#msr publisher/author au

[cecilysass]

Hello! You once told me that I could always ask you for fic recs so here I am! I’ve only seen up to S2E17 so idk if you have anything that doesn’t deal too heavily after that. Minor spoilers/references are okay, just nothing major. I’m also not a smut person generally. If you can’t think of anything that fits those criteria, feel free to ignore this! I hope you have a lovely day:)

Okay, I am SO EXCITED about this question, but also nervous, because I don’t want to accidentally include something that will spoil you. I am going to throw a few recs out, and maybe others will think of more?

Universal Invariants by syntax6 This is so, so good. It’s a classic. A novel-length casefile, plus an AU riff on season 1 and 2 through the abduction arc, so I think you are entirely good with spoilers. The big change from canon is that Scully is still with her boyfriend, Ethan. (If you don't know Ethan, he is a character that was originally in the Pilot but cut from the actual show.) There are... other changes from canon, but you’ll see. There's some smut, but it’s not the focus. And there's a sequel to this, too, which you will definitely eventually want to read, but you're going to have to finish season 5 first.

the progression (and regression) of first names by skuls Scully works through some early identity issues in relation to Mulder. This author (skuls) is always delightful, always recommended.

Center Mass by kateyes224 This fic provides a painful, in character explanation for what might have happened between them after the Pilot that could have resulted in so much subsequent slow burn. Hot and angsty, but not really smutty.

Early On by sunflowerseedsandscience This is also an AU season 1 with Ethan, but this one is more focused on Scully slowly feeling her attention stray from Ethan as her relationship with Mulder develops. It's a series with ten (short) parts. It's very engaging. There are some smutty parts.

Eight Things That Could Have Happened In Oregon by Stephen Greenwood No spoilers here, only things that didn't happen but might sound like spoilers. This is wistful, a little sad, beautiful, odd. The First Year by mldrgrl Their first New Year's Eve, not long after the Pilot. I love the hesitant vibe here.

Still Feeling My Father Ascend - cecily_sass This is my own fic, so I am being kind of a self promoter recommending it to you. But it’s a Beyond the Sea post ep, and I know my own work pretty well lol, so I know there’s no later spoilers, or only really minor things that won’t be meaningful until later. It was written for a prompt for an early season fic exchange.

And I'm not going to recommend it exactly, but I do want to mention that one of the first works of XF fanfic was actually written in 1993 and published online in 1994, so during season one. It's called The Sound of Windchimes by Sarah Stegall. It's got some serious CW (noncon) and some pretty wild content (I've read it), but if you're brave or curious and interested in fan history, you can check it out. Here's the fanlore page, which includes links.

***

Obviously I can come up with SO MANY MORE fics as you get further along. So just let me know. I would say most XF fic is probably written about seasons 5 / 6 / 7 for whatever reason, so once you're in that range, everyone can give you tons. Anyone have any other favorite early season fic they can recommend? It's sometimes tricky because sometimes early MSR has later details embedded in it...

[frangipanidownunder]

For the 5 hcs: roaring 20s au or author/publisher au!!

1

He stands at her table, skinny latte ready. Her eyes roll up to take him in but she doesn’t move her head. He does see the slight purse of her lips, the flare of her nostrils and hears the small tap of her index finger against the page of her journal.

           “Dr Scully. Do you mind if I join you?” He sits anyway. She reads on, hair swinging over her face. He scans the document, catching some of the words but none of the meaning. “I really enjoyed your senior thesis,” he says, then puts his card next to her coffee.

           She sits back in her chair, sceptical smile playing on her lips. “You’re the one who asked the question about extraterrestrials. What was that all about?”

           “Just seeing where you sat on the plausible vs implausible scale.”

           She shifts slightly, opening her mouth to speak before closing it again. “What do you want, Mr…” she looks at the card. “Dr…Mulder?”

           “I think you have a book in you, Dr Scully, and I’d like to be the one to publish it.”

2

He doesn’t expect to hear from her so soon. He’s running and only answers the phone when he reaches the crossing.

           “Dr Mulder, it’s Dana Scully. We met at the Future of Science Conference.” Her tone is clipped, like she’s trying to hide her words away.

