#I just need a title. and to finish the middle. and like 2 sentences for the end. IT'S ALMOST DONE FOR REAL

[mostmagical]

Out of Context WIPS

Pick a bunch of your WIPs and summarize them as badly as possible, then ask your followers to vote on which one they'd be most likely to read. Multiple/all/none options are completely optional.

thank you for tagging me @xhanisai and thank you @bittersweetresilience for reminder tagging me <333 WAH

tagging @coffeebanana, @rosie-b, @bbutterflies and @hueynomure to do or not do !! also tagging @blur0se to remind you 😌

[artsyunderstudy]

An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thanks for tagging me @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @valeffelees @emeryhall @monbons @thewholelemon @whatevertheweather @aristocratic-otter @bookish-bogwitch @orange-peony @shrekgogurt @wellbelesbian @theearlgreymage @ic3-que3n - I definitely shouldn't be procrastinating writing because I'm overdue but I'm a sucker for a good Q&A.

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s):

I technically have a handful of WIPs I haven't given up on posting but I'm not actively working on. Après la Pluie, le Beau Temps is the one I'm actively working on. I'm in the planning stages with All the Lonely People which is a fic I'm planning to cowrite with @cutestkilla my beloved. Then I have Sober, Water Grey, Close Your Eyes, and A Mild Case of Madness (yes I haven't given up on AMCOM I was actually thinking I'd try and finish it up after I'm done posting Après)

I don't actually work on more than one fic at a time but I also had like a flood of ideas once I was done writing Someone Wicked and that's why the pile of WIPs. Also I was trying to do discovery writing and realized that I hate it.

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___”

Why is this so hard???

Okay. Um.

Roommates who (pretend to) hate each other + alcohol induced vulnerability = publicly getting off with each other on a stranger's couch in the middle of a rager, probably to the dulcet sounds of goosebumps by travis scott.

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

Amazingly my current WIP doesn't really require much bracing. But I am still intending very much to complete Sober (working title) which I talked a lot about last year. That would come with warnings for grief, alcohol and sexual assault. Which makes it sound so much worse than it is, but then again I always think that my writing isnt actually that sad but then i have people telling me i ripped their heart out of their chest and chewed on it so im not a good judge of that. i will say it definitely has more jokes than my usual fare.

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

I am very decisive when it comes to titles, so I genuinely cant think of anything. I guess Sober, because I'm not sure that's the right title for the fic because it's not about addiction. It's about drunken hookups (and like, definitely some alcohol as a coping mechanism but like, mostly just uni students partying and going too hard as they are wont to do) so I was thinking of making it longer like "Kiss Me When You're Sober" but I dunno. It's not even close to done so I don't have to decide yet.

5. ⚠️Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next?

Après la Pluie, le Beau Temps is the fic I'm actively working on and I'm going to post this guy next come hell or high water. It's just taking me a while, I'm a bit burnt out. But things they will come.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as)

All my documents are the fic titles so nothing really fun there.

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP.

“If you’re going to do this, do you actually trust him? After everything he’s done to you. Everything you’ve done to each other.” I sigh. “I don’t know.”  All the things I’ve always believed I hated about him feel different now, filtered through a new lens. His relentlessness, his sharp edges, his poise. The way he moves across the pitch, and plays his violin, sweet-toned and sorrowful. The singe of his magick.  “I just … see him,” I say quietly. “And I know I want him. The way I’m supposed to.”

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

I don't know, I don't think I've scrapped any ideas for this WIP yet? Actually, I think earlier on in the planning I had wanted to have Niall and Dev being absolutely gross with their PDA through the whole thing, but I ended up writing a completely different side-story for them that's genuinely a ton better. Basically, they were a gag, and now they have an actual arc.

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Gonna mirror Dre here, we have been planning a fic to cowrite but we both have other fanfic obligations to fulfill first, so it's a little bit on the backburner until we are both freed up. Again, to parrot her, it's a canonverse AU based on a movie we both adore, older (late 30's) strangers to lovers, a ghost story but in a cathartic way, not a scary way, developing relationship. We have a shared trello and I can't help but daydream about it. I am so very very eager to start working on it in earnest.

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on?

One, actively. Two if you count the fic with Dre which we occasionally can't help but get into long discussions about.

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

I am currently writing a genre I've never written before which has just been a little daunting. As well as this first chapter has zero simon or baz, probably, and THAT is hard too. But it has to be that way. For the setup. It just means I'm having to learn how to write a lot of side characters in a way I haven't done before, like Niamh and Niall (since i have a bit of experience with agatha and dev)

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

Everyone deserves so many many kudos.

Tags! @hushed-chorus @run-for-chamo-miles @j-nipper-95 @noblecorgi @facewithoutheart and @stitchyqueer <3

[em-dash-press]

How Traditional Publishing Works for Novel-Length Manuscripts

Your future as a writer may seem murky at best. It's difficult to dream beyond your latest notebook or Google Doc if you don't know how publishing works.

Today we're going to talk a bit about that! This post will be for publishing longer manuscripts. Eventually, I'll make another one for publishing short stories.

Step 1: Finish That Manuscript

You may have heard that you can start contacting literary agents or publishers after you have a decent chunk of your manuscript done. While there are a few here and there that could be fine with that, it's best to always finish your manuscript before querying begins.

How do you know when it's finished? I'll write more on that later, but for now here's a basic checklist:

Edit your story for flow, character development and pacing. This may involve storyboarding again or even talking through your book with a friend.

Edit your work for line-edits (spelling, punctuation, etc.)

Give your work to a beta reader! That could be your partner, best friend, family member, etc. They'll have a fresh pair of eyes for things like plot holes, confusing arcs, unfinished story lines, and tension that never resolves.

Double check that your themes get resolved.

Step 2: Draft Your Query Letter

I already made a post showing how to draft a query letter and the answers to common query questions, but here's a summary: you need a good query letter for your finished manuscript. They're the first impression an agent gets of you and your work.

Query letters always include:

An introduction to your work (the title, the genre, the word count, a one-sentence summary)

An explanation of the plot (don't hold back—it should include your beginning, middle, and end, plus any tropes and themes)

Comparative titles (novels in the same genre as your work that were published in the last ~2 years or less)

The reason why you wrote your novel (what makes you the best person to write about that theme/plot/character growth, etc)

Step 3: Find Your Agents

There are a few ways to find agents and you can try different methods throughout your querying journey.

Use QueryTracker to find agents by genre, availability, location, etc. Then track your queries with the same website to find out who's read your work, who's rejected it and who wants to get in touch. (The free version does most of this, but there's a paid version for people who want to hardcore dedicate themselves to querying).

Check out those comparative titles—authors almost always thank their agents in the Acknowledgements section. Start a running list and note their publishers.

Search Twitter for agents who are open to queries. It may seem strange, but most agents have Twitter accounts and announce when they're open or closed to queries. You can always follow them on your personal or writing account, but you can also search for them by looking up hashtags like “open for queries" and “submissions are open.” If you want more details, check out this great resource for more hashtags and strategies. Note—you should never direct message an agent on Twitter. Always contact them through their preferred methods, usually located in their bio or pinned tweet (if they’re open to queries).

Step 4: Sign With an Agent

This step can take weeks, months, or years. Every writer’s querying journey is different. Sometimes the market isn’t right for a specific genre or storyline. Other times, you may need time to revise and polish your manuscript or shelve it entirely for a more developed idea.

Searching “amquerying” on Twitter is a great way to read other writers’ experiences. You’re not alone if you’re frustrated, exhausted, tired, or just plain sad. It’s hard to get rejections and try again when you’re likely the only person who currently believes in your specific manuscript.

Agents have to pick projects based on what they want to represent, but also what they can sell. If your story is too new or different, they may pass until it’s more culturally relevant or more popular with readers.

When an interested agent offers representation (likely after requesting a full manuscript), ask plenty of questions to get to know them. You don’t have to accept the first agent who comes along. They should align with your vision for your book and who you want to reach with it.

When you do sign with an agent, celebrate! It’s a big step that you should recognize! Lots of hard work and dedication went into getting an agent, and it’s only the start of your publishing journey.

Step 5: Look Forward to Your Book Deal

Your agent has a few roles. They’re supposed to look out for your best interests with publishers and all the legal aspects that come along with book deals.

But first, they have to land a deal. That means they write pitch letters or decks and send them to publishers they think will be the best fit for your manuscript. Letters are more common, but pitch decks are more necessary for writers of children’s books and graphic novels who have pictures integrated into their work.

This process can take a while. Don’t expect to sign a book deal overnight or even in the first month. As long as your agent keeps up communication with you about the process, you’ll know you’re in good hands.

Things That Will Be in Your Book Deal

Your Contract

Contracts include all the information related to your deal. Your agent will use it to potentially negotiate for more money, better control over your film rights or foreign publication rights, and basically all the little details that go along with those things.

Your Advance

When writer’s sign a book deal, the get a check. That check is called your advance. The advance is a sum of money that the publishing house or imprint gives you for the right to publish that book. It could vary from $1,000 to six figures, but new authors (and especially women and people of color) typically get around $5,000 for their first book.

Smaller amounts will arrive in a single check. Larger amounts are split into multiple checks spanning the time from your signing date to publication.

