oddlittlestories

[oddlittlestories]

some advice: if the next step seems too big, it's not the next step

[oddlittlestories]

You're not my friends, Foreman says as he casually calls Cameron and Chase for hangouts.

I don't even like you guys, Foreman declares as they hang out at the nurses station, gossipping about House & getting support with his latest case.

We're colleagues with backstory and beef, he explains as they get tacos.

[oddlittlestories]

How to Reply to Fic Comments

Saw this poll asking authors why they don't reply to comments on their fic. Realized I've seen a number of posts about how to comment on fic, but I haven't seen one with advice to authors on how to reply to comments! (There's probably one out there, but hey, the more the merrier 🎉)

As an author who replies to virtually every fic comment (albeit with a 3-5 business day waiting period), here are some of my strategies:

1. Disclaimer/Why Reply?

A fic author isn't obligated to reply to comments, but if you're a writer and WANT to reply but don't know how/feel too anxious to do so, then this post is for you! Responding to people who comment on your fic can be fun, it can make your fic a living story (even if you're done posting it, you're still engaging the ideas in conversation!), and it can jumpstart short or long term friendships in fandom as you chat about things you love together.

2. Just say "thank you"

A lot of authors in the above linked poll say that they feel bad or anxious about just replying "thank you," especially to a longer comment. However, I've never been anything but happy to get an author's reply--of any length--when I leave a comment. Even just a "💖" reply from them makes me feel seen! Think about your experience: would you rather get nothing back or get a brief "thank you" from an author? Would you be mad at them for not writing some ~super eloquent~ response to your happy keyboard smash? Would you complain if it took them a week to send that reply? Of course, not!

Don't stress the length or originality or punctuality of your reply, just know that any amount of kindness is appreciated.

3. Expand on the Basics

Want to add more to your "thank you"? Start with some basic forms of gratitude that can apply to almost any comment!

Add emojis 💖🥰🎉😍🌈👌

Add an action, ex. "Thank you for reading" "Thank you for taking the time to read/comment" "Thank you for such an insightful review/analysis of the story"

Add your emotion! "This comment made my whole week" "so happy to see this comment in my inbox" "I'm so glad you enjoyed the story"

Advanced: Remember, we're all fans here! You can squee in a comment reply, you can be giggling and kicking your feet. If a reader says "I am chewing on this fic" you can say "*adds salt and angst*" Have fun with it! Be free of the cringe panopticon!

4. Get Specific

An easy way to start writing more complex replies is to mirror the format of the comment. Take it as a template; look at each sentence/phrase and reply specifically to that piece.

Plot: "I'm really excited to see what happens next 👀" -> "I can't wait to share the next chapter 🤩"

Writing skill: "your characterization is soooo good" -> "thank you, I've really been focusing on character voice lately!" or you can share more personal feelings -> "I'm always worried about sounding ooc, it's such a relief to know the characters rang true"

Emotions: "this made me cry for real 😭" -> "I was crying while writing it 😭" or "angst is my favorite thing to write" or "your tears feed the author's angst-machine 😈"

Bonus: try to take compliments gracefully rather than reject them! Fight the impulse to be self-deprecating and deflect or minimize your work (ex. "i don't think so but thanks anyway" "I should've spent more time editing" "I usually suck at X"). Someone read your work and liked it--do them the courtesy of believing what they say.

5. Behind the Scenes

This is your chance to share your writing process! Writing can be a lonely thing but fandom gives you people to share it with. Most fans who take the time to comment are interested in hearing more from the author!

In your comment reply, you can talk about how and when you wrote the piece ("I wrote that ending on my phone on the bus haha"), why you did ("I hadn't seen any fics about X so I decided to write it myself!"), choices you made while writing ("I thought about doing Plot Thing A, but decided to go with Plot Thing B because it seemed funnier"), about emotions you felt ("I was so sad after the season finale, I wanted to write something fluffy but oops, it turned into hurt/comfort with a lot of hurt!") or challenges you faced ("I ended up doing a ton of research on Topic Z to make it feel real and accurate").

As you build a rapport with a commenter (and if you reply to comments, your chances are much better that you'll get a repeat commenter to build that lovely relationship with) it will get even easier and more fun. You can reference past chapters or other works, talk about the shared specific things you love about those characters/fandoms, and maybe develop a real friendship: make a character playlist together, see if they're interested in beta-ing your work, or joining a shared Discord server.

