#me writing a multichapter fic and possibly finishing it before posting??? WHO AM I

[crazy-ache]

I've never put in this kind of work like this fic I am drafting for Elucien Week. I am hoping to have several chapters complete for the actual week. So you may not see too much new work for me in the meantime - but I will definitely still be posting some drabbles in the meantime when I need a break from this multi-chapter fic. But I am SO EXCITED you guys to share it in July!!!!

[thescrapwitch]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @grey-gazania and @dreamingthroughthenoise for tagging me! Sorry for the very late reply!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

Currently, I have 63 works, though a few of them are on-going multichapter ones. If I narrowed it down to only complete fics, it would be 58. 

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

501,530 words!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently the Silmarillion has me in a chokehold and I am having SO MUCH FUN putting tragic elves into all sorts of situations. There’s a lot of free space and flexibility in its canon which is fun to play around in, and so many AU possibilities. Before that I wrote for Linked Universe/Legend of Zelda, which had a large cast of characters whose found family/friendship dynamics had me hooked. 

(we shall not speak of what I wrote during my Fanficion.net days, back when I was very small and very terrible at writing 😛)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Looking at all my fics, my Linked Universe ones have the most: Rescue Mission, Malevolence, Bad Joke, Untitled Goose Fic, and Weatherworn Heart. 

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! I adore comments and go back and reread them often, so I try to at least say thank you to people who’ve left one after reading my fics. 

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This is a tough one! I have a few Hurt/No Comfort ones (all focusing on poor Maedhros). I’ll go with Despair Like Poison, in which I find a way to make the beginning of the Silmarillion EVEN WORSE. Its based on a Tumblr post I made (which I now can't find????), and I might continue it, once I figure out exactly how dark/angsty I want it to get!

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

Probably Rest for the Weary and the Damned, the final fic in the main storyline for my Maglor is an Eldritch Horror series. After many problems, everyone gets to be together and live happily ever after, including everyone’s favorite eldritch monster.  

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, but I don’t tend to write a lot of romance/ship-focused fics, so that could be why.

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

No, not my thing to write. 

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Crossovers aren’t really my thing to write either. 

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! It's always such an honor when someone asks if they can translate my fic. 

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

No, though I do get a lot of inspiration from comments and side-discussions. Untitled Goose Fic happened because of a Discord discussion, and Trial of Crablor Feanorion was written because of a commentor’s remark about animal trials.  

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Silvergifting can be so much fun and so messed up and I love writing it. 

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

My poor Legend of Zelda 1920s AU fic is crying at me from the depths of my WIP pile. I am so sorry. One day, maybe, I will return to it, but I have so many other things that I want to write…

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, story structure, and weird stuff. Eldritch monsters, sentient houses that speak to you in nightmares, crabs who were once elves, dreamy-not-entirely-sane narration; those I feel like I can do well. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Description! Specifically, description used to set up a place, to make the world around the characters feel more textured and real. I am trying to get better at it. 

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

I have enough typos writing in English, I do not have the confidence to try and write in anything else. The Tolkien fandom has a lot of languages and I’m always in awe of the people who can include them so well into their work.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Megaman.EXE, way way back in the early days of Fanfiction.net, all of which has now been thankfully eaten by the internet. 

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I say it every time someone asks, but it has to be The Haunting of Imladris. That fic was a gift: it gave me a world to flesh out for my eldritch!Maglor series, it gave me confidence to write horror (which I’d never done before) and it gave me Lindir. I will always adore and be grateful to it.

Tagging: @camille-lachenille @thelordofgifs @searchingforserendipity25 @sallysavestheday @lordgrimwing @eilinelsghost @chthonion @gardensofthemoon and anyone else who wants to join in!

[rriavian]

20 questions for fic writers!

Tagged by @honeyteacakes <3 Ok so some of these answers will be a little odd because I’m still posting some of my work anonymously. Tagging @aisalynn :)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

So with all the anon ones included it's 48

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

465,649

3. What fandoms do you write for?

There are a lot I’m still anon in, but right now it’s mostly the Sandman :)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Baiting the Trap is the only one I can reveal but Deliverance is also very high on the list.

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

I do! At first I was far too shy but now I always try to respond to everyone. Sometimes I spend weeks thinking of what to say in response, or just feeling so so happy I want to give an intelligent reply. I just really want to set aside the time to go through and properly reply y’know? But then it’s like a month (or more) later and I feel terrible for not letting this person know how much their words mean to me, but I always try and respond eventually.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I’m not really a fan of ending my fics on angst, there’s a perfectionist part of me that is like ‘that’s not an ending that’s the middle of an arc’. Not that I think all endings need to be happy! I just think that I personally don’t find a resolution in it. Though now I think about it In Silence was pretty open ended, bittersweet but more bitter leaning I think.

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

Probably one I’m still anon for, but out of the one’s I’m not I think it’s actually pretty even. I’d say the ending of Deliverance is probably going to be the answer to this question though when I get around to posting it.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully no! I’ve been very lucky to not have received hate

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

I am new to smut, but I suppose my kind is the sort that somehow manages to add an improbable amount of plot.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I have not! While I used to absolutely adore reading them I’ve not written any :)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! Hopefully I never will because it really doesn’t seem pleasant.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! And I don’t think I’ll ever get over it because the first time someone asked it honestly blew my mind.

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

I’ve co-written outside of fandom, but never co-written a fic within it. I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed—I love collaborating on little scenarios on tumblr, it makes me so happy!—but my writing habits are weird and probably off-putting. The brain writes what it wants, usually out of order, and I’d not want to stress anyone out with how inconsistently I write things.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I’m going to have to be boring and say I don’t have one…but it’s honestly the truth. Corintheus is obviously very very special to me, but it’s a favourite without excluding other favourites. If that makes sense?

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

At the moment nothing :) I may be behind on where I wanted to be but as long as I want to write the fic I will finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m pretty good at characterisation, and how different characters might interact/conflict with each other. It’s usually easy for me to get into the head of who I’m writing. Maybe also unusual descriptions? I do like making them as vivid as possible, as lyrical and poetic as I want, but I also like to come up with something a bit unexpected.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle with finishing fics sometimes, especially if they are multichaptered. I think within sandman I struggle with certain in universe details of things I don’t know because I haven’t read the comics. I’m not really reading ahead of the show, but there’s some things I will dig into so I have the detail I need.

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

If I was going to do it I’d probably try and find a native speaker, or do a ton of research. Not against it by any means but I think it depends on the scenario. I just wouldn’t want a reader to come across me butchering their language and just be completely taken out of the fic haha.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Ooh. Erm. I’m not sure. Sandman is the first I’ve not been anon for :)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

This is such an evil question because how can I choose? Baiting the Trap is up there for sure (the whole series is really), but there’s also another fic I’m anon for that I love. Deliverance too. My self-indulgent Cat Dream fic. A slow advancing tide has definitely shot to near the top recently. Honestly it might be more apt to say that when I post a fic my general feeling is usually something like ‘this is my favourite fic I’ve ever written’. Though sometimes it’s for prose too. I’ve written paragraphs/lines and been like wow this is my favourite line ever.

