#The OTHER novel that I'm supposedly writing.

[joemerl]

I figured out a way to finally finish my novel.

[jewishcissiekj]

finished the first part of darth plagueis and yeah fuck it I'm moving to Jedi Apprentice 13 and maybe I'll continue with part 2 after that

[web-novel-polls]

WN Women Bonus Polls #2: MXTX

[Propaganda below] - Spoilers Warning!

A-Qing from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

Submission: Incredibly clever. Fakes blindness to survive as a street orphan and pickpocket people. Successfully deceives a magnificent liar into believing she's really blind for years. Tries to hinder said liar's schemes and save people from him even after she's dead and actually blind and unable to speak. 

Jiang Yanli from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

 “Madam, A-Xian is my younger brother. Him being humiliated by others, to me, isn’t just a small matter.”

Submission: She is the sweetest person to ever exist. She's a wonderful big sister to her brother Jiang Cheng and her shidi/adoptive brother Wei Wuxian. She is not just a sister but also very maternal to them, as her parents are not the best. She is also the mother of Jin Ling, but sadly died before she could raise him. Her husband, Jin Zixuan, died in a confrontation with Wei Wuxian, but she did not blame him and even sacrificed herself for him. She would've made the best mother to Jin Ling, just as she was the best sister to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. She also makes the best soup ever. I would die to taste her soup. Then I would come back to life because that's how much the soup nurtures you. 

Jian Lan from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

Submission: She has unconditional love for her very disgusting and disturbing undead fetus child. That's a mother right there. 

Wiki Link

Ling Wen from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

[No Propaganda Submitted] 

One of the Three Tumors - three Heavenly Officials that have some of the worst reputations after Xie Lian (“the laughing stock of the three realms”) - and was accused of, like, killing a dude or smth but was accepted back into Heaven on the sole basis that she’s the only administratively competent god

Liu Mingyan from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Submission: Head disciple of Xian Shu Peak. Said to be so beautiful she wears a veil over her face so as to not distract others. Writes popular erotic fanfiction about her older brother's shixiong/her shibo and his male disciple. 

Luo Qingyang (Mianmian) from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Submission: She stood up against a whole bunch of powerful men and dared to speak a different opinion. Then she just up and left the cultivation world because she had no more time for their bullshit. At the end of the novel, she's a rogue cultivator married to a former merchant with her own daughter named Mianmian. We should all be like her. 

Mod Propaganda: 

Highly principled and strong-willed. Immediately left her clan after they mocked her for supposedly having feelings for Wei Wuxian when she literally just mentioned he didn't kill indiscriminately. Now living her best life as a rogue cultivator with her husband and child.

She saw the injustice of her own clan firsthand and decided, “I'm not going to be a part of this. You're not listening to me, so fuck y'all.” And honestly, based. 

Wiki Link

Ning Yingying from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System 

Submission: She goes through great character development. At first, she's dense and kind of annoying, even a little selfish. But she grows up to be a strong, intelligent, and intuitive woman. 

Additional Propaganda

Sha Hualing from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Submission 1: I can't stand her and yet I love her. What does that tell you? 

Submission 2: her cringefail losergirl swag <3 girlie constantly in situations and she put herself into most of them 

Mod Propaganda

A fierce demon who attacked the Cang Qiong Mountain sect in SVSSS and became one of Luo Binghe’s wives in Proud Immortal Demon Way who often fought with Liu Mingyan and Qin Wanyue

My fav description of her is something along the lines of, “trying to be the steal-your-man girl who fails about it so badly” 

She’s ambitious, she’s ruthless, she’s intelligent -  If you support women’s rights, you should also support women’s wrongs (/light-hearted) 

Su Xiyan from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

[No propaganda submitted]

Additional Propaganda #1

Additional Propaganda #2

Wen Qing from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Submission: She is everything! She doesn't get enough screen time in the novel, but that proves just how amazing she is to make such an impression in spite of it. She is a great big sister, to both her brother Wen Ning and the protagonist Wei Wuxian. She is stern but kind. She's a doctor. She throws needles at people. She's everything! 

Previous Propaganda (MXTX Side Characters Tournament):

Submission 1: Doctor, mad scientist, war criminal, protective big sister... she has the range!! Submission 2: Wen Qing my beloved!! She did surgery on a grape. Mad genius for real. Also a loving sister with a very sharp tongue and maybe no sense of how far is too far. Can't wait for them to find her alive in a Koi Tower basement! Submission 3: Justice for my girl!!!!  Submission 4: She's bitchy and pragmatic and cares deeply and did an unprecedented operation (experimental and nonconsensual!), what's not to love? Also she deserved better. 

Yushi Huang from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

Submission: She slit her own throat to save her country. She's very compassionate and always willing to help others. She also gives people vegetables. 

Additional Propaganda: 

Additional propaganda for Yushi Huang:  She's so competent that she's got the womanzier of the series consistently on the back foot, and she doesn't even care to notice.  She's here to dish out rain and that's it.     

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Rec List: Hidden Gems!

Y'all SHOWED UP for this category and I am LOVING IT. You submitted 27 fics that deserve more love to highlight, and I am honoured to hold them up before you and say LOOKIT THESE TASTY MORSELS. They may have under 1,000 hits now, but I'm sure they won't for long!

I think this is one of the most varied lists so far -- we've got a handful of rarepairs including Zouis, Gryles, and OT5, as well as genfic, and there are half a dozen girl direction fics as well. And of course there are fics of all kinds of lengths, from under a thousand words to tens of thousands of words.

As always, please enjoy, read, kudos, comment, reblog, etc! New rec category coming soon :)

The Full English by albatross1013 (2985, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

HSLOT has ended. FITFUS is wrapping up in NYC. Louis is waiting for his boy.

Reccer says: I had fun writing it.

HALLOWEENTOWN by justahappycloud (28700, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry gets stuck in a town full of monsters, and Louis helps him escape. they run all over town while encountering the rest of the boys and different monsters

Reccer says: The way harry charms the entire town, and how the other boys are introduced is so fun!

i'll follow you til there's no tomorrow by liberty_barnes (12000, General, none) – fic post Warnings: depression and anxiety

the story of how a stray puppy saved Niall's life

Reccer says: Niall and the fans being inspired by each other for their own mental health journeys

(not) driving home for christmas by BeautifulWisdom (3461, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry hits a dog while driving in a blizzard. Colour him surprised and woefully unprepared when said dog turns into a very bloody and very naked man.

Treat me like a queen, now you got me feelin' thrown, oh by LouisThiccSexyGlitteryAss (1765, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

After a photography project leads her to the supposedly empty house of a beautiful woman, Harry learns that vampires are real... And devilishly good with their tongues.

Reccer says: Lesbians! Vampires!

Only for the Brave by Huggieshalo (990, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: feelings of imposter syndrome/ internalized homophobia

Louis dealing with big feelings through the process of writing OTB

You Can Let It Go by Huggieshalo (8600, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: There are multiple scenes and implications of an unhealthy/toxic family dynamic.

Harry as matilda if she followed her family and never stayed with Ms Honey

I'll knock on your door, it will save me from calling by hl-obsessed (RozaDhampir) (5790, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Louis hears "Good Years" for the first time. Harry is there to pick up the pieces.

Reccer says: Love all the emotions in this fic. Very well written!

Remember Me As A Time Of Day by justanothershadeofblue (zjofierose) (67393, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

It's the 20th anniversary of the One Direction hiatus, and the powers that be have decided that it's time for a reunion tour. 5 middle aged lads have to face each other and reconnect

Reccer says: Fabulous look at regrets, angst, smut and love

Peculiar Ugly Duckling by LadyLondonderry (3789, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Loowee is a fish born to a family of FOUS fish. You’ve heard of FOUS fish, haven’t you, reader? Yes, of course you have. Fish Of Unusual Size Fish, of course.

