#like yeah sure some fic writers use out there tropes and are they always the best written things or even good? no

[buildarocketboys]

Truly so uninterested in the opinion of people who don't really read fanfiction on fanfiction. Like, you think a fic with mpreg in it is crazy?? You'd shit yourself if you knew some of the stuff I've read/written/am casually aware of

[gffa]

Can you believe I’ve been reading non-stop STAR WARS fic for about seven years now? And that there are still incredible writers putting out incredible stories that feel just as fresh and engaging as they would have when the source material first came out? Yeah, sure, we get a steady diet of supplementary content, but the main storyline is almost 20 years old now and we’re still going with these two dipshits and how much we desperately need them to kiss it out. With fic that is brilliantly written and emotionally satisfying and cool as hell AUs and gorgeously written porn and running such a great gamut of tropes, whether canon divergent AUs, canon compliant missing scenes, character pieces, full on modern AUs, there’s always so much amazing stuff being thought up and shared with us. And I have lost my mind over this set of recs because they’re everything I’ve ever wanted and the writers are so talented at giving me all the feelings, like, I cannot express what a joy it is to be in a fandom that is still so passionate and enthusiastic about these characters we love. There’s no corner of these two that we would not turn over if it meant a chance to write some angst or write a fix-it or have them fuck it better. And I’m just really, really glad to be a part of it with everyone. Even if you guys did make me cry more than once with these fics.

WHAT KIND OF FIC YOU’LL FIND HERE:

FRIENDSHIP WITH CANON ENDED, THIS COOL AU IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND NOW

CANON-COMPLIANT (-ISH, WHATEVER) AT LEAST UP UNTIL THE GALAXY GOES PEAR-SHAPED

FUCK THE NOISE OUT OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER’S HEAD

DARTH ASSHOLE CAT KNOCKS EVERYTHING OVER AND SCRATCHES UP THE FURNITURE BECAUSE HE NEEDS MORE ENRICHMENT

WORLD IS HARD AND COLD, OBIKIN IS SOFT AND WARM

WHEN YOU’RE IN THIS DEEP YOU JUST NEED MODERN PROFESSOR OBI-WAN OR SUGAR BABY ANAKIN AUS AND FANDOM IS SO GOOD WITH THEM

OBIKIN RECS - FRIENDSHIP WITH CANON ENDED, THIS COOL AU IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND NOW: ✦ (feel like i die) ‘til i feel your touch by decideophobia, obi-wan/anakin & yoda & mace & ahsoka & cast, 15.5k    OR; Obi-Wan gets himself cursed and makes it everyone’s, but mainly Anakin’s, problem. ✦ Neutron star collision by thedunesea, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, canon divergence, 107.1k wip    In the aftermath of Order 66, Anakin Skywalker’s miraculous survival after his confrontation with the new Sith Apprentice Darth Vader ignites a sparkle of hope in the remaining Jedi, in the fledgling rebellion and, above all, in his former Master, who thought he had lost everything to darkness. ✦ For He, too, is King by MayMeows, obi-wan/anakin & padme & cast, NSFW, historical au, 7.7k    Obi-Wan would be impressed as Anakin’s title as God-King, born from the divine himself, often struck people with awe, terrifying or glorifying, but Queen Amidala’s voice is as strong as her shoulders are squared. ✦ cranes in flight by TheGoodDoctor, obi-wan/padme (& implications of obi-wan/anakin/padme & previous anakin/padme), depression, padme lives, 10.9k    “I’ve found us rooms for tonight,” he says, voice pitched to cut through the downpour. “I’ll find something more permanent in the morning.” She just stares at him. The next five minutes are far from her reach; permanency is unthinkable. ✦ use my body to break your fall by tennessoui, obi-wan/anakin & padme & yoda & ahsoka & mace & rex & palpatine & cast, NSFW, sith!obi-wan, sex worker!anakin, 63.5k    Obi-Wan Kenobi is too good at being a Sith Lord general of the Separatist army. The Jedi Council approaches Anakin with an offer he can’t refuse. These things are, actually, related. ✦ Awed by ToolMusicLover, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 16.8k    Or: Obi-Wan is left awe struck when he joins Anakin on a mission and fails to be subtle about it. ✦ The fire and fume by Himboskywalker, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 9.3k    On opposite ends of the Republic Anakin and Obi-Wan have fought desperately and apart for years, protected only by their men and their swords. But a much greater threat than Separatist invaders comes, a Sith dragon of old, and there is only one living knight in the Order who has faced dragon fire. Long parted master and apprentice must join forces to track down the Sith shifter, beyond the desert and across the sea, before flame and ruin befalls them all. “Lend me your light and your sword, master, one last time.” ✦ Something broken that can be fixed by ToolMusicLover, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 8.2k    In the aftermath of the Rako Hardeen incident, Anakin and Obi-Wan attempt to rebuild their relationship. The only thing stopping them from reconciling is themselves. ✦ what tomorrow may bring, what tomorrow may carry away by tennessoui, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, royalty au, a/b/o, 12.4k    As weeks of negotiations in Stewjon draw to a close, King Obi-Wan Kenobi is given a gift of thanks. The gift in question: a boy with a creature’s furry ears and tail, clearly sentient and clearly enslaved. Furious beyond measure, Obi-Wan is forced to accept the gift or else be the reason the boy, Anakin, is sent back to his owners. At least he can free him and the boy can leave. But then he doesn’t leave. It takes Obi-Wan a while to figure out why. ✦ encode by loosingletters, obi-wan/anakin & padme & dooku & ahsoka & cast, 72.7k    Instead of being accepted into the Jedi Order at the age of 9, Anakin Skywalker became a ward of Naboo. He figured out the Force on his own by trial-and-error, tracing its will through ancient temples and scriptures. Despite his night terrors and the Clone Wars raging through the galaxy, life was working out just fine for Anakin, thank you very much. At least, that was before Obi-Wan Kenobi crashed back into his life with unexpected ferocity. OBIKIN RECS - CANON-COMPLIANT (-ISH, WHATEVER) AT LEAST UP UNTIL THE GALAXY GOES PEAR-SHAPED: ✦ broken bones, thunder drums by maragny, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & rex & cast, 4.3k    “I’ll call for a stretcher,” Rex says, but General Kenobi shakes his head. "There’s no need,” he says, and then he crouches, slides an arm under General Skywalker’s knees, and picks him up. ✦ full of silver moons by beetlesacquired, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obi-wan/jedi!anakin & jedi!obi-wan/sith!anakin, dom/sub, 17.1k    The Sith resumed their position on the couch, somehow even closer to each other than before. If making Anakin uncomfortable was somehow part of their evil plot, it was working. He could hardly even look at them without feeling like he was going to explode out of his skin, and that was the most bearable part. What was unbearable was the vicious jealousy that burned in his chest. If he’d known that all he had to do to get affection from Obi-Wan was fall to the Dark side, he would’ve done it ages ago. ✦ Over and Over by obiwanobi, obi-wan/anakin, 1.4k    "I love you,” he blurts out, loud and impossible to miss. Obi-Wan blinks once, twice. And freezes. The first time Anakin tells him is a mortifying experience. OBIKIN RECS - FUCK THE NOISE OUT OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER’S HEAD: ✦ on sep'rate stars by mysticmjolnir, obi-wan/anakin/padme (& obi-wan/anakin), NSFW, dom/sub, 4.4k    Obi-Wan visits Coruscant for the first time, but there’s only one thing he’s interested in seeing. Anakin, after some encouragement, makes a decision about who to have dinner with. ✦ Concupiscent by LostLine, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 3k    Obi-Wan can’t stop fucking Anakin. A one-shot pwp to feed your Obikin feelings. ✦ Devotion by Padraigen, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, past pregnant!anakin (force shenanigans), 4.3k    Anakin’s head jerked up in bewildered indignance, a disappointed grumble already readying in the back of his throat before it was abruptly cut off at the sight of Obi-Wan. Anakin’s confused frown deepened. “What are you doing?” ✦ needs must by silianrail, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, a/b/o, 1.7k    Anakin must be the neediest omega in the entire temple, if not on the entire planet. But if Anakin is needy, what does that make Obi-Wan, who, after all, bends to so many of his padawan’s desires? ✦ Use Me by kittimau, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 2.1k    Anakin knows what Obi-Wan needs, even if he won’t say it. ✦ When You’re Not There by recursion_after_dark (recursion_error), obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 3k    Following a mission gone well, Anakin and Obi-Wan are exhausted and at the end of their ropes. Ropes which have nothing to do with the mission and everything to do with what they’ve been both ignoring. Each in his own, special way. ✦ Mission Debrief by Lemon (lemon_sprinkles), obi-wan/anakin & cast, 5.8k    Obi-Wan tries to act in a professional manner befitting of a General and a Jedi. Anakin, however, has other ideas. ✦ radiance by demi_fae, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, a/b/o, 2.8k    Anakin and Obi-Wan spend some time together before Obi-Wan’s rut hits, after Anakin has fully transitioned. ✦ paddled into next taungsday by RexIsMyCopilot, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, spanking, 4.7k    Anakin messes up negotiations. Obi-Wan deals with the aftermath. ✦ untitled by binaryeclipse, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, ~1k    “Fuck, did you get bigger?” Anakin groaned. The burn was simultaneously exquisite and just shy of too much, especially after the admittedly hasty fingering. ✦ i’ve been waiting for you by RexIsMyCopilot, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, dom/sub, 4.2k    Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship is relatively new and Anakin is unsure of how to ask for what he wants. ✦ Carrier by JSwander, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, a/b/o, read the tags, 3.3k    Anakin Skywalker gets pulled from active duty by the Jedi Council as a punishment for reckless behavior on his most recent mission. In the resulting fight with his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi decides to take drastic measures through his Stewjonian biology to help Anakin find peace away from the battlefield. ✦ Persistence is Key by ToolMusicLover, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 2.2k    Anakin has been making suggestive remarks all day, when they’re finally alone together Obi-Wan finds himself succumbing to Anakin’s persistence. ✦ forever my master by RexIsMyCopilot, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, dom/sub, 3.6k    Anakin sits on Obi-Wan’s cock while he reads mission reports. That’s it. That’s the fic. OBIKIN RECS - DARTH ASSHOLE CAT KNOCKS EVERYTHING OVER AND SCRATCHES UP THE FURNITURE BECAUSE HE NEEDS MORE ENRICHMENT: ✦ to restrain the darkness by treescape, obi-wan/darth vader, NSFW, 2k    Vader wants Obi-Wan to tie him up ✦ dreams of old by treescape, obi-wan/darth vader, nsfw, canon divergence, 4.1k    Or, Obi-Wan surrenders to Vader on Jabiim in exchange for everyone else’s freedom. ✦ falling up by obiwanobi & shatou, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & cast, raised as a sith!anakin, 24k wip    Darth Sidious is dead, by the hand of the apprentice he raised. Anakin doesn’t want to be Vader anymore. The only person he trusts is a Jedi, and now Obi-Wan Kenobi has his hands full. ✦ untitled by obiwanobi, obi-wan/anakin, raised as a sith!anakin, 2.4k    “I’m here to rescue you.” Obi-Wan blinks. “Oh. No, thank you.” ✦ to hold until brightness by treescape, obi-wan/darth vader, NSFW, 1.4k    Or, Obi-Wan continues to fuck Vader back to the Light. OBIKIN RECS - WORLD IS HARD AND COLD, OBIKIN IS SOFT AND WARM: ✦ who you were does not define who you are by RexIsMyCopilot, obi-wan/anakin, nsfw, 3.3k    Anakin begins skipping strategy meetings and lying to Obi-Wan about it. Obi-Wan finds out. ✦ For Breakfast by Crowgirl, obi-wan/anakin, 2.6k    The house by the lake is small, primitive compared with their Academy lodgings, but it’s also quiet, blissfully quiet and far away from anything that might turn into a battle or an ambush or a skirmish or even a brawl. ✦ So I Love You Because I Know No Other Way by DontCallMeShirley, obi-wan/anakin, 3.2k    Anakin and Obi-Wan just need a little push to admit their feelings. ✦ Morning Interlude by SingManyFaces, obi-wan/anakin, ~1k    Obi-Wan and Anakin sleep late by accident, then stay in bed on purpose. ✦ And Then There Was One (Bed) by DontCallMeShirley, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 1.7k    Obi-Wan and Anakin are on a mission gone wrong, and they have to share a very small hotel room with only one bed. ✦ the taste of fear, unforgotten by treescape, obi-wan/anakin, ~1k    Or, Anakin’s been sick. Obi-Wan’s been scared. ✦ Just Resting My Eyes by hellowkatey, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka & rex, 1.2k    During a war, sleep is few and far between sometimes. Especially for stubborn Jedi who think meditation is a substitute for a REM cycle. ✦ permission to speak frankly by maragny, obi-wan/anakin & bail & cast, 2.8k    In which a Senate party is attended, wits are matched, and a realisation is had. OBIKIN RECS - WHEN YOU’RE IN THIS DEEP YOU JUST NEED MODERN PROFESSOR OBI-WAN OR SUGAR BABY ANAKIN AUS AND FANDOM IS SO GOOD WITH THEM: ✦ The Fundamentals of Being a Sub by RexIsMyCopilot, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, dom/sub, 7.8k    Anakin had always assumed he was a Dom. That is, until he met Obi-Wan ✦ My Anankē (chapter 8) by intermundia, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, 5.4k    Hello friends! It is my birthday today, and the middle of summer, and in honor of that, have some extremely self-indulgent winter smut ✦ In the Family by Das_Hazel, obi-wan/anakin & qui-gon/shmi & ahsoka & rex, NSFW, modern au, 12k    The last person Anakin expected to see, standing in front of his childhood home with a bottle of wine, was his one night stand from a week prior. Anakin was here to meet his mother’s boyfriend and his son. Ben said he was invited to meet his father’s girlfriend’s family. ✦ Parry & Riposte by farawaygalexi, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka, modern au, 2.6k    When Anakin encouraged Ahsoka to try out a sport, he meant like, soccer, or swimming. Not sword fighting. When Anakin envisioned Ahsoka’s new fencing instructor, he pictured an old guy with a mustache, not a walking Adonis pulled right from his own personal fantasies. ✦ Trouble by Pizzzazlut, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, ~1k    Obi-Wan enjoys a lovely dinner and his lovely wine at a fancy restaurant, watching Anakin visibly struggle to keep his composure, wiping sweat off his brow and gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turn white. ✦ May Be Found, If Sought by ghostwriterofthemachine, obi-wan/anakin & mace & quinlan, modern au, magic au, 2.3k    In which Quinlan, Mace, and Obi-Wan teach Non-Traditional Magical Philosophy in an institution rampant with academic snobbery and discrimination, something dark is stirring in the nearby forest, and no one is ever prepared for Anakin Skywalker. A small story about first meetings in magical academia. ✦ Talk to me by ToolMusicLover, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 4.2k    Recording an audiobook can be horribly dull, but Anakin finds that he doesn’t mind when he gets to ogle Obi-Wan Kenobi. ✦ infinitely varied by loosingletters, obi-wan/anakin & ahsoka, modern au, 2.2k    Sometimes your husband decides to develop an artificial intelligence capable of free choice and something called a soul and succeeds in the middle of a Thursday night. Or, more concretely: he’s in the middle of succeeding because said intelligence first has to learn how to speak. Also known as Obi-Wan and Anakin teach a tiny program called A.H.S.O.K.A. how to be something more than lines of code via the power of linguistics.

