#but this also brings us past the 50k word point!

[aceironwood]

OCIN: Beacons of Hope Volume 1 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: STRQ Differences is now available!

As the school year’s carried on, Team STRQ have had the time to get into the swing both of their classes and getting to know each other-- for the most part, anyway. While Raven’s been difficult to involve in any kind of for fun only activity, Summer has a plan to get her out in about with the hope this’ll keep her around more

[pr0serpinas]

Some wee writer thoughts on chapter 7 of oceans brawl.

Man, I agonized so hard over this. I actually ended up combining two shorter chapters into one very long (for me) one because I just needed Sebastian to get on the road to picking himself up and was sick of dwelling on it myself. Haha, sorry, Sebastian.

But really, for how long I have been working on this (I actually started writing it in June and didn’t publish til August), it’s really…not as long as I thought, and I’m feeling a bit disappointed? I’d tell you the word count, but I’m on my phone. I had the very stupid (seriously, very stupid, don’t do this) idea to put the entire fic in one document that I just continually add onto, and it’s got to the point where the app hates it/me and won’t give a word count anymore, I’ve got to be on my computer. But I have, eh, maybe 4 chapters already written and an idea for more. I guess I just started with the aspiration of writing to the scale of some other works in the fandom, ones that have 6-figure word counts, and I’m not going to get there, most likely. If I had to guess, I’d say I’m somewhere between half and 3/4 done, which would be 34k-50k? I understand this is still a perfectly respectable number! It’s just like, man, the amount of brain space and time I have put into it doesn’t translate into a word count as much as I thought 😭 I digress!

Really struggled with the decision over whether to include Anne. My impression is that a lot of people in the fandom prefer that she is dead, either showing it for plot purposes or having it offscreen. And it was a decision that made me a little nervous because I don’t want people to be disappointed. But I’ve just spent some 24k words showing that Ominis can’t be Sebastian’s anchor. This is because of my own personal feelings and experiences: someone can love you more than anything (and Ominis does, whether he fully realizes it or not), and it isn’t enough to pull you out of your own head. For me, this is especially true if it’s someone whom I know will always be there for me: my mom, my fiancé, etc. When I’m in a certain mood, words from near-strangers are almost more impactful because they’re least expected. Because Sebastian has had this incredibly fraught, tenuous correspondence with Anne, actually seeing her in person would be incredibly powerful in ways that Ominis’ gentle consistency isn’t. But what I mostly want to show going forward is Sebastian making the choice to take ownership over his own life and being responsible for his actions. Bring alive is a choice—sometimes a conscious one. He has to reconcile that he cannot erase his past actions or magically wave a wand and get rid of his addictive tendencies. Ominis will have to learn to live with the fact that he can’t be responsible for Sebastian’s self-esteem, and the unconditional trust that he always placed in Sebastian as children is going to look different now.

I also felt nervous about cursebreaker-Ominis and Unspeakable-Sebastian. Cursebreaker-Ominis has been really well received! The people I’m close to are really, really good about not imagining sebinis to fit any one binary (top!seb and bottom!om, for example). That said, I see a pretty solid preference for Sebastian to do work that’s more physical and Ominis to do work that’s more cerebral in nature, and I know quite a few people who love the idea of Unspeakable-Ominis. Here, I’ve totally reversed it. Sebastian will possibly have the opportunity to explore the nature of dark magic and his addiction (he’s still very much an addict, albeit a non-practicing one), and Ominis can use the skills honed in his family to undo some of the damage they’ve done. It also adds another layer of “things they do not talk about.” Unspeakables can’t talk about their jobs—unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think they’re even really allowed to say they’re Unspeakables. Some readers have pointed out that Ominis has never actually told Sebastian what he does. They are correct, and this is on purpose. It will not get better any time soon.

These two really don’t communicate well, do they? My dearest and most excellent Plums made a very compelling argument that the relationship between them in oceans brawn is toxic. I didn’t intend for it to be, and it has a happy ending. But I can definitely see how it is, at least right now. Their lack of communication will continue to be an issue for a while.

[fratboykate]

Just finished the 50k words of angsty goodness and damnnn you saved up every angsty thought in your head over the past year and put into this one chapter 😂 poor Ri being stuck in the middle like a pawn this entire time and knowing all the parents are fighting over her. No wonder she couldn’t eat while debating if she should bring it up 😭She definitely knew Kate would instantly shut it down unless something seriously wrong had happened. Now she’s witnessing round 2 of it beginning again. I hope she won’t blame herself and doesn’t think Yelena doesn’t consider her a daughter the same way Russelsprouts (loved that one!) is her son.

Fuck Tom in all this. He’s trash but you said he’s a good dad to Ri and I’d be pissed too if I thought I was losing custody of my kid, so I get it. I’m about 55% Team Yelena because I definitely think both sides have great intentions but don’t see those intentions in each other’s actions. Yelena, so used to seeing Kate babying Tom and letting him throw his tantrums while she’s always yelled at to back off, sees it as Kate letting Tom get his way again because “it’s easier than dealing with his tantrums”. Kate sees Yelena, who always gets into pissing matches with Tom instead of not engaging or deescalating it, as finally having her chance to put the final nail in this “competition” they have. Kate thinks Ri is just saying this in a normal teenager “you upset me or it’s not as fun here, I want to go to the other parent’s house” rather than what Yelena sees as a “there’s illegal things happening, fighting, and things being broken from these fights…this isn’t a healthy environment for Ri and she’s obviously uncomfortable and trusting us to take care of her”. So I definitely see the tricky way you wove all this in where you’re constantly reminding us that yes, it’s fiction but like most situations in life there’s no 100% right/wrong person in this fight. Kate is right that Yelena should’ve waited until they had time to talk it out. Yelena did this THE. NEXT. DAY. Not even 24 hours after it got mentioned and before they had time to even have one real conversation about it. The short one before bed wasn’t a full conversation where they had time to think it all over and talk it out with clear heads. This is something they probably should’ve talked out during a therapy appointment before any of this happened since it’s a hot topic for them to begin with and one they never fully see eye to eye on. I’m siding mostly with Yelena because Ri is more mature than most kids her age so if she’s this nervous about bringing it up and is doing it this seriously, then she’s thought hard about it, probably for quite awhile before bringing it up. She’s not doing it on a whim and that’s more of her home and a loving home environment so it makes sense she’d want to stay. Yelena had HORRIBLE execution for this, but I’ve always leaned more towards her side about how letting Tom get his way to avoid tantrums or “just let it go because his feelings are still hurt…7 years after their separation” has only done them more harm than good over the years. But bonus points to Kate for calling out Yelena on running out on their family again after promising she wouldn’t after yeeting to Russia with no warning.

Does Ri ever say what illegal things are happening? My guess is drugs, not the insane ones but Fratboy Kate adjacent.

golden child...you officially have a sibling. two golden children! lol

i love all of this. thank you for being thorough. it's fun for me to know what you guys are thinking and reacting to, especially on the ones where im not just shooting the shit like ive been all day. like that chapter was WERK.

and yeah "illegal things" is they just do drugs haha. some of her cousins also probably sell some pot on the side. small time shit like that. but she's a super square, straight edge kid so she's like "911 ILLEGAL THINGS ARE TRANSPIRING AROUND ME". it's not like her grandma's house is a meth lab lol

[radiantlyrey]

Thinkin' 'Bout NaNoWriMo

It's getting to be that time of year again--that time when writers everywhere sit down and ask themselves important questions. Questions like, "Am I doing NaNoWriMo this year?" and "If I am doing NaNo, what am I even gonna write?"

I am planning to do an abridged NaNo this year--probably not more than 20k words for the whole month. (Part of me always wants to shoot for 50k, but the rest of me knows me better than that, and knows that down that path lies horrific burnout, so.) I am having trouble choosing which story I want to work on.

Which brings me to you, Tumblr.

Here are my current story ideas for NaNoWriMo. There are five of them, and I've listed a little summary for almost all of them, along with some personal pros and cons.

Idea #1: Fantasy Titanic This idea came to me in a dream two years ago (no, really). The basic gist is thus: What if Titanic (1997), but instead of a love story, it's a heist story, and also there are elves and magic and shit? The summary:

The grandest cruise ship of the century is setting off on its maiden voyage. Passengers include young Neela, who is crossing the ocean to meet her fiance before their wedding, and Alice, a sorceress and unwilling conwoman/thief whose mother has chosen Neela as their next mark. The con is nearly done when disaster strikes--the ship hits an iceberg and begins to sink. In the chaos that ensues, Alice must make hard choices, not least of which is who she wants to be if she survives.

Pros and Cons: +I already have the first half of the story plotted out. +I already have extensive profiles of my two main characters written.

-I have to do a lot more research on the actual ship and the disaster. -I feel like some of the plot I do have needs to be reworked.

Idea #2: Beauty and the Beast Retelling This story is a rewrite of a story I wrote about 15 years ago in my online writing group. I've been wanting to retackle it for a while now, and I spent some time this past spring making plans for it. I don't have a formal summary for it yet, but.

The story follows the basic shape of the original fairy tale, but with some modernization and fantasy twists. The story is set in the US, and it's set in a world where magic has been gone from the western world for well over a century. Other than that, things are more or less the same: Penniless father of three daughters gets lost on the way home from a trip, ends up at a mysterious and obviously magical mansion. He accidentally offends his host, a monstrous Beast, who demands the father give up one of his daughters to the Beast, or else return himself. The eldest daughter (rather than the youngest) agrees to go in her father's place.

Pros and Cons: +I have almost three-fourths of the story plotted out. +I am eager to revisit this idea and improve on my first attempt.

-I may need to do some more worldbuilding before drafting can begin. -I’m not sure if I have a good grip on my main character yet.

Idea #3: TRON/Pacific Rim Crossover I have had this idea for about five years now, and it's a basic "what if I mashed these two universes together?" style crossover. My concept is a series of fics that follow TRON character Quorra's point of view of the Kaiju War, and her journey towards eventually becoming a Jaeger pilot with Sam Flynn (another TRON character). I've got about five or six of the stories already plotted out, though I don't have much more of a summary.

Pros and Cons: +I know how the next few stories are meant to go. +I am feeling enthusiastic about the story as a whole, and am eager to continue work on it.

-I am kind of blocked on the second story, and have been for a while. -I’m still worried no one’s going to read this thin, so what's the point.

Idea #4: TRON '82 High Fantasy AU Not much to say about this one except that it's very new, but here's a summary:

Chesst styles himself the God-Emperor of the Seven Realms, and has outlawed worship of the old gods. Those who still cling to the ancient ways are consigned to the empire’s gladiatorial arenas, forced to fight to the death in dangerous games. Tron, a former knight-paladin of the realm of Enqor, has spent nearly a year in the arenas, fighting and surviving and keeping his faith alive. The gods have not forsaken him yet, and he knows they will not let Chesst’s blasphemy stand. When an amnesiac prisoner named Flynn arrives at Tron’s arena, Tron and his friend Ram are tasked with preparing him for the games. As Flynn recovers and trains, it becomes clear that he is much stronger than even Tron expected. He has access to a powerful magic that he cannot fully control, even with Tron mentoring him. As the start of the games approaches, Tron can only hope that Flynn’s true power can be concealed long enough for him to control it, and perhaps long enough for the three of them to escape.

Pros and Cons: +It’s a new idea, which means it could spark a lot of creativity. +I think it could be a fun idea to explore at length.

-I’d have to do a ton of worldbuilding to get ready to write it. -I also need to plot the whole thing (or at least part of it), with the original film as a guide.

Idea #5: The Face in the Mirror This is also a new idea and yet another TRON story. Concept came about a post on here about what might happen if one program's disc was put on another program's body. I've billed this one as a horror story; here's the summary:

Metz is having a little trouble with his memory. He remembers… horrible things, things that don’t make sense. He remembers derezzing, or at least, he thinks he does. His best friend and lover, Starr, says that it’s just a packet of bad code that will purge itself in time. She reassures him that he’s fine, and he wants to believe her, but… Sometimes, it’s like someone or something else is inside his body. And every time he sees his reflection, he’s startled by the face staring back at him…

Pros and Cons: +I know the basic shape of the story already. +The plot will probably fit my lower NaNoWriMo goal of 10-20k.

-I have no idea how to write a horror story. -I’m not sure I have enough enthusiasm for this idea right now.

I do not promise to abide by the results of this poll, but I'm interested to see what y'all think of my conundrum.

[ewebie]

2022: An Author’s Review

I've gotten in the habit (over the past 9 years) of posting an author's review of what I've done on AO3. Since I started my Patreon, I've been posting it here and sharing across Tumblr and Twitter. I think it's good to take stock, be honest about what was possible and look and what I want for the next year. So here it is:

2022... I must say that I had higher hopes for you. It was a busy and productive year, but I did spend a lot of my time healing from the past 2 years and dragging myself, kicking and screaming, into a healthier place.

I was forced to take time out of work for my own mental health in 2021, and kept a lighter schedule going into 2022. It was very very needed. And 2022 from a society perspective was not what I had hoped for. Hubs and I made a (temporary -- one year only) move back across the Atlantic, and I learned a whole new job (clinical adjacent... research).

Even with all the chaos of a move and work and... *gestures at everything* I did manage to accomplish a few things.Summary of writing in 2022:

I set out with the goal of posting something every month, and I succeeded through August. I settled down after that to really plow through some of my WIPs and get ready for a big push in Jan '23.

