#btw by old fandom i mean 2018-2020

[nyaskitten]

It's so weird looking back at the Old Ninjago Fandom and seeing just how much hatred and disdain it had for Wu and Misako. and while that hate has definitely reduced, it's so bizarre knowing its still out there...

[ceilidho]

What do you recommend to get into writing.?

I have so many ideas in my brain, but I lack the skill. I mean, I know I can write, I’ve written a short story before (back in High School). But I just can’t seem to get my ideas out on paper how I want it to. I guess what I am asking is what do you think helped you write or at least perfect your craft.? You write so beautifully and so vividly. It’s my dream to be able to write like that.

:)

thank you so much!!

mmmm honestly, just writing and reading a lot. unfortunately, it's a skill that you just need to do over and over again in order to get good at it. i've written a lot of very short drabbles (like quick, 1000 word scenes), the first chapter of like a hundred different novels (and then giving up immediately after), poems, short stories, one-shots and incomplete fics for countless fandoms (harry potter, artemis fowl, twilight, naruto, etc). i think i wrote my first story when i was like 12 years old or something, so i've been working at it for a very long time.

and i've taken really long breaks in between (like, 2018-mid 2020 was a wash...i was in school, so i only had the energy to write my essays), so reading a lot is the other half of the equation. it'll help you develop your vocabulary and internal rolodex of expressions/colloquialisms, help develop your taste in literature, and help you start understanding the anatomy of a book (like what makes a good first act, second act, twist, etc).

also, it helps if you can convince yourself that there's nothing really at stake when posting a fic. like, if no one likes it, it's not the end of the world. if you're a bit rusty at first and you're not super confident in your writing skills, it doesn't matter. also, remind yourself that you're already a million times better than any "AI writer" because at least you have the courage to actually try.

and i definitely don't think i've "perfected my craft" btw, i see soooo many faults in my writing and things i need to improve on because as you get better, your standards get higher. idk if there's a moment when you ever reach perfection or whatever. you just keep working at it forever lmaooo

[dekusleftsock]

This is just a quick train of thought post but I still wanna share it

Either way I’ve seen this phenomenon where people hate the mha fandom because of how shippy it is. People want to act like bc this shonen then that means romance hardly exists. But you’ve got to understand how fandom EVOLVES!

I’ve not been in this fandom for long. Maybe since October of 2021. But I HAVE been in other fandoms before. Fnaf, undertale, and Minecraft come to mind first. (The old and new mc fandom btw, yes I watched dsmp. I don’t like the creators now but the fandom taught me how to analyze storytelling so ??? Idk how to feel about the fandom with my fondness lmao) And after a bit of research, pre-existing knowledge I have of the internet as a whole, and a TON of thinking and mulling it over in my head, I’ve come to my personal conclusion of why THIS FANDOM SPECIFICALLY gets so much hate and is so “shippy”.

The actual reason the fandom itself is so focused on ships and characters is because horikoshi writes characters well. Simple as that. It’s a character driven show, and compared to other shonens that’s a bit out of character for a show of the “genre”.

Anyway, let’s give a bit of background to the general internet. Up until about I wanna say, 2018? The internet was really really bad. The main social platforms running the show were YouTube, instagram, Reddit, and Twitter. Tiktok wasn’t exactly a thing, it was musically or however it’s spelled. 4chan was also still relatively popular as was tumblr. Tumblr is an interesting character during this time but I’ll get into that.

The general ideas of the internet were all relatively “right leaning” and cringe culture was still VERY rampant. This is because when the internet and, more specifically, the gaming community was being born the alt right communities that were pretty small migrated to the internet. This made a trade off: in exchange for organizational power they now had more reach. That’s why nazis and bigots have always been so common on the internet. It’s also why a lot of our amab siblings, children, uncles, etc in their teen years were so far gone into the alt right pipeline. It directly targets young white boys who like video games. YT created a lot of parasocial relationships by letting those people get the platforms they did. (I recommend watching “the alt right play book” by innuendo studios, they voice this better than I did)

The anime community, parts of the art community, 4chan/Reddit, and political spaces online were filled to the brim with nazis due to this phenomena.

And here’s comes tiktok. A platform who just gave themself a brand new face and name ready to start the trend of shorter videos instead of images or longer videos. At first, we still have the remnants of the alt right with the furry vs gamer war specifically, and then comes vsco girls. And you know what’s so weird about this trend? They TRIED to memeify it, they TRIED to shame women into not getting metal straws, into not dressing in the certain style. But it was a turning point in the entire worlds political spectrum. More specifically, gen y and gen z.

This was the start of a “new era” on the internet. And TikTok’s algorithm is probably the best one I’ve ever fucking seen! It was able to completely cut people off from different ideas and parts of the platform, while simultaneously sharing content that would make people argue. This, was tiktok 2020. BLM happened as a trend (blm has been around for a lot longer than tiktok, it was just a trend on the platform itself), trumps rallies happened. For the first time organization on a platform fucking worked. It was what the alt right WANTED to do, but never could.

Now, why am I saying all of this? Because tiktok opened the gate to fandom. For the first time since I’ve been on the app, (and I was on in 2018) fandom has started to pop up more. Toh and some anime communities have gotten more popular there.

