onceuponanolicity

[onceuponanolicity]

REBLOG IF YOU DON’T MIND WRITERS TAKING TIME OFF FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH

[onceuponanolicity]

The laugh at the end is all Stephen.

[onceuponanolicity]

Olicity Trope-tastic Awards: ‘Our Favorites’ Official Rec

A huge thank you to everyone for reading our recs and reblogging the posts so that more fandom friends can discover cool fanfic. Thank you to the countless amazing writers we have in this fandom. The level of talent and creativity here is incredible! And of course thank you to my wonderful friends for reading and giving awards each week. @memcjo @blondeeoneexox @hope-for-olicity @it-was-a-red-heeler This last rec is making me emotional! I loved this idea but you guys made it so much easier. And more fun! 

I hope everyone enjoyed our Trope-tastic Awards and that we all continue to celebrate writers :’) Here are some of our all time favorite Olicity stories!

All rec posts from this summer can be found HERE.

Awards Time!!

@blondeeoneexox’s recs:

Summer Flame by @mindramblingsfics

Words: 59,120 // Chapters: 10/10

Looking for an escape, Oliver and Felicity meet one summer. The days were filled with infectious fun while exploring the other’s body and mind. When the time came to part, they agreed to just let it be a summer of passion and nothing more. Five years later, they meet again and learn that summer can’t be easily forgotten.

The best mistake by @smkkbert

Words: 79,655 // Chapters: 15/15

High School AU: Oliver Queen, captain of the football team and best known party guy in school, and Felicity, straight A student with the most promising future, are secretly dating when two pink lines change everything for them. Once the most important decision is made, the real struggle begins.

Another chance at love by @smkkbert

Words: 104,418 // Chapters: 15/15

It’s been almost two years since Oliver lost his fiancée Detective McKenna Hall when she died in the line of duty. He closed his heart to love ever since, unable or unwilling to give love another chance. That changes when he meets Felicity Smoak at the annual gala of the Starling City Police Foundation. Is he ready to give love another chance, though? 

real love (is never a waste of time) by @callistawolf

Words: 84,621 // Chapters: 16/16

Oliver and Felicity are CEOs who are more partners than they are rivals, but they still bicker whenever they meet up. Constantly pestered by their families and board members, they turn to each other for a simple solution. But marriage is never simple, especially when these two are involved. When Oliver’s younger sister decides to hold her much-anticipated wedding on a tropical island and insists her brother and his wife attend, will the island paradise prove to be the tipping point in their carefully balanced relationship? 

Whiskey and Romance by @mindramblingsfics

Words: 73,935 // Chapters: 14/?

Felicity Smoak gets the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for the hand of Prince Tommy Merlyn. She is taken from her normal mundane Vegas life and is soon swept up into a lifestyle full of nobles, drama, obligations and chaos. All the while trying to stay afloat, someone else begins to win her heart, Tommy’s best friend, Oliver Queen.

Caught in the Rapture by @bindy417

Words: 182,099 // Chapters: 23/?

AU. Being the daughter of a ruthless and notorious crime lord, Felicity Smoak didn’t think her life could get any worse. When her father unexpectedly sells her in marriage as a peace offering to his enemy, she quickly learns it’ll take more than just her sharp intellect to survive. But what starts out as a sentence worse than death may actually be her only shot at freedom.

@memcjo’s recs:

and I will love you always (with the passion of the sun) by sarcastic_fina

Words: 11,165 // Chapters: 1/1

Love is never as simple as it should be. When Felicity is fifteen years old, she meets two boys; the two great loves of her life.

You Said Yes as I Said Please by @anthfan

Words: 4,075 // Chapters: 4/4

“Show me a hero, and I’ll write you a tragedy”

Long Way Down by Abbie

Words: 238,570 // Works: 5

Scant weeks after the takedown of Slade Wilson, Felicity Smoak is abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. She wakes in a stark white cell to be faced with the inexplicably alive Tommy Merlyn, but breathing isn’t the only thing he’s doing that he shouldn’t be.

Now an agent of the League of Assassins, Tommy keeps Felicity captive to further an unknown agenda of the League, while at home in Starling, Oliver Queen and Team Arrow are left without clues as to the nature of Felicity’s disappearance and grow more desperate by the day. However, neither Tommy nor Felicity grasp the depth of the game being played around them, and the shadowy parts they play begin to shift until the pressure builds to breaking.

After a shattering schism that returns Felicity and Tommy to Starling—and to Oliver—secrets, fractures, and sins threaten within while a Daughter of the Demon prowls ever closer and nothing—not even survival or trust—is certain.

Take Your Breath Away by @green-arrows-of-karamel, @tdgal1

Words: 138,677 // Chapters: 30/?

When the police find another victim choked to death, wide-city panic spreads like wildfire. Felicity Smoak, an SCPD detective, is determined to catch the murderer. To that end, she goes undercover to Verdant, the most famous fetish club in town. Its owner, Oliver Queen, is the prime suspect in the killings. While she infiltrates deep into the BDSM world, she never expects to feel a dangerous attraction towards Oliver, which puts her at risk of getting caught in dark and lethal pleasures.

Love Letters by @hope-for-olicity

Words: 7,005 // Chapters: 12/12

A series of love letters written to and from Oliver and Felicity while Oliver is in prison. It will examine what living apart does to both of them and their experiences during this time.

I Feel Love by @mel-loves-all

Words: 19,243 // Chapters: 11/11

**A fateful meeting brings Felicity Smoak, an Empath, into the life of Oliver Queen.** AU eventual Olicity. Rated M for violence and language. This story began as a one-shot from my Leather and Silk ficlet collection.

@smoaking-greenarrow’s recs:

The Firebird by @supersillyanddorky06

Words: 119,095 // Chapters: 28/28

Felicity Smoak stumbles upon a man dressed in black about to kill someone. The man takes an interest in her and she does not realize who he is. He is Al Sah-Him, the best assassin in The League, the crown jewel of the brotherhood, who is known for his lethal focus and killer instincts, brought up in the League itself.

What happens when he is taken completely with the blonde?

Wanna Be Yours by @dust2dust34

Words: 58,737 // Chapters: 7/7

College AU. Felicity’s car breaks down in a major rainstorm, sending her walking to the closest house she can find. It just so happens to belong to Oliver Queen, and he’s having a ‘Skivvies Only’ party.

Desperation Club by @it-was-a-red-heeler 

What if Happily Ever After isn’t as happy as you’d hoped? A forty-something Olicity fic.

Keep This Between Us by @emilyszuko

Words: 37,621 // Chapters: 9/?

Felicity and Oliver are secretly dating, but it’s not what they both want. Unexpected appearances threaten to destroy everything they have.

The New Normal by RosieTwiggs

Words: 30,749 // Chapters: 7/8

Oliver and Felicity are exposed to a new drug, compliments of The Count 4.0. It quickly becomes obvious that the effects will change their relationship forever, especially after Caitlin gives them the really bad news: it’s self replicating, every 24 hours, and she’s not sure how soon she’ll be able to find an antidote. In the meantime, they’re going to have to find a way to come to terms with their new normal.

Will You Remember Me by @jesileighs, @latinasmoak

Words: 33,077 // Chapters: 11/?

After being attacked by a metahuman with the power to steal memories, Felicity learns that a lot can happen in six years. Even things that she once believed to be unthinkable.

@hope-for-olicity’s recs:

“Time for a story” Drabble Series by @smkkbert

Words: 1,263,692 // Chapters: 333/?

This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances.

Room in your Heart for More by @wherethereissmoak

Words: 24,180 // Chapters: 9/9

Army vet Oliver Queen returns from overseas to find out that he has a 5-year-old son. He is fighting for custody, but is struggling to prove he is a fit father. It’s especially hard because he really has no idea what he’s doing. By chance he meets single mother Felicity Smoak, who swoops in like an angel to help him become comfortable in his role as a father. Felicity is recovering from her a recent trauma, and as a vet Oliver is able to be the support that she needs. Together, they learn to open up their hearts in ways they never thought possible. 

Mine at Midnight by @smoaking-greenarrow

Words: 59,839 // Chapters: 10/?

Oliver and Felicity have a tendency to run into each other every New Year’s Eve.

In Another Life (I could be your man) by angelicmisskitty

Words: 166,275 // Chapters: 30/?

Their lives couldn’t be more different - and yet Oliver can’t take his eyes off the beautiful blonde woman that leaves the subway every morning at 7.43am. There is something about her that makes him look up every morning - something that also makes him aware he’ll never be good enough for her, or that she’d even notice him.

He had no idea how much his life would change the day he rushed over to help her…

Forever Is Composed Of Nows by @dust2dust34, @so-caffeinated

Words: 433,578 // Chapters: 42/42

Sometime in the not-so-distant future, things aren’t going all that well. At least that’s the story Oliver and Felicity are told when a supposed time-traveler (and their supposed friend who is a supposed superhero supposedly named The Flash) pops up in the lair with a toddler in tow… who calls them momma and daddy. The Flash can’t quite control when he’s going at this point and there’s a big bad chasing him through the years. The future isn’t safe for little Elizabeth Queen at the moment (even if The Flash could get her there), but her once and future parents haven’t got a clue what to do with her. Slade Wilson, however… he might have his own agenda when he finds out his nemesis is apparently a father.

@it-was-a-red-heeler’s recs:

Indecent Proposal by BookofLife

Words: 200,529 // Chapters: 7/?

She hadn’t known what to do… so she’d said yes. To Slade Wilson. For Oliver and all the people he cared for. But she’d had no idea, no clue, just how far this would go. And that in making this sacrifice, she was playing directly into Slade’s hands.

OR, how Oliver would gladly - and literally - go from 'you made me a hero Slade’ to 'this is me killing you’.

Dust to Dust by @anthfan

Words: 30,959 // Chapters: 6/6

When the unimaginable happens Felicity has to find a way to carry on.

Right Girl by @smoaking-greenarrow

Words: 35,668 // Chapters: 4/4

Felicity meets Oliver after she transfers to Starling Academy, a high school she never wanted to step foot in.

Once More (From the Top) by @writewithurheart

Words: 202,284 // Chapters: 41/41

In the aftermath of his fight with Ras Al Ghul, Oliver finds himself somewhere unexpected: his hospital room when he first came back from the Island.

With a second chance to right the mistakes he’s made since coming back to Starling City, what will Oliver do to save the people he’s loved and lost?

Will he be able to change his past or will be he forced to watch history repeat itself?