Reccer says: I adore this fic so much. It's a very creative, humorous, and genuine story set in Eroda..

molecular by sarcangel (3862, Teen, Zayn Malik/Louis Tomlinson)

OT5 try to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Reccer says: This fic is intense from the start and tells an entire novel of an epic story in under 4000 words.

last call by neptune rising (thelesserneptune) (666, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) Warnings: Implied/Referenced Character Death

Harry is a cheeky ground operator at NASA with a slight crush on astronaut Louis Tomlinson. On one late, calm night, they share their most personal conversation yet.

Reccer says: This ficlet pulled me in and then broke my heart (in the best way). The end packs an angsty punch that I didn't see coming.

The In-Between by LadyAJ_13 (2422, General, None) – fic post

“You wake up in a desert with an angel, a demon and a grim reaper-” “-and the accounts manager!” “-yes, alright Liam, and the accounts manager - and you haven’t realised you’re dead?”

Reccer says: I love the banter between the boys as they try to figure out the mystery of why Louis is stuck in The In-Between. The way they all argue and joke around with each other is great.

Chase by wabadabadaba (1900, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Louis and Harry play a game of chase during the full moon. A girl direction omegaverse fic.

Reccer says: There are not enough femslash omegaverse fics out there, and this is proof of how incredible they could be.

Remember Me (When I'm With You) by liberty_barnes (1441, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: Depression, suicidal thoughts, body dysmorphic disorder

Fallen angel Louis was cast out and angel Harry just wants him to be happy.

Reccer says: It's incredible the amount of emotion and hurt (and world building) come through in such a short fic. But there is hope and comfort to be had from angel Harry even if Louis doesn't always remember him.

The Sweet Yoke by little_obelia/littleobelia (1700, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a nun who looks after her convent's chickens and Louis is the new vet who comes to help care for them.

Reccer says: It's so quirky and funny and completely charming!

close enough to touch, but I never cared for love by femstyles (759, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry and Louis are best friends with benefits and Harry wants more but Louis (thinks) he's not interested in love. A tiny slice of a soft morning.

Reccer says: A perfect, tiny peek - soft and sweet

Stay by Maelstrom_Roots (5000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

In the months before Louis shows up at the rink, Harry has been considering giving skating up altogether. Then, Louis comes to IceSheffield, his heart so obviously full of love for the sport, for simply being on the ice, that Harry can’t help but fall in love with it too. | Harry and Louis are competitive ice skaters who grow up together at the same rink.

Reccer says: Somehow it feels like 100k fic when it's only 5 - there's so much emotion and story packed in. Absolutely beautifully written, too.

The Doppel Effect by yeah_alright/uhohmorshedios (6500, Teen, Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Future Dystopia AU where rich people use lifelike android doppelgangers to be able to do more and get even richer and criminals have stolen the technology to create a sub-class of doppelgangers called Forgeries.Harry lives what he believes to be a simple life, until a mysterious stranger shows up and turns it upside down.

Reccer says: Fascinating story with great tension and well executed surprises. Great worldbuilding! This was probably my favorite fic from 2023. I love love love sci-fi, and this was brilliant and mysterious and creepy and I am absolutely holding out hope that the author will write a longer au of this world.

like sun on the rise by disgruntledkittenface (9000, Mature, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles) – fic post

Harry shows up at the coffee shop Nick works at and insists they've known each other in previous lives. Nick doesn't know what to make of her, but luckily, she goes with it.

Reccer says: Characterizations are flawless, the relationship dynamic is wonderful - sweet and funny and flirty and comfortable - and the smut is SO SO HOT

Eyes so blue, Shorts so red by nonsensedarling/absoloutenonsense (2600, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry isn’t like any roommate Louis has had before. For one, he doesn’t know what a poem is (or skee-ball, for that matter), but luckily for him, Louis doesn’t mind answering any and all of his questions.

Reccer says: Could not be more charming! Sweet and funny and clever. This Alien!Harry is so earnest and adorable I love him so much.

Hold Steady by abrighteryellow/a-brighter-yellow (3000, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry can never get his winged eyeliner right so he finally goes to Sephora where Louis helps him.

Reccer says: Wonderful writing! I love this Harry so much and everything about his interactions with Louis are just perfect. Such a sweet, funny, engaging story.

Behind Nowhere by 4ureyesonly28/evilovesyou (3500, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

It's the September of 1967 and Harry is curious to find out what the Summer of Love brought to San Francisco.

Reccer says: It's a sweet, tender exploration and the writer captures the atmosphere and Harry's thoughts wonderfully.

{the hs1 collection} 5 fics. 5 songs. 5 decades. by zita17/louisandtheaquarian (28263, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Five unrelated fics, each set in a different decade, from the 1950s through the 1990s, and inspired by a different unreleased HS1 song.

Reccer says: historical fiction, musician and famous/not famous au's, inspired by music + films. This whole series is INCREDIBLE, but the 1978 one is my favorite—the vulnerability, the pining, the musings on self vs. performance are impeccable. Plus, Harry as a mermaid/alien/glam-rock god and Louis as a leather-pants-and-platform-boots punk are genius!

Secrets I Have Held by QuickedWeen (4000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson ) – fic post Warnings: Mentions of violence and guns

Peaky Blinders AU with gangster Louis

Reccer says: It's very atmospheric in the time period and world

I See You Shiver With Antici— (SAY IT, SAY IT) by homosociallyyours (666, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry has elaborate costumes planned for each night of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Reccer says: The author packed SO MUCH into 666 words! Gender exploration + euphoria, flirting, and RHPS!

My Kind of Trouble by Homosociallyyours (1800, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a waitress at Waffle House, Louis stops by for a visit

Reccer says: I love the slow, small town sweetness of these two meeting again after years apart.

[canmom]

reading Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt. it's interesting. clearly part of the post-Topside wave of trans lit, with the same 'plugged in to twitter' energy, but way more British about it. which means most of the allusions are very transparent to me. it's a combo of... hardcore kink driven romance as the main arc, in a near-future setting in which TERFism goes further to the point of outright bombings, and a scifi element with alien brain parasites that it's gradually building towards.

compellingly written, I'll give it that for sure - I lay down to read for a bit and before I knew it I'd read like a third of the book. the main character's disaffected, traumatised air is well observed, and the kink doesn't hold back.

I think my reservation with it so far is that it feels a little too much like a polemic blog post about the way things are going. the MC Frankie is a trans woman with a pregnancy kink who survived a bombing at a GIC and now works in social media moderation - it's all stuff that is blatantly Relevant To The Argument, as it were. it's tricky to criticise it for that because it's like, what you're saying is that it's tightly constructed and thematically consistent and that's bad somehow? but I think I've come to feel that I like fiction to bring me something a little new and unfamiliar.

the chapter I most enjoyed so far was actually a more metaphorical, abstract interlude, in which resistance to fascism is cast as becoming 'one mass of queer flesh, which now grabbed and clawed...'; 'faces locked in kisses until they became one face. the cops would try to pull at this mass, but to no avail'. very 'faggots and their friends between revolutions' stuff.

the chapters which are presented directly as social media posts and articles are also sharply observed. i think a lot of fiction in which the internet features heavily suffers from not understanding the internet very well (Hosoda's Belle for example), but for example the chapter 'Curious Cat' where an anonymous person (blatantly Vanya) is sending messages asking for help with a parasite, and getting rebuffed or misunderstood, and the chapter where Frankie relates a murder of an instagram model by a stalker who posts about it to a reddit community devoted to her, read as very real.

a lot of the story is about responding to a terrifying political situation in sexual terms - a flashback chapter depicting Frankie having sex with some terf's pretentious brother ("with each thrust from him, she thought to herself, I am a traitor, I am a traitor to the cause"), or the preface which jokes about how in another world the author would be writing 'cool horror stories about vampires raping werewolves, ones with no subtext at all'. I prevaricate a little on whether this is a compelling examination of a theme that I do find interesting (the mysterious origins of sexual desire) or just edgy for its own sake.

