#fic writing asks

[wetcatspellcaster]

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

The only context I will give is how dare gdocs try to make me bow to US spelling :((((

Fanfic writing ask!

[jrow]

Fic Writing 20 Questions

Thanks for the tags @khorazir and @raina-at

How many works do you have on AO3?

13

2. What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

268,623

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Sherlock (BBC). I may try my hand at a Merlin fic in the next year, but we’ll see ...

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Beautiful Pictures

A Week in November

Lines in the Sand

The Man with the Cartier Frames

That Time of Year

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love getting comments, so it’s the least I can do (even if it takes a few days). I love when authors respond to my comments, so it’s only fair.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Like many of the people answering these questions, I don’t write angsty endings. I considered it for Jam (I almost didn’t include the epilogue) but I love a happy ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All my fics have happy endings. If I had to pick one as “happiest”, I’d say The Man With the Cartier Frames.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have not, luckily. I’ve had a weird comment or two where I’ve thought “why did you tell me that”, but nothing super negative.

9. Do you write smut?

Not really? I’ve written some mature scenes that allude to things, but don’t go into detail.  

10. Do you write crossovers?

No. I have particular objections, but I doubt I ever will.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, Lines in the Sand has been translated into French and That Time of Year into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven’t. I don’t object to the concept, but I’m not sure I’d be a great collaborator given my current writing style. I think I’m better at betaing which gives me a way to work with other fic writers.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

This is really tough. I feel like it’s okay if your “all time” favourite ship changes every five or ten years. I mean, I am a very different person at 40 than I was at 25. My favourite to write is definitely Johnlock—they have a great dynamic and are both really interesting characters in their own rights. So, they are definitely up there. The other ship that comes to mind in terms of those that have really stood the test of time for me is Goren/Eames from Law & Order:CI (a very small fandom). Goren has a lot of Sherlockian traits and Eames is just incredibly cool (and both actors are gorgeous, which doesn’t hurt!).  I discovered Merlin in the last year or two and really like Merthur (honestly, I also really like Mergwenthur which I never thought would be my thing, but Gwen is so lovely), but it’s too early to tell if that will last long enough to be on my all time list!

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Corsi, my NHL Johnlock AU. I have a couple chapters written, but I started it a long time ago and my writing style has changed a fair bit since then. I think I’d want to go back and rewrite the first chapter, but that seems like a waste … so, instead, I will just leave it to languish.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write Parentlock really well. I have young kids, so it’s relatively easy for me to make kids read age appropriate (which they often don’t in stories, be they fic or published). I hope I am also able to convey that delicate balance that parents feel—namely adoring their kids with every once of your being while wanting to throttle them.  Basically, I think I can write believable kids and believable parents.

I also think I am okay at creating cases, mainly because I become a bit obsessed with making the pieces fit.  I like internal consistency!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can’t plot out a fic well enough that I can post anything before it’s done. Which means, that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write a truly long fic (say longer than 50K words).  To have the motivation to write something that long, I think I would need the dopamine hit from posting and getting feedback. But, I just can’t see me ever posting a fic before it’s completely written, because of how often I go back and revise as I write. Particularly for fics with any sort of case—I’ll have the loose parameters of the case set out, but the details won’t emerge until I write. Which may mean I have to go back and edit earlier content to make those details work (internal consistency!). Even things like John’s work schedule or the timing of a phone call or what time Rosie gets out of school may change a half dozen times as I write to make the other pieces work.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic? 

I think it’s fine, but it’s best if you have a half-decent knowledge of that language. The only language I would use is French, should that ever come up.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

X-Files (this also seems to be a common theme)

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Ugh. This is an impossible question. I really like Beneath the Surface—I love epistolary fics and I think I did pretty well with text exchanges in that one. I am also pretty proud of Jam. So, I suppose those would be my faves.

Hmmmm, I think I am late to the game here so anyone interested in doing this, consider yourself tagged!

[television-overload]

19, 20, and 43 for the fanfic asks!