[gurugirl]

I love stepdad Harry! Always brings a smile to my face when i see youve posted (guilty pleasure yum). Thank you for the last one!

but i cannot get enough of stepmom reader. You’ve made that one into something really special. In fact I told someone about it last week and they were like ~ nope. Not into stepmom stuff or older yn. Nope ~

but then guess what? they wound up reading it and binged all three parts and admitted to me that they were wrong 😂 I’m like ‘yeah I know’

just wanted to share that with you! Your stepmom fic is so shockingly good (not shocking bc you’re not a good writer, shocking bc it’s a trope most of us were not interested in) that it’s quickly become my top 5 all time favorite.

i cannot wait for part 4! I adore them and you so much. Do you have any idea when part 4 will come out? Any sneaky???

ps.. sorry for the weird capitalization stuff going on there. My phone decided when to capitalize randomly and I’m too lazy to fix.

A Good Boy sneak peek under the cut below!

🥹 thank you so much, babe. Really glad you liked the stepdad!harry from yesterday! That was a quick little fun thing to write.

As for stepmom!reader - wow! I really love that you're liking it so much and talking about it with other people and that your friend changed their mind 😂 Seems to be the theme for that fic. So many of y'all didn't think you'd like it based on the trope alone but I'm surprised that you guys did enjoy it anyway! Makes me smile.

So, I'm almost done with part 4. I think I can have it out by Thursday? Maybe? I'm super busy today (well, busy for me LOL) and gonna try to write but I've also got something I'm working on that someone paid me to write so I'm prioritizing that. Thursday at the earliest I'll post part 4 but I'll let y'all know.

And the random capitalization? My phone does the same. 😂 The words can't, can, and don't often get capitalized in the middle of sentences and it's a crapshoot on when the beginning of a sentence will be capitalized or not. I need to turn it off so it just leaves everything lowercase. So no judgement from me!

Sneak peek below !! (just remember this is literally copied from the word doc I'm writing in and hasn't been proofread or edited so some changed may be made before I post part 4)

Y/n was wearing her newly altered peach silk dress. The alterations were simple. The straps and hem were adjusted and the back column was dropped down a bit to drape to her low back. Her strappy nude heels were well-worn but comfortable because she was just simply not in the mood to wear the stiff, new heels she’d just bought.

The estate of Rebecca Manera was impressive. Probably equally as impressive as Leonardo Styles’. Most of the guests had already arrived by the time the Styles’ walked through the front door a little late.

Leo scolded Y/n for taking so long to get ready and making them run behind but in all honesty, she didn’t give a fuck. They could be half an hour late. No one would care. Why rush to go to a party? It’s not like they needed to clock in and earn a paycheck.

“It’s rude, Y/n. That’s why it matters. You’re so goddamn rude sometimes. You only think about yourself.”

She turned sharply to look at her husband in shock. That was the first time he’d ever said such a thing to her. Normally he had no opinion on how she conducted herself. She was chronically late. Yes, she could admit that was a flaw in her character but she was on time when it really counted. But to get so worked up over a party? And to insult her on top of it?

That had set the whole mood for the night. And now she was even more suspicious about this Rebecca.

But when Rebecca did make her appearance and introduced herself to Y/n she was taken aback. The woman had to be in her 50s. She was pretty, sure, but not quite Leo’s type. If Y/n were any sort of indicator of a type.

Servers walked around with trays and served the couples in attendance. There were only ten couples there as well as Rebecca’s two daughters, Y/n learned. Quite the intimate affair really.

Leo brought a glass of wine to Y/n as she chatted with Mrs. Topman (she never learned her first name, as the woman literally introduced herself as Mrs. Topman).

“Here you are darling.” His green eyes shined down at her before searching the room casually. She was on to Leo. But she found it odd that the woman he was with in the Hamptons was Rebecca. She was intrigued.

She watched Rebecca mingle and sip wine and laugh and there was nothing there that made Y/n think Leo would be interested in her sexually. But maybe that was it, Y/n thought to herself as she cocked her head to the side watching the woman speak boisterously. Maybe it wasn’t sexual. Maybe it was a woman he felt a deeper connection with than he did with Y/n. Perhaps it hadn’t started sexual but led there.

The snack table was set up with decadent treats. Y/n picked up a toast smeared with something pink, topped with heart-shaped tomatoes on top as she scanned the room for Leo, wondering where he’d gone off to. It hadn’t been that long but knowing about Rebecca being with him made things feel like she was in some kind of true crime detective story and was trying to get to the bottom of a mystery. Though there was no crime being committed, she could entertain herself with that thought.

“Are you enjoying your time tonight?”

Y/n turned her sight to Rebecca who was next to her picking up the same toast with pink schmear.

“It’s amazing. Your home is so lovely, Mrs. Manera,” she smiled and noted the woman’s massive diamond ring in addition to her massive diamond wedding ring.

“Why thank you. Phineas has put in so much work to make this large shell into a lovely cozy home.”

Y/n nearly spat her bite out. The home was anything but cozy.

“It’s incredible. Where is Mr. Manera tonight?”

“Oh, just over there,” she pointed to a man in tweed with thick black-framed glasses, “You haven’t met yet?”

Rebecca led the way as Y/n walked in her wake to meet Mr. Manera. She had still not spotted her own husband.

“Phineas, dear, this is Mrs. Styles. Leonardo’s wife.”

The man held his hand out, “Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Styles.”

“Likewise. You can call me Y/n.”

