#I have a ton of wips but also I love to commit to a metaphor and I really do try to plan one shots they just never work out that way

[mj-is-writing]

happy blorbo blursday! I'd love to hear some rambles about some of your disabled characters, whoever's on your mind! as a disabled writer it always makes me so happy to see disability rep :D

Let’s GO I love talking about them! Also it’s disability pride month and talking about rep is important, so this was a great ask ❤️

So, creating the character of Trevor is very different from what I normally do. Basically, I realized that I’d never written about a wheelchair user, ever, and said “oh fuck, well that has gotta change” and committed to giving the next OC I ever worked on a wheelchair. It was a few weeks after that that a friend of mine and I started working on a story concept together, and between the two of us, I was given basically free reign over characters and concept art. So I immediately did several drawings of Trevor in his chair, did some research on reasons a person may need mobility aids, and went to my friend the next day and said “here he is.” That’s the story. That’s where he came from. And since then, he’s become one of my favorites to think about. He’s so much fun and adds a lot to the comedic tone of the story by being a very upbeat and relaxed guy in complete contrast to his nervous and frantic best friend (essentially it’s one guy who is stuck in a cosmic horror story but all of his friends think it’s a chill slice of life). He does have platform crutches, but he doesn’t use them much. He has a pet cat.

A lot of my characters are ND, like. A lot. I don’t even know where to begin listing them all. I am very emotionally attached to every OC I’ve ever had, but I will pick Joshua to talk about a bit here. He has ADHD, he exclusively wears rainbow socks, and he works in a chill little magic bookstore. He’s struggling but he is so loved by his family, his boss, his friends, and he does alright. He has magic abilities that are very unique from the other characters.

I’m still working on worldbuilding for this story, so none of the characters have names yet, but I have one WIP where a good chunk of the main cast is disabled. The protagonist is a double amputee, and one of her friends designed customs prosthetics for her. One of her friends is Hard of Hearing. Another (the protag’s platonic soulmate) is, now that I think about it, probably ADHD? I didn’t have that in mind when coming up with the character, but it would be a valid interpretation of him. He also has this… supernatural thing going on that could be compared to chronic pain and fatigue; I normally dislike the chronic illness rep only being a “curse” or a spell or something, and don’t usually write that kind of thing, but I think it works here partially because this world doesn’t shy away from accommodations and disability already, and we see evidence of that in the main cast. Were he the only one in an otherwise abled group, I probably wouldn’t write this the same. That would feel like a trope to me. (That’s not to say that magic can’t be used as a good metaphor, I’m a huge fan of how The Owl House handles Eda’s curse, I just don’t trust myself not to handle it badly.)

I mentioned for another Blorbo Blursday an unnamed character who I think I referred to as Francis for that post? He belongs here as well, being non-speaking autistic. Just thinking about the magical AAC devices that he has access to make me happy. I’m not the kind of person who wants to write a ton about hardships and struggles; disability is hard, it’s disabling (duh), but that doesn’t mean that all disabled people are living in straight up misery 24/7, and I want to include representation of people who do get the accommodations they need, who are loved and supported, who get to be heroes in both big and small ways. Francis struggles a lot. He has a lot of support needs. But he also has joy. I want the reader to always remember that he has joy.

I don’t always do the best job when it comes to representing groups I’m not a part of. I know this, because it will always be true that im not perfect. But im trying really hard, and I really care about these characters. And I hope that someday, other people will care about them too. ❤️

[calltomuster]

(Even More) Star Wars Fic Recs

[first fic rec list] [second fic rec list]

Hello everyone, happy Monday! I've been reading some fantastic fics recently and wanted to share them with you. May 4th was an absolutely glorious day to be a Star Wars fanfic reader, but the downside to having so many great stories posted on way day is that it's super easy to miss some, so I tried to highlight some here, as well as the usual random assortment.

Alternating Current by @jessepinwheel (gen, WIP, 1/3 chapters, 5.7k words) I am subscribed to @jessepinwheel's AO3 account, that's how much I love all of their writing, and this is just their latest masterpiece. The premise is that after Naboo, Obi-Wan starts experiencing some strange things, almost as if there's someone else in his body. But it doesn't feel like a foreign presence in his mind... And, well, the presence calls themselves Ben. I'm so, so intrigued to see what happens next in this story.

See, I'm the Living Icarus by @crispyjenkins (Rex/Obi-Wan, WIP, 2/6 chapters, 7.0k words) Role-reversal with Obi-Wan as Anakin's Padawan post-Melida/Daan fighting in the Clone Wars alongside Rex. Yeah, that's what I thought -- you're hooked, right? I was too. And then I read the first two chapters and wowwwww, just got even more obsessed. It's all just *chef's kiss*. Cannot wait to read more.