The Wrong Girl by QueenKLee

Words: 75,428 // Chapters: 32/32

Crowded out of Arrow headquarters by Oliver’s personal drama, Felicity resolves to prevent the plundering of the Queen family fortune. No longer protected by The Arrow, her investigation attracts danger, putting her in the merciless hands of Isabel Rochev and Slade Wilson. When Felicity disappears from her bloody apartment, Oliver must face the reality that his decision to deny his true feelings for her may cost her life.

The Predator by @supersillyanddorky06

Words: 122,737 // Chapters: 21/?

Oliver Queen is the one anomaly in the Chicago Outfit. He is the only non-blooded member to be a part of the high circle in the family. His reputation precedes him and he is their best hunter.

Felicity Smoak, daughter of the Starling boss, infiltrates his house, intent on killing him.

But a startling encounter tips the scales. He goes on the prowl and she escapes. Hate, heat, and friction. Sparks. But something bigger is happening in their world. And despite their disagreements, only they can fight it down.

The First 48 by charmingwords23

Words: 78,269 // Chapters: 20/20

For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called. Their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don’t get a lead within the first 48 hours.

When Assistant District Attorney Laurel Lance is murdered, Detective Oliver Queen and his partners Detective John Diggle and Tech Analyst Felicity Smoak are on the case. When Oliver realizes one of their own is the next target in the killer’s crosshairs, Oliver finds himself racing against the clock to solve the case and save the one person he’s realizing he can’t live without.

twelve hours by @callistawolf

Words: 84,307 // Chapters: 15/15

Felicity Smoak has a plan for her life that includes living on the straight and narrow until she and her live-in boyfriend, Cooper Seldon, can finally begin their joint tech company like they’ve planned for years. She’s content in her life, such as it is, until she meets the CEO of the company she works at one day. And then a series of events brings him further into her life and relationship with Cooper. All it takes is twelve hours to throw everything into question and Felicity’s neat, ordered life isn���t so neat and ordered anymore. 

[onceuponanolicity]

Underwriting: ways to boost your word count

I wrote a fic recently and the word count for the first draft came to about 40,000 words – roughly the length of a novella or ficlet. And that’s fine because I wasn’t striving for a novel or a 100K slow-burn coffee shop AU.

But coming to edit my first draft I realised something about myself. I am an underwriter. My fic could actually be at least 10k (maybe 20k) longer. Of course it’s not all about word count, it’s about the story, but in this case a smaller word count isn’t because I’m a fantastically efficient storyteller it’s because I’ve missed out a lot of stuff. Like, Important Stuff.

So as I set out to add muscle to the skin and bones I’ve already created in draft one I thought I’d share five tips for my fellow underwriters to help you flesh out your writing too.

1)     Make sure to describe the place and space in which the action happens.

There are quite a few places in my first draft where there’s no indication as to where things are taking place– or there is, but it’s the bare minimum and not really enough to build up a clear picture. This probably because as the writer I know exactly what the place looks like so I make the assumption that a bare minimum description will mean the reader knows too.

Now I’m not saying go into masses of detail about what your settings look like. In some cases it’s not useful to describe setting in a lot of detail (e.g. during really fast paced action sequences) but doing a verbal sketch of the space is essential for putting your characters in context and reader understanding.

I really is a fine balance (which is why beta readers are your friend!) But definitely go back to your setting descriptions if you’re an underwriter, they might need some work.

2)    Make sure to describe your character’s appearance.

Similar to the above point – you know what your characters look like, but unless you describe them, the reader won’t.

It’s fair to say that descriptions are open to reader interpretations, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t describe them in a healthy amount of detail. So you might try to nail down some of the interesting quirks about your characters to help the reader build a picture – not only will it help the readers understanding, it’ll boost your word count too!

Note: This one functions a little differently in a fic because the readers are probably familiar with how the character looks, but there is nothing wrong with adding your interpretation (or even reminding them, especially if the characters are from a book.)

3)   Include character reactions outside of what they say out loud.

Real life conversations aren’t just about the stuff that comes out of our mouths. So much of human interaction is about body language – so include it in your writing! Saying that the character covers their mouth with their hand when they talk suggests shyness. While another character crossing their arms shows they’re defensive -perhaps because they’re feeling threatened. In real life we don’t always say what we mean – but a lot of the time our actions give away what we’re really thinking. By including these actions around dialogue writers can influence how we as readers view characters and how we interpret interactions between characters. And it can boost your word count too.

The big stuff:

4)     Check your pacing.

When you write it feels like your scene is taking place over hours, days, weeks because when you’re writing it takes time. Reading, on the other hand, is much quicker. A seasoned reader can fly through a 100 page novel in a few hours – a seasoned writer can spend hours writing a 100 words.

When you read back your writing, make sure to check your pacing. You might just find that the Impossible Task you set for your characters at the start of the story is suddenly resolved within the next fifty pages. To boost your word count you might want to start by adding more obstacles between the character and their goal.

For example; your character has to find an object such as a precious jewel. Sounds relatively easy, right? But what if the jewel is lost in the mines of an ancient people, amongst thousands of other treasures that look very similar? What if no one has found this jewel because it’s guarded by a fire breathing dragon? What if the ancient mines and dragon are located in a mountain which is miles and miles away across dangerous lands? What if your characters need to enlist the help of someone with a very specific skill set?

You take one simple objective (finding the jewel) and you put into play a series of obstacles that must be overcome in order to complete the objective. Your underwriting tendencies, like mine, might just mean that there aren’t enough metaphorical (or real) dragons in your story!

5)    Sub-plots.

A sub-plot is a smaller scale plot - often involving the supporting characters - which runs secondary to the main plot. It can be directly linked to the main plot, i.e. the info provided in the subplot directly influences events in the main plot. Or it can simply be linked through place, time or themes of the overall story (e.g. Hermione’s elf rights campaign ‘S.P.E.W’ in Harry Potter and the OoTP is linked to the overall theme of oppression.)

Sub-plots are great because they can serve as some respite from a traumatic main plot; your character is fighting a war (main plot) but also fighting and failing (in hilarious ways) to win the affection of their love interest (sub-plot).

Plus, sub-plots can also help with characterisation, can cause your main character to have the moment of realisation which allows them to overcome the obstacles they face in the main plot and is generally a better reflection of real life! Sub-plots often centre on side-kicks and other characters – people who might not be as devoted to the end goal as the protagonist is. In fact, well written side characters seemingly live their own lives with their own goals. You might choose to showcase this in your sub-plot by letting the conflict of interest cause more problems for the protagonist to overcome.

Either way you could find your word count sky rockets as soon as you add in a few clever sub-plots.

I hope this helped!

Got any questions? Send me an ask

[onceuponanolicity]

Reblog if you think fanfiction is a legitimate form of creative writing.

[onceuponanolicity]

One on One - Chapter 12 - Getting In Your Head

Sorry for taking so long on this. Here is the next update. I would post the link to AO3 but it is acting up right now on my computer and I have not been able to get it posted. And I also misplaced who I was supposed to tag on this and the people for Never Far Away. So, I apologize. But, here is the chapter...

Getting In Your Head

              “You can stop looking at me like that,” Oliver told Diggle never once glancing over at his friend. That would mean distracting himself from his thoughts and the outside scenery that he barely noticed since he stepped inside the car.

            “I can’t believe you gave into him,” Diggle mumbled referring to Anatoly and his demand that Oliver turn over the laptop, or at least the list of operatives.

            “He has Felicity, Digg. I didn’t have much of a choice.” Oliver hated how defeated his voice sounded.

            “So, what is your plan?”

            Oliver finally did look up and stared at the back of his friend’s head from where he sat driving the car. “You’re not going to yell at me for putting your family in danger by agreeing to give Anatoly the list?”             Diggle chuffed. “My wife and I both work for A.R.G.U.S. If we can’t keep our kids safe, we are in the wrong business. The last thing I was worried about was my safety, or those of my kids. You wouldn’t do that, not if you didn’t have to.” Diggle met Oliver’s eyes through the rear view mirror. “You know Anatoly won’t just give Felicity over. Not without the information. And even then…”             The fact that Diggle let his sentence trail off brought goosebumps to Oliver’s arms. He had not felt scared in years. Right this moment? He was petrified. One wrong move and Felicity might never get back home.

            “I have a plan,” Oliver finally announced, glad at least something finally came to him. The silence that had fallen between him and Diggle had become disconcerting.

            “What do I need to do?” Diggle asked without pause.

            “We’re going to need to bring everyone in to make this work.”

            “Who’s everyone?” Diggle sounded skeptical. Not that Oliver blamed him. Once Diggle was completely informed, he was not going to like that he asked the question in the first place.

            Oliver let a smile spread across his lips. “I’m not sure you want to know.”

            Diggle’s groan was exactly what Oliver expected as it filled the car. “Damn it, Oliver. This could be worse than Felicity being held by Anatoly.”

            “But, the people most invested in Felicity’s safety and security are her friends and family.”

            Shaking his head, Diggle slammed the breaks as they reached the club. “Shit!”

            “Maybe. But we have to.” Oliver wasn’t really sure if that was the case, but it was the only chance he had to get Felicity out.

            “The whole reason the two of you fought was because of her father and now you are going to bring him back in on this? I think you are treading in more turbulent waters than the ones we are already in.”

            Oliver could not agree more. But if anyone could clone a laptop to make it look like the real thing, it was Noah Kuttler.

  OQFSOQFSOQFS

                        Oliver was damn sick of waiting. He had wanted to actually go into the college today and teach just to distract himself, but Thea talked him out of it. Instead, she had called and told them that they had a family emergency that Oliver had to attend and would be out for the next week. Oliver knew he should be grateful considering Felicity was his number one priority, but he hated waiting.

            Right now, he was waiting for Noah Kuttler to configure a new laptop, similar to the one that Rochev had, to download the new list of names that they came up with. Oliver had already done the Salmon Ladder, fought a skirmish with Diggle, and Roy, and now he was pacing through his living room, with no end in sight. He needed something to do. Someone to hit. Anything, to take his mind off what could be happening to Felicity while he waited.

            “Here.” A glass was shoved under his nose by Lyla. “You look like you could use it.”             Oliver accepted the drink with a slight nod. He didn’t even sniff it to discover what it was before he threw it back. The whiskey burned his throat and it still wasn’t enough to distract him. Shoving the glass down on his coffee table, Oliver continued his endless pursuit of nothing as he passed the couch for what had to be the hundredth time. Turning back toward where Lyla stood, Oliver nodded in the direction of his office where Kuttler was working. “Shouldn’t you be in there telling him the names he needs?”