Your Royalties

Every time your book sells a copy, you’ll earn royalties on that sale. However, writers don’t see royalty earnings until those royalties out-earn their advance.

If you got the average $5k advance, you’ll have to sell enough books to earn $5k in royalties before you see routine checks in the mail for royalties after that point. Your agent will negotiate your royalty percentage during…well, negotiations.

Step 6: Figure Out the Pre-Production Details

You’ve signed your book deal—throw a party! Then it’s time to get to work.

Your agent will connect you with an editor, who then sends you an editorial letter after reading your manuscript. It will contain everything they think could improve plus their marked-up copy. You’ll dive into structural changes if necessary, but mostly line edits. 

You don’t have to agree with everything your editor suggests. It’s still your book. However, they know the industry the best and will want your work to succeed as much as you do. Talk things out and come to a compromise, but stay true to your book’s intended purpose throughout editing.

Your publisher’s legal team will go over your edited copy when it’s close to perfect to ensure there are no issues. They typically find things like the use of song lyrics that you haven’t bought the rights to and mentions of real persons or brands that may result in lawsuits.

Next, your design team will work with you on potential cover designs. interior layouts, jacket versus hardcover designs and blurb placement. They have most of the say over your final cover, but your agent can go to bat for you if you think the options are truly ugly.

Next, you’ll come up with a marketing plan. Imprints and publishing houses typically have marketing teams and publicity experts that work with authors. You’ll talk about which stores will sell your book and which websites will get ads based on your target reader audience’s known shopping habits/website preferences. Ads on social media and your involvement with posting about your book will also come up.

Proofreaders and beta readers are also part of this stage. They’re the fresh sets of eyes every writer needs to know if their readers will understand how they wrapped up their themes, character development paths and plot. They’ll point out when things don’t make sense, need more expansion or could be cut as they read through your Advanced Readers Copies (ARCs).

Step 7: Marketing and Blurbs

A bit more about the marketing stage—your agent has a hand in this too. Based on their previous or current authors, they may have personal connections with influencers and big names in the book world. They’ll send those people ARCs and ask those people for blurbs if they think those famous people have audiences who would be interested in your manuscript.

You can also talk with your agent about getting blurbs from similar debut authors in your genre or only authors from marginalized communities, depending on your priorities. The only time they might say no to this idea would be if your preferred people hardly have audiences or if their audiences have shown interest (via book sales) in other genres.

Your team will decide other things like:

Who gets your ARCs

If you’ll send some ARCs through contests

Which retail stores will stock your book

If you’ll pitch your book to get sponsored by big book clubs

If you’ll pitch for your book to be included in book subscription services

Where you’ll post digital ads and for how long

 How you’ll create marketing campaigns with sites like Goodreads and other book sites popular with readers

Most writers also have to market their book on their personal Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter accounts. You’ll likely only get out of this step if you’re already an established author who can sell books without blinking (think: James Patterson or Nora Roberts).

If you need help putting together a posting plan, your marketing team and agent can help with that. Most publishers request that their writers’ develop online followings because it creates personal, instant connections with readers/allows for free advertising via posts/generates direct feedback.

Step 8: Negotiate Your Media Rights

Most writers negotiate their media rights after landing a publishing deal. The publisher needs to know that your work has a chance of being picked up as a movie or TV show. Debut authors have a lot to prove, unless you’re one of the rare writers who snags a movie deal alongside a mega-advance because your work is once in a generation.

Your agent will negotiate this for you and possibly let you keep your media rights. If you keep them, you can sell them separately later on. When you or your publisher is ready to sell, production company scouts will see the announcement on book deal websites. They may contact your agent to negotiate with you before you start selling copies, but it may happen after your book has shown promise on the market for a while too.

Step 9: Sign Copies of Your Books

About a month before readers can buy your books, you’ll get copies to sign! Prepare your hand and wrist, because this step surprises most writers. If you have more than a handful of books to sign, you’ll need to pace yourself.

Still, this is an exciting step in your publishing journey. Take lots of selfies and enjoy the moment!

Potential Step 10: Start Your Book Tour

Big names in the book world get book tours set up by their publishers. Debut authors often don’t. If you want to do a book tour, talk with your agent early in the process. They can work with your publicist to schedule a few speaking engagements, but you’d mostly be in charge of contacting bookstores to reserve an hour or two for signing books and meeting with readers.

If your publisher does want you to do a book tour, regardless of whether you’ve been published or not, they might pay for your transportation and accommodations. It depends on your unique situation. 

---

This is a very brief, not super specific outline of traditional publishing. I hope it gives you some perspective on the process. After landing a book deal, it can be a year or more before your debut day arrives. There’s so much happening behind the scenes—but now you know a bit more about it.

[unsaidcurses]

Heyy, so I saw your post abt wanting to write some imagines for drivers and I was wondering if you could write one with felipe drugovich? Idea: congratulating, kissing and hugging him after a race and rubbing his back before he goes to sleep

[this was mainly written before my exams, finished after them and while i had fever so it’s highly possible it’s a total mess, have pity please]

pairing: felipe drugovich x reader

wordcount: 650 

if anybody asked you what was the best sight in the world before today you would have answered naming a museum or some skyline, but after seeing felipe with the brazilian flag wrapped around his shoulder, walking on the podium with the three best qualified drivers after being declared formula 2 world champion, you needed to change your answer.

he watched the whole race from the pit wall, as he got out of it in the very first lap because of a broken suspension, but his main rival for the championship didn’t score enough points to stop him from putting his hands on the most important trophy with three races to go.

you were so incredibly proud of him, and you couldn’t wait to tell him since you still hadn’t seen him. his team members and journalists surrounded him and blocked you out right after the checked flag, so you found yourself waiting for him under the podium, cheering like there were no tomorrow.

he was smiling with his fellow colleagues and friends behind the barrier, and his grin grew even bigger when he spotted you in the crowd. the typical celebration song was resonating in your ears and you noticed him pointing at you. everything felt like a movie: from the outcome of the day to the way he made the last step to win the title, all of this was incredible, and you couldn’t ask for more honestly.

after a while everybody started leaving, from the spectators in the stands to the drivers on the elevated station, so you run towards the back part of the paddock where you would be able to finally meet your boyfriend.

when you arrived, you saw a bunch of people walking in your direction, who, after a better look, you identified as felipe and fans and photographers following him.

he turned to take a picture with a boy and by chance caught sight of you, so he waved. you heard him saying some apologies and trying to runaway, to throw himself in your arms, being careful to not hit you with the trophy.

“hey champion!” you joyfully greet him. he kissed you passionately sharing all of his happiness with you. “how does it feels to win from the pit wall?”

“i would have preferred to fight for it a little more, but i’m not gonna complain. “

he was still holding you as photographers moved their attention from the driver to the both of you, snapping some pictures.

-

you were in your bedroom, felipe just showered and you were now laying together between the cozy blankets. you were spread in the middle of the mattress while the boy softly rested between your legs with his head on your shoulder, your hands running continuously and gently on his back, his resting on your waist.

“i'm so happy, you know?” he shared out of the blue.

“of winning the championship?

“of everything,” he moved his gaze up to your face. “of winning the championship, of you and my family being here with me, of all the support you give me. i’m happy for a lot of things.”

after what he said, some extremely intimate moments followed. just the two of you, looking in each other’s eyes with pure joy and contentment, caressing your bodies.

"glad to hear that. i'm happy to be by your side as well." you mimicked the sentence that left his mouth shortly before, meaning every word.

you tilted your face downwards to leave a trail of kisses, starting from his forehead, passing to his nose, ending on his lips. then you went back to his ear in order to whisper a small "goodnight champion, sleep tight." to which he responded with some incomprehensible mumbles.

even though this was certainly the best day of his life and didn't want to put an end to it, he really needed some due rest.

[froggywritesstuff]

warmth | yandere!philip hamilton

Pairings: Yandere!Philip Hamilton x g/n!reader

Warnings: yandere themes, kidnapping, toxic and unhealthy relationships, manipulation, mentions of murder and dying (please don't read if you're uncomfortable with any of these), swearing, being really cold

Time: not specified 

A/N: i wrote this the other night at 2 am, and i'm definitely not happy with it but i need to get it out of my drafts 😭

You sat on the cold, stone floor, violently shivering, the only sounds coming from your heavy breathing, the pounding in your head and the cold air blowing in through the open window. You felt your energy draining as you could barely keep your head up long enough to glare at your captor. He sat on the bench in the middle of the room, staring smugly down at you, a warm towel held tightly in his arms. It was almost like he was enjoying this. The fact that you were almost certain that he was made you sick to your stomach. Why wouldn’t he be? Any situation where you were weak and begging for his help made him feel powerful, and reminded both you and himself that your life was in his hands. And that was extremely enjoyable to him.

”Y/N, you’re being ridiculous,” he said, “all you have to do is apologise, and you can be warm again.”

If your hands weren’t chained to the wall, you would’ve slapped him before he could even finish his sentence. He’s the one who dumped the bucket of ice cold water on you because of some bullshit reason you couldn’t even remember, and he was calling you ridiculous?

But with every second your body was screaming at you to apologise. You could feel your lips becoming numb every second your teeth chattered to the point where it was almost painful. 

You said nothing, just glared at him as he had the nerve to look at you so innocently, so hurt by your hostility.

