#and also coolbyrne

[release-the-sheep]

Very glad you reblogged thst ask game because I was secretly hoping you would.

Wednesday Night Fever: Where did the title come from?

And I'm also going to take this as an opening and ask what brings you to your characterizations of Maura and Jane in a romantic context (because I think it's absolutely spot on)?

oh my goodness yay! hi!

So, WNF was originally going to be a shorter, much more pwp-esque affair wholly inspired by Sabrina Carpenter's song Espresso, because I listen to music while thinking about my blorbos and my brain grabbed onto the idea of that as a Maura song and then proceeded to go brrrr about it. So it was gonna be called something like "Isn't that sweet? (I guess so)" in classic songfic fashion. But then I was thinking about how they would end up in a scenario where Maura is teasing Jane who is trying, for whatever reason, to hold back, only not really trying and just getting desperate and losing her mind a little, and plot happened. And at that point it felt improper not to have the title be related to the case.

Honestly, I find titles Hard. So I was looking for an easy out of some sort, and I figured, the murder happened outside a club, what's a phrase that's easily recognizable as being club-related... Saturday Night Fever. okay but get a little silly with it... different day of the week. Sure. That's how it happened, lol.

As for your second query........ what indeed. Very good question. I don't exactly know. I know my writing of Jane's Figuring It Out is heavily informed by my own experience of that, but that's not really what you asked. A lot of my characterization of them together is informed and maybe cribbed from (franken-cribbed from, I guess, since it's a lot of sources) All of the fic that I read upon first watching and continue to read now. That includes yours, btw. A lot of DanteBeatrice77's stuff as well, and coolbyrne, and @domini-porter, and @julieverne, and more recently @doomsday-dj and..... so many. god there are so many great writers in this fandom. I'm forgetting more than one for sure and I'm sorry to those folks but man there are so many.

I also have a very wonderful fiancée ( @vocallife) I have been mentioning in the majority of my comments lately because we've been using fic as bedtime stories and I read to her, and sometimes our dynamic matches with Jane and Maura's so I do draw on that, too. It's the whole service top/power bottom thing, I find it fairly consistently transposeable to our favourite detective and chief medical examiner.

And also my characterization comes from the fucking performances put on by Angela Michelle Harmon and Sasha Alexander. There are so many gay, gay choices those two made all the time constantly on that set and I simply want to explore them

[domini-porter]

Can we ask pseud questions? I wanna know what you liked best about Good Girl, and what part was hardest to write.

oh you know you can ask whatever you want

(If you, the reader, are unaware, I have an AO3 pseud that I use for my, uh, riskier stories, including Good Girl)(it’s Vendredi Pierce, if you’re curious)

So the part I like best is the damn audacity of it. I figured since I was writing something I considered dead dove I might as well go, uh, whole hog. I’ve noticed from the very earliest days—and you pointed it out, too—that this fandom tends toward euphemism and innuendo a lot, and tbh the most worrying thing wasn’t Jane’s magical mystery dick, it was that readers would be turned off by the word “pussy.” Not that they are! It’s just difficult to break through the heavily romance-coded archetypes for this pair, even in the blistering smut (I see you, PrettyLittlePoutyMouth and coolbyrne and you too, doom—not that these examples are constrained by that politesse, just . . . thinking about 🤌 smut). 

So to just go all in (so to speak) was the best part, for me; both exhilarating and kind of freeing, particularly since for a loooooong time I myself was really hesitant to write really explicit smut, listing more toward the softcore side of things, which is due in part to my own personal stuff, but also to the dominant preference for sensuality in Rizzles fic, either on the part of the authors or because it’s what the fandom gravitates toward, or both. I do see that shifting a little more, which is cool! But I get it, too—their chemistry is so romantically-coded, and the show is pretty squeamish about sex, so it’s easy to see them in that soft-lighting, curtains-blowing kind of way, even when it’s again, super-hot.

Tl;dr: “pussy.” “pussy” is the best part. 

