#(the pin mastery is like not even 50% though look at me go)

[nihiltism]

I fully believe that sometimes you need to have a mindset of nothing but "MY CITY NOW" when you make fan content. make crossover aus between two fandoms where you know nobody else in the world is interested in both. it's good for your health.

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: Dramione RomCom Fest (Part 1)

Dramione RomCom Fest 2020:

12 Years and 3 Months by pixiedustandbluebutterflies - T, one-shot - As news of their engagement takes Wizarding England by storm, elusive power couple Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger are finally sharing their love story in this Witch Weekly interview!

50 (First) Dates with Hermione Granger by HufflepuffMommy - G, WIP - Draco Malfoy sets his heart on romancing Hermione Granger, but she has short-term memory loss; she can't remember anything that happened the day before. So every morning, Draco has to woo her again. Her friends are very protective, and Draco must convince them that he's in it for love. Plot (andsummary) taken from the movie "50 First Dates" for the Dramione RomCom fest!

About Time by WordsmithMusings - E, WIP - When Draco's Father reveals to him that the men in their family have the ability to travel back in time, he uses his newfound gift to do many things - save a life, be a better friend, reconnect with a witch, and fall in love.

All's well that ends well (to end up with you) by weestarmeggie - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger is all set to be the maid of honor at her best friends wedding. She is taken back when she finds out that the best man is none other than her ex-fiance.

Away by In_Dreams - E, WIP - Desperate for a change of pace, Hermione unknowingly commits to a home exchange with Pansy Parkinson and finds herself swept up in the chaos of New York City and into the arms of Draco Malfoy. Dramione/Hansy. Loosely inspired by The Holiday.

Bells on a Hill by HeyJude19 - T, WIP - Left by his fiancée a month before the ceremony, Draco never got his dream wedding, so agreeing to assist Granger with her own wedding planning to distract himself from his broken engagement seems like a great idea—though Draco probably shouldn't fall in love with the bride-to-be. Based very (very) loosely on The Wedding Singer.

Chasing the Future by Rdlentz8 - T, WIP - An unusual and anonymous Patronus finds a frustrated Hermione alone in the library and talks to her about being lonely. Could this be the push she's needed to change her fate? Inspired by A Cinderella Story. There are direct quotes from A Cinderella Story.

Domino Effect by KoraKwidditch - M, WIP - Resolved to live her life in Muggle London, Hermione Granger finally felt free. Free from the Ministry, free from her celebrity status and everything that entailed. But who knew that one cataclysmal incident would lead her straight into the Malfoy's den and down a series of unfortunate events? At least they think she's a Muggle.**A Dramione retelling of While You Were Sleeping**

Fairytales and Wishes by Charlie9646 - T, one-shot - All Scorpius wants is for Hermione to be a nice step mother, but somehow that sort of gets lost in translation with his accidental magic.

Flipping Through the Pages by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns - T, WIP - Draco Malfoy had a fascination with a popular book series and its writer. His life changes when he meets her.

The Hate List by bethelson - T, WIP - While chaperoning the post graduation trip, Hermione and Draco find themselves wandering the streets of Paris in the middle of the night, fruitlessly searching for the seventh years they were supposed to be in charge of. What Hermione doesn’t know, is that those seventh years struck a bargain with Draco to keep her occupied so they could sneak out for a last hurrah before they all head back to London. So in his efforts to derail her search, he convinces her to join him in their own night of frivolity. As they paint the city red, they slowly learn to let their guards down, and find that putting the past behind them allows them to finally focus on the present. ___ My contribution to the Dramione RomCom Fest!

Hollywood & Vine by dreamsofdramione (Bugggghead), msmerlin - M, WIP - As the manager of an occult bookstore currently renting a room from an old friend and living paycheck to paycheck, Hermione wasn’t exactly living the Hollywood dream. But her life is turned upside down when a chance encounter with Tinseltown’s current heartthrob, Draco Malfoy, leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about life and love. or the one in which Hermione unintentionally falls in love with a movie star.

Home is Where the Heart Is by lrs002 - T, one-shot - A rewrite and Draco/Hermione look at basically the last scenes of the movie Sweet Home AlabamaOr in the other words: The Wedding and the Kiss

How to Lose a Wizard in 10 Days by GracefulLioness - E, WIP - Hermione will do anything to prove to her boss at Witch Weekly that she's ready to take on more serious topics, including dating a man just to drive him away for the sake of her next column, How to Lose a Wizard in 10 Days. But pushing Draco Malfoy away proves to be a challenging task, perhaps because he's got ten days to make her fall in love with him. Inspired by How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

It Happened One Knight by Klawdee - T, WIP - “A spoiled heir running away from his family is helped by an old classmate, who is actually a journalist in need of a story.” Based off of the 1934 film, It Happened One Night

It's All In The Malfoy Family by TwilightToMidnight - M, one-shot - Over a decade of longing and desire comes to fruition one night. Not quite the way Hermione expected but definitely with a bang. Everyone and their dog seem to be working against her. For the 2020 Dramione RomCom Fest. Loosely based off Sabrina (1954 - with Audrey Hepburn).

