#i've finished editing 12 of them and i still have like 50 more of them to shift through

[nibbyzor]

Why did I take so many screenshots of this goddamn wedding...

[realtrashyracoon]

"I'm a Rockstar Babe"

Todd Ingram X Bottom Male! Reader

☆ Summary: [Name] reunites with an old high-school friend turned rockstar things take a turn when they restart their old high-school ways.

☆ NSFW

☆Request: Yes or No

☆ Word count: 2,836

☆Genre: Angst to Smut (Kinda)

☆Warnings: Smut, degradation, manipulation (kinda, tbh I just tried making him cocky but rereading it it sounds like bro is manipulating), Bl♡wjobs, slapping, just douchy rockstar things, spitting (he's one of those ppl)

☆Authors note: Dude, I rewatched the movie and reread the novels, and why is Todd so mf fine like WHAT? And why are there no stories about this man? Anyways enjoy!! (P.s this has been in my drafts for like 2 months now and I've never finished editing it for some reason...)

Also look at the comic version of him like WHAT A CUTIE like yeah sure he's arrogant, narcissistic, uncaring, and may or may not be a pathological liar, and a walking red flag but like that red looking a little orange so??? PRAYING SOME OF YALL READ THIS!!

Did this count as being a groupie? No. It's not like I'm some obsessed super fan like Joseph I mean for fucks sake I knew Todd in high school [Name] thought as he lay on the mattress of the cheap motel room waiting for Todd to get out of the shower.

10:15 P.M. - some time earlier

[Name] was shoved and pushed around by the hundreds of thousands of fans who had gathered to watch the band play. The band in question was none other than The Clash at Demonhead. [Name] new one of the members (while technically two if you count Envy but they didn’t know each other. They were more of acquaintances really.) Todd Ingram who he was close friends with. Really close.

He'd given him head a couple of times (and slept with him too) but that didn't mean anything to them (yes it did.) it was what Todd considered a "bro-job" whatever the fuck that was. But that's not important (yes it is) what is important is how quickly their friendship ended after he got with Envy. They tried to keep in touch but after the band blew the absolute fuck up he cut ties with him.

Did it hurt? Yes. A lot. But [Name] didn't let it get to him he still supported Todd even if Todd himself didn't know it. [Name] bought every CD, vinyl, and cassette tape, and got tickets to most shows. He even tried to get backstage passes to rekindle his relationship with Todd but the prices were far out of his price range.

There have been times when for a quick second he'd seen Todd after a show or two and waved to him or said a quick word but he didn't recognize him. Which also hurt. How can you not recognize someone you spent almost TEN YEARS of your life with? But [Name] was determined to catch up with his best friend so after pulling a couple of night shifts and saving up some money he... still didn’t have enough.

10: 50 P.M.

"Todd's so hot!"

"Jesus Envys even hotter in person!"

"Why's that chick got a robotic arm?"

These are just some of the things [Name] heard throughout the event which was on the verge of ending.

12:10 A.M. - Later

The concert was over and [Name] pushed and shoved his way out of the venue and quickly rushed towards the back of the building looking for the band.

"Come on please don't tell me I missed them!"

His shoes thudded against the gravel, and as he rounded the corner a gate came into view.

"No. No, no, no, no!"

The gate door was slid open. How safe right?

"Envy? Do you wanna get a bite to eat or something?"

[Name] stopped for a moment as he saw Todd standing there his guitar case in hand talking to Envy. He took a deep breath and stepped through the gates. Fuck?

"T-todd?"

Todd turned to look at him a look of shock and anger upon his face.

"Who the hell let you in" Todd asked as he stepped closer to [Name] his voice coming off as aggressive as his eyes and hair started to glow.

"N-no one the gate was open."

"So you just snuck in?"

"I'm [Name], [First name], [Last name] we went to high school together. Remember?"

Todd's eyes and hair stopped glowing as his hair drifted back down in front of his face.

"You're kidding?!"

Todd dropped his guitar case and ran up to [Name] his tough guy rockstar persona shedding completely. He threw his arms around [Name] and pulled him into his chest. [Name] could feel the heat rising to two places as his face was smushed into Todd's rather large pecs.

"Todd you're squishing me..." [Name] said his voice muffled.

"Sorry!" He pulled away. "Jesus it's been a long time since we've seen each other... I'm a Rockstar!"

"I can see that!"

"Todd, what the fuck is going on," Envy asked?

Todd turned to look at them wrapping his arm around [Name's] waist. "This is [Name] from high school! He's my best friend remember?"

"While to me he looks like a fucking groupie! Let's go" Envy replied.

"I'm not a groupie..."

"Do you think he can come back to the motel with us?"

"No."

"Find some other cheap motel to fuck in," The Bionic arm bitch said.

"He's not a groupie and we're not gonna fuck! He's my friend and I wanna catch up with him!"

"Find. Another. Motel." Envy said the tone of her voice showed her annoyance more than anything.

12:30 A.M.

And they did find a cheap motel in an extremely unsafe part of town. Fits the stereotype, huh? A rockstar takes one of his fans to a cheap rundown-looking motel just to get it in.

[Name] once again was hugging Todd but this time was looking up at him.

"I'm so sorry for ghosting you [Name]."

"It's fine."

Todd's hands traveled down [Name's] back and reached his ass and groped it firmly, making [Name] let out an involuntary yelp. He pushed Todd off of him, causing the blonde boy to let out a laugh.

"What's the matter [Name] just like old times!"

"Todd aren't you dating Envy or something?"

He shifted his weight on his feet annoyingly.

"I'm a Rockstar babe we don't date," Todd said cockily.

"Oh?"

"I'm gonna hop in the shower. I know I reek of sweat... care to join me?"

"Smooth Todd.... real smooth."

He winked at [Name] and waltzed into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. After a minute or two he heard the shower go on.

Did this count as being a groupie? No. It's not like I'm some obsessed super fan like Joseph I mean for fucks sake I knew Todd in high school [Name] thought as he lay on the mattress of the cheap motel room waiting for Todd to get out of the shower.

"Do I wanna do this... again?"

The first time [Name] and Todd ever did anything together was on his eighteenth birthday. They were both unbelievably drunk, and both were bored lying on Todd's bed in silence. One of them now and then would say something, and they would have a short conversation.

"H-heyyy~ [Name] can I ask you for a favor," Todd asked his words coming out slurred.

"Yeah- hic! What'sss ~'s up?"

"Do you think you could um... s-suck me off?"

"Why?"

"Well, I'm one drunk! And two horny as fuck~! So can you?"

"You know what fuck it! You are my best friend!"

[Name] slid his basketball shorts off and then his boxers and grabbed at his length.

"I've never done this before so um... bear with me~."

Todd nodded his head a goofy grin on his face. "Do it as if someone's doing yours."

[Name] took him into his mouth slowly going down inch by inch the girth was almost too much to handle. Almost.

But that was years ago. They were two dumb eighteen-year-olds who were just helping each other out. But [Name] didn't feel that way anymore... but reminiscing on their old days made [Name] slowly begin to get hard in the shorts Todd had given him.

[Name] rubbed himself through the fabric and pushed down on it, making him release a soft moan. He needed Todd he didn't realize how badly he did until right then and there. The door opened to the bathroom, and [Name] quickly through the blanket over his lap.

Todd walked out with just a towel around his waist, his bulge catching [Names] eye as well as his body, which was still wet and glistened in the light.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting another pair of boxers, I forgot to bring them into the shower..." Todd looked at [Name] and noticed the tent that was forming underneath the blanket. "Aw, are you happy to see me like this again, baby?"

"What! No!"

"Come on..." He said huskily. The cockiness was back. "I heard you moan... were you thinking of the times I fucked you? The times you begged me to fill you up? The times I came on that pretty face of yours?"

[Name] could feel his cock growing harder with each question.

"N-no" [Name] whimpered out.

Todd walked to the side of the bed grabbed [Name's] hand and placed it on his groin.

"You miss my fat cock don't you," He asked his voice sounding oddly humiliating.

"I don't have to say anything."

Todd started to move his hips grinding his bulge against the palm of [Names] hand.

"Todd we can't... you have a girlfriend."

"I told you we rockstars don't really - truly date, and if anything, it's just another bro-job, remember?"