(Also, sincerely, reading responses from people who saw themselves and their dreams in Jane’s oblique transtasia—yes I was relentlessly compelled to write an intensely-explicit story about Jane with a dick, but it’s also meant as a (very horny) fairy tale of gender euphoria, which everybody deserves, so I’m deeply happy and honored I got to add to that canon, at least.)

The hardest thing (heh)? Also “pussy.” It really was the biggest hesitation, like, would it read as too crass? Would it throw people out of the reading experience, even though it’s probably one of the tamer elements of the story? I’ve read a few of the other gp fics in the fandom, and they’re . . . I don’t wanna say “sleazy” because it sounds pejorative when I have a great respect for literary sleaze as a genre; they’re very . . . vivid, but definitely thin on plot and characterization, which I'm constitutionally incapable of. HOWEVER: I wanted GG to still be filthy. Humid. Sticky. Throbbing. But not crass, and “pussy” is one of those words (along with “cum,” which I maintain is a noun, while “come” is a verb) that can shift that perception. Makes the story feel even naughtier, y’know? But also: would people be turned off by it? In a story about a dick that sprouted overnight with zero physiological consequences? 

Fortunately, no, and I’m sure I worked the issue up in my head, but that’s what felt the most transgressive (so to speak). Certainly, at least, I saw using "pussy" as a way to give myself permission to get into some pretty, uh, niche stuff without being particularly worried about how it would go over. Hooray for tiny, gnawing neuroses!!

[jenni3penny]

'Enough For Now', Kibbs & mild Slibbs, 'Lawyer'

[agentkalgibbs]

Kibbs fic for @starrybouquet. Go nuts! :D

Life Drawing -- flootzavut E. Sexy, sassy, arty, and gorgeous!!

Random – musesmistress E this some good smut. Some goood smut here

need you now – Sami_Leigh T Post-Twilight. Gibbs and Abby talking about Kate. I cry evry tiem!! it sad make me feel the ouch! But a lovely cathartic moment nonetheless

Thirty Candles – Mindy35 K+ Kate's birthday! Grumpy Gibbs, shippy.

The Last Seduction – mindy_makru_tutu E sequel to Thirty Candles. so damn good! One of the first ones I read, got me hooked like a lil fishy

Blast from the Past - GallaudetLurker T unfinished, Gibbs finds himself back in time and changes things, unfinished

Found in Translation – flootzavut G Gibbs babbling/speaking Russian to Kate, SO VERY adorbs!!!

The Photo – flootzavut T Tony plays a practical joke on Kate, much to Gibbs' amusement and Kate's blushiness

Polar Bear series – flootzavut M-E Post-Eye Spy. Gibbs' deck, Nekkid Kate, good times :P

Breaking Point – flootzavut M some angst, some talky, some shagging

Crash and Burn – mindy_makru_tutu E deals with disability, lots of angst, but very good and some romance and smutty goodness

The COB knows all – onekisstotakewithme T Sub Rosa hilarious lil fic, always makes me grin

Sign to Me – sansone T seriously fluffy, ASL, Im one giant smile every time I read this

Propositions – Rinari7 M apart from being lovely and a bit sexy, the only tags that matter ate #Ari dies #Not Kate

Back Steps – coolbyrne T Kate went into WitPro instead of dying, story based in S8 and includes some spoilers

Empirical – jenni3penny T Kate tables the turns on Gibbs. :P very entertaining!

If You Just Believe – onekisstotakewithme T AU based on The Santa Clause 2. Gibbs is Santa, Tony and Ziva are elves, characters from future seasons

Trapped from Life – musesmistress E I've read this one at least a dozen times!!! Kate + Gibbs + Kate wanting to be having an actual life = shippy stuff!

out of hand – flootzavut M-E 2 part series. oh my socks, uunnff!!! These are just so freaking gooood! (have a cold drink nearby when reading the second part)

Aftermath – flootzavut T-M 2 part series, deals with non/con aftermath, but it's a genuinely lovely story, second part is of the sexy persuasion ;)

With You, Every Day is a Holiday – onekisstotakewithme T-M Series with fluff and smut and family, unfinished sadly but it's damn good!

