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It's my Ficiversary!

A year ago today I posted my first piece of fan fiction for people to read (on Tumblr because I didn’t even have an AO3 account yet). It was episode 1 of 8 screenplays I wrote as a Polin fan’s take on season 4 (Ben & Sophie’s story with a pleasing amount of Colin & Pen). It took me a month to finish that series, and before it was even complete I had already started to branch out into other stories (mostly missing scenes). The more fics I read, the more Polin fans I met and interacted with, the more love of love we all shared, the more inspired and courageous I became.

I tried more traditional storytelling (not just screenplays), I strayed away from missing scenes into original storylines, post-canon, Regency AU, and I even attempted smut! With so much encouragement and kindness I got brave enough to try to expand my skills to modern AU storytelling and I found a voice, a style and an audience of readers. I even got confident enough to tell (limited) family members about my new hobby (there may have been wine involved in that conversation).

Now I actually consider myself a writer, with whole sets of characters, universes, writing habits and clichés I can’t help but reuse (hey, it’s my thing). In 365 days I have published 563,428 words of Polin Fan Fiction (plus another 2,637 published today with a new one-shot). This is something that I could never have imagined accomplishing, or even attempting a year ago. The writing community I have found on Twitter, Reddit, Bluesky, Discord, and Threads has been transformative to me as a writer and a person because of the kindness, advice, encouragement, and silliness shared with a group of people who love LOVE and these two amazing characters. (Oh, and  a whole lot of memes and mustache-modified pictures.) It has been a joyful year to say the least.

Thank you to my husband for his unending support and championing (my Nerd Colin), my son for being so proud of me even though he has never (and will never) read a word of my writing. Thank you to Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes for gifting the original forms of these characters to the world to capture our hearts and inspire our imaginations. Thank you to all my friends and readers for embracing the fluffiness I like to sprinkle over Pen and Colin in all their iterations. And to Regency, Book Compliant, Camp Counselor, Barman, Cowboy, Nerd, Canadian, Journalist, Private Investigator, Songwriter and Actor Colin and Pen: thank you for taking me along for the ride as you fall in love over and over again. (Especially when a little idea starts as one chapter and ends up as 15-20 more than expected!)

With Love,

Rachel_writes_plays

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I wish you would say it

My first attempt to put my romantic fluff aside and write an angsty Polin story.

They were friends, and then they became something else. But to Penelope it doesn’t ever feel like enough, it feels like nothing. He won’t stay in one place, won’t say what he means, won’t say what she needs to hear.

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Hand me down Skates

A fluffy little children falling in love story of a very Canadian Colin and Pen.

Edmund Bridgerton makes the best backyard skating rink in a small Ontario town every year the weather allows it. One very special year some new neighbours are invited for a skate, and a special bond is formed between his third son, Colin, and their neighbours' daughter Penelope. As the years pass, skating on the backyard rink becomes an important highlight for their growing relationship.

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I posted the final chapter of my Polin love-at-first-sight fic. 21 chapters of love, learning, and nerdiness.

I never thought I'd stray from the friends-to-lovers trope but managed to fall even more in love with Colin and Pen as I wrote a different modern take on their story.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63648232/chapters/167690410

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Chapter 4! Things are getting pretty dang cute for our two lovers!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63648232/chapters/163806760

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Polin love at first sight fic - chapter 1!

I never thought I'd write something like a love at first sight trope, but here we are. Inspired by RMB Penelope and Colin, this multi-fic journey has begun!

https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/163145509?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_885738646

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For some reason I love the idea of Colin Bridgerton in a cowboy hat, so I wrote another Cowboy Colin fic! "You'd Think I was a Cowboy" is sequel to the action in my other Polin Story "Leaving Tennessee"

After Colin returns from his most recent tour, he and Penelope have a wedding to plan, an album to write, and PR to navigate. All while Penelope struggles to prepare to come clean to Music City about her real song writing identity. Along the way Hyacinth picks up her guitar and starts her journey into becoming Nashville's next country music sensation.

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Season 2 AU continues....

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59239435/chapters/160574320

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In conclusion ...

The final chapter of Dear Whitney is now posted. Not sure what to do with myself now ... I'm going to miss her 😥

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Penultimate chapter is posted!

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It's almost over! Chapter 16 (of 18) of Dear Whitney is posted now!

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It's been quite a while, but finally a new chapter of my season 2 AU is up! Colin and Penelope attend the Hearts and Flowers Ball!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59239435/chapters/159280303

Penelope thought she enjoyed social events. Last year she had quite a nice time at balls and parties, when Colin would ask her to dance, or sometimes even Benedict if she had been especially alone during an event. She and Colin would frequently stand around the edge of the ballroom to gossip and chat, it has been quite fun. This season, now that Eloise was out, she had another friend to cling to, and keep her company, it was all rather lovely. But now she realized, with her dance card signed three times, no event had ever felt as exciting as this one. She wondered if this is how Daphne felt in her own debut season, because Penelope felt like she was shining like a diamond now.

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Chapter 13 of Dear Whitney is now posted! Pen and Colin are starting their new year with some angst ... (sorry)

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A very festive chapter 12 of Dear Whitney is up now!Colin and Pen celebrate Christmas and New Years (on a tight budget).

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Published a whole lot of chapters today! This story is taking me to some fun, unexpected places ...

Chapters 9, 10 & 11 now up!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60742600/chapters/158451625

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Chapter 8 of Dear Whitney is up now. More drama with Eloise ... 😨

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Chapter 7 of Dear Whitney is posted, and brings my word count published on AO3 for 2024 to over 250,000!

(official count = 251,228)

I started writing Fan Fiction in June of this year, something I never imagined doing, let alone being brave enough to put it out and share with the fandom. The Polin fandom has been so full of love and support for these stories it's been overwhelming. And I've made such wonderful friends chatting, fangirling, and conspiracy-theorizing all things Bridgerton. Here's to more fun, more love, more Colin & Pen, and of course more writing in 2025!