           “You’re intrigued by my proposition.” She doesn’t respond. “But you’d like to meet in person to discuss it more?”

           She suggests the First Ladies Water Garden and they watch the fountain sprays catch the late afternoon sun.

“You’re an Oxford educated psychologist whose sister disappeared when she was eight. You spent time working as an FBI agent, in Violent Crimes, but you quit suddenly. You own a small publishing house called Reticula that specialises in paranormal non-fiction and you also co-publish The Lone Gunman newsletter.” She turns to him. “I find it difficult to believe that you might be interested in what I have to say. Perhaps you should be talking to my partner. What can I possibly bring to your table?”

He looks at the way she’s standing, face tilted, eyebrows raised, hips square to him, shoulders back, hands clasped, feet in high pumps, suit-jacket buttoned. She’s wearing an intrigued, expectant half-smile.

He should say ‘credibility’, he should say ‘integrity’, he should say ‘authority’ but he smiles and says, “earnestness.”

3

He thinks she’s beginning to turn. She listens as he outlines his proposal, asking pertinent questions about potential audience, sales history, promotional requirements. They’re walking back towards the car park when urgent footsteps close in on them.

           “Scully!” A woman’s voice calls out, curt, almost angry.

           Scully slows, looks up at him, apologising with her eyes. “My partner.”

           “Ah,” he smiles, “maybe she might like to co-author?”

           “I doubt it,” Scully says, low. “That would mean sharing.”

           “Diana Fowley,” the woman barks. “Special Agent.” She extends a hand. “You’re the reason I haven’t been able to get hold of my partner.”

           “Sorry,” Scully says, “we were just about finished. I’ll be in contact.”

           “What do you do, Mr…?”

           “Mulder. Doctor Fox Mulder. I’m a publisher.”

           Fowley laughs. But it’s heavy with cynicism and the way she grips his hand so that he has to extract it with some force, makes him feel that the balance in the partnership with Scully is out. “And what could you possibly be talking to Dana for?”

           He doesn’t answer, just nods at Scully and thanks her for her time.

4

She stands at his table, skinny latte ready. His eyes roll up to take her in but he doesn’t move his head. He hopes she sees the slight purse of his lips, the flare of his nostrils and hears the small tap of his index finger against the page of the manuscript.

           “Dr Mulder. Do you mind if I join you?” She sits anyway.

           He reads on, hears her sharp intakes of breath. “A lot of your FBI records are redacted. Why would that be?”

           He shrugs but hears Paterson’s vicious mauling voice in his mind, reminding him what a useless pile of shit he was, and tearing into him for his failure to act quickly enough to stop more innocent children from being murdered.

           Fowley presses on. “Your pursuing of Agent Scully is a mistake. Her area of expertise is too narrow for your domain and I truly cannot understand your fascination.” She slides her fingers to meet his. “Unless, it’s a purely romantic attachment on your part? And if that is the case, Dr Mulder, I can assure you that you are wasting your time on that endeavour. She has a nickname at the Bureau.”

           He bites. “And what’s that?”

           “Agent Orange. Because she burns everyone who gets too close.” Fowley smiles brightly at her own joke. “I do believe that I might have more to offer your publishing house. It seems to me that our way of thinking is much more aligned. Scully has been assigned to debunk my work. She sees everything in black and white, where you and I, we view the world in colours.”

           Pushing his chair back, he apologises. “I have to go. And I’m pretty sure that if you’d thoroughly checked my record, you would have seen my diagnosis of protanopia.”

           He’s missed a call from Scully and when he hears her message, he imagines her aflame, melting hearts, and feels his own heat up in his chest as he gets in the car.

5

He meets Scully at Wan Loy and orders the banquet for two. She is dressed more casually and it suits her, makes her look younger, softer. Not like a woman who sets fire to people for fun. He can’t get enough of her.

           “Agent Fowley approached me today.”

           Her eyes widen. “What did she want?”

           “She wanted in,” he says, dipping a dumpling in soy.

           “But she doesn’t fit the profile.” Scully sips her wine. Outside, it starts raining, water splashing violently against the windows.

