no, i don’t write drabbles

37) first person or third person? what do you write in and why?

always third person. idk the idea of first person narration always seemed weird to me. plus, i see my stories as me retelling the events the characters have confided in me. so third person makes sense and it’s also why i use past tense in my stories

39) what is your greatest strength as a writer?

describing and narrating emotions and using metaphors

41) list and link to five fanfics you’re currently reading

my reader’s block has been going strong, so i’m not reading anything currently unfortunately

43) is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

my squirrels 💜

45) what is your all time favorite fanfic?

i have to say Experimentation i just have to

i also love Perdition, what an incredible piece of writing

47) ao3, ff.net or tumblr - where do you prefer to post and why?

definitely ao3, i just love its interface i guess?

49) do you care if people comment on/ reblog your writing? why/why not?

okay so here’s the deal. ofc i care. every artist who shares their work, every creator, cares; at least to a degree. it’s why we share. we want people to see and love and appreciate our work, we want it recognised and celebrated even. we want people to engage with it, show it to their friends, talk abt it, have thoughts abt it. it’s only natural and ofc i’m absolutely no exception

with that said. i’ve always tried to remind myself that kudos/likes are also engagement. that even just reading is engagement. that everyone’s limit or ability for engagement isn’t the same, and that ultimately it’s their choice how or if they’ll engage with my writing. i try to, and i do, value everyone who even just reads my stories. i share something with the world for free and it’s my choice to do and continue to do so. what happens after that isn’t up to me

so yes i do care a lot abt reblogs and comments. they make me very happy, they validate and encourage me. but people have no obligation, in my eyes at least, to engage with my works a specific way. just like i have no specific obligation to provide a certain type of content on set periods of time or with a set limit of words or to continue to provide stories; or literally any other obligation. no one can police my actions and choices up until i’ve posted a story and i can’t police anyone’s actions or choices after i’ve posted it. and that’s the beauty of fandom for me - we’re all here bc we want to and bc it makes us happy, with no expectations or obligations

ending this with an essay seems only suitable sdfghjkd thank you my egg for giving me the opportunity to talk abt myself in such length 😌💜

[pikapeppa]

Pikapeppa Tutors: How To Write A Longfic

Greetings, friends! I am Pikapeppa (queenofkadara on AO3), and today I’m writing a little tutorial about how to write a longfic. 

Before we dive into it, first things first: how do we define a longfic? In a nutshell: there is no fully agreed-upon answer. Different people define it in different ways. Word count is often used to define a longfic, but I don’t think that’s sufficient; furthermore, there is literally no agreement whatsoever about the word count required to count as a longfic. For the purposes of this tutorial, I will define a longfic as a multi-chaptered fic with a complex plot, and which is the same length or longer than the Great Gatsby - i.e. longer than 47k words.

Given this definition, I have completed 10 longfics, and I have completed 7 more multi-chaptered fics with complex plots which are <47 words. This is the experience I’m drawing from for this tutorial, and please be warned in advance that I have no formal writing training, so if you want advice from someone with formal training, then, it’s, er, best to look elsewhere. 😅 Please also note that this is based only on how I personally write longfics. Others might do different things, but this is just my method, which has successfully allowed me to finish every project I’ve started.

For me, writing a longfic involves following the following steps:

Know the endpoint of the fic.

Make an outline.

Write the chapters in order. 

Easy, right? NAH, BRO. It can be tough! But let’s break this all down piece by piece. Then I’ll address the final topic of editing and actually posting the fic. 

1. Know your endpoint. 

One question I’ve received is how to think long-term for a story rather than one chapter at a time. My biggest and most important piece of advice for a longfic is this: know how you want the story to end. Does your main couple live happily ever after, or do they have a terrible sad breakup? Is the villain defeated, or do they escape to wreak havoc another day? Does your character make a startling realization that spurs them to change, or do their flaws lead to their downfall? The endpoint doesn’t need to be specific, and you don’t need to know how exactly it come about. But you need to know what the most important part of your ending will be. You should know the target that you’re aiming at before you start writing. If you know the ultimate goal of your story, you can keep that in mind while writing each of your chapters so that they serve that ultimate goal. 