[talldecafcappuccino]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag, @chainofclovers!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

41

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 301,363

3. What fandoms do you write for?

It's really just Ted Lasso. I wrote a bit for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries years and years ago and then a couple one-offs for Schitt's Creek and The 100, but it wasn't much.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

my body over yours

calamine

when we were young

It's Great to Stay Up Late

love the lasso way

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

Yes, but I fell off for a while at the end of the last year. I feel weird not responding to comments and also it's just really nice to chat with people in comments. It's where I first met many of my fandom friends! Alas, it's harder to respond to comments on a multichapter because the story isn't done and I don't want to give anything away so I'm just like repeatedly saying "thanks for sticking with this fic!!"

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

home again - I pretty much only write happy endings, but the most open-ended thing I wrote was this post-finale fic for Ted Lasso that I suppose some people might find angsty for reasons (it's really not angsty, but like...I could see making an argument for it).

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

leader of the pack - To me this is the happiest possible ending to AppleTV+ Ted Lasso: a future fic with Ted and Rebecca happy together, splitting their time between London and Kansas until Ted's eventual retirement from coaching, but they still visit the games in the fan section (where the season ticket holders have a permanent seat saved for Ted).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I'm aware of.

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

Not really. I've only written it as part of a larger story and I guess I don't tap into writing it very easily without a larger story to frame it (basically I need a whole lot of build up or context before I can write it which I suspect is thanks to demisexuality lmao)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I’ve never set out to write a crossover, but I realized after the fact that my Ted Lasso goes on Queer Eye fic is in fact a crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

No, just brainstormed with a friend or had a convo that sparked something, but never actually co-written anything with someone else.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don't have one! I don't like picking favorites in general and for ships there are different faves for different things and different faves for different seasons of life. I'm currently hyper-fixated on Ted/Rebecca, but that doesn't necessarily make them my all-time favorite ship.

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

Hmm idk. I think the ones I want to finish are still able to be finished and any other ones I'm good with them remaining WIPs. I only have one active Ted/Rebecca WIP posted on ao3 and I plan to finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think it’s dialogue. My honors English teacher said I was funny once and I've latched on to that as well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to get focused on plot and what's happening and I find it harder to just write someone's thoughts and emotions without it veering into melodrama (or at least it feels like melodrama to me).

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

I think it's very cool if you are someone who knows another language or has the resources to do so and it works for the character/story/fic. Unfortunately I am terrible at languages (including my own) so I'll just appreciate it when someone else does it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I definitely wrote some very terrible HP one shots when I was like...13?

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Idk about favorite but I'm proud I finished my bodyguard au the way I wanted to which makes it a fave based on that alone.

leader of the pack might be my personal fave because it's how I initially pictured an idealistic happy ending for the show (post-season 1)

But also I liked writing lots of my fics for different reasons. I really truly hate picking favorites!!

Tagging: I'm late to this and I feel like everyone I know who writes has been tagged already 😅 Please participate if you want to!!

[walkawaytall]

Your WIP yesterday where Leia admits she's "kriffing exhausted" is one I'm really looking forward to and looks to be exactly my favorite type of Han/Leia fic. Any plans for it's release date?

Short answer: sometime in December.

Longer answer: this story. Oof. Sooo, yeah, this was supposed to be a simple cheesy one-shot for a December Year of the OTP prompt (“holidays together” is the prompt), and then it got less cheesy and now…I mean, it technically isn’t not a one-shot yet, but depending on how long it ends up being and/or if there are natural chapter breaks, it may end up being a multichapter.

For some reason, my brain has decided that it’ll probably be four chapters that I will release the Fridays before Christmas. But I’m determined to have the thing fully written before I post any of it. And it is November 29. So, either I’m going to have a couple of very productive evenings or that part of my brain is fully delulu as the kids say. And I am not actually certain it will be four chapters. Some part of my brain just felt like that sounded about right and attached itself to that (I am blaming the part of said brain that felt it necessary to develop OCD, but who’s to say, really?).

I’ve had to rework this story a lot to hit the tone I’ve wanted and I’m still not convinced I have that quite where I want it. I have a general outline in my head that should make writing actual events pretty smooth overall, but if I can’t get the right tone early, I tend to struggle.

Sooo…I don’t know exact dates. Like, depending on how the hyperfocus works for me, a December 1 release for something is absolutely possible. But I also still don’t know that it’ll be a multichapter. I do think, given the pacing so far, it makes the most sense, but I want the chapter breaks to have a purpose, so…I need to see how the finished product flows first.

That was a lot of words for virtually no information 😂. But thank you for asking! I’m glad there’s some anticipation for this story.

[fullmetalpotterhead]

The “fmph’s possibly permanent hiatus from daily tgcf posting” post where I get emotional and gushy on you guys under the cut.

If you don’t wanna read that, I have also made a Google doc with a helpful map of navigating my 277 fics for something tgcf to read if you cannot decide where to start among my collection.

I got really emotional posting my last tgcf daily update before my maybe permanent hiatus. Even with a lot happening in real life right now this has been the change that’s actually been on my mind. I feel so grateful and proud to have gotten my little crowd of regulars who have made me parts of their routines. Tgcf, among many things, is about trying to find simple joys in your life again and making the world just a little better for those around you. It feels very silly in the best of ways to have heard again and again that my writing has been that tiny spark of joy for people.

On July 4, 2021, the donghua was my simple spark of joy.

On July 15, 2021, I finished the novel and was laughing and crying with so much gratitude for the power art can have on us.

And on August 6, 2021, I nervously posted my first fic for this fandom. It did not get much traction at the time, and I wouldn’t start my daily post habit until my first multichapter for the fandom in October, but I am so grateful for the way tgcf reignited my creative light.

Some of my regulars have been with me since very early on, some of you only just joined. And I know sometimes I get comments from names I don’t recognize at all admitting they’re just usually too shy to comment but have been faithful readers for a long time. I love you all for sharing my joy with me.

I will never stop creating, even if I stop creating for this specific fandom. I hope you guys never stop spreading your kind words that had me giggling and dancing to all the warm comments I received.

That being said, I am absolutely going to keep posting my bar study fic, it’ll be the one tgcf thing I am updating during hiatus. You shouldn’t read it. You can, I just know most of you aren’t in American law school, and it’s very much a study tool for me. You have this been warned.

Love you lots ❤️

[dreamerinsilico]

Fic writing questions

tagged by @yuniemaki - thank you for thinking of me!

how many works do you have on ao3?

67

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

344,183

Kind of wild to me, but the VAST majority of those words happened more than five years ago.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Mostly The Sandman right now, although I'm still a Hannibal person and I think I feel some BG3 coming on eventually. I've meandered my way through various video game fandoms over the years and am likely to return to Pillars of Eternity. Rather less likely for the Bioware stuff, but maybe the upcoming DA game will, in a stunning subversion of my expectations, make me care about Dragon Age again.

I really enjoy the Yuletide fic exchange, so I write for whatever small fandom I get assigned that year (so far I've done Wayward Children, Left Hand of Darkness, and Goncharov), and I'm hoping to get more into exchanges.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Constellations of the Things We Left Unsaid - multichapter Reaper76 thing I actually finished and was writing when Overwatch was popular

His Pale Steed - early Hannibal fic, I think it was my second

Best of Cruel Intentions - also earlyish Hannibal fic, and the start of my very excellent mutual betaing relationshihp with @tiggymalvern

Let's Try Another Kind of Peace - T_T WIP crawling out of the well to shame authorkind (also Hannibal. Yes, I still do have intent to get back to it.)