19. Do you enjoy creating OCs or do you prefer to stick solely to canon characters?

Mostly canon, I think. I'll add in OC's as necessary, but usually not in big roles in the story. OC children, however... I am more intrigued by. Not that I have any fics where that exists... yet

20. Do you prefer writing AUs or canon fics?

I used to be all about the AUs, but at a certain point (with the NCIS fandom) I reached the acceptance stage of grief and started enjoying canon compliant fics more. I still love canon divergence, though, in basically any story. I'll write a thousand "they finally get it together and tell each other they love each other" fics if I have to. But I also just like softening the blow and dealing with whatever pain canon has laid upon us.

43. Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

So many. I've had tons of ideas lately but I love the time loop trope, body swap trope, and time travel of course.

If I did a time loop it would be angst during the cancer arc, Scully soaking up every second of her time with Mulder, but of course at the end of every day, he won't remember any of it.

If I do body swap, it would be Diana and Scully swapping. Diana using it to get up to no good, and Scully being whisked off on Syndicate business before she can talk to Mulder and tell him what's happening. I think we're seeing an angst pattern.

So many things you could do with time travel. I've thought about a Mulder being sent forward in time to look after Scully when his future self is abducted. Not sure where I'd pull him from in the timeline exactly, but I lean toward season 2 abduction arc Mulder. Imagine him finding out she's pregnant 😭

Anyway, I could go on and on. Fake dating, marriage of convenience, forced proximity... yes please.

Fic Writing Asks!

[a-cosmic-elf]

24, 25, 26 (writing ask)

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. My stupid brain! :/

24. How do you choose whose POV to write in?

My general rule of thumb is to choose the last person in the room, then tell everything from their perspective until a scene break. Or make sure when your character leaves that room, the scene ends because they can’t know what is going on there if they’ve left!

I like to think of it like those F1 race cams. During the race, you’re riding with one driver, and they can only tell you how they are thinking and feeling and just predict what the other drivers will do. It is tricky to master, having to show, not tell, the different characters’ thoughts and feelings, but when I stopped head-hopping like those race-cams and riding with only one driver, my writing improved ten-fold.

If unsure, I’ll sometimes write a scene from multiple perspectives and choose the version I like the best. Accidental head hopping is something I hope my lovely beta will pick up on and slap my wrists for it. ;)

In my current chapter, there’s an action scene, and I hate writing action. So, I’ve purposely chosen the POV of the one who ducks for cover.

It’s a bit of a cheat, but whatever works, right? Why should I have to write something I hate writing, if there’s a way around it? Switching POV is so good avoiding the bits I hate, but still moving things along.

I mean, well shit. If they didn’t see exactly how that fight went down, because they were cowering behind a desk, then I don’t have to describe everything. I only have to concentrate on what they saw/heard/smelt/felt/tasted from behind that desk.

25. What’s your favorite part of the writing process (worldbuilding, brainstorming/outlining, writing, editing, etc)?

Sir Terry Pratchett is famous for saying that ‘the first draft is you telling yourself the story’. I think that’s the bit I love the most. I like to strip away technology and distractions by writing by hand with a pen and then telling Grammarly to fuck off until I at least have the first draft all down on the page. (I admit, I’m not very good at following my own rules. I will sometimes break this one, then come up against a block and wonder why because I’m my worst enemy).

26. Least favourite part of the writing process.

Sharing. Posting online and the inevitable post-update depression that hits after.

My works never land how I hoped they would. I’ll happily type away, loving whatever slightly off-the-wall thing I’m doing, naively thinking it’ll go off like a party-popper in the fandom. Instead, there are usually just crickets and tumbleweeds. My expectations need adjusting. I forget that I’m writing for me and I’m a little strange with odd tastes.

I often forget that usually, the whole reason I started writing this thing was some petty beef I had with the lore, and I was going to fix it. Or this thing doesn’t exist, so *tsk*, I guess I’ll have to write it. Or I’m going to write the most fucked up shit the fandom’s ever seen, on purpose!

I’m so dumb. I should just make peace with my weirdness and expect these works to land like lead balloons, but hopefully, one day, someone with weird, off-the-wall tastes like me will search the archive and find it.

Thank you so much for the ask! 🥰💜✨

Fic writing asks

[lizpaige]

18 and 23 for the meta asks? 💕

thank youuuuu 💕💕💕 these were super fun to think about!

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

I can think of two.