[Name] pulled his hand away and sat up and using both hands opened Todd's towel up causing his cock to pop out and slap against his happy trail.

"Fuck~," [Name] whispered out.

[Name] reached out and pumped his cock twice.

"Yeah that's it~ I know you fucking missed it haven't you?"

[Name] let go of Todd's cock and adjusted his position so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Todd backed up a little.

"Please don't like- hurt me that much. Please?"

Todd chuckled and ran his hand through his wet hair.

"You sweet dumb thing, you know I can't promise that."

[Name] grabbed Todd's cock once more and spat on it and stroked him off spreading the saliva over his cock.

"I haven't done this in a long time... so I'm a little rusty."

Todd smiled down at him. The grin was a mixture of amusement and humiliation.

[Name] placed the tip on his tongue and licked it gently before wrapping his lips around it and slowly going down on it.

[Name] couldn't lie he truly did miss this. Not only did he enjoy it, but it honestly made them closer as friends.

[Name] gagged on the base as he looked up at Todd with tearful eyes.

"Aww you look so cute with my big cock in your mouth," Todd said softly his voice coated in lust as he gently patted [Name's] cheek.

[Name] began to slowly come off his cock before Todd placed a hand on the back of his skull and slammed him back down causing him to gag and for drool to pour out of the sides of his mouth.

"Mmm-hmm-agh." [Name] groaned out.

Todd pulled his cock out of the boy's mouth and slapped it on either side of the guy's cheek.

"You took it so well [Name]~."

[Name] looked up at Todd with innocent eyes, his tongue sticking out a little as he gasped for air.

"Jesus you look so fucking gorgeous."

"I-I think you bruised the back of my throat!"

Todd grabs [Names] chin as he angles his head straight aligning his cock with [Names] lips.

Todd spat on his cock (and on [Names] face) and slammed it down [Names] throat before pulling out. [Name] stuck out his tongue and licked a stripe down his cock.

"You're such a fucking slut baby. I bet you've been craving my cock since you heard about our band haven't you?"

[Name] nodded his head embarrassingly. Todd placed a hand on the back of [Names] head and leaned in, planting a kiss on his lips as his hands traveled down his body. His hands reached the bottom of the boy's shirt and began to pull it up over his head, breaking the kiss in the process.

Todd pushes [Name] down onto the bed by his chest and crawls on top of him, attacking his neck, causing [name] to let out a soft moan. Todd kisses down his neck while unbuckling [Names] belt and gently pulls them off along with his boxers.

"I don't reckon you have a condom do you?"

"I have one in my wallet in my left pocket," [Name] says, his voice barely above a whisper.

Todd grabs [Names] jeans off the floor and pulls out the condom from the wallet before discarding them back onto the floor.

Todd rips the wrapping of the condom off with his teeth and slides the rubber on. He places [names] legs on his shoulders and lines himself up at his entrance.

[Name] squeezes his eyes shut as Todd pushes himself into him. A sudden wave of pain and pleasure washes over him, causing him to grab onto the sheets, twisting them in his hands. A soft whimper escapes his lips as Todd continues to push deeper into him.

"Shit- Todd, you're so fucking- ngh~ big!" [Name] whimpered out, causing Todd to look down at him with a cocky grin.

Todd had pushed himself into the other boy and slowly began to pull back out, only to slam back into him, which earned him a low groan.

"Does that feel good?"

[Name] nodded his head and let out a whimper. Todd began to rock his hips in and out of him, the tip occasionally brushing against his prostate. His thirst got faster and quicker he reached down and grabbed [Name's] hands and placed them above his head.

Todd began pounding into [Name]. The sound of skin against skin filled the room as well as screams of pleasure from both boys.

"Ugh~ F-fuck! You're going to har-!" [Name] wasn't able to finish his sentence as Todd delivered a gentle (but still hard) slap across his face.

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do!" Todd growled out.

[Names] cock twitched as pre-cum drizzled down his cock causing a moan to escape from his lips.

"Don't tell me you're into this shit you slut?"

"S-s-shut up Todd~"

Todd smirked and began rocking his hips.

"How bad do you want it?"

"W-what?" [Name] stuttered.

"I can pull out right now and leave and not let you finish you."

"Please don't~ I'll do anything!"

"Then admit it.'

"What?"

"Admit you're a filthy whore" Todd said his voice thick with lust.

"I'm not going to- ah~!"

Todd pulled out of [Name] leaving him feeling empty and somehow even more fucking desperate.

"Todd please" [Name] begged.

"Then say it."

"I-I’m a whore okay? Is that what you want to hear from me? I'm a fucking slut for you okay?!"

Todd looked down at [Name] with a cocky grin.

"Good boy."

Todd leaned back over [Name] and placed a soft kiss on his lips before pushing himself back into him. He wrapped his hand around [Name's] throat and began pounding into him. The sounds of skin against skin filled the room once again.

Todd raised his hand and brought it across [Names] face with enough power to cause a sting of pain leading [Name] to let out a dry moan.

"I can't believe your into this shit!" Todd said with a cheesy grin.

"Shut up!" The boy underneath him whined out.

Todd smirked and removed his hand from [Names] neck and grabbed him by the waist and slowed his thrusts.

"What are you- agh~!"

Todd pulled [Name] into him driving his cock deeper into him pushing past his prostate. [Names] jaw dropped as the sudden feeling causing a high pitched moan to erupt from his throat. Todd took this opportunity and grabbed his jaw holding it open and dipped his thumb into his mouth.

"Don't close your mouth got that?"

[Name] replied with a whimper as Todd's thurst became annoyingly slow as a string of spit slowly began to fall from his lips and landed in [Names] mouth.

[Named] closed his mouth after Todd gave him a look that practically yelled at him, too swallow. Todd's slow thrust became faster and faster. Todd wrapped his hand around [Name's] dick and began jerking him off as [Name] placed his palm at the back of Todd's head.

"I'm so close!" Todd groaned out as his rhythm began to go out of sync.

His movements became harder and harder as he felt himself getting closer and closer to finishing.

"W-where- fuck~ where do you want it?" He moaned out.

"On me..."

Todd placed a hand behind [Names] head as his thurst became sloppy he spat once again at [Name] the salvia covering his face before pulling out and jerking himself off.

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

With one final moan ropes of cum erupted from his cock covering [Names] body in white ropes. Todd pumped [Name's] cock for a minute before he came their cum mixing on his stomach. Todd scooped up some of his cum off of the boy's body with his index finger and popped it into [Names] mouth.

"How's it taste?"

"Salty... can you get me a towel?"

1:35 AM

[Name] lay on the cheap hotel's mattress, his head on Todd's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Hey, have you ever thought of being a roadie?'

"A what?"

"A roadie helps the band set up... you could be one for us so we could keep in touch and..." He wrapped his hand around [Names] body and groped his ass "Have some more time to ourselves."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS MAN IS SO FINE ARGH. I NEED HIM SO BAD LIKE I WANT HIM TO FULLY REARRANGE MY INSIDES.

Authors note!!

Again, sorry for the break. School is still once again kicking my ass :) I do plan on writing more over Christmas break, but I do have like half-written stories in my drafts, so here are some of them. (Some of them have titles, but they are to be determined, so kill me or wtv) .

Darry Jenner x Male reader (Fluff)

Miguel Ohara x Male reader (Smut)

Chad Meeks x Male reader (TBD)

Simon Kalivoda x Male reader (Fluff)

[thegingerwrites]

Thanks for the tag @treescape!

1.How many works on AO3? 50

2. Total AO3 Word Count? 607,341

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos: never too late to start again, short cycle, worry me

4. What fandoms do you write for? At the moment, just star wars! I kind of started out there when I first got my ao3 but I've bounced around a bit in the past

5. Do you respond to comments? I try my best to! (I say staring at the unanswered comments in my inbox, sweating) I get a bit overwhelmed and I have been trying to comment on the stuff that I read before I answer my own comments but it tends to pile up a bit

6. Angstiest Ending? I love angst, I really, really do, but I don't think I'm always the best at writing it? At the very least, I tend to write a happy ending or a mostly happy ending even if its ambiguous. There's hope there usually. My angstiest ending recently might be going all lovey dovey on me (the last scene is Obi-Wan immediately post-Mustafar so… but also right before that, Vader continues to insist that despite everything he still wants Obi-Wan dead). I'll throw never too late to start again into the mix too because I think that the fact that the two timelines stay separate and Leia never gets to know if her actions in the past had any effect is a bit angsty.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending? I feel like I've been writing some over the top happy endings lately. slowly, sweetly, then suddenly turned out way sweeter in the edit than I initially intended and I'm not mad about it. I also think Do The Same For Him ends particularly happy, as a treat for a lot of the angst it took to get there.

