#which is why my multi chapter fanfics never get finished

[sunriseverse]

sorry this is not a writing q but it's honestly so fun to see your fanfic vent posts!! i just finished reading this extremely popular fic that ppl have made multiple artworks for, and the writing is mid ... (admittedly i am very picky) like too many italics too much telling and redundancy etc. like yes fanfic is a labour of love etc and i'm never going to be a hater where the author could see but goddd. this is made more infuriating by the recent posts about ppl only looking for fic through kudos/hits like you guys are missing out on so much good fic!!

anyway i want to make an edit of the sometimes things that are expensive are worse meme except it's sometimes fics that have more kudos are worse. except it feels too mean lol

if you can count on one thing it’s me not holding back my haterism :salute:

anyway, that’s part of why i do it! for so long i was someone who let my thoughts simmer away and fester beneath my ribs, and all it did was make me frustrated and lonely and miserable. i can fully admit that my tastes are very very picky in comparison to other peoples’, but it stems from a frustration towards the trends that have been around for ages—why should i force myself to praise something that i find to be, at best, middling, and at worst, straight up bad? who does that serve? fandom shouldn’t be a place where a single opinion dominates—that’s a recipe for some very, very unhealthy dynamics. i would much rather enjoy what i enjoy and complain about what i don’t—as long as i’m not directing these complaints in a space where the authors (or fans) are guaranteed to see it (their comments section, their inbox, etc), i’m not only not hurting anyone, i’m acting in a way i wish i had seen more people act when i was younger. and anything that i feel is “too mean” to post on my blog goes into my friends��� dms—truly, nothing is more freeing than having someone let you be a right bastard.

as for the kudos/hits thing—it frankly feels like an annoying outgrowth of people trying to categorise fanfic the way tv shows are; if it doesn’t get above x ratings, no one wants to watch it, because it’s no good! except that’s not true—the only thing hits and kudos tell you is 1. how well connected the author is in the fandom, and how well they cater to popular tastes, and 2. how many times people click onto the work, for any reason, which, when it comes to massive multi chapter fics that are heralded as The Fandom Standard, can be massively overblown. in the end, you’ll be happier reading things that speak to you (via tag, summary, title, friendly recommendation, etc) than following the opinions of the fandom.

(i could go on a whole ramble about why i think so much fanfic (or at least, POPULAR fanfic) is badly written (in terms of characterisation especially) but i think that would be hitting a hornet’s nest with a bat and inviting people to go “well how come YOUR opinion is the right one???” lol)

[toastytoaster22]

Hiiiii toasty! 13, 19 and 24 for the weird writing game!

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

Hm. Sex used to be astronomically difficult, but after pushing myself to write Leaps and Bounds, I think it would be much less of a struggle. I haven't actually written any sexual encounters since then though, so it might still be rough seeing as I am so out of practice. All I've been writing for the last three years is angst oops

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

OOf I know I have talked about this before but not recently. My big sister introduced me to fanfiction back in... I don't know, 2005 or something. Maybe earlier. She was in high school and into angsty slash fics. We only had a family computer so she used to read some stuff aloud to me when we were home alone. At some point I started looking for stuff I liked on my own and by 2007 most of my friends were reading too.

As a silly joke thing to do, me and three other friends all made accounts and published Harry Potter fics when we were juniors in high school. Two of them made spoof-like oneshots, but me and one other posted the first chapters of actual multi-chap stories. She went on to write over a million words for that particular series of fics, and I ... moved on to other fandoms. I started a couple fics that i never finished and only actually finished one multi-chap fic. It was poorly written and two short chapters but I did it!

Then i went to college and stopped writing for what turned into six years. I did other creative things instead and I read like crazy, but I didn't try writing again. My (then) boyfriend and I moved a couple times after graduating and eventually ended up in Virginia in 2016. I had very few friends and was frustrated by my job, and he was always busy, so i had tons of free time. At some point we had a conversation where i admitted to writing fanfic and he was DELIGHTED. he wanted to read it. I refused, but somehow in the flustered mess i admitted my penname, sooooo he said he could just look me up.

I was horrified that he would see my *cough*Suite Life of Zach and Cody*cough* fic and laugh at me for the rest of my life so i was very dramatic and begged him not to look. He gave me an offer.

I could let him read one of my old fics of my own choosing... Or I could write something new and let him read that.

I took the bait. I immediately changed my penname and noodled for a few weeks on what to write. I gathered all my long repressed love for Digimon and embarked on a six chapter angst fest. Which got interrupted by two one-shots and a collection of side stories. And then I wrote another. Then started a drabble series. Then branched off into the Tsubasa fandom. We moved three more times and I wrote a 50k fic in just over a year. We got married. Bought a house.

And then I found Mob Psycho 100.

And I wrote and I wrote and I wrote and covid hit and I wrote Break and I wrote Issho. and I got pregnant and I started Nightjar and then found out I was pregnant oops. That has slowed me down immensely. Having a toddler who STILL doesn't sleep is debilitating for my writing energy. But! The past few months I have been mostly working on my original story which I do not talk about online. Much progress is being made.

I will get back to Nightjar and Resonate but I am currently knee deep in worldbuilding.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

Oh god, depending on the length of the fic I spend anywhere from a week to a year getting it into shape before I actually write chapters to post. I put probably too much prep work into them. Timelines, character arc maps, pov pros and cons, messages I want to convey, moments i want to include. I write down everything before I start typing. I do it all by hand in notebooks bc i am old fashioned. i drink tea with too much honey and I listen to playlists and i think until my brain wants to melt. But thats fics like Issho and Nightjar and Resonate.

A lot of my oneshots are a moment of inspiration that i daydream about for days or weeks until I decide its good and ripe enough for others to see.

[offorestsongs]

Hihi!!!