But given this context, it starts to make sense why people HATE that it’s so shippy. Tumblr was the weird kid of the internet for a long time, and as that’s shifted to being 4chan, I’ve got to say that shipping and the mha fandom (along with other more known “toxic” fandoms) has gotten to a point where it’s more socially acceptable. And since a show like stranger things can now have a fandom, I can solidly say that fandom has become more mainstream because TIKTOK is mainstream.

So, yeah, people hate fandom and more specifically the mha fandom because of nazis. Cringe culture still exists and it’s kinda hard to not think a fandom that’s already been painted as terrible is actually, not all that bad. It’s like literally every other fandom. Stranger things has the same problems we do, death note has the same problems we do. Mha is not an exception.

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv :) Recently, I read 'What's My Age Again?' by lazywonderland (I found it through your rec list for Dirty Talk (which I absolutely love btw 😍)) where Harry is a professional Quidditch player and I got a little obsessed with the trope. I don't know if you usually read something in this direction, but do you have any recs for stories in which Draco and/or Harry are Quidditch players? Thank you so much for all these amazing recs, you made my dive into the Drarry fandom so enjoyable 🥰.

Hello darling, I LOVE that fic by the amazing @lazywonderlvnd and I certainly have more Quidditch recs, it’s such a wonderful trope! I hope you love these as much as I do!

style by @bonesliketambourines (2021, E, 2.2k)

Draco’s determined to keep Puddlemere United in the top slot of the Quidditch Premier League, by any means necessary.

The Mating Habits of Snidgets by shealynn88 (2022, G, 3.5k)

Harry is the kid that has nothing. Draco is the prat that has everything. When they face off across the Pitch, everything else falls away.

Catch the Snitch (No, Catch My Heart) by @prolix- (2020, E, 4.5k)

Draco secretly loved when Harry lost a match.

Grounding Harry by @nerdherderette (2018, M, 4.5k)

Harry’s in his fifties, and it’s looking like it’s time to retire from professional Quidditch. Draco sets out to remind Harry that he will always be a star in his eyes.

The Holly and the Ivy by @wolfpants (2022, E, 4.6k)

This year at the Annual Ministry Yule Auction, Magpies Seeker Draco Malfoy's time is up for sale. When Harry places the winning bid, will their contracturally-binding weekend together heal old wounds, or worsen them? Featuring a fluffy black cat called Marley, a castle on the western coast of Scotland, an Eighth Year Christmas kiss, and stupid boys who can't express their feelings.

Sports Star by @moonflower-rose (2021, E, 4.8k)

Life as a professional Quidditch player involves a strict routine, and more hydration than Harry could have imagined. He's happy to follow the rules, but he does keep one little strategy to himself, his secret to success on the pitch. Unfortunately, that secret is about to be exposed to Draco Malfoy.

Matters of the heart by nerakrose (2020, G, 5k) - epistolary

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Game On by @pennygalleon (2021, T, 5k)

Draco blows Harry a kiss and the press goes nuts. Harry suggests they use this to their advantage.

The Antique Bed Frame by @lazywonderlvnd and @fae-vorite (2020, E, 5.4k)

Draco “needs his bed fixed.” Harry offers to help.

Two of Us by @sorrybutblog (2023, E, 5.5k)

The gang goes to a gay bar. Or: five times Harry accidentally pretended to be Draco’s boyfriend and one time Draco told him to put out or shut up.

Playing Dirty by BummedOutWriter (2018, M, 5.8k) - Mpreg

Harry and Draco's dubious Quidditch rivalry, as observed by Neville Longbottom.

Gesture by orphan_account (2017, E, 6.3k)

The Cannons were determined to make the finals this year, and the month-long training camp had been brutal.

Gravity Centered by @carpemermaidtales (2019, E, 6.7k)

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are two of the best flyers in the International Professional Broom Racing League.

The Thrill of the Chase by @malenkayacherepakha (2019, E, 7k)

Harry and Draco might not be at school anymore, might have moved on from the days of Gryffindor vs Slytherin, but one thing never changed, and that was how much they wanted to beat each other on the Quidditch pitch.

Tonight We Fly by @tackytigerfic (2019, M, 7k)

Malfoy is always trying to get under Harry's skin—and if he thinks asking Harry on a date is going to unsettle Harry before they play rival Seekers in the big charity Quidditch game...well, he'd be right.

Seeing Stars (brighter than the constellations) by @carpemermaidtales (2017, E, 7.3k)

After “accidentally” overhearing a rumour that Harry Potter is hung, Draco cashes in a few favours to ensure he’s the reporter doing the Puddlemere United post-game interview with the team’s prized Seeker in the team locker room.

The Re-Fenestration of Potter by @cavendishbutterfly and @sorrybutblog (E, 7.5k)

Harry wants the Prophet reporters to stop following him and Draco wants Harry to stop climbing through his window at all hours of the night…even if he’s taken to leaving it open, just in case. Everything is bearable until they both get doused with Draco’s latest batch of Wolfsbane, and then suddenly nothing between the two of them is bearable at all.