With a sigh, he stood up from the bench, leaving the towel on the bench, just out of your reach as he headed for the door, “Fine. Stay here. I hope you learn your lesson before you freeze to death.”

Your heart pounded with fear. On one hand, you were sure he was just bluffing. He wouldn’t have kidnapped and killed for you just to leave you to die. On the other hand, you were sure that you would freeze if you stayed there any longer.

”Wait!” you grimaced at the desperation in your voice. You felt so vulnerable, so pathetic. You hated it, while he was loving every second of it, “P-please, just- don’t leave.” you couldn’t believe what you were saying. 

Philip turned around, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant against the stone wall, “Is there something you wanna say?”

You hated him. Everything he did made your blood boil with anger. The way he spoke to you like you were a small toddler, acting like you were completely defenceless and useless without him. But you shoved all that hate down. You didn’t want to die in his house.

”I,” you took a shaky breath, not even the tears running down your cheeks providing any warmth, “I’m sorry.”

He titled his head to the side, “For?”

Your lips clamped shut. Why did he have to be such a prick all the time? So much had been happening lately you couldn’t even remember what he made you have for dinner last night. Well, come to think of it, you didn’t remember having dinner at all last night… how long had you been down there for?

With a huff, he began walking toward you, “Or do you need some reminding?” he knelt in front of you, his hand roughly gripping your chin, forcing you to look at him, “Does the name Theodosia ring a bell?” Just the sound of her name brought more tears to your eyes (tears you hoped Philip would take pity on). You hadn’t seen her in months. But, you did feel like you had had some sort of interaction with her recently… 

Scoffing, Philip‘s grip on your chin tightened, “Or will some more ice water help you remember?”

Your eyes widened at his threat, and you felt your breath become heavier, your chest falling up and down, “No! No,” you cried, your vision becoming blurry with tears, “I-I remember, I remember.”

He chuckled darkly, “I sure hope you do. Otherwise I would’ve killed her for no good reason.” As if he’s never done that. He narrowed his eyes at you, “Now apologise.”

You gulped, regaining some memory of what had happened with Theo, “I-I’m sorry for trying to leave…” you whispered, almost afraid of speaking too loud, which didn’t impress your captor.

”What was that?” he asked mockingly.

With a shaky breath, you repeated yourself, “I’m sorry for trying to leave you.”

Philip’s expression softened immediately, a smile gracing his lips as he loosened his grip on your chin, “See?” He brought both his hands up to your cheeks, cupping your face as he used his thumb to wipe away your tears, “Now was that so hard?”

 You said nothing, sniffling as you stared down at the floor, not wanting to look at him any longer. You felt his lips press against your forehead, followed by the chains around your hands loosening, until they were finally free. Philip’s warm hands wrapped around your wrists, helping you stand up from the cold floor, as he guessed your legs would’ve been numb. He guided you toward the bench, pulling your body toward his as you felt the warm towel wrapping around your body. 

You practically melted in his arms, feeling tears of relief fall down your cheeks. You held back a sigh of content, not wanting to give Philip the satisfaction of knowing that something he did made you feel better. 

You felt his hand wrap around the back of your neck as he pulled you closer, leaning his forehead against yours, “See how much easier this is, Y/N? You just have to do what you’re told and it can be like this all the time. Understand?” You stopped yourself from arguing with him, knowing it would just be more trouble, which was the last thing you wanted right then.

With a shaky breath, you brought yourself to reply. "I understand."

buy me a coffee <3

[valeffelees]

An Ask Game for Writers to Procrastinate Working on Your WIP(s)

thank you kindly for tagging me @shrekgogurt @youarenevertooold, and @monbons i've been seeing this game make its rounds on my dash and was really hoping someone would pull me in!

🦈 Tell us the name of one of your WIP(s)

my main three wips at the moment are without sun, ballad of the final sparrow, which is more commonly known as bitverse, and fragile things (and how to break them), but i've also been fucking around a bit the last two or three weeks with a new (terrible, evil, very self-indulgent) wip called god-forbid.

🍄 Describe one of your WIPs in the format of “___ + ___ =___”  

i think i might be dumb bc i don't understand this question at all.

🌍 What tags or warnings will your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

bitverse: heavy angst, psychological horror elements, alcohol abuse, allusions to suicide, unhealthy coping mechanisms, dead dove: do not eat.

🧭 An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

ballad of the final sparrow -> baz is typing fragile things (and how to break them) -> there's a werewolf in london god-forbid -> the gap between a tragedy and comedy

⚠️ Which WIP you’re most likely to finish or update next?

i have no idea. i mean, you'd think the answer would be without sun since it's the only fic i actually have posted at the moment, but unfortunately i am an untrustworthy villain.

💾 What is the document of your WIP called? (Not the story title, but what you’ve saved it as.)

same as the fic title. if i start a new wip and don't know what to call it, i'll pick something at random and add (working title) at the end.

🖍 Post any sentence from your WIP

from without sun:

“You don’t like peppermint,” he says. But maybe she does. Maybe that’s one more thing he can add to his growing list of things he got wrong about Agatha Wellbelove. No. 1 — Dislikes peppermint; actually, she is quite fond of it. No. 2 — Likes Simon Snow; him, not so much.

♻️ A scrapped idea for your current WIP

one of the biggest changes i made to the plot of without sun really early on was penelope's role in the story. i had a clear idea of the story i wanted to tell as soon as i saw the prompt for the fic. without sun was always supposed to be about more than simon and baz. the story is about grief and love, and the space we take up in the lives of the people around us. but n e way, in my orig draft, penny was actually supposed to be able to communicate with simon a bit, and there was gonna be a whole sect of scenes in the middle of the fic where they sat around together trying to break simon's curse what we know and what we don't know style via passing notes. i ended up tossing this idea really quickly tho, and i'm glad i did bc one of my favourite moments i've ever written in any fic happens in chapter two of without sun and it belongs to simon and penny.

🤔 What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

so many. or, well—what counts as "haven't even started"? i hate to let ideas sit around in my head bc it feels like leaving raspberries in the fridge for too long, like that shit is gonna get mould on it, so usually the first thing i do is rough out a few scenes and/or script out a very rough outline of the plot (like this / this / this style) so that i have something to come back to later. i have dozens of zero drafts just lying tf around. but otherwise, yeah, so many. one big idea i have is called heart on fire and it's based on fanart, but i haven't started it yet bc obvs i wanna get permission from the artist first but i've been holding off reaching out to them about it until i've knocked a few of my less intimidating longfics off my wip list bc heart on fire is gonna fucking hefty so i don't wanna give'r until i'm sure i can manage it.

🤡 How many WIPs are you actively working on?

LMFAO

🛠 Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

i'm having a real bitch of a time with agatha's main scene in chapter two of without sun, i've been fighting with it on and off for months, but i can't get it to do what i want it to do.

❤️ Not a question, just a second kudos to send.

cheers!

sorry for any doubles but, tagging: @drowninginships @cosmicalart @that-disabled-princess @fatalfangirl @cutestkilla @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @roomwithanopenfire @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @imagineacoolusername @nightimedreamersworld @prettygoododds @confused-bi-queer @mooncello and an open tag for anybody else who wants to procrastinate their wips!

[ghost-of-you]

Wait, have you done 5SOS5 for the album things, like you did the other 4?

I haven't but I will now oskaoskoasas here are the other posts if you feel like reading them self titled sgfg youngblood calm random post i made about how the album is telling the story of being trapped in one relationship

5sos5, my tragic love baby, we start it out so strong with complete mess, first self-produced song and first song we heard that was written by the four of them and only the four of them, all of them singing, a recognizable guitar riff, that classic 5sos song structure with a 4 chord melody where the song builds up until it drops at the bridge and comes back to finish it off strong with the last chorus, also "I ask no questions as your colors take their hold as my darkness turns to gold inside"?????? Excuse me??????? Then we move on to easy for you to say, they wrote all that we just let them get away with it, I'm scared to find a piece of peace of mind has haunted me since I heard it for the first time in a shaky Instagram live from the Dublin show, obsessed with the lyrics of this song, I think lyrically it really shows how good they are as songwriters, but this song is also my controversial opinion of the album because there's something in the production of it that deeply bothers me (sorry Michael, I love you) so it's the song I listen to the least, I'm still listening the live cut from the tour diary. Then we go to Bad Omens, I will never accept the fact that that song is not everywhere. I think it's flawless, the way the intro matches the outro so you can get caught in the same loop of going around again that the lyrics are talking about, and that's something that's a trend with them, they exaggerate the lyrics with the production and I think bad omens is the best example of it, I'm particularly obsessed with the way the chorus makes you expect a high note after the somebody, so when we get to the outro we expect the last somebody to be followed by a high else, but they actually drop the note, because nothing is ending in a high note here, not the relationship, not the song. Flawless vocals, flawless melody, flawless production, not a single wrong decision was made with this song. Then we have me myself and I, I think is so much fun, I think they made the perfect pop song, you have simple lyrics that are just repeating, and the way the song is structured it kinda feels like it's just one chorus that keeps going and going and since the song actually ends not only in the middle of the sentence but also in the middle of the progression in the guitar, you kinda feel this need to loop it, I know most people didn't get it when Ashton said that this song was very sgfg, but this song is so sgfg if sgfg was more pop than it is, the way its 4 chords in a guitar that just loops, the way it builds around that riff, the way the drums only come in in the second verse, the way it goes, goes, then just drops before coming back, the outro with the repetition, it's all very vapor of them in my opinion lol. Then we have take my hand, the way Luke wrote it alone and they managed to make it sound like a 5sos song is actually such a good example of how well they work with each other as musicians, because, yes, you can feel Luke's influence deeply in the song, but you can hear them all in it. Also, Luke Hemmings the songwriter you are, I can't quote anything because I would just write the whole song. One of their strongest bridges, amazing song all around.