8. Do you get hate? Not in obikin! I had one fic in a different fandom where I wrote the relationship a little darker than I think people were used to and got some extremely mixed responses to it which definitely discouraged me from continuing (though I recently found that I had written most of the next chapter in a draft). I was coming at from a fandom/ship where darker themes were more common and I think there was a bit of a disconnect there. The story just gets to live in my brain now.

9. Do you write smut? I do!

10. Do you write crossovers? I was so ready to answer that no, I've never written a crossover before but I'm actually a huge liar. During the pandemic, I wrote a Killing Eve/Hannibal crossover Taste and Temptation. I had written some villaneve in the past but never any Hannigram. I really liked the idea of the two couples traveling through Europe in cognito and running into another couple that is just like them. It also gave me a way to vicariously travel through them in 2020. In the last chapter, Hannibal and Will invite Villanelle and Eve to dinner and I never managed to plot out what that dinner would look like. I might come back to it the next time I do a rewatch.

11. Ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of 😬

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? No, but I'm open to it

14. All time favourite ship? I'm with treescape on this one, I have to pick just one? Obikin is my otp of the moment and it is one that I returned to from my first bout of sw fandom around 2016 so despite the break from sw I had in the middle there it might be the one that has stuck with me the longest?

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I never really consider any of my fics abandoned. Even the fic I was discussing vaguely in question 8 is one I might return to thanks to my Smallville watch. I think being reminded of the right fic at the right time or getting the right comment has the potential to bring me back to just about any idea. No one ever knows exactly where inspiration is going to strike.

16. Writing strengths? I think I have a decent grasp of voice and dialogue when I write for characters. Thinking about how they speak and hearing their voice in my head is probably the first thing that happens before I start writing.

17. Writing Weaknesses? I'm always looking to improve my plotting and achieve some of the levels of angst I admire in others. When I started planning Do The Same For Him last year, I called it my causing problems on purpose era, basically that I needed to resist the impulse to resolve issues too easily for the characters and I think I'm still there.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? I don't have too many thoughts here! I think it has to make sense for the character and their voice. At the moment, I'm having thoughts about how it shows up in sw with Mandalorian and Huttese words and phrases being thrown around occasionally. Too much can be jarring, and the meaning should generally be clear to the reader without too many footnotes but it can add an extra layer of depth to a story and dialogue.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I used to post Alternate Endings to Nancy Drew PC games on the Her Interactive forums circa 2008-2012 and then around 2015ish I got up the nerve to make a fanfiction.net account where I only ever posted one fic. But yeah, I didn't even know that what I was writing on those forums was fanfic and I am super grateful that people there were kind to me even when I had no idea what I was doing (there were multiple colors and fonts, it was a bit of a mess)

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written? never too late to start again I started writing it two years ago now (!!!) and it took me over for a bit. I haven't seen that kind of productivity since even though I've gotten more consistent. I took my time in the editing process and feel really good about what I was able to create with that fic. I still think of it as my like obikin magnum opus.

No pressure tagging: @teaandjumpers @usakostar @grapenehifics @sendpseuds @samstree

[waddingham]

20 Questions for (Fanfiction) Writers

hihi sage :) @broadwayfreak5357 thanks for tagging me 🥰

1. How many fics do you have on ao3?

50

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

744,207

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

leg fic 💀

wildflowers (which has slowly crept up this far? somehow?)

two sweethearts and the summer wind :)

it's a symptom of your touch (it makes me so happy this is still top 5 lol)

someday 🥺

4. What fandoms do you write for?

actively right now, just ted lasso. but i've written for schitt's creek, twin peaks, and written for but never shared x-files

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

listen. i'm just a severely antisocial girl, staring at almost 4,000 comments, wishing LIKE HELL i could be that person 😭 i did originally on my first tl fic and i so badly wanted to keep going because i am SO grateful for every comment and reader I get, but now I'm so behind I genuinely wouldn't know where to start

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

hmm. i don't do angsty endings really. maybe in the cracks of light just bc i was talking about it with a friend once and they said they genuinely didn't know which section was truly the dream section and i'm obsessed with that idea.

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

probably someday? I don't know. i end most of my fics in a happy place. or at least a hopeful one.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no, thankfully. i don't mind criticism but hate would piss me off

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes, i do. the sexy kind.

10. Do you write crossovers?

no. they don't hold much interest for me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no, but i had a joke from one of my early fics stolen which is honestly just funny lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

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

no. that sounds so stressful fldndkdnd

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

it's gotta be mulder and scully. the way they ate my brain up for years on end......the way I read quite literally EVERY fic on gossamer.....most timeless ship on the planet

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

oh the western au. rest in peace my beloved </3

16. What are your writing strengths?

ive been told i write really gutteral emotions in a way that comes across very strongly. unfortunately i don't really know how I do that but I'm very glad people feel it when they read certain stories of mine.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i can be too heavy handed and overwrite things. in my more recent wips, I've gotten a lot better at showing instead of telling and trusting the reader to understand the nuances rather than explain them. also if I overthink a plot, or the order of scenes, it literally all falls apart. if I do anything but flow along from one scene to the next, I can't put the story back together. (again — rip western au)

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

I don't know why I'd have thoughts on this. if it makes sense, go for it. I've done it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

x-files, but as far as posted fic, it's some twin peaks ficlets that you could not pay me to reread, but i can't bring myself to orphan lol

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

this is a hard question because in terms of how the final product came out, it's probably a song of mourning, but my favorite experience with posting a fic was most definitely the escort au, BUT my favorite ones to actually write have been the vampire au and someday (though she needs [and will soon be getting!] a major edit) so i don't know. it doesn't help that if I have even a slight dislike of a project I simply won't post it lmao so the things that have made it up are there because I really liked them

[a-case-of-the-ace]

Fic writer interview :D

Thank you @eoinmcgonigal for the tag!!

Welp let's see how this goes. I've been doing the writing thing for a little over two years, I think? Time has flown and I have done... little.

How many works do you have on AO3? 21.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 57,611. None of which have reached over the 12,000 mark.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Something, Old, New, Broken and Blue at number 1, followed by Something Precious, a Bold Beginning, My Soul Says Ouch and Match Made in Vain. The top 3 are for Stranger Things, and the 4th and 5th are for Mafia: Definitive Edition. I reckon the top ones are at the top mainly because they're a bigger fandom.

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do, I'm always so happy when I get them, but I worry I sound like a broken record. there's only so many ways to thank someone for reading and commenting, even though I'm overjoyed every time it happens.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Possibly Ready for Table for Doctor Who's The Two Doctors, since that doesn't end in a good spot for the main character, but the canon story has a good ending, so you know it's going to be ok. Probably Bon Appetit, for Mafia: DE, since it's a dark yandere cannabilism fic.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? That's a tough one, most of mine have happy endings. Possibly My Soul Says Ouch, since the characters spend so long pining over each other before getting together? Also my only polyam fic, (or at least where it's not just implied) so 50% extra love?

7. Do you write crossovers? I haven't, none have really occurred to me. I don't usually read them either, but if it's done well, I'll read it.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Not hate per se, but I did have one commenter who didn't like some things, and told me I could change things, and didn't need to stick to the canon. I quite liked my choices, though, and so did other kinder commenters. I do the fic for me, first and foremost.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not in anything I've posted, but I'm currently writing a Galavant fic that has some, for angst reasons. I did have a tad in A Bold Beginning, but I danced around the subject so much that I don't think it counts. I'm ace, which I don't think helps much, I'm basing most of it off of what I've read.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Wouldn't mind if someone did though.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope.