1. Sirius Black Doesn’t Care was not going to have a jegulus subplot but it was peak jegulus time and I was reading a lot of those fics so I added it in.

2. TORCH all caps was meant to have another chapter where Ronan visits Declan and Jordan and the kitten was supposed to fall in looooove with Declan, like purring and falling asleep in his lap. Then Ronan went over to take her home and she turned into a fireball again like “no thanks, middle lynch, im good right here” and thats how jordeclan got a cat. 🐱

23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Hmm it’s actually a songfic based on Saw You in a Dream by The Japanese House. I have thought of ways to write a fic for this for multiple ships including but not limited to johnlock (bbc sherlock) back in 2017, reddie (It) in 2019/2020, wolfstar (harry potter) in 2021/2022 and now pynch in 2022/2023.

It is such a good YEARNING song, seeing a lover, friend in a dream and waking up to realize they aren’t there. I recommend giving it a listen and that band. here’s some of the lyrics and a link to the song:

[oflights]

Hello :) For the writers ask #4 or #46? Thank you!

hi!!! thank you for these, friend! i'll do both 🥰

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

hmmmm this is a good question because i don't think i have a definitive answer. like sometimes i'll dream of something and it turns into a plot bunny, or i'll see something funny or cute or weird online and think "okay but what if..." or like, i read a lot of poetry and a lot of fiction and sometimes there's like a feeling or a concept or a situation that really hits me right where i live and an idea blossoms out of that.

honestly if i had to pick a simple answer i'd say reading. reading is probably the single most inspiring thing i do as a writer!

46. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)

ha! wordy?? no but i'd definitely say character or emotion-driven for sure. writing fully realized characters is really important to me, and i want my love for them to shine through my writing, so i always take extra care in that. i also tend to work from like, feelings or a concept or even something you could call a thesis and build a plot around it. it's rare for me to start with a full plot (though plots are incredibly important to me and i do love to structure them) and then figure out the emotional heart of it after. i work from the feelings i want to touch upon and fill the rest out, if that makes sense?

and idk if people who read my work would agree with this! this is the kind of question i wish i could ask other people to answer about my fic lol.

ask me writerly things!

[notgrungybitchin]

Not a question, but I need you to know that I re-read I Need My Love To Be Here last night, and it’s just as heartbreaking and tender and visceral and joyous as I remember. And that ending…

Omg thank you!!! The idea that I’ve written anything that anyone would want to return to is just, so lovely??? Like it’s the best compliment to hear it holds up, since I often can’t tell after working on it for so long ❤️❤️❤️

[captainsophiestark]

hi sophie!! what about 11, 22, and 43 for the fic ask game?

Thanks for the ask bestie!

11 - Do you write scenes in order or do you jump around?

I literally can't jump around. I think it would be so nice if I could, because sometimes ideas strike for stuff that happens later, but I've never been successful doing it. I HAVE to write in order

22 - Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with the titles?

I always title my fics after they're finished. I usually pick something generally related to the content of the fic, and I don't usually have much info on the content of the fic before I start writing it, so I wait until it's finished and then choose something that matches the vibe!

43 - Is there a trope or idea that you'd really like to write but haven't yet?

I've never really written any AUs before, and I feel like a college AU could be super fun! I don't have any specific vibes, fandoms, or characters I'd want to write something like that for, but maybe I'll find an idea for it sometime soon!

Ask me questions while I work on a bunch of wips!

[outtoshatter]

hi gia!!! for the writing ask

🦋🦈👻

hiii, thank you!!

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write? It's a tie between Stiles (anxiety, ADHD, i can relate) and Boyd (sorry Derek LOL) because Boyd is MY GUY i love him

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write? I don't think I can choose because I tend to have some issues with all of them depending on what fic I'm writing lol. Currently I'm struggling with Lydia in Kingdoms Fall because I really don't want to write her very flat D:

👻 What is your wildest headcanon? i think i'm really boring with my headcanons LOL because i don't care too much about canon (we all know why. i had no idea what i was watching) but I guess my wildest one would be one i stole from @fyeahsterek72 which is that Jackson and Malia are Peter's children, twins. She told me that and I was like okay now any time they're in my fics that's how it's gonna be from now on LOL

thank you!!!

