#also number 2 is sort of a fanfic teaser

[juanabaloo]

🌻 If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! Let's get to know the person behind the blog 🌻

I have been to Paris, at night. (And also during the day. It was a weeklong trip.)

2. My favorite Catholic school story is that during girls team basketball practice we would listen to "I want your sex" and "Faith." We joked to each other that the organ music during the start of "Faith" made it churchy and therefore OK. (It was definitely not OK for that Catholic school.)

3. I watched the 2004* Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees in Game 4 on TV. I am still in awe of Dave Roberts being able to steal second when every player there, every person at Fenway, and everyone watching on TV knew he was going to try. And he still did it! Go Sox!

*correction: for some reason I first typed 2020 instead of 2004. LOL.

[queenlilith43]

Reasons Why Post Plus is a Terrible Idea

Tumblr has recently unveiled their new "Post Plus" feature. It allows people to put a paywall around their blogs, allowing them to charge up to $9.99 a month, with Tumblr taking a 5% cut of the creator's earnings. In this post, I will explain why this is a horrible idea.

@staff: You better listen up. I took a few hours away from my day for this. I had to have my friend Ashley help me with this, and that took time from her day too. (Thank you @patalliumapples) I'm explaining everything under the cut because this is long.

1. We Don't Have the Money

First of all, Tumblr is a social media site. This means in countries like the US, people as young as 13 can sign up and have an account. Most teenagers do not have the money to keep up with their favorite blogs for the low, low price of $9.99!

Second of all, a lot of adults on the site already are having trouble paying their bills, and don't have any content they would be willing to charge people on. As explained in this post, people are already struggling. (They also explain how to support creators better, which I will go onto later.) They don't have the money to spend on this. I, as a teenager myself, don't have enough money to spend to unlock Tumblr blogs. I don't know if I even can, I don't have a credit card or anything, and I don't want debt before I'm out of high school. Oh, and that leads me right next into the next point.

2. You could fix other things

Tumblr is called a Hellsite for many reasons, and how it breaks a lot is one of them. One problem are the Ray-Bans sunglasses bots that hack the site every so often. I have gotten one, Ashley has gotten three.

You can also barely even search on this website. Searching for tags brings up the randomest things. You can barely even search your own blog, this is how bad it is. Fixing those issues before we give you our credit card number would be a great thing.

3. People don't want it

The consensus so far is NO. In some cases, "FUCK NO" This is valid, people don't want it. We can't pay for it, and we really don't need it. Everyone hates it.

And you bet that the Tumblr-famous will try this out.

I, as of writing this, have 416 followers. I bet all of them would leave me if I tried to do a paid post. (Not like I can, I'm a broke teenager, but still.) That would limit the market.

And other people have expressed they would leave anyone who put their posts behind a paywall, such as in this newly-viral post.

4. Monetization of fanfic

Alright. *Cracks fingers* I get to show off my knowledge of copyright law.

Fair use that covers fanfiction does not cover having to pay for it. Monetization of fanfiction is not legal, and if someone tries, the original content creator can issue a DMCA takedown order. The person who posted and monetized the fanfiction will be forced to take down their post, hurting their earnings. This will affect Tumblr.

Also, as we saw recently with a Loki T-shirt on Etsy, big corporations are known for taking down anything they consider infringement, even if it falls under fair use. There was a scare a while back on Ao3 (Archive of Our Own) that Disney would take down their fanfiction, but Ao3 had a legal time that can fight for them. Tumblr probably does not, and would probably lose a legal battle against Disney.

In fact, Ao3 does not allow any sort of links to other monetizable websites, like Pateron and Ko-fi, on their platform to avoid potential legal trouble. It's included in their terms of service, which you can read here. I would recommend it, and to check out some other links. They explain legal issues quite well.

And as satirized in this post, trying to find posts on Tumblr for a DMCA takedown is pretty damn hard.

5. You can get around paying for a post through the reblogs.

Despite the fact that is something you're technically not supposed to do, people can just copy and paste the content. The fact is if anyone has a Post Plus post, you bet the entirety of Tumblr is going to get around that. After all "you can share a teaser of +Post Content through the reblog function on the Services" (From the Tumblr TOS)

6. We've had mirror sites that could probably get around the paywall

In the past, we have had many mirror sites. They are the exact mirror of our Tumblr, tracking everything right down to our reblogs. Last I heard they were all shut down, though Tumbex sounded like it was going to come back. If these mirror sites are smart enough, they would be another way around the paywall.

7. You can't block people who are paying for your content

This is a problem. People can harass you, and sometimes, this Hellsite won't take them off. The block button is an important tool. I, for one, currently have 11 people blocked for various reasons. Some of them were messing with me in the reblogs of a post (it wasn't even their place to do so) and I didn't think Tumblr would count this as harassment.