            Lyla only shrugged, and for a moment, it really bugged Oliver how nonchalant she was about what was going on. A life was on the line. Felicity’s life. Lyla lifted her own glass to her lips taking a small sip of her own drink before she answered. “He has the list I gave him. There’s not much more for me to do.”

            “Is he almost done?” Frustration laced Oliver’s question. He felt like a child on a long journey constantly repeating, “Are we there yet?”

            Lyla shot him a serious look that made her whole face go downwards into a frown. It had to be her mother’s face. The one that she would use when scolding her own children. “He’s not much further than he was a few minutes ago when you popped your head in to ask.”             Was it only a few minutes ago? It felt like so long ago. Kicking out at his couch, Oliver didn’t even feel the pain as it skittered away from him. He wanted to smash something. Too bad he still wasn’t holding his glass.

            “Hey.” Lyla set her glass down and approached him, laying her hand on his arm in a strong grip. “We’ll get her back.”

            “Will we?” Oliver hated to ask because he was afraid of the answer he would get in response. If he had not brought Felicity into his life… If he had just done what Anatoly asked of him regarding Kuttler instead of thinking of how it would affect Felicity… If he had not come back to Starling City at all… If he never took the job at the college to come back in and pretend that he was some normal person instead of the monster that he was… All those scenarios and more pounded through his head.

            “You’re blaming yourself again.”

            Oliver blinked rapidly coming back into his body. How long had he been in his own thoughts? He was standing in front of the training dummy pounding away until Diggle’s words infiltrated his head. Lyla was gone. Oliver stood there shirtless, never even knowing when it happened, banging on the dummy that was half broken at his efforts.

            Swinging around, Oliver grabbed the towel that Diggle extended out to him and wiped his face before wrapping it around his shoulders and crossing his arms. “So what if I am?”

            “Not everything is your fault,” Diggle continued. “Anatoly made the ultimate decision to bring Felicity into this situation. At the cost of your friendship.”

            “And if he didn’t, it may be Waller that we are planning to take her from.”

            Diggle gave a small chuckle. “That sounds easier, but damn, it sure as hell would be a nightmare of a situation.”

            Oliver frowned and Diggle let his humor fade. “Look. Whatever Waller has planned, we will figure it out before it happens. But whatever does, it still won’t be your fault. Waller has had her own plans for that girl long before you came into the picture. The fact that you decided to pursue something with her only allowed Waller to think that she would have that much more access to her.”             “Great.” Oliver swung the towel in the direction of the nearby table and grabbed a hold of his sweatshirt to pull on over his now chilled body.

            Diggle walked over and placed his hands on Oliver’s shoulder and leveled a look at him. “Don’t let them get in your head.”

            “Too late.”

OQFSOQFSOQFS

              “You. Out.”

            Felicity glanced over at the door where a bald angry man stood cradling a semi-automatic weapon. At least that was what she thought it was after her long perusal of weapons that presented themselves to her during her short stay in captivity. In the end, it didn’t really matter. It only matter that it could kill her.

            A young woman that Felicity recognized came inside the room after the guy. She was the same woman who had given Felicity the clothes that she was currently wearing. It was nice to see a familiar face that was not Anatoly’s or one of his goons. “Hi.”

            The guard glared. “You. Out.”

            Felicity tried to ignore him as much as possible in a small bit of defiance. Sure, eventually, she’d listen to him. It wasn’t like she would have much of a choice. Instead she watched the woman as she scurried around cleaning up the small mess Felicity left behind from her breakfast. Felicity nodded at her in greeting when the woman looked up for a second, but the timid woman let her eyes fall back to what she was doing too quickly for any other exchange.

            Glancing over at the guard, she dared ask, “Can I at least get my shoes and dress?”

            The man seemed disgruntled by her question, maybe he didn’t understand it, but then he gave her a small nod. Pleased at the small concession, even if that did worry her, because that meant that she was leaving this room for a lot longer than a quick walk around that she deservingly needed.

 Cursing softly, Felicity made her way to the bathroom where her clothes lay, dry now from their quick wash the night before. The woman accidently got in her way, or maybe not so accidently, by the fact that she gestured at Felicity. It didn’t make any sense.

“Help,” Felicity said to her. “Can you help me?”

“Da.” Yes. She held up two fingers again, this time a little more decipherable.

Two? Felicity had no idea what that meant? Two minutes? Two hours? Was it some sort of Russian thumbs up? Felicity had no idea. Frankly, she wasn’t in the caring mood. The woman at least agreed to help. And Felicity was sure as hell ready to get the hell out of here.

By the time Felicity returned with her things though, the woman was gone. So much for helping then. Maybe she just didn’t understand what Felicity had been asking her. Unless, the woman was thinking that somehow Felicity would help her instead of the other way around. Well, that wouldn’t be happening since Felicity had not seen the outside of this room in days, let alone knew where she was.

“Go,” the man at the door demanded in his harsh voice that was a little higher than a man of his stature should have. He gestured at the door where he stood indicating that she needed to leave the room.

“Go,” he said again, this time more growly since she had not moved a muscle from her spot. He pointed the gun toward her and his finger was much too jumpy for her liking as it lay near the trigger.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity complied with his demand and began to more toward the door. The first time that she would be able to do so since being brought in there unconscious days ago. The gun was jammed in her back and she quickly exited the room, clenching her dress and shoes tightly to her chest. “Where am I going?”

“Go.” His gun pointed her to the right over her shoulder.

Right it was then.

“Go.”

“Oookay.” Felicity couldn’t help the snarky comment. She tried to take notice of the hallway as she walked forward but it was all white with nothing decorating the walls at all. Completely whitewashed. Just like the room she just left. Well, not counting the small holes that she went to examine in her time there, that she discovered were actually bullet holes.

Felicity shuddered at the memory of discovering the blood in one of the holes that had not been covered by the white paint and cleaned by the bleach that resonated from the crevice. She made a mental note, that no matter how bored she was she would never go to investigate any other holes in the mobsters’ walls. Her stomach could not handle it.

The few doors they passed were simple dark wooden panels, not that there were many. Just three. Two on the right and one on the left. Right. Right. Left. Sure it might not make a difference to remember that, but she was so bored that any sort of mental stimulation was a relief.

Coming to the end of the corridor, they made another right. Felicity blinked at the large amount of sunlight that poured down at them from the high windows. Ones that only afforded her a look at the blue sky that she was not sure she would see again. The door at the end of the hallway also offered up sunlight. However, it was muted with the glazed windows that it possessed. No way to see what was through it. At least not from where she was. And not like she expected to get close enough to see if proximity would help.

She was wrong though. The guy gestured her forward again with his gun. “Go.”

Felicity glanced back over her shoulder, surprised to find that the man really wasn’t much taller than she was. Funny because in the room with the gun he seemed so much bigger. Maybe because she had been that much more intimidated. She wasn’t quite sure why she wasn’t now. “You know, you’re a wonderful conversationalist. We should definitely try to visit again.”

Her sarcasm was lost on him. Well, maybe not considering how his eyes shadowed as his thick eyebrows lowered and his face became even more surely. With a gulp, Felicity reminded herself the man had a weapon and she probably should not be trying to piss him off. Not that she really was trying to, but her mouth sometimes got away from her when she was scared or nervous. Right now, she’d own up to both.

Not that it stopped her words from coming out. “Your wife, or girlfriend, must be the talkative one. Well, unless you talk a lot more in your native language. Russian, right? For all I know you could be a big chatter when you sit down with your buddies and a bottle of vodka.”

Shut up, Felicity, she scolded herself. Not that it helped. “You know, you can. Speak Russian with me. I would just love to talk to someone even if it is at cross purposes since you might have no idea what I’m even saying. And I definitely wouldn’t understand what you were saying in return.”

“Go!” The gun dug deeper into her backbone and Felicity took a deep breath. Maybe if she kept doing so, the words would stop coming out.

“Do I need to open the door?” she asked him as they reached the end of the hall and the door that let in the light.

“Go.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Felicity reached out and turned the knob surprised that it was actually unlocked. Maybe all the doors were unlocked, but she doubted it. Hers, for example, had been locked. She was pretty sure there were a lot of skeletons behind the other doors. Not skeletons exactly, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t. Her body shuddered at all the possibilities.

Exiting the door, Felicity paused and soaked in the warmth of the sun. It felt so good on her skin. She would never hide away in her room on her computers again, taking the sun for granted. Not after this. This was why prisoners had mandatory time outside. The sudden vitamin D from the sun made her head feel a little dizzy.

“Go!”

“Spoilsport,” Felicity mumbled and winced when her bare feet hit a small rock on the stairs that lead down from the door. It was nothing compared to heated pavement that met her at the bottom. Her feet burned and the rocks bit into her feet that had never been so tortured in all her years of living. “You could have at least let me put on my shoes if you knew we were coming outside.”

“Go.” Guess, he didn’t care if she wouldn’t be able to walk soon. Already she was limping at the pain that impaled her feet at all the small stones that bit into her.

Felicity rolled her eyes, but kept going. It wasn’t like she had much choice with the constant presence of the gun in her lower back. “A coat would have also been a sweet gesture. The wind is a little cold.”

The man only snorted. What the hell did he care? He was dressed appropriately for the weather with his long sleeved shirt and vest. His jeans probably not letting the changing of the weather bother him as much.

The reached another building and Felicity hoped they were soon to reach their destination seeing as she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to walk. The man who had come with Anatoly a few times stood by one doorway and Felicity just knew that that was where they were heading. It was with dread that she closed her eyes momentarily and proceeded forward.

They slowly came to where he waited and when they got there, the man reached out and grasped Felicity roughly by the jaw with only one large palm. The pain was almost worse than the ones that she was experiencing with her feet. She expected that she would have bruises on her chin in an hour. Felicity could only hope that was the worst of her problems.

“I hope he doesn’t follow through,” the man growled down at her from where he towered over her. “I would have broken you already if Anatoly would have let me.”

That did not sound pleasing in the slightest. Felicity shored up all her strength and pulled out of his grip. It hurt so bad that she wondered if she lost some skin in the effort. That didn’t stop her from glaring up at him. Felicity wondered where her sudden bravado came from.

The guy only let out a chuckle as if it meant nothing to him. Instead he grasped her arm, twisting the skin slightly. “I think it won’t be much time before Anatoly let’s me.”

He jerked her inside the new building and over to a room that was close by. It had a much heavier, more cell-like door than the one previously. The man with the gun ran over to open it. Once it was opened, the guy who held her practically threw her inside. She skittered across the floor in a heap. So, more bruises then.

