#I’ve been procrastinating on chapter 16

[applysome]

On Repeat

I was tagged by @ladyfauxhawk (thank you 💕) to share some songs that have been on repeat lately.

As I’m feeling like a silly goose and procrastinating other things such as meal prep (ugh) and cleaning the bathroom (double ugh) each song will come with a fun fact that literally no one wants (disclaimer - funness is subjective).

This time it seems to be split between songs that are influencing my fic revisions and things I’m fiddling around with on the guitar. See if you can spot which are which!

Pattern - The Last Shadow Puppets. I have accepted its fate as permanently on this list.

Fun fact: I am considering a Pattern lyric tattoo if I can somehow get Miles to hand write it for me

Go With The Flow - Queens of the Stone Age

Fun fact: a lad I went to college (age 16-19) with was adamant he was going to get “I want something good to die for / To make it beautiful to live” tattooed on his chest. I sometimes wonder if he did and how it worked out for him

Sign of the Times - Harry Styles

Fun fact: Harry used to frequent one of our favourite restaurants close by and it would make the local paper every time. By all accounts, everyone reported he was lovely

Welcome to New York - Taylor Swift

Fun fact: Harry Styles took Taylor to the aforementioned restaurant once or twice when they were dating. Our local paper went feral with excitement

Adore You - Harry Styles

Fun fact: I can imagine brooding Alex in my fic that I’m revising (first two chapters available now - shameless self plug) listening to this song on repeat

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day

Fun fact: I saw Green Day live with my ex in 2009. Green Day were amazing. He was disgusting

By the Monument - Maximo Park

Fun fact: the audience reaction was so loud at the end of the show last year, Paul Smith got teary eyed and they played this song as an impromptu addition to the encore. It was glorious

Break Me - McFly

Fun fact: McFly were it for me growing up (before I discovered Muse!) and they are the only musicians I’ve ever got to meet. They were all lovely but special shout out to Harry in particular who was so kind to me (an unsurprisingly) very nervous teenager (I knew he was my favourite for a reason!)

Anyways - Arctic Monkeys

Fun fact: this is their best b side by a mile and it just so happens to coincide with their best album (coincidence? I think not)

Colour of the Trap (acoustic) - Miles Kane

Fun fact: I can almost (very badly) play this except for that darn F#m barre chord. We don’t all have stupidly long fingers like you do Miles Kane!

Dead Inside - Muse

Fun fact - I almost nearly maybe could have met Matt Bellamy when we were on holiday in New York two years ago and it occasionally haunts me. But I console myself with the fact that when faced with my idol of twenty years I likely definitely would have acted a ridiculous fool.

Tagging: @uhbasicallyjustmilex @danishphoner @allbornscreaming @glorious-blackout @born2slippy @futuristicanoe @blacktrickle @lalaballa @daddy-long-legssss and anyone else who would like to take part (though no pressure). All rambling is also optional.

Kudos to anyone who read my nonsense!

[spicyicetea]

So a very brief update on my stories. I’ve been mega procrastinating due to exams but now that exams are over I’m back to the grind! Assume that any story I don’t mention in this post will be updated but not anytime soon.

My yandere JJBA story will be getting an update, soon! I won’t be giving an exact day I don’t want to put pressure on myself. The next chapter will be longer and take Y/N and her friend to the section before Zeppeli dies, may or may not also include some more nsfw themes. This is your reminder that all of my stories are made for 16+ audiences.

My Eldritch submas Story is also getting a mega update soon! Multiple chapters back to back will be scheduled to be published once the last one I’m working on is ready. You’ll be getting to meet a few OC’s that are friends of the Y/N, as well as some more of the main depot agents. To give little teasers, here are some of the scenes in the upcoming chapters:

Elesa and Y/N meeting for coffee to discuss her job at the station.

A confrontation between Emmet and Arceus

Y/N adopting multiple lost Pokémon and giving them silly nicknames. (And looking after the depot agents cause man do they not human well)

Ingo nearly killing a man.

Oh and a first date for Y/N, but with who will remain secret for now.

That’s all the updates I currently have but I do plan on continuing some of my other stories. A lot of my older stories I’ve lost documents about which has left me in a situation where I don’t fully remember where I was going with the story. My asks are and are always open, have some ace attorney stuff in the way. Mainly some Phoenix x reader and Yandere!Damin Gant x reader so if you like that then keep an eye out. Bye bye!

(Also help sims 4 is holding me hostage currently-)

[weirwitch]

thank u for the tags @thenn & @huramuna!

1. How many works do you have on ao3 (or masterlist)? - none currently, but i’ve been focusing on two wips as of late!! i’ll be cross-posting them on archive of our own, wattpad, fanfiction.net, and here sometime soon.

2. What’s your total ao3 word count? - ^

3. What fandoms do you write for? - mainly a song of ice and fire/game of thrones/house of the dragon. i have some ideas floating around my noggin for star wars and harry potter, but i’m doubtful they’ll ever be posted

4. Top five fics by kudos - none until i get off my procrastinating tushie and excavate my fics from the drafts

5. Do you respond to comments? - every single one bc i fear my body yearns for validation like water...

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? - definitely my wip set during the dance of the dragons, very tentatively named moth to a flame 🤭

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? - i’d refer to it as bittersweet > happy, but i’d say my agot wip, witching hour

8. Do you get hate on fics? - i have not and i pray i never do

9. Do you write smut? - i have not... yet 😈

10. Craziest crossover? - feeling so vanilla rn saying no to all of these questions, but i have not partaken

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? - unfortunately 😵‍💫

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? - i haven’t, but i’m definitely open to that once i’ve posted!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? - not for one singular fic, but i am working on an asoiaf series of connected fics with my bffie @thenn! it's called the dream for dawn 🌄

14. All time favorite ship? - definitely maerwynn/pate/jon, aka the main ship of witching hour 🤭 they’re poly (bc jon snow is a bi king) and my fun way of subverting the love triangle trope!

5. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? - probably my jedi: fallen order wip, sol invictus ☀️ the main oc is a force-sensitive bounty hunter whose name is jeska sol, and she’s paired with inquisitor au!cal kestis bc that has always been very sexy to me

16. What are your writing strengths? - felt too Cocky to answer this myself, so i relied on @thenn (as per usual)... according to miss dani, my ocs and lore changes/additions feel unique but still merge well with canon, and i tone-match grrm’s writing style very well (“u could ghostwrite twow and ados and no one would notice”). she also says house weir is easily her favourite original house. yes i have tears in my eyes, next question please

17. What are your writing weaknesses? - dani says my downfall is continuously writing the same 10 chapters over and over again bc i think they’re no good. and she would be right

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? - all good, as long as a translation is included!!