If you can't block people, and even with the risk of it hurting your earnings, it's not good. Even remotely.

8. There are other ways to support creators that are much better. 

As said in the very first reason, creators hate this Post Plus. They prefer being supported in other ways. People also don’t always want to be paid for the content (not even counting legal issues) And if they want to there are already platforms set up for them to use. For example, Pateron has tiers you can set up for membership, ranging up to $100. There, you know what you walked into. You’re not expecting free content, like on Tumblr, you’re building a relationship with the people in your community. Ko-fi lets people donate directly to their content creators, and won’t take any of their donations, unlike the 5% cut Tumblr is planning on taking. Both platforms also offer features that would not be available on Tumblr. Creators are also more likely to already have one of these set up, and keep Tumblr for their free content. 

9. Tumblr could make money through better ads

Tumblr ads are famously . . . what’s the word? Ah, yes, “batshit” is the word I’m looking for. I’ve gotten ads for tattoo aftercare, signs of heart disease (the picture provided was someone with their nails painted blue), maps of the USA, celebrities that has passed away, lists of bad cities in my state, graphics of chickens with Hindi (note: I am American), and apparently now I should be worried if my dog licks their paws. (?) As I went to check my dash while writing this post, I saw a small air cooler that was apparently more powerful than A/C being advertised. 

No one clicks on them except for a laugh, or if they accidentally thought it was something that was actually interesting. Most of the time, it is not. Tumblr could do something like Instagram and actually have good ads and make more money off of it. It may not be as much as they thought they were going to make, but it’s better than what they have now. (It’s a low bar.) 

10. This is the same website that spearheaded DashCon

You remember DashCon, don’t you? 

This seems to illustrate the website's stupidity in one picture and this is why you shouldn't trust us with money.

If you have any other reasons why this is bad reason, reblog the post with your reasons. I'd like to hear them, and don't forget to tag the staff.

There is a survey Tumblr wants you to fill out here, it's a step you can take. You can also listen to the protest @postplus-protest which should help. It starts August 6th, it's going to be a great time.

[p-and-p-admin]

Interview given to The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.  (sharing here Admin approved)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/

Hello IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse and welcome to Behind the Quill, it’s wonderful to finally have the chance to chat with you.

Many readers will know you from your extensive catalogue of works like Convergence, A Soul-Mate’s Kiss, Entangled and of course, The Ribboned-Witch