“Soon, cyka.”

Felicity had no idea what the translation for that last word was, but she knew it could not be good by the way he spit it at her. Looking around the room, she discovered it to be smaller and sparser than the last one she stayed in. Not that it mattered much. She suspected that this was very temporary.

The door clanged shut. The sound reverberated throughout the room. Yep, much more cell-like.

Pushing herself up off the floor, Felicity searched around for a light switch and found one by the door. The light flickered on and then continued to flicker as if trying to determine whether it wanted to work or not. But it held persistent and finally shone brightly above her.

On the off chance that the men had forgotten to lock the door Felicity made her way to it. Only there was no knob to turn. Nothing to try. If she pried her very short fingernails into the sides, she might find some purchase, but she truly doubted it.

“Frack,” Felicity screamed at the door pounding her flat hand against it.

  OQFSOQFSOQFS

              “Oliver. Mr. Queen.”

            Noah’s voice penetrated through Oliver’s dark thoughts. That’s what happened whenever anyone left him alone long enough for his mind to wander. A prisoner of the Bratva was not the best place to be and for a woman that was even worse. A gorgeous young woman like Felicity had even less chance of survival. It was enough to make a man who had long forgotten about God to start praying. But, now… Maybe Felicity stood a chance. Her father was calling him and maybe that meant that Oliver could now get to her. Maybe that meant that the God that had turned his back on him so long ago was finally willing to give him some peace.

            Oliver just short of ran over to his office to find out what the summons was for. “What is it? Is it finished?”

            Their deadline was fast approaching and Oliver was beyond worried that he would not be able to make it. Noah had started on this project around four am and here it was almost three in the afternoon. No one had even bothered to break for breakfast or lunch. The only respite for any of them had come when the call to the facilities had become too strong.

            “I’m almost finished. I just have a few more names.” Noah glanced over at Lyla who nodded before raising his eyes past Oliver to where Diggle stood behind him. “Are you positive you want your family on here?”

            “Yes,” Diggle and Lyla replied firmly at practically the same time.

            “You already have mine on there, correct?” Oliver asked. That had been the agreement from the beginning since it was obvious that Anatoly knew that he also operated with the other organization.

            “No.” Noah glanced up at Lyla again for confirmation. “Was I supposed to?”

            “It has to be,” Oliver told Noah before Lyla could even speak. “We all know this. It will be suspicious if it isn’t.”

            “Put mine on there too.”             Oliver swung around, along with everyone else, after he heard Sara’s voice from the doorway of the office. “No.”

            “Sara?” Thea jumped from her chair and ran to the other woman. She had been sitting in the corner of the room, as the assigned bodyguard to Noah most of the day, but now there was no stopping the whirlwind as she threw herself at her long lost friend. It was much the same with Thea when Oliver himself returned home from the supposed dead.

            As much as Thea was excited by the news, Lyla frowned. It made Oliver grit his teeth. Sara had chosen the exact wrong moment to make her appearance. There were going to be a lot of questions. Questions he did not have time to answer at the moment.

            Sara hugged Oliver’s sister tightly, as Thea sobbed into her chest. “Hey, Thea. Look at you. You’re so grown up.”

            “I can’t believe you’re alive,” Thea mumbled from Sara’s chest.

            “I can’t either,” Lyla said much more forcefully glaring at her husband and Oliver.

            “You’re not going on the list,” Oliver said to Sara ignoring all the drama around him and concentrating on the most important thing.

            “Yes, I am. It makes sense,” Sara told him from over Thea’s shoulder. Her stare brokered no argument. Well, if she thought he wasn’t going to fight her on this then she didn’t know him very well.

            Sniffling, Thea stepped back and glanced between the two of them. She wiped away her tears and stalked over to her brother slapping his face in an act that she had not dared to do since she was seven. “You knew she was alive and you didn’t tell anyone?”

            “I told him not to,” Sara responded, but Oliver was doubtful that it was necessarily for his defense. “And I’m asking the same favor of all of you.” Her eyes searched the room for confirmation from everyone. Only Lyla hesitated with her nod. “No one can know that I’m alive. Especially, Anatoly and A.R.G.U.S.”

            “A little late for that now,” Lyla grumbled.

            “Please?”

            Lyla finally consented again, but it was one that Oliver could tell was hesitant. By agreeing Lyla was putting her job on the line. Maybe more than that.

            Sara nodded back at her in understanding before turning back to Oliver. “Can I talk to you for a second, Ollie?”

            Oliver felt a little self-conscious at his old nickname being spoken, but Sara was right. They needed to talk. “Let’s go.”

            The two of them walked from the room and neither spoke until the door to Oliver’s bedroom closed behind them. Oliver leaned into the wood with his forehead to try to contain his anger. He knew this fight was going to be mentally draining.

            “I need to be on that list, Ollie.”

            “You don’t even know what it is,” Oliver told her as he turned around to face her. He discovered her on his bed. She sat there on the edge looking worn as she twiddled with her hands, her head bowed down. Scrapping his hands down his face, he realized he no longer had the energy to argue. The very last of his strength had to be saved to get Felicity out of Anatoly’s clutches in a few hours.

            “It’s the list you plan on turning over to Anatoly in exchange for Felicity. The one with the list of Russian A.R.G.U.S. agents.” Sara raised her face so she could look up at him. “Diggle called me earlier. He filled me in because he was scared that you were down her about to combust with frustration.”

            “He didn’t have to call you at all. I would tear him a new one, but I’m pretty sure his wife is doing that as we speak.”

            Sara ignored him and swept a hand through her hair, pushing it from her face. “Listen, I need a reason as to why I died. This is the perfect opportunity to explain that. In fact, being an A.R.G.U.S. agent makes a lot more sense than many of the other explanations going around.” Sara’s eyes pleaded with him and her hand came to rest on the knees of her black jeans. She always did look ready to jump into battle at a moment’s hesitation. “Plus, it’s an extra smoke screen for you. Anatoly will be shocked by seeing my name there that it might give you that much more opportunity to get Felicity out of the compound. And that’s the objective of this whole thing, isn’t it?”

            “Of course it is.” Oliver could not keep the annoyance from his voice. Like he would be doing this for any other reason. Like he would put his family and friends in danger for something that wasn’t as important as… Felicity. It was in that moment that Oliver realized just how much Felicity had come to mean to him. Shit. He didn’t need this right now. Emotions muddled things. Emotions that he did not need to feel right now because it meant that he might screw up. Emotions that would give Anatoly more ammunition to use against him.

            “Good.” Sara pushed herself up from the bed. “Then let’s go put my name on that list.”

            “Sara.” Oliver grabbed her arm before she could circle around him and leave. “Are you sure you want to do this? Felicity is my problem.”

            Sara raised a hand to Oliver’s face and cupped his cheek. “She means a lot to you, Ollie. There aren’t many people that we can truly claim to have an attachment to. Don’t let that go. Not for me or anyone else.”

            Oliver felt tears prick his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He could feel the depth of conviction in which Sara said her words. It broke his heart a little. A heart that he had long thought lost. But recently, with Felicity’s guidance he began to realize that maybe it wasn’t as far gone as he thought.

            “I don’t know if you realize it, Ollie. But Felicity has brought this light out from inside of you.” Oliver humphed at Sara’s words since it almost matched his own thoughts. “Whatever disagreement you may have had with her, move past it. Because I would do anything for her. She brought back a guy that I never thought that I would see again. You see I lost him a long time and I missed him.”

            “He wasn’t exactly the best version of myself,” Oliver reminded her. His past, was not exactly littered with good intentions.

            “No, but he had a good heart.” Sara’s hand dropped from his face and landed over his heart and the Bratva tattoo that now sat there on top of it. “I think it began to come back.”

            “It did. I just didn’t realize it until now,” Oliver admitted to her.

            Sara nodded. Going on her toes, she pecked him on the cheek. “Great. Now let’s go get Felicity, lover boy.”

            “Shut up,” Oliver told her but began to laugh for the first time in days.

  OQFSOQFSOQFS

              Felicity had enough. Enough with being a victim. Enough of the promises of being released. Enough of the cat and mouse games. They needed to rape or kill her and just get it over with. She was just sick of it all.

            Eying the pot where she had just relieved herself, she grimaced. Seriously, she should have made sure to use the toilet in her last prison before coming here, but it hadn’t exactly been a pressing need at the time. It was the only thing in the room, other than the bed that was askew against the wall. Okay, so there were two other things in there too. A light switch and the camera that now watched her.

            That was why the bed was askew. She had used it to try to climb up to that camera to configure the wires to send out a signal to anyone that she was in trouble. Not that she could reach them. She was just too damn short. What she had accomplished though was to pull the cover off. It allowed her access to see where the camera faced and when it came on to view what she was doing.

            Which was exactly why she made sure after finding out she had no hope of sending out a signal, that she placed the chamber pot directly under it. The camera at least couldn’t see her pee. Thank God for small favors.

            She was pretty sure that the camera from her calculations could see majority of the extremely small room that she now resided in. However, Felicity was pretty sure that it would not be able to make out part of the far wall and just the edge of the doorway. It meant that she might have the opportunity to lay in wait against the wall and wait for someone to come in to clobber them with her heels.

            Her stomach grumbling from the lunch that she had missed and the breakfast she just barely picked over, Felicity began to pace. Just because the camera light was on, on her way back facing the camera she would express her frustration by shooting up her middle finger at the offending piece of tech.

[onceuponanolicity]

Thank you for being patient with me. Here is the next chapter. One should arrive soon for One on One.

            Oliver’s phone ran early the next morning. Tommy. “Hey, buddy.”

            “Hey.” There was a slight pause. “You sound tired. Did you get some action last night? Should I call back?”

            Swiping a hand across his face, Oliver tried harder to wake up. He still had not managed to get used to sleeping regularly, even after all this time he had been home. Not that it mattered much with his nighttime routine. And not the one that Tommy was insinuating. “No. I just woke up. I went out to check up on the club last night since I couldn’t sleep.”

            “Everything okay?” Tommy’s voice was laced with quite of bit of concern.

            “No, everything’s fine. I would have called you if something was wrong.” Damn it. He still hated lying to his best friend. “So, what’s up?”

            “Right.” There was another pregnant pause as it seemed Tommy contemplated telling Oliver his news. “So, I spoke to Felicity a few minutes ago and when I asked her if she was coming to Thea’s party tonight she said she didn’t know a thing about it.”