Civil Hands (Unclean) by @p1013 (2020, E, 8.5k)

While he and Malfoy reached something like a truce in the years between the end of the War and now, their Quidditch rivalry has only grown.

If It Takes All Night by @tackytigerfic (2020, M, 11k)

It's not the first time Harry's been the victim of a botched curse (that's one of the reasons he doesn't like crowds), but he feels bad that Malfoy had to get caught up in it too.

Crash (Into Me) by @sweet-s0rr0w (2021, T, 14k) - charity Quidditch but this one is a must!

Harry’s done plenty of ridiculous things for charity over the years, but Robards’ latest scheme really takes the biscuit. Or rather, the teacake. Good job Malfoy’s there to suffer alongside him this time, eh?

Clear Skies, Full Hearts by @sorrybutblog (E, 16k)

Harry loves everything about playing professional Quidditch – the rush of flying, the rush of winning, the rush of getting off with rival seeker Draco Malfoy. Harry’s the highest scoring rookie Seeker in the history of the League. He’s also, inexplicably, obsessively, hooking up with Draco. When Draco unexpectedly quits the League and disappears from Harry’s life, Harry doesn’t stop wondering what it all meant and if he’ll ever get another chance to find out.

Better To Burn Than To Fade Away by Ren (2017, E, 23k)

Harry Potter is a legend in the world of broomstick racing. Draco Malfoy is one of the organisers of the London-Nome.

Match Fit by @ravenclawsquill (2019, E, 25k)

After picking up a groin injury just two weeks before the Quidditch World Cup Final, star Seeker Harry Potter reluctantly agrees to seek help from world-renowned Magi-Physiotherapist, Draco Malfoy.

A Better Kind of Love by @malenkayacherepakha (2020, E, 25k)

If Harry wants to have any chance of returning to the pitch this season he has to put all of his faith in his assigned Healer.

fly like paper, high like planes by @harryromper (2019, M, 47k)

Harry Potter, Head Coach of the Appleby Arrows, is very content leading a quiet life. The absolute last thing he needs is a fit, tattooed, and wildly talented Draco Malfoy back from living his life on the margins.

To Do No Harm by Lokifan (2017, E, 58k)

Draco hadn’t planned to end up as team Healer for the Chudley Cannons, but it’s a Healer job, so he’ll take it - and then Potter shows up, the glorious centre-of-attention Seeker, as ever.

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (2013, M, 59k)

Rumor has it that a wealthy investor is starting up a brand new professional Quidditch team and he’s looking for players. Harry and Draco both want to make the team, but there can be only one Seeker.

Home Truths by @skeptiquewrites (2021, E, 67k)

In the off-season Harry decided to fix up Grimmauld Place and found that Draco Malfoy was the only person who could help him. A demanding career and unrelenting press scrutiny were enough to deal with before Harry added a house with a mind of its own, family history, and a tense, flirty, complicated relationship with his childhood nemesis to the mix.

Where The Falcons Fly by MyNameIsThunder (2020, M, 283k)

Where the Falcons fly, there’s blood. Where Draco goes, there usually is too. That’s his job, after all – heal morons and the people who get in their way.

Strange currencies by WrappedUp (M, wip)

“Hullo Malfoy,” Ron said with a grimace. “Take a seat, will you? You’re not going to like this.”

[its-chelisey-stuff]

My 2020 in dramaland pt 1/4

I’m doing this at the start of december but I’m scheduling it to be posted on Christmas Eve, because that way I can say to everyone Happy holidays! Anyway, these are the Korean dramas I watched this year (listed in the order I saw them, NOT including my favorite dramas, those will have its own post!)

Love Alarm (2019): I don’t think I need to say what this was about lol if you haven’t seen it, chances are, you’ve heard of it. This is like all those Netflix shows I binge in one day, hate them but still can’t help but want to know what happens next and immediately need a season 2. Btw, this drama has the type of love triangle that I tolerate the most: the men who like the girl are also BFFs and never actually turn against each other, or at least suffer because they don’t really want to hurt the other. Bros before hoes! Kinda.

OTP: Jojo&SunOh. Hate that I love them tbh. But it’s mostly all thanks to him. To me, KimSoHyun’s chemistry with SongKang is the best chemistry she’s ever had with any of her co-stars. Well, maybe it’s a tie with Jisoo. Sorry Jang DongYoon. 

Thing I enjoyed the most: Knowing there’s a second season coming. I NEED CLOSURE! Dramas should never have seasons, it’s cruel.

Do I recommend it? Uhm... Yes. But beware of old tropes like Noble Idiocy super idiotic, a FL that never speaks her mind and a whole lot of nonsense angst and pining. Hey, your average kdrama basically.

Crash Landing on You: You know she actually did crash land on him. Twice. I loved that they were so doomed, it was awesome. A forbidden and beautiful romance, they were all in for each other. He was handsome and cute I mean is HyunBin! but she was my favorite: brave, sassy, bold and a CEO. I hated when they shoot her. A pity they can only be happy in Switzerland, but I liked that about their ending. (I made a sort of review of the finale here)

OTP: Awesome chemistry, have you heard about all those dating rumors? But my favorite couple was actually the second lol. I will never forgive this drama for NOT giving them a happy ending. WTF? And that’s why it’s not in my fave’s list.

