#i'm 80k words into the wip if anyone would like to know

[lilac-melody]

Now that I'm actually thinking about my writing, I'm starting to realize where my strengths mostly lie...

I'm relatively decent at oneshots when they involve hurt/comfort.

And with my long fics, no matter what fandom I'm in, the main theme always seems to be centered around forgiving ones self or healing from the past.

And while I write it relatively often, I'm not good at just plain romance- even putting it as more of a secondary plot than anything. Hell, even my fic where falling in love because of work ("The BL Experience"), romance was more of a secondary plot, as the main plot was more focused on lxl prepping for their movie.

Since I write romance so often (even if it's more of a subplot), I never considered that my forte was something else. I knew I was never good at writing romance, but I thought that I would be considered more as a "romance writer" than anything.

I know I have a pretty strong past in previous fandoms as a great angst writer, and looking at some of my current works and wips, I feel like I've grown the most from that. Whether it's only a simple couple thousand word oneshot, or an 80k word multichapter fic.

I have some old angst fics that I cringe at upon reading, and reading my more current ones, I got a jolt just how much I've grown as a writer- specifically in the angst hurt/comfort areas.

Not to mention, my most popular fics- that is, my top 5 by kudos on ao3, are all my angst fics. With only the 1st and 4th having romance subplots.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this post, to be honest. I think I just wanted to get this off my chest without sounding like I'm bragging- but I'm proud of myself for how far I've come in terms of writing. I enjoy hurt/comfort, angst, and all of that.

And...thank you all too, for supporting my writing and watching me grow as a writer- the feedback I've received, no matter what fandom it is, has truly helped me want to deliver better works for everyone, which is why I spend so long focusing on my longer fics when I have them in the works. Why I focus on quality more now than the amount of works I've churned out.

Maybe some of them are still flops, but...regardless, I'm still happy.

I hope you all continue to support me. In return, I'll do my best not to let anyone down when I write.

[atlantablack]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thanks for the tag @queerofthedagger <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

103!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

494,845 - which is honestly insane

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I wrote solely for Harry Potter for a longggg time, but nowadays I just write for Merlin, Stranger Things, and the MCU

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

All I Need (is you and you) - (Golden Trio Poly) (Harry Potter)

Impressions - (Harrymort) (Harry Potter)

On Bending, Breaking & Believing (Merlin) (Merthur)

you were born to be a martyr (you refused) (Harry Potter) (harrymort)

my heart's a hieroglyph, it talks in tongues (Stranger Things) (steddie)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Sometimes! I have a bad habit of opening a comment and going "ohhh i should answer that" and then i promptly forget about it five seconds later so....

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

Either my angsty harringrove fic I wrote for Mona - we've made a graveyard out of the bone white afternoon - or my Merlin fic where I made The Darkest Hour worse :) - the weight of one man's grief

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

It's gotta be this steddie fic, I think this is one of the fluffiest things I've ever written - and in the darkness you will see the sun

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope! Thankfully I'm not popular enough to get hate on fics, the most annoying thing I get is people being a bit too demanding

9. Do you write smut?

Occasionally, but usually only for sambucky

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't! But i have at least one marinating that I do really really wanna write

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of......

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also not that i'm aware of!

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

Yes! Impressions - (Harrymort) (Harry Potter)

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

Ohmygod why would you even ask me this question.... god I guess it has to be either Merthur or Steve Rogers x Tony Stark.... those are the OG ships (excluding any Harry Potter ones), I cannot pick between them and I won't thanks

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

Oh god, I have this huge Stranger Things steddie fic that was originally meant to be for the big bang before i dropped out - i only have like 20k? 25k? written and my estimate was like 80k or something....god i'd love to finish it, the plot is Fantastic, but I really just don't know if I'll ever get back to it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Probably prose and uhh someone told me once I was really good at like, narrowing in on the small details, also writing grief

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

writing fluff! the struggle is real and that's mine

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I've done it a couple times but just for like pet names

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I think I'm going to say drawing lines - it's the best character study of Gwen I've ever written and I think she deserves more character studies honestly.