The nice thing about this advice: if the longfic you want to write is a retelling of a canon game/show/whatever through your OC’s eyes, then you already have the endpoint. I will call this kind of longfic a “novelization”, and this constitutes 4 of my 10 longfics. Because the endpoint is already given to you by the canon game, novelizations can be a great way to ease into writing longfics, and a great way to practice the various elements of writing a longer story such as pacing and developing relationships, since the main plot points and conclusions already exist. Similarly, if your longfic idea is a fix-it fic because you didn’t like the ending that the canon game gave you, the endpoint is already still there: you know the alternate ending that you want, and every chapter you write can be geared toward building up to that ending. 

On more than one occasion, I have put aside a fic idea I liked because I didn’t know how the story was going to end. On the flip of this, I have written an entire plot knowing nothing but the endpoint (*cough* the entire Arlathan Forest arc of Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me *cough*). So this would actually be my #1 piece of takeaway advice: before starting a longfic, know how it’s going to end. This way, you have a clear goal that the rest of the fic can aim toward.

2. Make an outline.

A number of people have expressed concerns about outlines. How much of the story should be outlined before writing? How strictly do you need to stick to the outline? How important is it to have an outline?

I totally understand the anxiety about outlining. If you’re more of a pantser than a plotter, outlining can be tough. I personally am far more of a plotter, though I have also had the experience of flying by the seat of my pants before (see above aside re: Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me). All I can tell you is what I usually do and what I would advise. As a quick summary before I dig into it, though, I would say this: The outline can be as detailed or as vague as you want/need it to be, and it should be fluid.

Step 1: Throw down all your ideas in no particular order. 

When I’m just starting to develop a fic idea, the outline is literally just a dumping ground of all my ideas so I don’t forget them. It contains everything in no particular chronological order including plot ideas, character traits, big moments in the romantic relationship that I want to hit, and so on. Really, then, the outline starts off as just a place to brainstorm, with no particular structure needed. 

Step 2: Organize the ideas sequentially.

Once I’ve got all my initial ideas down, I’ll start organizing them sequentially, preparing for the order in which they’ll arise in the fic. If you write on a computer, this is easy to do just by cutting and pasting events in your doc; if you’re more of a visual organizer, it might help to print or write all your ideas on slips of paper and stick them up on the wall so you can move them around, like what Jane the Virgin does.  

By the time this step is done, the outline should, at minimum, consist of a series of events/ideas/conversation snippets etc. that are ordered by when they happen in the story. It could have further organization beyond this, too, if that helps you; for example, almost all of my stories are romances, so they have headings like “Who is Rynne Hawke”, “Fenris psychology”, and “Major relationship moments”. The amount of organization you do at this point is up to you. All that matters is that you start organizing the chaotic jumble of ideas and putting them in order of when they happen in the fic. 

Step 3: Break the events into chapters.

Once my events are generally ordered, I’ll start dividing the events up chapter by chapter based on what I think would be reasonable chunks of plot/relationship development. Importantly, this remains fluid through the entire writing of the fic. I don’t think I’ve ever stuck to the number of chapters I originally planned; I always end up breaking chapters up, or moving things from a later chapter into an earlier one or vice versa, and it works just fine for me. All of this is because The outline is not set in stone. There is no reason things can’t change in the middle of the fic or be moved around as needed. The outline should be thought of as a tool to store your thoughts so you don’t forget, and to organize them in order to help you make your way toward that endpoint. 

It’s also worth noting that my outlines become more and more detailed as I get closer to the chapter in question. For example, if the story is 15 chapters, I might only have a couple lines of plot points for the last 5 chapters when I start writing. By the time I’m coming up on those last 5 chapters, I’ll have a much better idea of what will happen in them since I know what plot points and relationship points need to be wrapped up, and I’ll thus be able to add more details and ideas to the outline. Again, this calls to the outline being fluid and changing as the story goes on. It is not set in stone.