Then we get to carousel, I don't know if anyone else remembers this but Ashton said that you just need 2 chords to make a great song, and this song technically has 4, but in the verses, they're actually going back and forth with 2, and I think that's such a good way to give you that feeling of spinning that comes with a carousel when paired with the drums, also I feel like this song is the first of many in the album where Luke flexing his vocal range lol, dude starts on his lower register, pulls some high notes and the whole time you're just like *Ashton's voice* you got an epic voice bro. Also, the symbolism of the lyrics drives me a bit crazy. And the way the song drops but never picks back up because you're on a one-way ride and there's no going back, INSANE. Also, Youtube countdown outro my beloved <3. Then we get to the most controversial song on the album. Personally, I think older is a good song, I would've put it as a deluxe track and put moodswings here instead but mostly because moodswings fits the tragic love narrative of the rest of the standard album in a way older doesn't. Love the piano, love the way Luke's voice goes with Sierra's, beautiful song but it feels out of place when you look at the rest of the album. My dear devoted delicate <3. Then Haze. Let's ignore the emotional whiplash of going from a piano ballad to it. I'm actually obsessed when 5sos goes 80s pop, it's a song that makes you want to move. It gives you that very pop feeling while being completely built around a guitar riff, so it's a very pop vibe but it exists around their strength, also Ashton is singing so it is a win in my books lol "when I lived between the bars" <33333333 . And the fact that all of them have production credits on it makes me all !!!!! Then you don't go to parties. I'm in a ydgtp mood so this may be very biased toward it. I love that the verses are built around the bass but the chorus is built around a guitar riff. I'm obsessed with everything about it, the little synth noises thrown all around, Calum playing with his lower register, the drums, Ashton's verse, everything really. Lost my limit cause I'm dumb and I'm passionate. I'm particularly obsessed with how many ways you can interpret the lyrics. Maybe he's looking for someone, maybe the someone he's looking is his old self, maybe he just wants out from his own head. Amazing, incredible, did something to my brain when I first heard it. Then blender, my beloved. LOVE when they make a song around the bass riff. Obsessed with the use of a blender as a metaphor for the cycle they're trapped in, because a blender spins things around while chopping them up, so no cycle is without consequence. Another song Luke is just flexing how good of a vocalist he is. Everything about it feels dramatic, the chorus sang in one breath, the imagery the lyrics are painting, the way the song starts and ends with Luke singing so no intro or outro to get you out of the cycle. Mandatory moment of appreciation for time stamp 1:37 <3.

Then we have caramel. I will never get over this song. It fundamentally changed me as a person. From the sigh in the beginning to the riff at the end. Ashton lower harmonies in the first verse, Luke's voice sounding almost dreamy while the lyrics are talking about getting back to something and how it gets sharper as the song goes and the lyrics start to give you the idea that maybe there's no saving this one. I know it well, caramel, I feel the comedown. I don't know about yall but every time I hear the second verse of this song I want to drop to my knees and scream (and I have on occasion lol). I don't think they made a single wrong choice with this song, from lyrics to production. Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight and the implications of the goodnight in a song about fighting for something that you know is doomed because they could've very easily made that love like a landslide I kiss you goodnight, love like a landslide I kiss you goodbye and imply that they are leaving this thing they know they can't save, but no, the love is going down and they are going down with it. Then they just spin you around with best friends. Love that this is a 2 chords lets have FUN song. I love my best friends, they love me, I will hold on to this feeling as long as I can. Michael verse <3333333333. Absolutely obsessed with how they just wrote a song about friendship. Love how this is a song that I can see every era of them playing and just goofing around on stage. Then we have Bleach. Way to put you back in the emotional blender. Again, Luke flexing his range. Lower Calum, Michael verse. You know how I said they sometimes exaggerate the lyrics with the melody? This song has water sounds (I can't determine if Michael actually added waterlike sounds or if he added a waterlike effect to the slides sounds you can get when you switch chords in a guitar) and with a good enough headphone, there's actually a whole layer of harmonies in it that sound like they are playing somewhere with a lower refraction rate than air, like water. It's so hard to watch everything I want, everything I was spinning down the drain. Multitasking 🥺. I do wanna know if this song was the soundtrack to more people impulse changing their hair color because the amount of times I bleached my hair while this song was playing since it came out is a bit alarming. Perfect soundtrack for those of us who dye hair as a bad coping mechanism lol. Then we have red line. I'm definitely biased about this one. This is one of my favorite songs ever. Definitely my favorite on the album. The way they play with the imagery of waiting in a train in it fascinates me, from the oohs that sound like the notes of a train whistle, the synth that sounds like the sound you get when there are station announcements, the echos that sound like the ambient sound you would hear waiting for a train, to the literal train doors closing as the song ends. The lyrics that leaves you wondering if they are waiting for the train to come or for someone to join them on the train they are. The implication of not being welcome anymore. I want back in, but I can't. I would love an acoustic version of it and I think more people would like it if it had a more stripped production, but seriously this song is everything to me. And what a way to end the album when you consider the bird sounds in the beginning of complete mess, to finish it with a door closing. Michael Clifford the producer you are.

Then we have the bonus tracks. They put you in the emotional blender going back and forth with sad songs, lets dance songs. I want whatever Michael put in moodswings so I can inject it pure into my bloodstream. The most Luke flexing his range Luke could get lol (they're not playing this song because they can't change the key or else the rest of the song would be too low but the chorus is too high for Luke to sing every night and I will die on this hill lol). The epitome of I have an anxious attachment style but I am in a long-distance relationship. I love a good reminder of how well all of their voices go with each other. Obsessed with the way they exaggerated the breaths in the bridge, the random piano sounds. Also, do something for me, put moodswings, queue bleach, change the crossfade to 12 seconds, then sit back and enjoy. Then we have a nice little 180 twist because going from moodswings to flatline gets me like that gif with the girls dancing while crying lol. I don't care what Ashton said, I still hear Calum lol. But their harmony game is insane and I think that that chorus has a shitton of layers and that's what keeps us all guessing about who's singing. Anyway, this song makes me want to sit them all down and discuss their range because that shit is HIGH. Again, love me some pop vibes. Sometimes you just wanna dance to a song about falling so hard you feel like your heart is gonna stop. Then we have emotions. Criminally underrated song. Obsessed with the way Michael is singing about anxiety on top of a guitar riff that counts in a self-soothing pattern, I think that's legit genius of him. The way he's harmonizing with himself too, like, he said MY SONG and meant it. I'm doing my best and I guess that's the best I can do. I think this song follows the malum pattern while writing songs together because they have a tendency of repeating sounds more frequently than you would expect, kinda as if they made a list of words that rhyme and tried to put them as often as possible. I'm also obsessed with how low the song is because I think we as a society talk about hitting high notes all the time, but a lower song can be real impressive if you give it a chance. Bloodhound. Forever mad I didn't get visuals of Michael's "he sunk his teeth into the bone" but I can see Ashton arguing against this song because the crowd would clap wrong during the bridge and he wouldn't be able to move past it oksaaoska. Fun song, gotta be honest tho, the lyrics confused the shit out of me for a while there. I do love the beat in this, the combination of the bass and the drums and that thing in the back that sounds like Ashton is banging his drumsticks together. Then we have tears. Anything that has Ashton singing is a win in my books. Obsessed with the imagery in it. There's a hole in the sun caving in and I feel it. Burn the words to start over. Diamonds turn to puddles. Tears hitting the ground, Fears pulling me down. Cashton do know how to make a song. I think if you're going back and forth with a duo in the band, Calum and Ashton create a real nice effect. The rhythm section really popped off with that one. Love how you get double the Ashton influence with how heavily it goes around the drums.

The new vocal coach was an amazing choice, Michael is an amazing producer, lyrically they excelled themselves, really shows off all of their strengths 1000000000/10 best 5sos album and we all know it.

[cafeinthemoon]

Ruins - Part VIII

Chapter 8/?

Wordcount 2,7k

Title Part VIII

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Pairing Hades x reader

Previous chapters

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 💛

Warning (s): none

Tagging: @darling-imobsessed @holdyourwine (if you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just leave a comment here or send me an ask or a message)

N. A.: The family is now complete in this one guys 😭 Enjoy reader being scorted back to the party by two siblings who are not above starting an argument for nothing, Adamas complimenting reader's honesty (?), Zeus being unable to finish a sentence and a certain sea lord not knowing how to babysit a human…

Also, there's something I've already wrote about in my list of notes and references for this story (which you can find at my Quotev), but I want to discuss it here as well: the use of the words child, tiny, little, etc. towards reader doesn't have any connections to her appearance or a suggestion that she's a minor. I didn't specify it in the story, but about 90% of the human girls sent to Vallhala are adults in their 20s, in this is reader's case. These terms are merely a way to depict the gods' general perception of humans, whether they're adult or not.