 “Well, Y/n. We’re happy to have you here. Where’s Leo anyway? Haven’t seen him.”

Turning around quickly to look over her shoulder she shrugged and faced the man and his wife again, “Not sure actually. I haven’t seen him in a bit myself,” she laughed. And before she could even think about what she was implying she spoke to Rebecca, “But I’m sure you’ve seen enough of him since you saw him in the Hampton’s this weekend.”

Rebecca and Phineas’ smiles dropped as they looked at one another and then back to Y/n, “I haven’t been to the Hamptons in over a decade. Are you sure you’re not mistaking me for Parker? Our daughter? She was just there all weekend with her girlfriends.”

A Good Boy Masterlist

A Good Boy tags: @becauseheartsgetbroken-hs @shishcabobsworld @daphnesutton @spinnerswife69 @holy-macncheese-balls @cookielovesbook-akie @lilfreakjez @itsgigikay @amateurduck

[steelthroat]

For the fandom ask game (if you have time with the horrors of schoolwork):

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

14. Is there a character or ship you were so sure you would never write/draw but now you've changed your mind? (and if you fancy it, tell us how you'd write them...)

19. What's your favourite thing about [fandom] (the people in it, not the media you're all enjoying together)?

22. Give us a headcanon for Megatron, any continuity

Weirdly now we're in a static situation again... things change drastically day after day it's unreal💀

9: okay ooof I'd recommend literally all the things I bookmarked but uh let's see:

We are the music makers by lord squiggletits

Moronic acid by chuzilllaa

Shockwave making waves by now anonymous

The lottery by Ladydragon76

Oh and the sequels of the lottery too. My GOD. I've read that work so many times aaaaaargh. Between these are just some of them, but I am 100% forgetting other equally great works by other writers. Ah so many, so so so so so many.

14: mh at first I was kind of hesitant about anything regarding Ironhide, because I didn't know him as a character and he didn't really appeal to me... so when I stumbled upon bayverse!ratchet/ironhide I was like "huh... okay. Tell me more?" And really these two are super great together????? Like not just in thw bayverse, as a whole they're *chef kiss*

Also I think I also stumbled upon Bayberse Optimus/Ironhide at some point and while I also was unsure about it... oh my god they are perfect. One of my favorite otp as of now!!

And uh yeah I want to write about them one day, I would go with some kind of bodyguard au, but like using some of the main tropes, like Ironhide is the "bodyguard" canonically sometimes so yeah it would work.

Also I like bayverse Ironhide and his warrior origins and culture, I wanna do something with it and use it.

So uh banter, fluff, fighting (and training) as a form of flirting, middle aged men that don't know how to communicate like normal people, maybe I will also do something with my third-gladiatorop-au. Depends. But I will let them smooch 100% (and when it happens you'll be the first to know✨️)

19: other than being full of great artists, and I mean AWESOME like guys come on please how how ajshfjgujggjt. And writers, like FUCK I've cried so many times because of y'all, I once got out of the bus at the wrong stop because of a fanfiction. This fandom is full of very creative people that come in infinite shapes and forms, like seriously even when writing simple smut some of you are genuinely mind blowing because you come up with things that are... CRAZY and in a good way! But absolutely crazy!!!!

So yeah this fandom is cool, there's... more than meets the eye to it ✨️

22: so like... I have many headcanons regarding him like:

His fighting style resembles a dance, a deadly and mesmerizing dance. Optimus (my headcanon) fights like a wounded animal but when facing him he follows the rhythm Megatron sets and "dances" with him. Very beautiful spectacle if you forget that one of them could die... or maybe it adds more charm to it.

He massages. Idk lol I have one work published and 3 wips in which he massages someone because they had stiff joints or smth. Maybe I have a kink idk. But like not just like that, it doesn't always lead to sex, it's just that I like him tending to someone else when the situation calls

It was Soundwave that taught him how to dance. (This is my Megatron/Soundwave propaganda)

He knows how to play chess, he likes the game, he is a great player, he will never admit it because it's made by humans

He knows how to make impressions and has a sense of humor, which can be unsettling since you can never know when he's being serious or he's fooling around.

Everyone but Optimus say he has the best poker face in the universe. He does, it's not his fault he can't keep his emotions in check when op is around....

[johnslittlespoon]

can’t stop thinking about the leaving bikerider au now,,,,,, I was thinking about it when I went to bed last night and I swear it was the first thing on my mind when I woke up.

like,,,,,,,,,,,, Buck being caught up in something that may or may not be legal and as soon as the other side of the conflict finds out about John? using him against Gale? the absolute feral need to make sure John is safe vs the feral want to make sure no one ever touches what is his again? and, listen, I can’t imagine Gale would get involved with anything illegal if he has kids or w/e, but. his past catching up with him or smth? I just very much need feral Gale 😔🤡

YOU AND ME BOTH. okay yeah, the deeper plot points like that are definitely something i need to sort out because i really haven't decided yet how deep the biker thing is gonna go. obviously it's hard to base it off of the actual bikeriders movie since it's not out yet, and i'm very much not a car/bike guy LOL so that doesn't help me either.

so i'm still deciding whether i want to actually delve into biker gang stuff since it's really not my forte– i've always very much been a modern au/slice of life writer, so even just adjusting to following mota canon with my other fics has been crazy lmao.

half of me wants to just have gale be a part of a notorious biker group, not so much a gang. maybe some turf wars, a reputation around town, that sort of vibe, but not something that the whole plot is centered around, if you feel me.

i lean towards character/relationship centric writing and like to get in their heads wayyy more than i like to write action or intense scenes; much more of an emotional conflict over physical conflict enjoyer. but then at the same time i do love the classic trope of john being threatened/taken by a rival gang to get to gale, and gale losing his mind over it, and when he gets john back, being so scared of putting him in danger again that there's a whole arc where he pushes him out of his life entirely to keep him safe.

because feral gale is definitely something. half the time john wouldn't even be able to believe he's involved in the things that he is, because his gale is gentle and sweet with no temper to speak of. but then he only needs to see the steely cold look gale shoots someone who crosses him and he's reminded of how intimidating gale is to most people; it's just that john gets to see a side of him others don't.

and that reminder really sinks in again when john is taken by some people who want something from gale, and he watches gale absolutely destroy them in his rage over them hurting him, making damn sure they won't be getting up and walking around for a good long time.

it's an interesting concept to explore, but i'm gonna be so real, i just don't think plotting something elaborate like that out for the fic would hold my interest; my brain is so specific about what makes it tick lol. but i do think gale's past catching up to him would be something a lot more up my alley to tackle in fic, although knowing me it would be something less 'dangerous' and more angsty oops.

i like the idea of him kinda being vague about his past, and john being curious but not wanting to push because it seems to be something that still affects gale deeply, and maybe he finds out by accident, and maybe it's not a big deal, or it causes conflict between them, who knows. only future drafting–sam apparently lolll :-)

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

snowdrop, part two

A/N: i stand by what I did. this man picks up everyone under the sun. it's fact. he might be a string bean, but he is a powerful string bean. gif used in the moodboard is by the always amazing @fightingdragonswithwho

summary: “It was incredible, even with the rain.”

warnings: Gideon!daughter!reader, reid wears glasses pre s1 because I said so (at least in this fic), smut, angst, rain, I finally used the classic can you unzip my dress trope, kissing, oral (fem receiving), penetrative sex, creampie, very little dirty talk compared to what I usually write

word count: 2811

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

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Part giggle and part shriek, you rushed inside your apartment building with Spencer’s hand clasped tightly in yours.

He had just meant to walk you home after the concert, but the sudden downpour caused you to sprint and not walk it.

“Oh my god,” squeaked out of you as you finally touched dry ground. Looking over at your date, you couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out. Fully aware that he probably looked like a wet rat about now, he joined in the giggle. 

“What?” he sniggered, wiping his outstretched pointer finger over his rain-dotted glasses, clearing his vision. 

You tried to choke out your answer though the determent laugh, but it was barely comprehensible, “you-… you-… look-…”

Your amusement only strengthened his own, “thanks,” he grinned, as you felt the cold droplets drip from everywhere. The tip of your nose, your hair, even running down your spine. “You look phenomenal too. Water really works for you.”

“Thank you,” you shut your eyes, trying to regain a bit of your composure.

“I had a lot of fun tonight. When you said that you’d planned something, I gotta say I was a bit nervous, but that was amazing.”

“Yeah, well, I remembered you saying that you love Mozart, so I couldn’t stand there and do nothing when the music majors were putting on a concert of no. 21,” you tightened your grip on his hand, not ready for the night to end yet.

“It was incredible,” he smiled, looking at you as if he was attempting to soak in the last bits of joy from this evening, “even with the rain.”

“I, um… Do you wanna come up for a bit? Just to dry off, or I could lend an umbrella or something?” you bit the corner of your lip.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah,” a sense of relief washed over you, “I mean, I would hate for you to get sick if I could in some way prevent it.”

“Okay, yeah,” he agreed, “you sure it’s okay?”

“Yeah, come on,” you beamed and tugged him up the steep stairs.

“This is it,” you swung open the heavy front door to your dark apartment. Only the faint light from the stormy city outside painted the space with streaks and shadows. Finally letting go of his hand, you went to go turn on a few lamps. Slowly following you inside, he didn’t say anything, just took his time, taking in the space around him. “I’ll go grab a few towels, okay?” you announced as he closed the door behind him and gave you the smallest of nods, affirming your brief absence. 

Moving with haste into the bathroom, you grabbed two towels from the stack in the cabinet. When you returned, you saw him standing over your dining room table, studying the chess board you’d abandoned mid-game.

“Here,” you handed him the pale blue one. 

Only glancing up for a brief moment, ”thanks,” he couldn’t take his eyes off of the wooden board, “I didn’t know you played.” 

“Yeah, I do,” you slowly started sobbing up the excess water from your hair, “my dad taught me.” 

“We should play a game sometime.”

“I would love that, but fair warning, I’m not gonna hold back just because you’re you.”

“Good,” he looked at you with a bright smile, “I wouldn’t want you to.” 

Glancing over his shoulder and out the big window, you asked, “do you maybe wanna just wait it out?” but felt your nose begin to tickle from the cold rain, “it might sto-, achoo, s-stop in a bit,” you sneezed mid-sentence. 

“Sure, if it wouldn’t be too much of a bother,” his head almost followed yours in empathy as you dove into your elbow, sneezing again, “bless you.”

“Wooh, thank you,” you scrunched up your face, hoping that was the last of it. 