19. First fandom you wrote in? - this just unlocked the deepest, darkest memory... my friends and i used to write pokémon fics together in the first grade. we'd even print them off using the school printer and disperse them to the class. i wish i could read them 🥲i can still see the stapled pages and the comic sans font in my mind's eye, and i KNOW there was a dramatic arc of ash cheating on misty with may

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? - definitely witching hour, coming soon to a tumblr near you 😝

tagging: @starkladies @vecnacreels @cardeegans @jennyofoldflowers @sainteda

[onboardsorasora]

2, 4, 16, 22, 56, 58, 70 & 74 😊

hey Bestie!! it took me a minute lmao but here we go!

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

Short answer: I try to. Long answer: I try to have an outline where I might jot down ideas in the spaces I think they can go and then I just write and see what happens. That's why I don’t like posting my big fics til theyre done because I add a lot of stuff after the fact.

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

😂😂😂 I know a lot of my ideas are very… out there and wonky. And truly it could be a random thought or a conversation/media– anything and if it snags then I try to think ‘ok [idea] what comes next’ and if its something I get excited about, i have a whole lot of moments where I’m audibly going ‘ooh but what if…’ and then I take up my phone and make a note in a doc. Some ideas get chosen, some don’t.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

So I’ll answer this in two ways: how many fic ideas do I have written down right that havent been fleshed out or posted: 9

How many of these ideas have more than just ‘idea au?’: 4

One of them is a music teacher au, where Daniel is a private music tutor and he’s supposed to be teaching Max how to play piano/cello (i haven't committed to any yet) and Max spends their tutoring time watching Daniel’s hands/fingers and how he feels the music and jacks off about it

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I currently don’t have any because I’m willing to get out of my comfort zone to try new things (for example my new Dewis fic– terrified of doing a poor Lewis characterization)

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

I think I have to give myself some props on my ideas and being able to actually flesh them out into interesting stories. And my comedy. (and my ability to put angst in everything lmao)

58. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc)

I do love outlining. And then I procrastinate starting, because I find writing to be all encompassing, like I will ignore life if I’m trying to get an idea out. Editing is the part I like least, but it makes me giddy because that means I’m almost ready to share my idea

70. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

I actually don’t tell people anymore. Because then they think it means I can write anything and that’s just not true. But I used to be embarrassed to tell people  when I wrote Inuyasha fanfiction haha so there are people that know and more than likely have forgotten. I don’t hesitate to tell people i read fic though, so idk 

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

Oh this is hard because I truly don’t know if theres anything I that I do across fic. If there is, please lemme know!! I’ve managed to shoehorn a twilight (movie) reference in 2 of my big fics tho so that makes me giggle

[the-mayor-of-space]

aw beans it’s been forever since i got @’d in an ask meme, thanks @anarchysys​

last song i listened to: dude straight up un owen was her as i type this. and before that, good 4 u is a new and original song which doesn't plagiarize at all by triple-q

currently watching: hxh with the boys, and ranma 1/2 with my love

currently reading: been procrastinating reading the junji ito adaptation of no longer human. it’s good so far but i’m only a few chapters in.

current obsession: for the past 6 months its been fighting games, particularly ggst (testament main) - my partner and i have been playing in the weekly tourneys for the local FGC, best i’ve done so far was 4th out of 16 entrants. look at the fightstick i built, it’s pretty:

also my partner and i have gotten back into WTNV ever since cecil won the sexyman poll

gotta tag 9 folks: @sweetest--melody​ @yeah-yeah-beebiss-1​ @davetheovercastmoose​ @galexian-lord​ @simplystrangesocialite​ @assorted-gay-refuse​ @shinonomeslabs​ @bibleofficial​ @nameishname​

[bohemian-rhapsody-in-blue]

I found your fic “A Dire Contagion” on AO3 and I just want to say that I loved it. One of my favorite parts was when Richard was stressing out aboutwhen to start talking in the bacchanal group chat. It was very funny and totally not something I’ve done in group chats myself. 😅👀

I also read your other TSH fic and I loved that one too(Henry really would be a natural at Angry Birds).

Thanks again for writing those fics! :)

AAAAAAHHHH, you're very welcome for writing them and thank YOU for your kind comments and ask (directly)! I was so happy to find this ask in my inbox! What an unexpected treat :)

I'm so glad you liked those fics I wrote so long ago, when I was 16-17 and absolutely obsessed with TSH—it's been a while since I've reread it all the way through, but it remains one of my favorite books! (And yes, Richard's social anxiety/stress about his participation in the group chat was totally, uh, not inspired by my own similar tendency to overthink that kind of thing...I'm glad you found it relatable!)

It's been forever since I've updated "A Dire Contagion," but you may have noticed it's unfinished, and I do have a very rough outline for the rest and some of the next few chapters partially written...no promises, but maybe I'll go back and finish & post them?? (Once I'm finally out of the Finishing-My-Thesis Quagmire, or perhaps to distract myself from/procrastinate on it...) If so, you can credit your wonderfully kind ask (among some other lovely comments I've gotten in the past few years!) with motivating me to finally go back and finish it, even if writing about the early days of quarantine would be historical fiction at this point!

Thank you again for making my day with your kindness 💖

[phyrs]

Old.

It’s January 2025. Another year, another chance—or so they say. I repeat, it’s 2025. And here I am, asking myself the same question I’ve been asking since time decided to move faster than I could keep up:

did I do what I set out to do in 2024?

The answer? Not entirely. Why? Because I dove headfirst into the chaos, convinced I could juggle the storm I had created. I started the year with such a reckless leap, yet nothing landed the way it was supposed to. I closed out 2023 with a kind of triumph—visible, public, effervescence. But beneath the surface? There were loose ends everywhere, threads fraying faster than I could tie them.

And now, I’m here again. Is it happening all over? I guess, it certainly is. I couldn’t even muster the strength to post a 2024 recap—didn’t mark the highs, the lows, the lessons. Assignments slipped through my hands like sand, deadlines roaring past me while I stood there, paralyzed.

Starting a new year without a fresh vision feels like stepping into a fog. No clarity, no anchor—just a continuation of the mess. Time, relentless and indifferent, dragged me along for the ride, and my brain... my brain just couldn’t keep up. It’s like trying to read a book written in a language you barely understand.

Will this be my pattern for the centuries to come? God, I hope not. But I don’t know if I can take much more of this—this relentless wheel of exhaustion. Spiritually, mentally, physically... I’m worn down to the bone. And the worst part? I’m not even sure what I’m running from, or toward.

Maybe it’s the aftershock of the pandemic, or maybe this is just what stepping into adulthood feels like—equal parts confusing and surreal. When I sit down to write like this, it’s like unraveling a knot in my chest. Every word is a chance to finally let loose the thoughts I’ve been hoarding, and somehow, it helps me make sense of the chaos. 2025 feels like a blank slate, but I’m not naive—it’s still cluttered with obstacles. Still, it’s the holidays now, and for once, the mess has quieted down. Before life storms back in, I get this rare chance to breathe, to catch up with myself in the most personal way.