            Hanging his head, Oliver wished he could punch his fist into the wall, but it was too far from where he sat on the edge of his bed as continued to talk to Tommy. “I forgot to mention it. With everything going on, it slipped my mind.”

            Oliver was not going to mention that he was much more worried about Blackhawk and their robbing spree that Felicity stumbled upon in her research for him. He really had not wanted her to get that far involved. Plus, there was still the matter of broaching the subject to John, who would not like the news one bit. Especially, as his ex-CO was the leader of the group.

            Tommy let out a small chuckle. “Hey, it’s okay there, man. I told her about it and it’s all good. And you don’t have to worry so much about the club either. I’m handling it. But, there’s something else that has you all tied up in knots. You want to talk about it?”

            “No. It’s no big deal. Just some family stuff.”

            “You sure?” Tommy didn’t sound convinced. “Because, seriously, I’ll help out any way I can.”

            Oliver did not know where to begin, even if he did want to tell the guy who had practically been his brother growing up. Instead he went with, “So, Felicity knows? Did she sound like she might come? Thea hasn’t seen her in years.”

            “Probably not since your…” Tommy let the sentence run off. The silence between them slightly uncomfortable, not for the first time. “Yeah, it’s been years.”

            Oliver forced a laugh out to bring back some sort of lightness between them. A lightness he no longer had the opportunity to feel with anyone anymore. Secrets and responsibility hung heavy on his shoulders. “So, I’m guessing that Felicity was not one of those fish in the barrel you mentioned when I got back home.”

            The snort that Tommy let out sounded affronted. “Hell, no. I would’ve run off any guy who thought that way. Not that I had to worry about that too much since she didn’t stick around long.” There were voices from behind Tommy and Oliver could tell Tommy put the phone on mute for a moment. “Look, I gotta run. Just wanted to update you on the invite.”

            “Sure. Thanks.” Oliver hung up and threw the phone on his bed without care of how it landed. He pushed himself completely out of the sheets that still lingered over his lap and rose. Stretching his muscles, Oliver glanced over his shoulder at his clock. That’s when he realized with shock that he had actually slept a full four and a half hours straight. There were no nightmares that he could remember. That was the longest stretch he had been asleep in a very long time. He was exhausted, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

            Stress must have pushed him down into a dreamless sleep. His war with Diggle over the fact that Gainer might be involved in the Blackhawk thefts was not an easy one. Because Oliver counted on Diggle being on his side in his day to day life. Or maybe his night life would be a better description. But the two of them had barely spoken since Oliver broken into Gainer’s office a few days ago and stolen the drive. And, now, Oliver also had to deal with making a public appearance for his sister’s very large birthday party.

            Shit! It just hit Oliver that the last time he had been at one of Thea’s parties with Felicity had been that dreadful night where he had practically attacked her in a drunken state. Not exactly the best of memories for either of them. He’d be surprised if Felicity could actually push past it and attend tonight’s soiree. It was because of that party, five years earlier, Oliver had made the decision to even get on the Queen’s Gambit in the first place.

            If there were any graves and coffins involved after that, they should metaphorically be used on his relationship with Felicity. Oliver had nailed that damn thing shut five years previously with his atrocious behavior. It was actually amazing that Felicity even spoke to him at all.

            Cringing, Oliver went to go stand in front of his full-length mirror. He stared at the wreckage of those years that lay across his body. They were nothing compared to what happened to his heart and soul. He had become a creature of the night, whose shadows lengthened the darkness within him. Oliver was a tainted soul that should never infringe on the purity of others.

            And Felicity? She would run from him if he ever, even for one second, exposed any part of that to her. Not that he would do that. He wanted her far from him. Yet, there was some inexplicable bond that made him keep turning back to her. Oliver had no idea why he could not just leave her in peace. Push her behind him, like he had with many of his past mistakes.

            With the resolve in mind that he needed to stay as far away from Felicity at Thea’s party, Oliver turned his back on his reflection. He had enough to do that night with keeping drugs as far away from Thea’s party as possible. Not, even taking into account that something needed to be done with Blackhawk and his eventual talk with Diggle regarding that matter.

            Oliver had no idea that his best laid plans were certain to fall to pieces, almost all at once. Roaming the room, Oliver did his best to confiscate the drugs he did happen to see passed around. But that also meant that they were here and that he might not have enough vigilance to catch all of them without help, something he was lacking at the moment.

            Swiveling his head back and forth, Oliver tried to spot his sister. Once he located her, he tried to inch his way through the crowd to get to her, only to end up bumping into someone in the process. A blonde someone. Her hair color still threw him sometimes, but he had to admit he liked it. “Felicity.”

            “Hi.” She turned from where she stood holding a drink. Her blue eyes rose up to meet his, as she tilted her chin up. He hated that he noticed how much they sparkled in the low lighting of the room.

            “Hi.”

            They stood there with their eyes locked together in some sort of silent battle. The only reason that Oliver gave her the win, was because he noticed that she began to bite her bottom lip, drawing his attention downwards. Her lips did always have that effect on him. Though mostly, words were usually pouring out of them.

            Her own eyes drifted down and she raised the straw of her drink to her lips and took a small sip. “Did you forward the directory?”

            Oliver had to strain to hear her lowered words, especially with the loud, throbbing music that shook through the crowd. “Huh?” He seriously tried to remember what she was talking about, but his mind was too consumed on wishing it was that straw that brushed over her red lips. But, finally, it hit him. She was talking about the security fob. The reason he had to still talk to Diggle tonight. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

            “Okay.” She let out a deep breath and her features cleared, making him realize just how tense she had been before that moment. Her shoulders slumped slightly as if a large weight was taken off them. Shoulders that were encased in a black velveteen crop jacket over a simple cut midnight blue shift dress that did nothing for the figure that Oliver knew she had to have under her shapeless clothing. Not that it mattered. Felicity could walk through the room in a potato sack and Oliver would still think she was one of the most beautiful women there. It had more to do with her than her looks, not that she wasn’t gorgeous in her own nerdy fashion.

            Dragging his eyes from her, Oliver spotted Diggle across the room. He really did need to talk to his bodyguard. Which meant that Oliver could not be here talking to Felicity. A good thing for all involved, since Oliver had already resolved to stay away from her tonight. “I… uh… I need to go. Something came up at the club. I’m sorry.”

            He really was. She would never know exactly how sorry he was, for so many things.

            “Right. Of course.” This time she did look at him again. “I didn’t mean to keep you.”

            Oliver began to walk around her before he stopped and turned back. “Felicity.”

            She shifted so that she could face him, questions in her eyes. Ones that he would never be able to answer. Oliver girded himself to be strong and not do something stupid like walk back over to her. It was becoming a habit. One that he had to keep, holding himself back from her. “I appreciated your help. And I’m sorry I got you involved.”

            “Thank you, Oliver.” She nodded at him and that felt like the most forgiving action he ever received.

            Jerking his thumb over his shoulder, Oliver tried for a charming grin and told her, “Gotta go.”

            She waved at him and he walked backwards for a few steps so as to keep watching her for as long as he could. It was the only thing he could do, since he needed to stay as far away from her as possible. He didn’t need her to think that anytime that she walked into his space that she would be attacked or made uncomfortable. Swiveling around, Oliver stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed over to where Diggle stood.

            “What’s up?” Oliver asked Diggle once they were side by side.

            “I got your note about Blackhawk and saw the fob. I’m heading over to Blackhawk. I’m going to check to see if there’s blood.”

            Oliver not so subtly reached out and placed a bug inside Diggle’s lapel as he pretended to fix the man’s suit. Giving him a nod, Oliver told him, “Keep your head on a swivel then.”

            Diggle gave his own nod and headed out. Oliver’s eyes swept over the room and noticed Felicity on the dance floor. She was dancing with one of Thea’s friends a bit uncomfortably. Oliver’s hand clenched at his side but he didn’t move. The guy did not know how lucky he was that Oliver was trying to turn over a new leaf where Felicity was concerned.

 OQFSOQFSOQFS

             The first thing that Felicity heard when she turned her car to head home from Thea’s party and the Queen mansion was that Thea was in a horrible car accident and on her way to the hospital. No wonder Felicity had not been able to find her on the way out, Thea had already left. She had to be on her way to Starling General, as that was where the Queens usually went whenever Oliver had managed to get hurt.

            Frustrated, Felicity jammed a hand into her car steering wheel as she approached a red light. Why couldn’t the Queens refrain from making the news for just one day? Was it really that hard? People everywhere seemed to be able to do it. Sure the Queens were one of the most influential families in Starling City, but this was becoming ridiculous.

            With a sigh, Felicity continued to listen to the reporter and pressed the gas pedal when the light turned green. No sooner was Thea’s story over, than the news report turned to the armored car thefts. With that her ears perked up even more, Felicity listened as the reporter commented that the cops had managed to take down the criminals that evening. Uncorroborated reports claimed that there were ties to the Blackhawk Protection Group.

            “Duh,” Felicity mumbled to the radio. “You’re welcome.”

            “Reports also claim,” the radio news reporter continued, “that the Starling City Vigilante was also involved in the acquisition of the suspects according to a couple of witnesses.”

            Felicity slammed her brakes, thankful that no one happened to be behind her, causing an accident of her own. A car came up behind her and honked before passing around her. She waved to them in way of an apology and eased her car off to the side of the road. The vigilante was involved. Again.

            That made twice that she worked on something for Oliver that ended up having the vigilante involved. It could all be a weird coincidence. Right? The police were also both involved in the situations. The vigilante could have a leak in the police department. It didn’t necessarily mean Oliver was involved. In fact, he had already been cleared of that allegation. But, Felicity had no choice but to wonder. How could she not?

            Picking up her phone from inside her purse, Felicity called Oliver’s number. It went straight to his voicemail. No real surprise there. Knowing that Thea was hurt, Felicity had to think that he had already been informed before the radio station and on his way there, if not already at the hospital. It made sense that he would have it turned off if that were the case.

            Hanging up instead of leaving a message, Felicity tucked her phone back by her purse. She eased back onto the road. What she needed to do was head home and think.

            The radio announcer said they had an update on the Thea Queen accident. That it was reported that she was fine and her family were with her at the hospital.

            See. Oliver was there. Meaning he was not the vigilante. That was such a stupid thought anyway, even if the vigilante had not managed to make his presence known until Oliver and Tommy were kidnapped. But, if Oliver was one of the one’s kidnapped, and subsequently rescued, that definitely had to mean that he could not be the man under the hood. Right? Right.

            Felicity made her way home. She was exhausted. Not just from the party but from all the emotions that had poured over her on the way home. Thoughts of Oliver were draining.