Love, Actually in Dramione by Blessedindeed - G, one-shot - I absolutely love the movie "Love, Actually" and was so excited to make some art pieces from a few of the more memorable scenes! Many thanks and kudos to QuinTalon & NuclearNik for hosting and being such amazing encouragers to everyone! I cannot wait to dive into all these fun pieces!!

Love, Hermione by pandora_rose_xo - G, WIP - When Hermione leaves some personal letters lying around in a sleepy haze, Dobby comes across them, and trying to be helpful delivers them to their recipients. Who were never supposed to see them.

Metamorphosis by persephone_stone - T, WIP - Draco Malfoy is king of Hogwarts High—student body president, captain of both the water polo and basketball teams, and boyfriend of Astoria Greengrass, the hottest girl in school. That is, until said girlfriend returns from Spring Break with some unexpected news: she’s dumping him for a college boy. Now, Draco is on a mission to win her back. And who better to help him turn into a more intellectual, cultured version of himself than Hermione Granger, the smartest girl in school? As he and Hermione spend time together, will Draco learn how to be the right type of boyfriend for Astoria? Or will he instead learn that maybe Astoria is not the right type of girl for him? Written for the Dramione RomCom Fest, based on the 90’s teen romcom She’s All That.

Midnight in Paris by Aneiria - E, one-shot - ‘Granger,’ Draco replied, casting a quick wandless charm to clean his own clothes. ‘Want to watch the magic you’re casting next time? Whatever spell that was, it nearly took both of us out.’ Hermione’s face settled into a frown of confusion. ‘I thought that was you,’ she said, hesitantly. ‘I wasn’t using magic.’ They both looked away at the same time, taking in their surroundings. ‘Where are we?’ Hermione wondered out loud, as she spun on the spot and took in the sights. It was the wrong question, really.

My Big Fat Muggle Wedding by BiscuitsForPotter - G, one-shot - Draco's gotten more used to having Muggles as future-in-laws, but what about his parents?

No More Waiting by anchoredto717 - T, one-shot - The end of Hogwarts, an impending Mastery, and confirmation that Hermione is well and truly over Ronald Weasley: three factors that push Draco into a place he never imagined. Is he really going to Harry Potter’s house party? A one shot heavily inspired by the 90s teen classic, Can’t Hardly Wait.

Off the Rails by RoseHarperMaxwell - E, WIP - For the Dramione RomCom Fest 💚 My adaptation of the movie Trainwreck (Amy Schumer/Bill Hader), featuring Draco in Amy's role. “Pans.” Draco’s head falls back petulantly. “I can't interview Granger, especially not about how she's healing Potter. Neither of them are going to want to talk to me. Make Creevey do it.” “No, you'll do it. And don't sulk at me, Draco.” Pansy shuts him down immediately, not that he expected to talk her out of it. She gives assignments, not suggestions. “Old Quidditch rivalries. Gryffindor Princess confiding in the Prince of Slytherin, with a side of The Boy Who Lived. You’re the only one for it.” She drops her pen on her notepad with finality. “She’s also fit as hell now. I’d even fuck her, so our readers will be drooling over her. This is easy, Draco. Don’t fuck it up.”

One Thing We've Got by IrisCalasse - M, WIP - Over a decade after the Second Wizarding War, Draco Malfoy is a broke socialite straddling the Muggle and magical worlds. One day a new neighbour moves in his residential complex. What has happened to Hermione Granger to make her hide from Ronald Weasley? If Cormac McLaggen is gay, why is he hanging around Granger so much? And why does her cat seem to know way too much about everything? Based on the plot of Breakfast at Tiffany's, but set in 2012 London with a magical twist. Updates every 16th of the month.

Pin down your heart by hiyas - G, one-shot - Hermione Granger contemplates a door when Destiny comes knocking.

Playing Cupid by tygermine - T, one-shot - Set It Up AU.