No Pressure-tagging: @alchemistc @m-b-w @yammz @rocketnebulas and anyone else who wants to do it! <3

[keysandopenmind]

WIP Ponders...

Does anyone else ever think about all the words you've written that no one will ever read? All the manuscripts that didn't get anywhere but built your skills as a writer so that people enjoy reading the things you put out there now? Because I have been thinking about this.

I've been contemplating whether Facing the Music is a WIP I envisage publishing one day, or if I'm still working on it for sentimental reasons. I have no issues with writing something just for myself, but if it is just for me, surely there's no reason to feel guilty or hit a wall with it. I don't want to abandon it, but I'm also not sure it's worth the investment I put into it sometimes. I don't know.

This got me thinking about things I've written in the past. Tens of thousands of words on projects that I'm never likely to revisit. I recently found an 80k draft of a fantasy novel that I wrote in 2016. There are multiple early attempts at a retelling of The Nutcracker. Operation: Sugarplum eventually got there but I went in all sorts of directions before I managed that. The earliest version of Facing the Music is 93k, but a lot of that would no longer be usable if I did pursue my current plans for it, though on the other hand, there are gaps in the current outline that might be filled by some of that old content.

As I wrote 8000 words on Wonderland in July, I was excited. When I started writing fanfiction again, I was excited. I was so psyched to write each day. I don't have the same excitement for Facing the Music, except occasionally. Every time I start working on it again, I grind to a halt pretty quickly. I've often said that I will write this story because the characters won't leave me alone otherwise. They're fictional characters. I don't actually have an obligation to them, even if it doesn't feel that way sometimes. Do I feel like I have an obligation to myself to finish this story? If so, why?

I think it might be because I feel like all the time I've put into it so far is wasted if I don't see the project through. 93k on one draft, 23k on this current one, plus however many in between. And no, I don't know what makes this WIP different to those other ones I mentioned, those that are definitely abandoned. It just is.

I'm not going to come to big some "let it go" epiphany at the end of this post [insert Elsa gif of your choice here]. Though in the shorter term, I think writing this out has helped me to not feel guilty about working on something else that is more appealing this month, rather than trying to stick with Facing the Music because that's what I said I would do in August.

So I'm going to go and play more with this Beauty and the Beast-inspired idea I had.

[marewriteblr]

i’ve found my favourite ashen embers scene. i just took forever writing it. and by forever i mean several hours in an otherworldly, ecstatic state of mind and oh my dear soul this scene..... i love wren and miyo even more now if that’s possible

[uniasus]

3 14 18 wip ask

3. what’s a wip that you’ve procrastinated on the longest? why?

I'm taking this to mean a WIP that's not hovering over the edge of being abandoned. The answer is probably Death's Assistant, a ROTG fic, that's tripped me up for several reasons. One is it's a new genre for me, horror, and I entered it (like all fics I write) with very little planning. I made a point of escalating things each chapter, but now I'm having trouble knowing how to bring the horror to the next level & resolve it in a chapter or two. I think another problem is the POV i want to write from, Jack, I can't for the next chapter because he is incapacitated. Possessed? I'm hesitant to call it writers block, because I know I could figure it out if I just dedicate a drive to it, but I've procrastinated in giving it attention.

14. what’s your favorite thing about writing? 

Discovery! I call myself a discovery writer and not a pantser for that reason. I love writing a story and having ideas bloom in my mind. The giddy iron man scene, the hints of memory loss, the asthma, and the violin on the mountain scene for Grocery List Goals were nowhere in my mind when I started that fic (I originally thought the first chapter would be a one-shot) but I love the sorta cascade of scenes that go from words to mind to fingers to mind to words. Living in the story soup.