For Lysander: 4

For you: 🪶 - First longform/multi-chapter piece you've written

Thank you!!

hiiii thanks for the ask!! 🫶

4. First time experiencing grief

okay so. we're getting into some Lore TM! i don't think he had ever literally grieved anyone, because he just didn't had anyone close to him die. but! if we're talking in a more metaphorical sense! he was raised by his grandma and never knew his parents, but when he was little, he used to imagine them a lot and trying to come up with stories why he had never met them and it was all very nice and idealised (his grandma refused to even touch the topic so he just kinda allowed his mind to run) until he got older and learned (kind of on accident) that they basically abandoned him on purpose and in a way, he really had to take time to grieve all the "what ifs" he came up with and used to comfort himself with on worse days. it was... rough, especially since he didn't really have anyone to talk about it and it only made him feel more lonely and now he doesn't dare to dream about having anything nice for himself ever

First longform/multi-chapter piece you've written

oh my- see, i've been writing for so long, i honestly don't remember the first-first longform thing i've ever attempted to write, but i do rememeber the first multichapter thing i've finished writing. being the adhd bitch i am, it's super hard for me to finish any longform writing projects and i've only recently been learning how to impliment some routine and go about finishing things. but the first multichapter thing i've finished was way before that. and it was uhhhh,,,, a modern au fanfic for the adventure zone: balance that i wrote in a hyperfixation-induced haze sometime in early high school. im sure that fic and taz: balance in general (which was one of my biggest obsessions) sort of kickstarted my love for sibling angst. i've never published the fic because i'm insecure and only started sharing my writing pretty recently because of it </3 i don't think the story i wrote was super good, but i have a big soft spot for it, because it did touch on some themes that i still like and i remember that baby algy had a lot of fun with it! i support younger me having fun with silly things! also fun fact when the taz hyperfixation ran out, i was so attached to the fic i've written that i just kind of turned it into an original story lmao. i never finished writing the un-fanfictioned rewrite but every once in a while i try to do it again because the characters i came up with for it have been haunting!!! my!!! brain!!! even though it's been years djfjjgjdfjfj

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 17 will be posted soon.

Currently 16 chapters completed: 549.4K Words Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

{Previous WIP Wednesday snippet}

{Previous Several Sentences Sunday snippet}

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 17 because there's a lot happening as Buck and Eddie continue to prepare for everything that's going to happen in the next seven weeks.

For anyone who hasn't read Chapter 16, here's a brief overview: Buck and Eddie hired a travel agent to help them schedule everything for their upcoming international adventure. They also hired a tax accountant for the 12-million-dollar settlement money Buck was awarded after the sperm donor lawsuit ended and they hired a financial advisor so they could invest some of it.

They'll tie the knot before Christmas 2023 but they are NOT getting married in the U.S. and they won't have a wedding ceremony until May 2024. Currently, they think Chris is the only person who knows they're together but now several people have witnessed their romantic and emotionally intimate moments including Bobby, Chimney, Athena, Hen, Karen, Maddie and Ravi. Even though Adriana is in El Paso, she realized Eddie and Buck are together too.

Who else is going to realize they're together in Chapter 17?

___________

Here's another snippet from Chapter 17 of Buck and Eddie being romantically fluffy.

___________

Buck's eyes flutter open and in the millisecond that it takes for them to focus, he smiles.  It’s his million-dollar Eddie smile and no one else is privy to it but him.

“Hey, my love.”  Eddie excitedly exclaims.

“You’re home!”

“I am.”  He replies then he places a soft kiss onto Buck’s lips and after he pulls back, he asks, “What are you still doing on the couch and why aren’t you in bed?”

In his raspy voice that sounds slightly British, he responds, “I was waiting for you”.

They stay there in the moment and silently communicate about how much they’ve missed each other.

Buck cups Eddie’s cheeks with both of his hands then he lifts his head and passionately kisses him.  It’s a kiss that keeps on giving because they get lost in it as they lick and moan into each other’s mouths while allowing their bodies to remain pressed together with no space in between them.

After they break the kiss, Eddie says, “I missed you”.

“I missed you too and I’m so glad you’re home.”  He runs his fingertips down Eddie’s sides and asks, “What happened that you had to work over?”

“The last call we were dispatched to took longer than we expected and we didn’t transport the last victim to the hospital until after 8 o’clock.”  He shakes his head.  “We didn’t even get to eat dinner.”

“Are you hungry?”

“I am but I’ll fix a quick sandwich or grab a piece of fruit before we go to bed.”

Buck shakes his head no, then says, “I’ll heat up your dinner.  Me and Chris made a frittata affogato”.

At the sound of two Italian words, one of which he’s never heard before, he raises his eyebrows and asks, “Did you say you made a frittata avocado?”

Buck laughs out loud but he buries his face in between Eddie’s neck and shoulder to hide it so he won’t wake up Chris.  After his laughter subsides he says, “No babe… I said we made a frittata aff-o-gato”.

He sighs and shakes his head because his fiancé and their son are learning Italian without him but he’s ok with it because he knows Buck’s going to teach him everything he knows before their trip.  “My love… we agreed you’d teach me all the Italian words you know and you’ve never said the word affogato to me before but… frittata has a rolled “R” so I’m going to remember that after we get in bed but please explain to me in English what you and Chris cooked and ate for dinner.”

Buck chuckles and gently pinches his left side. “It’s an Italian dish that’s filled with sausage, peppers, onions, spinach and three different kinds of cheese.  It kind of looks like a deep-dish pizza without the dough but babe… it’s so good and I think you’ll like it.  Me and Chris ate a lot of it but we saved a third of it for you.”

“I’m sure I will because my family made it.”

What other Italian words will Eddie ask Buck to teach him?👀

___________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-16 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 17 will be posted soon.

[theawkwardanglophile]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you to the wonderful @thisnightissparkling089 for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

I have 21, and older fics on FF. My goal is to get everything I've done on Ao3 soon.

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

51,556

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently The Rookie, but have previously written fics for The Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, and Single Parents.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

While I'm Alone and Blue as Can Be

And If You Have a Minute (Why Don't We Go)

Maybe I'm Crazy To Suppose

We Must Be Living In the Golden Age

Before I Knew It (I Became All About You)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to respond to all of them, but I know a few have probably slipped through the cracks.

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

I really don't have any! Yikes. I'm a sucker for happy or at least hopeful endings. Maybe the closest would be Who's Gonna Come Around When You Break? It's not exactly angsty, but it is on the sadder side.

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

Allll of them?? 😂 Here are a few on the fluffier side of endings:

Maybe I'm Crazy To Suppose

My Favorite Line Was "Can I Call You Sometime?"

The Opening Night Prolongation

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully no!

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

I don't. I just can't do it.