Solstice - Actually tickled and delighted this made the list; it's the second fic I ever posted to AO3, and it is Aela/F!Dovahkiin smut from the Skyrim kinkmeme back in the day

5. do you respond to comments?

A majority of the time, yes. Especially if I get a meaty one to actually talk about!

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

....yeah, not really any competition there, it's I Recall, which I wrote for a Pillars of Eternity minibang about my Watcher, Acantha's past-life doomed romance with Iovara.

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

I'm not sure how to answer this one! I'm kinda all over the map in terms of the tone of the fics I write, and I don't know how to really differentiate between different happy endings.

But let's shout out You Sang Me of Some Distant Past (Dragon Age, F!Hawke/Morrigan, which canoe I will paddle until the end times) - this was my first ever big bang entry, and I'm still happy with it a decade later.

8. do you get hate on fics?

I think the closest thing to hate I've ever gotten was someone saying my Labyrinth fic had Sarah using too many big words in her head.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

My AO3's linked all over this post, you can just go look.

But uh, lot of D/s, lot of knifeplay, I think are the two big themes.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

I have written one (1) crossover! There's Someone Scratching Softly is a Hannibal/Wayward Children crossover where Jack Wolcott is in therapy with Hannibal. It's the leviathan shadow of a much larger AU Hannibal fic I've done a lot of brainstorming on, and I posted it on a whim one day (I hadn't originally intended to, when I wrote it) and was very pleased with that decision, because a few fans who know both canons came out of the woodwork to gush at me about it.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

No idea, but probably not; I don't write enough plotty epics to make it likely.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of. (A couple of delightful people have podficced some of my short Hannibal fics, though! I was very excited.)

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

Nope. Wouldn't completely rule it out as a possibility, but not something I've done date.

14. what's your all time favourite ship?

I don't really do all-time favorites? I do whatever I've got the most brainrot about currently. I don't have a good way of ranking favorite ships relative to one another!

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Relentless Splinters I Recall is the parent fic, sort of, to I Recall, which I mentioned above. It was a very ambitious idea and I love what's there, but I will be very surprised and impressed with myself if I manage to pick that thread back up at some point. I don't think I'm really cut out to do game novelization fic.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Economy's probably the biggest one; I know very well that I can get a lot done in a relatively small number of words. I also really enjoy writing dialogue and like to think I'm good at it.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not the kind of person who can spawn wild AUs or plotlines easily, and I often wish that I was. (I don't think I'm bad at plot, but if I'm writing something plotty there is a lot of very deliberate brainstorming and probably workshopping with a friend or two, and it takes a ton of effort.)

Also just, you know, getting words on the page. (It's hard! It's hard! It's really really haaaaard! ~*)

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think anything from a curse word to a short phrase can have a place, but usually find it obnoxious when writers put in whole exchanges in (usually google translated) Other Language.

There was a post going around at some point discussing how bi/multilingual people do and don't mix languages that was very good and valid.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Labyrinth (1986)

20. favorite fic you've written?

Oof, that's hard. Something, something, can't pick a favorite child.

However, with the caveat that I have a lot of favorites for a lot of reasons, the Goncharov fic I wrote for Yuletide 2023 still pleases me to an outsize degree. Sometimes I think I'm funny.

Tagging @tiggymalvern @stylishanachronism @firebatvillain @xenosimp @pragnificent @softdedue @the-bees-patella @dsudis and anyone else so inclined <3

[obsequence]

hi i hope this isn't weird askdjfksdksl, you seem to be much more active on twitter but i REFUSE to make an account on that website BUT a mutual of mine just said something to me about the idea of an au where the rattlers run like. an apocalypse gladiator ring instead and ellie eventually gets caught and stuck there with abby and this is just actually insane we can't believe no one else seems to have had this idea yet??????? my first thought was tell the only ellabs person i know of who is in any way active on social media idk you can tell twitter about this or whatever i just think you need to know. i think ellabs nation (ellabs village really lol) needs to consider the possibilities

1) come to twitter i promise it’s like not that bad i just get into fights a lot 😭

2) i have a new tumblr but it’s under a pseudonym because i’m literally writing x readers and i know people will clown me and think i’m doing it in the “y/n” way (nothing wrong with that) and not the “x readers are a great way to character study without making whole ocs and you’re able to share them with a large audience” way

3) honestly , i really hate fics that have like . anything to do with the rattlers . because they’re just , like , EXTREMELY miserable (hypocritical coming from me , i know) and i deserve a speck of dopamine every now and then . but i will spread the idea ! because tbh it’s pretty good and not done before . just not my thing

4) i’m going to take this as an opportunity to explain why the fuck tl2 isn’t out yet , but it’s going to be a very longwinded self-psychoanalytical bananza , sooo . .

so , tl2 isn’t going to be a multichapter , if it ever gets put out . it’s gonna be a really long oneshot , because if i post it , i want it to be FINISHED so i don’t leave anyone waiting again .

the reason why i have a mental block against writing it right now is because i’m really unhappy about where tl1 left off . i never really liked it honestly , i just felt a bit pressured to get it out asap so i could be done . i reread the first few chapters all the time , and i really consider that its peak , because it started to feel like a chore after chapter six .

it’s hard to write the sequel to something you don’t like . it feels like you can only disappoint (if not others , yourself) and expand on its horribleness , which sounds so melancholy , i know , lol , but it’s the truth . like , how do you fix what’s broken on something you can’t touch ? by adding more that’s broken ? nuh uh . it’s a lot of stress .

also , i just . . need a creative recharge . “spencer , it’s been like five months since you finished tl !!” no i mean like . a year . before i even poke it with a ten foor pole again . LOL it’s that bad . this might change , but that’s how i feel right now .

i’ve been really insecure about my work lately , and i’ve never been able to read original novels or other fics without feeling incredibly envious of others’ talent , and it has sowed a lot of discontent inside of me . so i stopped consuming others’ work for a bit , but that just left me uninspired and in an echo chamber of my own writing without any improvement , so it became hyper-stylized and odd to read , especially months later . i don’t even know what i was trying to accomplish at some points ?? it’s all very odd and tryhard and makes me cringe .

so , right now , my goal is to read more published work lol . i’m reading my childhood favorite “daughter of smoke and bone” right now , and it’s even better than i remember . highly recommend

but yeahhh that’s why tl2 isn’t out sorry 🌸🩷🩷💕🥺🥺🥺

(but like fr i am incredibly sorry)

[hgejfmw-hgejhsf]

20 Questions Game for Fic Writers!

I feel like I've done this before, but like...definitely before a MASSIVE amount of my fics were released post-fest, so thanks to the amazing @ssmtskw tagging me, I'm gonna do it all over again!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

52 total!

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

128,450 words!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, only RWRB. In the past, I've written some for Once Upon a Time.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ghosts

Volume Control

Retaliation

Do we still have forever?