Thing I enjoyed the most: Apart from the love stories? North Korean soldiers from Captain Ri’s team. Bless them.

Do I recommend it? Oh, is there someone who hasn’t seen it? For real, go watch it. It’s a romcom for the ages. Lots of nonsense and cliches. Loved it, just *one* little flaw. ALBERTOOOO!

Witch’s Court (2018): A law drama. I never watch these types of dramas. Only did it because I had a crush on Yoon HyunMin at the time, my sister made me watch it (she also had a crush on him) and I thought there was going to be way more romance. Heavy subjects, a great mom’s love and a lot of prosecutor bs.

OTP: They were cute. Wish I’d seen more of them though.

Thing I enjoyed the most:  Yoon HyunMin. But the FL was awesome in her own right.

Do I recommend it? If you like law/criminal dramas and barely a hint of romance, this one is great. And justice is served at the end.

Hospital Playlist: It was an adorable, peaceful and relaxing watch, not what you’d expect from a hospital themed drama. Very healing (no pun intended lol). And I loved the songs they played! The weird thing is that I kept forgetting about it, and that’s why it took me so long to finish it. 

OTP: I do have one, but not the one everyone ships: Dr Yang SeokHyung and his resident played by one awesome Ahn EunJin. She confessed, he turned her down gently, Buuu!!!. Waiting patiently for S2 and HOPE their love story develops more. Dramas shouldn’t have second seasons!

Thing I enjoyed the most: The friendship of the five besties duh

Do I recommend it? Awww but of course! if you liked the Reply Series and slice of life dramas, you will like this one. Only 12 eps but they were as long as a movie lol

WHY (minidrama) 2019: Two good friends trying to cheer up their bff who just got dumped (without any explanation hence driving him slowly into a mental breakdown and an identity crisis) by going on a Jeju vacation. In the guesthouse they’re staying, they encounter two awesome, chill and fun noonas. What you’ll see here: a moving story about heartbreak and letting go, bromance and noona romance.

OTP: While most of the time the lead was in deep heartbreak thanks to his awful ex, there was a subtle romance developing while he was healing. At the end, there’s a time jump and he’s totally in the right state of mind to completely be with her and give love another try. Lovely ending.

Thing I enjoyed the most: Jung GunJoo! AKA Dohwa from Extraordinary You!!!

Do I recommend it? Of course! It’s an adorable watch. And it only takes like 2 hours of your time, maybe less, I don’t recall. Here, you can watch it on YouTube. Also, not really a fan don’t hate me lol but there’s Hwang In Yeob as the bff of the lead. And he has a very meaningful role.

Where Your Eyes Linger (minidrama): First Korean BL drama I’ve ever watched and I’m so glad that it was a wonderful first. Given the amount of time and resources I was expecting a lot less from this but they all did a very good job. Beyond my expectations, really. Wonderful acting and such an angsty friends to lovers romance that was delightfully done. I don’t usually give out scores to dramas but omg 10/10!

OTP: THEY HAD SUCH GOOD CHEMISTRY! UGH THE ANGST

Thing I enjoyed the most: Oh, everything!

Do I recommend it? Like BL dramas and want to see more of them in kdramaland? Then YES YES YES. A thousand times YES! The reason why it’s not on my favorites’ list is because I wish it was longer.

It’s Okay to not be Okay: It had been so long since I’ve seen a KSH drama. Since his alien days lol Plus, my sister is a huge fan. Horniest kdrama of the year, for sure. Which is hilarious since the message of the whole thing was more about family. From the first episode I was waiting for the OTP to have a steamy makeout and have sex HAHAHA You know, they actually delivered, so I was happy. My review about the ending HERE

OTP: Queen MoonYoung and her horny but super restrained caretaker, KangTae. Love them.

Thing I enjoyed the most: All hail Queen Ko MoonYoung! And the best hyung, SangTae.

Do I recommend it? Yeah. Let’s be serious for a moment lmao it was a healing drama and the ending was beautiful. A few things here and there didn’t make sense though. The mom’s comeback was crazy, but meh, what are dramas without crazy? lol I guess this is not on my favorite’s list because I wasn’t as obsessed as I wish I’d been.

Was it Love?: Mamma mia, here we go again, my my, I should have resist ya! it was ALL right there but the writer didn’t have the guts to do the story right. It COULD’VE BEEN Mamma Mia, but all the potential went to waste. THE POTENTIAL!! You want to know who the dad of her daughter is? The only dude she ever slept with, her only ex! Big surprise. The writer! There, saved you the trouble. My rant on the ending here

OTP: Well, it wasn’t the leads, that’s for sure. It’s the second leads (or was he the third lead and she the second?)who ended up together, or at least it was hinted at. The female lead had way more chemistry with the one dude she was never romantically linked to, which is hilarious to me. Ugh so much wasted potential...

Thing I enjoyed the most: Gangster dude and his son! Bless them.

Do I recommend it? Jesus, NO. DON’T. Watch Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep, instead. That’s gold and it’s what they wanted to try to do for a moment here. Still wondering how I managed to finish this...