this is an odd novel for me in some ways because while on one level, this is about people who I could very easily be a single degree of separation from were they real, it's also about a facet of life that is still quite alien to me and in many ways I only know about second hand. I've never been to a kink club (that wasn't in an MMO anyway lol), I'm way too much of a nerdy autist shut-in to know what it's like to be someone who would feel put out if she hadn't had sex in a week. so even before the parasite stuff, it's hard to know how much of Frankie and Vanya's stuff is real, and how much is fantasy. is this really how things go between people? it sounds kinda fun, but unlocking the door this far has already taken years.

when I've read books about the crazy lives that American trans girls supposedly live and interesting sex they're apparently having, they've been at a certain remove, the other side of the Atlantic. and this book feels sort of similar, even though I know it's set right on my doorstep. idk, I've never been good at this.

anyway I don't think I want to write fantasy novels so directly about The Discourse of the day, but it's probably good that someone is. that said, it's hard to parse like... ok, it's titled brainwyrms, and 'brain worms' is a common way of describing an obsessive, cultish idea you receive from the internet.

and like if you look at the newspapers, or twitter trans discourse, you certainly could believe that this country is on a rapid slide to putting us in camps. however, my day to day life has been... it's not without hostility, but the average street harasser isn't doing it because of a Guardian or even Mail article. this country has a subculture of deranged weirdos who hate our guts, and a political class who will happily stoke culture war shit to score points, but most normies I've met don't care one way or another that I'm trans - they might mention a family member or friend they know who's also trans. the day to day conflicts are over way more prosaic shit, the landlord vs tenant forever war, or how the kitchen should be cleaned. which of these windows is more informative of the 'overall' state of affairs? not that a more violent terf cult is a bad premise to write a novel around, but a sense of impending doom is a pretty powerful mechanism to keep you scrolling, right?

like in 20, 40 years - will the terfs really be bombing the Tavistock and banning transness, as Rumfitt imagines in her near-future setting preface? or will they go the way of those newspapers in Thatcher's time who smeared the gay movement, just as they smear us today? of passing political obsessions like 'new atheism'? I don't know the half-life of cult shit.

anyway, time to read the rest of the novel, and see how it handles this brew that it's concocted.

[tc-doherty]

Hey! In your practical writing tips - post you said novels require lots of telling. I've noticed this too when I read, amazing books that tell a lot vs. showing but all advice gears to show and that's what I've been learning to do. Since I can't find anyone that teaches when to tell vs. show and how much tell vs. show is right and why telling is good etc. I was wondering if you could elaborate on this? Why some books that tell a lot are very engaging and others can't keep my attention? I'm so interested to see your thoughts! Thank you.

Like I said in that post, teaching people how to write isn't really my jam so this is less a teaching guide and more just my assorted thoughts on the subject based on my own opinions and the habits that I follow.

I guess what it boils down to is this. You can't really say that either showing or telling is more important in a novel, but the things that you show are perhaps more relevant.

For example, if you describe the morning routine of your character in great detail every single morning, readers are going to get bored. The story will grind to a halt. Yes you're showing us that, which most people would say is a good thing based on "show don't tell", but the information isn't relevant. If you're setting up a fantasy or sci-fi story it might be relevant once or even twice to show us how things work, but not every single time.

Similarly, if your character gets news telling them that someone they love has perished, you don't want to simply say that it made them sad. You want to show us their reaction. What do they do? What do they say? What physical sensations do they have? Are they lightheaded, do they feel out of breath, does their throat hurt because they're trying not to cry? That information is all relevant to the character, the scene, and the reader. If you simply say they're sad, then your story feels too shallow.

Many people might consider dialogue a kind of telling, but really it's both. What the characters say, how they say it, and also what they don't say can show us a lot about who they are as a person, which is relevant information to the audience even if they're simply explaining something that would be considered exposition. But what do your characters actually need to say or hear? And what can you relay to us through something happening in the background, for instance?

And what about the genre? I like to write road trip novels, which means I spend a lot of time showing the minutiae of the journey. That's relevant because the story is the journey that's being taken. But sometimes your characters just have to get from one place to another, and you don't need to get bogged down in it. You can just say that they took a bus or boat or horse or whatever.

Balancing it in any given story is the writing equivalent of "this meeting could have been email". What do you actually have to get together in a conference room to discuss (show the readers in detail) versus what can be summarized in a few sentences in an email? What will make you bored out of your mind if you see too much of it, versus what will leave you lost and confused without it?

And of course just because something is telling or summarized doesn't mean that the way that you write isn't important! Your writing should still be engaging even when you're telling. Pay attention to the words you use, the rhythm of your sentences, the variety of sentence lengths, things like that. If something is pleasant to read it will keep the reader's attention on the page. If the sentence rhythms or lengths are too similar, it becomes "monotone" and causes people's attention to wander.

Something I pay special attention to is that - unless the narrator is subjective or unreliable - I don't tell something about characters in the narration which is shown to be false. Nothing gets me riled up like supposedly objective narration which tells me a character is like so and I should feel like this about them, but then their dialogue and actions reveal that to be patently false and I feel some other way. Of course that is something that relies on the narrator being objective and having access to more information than we do. If it's a POV character who might just be unobservant, overly arrogant, biased, or kinda stupid, that's fine

When it comes to showing versus telling in regards to the background/description...well. I struggle a lot with description because I have almost complete aphantasia and can't visualize things easily. So I cheat! Anything that I describe in detail is something that my POV character is actually paying attention to. The level of detail varies from book to book based on what kind of person has the POV and what sorts of things they notice. And again, that's relevant to the audience because it's information which is relevant to the character. This is also really great way to start building up to any kind of romantic interest, because people do tend to pay a lot more attention to people they're interested in!

I feel like this has gotten really long, so if there's anything that you would like me to elaborate on more or I wasn't clear about, feel free to send another ask! I won't say I'm objectively right (usually lol) but I'm always happy to talk shop.

Hopefully some of it can be helpful to you or at least give you some things to start thinking about. And of course, it's always a good way to start by studying books that you read and seeing what you like and what you don't like and how it's been handled in both.

[pygmi-cygni]

writing tips - appropriate phrasing

it's really difficult to differentiate between your voice and the appropriate voice for your story.

But it really affects the quality and atmosphere. Like the person who requested this post (@ryns-ramblings) mentioned, Fourth Wing is a good example. Fourth Wing uses slang like 'getting laid' or 'smashing' in a juvenile tense, even though the characters are adults and the setting is supposedly in a very medieval era - aka, in a time where this language wasn't used.

Though you don't need to write in Olde English, understanding character voice and context is crucial. I have posted about this before in my 'character continuity' post but I'm happy to explain again.

When writing a character or a story that takes place in a setting different from modern day or in a way that is intentionally separate from expectation, you have to keep the language consistent. It's part of the difficulty of writing characters of different ages - understanding how their use of language will change depending on their maturity.

Fourth Wing - still a nice story, I'm not hating - doesn't do this very well. Overall the book is still sorta good but this issue really hampers the maturity of the text. Especially in this case, when the author deals with adult violence and content, the use of immature language and underdeveloped research removes a lot of the important context.

The result? A novel that reads as juvenile and is shallowly entertaining.

But this isn't a book review so I'll regroup to the writing aspect.

When you choose to write about something mature, you need to handle the language appropriately. You are introducing your audience to something that is likely upsetting or controversial. Research becomes essential in order to prevent misrepresentation and sloppy explanation.

Colleen Hoover is another example. She writes at about a YA level (14-18) of comprehension, but her content is mature adult (19+). This is a problem, as discussed at length in the media, because younger adults are exposed to what she's writing but not with the caution and proper handling of tricky subject matter (i.e abuse).

I also talked about this in this post.

How to avoid this:

research. research research research. Look up interviews with people that have experienced what you're writing about. Read journal entries, news clippings, as many direct sources as possible. If those are unavailable, get access to multiple perspectives, explanations, and authors. Combing over one single source gives you a lot of one-sided info.

Examine yourself as a writer. Do you feel like you have the tools and the awareness to write about that topic appropriately? If not, discuss with other experienced writers about how to approach it carefully.