Rosefern - flootzavut Series G-T Kate didn't die, but its angsty and friendshippy and romancy. Sweet and romantic Gibbs in this series :D

Better Offers – jenni3penny G-E Series Post-Yankee White, Kate gets a better job offer... includes smut

The Privilege Of Being Yours -- itbloomedforyourlittlegirl T fluffy and beautiful, marked as unfinished, but it is such a good read, I just finished a reread :)

Lie to NCIS - BadWolf303, flootzavut G-E Crossover with Lie to Me, Polyamory, VERY good series! Fun, flirty, sexy (steaming hot),

Not on my Watch. - Stargateloversteph T Twilight end differently, yay Kate no die!!

Home is Where – Ardin K gentle shippy build, very lovely little story.

What Dogs Know -  Ardin K ADORABLE!! Kibbs! And a puppy!

Also Doctorinblue, wearethewitches, Kimberley Jackson (also has some bangin' SG-1 fics!), CrimeShowFanatic, and a bunch more my hungry brain can't remember right now. Seriously, anything by any of these authors is going to to the entertain thing! Go forth and read!

@flootzavut @itbloomedforyourlittlegirl @unreliablenarratorink @wearethewitches @onekisstotakewithme @tryingthisfangirlthing @the-last-rat-standing @mindibindi

[the-last-rat-standing]

Building a Ship

My goodness! I’m just about to post my 100th NCIS fic, but wanted to make a quick post about the milestone. 

As many of you know, I was a Kibbs fan and hadn’t watched NCIS since Sasha Alexander left. They were my straight OTP and when Kate died, that was the end of it for me, too. Then, two things happened: I got into a Kibbs fic binge by reading all of @unreliablenarratorink‘s Kibbs stories and got pulled back into the fandom. She had an unfinished fic that she invited someone to complete, and when I asked if it would be okay if I took a crack at it, she agreed. That led to my first NCIS fan fic, “Back Steps”. (I posted it 4th, but it was really the first NCIS fic I finished.) The second thing that happened? Maria freakin’ Bello. I wasn’t ready for how gregarious and wonderful Jack Sloane was going to be, and I definitely wasn’t ready for the chemistry between her and Mark Harmon. One hundred (!!!) stories later, here we are.

Started posting: Feb.11th, 2019

Total words: 424318

Longest fic: “Oklahoma Skies”, 36 554 words

Shortest fic: “D is for Drawer”, 100 words

My first fic: “What You Give”. I wanted to do a Kibbs fic, but I also wanted to do a Gibbs introspective story. I will probably go back to that one day and edit it a little; I don’t feel I have Leon’s voice right. But it was a good warm-up for what was to come, and thanks to people suggesting it, I later added a chapter involving Jack, and that was the real jump start to Slibbs.

My current fic: “O is for Opera”. When I told my wife I needed 17 fics to hit 100, she gave me an Alphabet Series challenge. (Side note- my wife has been such a trooper through all of this. Slibbs, Kibbs, and Gibbs just aren’t her thing. But she has no problem giving me fic ideas! Half of what I’ve written wouldn’t have been done without her input.)

My favourite fic: You know that’s impossible to say. There are certain things I love about every one of them. I will say I love the little bits of fic canon @unreliablenarratorink and I have created that we often weave through our stories. The ‘Be safe’ I have Jack say to him. The fact that Army always beats Navy. And, of course, $15 cheese.

Thanks to all who have supported my fics over this last year and a half, either through kudos and reviews, public reblogs or private words. It all means a hell of a lot to me. And if you want to sent a bit of coffee, feel free to visit my ko-fi page. My thanks to those who have done so in the past. It’s just caffeine to get my creative juices flowing!

www.ko-fi.com/coolbyrne

Onwards to the next 100! (*silently shakes head*)

[luckypenguinbuddy]

What are the rizzle fics are you reading?

That is a really loaded question because I am currently following 147 WIP Stories.  A number of those have been just sitting inactive for some time (I keep hoping someone will come back and finish them. I hope…I hope…I hope).