18. do you have people encouraging you to write? 

Yes! Anyone who sends me asks or leaves me comments, I all see them as encouragement because it's proof that someone enjoys my work. But I also have to give a lot of credit to @drgnrder82. She joined my (original fic) writers group a few years ago, all in on fandom, and it's been amazing to have a friend talk to about fanfic writing even if our fandoms don't always overlap.

And now, our entire writers group knows that we write it and the looks I got when I said I wrote 80K of TUA fic in six weeks...

[carmenlire]

Hi! I am pretty new to SH, and when I went to ao3 to find some malec fics I saw there were 19k fics there and I just... noped out. But then I came across one of your fics somewhere idr (prob tumblr) and I really really liked your writing style so I may or may not have spent my spring break reading all your fics... rip. I'm still way too intimidated by the sheer amount of fics on ao3 and since I really loved your writing, I was hoping you could maybe rec some, either fics or authors? Thanksss

holy shit, anon, I’ve written so much dkfgjhsdfkjg that must have been quite the undertaking for spring break lmao! I’m super happy to hear that you like my writing though, especially enough to read most/all of my fics! 

Okay, so. When I first started in this fandom, it was overwhelming too and that was in August of 2017 lol! I read a lot of fic rec masterlists on here and then once I went through those, I explored ao3 a little more, along with those authors that captured my interest. I don’t know what you’re interested in but I’ll just go ahead and list some of the fics I started with along with my favorite authors! Everyone on this list is a delight as a person and a writer and I hope you like them! 

(This is going to be probably a lot of me rambling variants of read this!! but I’m gonna put a short summary so you know what the story is actually about. I will most likely oversimplify the fic lmao but check out those links for the full synopsis!)

Over 100k

Fall Without Wings by @notcrypticbutcoy (WIP) This was the first fic I ever read in this fandom and it topped every masterlist when I started– for good reason. At the time, it was around 180k? and I read it in one day/sitting. The writing is impeccable, plot to die for, and the way the author builds the characters in this story is just engrossing as hell. This is god tier lmao!

One Line Summary: Canon divergent AU where shadowhunters have wings, Magnus is actively on the Clave’s shit list, and Malec’s relationship is the best sort of slowburn.

One Easy Answer by @maleccrazedauthor This is the first of a two part series and holy. shit. I was enthralled from the first sentence. Apparently, I have a thing for canon divergent AUs and I read this a year and a half ago but still remember gasping at a certain point, hanging on the edge of my seat as I waited to see what the characters would do. I love this canon divergent AU– it’s written so beautifully. (Note: The series itself is over 100k. This particular fic is around 36k)

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec are leaders of their people and have to learn how to make things work when a marriage of convenience is their only option.

Anything You Say by @milominderbindered Admittedly, I’ve only read the first 80k? of this because I started it like over a year ago and it was a wip at the time but I remember being Super Into It and desperate to see where the story was going. Now that it’s finished, I’d totally recommend it!

One Line Summary: Detective Alec and Forensic Expert Magnus. Honestly, need I say more lmao.

Deeper than the Truth by @insiemes This was one of the first fics I read– probably within the first week of entering the fandom. It’s a wonderful story and a classic for a reason. And that ending:’)

One Line Summary: Alec is a famous author who uses a pen name and Magnus is a fashion designer in love with Gideon’s books.

60k-80k

The Haunting of Lightwood Hall by @bonibaru There are tragically few historical Malec fics in ao3 and this is a gem! The plot is interesting and the love story is super well done. And that ending! I loved it so much.

One Line Summary: Magnus Bane, a psychic, is invited to the Lightwood estate when a murder mystery implicated the heir, Alec Lightwood.

42 North, 71 West by @lecrit Okay so, admittedly, I haven’t read this yet but it’s because I don’t read wips and this just concluded like, last week lol. However, lecrit is a brilliant author and I’ve read several of her fics before and loved all of them! You really can’t go wrong with this author and I would encourage you to read anything/everything in her ao3!