In January '22, I spent some dedicated time torturing giving Paia everything she's ever wanted. And kicked off a series of works of Papa Lestrade (and his 3 kids). Series became When You're Fast Asleep, the first one written called Deep Inhale.

February brought two more installments to When You're Fast Asleep: Foundational and Counter Riposte. Also very much targeting Paia. Because if I cannot lob fully completed fic attacks back at her for all the rabid plot-bunnies she sneaks into my DMs, then what's the point of our friendship?

For March, I broadened my attack to hit Moth as well as Paia... An indulgent little praisekink AU that hit up a few important interests, called Praise Worthy. And I finished the NYE fic I was working on that specifically used receipts from Moth and Paia that's just suit worship and proud indulgence: Silver and Gold. I also got Jinxed by V in the MRC and added a chapter to Safety First (my Kiss Kiss Bang Bang shorts collection) called G is for Grooming... because toilet plungers???

Though I technically finished posting in May, the April fic was another When You're Fast Asleep called How Your Heart, and I absolutely adore it (and attacked myself with it). And while that was posting, I was working away on the May-Mystrade (Maystrade challenge).

So that brings us to May - when things started to get really busy as I prepped to move, and the Mystrade is Crime collection, to which I submitted Bait and Switch (since KKBB and Sometimes I Feel... were already in existence and I wanted to go full evil).

June and July were mental... packed up 16years of life on one side of the Atlantic, moved to the other, got COVID, got better, and made my way to a State that I'd never lived in before, started a new job in a new environment, dealt with family health issues, celebrated a major birthday. A lot of stress... not a lot of writing.

August I put up Where To Draw the Line, because sometimes I cannot control myself.

September, I fell off the wagon. Not that I've not been writing, I've been writing continuously. But I went all in on some of my WIPs and committed to finishing Hayloft, which is due to start posting on Fridays in Jan...

Overall, I published shy of 50k words (though, I wrote just over 80k... there are some big WIPs in the works) with 16k hits and I now have 360 user subscriptions and 6000 bookmarks. It was a solid effort and I've spent the year only writing Mystrade -- though... I've expanded my reading ships (I'm looking at you Moth).

Plan for 2023: Starting in Jan, I'll be posting The Hayloft (aka "The Farm AU"). One chapter a week... until done... Which... will be midyear. There’s a few bigger projects that I’ve back-burnered or have been plodding along with, including "the sad one" and "the Pretty Woman one" and some complex, multichapter things. Trello has been excellent this year to keep my bunnies sorted and in some sort of order.

Working titles of a few:

Lesser Things

Used Books

The Marshmallow Experiment

Huff and Hush

The Time Has Come

Attack the Cheese Block

Of Legwork and Dogs Bodies

Make Yourself

I hope to keep adding shorts to Safety First and Badges and 'Brellas. And I have 2 birthday pieces that I'm working on, and hope to get out in Feb/March. I'm not going to aim for monthly new works, since Hayloft is going to take a lot of attention, but I do hope to publish more words than 2022.

Many thanks to everyone who has beta'd works for me through the year (this year was mostly Paia -- many times for her many many sins). Thank you to the Asylum (nee Jail) - you're all gremlins and I-A-Door-You! Thank you to the MRC for being just... whatever it is you are. And the OGC - because intercontinental chat groups are their own, special nonsense!

I want to thank everyone that has left kudos and comments and reblogs and likes. Anyone who has dropped me a message or a thought and has generally enjoyed or encouraged my writing this past year. ILY all!!

[burntblueberrywaffles]

My Star Wars/Anidala fanfic rec list

After spending so much time reading anidala fanfics, I decided I should at least try to make it useful for someone else, so here’s a list of recs!

this is my first time making a fanfic recommendation list so I apologize in advance if it sucks.

(also I think some of these would technically be classified as vaderdala but whatever)

I have more anidala fanfics in my bookmarks, but I decided to stop here to avoid having this post be even more ridiculously long than it already is. If anyone asks, I’ll be happy to make a second part!

Padme lives/Vader redemption:

Pander

After giving birth to her two children, Padmé goes into hiding to protect them. After six years of keeping them safely hidden, the small farm she had taken refuge in is attacked by the empire and she realises she cannot allow such tyranny to continue. Darth Vader takes a personal interest in the new rebel, along side her Jedi friends. His past is beginning to fight back. Will he find out that Padmé lived? Will she discover who the man behind the mask really is? Will the galaxy ever know peace? I guess you’ll just have to read to find out.

The Ghosts on Coruscant  

Padmé Amidala, a former senator of the fallen Republic, barely survived the childbirth. After her recovery, she suffered from partial memory loss and was led to believe that the Emperor's mysterious enforcer, Darth Vader, killed her husband on Mustafar. Eight years later, she has joined the aspiring Rebel Alliance and volunteered to take part in a high-risk operation, only to be captured and thrown into an Imperial prison. To hide her true identity and protect her children from the Empire's wrath, she is forced to use a little too predictable alias.

What will Vader do when he confronts the prisoner and realizes that he has been deceived by his Emperor? And how will Padmé react when she eventually finds out who is behind that terrifying mask?

Incomplete but still worth reading / I personally thought it left off at a point that was satisfying enough

for you, i'll risk it all

Darth Vader was certain he had killed Padmé Amidala on Mustafar, but when a rebel broadcast reveals she is alive, he will stop at nothing to free her from what he assumes is captivity. Former Senator Padmé Amidala was certain her husband had been killed on Mustafar, but after seeing Vader across the room during a mission, she is sure that she had been lied to. Knowing the truth, she seeks out her husband, either to bring him back to the light or kill him, which ever was necessary.

this one is shorter than others in this category (only around 20k words instead of more than 50K) and it’s really good so I definitely recommend it if you want a quicker read with this trope ^^

Supernova and the Machine

Two years after the events of ROTS, in which Padme survived and went into hiding after faking her own death. She is at her lowest point when she stages a rescue for the Rebellion, and is caught by Darth Vader. She is taken to his castle, and surprised to find that she doesn't much mind it there...

Skywalker family fluff:

Our Sky Full of Stars

Seven snippets from the Skywalker-Naberrie household in a world where everything is fine and nothing is wrong with the galaxy.

The Tinies

[Comic Series] After discovering his wife is alive, Darth Vader is suddenly thrown into fatherhood of two young and tiny children.

this one is stilll being updated, so its perfect to get a dose of cuteness every once in a while - (doesn’t have cliffhangers since it doesnt really have an overaching plot)

Nobody Needs to Know

The twins are born in the middle of the Clone Wars, and Anakin and Padmé try to continue hiding the fact that they're married and now have two children.

Nobody buys it. Like, seriously, nobody.

the bantha in the room

concept: anakin sitting in the council room bouncing baby luke on his knees as he adamantly denies having children or attachments  

New Titles for Commander Tano and General Kenobi

Ahsoka ran to the hospital as fast as she could, expecting her former Master to be injured or worse...but then she saw something that was even more surprising. Okay, now thinking about it, not that surprising. She wondered how Master Kenobi is going to take the news...

Baby, you were the love of my life  

Padme and Anakin get the happily ever after they dreamed of...

A series of one shots after Padme and Anakin run away together to the lake country and raise Luke and Leia.

ROTS fix-it:

Ash and Smoke

Mustafar fix-it. Obi-Wan doesn’t let Anakin burn

Persevere and Trust in the Force

Anakin doesn’t kill the younglings

the tragedy of darth sidious the unwise

"Have you ever heard the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"

Chancellor Palpatine's still looking at him, probably expecting a straightforward 'Of course.' Anakin coughs and tries to sound convincing. "Oh, yeah. The crechelings love that one."

Or, Anakin gets the wrong impression during the infamous Opera conversation. Hijinks ensue.

not completed yet but its hilarious and definitely worth a read

Her Step Forward

In the galaxy far, far away that we know and love, Anakin Skywalker fell to the Dark Side, leaving destruction and death in his wake.

In another galaxy slightly closer, yet still far, far away, the wife of Anakin Skywalker took a step forward on Mustafar, not backward.

Higher Ground

Obi-Wan pov. not Anidala centric but im a sucker for Mustafar fix-its so im putting it here (this is another Obi-Wan doesn’t let Anakin burn fic)

Explosive Problem-Solving

Anakin takes the quick and easy route to nullifying his nightmares. [Oneshot. ROTS-AU. Crackfic.]

An (Un)fortunate Haunting  

“I refuse to listen to hallucinations.” “I AM NOT A HALLUCINATION!”  

Anakin’s future force ghost tries to warn him. It would go a lot better if anakin was willing to listen.

The Path of the Light  

Padmé manages to get through to Anakin in time

Time travel fix-it

Reset  

A few weeks after everything falls apart, Obi-Wan finds himself on Padme's starship on the way to Mustafar. Except it seems he's not the only one who lived the future. Because she did, too, and she's furious at him for killing (or so she thinks) Anakin. And they aren't the only ones who time travelled.

I added this to the recs when I read the first chapter and then procrastinated so much on finishing this list that the fic had time to get completed with two more chapter - I haven’t had time to read them yet, but the first chapter was great.

Zadkiel

Padmé post-ROTJ gets sent back to her AOTC body and is determined to save her family. With a little help from her father-in-law.

incomplete but I enjoyed the few chapter we got.

Back To The Future

Teenage Princess Leia, heir to Alderaan's throne and her twin, Luke Vader, heir to the Imperial throne, get thrown back in time with the chance to save their parents before it's too late. With the Force finally on their side, they decide to have a little fun whilst they try and save their father's soul. What could go wrong?

not Anidala centric, but lots of skywalker family moments

Out of the Dark Valley  

15 years after the events of RotS, Darth Vader discovers a way to time travel backwards through the Force, to the moment in his past he most regrets. This creates an alternate timeline where he has the opportunity to change his and Padmé's tragic fate. But reliving the past and making a new future will prove to be no easy task, and the sins of the father will have lasting effects on the next generation. (AU from Mustafar onward. Ensemble PoV featuring Anakin, Padmé, Obi-Wan, Luke, Leia, and Mara Jade. Skywalker family focus with mild Anidala and LukeMara elements. Background Barrissoka. Rated T for violence and dark themes.)  

I’ve only read this up to chapter 33, so i cant attest for the rest of the fanfic, but its very good. (I stopped reading because I didn’t like the direction the story was taking, but that’s just my personnal tatse in fanfics - regardless, the story is so long (over 324k words) that you can get hours of enjoyment out of it wether or not you decide to finish it ^^)

Alternate Universe:

Two Truths, But An All-Consuming Lie  

Anakin Skywalker was dead to begin with. Well, not dead precisely. Not yet. -- -- Undercover rebel operative, Padme Naberrie, toes the line between imperial devotee and double agent for her friends in the Alliance. Newly assigned to Lord Vader's fleet, things grow wildly out of control when she realizes that even the enemy has a few grey areas, particularly the intimidating Sith lord who's entirely too human for comfort.

incomplete but is still being updated. it’s SO good so far love it.

The Inescapable Inevitability of Another Life  

Padme Amidala never intended to sleep with a Sith Lord. If anything, it was her life’s work to actively avoid said man. But when Palpatine assigns him to be her protector (after a particularly egregious attempt on her life), strong feelings spill over into strong actions.

While on a visit to Naboo though, their complicated situation-ship only worsens when Vader involves himself in solving a decade and a half-old mystery.

What happened to Anakin Skywalker?

only 1 chapter is out so far but it’s so good I’m actually obsessed with this fic.

The Empress and Her Sith Lord

starts up as shameless smut but I really like the plot of the two other instalments. very cute if you ignore the moral implications of empress!padme and sith!anakin (though despite the setup this fic isn't really dark, unlike a lot of similar aus)

Across the Centuries

They meet each other in every century, but something always goes wrong before they can make it to happily-ever-after.  

It has a happy ending but this fic still make me so goddamn sad- maybe its because i was already in my anidala feels, or maybe because it reminded me so much of love is universal , the spiderman fic that wrecked me forever, but either way i wanted to cry

Modern AU:

Madam President

Between late nights and headaches and mountains of paperwork and fierce opposition from her political opponents, President Padmé Amidala already had enough on her plate. And then she just had to go and fall for one of her bodyguards, a relationship which would ruin her reputation and his career if anyone were to find out about it. Also, someone's trying to kill her.

I LOVE this one omg it had me squealing and kicking my feets while reading

Spouses With Benefits  

Anakin and Padmé wake up after a wild night in Vegas and discover they accidentally got married—and that Ahsoka posted about it all over social media, so now every single person they know is texting and calling them to offer congratulations. They decide to save face by pretending the marriage was totally 100% intentional and not a drunk mistake at all, keeping up the charade for six months, and then quietly getting divorced. But a lot can change in six months…

stars in the sky (bring the summer right back to me)

Ten years since her only summer at Camp JEDI, Padmé Amidala finds herself back as a counselor. She's surprised to find the silly little nine-year-old who befriended her is still there and isn't very little anymore.  