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Mega tough one. Good Omens got me into it, but I haven't read much of them. Stobotnik, since I only watched the films for them? Two/Jamie? I read a lot of Johnlock, but that was ages ago. Geraskier? I think I just binge a ship and return to it if I really liked it. Depends if the ship's small or big, I guess.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? I had a mermaid!Tommy au I tried to get going for a long while, but kept getting stuck on logistics. An omegaverse mafia fic, an angsty guilt fic, and even a fic for Forever (TV show from 2014). Plus a bunch of ideas that hit while I was writing something else, and I'd lost the fixation by the time I finished. There's still a few sticky notes with ideas in my phone, from inspo at work. I think I get a lot more ideas than I manage to write :(

15. What are your writing strengths? Beginnings. I love nothing more than going "Bang! Here's what's happening." Otherwise, I dunno what my strengths might be. Writing in full sentences for the first draft?

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Hanging on to the motivation to finish a fic. Not using a variation of the phrase "All they could do was hope." Nearly put that in thrice in three chapters by mistake, I'm sure it's getting old. Motivation for sure though, I miss the days when I was writing tropey one-shots, at least they were one and done.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I haven't really had a need to do it, and would worry about formatting if I did. Closest I've had to this was a heavily accented character, but I didn't really know how to write an accent and so I didn't write it in. Not sure if I'd do it that way again, but it made it easier.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Mafia: Definitive Edition. Wrote my first fic in one of my last year 12 math classes. Also the fandom that made me switch from looking at tumblr on Pinterest to actually being on tumblr. There wasn't enough content, so I had to go searching, and then make my own.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? Really want to throw my hat into the ring on Wez/The Golden Youth, from Mad Max 2, but the only ideas I have for them are really long. Other ones I've considered writing include Forever, Red Dwarf, Sportarobbie from Lazytown, Johnny/Reg from SAS Rogue Heroes and Jude/Cardan from The Cruel Prince.

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? I'm really liking the Galavant fic I'm writing at the moment, mainly because it's shamelessly self-indulgent. Probably one of my Mafia fics, Chosen by the Life, Choking on my Love or Bring Me Home. It's been a while since I've read my own stuff, this has been a real trip down memory lane.

Desperately trying to remember people who write so I can tag them... I'm so bad at names, if I miss you I'm sorry. And I may not know you at all well so I apologise if you find this weird.

@feline-ranger @iiep-wop @lilies-in-a-vase @somethingaboutamagpie @ihni

[sweatandwoe]

Lotta good questions on that ask meme sooooo 12, 17, 24 + 57 😚

12. How does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

I think it's a double-edged sword in a way.

No feedback can be really demoralizing for fics, but it does happen. Not every story you write is going to be popular. Some stories are just for you, and maybe a few buddies. They're for you to go back and read and enjoy, I have a few fics I've written that I like to still go back and read. I have a bunch of fics that I have shared with only one person or a few people because I wrote it just for them.

However, on the other side of the spectrum, I once got around 50 comments in like 2 days/1 night on one chapter in SI (think it was chapter 8, when Reader gets fired). And as a result I felt very overwhelmed and I rushed out the next chapter because I was not thinking it was going to have that sort of impact on people. I felt bad that so many people were upset over what happened, and I think if you read chapter 9, it feels more jarring because of that. Like there should've been an extra chapter in there. But I also feel like we analyze our own works so much because we're trying to translate our thoughts into a google doc, and if it doesn't match perfectly it can feel like it's inadequate even though the person reading it loves it.

So yeah, write for yourself and if something blows up in popularity, take a deep breath and focus on your story and know that people are already enjoying it, keep at your own pace, so you continue to enjoy it. People are commenting because they felt something from it, and they liked it and try to keep that in mind (cause I did not but now I know)

rest under readmore

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Anything else. Going for a walk, taking a shower, listening to some music, play video games, etc. It's my brain saying 'we need a break' and you should listen to it or else you will burn the fuck out.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

Anyone who says to buy/subscribe to a writing program.

Programs are a great tool to help you write or organize your writing, etc. However, just buying a program will not have you becoming an amazing world builder or writer. I always see 'helpful programs to increase your writing flow' or like writing YouTubers getting sponsored by these programs, but I always find you should only get one if you are already feeling like 'yeah world anvil will store all my world-building things' or 'campfire can help me organize my plot/characters because there's so much stuff in my head and I'm so excited'. Some of these programs would be amazing if you can't physically write as well, but a lot of their accessibility tools also seem to be a bit lacking. You should only buy a program if you feel it will help you in some way, and also always use a free trial before you buy cause some of the programs are just janky as shit

Also there are a lot of free alternatives to a bunch of these programs

For me, the best outlines/writing comes when I write it out by hand and then have to type it. It just makes me think more about it and it's more visually nice to my brain to write out like a brainstorm or draw out a timeline or outline to follow first before translating it to a doc.

57. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 

If I notice something jarring while I'm writing, I'll edit it. But I usually wait until it's finished to do all my editing. Run read aloud over it and listen to where I truly fucked it.

Get to Know Your Fic Writer Asks

[halflingkima]

First Chapter Test: Romance Edition

so i finished that regency romance/crime thriller and wanted more of that vibe and yes i have 12 other books checked out but the other night i got drunk and put a bunch more on hold. this'll include the romances i mentioned in my last first chapter test, but i figure it'll be helpful to have them all in the same place.

Palace Project

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae: I've had In the Event of Love on my TBR for a bit, but it's a holiday read and i def wanna read that in the appropriate season, so i was pleased to find the sequel is set in summer! how timely. apparently it's a friends to lovers/best friend's sibling sitch with a sorta baking contest involved. the writing style is promising, it's weakest point being the sequel-catch-up spiel: the rapid intro of a bunch of characters real fast made my head spin. but i think it'll be okay from here on.

Hockey Bois by AL Heard: Was a little put off when this one had a fanfiction-style tags/tropes list up front, but the writing style is perfectly good. The main character is just starting to play hockey on a team/in a league as an adult, and the stoic team star takes an interest in helping him practice. I'm hoping the "grump" role will slip from the love interest soon, but it's a really decent start, and i will probably continue.

The Mastermind by Amy Lane: Amy Lane is truly hit or severe miss for me and i've not enjoyed a book of hers in a while. i've been interested in this heist/con artist series for a while, but never enough. i know i've read this first chapter before, and rereading it, remembered why i put it down: the main plotline focuses directly on a (white) woman "ruining" a man's "legacy" through falsifying claims of discrimination. While i know the author to treat her women characters very well, the concept still makes me uncomfortable. I think i'll press on for now, but i can easily put it down if there's nothing intriguing enough to make up for the unbelievable female antagonist set-up. Also: a LOT of telling in this first chapter, when I would've liked the characters' past to unravel over a bit more time.

String Theory by Ashlyn Kane: Wanted to read a hockey romance, but Palace doesn't have the first of this author's series, and i don't wanna skip around in that one, so I compromised with this unrelated book. that being said, this was surprisingly the weakest link on this platform so far (i had very low expectations for Hockey Bois). The opening was a little confusing – i think i read the prologue? also haven't met the second character, and all i learned in this one is that one of the main characters is a slut with a very stoic roommate lmao. I'll hold out until i meet both characters, but i'm 50/50 on this one.

Physical

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske: Oh I had high hopes for this one based on all the good things i've heard and my recent regency mood but the first chapter did not serve it well. It's regency(?) era with magic, and i think i remember there's a sorta mystery (thriller?) aspect to it, but the very short first chapter has a lot of samey characters with little worldbuilding and a lot of action, which while a strong way to start, is not the vibe i was looking for at the moment. i don't think i'll fully dnf now that it's in my possession, but it will probably sit in my pile of shame for a while before it get to it.

The Prospects by KT Hoffman: ok first of all, didn't realize the main character is also TRANS and now i'm HYPE about it. the first chapter was great 10/10 no notes i fuckin love sports romances i'm so glad this is finally out and owned by my library system and in my HANDS

The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan: The true panic cover "buy" (check-out). I have no clue what it's about but it was available and had two ladies on the cover. And looked a lil country, but I think it's about horses? The most stereotypical first chapter in the world, didn't reveal all that much, but the writing style is very readable. I truly have no verdict on this, i'll have to get a little further.