Anyways thank you for being here and enjoy this new chapter 🥰

I am Adamas, Hades’ younger brother and god of Conquest.

That was the most direct – not to say blunt – introduction you’ve seen since you arrived at Valhalla, if you didn’t count Hermes’, with all the discretion inherent to him.

So... now you had two of his family members before you, as different from each other as fire and water, yet sharing the familiarity and the moderate rawness only allowed between siblings or old acquaintances, and when you remembered that they have been tolerating one another for countless ages, things would get even more unsurprising and justifiable: Adamas wasn’t satisfied to see that Zeus was the first to find this mortal girl about whom his elder brother spoke, and Zeus wasn’t happy to realize that he no longer had your attention only for him and his talking.

And little you were just standing there in the middle of this, not wanting it to continue but forbidden from doing anything to solve it by the defenselessness of your position.

You also realized why the concept of Conquest was attached to Adamas now that you were seeing him: wherever the place he entered and the people who witnessed his arrival, no one would stay indifferent to him; his aspect and manners were not made to enchant, but to catch the observers’ attention and to mold it to his will, so whether you liked or agreed with him, you would just accept that he knew what to do and would let him take the lead, offering your compliance. That was what happened with you seconds ago, and you couldn’t even understand what was going on.

On the other hand, Zeus had a much less impressive presence at first sight – it was even disappointing for the leader of the Greek pantheon and the Lord of Heaven – but one look into those eyes of his was enough to show that this was all on purpose and that you shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating that playful, prosaic old man, believing he was nothing more than this.

– My brother and I traveled together here, as we haven’t done in centuries – Adamas was saying – I would have come later, since I have no interest in mortal girls and teaching, but he insisted, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

You weren’t sure if he was still talking to Zeus or if that was for you, but the way you gazed at him brought his heavier gaze over you in return.

– I don’t have to stay here if that displeases me so much. Is that what you’re thinking?

You gasped. The answer was yes, but you didn’t think it leaked through your eyes so easily.

– I…

– No need to excuses – he cut you off – I’ll leave soon, but not before hearing everything my brother has to say.

You kept quiet and got a harsh laugh as response for this.

– It’s nothing personal, mortal, so don’t lose your sleep on that. At least you’re honest and funny – and glancing around, at the balcony’s limits, – What are we doing here, anyway? The party is inside.

With a “hm”, Zeus agreed and took short, cheerful steps toward the entry.

– I’m thirsty. I think I’m going to get myself some wine.

– So soon… – Adamas mumbled to himself as he walked after him.

You were going to stay behind and restart your line of thoughts, but the two gods stared at you without speaking, making it clear that you were supposed to follow them.

***

You passed under the balcony’s curtains believing you were going back to the room you just left, a place you helped to decorate and with which you were familiar, maybe to find some of your friends, just brought by Hermes-sama. However, the reception you had that time, in the company of the two gods, made you think you walked into a completely different space.

Once you stepped in, with Zeus-sama at your right and Adamas-sama at your left, the nearest people turned their necks to you with strange looks; if they were of surprise or disapproval, you weren’t sure, and you didn’t think you’d feel better if you found out. The conversations, once cheerful and loud, were getting quieter, until they stopped. You glanced at Zeus, then at Adamas, but none of them showed any sign that they were going to explain the situation: they just kept walking toward the next space where more tables were settled, while the guests stepped back to open the way for them.

You reached a corner of the room where most of the presents were gods who arrived when the human girls’ guardianship period started; apart from yourself, the only humans there were their disciples. Male and female elves were walking among them with goblets over golden trays, their silent feet slipping on the floor with an elegance only possible for them. The reactions of the people to your arrival there weren’t different from the ones in the previous room.

That time, you couldn’t help but turn to Zeus and ask for an explanation… which he happily gave you before you could speak.

– There’s one brother left, child...

– And, of course, we wouldn’t find him anywhere but hiding in the remotest place of the building – Adamas completed the sentence in an annoyed manner.

The last brother, Poseidon-sama. How does he look like?

You started looking around in an attempt to see if you could guess him among the crowd, but you only found the people you already knew: deities from the Nordic, Indian, Egyptian, Japanese pantheons and minor gods; none of them had the slightest Greek trait, or so you thought. Besides, unlike Adamas pointed out, there was no place to hide in there…

You barely finished this thought and had to hold back a scream, for the scare you experienced now was worse than the one caused by Zeus at the balcony: in one moment, there was no one in front of you; in the next, your sight was obstructed.

– Ha! – Zeus laughed at your side – Here he is.

The two brothers soon acknowledged the arrival of the third one, and you couldn’t be left behind: you raised your eyes and found a tall, young man standing in noble, bluish clothing and a pair of shoes of the same shade, his gaze alternating between his relatives. The man had wavy, blond hair and no beard, making him look younger than them, though you already knew he was older than Zeus.

When he finally lowered his eyes to you, you stepped back in an unconscious, defensive gesture: it was impossible to guess if that was the look of someone who was going to kill you or to greet you.

So… this is Poseidon-sama.

Yes, if you’d only count his appearance, you could say that Poseidon was almost as beautiful as Hades, but the resemblance ended here.

If looking at Hades was like having your heart warmed and your spirit comforted once you got used to him, looking at that man was like having your heart broken and seeing your darkest secrets leaking from it before a shocked crowd. Though his traits were carved in perfection, the cold spirit inside them was something you wouldn’t want to have nothing to do with: his emotionless expression and the weight of his gaze was the same of the sea waters in a stormy night. Many times, when you were a child, you observed the gigantic, violent waves from your house’s window during storms, and sensed the existence of this weight, of this indifference to the emotional oscillations of the small, human soul; now, they were reunited and condensed in the form of that pair of ruthless, blue eyes over you, ready to tear you apart.

You weren’t really surprised with such observations, of course – the title of “Tyrant of the Seas” was well known even in distant places such as your homeland – but that didn’t make things easy for you. All you wanted was to run away from him.

Please, stop looking. Please, go away.

The Lord of the Seas was the first of the group to speak, and when he did, you confirmed what you already knew: that it would be preferable to deal with the rawness of Adamas or the eccentricity of Zeus than with the low tones and smooth gestural of their brother.

These were his words, about you but not directed to you:

– This human… This female has a decent face. My brother... must know what he is doing.

You opened your mouth, but forced it to shut again before the obvious question came out and the god in fact tried to end you for your boldness.

Female? Decent face? What is he talking about?

Yes, you doubted that Poseidon had any experience in talking to or about humans, but now you were also sure that he hasn’t seen one in centuries. Was that a compliment or a mere observation?

Before anything else happened, you heard a sigh behind you, then Adamas’ voice.

– Good evening for you too, brother – he crossed his arms over his chest – Have you seen Hades around?

The other barely looked at the speaker to reply.

– No. But he’ll be here soon – and, turning to Zeus, – And I suppose we have to keep her with us until there?

Zeus gave him a positive answer and you wondered how long they would keep talking as if you weren’t able to understand them. What did they think you were? A child, as they liked to say, or a pet? Well, maybe they did; maybe you were just spoiled by Hermes-sama, who always behaved like you were close friends, and what you were seeing now was the regular treatment gods gave the mortals.

But that didn’t explain the way Hades treated you – no condescension, no arrogant assumptions, like you were some sort of exotic species. In the few encounters you had, he always spoke to you as an equal, in respectful, simple manners, as two souls talking to each other. Now you were wondering why he acted that way; what did he want you to think? Yes, you had a connection due to your dreams, but why wouldn’t he speak openly about his thoughts and make you understand what this was all about instead of giving you space to imagine things? Why did he give you that enigma to solve? What exactly did he reveal to his brothers?

And why the people in that room kept looking at you that way?

You swallowed. No longer able to stay quiet, you gathered all your remaining courage and spoke again.

– What’s… What’s going on?

The three turned to you at the same time, but Zeus was the first to reply.

– What do you mean, girl?

You glanced at your surroundings.

– Why is everyone... staring?

Zeus opened his mouth to give you an answer, but it didn’t come from him.

– And why is this a surprise to you, human?

It was Poseidon’s voice. You immediately turned to him, his eyes on you in something close to annoyance, the same of someone who is forced to explain an obvious fact.

– They are in the presence of gods. And not only that: we are on the top of our pantheon. Paying us attention is the least these people must do.

You started to observe each of those people’s faces, and the understanding of the circumstances finally came to you. It wasn’t for nothing that you felt so small when you thought of the distance between your own reality and the one in that place: that was their world, after all; what would be seen as the depths of arrogance and disrespect among men was the rule for them. The presence of human children, as Hermes used to call you, in a small part of their territory would never mean the change of the said rule.

And my presence here wouldn’t make things different as well. No matter what my dream is about… and how gentle Hades seemed to be. Maybe the message of my dream was always clear, and I just didn’t want to see it: I should never try to touch the ruins. They weren’t meant for me.

You glanced at Poseidon, who was still staring at you.

– I… Think I understand something now.

No one made any effort to continue that conversation, and you were glad for that, because you saw the perfect opportunity to do what you had to do. You stepped back, ready to excuse yourself from the brothers’ presence…

But haven’t had the time to say anything: all the three gods looked ahead of you, and something in their faces changed with what they saw. You turned back to find what was going on, and any attempt to understand or describe what you felt when you saw the same as them would be useless.