Off Duty by thosenearandfarwars (Obi-Wan/Cody, one-shot, 4.4k words) A post-ROTS world in which the Jedi were not destroyed, the clones are given reparations, and Obi-Wan throws his whole self into reforming the Jedi Order. It's from Cody's POV as he tries to stop his (former?) General from running himself into the ground. Featuring Jedi culture, positive change, some fun namedrops (Chirrut?!), and CODYWAN! Highly recommend this fic.

Starting Over by @ewanmcgregorismyhomeboy12 (Obi-Wan/Cody, one-shot, 3.8k words) Speaking of amazing ideal post-ROTS AUs with Codywan, here's another! This one is described in the tags as being soft and domestic, and it totally is. Cody + plants + Obi-Wan = delight. Such a pleasure to read. Makes you feel all cozy inside.

Finders Keepers by SpaceWall (Obi-Wan/Cody + a ton of background ships, 2/2 chapters, 8.4k words) This fic is a soulmate AU that follows the premise that everything you lose, your soulmate ends up finding. It really does an excellent job of exploring this fascinating premise, and using it in ways I wouldn't have thought of. Like, something happens with Anakin that is just so beautiful yet haunting, I just... Ah! The main ship here is Codywan, but there are so many great background ships like Aayla and Bly or Anakin and Padmé, and some that are super interesting, like Satine and Rex, or Fox and Bail and Breha Organa. Fascinating stuff!

Benediction by @misskirby (gen, one-shot, 3.3k words, Obi-Wan & Anakin) Each new fic by @misskirby destroys me, and this one is no different except it's destroying me with HAPPY THINGS and POSITIVE EMOTIONS for once. My heart hurts just thinking about it, not because it makes me sad, but just in a... ahhh I don't know, the emotions, okay?! Obi-Wan is watching the twins with Anakin in a ROTS-didn't-happen AU and they actually TALK? With their words? And express positive feelings towards each other without being put in horrible situations? Like I said, AU 😂. This is so, so good. (This fic was not posted on May 4th, but @misskirby did post Stride for Stride on that day, which is an excellent fic about Obi-Wan and Anakin sparring for Ahsoka that you all also must read.)

still much that is fair by RaineyDay (gen, 8/8 chapters, 21.1k words, Obi-Wan & Anakin) Massive trigger warning right off the bat for this one, because it starts off with Padawan Obi-Wan trying to commit suicide by throwing himself off of the Temple roof, except instead of dying, he ends up getting caught by -- Anakin?! Somehow he ends up in the future to find out that he's loved, and a good Jedi. Back in his own timeline, Qui-Gon thinks his Padawan has just succeeded in killing himself, and is distraught and has to reckon with their relationship. Don't worry, it has a happy ending! Give Obi-Wan a hug 2k21!

trouble with the curve by jimmytiberius (Cody/Obi-Wan, one-shot, 2.4k words) Modern day baseball AU! Cody is the analytics guy whose job it is to watch Kenobi and how people hit off of him, and Rex is Obi-Wan's normal bullpen catcher. Problem is, Rex is a little hungover, so Cody has to secretly take his brother's place and hope no one notices. Sparks fly!! You guys, this fic is awesome. You don't need to know anything about baseball to read it, though if you do it adds another delightful dimension. Highly recommend! I smile just thinking about this fic!

Lasting Marks by kyitsya (gen, 10/10 chapters, 25.8k words, Obi-Wan & Rex) I reread this fic the other day and it was just as emotionally devastating the second or third time around. It follows Obi-Wan and Rex in the Zygerria arc, except they're trapped in the mines for weeks and things really take a toll. Obi-Wan and Rex's relationship is not one that's explored much in canon, so it's really cool to see a bond form here. I also really like the later subplot with Ahsoka.

Got Me in a Tricky Situation by @dharmaavocado (pre Rex/Obi-Wan, one-shot, 5.2k words) Rex and Obi-Wan are trapped together underneath a collapsed building and they have to literally and metaphorically hold onto each other for support. I absolutely love the descriptions in this one, they're killer (almost literally haha). Some great good ol' fashioned whump. Love it!

A Long Way Down by @kckenobi (gen, one-shot, 3.8k words, Obi-Wan & Anakin) @kckenobi writes truly wonderful fics, but I gotta say I think this is my favorite. Obi-Wan and Anakin are trying to escape Separatists by climbing up a cliff face, but Obi-Wan's injured and he's really struggling to hold on... Oh, everything about this is perfect: the characterizations, the descriptions, the dialogue, everything! I reread this one all the time.