“Are you sure you don’t wanna change into some dry clothes? I mean, just, um, you’re cold and that-“

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” you cut off his slight panic from the way his words could be misinterpreted, “I, um, I’ll go do that.”

Walking through the white French doors to your bedroom, you were so used to being on your own that the thought of closing them behind you didn’t even cross your mind. Plopping down the now damp towel on the top of your dresser, you opened up the top drawer and looked inside. 

Slowly peeling off your drenched cardigan, you folded it up and laid it down next to the sage green towel. Left in your soft, sleeveless dress, you felt your wet hair caress your shoulders gently. Remembering the company that you still had, you felt a shiver go down your spine, secretly hoping that his eyes were still trained upon you, enjoying the show, since you’d left him in the eye line of where you stood now. 

Glancing over your shoulder, you saw his gaze hastily find something else to focus on, making you hide a smile. 

“Could you maybe help me with the zipper?” you didn’t need the assistance one bit, but oh how you wanted it. 

“Oh, um, yeah,” he sounded breathy as he rushed to aid you. 

He barely even touched you, just gave the zipper a slow tug, as if your skin was on fire. Maybe there was a point to that. Feeling him this close to you, it was hard to ignore the rumbling flame deep within you.

When it slid down as far as it could go, you felt the air hit your back, but it was more so the soft seeking touch along your spine that made you shiver. 

“Thank you,” you breathed out, holding up the loose dress to still cover you. 

Slowly spinning around, you blinked up into his dark eyes, “you’re welcome,” he nearly whispered, as you watched his chest rise and fall rapidly. 

Adjusting your grip, you let go of the dress with one hand in order to reach up and meet his cheek, lightly bringing him down so that you wouldn’t have to turn into a ballerina. Brushing your lips against his, you felt his fingers find your waist, tightening in the loose cotton draped around it. 

As the kiss turned more heated, so did the touches. His palms slid down your bare back and only paused when they found your backside, grabbing a handful of it as you felt his sigh fan across your face, drawing you in that much closer. 

You let out a low whine as you felt the soft fabric begin to rise, as he gartered it up in his grip. Pulling back, breathlessly, he asked, nudging his nose against yours, not wanting to lose the contact, “is this okay?”

“Yes,” you encouraged, letting go of the dress completely, sending it down your upper body and stopping where his fingers were still entangled in it. Quickly letting go, it dropped to the floor, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, dress now a puddle on the ground.

Standing now only in your undergarments in front of him, it took a moment before he kissed you again, completely entranced by the sight.

“You are so beautiful,” he muttered, as his fingers slowly explored your skin.

Gliding your hands down to the bottom of his sweater, you caught his ogling eyes before tugging it over his head. His skin was warm, oh so warm, like a fire in the middle of a snowstorm. 

Piece by piece, through curious hands and shy compliments, you slowly helped each other undress until you were both left in just your underwear. And like a moth to a flame, you kissed him again, feverishly. 

You were so wound up in it all that you hadn’t even registered the way he backed you up until you bumped into the dresser, successfully slamming the open drawer shut. Pulling back with a small gasp, you giggled lightly.

“Sorry,” he apologised sweetly for his unintentional surge of strength. 

“It’s okay,” you playfully caught his bottom lip between your teeth for a second. 

Gliding his hands down to your hips, he fiddled with the elastic of your waistband. Keeping his eyes glued to yours, he slowly kneeled down before you. “Here,” he took off his glasses and handed them to you. Carefully setting them down on top of the dresser, your breath hitched at the feeling of his breath caressing your inner thighs. 

His palm danced over your lower stomach, swiping his thumb lightly over the wet patch on your panties. 

Becoming impatient, you did the job yourself and pulled your last remaining clothes off, coaxing out a low curse from him. 

“Fuck… look at you…”

“You certainly are,” you exhaled shakily, wanting so desperately to just jump into the jump rope. 

“Can I do more than look?” his hands tried to rest on each side of your hip.

The way that he looked on his knees, ogling up at you, you couldn’t squeeze a single word out, only nod. 

Throwing your head back, you felt him shamelessly touch you, but not with his fingers, no, they were digging into everything he could reach, from your hips to your thighs, but with his mouth, his lips, his nose, his tongue…

Peaking your eyes open, you saw that he was still staring at you, head buried in between your thighs. “Holy fucking shit,” his tongue swept through your folds, nudging his nose against your puffy clit as he moaned, lapping up your abundant arousal.

“Spencer, please,” you fought the way your eyes wanted to roll back as he sucked down hard on your clit, “I wanna come on your cock,” pleadingly clawing for him to get back up, “I can finish on your tongue another day.”

“Promise?” he rose back up, swiping the back of his hand over the now glossy lower half of his face. 

“Yes,” you scurried to tear his underwear off, cock virtually springing out and hitting him in the stomach, “please, I’m on the pill, is it okay with you if we just-“

“Yes,” he breathed out, rutting desperately against your palm as you reached down to touch him. 

You let out a shakily, “o-oh,” as he finally filled you up, stretching you out so good that your bottom lip quivered. He then hiked your left leg up around him, rocking into you with slow, yet hard thrusts.

Both the clattering sound of small knick-knacks rattling on your dresser from the force of his hips, but also the lewd squelching noise of your pussy filled the apartment. 

“You’re so fucking wet,” he smiled against your lips.

“Yeah, well, we were just out in the rain, so…” 

“Shut up,” he replied lovingly, giggling as he pressed his lips against yours. 

You felt the weight of your right foot lighten as he half lifted you up off the ground, desperately bouncing you up and down on his warm cock with surprising ease. 

You didn’t care that the knobs on your dresser were digging into your back, all you could focus on was just Spencer. The sloppy, messy kisses, the impossible spots he managed to hit repeatedly, and the beautiful sounds he produced, transporting you to another dimension. 

“Holy shit,” you felt your thighs shake around him as you couldn’t prolong the inevitable end any longer. Somehow noticing, so cued in on you and every little reaction you fed him, he snaked a hand down to rub your clit harshly, “holy shit!”

Burying your face in his shoulder, he practically manhandled you in the last few moments. Only blinking once and somehow you were now lying on the bed, Spencer bent over you, feet still on the ground, pistoling impossibly deep into you.

“Fuck,” he rumbled as you clamped down around him, being the cherry on top of his sunday. 

Panting, it took around a minute before his hips stopped the torturously slow thrusts they kept up, long after the both of you finished.

Like two puzzle pieces, you just stayed there for a while, slowly becoming human again through soft touches and slow kisses.

“Spencer,” you smiled against his lips, “I have to go to the bathroom,” giggling, you tried to wiggle out of his tender hold, “you have to let go of me, I’ll be right back.”

Begrudgingly letting you go, he propped himself up onto his elbow and kept a close eye as you got up. Noticing how his vision caught sight of the load running down your thighs, he bit down on the palm resting against his cheek, just to restrain himself from jumping your bones again. 

Snatching up the robe that was still draped across the messy chair in the corner of your room from your morning shower, you flashed him a cheeky grin before disappearing into your bathroom and leaving him alone.

When you returned, you didn’t find him in your bed, but now partially clothed, glasses back on, standing in front of your bookcase, completely still. 

“Spencer, I know that you love to read, but even now, after that?” you teased, coming up to wrap your arms around his midsection, giving his shoulder blade a small kiss. 

“Who’s that?” he didn’t move you welcome your embrace, just pointed hesitantly at the framed photograph nestled in between a few stacks.

“Oh, that’s my dad,” you smiled at the memories the picture evoked, “he’s actually the one who pulled a few strings and got me the job at the library after he started teaching at the school. I think I was maybe 11 in that picture? It was the first time he took me with him on one of his, as I called it as a kid, bird adventures up in his cabin.”

“That’s your dad?” his tone made you creep around to search his face. 

“Yeah, why?” 

Eyes locked on the photograph, he breathed out, “that’s my boss…” 

“What?” 

“That is my boss, that’s who, that’s why I’m at the school, he’s why…” he explained, looking rather dazed, just as you must have. 

“Your name’s-” 

“Spencer Reid,” he filled in, not in the mood for guessing games. 

“You’re doctor Reid? The one that just started?” he nodded, making you feel as if you were losing everything before it had even begun. “Oh my god…” you backed up, “you’re him… I feel like I know you from everything he’s been telling me. I mean, he won’t shut up about you,” you slapped yourself mentally for not connecting the dots. 

Your dad had never ever liked any of the people you’d ever dated, so imagine how he’d react if you came strolling up with his co-worker on your arm. 

“It’ll be alright, Y/n,” Spencer said deliberately, “this doesn’t have to change anything.”

Turning your back to Spencer, facing the big window, you closed your eyes and tuned him out as he kept on pleading his case, simply trying to think.

“…I mean,” you started to register his voice once more, “I know he has a gun, but I don’t think he’d actually use it-“ 

“We can’t do this,” you concluded, cutting him off. “I can’t ruin your career before it has even begun.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Spencer,” you slowly turned to face him once more, “how serious do you think people will take you when they find out you’ve been banging the boss’s daughter since day one? You think you’ll be treated fairly? Get the same opportunities? They will stop at that fact and think that’s everything to it. Everything to you. They won’t think you worked as hard as you have to get where you are, to them, you simply slept with the right person.”

Tears in his eyes, he tried to reach for your hand, “Y/n… they won’t fixate on something like that-“

“Yes, they will…” you sobbed, “yes they will, because people are dumb and stupid and shallow, so they will, trust me, they will,” you spoke with certainty. Your dad was one of the founding members of the bau, he had raised you to know exactly how human beings ticked. Walking up, you gently grabbed the sides of his face and said, “you deserve everything this world has to offer. You’ve worked so hard to get what you have, don’t let me ruin it all. I care about you too much to stand in your way.”

“Y/n, I lov-,“ but before he could finish the declaration, you shut him up with a teary kiss. 

“Please don’t say it. Please don’t. Just, grab your things and go, try and forget I ever existed-”

“Forget? Y/n, I have an eidetic-“

“Eidetic memory? Yeah, I know. My dad told me.”

The always talkative doctor did say another word, not even a single sound. All you could hear was deafening quiet and the rain, still in a fight with your windows. 

The rain… it didn’t stop.

next part

© 2022 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[theminecraftbee]

fanfic ask game: for hermitcraft specifically, those two fandom plots - "grian watcher angst" and "dsmp character goes to therapy". your thoughts, both on the concepts and on the typical execution thereof?

oh i see you're coming in with the controversial ones for me. hm. okay like.