Modification to the map of you

5. Do you respond to comments?

Always! I live by comments, so I will always show my appreciation for every single one.

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

I suffer from this syndrome that only allows me to write happy endings, so the angstiest ending I've written still brings with it some hope. It's Darkest before the dawn.

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

I think one of my newer fics, No fear, no fences, nobody - no reins has a pretty lovely ending. Lots of hope for a pretty blissful future.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet. Still waiting on my first hate comment. I'd love for it to never come, but you know how fandom can be.

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

Before FirstPrince, I wrote a lot of fade to black. Now, I dive right into wherever the story and the characters lead. The fic listed in answer #7 is probably the smuttiest I've ventured so far.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve ever written?

I haven't yet but I'd be open to!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, not yet.

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

Not so far, but a couple are in the works!

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

FirstPrince.

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

I once had a super neat idea for a Captain Swan kid fic, but I don't see myself ever finishing that one.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Henry's POV apparently haha. I'm just gonna spend the rest of my existence writing everything from Henry's point of view, and I'll be fine.

But honestly, as much as I never realized it, I think the dialogue is one of my major strengths. It took a friend @oneofthewednesdays complimenting me on my dialogue as well as hearing a podfic of one of my works to convince me that the dialogue I write feels pretty genuine and authentic.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing anything except one shots lol. I'm working on something now that might become my first real multichapter fic that isn't cowritten, and I'm really excited, but also terrified that I won't finish it.

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

I've done this! And I've received a ton of positive feedback from native speakers that I did it justice, which made me feel so good.

19. First fandom you ever wrote for?

Pirates of the Caribbean.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Oh gosh. It's like asking me to choose my favorite child. But as many fics as I've written in the months since joining the RWRB fandom and as immensely proud of them as I am, my heart keeps coming back to quite possibly the best line I've ever written.

“Fuck,” is all that he can say, but even that tastes of Alex, of top shelf whiskey and the cinnamon he always adds to his coffee. Alex had spoken the word into Henry’s mouth on countless occasions, so he was all-too-familiar with the way it slipped off of his tongue so smoothly, as if the letters themselves were forged together just for him by some foul-mouthed god who knew the damage such a word might wreak in the possession of someone as fearless as Alexander Claremont-Diaz.

And this line lives in a little post lake house fic, the second fic I ever published in the RWRB fandom, called What If I Do?

Uncertain who's already done this, so I'm gonna leave this as an open tag for anyone who sees it and wants to share their incredible writing background with the world!

[sweetmage]

Very relieved to discover I am not the only person feeling too constrained by the Big Bang's short time-frame. I am going to finish up and post it anyway, but the quality of the fic will definitely suffer, especially towards the end unfortunately. I at least feel a but better knowing it's not just me who will likely have to cut a ton of corners to tell their story in a short amount of time 😅

Unless I wind up with a later posting date and can somehow wrangle this together in time, I plan to go back and rewrite whatever chapters suffered when the bang ends so it won't be in this state for long.

At the very least this has shown me that it IS possible for me to write multichapter fics which I was scared of before 😊

[claudiajcregg]

I love these! (Doing and asking :) 🙅‍♀️ 🤔 🏅☀️

Grrr. Tumblr ate the mostly written post because of course it did. Thank you for asking, Mia 💕 These were really fun to answer (and also hard). For someone who's really her worst critic, I do enjoy talking about my process and whatnot. I'm sorry in advance for all the rambling.

(If you want to ask me more, the questions are here ✨ )

🙅‍♀️ What is one trope you refuse to ever write?

I just don't see myself doing incest or bestiality. If we're talking more general things, I can't see myself writing cheating (with the asterisk of this being one member of the couple straying, and that there are possible situations where I wouldn't mind). Also, anything extremely violent, mostly because it's not something I often consume in media.

🤔 What’s one genre you’ve never written that you’d like to try?

Oh, maybe action and/or suspense? My writing style (intimate moments, conversations, just vibes) is not the most compatible, but if the situation arose... Sure! (I guess that, in a past life, I wrote around mysteries and crime and whatnot. I was too young then 😬 )

I also would love to be better at writing stories-within-stories. I absolutely do not have the talent to convincingly seem like the talented writers I'm doing. (Once again thinking of the fluffy memoir fic. And another one, which has a super fun premise, but my writing is failing it with this aspect, I fear.)

And not a genre specifically but collaboration? Again, I have super talented friends. I'd stick out like a sore thumb. I think it'd be fun!

🏅 What is the fic you’re most proud of?

I am my own worst critic but I would still probably say all of them, maybe? I saw something in them that I thought might connect with others and that's why they're out there. Even the ones that aren't (so many of them) and might never see the light of day. Writing isn't easy. It makes me nervous and makes me crave validation.

Anyway. The pageant answer is still true but as for actual ones, but using the way I would mentally refer to them, lol.

Big Block of Cheese 2008. I just saw it's at almost 100 kudos... excuse me what. I just felt it was something special from the moment I wrote it. I think I always would've posted it at some point, even if I hadn't made friends. None of my fics come close to it in terms of "love" and tbh, I'm fine with it.

St. Augustine. Just because it came to me so fast (I think it was mostly written in a morning?) and IDK, I love the scene. This one has broken out from most of my other purely CJD stories, whether it was timing or it getting recommended by the right people. It was nerve wracking writing something pre-canon but I think it went well! It was fun to write. I haven't read it in forever so I reserve the right to remove it from the list.

Obviously, star shine started it all but if I had a third spot... Portland. It's probably one of my flops (everything is, but this one especially) and yet. I recall being so proud right after I finished it and wanting people to read it. (It obviously grew since then because I can't shut up.) It's long, maybe unnecessarily so, but god does it get to me. I was in a writing rut (see next answer) and challenged myself to write 'canon' stories, and I think the two are good.

But... To be honest, the answer has to be my unposted multichapter. I always think it's bad until I read it, and it kinda hits, all imperfections aside. 150k words in 5-and-a-bit months (26/3 to 2/9?), 33 chapters. I wrote 2/3 of that in two months (with 19 being the last one I wrote before 19/5), until my muse decided she was done and I decided to actually change jobs. (I also wrote now-published fics like haunted by the notion or don't want you to go, as well as a bunch of other smaller ones, in between! WTF was I on in 2021? I think the mini reunion altered my brain chemistry.) I've considered just dropping a link to the unedited, unbetaed drive on the server one day, ngl.

ANYWAY. Too long-winded!

☀️ Has anyone ever left you a comment that made your day? What did it say?

UM. All of them? real talk here, I don't get many comments so I love them all. I write for a show that ended 17 years ago, for a small (and surprisingly divisive) ship (their loss - there's so much talent) so I should've known going in. It took me some time to internalize it. I'm also not that good a writer, so I'll take it. Comments mean the world to me, even if it's a "lovely" or "great job." Just taking a few seconds means a lot and writers aren't kidding when they say it's motivating. It's also how I've made friends in the fandom so yeah! comments!

To highlight some rather recent ones!