One Line Summary: Politics!Alec and Actor!Magnus in one AU? Sign me up!

The Strength of (Un)Broken Bonds by Blue This is the first of a three part series and I love it so, so much! This is a little grittier though not angsty. The plot is tightly woven, the characterization spot on, and it’s an excellent exploration of the parabatai bond done right. Wildly creative and I everytime I reread this, I’m just in awe at this author’s skill!

One Line Summary: Post 2b, shadowhunters realize just how intrinsically their biology is tied to demon energy and Alec has to deal with a fritzing parabatai bond.

Addicted to You by AlxSteele I’m not a huge fan of fuck buddy AUs but this author is prolific in the shadowfam so I took a chance and I’m so glad I did! This was a realistic portrayal of this AU without being needlessly angsty. Everything was just right and I was so ready to see Magnus and Alec get their shit together!

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec lead busy lives and neither one has time for a relationship– only what starts out as a string of one night stands leads both to catch feelings big time.

A Fighting Chance by HeartsDesire456 This is a classic for me. I read most of this in one sitting and was almost late for work! But it was totally worth it. I love the build up and the world that this author created. Really, one of the best malec fics I’ve ever read and I love it so, so much! I would recommend anything else by this author, especially Hard Choices, though that fic is considerably heavier though no less well done.

One Line Summary: Alec owns an MMA gym next to Magnus’s dance studio. What starts out as a noise complaint quickly changes Magnus and Alec’s life irrevocably.

We Break That Way by ifallonblackdays_fics and valfromrome I’ve read this several times and it’s a fic of substance. I love fluff but this is a really excellently plotted story that does a fantastic job of showing both Magnus and Alec as the leaders they are. It’s darker but realistic for the shadowhunters universe and I love how amazingly well these authors created a story that picks up after 2x18 in an excellent canon divergent AU where Magnus and Alec didn’t reconnect at that Hunter’s Moon party?

One Line Summary: Not all shadowhunters are happy that Alec’s trying to build relationships with the downworld– what happens when a group of extremists go after the Head of the New York Institute in a bid to return to the old way?

40k-60k

The Lonely Heart Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive Anon. Listen. I am putting Fatale here because this is her latest completed fic and it’s 40k but I would heavily encourage you to read every single piece of writing by this author. I have read all of her fics at least twice and I love them to death. She does such an amazing job of portraying real life, even when her AU is fantastical. I’m partial to her Ave Atque Vale series, which was the first fic I read by her, and her Home series but as I was scrolling through her ao3 profile, I just kept remembering all her stories and how amazing they are. Seriously. I can’t stress enough about how much i love this author’s writing!!

One Line Summary: Alec’s a law student who moonlights as a phone sex operator and Magnus calls him one night, only to talk about music and his questionable phone professionalism.

Love is a Gamble by la_muerta This is another author that I adore and I’ve read all of her fics! This is a western historical AU that I read last spring and simply loved! I’d also recommend her series The Universe is Conspiring Against Us!

One Line Summary: Sheriff Alec Lightwood is busy enough keeping Nephilim Falls from descending into chaos but when Magnus Bane opens a gambling house in town, Alec’s has more on his mind than his townspeople.

20k-40k

Give Me the Pain (Then Take It Away) by LadyOxymoron This is a beautifully well-done story of Alec and Magnus exploring BDSM, particularly Alec’s submission. But it’s so much more that. It’s about their relationship and Alec learning to take better care of himself and overall, I was stunned at this fic. I would really recommend anyone read this for something that pulls the heartstrings while still being hot as hell.

One Line Summary:  After a near death experience and throwaway line from Magnus, Alec finds out that he can let himself fall, as long as Magnus is there to catch him.

Appassionato by chonideno This is a classic in the shadowfam. A wonderful story of malec falling in love before properly meeting. The vibe is so ethereal and full of feeling. Really lovely story.