....both of these are in the D-F range but i'm reluctant to put them fully in F because there are good examples out there that i like and i don't like saying "yeah i outright won't read this" when like, if a friend or an author i trust writes it, or someone puts something in a summary that makes me say "oh they're doing something new with the concept okay" happens, i will read it. also i always feel bad about my knee-jerk dislike of hermit!tommy given that hermit!tommy is actually pretty directly what got me into hermitcraft, so like. cannot possibly be that bad. just...

the problem with these types of fics tends to partially be "overdone" which like, once again. not always a problem in fanfic spaces. i'll go back to my naruto team 7 as family example i have read COUNTLESS of those fics that basically all have the same plot (kakashi puts them through hell training! bonding about trauma! the very specific plot point of 'they go to the chunin exams and are wildly overprepared for them and everyone goes 'what are they feeding those kids', often with the exact sakura/ino fight except sakura wildly outclasses her because she's 'grown up' now or whatever') and i eat them all up! for the people who like those tropes the fact they're popular is GREAT. the problem is, of course, when you're sort of tired of it and would like something else but that something else is annoyingly hard to find and then you're sitting there like "i know that complaining doesn't actually generate more fic, me WRITING generates more fic, but i only have but so much capacity and i want MY popcorn reading, where's MY popcorn reading".

...that extended ramble got a little out of hand but like. you see where i'm coming from, right?

the other problem is that i have a very, very limited patience for certain types of angst. which is silly, because i'm an angst writer to some extent (or, okay, i have a very complicated relationship with that, i actually wouldn't describe myself as an angst writer but people who do are valid and i fully understand where they're coming from). i also have a very limited patience for whump unless it scratches exactly the right itch for me. and i really, REALLY don't have patience for when the angst is just... circular, nothing ever gets resolved, you spend ten chapters in the same repetitive cycle of angst and comfort, and it's not really those tropes' fault that a lot of this happens there, right. it's that they're POPULAR so a lot of new writers write them. but writing angst that doesn't just make me bored is HARD and because i have trouble finding a lot of those fics that do write it well i have a tendency to write it off, because the other involved tropes aren't things i like enough to make me keep reading despite it doing a thing i dislike.

(the third secret reason i tend to mistrust these genres is 'i am so fucking picky about mumbo characterization these days and no one ever writes him right i am the most suffering person ever and also now whenever pearl is used for grian angst with no character of her own i descend from the trees like a feral tiger and maul something". these, however, are personal problems. especially the mumbo thing. my pickiness about mumbo is deeply self-inflicted and not even entirely accurate sometimes.)

but the thing is, as i said... if you're already my friend. if i already know i like your writing. and you write this stuff? yeah i'm on top of it. if i have had a friend vouch for you? yeah sure i'll check it out. it's just that i dislike enough of this stuff that i just... fundamentally will not read anything that hasn't been vouched for me or doesn't have such a good high concept that i can hold my nose and hope.

"but second didn't you just write a watcher thing last night also" yes i know this is the other reason i feel bad writing this one out because the problem really is "lots of baby writers hitting exactly the points of writing that i personally can't stand and also a complete saturation of it when i'm trying to find other stuff" instead of necessarily. anything wrong with the trope itself. i don't know. fandom oversaturation can be frustrating.

...so yeah. D or F.

[quiet-nocturne]

ohhh for the writing ask meme how about 11, 20, and 28?

oooh, thank you for the ask!! ok, so: 11. Three tropes that are fine but overrated. honestly, I love a lot of tropes (lol @ myself, earlier, looking through a list of tropes and desperately scrolling to find one I don't love - like literally give me a soulmark au anyday), but the ones that aren't my favorites are: 1. Regency/Royalty AUs - I love, love period dramas, but often I feel like when fics are written with this trope, the characters feel totally off for me. There's not a lot in the royai fandom, but definitely in some other ones I've been in. 2. Virgin!fics - I just don't consider it to be all that accurate (for royai, anyway - it could definitely work more for other fandoms/pairings, depending). Like, even for Riza, I really don't think her back tattoo prevented her from having sex at least once (excluding/before Roy) - in my opinion, anyway! I find general inexperience is more fun to play with then straight up virgin fics. 3. major character death - I will usually avoid reading something involving this, because it usually makes me big sad. :( not that it can't be well done, butttt yeah haha. I love some good angst, but I don't enjoy when it's too angsty. also for royai, I'm like... at least let them have some happiness, jeez?

but honestly, any trope can be cool and interesting depending on how the writer does it! and, like, whatever floats your boat, ya know? 20. Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you? okay, so this depends on my mood, and current wip hyperfixation, but generally I do enjoy working on multiple at once. it's nice to be able to switch between projects when you get stuck... but sometimes it's also nice to focus on one thing.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

so writing advice can be very... self-specific, if that makes sense? i find a lot of writing advice out there that's supposed to be geared towards anyone sometimes doesn't always work for everyone. but! a few things that I find helpful for myself are: 1. don't believe the voice in your head telling you that your writing is awful - that is the devil talking, lol. let it sit for a bit, and come back, and I promise that it'll be better when you're reading it using a different mindset. it's happened to me so many times where I'm like "this is fucking awful why did I ever write this" and then I reread it a few days/weeks/months later and I'm like "wait, this is actually good??" it just needs to simmer for a bit. 2. as stated earlier, let your writing sit for a bit, especially while editing, or trying to figure out transitions or plot holes. I'll get really frustrated with an issue sometimes, and believe it's impossible to fix - but mostly that's just me hitting a wall. if I let it sit for a while, and stop reading my own words for a bit (i basically get sick of my own writing lol), then suddenly a lot of the problems are a lot easier to solve. 3. keep a list of words/phrasing that you like - then you have a reference to look at when you're struggling with word choice. super helpful, as I often get stuck with descriptions, and then I have a nice little list to use as reference. 4. skip over stuff that you're struggling with in the initial writing process - can't think of a name? add it later! not sure how to describe something? skip it and come back! don't like your word choice? fix it later! basically don't fixate on small details, as it can always be added in later. this is why I always have to tell myself that editing is not as bad as I blow it up to be in my head, because honestly the best parts of my writing usually happen during the editing process.

i don't know how helpful those are, but yeah!

[evilwriter37]

Warning, you reblogged an ask game, and I’m about to go ham.

1, 4, 8, 13, 21, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 35, 48, 50, and 71

Do you prefer writing one-shots or multichapter fics?

That's a hard one, because I've written quite a lot of both. One-shots do make up the majority of my fic library though, so I'll go with one-shots.

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Anywhere and everywhere. @ashleybenlove is also super great for inspiration! Prompts are good, rewatching episodes, listening to music, pulling from a personal experience... It's like I never run out!

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

Hm, usually I want to say the beginning. I'm very good at beginnings and first lines. Middles are fun, but can drag sometimes in the process, and endings are difficult to get just right.

13. What's a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Change your font when editing. It makes your brain look at the story differently and pick up on mistakes you probably wouldn't have seen with the original font you wrote in.

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

I think so. I've done sort-of-collabs with @mdoodlerfandomart and those were always incredibly fun! But those were the kind where one person writes one half of the story and the other writes the second half. I wonder if I'd be able to collaborate with another writer where we could write on the same document at the same time. Maybe I can do one with you, @lifblogs? Like on a Good Omens one?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won't do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc.)

Mm, there is a lot I will write. It's probably longer than the list of things I won't write. I'll write from virtually anyone's perspective. I don't really write poetry, though I could see how it could be fun in fanfic form! I explore all sorts of genres in fanfic and write things I probably wouldn't write in original fic. Like, when it comes to realistic fiction in original work? Ew, no! Realistic fiction like modern AUs and such in fanfic? That works just fine for me.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

"Cut out sex scenes and filler. They're not necessary to the story or character development."

Okay, sure. Fuck off.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Infernal Fascination for sure. 3 years, lots of harassment, but also lots of praise and fun. Yeah, that was wild for sure.

31. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Hm, I think plot maybe? I develop a plot based around the characters though, so maybe both.

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

@howtowhumpyourhiccup @fictionalnormalcy @lilliths-httyd-blog @ashleybenlove @thedragon-and-hisboy (No, I could not keep it to just 3).

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?

That villains are human too. You can portray them as a monster, but the monstrous is human. Villains will be much easier to write and more fun and fleshed out when you treat them like human beings. (Unless of course, your villain is an eldritch horror of some kind.)

48. What do you look for in a beta?

I don't use a beta, but I think I would look for someone who is understanding of my writing style and sensitive about my RSD.

50. How long is your longest fic?

Infernal Fascination: 470k words.

71. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etc.?

I make an outline with notes at the top of the page about times, dates, characters, etc. My outlines are usually just bulleted list of the events that will happen within the story. I try to keep my outlines and notes in one document so that I don't have too many documents and confuse myself.

Get to Know Your Fic Writer

[eternalglitch]

Hi there! First of all, I’m not kidding when I say lfls is one of the best stories I’ve had the pleasure to read in a looong time and I can’t thank you enough for sharing such a wonderfully written story :D

When I started reading the fic it had about 5k kudos and not many chapters were plagued with comments. Now there’s like more than a hundred comments in the latest chapters with 10k kudos and still growing. How does that feel? Does it get overwhelming? What kept you motivated when the numbers weren’t as high? I’m so curious to know how the growth in popularity has been on your part!

I’m also loving the lfls playlist. Have you heard Karma by AJR? Idk why but I feel like it goes really well with the story.

Hoping you’re having a great time in your day to day and once again thanks for sharing your work!

The numbers and statistics on every single one of my social media accounts don't feel real to me, I will be honest.

In 2017 I had another decently big fic (or so I thought), and I was (positively) overwhelmed by waking up to about 24 new comments the next morning when I posted a chapter and that was about it for that chapter's comment count. Now I get maybe 50 within the hour of posting and about ten new ones every day.

I think the first three months of writing lfls I had no concept of anyone really watching. Chapter two got maybe two comments within the week it was posted, but I was also studying abroad at the time and had plenty of things irl to keep myself busy with over in Singapore.

I never had an issue by the (lack of) numbers in the start, because I thought the fandom was too small in the first place to get numbers. I was just writing this for myself. In a fun reversal, sometimes it's harder to write with the bigger following because of stage fright for me. What if I make the wrong call on a plot twist? What if I leave an embarrassing typo that thousands of people will now see? These weren't issues when it felt like no one was watching. But if I get stuck in that mindset for too long, I simply vanish for a break. Make like Avatar Aang and go hibernate for, say, 6 months away from my fic. I've done it before, long enough that I forgot that there was anything to really be nervous about. That was back when this first started really snowballing in attention though, and I think I've grown a bit more used to it all.