So, how do I see myself as a 20-year-old? Yes, you heard that right—20. I’m turning 20 this year, and the number feels like a cruel joke. How is it that just last year, I felt 16, and now I’m supposed to carry the weight of being “an adult”? Time has slipped through my fingers, blurring the lines between past and present.

But here’s the thing—I have to accept it. I’m morphing into the person I dreamed of being when I was seven. A 20-year-old me who is enigmatic, brilliant , and someone who leaves an undeniable mark on the world. On what industry, you ask? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m into so many things that choosing just one feels paralyzing. It’s overwhelming to even think about it, but I know it’s time to figure it out. Because I am 20. Yes, 20! Sorry, I can’t stop repeating it—how does time move this fast?

Okay, fine, I’ll admit it. Maybe it’s procrastination. Or TikTok. Or maybe I’m just terrible at making decisions. I feel everything so deeply, and I’m so intuitive about life that I sometimes overthink myself into a standstill. But this year, I’m doing things differently. I’m setting fewer goals—manageable ones. I learned my lesson four years ago when I piled too much on my plate during school and ended up drowning in my own expectations.

Now, with high school finally wrapping up in March, I’m determined to take control of this narrative. Less pressure, more focus. More becoming. Because if I’m going to step into this new chapter, I want to step into it fully aware, fully myself.

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” - Napoleon Hill

A book that I’ve been starting to read; Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill— Hoping that it will change my mindset overtime as I bring it along throughout my journey.

[archie-the-menace]

I’m sure it kinda looks like I’ve been procrastinating when it comes to my comic (I kinda have) but here’s some updates!

-The scripts for first two or so episodes of Chapter 1 are finished.

-I have 2 awesome new beta readers to help critique my work!

-I likely won’t start drawing until a good bit of the plot is planned out, I plan to add some little Easter eggs and such into the panels.

-I’ve been working on improving my character motivations and have been dedicated to writing a good story that takes place in my world, rather than just a realistic world.

-Many of the alien species have been getting redesigned and revamped to have little to no blatant influence from existing cultures.

-Character backstories are being tweaked a bit!

-Siegmund/Subject 16 will not be returning in the rewrite.

[ellegreenawayslover]

For the ask game!! 5,7,16 and/or 29?? :0

5. Have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing? And if yes, drop a link, son.

Yes! I adore making playlists with passion, so yes, I have.

Hope (is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have) is the only one specific for just one fic (because that fic is my baby), and the songs are in the order of the scenes they remind me of. I have another playlist for this fic, too, that is the “draft” of the other one. It has all the songs I think fit the fic/parts I want to write in later chapters, so I can look for them and put them in the other playlist when I update the fic.

I also have one for songs I want to write about, another for songs I want to write about and have specific ideas for fics with them, and one about songs I’ve written about.

And I also have playlists for my favorite characters and ships that I listen to while writing. Elle, Emily, and JJ (I also have one for Pen and another for Tara, but they barely have songs). Jemily, Sad jemily (yes, two about them because I love them), Elle and Mick (my OC from Hope), and now I’m making one for Jelle (that is in need of additions if someone has songs that remind them of them).

7. Tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

I don’t remember about the first fic I wrote because I was probably 11/12, and it was just for me and a friend, but it probably was something fluffy about the lesbian couple in the show we were watching at the moment because they were my gay awakening.

The first fic I posted on ao3 about a year and a half ago was The first step towards healing about Elle waking up from a nightmare after the Fisher King and getting some comfort (as she deserved).

16. Where is your favorite place to write?

As soon as I start writing, I can write anywhere. But if I had to choose, probably my room or at my uni’s library because it has some really comfortable armchairs/couches.

29. Give us a spoiler for one of your stories.

I wish I could, but I have little control over what happens in them. 

I’m trying to think about something I’ve already written, so I know it will happen. Maybe that JJ is going to make a surprise visit to Elle in LA in Hope. Does it count? I can’t think of anything else.

[jlhynde-insanitybrilliance]

Chapter 16 of UDLTTOM has been experiencing some delays…& I made a meme about it 😆

A brief snippet from said oneshot:

“You don’t truly believe all that pureblood rhetoric, do you?” Henry Evans regarded Tom Riddle pointedly as he leaned against the wall of the outside courtyard. He stood, half cloaked in shadow, illuminated only by the lit torches casting a faint, warm glow over half of his face, the right side where the jagged-edged curse scar slashed through his brow. That same brow arched as Tom shrugged.

“Do you?” The headboy asked his smaller housemate instead.

Evans snorted, his opinion on it made abundantly clear by the soft sound of dissent. The younger boy held out his hand for the lit muggle cigarette pinched between Tom’s thumb and index finger. Tom passed it to him, exhaling slowly as the other boy brought it to his soft, supple mouth for a puff.

Two months ago, Evans wouldn’t have dared to do something so intimate, so sensual, as share a muggle cigarette in a dark alcove of one of Hogwarts’ outside courtyards. He would’ve rather tried to burn him with it. Sometimes, Tom was sure the thought still crossed his mind here and there.

It was a look, narrowed green eyes, a firm press of those pretty lips into a frown, jaw clenched as he bit back the urge to lash out with that sharp tongue of his. Sometimes Tom liked eliciting such looks, and went out of his way even to get that reaction. He was past pretending he didn’t enjoy the heated words that left the boy’s mouth when he was in a foul temper. The way they lashed out, quick and lethal, cutting under his skin in a way that no one else had ever managed.

Sometimes Tom wanted him to let loose, to hurt him, make him bleed because it made him feel something. An acute sense of vulnerability. A feeling he hadn’t felt in such a long time. Perhaps never to the degree that Evans was able to illicit. It was a different sort of feeling. Something new. Something exciting. It made him feel on the days when nothing else could.

Sometimes Tom was sure he made Evans feel too. Watching as Evans exhaled a cloud of smoke, Tom’s gaze was drawn to the slight pucker of those lips wanting. His curiosity was burning, an urge to touch, to taste kept nagging him in the back of his mind. An intrusive thought he couldn’t quite shake. He had only been half listening to this conversation about their other housemates in seventh year. Evans had been snickering at Abraxas Malfoy’s essay topic on muggleborns and where their magic originated from and his inane theory that it was stolen from the pureblood families.