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

Never written one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

No.

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

Not yet, but I'd certainly be open to a collab!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oof. I have a few in my top tier, but Chenford has probably been the most wonderful shipping experience I've ever had!

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

The thing is I absolutely want to finish all my fics! The most obvious answer is my Gilmore Girls multi-chapter A Tale in Prose of Fire since it hasn't been updated in *checks date* SIX years. But I know what I want to do with it, and I still plan to finish it. I also have an unpublished Single Parents fic I've been planning since 2020, and knowing literally only a handful of people would read it hasn't given me much motivation to work on it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I LOVE writing dialogue, and I think it's what hopefully stands out in my fics. I've been told several times that my dialogue sounds just like the characters, which in fanfic, I can't think of a better compliment! So that's what I always strive for.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not always the best at fully setting the scene, or getting into more minute details that can enhance the story. I also don't take enough risks in my writing, which isn't a big deal in writing a fluffy one-shot, but in some other pieces I've written over the years, I feel like the stakes could've been higher.

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

I haven't done it before, and probably the only language I'd feel even the slightest bit comfortable attempting would be Spanish. I'm nowhere near fluent, but know enough I could put some sentences together.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My beloved Shamy from The Big Bang Theory. It's been 10 years since I wrote my first fanfic!

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

For my older ones, I love The Relationship Recalibration, especially a specific chapter that was a departure from anything I'd done before. I also love the previously mentioned A Tale In Prose of Fire even though it's still incomplete. And of more recent fics, I'm really proud of what I was able to put together in I Need Your Runway Lights To Burn For Me.

Tagging @sgtbradfords, @firstdegreefangirl, @americorys, @wanna-be-bold, and anyone else who would like to do this!

[hammieslice]

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers!

I got tagged in this by the lovely @onewhoturns, and I'll tag some others at the end!

1: How many works do you have on Ao3?

I only have 8 actually published there, but for reference, I went into my WIP folder and found over 100 more... So I do write things! I'm just really really bad at actually publishing them.

2: What's your total Ao3 word count?

Assuming I've done my math right, my current total word count sits at 262,909. Most of that is probably the longfics I've done with Turner, but there are almost certainly some hidden gems in there as well.

3: What fandoms do you write for?

Well, I haven't actually written and published something for a specific fandom for a while now, but my more common interests these days are Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem, Metal Gear Solid, Ace Attorney, Shadow & Bone (Netflix TV show specifically) and a few sporadic others! But my past works were for Oxenfree, Destiny, Ava's Demon, Homestuck, Overwatch, Critical Role, The Magnus Archives and Half Life.

4: Top five fics by kudos?

That would beeee So It Goes, Blue Hair, Red Jacket, A Different Angle, One Foot, and finally Holy Spirits!

5: Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

As much as I love getting comments on fics, I don't often respond to them. I don't really have enough published to get engagement super often, and even then, I'm just not the kind of person to reach out at random simply because I've heard too many Internet Horror Stories(tm). But, maybe if I do publish more in the future, I'll make a habit of answering then!

6: What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I... Don't really know? Most of my fics are either one-shots or unfinished multi-chapter works. There's probably something really angsty in my WIPs, but since it's never seen the light of day, we'll never really knows.

7: What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Hmm. Hm hm hm. That would probably be a toss up between A Different Angle, which is just meant to be a nice, feel-good oneshot, or Pyrite-50: Quiet Moments, which is a kind of character study of one of my Destiny PC's.

8: Do you get hate on fics?

Since I only have 8 published, and I'm not like a super-duper popular author, I don't really think I get hate. All of the comments I've seen have been really sweet and lovely, which I'm thankful for.

9: Do you write smut?

I've been known to partake... On occasion....... <- Currently hiding most of it away in that damned WIP folder

10: Do you write crossovers?

Aside from the every-so-often "AU fic inspired by another piece of media", no, not really. But maybe that will change sometime! I wouldn't be truly opposed.

11: Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware!

12: Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. My reach, like I said, is pretty minimal. But if anybody were to ask, I'd say go for it, as long as I got credit as the author.

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

Most of my published fics are co-written! My co-author was actually the one who tagged me in this, Turner. You can go check out all our Oxenfree stuff on Ao3 right now.

14: What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oooooh, this one is hard. The one I've undoubtedly written the most for is jonalex, but I'm a huge multishipper, so I've never really preferred one pairing over another before. It's always so dependent on my mood! Can I just say all of them?

15: What's the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will?

The forgotten Kaz Brekker/Darkling smut. It sits in its little google document, taunting me. I know that you're there. I KNOW.

16: What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I'm good at metaphors? Generally, getting into a character's psyche is what I strive for, and when I get it right it feels like a real achievement. I've also been told that I'm very good at making dialogue that feels real, or that flows in a way that makes sense, which is something else I'm really proud of.

17: What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. Fight scenes (of the physical variety). The two big F's.

18: Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Seeing as I am a person who only knows one language (and guess which one that is), I don't often write in other languages for my fics, because I'm a liiiiittle too scared of fucking up. On the rare chances I have, I usually use someone I know as a translator, but that limits me on how many languages I can conceivably use. As far as foreign languages in other fics go, I'm all for it!

19: First fandom you wrote for?

It's either Harry Potter, and that fic has now been orphaned to the wind, or maybe Homestuck?

20: Favorite fic you've ever written?

Of my published fics, it has to be So It Goes. That one has a special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons, and not just because Turner and I got to write it together. Of my WIPs, there's an unnamed freemance fic that I've been dying to finish that I just recently found again, and it made me fall in love with my writing for a second time; in a strange way.

Tagging!!

@artemis-crimson @reddgiant @starchemist @starlit-bawka @cranehusbands @duvirii and basically whoever else wants to do it.