Still, my friends make fun of me because my brain can't fully understand just HOW MANY people follow me. It feels like I have 50 followers, when this is not the reality. As a fanfic writer surrounded by very talented artist friends my entire life, I had grown used to the idea that on social media I would never really get a following and would just cheer my friends on for that. The usual script is that the artists get more attention on Tumblr and Twitter, and the writers get their time to shine on ao3 or fanfic.net, but not elsewhere. And I was totally okay with that! I am always very happy for my friends' success. Visual art gets consumed faster and is quicker to draw attention and that's that. But then suddenly this was not the case AT ALL for me. I made it as one of the exceptions. It's really nice to have this weird power to boost other people on social media and get their work seen and recognized in turn.

Because of this popularity, I'm also exposed to a lot more opinions about my work because usually people only find and talk about the fanfic that meets what they are looking for. Now that lfls has fully escaped containment and is in most Rise fandom areas, people that do not seek out or read angst are trying angst. My condolences to those poor souls, I would say my writing is not actually that dark to people that enjoy these tropes but it sure is quite the shocker (lol) if you're new to the scene. Or maybe I'm just terrible at judging how dark I write, I genuinely think some chapters are breathers and yet have seen jokes online that those are some of the most emotionally heart wrenching ones.

But yeah, getting fanart and comments every single day is SO GOOD for keeping up enthusiasm for a long fic. I dread the final chapter a little because it's been an awesome ride that I don't want to end. Excited to show everyone the rest of the fic too, though! And maybe some people will stick around for my next writing adventure.

I think the real crisis is I'm about to maybe even OVERTAKE in kudos one of the fics I really look up to and have aspired to write in that kind of quality for the past 6 years. Which sounds fake. That is FAKE, I haven't gotten my skills sharp enough to do that yet.

And yes I do know that song!! I can definitely see it for lfls. I found it with a Steven Universe amv a few years back.

Thank you for reading and enjoying my work in turn! :}

[fleur1005]

YiZhan Fandom Interview with Renren !!

Preface:

In my attempt to sort out all the massive information that is generated almost daily in the BJYX fandom, I came up with an idea to interview prominent 🐢 for pointers, recommendations and advice as kind of a starter compilation kit for newbies.

Also, my intent is to provide some translations of the interviews (if you’re also interested in translating, let me know thru’ my twt acc below) for international fans and contribute my grain of salt to thin the language barriers and get to know more fans or simply, know your fave person in fandom.

With that being said, this is my first interview, so any constructive FB is welcome!

-::-::-::-

Thanks so very much for accepting my first ever interview, Renren 🙏

So, the first question is kind of a mandatory introduction.

Q. Please, tell us a bit about yourself. How you like to be called or how do you go by in this fandom and how long you’ve been in the swamp?

I’m Renren, but most folks call me Ren. I’m a fic writer and a szd shipper (which for new folks means I believe they’re actually in a relationship, this is also called being a tinhat lol).

I watched The Untamed in January 2021, and then watched the official BTS, and saw a shipper in the comments and was like “huh, people ship real people?” I was no stranger to shipping fictional characters (I’ve written Reylo before), but RPS was brand new to me. But the more I watched of the BTS and then the unofficial BTS, I was like, oh yeah, there’s something here. The cave BTS sealed it for me.

So, I’ve been in the pit since January/February 2021. I lurked for a long time, then joined fandom more actively in the fall of 2021, and started writing and released my first Yizhan fic in Jan 2022.

This is your first RPS? Wow, how cool is that? To debut with such a power couple! ☺️

Q. When you were a lurker, which SNS did you mostly use?

Which leads to the next question…

Q. Where are you most active/ favorite place to dabble in fandom-wise?

I lurked on tumblr mostly, and read Twitter without an account. I didn’t make one until August, and I don’t think I used it to post until September/October 2021.

I’m active most on Twitter, with Tumblr set up as my backup to Twitter.(@renren85105)

I’m also on AO3 as TheDevilandMrsRen.

Tumblr

By the way, you have very distinct profile pic (wyb with an octopus plushie on his head!). Did you always use it?? Is there a reason why you chose that? 🤭

I think I had a different one when I signed up, but I can’t remember it - I chose it because I like tentacles lol

As in a fic trope/kink? or something else? 😆

Both lol, I’ve always loved octopuses, I think they’re darling, but I also enjoy tentacles as a trope.

We’ll come to that later~~! There’s a question regarding that afterwards.

Q. What was your first drive/motivation to start writing about them? Would you share a link to your first fic?

It was Xiao Zhan’s lightsaber video!!! I had this idea for a Star Wars AU with the two of them, and it took me over body and soul and I finally had to write it. The first story I posted though was the first Golden Girls AU,

then the Star Wars AU came out a month later.

By the way, you guys have to go read Renren’s Golden Girls AU cos I can assure you, you are going to enjoy it SO much, if you haven’t already!!

So on to the next one!

Q. How many fics have you written so far? Which one is the one that you’re most fond of and why?

I’ve written 15 Yizhan fics so far, and drawn 10 mushroom fanarts! I’m not sure I can pick a favorite, but it’s between “Fireworks in the Stars” because it’s an original concept that I’ve been playing with for years and want to eventually write a full original novel with it, and “Houseboat of Love”, because I had so much fun with the exes-to-lovers concept. It was a bit angsty but I also wanted it to be a fun time with Xiao Zhan thirsting hard for his not-actually-ex-husband.

But I love everything I’ve published, if I don’t love it, I don’t release it.

I had totally missed that Renren’s mushroom posts are fanarts! I had to rush to see them and they are all SOSOSO Adorable, with capital A! The puns are sublime. I loved them all to bits and she has confirmed there’s more to come in the future!! Be on the look out, you guys!! 🥹🥹

Q. What’s your favorite trope to write/draw or a new one that want to try this year?

Oh, that’s hard! Because it’s different from my favorite tropes to read.

I really like to write getting together stories, especially if there is only one bed/they’re stuck together in some way.

But this is the year I’ll finally write tentacles, which is actually so much harder than I thought because a) I want to do it justice since I love it so much and b) there is SO MUCH choreography involved with all the extra limbs. You Belong in My Arms is my tentacle WIP, with chapter one out. Chapter one just has a cute octopus and tentacle kink, but no actual use of tentacles in a sexy way.

I will just restrain myself to say that Renren’s octopus is so cute like an underwater jianguo. I am hopelessly hooked to her fic that am anxiously looking forward to new chapters! But I digress…

Q. Are you bjyx, zsww or lsfy? Is this dynamic important to you when writing? (Or reading?)

So I am a bjyx-leaning lsfy. I enjoy reading everything, but I prefer writing bjyx or Yibo top lsfy.

That sounds like it’s the same thing, but the power dynamics are different between them (bjyx Yibo is IN CHARGE while it’s much more neutral in lsfy).

You mean like, Yibo makes the move? Or that he decides how he wants XZ?

Yeah, in BJYX makes most of the decisions, he’s very dominant in the bedroom and outside of it.

I like strong Yibo, indeed 😏

Q. What’s your most fave 🍬? Have you written about it? Where do you get most of your 🍬 sources?

My most favorite candy is the tattoo cpn! I have used it, most literally in an unreleased work, but I love to give both of them tattoos in my works anytime I can.

My candy sources are from Twitter (overthinkingthis, ecah, shirasagis, ventus for older candies) and tumblr (accio-victuuri), and I avoid folks sharing stalker footage or making wild claims like they know someone in the business or disparage their co-stars, because it’s harmful to the boys & just flat out rude.

I think for us newbies, we need to be careful and prudent on that and not fall for everything we see or outright edited (fake) info, cos it’s becoming harder to distinguish 😵‍ (out of my own experience)

So, the next question is selective, you can choose either or both…

A) Did you read THE fic? The controversial 22/7 one? How did you like it? How would you end it?

AND/OR

B) Do you wanna talk about wyb’s latest NYG’s LtS performance?

A) I didn’t. I didn’t even go looking for it, it has so many emotions and events attached to it, I think it’s best to just let it rest. No judgment for folks who decide to read it, though! Just my opinion.

B) Yes I do!! it was gorgeous and emotional, all about the yearning and longing you feel when you’re away from your partner and the bright warmth you feel when you’re back with them. It felt real, like he was pulling it from the depths of his soul.

It’s raw and vulnerable, and he did such a good job, I’m so proud of him! (And no, I don’t think it’s a breakup song or born from anything other than long distance relationships being hard.)

That performance was so heartfelt indeed 🥲

Q. Who is a content creator (writer, artist, v/blogger… etc) you would rec to a newbie? (Name as many as you wish) And lastly, a piece of advice for newbie 🐢!

Oh gosh, so many people! It’s hard to not just list all of my friends lol.

OldObsess/Overthinkingthis is a fantastic writer and candy librarian, her fics have great footnotes with all the different things she references in her fics.

Elisamiao is another amazing writer and she is so supportive of new writers in the fandom. I call her the fandom’s librarian because she is fantastic at fic recommendations, and can find what you’re looking for so fast!

Jalpari runs great events, and is a prolific writer, her Yizhan Through the Years is the first/second most kudos’d fic in the fandom. She is also very supportive of new authors/artists in the fandom!

BJYXObsessed is hilarious, her fics are so good and her meme threads are laugh out loud funny, I see them all over the place as reaction memes.

Bjyxnoa is a great update account on Twitter, and for deep cpn and candy discussions I like to go to Accio-victuuri on tumblr.

A piece of advice I have for new turtles is to not worry too much about proof of their relationship. They don’t have to prove anything to us, and each person has to decide for themselves how to interpret the things they do tell us. Everyone has their own “realness” comfort level, and that’s okay! It’s okay to be 100% szd and it’s okay to not be!

Lastly, their privacy is extremely important. Stalker footage is wrong, even if it “proves” what you want to see.

And don’t break the fourth wall with them, for example, if Yibo makes another Instagram post, don’t flood the comments with shipper comments, their social accounts are for work, and so we should keep our comments to the individual and the work they’re doing.

END

-::-::-::-

I can’t thank Renren enough for accepting my offer and come on board with this wee project of mine, and especially her wise words of advice 🙏🙏🙏

It’s a great reminder to all of us 🐢 that we ought to keep in mind and keep our recklessness in check. If we really love and support them, we must first respect their individual works.

And that’s it for today, folks! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

You can find me on twt @fleur_1005 for suggestions and/or comments!