Hoopla

Delay of Game by Ari Baran: Knowing the main characters of this book from the previous one in the series, this story def started as a bucky/cap hockey au and i KNOW it's gonna be stunning. that being said, the first few bits are a huge flashback and reframe the characters a lot, which kinda knocked me for a loop. I'm also afraid to read this before my library has the next one; i need my book safety net. T_T I'm also a little concerned my expectations are a bit too high for this one lol

Libby

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky: The sliding doors/alternate timelines concept is very different from what I've read from this author, so I'm a little concerned in that regard. I also don't personally like stand-up comedy all that much, and I hope there's not too much of that on-page. I also found the set-up a little rough. I'll probably go ahead and read this to get it off my tbr, and it'll probably be a good time. im not sure it's strong enough to bump the slump though.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne: Genuinely don't know what to expect from this one. I've only heard of it bc i think Fairyloot? sent it as a bonus book in a box and some booktubers unboxed it. I've not seen anyone read it or heard anything of it since. There's something about death and undeath and teen girls in love. I don't have super high hopes bc it's YA but the opening was strong and i'm interested to see where the plot goes, though i'm not invested in the romance much at all at this point.

[klm-zoflorr]

1. How many works on AO3?

36! I live for making that number go up

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

111k. 70k if you don't count the aot incorrect quotes which i don't feel like is really writing writing. But holy shit?? Thats so much hello... You could make a novel out of my disjointed pieces of writing for an intellectual property which I don't own and therefore am not allowed to publish...

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

Cuddle Time With The Morningstars

Marley & Co Incorrect Quotes, A Collection

Touching Base

Save Me, M.K.Blackwood

Go For It, Archivist!

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Ummm tma, atla, luciferTV, game of thrones, hitman, tlt? I want to add more. I need to add more.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yeah, I try to because I've heard people say when they don't see the author reply they assume the comments aren't being read anyways and don't comment. & I am an attention whore so... But otherwise, personnally I don't really care if my own comments on other peoples fics don't get replied to. And either way i read and reread and adore each and every one of my comments, but its just that making coherent replies to them is difficult and i feel like everyone would rather i be writing the fic instead. Idk lol xD

6. Angstiest ending?

I think it's Going Out In A Bang. But then again i don't really write much angst and especially angst that ends bad so... Its not much.

But it's honest work!

7. Fic with the happiest ending?

... All of them?

8. Do you get hate?

Never did!

9. Do you write smut?

I have, but it's not my comfort zone and not something that generally interests me too much so, not a lot

10. Do you write crossovers?

I loooove crossovers. I think my favorite kind though is when say, the mlp characters are thrown into the star wars universe -just the universe, not the universe with the original characters. Cause i feel like it's always a bit awkward for me to write those completely different characters interacting, idk.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I'm aware, no. But I don't have a lil mama Beholding whispering in my ear so there are still things i don't know out there

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone said they wanted to do it for me once but I haven't heard back so, I suppose not!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Technically not a fic in the conventional sense of the term but I did taking the Crown with @unending-vigil , it was literary rp adapted to fic. That was pretty neat, he read over all of my many typos and I didnt even have to ask 🤣

14. All time favourite ship?

For now it's jonelias as well 😌 But that sort of things tends to change a lot for me over a few years so, I guess we'll see if i find new blorbos to occupy my every waking hour and a few of my asleep ones as well.

I'm more so very into platonic pairings usually, funnily enough. Guess those freaks be the exception.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hopefully none of them? My momma didn't raise no quitter okay. I will finish all of them or die trying.

... But reasonnably yeah theres a few of them I probably won't finish finish because the format is such that you can always add more after (like the incorrect quotes thingiemajig)

16. Writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty good at elaborate and flowery descriptions! Setting up a vibe, you know? I also like overplanning everything and so I feel like my timelines are usually pretty coherent?

Oh, and NAMING FICS. It's so fun its my favorite thing ever. 50% of the reason i finish fics is so i can see the number go up and 50% is because i want to see my beautiful titles appear on my page.

17. Writing weaknesses?

Let's say none because lying to myself is the only way I won't get buried by my own self doubt xD no but um, speed and editing maybe? My faulty executive functionning I guess? XD and maybeeee creating tension and suspense

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

Honestly? I don't like it. There is in the end only a very small percentage of people for whom it will work (those who speak both languages) otherwise you're just making your dialogue harder to read I feel like? And I also feel like there are a very few ways to make it actually work and fit well. "¡Hola amigos! Oh sorry I always forget to switch back" is not one of them. If the narrator doesn't understand the language and we get to discover it alongside them (/as a fun lil easter egg) though I feel like it can sometimes be interesting.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Avatar the last airbender!

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

The beach jonelias one.... Unmatched i think

Sorry for anyone who reblogs after me i got. Wordy. Lol. Tagging i dontttttt know i can't think of people umm @sparky-is-spiders and pitpat and anyone else pretty much no pressure though sorry if youve been tagged before okay bye now

20 Fanfic Author Questions

Thanks @hauntedcoyote for the tag!

1. How many works on AO3? 41

2. Total AO3 Word Count? 330,403

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

A Living Chronicle

I've Become My Very Own Boogeyman

Am I So Enthralled That I Might Die?

Immortals

Desire For Days

4. What fandoms do you write for? The Magnus Archives

5. Do you respond to comments? God do I try, they make me so happy and I have a very hard time being perceived but I try to

6. Angstiest Ending? I Think Like a Verb

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending? I Guess It's Better to Turn This Way

8. Do you get hate? I think i just get blocked tbh so nah

9. Do you write smut? Yeah!

10. Do you write crossovers? I have a WIP crossover that i don't think will ever get posted sorry

11. Ever had a fic stolen? nope!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? not to my knowledge

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? i haven't! but am not at all opposed to cowriting (wink wink world)

14. All time favourite ship? Jon/Elias

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hellaverse/TMA crossover

Okay I really want to finish As History Gets Lost and likely will eventually but it's been a bit abandoned

16. Writing strengths? dialogue for sure

17. Writing Weaknesses? coming from academic writing, i'm pretty direct and could flesh out visuals/themes a bit more

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? I don't think I know what this means

19. First fandom you wrote for? Bandom!

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

The Kiss or the Sword bonus: My Modern Magic AU

No pressure tags: @klm-zoflorr @tideswept

[wander-wren]

Ok, here goes! I wanna preface this by saying that I've been in a serious writing rut for like the past six months, to the point where I've pretty much given up on my WIPs. It's not that I don't want to write, or that I don't have ideas, but the actual work of sitting down and getting words on the page feels like pulling my own teeth out. So I'm conducting research on writers I admire to see if I can learn anything from their processes. And so, without further ado:

How long have you been writing?

Do you start out knowing what's gonna happen in the story, like with a plot chart and everything, or does the story take shape as you go along?

Do you write in big chunks or a little bit at a time?

How many drafts do you typically do? Is your first draft usually like word vomit or something a little more polished?

Do you have a beta reader?

What's your editing process like?

Is there a certain time or place where you prefer to write?

What do you consider the hardest part of writing?

Have you ever struggled with perfectionism in your writing? Do you have any tricks for bypassing that "EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFECT" wall in your brain and just get words on the page?

That was a lot lol. Of course you don't have to answer all of them, but any insight you're willing to give will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much <3

woo okay let’s tackle this!! under the cut bc Long. strap in folks

How Long Have You Been Writing?

in any shape or form: since maybe 6 years old? but i started writing fanfiction at 12, started getting serious about writing in general at 15, and threw myself full tilt into fanfic at 17, so currently i haven’t written original fiction Really since june. which is a complicated answer. you didn’t specify if this is about original stuff or fic, but i’ll try to answer from both perspectives bc my process for each is wildly different.

Plotter or Pantser?

for both original fiction and longfics, i’m solidly in the middle; i usually start with a list of things i want to happen, and i always need some idea of where i’m going to end, even if it changes later. from there, i start writing the first few chapters. when i feel like i have a more solid grasp of where i’m going, i outline chapter-by-chapter through one “section” of the story, however i define that. once im done that section, i outline again. this gives me a lot more freedom to change things as i go and adapt to new decisions i make. i also add random ideas to my masterlist of stuff that i might want to include further down the line as i go.

with oneshots i never, or almost never, have a plan beyond the premise/summary, so they frequently get away from me and do all kinds of random things.

Big Chunks or Little At a Time?

i’m gonna say big chunks? i have adhd so i frequently hyperfixate on my projects and can work on them for hours and hours on end, which i don’t exactly recommend, but it happens. at any given time i have a “main” wip or two that i work on pretty much daily, and then others scattered around that i might pick up for a few hours if i get bored. but i try to finish fics as fast as possible bc if i move on there’s a 50% chance i won’t come back, at least not for months.