Here are the ones that updated this month…

Warm Milk  by YoDrDeath 

Before It's Too Late by NotAWastedWord 

A Crime of Passion by ellacj  

Prometheus by polotiz

Streetwalker  by Greened Ink

Not a Couple by soprano193 Also on AO3

What Separates Me From You  by UnknownStoryKnower 

Homecoming  by colormetheworld 

Jane's Girl  by SarahShalomDavid

I also have a ton of fallbacks that I go back and re-read from time to time.

Among the Dead by sociallyawkwardpenguin

Save Me or - (unnamed), Keys really any by colormetheworld 

Synergy & Symbiosis or any by ArcadiaArden

Elephants or any by feltknickers

Calamity Jane Meets Dr Isles, Medicine Woman or any by JoBethMegAmy. my homegirls

Cruise Control  by Blcklagoon

Fading Scars by inhummus

Erotomania or any by coolbyrne

Boston Daredevils by RileysHell

Later  by sockhop

Suspension of Disbelief by AngieB628

A Pair of Hearts or any by socks-lost  (Also on AO3)

39 Weeks by drisles

Seasick by Sybilia

Redemption  by RamblingtowardsEcstasy

Book Blinded by HowNowWit

I won’t even get into the ones I have on my to read list…lol.

Also, there are two fics that ended up as published works that you might be interested in...

The Moment by TC Anderson (aka colormetheworld)

Blurred Lines by KD Williamson (aka Rizzleslovr72) which now has 4-5 books to the series.

Happy reading

[jenni3penny]

The NCIS Summer Bingo Challenge ends in the next day or so and I was feeling bummed about not being able to get to everyone's requests so @the-last-rat-standing had a great idea!

How about a Leftovers Bingo Challenge?! I have moved the remaining challenges to this card, including the double Slibbs request that I had. I also gave myself a Free Space and an Author's Choice so that I can cheat should I have an idea that doesn't fit well anywhere.

There are four corners for pairing requests from the four mutuals (@the-last-rat-standing @tangocharliekilo @thenicecheese @hoffnungswolke) I trust most with my fics before I post them. These guys are the best beta readers or prompt givers in the fandom!!

That leaves seven blocks that can still be claimed by request. Once again, feel free to Anon or message your request. You do not have to stick to these three pairings. If there is another pairing we have discussed or I have reblogged, I can give it a try.

I will keep doing my best to get to everyone's requests! I'm still chugging along! 🤣😂

(Post/claims will be pinned for reference!)

***

Jilius/Run:

Slibbs/Run:

Kibbs/Hospital:

Slibbs/Late Night Phone Call (Coolbyrne)

Jilius/Band aids (Hoffnungswolke)

Slibbs/Cancelled Plans (Tangocharliekilo)

Slibbs/Injury (x2)

Jilius/Car

Kibbs/Clothes

Slibbs/Partner

Kibbs/Arrest

Slibbs/Anger

Kibbs/Innocent

Kibbs/Bloody

Jilius/Friend

Slibbs/Problem

[the-last-rat-standing]

C is also for ‘Chugging Along’. Lol!

[the-last-rat-standing]

It’s also for ‘drabble’. Exactly 100 words.

(You know I gotta do a few of these if I’m gonna do the entire alphabet, right?!)

[the-last-rat-standing]

The Scents of Things

For the Slibbs Challenge! :) (If you like my stuff and want to buy me a coffee, feel free to donate! https://ko-fi.com/coolbyrne Thanks to all who have supported in the past.)

<p>As a psychologist, she knew the power of the olfactory memory, was well aware how smells played a part in memories. She only had to smell fresh garlic to be reminded of her mother's kitchen where she would roll out homemade meatballs. The smell of the ocean would forever remind her of California just as sure as diesel oil would never be associated with anything other than Afghanistan. </p>

<p>He had his own scent, too, of course. Mostly soap and wood and strong coffee, though it would be sawdust that she'd connect with him, its smell warm and pervascent and the reward for a job well done. Well, sawdust and- she looked at the small but heavy bottle in her hand and smiled. CHAZ for Men. He wasn't inclined to wear cologne except when they went out, when he was Jethro Gibbs, Husband, not Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. When she had insisted, early on in their relationship, that he dispose of all remnants of at least the last 3 wives, a box of bottles of various emptiness was the first to hit the curb on garbage day. Which was one reason she jokingly gave him the cheapest, 'manliest' cologne she could find. And if the only thing she had gotten out of it was his laugh when he opened it on Christmas Eve, that would have been more than enough. But he did more than that- he wore the goddamn stuff. Even more surprisingly? <em>It smelled damn good on him.</em> Like his skin and his will turned the rankest, nose-wrinkling odour into something that made her want to curl up into his neck. Every damn time. </p>