Okay, let’s jump right in. What's the story behind your pen name?  It’s a simple one. I should be writing anything but fanfiction, ie o-fic. I need the pennies! Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most? Probably a mix of Snape and Granger. Snape’s general curmudgeonliness (is that even a word?!) and Granger’s swottiness, (also perhaps not a word…) Do you have a favourite genre to read? (not in fic, just in general) Romance. Always romance. I am addicted to my Happily Ever Afters. Do you have a favourite "classic" novel? Persuasion by Jane Austen. Reunited lovers, a fave trope. At what age did you start writing? 14. How did you get into writing fanfiction? I blame Wolverine. I fell into Rogan (Wolverine and Rogue) in 2011, then starting writing it, when I *should* have been writing my o-fic…. What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works? The Marriage Law Challenge. Can that be called a theme? I love that, and have written a few. It’s probably an equal love with soul-mates/fated mates. I’ve written a few of those, too. What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter? I’m a fairly linear shipper. So it was Rogan, then Sherlolly…then SSHG and it’s been only that for *gulp* almost seven years. If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon? Naturally, Severus Snape lives (not that he died in the first place!). Fanon? At the minute, I’ve read so much fanfiction, I’m not sure what’s solely in the books anymore! Dark Revels, maybe? Or could Jason Issac’s idea for long hair for Lucius Malfoy be considered fanon? lol Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet? It varies. Sometimes it’s whatever I have listed on Amazon Prime, or various rainy ASMRs. I so have a creativity sound thing that’s supposed to tap into your writing brain. It runs for 3 hours and does *seem* to work…when I remember to turn it on! What are your favourite fanfictions of all time? Hope Reawakened - Georgesgurl117 A Place in the World - Noodle In the Darkness in Which We Are Made - Corvusdraconis A Number of Ways to Kill Ron Weasley - Ms-Figg From the Corner - Coffeeonthepatio Chocolate Enchantment - Vivian B Forged in Flames - MsWhich Owned - TwilightDarkness82 Three Pregnancies and an Adoption - rhapsodybree A Witchhiker’s Guide to Beltane - TeddyRadiator Romancing the War - Pubella The Marriage Benefit - Miamadwyn The Nature of the Phoenix - scatteredlogic Vomica Domintor - Always_ss There are probably fistfuls more… lol Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process? A panster. Which is why I often get to the middle of the middle of a story (*the* hardest place!) and it stalls! What is your writing genre of choice? Romance. Always. Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why? Ignis Tactus, mainly for the feel of it. And chapter 5, because of quality of the writing. It’s intimacy. Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote? What did you learn from writing it? I had a vague idea of where it was going and wrote the first chapters in a few days. Chapter 5 took longer - as the smexiness always does. It was a reminder to pick out the right detail, which is a simple idea and the hardest to achieve. How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write? It wasn’t personal, I don’t think. A story is always a tapestry to me, weaving threads together to make sense.  What books or authors have influenced you? How do you think that shows in your writing? Probably from years back, Orwell and Hemingway. And a shedload of poetry. It’s made me aware of language and to aim to use the least words I can to sharpen the imagery, dialogue and setting. Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction? My other half does and that’s about it. I keep my fanfiction separate from my o-fic world. How true for you is the notion of "writing for yourself"? I like to write what I want to read, so very true? lol How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media? I’m a social media hermit, tbh. I’m on the usual sites, because I have to be for work…and even then, I can happily wander away for weeks! I envy people who do social stuff naturally. What is the best advice you've received about writing? Look at your verbs and make them strong. What do you do when you hit writer's block? I’m been blocked for about 2/3 years, which is why I’ve slacked on writing, both fanfic and o-fic. I’m still trying to find a way around it. At the minute, I mostly play with digital art/Daz3d. Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing? Very probably. I do sit and ‘feel’ the emotion in a scene as I write it. Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser? I’m plugging away on bits and pieces, the odd few hundred words here and there. So this is a bit of a bare snippet from The Offer of Just One More (yes, I also peck at that!) “Victoire said you’re mean, Daddy.” Alexandra’s little Severus scowl was quite plain. “I said you weren’t, so she tried to pull my hair. So we sat on her,” she pointed to herself, Oona and a beaming Olivia, “until she said you wasn’t…weren’t.” Hermione sighed. The Burrow was a bloody minefield. And she was certain there was more than Ron stirring trouble, through their children, to get in a dig at Severus. “You shouldn’t sit on people who disagree with you,” Severus murmured. There was a light in his eyes. Hermione was sure she’d get the blame for their three daughters being little hellions. A lifted eyebrow and the murmured, “Draco? An attack of birds? Setting me on fire?” “She sat under the tree with us last week when you were at the Burrow,” Emily said. Obviously their eldest had known about the altercation. And supported it. The Snape girls were just as protective of their father as he was as them. It was sweet. In a Mafioso sort of way… “It was the troll then, too. And she thinks you’re the best storyteller, now.” “Troll!” Meredith cried, waving her juice cup, obviously at the end of her patience in waiting for her story. “The troll, indeed, Meredith.” The toddler beamed up at her father and clapped her hands. Severus glanced down at a still-sleeping Hannah. His voice was soft as he asked. “So…who is the hero of this story?” Five little girls grinned and looked towards Hermione. She blushed. “Mummy!”

“And who is the villain?”

“The Troll!” Oona and Olivia declared. “Because he attacked her.”

“Quirrell. He released the troll.” Alexandra said. Emily shook her head. 

“She wouldn’t be in the toilet at all without Ronald Weasley.”

“Weedy!” Meredith laughed and the semi-circle of girls fell into giggles. Her eldest had recently taken a sharp dislike to her old friend. Hermione’s eyes met her husband’s. They would have to keep an eye on what the ginger menace was saying around their children. Or wait four years, and let Emily hex him. Any words of encouragement to other writers? Write what calls to you…and find your fun in playing with language. Hunt out those moments where you go ‘ooh, that’s good!’ Thanks so much for giving us your time. No worries. A pleasure :)

[kinomiakai]

Fic Decade in Review!

I thought I’d do something a little different this year - so, instead of going over all the fics I’ve written this year, let’s talk about this decade! They’re all SNS (except for the original stuff I’ll throw in there for the sake of accuracy) and will be under the cut :)

If you want to check out the actual summaries and stuff, this is my fanfiction.net account, here is my ao3, and here’s all my original work!

2010:

August: Konoha’s Number One (a dramatic dark!naruto thing that I only keep up to show that I’ve grown as a writer oh my god please don’t read it I’m just putting it here for the sake of honesty ajkhdksa)

2011:

...whoops

2012:

August: Alcohol Induced (my first ever attempt at smut)

September: Perceptual Organization (my attempt to both study and write fic)

October: Worthless (my only ever attempt at first person)

2013:

...uh

2014:

nope

2015:

we’re getting there

2016: (we take off!!)

October: How To Break a Mask is finished after 10 years (whoops), and I get an ao3 account!!! (HtBaM, Alcohol Induced, Perceptual Organization & Worthless are moved there - in the interest of time I’m only going to put ao3 links from now on but everything is also on ff.net!)