The gods, the heroes, the elves and the human girls all turned their looks to the newcomer, opening the way for him in respectful silence as he took calm steps toward your group. The gods bowed their heads to his passage, and some put their hands upon their chests in reverence: it was clear that none of them was expecting to see him there, but that didn’t make them forget their good manners.

By the expressions of the humans among them, you confirmed that none of them knew about him except you, and that only deepened their surprise: who was this stranger whose arrival was enough to make even their divine guardians be quiet and step back, afraid of obstructing his path? What kind of authority was that?

And to think that, only a few days ago, you were wandering among the Gardens in his company, engaged in deep talking and sharing fruits like old friends... Was that man and this one really the same?

So, he’s finally here... Hades-sama.

He was dressed in white, as elegantly as Poseidon, wearing an eye patch over his right eye, thin waves of his gray hair falling upon it; over his shoulders, a white cape with fine embroidery on its hem, matching the overall pattern of his clothing.

Just like the other presents, his three brothers nodded to greet him, and he nodded back in response. However, his first words were not directed to them.

Hades had his gaze on you, and through it you saw the truth of what he said.

– Evening, y/n. It is with immense pleasure that I meet you here – and, glancing above your head, – I can see Hermes delivered my gift as requested. And, as expected, it looks magnificent in you.

You bowed to him just like the rest of the room.

– Thank you for it. It’s beautiful. And I’m just as happy to meet you again, Hades-sama.

The growing curves on his lips at the mention of his name, coming from your mouth for the first time, didn’t go unnoticed by you.

– You did it, then. You found the answers.

You nodded.

– I did what I could, but destiny helped me on the hardest parts.

– There’s no need to be so modest – Hades replied with softness – I’m sure that destiny would never say no to a wise, adorable damsel in need of assistance.

You couldn’t see your own eyes when you heard that, but you sensed they got brighter, and this change was pleasing to him. You observed his face and, for a moment, the warm feeling you’ve become familiar with during your previous encounters returned to your heart, and you almost forgot the deliberations of just one moment ago; for a moment, you allowed yourself to think everything was going to be like that, and the natural abyss of your people and position could cease to exist with a mere exchange of sweet words. For a brief moment, you were just a girl cheering with the attentions of a gentleman.

However, you knew that this wasn’t but a dream, more tenuous than the one of the ruins, though more pleasing. And all dreams have to come to an end – the persistent looks of the guests wouldn’t let you forget that.

You swallowed and prepared yourself to act accordingly.

– And it was an honor to have such assistance, as much as it was honor to meet you. I’m glad for our encounters and our conversations, and for your gift. However... – you stretched your hand to reach the pin and took it off your hair, holding it with both hands as you gave it back to him – I can’t accept more than that.

Part IX

[too-many-rooks]

Writing procrastination game!

Thanks @lastlymatt for tagging me, I got rambly so I’ll put this under a ‘read more’

Tagging @pigandpepper @known-concepts @countessrivers

1.) what’s the name of one of your wips?

My doc names are usually very boring 95% of the time I finish a fic and think it’s ready to post and realise I need a title. How about ‘Yassen Bedroom Visit’?

2.) Describe a Wip in the format of __+__=__

SCORPIA heir Alex + totally normal kidnapping and drugging in the middle of the night get to safety orienteering exercises = childhood trauma

3.) What tags/warnings will one of your Wips need if you share it?

Forced child seperation?

4.) alternative title to a wip?

I don’t really have alternate titles! Titles tend to come pretty late in the process!

5.) which wip are you most likely to update/finish next?

Probably one of my s3 aus I’ve got brewing, there’s a longer thing I posted the first chapter of today but I also have some one shots, one where Yassen gets wounded fighting off Alex’s enemies and Alex basically has to hold him down to say he cares about him, and another where Yassen comes to chat to him in the middle of the night (while Alex is sleeping) and they catch up.

6.) what is one of your wip’s document title, not what it’s name is but what you have it saved as?

Again, extremely boring. Some examples - ‘Tom/House introduction’, ‘stables’, ‘the ball’, ‘heir apparent 1-9’, ‘hunting’ ‘hostage’ ‘orienteering.’

On reflection, these are very badly organised. But, hey Ho.

7.) post any sentence from your WIP?

Okay this took me forever to decide bc I want to share like, all of my sentences, but here’s a sentence from my SCORPIA heir Alex thing where Yassen just tries to take a day off, but is interrupted by Alex sneaking out of school/the country and mountain his school is on

‘Rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, he blocked out the little blonde headache sat before him, and sighed, already imagining the state of his email inbox when he got back to his laptop, which he’d sworn would stay folded in its case for the rest of the day.

“And how long ago was this? When should I start expecting panicked calls from your father?”‘

8.) a scrapped idea from your WIP?

Not necessarily a scrapped idea but evidently one I forgot about and rediscovered as I was flicking through google docs - originally a pre-season 3 idea (but could work post s3) where Yassen retires, and decides it’s time for Alex to retire too, even if he doesn’t want to. Very “congratulations you are being adopted! Do not resist.” Meme with Yassen that I’ve seen on here, the bit I’d written was him contemplating the least traumatising way to kidnap him, to make sure they’re a happy family unit post-kidnapping

9.) what’s a story you would love to write but have yet to start?

Alex sees dead people AU - Ian knows, when he dies his ghost becomes bound to Alex, and helps take care of him/watch over him in the field, Alex bumps into Yassen at Point Blanc and immediately recognises the ghost bound to him as his father, especially as he begs the assassin to stop pretending like he can’t hear him for once and let him see his son, to protect him.

10.) how many WIPs are you actively working on?

Four - regency fic, darker Alex s3 au, two other s3 aus I mentioned earlier. Suprised myself by how much of this longer ‘SCORPIA heir’ Alex thing that I’d put off for a while I’ve actually written. That’s one that I really want to finish before I start posting bc I’m bad at doing work without an immediate emotional reward/it’s a longer than anything I’ve written before and I don’t want to give up on it when it’s half published. I had been delaying it till after s3 but maybe time to get to work (will try and finish regency fic first)

11.) is there a scene your struggling to write now?

Oh I mean so many but the most immediate stumbling block is with the regency fic, chapter after this one they go to a ball and that’s almost basically written and so is a lot of the next two chapters but there’s things I need to thread into this chapter that just don’t want to be threaded - I need Alex to start being a bit more suspicious of Yassen, and remember that whole thing about his uncle being murdered now he’s a bit passed the initial princess diaries revelation moment.

I was thinking like Alex waiting up for him on Christmas Eve or something and falls asleep then is woken by Yassen sneaking back in and Alex noticed he’s got blood on his clothes or something and Yassen just shrugs him off and reacts more strictly/authoritatively than he has before. But the scene is a bit sludgy I my mind atm.

12.) Not a question but a second kudos!

[hoolay-boobs]

Ok so. It's like I have forgotten everything about writing. How does one even begin writing? 😭😭 Do you have any writing advice for beginners?

This is a great question! I think you’re going through writers block. Sometimes, after years of writing, we one day are like “what r words.” It’s like if you’ve ridden a bike for years and one day it’s just so difficult randomly. But don’t worry! You can always get back on that bike.

Here is a website I found to combat writers block:

10 ways to overcome writers block

I also have some words of wisdom for beginner writers that I hope will help!

1. Start with a scrap journal.

This journal does not need to be like a diary or anything, but it can be fun to just write down sentences for your story as they come into your mind- in whatever order! I have written down the beginning of my spin off- I’m not even done the first book in my series! But writing down any ideas for your characters or the universe your story takes place in- whether it’s the first chapter or last-

My scrap journal is a mess. I’ve been writing in it for years, it’s purple and glittery which I looove, there’s ripped out pages stuck in the middle, there’s ideas for the sequel, there’s some dialogue written for the first book, for chapter 1, then chapter 12 randomly etc. Writing in a little scrap journal or diary of lined paper (or you could use your notes app on your phone, or a google document on your laptop, or whatever you prefer to write in! I just wouldn’t use the same folder as your actual manuscript/draft of book) can take away the pressure of it feeling like a “good copy” that has to be “perfect”, and instead just gets the writing flowing :)

2. Fill out a character chart!

These can be fun to get in the heads of your protagonists! You can find many on Pinterest, but here’s one I found from Medium!

Also: don’t worry if you don’t know your character’s favourite food or favourite number or favourite shirt yet, some of these you’ll never even need to know as the author, and some of these you’ll discover along the way. Whatever suits your story! It’s more important to know your characters’ goals, ambitions, fears, and inspiration than say, their favourite animal.

3. Give your document a funny name!

The first manuscript I ever wrote (and never finished lol, abandoned middle school project) had it’s book title and chapter title of course, but said just below the header, “warning: don’t read if you’re homophobic or hate fall out boy” or something else cringy like that, I can’t recall exactly 😅 but it helped take the pressure off of beginning a “formal looking draft”! Some header titles could include:

- Welp here we go, I have nothing to lose

- First draft, cowabunga!

- Here is some beautiful messy writing

- Hmm let’s give this a try

- Behold! Beginner’s writing!