This one was just delightful. short and sweet (around 3000 words)

Drunken Texting

Padme sends an embarrassing (and potentially humiliating) text to Anakin while drunk.

established relationship. Short (~700 words) and super cute

Hearts Shatter Like Glass

Three months after his return from war, Anakin and Padme divorce. Eight months later. Padme is urged to check on him by a mutual friend and finds that the Anakin she loved is still there, buried under the broken pieces of the man he’s become. Can she put those broken pieces back together again or is it truly the end for them?

so so angsty and so so good. incomplete but is still being updated (although the updates can be slow)

Three

His and Padmé’s first wedding anniversary isn’t going nearly as well as Anakin had hoped it would. Until, suddenly, it’s so much better than he could have ever imagined.

The Anakin Disaster  

Padmé is mortified upon waking up beside her strictly platonic childhood best friend Anakin Skywalker the morning after a drunken one-night stand. A couple weeks later, she discovers that's the least of their problems.  

Flat Tire  

Who knew something as simple as getting a flat tire could change the entire course of your life?  

Pipe Dream  

Padmé's new plumber is the most attractive human being she's ever laid eyes on, so naturally, she keeps faking plumbing emergencies so she can keep seeing him.

Other:

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin; the water's getting warm so you might as well swim

“Are the GAR medics really trained to deliver babies?” “Probably not, but I think they might be our best bet right now.” “I cannot believe this is happening while I’m stuck here on your ship. A ship full of exclusively men.”

Taking a very pregnant senator on an important war-ending mission is not a good idea. Padme, Rex, Anakin, and Admiral Yularen learn this the hard way.

legally binding attachments

Anakin and Padmé are not, in fact, very good at keeping their secret marriage a secret. From anyone. It's a good thing Obi-Wan is on their side.  

Scars

How do Anakin and Padmé go from "I love you" to "I do"? Missing scene from Attack of the Clones  

You’ve read all of these and want more? Find my second rec list here

[nanowrimo]

Making the Most of Your First Draft

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Dabble, a 2021 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is an easy-to-use writing tool that lets you organize, plot, and create amazing stories. Today, they’ve teamed up with author and editor Chet Sandberg to bring you some advice for getting the most out of your first draft:

Every year, thousands of first time novelists reach the end of November with +/-50k words and savor the victory of finally finishing something. Perhaps you’ll be one of them!

You take a day, or maybe you take a week, to bathe in the adulation of your fellows, many of whom also completed their manuscripts, along with many who didn’t. Then, you freeze. What’s the next step?

This post is dedicated to helping you get a first draft that, no matter how loosey-goosey or clinical your writing approach, serves as a basis for a great final manuscript.

Turning points: give your scenes movement.

This suggestion is one I haven’t seen elsewhere, but it’s something I do in all my drafts now that I’ve stumbled into it. It works especially well for pantsers or discovery writers, but most plotters I know have deviations from their plots, or they don’t plot the polarity of each of their chapters. Polarity is the movement from a positive overall situation (or at least a stable one) to a negative overall situation, or vice versa. This movement may be strictly external—that is, strictly plot—or it may be internal/emotional. It also may involve the movement from negative to even more negative, or (though this is rare in gripping fiction) from positive to more positive. While you see storycraft experts talk about these polarity shifts, I rarely see anyone mention a system for making them easy to locate and manipulate in further drafts.

As you write, mark critical turning points in the plot or emotional tone of your novel. These will be points where the polarity shifts. Where do your scenes turn? Where does a significant misfortune or internal change in the character make even you—the writer who’s writing the book—wonder what will happen next? Many of these turning points have proper names and descriptions—the inciting incident, as an example—in storytelling craft, and you may or may not recognize, from the first time you see it, exactly what that turn is. That doesn’t matter yet. What matters is that it sticks out. 

When you revisit this first draft, it’ll be invaluable to have critical points marked and easy to find. I use composition software, Dabble Writer (dabblewriter.com), that makes this quite simple. Other manuscript software programs such as Scrivener have these features, too, but I haven’t found one yet that fits my process while still being as easy to use as Dabble. In Dabble, I can simply start a new plot in the plot grid and call it “turning points.” When I note a turning point as I’m writing, I highlight it within the scene (something Dabble makes easy), but I also create a card in the grid for that chapter that shows up in the right margin of that scene. I fill out the “turning points” grid card with a brief description of the turning point, along with any thoughts I have when I first see the turning point. 

Noting turnarounds within individual chapters works particularly well in helping you note where to end chapters, too. Often, a new author will create chapters that end three or four hundred words past when they should, essentially deflating the tension before the scene ends. Marking those emotional or plot highlights that make you curious or anxious about the POV character will help you spot these crucial turns and avoid neutralizing the polarity before the chapter ends. While not every scene can have drastic polarity swings (unless you’re intentionally writing melodrama), you still often want some sort of polarity shift to compel the reader on to the next chapter.

I’ve often said, “Verbs are the lifeblood of all prose.” While that’s true for the nuts and bolts syntax of writing, polarity shifts or turnarounds are similarly important for the storytelling aspects of writing. Fiction that lacks internal or external turnarounds—i.e., polarity shifts—is hard to pull off without an incredibly powerful voice. Such feats are usually reserved for experimental prose, not mainstream storytelling.

If verbs are the lifeblood of prose, turnarounds and polarity shifts are the edges of your story. They give shape to your characters’ journeys. Knowing where they are, vetting them, and finally sharpening them, is essential to good storytelling. Marking them within your manuscript as you go will make the task of creating a coherent second draft much easier. Future you will be thankful for such foresight.

Chet Sandberg is a hospice nurse, freelance line editor, and sporadically published author. Find him at world.hey.com/chetcraft/ where he often posts about writing and storytelling craft. His Twitter handle is @Chet_Novels. The software he mentions, Dabble Writer, may be found at dabblewriter.com.

Top photo by Weston MacKinnon on Unsplash.

[doggernaut]

doggernaut’s omgcp fic recs - fantasy, sci-fi, and fairytales

Merry Christmas! I come to you bearing more fic recs. In the spirit of Christmas magic, I’m sharing some of my favorite Check, Please! fics that I have loosely categorized as fitting into the fantasy, sci-fi, and/or fairytale genres. (All of the fics on this list are under 50K words; at some point I’ll be making a separate post for long fics.)

It's Wonderful Ice by @justlookfrightened

Rating: T

Summary: Jack despairs when Samwell Men's Hockey is threatened and he doesn't know if he can save it, and he thinks everyone who cares about him would be better off of he'd never been born. With a little help, he sees how the lives of his loved ones would have played out without him.

My notes: A Check, Please! take on It’s a Wonderful Life. The alternate versions of Jack’s friends and family feel entirely plausible.

Consequences of Falling by @17piesinseptember

Rating: T

Summary: In a world where everyone is born with a Gift, Jack can see through people’s eyes for an hour if they touch and Eric...he gets visions of Jack dying. They start unclear and develop over time, and they should stop after Eric saves Jack. They don’t. After Eric saves Jack’s life several more times, Jack confronts Eric about why he’s always in the right place at the right time. After revealing his Gift to Jack, the two team up to help decipher Eric’s dreams. Though they start as acquaintances, they quickly become close friends. Feelings get deeper, but with Eric’s continuing visions of Jack, can there ever be a good time for those feelings to be confessed?

My notes: This is such a romantic and dreamy AU with a narrative that jumps back and forth in time, but is never confusing. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything quite like it.

Graduation Day by IBoatedHere

Rating: G

Summary: It takes Jack 50 days to finally see what's been right in front of him for the past two years.

My notes: A Check, Please! version of Groundhog Day I’ve read again and again. I love any fic that’s about Jack realizing he has feelings for Bitty.

Breakaway by AntarcticBird

Rating: T

Summary: The first time Jack sees him is at the beginning of his sophomore year at Samwell, a completely normal Monday night, and at first he thinks he has gone insane.

My notes: The is such a sweet story with adorable artwork. Set when Jack is still at Samwell, it’s an entirely different type of meet cute.

And the Day Winding Like Dreams by @hugealienpie

Rating: M

Summary: Jack left his NHL dreams behind after rehab, but as his time at Samwell neared its end, he had no idea what to do with his life instead. Enter Jack's former rehab neighbor, Dom Cobb, who introduced him to the high-stakes world of dreamshare. Six years later, Jack runs one of the best-known teams in the business, but a job gone wrong brings his biggest challenge yet: a dive into the sleeping mind of Kent Parson.

My notes: A forever favorite. I’m not even familiar with the source material (Inception) but that didn’t stop me from grasping the concept right away. This is also one of the most romantic Zimbits getting together fics I’ve ever read.

The Very Thought of You by @wrathofthestag

Rating: M

Summary: Novelist Jack Zimmermann has the worst case of writer’s block as the entire city of New York waits for his follow-up book. Will anything help? Enter Eric Bittle, the guy who moves in upstairs and changes his life in more ways than one.

My notes: Another super dreamy and romantic read. I love the way @wrathofthestag writes Jack and Bitty in AUs: people who have full, fulfilling lives, who manage to find and fill the empty spaces they didn’t know they had.

Numina by @sakon76

Rating: T

Some marriages last "until death do us part." Some last longer. When the love of your life is a literal kitchen god, the afterlife is a bit different than expected.

My notes: These vignettes are part of the larger Cornucopia series. The first fic is a wonderful introduction to to this world. This is such a unique series with excellent world building.

180 Pomegranate Seeds by @foryouandbits

Rating: E

Summary: Jack, the god of the spring, is the son of Alicia, the goddess of the harvest, and Bob, the god of the sky. Having spent his entire life on Earth with his mother, he cannot shake the feeling that there is more than just his duties to the land. There are whispers of the god of the underworld, the ruler of a place full of horror, but Jack finds himself inexplicably drawn to it. Who is the god of the underworld and why is he so terrifying? Why won’t anyone answer Jack’s questions?

My notes: Hades and Persephone AU. I love to sink into a @foryouandbits fic because the world building is always excellent.

Semiaquatic by @mapleleafcameo

Rating: M

Summary: The ocean can hold many wonders. Magic can be as near as the shore.

My notes: One of my favorite Check, Please! fics of all time. Sweet, magical, romantic. 

There Are None Who Go by Carterhaugh by @mapleleafcameo

Rating: M

Summary: What if, through no fault of your own, you stepped through the veils that part the world into the land of the Fairy King. What if you met someone, so briefly, you doubt it happened. What if you fell in love in that instant. What if you would do anything to get him back.

My notes: @mapleleafcameo basically owns this category. This is another fic that had me anxiously awaiting each update.

in the space between by @parvuls

Rating: T

Summary: Bittle talks about everything like they’re driving Route 66 down to Arizona and landing on a foreign planet is just a stop at Wendy’s for a Vanilla Frosty mid-roadtrip. Some days Jack can’t believe NASA ever let him out of the Solar System; other days, he thinks that maybe they did this so he’d never come back.

My notes: SMH in space! The essential Zimbits story we all know translates so well to this concept.

Jack in the Box by @tdkeh

Rating: T

Summary: It was though the townspeople had gone wild overnight. Normally, black cats were thought as something to be avoided by the superstitious residents, but a mysterious proclamation appeared in the town square one morning and changed everything. Those who could read quickly spread word to the rest. *Whomsoever can remove the key, will win the hand of a true beauty.*Two nights later, a black cat with blue eyes was spotted in the woods with an ornate gold key around its neck, and the chaos began.

Eric Bittle wanted no part of it.

My notes: This is a WIP, but the updates have been a welcome treat this holiday season. All of the characters have been reimagined so well in this world, especially Bitty, whose essential kindness really comes through as he cares for the stray cat.

[barkkletshunt]

Those Worth Fighting For Part seven

Part one          Part two

Part three        Part four

Part five           Part six

Part Seven (You’re here)       Part eight 

Taglist:

@ladybug-182 @fruit-snacc-ace @miraculous-simmer7 @lavenderjunes 

@use-flamethrower @fan-written @all-mights-asscheeks @birdie-posts

Sorry if the tags aren’t working, I tried and I’m not sure where I went wrong with it? 

If I have time the next part will come out with some art! Don’t expect the art to be any good though lol

“So then, I go to the window and there is Adrien on Kagami’s front lawn with a big sign that says prom on it, and by the way neither of us knew he was going to be in France at all. It was a total surprise. So I’m so shocked my mind completely blanks out and I shout down to him that yes, I’ll go to prom with him. He yells back ‘tall Kagami’ and I turn around and just ‘your boyfriend just asked to go to prom with me.’ Without skipping a beat she leans out of the window and tells him he’s too late, she already asked me.” Marinette laughed, wiping a stray tear from her eye that began to form from how hard she was trying to not burst into a fit of giggles until the story ended. “In the end the three of us went to prom together.”

The four around the table shook their heads. “Mari, dude, if you can’t get through that story without laughing how are you supposed to do your toast?”

“I’ll just practice it a lot until it’s no longer funny to me, simple. I’m not even going to worry about it anymore.” The blue haired girl shrugged. When she was younger she would have worried about that, but she was long since past that. At least, she hoped she was. She had done enough interviews with Alya in her teen years, and then enough speeches as Ladybug to fill her with a confidence she lacked as a teen. She was nervous, but instead of the all consuming nervousness that would make her fumble and trip over her words it was now an excited nervousness. She was excited about it. 

“I think you’ll do fine,” Felix winked at her, his face never changing from the impartial look he had on since he came into the restaurant.

They all had made their way back to the same place after the amok, even if Felix was late once again. The blond had made his excuses of needing to take care of some errands that he had forgotten, but it hadn’t mattered much to any of them. Marinette had saved a seat next to her for him and he was more than happy to take it.