[pinkgrapefloyd]

fic author q&a

tagged by @zannolin <3 tysm!

why do you write fanfic?

i love everything about it. i love how immediate it is. i can just click post and people can see it. i love when people tell me their favorite part in the comments. i love having 100% creative control. i love having no deadlines. i love shouting something i'm proud of into the void and then getting a reply from somewhere halfway across the world in a mutual second language. i love building community with strangers over things we both love. it's the best.

which of your posted stories do you think of the most even though the story is "finished"?

probably there's daggers in men's smiles because that one has the biggest piece of my soul in it. i also think of anti-hero a lot but i'm still working on the sequel so I don't count it as "finished".

if you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

if it's a multi-chapter, get to the 90-95% mark before you start posting. not only does this increase the likelihood of you actually finishing it and ending up with a completed story you're proud of, you'll also end up with a better final product because you can go back and edit earlier chapters once the later chapters are taking form and make the themes more cohesive.

what's your relationship to fic stats?

i like em. i used to track them obsessively when I was younger but honestly i have neither the time nor the motivation for that anymore. but it's nice to see a number and picture actual people. 25 kudos is abstract to me, i don't care about that. but realizing that 25 people looked at a project and went "nice. thanks for letting me read it" is wild to me. makes me really happy.

is there a pairing or scenario or friendship that you miss writing? if so, why? if not, why not?

yes and no. i used to read so much fanfic and write almost none, and now it's pretty much the opposite. so there isn't really a lot of content i'm "no longer writing" because there wasn't much for me to abandon in the first place. steve/bucky was my bread and butter ten years ago (how is the winter soldier ten years old already? wtf?) and i don't really see myself returning there, but i keep finding similar vibes in my newer projects and i'm really happy about that.

what motivates you to write?

i don't know how to stop. it's how i deal with being a person. wish i had a smart inspirational answer but that's what it is. it just happens. if i'm bored or sad or happy or tired or nervous, i write.

why do you write for the fandom(s) you write for?

i haven't fully understood why i write for some of my fandoms but not others. there's a lot of media that i adore and have never written a single word for (hannibal, the x files, ofmd, discworld...). often it's specifically the idea of "this character trait / this dynamic feels underutilized, I want to explore it further". cobra kai is a yarn drawer of messy but compelling character arcs that often go nowhere, and i like untangling the potential of them. star trek is comforting and it's good soil for planting angst, hope and humor plus an ensemble cast.

if you're stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

work on a different one. i have so many and i'm always obsessed with at least one of them. sooner or later i'll have an idea for one of the older ones and then that's back on the menu again. i never force myself to work on something specific.

what do you wish people knew about comments?

a long unhinged comment is the key to my heart (as @zannolin who tagged me in this knows all too well), but i love each and every one so much. i love comments that are just a chain of emojis, comments that say nothing except 'how dare you', comments that dive into themes and metaphors. i love comments that tell me my fic made them laugh out loud, made them stay up too late, made them tell a non-fandom friend about it. there are so many different types of comments that make up the tapestry of a fun community, so please don't assume that there's a right way to leave a comment and the author will be disappointed or upset if you do it "wrong". i'm always worried my comments are not as funny / intelligent / memorable / observant as other people's comments and i hope i can take that fear away from other readers!

(also i try my best to reply fast but sometimes it takes a bit and i'm sorry! it doesn't mean i don't love your comment!)

maybe there's a question you wish had been on here. what's that question (and answer)? -> what are some writing challenges you're personally looking forward to?

writing more funny miscommunication and seeing how far I can push it. scenes that are set in darkness so I don't rely too much on describing visuals. maybe a mystery one day when i feel up for doing something plot-heavy.

tagging @vimesbootstheory @dykesynthezoid @russolaw @ficusin and @blinkasaurus and anyone else who wants to participate <3

thank you @zannolin for tagging me! love that i can always count on you to be just as unhinged about tdims as i am

[mythandlaur]

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet? | 18. Do you typically post multi-chapters as you write, or finish it all and then start posting? Would you like to change your posting method?

New Year's Fanfic Asks

18. Do you typically post multi-chapters as you write, or finish it all and then start posting? Would you like to change your posting method?

On the rare occasions I've tried to write things longer than (sometimes particularly long) oneshots, I've posted as I've written...and I've never managed to actually finish a single fic. This has led to many actually abandoned or "I'll get to it someday maybe"-abandoned WIPs out there and the guilt's decidedly starting to pile up, so yes, I would like to change it. The things I've been writing recently I've been trying to finish before I start posting...but I'm also having trouble finishing those so I'm not sure it's helping, exactly, it's just added the additional "I want to share this so bad" feeling on top of it. I'll get back to you on that when I do manage to finish something and post it all. Which leads to...

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

(Given you chose these two questions to send together I imagine you might've been expecting this answer, that or I just really want an excuse to talk about it. Which part of the whole reason I reblogged this in the first place was to have an excuse to talk about my stuff so thanks.)

There are several Shovel Knight oneshots I worked on more recently that I probably should feel more strongly about finishing sooner, but the one most urgent in my mind is the one you know about that I've been sitting on for over a year and wrote 8k words for in one day.

Front Lines [Code Lyoko] - An attempt to make up for a social misstep leads to disaster as Aelita and Jeremie find themselves on Lyoko with an activated tower and no one on Earth who knows they've gone. As pressure mounts, they decide to take matters into their own hands, but they're quickly running out of time--and not in the way they think they are...

Basically I have the whole thing planned and mostly written, but it's been so long since I started writing it and the draft's so messy I worry I should rewrite everything to meet my current standards. That and there's still a couple of fight scenes that need to get done and I have a really hard time writing those. Here's a bit I can share without really spoiling anything.

Aelita steps fully into the room, closing the door behind her. Jeremie raises an eyebrow and rolls his chair slightly closer to her—something about Lyoko, then?

Aelita’s face pinches with worry. “I’ve been thinking about what you said at lunch.”

Jeremie’s smile drops. He glances off to the side as if his closet doors have suddenly become interesting. “Yeah, what about it?”

Aelita frowns, taking a step towards him with her hands on her hips. He knows the look well.

“Would you really rather be possessed by XANA again than go to Lyoko?”

Jeremie winces, pulling both of his legs up to sit in an awkward-looking butterfly position on his office chair and grabbing at his feet. He still doesn’t look at her, but he can feel her eyes burning into his head.

“...No,” he admits, “I’m not that stupid. I can’t afford to be compromised like that again.” And he doesn’t particularly feel like going through it again, either.

When he finally manages to meet her eyes, her lips are pursed in an expression he can’t quite read. “Then why did you lie?”

Jeremie scowls. “You heard Odd, he wouldn’t leave me alone. Imagine how bad it’d be if he knew I was going.”

“So you have been going!”