Still October: Both Name? and Strictly Professional are posted!

November: Home and The Jutsu are posted! (what the heck I wrote so fast back then???

2016 + prior word count total: 88,285!

2017:

January: I post Sleepless and Miscommunication and Masquerade! Woooo!

September: Posted both The Bet and Can’t Stand You! Can y’all tell I was trying to get better at smut lmao

October: Speaking of smut, Stress Relief was posted this month :D

December: I pause writing Enter Naruto to write Rebuilding in like a week like some sort of fever dream, and somehow have it ready for sns month! (I think this was a big turning point ksjdhkshf)

2017 Word count total: 60,784!

2018:

January: I post the first chapter of The Birthday Chronicles! (which was originally supposed to be a oneshot, oops)

February: I immediately follow it up with the prequel, The Present

April: I post Long Enough! which is definitely long enough to not be a oneshot but is the first fic I genuinely couldn’t bring myself to break into chapters

May: I update The Birthday Chronicles with another chapter that kinda sorta maybe stands alone?

June: I post Unnoticed!! Nice to be back in canon :)

July: I post Some Nights are a Storm! The first time I’ve wildly rewritten a fic. You guys are nice enough to want to read the first draft, too :)

July (again) to August: I start posting Enter Naruto on Sasuke’s birthday! I post a chapter a day and you guys read along and it’s amazing. It’s a culmination of at least two years work and every bit was worth it, I have such fond memories of that :) (A whole bunch of firsts here - writing Sasuke’s parents, writing Kakairu, writing slowburn, writing this MUCH, writing that many smut scenes, writing consistently over a long period of time)

September: I try my hand at one of my favourite tropes in (6+1) Times :) Also the first time I’ve ever written them as kids!

October: I post the third bit of The Birthday Chronicles!

November: I write Online for one tumblr prompt and A Night of Poor Choices for another!

December: I give a christmas gift to all my readers in the form of ‘Tis the Season (and I made a hard deadline!! Woohoo!)

2018 word count total: 203,850!!!! (lmao thanks Enter Naruto)

2019:

January: uhhhhh Under Pressure just kind of happens

February: I write C’mon in a burst of speed in the hopes of cheering up a very sweet anon!

March: we’re back in canon again for a flame, a cave and a feeling!

April: I fiiinnnaaalllly get around to write that Proposal x Wedding prompt and I take lots of liberties with tradition in Reborn by Flame!

June: I finally start posting Something Good! And you guys are all so sweet, even when I make you cry. (Definitely a sadder fic then I generally post, but I’m so glad you came along with me for the ride!) - /// - I also make a patreon and start posting my original work for the first time ever - starting with Some Sort of Feeling!

July: we celebrate Sasuke’s birthday to his unending annoyance in Sasuke’s “Not a Birthday Party” Birthday Party! - /// - (July’s patreon fic is The Worst Date Ever!!)

August: I give you guys a teaser & give a lovely anon a oneshot they requested in the form of Bite Me! (it’s gotten so long now friends. there’s so much happening please help) - /// - I also finally post a wlw fic on my patron as 🍀 (the girl from the bus stop)

September: I post Waiting for an Answer, based off an idea I had yeaaarrrsss ago! - /// - (Similarly, on patreon, I post The Woodcutter and The Witch, set in the world I’ve been thinking about for absolute ages!!)

October: I spend a whole bunch of way too late hours in a haze writing A Hostage Situation until somehow a fic just kind of morphs out of it

November: I finally get to share Moments, the piece I did for @eclipsed-zine​! I also post Undeniable, linking all my fics together :) - /// - On patreon I make up for last month by posting chapter 1 & chapter 2 of my long-term project: The Forest!

December: I forgo the christmas present in favour of making your yuletide gay with The Best Best Man! I get to finally write some proper inosaku in :D - /// - I post chapter 3 of the Forest on patreon, and my patreons vote for their christmas gift to be chapter 4 :D <3

2019 word count total: 137,965 of fanfic & 40,100 words of original content!

Stats of the decade: 39 fics - 539,984 words!

I’ll try to beat it in the next ten years :) Thanks for being part of my life, guys! It’s really been awesome to be able to invest myself into writing like this. I hope I can bring you all even more happiness in the next few years!

[dragonnan]

Fanfic Author Tag Game

Nebulously tagged by @ariaadagio

Ao3 name: dragonnan

Fandoms: Current only or “for all time”?