“Why not talk about the moment you realized those two were perfect for each other?” Nathaniel asked, playing with the straw in his drink. “I know you have a million stories about that.”

“Something like Adrien saving Kagami from a bully, or a dance of just the two of them where they lock eyes and suddenly the whole room disappears?” Marc hummed, their author brain going into overdrive at the thought of romance. “Maybe you saw him protect her against an akuma or amok?”

Marinette thought for a moment. What was it that made her realize that they belonged together? After all those years fawning over Adrien, it was Kagami’s love for him that made her step down, but what was the exact moment? 

“It was at Chloe’s fifteenth birthday party.” Marinette started, recalling the time before Hawkmoth had lost and her world began to fall apart and fix itself simultaneously. “Adrien’s dad thought it would be a good idea for Kagami to go with him and keep an eye on his son, and they started the evening miserable because the paparazzi outside the hotel told them that they always looked so perfect that it made sense that they would be perfect together. I only got to spend a few minutes with them before being pulled away by Chloe, but when I went to find them and bring them some hot chocolate they were on the roof ruffling each other's hair and talking about anime, and goofing around like I hadn’t seen either of them do before.” 

“They saw that the other understood their background and chose to help break out of that image with each other and just be kids.” Felix’s words surprised her, but he understood exactly what had happened. 

“They were so embarrassed when they saw me that I challenged them both to hot chocolate drinking contests to ease the awkwardness. They didn’t even realize I didn’t have one for myself before chugging theirs and burning their mouths at the same time.” Her two messy friends meant the world to her, and she knew no one would understand them like they understood each other. Both of them had strict parents that would only let them escape and be kids when they were with the other, and they took those opportunities and made every moment count. They were what each other needed, and then when they got their freedoms they were still the ones they chose. “I think that’s also when they stopped acting perfect in front of me. Adrien really started to bug me to watch anime so he could talk about it with someone other than his girlfriend, and Kagami soon demanded to be my dress up doll because she never got to do that growing up. They became my best friends and honestly, I think I’m better for it too.”

“How romantic.” Marc swooned, leaning against Nathaniel who caught his significant other with a laugh. “Childhood friends, to rivals, to lovers. 50K slowburn.”

“Once there was an akuma trying to hurt Adrien and Kagami picked up the nearest weapon she could find and just went at ‘em and I have never seen Adrien’s face light up like that. The boy just wants to be loved and protected.” Nino joined in. “Alya and I were shocked, we both had our money on Adrien ending up with someone else, but we’re both happy about it. Speaking of which, I gotta update her on what’s going on here. She’ll flip.”

Felix shifted in his seat, catching Marinette’s eye as Nathaniel and Marc continued talking about Kagami and Adrien’s relationship. He wasn’t there for all those moments, he wasn’t a long term friend of everyone so he didn’t know Alya or Chloe and she wouldn’t doubt it if he had felt out of place in the conversation. 

“Pst,” she scooted herself over, getting closer to him and leaning over to whisper at him. “You look nice today.”

Felix blinked in surprise. Within seconds his face was growing warm and he used his hand to cover the lower half of his face as inconspicuously as possible. “Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to say that, Miss. Dupain-Cheng?”

“I’m afraid I beat you to it, Mr. Graham De Vanily.” She whispered back. “But it’s okay, you might get me next time.”

How long had it been since she was able to flirt with someone without losing herself in the what-if’s and teenaged anxiety that had plagued her? How had one battle fighting side by side with Ryuko, Alley Cat, and the others given her so much confidence that she hadn’t had even during the fight itself? Was it that damned cat’s words? He had unknowingly complimented her to her face and she was still beaming with pride over being called brilliant. Being complimented on her looks was nice, but the way he had complimented her on her mind was something else. She supposed that was what did it, after all. Being told that she was great because of who she was and not because of how she looked filled her with a pride she didn’t even want to describe lest it dampened the feeling inside her chest. 

“Well then, until next time, you look wonderful. You’re outfit choice is on point, as always.” His comment hit straight to her heart. There it was again. A comment on something she chose being good. “And although you are trying to start a fire with my face, I am enjoying this time with you away from colour pallets and order forms. I like seeing this other side of you, Marinette.”

“I’d like to say the same thing, but it has come to my attention that you seem to only wear suits, Felix. This is the same side of you I always see.” She couldn’t help her grin. There was a strange formal banter between them that she found exhilarating. In it’s own way it made her feel like part of the aristocratic world that he and Adrian and Kagami belonged to, without having to deal with the fakeness that the latter two often complained about. “Dare I say, I don’t believe you own anything that isn’t a suit.”

“I’d hate to inform you of this, but you’re incorrect on that front.” Felix moved the hand that was covering his face to let himself rest his chin upon it. “I do, and I’d prefer it if you don’t go to the press with this, own a few sets of pajamas.”

“And are they silk and made to look like a suit?” She asked, now leaning against him to softly poke at his arm. “I bet you had them custom made so that you would never appear unprofessional.” 

“Well, well, aren’t you curious to see my pajamas? Shame you won’t get to see them until our fourth date.” Felix leaned his head against hers, and her heart began to race. 

“So, are you two actually a thing?” Nino’s voice broke them out of their moment. Marinette and Felix realized how it must have looked to the others and immediately sat straight in their seats. 

Nathaniel elbowed Nino in the ribs. “Dude!”

“What? I’m just trying to clear things up for my daily Alya report.” Nino tried to defend himself from the onslaught of hands trying to hit him from Marc and Nathaniel. “It gets complicated sometimes and you know my girl won’t let anything rest until she has all the info!”

“If Miss. Dupain-Cheng would like to, as you put it, actually be a thing, then I would be honoured to.” He said it so simply that Marinette wasn’t sure why she had hesitated before. He did like her. 

“Only if you wear your pajamas to our next late night planning session.” Marinette wasn’t willing to let the pajamas slide. “I have to see you out of a suit before we get all lovey dovey. It’s a rule.”

“Did you make that rule just for me?”

“Of course.”

“Well, don’t I feel special.” Felix thought to himself, making a bit of a show of it as he tossed his head side to hide. His braid that previously rested on his shoulder now swinging back and forth behind him, looking like a cat's tail as it got ready to play. “I think I have room to negotiate here, so if I may I am going to put the added condition that you must also wear your pajamas.”

“I don’t think this is supposed to be a business transaction, dude,” Nino tried, but Marinette held her hand up. She could negotiate. 

“I’ll accept those terms on the condition that you buy coffee, and we get to watch a movie together with some popcorn.” Marinette raised her brow, daring Felix to try to get a better deal out of her. 

“If I am purchasing coffee, popcorn, and a movie, then I will push for some baked goods from your parents bakery.” Felix held out his hand. “Well?”

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Graham De Vanily, but I accept your terms.” Marinette took his hand and shook it. That was the most fun she had ever had while figuring out plans for a date, and she knew she’d have more fun watching the movie with Felix than she just did. “A movie date in our pajamas with snacks it is.”

“I’ll pick you up friday night at eight?” 

“I can’t wait to see your suit pajamas.”

“I bet you have frills on yours.”

“And you don’t?”

[wintaejk]

Jungkook’s FIC REC | series

Because I spend a lot of time here on tumblr reading fanfictions, I wanted to create my own fic recs. Like that, I can recommend fictions that deserve more recognition and at the same time, if I want to reread one of them, I just have to come here.

Everything on this list is about Jungkook. And of course, all those works have been written by the authors I tagged next to the name of the fictions, they do not belong to me (and if the authors want me to remove their work from my rec, I will).

I also want to thank the authors. I really appreciate all your works and efforts to create all those beautiful stories. I send you all of my love.

I decided to try writing a commentary for each of the stories. I always try to use the right pronouns when talking about the authors, but if I used the wrong ones for you, don’t hesitate to tell me. I will change it in a minute.

(f) = fluff

(a) = angst

(m) = mature

The following fictions are all about completed and finished series. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Complete

— wanted (F) (M) | One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six — by @jincherie​

You were a deserter, a renegade, a wanted “criminal”. It was never in your plans to crash land on that planet, and it most certainly wasn’t in your plans to fall in love with it’s handsome ruler.

space au | alien au | royalty au | soulmate au | +56k

Commentary - To be honest, I don’t even know where to start and what to start with.                           But I think I’m simply gonna start with my first thoughts of this story. Because this fiction, I saw it multiple times on many fic recs. And to be completely honest, every single time I saw it, I found the summary attractive and intriguing but something was holding me. Probably the universe. The fear of being unsatisfied and disappointed.                           Because the difficulty with that kind of fiction is to immerse the reader in a universe they don’t know. You then have to describe it enough so that the reader can represent it in their head, but not too much to the point of becoming heavy. And this balance between the ‘enough’ and the ‘not too much’, you find it perfectly in ‘wanted’. I was not only imagining the scenery, I was totally living it. I was seeing everything, I was completely immerged, as if I had been living in that world my whole life.                            Also, the other risk with diving into a fantastic universe is the possibility of writing (or reading) something that has already been done. Yes, I already read stories where the characters are traveling from planet to planet. Yes, I already read love stories between an alien and a human. And yes, I read stories with kings before. However, this story is totally coming from the author’s imagination, or at least that’s the feeling I have. I don’t feel like I’m reading another story with aliens or in the future or a love story between a king and a non-royal reader that eveybody already knows by heart. No, I am reading Rha’s own story, her scenery, her plots, her descriptions... It was coming from her and it was her interpretation of an ‘alien world’ in the future. And I was even more stunned that I was not expecting that at all. It was in definitive a fucking good surprise. If you ask my opinion, I could even imagine it being the next best-seller book and then someone adapting this fiction in the next record-breaker movie.                             Now, let’s talk about the love story. Shit, fuck, damn. I’ve been craving a good love story these past few days and she gave it to me. A slow burn with a good amount of actions between the two characters, a flirty and sensual back and forth, a little bit of soulmate au, characters who have a personnality and feel truthful emotions, a last chapter with full on smut... It was for me a delight!                             And can we talk about that smut? Spoiler alert: Rha will make you wait until the very last minute, the very last chapter. And after waiting five long chapters, I personally only had two words for that smut... The. Fuck. I was so scared when I read the warnings and I saw tentacles and triple penetration. I was wondering where the author were bringing us. BUT BUT BUT!!! Holy fuck! I think we need all to respect a minute of silence in memory of the old me who just died. BECAUSE HOLY CRAP I FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMAN. No, but honestly, I am starting a new day tomorrow as a new person. This smut was something else. Never thought tentacles could be that exc.... Okay, I’m stopping now before making a whole essay on that perfect-amount-of-kink smut :)))                             I am going to conclude this lil (lol lmao lmfao) comment by emphasizing the work the author put in that fiction. For me, Rha’s story deserve so much recognition. Because this is clearly one of those fics where you can feel everything has been thought. Everything has an explanation, everything arrives at the perfect moment, everything is followed by a logical event, without being predictable. The plot, the secondary plots, the characters, the details... This author truly has nothing to envy to those ‘famous authors’ like J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen...                             This was not the first fiction she wrote that I read (she actually is the second account writing about bts I followed) and it is not a surprise that I loved so much this story. I am even certain, even if I just finished reading it, that this fiction will be one of those that you remember of, even years and years after you first read them.                              So Rha, if you happen to read this, let me tell you that you have a real talent, and you should keep embracing it! Love you lots, sweetheart, and I’m looking forward your next pieces of art.

— Falling Skies (F) (A) (M) | Prologue ; One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six — by @fortunexkookie​

Jeon Jiyeon was your childhood best friend; her brother, Jungkook, was something else entirely. Once upon a time, she had called you her sun and him her moon; it was fitting, given the constant push-and-pull between you two. You used to consider him a friend, but then he had gone from endearingly frustrating dumb boy to card-carrying fuckboy so fast it had given you whiplash.

You often wondered how Jiyeon wasn’t bothered by his behavior. In fact, she often seemed to encourage it. What you failed to see was that she was just trying to show you how he reflected your light. Jiyeon had realized he was in love with you even before he did, but of course she knew. It was a twin thing.

So despite the fighting and teasing, you always found yourself drawn back to him. You knew he was one of two constants in your life: the Jeon twins were - and had always been - your one indisputable truth. You were the sun, Jungkook was the moon, and Jiyeon was the sky holding you both up When she died, it ripped a black hole right through you.

friends to enemies | enemies to friends | friends to lovers | +50k

Commentary - I think I will never have the words to express how much I love this story. This fiction has its own place in my heart, and I have the need to come back from time to time to read again and again and again this beautiful piece of work.                          I’m gonna be honest with you. If you don’t like angst, if you don’t want to suffer even a little bit, this fiction is not for you.                          However, you would miss something. And a big something. Yes, your heart will sink, you might even cry but dammit, it is so worth it.                          Plus you will find some comfort in Jungkook and reader’s love story. Who doesn’t love a good ‘enemies to lovers’ at the same time of a ‘friends to lovers’. Did I mention smut? No, I did not yet. SMUT, ladies and gentleman. Good smut.                          In a few words to summarize that all, this is an amazing, wonderful, brilliant masterpiece. Just... go read it.