Haunted by the notion got so many from so different people, and they were all so incredibly nice when I was terrified. All of those broke me, and might be the reason why I've been struggling with a followup! (And why I've been wanting to post again soon, rather than wait.) From the other stories, I have two ~recent ones~ I actually bookmarked because they broke me.

miabicicletta's (💕 ) on St. Augustine. I woke up on a Saturday and I remember reading it from bed and crying. It was so incredibly kind and lovely and I couldn't remember the last time anyone had written anything as long. I still think about it all the time. 🥂 (I've now realized Steph also wrote another lovely one ♥️ That story and the love it got, man.)

krazykitkat's on all's well + her comment on St. Augustine because her stories are some of my favorites. I couldn't believe that someone whose work I adored and have read countless times since I finished the show six years ago had read one of my stories, but had liked it???? Didn't compute. Doesn't compute. She's read many since (see St. Augustine, the most recent one), commented and left kudos on a bunch, and it still... blows my mind. (This one happened while I was flying back from Stockholm and was the first thing I saw when I landed.)

But really - so many people have left so many kind messages over the last couple of years, and I've probably gotten emotional at all of them. That there are people out there who are reading the silly little stories that have come out of my brain... wonders never cease.

[theredshirtsarecoming]

20 Questions for Writers

The menace known as @halfagone tagged me in this one!

How many works do you have on AO3?

As of this minute 134. This will likely change later. I've been writing since 2018 so I don't think that's too bad a number.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

AO3 says 242,623. Which I am pretty happy with. That is over double what I had before this year. Which is insane to me.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mainly DPxDC, Leverage, and The Librarians. But I have fics on AO3 for Star Wars, Quantum Leap, Star Trek, Die Hard, Elementary, Stargate, Warehouse 13, and MCU as well. Not posted yet I also have Haven, Mercy Thompson, and Eureka.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Falling for you, again and again (adventures in getting kidnapped and meeting your soulmate) - DPxDC the insanity that started it all. Dick/Danny soulmate AU that has many more ships and somehow even more kidnappings.

Five Times Dick and Danny Met Their Soulmate and One Time They Realized What They Were at the Same Time - What it says on the tin

Summons of the Champion - The JL try to summon the ghost king. They get Jack Fenton instead. Oh Who Wrote That, what did you make me write

I’m Falling for you (Now we’re both Falling) - My Patrol Partners fic with @little-dreams-of-life! Another Dick/Danny soulmate fic. This time time with Pining

Uncle Danny - After the death of his many time removed niece Danny helps Alfred raise her son Bruce. The final in that time I said hey there's an event called Family Week? how about I make it MCD

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes pretty much every single one of them.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

You ask me, a MCD author, this? How could I possibly? But I'm gonna go with Sunshine because man was killing a deaged Jazz brutal. Especially with how.

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

This is somehow harder than the last one. But I am going to go with And the Ghost in the Thermos. Just because I love that everyone got home at the end.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't before. Just some odd comments.

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

No, but I seem to be creeping ever closer to that direction. We'll see if I make it there or not.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

So so so many. More than half my works are I think. Craziest might be Leverage x Librarians x Star Trek x Star Wars or Star Trek x Star Wars x Stargate

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I have had a number of podfics made by people.

13. Have you ever co-written before?

Yes! With my amazing co-author I mentioned before, Milma! One of the single best writing experiences I've ever had.

14. What you're all time favorite ship?

Yeah, I'm gonna have to say multishipper me does not have a favorite. But I might get yelled at if I don't say Dick/Danny.

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

Does it have a ? on AO3? Then that. Only one I expect to ever finish is Falling Two with Milma.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uh, short things and making people mad at me for MCD. And I guess off the walls crack fics. Oh and the fucking rarepairs. So many rarepairs.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing multichapter fics.

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

I won't do it because I don't trust myself to get it right.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Librarians! It's on AO3 even. Though you can dig if you want to read it. I'm not doing it.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Uh Five Times Dick and Danny Met Their Soulmate and One Time They Realized What They Were at the Same Time I guess. I have a fondness for it. It's either that or Falling One or Falling Two.

[starport-seven-five]

6&18 for the ask please :)?

Hi there!

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?

This is a loaded question! 😅 I typically start writing as soon as an idea comes to me, either some opening lines or a random scene that’s already clear to me, so there’s not a whole lot I’m planning to write that isn’t started already!

There’s a few possibilities-

I started a blank doc for a Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman fic! (I’m aware that I am dating myself here and I’m okay with that 🤣) If anyone even has seen this show, it would be Colleen contemplating what her life might have been like if she had ended up with Peter.

There’s also a collab with @dewdropreader that she started on but I haven’t done my part yet- that’s Mobius and Sylvie’s carpool conversation 😊

And I have MAYBE an inclination to write a little more angst in the same universe as my latest Lokius whumpfest (the one I said I wasn’t going to follow up on 😂)

It’s anyone’s guess as to which one gets started on first- I have a few WIPs to finish up before I get there!

18. Do you typically post multi-chapters as you write, or finish it all and then start posting? Would you like to change your posting method?

So I have only written one multichapter! I may attempt another this year but I don’t have any concrete ideas for one yet. With the one I finished, I posted as I went, and I don’t foresee that changing. I would love to be the kind of person who can finish a whole long work and then patiently put it out bit by bit on a schedule or something, but I just get way too excited to share!

Thank you so much for the ask! Happy new year!!!

[shinidamachu]

What are some of your favorite InuYasha fanfiction stories? 😙

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO ASK ME THIS QUESTION! PLEASE, CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:

Light Me a Lantern by @inuyashasforest: a lot of feelings for this one. It was the first Inukag multichapter fanfic I have ever read and boy am I glad I did. It’s a must read. I don’t know how Hanyo no Yashahime will fall into the Inuyasha universe, but if it turns out to be garbage, I’m more than happy to accept Light Me a Lantern as canon instead. Send tweet.

Little by Little by @little-known-artist: cutest post-canon fanfic in all land! It will make you smile. It will make you laugh. It will make you a little horny. That being said, it will also make you cry, but trust me: you’re gonna be grateful for it.

You Rescued Me by @keichanz: this fic it’s a party and I’m the piñata, there’s no other way to put it. Heather is a storytelling master, like... she could post her grocery shopping list and I’d be reading the hell out of it!

The Captain and the Hanyo by @goshinote: I love the whole premise of this fic and how much effort Jane puts in every detail. It’s like I’m living in it and I wish I was. It’s the story I’m currently reading and it’s so, so sweet and exciting!

Cruel Summer by @akitokihojo: you know shit is about to go down when Angie drops a Taylor Swift song titled fic. Now that Folklore is out I’m honestly scared for my life.

Pennies and Dimes by @witchygirl99:  SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part one)

Delicate by @akitokihojo: SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TURN THIS INTO A MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! (part two)

A Night to Remember by @angelhartsblog: I want you to close your eyes. Now I want you to think about the perfect Inukag first time. Open your eyes. Did you think about A Night To Remember? No? That’s because you haven’t read it yet, pal. What are you waiting for?

The Gorgon and the Dog Demon by @cstormsinukagblog​: I’m in too deep HELP!

Mating Fever by @clearwillow: let’s face it, this one is a classic already! The concept of this story was executed so well. Nothing was held back. You can tell Carra had as much fun writing it as we had reading it.