Pretty Witch by TakingFlight48 - E, WIP - When confronted with the opportunity to take on an alter ego - Hermione Granger, Potion's Mistress and the Wizarding World's Golden Girl became Vivian Roberts - London's weekend escort. For three years she lived in this duality until Draco Malfoy, lost in Soho and driving a precious DB6, wound up uncovering her secret. This is the tale of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy finding a balance between work and love through the guise of fake dating, unacknowledged feelings, and Hermione not wanting to let go of a part of herself that is no longer serving her.

Promises, Promises by Musyc - T, one-shot - Lawyer and social work advocate Hermione Granger is one signature away from fulfilling her dream to have a house-elf education program. All she needs is to seal the deal, and Draco Malfoy has promised the full support of Malfoy and Son Developments. But the owner of the property is balking, there's a new buyer in the mix, and a promise isn't a contract.

The Proposal by FaeOrabel - M, WIP - When Head of Creatures Division of the DMLE, Hermione Granger, is pushed into a corner regarding a new marriage law she doesn't want to comply with, she gets the brilliant idea to stage an engagement with her long time, loyal assistant, Draco Malfoy. Draco goes along with the charade on the condition she gets him promoted to a new position. A deal set, they prepare to fool not only the Minister of Magic, but Hermione's best friend, and Draco's entire family. What could go wrong? Just the threat of Azkaban should they fail.

PS I love you by emotionalsupporthufflepuff - M, WIP - After a tragic accident, Hermione must reintroduce Draco to a life they've built far away from home. She recieves unexpected help in a series of letter written by Draco himself before the accident...

Regrets Only by nztina - T, WIP - Draco and Hermione are the best of friends - until Hermione goes off to teach at Hogwarts and Draco realises that he doesn’t just miss her. Upon her return to London, he intends to reveal his feelings, but she has a surprise of her own, one that will definitely put a damper on Draco’s plans. Draco. Hermione. And...Hermione’s fiancé?

Restless in Ripon by QuinTalon - T, WIP - Scorpius Malfoy wants his father to be happy again and as his grandfather often told him, a Malfoy always gets what he wants. A nosy radio host, well-meaning friends, and fate will help bring two lonely souls together. Well, that and one tenacious eight-year-old.

Rushing Back by floorcoaster - M, WIP - Draco Malfoy is thirty, surviving, and very much not thriving. He's near the utter end of himself when he experiences the worst of all possible bad days--a double betrayal that rocks him to his core. Unmoored, untethered, he winds up in a strange place, where he begins an adventure through time that will change the course of his life. A time travel fic with a twist on the movie "13 Going on 30."

Say Anything by MidnightValkyrie - G, 9 Chapters - To know Draco Malfoy is to love him. Hermione Granger is about to know Draco Malfoy. Written and created for the Dramione RomCom Fest, based on Say Anything.

She's the Snake by monsterleadmehome - E, WIP - In a universe where Voldemort never came back, Harry lives with Sirius, and Dumbledore isn't dying, the worst thing the Golden Trio has to contend with is their grades and Quidditch matches... oh, and the recent magical attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns. Harry is sure Malfoy had something to do with it, and though Hermione doesn't agree, her sarcastic offer somehow turns into her latest nightmare: to go undercover as a boy in the Slytherin dorms and find out what's really going on. And maybe throw a Quidditch game or two. But there's one thing she hasn't prepared for: falling in love with the boy she's supposed to be spying on.

Signed and Sealed by niffizzle - M, WIP - She owns a children's bookstore. He runs a corporation buying significant shares of small businesses. Never in their lives have Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy gotten along — or so they think.

Timing is Everything by anne_ammons - M, 7 Chapters - Draco Malfoy is your average bachelor living an average bachelor's life, until he crosses paths with his former classmate, Hermione Granger. Strike that - when has Draco Malfoy ever been average? A retelling of the 1994 movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Dramione-style.

A Trip to Kouloura Beach by rennaissance_woman - one-shot - A day at the beach, what could happen?

The Truth About Kneazles and Crups by samkablam7 - T, WIP - When Draco Malfoy started hosting his wizarding radio show The Truth About Kneazles and Crups, he had no idea that it would bring Hermione Granger back into his life. He also didn't know that they would both be interested in each other. The only problem? She thinks that the radio host she's interested in is his best friend and Pro-Quidditch-player-wannabe, Blaise Zabini.

Untitled Marital Crisis Comedy by Darlingheart - G, one-shot - Draco is rich, handsome, and most importantly, excellent with the ladies. Harry Potter is not. Which is where Draco comes in. With Draco’s help Harry will learn there’s more to life than being a one-woman man. But what happens when Draco meets someone who changes his mind? And what does Hermione Granger have to do with it...

A Woman of Some Dignity by mcal - G, one-shot - That seemed to get his attention. “What are you—of course I respect you, you daft witch!”