At the end of the day, the best guidance is simply to have fun and be kind! 🌈

[oddlittlestories]

Reblog to give prev the power to write their fanfiction

[oddlittlestories]

I think it would be so funny if there was a show about King Arthur and the knight of the Round Table where a different knight(s) joins the Round Table every episode and it gets to the point where the cast is like 500 people and absolutely no one is acknowledging that there are like 400 people in this court. Like a gratuitous amount of knights. The plot randomly pivots to knight or knights of the week and then back but it’s not an anthology exactly. Some of them die the same day they join, some randomly disappear from the story and others are technically there for the rest of the series but doing fuckall. Occasionally Arthur will be like “Where has Sir Whatever gone?” and everyone will shrug. Very important quest surrounding the major knights you’re expecting and a minor knight no one has seen for 5 seasons randomly joins in. You need a knightly spreadsheet to join in.

[oddlittlestories]

Neither enemies to lovers nor slow burn but a secret third thing called Schrödinger's intimacy. We are in love and we are not in love do NOT open that lid I swear to God.

[oddlittlestories]

Omg wait wait wait wait wait

So I have the idea with Dick being the original Lex/Clark clone baby. But, BUT

What if Lex didn’t want to use his DNA originally. Didn’t want to waste his precious clearly more valuable DNA on what is essentially a test baby. So he uses the next best thing.

DNA from fellow billionaire, Bruce Wayne.

So now Bruce has taken in this child that looks so eerily familiar, but he can’t figure out why. He reminds Bruce so much of himself, but there’s no way he could be Bruce’s child. Bruce wasn’t sleeping with anyone when Dick would’ve been born. It’s not possible.

But the DNA test results are flashing in his face, and Dick is in fact his kid. But who is his mother? It doesn’t make sense, he’s so confused. So he runs Dick’s DNA in his system again, looking for another match. Because Bruce is a weirdo control freak who collects and catalogues DNA from basically every person he’s ever met.

And fucking Superman flashes across the screen next.

“What the fuck,” Bruce deadpans.

He knows he’s never slept with Superman. He’s only met the man a handful of times! Even as Clark Kent (because of course Bruce knows Superman’s secret identity), Bruce has only run into the reporter a couple times when he was covering some charity galas Bruce attended in Metropolis.

Bruce eventually somehow finds out that Dick was an experiment of Lex’s. Idk how, that’s not important. What is important is that Bruce now has to figure out how he’s going to tell Superman that they sort of have a child together.

When he tells Dick, the boy is a combination of confused, ecstatic, devestated, and scared. He’s upset that his parents weren’t really his parents. He’s confused because he can’t remember a time before being with his parents, and he doesn’t really understand how he’s a clone of two boys. Bruce tries to explain the science, but Dick is eight, so it sort of goes over his head. He understands it more when he’s older.

Then he’s scared that Bruce won’t want him, or that Superman will try to take him away. But he’s excited that Bruce is sort of his dad, because he’s grown quite fond of Bruce and Alfred, and he really wants to stay with Bruce. Plus, Superman is his favorite superhero, so that’s pretty neat too.

They don’t tell Clark until Dick is ten, because that’s when they form the Justice League. That’s when they actually start meeting regularly with Superman, and not just every now and again for a team up when it’s convenient.

Dick is terrified. Bruce is nervous that Clark is going to want shared custody or something. He doesn’t actually want to share Dick, but he feels sleazy for keeping it a secret from Clark. Especially since Clark and Diana now both know Bruce and Dick’s secret identities.

“He’s technically a clone, of sorts,” Bruce says, ripping the bandaid right off. Dick is clinging to him, half hiding behind him, and Bruce keeps a hand steady on Dick’s shoulder. “I found notes from one of Luthor’s labs. He’d been an experiment, to prove that he could clone someone, or combine DNA for a clone. He didn’t want to use his own DNA in an experiment, but somehow he had enough of mine to use. Bruce Wayne’s DNA, I mean, not Batman’s.”

“Wouldn’t it be the same whether it was Bruce Wayne’s or Batman’s?” Clark asks, but Bruce can see the way he’s starting to panic.

“That’s not important right now, Clark,” Bruce says quietly.

“You’re right,” Clark says, his voice strangled. He leans forward in his seat, and he looks to where Dick is still hiding behind Bruce. “Can I - would you mind if you came closer? So I could really look at you?”

Dick looks to Bruce, who nods at him, before he takes a hesitant step forward. He steps carefully towards Clark, and it makes Clark so sad, because Dick is usually always so excited to see him. But once he’s close enough, Clark holds his hand out, and Dick takes it. And Clark is marveling over how tiny his hands are, how small he is in general. He’s just a little boy. He only turned ten a couple weeks ago.

“Gosh,” Clark gasps, his other hand cupping Dick’s cheek, “I never really noticed how much you look like - well, both of us.”

“Are you mad at me?” Dick whispers.