With no sense of propriety, Evans had laughed straight in the Malfoy heir’s face. Unable to resist poking a dozen holes into that theory within a minute all the while jeering. This, of course, made Malfoy feel like a fool. A fool he was, but rarely was he made so acutely aware of the fact and Evans might have as well carved the word “dumbass” on his forehead and shoved a mirror in his face for his utter lack of subtlety. The Slytherin headboy had been forced to separate them before a scuffle broke out in the middle of the Yule Ball.

Now here they both stood wearing their nicest dress robes with a lit cigarette passing between them in the snowy, disused courtyard far away from the ball attendees and patrolling school faculty members. Evans' hair was a mess. It was always a mess. But even with that Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion Lyra Burke had wrestled into it, that bird’s nest of curls had only managed to be tamed for about an hour and a half. Wispy, stubborn flyaways were springing up in every direction and Tom wondered if they would feel as soft as they looked.

Another intrusive thought, a memory, a remark Burke had made came to the forefront of his mind. She had said: “He’s got the kind of hair you just want to run your fingers through.” A little flash of envy coiled in his gut knowing that Burke now knew full well what it was like to run one's fingers through that wild mess of hair.

Tom fingers itched as he took back the cigarette and put it to his lips.

“Why do you go along with it?” Evans looked up, brushing one of the flyaways away from his cheek.

“Go along with what?” Tom looked down to those unwavering green eyes. Piercing green. Knowing green. Evans' expression flattened; unamused at Tom’s attempt at deflection.

“You know what.”

“Some battles are better lost,” he answered.

[athletickat]

Top Reads 2020 Fanfiction

I started reading Harry Potter fanfiction this year (thanks to Tik Tok) and these stories I’ve read keep me up at night because I cannot stop thinking about them. 

#1- Manacled by @senlinyu

This is story is a MASTERPIECE. I cannot express how many times I’ve read and thought about this story. The way Hermione loves Draco and Draco loves Hermione is unbeatable. Hermione is a literal boss bitch in this story and my favorite Hermione in everything I’ve read. The build up, the tension, the CHEMISTRY; it is the best thing I have ever read. I could write a whole damn brook report on this story and be proud of it. This story is just... ugh *ultimate chefs kiss*.

#2- Rights and Wrongs series by @lovesbitca8 

The Right Thing To Do, All the Wrong Things, and The Auction are my absolute favorite pieces of writing ever. Draco Malfoy in this series is my horny king, and the best Draco in everything I’ve read. The Auction has a special place in my heart because of hard Hermione works to stay alive and keep the Malfoys alive, as well. All the characters in each story are so well written, especially the Malfoys, and I cannot express how in love I am with each little plot detail and connection between the stories.   

#3- Remain Nameless by @heyjude19-writing

I recently read this story and I cannot get enough of it. This is first fic I’ve read with a wedding scene (two scenes!!) and I cannot put it in words of how perfect it is. This story is all about the love Draco and Hermione have for each other, and it has set such unrealistic expectations for me...ugh. Every chapter had me smiling like an idiot and I could not put it down. 

#4- Cruel and Beautiful World by Lena Phoria 

I am so happy that Lena Phoria turned this fanfiction into a book, but nothing beats the original characters in this story. The way I fell in love with all the characters (except Voldemort, gross) is immaculate. This story deals with a lot of trauma and heavy topics, but the plot and the characters are just too good. Draco is a sweetheart and absolutely whipped for Hermione, but they need each other. I have never laughed so hard while reading a dark AU fic, and this story made my abs hurt. Definitely one to read.

#5- All You Want by @senlinyu

Holy shit. This story has the best smut I have ever read. The way senlinyu describes what's happening to Alpha Draco and Omega Hermione during sex makes me laugh out loud. It is so so good and so so sexy. It is such a fun story to read, and that’s why I love it so much. 

#6- Breath mints / Battle Scars by @onyx-and-elm

This story is the definition of toxicity, but honestly, it’s still so good. Both Hermione and Draco are changed after the war, and they fall in love by rage, sex, and protection of one another. Hermione does not give a single damn about what people may say about her, and Draco just wants her to be happy (although it does take a while for him to see what that really means). Plot and characters are amazing, and the ending is *chefs kiss*.

#7- Isolation by Bex-chan 

The first Dramione fanfiction I’ve ever read, and it has a very special place in my heart. I didn’t think I would like reading Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fanfiction, but this story changed my mind and led to my spiral of reading such amazing stories. Such an amazing read, and I love seeing Draco grow into a man that Hermione deserves and loves. This story is iconic.

#8- Hunted by Bex-chan

Another superb story by Bex-chan. A Romance/Mystery story after the war and Draco and Hermione fall in love... hard. They are great together and the plot is amazing. This story is another iconic one for me.

#9- Love and Other Misfortunes by @senlinyu

Another great piece of work from the Queen herself, senlinyu. Draco is so stubborn it hurts, but it’s okay because Hermione is there to save the day (duh). Love these two and the romance between them in this story. Also, Veela Draco with wings and fangs is too much for me. Not that it’s important or anything, but the smut level is through the roof. Love it.

#10- Bring Him to His Knees by @willhavetheirtrinkets

Auror Draco and Auror Harry are an iconic duo. I love how intricate Draco is in this story, and how his past still very much affects his present, but Hermione helps him a lot, and it shows just how much they care for each other. Hermione and Draco dance around each other until they realize *wait* they have feelings for each other! It is not complete yet, but I do check every week or so for updates because it has a good murder mystery plot and a fabulous Dramione. 

#11- The Risk-Reward Ratio by MissiAmphetamine

War fic, and honestly one of my favorite ones. Draco sucks up his pride and goes to the Order for help, and Hermione is the only one who truly excepts him. Draco is a stubborn bastard in this story, but he makes up for it. The scenes are so real, and neither character is perfect, but you’ll see how far they are willing to go for each other. 

#12- The Just World Fallacy by MissiAmphetamine

Sequel to The Risk-Reward Ratio, and this one is tough. Still so good, but deals with torture, PTSD, rape, and more heavy topics. The love that still stands between Draco and Hermione even after all that they have been through together is beautiful. I love this story, and I love seeing how each character grows into their own person while during a war.

#13- Broken by @inadaze22

I have never cried so much while reading a story. This story made ME feel broken because Hermione is quite literally shattered, but so is Draco. It’s a story that makes you feel so many things at once and it is beautiful. Super slow-burn, but in the end, Hermione and Draco are meant to be together. 

#14- This World or Any Other series by @olivieblake

Clean and Marked are incredible stories with a rollercoaster twist. I love each character in this series, and the love that Hermione has for Draco, and vice versa, is the most powerful thing in this universe. The relationship starts with a potion assignment and just extends through there. I love their characters so much alongside the secondary characters and it makes the story so interesting. 6th year Hogwarts and continues with the war, but Draco and Hermione are always there for each other no matter what. 