“Your actions today show the opposite!” I answered. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m a woman of some dignity and I’d like to shower in peace. You’ll kindly wait half an hour before Apparating back to my flat.”  Hermione's not one for diaries, but it's been a week to say the least. It all started off with a confusing meeting with Draco Malfoy in her office, and... well, Hermione thought maybe recording her thoughts on the events would help her process. She isn't wrong.

You lost and lonely, You just like heaven by Wake_The_Dragon - T, WIP - Dramione Romcom Fest. Hermione Granger had needed something new and a change of scenery was a good start. What she hadn't counted on was renting a flat with an annoying (if handsome) ghost, who claims he isn't dead. Somehow, helping out a ghost and falling in love were two things she hadn't bargained for.

You Wish by Talonwillow (Ehollis303) - T, WIP - What makes a bad case of "Black Cat Flu" more tolerable? Young Perseus is learning that hearing about dueling, torture, revenge, giants, dementors, chases, true love, and miracles from his Grandfather Scorpius certainly makes things easier- If the man would finish the story that is. A story about love, where not even death can keep the beautiful feisty stable-girl and her sometimes irritating one true love apart. Together they must battle the evil Lord Voldemort through an adventure crossing the magical and fairy tale realm.

[flipomatic]

Reason to Stay: Chapter 10

Author Note: I wrote this chapter while on the plane to Chara.

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

The next morning Sayo had guard duty once again. She was able to find the right schedule in the guard headquarters since there was only one sheet with her name on it. Unfortunately, that would only last for the first week. It had Sayo marked for the 8:00-12:00 shift, so she made sure to show up in the tower right on time. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a guard there to relieve from the previous shift.

Sayo took her post in the early morning sun, looking out over the city as it woke up for the day. On the top of the walls, things were quiet. Just like the day before, there was no trouble.

The shift soon passed, sending Sayo off to her second lunch in the castle. Today’s meal was a chicken dish of some kind; Sayo wasn’t quite sure what it was called. She sat at a different empty table than before, but still ended up with the same group of people. They surprised her when they sat down, but it wasn’t terrible to eat with other people. She mostly listened to their conversations, specifically to Lisa and Ako who talked the most in the group.

After eating, it was time for Sayo to head to the kitchen. She already knew how to find it since she’d been there a couple times before, which was good. She hoped nobody there would remember how bad her potato cuts were for the party.

When Sayo entered the kitchen the same five people were present as before, including Tsugumi and Saya. Tsugumi looked up when Sayo walked into the room, brown eyes widening.

“Oh, hi Sayo.” Tsugumi hesitated in the middle of a chopping motion, but quickly resumed moving. “So this is what Ran meant by a surprise.” She murmured under her breath.

“What was that?” Sayo couldn’t quite hear her and asked for clarification.

Tsugumi smiled sheepishly and shook her head. “It’s nothing.” She waved her free hand in a dismissive manner.

“Alright.” Sayo wasn’t going to push for a better answer. “I’m here to help out. I’ve been assigned to the kitchen for a couple hours each day.”

“That’s great, we could use the help.” A smile graced Tsugumi’s face, and Sayo was struck once again with how disarming this woman managed to be without even trying. “Could you get a few sacks of wheat from the storehouse? It’s near the stables.”

Sayo nodded, already plotting the directions to the stable in her mind. “I’ll take care of it.” She said before turning and exiting the kitchen.

The stables were on the other side of the dining hall, in the southeast corner of the castle. It only took Sayo a few minutes to arrive there, and once she did she had to locate the storehouse. She tried a few doors in the hallway that connected the stables to the rest of the castle.

On the third door she found some of the stored food. It consisted primarily of dried crops, with a large portion being wheat. The sacks were about 50 kg each, so Sayo could carry them one at a time.

She grabbed one and got to work, hauling them one by one to the kitchen. Tsugumi told her where to stack them, so she made a pile.

After five trips, Sayo was sent to get water from the well. It was on the west side of the building, pretty close to where Ran’s office was. The kitchen had their own special bucket for fetching water, which Sayo carried with her back and forth to the well. All of that archery training gave her strong arms, though it didn’t stop her from feeling fatigued from the work.

After fetching enough water for what the kitchen needed, Tsugumi didn’t have any other tasks for her.

“Thanks for your help.” She said after Sayo brought the last bucket of water. “You’re all set for today.”

It had only been a couple hours, so Sayo still had time remaining before dinner would be served. It had been a few days since she trained; maybe that would be the best way to use her time. She remembered seeing people sparring in the courtyard before, but they turned out to be the princess and her personal knight so it probably wouldn’t be a good place to train. Before she left, maybe she should ask Tsugumi?