How Many Drafts?

for fanfic? one. every once in a while if something is REALLY not working i’ll rewrite sections, so that’s like 1.5 drafts, but it’s free labor i do for fun so while i take pride in it and want it to be good, i’m not going to expend THAT much energy, yknow?

for original stuff, like if we’re talking novels…at least three drafts? i haven’t gotten that far with most of my projects so i’m still learning about myself, but my general process seems to be that the first draft is about getting the main story beats and the emotions down. my first draft is always very heavy on the angst and catharsis, sometimes overdramatically so, bc there’s less plot to hold it up. then my second draft is more about plot and realism and structure, but i tend to lose some emotions in trying to do that. my third draft is about combining the two and continuing to polish stories/characters. i haven’t written any fourth drafts, so i’m not sure whats beyond that.

and my first drafts tend to be very polished. i wrote a little rant explaining the history of that aspect of my writing not long ago, so i won’t get into it again. part of that is just how i’ve always been, part of it is practice. i do feel sometimes that i write pretty enough to cover up structural/realism/continuity issues, which can be frustrating when looking for critique from people who can’t see past it.

Beta Reader?

yes! i have a small group of writer friends that i share things with, but that is pretty much always for cheer-betaing and minor critiques unless i ask for actual criticism, which i only do with my original stuff when i get to the second/third draft, partly bc it’s not ready before then, and partly because it’s a lot of mental work for the other people. shoutout to my main bnha betas, @rangerlexi and @spacetime-enthusiast, who are, as i said, mainly cheer betas, tho mav is also my resident bakugo expert bc he’s very hard for me to write sometimes. getting better tho!

can’t recommend finding betas enough, even if just to cheer you on. hell, i can’t make promises about super long works or original fic, but i’m always down to read fanfiction. i don’t even bite, i swear. obligatory note that you do gotta trust ppl tho yada yada thieves exist and mean people exist etc etc

Editing Process?

for fanfic: typically i reread one or two times right away while all my thought processes are fresh in my head. i’ll make spot edits and add or delete things here and there. then depending on how impatient i am, i wait a day or a few to send it to my betas and/or reread and edit again myself. then i post and i’m done!

for original works: i don’t bother to edit first drafts, or even second drafts sometimes. when it’s time to prep for a second draft, i reread and make notes on what i want to keep and what i want to change, then use those notes to make my next skeletal outline. usually my stories change drastically from one draft to the next, but the last time i did a third draft, i wanted it to be pretty close to the structure of the second, so instead of outlining at all i just did splitscreen and wrote the whole third draft while looking at the second, sometimes basically retyping a page word for word, sometimes going “well, that chapter is pointless” and skipping it entirely. when it came to line editing, i used hemingway bc i don’t trust computers to do my editing, BUT the different colored highlights were helpful to break up the monotony. hemingway is a lot more focused on concise/readable sentences and cutting adverbs than anything else, which was good for me as an overwriter. i cut 22k words the last time i used it, from a 130k draft.

Best Time or Place?

not really? i write everywhere and constantly. the advice about finding your niche of productive time never seemed to work for me because, as long as i’m not blocked/stuck, i pretty much always kind of want to write.

Hardest Part?

DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS OH MY GOD IT’S THE WORST. sorry. i hate. doing that. becoming friends? becoming family? falling in love? god. kill me. i love all [thing] to lovers in reading but in writing i tend to drift toward best friends to lovers bc then it’s kind of close. i love writing about people in relationships, tension and banter and softness and fights, but getting there is so awful.

Are You a Perfectionist? Tips?

hm. gonna try to answer this honestly and in the least asshole-ish sounding way possible lmao.

i’m not really a perfectionist? not in writing, anyway, idk about other stuff. but also it’s just like…i know i’m good at what i do. not perfect—i can see flaws in things i wrote even a few months ago—but good. More Than Satisfactory. sometimes fics just don’t work and i abandon them, sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what i’m doing, but i’m not generally paralyzed by the need for anything to be perfect because i’m happy where i am?

that’s a hard mindset to get to, though. and you will for sure feel good about something and then dislike it in a few months or years. that’s just the nature of improving your craft. i think if i had any tips, though, i would say a few things.

watch this video essay, the whole thing but specifically 5:39-9:20. i love cj the x and i agree with many of his takes on art, so. some of his other essays might be helpful as well but that one i know talks specifically about perfectionism.

or if you don’t want to, just have this quote that melted my brain a little when i heard it. “perfectionism is not an inherently bad impulse. but you have to earn that. you don’t get to be a perfectionist if it is unproven up to this point if you can even make a thing.”

read bad stories. like genuinely i’m such a petty spiteful person oops so. i don’t really seek them out much but reading like, really really badly written work is like “well, if that’s the bar, at least i’ve cleared it.” obviously don’t go attacking creators or posting the work to make fun of it, but read it. maybe make notes of exactly why it’s bad for yourself, even, it might help you get better at identifying problems in your own work if you can figure out why things are bad beyond just “i don’t like it.” there, that sounds less mean, right?

just post your shit, tbh. put it out there. most people on the internet, in fandoms, they’re nice, if you curate your space properly. it’s a confidence boost! put something out there that’s less-than-perfect, get a couple of kudos and realize the world didn’t implode, and maybe, maybe it’ll be easier to start/finish next time.

you kinda just gotta accept that you need practice, my dude. like. you can’t closer to perfect without work!! we know this!! just do it. i know i just said to post things but also if you hate what you made no one!! else!! has!! to!! know!! it can be a secret. it’s okay. this coming from a chronic oversharer lol i have the worst time trying not to shove my stuff at people….which, actually, kinda worked better as motivation for me, bc i couldn’t share something unfinished, so i had to Do The Thing in order to get validation/feedback/critique like i wanted. so either way, whatever works better for you.

The End

so yeah, those are my answers, i guess? i hope that makes sense and helps and everything!! i’m really sorry you’re in a rut, that’s the worst. if you have any more questions or just wanna chat about what you’re writing feel free to come say hi again!

[movienotesbyzawmer]

September 18: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Time for another project of watching a movie series, taking notes, and posting the notes! I did not finish my last series. I probably will another day. But today I have obtained the six original Star Trek feature films on 4K and I'm starting it as a new notes project.

I saw every Star Trek movie upon its original theatrical release. I wouldn't say I'm a "trekkie", but I like a good sci-fi movie, right?

Worth noting is that I'm watching "The Director's Edition" of the first movie, which is an edit that I haven't seen before. I don't know if I'll notice the differences. I'll call them out if I do, though! Okay, pressing play.

This movie begins with… an overture? A shot of moving stars, and some pleasant orchestral music. Couple of minutes of that before even the Paramount logo. Seems like they were simply going for the same thing that the Superman movie had succeeded with a year earlier, making big, cinematic choices so as to transform it from a small-screen experience to a big-screen experience. Can appreciate.

Yes, first proper scene of Klingon ships approaching a something, it is cinematic, more so than you'd have seen on the show. And the music is cool. Wow, maybe I love this soundtrack? There is a creepy bass pluck sound.

They try to shoot the something with torpedoes. It's like firing a gun at a nebula, it makes no sense.

I'm happy to report that the look of the movie still looks very 1979. It's cleaned up, I guess, and it pops on my 4K OLED screen, but it looks like a good version of what they hoped it would look like at the time.

The nebula has fired back at the Klingon ships. Its torpedoes make them disappear in electricity balls. They just vanish.

That bass pluck sound is kind of like they took one very low piano string note and lowered the tension but still it makes a distinct note.

We're now on a scene with Spock on his home planet, with his parents, doing a judgement of some kind. That bass pluck instrument is getting used a lot. It's not just the theme for the nebula. It's overused.

0:12:50 - Now we're in San Francisco, headquarters of the future-peace union of planetary goodness or whatever. My not-a-trekkie-ness is starting to show, I guess. Anyway, it's Captain Kirk and he is being quite stubborn maybe? Saying he's going to take the Enterprise back.

Now these long, lingering, loving shots of the Enterprise it its space dock, a little indulgent but I get it. That ship with its iconic, recognizable shape is a big part of Star Trek. And it's a MOVIE so there's TONS of TIME.