#15- The Eagles Nest by HeartOfApsen

Ravenclaw Draco and Hermione, 8th year, and Alchemy. This story is so complex, and I couldn’t stop reading it. I love both Draco and Hermione and how they work to settle a problem together. Also seeing all the secret rooms in Hogwarts was another compelling aspect of the story that I loved. They know they need each other, and them being nerds and all, school is what brings them together in the end.

#16- Almost Perfect, Almost Yours by BelleOfSummer

I could not put down this story. No matter how much it angered me, and no matter how much I wanted to throw my laptop at the wall, I couldn’t stop reading. The plot is so interesting where Hermione is raised by a Pureblood family, but she was adopted from muggles, so she is Muggleborn. All the while her and Draco fall in love through their teen years and go through a war together. Hermione is a bad bitch and Draco is whipped (maybe not in a good way). They experience so much together, and in the end, you learn to love them for who they are.

#17- The Green Girl by @colubrina

Hermione is sorted into Slytherin and makes all new friends that do not include Harry Potter or Ronald Weasley. I freaking love this story because Hermione is a literal Queen, and the story itself is so well written. I don’t usually read T-rated works, but I could not put this one down because it has such an interesting plot.

#18- Erised Effect by @adaprix

Smut, smut, and more smut with such a cute plot. I love little Hermione as a bad bitch and big dick Draco as a little softy. I was hooked from the first chapter and it was so crazy. The sex scenes in this are just... *fans self*. This story is a rollercoaster of smut, but Draco and Hermione are my all time favs in this.

#19- Every Day, a Little Death by @lovesbitca8

Draco tries everything to satisfy Hermione, and when I say everything, I mean everything. Such a cute story with such a cute relationship. Hermione doesn’t mean to fall in love, but alas, Draco is a sex God and it was inevitable. I love this story!

#20- Crimson with a Silver Lining by Lady Cailan

A dark AU where Draco is mesmerized by Hermione and her will to stay alive. Their love is so strong, but alas, Draco is a stubborn bastard. This story is an emotional rollercoaster and another story where I could not put it down. Also *spoiler* some family drama going on throughout the story. 

#21- Bond by MrBenzedrine89

*fans self* again because this story is incredible. Love the smut, love the club, love the love between Draco and Hermione. Super interesting details in this story with Draco, Hermione, and the infamous Bond club. Loved reading this story.

I fell down a rabbit whole of Dramione stories this year, and it made me ignore everything I had to in my life just to read them. I can’t wait to see more stories this year and procrastinate my life by reading these stories!

[clairelsonao3]

Characters Out of Context Tag

I have @j-1173 (whose post is here) to thank for this procrastination tactic today! The challenge is as follows:

Rules:

Include one character quote — of your choosing ⁠— from each chapter of your WIP (or as many chapters as you'd like)

Give absolutely no context, save for what's between two parts of an interrupted sentence, should that occur. You may mention who said it.

Have fun, no pressure!

I gave myself some additional rules: Since I'm up to 23 chapters of GSNBTR, there's no reason not to include one quote each from ALL the major primary and secondary characters up to this point, so I'm going to do that (it won't quite equal out to one per chapter, so the MCs will get a few extra ones!). And because I'm doing that, I'm going to try to choose quotes that kind of encapsulate the "essence" of each character, or at least who they were at that point in the story. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I'm not going to mention who says what because that makes it more like trivia. And if there's anything I love, it's trivia!

Ch. 1

“Is that any way to talk to me?”

Ch. 2

"What have you so-called ‘experienced slave handling professionals’ been doing to the poor kid?"

Ch. 3

"Now a guy can’t even have sex with his own property without some social justice warrior calling it rape?

Ch. 4

“And calculus, and physics, and engineering. If I were free, I’d be a certified nerd,” he said. “And probably rich, too. But who’s complaining?”

Ch. 5

"You can tell me, you know." 

Ch. 6

“Your back isn’t nearly as pretty as your face, boy.”

Ch. 7

“You’ve been quiet. Secretive.” She kept poking her rhythmically with one of her sculpted coral nail tips. “But inside, you’re glowing. I see it.” Poke poke poke. “So there’s no use denying it, sweetie. What’s his name?”

Ch. 8

"Thanks for the relationship advice, dickhead. Have you ever even seen a girl naked without having to hide behind a bush?"

Ch. 9

“Nobody does anything for me. Ever."

Ch. 10

“And why shouldn’t they?” he said. “I mean, what are we trying to do here, Keith? Disrupt slavery, right? You’ve been in the corporate world too long, that’s your problem. You don’t question things anymore."

Ch. 11

"He's not mine," she said. "He's his own."

Ch. 12

"You could never, ever let me down,” he assured her.

Ch. 13

"And by the way, if you’re looking at the master being away as an opportunity to get away with murder, forget it.”

Ch. 14

“I’ve always wanted to see the ocean. But he didn’t take me, so I’m stuck here with a shit ton of time on my hands, and you’re still in the hole from the last one.” 

Ch. 15

“You know who I’m talking about. You have to find him, Louisa,” she continued. “Immediately. Normally I would never betray the confidence of a slave who came to me like this, but I can’t reach him now."

Ch. 16

 “The stuff he said about you was really awful, Lou; I’m not telling you this to cause drama. I just wanted to warn you.” She glanced quickly at the boy again. “Both of you.” 

Ch. 17

“She learned, and grew, and changed. She had a pilgrim soul.”

Ch. 18

“You’re so wrong. If I could only give you one thing in this life, it would be to give you the chance to see yourself the way I see you. Now and always.”

Ch. 19

“And to never, ever give up on me.”

Ch. 20

"You know you seem to have a real problem telling the difference between people and things?”

Ch. 21

“And everything I said the other day, about not giving up? It all still applies. Nothing's changed. Whatever happens. We'll figure it out. We always do. ”

Ch. 22

“Well, it’s a perk, no doubt. She invites some of us here sometimes to hang out, and of course, for such a rich guy, Jake is pretty chill. I like his vibes.”

Ch. 23

“What’s he been telling you? I don’t trust him. He’s a snake.”

I don't think I forgot anyone, but there is one character missing. It's better to leave them out at this point for spoiler-avoiding reasons, though.

I'm gently tagging @tabswrites @mysticstarlightduck @whither-wander-whump in case they would like to participate in this!

[brightstarblogs]

Apple of Temptation (Danganronpa V3 Demon AU) Chapter 1

Please click here to read!