<p>Tilting up the bottle, she felt a pang of impending loss. When the bottle had gotten below the half line and she realized how attached she had become to the scent, she rushed to the discount perfume store… only to find it was discontinued. ("Ma'am," the lady had told her, "that brand was discontinued <em>ten</em> years ago." The petite salesgirl whispered to her on the way out, "We had an office pool to see how long it would be before we sold it. We were all off by at least 2 years.") The tablespoon of amber reflected in the light and she flopped onto the hotel bed with a sigh. She was Day 5 into a week long conference in Seattle and she could do nothing but pout into the empty room.</p>

<p>At precisely 9pm, her phone rang, as it had done the previous 4 nights, and she muted the TV before answering. </p>

<p>"Hey."</p>

<p>"What's wrong?" was his immediate response. </p>

<p>How could she explain the melancholy that had settled in her heart over something as simple as cheap cologne? "Nothing." Knowing he wouldn't believe her, she clarified, "Just bored. Tired. I was fidgety in the conference today."</p>

<p>"Didn't you bring that fidgety thing I got you?"</p>

<p>"You're my fidgety thing," she all but whined. "It's not the same." Softer, she said, "I miss you."</p>

<p>"I thought that's why you took 3 of my shirts, my red hoodie and my cologne."</p>

<p>"I'm 2 steps away from eating through a container of Ben and Jerry's, and this is the support I get?" His laugh softened her self-pity, until she replayed his words. "Wait. How did you know I took your cologne?" </p>

<p>"Fornell invited me to that new steakhouse in Georgetown. Couldn't find the cologne."</p>

<p>"What'd you need it for?"</p>

<p>"It's a steakhouse. Where else am I gonna wear it?"</p>

<p>She took his teasing in stride, feeling her mood lift. "Shut up. You wear that everywhere with me."</p>

<p>"Because you like it."</p>

<p>"Because you love me."</p>

<p>"Mmm." There was a softness that sanded the edges of an otherwise Gibbsian grunt. </p>

<p>She was having none of his feigned dismissal. "Same reason you call me despite the time difference even though I keep telling you it's not necessary."</p>

<p>He really <em>was</em> sanding, because she heard it get louder, no doubt in an attempt to mask his confession. "Maybe I miss you, Sloane."</p>

<p>The use of her maiden name always sent a warmth through her, like the verbal equivalent of his scent. </p>

<p>"I'm wearing your shirt, your red hoodie and your cologne, if that helps." </p>

<p>"How the hell is that supposed to help?"</p>

<p>Burrowing into the bed and his hoodie and his scent, she mused, "You've got great hands. Put them to use."</p>

<p>Her coy attempt at knocking him off-balance didn't work because all he said was, "Tried last night. Didn't do a damn thing."</p>

<p>His brazen honesty made her laugh even as it sent heat between her legs. "Yeah, I know what you mean."</p>

<p>That attempt worked.</p>

<p>"Shit!" he exclaimed, and she could hear something clatter to the floor. "Godammit, Jack. For that, I'm throwin' out that cologne," he warned. "And the hoodie. And the shirts."</p>

<p>His threats meant nothing, especially when he never completely hid the fact he liked her in any combination of the 3, and his disapproving hum fooled no one.</p>

<p>Still, she felt compelled to say, "You wouldn't. You may have 11 more Marine hoodies and 34 more shirts, but you can't find this cologne anymore. Believe me, I've tried."</p>

<p>"You've counted my shirts."</p>

<p>"And hoodies. How else am I suppose to rank them in order of my favourite?"</p>

<p>"Didn't realize there was list.”</p>

<p>“Oh, there are <em>many</em> lists. Which sweaters are my favourite. Which pants your ass looks best in. Which boxers-” She was sabotaged by her own yawn. “Sorry.”</p>