            She heard the beep of her voicemail as she entered her door. Approaching her machine, she turned on the lone message.

            Hey, Felicity, it’s Tommy. Thanks for coming tonight. I’m sure Thea really appreciated it. I can’t hang on, but I wanted to let you know that we are all at the hospital. There was a brief pause. Oh, hey, man. You look like shit. Your sister’s in the room. Hey. Sorry, Felicity. Oliver just got here. I gotta go, but I wanted to let you know that Thea is fine. Her new car is totaled, but she only has a few cuts and bruises. No one else was hurt. I thought I’d call to tell you myself before you heard it anywhere else.

            Too late, Tommy, Felicity thought to herself. The message stopped. But then it dawned on her that Oliver had only just arrived when Tommy was talking to her. What time was that again?

            Playing the message back, Felicity discovered it was only few minutes before she called Oliver. Where had he been up until that point? He wasn’t at the party. She had looked for him as well as Thea when she had left. In fact, none of the Queen family had been there at all when she headed out. That had to mean that they had gotten the call about Thea before the party completely broke up. But, where had Oliver been? According to the staff, he left shortly after Diggle. No real surprise there, seeing as Diggle was Oliver’s bodyguard, but why would Oliver follow him instead of the other way around?

            Gah! Her head hurt with all the thoughts that were running through it. Tossing her purse, keys and phone down on the table next to her apartment’s phone, Felicity kicked off her shoes and headed for the bathroom and a nice large bottle of aspirin.

            There was absolutely no way that Oliver was the vigilante. Not that he wasn’t capable of it. She noticed how much he had changed since he came back and it didn’t just stem from physical changes. Mentally, he was different. Sure, he tried to become the old Oliver, or “Ollie” as Tommy liked to call him, but he wasn’t, no matter how much he pretended to be. There was something unsettled inside him. Yet, something that made him mature in a way that even Tommy had not been able to accomplish.

            Yes, it could stem from his time alone on that island he was rescued from. However, Felicity sensed there was much more to it. A story that Oliver just was not ready to tell yet. Not that she would ever be the one that he would tell it to. Silently, she berated herself for wishing that she was.

[onceuponanolicity]

Our site is expanding and we need more help!  We are looking for a writer to take over the music section to our site.  If you are interested please send us a message or email Lisa (lisachristensen@entertainmentjolt.com).

[onceuponanolicity]

Stay tuned! More information about this tomorrow!

[onceuponanolicity]

Anyone interested in a fun job (sorry no pay right now) with a great group of people to either edit and update our websites with posts or to work on music articles? Shoot me an IM if you are interested or want more info.

[onceuponanolicity]

reading advice (for writers)

you know those posts that are like, “remember when we used to read books and now we all have no attention span because of the internet.” then there’s the very contrived advice that’s like, “if you want to be a writer you have to read”??

well i think they’re completely true but they also really suck, and we of the youngish adult writers of 2018 have it pretty hard, especially those of us in fandom who enjoy reading fanfic more than original fic because it’s mostly tagged properly and possesses the emotional catharsis we’re looking for, pretty much guaranteed.

that said, i think it’s really important – whether you write fanfic, ofic, or both – to read traditionally published work, in part because it can help better inform your fanfic, but also because it will help develop your writing overall. and if you’re interested in ofic, it’s pretty much a necessity to read.

so, i just graduated from an MFA program in creative writing, and contrary to popular opinion, the MFA does not actually teach you how to write. it gives you space to write, and mostly, it teaches you how to read as a writer.

so here is everything i’ve learned about reading as a writer over the past two years:

you do not have to read anything you don’t want to read

part of the problem with “read everything you can!” advice is that there is a lot of stuff out there, and a ton of it doesn’t jive with your interests. moreover, there’s a kind of pressure to read the Classics just to say you’ve read them when in fact a lot of them are boring, irrelevant, and dare i say overrated. so here is me giving you permission: you don’t have to pick up Hemingway or Faulkner or whoever else to be a good writer. life is too short to force yourself to read dead white dudes.

if a book doesn’t grab you by the first 10%, put it down

this is what has helped me more than anything else as a reader, because i found i would commit myself to a boring book and then never want to read it, so i would stop reading for months at a time. so, when you pick out a book, go to the last page and check the number. promise yourself you’ll read 10% of the book. 400 pages? read to page 40 and ask yourself, “do i really want to turn the page? if i put this book down, would i want to pick it back up again later?” if the answer is no, return it to the library or wherever you got it. try the next book in your pile. your TBR list is long; be merciless. 

but if you want to make it look like you read the book…

commit to 25%. then go to the wikipedia article, read the plot summary, and fast forward to the last 10-15 pages. bam. you’ve more or less read the book. bonus points if you watch the movie, too. so if you’re really committed to reading Ulysses or whatever but you don’t want to slog through it, you can digest enough to be able to hold a conversation about it in a few hours and move on with your life. you can even pretend you enjoyed it and found it a formative reading experience that helped shape your understanding of the work of fiction, really, absolutely groundbreaking, etc etc. this is especially helpful if you find yourself anywhere in the literary sphere because other writers will expect you to be familiar with the canon. 

read selfishly and take tools from everything you read

when you read anything, even the stuff you don’t like, ask yourself, “what tools can i take for my own writing?” let’s say you really love the plot structure – write it down somewhere so you remember to try it out for your own story. if you love the lyricism of the sentences, find a few sentences you really like and jot them down by hand, inspect what about them makes you love them so much. steal aspects of characters you admire, pacing, conflict, stakes. steal as much as you can without stealing the words themselves. you can even use this for things you don’t like by rephrasing the question: “what is it about this story i would like to avoid in my own work?” pivot every single thing you read to be about you and your writing. take notes. mark up and highlight your book if you have to. reading as a writer is not a passive activity but an active one. you’re not being entertained, you’re learning. so let published works teach you. 

carve time out of your day to read

at 7pm every day, i put my phone down and pick up an actual physical book. this is my personal preference – i have no beef at all with ebooks, but honestly, i get so tired of staring at lit screens all day, and paper books without the distraction of my phone is such a nostalgic feeling for me, back when i was 14 and the library was my second home and if someone wanted my attention they had to call me on a landline. if you had the same upbringing, dedicating some time to read a physical book will do you wonders. if ebooks are your thing, it’s still important to schedule reading time for yourself, not as an obligation to uphold, but as something to do that’s good for you and that you enjoy. 

write letters to your favorite authors!!

seriously. if you love a book, let the author know. they will not be annoyed or upset. they will be thrilled. it’s a good way to network with other writers, and it’s a great practice of literary citizenship.

when someone recommends a book to you, ask why

this is something i’ve only recently learned to do, as someone who gets book recommendations pretty much constantly. if the person knows you decently, i don’t think it’s out of line to ask, “what would i specifically like about this?” because then that will tell if you if the person is only recommending it because they like it, not because they think you’ll like it. if the person knows your writing, it’s fair to ask, “how is this book in conversation with my work?” so you have a head start in the kinds of tools you’ll want to take from it. 

follow your aesthetic instincts

as a writer, honing your aesthetic will always be one of your highest aims, which means constantly seeking out writers whose aesthetics you admire and analyzing what it is you admire about it. “aesthetic” is kind of a vague term, but it refers to your overall vibe – the things you write about and why you write about them. my aesthetic is more or less “midwestern class warfare meets sexual identity crises with a lot of dark humor,” so i tend to look for other writers who share facets of that aesthetic and i inspect what’s working for them, where they publish, what their influences are, etc. i try to read both within my aesthetic but also far outside of it too. for example, i love historical fiction but i know i’ll never, ever write it. but i appreciate the aesthetic, and i can take tools from it like dedication to detail, internal conflicts, etc.

read short fiction (please)

this is my personal plea. short stories are a great way to find authors whose work is in conversation with yours, so that you can then go check out their novels with a good idea already of what you like about them. short stories are all over the internet via literary and genre mags. they’re a much smaller commitment than novels and tend to have just as much emotional impact (if done well) as novels. more importantly you’ll always have recs for your friends, and it’s a lot easier getting someone to read a 6k story you enjoyed than a 60k novel.

resources

don’t have time to read but like to listen? try the new yorker fiction and writers’ voice podcasts

like marking up books but don’t want to buy them new? check out thriftbooks (my favorite site on the internet – the link here will get you 15% off!)

finished a book you like but don’t know what to read next? try what should i read next

want to stay apprised of the goings on in the modern literary community? subscribe to the lithub newsletter and arts & letters daily, two newsletters i’ve been subscribed to for years 

as always i’m glad to answer any questions! happy reading!

writing advice tag

[onceuponanolicity]

@entertainment-jolt this may be something to write a story on. I love how our Olicity fans always rise to the call to help others

Week 2 - OTA-Inspired Campaign

Hey Friends of Original Team Arrow Awesomeness!

Last week, I started a campaign to try to turn OTA fans into real-life heroes by taking part in a virtual bone marrow registration drive. There are many people with cancer and blood disorders who cannot find life-saving matches every year. I am hoping that within our fan community, there are some folks who would like to help, if possible by getting on the list. Remember, it’s called a fundraiser, but no monetary donation is required. Please click here and register on this page to get started: OTA-Inspired Virtual Bone Marrow Registration Drive.

Each week I am creating OTA-Inspired content to try to keep the topic on folks’ minds and thank them for considering it. Also, I just want to celebrate this amazing trio. So, I hope like this little drabble, called LIAN YU and the edit I made from the episode that inspired it. 

(also appears here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15354786)

LIAN YU  by Quiveringbunny

Keep reading

[onceuponanolicity]

I just wanted to let you know that I love your fics I was wondering if you are planning on continuing “One on One” and “Never Far Away”- they are 2 of my favorites Thank you in advance for your response and thank you for the time you take to write fics for us!

Thank you so much. Glad you are enjoying them. My schedule has been really busy of late, but I am hoping that soon I will be able to squeeze in some more chapters for updates. I know I do have more written for one on one but I just haven’t had a chance to get them typed up and edited.

[onceuponanolicity]

Happy Birthday @onceuponanolicity!!!

May this be a year full of wonderful adventure. Enjoy your day!