Chapters: 1/16 Rating: Mature  Relationships: Saihara Shuichi/Ouma Kokichi, Saihara Shuichi&Akamatsu Kaede, Momota Kaito/Harukawa Maki Characters: Saihara Shuichi, Ouma Kokichi, Momota Kaito, Harukawa Maki, Akamatsu Kaede, Iruma Miu, Oogami Sakura, D.I.C.E

Summary: Shuichi Saihara is tasked with the objective of claiming a human soul, the soul of Kokichi Ouma. With the lords of hell threatening to kill Shuichi if he doesn't get the task done, will Shuichi be able to claim the boy's soul? Or will he choose a different path? And what happens when Kokichi is immune to Shuichi's powers? Is death the only option? Meanwhile, Kokichi is living by himself currently in his flat where his day consists of working to pay his rent and bills, a boring life but trying to make his own way. Will he be able to make his own way, or will he have to return home to D.I.C.E? And what about the snake demon after him? Why is he the target?Will the two stay enemies, or will they form some kind of bond?

As I do with all my works, I want to thank my beta reader @bowsersrighthandwoman for helping me with this work!

I also want to thank all my friends who’ve supported me while I've been working (and procrastinating) on this project. Especially to Fronkie and Yuna who already drew fan art of snake Shuichi! But seriously, thank you for helping me to keep going. I really am grateful to you all.

Please like and/or reblog if you’d like to be tagged when chapter 2 comes out.

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Pre-Release Predictions

[This is the first part of a collected liveblog/analysis of Nona the Ninth! See here for the other parts.]

Let’s preface this endeavor with my expectations before I began reading…

Feeling Ambivalent, Bordering On Nervous

For most people, Nona is arriving with sky-high anticipation after an agonizingly long delay. But for me…

Well, the truth is, my pre-ordered copy of Nona actually arrived last Friday (9/16), and I spent the weekend procrastinating on reading it.

The first reason for this is very silly. I feel like I just joined this fandom and am nowhere near catching up on all the analysis! So I’m in a weird place where I wish Nona was delayed longer. As if I could say “wait, no, I’m not ready yet!” (Are any of us ready, really? :P)

But maybe it’s a good thing Nona is coming out now.

After all, my track record for jumping into franchises in-progress has been uh, kind of terrible? I tend to get into fandoms just as the next installment sets the fandom into a tailspin of disappointment, frustration, and ugly discourse between defenders and critics. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I’ve literally got t-shirts I don’t want to wear anymore because of it.

So it’s entirely unwarranted - I loved GtN and HtN - but I find that I can’t help but brace for disappointment regardless.  

Anyway, the point is, I don’t actually have very high expectations for Nona? I just have my fingers crossed that it clears the low, low bar of not setting this lovely fandom on fire, please. If it does that, I’m out.

The Ten Billion Dollar Soul Question: Who is Nona?

I subscribe to the theory that Nona is Alecto in some form, possibly fused with Gideon in some way. It makes sense with what we last saw of her and Gideon (Alecto reaching for her in the River). And, of course, the book was originally the first act of Alecto the Ninth.

I also subscribe to the theory that Alecto is the Ninth Resurrection Beast, the revenant of Earth and the ten billion souls that died.

Meanwhile, I haven’t actually read the pre-released chapters, but I’ve seen people’s reactions to them. I’ve also read the news about the book, including Muir’s interviews. From these, I’ve gleaned that Nona seems to be a very carefree, loving, and above all, innocent character. She has no sense of shame, no filters on what she should or shouldn’t express.

All of which actually fits very well with the idea of Nona as “Earth.” Of Nona being essentially an anthropomorphization of “Mother Nature” - she’s all-loving, but don’t mess with her when she’s angry!

But these theories might be completely wrong, in which case, I can’t wait to see who she is!

Okay, But ACTUAL Predictions

All in all, my guess is that Nona is unlikely to change many headcanons or theories regarding Gideon or Harrow. Unfortunately this is because I suspect there just won’t be much Gideon and Harrow content in it. At the very least, we last saw Harrow settling in for a long and well-deserved nap in HtN. It would be only fair to give Gideon more time to shine on her own!

[Brief Alecto spoilers: Also, given that the “Alecto excerpt” had Harrow waking up exactly where we saw her last, it’s possible she might not feature in this book at all.]

If that’s the case, I’ll definitely miss Harrow, and Gideon as well if she’s absent. But on the upside, from the pre-released chapters it sounds like we’ll be getting a lot of Cam and Pal. (Cam and Pal as Perfect Lyctors??) And I did quite enjoy “The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex,” so that should be fun!

And then there’s Pyrrha. We could infer some things about her personality from her brief appearances in HtN, though details were quite scarce. But now, she’ll be playing a larger role, so hopefully we’ll get a much better sense of her character!

I’m also expecting to see at least some of Coronabeth and Judith, though I have no idea what they’ll be up to. (Taking over the Blood of Eden, perhaps?) Oh! And Ianthe, of course. I’ve read some great fics where she has to deal with John being depressed after the end of HtN, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how that goes in canon! Like, of course Ianthe is going to get worse, but in what way? :D

Last of all… this is a series that isn’t shy about killing off its important and beloved characters. So: will all of the aforementioned characters make it out of Nona in one piece? I’m about 50/50 on this.

Nona, of course, has an expiration date from the start. That’s right there in the book’s summary blurb, that Nona is afraid she’ll have to give her body back. By the end of the book, she’ll almost certainly be forced to - which could mean many different things, but all of those ways imply Nona-the-amnesiac will be gone.

If someone else also dies, then my top pick would be Pyrrha. For all their supposed powers, Lyctors have an even worse attrition rate than the House scions!

My second guess would be Cam and Pal. If Muir wants to go for the most painful gut punch, they’ll be the ones to go. Judith just wouldn’t have the same impact, not after she was basically assumed dead at the end of GtN. And the foreshadowing with Corona and Ianthe is that they both have ambitious, far-reaching plots, plots which I doubt will get resolved in Nona.

Really, the only thing that makes me think all these characters might still have a chance is that Nona was originally just the first act of a longer book. Even if these deaths do happen, they might be slated for later on!

And on that ominous note...

Next: Day One >>

[pugh-bug]

Scott Lang x reader

Chapter 16

Warnings: none except swearing as usual

I hope you enjoy this, I’m sorry for not updating this for what feels like ages. I’ve been at uni and very distracted. I’ve also been insecure about my writing being shit but oh well. Enjoy :) and let me know if you want to be added to my taglist

The controversy had swayed slightly in your favour. Finally people had begun to question why a certain ex Mrs Lang knew so much about a young, non celebrity girl and how fucked it all was (except fucked was not the word the media had used). There was a significant less amount of tension between everyone in the tower. Stephen, to no ones surprise, had been right. The media would move on.

You watched Scott take his second phone call of the morning, coffee in hand and Antony flying close by. ‘Hank needing you again?’ He nodded before continuing to listen intently. The kitchen swarmed with hungry Avengers, struggling to find the space not to bump shoulders while they buttered toast, fried eggs and poured milk into hideous neon bowls. Peter’s choice. The kid had questionable taste on a good day.