Pretending To Pretend by splendentgoddess: IF BOTH THE LAST HARD COPY OF THIS FIC AND MY COUSIN WERE ON FIRE... I’d still save my cousin but only because I reread Pretending to Pretend so many times I could probably write it down again myself, word for word. Also, my mom would never let me hear the end of it. But, like... it’s still a close one.

Bakin’ Cakes/Patty-Cake by @artistefish​: if I had two lives to give to Bloodhound and Kitten then two lives I’d give them.

Risks by @stoatsandweasels: THE CHARACTERIZATION, THE DIALOGUES, THE SMUT... Definition of *chef’s kiss*. The stars really aligned for this one, let me tell ya. Good. Fucking. Food.

Cam You See Me? by @keichanz​: Smut Queen at her best. LONG LIVE!

Inuyasha: Prince of Thieves by @starlingchildgazingatthestars: I feel like this fic should be written on a very big, very old, hard covered book. And someone should read it to me every night before I go to sleep. Every new chapter deepens the plot and the character so much. I’m hooked.

Belief/Resist by @dangerouspompadour​: my first thought on it was “man, I wish I could leave a thousand kudos” because it’s one of my favorite tropes ever and the story was told with such delicacy and honesty. Nailed their personalities to their cores.

Freak Attraction/Freak Attraction: Seven-Man Circus by @artistefish: this fic is the epitome of galaxy brain. How do someone eve come up with something so incredible? The world building is so fucking good, are you kidding me?

Oblivion by @meggz0rz: this one needs no comments... But I’m gonna comment anyway: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spetacular, never-the-same, totally unique.

Beautiful Stranger by splendentgoddess: WHAT A RIDE, MY FRIENDS! BUCKLE THE FUCK UP!

Missing by @ajoy3fanfics: it’s called ‘missing’ because after you finish the whole thing you just miss it so fucking much! I remember how obsessed with it I became, refreshing the page for updates. I was a woman possessed. I spent about 80% of my time talking about this fic, and the other 20% of the time, I was praying for someone else to bring it up so I could talk about it more.

The Delinquent Boyfriend by @artistefish: book one of Inukag Holy Bible.

Out Of The Woods by @dyaz-stories: okay so there are only two chapters so far but the plot it’s captivating as hell! And the writing it’s flawless. If you haven’t read it yet, please do and tell Dya I sent you and I miss her ass.

Guardian by @ruddcatha​: my nerdy ass feels seen and represented.

Knit and Lace by @doginabirdcage: if you’re part of the Inukag fandom you’re legally obligated to read this fanfic. This is not even a joke. Do you know someone who hasn’t read it? No! And you shouldn’t because it’s fucking awesome.

Call You Mine by @lavendertwilight89​: every word on this is a drop of dopamine I swear.

Enchanted by @akitokihojo: I was in the middle of studying for one of the most important tests of my life when Enchanted came around. Was it insane of me to drop everything to read it? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes.

The Half Breed’s Wife by @gypsin: I’m gonna be honest here, this better update before I die otherwise I’m simply not going. RIP to everyone who will pass away without knowing how The Half Breed’s Wife ends but I’m different.

The It Couple by @meggz0rz: OH, YEAH,THE COOL KID OF FANFICS! *Vogue by Madonna starts playing*

It's About Time by @akitokihojo: first fic by Angie I have ever read! Flashback to two-years-ago me picking her chin off the floor. I still can believe I could read this for free? It feels wrong that I could, but also, like: thank God!

The Maid and the Bodyguard by @dyaz-stories: this is the fic you want to take home to your mama. You’d get on one knee for this fic. You’d buy it a diamond ring. You’d profess my undying love for it and you’d spend the rest of your life trying to prove to this fic I’m worthy of it.

Something Real by Angelica Pierce: so this is one of the best oneshots I have ever read in my entire life. It is also the one and only work signed by this author known to mankind. Which I take as a personal offense. To me. Personally.

Mars and Venus by @doginabirdcage: have you ever read something so clever you’re mad about it? Like HOW DARE YOU BE SO SMART? Genius, really. I read it so long ago and it blows me away to this day.

I Knew You Before I Met You by @keichanz: book two of Inukag Holy Bible.

House Mates by honeybee31: “and they were roommates.” “OH MY GOD, THEY WERE ROOMMATES!” Domestic Inukag? In my fic rec? It’s more likely than you think.

The Language He Speaks by @akitokihojo​: if I was half as beautiful as this fic... I’d be kissing so many mouths... The possibilities...

Fingertips by @shinjiteflorana: this is the level of writing I aspire to achieve someday.

PS: I could never, in a billion years, rank these fanfiction, so please keep in mind they are in no way ordered by personal preference. I just love them all. Also, I’m messy.

PS²: believe it or not, I really tried to narrow this down. If I were to tag every Inuyasha fanfiction I love ever, it would get insane huge. This is a not exhaustive, very humble list of my favorites as requested above and I had to draw the line somewhere, otherwise I’d just keep going forever.

PS³: I’ll never get tired of saying that this fandom is crazy talented! Making this fic rec was so hard because there are so many awesome creators out there putting out new content for us every single day. I would like you to know that, even if I had to leave some works out, I appreciate and support each one of them. Thank you so much for keeping the Inuyasha fandom alive!

PS⁴: if you’re reading this, feel free to recommend or tag me in Inuyasha fanfics. Add some of your favorites to this post. Give the authors some love!

[lilyvandersteen]

Fic Writer Tag

I was tagged by @forabeatofadrum (thank you, sweetie!)

How many works do you have on AO3?

I have published 33 works on AO3. Not all of them are completed yet, but hopefully they will be someday. I’m not planning on abandoning any of my WIPs, though it might take a long time until they are completed. I’m a slow writer, and I tend to get bouts of writer’s block.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

So far I have published 626,620 words on AO3.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

At the moment, I have only written Glee fics, mostly Klaine.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Puppy Eyes. AKA the fic where Blaine is cursed to turn into a dog from time to time. By far the crackiest fic idea I’ve ever had, but I had so much fun writing it, and I guess the readers enjoy it just as much.

Weave Your Magic. My very first multichapter, and still a WIP, though it’s already 287091 words long. It’s massive, and it’s written in a soap opera style that could keep it going forever and ever and ever. I haven’t updated it in years, because to continue it, I first have to read it all the way through again, and that takes me four days. I will continue it when I can find the time, though.

Stop Flirting! This fic started out as a one-shot, and then I continued it for the first Kurt Hummel Big Bang I ever took part in. It’s a famous Blaine fic, with Tina as a crazy fangirl.

Worth the Wait. I love this verse, and it seems my readers do, too :-) This story is very fairytale-like, with magic rings and quests and challenges to prove your worth.

A Shoulder to Lean On. This is a meet-cute oneshot that resonated with many readers. Featuring an obnoxious Rachel, an embarrassed Kurt and a smitten Blaine.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do, yes. I absolutely love getting to talk about plot points or providing some background information that never made it into my actual fic. Also, seeing as I don’t always wait until the story is complete to start posting, I draw inspiration from my readers’ comments to add some stuff they request or to expand certain parts. That’s what I love so much about fanfiction: that it is truly a two-way street. Readers are as vital to the experience as writers are, and I am so grateful to my faithful readers for their help in shaping my stories.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Uhm... I write happy endings, mostly. I have a few fics that are pretty open-ended, but never angsty.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

As of now, I haven’t written any crossover fics. I have written a Pride & Prejudice inspired fic, though (Out of the Blue), but that doesn’t really count as a crossover.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not so much hate, but I’ve received comments and reviews that shook me up and made me stop writing for months. I don’t deal well with criticism, I’m afraid. Fanfic writing is my happy place, so I hate it when people come in and lecture me.