           “And you do?”

           She rolls her shoulders. “Look, I might not fit the profile of your other authors, but I can fit the brief. The cases I’ve worked on, the things I’ve seen. Some of them are downright…”

           “Spooky?”

           She laughs. It suits her. She takes in a deep, slow breath. Something is changing within her. “My work has been my only outlet for too long. Over the last few years, I’ve had some…health issues and it forced me to think about the future. My future. Agent Fowley has developed some liaisons with people who don’t fit comfortably with my worldview and…” she stops, looks at him. That same earnest expression that he saw from the outset. The honesty she can’t hide. The truthfulness that runs in her blood. “You want a book about the arcane and the mysterious but explained in scientific terms? I can write it.”

           He doesn’t doubt it. He gets the feeling that Dana Scully’s writing, if it’s anything like her heart, could drag you in, envelope you, never let you go. A tingle runs up his spine. “I read about that case you investigated in Texas where bodies had been completely exsanguinated and bore strange marks, like the holes that fangs might leave.”

           “Agent Fowley suspected vampirism,” she says, rolling her lips together. “She killed a boy…it was terrible.”

           “But what were your findings?”

           She bites into a rice paper roll. “I found out that Agent Fowley can’t sing. And that some alleged vampires are pretty good looking.”

           He smiles, pulls his collar away from his neck. Dana Scully is warming him up in ways he hadn’t expected and he’s here for it. “Do you like bagels?”

           “Only with real cream cheese,” she says. “Why do you ask?”

           “I have them every morning for breakfast.”

           The rain hammers harder and her laugh is sucked up in the noise. “That is quite possibly the worst pick up line I’ve ever heard, Fox.”

           He figures he deserves that. Lightning flashes across the sky and he feels like he’s losing time. “So, you’ll sign with us?”

           She nods, looking out at the lashing rain. “What’s the title of our book going to be, Mulder?”

           The waiter brings silver trays of sizzling beef. The air is filled with aromatic ginger and garlic. “Do you have an idea?”

           Her eyes gleam. Of course she does.

“I was thinking ‘Death is a Drama’.” Her face lights up brighter than the sky in the storm. His heart thunders in his chests. Beginning, middle and end, he thinks. The perfect story.

[crescentmoon223]

Hellooooooo friends! I know it’s been forever and a day since I’ve actually posted here (or written a new fic!) You might know I’m an author as my day job, and I’ve been absolutely swamped with deadlines, but I hope to get back to writing fic soon. I promised Stella and Scully a honeymoon this year, and I do plan to deliver on that! And I’ve still got lots of your prompts waiting for me (sorry for being so slow haha).

In the meantime, here’s a summary of all the fic I’ve published so far. Maybe you’ll find something new to read 😊

So far, I've written for The X Files, The Fall, and Sex Education. Hope you find something you like! :)

Two Worlds Collide Series (Stella/Scully)

Two Worlds Collide My full-length Stella/Scully fic, spanning two decades of angst and love. This one is the reason I started writing fanfic - I love these two ladies with my whole heart! Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

Under the Christmas Lights As they approach their first Christmas together, Scully’s festive side begins to show, but will Stella put a damper on her holiday spirit? Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

Never Tear Us Apart Stella and Scully face unexpected joy - and heartbreak - as their wedding day approaches.

When This is Over Tensions run high when Stella and Scully are forced to self-isolate together at home during a global pandemic. How far will Scully go to convince Stella to take her on a belated honeymoon once this is over? (Hint: bedroom hijinks!)

Playing Doctor When Scully takes a tumble at the park, she needs some caretaking, a role Stella is happy to play.

Paper Thin Scully wants to surprise Stella on their first wedding anniversary, but when her plans go up in smoke, will Stella save the day with a surprise of her own? (Hint: zipper-front dress!) Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

The X Files (Mulder/Scully)

The Realm of Extreme Possibility When Scully experiences a powerful sense of déjà vu that leads her and Mulder to a body in the woods, will he be able to convince her to follow her intuition before it's too late? (Season 5, case file, Mulder’s birthday, banter)

Underneath Your Skin What if it was Mulder and Scully who switched bodies in Dreamland? It’s awkward and embarrassing dealing with the realities of being inside each other’s skin, but ultimately these uncomfortable explorations bring them closer together. (Season 6, Dreamland au, body swap, smut!)