Birthday Celebrations Team: @aguschaer // @almondblossomme // @angelalafan // @angelicmisskitty // @bb-olicity // @bekaoperetta // @benisa1608// @blindspot-fanatic // @bindy417 // @blondeeoneexox // @callistawolf // @canadianbeauty2 // @ccdimples88 // @cainc3 // @charlie-leau// @coal000 // @crazycrystal10 // @cruzrogue // @darklady7 // @dcnmarvelgamergeek // @diggo26 // @dmichellewrites // @eloquence-of-felicities// @felicityollies // @felicity-said-just-in-case // @foreverfelicityqueen // @garbagechic // @geneshaven // @hope-for-olicity // @it-was-a-red-heeler // @jaspertown // @jbuffyangel // @jcc04220 // @jammysammysaurus // @lageniuswannabe // @laurabelle2930 // @lgtwinkie99 // @lou-lou26 // @love2luvyyou // @lovejesusarrowavengersblog // @magda1102 // @malafle // @marytagus // @mel-loves-all // @memcjo // @miriam1779 // @missafairy // @muslimsmoak // @myne5kzn // @missyriver // @nalla-madness // @olicitysmoaky// @oliverfel4 // @onceuponanolicity // @pennedbyv // @perfectlittlesoul // @pimsiepim // @pleasantfanandstudent // @quiveringbunny// @redpensandgreenarrows // @saebrfan // @scu11y22  // @smkkbert // @smoakedandcharmed // @smoakinggun // @smoakingskye // @smoakmonster // @sophie1973 // @sparkylanders // @storyteller0311 // @swordandarrow // @tdgal1// @thebookjumper // @tinaday3w // @trueromantic1 // @turnupthemusicandscream// @vaelisamaza // @wherethereissmoak // @yasssssvictoria // @yryssss // @truemyth

[onceuponanolicity]

Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - June 22nd, 2018

(Photo credit: Joe Pickard | josephowen)

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them. Thank you so so much for your fics they really do help with pain.

I Want You to Want Me by @felicityollies - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - Prompt: Wanting - She sings almost every night. He can’t help watching her. There’s a pull, a desire, and he swears she knows what she does to him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14933567/chapters/34597388

Knight in Dented Armor multi-chapter WIP by Serendipity16 - 10. That’s the message that was left on Felicity Smoak’s car that started the downward spiral that has become her life. Sure, she has her amazingly gorgeous-I mean muscular- I mean supportive best friend and CEO, Oliver Queen to help her through this strange time. But will Felicity’s past finally catch up to her? And what happens when the countdown runs out? https://archiveofourown.org/works/11156415/chapters/24895272

Prompt: Wanting by @lageniuswannabe - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon - Oliver is coming home.  Well the safe house home but home. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14881931/chapters/34588400

I Could Kill You by who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver meets other inmates who don’t have many nice things to say about the Green Arrow. They also bring up Oliver’s family and that’s the last straw. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936645

Life’s All About Changes multi-chapter WIP by Crazyreader2468 - After agreeing to plead guilty to being the Green Arrow in order to get FBI assistance in capturing Diaz, Oliver finds himself in a supermax, a maximum security federal prison, serving a life sentence. As he struggles to become accustomed to life in prison, his family, friends, and teammates struggle to live without him, as well as continually attempting to find a way to get him pardoned. Will they succeed in obtaining a pardon and will Oliver survive until they do? Mostly AU from right before the ending of episode 6 x 22 and after most of 6 x 23.             https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936172

Intimacy multi-chapter WIP by @felicityollies - intimacy [in-tuh-muh-see] a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group. // A collection of interconnected drabbles and oneshots about the different kinds of intimacy that Oliver and Felicity share. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14939171/chapters/34612685

Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172

The Queen’s Mage multi-chapter WIP by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl - Words have power, and mages, those with the aptitude to draw on that power, are few in number. Thus, their services are highly sought after by anyone who has exhausted all mundane means of solving whatever problem is plaguing them. Felicity is reminded of this fact the hard way when she is hired by Moira Queen, the Lady Starling, to find and return to her her son Oliver, who fled his family home five years ago following the death of his father. With a threat hanging over her should she return without Robert Queen’s heir, Felicity begins her search. When she finds Oliver, and ends up joining his vigilante crusade while she waits for him to decide whether to return home, the last thing she expects to do is fall in love with him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617068/chapters/33781269

It’s For You by @laurabelle2930 - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - Prompt: Hidden - Created for the Fic a thon but Oliver and Felicity have been friends since she tutored him in college. Now Oliver’s ready to move forward and he’s chosen to show Felicity in a sweet yet creative way. https://archiveofourown.org/collections/OlicityHiatusFicAThon2018/works/14942804

The Story of Tonight multi-chapter WIP by @arrow-crack - Set in the Revolutionary War. Felicity, a rich daughter of General Smoak meets a strangely charming soldier under her father’s command, Oliver Queen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14073570/chapters/32423250

Sometimes It Rains multi-chapter WIP by Izzyface and @missyriver - Life happens fast. But we live through it slow. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14726736/chapters/34039875

The One Who Lights My Way by @felicityollies - prompt: comfort - Inspired by Charmed - Oliver was Felicity’s Whitelighter until he let darkness inside and became something else. Now Felicity must do everything in her power to bring him back to her. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11034534/chapters/25642158

The Jersey by @felicityollies - Oliver decides to wear a Smoak jersey and surprise her on their special night. (anonymous prompt) https://archiveofourown.org/works/11450256

Better Than Sex by @felicityollies - Oliver bakes Better Than Sex cake for Felicity, but it has an unwanted affect. https://archiveofourown.org/works/6610375/chapters/25667679

Vegas, Baby by @dmichellewrites - Oliver and Felicity wanted a simple wedding weekend with a calm bride and groom shower, but their friends and family have other plans. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11451009

I Need You Here by who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver and Felicity weren’t able to see each other during Oliver’s imprisonment but they sent letters. Although letters weren’t always sufficient, they helped them survive through hard times. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14945424/chapters/34629078

I’ll Be Your Everything (You’ll Be The Death of Me) by @fellicityqueen - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - She pulls from him, just enough to instruct, “Tell me what you need me to do.” His eyes are still closed, mouth smeared with the color and shine of her lipstick, when he responds, “Stay.” (something about the savior leaves Oliver rattled and shaken. Felicity decides it’s her chance to return the favor Oliver had given her weeks ago.) https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943749

Deeper Than The Ocean by @green-arrows-of-karamel - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - Prompt: Wanting -  Apart from the other mermaids, Felicity wants to explore the world above the water. She resorts to a powerful sorceress and magic to fulfill her deepest desire. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14946332/chapters/34631741

Untitled by @smoaking-greenarrow - Prompt: Overprotective Oliver fic http://smoaking-greenarrow.tumblr.com/post/174946817039/would-you-please-write-a-overprotective-oliver

All I Want is You by @crazycrystal10 - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon - Prompt: Wanting - Felicity, having moved to a new city finds her mate in the most unexpected man.  Shapeshifter/Soulmates AU https://archiveofourown.org/works/14947811

Come Back When You Can multi-chapter WIP by @smoaking-greenarrow - Felicity Smoak had accepted that her husband is dead. She’s done everything she could to hold her family, her team, her city, and herself together. But five years after losing her husband, Felicity learns that things didn’t happen the way she thought they did. And when Oliver realizes that he was lied to, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get revenge on the people who took his life away. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949939/chapters/34641729

Following the Lead of the Setting Sun multi-chapter complete by @adiwriting - When Oliver agrees to a life in prison, it lights a match to the entire Queen family’s world. How can Oliver be a good husband and father, while he’s in prison and fighting for his life? https://archiveofourown.org/works/14715020/chapters/34008707

You Want Me to Cooperate? by who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver and agent Watson have a deal but Oliver has a new condition. He won’t cooperate or participate another assignment before he sees his family. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14953520

Unexpected multi-chapter WIP by dreamsofolicity - After Oliver leaves Hong Kong and winds up in Coast City, Felicity Smoak finds him in a tricky situation. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415864/chapters/25574031

Wicked Surrender by @nightkeepyr -  It was the last place he expected to find her. She was supposed to be innocent…this wasn’t innocent.           https://archiveofourown.org/works/7448395

Soulful Surrender by @nightkeepyr -  Sequel to Wicked Surrender. Oliver needs out of his head. Felicity gives him a glimpse of what it can be like on the other side of control. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459010

Quiet Dreams by @geneshaven - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - Prompt: Hidden https://geneshaven.tumblr.com/post/174964965969/quiet-dreams

Like a River by Tangled23 - What if Oliver and Felicity had enough time alone to say goodbye? https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955563

The Calm After The Crisis by Dark_Supernatural_Angel - With the help of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, Barry Allen and Iris West enlist the help of John Diggle to give them the desired ending the Earth-X invaders took from them. In doing so, Felicity’s eyes are opened in regard to her situation with Oliver.  Rewrite of the Double Wedding Ceremony at the end of the “Crisis on Earth-X” Crossover Event [found in ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Ep. 3×08]. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14957333

My Heart is Safe With You multi-chapter WIP by dreamsofolicity - While trying to escape their pasts, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak accidentally book the same vacation house. They are determined to make it work, unaware that they are setting themselves on a path to healing together. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11443272/chapters/25645872

After Midnight by @dmichellewrites - Felicity spends the night in Oliver’s new apartment and has a hankering for cake after a passionate romp  with her boyfriend post-mission. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11463171?view_adult=true

Comfort by @wetsuiton - Felicity takes care of Oliver when he’s sick https://archiveofourown.org/works/11084547/chapters/25720383

Untitled by @smoaking-greenarrow - Out of context prompts - “You are not alone, and I believe in you.” http://smoaking-greenarrow.tumblr.com/post/174988978454/19-for-the-out-of-context-prompts-please

Comfort by @diggo26 - Summary: Post 5x23. Felicity comforts Oliver after a nightmare. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056575/chapters/25725111

Born To Be Yours by @juvinadelgreko - Songfic based off of “Born To Be Yours” by Imagine Dragons and Kygo—I just heard this song for the first time yesterday and my brain was immediately like OLICITY! And I had to write this. It’s mostly an observation of the development of what their relationship means to Oliver. I highly recommend listening to the song while reading. It’s a bop. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14960334

Are You Embarrassed? by who_seeks_shall_find - Being a mom means setting up a carpool karaoke session and giving the talk. Or at least it is what being a mom means to Felicity. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964999

Safe & Sound by @perfectlittlesoul - Before going to the bunker. Oliver has a little trouble getting his and Felicity’s son to fall asleep. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11429613

Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation by @laureningall - Felicity insists that Oliver not change his plans for a weekend of ‘camping with the kids’ despite the fact she is laid up with a sprained ankle. Oliver calls in the cavalry, Mama Smoak to the rescue! https://archiveofourown.org/works/11443992