— Roommates (M) | One ; Two ; Three — by @tayegi​

When you accepted to let Jungkook, your best friend’s younger brother, to live with you, you did not take into account how much he grew up… and became that handsome young man.

roommate au | best friend’s brother | college au | +25k

Commentary - I’m pretty sure I couldn’t count how many times I read that fiction on only one hand.                          This story is the definition of slow-burn itself. As well as a collation of a roommate au, a best friend’s brother au, a friends to lovers au and an older reader. Let me tell you that when Jungkook and reader finally decides to act on that tension, it doesn’t end up in fire, but rathen in a volcanic eruption. And let’s be honest, that is exactly what we are here for.

— Animal (F) (A) (M) | One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six ; Seven ; Eight ; Nine — by @cutaepatootie​

“I don’t want to die without telling someone about her,” he says, his voice softening when he says ‘her’. “I don’t want to disappear without the world knowing about her and what she did for me.”

“About her?” the girl frowns.

Maybe his daughter? His sister?

The man turns his head and faces the girl, a soft, distant smile plastered on his lips. The gesture is nostalgic, sad, almost loving.

“Y/N,” he murmurs, the name rolling off his lips softly, just as softly as the waves of the sea roll over the sand. “Her name was Y/N.”

boxer au | flashback au | +115k

Commentary -  I’m not gonna lie, this story, I haven’t read it much. Simply because every single time I read it, I left some parts of my heart behind me.                         You can’t and I promise you that you won’t come out of this fanfiction in one piece. My heart broke the first time I read it. And the second time. And the third time. And this is probably the most I read it. Not that I didn’t like it, on the contrary: it is one of my favorite fictions in here. But there are some stories that you can’t read too many times, because they bring you such a combination of pain and joy, suffering and contentment, sorrow and euphoria that it is hard to handle, that you need some time to heal before reading it again.                          Putting words on what I felt while reading it is hard. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, the different stages of their relationship... And the end! I don’t think I would find someone who wouldn’t want for the end to be different. The last part let me in pain. Literally. I had a knot in my stomach and tears in my eyes. I had to stop two or three times to breathe in before continuing.                           In conclusion, if you love stories full of emotions, just go for that one. I read a lot, like a freaking whole lot. And fuck, this fiction is beautiful. Destructive also, but it is really worth it.

— Bunny Boy (M) | One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five — by @parkmuse​

Catching feelings for your sisters friend wasn’t part of your plan.

sister’s best friend | older!reader | virgin!reader | +17k

Commentary - If you have the same taste as me in terms of fictions, you will like this fiction. There’s no complicated plot behind this story, but this is exactly what I loved about it.                          Sometimes, you just need a simple story between the reader and her sister’s best friend. A simple story between two young people pining for each other. A simple story maybe, but with a lot of charm.                          I particurly appreciate this story because of its simplicity. Love is not always complicated and impossible, and it is refreshing to read a story that remins you of that.

— Cream & Sugar (F) (M) | One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six — by @taehyungforreal​

Stepping into this coffee shop was either the best or the worst idea of your life. You know that barista, you know he’s great in bed. You also know he’s the biggest asshole you’ve ever met.

escort au | barista au | enemies to lovers | +36k

Commentary - Cream & Sugar is another gem you can find on tumblr. Every time I read this serie, I fall in love once again with the characters of this stories. They are realistic, genuine and fierce. And this is what I love the most about Ashley’s fictions: the realism she puts in every single one of her work.                          The stories are thought, the psychology of the characters have been analyzed, the plot is consistent. This is not a coincidence I love everything that she writes; she has talent, and you should go read her fictions.                          And if you love slow-burn, sexual tension, and a good enemies to lovers universe, I warmly recommend you to start with this beautiful serie that I read multiple times and that I will continue to read again and again.

— Everything in you (F) (M) | One ; Two — by @jjungkookislife​

Y/n wants a baby, Jungkook is wiiling to help.

best friends to lovers | roommate au | pregnant!reader | +24k

Commentary - If you are looking for a cute and soft Jungkook’s story, I hardly recommend you to not click on this one. And for the others who are ready to give it a go, make sure to prepare your eyes and soul beforehand. This fiction is made of 90% of smut. This is kinky Jungkook asf, this is filth, this is all we like to read. Plus if we add the friends to lovers theme on top of everything else, this fiction can be considered as the holy grail for sinners like me. (But if you consider yourself pure and innocent, I promise the damnation is worth it.)

— the jeon twins (F) (A) ; kookie ending ; jk ending — by @krreader​

jk thought he was doing this for his twin’s good. falling in love with you while pretending to be kookie was never something he planned on doing and he hated himself for it.

twins!jeon | college au | badboy!jk | nerd!kookie

Commentary - I loved the concet of this fiction. A double ending, so everyone is happy at the end. Plus we have the duality of Jungkook in one fiction: the nerdy part of him vs the iNtErNaTiOnAl PlAyBoY one. And I have to admit that I’m a sucker for both of them. So having them reunited in one fiction is a delight.

— fear is forever (F) (A) | One: fear in your eyes ; Two: forever and a night — by @gukyi​

there’s a werewolf in that forest behind your house, they told you, and he’ll eat you before you can even beg for mercy.

werewolf au | strangers to lovers | +8k

Commentary - For some reasons, this story hit me hard.                          I love reading werewolf au, or should I say that I just love everything that is supernatural and magical. But this one was different.                          No crazy smut, no mate au, no pack. At some point, I even thought about Red Riding Hood, but not because the stories are similar. Far from it.                          I didn’t realize it directly, but after a few days, I was still thinking about it, and I could imagine telling that story to my future children. And then I realized why I was associating it to Red Riding Hood.                          This story feels like a fairytale. The famous ones. The ones that you tell your children before they go to sleep. The ones with magic, as much in the story itself as in the way it is written. The ones that make you still think about them days after you first read it. This story is literally a fairytale.

— Cafuné (F) (A) (M) | One ; Two — by @daffodilon​

cafuné - (brazilian portuguese)

“the act of running your fingers through your lover’s hair; among the few words that cannot be directly translated into english”

roommates au | friends to lovers | +19k

Commentary - This fiction is the personification of the friends to lovers au itself.                          You want soft? You will have soft. You want soft smut? You will have soft smut. You want soft smut with Jungkook? Seriously, I don’t know why you still are here reading my bullshit when you could be reading that beautiful baby instead.  

— vaunt (M) | One ; Two — by @yminie​

Every weekend Beta Tau throws a ‘little’ party to help students relax and let loose, and the frat resident Jungkook has a big mouth that talks a lot of big game. You finally get sick of the lack of relaxation on your end and set out to see if he’s all talk.

college au | fratboy!jungkook | enemies to lovers | +18k

Commentary - I only have three words to describe that fiction: big dick Jungkook.                          You want reasons to go read this story? A lot of smut. A good amount of crack. A little bit of fluff to end the story. And also, fuckboy!jungkook; fratboy!jungkook; and Big. Dick. Jungkook.                          You want a little bit more of filth and sin in your life? You are in the right place, that’s all I have to say.

— bad for you (A) (M) | drabble 1 ; drabble 2 ; Epilogue: undressed — by @yoonia​

His whole presence emits sin and danger, and you are not supposed to be attracted to him on the first glance. 

stripper au | bachelorette au | +31k

Commentary - Another fiction that I love reading again from time to time.                          And yes, cheating is wrong. Don’t do it at home kids. But no, I am not ashamed to love that fiction so much.                          I’m a sucker for Jungkook. But I’m a hoe for stripper!Jungkook. Plus the alchemy between reader and Jk is too good to not count that fiction in the top of my list of fictions. You add smut, fluff and the right amount of angst and BAM! You end up with a five stars fiction that you will devour until the very end. 

[tcheschirewrites]

Hey, are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Have you ever? And what was your experience like? I'm considering it but I feel so intimidated because I know I won't be able to commit to it wholeheartedly. Lowering my expectations and pacing myself would seem like the perfect solution but work kills my creative brain cells by the seconds. I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of November I've only written half of page of alien language. Any advice? Also does Nano have to be a new project?

Oh man, Nano. I’m well familiar with Nano, and I’ve participated a few times (to varying degrees of success). This got very long, so I’m putting a cut.

The first time I attempted Nano was in 2006 for my novel Seerking. I had heard about it from a friend who was in an LJRP I was in, and she encouraged me to try it. I was still in high school at the time, and very frankly I did not have the dedication necessary to complete it. I got a lot of worldbuilding complete, but very little writing. I got about two pages of prose, and three notebooks of character and setting history, as well as a fairly detailed outline. I still have all of this.

The second time I attempted was in 2009, for a story that is based heavily on the Iron&Wine song ‘Boy With a Coin’. I got a little bit further, but I got stuck in a few places. I think it’s because my idea was bigger than my life experience, and I also got stuck in a lot of small details. Additionally, my first Word document (where I got about two chapters in?) was destroyed when my laptop’s hard drive just straight gave up on life - I did buck up and rewrite quite a bit, though it didn’t sing quite the same notes, and I have this handwritten copy still. (It’s possible I tried again with this same project the year after? I don’t remember tbvh)

My third attempt was in 2011, about a goverment operative and a faun. This one I got the furthest, and I still have the original handwritten draft and the typed copy. I pantsed this one, 100%. To this day, I still don’t know how this story ends, but I’d love to attempt a rewrite someday.

Then, unfortunately, from around 2012 until Fall of last year, I stopped writing period. I was in a real bad situation, and just didn’t have the energy for anything, let alone a novel. My most recent experience with Nano as an organization was Camp Nano, which is a much looser structure, and it is in May and July. Rather than the hard and fast 50k, you set your own goal when you announce your project.

I can understand your hesitance to participate, honestly. Nano is a beast of a project – to reach the minimum goal of 50k in the 30 allotted days, you have to produce 1667 words of new content every single day. This is approximately 3 pages, maybe a little more – which is a lot when you’re already stressed! And if you miss a day you have to adjust your daily totals for every following day, and the pressure starts to mount! It’s a lot, even if it is only meant to be a neat little challenge (mostly, I’ll cover benefits a bit later).

Now, my recommendations are going to follow two paths: planning, and pantsing. If you are naturally a planner – that is, you like having rough outlines, refined outlines, you like having character data, history, etc – then I recommend you have as much of your novel planned ahead of time before November 1st hits. Whatever notes or files you need to have set aside before you begin writing those first words, have them ready – read over them, refine them, and have them memorized front to back so that you know what your story is meant to be. If you are a natural planner, and you have not done this by today’s date (it’s 30 October where I am), then I do not recommend participating this year because it will stress you the fuck out and you might even make yourself sick.

The other popular option is called pantsing – essentially, you have a rough idea, and you’re flying by the seat of your pants. (This is literally what it is called on the Nano website, by the by – there are badges for it and everything.) If you are a pantser, then I still recommend a little preparation, but of a wildly different degree and type: find your story’s ambiance. If you are a pantser, think about what sparked the idea for your story? Try to put yourself back in the place (emotionally or physically) where you had the most intense version of the idea, and hang onto that feeling with both hands. This is incredibly important, because it will allow you to harken back to that feeling without chasing the high of first being hit by that feeling. If you are a pantser, focus heavily on the feelings you want to evoke with your story, and let your heart guide you.

Now the third option (I know what I said, I lied all right) is if you are a combination planner-pantser; you don’t want to have the rigidity of the outline, but you also like having a little bit of structure, or at least a direction to go in. If you are a combination planner-pantser, I recommend doing very soft preparation for yourself in the week leading up to Nano. So things like building yourself a playlist, maybe doodle what your main looks like in your head, or small details like character names and short dossiers. If you’re able, I recommend coming up with an ending, so you know what the end-goal looks like and you are able to track your story’s completion in your head.

For all three, I would recommend deciding ahead of time how you want to write your novel – are you going to type it up in a word processor (please make so many backups, do not live the heartache that I had to)? Are you going old school and hand writing it? Are you feeling like a boss that day and maybe want to dictate it into an app on your phone? Pick one, and make a dedicated space for your novel. You can mix them up, certainly, but make sure that you are able to consolidate effectively or you’re going to stress yourself out.

Now, you asked whether or not it has to be a “new” project. There are actually a few answers to this, depending on what you mean. Now, if we are to assume that “new” strictly means a brand new, fresh idea that you have just come up with specifically for National Novel Writer’s Month 2020, then the answer is no; it does not. Back in the day, there were a few purists that insisted you had to have a designated project every year, but like most purists, they’re just being assholes about it.

As a matter of fact, it does not even have to be a brand new project that you have not written any words for at all – however, if you do have an idea that you have already written for, you are not permitted to use any of your previous word count toward your goal. This is definitely a no-no. Personally, I’ve tried this, and I found it rough – I liked having the designated project, and I liked the buildup to it.

If you have, though, an idea that you’ve worked over and you are simply ready to start putting words on a page, this, I think, is Nano’s sweet spot.

Now, I know most of this 1000+ answer has been cautioning and reminders that Nano is tough – because, well, it is. It is a huge undertaking, and I feel like every participant has their horror stories to tell about their experience. But I want to reassure you that it isn’t 100% a hard slog to a dreary end; there are so many tools that Nano themselves provide you, as well as user-run communities and workshops, and even some benefits after the fact. These are the things I want to wrap this post up with.