As a final note about this, if the fic is really long, such as Lovers In A Dangerous Time (67 chapters total and >500k words), it is ABSOLUTELY NOT NECESSARY to have the entire story mapped out or to know exactly what’s going to happen in the later chapters. All you need to know is your endpoint, and to have a vague sense of what might happen in those later chapters that will serve the endpoint of the story. Again, this all calls to the outline being a memory and organizational aid rather than a strict and inflexible sequence of a events. 

In sum: the outline should not be thought of as a strict roadmap for your fic. It is a tool that helps you make your way toward the ultimate endpoint of your fic. It allows you to store and organize your thoughts, and it is perfectly fine for it to be fluid and to change as the story goes on. It can be as detailed or as vague as you want, and the amount of detail in it will likely depend on whether you’re a plotter or a pantser. Outlines are never set in stone, and there is no one best way of outlining! The outline is there to help you, not to intimidate you!

 3. Write the chapters in order.

Now, I suspect that this point might raise some objections, but hear me out. Writing a long story is a labour of love, but it is still labour. In any longfic, there are going to be parts that are less fun to write. There are also going to be parts that you are REALLY REALLY JAZZED about writing, and you will want to get straight to those parts and write them because you’re psyched about them. The reason I’m suggesting that you write the chapters in order is to spread out the “work” and the “fun” evenly through the process. If you evenly distribute the less-fun and more-fun parts, then you can use the “fun” bits as a treat for yourself to get yourself through the less-fun bits. You’re basically using your own project as a reward for creating that project, and honestly, there is nothing more satisfying than getting that kind of intrinsic motivation from your own work. 

For example, I hate writing battle scenes. So when the fic gets to a point when I have to write a stupid battle scene, I keep my eye on the prize and tell myself something like: “okay, just finish this battle scene, then you can reward yourself with the fun after-battle banter or smut.”

Here’s another way to think of this: when you’re reading a story, anticipation is key. The buildup to the main event, whether that main event is a big character reveal or the First Kiss/First Fuck, is so important. If you’re reading a story, you don’t want to jump straight to the chapter where the reveal or kiss happens. You want to build up to the big moments when you’re reading a story. Why wouldn’t you want to build up to them as a writer, too?

There are more practical reasons to write sequentially, too. If you write the fic in sequence, it may be easier to keep track of what you’ve done and to know where you’re going next. It can also happen that while you’re writing, you come up with new ideas that you hadn’t thought of when you first started the fic, and those new ideas can have a huge impact on later events. But if you’ve already written the later events, it can be more difficult to incorporate the new idea into what you’ve already done. 

This is not to say you can’t write BITS of later chapters/conversations and hang on to them for later. There absolutely is room for writing when the inspiration strikes. I’ll often have an idea for a conversation or a smut scene that I can’t use until later, so I’ll just write it down and throw it into the outline until the appropriate moment arises. For example, in Lovers In A Dangerous Time, there is a very angsty conversation between Fenris and Hawke in chapter 63 that I had plotted out in point-form about 3-4 months before I actually wrote the chapter. I plotted out the most important lines of that conversation WAY ahead of time, but I forbade myself from writing the scene in detail until the rest of the fic up to threat point was written. 

TLDR: Writing sequentially helps you to reward your story writing with your own story. It allows you to build anticipation for your own story, and it lets you stay flexible and open to new ideas that arise during the process. You can and should write bits of the fun chapters, especially so you don’t forget them, but I strongly suggest saving them and rewarding yourself with them for when the proper time comes. 

Okay, those are basically my three big steps in writing a longfic! Now to talk a little bit about editing and posting. These are not so much advice as just a little bit of my own experience, and what I’ve seen/heard others do.

Editing: a few remarks

I post my fics chapter-by-chapter, which means that I edit and clean each chapter to my satisfaction before I post it. My personal editing process usually involves three passes: a first read and edit, which involves the most changes; a second edit which involves more tweaks than big changes; and a final read before I post, where I try and often fail UGH to catch typos or subtle errors.