Beta readers/draft editors that aren't friends or family. Absolutely share your work with loved ones, but that friendly bias might erase helpful feedback.

Understanding language

You know how teens talk. You've heard children babble, you've listened to older folk tell stories. There are explicit differences in grammar, range of vocab, and sentence quality. If you don't write those differences, the characters all sound the same.

Pay attention to common phrases you've been using and how they fit with the story and the characters. Like I said, it doesn't have to be Olde English, but a woman isn't going to be joking about sex with her boss.

Kids won't be quoting Ray Bradbury in the 30s cause he wasn't published yet. Little contextual timelines that add a lot atmospherically.

happy writing! xox comment for more!

[mimiplaysgames]

The Bed Story, ch. 1 (Light in the Dark)

For Terraqua Week 2024, Day 1

Terra/Aqua | Terra/Anti-Aqua Rating: M Word count: 1,777 @terraquaweek

AO3 Link

Summary: Terra meets Anti-Aqua, and he's sorry for all the things they did and didn't do.

A/N: Hiiiiiiii everyone ahhh???? It's so good to be back, writing for my favorite ship ever. I've missed you all. I took the opportunity with Terraqua Week to write something new, but I've been meaning to finish my open fics for them. There are still so many scenes in my head that I want to put on the page. It's just been hard to find the time to write them as I work on my first novel. But I'm here!!! and I miss!!! all of you!!!! I hope you enjoy this one. I wrote it all in a month so there is going to be quality control issues, lmao but it is ANGSTY lmao.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Terra is watching. Terra is no longer watching. Terra is asleep, Terra is—

Awake. Coming to, he inhales dust and dirt so sharply that his throat stings, and he drops hard on his knees, face slamming against cobblestone. He can’t feel his legs, and his hips won’t buck over when he commands them to.

“Aqua,” he mumbles, his tongue thick. He struggles to buoy himself up by the elbows. Where is he?

“Terra? Thank the stars.” Aqua kneels by him and guides his head to her lap. Storm clouds prey over the city of Radian Garden, snuffing out the sun overhead (Why is he here?). “Where do you hurt?” Aqua’s hair is too short to stay behind her ears, draping over while her frightened eyes inspect him for injuries. Frizzy. He could reach up and smooth it back down, but he’s dizzy. If this is the last time he will touch her… She brushes the tips of her fingers over his cheek, cleaning it of dirt and—

Smoke? Magic residue.

“Terra, stay with me.” 

Yes, he wants to. He’s slipping, he’s—

—Sleep.

Stars, he yearns to. He snatches her hand and weaves their fingers together. He can’t think like that. He can never let go again. Everything, everything, everything is going wrong but he’ll make it right. 

Xehanort. That’s the reason for the thunder ramming beyond the horizon.

No, the real reason is Terra being stupid.

“Can you stand up?”

Rainfell is left neglected on the ground next to her. They’ve been fighting each other with their Keyblades. That’s what she’s not telling him. 

“I can’t.”

Aqua blinks away her worry, but Terra sees past the armor. “That’s okay. You’re doing good. You’re beating him.”

Bile clogs his esophagus. He needs to roll over and let it all out but he swallows it back. Swallows again and swallows hard to keep it in and not let Xehanort go—

—Sleep.

“Aqua,” he says, his voice frail, “I’m sorry.” 

Aqua smiles morosely. She’s never been the type to rub it in. 

There’s a lot to be sorry for. One: The Master is dead. 

—Sleep.

Two: They fought. In front of Ven.

—Sleep.

Three: He left her behind. 

Four, just to decapitate the dead horse: He never congratulated her on achieving her Master status.

—Sleep.

And five: for that night before the Mark of Mastery. Terra had hoped there would be less stress the night after.

This can’t be the last time he touches her.

“I know,” she says. 

What was once a headache that jerked his forehead is now a quiet null, and he’s losing feeling in his fingers, the feeling of her skin.

His eyelids are heavy, and he sighs.

Aqua holds his chin and makes him stare into her eyes. “Listen to me. You’re strong. You can defeat him.”

Terra stretches the fingers in his free hand and tries to ball them into a fist.

“I can’t find Earthshaker.”

“What?”

He tries again—that small shred of Light he is supposedly connected to, the warmth of a friend who will always listen, the certainty of having someone there to help, is gone. Earthshaker won’t come. 

This is what it’s like to have regret. Tell me, how does that honor our Master’s memory, Terra?

“I know Earthshaker. It will always be there for you,” Aqua says, so confident and so wrong, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to get him to stand. 

Terra flinches—a profound image of choking her invades his senses, bleached knuckles that won’t respond to him, rigid around the same neck he’s buried his nose in before. 

He leans over on his side, too weak to push her off. “Aqua, just let me go.”

“Never,” she snaps. “How can you ask that?”

“He’s coming back.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We can fight him off together.” 

How does that honor our Master’s memory?

—Sleep.

In a page tucked away on some textbook Terra has always hated reading for its archaic nonsense, was a line: F’r our lighteth in the dark hast us by the heart, at each moment. 

Too heavy for her, Aqua brings Terra back to rest on her lap. When they’re weak, they’re supposed to be each other’s Light to guide them back home. That’s what the Master said. One star to find another lost in space. 

(And when stars flicker out, they explode in a supernova, then disintegrate into a black hole. That is something the Master refused to discuss. Their job was not to let that happen, period.)

“Terra, stay with me?”

For a moment, the lights go out. For the next, they come back on. Terra looks up at her blue eyes. She knows what’s happening to him, from the way she quiets down and rubs her thumb on his jaw. 

“You just have to find your Light again,” Aqua says. She’s talking about Earthshaker. She’s talking about Ven. She’s talking about going home together. “And this will be over. Then we can find our own little hiding place.” She soothes, stroking his cheek. “Like we promised.”

But—

But, just in case, Terra squeezes her hand one more time. He’s going to have to let go.

Terra lifts his head and points with his nose to beckon her to go lower, to get closer to him, as if he’s telling her a secret. Closer, enough for him to lean up with what’s left of his strength, to press his mouth on hers, and open his lips, and ask for more. She trembles against him, and he kisses her again, and inhales her smokey sweat and lavender shampoo with all that he wants to say but has lost the voice for.

That’s his last memory before sinking into the black hole. Someone far away says, “I’m with you,” planting one little star into his hand that he can caress to his chest while he slips into something like sleeping. Then he tears apart.

~*~

Awake. Awake? 

Terra sits up. He rolls to his hands and knees, and coughs—there’s sand crumbling under his tongue, and he spits out the remains. 

After he nearly gags from what doesn’t come up, he realizes. Sand crumpled underneath his fist, as if he was in the middle of choking someone. More sand caked into his nails. A musty odor—he needs deodorant. That numbing feeling on his wrists that means he needs to shake them off. Wake them up. Awake. He’s breathing, and it’s hot, and he’s sweaty, and he’s hungry. 

“Terra!”

It happens so quickly, the way Ven rushes to Terra’s side, and checks his eyes to see if they’re blue. Terra doesn’t register a single word out of Ven’s mouth but he registers the feeling of Ven’s chest crushed against his, muscle trapping boy in a hug. Cheek to cheek, the sound of tears and tears.

“You’re crushing me.” 

Terra lets go, but not the shoulders. It’s too early to allow the feeling of someone slipping away. 

Ven is the same as he's always been. All bones. “You’re still chubby in the cheeks,” Terra says, smushing them between his giant hands.

“Fuck you.”

“What is that language?” But Terra is crying, messing with Ven’s well-kept hair.

“Ugh, why.” The disturbed styling cream flattens the cowlick Ven likes so much and his attempt to make it right dwindles. But he’s smiling. Crying, too. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me, too.” More tears.

Ven stops his fussing and lowers his hands. His voice breaks. “I thought I’d never see you again.” 