<p>“You tired yourself out by fidgeting.”</p>

<p>A sleepy smile spread across her face. “I did. See? You should’ve been there.”</p>

<p>The soft scrape-scrape started again. “I’ll be there in 2 days. The airport, anyway.”</p>

<p>She sighed, a touch of melancholy returning. They hadn’t been apart for more than a few days since they’d gotten married and she was finding out how little she liked it. “Promise?” The question was unnecessary but the distance encouraged her small pity party.</p>

<p>“Promise. Whattya want me to wear?”</p>

<p>“Really?” She brought the hoodie’s sleeve up to her nose while she contemplated the offer. “Those blue jeans with the hole in the pocket where your wallet goes. And that grey cable knit sweater with the wool coat?”</p>

<p>“It’s June.” He must’ve heard her little resigned sigh because he said, “Fine. Blue jeans. Hole. Sweater. Coat.”</p>

<p>“I promise you won’t be wearing them long once we get home.” The bounce in her voice brought out his laugh.</p>

<p>“Go to sleep, Sloane.”</p>

<p>“You, too, Cowboy.”</p>

<p>…..</p>

<p>She was right. He didn’t wear the clothes very long. In fact, half of them were gone by the time they’d stumbled to the couch and she had been so focused on getting the rest off (to be fair, he wasn’t taking much time with hers, either) that she had missed the wrapped box on the table. It wasn’t until the air started to cool the sheen of sweat across her back and her heart returned to a less feverish drumbeat that her brain kicked in to the new thing in the familiar room. Lifting her head from his shoulder, she peeked over hers.</p>

<p>“What’s that?”</p>

<p>It was taking his heart a bit longer to slow, and with his head back against the couch, his Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed. “A box?”</p>

<p>“Smart ass,” she accused, nipping his chin with her teeth.</p>

<p>“Why don’t you go look?”</p>

<p>“You just want to watch my ass as I walk away.”</p>

<p>“Yep.”</p>

<p>His honesty got him another light bite, but also got him what he wanted, because she slid off his lap and sauntered to the table in all her naked glory. </p>

<p>“How’s the six, Gunny?”</p>

<p>“Lookin’ pretty good from here, Lieutenant.”</p>

<p>She picked up the box and weighed it in her hand, tilting it back and forth in an attempt to divine its contents.</p>

<p>“Or you could just open it,” he suggested.</p>

<p>“Did I mention the smart ass thing?” It was a rhetorical question as she sauntered back to the couch.</p>

<p>“I like watchin’ you leave, but I love watchin’ you come back.”</p>

<p>“A sweet smart ass,” she amended, returning to his lap with a sigh when his hands automatically went to her hips. She shook the package again until she saw the impatience narrow his eyes. “Okay, okay.” The paper was barely ripped away when her laughter filled the room. “Where did you find this??”</p>

<p>“Somethin’ called ‘ebay’.”</p>

<p>She scowled at his sarcasm, but held up the bottle much in the same way she had in the hotel room; only this time, the bottle was full. He shook his head at her beatific smile.</p>

<p>“I have no idea what you get outta that.”</p>

<p>“I get you. I get a memory.” </p>

<p>She uncapped the bottle and sprayed a short burst under his upturned chin. Their eyes met, blue on brown, full of promises that were punctuated by his kiss.</p>

<p>“Good," he breathed against her lips, ‘cause I got 4 more bottles in the basement.” </p>

<p>She squealed in delight as he twisted her onto the couch, letting the bottle gently hit the floor.</p>

<p>…..</p>

<p>-end</p>

[the-last-rat-standing]

Time

So I was giving @unreliablenarratorink some grief yesterday because she had gone for a day without writing. Of course, it was all in jest, because we all write at different paces, have different real life commitments, etc. I know there seems to be an accepted way of thinking that we should write every day, but I find that mantra generally comes from professionals who actually have time to write every day, and have a financial incentive to do so. Me? I get up at 5:30 to be at work for 7, and by the time I get home at 4, maybe the last thing I want to do is face the writer’s block that I left behind the last time I opened my Google doc? Maybe I want to eat, need to do laundry, want to spend time with my wife, need some downtime beyond writing. So I don’t follow a specific rule of thumb, but I do try to not let things go longer than a couple of days. (By the same token, I don’t write everything down in one big dump and post it right away.) And when I sit to write, I give myself a goal- 1000 words. If I can hit 2000, I feel like I’ve really made some strides.