Don't Turn on the Light Stranded on a remote island populated by plants that will release a deadly toxin when the sun rises, will Mulder and Scully give in to temptation on what might be their last night on earth? (Season 4, flashlights, smut, stranded, banter) Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

Chicken Soup for Your Soulmate It started with a cough and ended with a kiss, aka how Mulder cared for Scully when she was sick (Season 7, fluff, sickfic) Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

Temptation When a houseguest puts a damper on their extracurricular activities, will Mulder be able to convince Scully to make an exception to her “no sex in the office” rule? (Season 7, fluff and smut)

Quarter Moon “Come on, Scully, it’ll be like a date.” But a cemetery stakeout on Halloween isn’t her idea of a date. Until things take an unexpected turn… (Season 11, necromancy, Halloween, my explanation for Maggie's quarter necklace and the "whisper in the church")

A Leap of Faith The church behind her had provided the foundation of her faith, but the man beside her represented her leap of faith, a leap she was ready to take…together. (Season 11, Episode: Nothing Lasts Forever, the “whisper in the church,” soft MSR, hurt/comfort)

Ships and Dreams Why did Scully leave Africa when she did? Who killed Diana Fowley? And what was going through Scully’s head when Mulder told her she was his touchstone? A deep dive into The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati. (Season 7, canon divergence) Listen to the audio version on the Audio Fanfic Podcast here.

Misc

International Arrival A special delivery is on the way when Jean Milburn goes into labor in a tunnel under the English Channel, and Dana Scully is the only medical doctor on board the train to deliver the baby… (Sex Education / The X Files crossover just for fun!)

Power At the FBI Academy, young Dana Scully is assigned to spend the day shadowing DSI Stella Gibson in the field. What happens next may shape her future in the Bureau. (student/teacher AU)

Have something you want me to write? Send me a prompt!

Interested in my published books? Find them here.

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Jenna Tooms

Jenna Tooms has 37 stories at Gossamer, plus you can find X-Files stories and more by her at AO3 (as misslucyjane). I've recced some of my favorites of her fics here before, including the MSR Christmas story An Acceptable Level of Happiness and the historical AU Katherine of Ireland. Big thanks to Jenna for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

Yes, definitely. I had no idea there was still an active X-Files fandom.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

For the most part, it was pretty good. I made a lot of great friends that I'm still in contact with, and I think I learned a lot (by trial and error) about how to behave online.  Writing fanfic with a built-in audience did a lot for my confidence as a writer.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

Message boards at first, then mostly email mailing lists.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Writing fic made me a better writer. Fandom has introduced to a lot of amazing people.

But there were some bad feelings, mostly the vitriol directed at Doggett and Reyes, towards the end of the series that ruined the rest of it for me. I've kind of held back from getting super-involved in fandom since.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

I've always liked things like ghost stories and cryptozoology, so that drew me in at first. I think my first episode was The Host in summer reruns, as I was working Friday nights at the time and only learned about it from my dorm mates. We lived together again in an off-campus apartment a year or two later, and by then XF was on Sunday nights so that was our standing Sunday night appointment TV.

I feel old.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I knew what fanfic was, more or less, and had been writing since Star Wars: A New Hope was originally released. When I first wanted to get involved in XF fandom I went looking for other fans, and found the OBSSE (Order of the Blessed Saint Scully the Enigmatic) newsletter, which had fanfic recs. I can't remember what story it was specifically but I'm pretty sure it was by MustangSally.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Like an ex whose good times were very, very good, but whose bad times were horrid.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I've been involved, to various degrees, in Harry Potter, Supernatural, Doctor Who/Torchwood, MCU, and Sherlock fandoms, and dabbled in a few smaller ones.