We Loved With A Love That Was More Than Love multi-chapter WIP by @wrldtravler - When Felicity’s father leaves her and her mother behind, she loses all her faith in the very idea of soulmates. After Donna Smoak remarries into the Merlyn family, events are put into motion that bring Felicity into proximity the very destiny she never wanted to be apart of, and the family she never knew she needed. After years of unknowingly fighting and dancing around her fate, Felicity finally receives her soulmark on her 18th birthday. With the truth revealed, Felicity’s fate is left in her hands, and only she can decide whether to let him in before it’s too late. http://archiveofourown.org/works/10216829/chapters/22672961

Comfort Is… multi-chapter WIP by @onceuponanolicity - Felicity is not having a good day. All she wants is the comforts from home to make her feel better. Then her bad day gets worse resulting in a meeting with the infamous Hood who complete changes her definition of comfort. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11477754/chapters/25738887

The Arrow’s Wife @geniewithwifi - Felicity never expected to wake up married. She grew up in Vegas for heaven sakes, she knew better. But she never thought in a million years she would be married to him. To the Vigilante. https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539342

The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants by @felicityollies - Felicity gets left at the altar…. luckily her best friend, Oliver, is there by her side. When she decides not to let her honeymoon go to waste and take a vacation, she asks him to join her. https://archiveofourown.org/works/8928505

A Little Less Conversation by @it-was-a-red-heeler - 2018 Olicity Hiatus Fic-athon entry for the prompt Hidden. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14975468

This Moment and Now by @oneofakindxx - Felicity visits Oliver in prison http://oneofakindxx.tumblr.com/post/174461293371/this-moment-and-now-felicity-couldnt-believe

I Can Take No More Lies by who_seeks_shall_find - Finally, John tells Felicity that he visited Oliver in prison without her or William. It makes Felicity wonder if there is something wrong with her because everyone she loves keeps lying to her. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14974154

Stay by Mellowyellowdiamonds - One night after finishing patrol, Oliver finds that his brooding space on top of the QC rooftop has been invaded by a certain bubbly blond.  A short and sweet Olicity meet cute! https://archiveofourown.org/works/14976956

Do We Really Want to Say Goodbye @laureningall - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon 2018 - Prompt: Wanting - No one is ever really wants to say goodbye, but when it��s time, its best to do it with friends. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14982407

Oliver the (Divorce) Lawyer multi-chapter WIP @someonesaidcake - Black tie, white shirt, grey suit… when Oliver put them on that chilly December morning, he hadn’t planned on meeting her. ‘Her’ being Felicity Smoak, the sassy dark haired college student and daughter of his (only) client. This should be fun… https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823708/chapters/34304472

Lost Remote by @felicityollies - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon - prompt: hidden - Oliver accidentally gropes Felicity in the midst of searching for the TV remote, but hears her moan in pleasure (anonymous prompt) https://archiveofourown.org/works/14933567/chapters/34743341

Arrow 7x01 Spec #3 by @lostolicityscenes - This is my last spec fic for 7x01. I’m not certain Oliver will get this dark on the show. I see this as survival instinct kicking in for a man facing down a life sentence. https://lostolicityscenes.tumblr.com/post/175084033684/arrow-7x01-spec-3-an-this-is-my-last-spec-fic

Re-Airrow: Episode 1x21 by @lostolicityscenes - In this episode, Oliver and Felicity infiltrate an underground casino in search of Walter. I’ve written three short scenes. Two dealing with the aftermath of finding out Walter is dead (spoiler: he’s not) and the final scene is just me squeezing out a little more Olicity feels from Felicity’s short appearance at Walter’s hospital room at the end. I can’t believe I’m almost reaching the end of season 1!  https://lostolicityscenes.tumblr.com/post/175087415786/re-airrow-episode-1x21-an-in-this-episode

Branded by HopeShannon3000 - Oliver is back from prison but Felicity it keeping a secret from him and he wants to know what it could be. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14993408

The Bakers on Staple Drive by @cruzrogue - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon- Prompt: Hidden - Felicity and William are under A.R.G.U.S. protection. New identities and all. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994791

How Could I Live Without You? by who_seeks_shall_find - There’s a mission that also requires Felicity to participate. Not everything goes according to the plan and Felicity ends up with a new scar. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15000716/chapters/34767707

Love is in the Air multi-chapter WIP by MelicitySmoak - CEO Oliver Queen meets flight attendant Felicity Smoak on a commercial flight and immediately falls for her. He needs to get her number or ask her out - whichever, he doesn’t really mind - before the five-hour flight comes to an end. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15001748/chapters/34770401

Colors Fade multi-chapter WIP by @bekaoperetta - Based on a Tumblr prompt. Soulmates are marked with a bruise. It’s the first place you touch. When you do they fade into brilliant shades of purple and blue. http://archiveofourown.org/works/13227498

Keep reading

[onceuponanolicity]

Writing Advice Posts: A Handy Reference Guide

(Updated 5/19/18) Hey all, I’ve got quite a few writing advice posts & answered Asks on my blog at this point, so I’m making this reference guide to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Hope it helps!

Free Resource Library Downloads

All of these PDFs are available to download in my Free Resource Library.

Creating Character Arcs Workbook

Point of View Cheatsheet

Dialogue Checklist

Setting Checklist

Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Editor Printable Checklist

Proper Manuscript Format Printable Checklist

Short Story & Novel Submission Templates

General

8 Ways to Improve Your Writing

10 Best Books About Writing Fiction

How to Spot Bad Writing Advice: 6 Red Flags to Look For

“Show Don’t Tell”? Not Always. Here’s When to Use Summary

How to start a story

More about starting stories

The first sentence

The Writing Process, Writer’s Block, & Inspiration

How to Train Yourself to Write Faster

Just a friendly reminder that creativity is difficult to quantify.

Quick Writing Tip: Make a Note to Your Future Self in Your WIP

Quick Writing Tip: Take Notes!

Just a friendly reminder that writing is not always a linear process.

Quick Cure for Writer’s Block: Lower Your Expectations

Set Realistic Goals

Your Skills May Need Time to Catch Up to Your Vision

It’s Okay to Experiment and Be Weird As Fuck

Surround Yourself With Supporters

It’s okay to take a break.

Your First Draft is Raw Material

Getting into “The Zone”

Vomit Brain

Writing from Your Imagination vs. Reality

Dealing with Criticism

Getting Bored with Your Own Writing

Getting past a block

Doing research on topics you don’t have first-hand experience with

Journalling about your writing

Character Development

Creating Character Arcs with the DCAST Method

What Does Your Main Character Want?

How to Activate Your Passive Characters, One Verb at a Time

How to Use Description to Show Character Development

How to Create a Non-Cliched First-Meeting Scene

The “It Depends” Post

Shifting internal goals

When to identify your character’s goal

Writing about normal people with normal problems

If you’re worried about your character being too similar to someone else’s character 

Describing your characters without messing up your pacing

Story, Plot, & Pacing

Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards

Pause at the Threshold

Slowing Down the Pace of Your Story Without Boring Your Reader

Time Transitions

Creating Conflict

When & how to cut a scene

If you’re good at creating characters but awful at creating plot

When you’ve plotted your story but can’t get started

En Media Res

Writing to Your Ideal Reader

Deus Ex Machina

Foreshadowing

Finding an Ending

What to write between moments of conflict

Starting a story with waking-up scene

Description, Setting, & Worldbuilding

How to Make Your Descriptions Less Boring

How to Spot an “Info-dump”

Adding Descriptions to Intense Scenes Without Messing Up Your Story’s Flow

How to Use Description to Show Character Development

Worldbuilding: How much is too much?

Modeling your fantasy world from stuff in the real world

Internal Consistency

Point of View

How to Choose the Right Point of View for Your Story

A Beginner’s Guide to Multiple Point of View

6 Questions to Ask About Your Point of View

How to decide if you should use first person or third person

More point of view basics

Head hopping

Dialogue

How to Improve Your Dialogue

3 Ways to Make Your Dialogue More Interesting

Starting a story with dialogue

Are You Using Too Much Stage Direction?

Publishing & Sharing Your Work

7 Tips to Build an Audience for Your Writing

Pros and Cons of Self Publishing

Quick Publishing Tip: Don’t Bury Your Gold

How to Properly Format Your Manuscript for Publication

A warning about posting writing online that you intend to publish later

Advice for writers who are worried about people stealing their work or ideas

Getting feedback on your writing

Editing

Quick Revision Tip: Read Your Writing Out Loud

How to Keep Yourself From Editing As You Write

Cut the fidgeting

Are you suffering from -ing disease?

Are you Using Too Much Stage Direction?

What “Editing” Really Means

Quick Editing Tip: “That”

Quick Revision Tip: Read Faster

Editing Tip: Dialogue

Tips for Editing a Story

…if you find any broken links please let me know and I will fix them! xo

*I recently changed the name of my blog. All of these links should work, but if you come across a “Bucket Siler has moved!” page when clicking on a link inside an old post, there’s an easy way to find what you’re looking for: In the url, delete “bucketsiler,” write “theliteraryarchitect,” then hit return. Also, let me know about it & I will fix it :)

[onceuponanolicity]

This sounds amazing.

Something positive (for a change)

We know the Arrow and Olicity fandom is not having the best time of it right now (hiatus, as usual, is just not good).

But I think there’s one thing we can all agree on:

Our fanfic writers are amazing and awesome and should be celebrated for all the joy they bring to us.

Someone on twitter was talking about doing a writers convention, and while that would be amazing, for me, who lives in New Zealand, that might be a bit of a barrier.

So how about we organise (and I’m happy to take the lead in this - in between studying for exams) some Google hangouts where we can interact with some of our best authors. (I know I’ve loved the videos that @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34 have been doing.)

Timezones will be crazy, but I’m sure we could work something out.

I’ve tagged as many authors as I can (and I’m sure I’ve missed some), but would anyone be interested. If I’ve missed you, I’m sorry, I don’t have a note of your tumblr name (I maybe only follow you on AO3). But feel free to let me know if you want to be tagged in updates.

@dmichellewrites @yespleasehawkeyee @smkkbert @so-caffeinated @dust2dust34 @tdgal1 @green-arrows-of-karamel @olicityficbang @olicitysecretsanta @hope-for-olicity @jbuffyangel @callistawolf @alexiablackbriar13 @realityisoverrated-fic @tinaday3w @machawicket @supersillyanddorky06 @theolicitylibrary @smoakandarrow @felicityollies @eilowyn1

Feel free to add more tags….