“Do you know of a place to train within the castle?” Sayo asked the head chef, standing nearby as she cooked something in a pan.

“Umm, I don’t.” Tsugumi shook her head, turning to her other staff. “Saya?”

Saya was in the process of kneading some dough on a nearby counter. “I think there’s a training field just outside stable gate. At least, Tae has mentioned it before.” Tae, was that the same person as Otae? Sayo wasn’t sure, but whether it was in or outside of the castle this training field sounded like it would work.

Sayo thanked the pair of chefs and went on her way. She walked back to the stables and exited the castle through the stable gate. She’d been in the castle for over 24 hours; it had been a long time since she’d stayed in one building for so long.

Once outside of the castle, Sayo looked around for the training field. She had ridden past here when they went to find the bandits, but she hadn’t taken a good look around at that time.

Just to the east of the exit there was indeed a large open field that would be good for training. There was also an unexpected boon. Next to the training field was a small archery range, with a handful of targets set up and some wood booths for archers to stand in. Considering that by their own admission the castle didn’t have many archers, it was an odd find.

Sayo walked over to it with a slight spring in her step, stopping at one of the stands. The target was a good distance away and over flat land; this would be a good place to practice shooting.

She drew her bow, notching an arrow and aiming down the range. Sayo inhaled, and then released. The arrow hit in the second ring on the target; not bad but not good either. She had gotten rusty.

Sayo continued to fire her arrows, retrieving them after every ten shots or so. She worked closer to the center of the target, regaining the muscle memory and skill that had been lost. Despite improving through practice, her shots were never perfect, never reaching mastery.

She tried not to let that bother her, but it always did.

When another person appeared in the stand next to her, Sayo didn’t look over at first. She assumed it was someone else from the castle or a person who lived in town.

They weren’t very good, she thought as she saw some of their shots miss the target completely. Others landed, but in the outer rings of the target.

It wasn’t until Sayo had to go collect her arrows again, and thus had to ask the person to stop shooting for a minute while she collected her arrows, that saw who it was.

As it turned out, Lisa the knight was terrible at archery. When Sayo looked over and saw her, she almost choked on her spit. This Lisa was the same Lisa who led the charge against the bandits and was a menace with the short sword and shield. She also couldn’t hit a target with a bow.

Sayo withheld her comments about Lisa’s archery skills, instead just politely asking her to stop while she collected her arrows. Lisa agreed chipperly, seemingly unbothered by her own incompetence.

After Sayo collected her arrows they both resumed shooting. She spared a glance over at Lisa as she took aim, grimacing at the knight’s posture.

She tried not to let it bother her.

Sayo failed at that. She ended up packing up and heading back to the castle.

Scene 12:

As the next week passed Sayo fell into a routine. She located and read the schedule each morning. Then she’d either go to the tower for guard duty or head to the kitchen to run errands. After the first four hours of the day she’d go eat lunch with the same group of acquaintances, managing each day to refrain from mentioning Lisa’s poor archery skills.

Once lunch was over, she’d swap to the opposite activity, which filled the remainder of her day. She always had extra time after working in the kitchen, so that was when she fit in some training.

On this particular day, one whole week after Sayo moved into the castle, she finished up her kitchen duties with a couple hours to spare. She had purchased some vegetables from the market that they needed for the next day, trying her best to get a good deal on the price.

Sayo was getting ready to leave when something Tsugumi was making caught her eye. Usually she was making some kind of meat or vegetable dish, but this seemed to be something else. It looked like a pastry of some kind. Sayo almost didn’t ask, almost decided she didn’t have time to care.

“What are you making?” Perhaps she cared a little.

“Sugar cookies.” Tsugumi replied as she added additional ingredients to a bowl.

Sayo watched each move Tsugumi made. “It looks complicated.” She commented, having never attempted to make cookies before.

“The recipe makes things easier.” The mixture thickened as Tsugumi stirred it. It was intriguing to Sayo in a way she couldn’t explain.

“How does that mix become cookies?” Sayo asked, unable to resist.

Tsugumi looked down at the bowl, nodding once at her mixture. She grabbed a tray and scraped the dough out onto it, making one large lump. “Once I flatten it, I’ll cut it into shapes and bake it. Those are the last two steps.” She picked up a rolling pin and started rolling it over the dough, pushing it down into a flattened form.

Sayo watched her work. “That’s amazing.” She said, wanting to suck the words back in as soon as they came out of her mouth.

Tsugumi’s cheeks dusted pink as she deflected the complement. “They’re just normal cookies.” She finished rolling and started cutting the dough into standard round shapes. Once that was done, she separated the individual cookies and put the tray into the stone oven.