[thelightsandtheroses]

Question 6 about Sing Fever To The Form please 💜

Hi El,

Thank you so much for the ask 💜 Hope you’re having a good day

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

Oooh, good question and this is a personal favourite of mine . I think for me, this fic was a bit special for me for a few reasons: it was my first real attempt to write ‘smut’, people responded to it more than a lot of my other fics which surprised me as I thought this would be a very quiet story. It was also where I started to feel more comfortable playing with some romance tropes - fake dating but with a slight twist.

It means a lot to me, all of my fics do though. Also, it uses one of my absolute favourite songs as the fic title so that makes it stand out and special to me.

Also, a lot of my fics get continued in some ways but this felt really self-contained and complete when I wrote it so that’s different.

Fic Questions Game

[iammistressofmyfate]

17, 18 (for Uncanny), and 37 for the fic asks! 💕

Oh thank you, friend!!! 💖💖💖💖

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

To be totally honest, I want to write a Crossfit AU. I would be the only one into it and who would read it. But it's CF is my self-care and something I'm good at and I like writing characters I love doing things that I love lmao

18. If you wrote a sequel to Uncanny, what would it involve?

Ohhhh! Good Question! It would probably be Adam and Ronan living happily on the farm and Adam getting more messages from beyond the veil and having to solve another murder lmao

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

I've mentioned this one a few times but Built My Life deserves some more love. It's older!Pynch, which I get that not everyone is into, but it's honestly a super sweet, heart warming fic. I loved writing it. I just so enjoyed writing Adam and Ronan's love still going strong after 30 years together!

[Questions for Fic Writers]

[superliz6]

4, 15, 17, 23 for fic writers meme

Hiiii. Remember when I reblogged this post and then promptly did not reply to any of the asks I got? Sorry about that- definitely miscalculated my internet access. ANYWAY

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Oh gosh. I have a few I'm chipping away at- Spirit of Change is the main one, but I also work on one where Toph and Kaz meet, as well as a flashback fic set around the time Lin was promoted to Chief of Police. The least structured fic I have in mind is only a few disjointed pages about Lin going to mandatory therapy in order to be cleared to return to work after an injury she suffered on the job.

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

Ah, that's the dream. Probably Adrift or Push & Pull.

17. Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

Generally I work start to finish. I used to go out of order but I realized that set me up for so much extra editing lol. Now, if I have a scene I want to incorporate later I'll write it out in short hand as a note. Very very occasionally if the words themselves are in my head I'll write them down, but that's rare.

23. If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

How The Heart Behaves could use some updating based on knowing more about the characters overall. I wrote a lot of fic during the time Book One of LOK was airing and the characterizations for everyone have evolved since then.

[notasapleasure]

Fanfic ask meme: I am asking ALL the ones you haven't done yet! YES ALL

ohmygod ok, ok? thanks? Sorry? [fanfic ask meme]

Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, what kind?

My automatic response is yes, I need music ALWAYS or some kind of noise around me.* But I do write a lot on my notes app on my phone which often means I'm not really paying that much attention to the ambient noise. However I will always have some kind of playlist for characters/wips, and often that will involve a specific artist or album that fits the vibe and kind of becomes the default background noise - when I want music that Fits without being distracting the best thing is an album I've listened to to death already. For Only Ever Just One Night it was Jon Boden's Afterglow, which I hadn't listened to for ages, and right now it's a lot of early Elvis Costello and Springsteen. Usually I tend to...match what I want to listen to anyway to the fic and characters, but obviously with the Lymond band AU (@theartistknownaslymond) I worked on playlists first and then listened to them when I needed to capture the right feeling for the characters.

*The one noise I Cannot Work Through is the dog whining. He loves the sound of his own voice and has perfected the 'woe is me pay attention to me' whine that just. Cuts right through thought like the proverbial hot knife through butter.

2. Do you have a trusted beta reader?

For my epic And Then We Danced fic, @erinaceina very generously read and betaed EVERYTHING. For the.... crunchier parts of the band AU I know I can always send stuff to @stripedroseandsketchpads first before posting live. And Kay will even read most SW drafts when I'm mired in self-doubt and loathing! :') (clowned myself by writing one of her squicks into the current wip though, so it's just me and the endless possibilities rn)

But generally We Die Like Men. It's not that I don't want a beta reader for the other fics, it's just I've never bothered going to look for one. Usually I don't write things with enough plot to worry. I don't know how I got through my old Cassian/Jyn longfic on my own tbh, no cheerleader, no beta! Loyal readers were very ready to point out flimsy aspects of the plot :') so having learned from that I would definitely get a beta for a fic like that if I did another (well, the ATWD longfic proves that).