And then just write your book title and chapter title below it, and began typing out the intro. It could be your main character describing her life, or it could pick up right during two characters’ conversation, or it could begin with the main character walking home and describing the world around her, there really are no rules!

4. Use a few tumblr writing prompts!

If you feel stuck at the beginning of your story, many tumblr users do post great dialogue prompts! Here are some I enjoy :3

@givethispromptatry- I literally recommend like all of their prompts lol, whichever ones you get inspiration from :)

150 random writing prompts by @writinginstardust :)

@writing-prompt-s is also a good account! :)

5. Don’t overthink it!

Let your beginning of your novel have mistakes. Let it be a work of progress. Let it be childish or messy or cringy or whatever. Your second draft can be the fancy one, don’t hold back on the first draft! It will be okay <3

Goodluck! I hope this helped!

[xhudgenssistersconfessions]

So I listened to the podcast and have some thoughts

1) It was my first time listening and really disliked to format. It was just so rushed like "oh yeah, your father passed. Anyway, let's talk about the benefits of prickly pear." *insert paid Amex promo*

2) Agree, she wasn't shading Austin. If you look back, it's obvious that her life has changed a lot since then so it must've been an important pivot as the title suggests. Was it necessary for her to mention? Probably not. She's been in the industry long enough to know that it will make headlines so she could've just given another response. But hey, at least she was being honest.

3) I have mixed feelings about the pregnancy part. I agree that people were disrespectful and she doesn't need to share that part of her life. Plus the way media and the public monitor women's bodies is f'd up. But to be like "sorry for being a real woman!" just comes off a bit condesending and holier than thou. Especially since it's basically an open secret (I know this was recorded a while back) and not in fact the lack of spanx. I'm generally not a fan when celebrities get to teaching and preaching and apply feminist concepts e.g. bodily autonomy to their individual pursuit or something like instagram comments in this case.

The podcast was recorded in the beginning of November so the bachelorette comments were still fairly recent and she was probably still upset about it. She had been dodging pregnancy speculation almost the entirety of 2023 (not exaggerating). I can see her just being over it (which I don’t blame her. that’s why I always say y’all need to be mindful of what you comment)

However, I didn’t like the format either lol. The interviewer even played random clips and everything in the middle of Vanessa talking like girl, can you let her finish her sentence first 😭

[squireofgeekdom]

“trust” for the ask game? Or “please”?

this long post brought to you by oh boy do i have a lot of open wips

'trust' from Tony Stark's Space Roadtrip aka What If? 2.4 grabbed me by the throat and I wanted what happens next:

Being angry at yourself? Well, that’s a renewable source,” he let out a huff, almost a snort. “Trust me, I would know.”

'please' from Somnolence, my post-SM2 Insomniac Spider-Man wip

A relief. A revelation. No power. No responsibility. Please.  Harry.

several instances of 'trust' from Running Laps, Eobard and Cisco centric time loop wip

“You can pick,” Eobard says, “I trust you.” He realizes it’s true as he says it. It should feel like a shock, to trust someone he’s only just met - at least as far as he can remember. But it just feels right.

+

He believes he can trust Cisco. He’s been thinking about it for the past hour. “I can trust you, right?” he says. “I know that’s - that’s not something I need to ask. I’ve - I guess I’ve known I can trust you since I woke up. But I - I need to - I want to tell you something that’s going to sound crazy.”

and one 'please'

“He’s kept me away from this project. This project that has a problem.” He looks at Cisco. “Please tell me you’re not so dense you can’t put that together.”

a selection of 'trusts' from In Spite of the Uneven Odds, the season 2 gang crashes in to Earth 0 & herobard fic, because there are a lot of them

Ramon shakes his head. “We thought we could trust him too.” “I trust Eo - our Eobard with my life.”

+

“Hey, you’re the one who’s out here trusting Thawnes.”

+

“Other me insists you’re a good guy, but it’s going to be hard for me to trust a guy with your face, y’know?” “That… is entirely understandable. I have a hard enough time trusting my face and name sometimes,” Thawne says.

+

“I’m a bit of a proud bastard,” Thawne says. “I haven’t met an Eobard Thawne who wasn’t. If he asked you for help at the end, he trusted you.

and a couple 'please's

“My name is Eobard Thawne, but I am not the Reverse Flash, though I - am aware that that is my counterpart’s identity in most other universes. An Eobard Thawne who is the Reverse Flash did intersect with this timeline, but you will be pleased to know he is currently in a speedster-proof cell in Iron Heights.”

+

“Hartley please.” Allen pinches the bridge of his nose.

and from my collection of Daniel and Chozen centered Cobra Kai wips, tentatively titled 'acts unseen' as a series, one trust and several please's

Carmen Diaz - someone Daniel trusts - is right there.

+

“Please don’t hurt -” but he doesn’t have to finish his sentence, Daniel is reaching into the compartment between the two seats for a pen and the back of an old grocery list.

+

Breathe in, breathe out. “Start, please.”

+

“Chozen - you’re -”  Daniel coughs. “Stay. Please.”

+

“The lights are on and we will get to the hospital as quickly as possible, but he is stable for the duration. The bleeding is under control. Please try to stay calm.”

Meet in the Middle aka i swear im still working on the last chapter, just trust me --

“What, you encounter a couple of fake-me’s and suddenly you’re the expert?” Ratchet says finally, an attempt at humor.  “Trust me.”

-- please

M looks over at him from his largest frame, one hand extended toward the high ceiling. “Still Minimus today, please. I just needed to make some adjustments to the alarm and sprinkler system.”

My duo of High Rollers Aerois wips, Lucius and Fayeth centric

“Well, that sort of thing isn’t important to Aridan, he’s much too sensible for that. He knows that he can trust you, and that means a lot. But only if you want! I mean, of course the rest of the wolfpack, you wouldn’t have to just - ”

+

“Fayeth, please,” she says, looking up from where she had momentarily rested her head on her desk.

thanks for the ask! this was really fun

Send me a word and I'll share bits of my WIP(s) that include it!

[em-dash-press]

How Do You Know When Your Manuscript Is Ready to Query?

You just wrote the last sentence of your novel—congrats! That’s an incredible accomplishment that took hours of your unpaid time and effort. You poured so much of your creative energy into that manuscript, so you’re ready to query it. It should see the light of day and reach the hearts of readers.

But should that happen now or after more detailed work?

These are a few ways to know when your manuscript is ready to query.

1. You’ve Finished Your Manuscript

It’s no longer your WIP! Call it what it is—it’s your beautiful, hard-earned manuscript. It should have a completed arc with tied-up character development points to conclude your theme and plot twists.

2. Ask Someone to Read It

You can re-read your manuscript for weeks and still have errors that your eyes naturally skip over. It helps to ask a fresh pair of eyes to read through your work. They’ll read every sentence closely because it’s all new information. They also won’t know what’s coming in each chapter, so they’ll point out if plot twists surprised them or if the character development felt natural.

Your beta reader should feel free to point out what works and what doesn’t work about your manuscript. Those aren’t the same thing as what they like and don’t like. When something works, the reader will understand what you’re saying and feel what your characters are feeling. If it doesn’t, the reader will be confused. They might become emotionally disconnected too.

Encourage your beta reader to give specific feedback. They may point out things that need more refined wording or a re-write in a second draft of a chapter.

3. Find a Critiquer

There are various ways to find a professional fiction critiquer and pay them to comb through your newly edited manuscript. Although their advice will be top-tier, you don’t need to pay someone to check for line edits.

Ask your friends and family members to see who feels confident with grammar and punctuation. Anyone who rarely got edit notes on their school essays can provide some helpful line critiques to polish your manuscript.

4. Pinpoint Your Audience

Agents need to know who’s going to read your book. It’s an essential part of your query letter, so don’t send anything unless you know your target audience. There are a few ways to indicate who’s going to love your book within your query letter, like:

Naming the genre (Children’s, Young Adult, New Adult, etc.)

Naming comparative titles (“Readers who loved Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games will love the action-packed arena fights in my manuscript.”)

Talking about why you wrote your book (“I wrote about this coming-of-age perspective to reach middle schoolers who are learning how to accept their changing identities.”)

If you’re unsure who your audience will be, ask your beta readers for their input. They might point out certain themes, scenes or points that are better suited for specific ages.

5. Research Your Agents

After drafting your query letter—which I wrote about in this post—you can’t send your manuscript to every agent you find on QueryTracker or various publishers’ websites. You need to find agents representing your genre. 

To do that, you have to know your manuscript’s genre. Give it some thought while considering factors that will point you toward one genre or another, like:

The time period your book takes place (historical fiction, futuristic sci-fi)

Your protagonist’s age (child, young adult, adult)

The presence of magic (fantasy)

The presence of science or technology (sci-fi)

Dark or scary themes (horror)

A mystery that drives your plot (mystery)

-----

It's okay to take your time editing and revising your manuscript after it crosses that initial finish line. Sometimes it takes writers months or years to get their work to a point where they feel confident and comfortable enough with it to query.

Give yourself time to work through these points and your editing process. The publishing world will be waiting for you when you're ready.

[tboy-boone]

1-15 for the wip asks :)

this is like an entire school assignment, sorry it took so long <3

how many WIPS do you have right now?

too many.... i can't finish anything

2. what is your oldest WIP?

I have this goofy sequel I made to this one story i wrote in middle school and I have to finish it. For everything else, I can't finish anything, but for this WIP, I am required to!!