Record of Youth: Another drama I can’t believe I actually finished. A handsome model transitioning into an actor and becoming the main provider for the family that never fully supported him and had to pay for the debt of the dad that always belittled his dreams. Underdeveloped characters, a female lead that was outshined by CAMEOS of other women(in her 1 minute scene, KimHyeYoon had more chemistry with PBG), plots that went nowhere and a terrible pairing that had very little chemistry. A ranting about the finale and my wasted time, HERE

OTP: who? Ah, yeah, I guess there sort of was one... The photographer friend and the sister of the jealous friend. Their ending was ambiguous.

Thing I enjoyed the most: PBG, he carried this mess on his back.

Do I recommend it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA No. Please, don’t watch it.

Private Lives: An orphan who was recluted to become a spy and works for a conglomerate that holds the power to decide the next president of Korea AND a con woman who wants revenge because her dad got sent to jail. They meet and fall in love and it’s the cutest thing ever but on their wedding day he misteriously disappears and... that’s it. Everything that happens after that makes zero sense. By the end I was more interested in the second leads.

OTP: TWO (but mostly the second couple) and the reason why I finished this drama at all.

Thing I enjoyed the most: Second leads. BokGi and Eduardo (yeah, I know that wasn’t his real name). I’d watch a drama of those two. Even if it was by the same writer.

Do I recommend it? Well... not really. LOL If you’re interested to know more about it, read my “recaps” of each episode HERE or read about the last ep here. You’ll understand about the same as if you were to actually watch it, but you will not waste your time. I hope? LOL

Start Up: A grandma with good intentions, a FL that lost it all as a kid, letters that weren’t really that genuine, a rich, cocky and petty jerk who wasn’t the ML (I mean by definition he had everything to be the male lead lol) and the actual ML (a genius who suffers from the biggest case of Impostor Syndrome I’ve ever seen). No one except for the FL mostly is honest. A time jump that was there just for the sake of angst and not quite done right. Also, making a business with your friends involves a whole lot of nonsense and drama. And a “love triangle” that drove the fandom to madness. And wait, the sister was the second female lead? She was more secondary than the secondary characters. This drama is seriously not what it seems at first lol

OTP: DalMi&DoSan. Adorable. The oly reason I finished this. From the moment they announced the cast and learned who the leads were, I knew I was gonna ship them. And that’s how I never get SLS lol

Thing I enjoyed the most: The answer to that question is HERE

Do I recommend it? Honestly, yeah. Just turn off your brain and never discuss it on social media. Binge it and move on with life. Not the best drama, but tbh not the worst. Well it is the worst by the writer lol Wow it sounds like I hated it, but it’s just that the fanwars really got to me haha and it’s all so recent, but I actually did love the love story and the grandma was a treasure.

[narastories]

2020 Creator Wrap: Favourite Works

I’ve been tagged by @kholran weeks ago. Thanks for the tag, and I’m terribly sorry for putting it off so long.

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works.

For all The Shit that happened in 2020 from a fanfic-writing perspective this has been an amazing year for me. I’ve added 19 (!) works to my AO3 page, which I’m actually pretty proud of. At this point, I want to give a HUGE thanks and shout-out to @outlanderbingo and the two wonderful admins @levisqueaks and @mistresspandorawritesthings. You’ve made my year! <3 Thank you!

I’m actually struggling to articulate how much this means to me. Most of you are aware that English is not my first language (not even the second in terms of order lol). The 3 works from 2017 and 2018 on my AO3 all have been translations - as in I’ve written them first in my native language, posted it on my old LJ blog, and then later translated them and published them on AO3.

I found the process very slow and tedious (even though I have not regretted it - A bed and a penny had gotten so much love over these two years, it makes me tear up). When I found the Outlander Bingo Challenge I knew I would struggle to keep up and get even 5 stories out if I wrote them in two languages. Besides, OL was never big in the fanfic-writing community I was part of in my native language (that was part of the reason why I stopped writing in this fandom, and also probably why I still have so much to discuss and write about ^^” I never had people to talk about these characters in-depth okay??? :P)

1. So, as number one I will name whatever this may be simply because this was the first ever completed piece of prose I’ve written fully in English (not translated from my own writing). Again, I don’t think I can fully articulate how much this means to me.

I’m not living in my country of origin anymore and when we made the move (before shit hit the fan in March thank goodness) it was very much with a permanent intention. I wasn’t happy in that place, I’ve found a lot of things toxic in general and even in the writing community. This kind of made me confront the idea that I may never publish my writing again even online, because even though I could with the marvels of the internet, I simply needed a relatively clean cut and lots of time away. I’m just not in the headspace where I can keep engaging with that community.

All this to say, that I’ve made my peace with this prospect and would have been kind of fine writing only for myself. But then you all came along and inspired me to try... and the knowledge that I get to do this, that even though my grammar is crap and I mix up words and probably write bs half the time, I have a voice, that my writing voice translates into English, that’s pretty huge for me. That knowledge is the biggest gift you could have given me. Okay, back to the list, Nara, don’t make yourself cry...