Current: Lucifer, The Good Doctor, Prodigal Son, Sherlock, MCU (tho mostly just fanfic anymore fucking endgame), Picard, Psych (though I’m on a break), Doctor Who (only 9, 10, and 11) 

Previous (which I still dip into now and then): HTTYD, MacGyver (org), Simon & Simon, Harry Potter, X Files, Monk, Star Trek (except Discovery and I only watched the first few seasons of Enterprise before it got completely unwatchable), Star Wars (ugh - they lost me after the first of the last three sequels), LOTR, various anime (Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, FMA), Batman, Quantum Leap, and probably many more I’m forgetting

Number of fics: 88 on Psychfic, 68 on AO3 (33 crossposted from Psychfic), 25 (not crossposted) on FFN Total: 148 (though technically the actual number of stories is higher a bunch of those are collections so I probably have closer to 200 actual fics... maybe more)

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Where There is Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth, started it April 2, 2009 and didn’t complete it until June 5, 2016

2. Fic you spent the least time on: One of those 100 word drabbles I used to write for Psychfic challenges

3. Longest fic: Where There is Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth (Psych) at 104,522 words

4. Shortest fic: not counting 100 word drabbles, This Isn't Goodbye  (Lethal Weapon) at 248 words

5. Most hits: Just Pieces; Passion, Pain, & Parody (Psych: collection) at 146,872 hits  - for an individual story: Fury (Psych: warnings for rape/noncon) at 125,555 hits

6. Most kudos: All Nighter (Psych) at 161 kudos

7. Most comment threads: Standing from Falling (Psych: warnings for rape/noncon) at 352 comments

8. Fave fic you wrote: Dammit I hate this question.... Ugggh... Well, honestly I tend to love whatever I most recently completed but, also, I REALLY do love this story on general merit.  Disclaimer, I’m ABSOLUTELY ECSTATIC about Sed Diablios but that’s still a WIP so... The Tiger and the Shark (Sherlock: warnings for rape/noncon)

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on:  I revised and revised and revised on my Psych story, Fury, before finally deciding to move on.  I would love to HEAVILY revise that entire series just because I’ve grown so much as a writer since I first wrote those (the first story was posted in fucking 2008!  But I also know I don’t want to return to that head space and have decided to keep building my skills with new stories rather than edit the past.  Stories I want to expand on... well I love the idea of having a series of stories - I did that with a number of Psych stories and would love to explore it with Sherlock or the MCU (Sed Diablios lends itself to being a series)  

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning: Well since I’ve mentioned it repeatedly how about a teaser for the next chapter of Sed Diabolus?

-------------------- Avenger's Compound – 2019 --------------------

His hands moved across the body of the young man – noting so much more than the skin and muscle and bone. Spirit, too, held an energy.  But Peter's was...

“It is odd.  He is not here and yet I could feel... something... a sort of... doubling... when I entered his mind.”  

Not looking up from his work, Stephen still managed enough frost that Wanda flinched.  “You're lucky you didn't fry every synapse in your skull.”  His glare didn't last, however, as it rapidly softened into a sigh.  “However, it was a noble, if reckless, attempt at a level of magic even seasoned sorcerers would hesitate to employ and certainly not on their own.” He stepped back from Peter, then, and let his eyes travel across the gathering of people crowded in the room.  He crossed his arms.

“Alright, I need everyone except for Wanda and Wong to leave.”  

Protest came, not from the large egos clustered together in a space too small to house them, but from a small woman whom Stephen had barely noted standing towards the back.

“I'm not leaving my kid.”  She brushed off Tony's hand and stepped closer – glaring in a way that reminded Stephen, painfully, of Christine.  “I don't know anything about magic or mind melds, or whatever it is you do but I can tell you that you don't know a thing about me if you think I'd let him face something like this without me here.”

Tag yourself if you’re interested!

[coffee-obsessed-writer]

Author Honesty Hour

I was tagged by my Whiskey Girl and Queen @soythedemonqueen to play along, Thanks babe <3

1. Which is the imagine you’re most proud of?

A New World, hands down. It 

2. Which is your least favorite?

I don’t have a least favorite series, but I think my least favorite one-shot was A Day at the Kingdom a Daryl Dixon x Reader story.

3. If you were to recommend one to read to your mum/mom?

NONE OF THEM. 

4. Which one would you consider re-writing?

Probably Find Your Purpose. I sort of regret how I ended it if I am being honest,

5. Biggest regret in an imagine?

See above.

6. Biggest success with an imagine?

Again, probably A New World, considering how many parts were involved and how many of the characters I ended up incorporating.

7. Your imagine with the most notes?

The Bet, Part 1. Currently, it sits at 217 Notes.

8. Your imagine with the least notes

My teaser for the TWD/SPN Crossover Fic I started and never finished, Zombies?! I think its at about 24 notes.

9. What do you think makes a good imagine? Tips?

Enjoy the character you are writing for. Also, if you don’t love the idea or where its going, step away and come back to it later. Usually, you will be able to fix whatever it is that isn’t working.