If you like any of these fics, please consider reblogging so they can get more exposure! And if you noticed I missed someone’s Tumblr account, or linked the wrong one, please let me know!

[the-golden-ghost]

fic writer meme

Tagged by the esteemed and lovely @eldritch-elrics

Tagging: @3wisellamas, @seagoing-nerd, @gallifreytreeflower, @bookshop-cryptid, @skeleton-richard, @oceans-foundfamily , @chimicalbomb, and anyone else who wants to do it!

How many works do you have on AO3?

19 I think? It says 18 but one is still under ~anonymity~ until Friday and once it gets released it’ll be on there. It’s readable, it just doesn’t show up under my name yet.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

78,592 babey.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I’ve written for 6, but 2 of them are pretty much the same thing (TKLUTS/The Mysterious Island, and Richard III/Henry VI, Part 3)

The others are Lupin III and Undertale.

My Lupin fics are probably the most consistently popular. The TKLUTS fics are the vast majority (11/19!!) the Shakespeare fics were both written for ficathons based on Shakespeare’s histories, they did well for what they are, but they’re pretty different than most of my other fics. (I also have a ton of non-archived fics on my Shakespeare blog; mostly for Twelfth Night. Maybe someday I’ll polish those bad boys up.) The Undertale fic was purely a study in “can I even write for this fandom?!” the answer was a resounding no lmao

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Terrible Conflict (169 kudos) which was a collaborative fic about Nemo and Ned engaging in a sexual relationship. It’s unfinished but the parts that are up are about their tangled and messy feelings towards each other and it’s a good time

Measuring the Depths (73 kudos) it’s a cute fluffy fic about Pierre Aronnax and Captain Nemo flirting with each other. I think they take a nap together at some point idk I haven’t read it in a while lol. It’s just sort of soft and sweet, not much to it really! I had a couple of good jokes in there if I remember right.

Night’s Passage (60 kudos) this is literally the same thing as Measuring the Depths. Exactly the same, just shorter, and not as good. I’m not a one-trick pony, but people like what they like!

Hold Out Til Morning (54 kudos) This is a weird and angsty fic about Goemon getting shot and Jigen trying to keep him alive until help comes. I was actually surprised this one ended up getting so popular.

Off the Record (43 kudos) the Jigen/Zenigata fic I said I was going to write as a joke and boy did it end up delivering lol

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes, I try to respond to all of them! I just feel like it’s polite. The only times I won’t are when I can’t think of anything to say or if I feel like the conversation has reached a natural end (or occasionally I just forget ^^; )

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Gonna have to say Discordance for this one, which used to be a favorite of mine but has fallen out of favor with me (pretty much for this exact reason). I mean I love to write angst but I feel like an angsty plot needs a lighter ending, and this one doesn’t have one so it’s just Emo For Emo’s Sake. Not good.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Unless you count the TKLUTS/Mysterious Island fic which isn’t really a crossover since the two were pseudo-sequels anyway, no. 

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not really, at least not full-on hate, but I’ve gotten a couple backhanded compliments.

One was “I hate this character but the fic is good! :) “ Which... I know they probably meant that my writing was SO good it made them be able to stand the character, but... I dunno, the concept of them just hate-reading my fic kinda put me off. You do you, man, but don’t tell me about it.

The other was kinda like “that’s an interesting narrative choice considering [x that happened in canon]” which seemed like they were asserting that I didn’t know the source material or made a mistake. They may not have meant it that way but it came off kinda rude.

Do you write smut? if so what kind?

If smut means like a full-on porn fic then I’ve written one and I don’t think I did very well so I don’t intend to write any more.

If it just means a fic with sexual content then yes, I do write that. I don’t know what “kinds” there are lol. Just... your standard... lovemaking... scene?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so. I’m not sure anyone would steal my fics anyway, they garner  ~100 hits on average so if you’re stealing for the sake of popularity or fame mine aren’t the ones to swipe lol

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I did have someone ask if they could translate a fic into Chinese and I said yes but I don’t think they ever actually did it. ^^; 

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep! A Terrible Conflict, referenced above. I really need to do more collabs, they’re good fun.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

I don’t know if I have an “all time favorite” as my tastes tend to change and grow. I’m pretty big on Nemo x Pierre from TKLUTS and have been for a while, and also am Vibing hardcore with the OT4(5?)/Polygang from Lupin III.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

There’s the ever-popular TKLUTS Sequel Thing which is a whole 3 years into construction and going completely nowhere...

The JiGoe Thing (unremarked on) which I may just hack to bits so it’s short and palatable and I can actually finish it...

And the Other ZeniJi Thing (which has rapidly devolved into a hellscape of the most bizarre circumstances and nonsense. I HOPE I can finish this. It’s funny as shit until the ending. But dear lord.)