Now finally Kirk is on the bridge, and between that and the lengthy sequence showing the Enterprise, I'm thinking must have been really exciting for people who had been fans since the original show aired.

Tension between Kirk and the guy who had just gotten promoted to Enterprise Captain, that's good for drama. Might have been more interesting with better actors in those roles. All due respect to William Shatner… not so much respect for the guy who plays Decker. Look it up. It is creepy.

0:27:40 - Transporter room malfunction, when I saw this as a kid I remember it being very scary, like almost traumatic. Not as effective to me today, but I've seen RRR now so maybe I just can't be fazed.

"My oath of celibacy is on record, Captain" announces Iliah. She is introduced with a strange gravity, like we're supposed to be blown away by a bald woman, but she also has romantic tension with Decker, but also she blurts out that weird celibacy comment, and plus also she is straight up pretty. I don't know what I'm supposed to come away with, and that's at least partly on purpose. Oh and they said "she's DELTAN". Don't know what that means.

0:40:45 - Okay, first the shot of them doing a big warp jump, the effect is kind of silly how, like, I don't know, fourth-of-july it looks. Like the backdrop of a performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever"….

…but while I've been typing this, it's going nuts with some other crazy visual stuff... as they did their warp jump, they got sucked into a different corny effect, very video-game-y, but it's making them be all smeared looking and sounding. It turns out this was the doing of a sinister asteroid, and they torpedoed it to resolve that issue. Video game-y.

So far this is the exact movie I remember.

Spock has boarded. Seems like the whole gang is back.

"Bones. We need him. I NEED HIM." William Shatner's dramatic flair is a little jarring.

They have arrived at The Cloud, and now there is the kind of story that drives a good episode of a Star Trek show. I really am curious about what the deal is with this cloud.

Spock has a vague telepathic understanding of what's going on, I guess? But also a sciencey understanding, and there's the thing about he thinks they, whoever is in The Cloud, don't understand why they aren't receiving a response, and Spock figures out it's because they're transmitting something but it's only a millisecond long, I think that's pretty cool.

Sometimes there are computer models on the big monitor in the bridge, and they look way way way more modern than they could have had in 1979 I think. I also think "so what".

1:08:10 - They've been penetrating The Cloud, and it's pretty suspenseful because what the hell is the deal with it. Did people complain that this part dragged? Because I don't think it's dragging. I think it's paced appropriately right now. They get to a solid part in the middle and it's a strange alien structure, what even is it. Again the pace is slow and again I'm not bored.

Then a thing I remember pretty well. After a long (but again I think appropriately long) sequence of them penetrating The Cloud and the middle part of it, an alien that is a vertical energy beam appears on the bridge and does stuff, like it's poking around. That ends with it making Iliah disappear, and Decker acting a little bit I-told-you-so about it. Unfair, Decker. This has literally never happened before.

By the way, I know a girl named Iliah whose parents actually named her after this movie's Iliah.

Now the Robot Iliah has been beamed aboard The Enterprise for the apparent purposes of being a leggy humanoid liason to what we learn is named "Veeger". I remember about the name "Veeger" which gets revealed at the end. Robot Iliah isn't the real Iliah, but there are memory imprints in her head and the gang is trying to exploit that!

Spock is sneaking around some room and he knocked a dude out who was just working at a console, wtf

Oh, that plot thickens, he did that so he could get in a space suit to get off the ship and do some kind of recon! It is one of many 2001-ish things in this movie. But it is maybe the most 2001-ish. He zips through the aperture thing that they didn't want him to get through, goes through some ovals, and starts narrating his trip past abstract things, and then, instead of the star baby from 2001, there's a star-Robot-Iliah. He touches it and it's damaging to him, but he still gets returned back to by the ship, like a respawn point. Get gud, Spock!

Veeger is now right by Earth, and I don't remember it looking like this. Did they totally redo that design? Maybe I just don't remember. It's sending onimous smartbomb things to hover threateningly because the "carbon units" aren't responding. They have to figure out how to be good at communicating to Veeger. I think it's an interesting conflict, I truly do!

A lot of the wide shots of the Enterprise inside the strange world of Veeger's interior actually probably look way, way cooler here than they did in 1979.

I think Leonard Nimoy is doing good acting in this movie.

1:55:45 - These big shots of the Enterprise near Veeger look really, really cool.

Sure enough, Veeger is just a little old 70s probe from Earth, it's "Voyager VI", but only VGER are still visible.

"Voyager VI disappeared into what used to be called a black hole," oh come on they definitely still call them that whenever this takes place.

Oh boy this ending, you guys, I remember the gist of it but I don't remember it seeming so dumb. So like, they figure out that Veeger wanted to join with the creator, and because Decker has always loved Iliah, he decides he is just the guy to fix the bad wiring in Veeger, thereby turning him into a cyborg husband of Robot-Iliah, blowing everything up in just such a way that it is non-catastrophic to Earth and the Enterprise and all the people except for Decker. Chatting about it on the bridge moments later, they're like "we seem to have done a fine job of creating an advanced life form, we're kind of badass that way". Then they hurry up to the credits so you won't spend time thinking about that unsatisfying ending.

But not before a title card that reads: THE HUMAN ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING

So. I do not like the ending of that movie. But most of the movie was quite tolerable. It's been a long time since I watched it, but I watched it a number of times as a young Zawmer and I can't put my finger on any specific editing changes that are different in this "Director's Edition".

[system-of-a-feather]

k project and/or tokyo ghoul? (elysium)

I FUCKING LOVE K PROJECT. It's actually one of the first anime to actually make me realize there are more quality anime out there other than Bleach (which is funny cause Bleach is a shit anime, I love it, but it is shit). Admittedly, I only watched it cause I saw Kuroh in the corner of like gogoanime or whatever I was streaming Bleach or Code Geass or something on and went "wow hes kinda hot and also total gender I need to find out where hes from" and gave it a go.

I've read the manga like 50 times over and I don't know if they released english versions officially of K Project (specifically Lost Small World and Memory of Red) but they are on the top tier of manga I wanna own.

I actually haven't read or watched it in a while and a curse / benefit of DID and my chronically piss poor memory is I can't remember even shows I love for more than like 2 weeks after finishing them so I can't recall too much.

I love Homra and really want to think I'd be part of their squad but I'm definitely Scepter 4. I simp for literally everyone in that anime. Munakata is my king. If I had a kin list I would kin Fushimi Saruhiko.

I am actually casually obsessed with Fushimi Saruhiko, he is actually probably still on my art blog's webpage cause I put him there ages ago and forgot and never went to edit it. He is definitely in like, probably my top 10-15 anime characters and I wanna hold him. He is such a mood and I relate to him and I hope he gets a good life. Sarumi is best ship (not actually but kinda) and I honestly need to get back into looking at art of those two cause it warms my heart.

Amazing anime, amazing characters, even better manga.

Also it has a good soundtrack and AMAZING art style. I don't know how I would compare it now and would have to rewatch it, but especially for it's time, the beautiful art and animation that they had when animating motion and the auras was 10/10 and actually the thing I loved the most when I watched it for the first time back when I was like 12 or some shit XD

One of the core "favorite anime" that I've loved and stayed regularly as one of my top tier obsessions that cycles in and out.

As for Tokyo Ghoul, I've never actually watched it. I always consider taking a look over at it and either watching or reading it but for one reason or the next I never do. I heard its really good, I just like... never get around to it XD

I'mma quickly skim the characters and take a guess on who would be my favorite just off of appearances. Probably Kaneki or Shuu, maybbbeee Uta.

-Riku (Host)

[annleckie]

I hope it's not a bother, but I just wondered if you had any thoughts/advice on publishing? I recently finished writing a short sci fi novel and have been working on editing it, and I would like to publish it, but everything seems complicated and overwhelming. I wouldn't know where to start on advertising it/getting the word out for self-publishing, and most of what I've heard about publishing with a company is that it's really difficult. Do you have any advice or thoughts? Thank you

So, I feel like people who do well at self-publishing (”do well” as in sell lots of books and make money on it, there are other measures) are people who are also good at doing their own publicity and such. I admire their energy, but I suspect it would be more than I can handle. So, I don’t have much advice for approaching selfpub, except that it’s perfectly possible to publish and sell your own books and enjoy the process but not make much money on it or have a huge audience, and enjoying it very much counts as a success. But I suspect that’s not what you’re after, here.