3. First person or third person?

Usually third person, but I've written at least one fic in first person - it seemed to fit 'Cornelius Hickey's' ego.

4. Past tense or present tense?

Usually past tense, but I can't explain why the Andor fic all wanted to be in present tense. That's just how it came to me. Probably something about wanting to not subconsciously be thinking of how it all ends :')

5. How long do your fics tend to be?

Longer than is decent or desirable, generally. I know this is a feature/bug of not really planning stuff and just writing on vibes, I'm mostly at peace with it.

6. Multi-chapter or one-shots?

The one-shots have an unfortunate habit of growing lore/sequels/prequels.

7. Rarepairs? Yea or nay?

Oh very much YEA. I have obviously written for big ships too (I stand by my Jyn/Cassian love), I don't go out of my way to pick the rarepairs, but god they're just so much more fun. Writing for them, reading them, fandoms for them - it's all so much better. The shared headcanons, the emphasis on a couple of really significant scenes, the extrapolation from crumbs...

8. In character or ooc?

....why would I write for a fandom/character only to write it ooc? The best crackfic and satire is good because it's still in character.

9. Tropes - answered elsewhere

10. Omegaverse?

....no. Not even a bit. I was never into spn, and my earliest fandom interactions were before it was invented. Werewolves? Sure. But just reading the words '[character] was in heat' brings me out in hives

11. OTP(s)?

That I've written/intend to write and stand by as OTPs: Reid/Deborah Goren (Ripper Street), Francis/Jerott (Lymond Chronicles), Marthe/Oonagh (Lymond band au nobody dies), Goodsir/Silna (The Terror), Merab/Irakli (And Then We Danced), Cassian/Jyn, Baze/Chirrut (Rogue One), Cassian/Brasso (Andor), Lee from Utopia/physical pain, his own or others' (Utopia)

That I haven't written for but (would) love to read: Trevor/Alucard(/Sypha) (Castlevania TV series), Captain/Havers (BBC Ghosts), Éowyn/Faramir (LotR), Assane/Benjamin (Lupin). Probably any combination of Wedge/Tycho/Hobbie/Janson (X-Wing series). Luke/Bodhi (Star Wars). That random IRA guy/Matthew MacFadyen's character in Spooks - yes fic exists, yes I've read it.

12. Notps

I'm....really resistant to post-S1 Bix/Cassian and Bix/Brasso. Partly it feels like enforced heterosexuality. Partly I want her comfort and healing to come from community and her own working through it rather than a single magical external healer? Partly I want to know more about her and Timm still (Bix finding the most pathetic little man but genuinely seeming to care for him). Partly I'm petty.

I don't care for big unbalanced power dynamic ships or saviour/damnation type deals like R+ylo. Jyn/Krennic is such a huge NOPE. Reid/Cobden (this is mainly spite ok), Reid/Mimi. Crozier/Silna (lol book version what book version?). Ed/Calico Jack (it's my inner, petty Stede. Also I can't look at Will Arnett, I'm allergic).

It's canon, but Jerott/Marthe can still be a notp. The less I have to think about Anakin/Padmé the better, frankly.

13. Fluff or smut or both?

Oh smut, definitely. But smut that veers unpredictably from fluff to feels to fucked up and back to feels, ideally.

14. Answered elsewhere - I love angst!

15. How do you come up with fic ideas?

I'm pursued by a scene or character or concept until it gets written down, I guess. Sometimes spitballing ideas with people helps, or just gazing lovingly at the same gifsets time and again.

16. Are you a planner or do you just write by the seat of your pants?

Pantsing. Sometimes when I'm already in too deep I'll sullenly plot out a few bullet points, but by and large I just try to dissociate until words happen.