Jeremie realizes he may have made a mistake in saying that, but he’d long since figured out lying to her is an exercise in futility no matter how experienced he gets at it. “Yeah, I’ve been going. Not for very long—I have the computer set to run devirtualization after one minute. If I could get away with not sending my data to Lyoko at all, I would, but...I haven’t figured out what causes the resistance to XANA’s influence yet, so I can’t take any chances.”

“And you haven’t told anyone?”

“They’d insist on coming with me or training me or something, and the last time the three of us went, three megatanks showed up. If they got devirtualized with me, that’d be another opportunity for XANA to attack while they were recovering.”

“And you’re embarrassed.”

Jeremie grabs his desk and turns his chair back towards it so she can’t see his face. “You heard them, I look ridiculous. I don’t want to make myself look like even more of an idiot.”

Aelita huffs, grabbing the back of Jeremie’s chair and spinning him around to look at her. She keeps hold of the chair arms to keep him from turning away again, glaring into his eyes with her jaw set.

“When’s the next time you plan on going?”

Jeremie swallows hard, his stomach dropping. It doesn’t take a genius to see where she’s going with this. “...Sometime this week. Aelita—”

“You’re right about one thing, I’m not letting you go alone.” Aelita leans away and crosses her arms. “We’re going. Both of us. Today.”

“And that’s definitely because you’re worried about me and not just curious about how dumb I look?” Aelita winces, and Jeremie realizes he's talked before thinking again. He'd been trying to work on that. “...Sorry.”

“It’s not not because I’m curious, I admit.” Her tone grows pained. “But I’m also worried. What if your devirtualization program doesn’t work? Or XANA’s monsters get to you first? I just don’t like the idea of you doing something like this all by yourself.”

“Aelita...”

Her voice softens, and though she smirks at him, her eyes are earnest. “You’ve always been protective of me. Now it’s my turn to worry about you.”

Jeremie feels his face heating up. Of course, she has every right to worry—the thought of doing this frankly still scares him half to death. It would be nice to have someone looking out for him...and besides, if he doesn’t do it now, he might very well put it off as long as he can get away with it. Potentially longer than he can get away with it.

“...And you promise you won’t laugh at me.”

Aelita puts a hand over her heart, solemn. “I promise.”

Jeremie sighs, rubbing his elbow with the opposite hand. “Okay. Clearly I’m not getting out of this.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Just give me a few minutes to get ready.” And get up the nerve.

[mamawasatesttube]

14, 21, 23 for the fic writer meme <3

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

OOHhhh hmmm... i think the witching hour would make such a fun comic. or survival horror video game. (i mean, it is a survival horror video game, right?) if it could have ominous visuals and eerie music... yeah that would be so fun!!! god i need to finish the last chapter dsjkh

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why?

yes... a few times. most notably with a scene that was gonna be in sotm chapter 8, with dick & kon talking about feelings and hanging out over lord of the rings, but there have been a few others. usually it's just because i can't get it to read the way i want it to, or i think of a better way to communicate the idea i want to express in that scene. it's def frustrating to do, though!!

*that said, i never DELETE scenes i just move them to a document of scraps. never know when they might come in handy for recycling later!!!

23. How do you choose where to end a chapter (if you have multi-chapter works)?

i throw a dart at a spinning wheel and pray.

jdfdjsk no okay i usually outline like, what scenes go per chapter. ideally each chapter has a small plot structure (rising action -> climax -> (optional) falling action) going on inside it as part of the greater plot structure, so i base where to end chapters and begin the next ones on that idea more or less.

as for the specific ending lines per chapter though? GREAT QUESTION WISH I KNEW HOW TO DO THAT i kinda just attempt to cobble together something that seems like a good stopping place, but i do think my ending lines are a weak point and i wanna improve on making 'em hit!!!

fanfic writer asks!

[browneyeddevil]

Twenty Questions: Fanfic author edition

thank you to both @goldenslumberowo and @thesweetnessofspring for tagging me! sorry it's taken me so long to get to this

How many works do you have on ao3?

I have 10 works

2) What's your ao3 wordcount?

85,510 - which is an absurd amount given how irregularly I post

3) What fandoms do you write for?

The Hunger Games. I have thought about branching out but nothing has really inspired me quite like The Hunger Games has :)

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Brightest Timeline - Canon divergent Silence me, Trust me, Love me - Post canon The Elephant in the Room - Post canon The unlikely Coming-of-Age of Katniss Everdeen - Canon divergent Isn't it Strange - Post canon

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try my very best to respond to all the lovely comments readers leave. I appreciate them a whole lot and find them very encouraging, I also just like to hear what readers are thinking, especially for multi-chapter works. Although, I admit, sometimes it takes me a while to respond, and there are occasions where I just straight up forget for a couple years.

6) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It'd probably have to be Underground; I kind of killed off Peeta 👀. It's a brief canon-divergent one-shot during Mockingjay that more or less focuses on Katniss and her grief and anger. In retrospect, it's kind of like the evil twin of "The Brightest Timeline" in which Peeta is rescued from the Capitol unhijacked.

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

Ohhh, Full Circle no debate. It's the happiest fic I've written, full stop. It's post-canon. Prim is alive, and Peeta and Katniss find each other again. All quite sweet and fluffy.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

Not to my knowledge. People have been critical of some of my earlier works, sort of disagreeing with my interpretations of a character, but I wouldn't call that hate. I hope I don't ever have to encounter the more vitriolic side of fandom.

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

Noooo. I get nervous when describing a kiss that isn't chaste lol. I just don't think I'm very good at it, to be honest. I have considered writing more steamy scenes, especially for my WIP's, but I just don't think I'm there yet as a writer.

10) Do you write crossovers?

No. But never say never.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. I don't think my work is really popular enough to have to worry about that lolll.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I'd be fine with it if I was asked first :) I think it would be super cool.

13) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I wouldn't be against the idea, per se. I'd just feel super guilty, my schedule is very unpredictable and I wouldn't want someone else having to deal with my erratic writing habits, it's bad enough that I do lol.

14) What's your all-time favourite ship?

Gotta be Everlark for sure.

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

Oof. I mean... if I'm honest Stop the Clocks, I think for me to be able to finish that I'd have to sit down and plan it out properly. It's also just always been a fic that I've struggled to sit dow and actually write for. In short, it needs a LOT of work and care. It's not badly written, buttt it's also not the best.