Unfortunately, there’s no real ‘trick’ to getting the inspiration to write, but I will also say, there’s no such thing as ‘the muse’. If you wait for inspiration to arrive, you’ll never write. Re-read what you’ve already written, even if that means re-reading some of your other completed stories. Remember how you felt when you finally got it finished. Just. Keep. Writing.

-------------------

This is my year for self-promotion, so if you like my fic and want to help pay for all the coffee I drink when I write, please check out my ko-fi page:

https://ko-fi.com/coolbyrne

[jenni3penny]

I completely forgot you were a Kibbs shipper! Can you do that OTP ask thing for it? Also some fic recs??? Thanks!

Oh, I'll have to go back and take a look at the list!!

I haven't read Kibbs fic in quite awhile, to be honest. And the last time I did it was the AU one that @the-last-rat-standing wrote using an opening scene and some dialogue of mine. Have you read it, Anon?? It's exxxxxxxcellent.

[the-last-rat-standing]

Time Savers

If you’re coming up with new characters or information that is specific to a character, add it to the top of your document so you don’t have to scroll through your story to find it. Or highlight it in Google* docs and mark it as a comment. I’ve got about a dozen new characters in my current fic and it’s a heck of a lot easier to jump to the top of the file to refresh me on their name than it is to scroll through a 10k word story. This applies to places, time references and other key information you think you might need to use later.

I saw this mentioned on tumblr ages ago and I’ve started to use it- if you don’t know something factual about something in your story, just mark it with XXXX, then use your ‘find and replace’ tool later to fill in the actual facts, rather than getting sucked into the abyss of the internet as you try to find it while you’re writing. For instance, I had Gibbs mention the distance between Dallas and Los Angeles. I have no idea what the real distance is. But instead of stepping out of the document and googling it, I just decided to leave it and look later. This applies to any bit of information you need to be accurate on, but you know once you leave your file, you’ll see something shiny and have a hard time getting back to writing. (Or is that just me? LOL!)

Do the same with words you catch yourself using over and over. Don’t waste time trying to come up with a synonym that works, just use the tricks above (XXXX or highlighting it in Google docs). If you feel yourself stalling, focus on moving forward.

*You guys DO use Google docs, right? I mean, I know there are probably a dozen word document options, but I find Google docs has a little of everything I need. There’s also a script to help you copy/paste your work into AO3 which automatically keeps all your formatting. I highly recommend it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dGxhKmz3_hIG6GLPV32xPQIm9CxPQLiHFVHMPvxmN8s/edit?usp=sharing

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This is my year of self-promotion, so if you like my writing or any of these writing posts, please feel free to support my coffee fund! 

https://ko-fi.com/coolbyrne

[jenni3penny]

Omg you do spoil us haha I’m looking forward to all of that! In Time is such an amazing series, you and @coolbyrne did great work! I’m actually studying ancient and medieval history so it was really interesting to read some relevant fiction. Much better than my studies 😂

Those are some great games, I binge played Witcher 3 this summer after starting it 5 years ago and I could not believe how long it was. So much fun 👌 I’ve been meaning to play hzd and rd2, which do you suggest I hit first?

Thank you very much, re: fic. I truly loved working on that series with @the-last-rat-standing and @thenicecheese . It was a Slibbs favorite.

Oh, man..... RDR2 or H:ZD?

Usually I would say Red Dead. But now that I'm getting into the other I would say that it depends on style of game you prefer. Red Dead is a moody and wonderfully dramatic piece that is also visually gorgeous. Zero Dawn is a really interesting concept that unfolds like a dangerous flower that could swallow you at any moment. The graphics aren't as beautiful but the characters are cooler looking. Win some/lose some.