There’s like 3 others but they’re just ideas and not WIPs. Yet.

What are your writing strengths?

Apparently I can Set A Scene with the best of them

What are your writing weaknesses?

Voice. I absolutely cannot get characters to sound like themselves. They always sound the same, which is the same voice as the narration, which is to say - my own voice.

I’m also not that great at plot, use too much Purple Prose where it’s unwarranted, tend to go ham on the weird metaphors in a corny way, don’t do enough research... You Name It, I’ve Committed It

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I can’t really do this due to being monolingual. When other people do it? It’s fine, although if the whole fic is in two languages I won’t be able to read it of course. But they can do what they want; I’m obviously not the audience for it.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It was Adventure Time but I learned early on that I am NOT the writer to be working in Adventure Time, dear god. I just couldn’t get it right.

The first I ever successfully wrote for was Twelfth Night.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

After the Nautilus. NO contest, I LOVE that bad boy. I think if someone asked for a single fic that’s indicative of me and how I write, that’s the one I’d show them.

[raunchyandpaunchy]

tag game: 5 songs I associate with my main character/general WIP

Thank you to @slam-dunkrai for tagging me on this!

Since it’s my main fic, and holds a special place in my heart, and is one of only two ongoing WIPs that aren’t one-shots I’m going to choose The Edged Lexicon for this one. And oh, I have plenty of songs I associate with both TEL as an overall work and with its main protagonist, Nadine Rielle. I’m going to have A Time cutting them down, most likely.

For the good of everyone’s timeline, I’ll put my thoughts about my thots and their songs under a keep reading banner, so if you wanna read then click away:

Tagging @mimosasupernova, @randy-sensei, @tafferling and @captainmarkarth to do their own (if you feel like it—no pressure!)

Five songs I associate with my main character, Nadine Rielle

Björk - Big Time Sensuality: This song encapsulates a lot of what Nadine is - a hedonist, who loves people and revels in all of her relationships (both platonic and sexual) but who also dislikes any kind of hard commitment (which seems to be a sentiment Björk herself shares). It’s about closeness and sensuality, but also about freedom, and the courage to dive into those kinds of emotions headfirst.

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining: This feels like the most Nadine song musically - I think modern AU Nadine would listen to a TON of First Aid Kit. I chose this particular song because it’s whimsical and kind of bittersweet; it has notes of optimism, and moving forward, but there’s also anxiety under there too (I don't know if I'm scared of dying / but I'm scared of living too fast, too slow) and to me it captures the constantly wandering, nomadic side of Nadine perfectly.

Janelle Monáe - Make Me Feel: Honestly I adore Janelle Monáe’s entire back catalogue, and there are so many songs I could have picked for Nadine, but ultimately this one felt the most fitting: a sexy, funk-synth-y bisexual anthem.

Sleater-Kinney - Modern Girl: At this point, the line “hunger makes me a modern girl” will forever make me think of Nadine. (Carrie Brownstein too, but also Nadine.) Hunger (for food, for knowledge, for sex, for experiences) is so much of what drives Nadine that it just feels like such a fitting line for her.

Marina and the Diamonds - Froot: Delightfully poppy and synthy and fun? Check. Various fruit- and sex-based metaphors? Check. Nadine to a T.

Five songs I associate with my general WIP, The Edged Lexicon

St. Vincent - Masseduction: “Can’t turn off what turns me on” is pretty much the Sanctum’s motto, and one of the overall themes of The Edged Lexicon - it’s a fic about kink discovery and exploration, and this whole song just captures it wonderfully.

The Velvet Underground - Venus in Furs: Yeah. Hi. I know this is just like, BDSM-themed playlist 101 but I absolutely Do Not Care. It fits. See also: the obligatory Nine Inch Nails song I put two songs down.

Bat For Lashes - Oh Yeah: This song is ridiculously sensual and charged that it made me forget how to spell “ridiculously” for a second there. It’s also got kind of a nice nature theme to it, which feels fitting for the setting? Idk, it’s like “fuck me slow out in the forest on some sort of stone plinth”, and if that isn’t what Skyrim is all about, then idk what is.

Nine Inch Nails - Physical (You’re So): Hey, at least it wasn’t Closer. ;)

Boards of Canada - Dawn Chorus: This is by far the most abstract song I’ve chosen so far, but it’s also one of the ones I associate with The Edged Lexicon the most. There’s no lyrics, but it manages to still be one of the most erotic sounding tracks I’ve picked (at least in my own opinion). There’s just a really gorgeous, dreamlike, almost disorienting quality to it, kind of like some electronic ambient orgy. Which I dig, obviously.