To make up for it, Terra tries fixing Ven’s hair for him. Thankfully, considering the result, there’s no mirror nearby to upset Ven. “Hey. It’s over. We’re safe. We’re back together and—”

Terra looks around. They’re in the Keyblade Graveyard, somewhere within starched erected stone walls that are falling apart. But Terra doesn’t understand why they’re here. He tastes smoke. Magic residue. 

They fought Xehanort-as-Terra here, and Terra doesn’t remember much except reaching for a night sky. She was here, he was certain. A star gauzed behind clouds and he reached, and reached and caught Xehanort by the throat. 

“Where’s Aqua?”

Ven doesn’t respond. 

Terra’s heart pounds, assuming the worst. Did he hurt—

“Um.” Ven wipes his hands on his pants and stands. “She’s different.”

Terra gets off his knees. He’s unbalanced, swaying with his heavy legs, and Ven holds him up by the arm. “What does that mean?”

Ven grunts his disappointment. He points behind Terra, to a wall that bends open to the rest of the labyrinth. “She’s behind there. She fought with me” —against Terra— “then left.”

Terra trips on his feet as he limps. How different? Hurt-different? Tired-different? Furious-different? Furious with him? Won’t want to ever talk to him again-different, and there’s no turning back-different? 

He catches himself at the side of the wall. “Aqua?”

Rustling and steps respond, in the slice of shadow around the corner. Terra looks over.

Two little orbs, lights in the shadow that remind him of monsters, stare back at him, waiting before the onslaught. Terra’s instinct is to call Earthshaker, but it still won’t come. Left defenseless, how fast will the monster get to him if Terra yells? How fast will Ven come to the rescue?

But a second passes by before he realizes what he’s looking at. Golden eyes in fury, white hair, pulling her ripped sleeves, inked in black, to hide her red claws. 

She looks like a creature. 

When Terra was six, the Master would tell him stories of valiant heroes defeating monsters with eyes like lanterns, which seduced victims into thinking they’re safe, and made them follow false lights until they were isolated in the dark. 

Aqua shivers. “You,” she says. Her voice is steady and solid, but he hears all its cadences. Rage, sadness, something like relief but too numb to feel it.

Terra steps toward his monster but he lowers his gaze from her glare. If he doesn’t see, then it’s not as bad as he thinks.

This is what it’s like to have regret. Tell me, how does this honor our Master’s memory, Terra?

He coaxes her into his arms, and rests his mouth onto her forehead, letting her heave dry sobs into his shoulder while his hot tears trickle down to her hair. She smells like ash. She’s freezing.

He doesn’t have the courage this time to apologize. He almost asks if she’s okay. Stupid question. “Let’s go home.” 

Aqua says nothing. She doesn’t hug him back. All she does is bore her wild eyes into him, long enough for Terra to break his avoidance. He sees not his reflection in that golden color but a silhouette of the moon.

[avelera]

How the hell do people think that ANNE RICE is anti sex and homophobic?? TVC is weird sex stuff with queer people the book series??

I have no idea how people got that idea but I have seen posts floating around (mostly during S1) that seemed to be from people who thought that IWTV could "finally" show Lestat/Louis as canonically gay because Anne Rice had passed away or that she would be "rolling in her grave" if she saw Lestat and Louis kiss on screen which is... baffling nonsense of the highest degree. As you know, Lestat and Louis are canonically a couple in the books.

Here's what I think happened:

1)People conflated Anne Rice being anti-fanfic with her being anti-slash shipping. Since many authors of the era did have a problem with fanfic in part because of slash shipping, I can kind of see how this misunderstanding would happen. But no, her issues with fanfic were mostly legal and partially creative (she thought people's time would be better spent writing original works that they could one day publish rather than writing fanfic of her work, but I think that was more her misunderstanding the purpose of fanfic than being necessarily derogatory towards fanfic writers, even if her choice of words was somewhat dismissive, but I digress).

2) I saw one theory that Anne McCaffrey (of the Dragonriders of Pern novels) and Anne Rice might have been conflated, which again, kind of makes sense since they were popular during the same era? Supposedly (I can't confirm this) Anne McCaffrey was very against slash shipping of her characters so that might have got mixed in with the whole Anne 90s-Author is against slash fanfic game of telephone.

3) I only vaguely remember this, but I think a quote of Anne Rice's might have been taken out of context. Something to the effect of Lestat and Louis not needing to be shown kissing or having sex to be a couple. And I think people read it inversely from the meaning. She wasn't saying, "The vampires don't have gay sex." She has almost always said some variation of, "Sex is different for vampires. Blood drinking basically replaces and transcends it, as it replaces and transcends all physical pleasures. Louis and Lestat don't need to have sex in order to be a gay couple. Their existence and love as vampires transcends are our understanding of the physical, it is deeper and more all encompassing and and entirely strange to our understanding of sex and relationships on a physical and spiritual level.

Now, keep in mind, at the time when a creator said, "Oh, these two same-sex characters aren't gay their bond transcends sexuality." They were sidestepping and meant, "I'm uncomfortable with same sex relationships and only want to see them as friends." Anne Rice absolutely did not mean that ^ . Anne Rice wrote tons of queer erotica in addition to her queer supernatural novels. When Anne Rice said, "They transcend gender and their sexuality is completely untranslatable to ours." She wasn't being like "So they're not gay." She wasn't saying they were straight either like other creators meant! She was literally, as someone who spent a lot of time thinking and writing about alternate genders and sexualities outside the mainstream, exploring ideas like the fact that if you no longer had the biological imperative to eat, sleep, or reproduce as humans do, your understanding of intimacy and sexuality would change dramatically as well.

(FFS, as you know, Lestat has a relationship with his mother after he turns her because they basically are no longer related at that point, or they are related on completely different levels as fledgling and sire, the whole plotline is tied up in how becoming a vampire is about transcending human norms but also how Lestat is deliberately, gleefully fucking around with taboo and social structure and the forbidden as a matter of course so like... yeah this isn't a one off, the vampire novels are all about how being a vampire means you now naturally break every societal taboo with regards to sex and relationships because you're not human anymore, they become meaningless and therefore we as human readers can also explore the metaphors of gender and sexuality and taboo vicariously and ponder what matters and what doesn't.

I mean, one reason it was so offensive to me to see Anne Rice mistaken as homophobic is that she's basically the reason I'm not homophobic and even felt able to explore my own bisexuality and rejection of gender as a construct after growing up in a conservative household like all you had back then as a teen was Anne Rice and Mercedes Lackey. ANYWAY).

So yeah, this rant got away from me, but while I will say over and over that Anne Rice isn't perfect, there's a lot of things she did in her life that I disagreed with and people have no obligation to like her works or her view of the world, she was actively dabbling in the forbidden and in taboo in ways that might make people justifiably uncomfortable, one way she was doing that was by normalizing same sex relationships way way way before almost anyone else was doing so in genre fiction and that's while I will fight to the death anyone accusing her of homophobia.

[robinswrites]

About Me

Hi! My name's Robin, and after years of writing and posting fanfic (on a different account, which I will be continuing with), I've decided to start trying to get my original fiction published. I am A Trans who doesn't much care what pronouns/gendered terms you use for me as long as you're not being deliberately insulting. The various stories I'm writing or want to write vary in genre from fantasy to science fiction and horror, but they're all queer (in different ways, because queerness isn't necessarily approached in SF/F cultures in the same way as in our own, and they don't necessarily fit the often very romance-focussed conventional ideas of what queer rep looks like, but it is present in everything I write).

I am an adult, and my writing is aimed at adults (I've noticed a few people getting their stories labelled as YA when they're really not aimed at that audience at all, so I thought I'd make that clear right from the start), but I'm not writing anything so explicit that I'd object to someone under 18 following me if they're interested in my stories. I will use tags and TWs on my posts--feel free to let me know if I forget.

WIPs

My three main WIPs are novels that I intend to publish (I'm an incurable WIP-hopper and have been alternating between writing bits of each of these for years...), so I'm not going to be posting the stories themselves online, but I will be sharing character and setting info, discussing progress, taking part in the usual writeblr ask events, etc. One is a deliberately over-the-top space opera sci-fi, one is a modern-day fantasy, and the other a mediaeval fantasy. At some point, they might even have titles. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I'm also sometimes going to be writing short stories and submitting to anthologies and magazines--I'll post updates on where to find any that get accepted.