2. rum, spices and river water - oh Lord John and wee Byrd... they have been my new-found love in 2020. I’m not nearly done with writing about them :P I like this one because it’s just tooth-rotting fluff in Jamaica, and they deserve to be happy.

3. two years without, one with (you) - this broke me in the best way possible. John/Percy fix-it during BotB. I didn’t even like Percy that much but then I started listening to the audiobooks and Jeff Woodman narrated him in such a way that I suddenly saw the potential.

4. wasting wine - come on, I can’t make a list without having something exceptionally explicit on it :P You could say this is the best of both worlds a John/Percy/Tom threesome. This was when I still thought I wouldn’t write anything else with Percy btw.

Okay, last one and I’m going to be terribly selfish, but this is my list, deal with it :P

5. his brother’s coat - I feel like the holiday blues pushed me off the deep end, but this was just such fun to write. After a brief dilemma of can I? and am I allowed to? I’ve written this little piece of Alex/Jack Randall fic, and I’m not going to lie, I’ve enjoyed every second of meticulously polishing the words on this terrible little idea :P As much as I love fluff and fix-it, I do want to get better at writing some darker and/or bittersweet flavours. Just because those are the stories that stay with me the longest, and I genuinely like reading those.

That’s my wrap-up for the year. Thank you all so much for your support, for your kindness, for the fun we shared this year <3

I have lost track of who has done this, so consider yourself tagged if you haven’t!

[aobawilliams]

First Line Tag Game!!

I was tagged by @idontonlytalkaboutdcmk

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line, then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I’ll try to go from more recent to older (date of the creation of the doc will be written in MM/YYYY format), but this might not correspond to the time the sentence was actually written. (I might have missed some stuff but, oh well, whatever.)

1- (04/2021) Aizawa meets Izuku AU (MHA, OS in progress)

It was luck that brought Shouta here.

2- (03/2021) Vigilante Yagi AU (MHA, in-progress, either a long-fic or a serie of OS)

All Might has been a hero longer than he has ever been Yagi Toshinori.

3- (02/2021) Dad For All AU (MHA, various blurb on tumblr so far, most likely a longfic)

Izuku was trying really hard not to panic. One second he was fighting a villain with a still unknown quirk, the next he found himself __ years in the past, according to the news report currently going on TV.

4- (02/2021) Midoriya Inko’s Guide To Good Parenthood (MHA, in progress, probably a serie of OS?)

Midoriya Inko isn’t anything special. She's 30 going on 52, has a really bad case of anxiety, can and will cry for any reasons, and has gotten so many grey hair from her son's shenanigans its a wonder she still has green hair.

5- (12/2020) The Kids Will Be Alright (DCMK, spin-off of Sharpen Your Knives)

Ran was running. Fast, fast, faster, not fast enough. She put all her strength in her legs, went as fast as she could.

6- (11/2020) Before the coffee gets cold - The Sisters (DCMK, OS published on AO3)

It was probably foolish of her to come back to this place. But, on the off chance that the rumours were true, she wanted to give it a chance.

7- (11/2020) Sharpen Your Knives (DCMK, in-progress longfic, won’t be published for a long while)

Shinichi has no idea how things could have gone so wrong, so quickly.

8- (08/2020) The Time Travel Road Trip Case (DCMK, spin-off of Who The F- Is This) (technically not the first lines, but it’s the first part I’ve written)

Shinichi(Conan) felt someone lift him up from the back, he turned his face as he came level with their chest, one look at their face and…

Well, guess he found KID.

9- (06/2020) Who The F- Is This (DCMK, longfic in progress, the first chapters are on AO3)

Shinichi’s head was throbbing. He felt like someone was playing drums with his head. What has happened?

10- (06/2020) Harrinichi Kupotter (DCMK & Harry Potter x-over, longfic in progress)

Shinichi doesn't really believe in superior beings, gods or the supernatural. So far everything in his life could be explained by science and very human tricks.

11- (03/2019) Naobuza & Raphtaku AU (The Rising of the Shield Hero & Naruto x-over, an old baby I keep coming back to)

If you were to ask anyone to tell you about Naofumi Iwatani, those who remember him would tell you that he’s a weird kid. There’s something otherwordly about him, as if he was evolving in a totally different universe from them.

12- (01/2019) The self-indulgent FMA TT au (FMA, an old project that I should go back to, someday)

Somehow, sometimes, Ed felt like there was some being out there, out for him.

13- (01/2019) Nanadaime time travel AU (Naruto, will most likely be an OS, one day I will finish it enough to post it on AO3)

It was a late night In the Hokage office, one of many. As was usual by now, the Hokage was filling paperwork at his desk, his right-hand-man filling his own number of files at his side.

14- (11/2018) Baby Ed saving the world with hugs and punches (FMA, an old project that I will go back to)

On a warm night during the summer of 2005, as the sun left it’s place for the shining stars, Edward Elric went to sleep for the last time besides his lovely wife, in the house he has rebuilt with his own two hands.

15- (06/2018) The roadtrip 03Ed never knew he needed (FMA03/CoS & Fantastic Beasts and where to find them x-over, a serie of OS)

He wasnt sure what brought him back here.

Maybe he just wanted to make sure Envy was dead, one monster less in this world. Or maybe he just wanted to make sure there was no way between both world (no way to go home.)