3. what is your newest WIP?

The last WIP i worked on was Cold, and it's my favourite of all of them. My favourite child without a doubt <3

4. Do you have any WIPs that will never be finished?

I never ever finish anything and I love it! Some things are meant to be small and unfinished thoughts, and I will do it again!

5. What scene did you write first in your current WIP?

The first part I wrote in Cold wasn't the beginning. Since the idea came to me in a dream, I wrote it in segments. So, I wrote the beginning like 6 months later.

6. How long do you tend to spend on your WIPs?

It's usually like two days or almost a year. No in between.

7. What's the longest time you've spent on a fic?

When I was writing I Saw Your Ghost Tonight, it took so damn long.... I started it in October '22 when I was working sound at a play and..... then I hated it after trying to work on it for long. So, it took even LONGER. I have a whole hate/love thing with it, more hate than love.

8. What's the fastest time you've finished a fic?

My last fic took me a little under three hours I think. There was something in the air that night.

9. Do you write your fics as you go, or finish before publishing?

I finish my fics before publishing. I didn't always used to do that, but it helps me commit to the fic. Otherwise, all my works will never be finished.

10. Do you outline a fic before you write it?

Sometimes I'll outline a fic, but I don't usually. If it's a little on the longer side, I might outline it. It just depends on what I'm writing about.

11. How close has your WIP stayed to its outline/original version?

I never finish an outline..... but usually it'll stay pretty close.

12. Do you have a title, working or otherwise, for your WIP? How did you come up with it?

My word docs are given a working title, and it's usually the first sentence so I know what it is. I don't typically give it a good title until I publish it.

13. What's been part of your WIP since the beginning? What the newest idea that you've added to it?

Well, in unnamed wip, I have this bitchy to lovers concept that I like, but I'm thinking of changing some parts of it. I need them to be bitchier and the catalyst needs to change, I'm not feeling it anymore.

14. Rewrite a scene from your WIP from another character's perspective.

Ben had fallen asleep on the couch, but when Riley or Abigail nudged him awake, he would say he was just shutting his eyes for a moment. The occasional snore told them otherwise. Sometimes, he’d snore loud enough he heard himself through his sleep. Tonight was no different than any other, Ben woke himself up with a snort. His eyes burned after hours of reading and researching, so he lay there with his eyes closed, listening to Riley and Abigail in the kitchen. Riley’s laptop was still on, he didn’t get up that long ago. The blue glow dried out Riley’s eyes like the dizzying blur of pages dried Ben’s.

“Howdy, stranger,” Riley’s voice crackled.

There were days when they were all so invested in their research that hours went by before they spoke to each other and discussed their findings.

“You should get some rest.” The soft wrinkling of Abigail’s gloves echoed in the silent apartment. “The both of you.”

“Don’t tell it to me,” Riley grumbled. “Tell it to Indiana Jones in there.”

Despite his snarky tone, Riley kept his voice low for Ben. Although, Ben wasn’t sure if Riley spoke quietly for Ben, or because he cranky enough to start talking shit.

15. Rewrite a scene from your WIP in a different person (first, second, third, etc.)

Although, you should think about getting a new couch. You kneaded the cushions with your palm before sitting down, but it never made the seats any softer. You glanced at the clock on the wall, far too late to be awake, but far too early for you to sleep. The ticking bounced off the bare walls and through the barren rooms. There were plenty of things you needed to do, but the very thought exhausted you in an instant. Ringing echoed from the kitchen, another phone you forgot to disconnect. Can't a man sit in his home and listen to the drone of the news in peace? Once you hoisted yourself onto the crutches, you made your way to the phone hanging on the wall.

thanks for the school assignment brother golfball

[yellingaboutmasseffect]

Writer Tag Game!

I was tagged by @stormikins

No pressure tags:  @angstyastro @zet-sway @spookyvalentine

Do you write in order?

Definitely not which is why  my mass effect series, Memento Vivere, took so long to start publishing. The stuff that inspired me to get started was usually in mass effect 2 which is the middle of the story and not great for posting in order. I also try to write things down the moment I get inspiration for it so I can come back to it later which has been really handy to have those notes later.

Do you start with something in particular?

I will start with the most inspiring bits first and worrying about filling in the gaps later. That helps me write more than forcing myself to worry about things that I don’t enjoy as much like the title or summary.

How fully formed does your writing come out first try?

Pretty well formed. I used to be a perfectionist until I realized how much that was truly holding me back, especially when I thought that first draft had to be the only draft. Even so a finished draft will at least be as close to how I want it to look before publishing, just in need of edits, word choice revision, and some polishing.

How many drafts do you go through?

One technically? Or at least it feels like one to me. I open up the document and I write. When that draft is done, I edit it a few times before I go to publish it. Then I usually go through on AO3 to spot what I missed during edits.

Tell me about your process:

I will usually start with that core inspiration and write out that scene as long as that inspiration has me. As I add on to it, I will start doing a rough outline and write notes or a couple sentence about what will happen in certain scenes about where I want that scene to be. Then I bounce around to where inspiration takes me and then try to connect those scenes together which is usually easier as writing the other scenes helped fill in the gaps.

[tuulikannel]

My WIPs

@solarsavoy wrote about her wips, and that got me thinking about mine. Unlike her, this isn’t so much to show you what my goals are, but what kind of plotbunnies are bouncing around in my brain at the moment…

Well, first of all, there’s of course those wips I’m already posting, and hopefully finishing some day soon(ish). Stress the word hopefully… >_> Caught Between, a Hikaru no Go fic with intersex Sai, and All the Gifts, Assassination Classroom fic inspired by The Girl with All the Gifts (which has been facing something of a writer’s block for a while, but good news for the readers: I started writing this again yesterday!)

Then, the unpublished wips (that are stealing all my attention). Don’t hold your breath waiting for any of these, though… they'll happen. Some year.

Untitled Assassination Classroom/Danganronpa crossover #1 I’m pretty excited about this one, but also slightly terrified. I mean, I’m afraid this fic’s going to be huge (in size, that is), and I technically know where it’s headed, but I’ve no idea how to reach that ending yet. ^^; I also have way too many characters in my hands (all assclass characters + all characters from the 3 DR games…) How many different povs can you have in one fic? I’ve now written some 6k of words, and I’m still far from what I consider the starting point of the fic. >_> It’s all just background stuff so far.

The starting point? It’s this: “Under the broken moon, Junko Enoshima laughed.”

(I feel like that sentence is a bit… overly dramatic or something, but I just like the image. XD)

Untitled Assassination Classroom/Danganronpa crossover #2 which is in fact a Koro Quest/Despair Dungeon crossover. I personally like this idea a lot and I’ve a clearer view of the plot than with the first crossover. I’ve written most of the first chapter, but the previous plotbunny’s demanding my attention right now…

Trying to come up with a title for this, I created one kinda in the style of the ridiculously long Victorian chapter titles: The Epic Tale of How Students of Two Grand Schools Set Aside Their Differences and Joined Forces to Combat Despair. Then, just for the sake of procrastination, I put that through several layers of google translate, and it turned into this: Breakups aside, a good story about two high school students struggling with depression.

Therefore, I’m thinking of this fic these days as Breakups Aside, just fyi. A working title? It has nothing to do with the plot, but so what.

And then there is Toilet-Bound Nagito-kun. Umm, does this need any explanation? xD Hajime has a wish, that’s all I’m saying about the plot. If you’ve played DR2, I’m pretty sure you know what that wish is. Something he’s desperate enough to realize that he’s sneaking into a girls’ bathroom in the middle of the night after an urban legend. This was inspired by a short clip on youtube. Don’t watch the video if you’ve not played DR2! No spoilers for Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, the clip’s from the very beginning of the anime. Here it is.

I thought this fic would just be a pointless, short one-shot, but now that I’ve reached what should have been the end, the characters suddenly want me to take this seriously, and I don’t know where I’m going with this anymore. >_> We’ll see.

Then, there’s two more additions to Mythologica (assclass retellings of various myths, that is) that for now exist only in my mind:

Helen of Troy which is nothing but a rom-com. Here’s the cast: Kanzaki as Helena, Sugino as Menelaus, Isogai as Odysseus, Ren as Paris of Troy, and basically the rest of 3-E guys (apart from Nagisa and Karma) as her other suitors. Oh, and Maehara is Penelope, i.e. Odysseus’s love interest. XD

Then there’s a very short ficlet idea with Hazama as Medusa. Inspired by the song Medusa by Heather Dale.

And some sequels:

The Haunting of Kunugigaoka, continuation to blind alley. Again, something I really want to write, but it exists only as a bunch of random ideas in my mind, atm. It’s not even a wip yet…

A sequel for Chika-go, crossover between Hikago and Dresden Files, still untitled (what a surprise!) I’ve only written very little of the beginning, and this is unlikely to be ever finished… but I like the first fic a lot and would love to write this someday. Hikaru returns to Chicago years later with Akira, just to find out that a lot has changed.

And oh damn, I’d forgotten about this one! A Dresden Files fic about Thomas. I seem to have written over 7000 words of it… I really have to finish this someday. There’s less than half left to be written, anyway.

That’s it, I guess? There might be some other random things, but they’re so unlikely to ever be realized that it’s not worth it to talk about them.