And at some point soon, a free short story will be going up here as a taster of my work!

I'm also currently doing a major rewrite of the plot outline for a webcomic I initially plotted out as a teenager--once I've got the story to make sense, I'm hoping to start drawing and posting some stuff for that.

What else?

I'm hoping to use this account to follow and get to know other authors, to follow and interact with publishers, take part in any writing events that look interesting--and also to some extent for general blogging.

You'll probably see some reblogs of gifs of films I like, and other mostly-on-topic reblogs (I'm not going to use this account for random memes).

I might share music I've been listening to, or sometimes post about anything interesting I've been doing/places I've been going. I do aim to stick to interesting stuff--I'm not going to be blogging about what I ate for breakfast, but if there's something that I think really would interest SF/F fans and writers, I might do a blog post, especially if I got some cool photos, instead of getting home and thinking too late "I really should have taken some photos of that [supposedly haunted secondhand bookshop / sword I was tempted to buy in an antique shop / whatever]".

Fandom stuff and other "general nonsense" posts and reblogs will stay on my other account.

Looking forward to sharing what I do here on writeblr and getting to know more original fiction writers in this community!

[agriftatsea]

I'm not gonna pretend to be anything other than a weird queer little english major, but when your supposedly-progressive talking points are overlapping with those of people who wanna walk back all the ground we've bled for regarding minority rights, maybe? you're not doing the good that you think you're doing?

perfect is the enemy of done. that goes for everything; cleaning your house, writing a novel, electing a politician. and between the guilt-tripping involved with daring to take a break from photos of dead children so you aren't too traumatized to function, to hyper-focusing on the negatives of every Democratic candidate that starts to gain momentum, I'm reminded of lagonegirl and the successful election interference that put Trump in the White House in the first place. Ask yourself; who benefits from me being depressed and hopeless? from being de-motivated to vote blue?

we have a long way to go. but we have to take the first step to go anywhere.

[joemerl]

This week I finished Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones. It's weird, because on the one hand it's uncannily similar to the novel that I've been trying to write for the last few years, but also I really didn't like it. It's like one of those puzzles where you have to spot the differences between two pictures.

[fuyuu-chan]

Bookworms (pt. 2 of reading each other's favorite books)

Pairing: Neuvillette x Reader

Fuyuu-chan: Hiii!! I decided to make a Part 2! Hope you enjoy reading this! 💙

Genre: Fluff

Part 1 is here!

✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

It's weekend, so what time is it?

That's right! Library time! Your all time favorite hobby is reading and so you were always excited to go to the library.

You and Neuvillette meet up earlier before lunch in town so you two can eat together for lunch in Café Lucerne and after you two ordered a take out for later while you two are in the library.

While on your way you saw a new bookstore so of course as always you two go inside to see what they have.

Always telling yourself to just look but can't help but buy at the end. So there we go your tote bag full of new books, it's supposedly for grocery you say but to be honest it's just for new notebooks, sketchbooks, books, and art books.

So there you go, your finally at the library. And it just so happened that you built a private library and it's done a few weeks ago and you love it so much. So basically your library, and recently you and Neuvillette always go there for the weekend.

You entered and go to one of the sections, you place the other books you just bought in the bookshelf and the notebooks to the Writing section you had. You love writing because you always get inspired by the books you read so you had the writing section where all the things you need are there.

After that you go find Neuvillette, and you found him sitting in one of the chairs in the center. You approached him with one book in hand and notebook and your fountain pen, in case you got an idea on what to write.

"Hey, found a book to read?" You said as you placed down your things on the table.

"Not yet" he says as he finished placing down the snacks and drinks you two ordered earlier for take out.

"Then go find one, I'll be here" you said as you sat down and smiled at him.

"Alright" he says as he go to his favorite section, thinking on what to pick.

While you were sat down and about to open the book, you got an idea on what to write, so you opened your notebook and grab your fountain pen and starts writing down your idea.

You were still writing when Neuvillette came back with a book in hand.

"Have a new idea huh?" He says as he looks at you writing while smiling.

"Yup hehe" you said as you looked at him.

He chuckles as he sat down and opened the book.

"So what book did you picked?" You said as you take a peak.

"It's a mystery novel (book name)" he says as he knew what was coming.

You gasp.

"Isn't that the book I recommend??" You said as you happily looked at him. You were glad he picked the book you recommend a few days ago.

"Yes it is, I thought why not try it especially since you have good taste in books" he says as he smiled helplessly.

"Awwww thank you, and I'm sure you would love that book!" You said. Excited for him to read it and see his reaction or his say about it after.

"Okay" Neuvillette said as he started to read.

You smiled and grab the book and starts too, while reading halfway you got another idea and inspiration from the book so you write it down and you will probably continue to do your idea later when you have the story in your mind.

In between of reading the book, some parts Neuvillette would talk to you about the part he likes in the book or where he was not expecting a part and you would see his facial reactions. You two would also take a break from reading, like drinking the drinks you two got and eating the snacks.

Few hours had passed and Neuvillette is done reading, he looks at you and see that you were still reading and looks like almost finished so he kept quiet and took a sip from his drink.

After a few minutes you closed the book and looks up to Neuvillette and saw him looking at you.

"Why are you looking? Is something on my face?" You asked as you place your hand on your face.

"No I was just admiring your beauty while you read" Neuvillette said as he chuckled because of your reaction to him looking at you.

You're flushed from his compliment so you looked away for a bit.

"Oh come on.... Anyways are you done reading?" You asked as you calm down a bit and finally looked at him again.

"Yeah a few minutes ago" he said as he points to the book he recently finished.

"I see, so how is it?" You asked. You look like you're so interested to his final say about the book especially you recommend it to him.

Neuvillette then told you about his opinion and true feelings about the book and you listened to him all the way. And you can tell that he enjoy the book because he was telling how he feels about it to you with a smile.

After that, he also asked you about the book you've read, you told him you felt different emotions about it it's like a roller coaster feeling but mostly you were happy especially in the end of the book where there was an art of the main characters together hugging each other.

You also told him a fact about the author that they were also an artist and so they decided to draw the main characters at the end. Which is cute and heartwarming.

You showed him the drawing and he smiled, because it is indeed cute and nice for the author to add it at the end.

After that you ask Neuvillette if he wanted to borrow a book in your library since when you still don't own a library he would usually borrow books in different libraries.

He agreed and so you waited for him to pick books to borrow and after that you two leave the library after closing it. Then the two of you only walk for a bit when you arrived at your doorstep (and to add something, the library and your house are actually in like a compound where you own that lot).

You offered to Neuvillette that he should stay over at dinner or if he would like to stay in for the night (which always happen since you two are best friends). And so he agrees (like usual).

ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ

Please do not copy, translate, repost to any other social media, Thank you

[beautifulsnake2162020]

Rambling Fan Review of the donghua Heaven Official's Blessing (English dub)

I just need to ramble for a bit after finishing the entire series (PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS A SEASON 3!).

Quick Quick review version: I LOVE IT even if I didn't read the novels yet. Highly recommended.

Quick review version: Why is this so underrated?! Would me fangirling about it make Season 3 to arrive faster? I GET THE HYPE NOW!