10. When’s the next update on your works?

I have a handful of requests to fill, then I will get back to Hunting for Home.

11. Number of followers before you started writing and after?

I had a handful, like... less than 10. Once I started writing it grew... I’m currently at 740 now, but like half of those are porn sites so.... yeah.

THE WRITER

1. Which character do you love writing for?

I started out writing primarily Daryl Dixon, but lately, I am pretty focused on Dean Winchester.

2. Which character do you dislike writing for?

When I was writing A New World, I didn’t care for writing Rosita. I found her a bit annoying and hard to get right. 

3. What’s your favorite AU to write for?

The only one I’ve ever tried was a crossover between Supernatural & The Walking Dead. I only wrote a teaser, but I would go back to it one day.

4. What’s your least favorite AU to write for?

I don’t know. I never really read too many before to get an idea of what I like and don’t like. 

5. What do you hope never gets requested?

Destiel. I am all for people doing their own things and shipping whatever makes them happy, but that’s not a ship I feel comfortable with since I am not aboard that boat.

6. What do you wish was requested more?

I would take any Dean or Sam Winchester requests. Sorta digging writing Crowley, but don’t know if I could pull him off with any real substance. I would also love to give something a try from Fringe (Polivia mostly) or Game of Thrones (Ayra x Gendry).

7. Thoughts on writing Smut/POC/Curvy/MxM/FxF?

Smut - even though I do it poorly I love writing it. POC, I am not entirely comfortable as my heritage is basically Irish & Scottish and I am afraid of offending anyone. I am curvy so I could be good with that, even though I’ve never had a request for it. As for M/M & F/F FUCK YES. Anytime, anywhere. Though I prefer to write F/F (I even have an original fiction story I am working on where the main pairing is F/F called The Retreat), I would definitely give M/M a go.

8. Which account is your biggest inspiration in writing?

I started writing fics because of @srj1990  She’s always my inspiration. But I also really get inspired by @soythedemonqueen and @kazosa . All three of them consistently blow me away with what they write, regardless of whether its a fanfic or something original, and I strive to be half as good as these women are. They are my biggest inspirations & Tumblr crushes. 

9. How long have you been an imagine writer for?

I wrote my first fic in early September of last year. 

10. Any upcoming secret works? 🤔

I have big plans for Hunting for Home that only one person knows... but other than that, not really.

Tagging: @sorenmarie87 @kazosa @lucifer-in-leather @hyphymanatee @lefthologramdeer @jimjams83 if y’all wanna play along <3

[luvkirby4ever]

#15 on the Identity Ask thing! :3

Thank you anon!

#15:  5 most influential books over my lifetime.

Number 5:  “The Ersatz Elevator” by Lemony Snicket

Among my various “milestone” books, such as the first chapter book I read (The Trumpet of the Swan), books that made a flip switch inside my brain to like reading (The Hatchet, Frindle), or “book I stayed up so late reading that I dropped it on my face like an idiot” (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), I choose The Ersatz Elevator because it was a book I successfully read back when I was very reluctant about reading.

One thing that always stuck with me is that the style in which Lemony would write the teaser for the next book (/his narration style) actually made me question whether or not the series was fictional.  I was probably about 10 or 11 at the time and was pretty firm on the stance of “there’s no way this happened, that’s impossible” but the fake notes to the editor at the end were so convincing that I kinda started to believe it.

It’s also worth noting that even though it’s #6 in the series it was the first one I read- I didn’t like reading back in elementary school.  I ended up reading the whole series because of this book, though!

Number 4:  “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire

This book is weird and I take quite a bit of issue with it.  For starters, I usually dislike large time skips, and there’s like 4 of them.  Another issue I have is that the author writes with a sort of emotional/thematic detachment in such a way that it feels like he’s trying to say something meaningful/important but it ends up boiling down to feeling like the “if there were two guys on the moon” copypasta.  I reread it for the first time after many years and was disappointed in the direction the story went after the school arc tbh.

But all that aside, I read this during a time when I was starting to awaken to the idea that things that were “girly” weren’t necessarily bad by nature.  And I should clarify that I would not consider this a “girly” book by any stretch of nature!  It’s just that I used to be so staunchly against narratives about women (no less about women showing genuine tenderness) that reading Wicked was a big step towards trying to drink respect women juice.

Wicked’s MVP was definitely Glinda- she was a character who I immediately wrote off as “the shallow girly ditz” and was surprised at how invested I had become in her at the end of the school arc.  I feel like there was a lot of wasted story potential in Wicked and Glinda was definitely a character who I’d want to write a fanfic about.  So much wasted potential.