16- (04/2018) Badass Women Roleswap AU (FMA, I still sometime go back to it, will most likely be a serie of OS)

Ed didn’t have many memories of his father. He could remember a tall man, who always looked sad. A giant who always had trouble when it came to holding him and his brother. A figure always working in his study. A person who always looked sad when teaching them alchemy.

17- (03/2018) FMA TT fic I wasnt planning to expend (FMA, old project, I will get back to it.) (it is, also, the first fanfic idea I got when I got back into writing fics)

Nothing happened as it should have been. No matter everything they’ve done to try and stop him, the dwarf in the flask still managed to bypass it all and, in some way, reach his goal.

And that’s pretty much it for any written stuff I got (anything else is too old)

Bonus: A la recherche du canard (Looking for the duck) - it’s an old assignment I had for french class, where we had to pick an article and write a short story based on it. (When I say old, I mean it’s from 2012 - it’s a good way to see how far I’ve come). It’s honestly really bad but I did have a lot of fun back then. (This is a translated from french version btw) (yes I stole names from Hetalia I was always terrible at finding names for characters)

The sun shined upon the sleeping man face, who opened his bright blue eyes. He got up suddenly, throwing his blanket on the ground. Today would be the day where he, Alfred F. Jones, Yorkville police officer, would accomplish his mission: keeping an eye on the annual fair set-up.

So, observations: You can very clearly see me go through various fandom phases it’s funny. Also my naming skills for the AUs got slightly better (but not that much.) I do tend to drop a name (usually the person from whom the POV is) in those first sentences. The first paragraph tend to get shorter with time (which might simply be because I realised I tend to lose focus when it gets too long.) I also never start on dialogue, generally I go for the POV’s thought uh.

I do quite like the ones for the Vigilante Yagi AU and the Midoriya Inko’s guide, The Kids Will Be Alright too. Badass Women I like it but also am not 100% happy with it.

This mostly made me want to share even more about these stories to y’all.

Anyway! Tagging @whoever wants to do it! I’m not sure whom I follow has already done it/been tagged or not, uuuuhhh, maybe @artistfingers ? If you’re a writer and wants to do it then go for it and tag me I guess.

[featherxquill]

Fics Wot I Wrote in 2019 (and the 2010s in general!)

So it’s the end of a decade, and I wrote some fic this year! I am going to do the usual list, but I thought I might modify the end-of-year meme into an end-of-decade meme, and have a bit of a look back at the fandoms I’ve written in and the fics I wrote throughout the 2010s, because it’s certainly been a more diverse decade than the last!

So, here is the list of Stuff From This Year:

January 28: The Witch of South Kensington - The Infinite Bad - G - Cornelia and Sebastian and a weird, well, infinitely bad sort of domesticity

April 7: to beckon me in languages i’ve never learned - James Bond - Bond/M - E - M decides what bendings of her will she’s willing to forgive

October 18: If Not Me - Arc of a Scythe - Curie/Faraday - T - Faraday fishes Curie out of the water, and they make the long road-trip back to Conclave together

It’s been a bit of a transition year for me, but look! I have been writing! And there’s one more fic I have completed this year but not yet posted, and it’s a long bastard, so I am quite happy with myself.

And here is the little meme thing, though I’ve modified it a bit to reflect on the decade, because I thought that might be fun.

Fandoms I have written in during the 2010s: Harry Potter, Sanctuary, Scott & Bailey, The Infinite Bad, James Bond, Arc of a Scythe. There are few other things I wrote for Yuletides past, too, but I wouldn’t specifically call that participation in those fandoms, so I’ve left them off.

First fic of the decade: An Interesting and Difficut Woman (HP, Muriel/Ollivander, E)

Last fic of the decade: If Not Me (linked above) or, really, the unpublished monster-fic that is now awaiting beta

Longest fic of the decade: One Time Thing (S&B, Gill/Julie, E). This is my longest fic of all-time, actually, and will remain so even when I publish my new thing. 50K. How did I even. I had a full-time job in 2015, though I do remember starting it before that job happened.

Shortest fic of the decade: Was a Yuletide treat drabble thing about Robot Unicorn Attack, but I’m going to go with a thing I am actually still pretty proud of, Burning, which is 173 words of slightly dark Albus/Minerva, that it turns out I’m glad I posted to ao3, because the LJ comm it was originally written in a comment on has now been deleted and purged.

Something I learned while writing in the 2010s: That I am capable of moving on to new fandoms, though probably not being truly multi-fandom. I have learned that I am serially monogamous, fannishly. Apart from Yuletides past, which have always been a bit of a holiday deviation, I rarely go back to back to writing in a fandom once a new one takes hold of me, something that sometimes makes me sad, but the muse wants what it wants, I guess. I think I move on when I am ready to. I started the decade still firmly in HP, where I had been since roughly 2003, and by now I have cycled through several new interests, which can be happy or melancoly depending on the way I look at it (I am generally not sad to move on to new ideas, but I am sometimes sad that moving to new fandoms sometimes means losing touch with friends from old ones).