‘Y/N!’ Toast crumbs flew out of the boys mouth as he made his way over to you. Since his growing worries about his ‘beautiful’ MJ, you’d been spending more time together. He irritated you, sure, but he was one of the sweetest people you’d ever made friends with. Scott treated him like a son, when he wasn’t too busy, and you found yourself feeling sisterly towards him. Plus it was an excellent distraction from the controversy.

Peter smiled like someone with more than just good news on their mind. ‘I asked her out! I did it!’ He was beaming from ear to ear. You listened, as everyone else continued eating and chatting, to the hard to follow story of how Peter asked his girl out. Finally. You asked the usual questions ‘Were you nervous?’ ‘Did you pick a date?’ ‘Did she say she had a problem with dating a senior who takes the term web design to a whole new level?’. The answer was no to all except the second. (That weekend would be the date).

‘So you’ll be missing my birthday.’

Everyone stopped what they were doing immediately. What the fuck. You’d never once heard Stephen Strange mention his birthday. Whenever Tony or yourself had asked if he wanted to do anything he’d clammed up. Of course Tony or the Vision could easily find out the exact date but why bother if he didn’t want to celebrate?‘You want to celebrate… your birthday?’ You questioned the wizard.

‘Isn’t that what humans are supposed to do?’

‘You’re hu-OW!’

You kneed Peter under the table. ‘Of course he is.’ which earned you a suspiciously warm smile from Strange. Scott ended his phone call to ask Peter a hundred questions about MJ, which you found sweet, whilst Tony and Nat grilled the poor wizard about presents and venues.

Then came the third ring from Scott’s phone. ‘Hank’s desperate huh?’ Nat asked innocently, not noticing the look Tony saved just for your eyes. Pity. The man was bored and making up problems for his peers. It was no secret that Tony hadn’t been expanding much recently. The swimming pool had been a time waster so he didn’t have to think about Iron Man. You didn’t blame him. You were the queen of procrastinating but the government didn’t rely on you to protect Earth.

‘So denial it is?’ Wanda sniggered, pulling you aside as the kitchen was too busy. Scott was mere metres away, sounding more and more stressed down the phone, what the fuck was wrong? Whatever was happening was pressing. Dangerous? Too dangerous to tell you about because it would put YOU in danger? Maybe…

‘No.’

‘Okay..’

‘Don’t- don’t do that.’

‘I’m not doing anything. What’s Scott doing?’

‘I. Don’t. Know.’

‘Exactly.’

Shit- no not shit. It was fine. If Scott needed to tell you something important he fucking would.

RING RING

He would.

Stephen was still being laden with birthday questions just looked amused in his overly formal suit. It was a good look on him, you thought, blue. ‘I don’t need balloons and I don’t need flowers.’ You heard as you left. ‘But Sir, I’ve read that real flowers give humans significant increase in serotonin.’

You went to your room for some much needed peace. Scott was busy, Tony was acting more strange than usual and Thor was still devouring breakfast food at lightning speed. The tv in your room hadn’t gotten much use since you and Scott only used the bedroom for sex or sleep. It deserved some love too.

‘I know. It’s hard to narrow down isn’t it?’

You jumped at the sound of Stephen’s voice because frankly he was the last person you expected in your room. He’d never gone in before and you’d only seen his once. Once when you had your infamous drunken make out session. ‘You scared the shit out of me.’ Normally you would have laughed but Tony and Wanda had gotten in your head. Wanda quite literally.

‘Really? Me?’ He clutched his chest as if hurt. Not a lot of people saw Stephen’s funny side but you did. ‘Did you want something?’ You asked him after hesitating. ‘I kind of wanna be alone for a bit.’ To spare his feelings you masked your honesty with a forced chuckle that promised ‘I’m not being rude but please leave’. Your message was only partially received.

‘I don’t think you want to be alone. You just want me to leave you alone.’

‘Getting more and more true.’

Your tone seemed pointed even to you, which came as a surprise. You could feel yourself getting more irritated but it wasn’t at Stephen. It wasn’t his fault the media was after you and Scott. It wasn’t his fault everyone thought your relationship was a joke and you spent all of your time worrying if you and Scott were on the same page. Who’s fault was any of it?

‘From your tone I think it’s safe to say Scott hasn’t said “I love y-‘

‘It’s nothing to do with you!’

Your reply came out as more of an angry shriek than you intended but the man was pushing all the wrong buttons at the worst time. The following silent moments were filled by your conscious decision to say nothing in that way again. ‘I’m sorry,’ Stephen, seeing the instant change in your tone and body language thought it safe to sit beside you. ‘I don’t want to be angry and I’m not angry at you.’

Stephen cleared his throat and flirted with the idea of placing a hand on your shoulder. He decided not to. ‘I understand why you are Y/N. I’m quick to anger too.’

‘I’m not usually!’ You snapped instantly, causing Stephen to raise his eyebrows at your lousy defence. However it was true. You’d never felt this raw and emotional since meeting Scott. He made everything heightened. It was almost too much.

‘Stephen,’ the two of you looked up to the source of the sound. ‘Can I have Y/N back?’ Scott chuckled and your heart lifted, although you didn’t appreciate the implication that Stephen had ‘had’ you. The stupidly tall wizard made a ‘of course’ gesture with his hand and you shot him a thank you smile before running to Scott. It didn’t matter that you’d only just seen him that morning, you felt as if the two of you hadn’t spent much quality time together since Hank’s phone calls and Peter’s queries to you. In the day at least.

‘What do you want to do?’ You beamed at Scott, knowing he knew you wanted him all to yourself. ‘Drive?’ He kissed you with surprising force, as if he thought you were a mirage that would disappear if he didn’t try to consume some part of you quickly. It made you certain that Stephen was rolling his eyes.

Taglist: @supraveng @thottio @wandamaximoffshoe @aliceblxck @merleisapartygod @brianmayscurls @psychadelichues

[jackoshadows]

@nymerias-heart suggested a while back that we do some TWoW speculation while waiting for the next book.

So I was wondering if ASoIaF readers on here could reblog the character list below with the chapter count they think each character would get in The Winds of Winter. Would be really interesting to see this. If we have enough data we could do some statistics.

ADwD was already a big book with 16 POVs and 73 chapters. Jon had the maximum with 13 and several characters had 1 or 2 chapters.  In TWoW, GRRM has to fit in 20 POV characters and cover a lot of ground and story. And we only have two books left to finish the story.

The list is below. Just enter the number of chapters next to character names. You can also enter 0, if you don’t think the character will have a POV chapter.

I’ll go first.