That’s why I stopped writing Never Saying Goodbye to You for so long. One anonymous reviewer raked me over the coals because a movie star I mentioned in passing was wrong for the time period. “ If you want to write a story that is historical in nature, please do your research and get your facts straight.”

Whereas I was just trying to write a fun time-travelling story, and the time period my protagonist ended up was just the background for me. My friend @hkvoyage researches everything meticulously for her historical fics, and kudos to her for that, but I’m not that kind of writer. I have very limited time to write, and I don’t want to spend it doing research, nor should anyone expect me to. I’m not writing a master’s thesis in history, I’m writing a fanfiction story for my own amusement, and sharing it with you so you can enjoy it as well. If I get anything wrong, feel free to point it out and I’ll modify it, but there’s absolutely no need to get angry with me.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do occasionally. It’s not really my thing. Fluff, I can do, and some angst here and there, but smut is difficult to get right.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

That’s possible.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Oh yes, by the wonderful @klaineship2, one of the few Tumblr Klainiacs I’ve met in real life. She’s absolutely lovely, and she translated one of my fics into German.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I haven’t. I’ve betaed and suggested dialogue or plot points, though.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

Klaine. *Happy sigh*

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Hmm, I have my mind made up to finish all of my WIPs, even Weave Your Magic. It might take me ages, but I will.

What are your writing strengths?

Does writing from several POVs count? You should ask my readers, I don’t really know.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I’m a pantser. I know how the story begins and ends, but the middle is always a muddle, and I need to piece it together like a puzzle.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve used French in at least one fic. I’ve also used a sentence in Russian.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Glee. The one and only.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Ooh, that’s a difficult question ... There are bits and pieces of myself in every fic, so I love all of them. I love Weave Your Magic because it’s my first multichapter and just a story I can live in. I love Worth the Wait because it’s so much like a fairytale. I love Puppy Eyes because it’s cracky and fun. I love Out of the Blue because it heavily features the Anderson Bros and because I’m a big Pride & Prejudice fan and it was a great challenge giving this story the same enemies to lovers vibe. I love The Christmas Guest because it’s Fake Dating and that’s my fave trope. I could go on and on, but you get what I’m saying :-)

I’m tagging @hkvoyage @caramelcoffeeaddict @lady-divine-writes @quizasvivamos @whatstheproblembaby and any other Klaine writer whose name escapes me at the moment and who wants to do this. No pressure, though, if this is not your thing.

[myaekingheart]

20 [Fanfic Writer] Questions Game

Thank you so much for tagging me, @lemony-snickers! This is tons of fun, I love answering these kinds of big questionnaires 😂💕 Also putting mine under a cut because there’s a lot of questions and I like to ramble. 

Also gonna go ahead and just tag whoever wants to do this! 😅💕

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

As of August 27, 2021, I have a total of 77 works on my AO3! 

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Funny enough, I was just looking at this, specifically, earlier today and kind of laughing about it. Right now, my total word count across all my works is 1,148,941 😬 

3. How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they?

Apparently 12, but some of them I don’t really consider “big” in my fandom repertoire. Naruto is my greatest fandom with a total of 60 fics so far, followed by The Chronicles of Narnia and Rise of the Guardians. The rest are ones I either did crossover fics with or just did one-off little pieces with--The Incredibles, Tangled, Brave, How to Train Your Dragon, Arthurian Mythology, Disney Princesses, Fairy Tales and Related Fandoms, Back to the Future, and Frozen. 

4. What are your Top Five fics by kudos?

The Scarecrow and The Bell (Naruto) - 470 kudos The Day Kakashi’s Mask Slipped (Naruto) - 139 kudos Sunflowers (Naruto) - 92 kudos Sakumo the House Husband (Naruto) - 81 kudos Someone to Lean On (Naruto) - 67 kudos

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

I always try to respond to comments, because I like to acknowledge when people respond to my work. I cherish comments like nobody’s business, especially when they’re kind and reactionary. I just really love seeing/hearing what people think of the way a story is progressing, or what they thought of a one-shot. Comments keep me going especially when it comes to longfic so I want to be able to let readers know that I do in fact see their comments, that I’m acknowledging what they’re saying, and that I appreciate them. Plus, it can be kind of fun to tease upcoming events in a fic through responses to people’s comments, too. Because I’m mean. 

6. What fic have you written with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Hothouse (Rise of the Guardians/The Incredibles; Jack Frost x Violet Parr; American Horror Story AU). This was the first multi-chaptered fic I ever wrote to completion and I honestly cringe when I remember it exists both because it’s so poorly organized (and full of nasty plot holes) and because I just went ham on the gore factor. It definitely has a really bittersweet and heartbreaking ending to it, too. 

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

I think I’ll definitely have to say Temptation. The story itself was kind of a ride, and it’s only the first installment in a series, but it follows the plot of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe but remixed due to the presence of an original character, but the ending is still roughly the same as the original: they defeat the evil, the Pevensies are all crowned kings and queens, happy days. Reading the last few paragraphs of the last chapter honestly still gets me all up in my feelings. 

8. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I used to be more of a crossover writer due to one of my main ships being a crossover ship. They weren’t super crazy, though, because they were both CGI-animated films. The craziest crossover I’ve ever written is an in-progress/unfinished multichapter piece, Kakashi, Enchanted, that sees our favorite Copy Ninja get kamui’d into the Disney princess dimension and has to help the likes of Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel on his journey to find a way back to his own world. It’s a super weird premise but definitely one of my more lighthearted works and fun to revisit when I need to decompress. 

9. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I don’t think I’ve ever received hate so much as I’ve received criticism. The closest I ever got to hate on a fic, I think, was someone left an overly personal and mentally disturbed comment on a chapter of my main fic that made me convinced they needed to seek therapy and deal with their own personal issues rather than take it out on a fanfic about animated ninjas. 

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

Maybe 👀 I’m super vanilla when it comes to smut, though. I think the wildest thing I’ve ever written in smut is breeding kink. 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, and I hope I never will. 

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet! I had someone ask to translate a one-shot of mine in Russian but I never got a response back when I laid out my terms and conditions. 

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

I have not! I used to do paragraph-style roleplay which was kind of like cowriting fanfiction but writing is so personal and sacred to me that I don’t know if I could ever actually cowrite a fic with someone. I like brainstorming with other people, but writing for me is more of a deeply personal and independent endeavour. 