It is not necessary to do it this way, however. I know some people prefer to write the whole story, then go back and edit it from the start. This makes total sense, really; this way you can make sure your events are cohesive, and that you haven’t left any loose ends untied that you might have forgotten about. I would say this is a matter of preference, but I wonder if your writing speed might also play a role in this. I’m a fast writer, so I don’t usually forget what I’ve done earlier in the fic by the time I get to the end. But with Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me, which involved a month-long break at one point, I did find myself having to go back and reread old chapters to refresh my memory. So if you’re a slower writer, you might find it helpful to write the whole story, or at least big chunks of it, and then read it through for cohesion before you start to post.

Posting: a few remarks

As I mentioned before, I post chapter-by-chapter. One question I’ve been asked is whether to stick to a posting schedule, or to post when you feel like it. I have done both, and I think either choice is equally valid. All I can really do is explain my experience with this.

When I was a relatively newer writer, I was hardcore obsessed with Horizon Zero Dawn and I was posting a chapter of my Aloy/Nil longfic every day. It wasn’t just my obsession driving this, but also I was getting comments and kudos every single day on every chapter from hungry readers since it was a relatively rarepair at the time. It was basically a crazy feedback loop of me providing fic and getting a lot of comments and then being spurred to keep feeding my own obsession and provide more fic. 

Nowadays, however, I stick to a weekly update schedule for my longfics, and I have a lot of reasons for this. For readers, I get the sense that weekly updates give them something to look forward to and helps build anticipation for tense moments in the fic. It can also give readers some time to digest the previous week’s chapter before receiving the next. I also get the sense that for writers who update and write a lot [points at self], if a reader gets a million update emails from a writer, it can be overwhelming and make the reader feel guilty about not staying up to date with the writer’s works, and there is nothing I HATE more than having readers feel like it’s homework to keep up with my writing. 

My reasons are more selfish, too. I’ve discovered that if I post two chapters on the same day, many readers will only comment on the second chapter. If I space out the posting, I get more engagement from readers, and since I, like all writers, am a whore for comments, I’ve learned to purposely hold on to my chapters and space them out in the hopes that more people will engage with me when they read them. THERE, YOU ALL KNOW MY DIRTY LITTLE SECRET. PLEASE DON’T JUDGE ME.

Another note on posting schedules and engagement, specifically relating to AO3: when you search in AO3, by default, the results are organized in terms of most recently updated fics. Every time you update your fic, it will show up at the top of the search hit list, thus increasing the chances that someone new will notice it and decide to read it. Spreading out the frequency of your posting can thus optimize the amount of times that it shows up at the top of the search. 

All right, that’s pretty much all I have to say about all this! If I had to sum it all up, though, I would stick to the three-point process I outlined above:

Know your endpoint, and aim toward it.

Make an outline, and remember that the outline is your friend. It’s a memory tool and an organizational aid, and it can and likely will change as your fic goes on.

Write the fic in sequential order, and use your own story to motivate yourself. 

I said this before, but writing a longfic really is a labour of love. It can take months or years to finish a longfic, and it is not always easy. It’s my hope that this little tutorial will make the process less daunting and help some of you guys launch into writing that story you always wanted to write!

If anyone has any other ideas for tutorials that they’d like me to address, please feel free to send me an ask or a PM!

- Lots of love from your friendly neighbourhood Pikapeppa xoxo

[blooddrop-palace]

96 with reader and Vergil pls

Thank you for the submission! I thought about this all day at work, trying to decide what my approach to this prompt would be... and settled with this. I hope it turns out good! (Also this definitely got away from me and turned into something bigger.)

Some context: Post DMC5, after Dante and Vergil have crawled their way out of hell, and just enough months or something have passed to where everyone isn’t a giant emotional mess, and Vergil is somewhat adjusted. 

96. “Please get me away from him. He hasn’t left me alone all night and I am this close to committing a murder.”