16) What are your writing strengths?

I'm pretty good at descriptions and being able to bring a setting alive. I've been told that I write very in-character and that my characters are consistent, which is nice because writing a character's inner monologue comes quite naturally to me.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggled for a long time with writing natural and organic dialogue; it has definitely become easier with time and practice, but it's still something that I obsess over a little. Also, transition paragraphs are the bane of my existence and I tend to avoid them where possible.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'd definitely be comfortable with writing in German as it's my second language. I'm currently learning Spanish, so maybe? I think it would depend on the complexity of what the character is trying to say. I think anything else, no. Not without consulting someone who speaks the language first anyway. I've seen first-hand how google translate can butcher simple phrases lol.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

The Hunger Games! My one and only 😍

20) Favourite fic you've ever written?

Isn't it Strange 100%. I put a lot of care and thought into it and it will always have a place in my heart. Rereading it there are some things that I would phrase differently now; and a part of me itches to change it, but another part would rather leave it as a time capsule to display my younger self's writing and how much I've improved since then. Weirdly enough though, it's just one of those fics that never got much attention lol *wink wink nudge nudge*.

This was super fun, so thanks again for tagging me!

I don't know who has or hasn't participated already so if anyone wants to hop on feel free to :)

[goddesspharo]

I wait (im)patiently for all of your ao3 updates, you have such a gift for characters and story and im so glad you’ve decided to share it with us all 🫶🏼

With all of the different stories that you have going on, how do you pick which one to focus on?

I also just have to ask when we can expect another chapter of “can’t fake what you can’t break up with” which genuinely might be the best fanfic I’ve ever read

Oh wow, thank you so much! This was so lovely to see! It's always nice to hear that people enjoy your work! The funny thing is that in my heart, I consider myself a one-shot fic writer because I used to never post multi-chapter things, but it's probably time to accept that this is the monster I have become now that I write such long things due to my inability to just exorcise the demon of whatever idea nugget is in there without backstory and plot and all the other things that cause my WIP count to balloon.

The final chapter of can't fake what you can't break up with is a third of the way done (though, of course, not in order). The rate-limiting step really is this one scene that I just need to write because I'm fairly sure that everything after that will be much easier to write, but for whatever reason I keep not writing it but also not writing around it either. And in the time that I've been doing this, the path to the ending has sort of...expanded a little to include another scene that I didn't think about adding before. So the long short answer is that I don't quite know when I will post it (hopefully soon-ish? the story is still in winter and we are now heading towards fall in real life!), but for the sake of my sanity, when I do post it, it 100% has to be the end because if I extend this thing yet again, it'll be a never-ending winter and there are simply not enough months in the season for that!

I wish there was a more interesting answer as to how I pick what to work on, but it really boils down to whether one of them has ongoing momentum like a freight train (I felt that a bit for that on and off again (and on again) and deliriously for the first few chapters of can't fake what you can't break up with that lead me to think I'd bang that out in a month) or if I suddenly have a flash of knowing exactly what I want to write. (Usually it'll be a line or scene that pops into my head that is perfect for it and then I'll write my way to that scene.) But there are other WIPs that are fully plotted out in my head that I can't seem to finish right now simply because my brain doesn't want to put it into words just yet (definitely an indentation in the shape of you - God, someone just pull it out of my brain and put it in a word doc!). Or there are WIPs that born from me avoiding working on another WIP (hello the last few fics I've posted)! I've tried in the past to force myself to work on just one WIP even when I've got ideas for something else that are dying to come out and it's just not as enjoyable. Why limit yourself to the point where your fun hobby feels like a slog that you're not actually getting paid to do? (All that said, it does drive me insane to have unfinished WIPs racking up so basically I'm shooting myself in the foot either way.)

[true-blue-sonic]

1. 5. 14. For the ask game

What inspired you to start writing fanfics?

My mom has written a few books before for the family and is deeply engaged with writing, so I have a few roots of it in my family. I did a few things with it myself too: when I was in primary school my teacher once encouraged me to write stories about my dog (which didn't get off the ground at all), and I used to read a lot. But I didn't really do much with writing until 2020: I had a ton of stories in my mind, but getting them on paper proved really difficult (I remember trying to write a story about Blaze and Marine once during a free hour in high school... on paper and written with pen... that was a disaster XD). One day I decided to bite the bullet and just started, though, and I immediately found it lots of fun! So basically I had tons of ideas and they just had to get out, and with a laptop and keyboard that finally could happen properly ^-^

5. Do you prefer writing drabbles, one shots or multi-chapter fics? Explain.

I write a lot of drabbles: I often just simply get an idea in my mind (some lines of dialogue and action tags), which I jot down. I do prefer writing one-shots though, because those are then finished, haha. But writing drabbles is definitely the easiest for me!

14. What’s your least favorite fic you’ve ever written? Why do you dislike this work?

...I've started to dislike New Beginnings. Now, this is weird to say: it is THE multi-chapter fic I've written and finished, and the positive receptions I've gotten for it have absolutely blown me away. I'd never have expected that, as the second multi-chapter fic I ever wrote! But considering all the issues I've developed with how Silver is portrayed in especially IDW and by fandom over the past year or so, I must readily admit that in New Beginnings he's written in the exact way I dislike now (e.g. overly baby, extremely dependent, incompetent in a way, tooth-rottingly cinnamon roll-ish, etc.). Not helped by that is the fact I had him stem from a future ruined by the Ifrit, whereas right now I'm honestly quite convinced Rivals 1 and 2 show that he's from a good future instead. So... yeah😅

[killerandhealerqueen]

4, 6, 10, 12, 16 from this game. also, hiiii. how are you fam?

My darling hello! I'm good, I'm currently trying to finish my CSI: Miami fic Oil and Water (we're almost done, I'm on like...the last chapter) and then I'm going to either work on my Mignon au or work on the next chapter of 恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer (I'll probably work on the next chapter of the rewrite because I try to at least get two chapters out a month (I'd like it to be more but I liveblog as I write so it takes a bit longer))

Anyways, onto answering questions!