[chromatic-lamina]

i’ve got some questions for fic writers if you’re up for answering any!

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

9. How do you find new fic to read?

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

thanks!! ♥️ hope you have a lovely week :)

Hey Gen!

I gotta get to bed, but let's get down to business!

2. First question: 5 most popular additional tags: (it's not very exciting):

Complete (60)

One Shot (35)

Rare Pairings (24)

Character Study (23)

Canon Related (22)

I've got 75 stories, and more than 60 of them are complete. Some folks search by the actual tag 'complete', so I tag it. I also have more than 35 one shots, I think! Do they accurately reflect my writing habits?-- yeah, pretty much!

9. How do you find new fic to read? I don't read so much nowadays, but my AO3 is filtered by Law, so I trawl the Law tag looking for new stuff. I'm reading shorter fics/works for the most part at the moment, due to time. Sometimes I want to see what else is happening or there's nothing in the Law tag, so I'll look at the One Piece tag as a whole and see what's happening. Also, I'll sometimes follow fic postings on tumblr, and there are a few writers I really like, so I'll definitely check out their stuff (although not always right away). I've been reading in the fandom for a while, so , as said, just not dipping into it as much as I used to.

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you? Sure. When I'm in the mood for whump, can't go wrong with some omegaverse stuff. To tell the truth, @hackdrawer got me to love male preg, omegaverse, and probably a lot of other tropes I didn't like much. It's all in the way its written. I've even really enjoyed soulmates stories from @chokefriends and @anarchycox (and am writing own of my own), so I've learnt to never say never.

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write? I'll keep it restricted to One Piece fandom: The One Piece Wiki, the manga, the anime sometimes, whatever particular piece of information I need and whichever rabbit holes searching for it leads me down. So, basic google searches and launching off from there.

36. Do you visualize what you read/write? My work's pretty visual, so I guess I do. If it's got a particular theme, I will hunt down references/mood. For example, I'm writing a piece on the corpse flower, and I've got a ton of pics so that I can describe it well. I had a piece that featured all different kinds of pottery/crockery, and that pottery/crockery were allocated to a character each. I hunted the vibe I wanted. For Death Doula, I was working with the wonderful @alegnace and so went crazy with refs, but I would've hunted them down for myself as well.

Thanks for these questions! I definitely enjoyed answering them.

[satoruhour]

Hey, it's me again. The same anon that ask on how to write longer fic. Thank you for answering my previous question 🙏

1. I feel overwhelmed bc i keep thinking it's necessary to write some extra scene in the fic? Like a silly goofy scene? Plus idk how to arrange the scene to make the fic look better

2. I keep using repeating words and sentences.

3. I use a lot of timeskip, example: first the character is in the office, then second later the character is at the bakery. So i was wondering like it's ok to put them?

So sorry if my words sound weird 🙏😞

no prob anon sorry it took a few days

oh yeah i get that - i would say it's best to keep scenes that are relevant to the theme of the piece? i dont wanna sound too technical but i tend to have a theme / trope when i write and if the paragraph or scene doesn't fit i ideally try not to fit it in.

however everyone likes their own (and other's) writings in different ways so i guarantee there are ppl out there who like to read unrelated lore. tbh i unconsciously do it at times too and it's not a set rule i follow obediently, just a rough outline :)

as for arranging the scenes, as goofy as it sounds i like to read it out to make sure it flows. if something doesn't sound right then i try to pinpoint the problem or move the paragraphs around - sometimes doing that puts the story in a better pace!!

on the topic of repeating words etc, maybe envision how else you want to describe a scene? talk about the surroundings, the feelings the characters are feeling, whether theyve experienced this before or not, people's perceptions of them, ideally make the story as immersive as you can (then again!! diff writers have diff styles, im just suggesting a way to "avoid" using repetition)

timeskips work dont worry!! but i always like to make sure that the reader knows where and when theyre timeskipping to because it can get confusing at times. unless it's something that is meant to be read in between the lines (like the implication of a character having a medical problem and not wanting to tell their partner; the info that they withhold from their partner is also "withheld" in a way from us, that is until it timeskips to them in a hospital etc.)

that's the best eg i could come up w/ at the moment 😭😭 but that's i guess the gist of my tips that can hopefully help you <3 lmk if you need more help!!! 💌

[jenanigans1207]

any advice for imposter syndrome while writing fic? i know i’m writing for myself at the end of the day, and i do love the idea of posting on ao3 but i feel like nothing i write will ever be good enough to post 😭

So, I'll be honest here in saying that imposter syndrome is a bitch and also doesn't listen a lot to reason.

That being said, for me, I usually try to spend a lot of time reasoning with it and then I force myself to do it anyways. I know that people love reading multiple fics with the same trope, so I shouldn't feel bad about writing a common idea. I know that different writing styles are what bring life to a fic and set it apart from every other fic. I know that I love reading different writing styles, different takes on characters. So why wouldn't other people feel the same? I know that there's always room for improvement, and I can't beat myself up for realizing that I may write this fic differently if I were to sit with the idea and write it some time in the future.

It's a lot of knowing and that knowing comes from a lot of experience on being on the other side of the fic-- being the reader. Like I said, I love seeing different takes on the same characters, seeing people place different reasoning behind the same actions, or give different repercussions to something. It's interesting, it keeps me invested, i love to see it. I love certain tropes (mutual pining, anyone?) to the point that I will read damn near anything with those tropes/tags so I'm thrilled beyond belief when someone new provides me with another fic that I know I'll enjoy. I don't sit there and go "another one?" I get excited for more content that I love.

It's also a lot of knowing that comes from experience as the writer. I will die on the hill that is the fact that we will always be harsher on our own work than anyone else. And that we can't really appreciate how our work will come across to others because we're so close to it. It's hard to see it as something other than a compilation of sentences that you had to struggle through. It's hard to read a sentence that has a word you're not quite satisfied with and think of the impact of the sentence instead of what the fuck is the word I'm trying to remember? I've written enough in my life to know that those things don't ever go away, as much as I'd love to tell you they do. But it does mean that other people won't think of my writing as negatively as I do because they have fresh eyes and no previous association to what they're reading. We don't have that luxury, so it's hard for us to see.

But no matter how much I know these things, no matter how much i experience them from both sides of the fic-- I still have to hype myself up sometimes to post, too. And yeah, sometimes I go "what's the worst that could happen?" and that's enough to give me the guts. Sometimes I remind myself that people haven't liked my writing before and I've survived, so I'd survive if it happened again.

But I will tell you this-- there is nothing more rewarding that someone leaving you a comment about how much something you wrote touched them. While I am a firm believer that we write for ourselves, there is no denying the connection that is made between writer and reader, and there's no denying the impact on the author when a reader is touched by their work. It's this sort of breathtaking feeling, knowing that you poured some of your heart into something and someone found value in that.

I have read many fics that have pulled me out of dark places in my life and given me a reason to get up every new day. And the knowledge that something I wrote might be that for someone else is often enough for me. Even if one person finds joy in what I wrote, it's worth putting it out there. We write for ourselves, sure, but we share it for other people.

And I don't really know if this is helpful at all or just a lot of rambling. But I guess if I had to summarize, I'd say this: imposter syndrome sucks and doesn't listen to reason. Try to reason with it anyways. Remind it that people want this. Hell, talk to your friends about what you're writing so they can want it first! Having someone close to you, someone trusted share your enthusiasm goes a long way. I've only scraped to the end of projects because of my friends many times in the past. So reason with it. Remind it that people want this, that people will enjoy it. Let people in your life tell you that they want it and enjoy it. Remind yourself the benefit that fic has had in your life and then tell yourself that you'll be giving that same benefit to someone else's life. Think of the rewarding feeling of people loving what you write. Remind yourself that the internet is kinder to you than you are to yourself (hard to believe, I know).

And if all of that fails, say that it's perfectly fine to be scared and just choose to do it scared. In my experience, the first time is always the hardest. So close your eyes and press post and know that it gets easier from there, every single time you do it. And allow the world to help you fight that imposter syndrome.

Your work will improve your fandom. It will provide happiness. It will fulfill people, get people to talk about it, share it, reread it when they're having a bad day. This isn't speculation. I am absolutely certain of it. No fandom gets worse with more content made lovingly. So write it for yourself, and then post it for other people and know that it get easier and that it's worth it.

[victoriousscarf]

There's so many questions on this thing I can't choose lol- (if that's too much stuff at once just pick the ones you feel like answering and ignore the rest 😅)

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

9. Do you comment on stories you read?

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

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

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

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

28. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

29. What’s your revision or editing process like? (Plus 47. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?)

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? (this is probably my favorite question) (I'm most curious about covet verse scenes ofc) (but yeah feel free to talk about whatever fic you feel like)

53. How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

60. Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

7. It depends? Like sometimes a story will just be one POV--like Covet is pretty much Fili, and I'll often take Dick's POV over Jason's in a DC fic, but usually it's like whose eyes do I most want to be on in this fic/scene? I have definitely started leaning toward whole fics in one POV but I will still switch if it works for the story (for example, needing to know scenes about which one character cannot know about). I would have previously said I would switch POVs more in long fics but Mahanon sorta shot that right out of the water. I enjoy the challenge of a limited POV fic sometimes, because you really are stuck with this one dude for what's now 500k and thus as limited in knowledge as he is. But it's rarely something I think like, that much about.

9. I am once again trying to get better lol. It's all about seasons of our lives, right? I used to try and go through fics that didn't have a bunch of comments and comment on them in the smaller fandoms/ships I was in, but then I stopped reading fic for a very long time, and now that I'm more regularly reading again, it's like flexing a muscle to comment again.

But it is an effort, one I think more people need to start accepting again. Writing is really hard work, it deserves some acknowledgement.

12. Like. I will write some wild things, and I don't need a LOT of feedback persay, but if something is getting no acknowledgement at all and another fandom is doing their best to feed me... receiving/not receiving feedback WILL impact my desire to work on a fic. It can be one or two dedicated as fuck readers who get me through a whole story, or it might be a whole swarm of them, but if I get dead silence, I have less like ability to push through the bad times (which always come in any multi chapter fic) and keep going. It hurts the motivation to get silence for sure.

16. So many. So many. As always so many.

I've got usually a whole stack of fics waiting for me to care about them/have the time which I never do. In Dragon Age I've got a pirate AU (Just, Cassandra ranting every 30 seconds about the fact they declared her a pirate but when someone offers her a pardon if she turns Mahanon in she tosses them over the side of the ship like well anyway) a whole Regency Era AU with strong vibes of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, and a very strange fake dating college au that may involve Fae.