It was roughly midnight, an hour before last call. Surprisingly, the number of patrons at the bar today was... sparse. So, after a while of neglect, you decided to check your phone. 

There was a collection of unread text messages. From an unknown number. You felt a little baffled as you read through them; the time stamps said that the first message was from 24 minutes ago:

23:23 >Nicoletta

23:29 >Nicoletta I understand you had given us this number nearly three months ago And I understand this is not the best opening message But I must request you pick me up from devil may cry

23:34 >Nicoletta I am in need of an excuse to leave the shop and even if I must endure your driving I would rather hunt down weak demons and pay you back in demon parts than to endure the rest of this night

23:38 >Dante has managed to inebriate himself into a terrible mess

23:44 >Please get me away from him.

23:46 >He has not left me alone all night and I am this close to committing a murder.

23:47 >Which I understand may not be a surprising turn of events for everyone else. But I do not need to give Nero a reason to permanently change my status to deceased.

So, someone clearly had the wrong number, because your name was not Nicoletta, and you did not know a Nicoletta. You do, however, know a Dante. And of Devil May Cry. And you know you had left a phone number for Devil May Cry before, hastily written on a napkin, for the purpose of contact regarding a singular incident of being stalked by demons. 

You would never want to repeat that experience again. 

You do give Dante small discounts for drinks when he shows up, almost always with his friends Lady and/or Trish. 

Once, he had brought in a barely-legal-to-drink young man by the name of Nero. Most likely a relative. It was probably one of the more entertaining set of patrons you got to serve throughout the years. 

So, this stranger got the wrong phone number from the shop. You supposed this “Nicoletta” must be someone Dante and Nero both knew. This stranger also seemed to not understand how punctuation worked. Or perhaps they didn’t know how to operate their phone or something, since they apparently discovered punctuation later.

And the only thing you could tell from these messages is that the stranger must be a hunter as well.

You should probably set some things straight, and maybe, being the helpful bartender you were, offer some advice:

>>Good evening! I’m afraid I’m not Nicoletta, and you have the wrong phone number.  >>However, there should be nothing stopping you from leaving your drunk companion to his own devices by leaving for a stroll? >>It may be more preferable than enduring this Nicoletta’s driving?

The response didn’t come in until 00:02, and the response was... something...

00:02 >My sincerest apologies for having bothered you. I seem to have found the wrong medium by which I thought Nicoletta had written her contact information on. My brother is hardly the most organized person in existence even when he is sober. I will need to put forth more effort to find the correct phone number if I am to escape my brother’s drunken antics tonight. Your concern for my situation is touching, but I’m afraid it’s more of an issue of needing to reassure Dante the next morning that I had not simply left without a trace. Vexing. I will return to searching for Nicoletta’s phone number post haste. Have a good evening. 

Whoa whoa. What? First of all, this stranger is certainly a character. You had thought the previous messages were a little stilted and awkward to begin with, but that giant paragraph definitely gave away major awkward energy. You’re fairly certain even your grandparents wouldn’t write like that. 

Second, if you’re reading the context correctly, you have been messaged by... Dante’s sibling? You also never struck Dante as the type of man who would fuss over a companion being gone for a few hours overnight, but Dante had to be the most tight-lipped drinker to ever grace your bar counter. You knew very little about him when compared to your other regulars. 

Well, well. Dante didn’t owe you anything but you had something called curiosity. Besides, maybe you could save someone from their sibling’s drunk episode. 

>>Dante is your brother? >>Well, how rude of him to not introduce us. I’ve met Lady, Trish, and Nero already.  >>Tell you what, let me save the day: Dante can live with the idea of you visiting his favorite bartender, no? (And I do say so myself, since why else would he bring his compatriots here?) >>Leave him a note. Tell him you’re going to (Y/N)’s bar. You don’t have to drink anything but if you want something, it’s on me today.

Last call might be in less than an hour, but you knew how close Devil May Cry was to your establishment. 

Besides, your business, your rules. you could easily close up shop, grab a few bottles, and have a friendly drink instead of selling/serving. That’s one reason why you said it was your treat. 