Firstly, no matter how tired or stressed you are, if you register for nanowrimo.org, you’ll begin receiving daily emails from published authors and past participants. These range from silly and tedious, to incredibly comforting. My favorite one, which I cannot remember a lot of specifics from, was from a man who detailed his experience and reassured everyone that the work doesn’t have to be good – it just has to be 50k words. That’s it. You can have typos and errors all over the place, plot holes of all shapes and sizes, and a main character who doesn’t make any sense at all; it doesn’t matter, because the point of the event is simply to finish. Neil Gaiman has also said a time or two that your first draft’s only purpose is to exist. Just get the words out; you can fix them later.

Additionally, when you are completing your profile, you can enter in your location and there are designated forums for participants in your area. In the past, there have been meetups for group-writes and workshops as well, though I imagine they will be more along the lines of Discord calls this year. If you are a social person who needs a pair of eyes to help you work through a scene, Nano’s got your back. They will also send you statistics for your area for the average word count, daily word count, past winners, etcetera. It can sometimes feel like you are very alone during this difficult project, but a lot of these things bring a very human element to the event.

Finally, what comes after you have completed. A lot of these benefits are newer than my time, but I browsed through them when I did my Camp Project. When you complete the goal in the allotted time, you get a neat little badge for your webpage and a printable certificate for the immediate boost of dopamine. But you will also get discounts to some neat shit, like different word processing applications (I got 50% off of Scrivener when I finished Camp), as well as things like The Great Courses, discounts in the swag store, etc. But more than that, there are partnering websites who want to help you on the road to being published. Wattpad is in this group, but I believe also big name publishers (I might have seen Penguin on there at one point) are willing to work with winners to get their works distributed.

All that said, I recommend every writer attempt Nano at least once in their writing career. Even if I personally have not done so stellar in the past, it is a fantastic learning experience for all of the work that goes into producing a novel from start to finish – it forces you to know your limits, and sometimes to overcome them. I don’t think I will be participating this year – I have so many side projects that I want to get done, but I will very likely drop everything to do it next year. I have two novels that are real roughly built up that I could do for this, though, and I would love the dedicated time to spend on them.

[oleanderblume]

Unrelated but OMYGOD. My clown series reached 1k reads on wattpad.

Which isn't super awesome because its only due to the sheer quantity of chapters I have but I need to rave and spoil it cause I'm super excited about what I'm planning and no one i care to tell gives a shit so I'm dumping it into the void that is tumblr.

So. Im writing a book series called Caring For Your Clown. Its about this trans kid named Oliver and he is sort of an asshole.

Well not sort of, he is an asshole. But a RELATABLE asshole.

The story sort of drops you in 6 months after the mysterious and tragic (and traumatic) death of his mother Marie, who was a scientist alongside her husband and Oliver's step father Jon at a lab that specializes in physics mainly.

They were working on a machine with an unstable particle that caused a..tear so to speak, in the fabric of dimensional space and she got torn into tiny little bits. :3

But apparently before this occurred, Marie was in contact with an alien race called clowns 🤡 (really they are interdimensional traveling amoebas that take the shape of humanoid clowns lol)

One of which pops up in Oliver's life completely unexpectedly for no foreseeable reason and her name is Dindet and she is absolutely precious.

Basically its a saga and each book ranges in about 30k to 50k words. The first book centers around Oliver learning about this weird alien houseguest and also the immediate fallout of the death of his mom because surprise surprise! His biological dad who is a terrible abusive fucktard rolls back into his life with the intent to take custody of Oliver and that is no good!

The entire arch Oliver's goes through is literally the title of the series. Basically learning to be caring and compassionate while ALSO dealing with grief and interdimensional shenanigans.

One of the things I found really fun (it was unintentionally done but now I like it so its intentional now.) Is that each book roughly represents the 5 stages of grief.

As the first one is anger. Oliver is mostly passed the fuck off that this dumb alien clown sauntered into his life and thought it would be neat to CARE about him like he was a PERSON with FEELINGS. Irrationally angry, because he blames her for the loss of his mom (i mean so does his dad who goes through the stages of grief slightly slower than Oliver does) and uses her as a personal emotional punching bag until he realizes that SHE got his bio dad to concede his appeal for custody via literally stalking him and making him so paranoid that he was deemed an unfit parent >:3

All the while too, as the main focus is on the two characters of Oliver and Dindet, there is a background plot leading up to the second, third, and fourth (possibly up to 6 books) of the clown authorities looking for Dindet. And also the checkovs gun that is his neighbor.

The second book is mostly erring in the bargaining side of the coin for Oliver while Jon goes through his stage of anger. Oliver learns more about Dindet but doesn't quite trust her as she is clearly hiding information and KNOWS his mom. But she won't talk. Meanwhile, his neighbor working on a completely different project gets his hands on some clown matter and goes apeshit with it to build his energy machine.

We also learned more about the type of person Dindet is, which is naive and caring but also incredibly self destructive and reckless. By far a major people pleaser with huge self love issues. While Oliver is more of a "i don't give a shit what you think" though its more a facade he puts on to protect himself from rejection :/ he is far more comfortable in his own skin but external factors can make him freak out a little and he is terrible at talking to people.

It culminates when the project Jon solicited Dindet's assistance in is wreck by her own hands and Oliver's growth completely backtracks to the point that he finally manages to get our clown to leave (only for her to be clownknapped by his whole ass fucking neighbor to be used as the conduit to his energy machine)

And yeh, Ols almost immediately regrets his actions (though at first its more denial that she actually left) especially when he catches his neighbor using her as fuel for his machine to the point that all her fucking matter is completely burned away via electrical current! >:3

THEN Oliver gets to the depression arch >:3 (i haven't written this part yet so its up in the air atm)

Basically, with his mom dead and now the only person who could reasonably be considered his friend ALSO Basically dead, Ols falls into this really bad streak of just walking backward in his grief. Anger, denial, bargaining, the whole shebang. But THIS time the lab and the government AND the secret clown police are all in cahoots to cover up what happened at the lab and to do that they need to get rid of Ols and his dad to allow their plot to work. (Will be revealed later)

So throughout the first two books I've been alluding to the leader of the clowns via Dindet's ostensible paranoia and their name is Smile. They have underlings though and one is named Poppy. So the clowns get into the lab and convince Jon to send his son to a treatment facility for therapy under the thin veil that it will protect them from the repercussions of the machine. Oliver is not to upset about this though because he has been to therapy before from his past with his bio dad.

Except obviously the clowns don't want to actually help anyone. Their goal is to wear my boy down until he ready to die because- did I mention this was middle grade??

Anyways. This particular book I want to develop my potential romance between Douglass (Oliver's kid neighbor) and Ols and also deconstruct Oliver's personality via flashbacks that parallel the events in the story so we understand why he reacts the way he does to things and also i think it would be neat that the clowns technically succeed in their plan to draw out Dindet the wanted criminal by using the person she cares most about against her. By making him want to die!!

Then! For the next book, I'm planning on having more clown infiltration, more bonding between my children and romance between my boys because oooohhh boy am I gonna have fun tearing everyone apart when the real fucking deal Smile shows up and fucks shit up. Smile is my main villian and a veru fun and manipulative one at that. She uses Oliver to get to Dindet and eventually catches the both of them, revealing clowns to the entire world right before snatching them back to the home base the Cornucopia.

This is where we learn all the information we have been wanting and building up to about Dindet >:3

She is a criminal because she has Essentially tied a doomed universe to the Cornucopia in a never ending time loop because she is so heckin big that every time that universe is torn apart, she jumps back in time and DIES in order to recreate it. (She's the big bang yo)

That isn't the only reason though. Oliver comes to learn that his mom was FRIENDS with Smile. And Smile was the one who tore her apart in the machine scattering her subconscious in the literally timeless Cornucopia (time doesn't exist there so aging, death, anything like that is completely halted) and MARIE who has been half alive and omnipotent this whole fucking time has been trapped in the Cornucopia unable to see her family or child but fully able to see a know the infinitesimal inevitability of the destruction of his universe. So what does she do? She PULLS DINDET PUT OF THE ABYSS AND TELLS HER TO GO BE FRIENDS WITH HER KID TO KEEP THE TIME LOOP GOING.

And this has happened before. Like this book series is literally ONE (1) version of events that have been stacking up on top of eachother for millenia. The reason Dindet shows up in the first place is because she can partially see these past loops and the remnants of her love for Oliver keeps her coming back YO.

But while all this lovely information is being shared, Dindet is in clown jail and Oliver is treated as a pet to Smile. He tries to stage a break out and fails and what does Smile do? She turns him into a got damn monkey!

And uses him as literal fucking bait to a starving Dindet in order to justify her sentence (which is obviously death)

It almost works too, if it weren't for the fact that these two kids are BEST FRIENDS NOW and would legit die AND kill for eachother, Dindet pushes Oliver out of the Cornucopia (he is still a monkey boy btw) into his universe which inadvertently scatters him.

(A human person can enter the Cornucopia but if they leave, their molecular structure will destabilize in a slow and painful way until they literally are nothing left so that sucks)

This is where I want the next book to start tbh. Now back at home without his friend, as. A. Monkey. Oliver find that his entire home town is under lock down and strict control by the clowns who have now infiltrated the government and are putting plans forth to rebuild the SAME MACHINE his dad and Dindet built to bring about the destruction of the universe. (They want to do this because if they prevent Dindet from jumping back in time, they can end the time loop and get on with their lives)

So ols has to essemble a rag tag crew of Douglass and some other classmates and figure out that all the goop floating around belongs to Dindet (bruh. She is the size of the universe like. There is a lot of her to go around) and they can technically use it as gateways into other dimensions to gather an arsenal of GIANT BABY ANIMALS AND SQUIRREL BIRD CATS AND DRAWN TO LIFE ANYTHINGS so they can try to 1. Bring back our clown gal who is the key to fixing this and 2. Take on the now heavily fortified lab in order to get Olivers and Douglass's dads back.

All the while my boy is slowly dying >:3

Eventually, Oliver finds a way to get Dindet back but its at a cost :/ he tricks Smile into turning our clown organic to prevent her from being able to control any of her matter whatsoever and the cost of it is that Smile is VERY bad at making humans, so she basically traps Dindet in a catatonic meat sack that doesn't have half the organs it needs to function properly :/

To make her not be organic anymore they gotta uh..kill the tumor that is an organic half body (which yes, does have nerve endings) which eventually allows Dindet to be 100% clown again.

They break into the lab, but its basically too late. Reality is fractured and the multiverse is imploding in on itself and in the midst of all of this, Ols and Dindet are careening through the vacuum of an entirely empty space, dying of starvation and scattering and the only option left is to jump back in time to start the loop over again.

It is heartfelt and it is good and pure and the last moments they share together perfectly bring this loop together because in the VERY FIRST BOOK Oliver asks why Dindet came and she says "you asked me to."

And their last moments together he asks her to come back for him. Like I CANNOT yall!!

But that isn't the end. Yet.

The real end is after they die and the universe begins and a single hand pushes through the stars and pulls out a little orange bean. And it's Marie, pulling Dindet put of the Abyss this universe that is so intrinsically tied to the Cornucopia that it literally creates all the fucking clowns.

Its not supposed to be destroyed. And the reason eveeything falls into place so perfectly and things always go the same way is because ita already been seen and already been narrated. By Marie.

The WHOLE ASS SERIES IS IN THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT BUT ITS ACTUALLY NOT. Its first person. Narrated by Marie.

Dindet knows Marie because she pulled her out of the Cornucopia. Clowns exist because Dindet was told by Oliver that she was and looked like a clown. The entire ass UNIVERSE exists because Oliver and Dindet are the fucking building blocks of life.

All of Olivers character actions and growth and eventual love (platonic) for Dindet shape their futures and all of it started because a mom was so concerned and guilty about leaving her kid in such a time of need that she would rather start the world over than see him suffer.

So..themes.

Throughout the series there are heavy HEAVY parallels between Dindet and Marie (partly because Dindet is a parrot and almost all her actions and reactions mimmick things that she has seen and the first person she met who wasn't out to kill her was Marie) but also because Dindet is the conduit through which Marie vicariously lives out the rest of Oliver's fleeting life with him.

There is even a point where Oliver genuinely questions whether or not Dindet actually IS his mom (she isn't obviously)

One of the themes I really love about this series is that compassion, unconditional love and care is deserving to even the most obstinant. Oliver isn't easy to love. He actively makes it very hard for anyone who could be a peer (even his own dad sometimes) to care about him. He constantly pushes people away to safeguard himself from potential harm and it takes three fucking books ROUGHLY 200,000 words to get this boy to understand what unconditional love can do.

How it can help with the grieving process, and help you become a more compassionate person toward others.

And also how your actions affect others!!

Like i said, Dindet is a parrot, she can read your mind (if she wanted to) but what she sees she incorporates into her own thoughts and as a reflection, Olivers harsh words and actions, even the most simple kind are recorded and even amplified. He is MEAN to Dindet. He makes fun of her often and gets angry with her and calls her stupid and she internalizes that immediately and it has an immediate affect on how she views herself. Oliver doesn't even think of this as something that happens until much later in the story! And gradually he grows past it and becomes more considerate and affirming toward Dindet and Douglass as a result.

And the way things matter. Oh. Every little detail matters in this story up to seemingly inconsequential continuity errors! Foreshadowing is everywhere from the first fucking sentence to the last because the things the characters do and say to eachother are simultaneously current and in the past all at once and no one knows which is which.

Someone got hurt? There are consequences, even unforseen ones. Dindet loses her hat. It is the most precious thing she owns and is a huge comfort item for her. Oliver asked where she got it? A friend gave it to her.