As Sayo listened, she realized that time had passed and she was still standing here in the kitchen. She had training to do, and as pleasant as watching Tsugumi bake was she needed to get going.

“Thanks for showing me, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sayo ended the conversation as she prepared to leave.

“See you then!” Tsugumi returned the farewell with a smile.

As Sayo left, she hoped that the cookies would be served with dinner. She was sure they’d taste delicious.

Her destination was the training field outside of the castle. Sayo had spent the last week re-honing her archery skills, but her swordsmanship had suffered in the process.

The field was thankfully empty, so no one would see her awful forms. She drew her sword and started her drills, moving between strikes stiffly.

She’d been running the drills for about ten minutes when her practice was interrupted.

“Hey Sayo!” Once again, Lisa had appeared in the practice areas around the same time as Sayo. She’d shown up multiple times over the last week to practice archery near Sayo, though unlike Sayo she didn’t seem to be making any progress. “Not doing archery today?” Lisa carried her bow and arrows.

“No, not today.” Sayo paused in her forms to reply, before quickly resuming.

Lisa didn’t seem to take the hint, approaching even as Sayo continued her drills. “Do you have a minute to talk?” She asked.

Sayo sighed. “I guess.” She said, holstering her sword and turning towards the knight. “What do you need?”

“I was wondering, since you’re such a great archer.” Lisa spoke with a smile, likely meant to be disarming. “If you would be willing to help train me in archery.”

The idea didn’t sound too appealing at first thought. “Why?” Sayo asked, looking for more details and perhaps a reason to accept.

“You probably noticed, but my archery skills are not exactly the best.” Lisa had the dignity to look embarrassed by this fact. “In order to be a better knight and help Yukina, I need to improve.” Her expression softened when she mentioned Yukina.

Sayo wasn’t that impressed. “Not to be blunt, but how will that benefit me?” She wasn’t willing to devote her time to a futile effort, especially when she wasn’t getting anything in return. Nobody here was paying her to train archers.

“Hmm.” Lisa tilted her head thoughtfully, a catlike smile on her face. “I could train you in something in return.” She suggested with one eyebrow raised. “Perhaps in the sword and shield? Yukina is strongest with the two handed sword, but I’m the best shield wielder in the castle.”

This proposition Sayo was willing to listen to. Her own sword work left lots of things to be desired and she wasn’t trained at all to use a shield. Just knowing how to carry and use a shield would increase her life expectancy dramatically. Even if Lisa never improved with the bow, Sayo learning how to use a shield and better her sword work would make it worth it.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Sayo reached out for a handshake, which Lisa accepted.

“Great!” Lisa said as she shook Sayo’s hand firmly. “Want to start today? We can work on those forms you’ve been practicing.” Sayo stepped back, releasing Lisa’s hand.

This partnership was already paying off. “Alright.” Sayo redrew her sword, taking her starting position.

“Before you move, let’s adjust your stance.” Lisa closed the distance between them, pushing Sayo’s sword hand up higher. “Keep this hand up, always.” She then backed away and Sayo started the drill.

For the next hour Lisa guided Sayo through improving her drills, with Sayo making some progress in her stance.

When it became time for dinner they stopped for the night, agreeing to work on Lisa’s archery the next day.

Next Chapter

[unifiedsocialblog]

15 Clever Ways to Get More Snapchat Friends

Snapchat followers can be tricky to find, but they’re not hard to come by. More than 186 million people on average use Snapchat everyday.

Without suggested user lists or the more robust discovery features you find on sites like Instagram or Twitter, Snapchat friends have to connect in different ways.

While that means you won’t be able to completely replicate your Instagram follower tactics, all is not lost. With a little Insta-inspiration, a few old-fashioned tricks, and mastery of Snapchat’s special features, there’s plenty you can do to increase your Snapchat following.

From cracking Snapcodes to creating snappy content, these 15 strategies will show you how to get more Snapchat followers in a snap.

Bonus: Download a free guide that reveals the steps to create custom Snapchat geofilters and lenses, plus tips on how to use them to promote your business.

How to get more Snapchat Friends: 15 tips that really work

1. Have a clear Snapchat strategy

Efforts to grow your Snapchat following may fall short if they’re not supported by a comprehensive social media marketing strategy.

Your Snapchat marketing strategy should include:

Marketing objectives. Discovering how to get more Snapchat followers will be one of your marketing objectives. But maybe you have other goals, like web conversions, sales, or video views. A good strategy will encompass all of these goals with simple solutions.

Target audience. It’s important to know who your prospective Snapchat friends are and what they’re interested in.