I've also playing in a multi-fandom role-play game since 2004, that introduced me to some great fandoms and some amazing people. The game is kind of a fandom in itself, and is the only thing I've been as intensely involved in as X-Files.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

Dana Scully, Steve Rogers, Sherlock Holmes (any incarnation), Deadpool, Sansa Stark, Aang, Groot, Peter Parker, Wonder Woman. Yes, I am looking at my Funko Pops :).

I tend to like characters who are trying to do good in the world, or who stay strong in the face of adversity. I have no explanation for Deadpool except that he's Deadpool.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

No, not really. I haven't watched the new series or any of the movies since the first one. I think of Mulder and Scully fondly, but I don't feel the need to revisit them.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

X-Files, no. If I come along something promising in a fandom I'm interested in like the MCU or Sherlock, or if something is recommended by someone whose taste I trust or written by an author I ready like, then I'll read it.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

I really liked bugs, Rachel Anton, David Hearne, Plausible Deniability, Penumbra, Terma99, and OneMillionStars, I think their pen name was? [Lilydale note: I think this is Onemillionandnine.] Some stories I liked are "Condemned to Repeat It" [Lilydale note: by Branwell], "Cherry Ripe" by Rachel Anton [Lilydale note: co-written with Laura Blaurosen], "Cadenza" (part 1, part 2) by Terma99, and "Twelve Inches" by Federal Dust. There were more but all my saved files were lost several computers ago. 

[Lilydale note: try as I might, I could not find “Twelve Inches” online, not even a mention of it. However, I have a copy saved from 2003 (!!). It’s a season 8 story with the summary “In trying to understand his own feelings about women and relationships, Doggett inadvertently helps Scully understand Mulder.”]. 

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Favorite X-Files fic is Draw Down the Moon, a Scully/Doggett post-canon AU.

Favorite in general is Apocalyptic Love Songs, a Supernatural Dean/Castial fic I wrote for a Big Bang challenge. I'd had the idea for a modern-day Grail quest for a long time -- originally as an XF fic, in fact -- but could never figure out how to do it until Supernatural came along.

(Because of the actions of some unscrupulous persons, all my fic on AO3 is locked to members.)

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

No, I don't see that happening.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I write a little fanfic now and then, mostly for Yuletide or other challenges that catch my eye.

I have been writing and publishing original work since 2007 with a small publisher that is now shut down. I'm now publishing independently.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

It's hard to say. Sometimes I hear a line or two of dialogue in my head and want to see where the conversation goes. Sometimes I just have a random thought of "What if..." and have to find the answer to that question.

What's the story behind your pen name?

I get bored of names easily so I've changed it a few times. I currently write fic as Misslucyjane, which is a nickname my mother calls me.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

They knew I write it, they don't know the content. I'm okay with that.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Fanfic is at misslucyjane.me (though I haven't updated it in ages) and Archive of Our Own (as misslucyjane). Original fiction, largely M/M romance, is posted or linked at jennalynnbrown.com. I hang out on Twitter as @misslucyjane.

(Posted by Lilydale on September 22, 2020)

[txf-fic-chicks-blog]

Casefile Monday

When we here at @txf-fic-chicks (@kateyes224 and @piecesofscully) recently learned that one of the most prolific and widely renowned writers in our fandom’s history joined the dumpster fire that is Tumblr, we were shocked, a little starstruck, and wondering if we needed to tidy up around here.  But honestly, we couldn’t be happier.  Syntax6 has written some of the best casefiles and AUs our fandom now hails as must-reads, so we were hardly surprised (and thrilled to bits) to find out that she is now a published author.

So to celebrate Syntax6′s arrival here on Tumblr, we’re featuring one of her best casefiles.  Tonight’s read is a Season Six thriller about a serial killer terrorizing the streets of Boston, but as usual, Syntax6 ratchets up the tension in her own unique way.  In this story, Scully is struggling with whether to leave Mulder and the X-Files when she’s given the opportunity to take the lead on this case and is subsequently farmed out to Boston P.D. to lend a hand.  Syntax6 also throws in a cast of original characters that we come to really care about, and she brings back some of our old favorite secondary characters, including Diana Fowley, who serves as a foil for MSR and turns up to meddle in her sly, self-serving way at the worst possible moments.  