Number 3:  “My Lesbian Experience With Lonlieness” by Kabi Nagata

WTNV may have been my gateway drug into LGBT+ culture, but just like the dumb f*** that I am it wasn’t until a few months after I first read this book that I realized that I’m gay.  The book constantly rested in the back of my mind so one day as I was staring up at my ceiling in bed I thought about it again and thought “wait… I think I’m gay”.

(Shoutout to “My Brother’s Husband” for also helping, too.  From a story perspective I prefer “My Brother’s Husband” but “My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness” is the one that keeps returning to my thoughts about stuff.  Both are so good though I highly recommend them both!)

Number 2:  Genki (Second Edition)

I know it’s not a “book” book, but I’ve had this textbook for years now and I have emotional attachment to this thing.  I’m going to be taking my first JLPT this year so I literally study with it for an hour every day.  It (along with my first signed WTNV novel) is my most treasured book.  It represents a lot of my hope and dreams.

Number 1:  “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

This book.  If you’re American, there’s a good chance that you were forced to read it.  And there’s a good chance you didn’t like it.  As a kid, there was a lot to slog through.  And it’s a book that truly shows its age.

I was 15 or 16 when I first had to read it.  My teacher had given an assignment/test question on the some themes from the book, and one that I remember very vividly was the topic of innocence.  Stuff about losing innocence, protecting it, characters like Jem vs characters like Boo.  And as someone who endured a lot of really horrible things in my childhood, I was particularly drawn to examining the narrative’s opinion on innocence.

…And refuting it!  Don’t get me wrong- I actually like the book, believe it or not.  The prose at end about Scout walking Boo back home and seeing the neighborhood through his point of view evokes a powerful sort of emotion in my stomach (sadness? nostalgia? fondness?).  But this book constantly makes me think about the theme of innocence and how it’s portrayed in media (and how my teacher put a spin on what he thinks innocence is).  And I actually really hate the notion!

As someone who experienced a lot of childhood trauma, the notion that “once innocence is lost we are bitter jaded adults” is a bleak one.  I don’t disagree that children are innocent and that they should be protected.  I disagree with the sentiment that the spark of childlike wonder and awe disappears when you mature and that in order to properly grow into an adult you must eschew it.  That innocence will die and you’ll never be innocent again.

It is true that we can never really unknow things.  And as adults we hold responsibilities that children aren’t developed enough to bear.  But we live in a universe so vast and in a world so wide that there is so much we don’t know.  There are things we haven’t tried, people we haven’t met, cultures we aren’t familiar with.  Right now, there could be your new favorite thing out there waiting for you to discover it.

Being an adult working at a science lab with other adults is odd because I’m surrounded by many people who believe that it’s completely normal to just go through the motions of marrying/having kids so that you can complain about how jaded your spouse/kids makes you.  And to be fair, that *is* normal in this culture.  But it doesn’t have to be that way!  The innocence and joy of living and experiencing new things doesn’t have to die when you get a nine-to-five!!!

Tldr:  I like the book and examining/deconstructing innocence as a construct is very important to me as someone who got depression at 14 and was led to believe that life was never going to better because once innocence is lost that spark never comes back

[firstagent]

5, 8, 9, 11 and 14 for The Connection please! I read it back in 2010 and it's really stayed with me ever since.

Oh hey, I wasn’t expecting one from The Connection! Had to thinkback a ways! Here’s the post the numbers refer to. Fanfic questions jump the line so send them in!

5: What part was hardest towrite?

Honestly, all of Level 3! The first two parts were written while Iwas in school. With a couple hours between classes and living farenough off campus to not be worth heading home, it was easy to have aroutine of going to the computer lab and banging it out. Level 3 cameafter I graduated and was in the real world, where time is lessstructured but there are more distractions (along with additionalmoney and career stress). I feel terrible that it took a couple yearsfor the final part to be written, but I’m proud that I was able tofinish and grateful to all the readers who stuck with it that long!

As far as specific scenes- all the battles, especially the Daemonfight in Level 1. This came at a time when we didn’t have easyaccess to the episodes and online references weren’t as plentifulor reliable.

8: Did any real people or eventsinspire any part of it?

I had a hard time thinking of any until I remembered one that’sspecifically referenced a couple times in the story. I don’tremember if I did so consciously, but it’s obvious now that I wasusing this to get out some thoughts on the aftermath of 9/11. TheJune 9th incident that Mimi talks about in Level 2 is treated in asimilar way by characters in the story. It’s used both todemonstrate the courage and unity of a community, and how quickly itcan used to isolate and demonize a group. It’s the sort ofmentality that leads us to believe Digimon can never fully beaccepted in human society.

9: Were there any alternateversions of this fic?