“What? No!” Clark says quickly, and he squeezes Dick’s hand. “I could never be mad at you. You’re my favorite little buddy, remember?”

Dick smiles then, because Clark has always called him that since they first met. Then once he sees that Clark is telling the truth, he gets a mischievous little smirk on his face, and Clark wonders if this is how his parents felt whenever he was up to no good as a kid, because he’s totally charmed.

“B is scared you’ll ask for joint custody,” he whispers loudly, then cackles when Bruce tugs him back and mutters, You weren’t supposed to tell him that.

Clark is laughing along with Dick, and he can see the way Dick has Bruce’s dimples when he smiles. And now that he knows what to look for, he’s seeing little traces of both of them all over Dick.

“I don’t think joint custody would be the best thing for you, Dick,” Clark says carefully. “One week in Metropolis and one week in Gotham would be difficult for school, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Dick agreed quickly.

“But I wouldn’t mind visitation rights,” Clark teases. “And maybe a week or two in the summer for you to stay on the farm with Ma and Pa. They’ll want to meet you, of course.”

Dick turns quickly to Bruce, biting his lip, hoping Bruce won’t argue, because that actually sounds kinda fun.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Bruce agrees easily. “Maybe we’ll even combine holidays.”

“Well, I usually spend Christmas at the farm.”

“A trip to the countryside could be good for us. Don’t you think, Dick?”

Dick is beaming, because this is going so much better than he thought. He’d been so worried that Clark was going to be angry, was going to hate him, or hate Bruce for not telling him sooner. But Clark just seems a little shocked, not a trace of anger in him.

Clark is angry, of course, but not at Dick. Not even at Bruce for keeping everything from him for the last two years. He’s pissed off at Lex for using his DNA for an experiment, for probably still using his DNA. But he can’t be mad at Dick. He adores Dick, there’s nothing that could make him hate Dick.

Idk I think they’d be a cute little unconventional family. And I think Lois would be the best sort of step-mom.

[oddlittlestories]

[oddlittlestories]

the world can pry house staying alive after wilson dies to euthanize thirteen from my cold dead hands. their dynamic is so dear to me

[oddlittlestories]

"it's okay to live with your parents as an adult if you're disabled" "it's okay if it's a cultural thing" "it's okay if you're trying to save mon-" shh. listen. it is okay for any reason. you don't need to have a justification. if your parents are alright with it and you're alright with it you can just do it. peace and love on planet earth etc etc

[oddlittlestories]

fire hazard

[oddlittlestories]

i did not mean to become the card deck person, who only does decks of cards, but. they are so fun.

[oddlittlestories]

[oddlittlestories]

Physical therapy is wild because they're always like "hey do this weird little movement" and you're like "hmm my brain doesn't seem to know how to activate that movement" and then they'll like trick your brain into doing it by making you do other movements first or making you resist against them moving you or some shit and your brain is like oooooh ✅ new movement unlocked. And then they tell you to do that movement 20 times a day and you do and it makes some part of your body you didn't even know was related hurt less. What the fuck.

[oddlittlestories]

I’ve done it twin. I’ve turned us into spectral deer. Twin run they are hunting us twin.

[oddlittlestories]

Happy Birthday, Garak!

I swear everyone on my feed has had a birthday around this time, including the dear doctor himself, so here's a lil comic in celebration.

[oddlittlestories]

just now watching house for the first time so apologies if this doesn't really really track but in humpty dumpty something about house saying cuddy hasn't been a real doctor in 10 years and how this the conflict is motivated by her not wanting to feel guilt vs cuddy having the ultimate last stop of fault (at least in a grieving patient/loved ones eyes) for Every decision made in the hospital by doctors who make decisions without her direct oversight and this being something she actually was personally involved in. does that make sense

@cuddytism this seems like an ask catered to you (also i love we're all slowly gathering a bunch of Subject Matter Experts for individual house characters lmaoooo)

I think you make a really good point here, and one I don't think I've ever really considered: Cuddy is the first and last stop for grieving and wronged patients, and we see time and again how much of her job is spent dealing with them and/or trying to prevent more. Humpty Dumpty is a really interesting episode, I think -- it's our first deep dive into Cuddy, and it really does an interesting job highlighting both her innate similarities to House (take a shot whenever she's running a case and jumps straight to Risky Treatment X) vs her differences, being her guilt/compassion. As House himself puts it, her 'problem' is that she sees the world as it is and wants it to be better. She has no objectivity, she can't have objectivity: every mistake and error and dead patient, from Wilson's terminal cancer patients to some random MVA in the ER, are ultimately 'hers,' and she's often going to have to deal with the fallout and angry families if any. So of course she takes the cautious approach -- until it's her case, and that all goes out the window.