This is a fast-faced whodunit that somehow manages to neatly gather the many loose ends of the story up in a tidy bundle but will have you scratching your heads and balancing on the edge of your seat until the last possible moment.  

Now that’s what we call talent.  Welcome to Tumblr, @syntax6.

Title:  Overnight Sensation

Author: @syntax6

Rating: NC-17

Length: 176K / word count:  88,000+

Synopsis:  Set post Two Fathers/One Son, Mulder and Scully struggle to get back on the same page as a serial killer stalks couples in the Boston area.

Spoilers:  Through Two Fathers/One Son

Possible Triggers:  Depictions of murder and rape that pertain to the casefile

[ghostbustermelanieking]

first lines meme

thanks for the tag @sunflowerseedsandscience​!!

Rules: List the first five lines of your last 20 stories (or however many you have altogether. WIPs count). See if there are any patterns. Then, tag your favorite authors.

casefile wip:  If there was some kind of self-help book for coming back from the dead, Mulder was considering buying a copy. Or investing in one.

iwtb emily au wip: She doesn't remember anything about her first parents.

askbox prompt wip - i love you: when i am dead:  “It him?” the detective asks, and she says, “Yeah,” and leaves the room on wobbly legs.

i love you: when we lay together on the fresh spring grass: (msr, unremarkable house) When they’d first bought the house, the idea of domesticity had seemed novel to her, after all those years of hotel living and dusty comforters and greasy food and never feeling completely clean. It felt like playing house at first, like it was way too much fun to really be living.

i love you:  muffled, from the other side of the door: (post-emily) Mulder drives her to a hotel after the funeral.

the truth we both know (emily au, s9 au, msr): The pain washes over her in waves, Mulder and Monica's voices blurring with the faces of strangers. Mulder's hand is wrapped around her ankle, fingers leaving warm lines on her sweaty skin as he stands in front of them protectively, one hand over the butt of his gun. Clutched protectively to her chest, their son wails incessantly.

writer’s pen (csm, meta crack): The aliens were watching her and the smoker stood over her, token Morley in hand. “What do you want from me?” Scully asked, gripping her elbows tightly. “Where’s Mulder?” The writer sighs, shaking the ashes off of his cigarette into the ash tray and pressing his nicotine-stained fingers to his forehead. He’ll have to call his publisher and tell him that the book isn’t working out.

a blanket, the lights, and the sky (msr, college au): Scully’s flopped over his desk chair, writing furiously. She’s managed to steal both his sweatshirt and his glasses, and there’s a splotch of red on her cheek from where she’s been resting it on her hand. They’d agreed, somewhat, to study in his dorm room because it was quieter (his roommate transferred in the second month of the school year), but Mulder’s gotten little to no amount of work done.

half-light (msr, s10 au, s1 au): It’s not a question at this point of how many times this has happened, but a question of “is this the time that will do it”. Mulder could try and romanticize it, but there’s nothing there to romanticize. He holds Scully as she bleeds out. And then he’s shot in the back.

under the stars (minimal fate required) (msr, aus):  The X-Files are never shut down and Scully is never abducted.

things you said when you kissed me goodnight (msr):  It’s not the first time they’ve been in quarantine and it certainly won’t be the last, but this is definitely the most severe he’s seen.

things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear (msr, cancer arc):  She seems tired at the end of the day, drawn face and circles around her eyes, fatigue tugging at her body. Mulder offers to go and pick up some food. “Something light on your stomach,” he promises. She tries to smile before shutting the door to her hotel room.

things you said on the phone at 4 am (msr, s7):  The most absurd thing about this whole… situation is that she’s forgotten how to sleep alone.

things you said when you were drunk (s2): His glass is half empty, and he nudges it away with two fingers, resting his forehead in his hands. The files that he’s requested are scattered around the table - all the recent UFO sightings in the US.

things you said that made me feel real (msr, cancer arc, 4x19: synchrony): They stop for dinner before heading back to the hotel, even though Scully’s stomach is wrenched to the point of not wanting to eat. She picks blandly at a salad, and Mulder looks embarrassed to be eating a larger meal. They talk about the case, about Jason and Lisa and th e strange old man.