Actual review/rambling:

So just to be clear on a few things so that everyone is on the same page:

I deliberately chose the English dub once I saw it was an option because my brain needs to rest from all my academic readings and it was too tired to read the subtitles;

There is nothing professional about this review - it's just me writing all my feelings after crying on the closing montage of season 2. Considering that I was emotionally crying on the closing montage of Season 1, I don't know why I'm surprised at myself for doing the same on the Season 2 montage;

I read some spoilers from the wikia pages because I want to know if Hualian gets a happy ending or if I have to write one for them;

I am horny for James Cheek's Hua Cheng voice;

Having said that I am so impressed with his vocal chemistry with Howard Wang's Xie Lian. When I read the novels (when life finally allows me to do so), their voices will be the voices in my head for Hua Cheng and Xie Lian;

I watched some of Kictor's videos on TGCF , specifically this video but I stopped at around the 12 minute mark since I was confused at first midway on the first episode on who was supposed to be Xie Lian's love interest. I initially thought it was going to be a love triangle with Xie Lian being fought over. I was impatient and I needed to know just the background details. I can confidently say that I think this video helped me in clarifying some things and I think the emotional reveals still work;

I am very aware that there were certain scenes that needs to be changed because of China's censorship laws and that the novels have more leeway;

A part of my brain is already making outlines for fanfiction for Hualian; and

The most important point - It is okay to disagree with me. This is just my opinion on what touched me the most while watching the story unfold.

Okay now to the fangirl rambling:

As I type this to the youtube loop of Red Supreme by Hu Xia I've got a lot of positively emotional feelings.

I LOVE how their love story unfolds. How they save each other and they complement each other so well.

I especially love how the story within itself shows why Hualian loves each other even though they may not expressly say it but it is so obvious from their actions to each other and their internal monologue that we are given every now and then.

Season 1 is about showing that Hua Cheng's reason for existing is his love for Xie Lian.

Season 2 is about showing why Hua Cheng's feelings are from genuine love for Xie Lian.

If anything their love story teaches an important lesson: Hope doesn't have to be perfect to be effective.

At the start of Season 1, everyone in Heaven has given up hope on Xie Lian being nothing more than a waste of space who has the audacity to ascend three times and it seems like everyone except Ling Wen who after informing him of his debt because of the damage his latest ascension caused was able to help him get a task to quickly get more credit to pay off the debt (to be honest I still don't really understand the currency of Heaven but maybe that's kinda the point that the story is trying to make in that in a place supposedly of paradise this should be ridiculous. Mortals believing themselves reaching heaven will grant them freedom only to be subjected to the current system in place). And it is this little piece of hope that leads him to Hua Cheng who is the very proof that he has managed to greatly affect someone by giving them hope when they wanted to give up. Xie Lian may think later on that he might have said something ridiculous but to Hua Cheng who wanted to commit suicide, his very existence is the hope he needed to change his perspective on life and it is because of Xie Lian telling him to make him the purpose of Hua Cheng's life that Hua Cheng finally got to live. Even if now he is a ghost, from the brief time he actually truly lived life, that experience showed him what are the things that matters the most. And him achieving greatness in the form of being one of if not the most dangerous calamity that Heaven had to face. So much so that he has killed 33 Gods and has gained a reputation of being someone who is essentially the God killer. He did all of this because Xie Lian saw him in a time when no one wanted to see Hua Cheng, much more help him. This is mirrored in Ban Yue who kept the hope that Xie Lian gave her when he shared with her his dream of saving the world. Something he is later embarrassed about but it was enough for her to do her best to change things, even when it involved the massacre within the city walls. And once again this is shown in Lang Qianqiu to whom Xie Lian was a mentor to (I forgot the word they used for mentor but you get what I mean), when he taught him that it is not the royal family but the people that makes a nation thrive and this lead to Qianqiu leading a peaceful reign and united the nations of Xianle and accomplishing what several others had hoped for.

And this is where these relationships begin to act as a foil to show why the Hualian relationship works.

Ban Yue was misguided and did not have enough experience to trust in herself to know the difference between right and wrong and the subtly gray area in between. While influenced by Pei Jr, she also isn't wrong for saying that she also had some responsibility. But she thinks that the beatings she took in her afterlife is her penance for what she did on that day. It was self-destructive because while she may not say it out loud a part of her feels like she deserves to be treated badly after what she has done. And it was only after they saved her - that she begins to start moving on.

When Xie Lian started to become a God that was hated, he was also self-destructive and feeling like maybe he did deserve it. It was during this time that Hua Cheng still in his mortal lifetime declared that he will never forget Xie Lian. While this may or may not have influenced Xie Lian into moving on from any past mistakes, we do know that he may have not confronted any negative feelings enough that he still has a mental breakdown when the truth is revealed to Lang Qiangqiu. And so Hua Cheng provided Xie Lian that space and person to not be alone while confronting these feelings and thoughts all the while also reassuring Xie Lian that he is not a bad person for what he has done.

Speaking of being viewed as a bad person, we also come to the flaw of Lang Qiangqiu's perspective on Xie Lian. Both Lang Qiangqiu and Hue Cheng admired Xie Lian for saving them and wanted to be like their savior. But there is a difference: Lang Qiangqiu despite having more interactions with Xie Lian as his student, grew up idolizing him so much that he did not notice that the image he made of Xie Lian in his head is either a savior who could do no wrong or the traitor who killed his family and all of their lessons and experiences together were lies so that Xie Lian could kill his entire family. This simplistic reduction of Xie Lian which had carried out even in Lang Qiangqiu's life as a martial God, is not the true Xie Lian who was somewhere in between. Seeing him as nothing more than a savior prevents him from thinking of the times when Xie Lian was the killer rather than the savior. And seeing him as nothing more than a traitor would make him blind in the things that Xie Lian was genuinely trying to teach him to make him better than generations before.

Meanwhile Hue Cheng only had a few but significant interactions with Xie Lian that doesn't simply reduce Xie Lian as either one or the other. He knows enough to know that Xie Lian is altruistic and would do anything that would make the world better. Whether that was disrupting a procession in his honor to save a bandaged child from being killed from a fall or what seems to be the massacre of the Yong An royal family with only the heir remaining, he knows Xie Lian has enough reason to do the things that he did, though he may not know all the facts of the story. And to talk with the God he loved when said God was feeling hopeless and was in despair because people now hate him and are destroying his temples made Hue Cheng realize that even Gods feels remorse, upset, tired, and hopeless. I think this is the moment that Hue Cheng truly becomes devoted to Xie Lian. I forgot who in the Hualian tumblr community said it but I have to agree that this very human moment of Xie Lian being in despair is the catalyst in Hue Cheng's life to be the person whom the God he loves could turn to when he needs support from someone. And what better support could a God have than the most devoted follower that would become the most dangerous and notorious Ghost King among the four calamities. Him being a ghost is also the very thing that ensures Xie Lian continues to exist. These two interactions he has had was enough to not paint a simple picture of Xie Lian in Hue Cheng's mind which allowed him more than Lang Qiangqiu more contemplation on Hue Cheng's part on who the actual Xie Lian is while also allowing room to get to know him more.

Add this to how he is disgusted by how Heaven is for allowing Xie Lian to be taken for granted and which made him realize that beneath the beautiful veneer it is still a system which seems to hinder rather than actually help both Gods and mortals alike - being the most powerful and dangerous Ghost to warrant being a threat to Heaven truly was the best option for Hue Cheng.

And I know this has already been said but it is beautiful that even now in the early stages of their relationship both of them wants to be there for each other. Xie Lian was always there in some form or another for Hue Cheng and Hue Cheng is always there for Xie Lian no matter what disguise or form he takes. They both complement each other's weaknesses. Xie Lian tends to overthink and sometimes doesn't allow himself to truly feel because of his religious sect. Hue Cheng while also calculating tends to take action more because of either efficiency or boredom. Xie Lian apologizing to Hue Cheng for giving him half-truths and thinking about the damages he caused while Hue Cheng apologizes for wounding Xie Lian was so beautiful in that they both love each other to think they deserve retribution from the other when it is so obvious they want their relationship to be repaired.

Hue Cheng is the one being that Xie Lian could truly be himself with and Xie Lian is the one being that keeps Hue Cheng living even though he himself is no longer mortal. And that is such a beautiful love story.

[dewypeach]

For the kiss ask game. This is a strange one, but QPR Rushu/Szeth and number 13

I loooove the idea of QPR Rushu/Szeth!! I'm sorry, I tried to do the prompt you picked and ended up going in a completely different direction... It's still them though!