17. Do you title you chapters?

Oh hell no, titling the fic is hard enough

18. Overused words or phrases that just make your eyes twitch?

I probably don't read enough fic to have a list of these. I try not to be a Britpicker, but I like to read fic that's been properly researched, where the setting and language has been considered so obvious oversights around the setting can be off-putting.

19. What's something that you struggle with as a writer?

Oh, the big picture, passage of time type stuff connected with a solid plot and plan. I zoom right in on scenes and mannerisms and expend thousands of words on not very much happening, and then I read a fic that is so succinct and well conceived and covers several years in a character's life and leaves no wiggle room at all but is like. 3-5,000 words? And I just die a bit because how do you do that?? But I'm trying to be happy with what I write anyway - it's a different approach and it suits the way I'm able to find time for writing these days.

20. Any writing advice?

Leave your shame behind and just write what you want, how you want! Tag well and post it because you enjoyed creating it and maybe someone else will enjoy reading it! Also don't be afraid of restarting a draft from scratch, but don't delete anything you've written - keep those files. And probably just...go for a walk or a shower or whatever and have a think away from the draft for a bit, things will often be clearer with some distance.

[eusuntgratie]

On a scale of 1 to 10, precisely how delightful will I find drunk henry?

for this <3

11/10 delightful!

buttoned-up, uptight, never lets his hair down henry gets accidentally smashed at a party and gets a little lost in the sauce of his thirst for alex.

i have a lot to rework on this one and a bit left to write but i really like it.

snippet here, although i'm redoing most of that bit :/

behold, adorable drunk henry:

“Henry. What have you had to drink?”  “Jelly shots!” he crows, swinging a bit in Alex’s hold.

[a-cosmic-elf]

For the fic writer asks:

56 and 37!

This is going to be a personal one, probably long winded again, so I’ll put it under a cut.

56. Are there any fics that you would change or rewrite if given the chance?

The current version of Absolution is a rewrite. I’ve changed minor things, like how Kat used to call Seb ‘Boss’ - after a while, I found I didn’t like it. I wanted them to be closer and less formal with each other.

I also re-added in the confirmation that Yin is trans. He always has been, but I was afraid I’d get hate for it, so initially, that part had been cut. I felt brave after enlisting the help of a sensitivity reader and reinstated it for the re-write.

I don’t believe you have to ban writers from writing the ‘other’. It’s like acting. A good actor should be able to play any part, regardless of their personal experiences. Who I am really shouldn’t come into it. And if we want more inclusive and diverse stories, demanding cishets stick to only writing cishet is not going to help that cause. Careful research and enlisting sensitivity readers is the way forward.

The original version of the fic is still up but archived locked. I only got to chapter 9 before I had a falling out with my previous beta, which coincided with falling ill with depression. I wanted to die, ended up in therapy, and so on. It took a lot to return to the story after that. It was like returning to the scene of the crime. ‘Oh, and here’s where I fell ill and wanted to kill myself’ like fuuuuuck.

2020 was tough on everyone. Like many, I was already struggling, so lockdown took all of it and held it under a microscope. The most important thing is that I sought help, I’m recovering, and I started writing again. I took that opportunity to rewrite the story from scratch. I like how it’s going so far, but…

37. What fic has been the hardest for you to write?

Again, Absolution. It still feels like an impossible hill to climb, made worse by association with my illness, and it is an OC fic in a fandom notoriously hostile to OC fics. A fandom I now dislike for being a toxic dumpster fire. And the other related canon ‘Absolution’ happened.

I found it very hard to return to the Abby again after that or even speak of it. It feels wrong. Part of me wants to go back and rewrite it again, removing the ‘absolution’ part so that I don’t cringe every time I like to talk about my fic. (Notice how I rarely mention it on my blog unless asked). I’m getting better at it, but I still find it jarring. But the name is so essential, woven into the very fabric of the story. It’s the name of the goddamn ship and the theme of the entire piece. It would be very hard for me to remove it at this point.