A response finally came back:

>Anything might be more preferable to Dante’s presence right now. I will take you up on that offer, (Y/N).

So you gave him the address and directions. The last message you received back was:

>Dante insists I bring him with me upon hearing where I was going. That will not come to pass. I will arrive shortly. 

At 00:18, you had already bid good night to the last customer, leaving your establishment empty. At 00:22, you watched someone walk past your windows, to the door of your establishment. The bell jingled as your new customer opened the door to step in, and you felt surprise rise up as you now have a face to associate your stranger with:

Dante’s brother was undeniably related to him, and this solidified a thought in the back of your mind that Nero was indeed a relative, too. But many of this stranger’s features, though similar to Dante’s, were marked by a wary sternness. You can immediately tell just how Dante would be getting under his brother’s skin: Dante was boisterous and free-spirited. This man was anything but. 

“(Y/N).” He nodded politely at you. 

“That’s me. And might I get to know the name of my new customer?” You smiled, more than just your customer service face. 

“...Vergil.”

“Poetic.” You commented. You could recognize a reference to the Divine Comedy when you heard one. “Come. Sit. I don’t bite. So just relax a bit. I won’t doubt that Dante can be exasperating, though I have never seen him drunk before. Should I count my blessings that he did not grace my counters with his inebriated state?”

“Very.”

You reacted with your brand of amusement at how deadpan Vergil was. “Well, anything you’d like to drink? If you haven’t been turned away by the idea of alcohol tonight by your brother.”

“I haven’t partaken often, but anything might be better than the cheap beer Dante has around his shop.” There was a scowl in that tone. The distaste might have run deeper than just for the antics of tonight. 

You worked a job that entails learning all sorts of stories by those who deign to grace you with them. And you will admit, though you are never forceful, you are full of curiosity. 

Maybe Vergil would be willing to complete a picture for you, of the associates of the Devil May Cry. But for that to even remotely be possible, you knew one thing’s for certain:

You’ll need to become this one’s favorite bartender. 

Picking out a staple recipe from the list in your head, you began reaching for the vodka and tomato juice. 

It’s time to work your magic: this wouldn’t be the first ice-cold customer you’ve softened. Besides, they say a good drink can warm your soul. 

“Then how about we start with a Bloody Mary?”

[bambirex]

So, I finished two assigments today, and inspiration for writing hasn't hit yet but I'm a bit bored, so I decided to share some interesting facts about my fics that no one asked for:

Bed of Roses, Pleasure Cruise, my very first fanfiction, wasn't supposed to be posted. My ex of 1,5 years dumped me, and I wrote this as a sort of therapy, just for myself. I thought "hmm, not enough genderbent Queen, especially genderbent!poly!queen... Eh, you know what, I'm just gonna write it myself, for my own entertainment!" So, I wrote this on my old laptop, in a word document, hidden from anyone else. I only wrote it in English, because I was getting a little rusty and wanted to improve my skills. I had about eight chapters done before I decided to create an ao3 account, and posted the first chapter to see the reactions- which were all super positive! At the beginning, it was meant to be pure smut and nothing else, but seeing how incredibly immersed my readers were in the characters and their relationship, I decided to give it some more depth in the end. It was also meant to contain a random pool party/pool sex chapter, but I didn't know where to fit it in, so that got lost in the ether. 😂

When it comes to my one-shots, or fics submitted to a fic event, My Baby Does Me Good is my least favorite I've ever written. I think this was the most boring, subpar fic I ever churned out- which is incredibly surprising, considering how popular it was! 😃 Funny how that is.

A Miracle On Earth had two, pretty funny accidents. One, it wasn't meant to be modern au- I had to add the tag after realizing that I had Jane accidentally use a mobile phone in the first chapter. In retrospect, that was for the best- after all, how else would Freddie and Jane be able to have a baby through artificial insemination? I think the early chapters of this prove that I definitely needed a lot of time to improve as a writer. Two, I couldn't come up with a name for fem!Joe Fanelli - my stupid ass forgot that 'Jo' exists, and the only thing that came to mind was Jenny. Now, she is stuck with that one for good. I also intended for Jimercury to only have one kid- but for some inexplicable reason, I decided to give them a second one, through adoption. So, Gabriel Mercury-Hutton almost never existed.