QPR Rushu/Szeth, modern AU, rated Teen, 730 words

Rushu had recently introduced Szeth to the concept of parallel play, and he found it very much to his liking. Right now, he was sitting cross-legged on the floor in Rushu’s room, playing Breath of The Wild on his Nintendo Switch. Rushu sat at her desk, typing away on her computer. He found the sound of her typing to be oddly soothing.

“Hey, can you help me out with something?” Rushu asked suddenly.

Szeth paused the game and looked up at her. “Yes?”

“It’s for my Accountability of Virtue fic,” she explained.

“The one where Brightlord Sterling and Brightlord Vadam are lovers?” Szeth asked. He hadn’t read the novel, but he’d listened patiently to Rushu’s numerous rants, and had done his best to memorize the details so that he could engage her in conversation. 

“That’s the one,” Rushu confirmed. “I’m trying to write their first kiss now, and I can’t help but feel inadequate. Oh, I’ve read countless kiss scenes, so you can say I’ve got my sources down. But I’ve never actually kissed anyone, so I don’t know which of the depictions is most accurate. I don’t think I can consider my research thorough enough, this way.” Rushu swiveled around in her chair to face him, her eyes expectant. “So, would you be down to make out?”

Szeth blinked, surprised. Rushu and him had never done anything like that, and neither had expressed any interest. But while it didn’t sound especially appealing, it wasn’t repulsive, either. And, well, Rushu had asked him for help, and Szeth really wanted to please her. “Alright,” he said hesitantly. “We can try.”

They both stared at each other for a moment, neither making a move. 

“Um, should I get up…?” Szeth asked. “Or do you want to come here?”

“I’ll join you,” Rushu said quickly. She settled down on the floor in front of Szeth, her knees touching his own. Then there was another moment of awkward silence.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Rushu said.   

They both leaned in at the same time, and their faces collided in a decidedly unsuccessful manner, noses squishing together. It took them several tries to get the angle right, then their mouths found each other. At first, it was just lips on lips, which was fine. But then it got wet, and slippery, and all in all reminded Szeth of the seafood he used to eat back at home. 

They pulled apart after mere seconds, with matching grimaces on their faces. Szeth wiped at his mouth. “That was…”

“Bad,” Rushu agreed.

“Let’s try again,” Szeth said. He’d been given a task, and he intended to see it performed well. 

They tried again. It was somehow even worse this time, maybe because Szeth knew what to expect.

“Um, why is this happening?” Rushu said, frustrated. “People are supposedly really into this. I feel like that’s false advertising.” She scratched her head. “Or maybe we’re just not doing it right?”

“I’m sorry,” Szeth said. “I don’t have any experience in this, either. I’m probably not doing it very well.”

“Oh, stop that,” Rushu told him, rolling her eyes. “It’s not your fault. This is just not for us, probably.”

Szeth mulled it over, then nodded. “...Yeah. I think you’re right.”

Rushu sighed, turning back to her computer. “I guess I’ll just have to rely on other authors’ descriptions for my inspiration.”

Szeth started to pick up his Switch, then paused, an idea occurring to him. “Wait, what if Sterling and Vadam don’t kiss?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder with a frown. “But I’ve been building up to this scene for 4 chapters!”

“I know,” Szeth said. “But what if they don’t want to kiss? What if they’re… like us?" He grew excited as he spoke. "Wouldn't it be nice for people out there to have this sort of representation?”

He could see the gears turning in Rushu’s head, then all at once her eyes lit up. “Szeth, you’re a genius!”

“I am?”

“Yes!” Rushu beamed. “Queerplatonic Vadam/Sterling is such a good idea! Honestly, it makes their relationship so much more interesting. I feel like Vadam is so aroace-coded anyway, with how uninterested he was in being intimate with Wema in the canon… Hmmm… Sterling might expect a kiss, but it will be interesting to see them finding a compromise...” The sound of Rushu’s typing resumed at full speed.

Szeth smiled. “I’m glad I could help,” he said.

Rushu didn’t react. She was already somewhere in a far-off world.

[endless-season]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

tagged by @defeateddetectives /o/

3 ships you like: *looks into void* do I even have 3 proper ships

1) MikoIzuTotsu (Suoh Mikoto x Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K

And no one was surprised. I MEAN ITS BEEN OVER TEN YEARS. BUT A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE TEN YEARS WERE DEDICATED TO HOMURA TRIO (well technically... the real answer is Totsuka Tatara however we will ignore that for the sake of this meme). Get yourself two others who will go through it all with you thick or thin. Get yourself a leash i mean what. Get yourself a Kusanagi-san! Settle down in a bar and raise i mean gather a gang family!

2) Qin Jiu x You Huo - Global Examination

Felt obligated to include them since I'm currently trying to drag ppl to read this lmao. Also bc i have no ships to answer with, help. BUT THE CHEMISTRY! I mean, this is probably the first time I clearly see what people mean by the word ~ chemistry ~. Qin Jiu is such a chaotic menace, You Huo is such a chaotic menace, they are similar but also different and then put them together and everyone suffers, it's beautiful *wipes tear*. But they are also so so so soft together (i was going to say, in private.... but also in front of people's salad so!!!) *clutches heart*. The author, 木苏里 just does a create job exploring the two throughout the story, READ GLOBAL EXAMINATION! THERE'S ALSO AN ONGOING MANHUA THAT COVERS LIKE A THIRD. DO IT. and then send me liveblogs pls and thanks.

3) H-h-help... ships... are hard... I... don't ...

first ship ever: IzuTotsu (Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K Shamelessly links to that post where I sobbed over everything #Actual Marriage Goals The trust! The intuitive understanding! The communication! (sorry Mikoto, your grunting fails you) The ~ G o S s i P i n g ~ ! The mutual support and comfort ;_;! The domesticity of it all! The quipping and doting! The we're all in this (this = Mikoto doom but with matching wing tattoos) together! The seemless division of labor haha

last song you heard: i turned on my playlist when i saw this question so that by the time i finish answering the meme and come back to this question, i will have an answer… Anyways, so the answer is…. ~ wHAT A coINcindENce ~ Dark Night Fireworks, Lucien's season 1 theme from MLQC.

favourite childhood book: Uh........ idk.... Deltora Quest? Alex Rider series? If manga counts then maybe Detective Conan? lmao.

currently reading: I’m Not Shouldering This Blame (这锅我不背) Current novel in my danmei binging spree. 40 chaps in, enjoying it so far. Synopsis gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. Hordes of book transmigrators trying to derail or benefit from knowing the plot, military dealing with the supernatural mess and notifying MC and ML who are supposedly the villains, MC... just trying to work in peace cmon, ML... just trying to seduce MC cmon.

currently watching: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Just finished it over the last few days hence why there's a few posts in my queue. It’s nice and chill. I admit I was eyeing Himmel the moment he appeared in the first episode and didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his instant transformation / flashforward to old bald man. Was pleasantly surprised to see him appearing constantly in flashbacks haunting the narrative ethereal dead wife style lmao.

currently consuming: I waited for dinner to write this! Was lazy tonight so just a bunch of easy to prep in 5 min sides. Rice, Prawn dumplings, Chilli Bamboo (Fu Chi brand), Century Egg + Tofu + Pork floss, Smashed cucumber salad that I managed to ruin :/

currently craving: A reason to live A shiny new satisfying fandom obsession... Motivation and energy and wisdom to adult... A yakult and WangLaoJi... ... ...... *walks to fridge and grabs yakult and wanglaoji*

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A rare meme where I'm gonna actually tag!!! See what ppl are up to and eating these days >:)

@qserasera @chiaki-c @nervous-sheep @alice-chan-chan @jelly-cooperation

@laxmiree @caesurables @pu-san @vanishing-apples @dijeh

@ittybi @ellie-winthrope @bloomingmitsuri @a-justaway-is-just-a-justaway @constastan

As usual feel free to skip if tagged or do even if not tagged :> Edit: why is tagging not working *squints*