Brand story. What branded story do you want to share? Any given campaign should have a cohesive concept or storyline for Snappers to follow.

Brand look. Along the same lines, your marketing campaign should be unified aesthetically. Choose appropriate themes, imagery, typefaces, and colors to complement your brand story.

2. Make your Snapchat account more discoverable

Since it’s harder to be discovered in the Snapchat app, it’s important to share your Snapchat presence in other places.

You can promote your Snapchat presence with your handle and Snapchat icons that link back to: snapchat.com/add/yourusername. Or, be even more direct by using your unique, scannable Snapcode.

Where to promote your Snapchat presence:

Website. Typically icons are used on a website’s header, sidebar, or footer to promote their brand’s social media accounts. If you have a contact page, you could add it there, too.

Blog post sign offs. Chances are, if someone’s reading your blog post, they’d also be interested in your Snapchat content. Use an applicable CTA, like: Follow me on Snapchat for a behind-the-scenes look at this story…

Email signature. It’s pretty standard to share links to your social profiles in your email footer. Make sure Snapchat is one of them. And if it makes sense, put the icon or link first in order.

Newsletter. If your brand has a newsletter it should definitely include call-outs to for Snapchat follows. Announce your presence on Snapchat or preview special content. For a more subtle approach, add an icon or Snapcode in the email’s header or footer.

Business cards. This may seem old-fashioned, but if you hand out business cards then it’s worth considering. Snapcodes

Merchandise. Include Snapcodes anywhere you think prospective followers will come into contact with them, from receipts, to packaging, to price tags.

Advertisements. Print ads, posters, flyers—even jumbotron screens—are all fair game for a Snapcode. Find more inspiration here.

Events. If your brand attends trade shows or conferences, make sure your Snapcode is somewhere visitors can scan it. See if you can have it added to the program, your lanyard, or displayed on your booth.

Be creative. Snapcodes can be placed and scanned on pretty much anything.

3. Promote your Snapchat profile on other social media platforms

There’s a good chance your followers on other social sites will want to follow you on Snapchat, too. If your brand is on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, or any other site, add you Snapchat handle to your profile page of the about section.

To reach new social followers, you may even consider using mobile Facebook ads to send traffic to your to Snapchat profile.

4. Tell great stories

Good content travels fast. Make sure your stories are compelling so that they’ll end up in the “For You” tab or be shared by your followers.

Brands like the WWE have even launched shows to boost their followings. After launching the WWE Show last year, WWE Snapchat followership increased by 232.1K followers (34 percent growth).

Consider these formats and ideas crafting your next story:

Have a hook. Grab attention with a good headline.

Storyboard. Your story should payoff on what the hook promises.

Keep it brief. Attention spans are short, especially among Snapchat’s main demo.

Geofilters. Geo-tags should be used sparingly, but can be useful in a high-traffic area.

Music. Add music or sounds to build your narrative and add interest.

Caption videos. Make your stories accessible for all users, including those watching with sound off.

Lingo. Stay up-to-date to the slang and phrases your audience uses, so you can talk their language, as appropriate.

Quiz or Poll. Apps like Breeze and PollsGo can be used to create engaging quizzes and polls.

Pick up more Snapchat Story tricks here.

Here’s an example of a recent story from the NBA’s official Snapchat account.

Rather than just Snap a play-by-play of Lakers playing the Cavaliers, they created a narrative around LeBron James’ return to his former turf. The use of captions, trending phrases like “weird flex, but ok,” and clear plot points, made this story a compelling narrative.

5. Share quality content

You may have a great story, but if the quality lags, Snappers may lose interest.

If photography, videography, or graphic design are not your forte, don’t be afraid to call on the pros or leverage quality stock images.

Here are a few key Snapchat specifications:

File size. Maximum 5MB image and 32 MB video.

File format. Image .jpg or .png. Video: .mp4, .mov, and H.264 encoded).

Full screen canvas. 1080 x 1920 px. 9:16 aspect ratio.

6. Master lesser-known features to make your content shine

Having a few tricks up your sleeve will definitely prospective Snapchat friends.

Check out Hootsuite’s Snapchat hack cheat sheet for tips like how to:

Apply up to three filters on a single Snap

Use characters to frame your Snaps

Change the colors of words and letters

Pin an emoji on a moving target

Switch between front and rear camera while recording

Give your Snap a soundtrack

Find out if another Snapper follows you back

Add links to Snaps

And more!

7. Create lenses and filters

Branded lenses and filters are a fun way to promote your company’s presence in the app.

The better they are, the more likely your followers will use and share them with their Snapchat friends.