OLIVER MAKES HER A NEW HAT AFTER SHE LOSES IT. He is the FRIEND that gave it to her.

Almost everything in this story has parallels and consequences and twists and turns and outcomes that are wildly unpredictable (up until now because I've just spoiled the entire fucking plot but who cares!!)

Like...this is my baby. I care SO MUCH about this story and the characters in it that when I think about certain scenes I legitimately start crying.

I can't wait to publish the first book yall. I'm planning on publishing it either through a publisher or self publish, and maybe make a comic even? Idk. I just i really think people would like my dumb absurd story about clowns and I wish i could just spout about it 24/7...it breaks my heart that no one will listen.

[sevenincubistolemyheart]

Chapter 4?

Hi, anon! Not sure if you realized how this comes across so I’m doing my best not to judge you too harshly but please do note that asking me for an update like this just makes me not want to write and does nothing but frustrate me and make me feel really irritated. 

If you noticed I actually just answered a kind ask(seen just below) about updating Tainting Purity earlier today. My response is in quotes.

Anon: I just started reading your stuff. It’s amazing, I’m just wondering is tainting purity coming soon. No rush, I understand you have s life outside of social media. Have a good day

“Hi anon! I am indeed actively working on Tainting Purity!

I’m at 5k currently and just struggling to get in the right…mindset as it were to bang it out lol.

I’m off for a few days so hopefully, I’ll get it out soon!

Thank you so much for your kind words and saying not to rush…that actually means so much to me since I always wanna keep ya’ll fed with my content and tend to stress myself out XD.”

Please anon; I implore you. Do not ask for updates like this on my or any fellow writer or creators blog. 

If you must at the very least be kind enough to offer more than two words. Things like just the chapter number, update more, or update plz!! just make me feel either so discouraged and beatdown that I don’t even have the energy to write and feel like a failure, or make me infuriated and irritable and again make me feel like I don’t want to write. 

I pour many, many hours into my works for you guys. 

I’m just getting started with all of my ideas for my current series and already I have nearly 50 thousand words written. (The actual exact number is 43,955 so I did round up a little to be fair but that’s also not including other projects I’m working on which would easily bring it up past the 50k mark)

50 thousand words.

That’s enough for about a 200 page novel.

For free.

And I’ve just scratched the surface for all 3 of my series!

I’m by no means complaining about writing itself here, don’t get me wrong. 

I love what I do. Crafting my worlds and characters is something I relish in and I live for that rush of exhilaration once I get a new idea I think will excite you guys and myself alike.

But...this really upset me. 

To the point where I was actually working on Tainting Purity and stopped despite staying up all night to try and make some headway since I know you guys are excited. 

...Asks like this just really kinda make me think you don’t care at all about all the work that goes into it.

I get so much feedback on A03 compared to here it's a little ridiculous to be honest.

Like,,, I have 59 comments all mainly super positive and just telling me how the chapters make them feel or that they’re excited.

Yes...some of them may be small. Some are larger. But they add up and inspire the fuck out of me whenever I have writer's block and a new comment notification keeps me going.

And don’t get me wrong!! There are a few regulars on here who I am so blessed actually care about me as a Human being and come tell me what they liked! 

@triheartedhero @xsunnyhoseokx @wilhelminalucinda @xsmilebitesx @sugarcookiesandsins , as well as many anons like Nova, Tempus and triple heart anon and many more who I may have forgotten as this list, is off the top of my head. 

But the difference is astonishing and makes me so unbelievably disheartened. 

I started this blog to share my works with others but promised to write for myself first and foremost. 

That is still true and I will continue writing Tainting Purity as well as all my other works...at my own pace. 

Please, respect that. 

I know my laptop broke and I, therefore, couldn’t update for a long period of time and I have apologized innumerable times for it. 

But I’m stressed to the max as it is in my day to day life. Writing is an escape for me. 

My Safe Haven just as OC’s is the library with Jimin. 

Feedback is such a comfort to any creator. It is the only payment we ask for. Be kind enough to offer it to us-especially when you’re excited enough for an update. 

I love to talk to you guys about your lives, my own, the boys and of course, my stories.

You guys have no idea the giddy grin I get when you come to rant to me about my work, or to theorize what could happen next or just to scream about your favorite characters or fave ships. 

Anon; I’m sorry if this seems over the top. Perhaps I am a touch emotional due to being up all night as it’s now 7am here. 

But I’ll end it on a short plea to once more to emphasize my point. 

Please...don’t ask authors and creators in general for updates like this and leave feedback if you can. I humbly beg this of you and any readers of mine or other fanfic writers/creators who have gotten this far. 

Thank you and I sincerely hope my explanation helped you understand my point of view a little better. 

I hope you have a good day.

Sorry for any typos...again; it’s late and I’m only editing using Grammarly so I apologize in advance if there is any.

[beatrice-otter]

Some Thoughts about Tagging on AO3

(I originally made this post back in 2014 on the Yuletide LJ com, and I think it's still both helpful and useful, and other people have told me it is, but it's not actually in my own space, so here it is for posterity.)

There are a lot of people confused about what to tag their stuff on AO3. I mean, like, people who use AO3 regularly sometimes talk about not knowing how to tag their fic. And this is Yuletide; there are people who only post to AO3 for ficathons such as Yuletide, and they probably are even less sure what to do. There aren't many rules, and even the guidelines are kind of fuzzy. But yet there are many dedicated volunteers who spend many hours trying to make some sense out of the mess! It's chaotic and organized at the same time.

Fear not. I'm not a tag mod or anybody from AO3, but I am a power user of the site, and have been since it started, so I have a pretty good feel for the different ways people use the site and how people tag. So here are some suggestions, if you feel you need them.

ETA: Thanks to some wonderful feedback in the comments, I'm adding some other perspectives.

First, remember that the primary purpose of tags is to help people find stuff they'd like to read. No matter what your philosophy of tagging is, your goal should be to make it easy for people to find your fic and decide if they want to read it.

There are two basic ways people use tags when they're looking for fic.

1. Clicking on tags they want to read. Do you want to look for a particular fandom, character, or pairing? You can click on a tag and get all of them to come up. But you can use tags to find so much more than just the basics! Do you want to read wing!fic? Search for it on the archive and click the wingfic tag and you'll get a list of all fics tagged with "wings" or "wingfic" or something similar. The tag mods have done a lot of background work to make sure that similar tags (i.e. every permutation of wingfic ever used) are put together so when you're looking for wingfic you don't have to think of every possible permutation of what someone might have tagged it. They'll all come up. Now, if you click on the "wingfic" tag, it will bring up every wingfic in every fandom. Which is great if you're polyfannish like I am and don't necessarily care what fandom something is if it hits whatever kink you have right then. If you are more monofannish, then the sort and filter bar on the left side of the "Works" list is your friend, but either way, the tag is the first place to start. People look for a lot of things. Here are some categories that people may search tags for, either within a particular fandom or across the archive:

fandoms, characters, relationships, obviously.

AU types: is it a canon divergence, is it a highschool au, or a coffee shop, or whatever?

SFnal or fantasy elements: time travel, wings, magic, werewolves, telepethy, etc

Genres: angst, fluff, mystery, comedy.

Trigger warnings to avoid: mentions of rape or abuse (things not warned for in the warning tags).

Tropes: Aliens made them do it, kidfic, etc.

Sex stuff: kinks, positions, sex toys, polyamory, etc.

Social justice stuff: bechdel pass, character of color POV, etc.

Fandom specific stuff: is it related to a particular episode, or season, is it about a particular theme or backstory or trope or characterization that your fandom likes, is there any other fandom-specific thing that people might look for?

2. When they are deciding whether or not to read a particular fic. That is, a potential reader is looking at a fic in a list on AO3 (maybe they're going through the fandom's page, maybe they're looking at an author's works list, etc.) or perhaps have clicked on a link in a rec list and have opened the story up to see more about it, but the fic is in front of them and they haven't yet decided whether or not to read it. In this case, tags are one of a couple of things people will be looking at. The summary is the biggie; at this point it's usually the first thing people look at. They will also look at word count--they may be looking for an epic, they may be looking for a vignette, either way, word count matters. They'll look at the rating--do they want something hot and heavy, or not? They'll look at the comment/kudo/bookmark/hit counts--how popular is this fic? And they'll look at the tags. What is this fic tagged for? Characters, pairings, fandom, etc., all can be useful, but so can many other things.

This is why people add chatty tumblr-style tags, such as "Tony Stark has Daddy Issues." That tag tells you a lot about the story that may not be evident from the summary. You can add any tag like that you want, that will help people get a feel for your story. If it's unique, clicking on it won't help them find other stories like it and it won't help people find your fic, either, but it may well help people who have already found your fic decide if they want to read it. And, if enough people tag things with a chatty tag like "Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues," eventually the tag mods will take it and make it into a tag you can search on just like more general tags such as "wingfic." (There are currently 51 fics on the archive tagged "Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues.") Also, chatty tags like that can sometimes be made subtags for larger tags, so that "Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues." is a subtag of "Daddy Issues.", and then you can click on the Daddy Issues tag and filter by fandom and/or character.

3. Looking for things to avoid. If a trope squicks someone, they want to know before they click on the story.  If someone hates a character or relationship, they want to know if it's in a story.  Even if it's only in a minor/background way.  Protip from tag wrangler liviapenn:

"if you are posting a story and you want to indicate that the character or ship appears in the story -- but only in a minor/background role -- you can tag for them in the "Additional Tags" field, with a modifier. For instance, "Minor appearance by Sam Wilson". Or, a tag like "Very minor background Tony Stark/Pepper Potts" or "Past Tony Stark/Pepper Potts" for a story where Tony and Pepper's relationship is only mentioned but not really important in the story. Then those stories won't come up when people are searching for Tony/Pepper in the Relationships field.  You can also make 'warning' type Additional Tags more specific or accurate, with modifiers like "implied," "referenced," "minor," "mentioned", "non-graphic" or "past", if the story doesn't seriously focus on those topics, but you still want to indicate that they appear in the work, even in a minor or slight way."

(ALSO, if you are one of these people, the "Sort and filter" bar on the right side of the page is your friend. I hate, loathe, and despise Killian Jones on Once Upon a Time, and so whenever I'm searching for OUaT fic on the archive I go to the "Sort and Filter" bar, go down to the Exclude section, and I check his name and any pairings he appears in. Then I hit the "sort and filter" button at the bottom of that bar, and poof!  It's like he never existed!  It's wonderful.)

So how does this affect how you tag your fic? I'm so glad you asked. It means you need to take both uses of tags--finding fic, and deciding if you want to read a fic you've found--into account. As you tag, ask yourself: what in my fic might people want to read? What kind of craving would my fic satisfy? Tag for those things (fandoms, characters, relationships, tropes, kinks, whatever). Then ask yourself: once people have found my fic, what might help them decide they want to read my fic? Then tag for that. Then ask yourself: is there anything in my fic that might squick people or that they might want to avoid? Then tag for that, too. Autocomplete is your friend. As you start typing in the tag field, it will bring up tags people have already used, which are searchable, and which may therefore help people find your fic.

ETA: section edited because of youraugustine's feedback.

But beware! Before you hit "post," look at your tags and ask yourself: is there any deceptive advertising here? By which I mean, if someone is looking specifically for a fic with something you tagged for, are they going to be disappointed in your fic?  Different people use tags differently, so you can't please everybody.  But sometimes a selective approach can be better than a "kitchen sink" approach where you select every tag that might be half-way applicable.

As an example, take Sam Wilson. He is tagged in over 2800 stories on AO3 ... but in the vast majority of them, he's a sidekick, if that. Yes, he appears in each of these fics, but he's a very small part of the story in most of them. When I go looking for Sam Wilson fic, I sigh, because I may get three pages in to the list of works tagged "Sam Wilson" before I find one where he's important enough in the story to get mentioned in the summary. Having to slog through all those fics about other Avengers to get to the fics about the character I want to read about does not make me likely to read those stories. It makes me annoyed, because they're taking up my time and preventing me from finding the stories I actually want to read right now! I love reading about Steve's angst over Bucky, and Bucky's recovery, but if what I'm craving at the moment is Sam Wilson pwning everything, 50k words of Buck-and-Steve angst in which Sam appears in three scenes is just not going to scratch my itch. On the other hand, some people may find a mention that Sam plays a role in the story to be the difference that makes them read this Steve/Bucky fic over some other one. Even so, if he appears briefly but isn't significant to the plot, even they may be annoyed.

Now, as sandrine points out, some people have aversions to particular characters, pairings, and tropes, such that including them in your fic will completely ruin the fic for them even if all that happens is a one sentence mention buried in 100k of fic. For example, some Science Bros and Steve/Tony fans prefer not to read about Tony/Pepper. (I get it, because I loathe Killian Jones with the passion of a thousand burning suns.) liviapenn points out that (instead of using a regular character tag), if you put a tag with a modifier in the "Additional Tags" category (for example, "background Tony/Pepper"), it will be there for people who want to avoid it but won't pop up for people searching it out with the main character or relationship tags.

Just use some common sense, folks. Tag for everything important, and don't bother with the minor stuff. And you're the one who knows your story best; you know what's important in your story.

On creating new tags: This is particularly important for Yuletiders to know, since so many of us will be creating tags for characters and fandoms that did not exist on the archive before this Yuletide.