Before the story started, there was a teaser prologue that I ended up deleting. There are a bunch of inconsistencies, takes some ofthe fun out of one of the bigger mysteries, and would easily rubpeople the wrong way now. In the years after finishing it, I didcontemplate going back and filling in some of the blanks leading upto the 02 epilogue. Really glad I didn’t! Although tri. invalidatesa number of things in the timeline, it still compliments the mainstory very well. But it would have totally ruined what I had planned!

11: What do you like best aboutthis fic?

While it’s most notorious for all the screwy elements and theunusual links between the Adventure and Tamers universes, in the endit’s really just a story of Takato going to the ends of the earthand back to reunite with Guilmon. For all of his heroics and all thelives he changes, he just wants his partner back and the ending wherehe’s thrown a bone in defiance of all logic still might be the mostpowerful moment in the story.

I’m also really satisfied that future series, namely Savers andtri., decided to ask the question of whether humans and Digimon couldever really co-exist. So far, we’ve all drawn the same conclusion.

14: Is there anything you wantedreaders to learn from reading this fic?

This story wouldn’t be what it was if it wasn’t for myfrustration with the ending of 02. Rather than spend all my timebeing annoyed with the decisions it made, I put more thought intothose decisions and weaved them into a narrative that I can be atpeace with. It’s a lot more fun than hating! My newer stories dothe same thing- Resumption explores the ramifications of the 02 kidsbeing missing in tri. while Neverworld puts a spotlight oncharacters from later seasons that needed more sun and even kind ofalludes to the dangers of having Adventure dominate the franchise. Sothe most important thing to take away is rather than stew oversomething you dislike, channel it into something positive and make acontribution!

Want to support my site and/or my work? Buy me a coffee!

[isabelbandeira]

A Little Light Zine Short Story (partial)

Just a reminder, you have until February 1st to get your copy of the (HTG, heartachingly BEAUTIFUL) @a-little-light-zine for Haiti Hurricane Matthew relief. Some contributors will be posting their art or stories online soon since it’s about to go “out of print”, but I won’t. So, the only way to read my short story, “Even The Darkness,” is by donating to a charity for Haiti relief and sending your proof to the zine (info on their tumblr) before the 1st. The zine has already raised over $1500 in donations, it would be wonderful to see that number go higher!

But, as a teaser, I’m posting the first 500 words below (after the link to the prologue that was cut for word count).

The prologue (of sorts) is here: http://isabelbandeira.tumblr.com/post/153640884118/a-little-light-zine-short-story-prologue

Even The Darkness, a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic

The bells of Notre Dame were loud, especially at 2 am and most especially for anyone who decided the best place to be on a damp and cold December night was the roof of the cathedral, right next to the bell towers. While the rest of Paris continued to sleep, two exhausted superheroes were jolted awake by bone-shaking waves of sound. “I really need to go home,” Ladybug said with a yawn, but made no motion to get up from where she was nestled, snug in the crook of one of the buttresses. The akuma battle hadn’t been hard, per se—they hadn’t even had to use their special attacks—but it had dragged on forever. At least the akuma victim was long gone, ushered out of the cathedral square by the police after she’d changed back to normal. “And sleep,” she added. And give Tikki a mountain of well-deserved cookies, she thought, but didn’t say that last bit out loud.

“Same,” Chat said, but also didn’t budge from the gargoyle he’d landed on after their post-battle fist-bump. “I never want to see another piece of tinsel again.” “Or ornaments.” She couldn’t blame the interior designer for getting akumatized. Anyone would if they’d spent a week decorating the Grand Paris Hotel only to have Chloe demand an entire redesign three days before Hanukkah and four days before Christmas, but still. Dodging strings of lights, crèche figurines, and mistletoe to grab the designer’s papilotte-shaped pin was exhausting. “Or toffee. I swear my boots will never stop being sticky.” She glanced over at Chat with a frown. There had been something… off about him through the entire battle, but she hadn’t been able to quite put her finger on what, exactly, until that moment. He’d just missed the perfect opportunity for a pun about “sticky” situations. “Wait. You didn’t make one pun the entire night.” He gave her a weak imitation of his signature grin. “Does my lady want me to start? I’m purrfectly willing…” “No,” she said a little too loudly and a bit too quickly, then softened her tone. She didn’t like seeing her kitty look so down. “But really, is everything okay, minou?” “It’s nothing,” he said, but at her unwavering look, he shrugged and his electric green eyes broke from hers to look out over the city. “Not that I don’t cherish every moment with you, my lady, but tonight was supposed to be my first real Christmas party with friends and I missed it.” He took a deep breath and added so softly she almost didn’t hear, “Just my luck.” “And here I thought you lived in a whirlwind of endless social engagements,” she said with a gentle teasing lilt to her voice. “The only whirlwind in my life is the one that pulls me to you.” ... *groans at the painful punnery* Read the rest in the zine ;)