Bioware has upset me. The whole reason I started writing it was because their narrative has more plot holes than a seventies string shopping bag. I know it’s just a big coincidence, but I feel like they stole my subtitle on purpose, and now the only reason I want to finish it is out of pure spite because I believe I can write a better story than them with one eye shut, standing on my head, dancing the Macarena. I mean, look how I’ve been able to fix their story retrospectively without touching canon events at all. It’s easy. I don’t know why they didn’t do it themselves. Canon is just asking for fic writers to fix their shit when they’ve been so blatantly incompetent. 🙄

I didn’t find it hard to come up with the story. I’m just finding it hard to care about Mass Effect these days. Or the videogame industry as a whole in recent years. It feels like just one letdown after another. Games have never exactly been award-winning sci-fi, but it has felt increasingly like the story part of game development has meant less and less to developers over the years. They now sacrifice everything - story, most of all - just to get something out of the door. It’s depressing.

Sorry to end on such a bum note. It’s always going to be angsty talking about which fics were the hardest.

I am still committed to finishing Absolution. Spite alone is a powerful motivator, but your and other’s support makes the struggles worthwhile.

I’m sorry I haven’t got back onto AO3 this week. I prefer using it on the laptop, and I just haven’t had a chance to switch it on. I also wanted to pace myself, savouring all your lovely comments because I rarely have so much interest in my work.

I would have replied earlier this evening, but I had to lie down with a headache. Whew, it’s been a tough day. My head still hurts.

Thank you for the ask! I wanted to make sure that I at least reply here! Feel free to ask about the Abby any time. I am working on chapter 17. It’s just been a slow process because of, you know, everything above. It kind of kills the creative process. Talking about it with fellow readers and writers reignites that spark, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🙏🏼💕🥰

[nimuetheseawitch]

2, 3, 14, 15, 29

2. Do you read/reread your own fics?

Yes. All the time. I pretty much write entirely for me (and am pleasantly surprised when other people like it too).

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Gosh, this is really hard. They're all my babies. If I really have to pick one, I guess it would be Sitting here tonight because I'm a sucker for pining and love letters and this series is really dear to me, even if I'm super blocked on it right now and cannot manage to work on the next installment.

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

I don't think most of them have anywhere near enough plot to make much of a film, but I think Autopilot would make a really cute comic.

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters?

I almost always go looking for lyrics that work. I don't usually bother naming chapters unless I'm really trying to use lyrics throughout. Sometimes though, I try for something pithy. If I can't find a good song or a pithy title that works, I usually just go for something basically descriptive.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

Oh man, I dug into the archives for this one. This is a WIP that hasn't seen the light of day in ages, and that I'm never planning on finishing. I think I already started using it for spare parts because apparently this is from chapter 6, and I have absolutely no clue what was supposed to come before this. I also have no idea what I had planned as an actual plot. But this was supposed to be a MASH post-war reunion fic. I'll put it under the cut since this post is getting long.

Hawkeye slowly opens the door and calls out "Beej?"

The room is dark, but the light is on in the bathroom, and there's the damp scent of a recent shower and hotel soap. After looking around the room to make sure, Hawkeye gently knocks on the door. "Hey Beej, it's me and Father Mulcahy, can we come in?"

"I'm not really dressed for church." Hawkeye cringes, that wasn't even close to funny. But he gently pushes open the door and finds BJ sitting on the floor in his shorts and undershirt holding a razor and wearing half a mustache. He tries really, really hard not to laugh, but after letting in Father Mulcahy and seeing the look on his face, he just can't.

In no time, he's holding onto the edge of the sink in a futile attempt to keep himself upright because he's laughing so hard. He just keeps pointing and then miming a mustache on his own face while Mulcahy looks completely at a loss and BJ turns bright pink. It looks like he's trapped somewhere between joining in or punching something.

Mulcahy takes the plunge and asks, "What happened?"

"I thought I should get rid of it, but then I got halfway through and I couldn't recognize myself without it."

"I'm not sure half a mustache is going to do you much good."

Hawkeye realizes he's being left out of the conversation and stops laughing enough to open his eyes, free up his hands and contribute, "Remember that time when I did that to you in your sleep? I think it's perfect. You should keep it!"

Father Mulcahy adds, "Well, it is quite a showstopper."

At that, BJ gives in and starts laughing too. Then he catches a look at himself in the mirror and laughs again and again until he's crying too. Then he pulls Hawkeye and Father Mulcahy into an awkward hug as the laughter turns a little bit more into tears. He holds onto them loosely and somehow manages to get them all through the door and finally lets go in order to pull on his pants.