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

My Howl's Moving Castle Killer and Healer au. I love Howl's Moving Castle and I think it'll make a great Killer and Healer au, I just gotta figure out which couple I want to write for: Yuezhi or Junchun. It would work with both, I just gotta pick. And the reason I haven't written it yet...fuck if I know. Probably because I keep getting distracted by all these other fic ideas that pop into my head

6. do you have any kind of consistent writing schedule or just hoping for the best?

Ehhhhhh...my schedule is like...pretty consistent, at least when posting one shots, but updating multi-chapter fics...fuck if I know. I do write every day, so I guess that could count as consistent. But my posting schedule is not

10. at what point in the process do you come up with titles, and how easy or hard is that for you?

Sometimes the title comes before the fic, sometimes the title comes during the fic, and sometimes the title comes as I'm trying to post the damn thing so...titles are not consistent for me. Sometimes they're easy and sometimes I have to rack my brain to get something that sounds interesting to read/might pique the reader's interest

12. do you ever have trouble focusing on writing? how do you get around that? 

The only time I have ever had a hard time focusing on writing is when I had other things going on around me/I was mentally in a bad place/overly stressed out. As for how to get around it...well...you have to stop being stressed/being in a mental bad place, which is not at all easy to do and you should never force yourself to write because you will hate everything you type (trust me, I have tried to force myself to write and I kept deleting everything I wrote because I hated it) so you should take breaks if that's what's best for you. Take a break until you can get into a space where you want to write again because forcing yourself to do something is never the answer and your craft will suffer because of it

16. where is your favorite place to write?

Oh, I like writing anywhere, but I guess my bed is my favorite. Brain juices really start to get going when you're all snuggled up cozy in bed

ask game for fanfic writers | send me asks

[hbyrde36]

@griefabyss69 really keeping me busy with the tag games AND I LOVE IT 💜💜💜

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

20! A few are short drabbles and one also one series that prob should have just been a multi-chaptered fic, so it sounds like a bit more than it is, but i'm super proud of my body of work so far

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

219,683 😱- which sounds absolutely insane to me considering i just started writing/posting in February of this year.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only Stranger Things for now, but I could see myself doing this with future hyperfixations as well.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Times Like These

Shelter In Place

Caught in the Undertow

Life is a Game (and True Love is a Trophy)

Steve Harrington: Vampire Hunter

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I don't always manage to respond to 100% of comments, but I really try because they do mean SO much to me and i want ppl to know that and to thank them for reading!

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

I don't think I have any, at least right now, with an angsty ending. Happy endings always and forever over here 💜 Angstiest fic, in general, would be (i think) Caught in the Undertow.

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

This is a tough one because, of course, happy endings always, but I like the hopeful and open ending to Times Like These. It's nice after all the rigamarole of the time loop.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

*knocks on wood SO hard* I have yet to get a negative comment on anything and I feel so lucky for that because I just know how dicouraging it would be. That said, it does make me wonder if I play it too safe sometimes, and so i'm considering pushing myself a bit more out of my comfort zone in the future.

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

I do, though usually as a small part to a larger fic. I have yet to write smut for the sake of itself. (though I do worship those authors that do. You are all wonderful and i'm not worthy!!) I'm still very self conscious of my spicy scenes, but i've been working hard at it and i'd like to think i've improved quite a bit since my first time.

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

I do! My fic - Steve Harrington: Vampire Hunter is the love child of Steddie and the long running Anita Blake vampire hunter novel series. It has been so much fun to write and I love every comment i get from a reader who has never even heard of Anita Blake but loved the fic anyway! From the moment I imagined Steve as Anita and Eddie as Jean-Claude, i just knew i had to do somethign with it. It's been an absolute blast and i can't believe it's almost complete.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No - but that would be amazing!

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

I havn't, but would definetely be open to the idea with the right person. (assuming i had the time to commit to it) I am doing the reverse big bang, which is not cowriting of course but is a collaboration and i'm super excited for it.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Steddie got me into this whole fandom/fanfic mess and they are without a doubt my favorite but i'll read just about any ST pairing if it's written well.

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

I plan to finish every project i've started, even those i'm not yet posting. For my own sanity i don't think I could leave anything unfinished (no judgement whatsoever to anyone who had left a fic unfinished though, this shit (and life) is hard sometimes!)

16. What are your writing strengths?

I don't know really, um, I think I do pretty good dialog? I know that's the part of writing I tend to enjoy the most, and the part i usually write first for any scene. I can hear my characters voices very clearly in my head so conversation comes easily and naturally most of the time.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Getting too caught up in the little details (and stressing about them) and letting it slow me down

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

I havn't done it myself but i do love it in other fics ❤

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Stranger Things/Steddie! I'm a fanfic late bloomer and only started reading it a year ago, and writing it 9 months ago.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

You can't make me choose! I love all my children equally!

Ok, fine. I'll say - Life is a Game (and True Love is a Trophy) is my current favorite because it is probably the most insane and creative project i've undertaken so far. It was a long time coming too. I had the idea for it way back in March, but I doubted my ability to take it on for a long time and only starting writing and posting it in july. It still feels intimidating to think about, but I love the way I've twisted canon to fit my weird idea.

No pressure tags! @penny00dreadful @thisapplepielife @manda-panda-monium @steddiecameraroll @chaosgremlinmunson @spoookysix @steventhusiast

[dayseternal-blog]

Fic Author Self Rec! When you get this reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, or some snippets from upcoming WIPS. Let’s spread the self-love! Love ya and thank you for all you do!! 💖

:D my 5 favorite fics that I've written?? okay.

"It's No Secret" - Hinata returns to Konoha after 5 years studying abroad in the Moon Kingdom. She just wants to enjoy her last year of high school as a normal girl, but blossoming love forces her to confront her future. (Rated M). - My baby fish. A high school AU for which I was really trying all different kinds of things and making all kinds of mistakes, finding my writing style. As a fanfic writer newbie, I felt so free to do whatever I wanted! Every scene for me was gripping, and I was so immersed in the world I was trying to create. It has an original, lengthy plot that I still hope to finish one day!!! I love this fic just because it was so instrumental to helping me improve. It's definitely NOT my best work, but from the first chapter to the most recently published chapter, my growth in writing is so apparent. All of the comments I got on it, even the ones that criticized, were encouraging for me and I cherish those readers who've followed my fics since then 💞

"Nightdreams" - Naruto and Hinata find comfort in each other after the war. (Rated E). - The easiest multi-chapter fic to write. Ever. Since then, I've never had quite as much fun writing a fic (I think Catskin came close). Certainly never as easy a time. "Nightdreams" had its moments of growth for me for sure, though, like the mission chapter, the argument chapter, all of the smut! It had its challenges, but the story flowed so easily, from beginning to end. I think there were only a couple of small writer's blocks. Overall, "Nightdreams" easily takes fave #2 just because it was so fun, and I think readers can tell that I really enjoyed writing it.