Tolkien wise I've got some fics I promised people that I never wrote, an elf time loop one (which apparently is becoming a really popular idea in the Silm fandom on tumblr haha but I've been nursing this damn one for ages), that Anastasia-ish Hobbit story, a Regency Era AU for them too (but specifically Emma) and a story I've turned around for literally years now where Thorin died before the quest so Fili becomes king in exile and pretty much laughs Gandalf out of the room when he tries to convince him to reclaim Erebor (he's got a LOT to deal with emotionally okay, he's not got time for that) so they have to go and like try and kill Smaug in the middle of the War of the Ring instead.

And those are just the ones off the top of my head.

17. I think the most important thing as a writer is give yourself some grace. I try and write every week, but like I went on a trip and then I've been too exhausted since I got back, so it's been 2 weeks now with no writing for me. And frankly, I'm still feeling really wiped out so it's more like, if you're not feeling it, it's okay to take a break. Drink some tea, read a book, let it all peculate in the back of your head for a while. Try to do some things that inspire you, like for me it's reading history, or taking walks outside or going to museums, basically just learning new things. See some friends. Spend time with people. And then come back and see if that all triggered something. We forget writers block is often a systematic issue, like we're too tired or burned out or whatever, and it's about reinvigorating your creativity. And understanding and giving yourself the time. And if you're just exhausted by life well, unfortunately, maybe it's about trying to make those bigger changes, or accepting this will be a period where you plant some clover on the field of your creativity and let it lay fallow for a season or two. It will be there when you're ready again.

20. I mean, over the years I've written some wildly different things but yes, hahaha, very much yes. My favorite conflict is duty vs desire, I'm a sucker for loyalty, I'm a sucker for little shits that just don't stop, I'm a fan of knock-down, drag out street fighters, and if you leave me alone long enough, I will manifest a revolution into basically any setting. I like characters who are competent and don't give up, but who are human and make mistakes and fuck things up and keep going anyway, despite the fuck ups and danger and road blocks in front of them. I like when people feel things very deeply, but maybe aren't very good at talking about it or dealing with it, but always know they loved first and foremost, but sometimes it wasn't enough, and sometimes they did terrible things for it. I like imbuing the every day with intense feelings, be that ships or robots or undead horses or flower crowns. And I will probably try and make you cry at some point.

22. Hm. Yes and no? I have written things that I would never have expected, and I have written a LOT of stuff over the years on what are essentially dares. And there's things I wrote before that I'm like, way less inclined to write now? Like looking back my early 20s were way more willing to play around with student/teacher relationships that now I'm like... why was I even touching that with a ten foot pole? I also really really really hate pregnancy and will probably never write that into any story with any degree of detail. I'm not saying people won't have kids, but I'm not gonna be dealing with it.

So I'll write anything, as long as I can make it work for me. But it might not be in a way that like, other people expect or like.

28. On days I write I aim for 4ish pages, single spaced, 11/12 font. On really good days I can do 8 pages. On really good days I can do 20. I do not usually aim for that though. 4 is quite manageable for me on one go. (And as you'll see in the answer below on my editing, that's usually the length my chapters are. I know some people like to complain about my chapters being ~too short~ but honestly I don't want to hear it. On a good weekend you're getting 8 pages of writing if I write both days, and while some would probably prefer me waiting until my chapters are at 8 pages instead of 4, the reality is if I wait for it to be that long I will start spiraling mentally on myself and if it's good enough, so it's actually much faster for me to post the smaller chunks than deal with that. I'm a post or die person, and isn't that better than not getting anything at all?)

29/47. ... Hm.

Yeah I don't really edit. My editing process is usually to do one read through before posting (Unless I'm feeling like a scene is not working at all, in which case I may go back and rework it while halfway through and change things to make it work. But if I have to do that more than 2 or 3 times I will delete the whole thing and start again). I will try and grab typos and make sure things are working, then I will post. Once posted I try to do another read through on a typo hunt, but sometimes I don't get to that for another day or two, depending on when I post it.

40. I mean, there are always so many images while writing that make me go this would be really fun as an art haha.

I would love the scene in chapter 7 of covet not the feel of gold or taste of blood of Kili just sorta losing it. Or Fili, poor lad, covered in gold.

I'd love Dick in his magic shop from trust not in the darkness, trust in my outstretched hand, or the cabin covered in candles and the snow. I tried to work on my settings a bit more in that one.

I love any time someone draws Dick and Jason and the bike from find the sun in the corners of shadows.

I would love to see Mahanon and Sonja in art together. That would probably make me cry.

But honestly I would not really care. Like any fanart is a gift that makes me so emotional any time it happens. I understand why commissions etc exist, but I feel like the idea of sharing gifts in fandom used to be stronger than it is now. And that does make me a little sad. But it still happens and every time is worth treasuring.

53. I'm more of a writer, but lately I've been reading a lot of fics again. (Stranger Things got to me). But I also read a bunch of non fanfiction things, so I go through seasons of reading fic or not. But I almost always am writing, so I'd say majority writer, but when I read I do lose it.

55. I mean, the classics at this point are Fili and Dick and Mahanon probably. I am a sucker for someone who has every reason to hate the world and chooses instead love, belief, compassion, or in Fili's case, simple fucking survival haha. And no, I don't really care about people's reactions to certain characters. If I did I would have less plans for Gaspard in the forest is dark and deep. (Every time he shows people yell at me about how much they hate him and I'm like oh well, you're going to have to keep dealing with him anyway <3)

Honestly I only seem to chose popular characters by chance, and sometimes don't really care about the fandom reading on them (Fanon Dick Grayson my beloathed). I don't mean this in a "I'm not like other girls" way, I just know I'm contrary at best, and don't really care for the whims of popular fandom. I do what I want, and I have gotten yelled at for it by readers, and not in a good squee-yelling sort of way.

Unless you mean, swayed by readers/follower's opinions in a "I will never write this again as long as I live" way in which case yes, I did actually drop a whole ship because the readers were so mean about it and it killed all joy I ever felt in those characters together. And it was Tony Stark/Loki back in the 2012 era. That was the worst experience in fandom I ever had, you will always be legendary to me for all the wrong reasons.

60. Yes! Actually I commented on their work and they went wait, aren't you the one who wrote xxx? And I was like oh, yes, that is me, and we went from there. And then we became fandom friends lol. It is always a very kind, warm feeling to realize people have read your stuff, especially when you know they've got good tastes in their own work lol.

65. Listen, listen, I'm so excited for where ancient sea is going, the fact my brain is refusing to write it is driving me crazy. I want Hawke to meet Bianca! For the temple of Dirth to be a total shit show!!! the Forbidden Oasis being EVEN WORSE! I want my boi Abelas to show, I want things in Orlais to get batshit insane while Mahanon goes "whoops" I am dying for the assassins from Josie's personal mission to show up while Mahanon is on a hair trigger on that issue (especially! Josie! After! Wycome! holy shit). I want Gaspard to show up and be really annoying for like many different things while Mahanon keeps wishing he killed him while he had the chance (real "I should have left you on that streetcorner where I found you" "But you didn't!" vibes). I want for them to try and start breaking Mahanon and his symbols down and for him and his to rebuilt something new from the ashes.

On the other hand I also want to keep trucking in Covet because I'm really excited about some of the stuff there too, and getting to the point where I can start posting some of the side story stuff I've been writing to keep myself sane in the main story lol. (I've got like a whole 13 pages of Nori POV that came out of a fucking joke to someone that I can't post yet and now I'm mad about it lol).

[rustingcat]

20 Questions More

A deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks @inkedroplets for the tag:)

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

Not sure. Still a mystery to be honest. The real question is how do I stop.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

Oh, so many! A quick look look at my bookmarks will show you many of them (and of course, the some i made a fanart for). But I think the most inspiring ones are my writer friends who share their ideas, writings, and concepts with each other. The enthusiasm and excitement of others is the greatest motivator, in my opinion.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

I like giving a second chance to characters who didn't get to shine on the show, so I ended up writing Winn and Sam quite a bit.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

There are a few I really like, but I just don't see them working with those characters and their dynamic. And like anything vengeful towards each other or anything like that.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

I'm a planner. I like planning and structuring my stories in advance. It can be very helpful, but it's also constantly stopping me from writing out my less developed stories, or continuing the stuff I don't have a very clear plan to. And everything that doesn't have a clear beginning, middle and end structure, is less developed in my opinion, and so I often end up with lots of first chapters or beginning that are waiting for me to continue.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

When I get inspiration and the story just flows out, especially if it's turns in a way I didn't expect it to turn to. But it's rare to have those bursts of inspiration nowadays.

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

Pipes and sprinkler systems in the US. I started reading a variety of very detailed articles about it for 'Of Science and Love' fight scene, and I ended up not even using most of it because I had no time to finish writing the chapter.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

All of the above.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

'The Art of the Game' had several scenes that really got me stumped. It's probably my most complicated fic to write. But I also have a small wip that is all one scene pretty much, and it had been sitting in my doc for about a year now and I just been unable to finish it.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

Oh yeah, I think it's a fact that no author can really control the characters they're writing. Like I particularly remember struggling with 'Privileges' because they started making out way before they were supposed to.

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

I think Kara. I really want to be able to have a deep conversation with her about a variety of topics, including learning about Krypton and their culture, watching puppy vids together and convincing her to go to therapy because that girl really needs it.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

I realise that I often make them be together without them being officially together. Married before they are married, pretty sure that's a trope. Very much not a healthy thing for real life a relationship, but it's so fun to read.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

My beta readers. They are precious.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

Make sure I have someone to look it over. I can sometimes read several passes and still miss so much! So a second pair of eyes is always useful.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Tags! Tags are an art form, and I'm still very much a novice.

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I started writing to have the fics I wanted to read, exist in the world, so me liking them is definitely my number one priority, but getting comments and especially those that talk about specific moments from the fic give me life.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

Not really a playlist gal, so I don't really have any.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

I made my own art for several of my fics, but having someone else try their hands at it would be amazing.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

I currently have more than 20. Most of them are long ones, so I really hope to finish at least one of them in the next year or so.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers

If you want to write, then write. Don't be afraid to be bad at it, don't be afraid to be unpopular, just write cause you like it. Just try to keep an open mind and seek out constructive criticism if you wanna get better. But, just in general, enjoy it.

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tagging (respectfully and without pressure)

@spaceman-earthgirl @snowydragonscave @luthordamnvers @missluthorwillseeyounow