Something I’m surprised about when I look back at my fic over the decade: That I can look back at my first fic of the decade, and really most things I have written in the past ten years, and still be damn proud of them. I think part of it is age and maturity, but an even larger part of it is that in about 2008 I started regularly using a BETA, and ever since, I can look back at the things I have written and be proud rather than cringing. Seriously, a good beta is worth her weight in gold, and I have known a few. Hold onto your betas, peeps, and if you don’t have one, GET ONE. Your future self will thank you.

Something that I miss: The comment culture of LJ, and the general tight-knit-ness of my little corner of fandom there. Fandom is now definitely a diaspora, and I have made many wonderful connections in the years since I moved to tumblr/twitter, but god do I miss the comment culture of things like LJ fic exchanges in particular. That might also in part be me missing being a part of a fandom that was LARGE even within its niches. But the muse wants what it wants, lol.

Something that makes me happy: The friends that I have made in my fandoms of the decade - shit, I mean, @incandescent-justice and @girlonabridge and @aubrys and @little-brisk all became proper Real Life Friends of mine when I lived on their continent, and @picardcrusher and @sapphoshands and @moocowmoocow thanks for also screaming about lady detectives with me. And I am so, so pleased that being into Sanctuary helped me meet @troiings and audio drama fandom put me in touch with @lothiriel84 and @mifhortunach and just. yeah. There are probably more people I’m going to feel bad about forgetting but like, FADOM FAMS it means so much to me!

Strongest memories of writing from the decade: Writing ‘Scenes From a Very Special Friendship’ in a notebook in 2011 while on holiday attending DiaCon Alley in the UK, teasing it to the person I was writing it for and talking about it with @kiwi-collideoscope. Writing ‘A Sexual Awakening in Five Acts’ in the breaks at my retail job, sometimes skiving and taking hella long breaks on the steps outside the store and sometimes writing smut in the breakroom while trying to keep a straight face - I think that was the first fic I really wrote large chunks of on my phone, a practise that I have continued, and continues to make me happy. Writing a scene of ‘Be Here, By Me’ in which Julie Dodson smokes a cigarette with the sun on her face while doing exactly the same thing myself. Sitting in the restauarant/bar of my hotel in Berlin with my evening cup of tea (because German hotels don’t have a kettle in the room? idek) writing ‘Warrirors’, which was my first Infinite Bad fic, and the first fic I had written in two years. Starting to write ‘Tethers’ in the taxi in Manila on my way to the airport after my stopover on my way home to Sydney in 2018.

Something I wish I’d written: I wish I’d been able to get on the Berena train, fanfic-wise, but it was such a wild explosion that I couldn’t keep up with it, and the fact that canon never stopped really threw me, too. I really wish I’d managed to write that fucking Yuletide assignment in 2016, though, because none of the NYR prompts have grabbed me since.

Where I think the 2020s will take me: i honestly have no idea, but it might be fun to speculate for the future. Into new fandoms, I think is a safe bet - probably fandoms with Awesome Ladies. I hope this Arc of a Scythe thing can carry me a bit further, but after that, who knows? At the start of the decade, I had no idea that Scott & Bailey existed, or that I would fall for Sanctuary as hard as I did. I had no idea a wild and crazy RPG podcast would be the thing to pull me out of a two-year dry spell, or that I would finish a fic that had been sitting in my WIPs for two years (that’s ‘to beckon me’, btw, thanks, @tayryn, for helping me do a thing I never thought possible and take something OFF the backburner!). But yeah, whatever my 2020s fannish journey holds, I bet it has Awesome Ladies in it - particularly older ones.

[z-ainub]

So I’m officially at home with a lot of free time on my hands and I haven’t really been on tumblr a lot lately but I ended up on my archive page here just looking through old posts (sidenote: did anyone know that tumblr lets you sort through your archive based on tags cause I didn’t until today and it is very handy, can definitely end up with you going down a tumblr wormhole for an hour or two ) and I mean although I’m still on here a fair amount, I realized that compared to the last few years it’s nothing. 

AND because I now have far too much free time, I went through, counting how many posts I had during March of each year and it was SO many more a few years ago:

March 2020: 63 posts

March 2019: 94 posts

March 2018: 357 posts: So many orphan black, twin peaks and the americans posts, it makes me miss all of them 😭😭😭. I also just had a lot more to say on here in 2018 it seems 

March 2017: 669 posts: So much of the west wing, I think it was my first watch of it (I can’t beLIEVE that was already 3 years ago, like what is time?!) A lot of msr, actually now that I think about it txf has been pretty consistent on this blog, on and off sometimes but still. Also more than a few jtv posts during this time....still upset about it, still hate to see it btw!!!

And that’s it!!! The archive only goes until April 2016, which doesn’t seem to mach up with the dates I had in my mind, I think I had another blog initially? And then I moved to this one or I changed the name I don’t even remember anymore. But I know I started this blog shortly after starting the x files which was in January 2016

Anyway, parts of these past few years, I was also extremely depressed sooo that’s not great but in the beginning that’s what brought me into txf and then i stuck around beacuse I loved it and the fandom, and I made friends and it was a very good distraction for me during those times so I’m always grateful for that, I miss you tumblr and my tumblr peeps!!