One Line Summary: Alec plays the piano and one day, a request slips under his door– what follows is months of Alec playing for a stranger, both of them falling one note at a time.

Pillow Talk by lacheses This was one of the first fics I read and it’s a really beautiful story that takes place during season one. It’s gentle and really does a fantastic job of building Magnus and Alec’s relationship, both of them so cautious and invested so quickly after meeting.

One Line Summary: Alec Lightwood falls in love, one nap at a time.

Good Our Whole Lives by @beatperfume This fic ruined me. I was invested from the first word and read it in one sitting. The emotions are enough to put you in a stranglehold and while I was wildly unsure based on the synopsis/AU (hooker AU) I gave it a chance and I am so glad I did. I remember reading it and just feeling so much. Wonderful, 10/10. I would rec anything by this author (she really is very creative!) but particularly and I will be your shade.

One Line Summary: When Magnus catches Alec, a shadowhunter, hustling his club the two of them reach an agreement.

Three’s a Crowd by GoldenDaydreams I’ve read this a few times and I love it to death. Super lighthearted and funny, it’s a fun story about Alec and Magnus trying to have sex and Jace being a perpetually pain in the ass cockblock lmao.

One Line Summary: The story where Jace keeps interrupting Alec and Magnus’s ‘alone time,’ and they’re both super fed up.

Sympathy for a Prince by @ketzwrites This was a hella fun story about Magnus as a literal prince of hell and Alec, a no-nonsense detective just trying to do his job. Ketz has written several fics I’d recommend but this might just be my favorite!

One Line Summary: When Magnus, prince of hell, comes top side he doesn’t expect to meet Homicide Detective Alec and become his partner, so to speak.

Hold Onto Me (Cause I’m a Little Unsteady by MagnificentlyMagic One of my biggest pet peeves with the show is that scene in 1x09 where Jace betrays Alec and then it’s never spoken of again. This is a great fic that takes that scene and runs wild with it.

One Line Summary: His parabatai rune was burning, not with death, or injury, but with betrayal.

10k-20k

Yours is the Light by @theonetruenorth This author is an autoread for me and I love a good abo fic. This is so beautiful and I really, really love this. It spins the trope on its head while still in the shadowhunters verse and delivers a really satisfying love story for Alec and Magnus! I would really, really recommend literally everything they’ve written though!

One Line Summary: It wasn’t exactly a secret that out of all three secondary genders, it was the alphas who were the strongest, the most aggressive, the most territorial– It was also completely wrong.

Inimitable by Bumblebeesknees. I adore anything by this author but this. Wow. The plot is super creative as Alec and Magnus get sent back to Victorian London and Alec has to do something both of them would rather he didn’t. It explores a murky area that has the potential to ruin both of them and the writing is perfect. I don’t want to ruin anything but you gotta read this. I read it when it was first posted then scrolled back up to the top and immediately devoured it a second time. I’d recommend anything and everything by this author.

One Line Summary: Stuck in London in 1882 without Magnus’ magic, the way back to New York in the 21st century requires securing a charmed amulet from the Magnus who lives in that time.

It’s a Kind of Magicby @thealmostrhetoricalquestion I love every single fic by this author and would highly suggest you read everything by her but this one has a special place in my heart. It’s light and sweet and a wonderful AU!!!

One Line Summary: Magnus and Alec live on the same floor and are highkey into each other– the only thing is that Magnus is a witch and Alec’s a mundane.

1k-10k

You Only Live Twice by partnerincrime I love this story so much!! It’s a fun little Simon POV on Alec as a gardening billionaire recluse and Magnus as a CEO of the shadow world’s largest department store. It’s hilarious and I lose my shit every time I read it!

One Line Summary: In which Simon Lewis becomes an entrepreneur, and, through a series of highly improbable events, fails upwardly toward success.