Aeron Greyjoy... 3

Areo Hotah ...2

Arianne Martell ... 3

Arya Stark ...8

Asha Greyjoy ...3

Barristan Selmy ...4

Bran Stark ...8

Brienne of Tarth ...3

Cersei Lannister ...6

Daenerys Targaryen ...7

Davos Seaworth ...4

Jaime Lannister ...3

Jon Snow ...3

Jon Connington ...3

Melisandre ...4

Samwell Tarly ..3

Sansa Stark ...4

Theon Greyjoy ...5

Tyrion Lannister ...7

Victarion Greyjoy ...3

POV chapter count: 86

Prologue: GRRM has mentioned that we will see Jeyne Westerling. Which means this will be in the Westerlands. We may see Edmure Tully and possibly the Blackfish through this prologue.

Epilogue: The Wall and the arrival of the Others.

Location wise split of above chapters:

Essos/Vaes Dothrak/Meereen/Yunkai/Dany landing in Westeros: 21

The North: 12

Braavos/Arya in Westeros: 8

Beyond the Wall: 8

The Wall: 7

Stormlands/Young Griff’s campaign to KL: 6

King’s Landing: 6

Riverlands: 6

Oldtown: 6

Vale: 4

Dorne:2

Total: 88 chapters up from the 73 chapters in ADwD. The chapters could be of shorter length though, if GRRM cuts down on descriptions of feasts and travelogues. This is where his editor could massively help and GRRM has mentioned going back and tweaking things. For example, that Arianne sample chapter from TWoW would have her get to Young Griff instead of spending two chapters just traveling.

If we look at word counts:

A Game of Thrones: 4082 words per chapter (298k in 73 chapters)

A Clash of Kings: 4657 (326k in 70 chapters)

A Storm of Swords: 5171 (424k in 82 chapters)

A Feast for Crows: 6522 (300k in 46 chapters)

A Dance with Dragons: 5781 words per chapter (422k in 73 chapters)

He needs to go back to AGoT chapter lengths and then perhaps the limitations of book binding would not be a problem.

Here is also a link to confirmed POV chapters in TWoW. But note that this may have changed since GRRM did state in a recent notablog post that he was going back and changing things - combining chapters, splitting them, rewriting them etc.

Arya: 4

Tyrion: 3

Barristan: 3

Arianne: 3

Melisandre: 2

Theon: 2

Aeron: 2

Areo Hotah: 2

Cersei: 2

Asha: 2

Jon Connington: 2

Sansa: 1

Victarion: 1

Bran: 1

Daenerys: 1

Davos: 1

Confirmed Chapters: 33

Below the cut I have put in some of my reasoning for my POV counts.

First, I think GRRM needs to refocus on his main story and characters and make his way to the ending. That means more focus on main characters and less time spend on secondary characters. He should be spending time getting Arya, Bran, Jon, Dany and Tyrion etc. to their endgames rather than spend more time world building and telling the stories of secondary characters.

For example, Bran had like 3 chapters in Feast and Dance while Brienne got 8! Who is the more important character here? There are two books left, Bran has to finish training, find out stuff about the Others, explore lands of always winter, return south of the wall, meet back up with Jon and Arya, play a big part in defeating the Others and become King.

GRRM has written material for an entire book with Arya in Braavos. Unfortunately ASoIaF is not about Arya’s FM adventures in Braavos and Arya needs to get back to Westeros. So George has chop, cut, edit and narrow down her story there to like maybe 5 chapters before she leaves.

So either George cuts out a lot of the fat, travelogues, world building and secondary characters or he needs 8/9 books to finish or he can change his endings to suit what he has written now or he can procrastinate and just not write.

Some of the things GRRM has said regarding TWoW.

GRRM teases about events in TWOW in this interview  

“I think we’re gonna start out with a big smash with the two enormous  battles,” Martin says. Presumably one of those battles refers to the  clash between Ramsay’s army and Stannis’s forces in the North (the  outcome of which was described in Ramsay’s letter in ADWD—perhaps  falsely?—but not actively shown), while the other takes place across the  narrow sea when Yunkai attacks Meereen in an attempt to overthrow  Daenerys. In addition, Martin says, “We have more deaths, and we have  more betrayals. We have more marriages.” Let the speculation begin. As  he’s noted before, Martin says the Dothraki are coming back into the  story (“in a big way”), and he says “a lot of stuff is happening at The  Wall.”

From his Notablog updates:

06/23/2020

Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan,  and Areo Hotah.   I will be dropping back into Braavos next week.   Now you will have to excuse me.  Arya is calling. I think she means to kill someone.

08/11/2020

Of late I have been spending a lot of time with the Lannisters.  Cersei  and Tyrion in particular.   I’ve also paid a visit to Dorne, and dropped  in to Oldtown a time or three.   In addition to turning out new  chapters, I’ve been revising some old ones (some very old)… including,  yes, some stuff I read at cons ages ago, or even posted online as  samples.   I tweak stuff constantly, and sometimes go beyond tweaking,  moving things around, combining chapters, breaking chapters in two,  reordering stuff.

08/15/2020

For the nonce, it is what it is.   My life is at home, on hold, and I am  spending the days in Westeros with my pals Mel and Sam and Vic and Ty. And that girl with no name, over there in Braavos.

Now, there are three things that GRRM just has to get done in TWoW, IMO.

Daenerys Targaryen has to resolve her Essos plot and get to Westeros by the end of TWoW.

Arya has to resolve her Braavos plot and get to Westeros

Bran has to advance a great deal in his plot/Bloodraven/Others etc. 

(Note: I suspect this is one of the reasons that TWoW is taking so long. By his own admission, Dany and Bran are the two characters GRRM finds hardest to write and my speculation is that there is a lot of these two characters in the next book.)

So I am going to assign Arya and Bran the most POV chapters - let’s say 8 each since they are the only POVs at their locations. The Essos plot is a complicated mess, but we have other POVs focused on there as well - Tyrion, Barristan and Victarion. And Tyrion will no doubt get a good chunk of chapters because GRRM likes to write for him and finds it easy to write for him.

For Oldtown I am assigning 6 chapters - 3 from Sam’s POV and 3 from Aeron giving us a look into what Euron is upto. Or it could be 4 for Sam and 2 for Aeron.

I suspect not much happening in Dorne until they align with Young Griff. Arianne and Jon Connington with a look into fAegon’s campaign advancing into KL. Some Vale stuff with Sansa and LF.

GRRM mentions spending a lot of time with Cersei and Tyrion. Cersei remains the only POV in KL and that’s an important location. Jaime and Brienne are together so GRRM can use either of them for Lady Stoneheart/the Brotherhood/Riverlands.

Lots happening at the wall. Big battles in the North and the resolution of the Northern plot - Theon/Asha with Stannis and Davos with Rickon/Northerners. I am not sure if Jon will get a POV - so I am giving him just 3 in case. I think the majority viewpoint will be Mel.