From tag wrangler liviapenn:

The only other advice I would give is for people posting stories in superhero comics fandoms. So many superhero names are very generic, or shared by multiple people within one canon (like the 3 or 4 different versions of "Robin", "The Flash" or "Supergirl" in DC fandom.) If there's a possibility that your character's cape name might have been used for another character (in your fandom or another fandom) maybe consider tagging with their "real" name instead of (or in addition to) their "cape" name. So for instance, "Tim Drake" or "Robin - Tim Drake" "Tim Drake aka Robin" -- any of those would be better than just "Robin". Finally, if you want to find out whether a tag already exists in some format you can use the Tag Search page: http://archiveofourown.org/tags/search So let's say I wanted to find out if there's a canonical tag for food carts or food trucks. I would go to the tag search page and type in "cart* " (which brings up any word that starts with "cart") and click the Canonical ticky box. This just brings up a lot of tags about Sam Carter and Peggy Carter though. So I hit backspace and type in "truck* " and click the Canonical ticky box, and this will bring up all canonical tags that have a word that starts with truck in it, and hey, one of them is Food Trucks. Freeform: Alternate Universe - Truckers ‎(10) Freeform: Truckers ‎(8) Freeform: Food Trucks ‎(7) Freeform: Episode: s08e07 Shawn and Gus Truck Things Up ‎(1) Freeform: Trucks ‎(11) If anyone has any other questions about tagging I'd be glad to answer them!

From tag wrangler lost_spook:

As another tag wrangler, I'd just add that the thing about cape names applies generally really - if you want to make a freeform (or any tag) involving your characters, remember the archive is a big place and expanding all the time with fandoms in multiple media, so the more you use full names etc., the more likely it is the tag can stay in your fandom or eventually become canonical. one of the joys of Yuletide is that it's about fic in rare fandoms or non-existent-till-now fandoms, but that does mean you might well find yourself posting the first fic in a fandom or for that pairing or character - and that means you have to create that tag yourself. So I just wanted to add - don't be nervous of doing that! You don't have to read through archive tagging guidelines and get it perfect; just be as clear and specific as you can, especially with fandom tags, where the wranglers dealing with those might never have heard of it. The same with new character and relationship tags - do add them! Just be sure to use full names in both categories, and if the names are very common or likely to cause confusion, add something like the fandom name in brackets to make doubly sure. Wranglers can link up any tags like these no problem - it's only when things aren't clear (ambiguous), that it gets tricky. (Wranglers in tiny fandoms love it when they suddenly have actual tags to wrangle! ♥)

From an anonymous tag wrangler:

One other thing I'd like to suggest is keeping each freeform/additional tag to one discrete concept! For example, "Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues" is a single concept; "Tony Stark has daddy issues and mommy issues and luckily lots of money too" includes several, and is unlikely to ever become filterable in any way. Also, if a single concept is split across multiple tags, a wrangler often can't do anything with the individual tags-- for example, the two tags "his heart", "it is so broken" is likely going to end up with both tags unfilterable instead of being linked to a canonical tag like Heartbreak.

When a new tag is created (i.e. when someone tags their fic with something that has never before been tagged) it is not yet canonical--that is, when you click on it, you won't bring up any other fic tagged with it, and even if someone else uses that tag, at this point it won't come up when you click on the tag. That only changes when a tag wrangler--a volunteer with AO3, in charge of wrangling tags for that particular fandom--looks at it and decides what to do with it. Most chatty tags get ignored (unless the wrangler has seen others very similar). New fandom tags and character tags get made 'canonical' and attached to particular fandoms, so that a) they will now be clickable so you can find other fic tagged with that tag once other people use it and b) it will come up in the autocomplete. Other tags that the wrangler thinks will be generally useful (i.e. anything that other writers might use) get made canonical as well, either attached to the fandom (Tony Stark's Daddy Issues) or not attached to the fandom (mpreg, wingfic, etc). Tags that are close to/mean the same thing as other tags already in use get 'synned' to those tags, so "Bechdel Pass" and "Bechdel Test Pass" become functionally the same tag--you click on one, you get all the fics tagged with one or the other, so you don't need to know the exact tag you're looking for if you can get close.

A note: the tag wranglers are awesome, and do a lot of work behind the scenes to make the Archive work right. To learn more, check out this post on AO3. And if you want to make life easier on the tag wranglers, here's something one of them posted on tumblr:

What actually makes life harder for tag wranglers? People tagging obscure characters or OCs who are not in the work. Private bookmark tags that use terms we’ve never seen before. Smushnames. Comma fail. Drafts that stay for months because people keep editing them. All of those are allowed, and hardly anyone ever says anything about them outside of wrangler spaces.

If you spot a tag that you think is wrong (wrong spelling of a name, for example, which I've come across a couple of times--for some reason Vulcan women often get their names improperly capitalized, T'lar instead of T'Lar, that sort of thing) you can report it! At the bottom of every AO3 page is a link to "Technical Support and Feedback." Your comment will be sent to the tag wrangler for that fandom, and they can then either fix or explain the issue. (Thanks for pointing this out, liviapenn)

If you're really interested in How It All Works, you can check out the Sekrit Decoder Ring of tagging, aka the Tag Wrangling Guidelines. It's designed for the Tag Wranglers, so you don't need to know it--they'll handle any fixes that need fixing--but it's there if you want it.

If you want a different step-by-step explanation of how to tag on AO3, here's a post by superhappygenki, an AO3 tag wrangler.

Hope this all helps!

[catnippackets]

I’ve been typing and retyping this over and over again for the past few days mostly just for fun bc I like organizing things but a few ppl on twitter wanted to see it, so. Here’s my reasoning for who Lance’s endgame romance is with! I tried to make it as short as possible to hold ppl’s attention while still hitting the key points but it’s still kinda long oops. It’s pretty much just eliminating characters one by one until we’re left with the only possible option which I’m sure everybody knows before even looking under the cut but that’s just because it makes too much sense to be a mystery at this point lol

Also this probably goes without saying but this DOES contain spoilers for season 6 so if you haven’t watched it yet, proceed with caution.

Alright. Leggo.

Ok first off, there are 3 things we know for sure:

Lance is the only one with a confirmed endgame romance

Said romance is slowburn

He’s going to get what he needs rather than what he wants

Because we know it’s slowburn, aka SLOW and subtle and long to build up to, it has to be someone on the team since they’re the only reoccurring characters that he would have any time to build any kind of relationship with.

Shiro, Coran, and Pidge are automatically out cuz they’re not in the same age group which leaves Hunk, Allura, and Keith

Hunk has been in a “relationship” w Shay since season 1 and it’s been mentioned SO often by the writers/VAs, so it’s not him. Which leaves Allura or Keith as the only possible endgames for Lance. This makes sense, seeing as how they actually share quite a lot of similarities.

So let’s look at the Three Big Points for why it can’t possibly be Allura.

Allura/Lance is not slowburn. The literal first words Lance said to Allura were flirting words and his crush on her was always a big part of his character. The crew consistently drills in the fact that he has a crush on her at every given opportunity. This doesn’t fit with what a slowburn romance is. Slowburn means subtlety, and Allura/Lance is NOT subtle. It’s far too obvious.

Allura has never once shown interest in him and every time he flirts with her she’s dismissive, rolling her eyes, even once saying she felt ill. In season 6, the mice straight up told her that Lance liked her and when she found out her face fell and she said “oh…he said that…?” That is not the reaction of someone who’s happy about this news. This point isn’t saying “they won’t be endgame because she didn’t like him at first”, but rather stressing the fact that Allura has had 6 seasons to reciprocate Lance’s feelings and she hasn’t ONCE shown any hint of interest. An interesting scene to note is in episode one of season 6, where Lance takes a hit for her and literally dies for a second before Allura brings him back to life with her magic. They share a moment where they smile very tenderly at each other, and then later on it cuts to a split-screen view of them in their lions, where it shows Allura with an easy, casual smile on her face, and Lance blushing and hugging himself with a very dreamy look on his face. If they were going to be the endgame, THIS would have been the point where Allura would start to realize her feelings for him, but the writers made sure to show that while Lance was replaying the moment over and over again in his head and hugging himself thinking about it, Allura immediately put her game face back on and continued with her life. There is no doubt that she loves him as a friend, but she isn’t into him romantically. If they were to have them get together it would be a stale “boy flirts w girl even tho she doesn’t like him, girl eventually falls in love w him anyway” romance and the writers aren’t THAT shitty.

Allura is a princess of an alien world and a whole race of alien people. Her father and mother are both long dead, and she is the last surviving member of the royal family who could take the throne. In season 6, we find out that Allura & Coran are NOT the last surviving Alteans; there is a whole colony of Alteans out there without a leader, who need a queen. When the war is over Allura is going to step up and become the queen, and spend the rest of her life working to rebuild her planet and culture and help her people grow and survive. Lance, on the other hand, is obviously going to want to go back to earth when the war is all over; he’s shown on multiple occasions to be homesick to the point of crying about it (in fact he’s the ONLY paladin from earth who actually seems to miss it at all), and he misses his family SO much. No matter how much he loves Allura, he won’t choose her over his family, and Allura is definitely not going to give up on the last surviving members of her race to settle down on earth with Lance.

So in conclusion, it’s not Allura, which leaves Keith as the only available option which I know you saw coming but here are the high points anyway because there is literally TOO much evidence to bring up when it comes to klance:

Keith was introduced to us through Lance’s eyes in a very dramatic, significant way

Keith and Lance’s meeting parallel Keith’s parents meeting

they are SO alike and so equal with no kind of power imbalance between them at all

Lance & Keith’s rivalry has been continuously stressed by the crew and the VAs for ages; in fact, it’s arguably the relationship in the show that’s talked about the most

the flashbacks that showed Krolia and Keith’s father falling in love and settling down showed us that Krolia wanted to stay on earth, until she was forced to leave so she could protect her family. she and Keith found each other again, and when the war is over, there is no doubt in my mind that she and him will want to settle down together on earth to be a family again

every time there is a scene in the astral plane there are two very obvious stars that stick out in the background, that are different from the others; one of them is blue, and one of them is red. they don’t blend in naturally with the rest of the environment. they immediately stand out. there’s no reason for them to be there in the first place unless it were foreshadowing something very subtley

there was a scene in season 1 where they HELD HANDS AND SMILED SOFTLY AT EACH OTHER UNDER SOFT PURPLE LIGHTING, that same moment was brought up again in the next episode, and one of the writers has confirmed that Lance did in fact remember it, but that he wasn’t emotionally ready to acknowledge it yet. If you took out that moment, the entire show would have continued on like nothing had ever happened so WHAT WAS THE POINT OF PUTTING IN SUCH A BLATANTLY ROMANTIC SCENE AND THEN SAYING LANCE WASN’T EMOTIONALLY READY TO DEAL WITH IT if it’s not going to lead anywhere?

(the point is that klance is cannon king)

And if you want more proof and have a few hours to spare then you’re gonna wanna read my buddy Keith’s post which goes into much more intimate detail about why Keith is Lance’s love interest. It’s 50k words of nothing but the facts!

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT

[faeriefully]

here’s the thing...

I used to be a writer. 

There was one point in my life I could confidently use that title for myself. When I was fourteen I began a fanfiction story about my favorite series. I made up characters. I twisted plotlines. I filled pages upon pages of outlines and character backstories. Words overflowed in my brain until not writing made me want to explode. 

Over the next two years, I wrote 100k of fanfiction and a 50k draft of a novel... then I stopped. 

I used to be a reader. 

It started with the books my mother would read to me as a child. When I was thirteen, my obsession had truly taken root. By the time I was fifteen, I was reading two books a week. For years, I read every book I could get my hands on... then I stopped. 

The decline in reading happened gradually. Changes to my daily life altered my reading time. Adjusting was difficult. I’ve never been the best at time management. A wave of mild depression didn’t particularly help me either. The number of books I buy hasn’t decreased. The enjoyment hasn’t left either... but how many have I actually read? 

My fall from writing has happened slowly as well... Five years after starting the 100k fanfiction, I posted the last 17k. In that time, I also wrote a second draft of The Novel- which is nothing like the first- and multiple small ficlets for other fandoms which have never been posted anywhere. And after that?... In the past eight months?... Ten months?... Have I really written anything in the past year? 

At what point did words stop circulating in my head? Why have I allowed the ideas in my notebooks to simply gather dust for over a year? 

Words feel stale. My style is non-existent. After so long, I don’t even know what I wanted to happen in my own untouched novel. Tidbits of advice float around my brain, but I can’t bring myself to look at any of my WIP.

Busy. Busy. Everyone says you have to make time for writing if you love it. I remember loving it. I remember losing myself in the words. I remember the bliss of talking to the people in my head. 

Then I stopped. 

Why did I stop?

Of course, I have answers. Excuses-- work. school. college. stress. 

But other people have those too. I’m not anything special. “Don’t compare.” Yeah, sure, but there’s really nothing stopping me besides learning to deal with stress and time. Why haven’t I written? Why haven’t I tried harder? 

What am I now? 

Am I a writer? I wrote in the past. I still love writing. But I feel as if my words have left me- or maybe they’re hibernating. Or perhaps I’m the one who has abandoned my words. 

I don’t know what I want to happen in my novel. I have so many unread books on my shelf. 

I used to be a writer. 

What am I now?