"Awkward Jocks" - She knows that if he were to ever ask her out, she would accept in a heartbeat. After all, he's the star quarterback and basketball player. Plus, she's liked him since...forever. But when her home phone rings, and he's on the other line, she hangs up. (Rated G). - The sweet and funny love story based off of my ex-coworker's life...bittersweet now, don't remember if I shared on Tumblr why. But I wrote this fic full of my love for her, so it takes the spot for fave #3.

"About You" - A summer job at the Dole pineapple cannery, graveyard shift 10 PM to 6 AM. A long bus ride into and out of town. Two teens, shy beside each other. (Rated G). - One of my most personal fanfics, though many of them are super personal. This is possibly the MOST personal because it's slightly based off of my parents' stories, I set it on my home island, and I experimented with writing the dialogue in pidgin. The only reason it's not higher on my list is because I somehow feel like I didn't do as good a job on it as I would have liked. It's like, the cultural/historical details are not accurate enough for me. But this is definitely a fic I wrote for myself, and it's been a joy to see other people love it, too.

"Matcha" from "Shared Vows" - Naruto calls Hiashi "father" for the first time. (Rated T). - ooooh it was a toss-up between this one or "Finally Home" from "Shared Vows," but I decided on "Matcha" as my fave #5. I love how I framed this fic, its ending reversing the beginning, and I somehow managed to communicate exactly what I wanted to say about Naruto's new family. This fic gives me such feel-good vibes, and I'm so glad it captured the feelings I felt.

I know that my personal faves do not align with readers' personal faves. Except for maybe "Nightdreams" haha. That one is easy to love. I know people loved "White Lilies," "Friend of Mine," "Tell Me of Forevers," and "Undercover," ...those exhibit some of my best technical writing, so I'm glad readers recognized that effort! My personal faves have more sentimental value, I guess, so that's what makes them special to me.

[steventhusiast]

Fanfic Tag Game

tagged by @hbyrde36 for this lil tag game EEEE i love tag games :D

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1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12. a lot of them aren't stranger things related tho! and they're allll oneshots. working on my first (first for this account anyway) multi-chapter fic atm :D

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

27,486 hoooo boy idk if that's more or less than expected. like i said, mostly oneshots!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently only writing stranger things fics, but every now and then i go back to my spider-man phase so i'll inevitably write spider-man fanfic again. i've also written moon knight (tv show) fanfic before. i just love when my blorbos suffer what can i say

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

NONE of these are stranger things fics fdhgskjfhd

When Peter Forgot What Day It Was

Debriefed

Protector

When the Past Calls

Avengers, Meet Moon Knight

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to! i didn't for a while because i didn't know how to respond to like, comments with just emojis? i've always appreciated them but yeah only started trying to respond to ALL comments recently. love comments so much, so i want to encourage as much as possible!

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

hmmm idk i tend to write hurt/comfort, like it ALWAYS ends with some sort of happy. so idk. i mean there is To All The Days We Were Together (To All The Time We Were Apart) which i'm SUPER proud of and that is super sad because it acknowledges eddie's canon death while also being a steddie fic. poor stevie

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

hmmmm maybe Google Translate? it's not got LOADS of plot in it it's just a cute lil meet cute.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

gonna also knock so hard on wood for this, but so far no. i've received a comment pointing out how i've gotten various cultural aspects wrong before and just corrected, but never something hateful. i'm definitely VERY afraid of getting hate though. i am fuelled by validation

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

no, i kind of want to give it a try though? i used to write it (like when i was fifteen/sixteen LMAO) and the things i wrote did well but,, obviously i didn't know anything? you know? idk maybe i should give it another go

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

not really? crossovers feel like BIG projects and i haven't really done a big project yet

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no. i've had people request to translate my fics before though? which doesn't count but like,, feels weird because i think one time (when i was writing on wattpad), the person didn't even ask they just started publishing my fic translated and didn't credit me.......... was so strange

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

LMAO yes. both with permission and without as mentioned. i don't mind it if people ask, you know! i just have to make sure it links back to me- it's my work

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

i don't know, this is a hard one. steddie right now,, but like. i just enjoy fics my favourite charaters are in, you know? i will read any ship that is well written and contains steve, and most ships that are well written that contain robin, etc etc.

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

i would LIKE to think i will finish my WIPs but i don't know. im not very good at that. we will see, i don't wanna say any and discourage myself

16. What are your writing strengths?

i find these kinds of questions very hard to answer HAHA. i think maybeeee i'm quite good at writing internal monologue? i don't know. i get worried to say things like that because i don't want to sound like i'm boasting and it not even be a boast that's supported LMAO. i TRY and ENJOY writing internal monologues of characters a lot, and often have to cut things out to make sure it's not going too internal

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

transitions. i'm TRYING to get it in my head that i don't always have to detail every little thing for the reader to know it's happened, you know? need to work on figuring out things people can assume has happened, or fill in the gaps for, and what people can't

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

i don't mind it! i think it depends, you know? if the reader is supposed to understand the dialogue, i prefer if there's a translation in brackets or something, or when it's written in english but the dialogue description tells me the language, more than if i have to scroll all the way to a bottom of a chapter to find the translation. and if the dialogue is NOT meant to be understood by the main character/reader (unless you speak the language of course), i LOVE it i think it's neat

19. First fandom you wrote for?

troye sivan..

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

either Separation Entwined (she is near and dear to my heart) or When Peter Parker Forgot What Day It Was because it's me combining all my favourite spider-man oneshot tropes into one thing fhdjsgkdf

NO PRESSURE TAGS (sorry if you've done this already) @dreamwatch @cranberrymoons @spoookysix @theheadlessphilosopher