Bonus: Download a free guide that reveals the steps to create custom Snapchat geofilters and lenses, plus tips on how to use them to promote your business.

8. Run contests

Contests are a great way to gain Snapchat followers.

Follow-to-enter contests can have a leapfrog effect, especially with the right prize. Following up with quality content that will keep new followers on board.

Don’t be deterred if your budget is small. A free product or modest monetary prize are often enough. (Remember HQ?) Or, see if you can obtain a prize from a partner company.

GrubHub’s #SnapHunt contest asked Snappers to respond to a week’s worth of daily challenges with Snaps of their own for a chance to win $50 in free takeout. The mobile food-ordering company saw a 20 percent lift in followers during the contest.

For more contest ideas, read up on 12 advanced Snapchat tactics to stay ahead of the game.

9. Host a Snapchat takeover

Remember Buffy dropping in on Angel? Or the Cheers ganging popping in on Frasier? In TV-World parlance, takeovers are known as crossovers, but they have the same goal: To bring new, like-minded audiences to your content. The Chicago Franchise, CSI, and Law and Order have the TV crossover down to an art.

A Snapchat takeover can go one of two ways: Host a guest on your channel, or be a featured guest on another channel.

In both scenarios, the bigger the partner’s audience, the better. But keep affinity in mind, too. Kayne West may have a huge following, but is he a good fit for you brand? Does his audience match your target demo?

In addition to celeb or influencer takeovers, you could also host an employee or customer takeover—though the first two options are more likely to increase your follower count.

Don’t forget to promote Snapchat takeovers, too. During the Tony Awards, the official @TheTonyAwards account usually hosts takeover coverage from Broadway stars. To get as many viewers as possible, they leverage Twitter, hashtags, and Snapcodes.

#ICYMI @JelaniRemy, who stars as Simba in @TheLionKing, has taken over THETONYAWARDS #Snapchat account today. pic.twitter.com/C39k7pHk9i

— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) March 26, 2016

10. Partner with publishers

Earlier this year, Snapchat gave the go-ahead for Discover Publishers like Buzzfeed or NBC Universal to create branded content.

Much like a takeover, a partnership with a publisher can put your brand in front of a new Snapchat crowd. Since these publishers feature heavily in the Discover channel, higher exposure is much more likely.

An added perk is that these publishers typically know how to tell a good story.

To reach US millennials, Bud Light partnered with the NFL on Snapchat for a season. The branded teamwork more than paid off, earning Bud a reach of 24 million Snapchatters and more than 265 million impressions.

11. Post consistently and at the right time

Contests, takeovers, and partnerships will come off as stunts if you don’t post regularly enough to keep followers engaged and attract new ones.

Snapchatters spend an average of 30 minutes on the app, and check in more than 20 times a day. Figure out when your audience’s peak times are, and create enough content to keep them coming back for more.

Publishers like Refinery29 publish up to 14 pieces of original content on their website on a daily basis, but your audience may have different needs.

12. Tap trending topics

Every month Snapchat publishes trends on its blog. Each post covers hot topics worldwide and in the US, trending entertainment, popular emojis, top celebrities, and frequently used slang.

13. Create for context

“Creative that plays to users’ context at the time wins,” advises an article on the Snapchat blog. That can mean anything from tapping the popularity of Drake’s In My Feelings to creating festive Christmas Snaps.

If you’re Goop, maybe your Snapchat followers are into tracking Mercury Retrograde cycles. The NFL has the Super Bowl, but they keep things relevant all year with Snaps stories like “The Best Thanksgiving Moments in NFL History.”

People also spend more time on Snapchat over the holidays or during important cultural events. Snapchat has the highest number of sessions during the holiday season. Over the holidays last year in the United States, people spent an additional 280 million hours on Snapchat.

14. Try Snapchat ads

Snapchat ads are snaps and stories that are inserted into other Snappers’ snaps and stories. Make sure to target based on your audience’s interests.

For example, if like Bud Light, your audience is into football, then the NFL and NFL team audiences are likely a good match.

Make sure to include a direct call-to-action to follow, if that’s what you’re after. And as with most social video, keep it tight. According to Snapchat, 0:03 – 0:05 is the sweet spot for Snap Ad length to drive action.

15. Learn from Snapchat Insights

Snapchat analytics will help you track how successful you are at accomplishing your goals. Learn about your audience, story view times, content reach, and other metrics, and use these findings to benchmark and evaluate your approach.

Of course, you’re going to want to keep an eye on your follower count, too. Make sure to record how many followers you have and average acquisition rates before launching a new campaign or strategy.

Learn how to use Snapchat Insights and other analytics tools here.

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