The other sort of publishing is indeed difficult--though it’s a kind of difficult that’s easier for me than the sort of difficult that self publishing is.

Specific advice--first of all, if your novel is much under 80,000 words, you probably want to look at places that publish novellas--like tor.com, for instance. From about 80-110K (the typical length of a first SFF novel just now), most of the major SFF publishers won’t take unagented submissions. So my advice is, start subbing to agents.

Make a list. Look in the acknowledgements of your favorite, reasonably recent books, whose authors might have thanked their agents. Look at https://www.agentquery.com/ and search their database for agents who take the sort of thing you’ve written. Rank that list, at least roughly--put your dream agents up top. 

(Read Writer Beware for info about scam agents and publishers. Which might seem scary, but remember this basic rule--money flows toward the writer. Any agent who asks you for money--reading fees or anything else--is a scammer. Agents take a cut of the money paid to you, they do not take money from you. Same for publishers--publishers pay you. You do not pay publishers for anything.)

While you’re making your list of agents, work on your query letter and your synopses. Different agents have different submission requirements, but they all need at least a query letter. I learned to write one by reading all of Query Shark’s archives. My own query letter for Ancillary Justice is here.  You’ll also need a three page synopsis (which will include the ending--this is about giving the whole plot arc), and a more detailed 12-15 page synopsis. You’ll also want to have the first 3 chapters(or 50 pages, depending what makes the most sense) in their own file, ready to go.

Then take the first, oh, five agents on your list and look at their submission guidelines. Follow the guidelines! All agents will want your query letter. Some will also want you to send that 3 page synopsis. Send them whatever they ask for, in whatever format they ask for.

The next week, send to five more agents. And so on. Keep a record of who you’ve sent to, and what date. (Google Sheets works nicely for this.) 

If five a week is overwhelming, just do one a week. You can submit to as many agents at a time as you like. There’s no rush. Take your time making your list, take your time writing your query. Just take it all one step at a time.

You will certainly receive rejections. And that’s ok! That just means you’re a writer. You might also receive a request for a partial ms, or sample chapters--that is, those first three chapters (or 50 pages) that you’ve got all ready to go. Maybe they also want that longer synopsis. Which you’ve got ready to go! Send along whatever they request. There might be a rejection at this stage, but there might instead be a request for the full ms. There could still be a rejection after this--but like I said, that’s just part of being a writer. Keep sending out.

In the meantime, work on your next project. When that’s finished, write a query and synopses and start again with that list of agents.

This is difficult. I cannot guarantee success. But I can’t guarantee success in most things. I can only tell you that you certainly won’t succeed if you don’t try. And fortunately, these days you don’t even lose postage--imagine back in the days when people would mail their whole novels off, stacks of paper, with return postage! We’re lucky enough to have email.

It takes a long time, and requires patience and persistence. I imagine selfpub does as well. But you can do it. Just take it one step at a time and keep going forward. And keep writing. Don’t place all your eggs in the one basket of this book--start on the next one. Lots of people don’t sell the first book they write--I didn’t--but rather the second or the third or the fourth. But don’t worry about that right now, that’s scary (or it was for me). For now, just think about the next step--write the query, write the synopsis, start on that next book.

Good luck!

[ghostwyrm0778]

1.Well. I write at my table, haven't really found the best place to write yet.

2.I enjoy the creation of my characters most. Mapping them out and exploring those parts of my personality I haven't seen before.

3.I have to say the writing blocks that last months, when you get really far in a book and then just stop. It happens to me a lot.

4.Typically I listen to music that reflects the mood of what I'm writing. Unless it's more of a heated scene. Then it's salsa music all the way.

5.Hm... the most prominent one that sticks out to me is the Author of the Prisoner of Cell 21 books.

6.My favorite character I've ever made has to be the mutant chickens from outer space I created when I was like thirteen.

7.JK Rowling. No doubt.

8.Hmm... my favorite one is usually Sci-fi Mystery, but the book I have on watt pad is Sci-fi Medevil.

9.Least favorite trope is romantic Vampires. Let's be honest here, bloodsuckers need to suck blood. Not sleep with women, #TwilightEw

10.Let's see... an Author I'd write with.. the one who wrote the Escape from Furnace books. I feel like we could create some awesome monsters to write about. Although instead of actually escaping prison, I'd rather the evading the police and failing, leading into a secondary series about escaping from prison.

11.Honestly.. I don't know my own writing process. I sorta just sit down and write when I have an idea.

12.I don't deal with them, I embrace them.

13.I usually have to wait it out, although I am up to tips on how to get rid of it.

14.Depends on where my book takes place, could be anywhere from none to researching half of the U.S

15.My inspiration... actually you guys and my dreams, weird, right?

16.Motivation.. I don't usually have any, I just write when I can and as much as I can.

17.Anywhere from none to 5000 words.

18.It's hell. Because I end up doubting all of my work and having to start from scratch.

19."The government had explained to the world what was going to happen, but Jennifer still couldn't believe it."

20. That's actually already on my blog, just scroll down a bit. It's about the death of Shadow.

21."and It will be your fault Hailey. All your fault."

22.I'll tell you when I finish one hah.

23. Both, It's best not to limit yourself to one writing style.

24. Prose. I'm not the best with poetry, as much as I hate to admit it.

25. Non-linear. I like to make a story last, if it just breezes through without any hindrances or distractions, what's the point of reading a book?

26. Both! They're both pretty important, and sometimes you can't fit a whole story into a single book.

27. I share my rough drafts, I like the editing tips.

28. I'll share with most people who ask, as long as they give me honest feedback afterward

29. I write for me of course.

30. "And that's when I realized.... they were giant mutant chickens from outer space"

31. Imma have to say it's hard to write for an almighty "good" dragon and easier for an evil one.

32: Malos, my big ole direwolf named after the shadows.

33. Yes I do. Helps me focus.

34. Typed. My handwriting is atrocious.

35. Jennifer, she's a now single mother who got into a bad relationship with a drug dealer, unluckily for her, when he went to prison, all of that money was taken away.

36. To quote Doctor Who, "No Spoilers!"

37. Hm.. I don't recall.

38. I have, they said it's good, but I feel like they're biased

39. Yeah. I base all of them off my personalities or my closest friends personalities.

40. I prefer the original. It's more fun to write to me, and I like OCs more.

41. Uh... I'm currently doing six..

42. I base them off what I see in my head, I'll also use Mythology as well if need be.

43. Very much so. Reading is my life.

44. Add more punctuation hahaha.

45. It's perfect!

46. -shudders- Probably like what happened to Eragon.

47. Characters

48. Mystery Horror or Medevil fiction

49. The End because you've put so much work into it that you feel bad thinking about leaving them behind

50. Mutant. Chickens. From. Outter. Space.

51. Hmm... I'll get back to you on that.

52. It made me who I am today, curious.

53. It means... well. Idk what it means To me yet

54. I have no writing advice. I'm still a novice myself

New ask game for writers

1. Favorite place to write. 2. Favorite part of writing. 3. Least favorite part of writing. 4. Do you have writing habits or rituals? 5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most. 6. Favorite character you ever created. 7. Favorite author. 8. Favorite trope to write. 9. Least favorite trope to write. 10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about. 11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish. 12. How do you deal with self-doubts? 13. How do you deal with writers block? 14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book? 15. Where does your inspiration come from? 16. Where do you take your motivation from? 17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day? 18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like? 19. First line of a WIP you’re working on. 20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on. 21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s. 22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you? 23. Single or multi POV, and why? 24. Poetry or prose, and why? 25. Linear or non-linear, and why? 26. Standalone or series, and why? 27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with? 29. Who do you write for? 30. Favorite line you’ve ever written. 31. Hardest character to write. 32. Easiest character to write. 33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing? 34. Handwritten notes or typed notes? 35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________. 36. A spoiler for story _________. 37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you. 38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it? 39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one. 40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why? 41. How many stories do you work on at one time? 42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc. 43. Are you an avid reader? 44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten. 45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten. 46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie? 47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story? 48. Favorite genre to write in. 49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end? 50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had. 51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words. 52. How did writing change you? 53. What does writing mean to you? 54. Any writing advice you want to share?