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Oh god, this is a tricky question because it depends on fandom. I absolutely love New Dream (Rapunzel x Eugene, Tangled) and have for the past ten years, and my love for them as only grown since watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. I don’t write or even really read a ton of fanfiction for them, though. I’m also still highly dedicated to my favorite crossover crackship, Frostfield (Jack Frost x Violet Parr, Rise of the Guardians/The Incredibles) and to this day, if you search for that ship on AO3, I am the sole provider of every single fic about them so far. I’m not as active with them as I used to be, but they got me through some really rough times back in the day and still mean so much to me. A lot of my favorite ships across fandoms, though, are honestly canon x OC ships of mine because I am a self-indulgent bitch who needs to project. So Peter Pevensie x Eilonwy (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Kakashi Hatake x Rei Natsuki (Naruto) are really important to me and I’ve poured so much of myself specifically into their stories. I think it’s safe to say Kakashi and Rei is my all-time favorite ship across all fandoms, though, just because of how much their story means to me. The Scarecrow and The Bell is my magnum opus, my pride and joy, and I’m sure it will be my biggest fandom footprint of my entire life. I’ve dedicated the past three years to this story and these characters and I intend to continue doing it until it no longer brings me joy (which I hope it always will). There’s just so much I could say about this story and Kakashi and Rei’s relationship but I don’t think we have enough time or space in this post for that 😅 Just know that they mean the world to me and I will always hold them in the highest regard as a beautifully messy, flawed, passionate, soulmate-y ship that I love with all of my heart 🥺

EDIT: I also feel obligated to tack on some of my absolute favorite Naruto ships because I may not have written for all of them (yet) but they still make me unbelievably happy or I find them really compelling and enjoy the idea of exploring them: 

Naruhina is precious happy sunshine and The Last honestly felt like a wonderful Disney princess movie to me, it was so cute and the romance was so on-point, Naruhina just makes me so incredibly happy and I love them with all my heart. 

MinaKushi also gets me all up in my feels and I adore them with every fiber of my being. Their romance also gave me Disney princess movie vibes which I love, their story is just so damn sweet as is their character dynamic and I am still so heartbroken that they never got to be a happy family with Naruto because you know what? It’s what they deserved!

SasuSaku is so compelling to me and I really feel like we were cheated out of seeing their relationship develop and evolve postwar in the same way The Last did for Naruhina. They’re my favorite angst ship and while I don’t think they were written that well in canon, I love the possibility and potential of them together and am excited to explore them more in-depth in my own writing. 

NejiTen is just too cute, I really love the way Neji and Tenten’s personalities compliment each other? I don’t have much else to say about them except that I really love them together and think they have so much untapped potential that I also can’t wait to explore in more depth in my own writing. 

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Paper Hearts and Impromptu Bookmarks, probably. I love the premise of this story a lot and I have so many interesting ideas for it but at the same time, it also feels kind of cheap and cringey to me, in a way? It takes all of these ideas I probably would have had if I had been into Naruto when I was a kid and kind of compiles them all into one big story. Kakashi and Aiko’s relationship and story is still really important to me and I want to continue it someday but for right now, I just haven’t had the motivation or desire to write any more of it. I think I’m just so overwhelmingly preoccupied with writing Kakashi and Rei’s story that I can’t imagine writing any other Kakashi x OC fics right now. 

16. What are your writing strengths?

I want to say that I’m really good at capturing complex emotion? I don’t know, I write a lot of angst and mental upheaval in my fics which can be really difficult to try and capture, but I think I do a decent enough job of it? And just writing difficult subjects in general. I think it’s really important to address difficult topics such as mental illness and relationship difficulties and everything but I also want to try and write those topics in a way that is both authentic to the experience while also still tasteful. I don’t want to drive readers away with heavy subject matter but rather present a situation that feels real and authentic while also still being digestible. I may not be doing a very good job of that during the current arc of my fic that I’m working on, but I’m trying haha

EDIT 2: I also want to add onto this to say that I’m really proud of my organizational techniques for writing longfic. It’s not necessarily a strength in terms of the prose itself but it’s something that’s taken me years to really get a grasp on and find a method that works perfectly for me and so far, it’s been extremely helpful and beneficial to me. I don’t know where I would be now as a writer without these essential tools in my pocket. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I feel like I do a really bad job of the “show, don’t tell” thing. It can be really hard to balance descriptive prose with straightforward writing that moves things along. I don’t want to dwell on mental dialogue to the point where you lose track of what’s going on, but I also don’t want my stuff to read like “Character A did xyz. Character B said abc. They went to 123″, whatever. Another thing I struggle with is sentence variation. I always fall into the same patterns when I’m writing prose and I get really self-conscious about it because I don’t want to sound repetitive or disrupt the flow of the writing. One of my favorite things about prose is focusing on the cadence of the words, I think it’s one of the most beautiful things about writing in general, but it can just be really difficult to get a good grip on that. I’ve been told in the past that I apparently have a really good grasp/control of the language or whatever but sometimes I just find that really hard to believe when I look at my work with such scrutiny. I think one of my biggest pet peeves with my own writing, too, is feeling like I start all of my sentences the same five different ways. I’ll read other people’s works and they’ll write sentences like “Glass-blue water lapped against the shores of a deserted beach as a lonely woman gazed off into the distance” and I can just never figure out how to realistically write sentences that start like that in the context of my prose and it drives me fucking crazy, like I’m definitely jealous  😅

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve never really thought much about it before, but I think there are pros and cons! For bilingual/multilingual readers, I think it can be a really enriching reading experience because they know what’s being said in both languages. For people who only know one language, however, unless a translation is provided, I feel like it can be really alienating. I think the best use of that for both worlds is using it as a means for miscommunication humor. Other than that, I think it can be a slippery slope that depends on what kind of reader you are and how it’s written. 

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Chronicles of Narnia! My very first fanfiction was a Narnia fanfic that I barely remember except that it laid the basis for Temptation and my Narnia fanfic series as a whole. I never posted this first iteration anyway, but I remember it was 2008/2009 and I wrote a solid 80 pages (which was wild for me at the time) and had gotten halfway through remixing the events of Prince Caspian when my computer crashed and I lost absolutely everything. I’m still heartbroken that it’s gone forever, not because I’d want to go back and read it necessarily (since I’m sure it was actually hot garbage) but at least for nostalgia’s sake. Either way, like I said, this long-lost fic laid the basis for the very first fanfiction I ever posted, the first published (and never finished) iteration of Temptation back in 2011 on deviantART and the since-defunct Figment. I fell out of the fandom around 2012/2013 and left the story alone for a while before ultimately deciding to completely redux and rewrite the story when the fixation swung back around again between 2016 and 2018. 

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Despite the fact that it’s still in-progress, definitely The Scarecrow and The Bell. This fic just genuinely means so damn much to me and I will cherish it for the rest of my life because of how much it’s given me, how much love and passion and time and even parts of myself that I have poured into this, and also just how expansive of a story this is. Not only does it touch on some very dark and heavy topics, but I’ve also created so much of my own characters and meta for this story that it’s almost an entire universe in and of itself. I’ve just contributed so much additional world-building and created so many new OCs to fill important roles in this story and in Rei’s life, and they’ve all become so deeply important to me as they’ve developed further over the years. I’ve come up with so many interesting ideas for everyone and their lives, which are all slowly becoming so rich and varied. Not to mention that it’s my most popular fic to date as well as my longest fic at 632k and counting. I’ve really just genuinely poured so much of my heart and soul into this story, it’s my absolute favorite thing I’ve ever done and I really mean it when I say that I will cherish it for the rest of my life.