Lonely Starbucks Lovers by partnerincrime is also a hoot and I love this author so much!! It’s the quintessential coffeeshop AU.

PWP

The Way I Feel for You by @theonetruenorth Goddamn, this is a masterpiece. I’ve read this several time and like I said earlier, anything by this author is guaranteed to be amazing.

Shadows. Shovels. Joy. by oncethrown While this isn’t strictly a pwp, it’s about the parabatai bond and Jace’s POV on Alec having sex. Heartwarming and super well written! another example of how the parabatai bond could be well done.

In Plain Sight by redorchid. Holy shit, I love this to death and it’s actually the first in a series called membership, about Magnus and Alec’s exploration into exhibitionism.

hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night by liamandzayn I’ve read all of her malec fics at least twice and I just think she writes great sex lol. Definitely recommend!

With Bones Unbuttoned by @ohfreckle No smut list would be complete without ohfreckle. She’s an autoread author for me and I think I’ve yelled about this particular fic literally every chance I get. Goddamn, the sex is hot as hell and the emotions that pour through are enough to make my own heart ache. No one does it better and I wish everyone would read this and die with me.

Lionheart by Bumblebeesknees Both this one and the one above are 2x18 makeup sex fics but they’re both very different. I also love this one immensely and this author, as I’ve mentioned above, is amazing. 

Series

Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things by @my-nameless-bliss This series ruined me. I can’t stress enough how much I love this series. It’s beautiful written, the emotion gut wrenching, and it’s a wonderful exploration of Alec’s masculinity and what that even means. It really made me think and reevaluate my own life and I am awed by this author’s talent and everyone needs to read this. There’s also ALDNT extras which is a multichaptered work set in this universe.

We Built a Dynasty Like Nothing Ever Made by Madalena. This was a canon divergent AU set after 2x17 that does a great job of exploring shadow world tensions and Alec as a Leader and Head of the Institute. Creative and stunning and wonderfully plotted, I’ve read this series several times and love it so much!!

The Boundless Saga by sarcasticfluentry and teumessian This is a canon divergent AU that starts in season one and it’s a classic for the shadowfam in my opinion. I particularly love Parts 4 (which could go in the pwp section) and 7, which I think it’s an excellent exploration of shadowhunter tradition and expectation.

Authors

@laughingmagnus Serendi has been an autoread author for ages, since the beginning, really. Her writing is wonderful and she really hits emotions in a way that’s enviable. Her Maryse centered fics are superb.

@gingergenower I’ve been yelling about Kat’s writing since I discovered her last winter. I started with goddamn right (you should be scared of me) and I’ve read all of her fics multiple times. You really can’t go wrong with her!

@thattrainssailed Monica’s writing style is very distinctive and literary. She writes Malec like they’re set in stone entities, powerful and always in control, even if everything else is a chaotic mess.

@bytheangell Elle can write fluff or angst depending on her mood and she does a wonderful job with whatever strikes her fancy. She has a >100k fic called Support System that I’ve heard really great things about, even if I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

@royaltybane Lydia is an OG in the shadowfam for good reason! Her writing is fluid and suitably full of feeling. You really can’t go wrong with anything by her!

Ohprongs is a wonderful author and I’ve read all of their stuff on ao3. I’d highly recommend them for shorter pieces.

This is by no means an exhaustive list! I’ve quite literally read thousands of Malec fics since I joined the fandom in summer 2017. These are the most memorable to me, however, and the ones that I’ve returned to time and time again. Any author I mentioned would be worth going through their backlist. I often just picked my favorite fic of theirs. 

If there’s something that you’re into– a trope, a general tone– you can always come back and I’ll do my best to answer your questions and give you recs! I hope that this helps and isn’t too overwhelming– I tried to organize this masterlist by word count and then misc categories. Thank you so much for thinking highly enough of my writing to ask me this and I’m sorry it took a little while to compile this fic rec list! Happy Reading!!