The Garden Lodge Family Shenanigans series - after AMOE- was born as a sort of spite fic. I felt incredibly down after seeing how little comments AMOE got, but I was super invested in that AU, and I was like "fuck it, I'm gonna continue to beat a dead horse, and if people don't care, it's their loss!" This was probably my healthiest attitude in terms of fic-writing, like ever 😂 also, the responses so far were incredibly positive, so I'm glad I didn't give up!

If I talked about my least favorite fic, I need to mention my absolute favorite one-shot I've ever written, which is Thank God It's Christmas. I consider this a christmas gift for myself, as I was in a festive mood, and I love the OT5 (and I was a bit horny... Ahem). Once again, funny how this goes, because despite how much I loved writing this, it definitely didn't become as popular as I hoped 😂

Waiting For The Skies To Clear is the longest one-shot I've written so far, over 10.000 words. Despite that, I had it done in about one and a half hour- the words just kept flowing. This fic was one of the easiest for me to write, even though it was super long and quite heavy, too.

I actually considered writing Te Engemet, Én Tégedet fully in Hungarian, before realizing the odds of Hungarian Queen fans who are also into genderbending, is... Quite small 😂 So, I decided to have it available for anyone, instead. It was also the only fic where I literally cried while writing it, not just tearing up, but full on sobbing lmao

I almost gave up Keep Yourself Alive so many times, you have no idea. I absolutely had zero idea about where I wanted to go with that fic, and writer's block kept hitting me. But I powered through! I almost ended up writing the attack against Freddie as successful, but then I refrained, because I couldn't make myself do it, and I also peferred a happy ending.

I know it sounds horrifying in retrospect, but originally, Funny How Love Is wasn't supposed to contain The Clique. I brought them in for extra drama, and they soon became favorites, both to myself and my readers. I also considered going down the poly route, but changed my mind pretty quickly.

Can't Get No Relief, Lord was almost never born. I desperately wanted to write something for the Freddie Mercury Weekend, but I wasn't sure genderbent fics would be welcome. I also came across an influx of hate comments by the so-called "" "" "Freddie fans" "" "" ", and I didn't feel like dealing with that. If it wasn't for @a-froger-epic and her encouragment, I never would have written this. Also, writing this fic tore up a few wounds and brought some of my nasty internalized lesbophobia to the surface, so I was a wee bit depressed after finishing it. This fic is the only one that doesn't contain a wlw pairing.

Better Sit Back And Go (With The Flow) was originally meant to be much more light-hearted. I was considering writing about old Maylor babying the shit out of Addie Lambert, but then I went down a much angstier, heavier route- mostly because I was feeling down that day, and that was how I coped.

I don't want to spill too much, as this is is still a work in progress, but I hadn't even meant to write Deep Like The Sea just yet. But then Maycury Week came, I wanted to participate but had no other ideas, so I pushed the idea to the front. Delilah was meant to be some kind of smaller fish at first, but then I realized a dolphin would work much better.

Also a WIP, so I'm trying not to share too many spoilers, but Written In The Stars changed so much as it progressed. When I came up with the medieval Jimercury idea, I meant to have Jane as Freddie's handmaiden from the get-go, and no Phoebe and Jenny. I literally changed all that as I sat down to write the first chapter. I was also considering adding the other King girls, but I realized they wouldn't fit into the story too much. Paul was originally meant to be male!Mary at first - but even though I'm not a big fan of her, that would have felt a little too ooc, and decided to have Paul as my villain. It was also meant to be around 20 chapters, and yet, here I am at 47 chapters already 😂

And, lastly, most of you already know this, but Lilies of The Valley is based on a crazy dream I had after re-watching The L Word.