things you said in your sleep/ things you said after we fell in love (msr, post-cancer arc):  She’s been sleeping almost constantly since her release from the hospital, draped out over her couch or her bed, books spine up and page down beside her and reading glasses still perched on her nose. She’s been going slowly crazy with the lack of activity, especially in the hospital, so she tries to keep busy. One week into her medical leave, she calls Mulder at the office.

things you said while i cried in your arms (msr, 4x04: unruhe): She stumbles from Schnauz’s trailer, pins and needles dancing through her numb fingers, arms up over her eyes to protect her eyes from the blinding sun.

things you said in the dark (msr, field trip): He wakes up when light slices into his hospital room, blinking blearily until his vision clears. She is a silhouette in the doorway, tiny in her hospital gown. “I thought you were dead,” she says.

things you said when no one else was around /// things you were afraid to say (msr, ftf): His hand was bizarrely warm as it cupped her cheek in the ship below the earth, pushed her hair away from her face as he urged her to breathe. It had been the warmest thing in the chamber as she’d been surrounded by ice.

where the love light gleams (emily, william, post-series au):  There is a sidewalk in the place where they live, with two handprints, and the names Samantha and Jeffrey, carved into the cement. William is fascinated by them, fitting his hand into the prints. “That’s your aunt,” the smoker says to him, pointing to Samantha’s name and ignoring Emily completely. She ignores him right back, and gets a rock to scratch their names into the pavement - William and Emily in scrawly white lines so light they look like they might fade.

patterns? um some kind of dramatic - and usually surreal - hook i guess? i write a lot of weird stuff actually lol i just remembered.

i tag @wtfmulder​ @alittlemissfit​ @quxnce​ @foxmulders​ and anyone else who wants to do this!

[xfilesnews]

FanWorks Wednesdays - crossedbeams

by Keva Andersen

After a short hiatus, we’re back with our author profile series! Meet @crossedbeams. She’s a relative newcomer to the fandom and found her way to The X-Files in a way that’s a little different than most. But despite only meeting Mulder and Scully a short time ago, she’s taken to the characters like an author who’s been with them for years.

Take some time and read through crossedbeams’ collection of “MSR Moments,” a collection of ficlets and prompts that are fun snapshots of Mulder and Scully’s day-to-day life. With a little angst thrown in too, of course. If AU’s are your thing I highly recommend “One Week at Quantico.” The story looks at what might have been had Mulder been teaching at the Academy while Scully was there. Jump in for this line: “But for the sake of argument, quantum physics doesn’t actually rule out time travel” and stay for the rest of the story! And if, like me, you’re looking for a great post-revival kick in the feels check out “Lost Letters.” The story explores how Mulder and Scully deal with Maggie Scully’s death in a world where “Babylon” and “My Struggle II” don’t exist.

We talked with crossedbeams about writing, inspiration, and of course The X-Files.

How long have you been a Phile?

I'm pretty new! I think I watched my first ever episode in November 2015, I completed my first watch through two days before the revival started and I joined the online fandom a year ago! I came at it all kinda backwards... I'm a massive theatre nerd who missed the London run of “Streetcar” (my favourite play) thank to illness, and had never quite gotten over it! The NY show announced summer of 15 and I'd already decided I was going, hell or high water. Then when I was reading about the production it mentioned that “Blanche” was in The Fall, I'd only seen Ep.1 so I got hooked on that, figured I'd see what else Gillian had done, saw The X-Files, I only knew it was one of those cult shows I'd missed thanks to my TV-less childhood and so I figured I'd give it a go... little I knew!

What was your first episode?

The pilot! I'm a completist to a boring level, chronology is my jam (which makes late season mythology suuuper fun!). I think I actually saw the pilot three times before I made it further, once with my sister who wasn't interested, once when I was so tired I couldn't remember what happened and then finally the day I watched most of S1 in one hit. Whoops!

How long have you been writing fic?

According to my blog I posted my first drabble on March 28th, 2016! So almost a year, which seems both way too long (I still feel like a desperate newbie) and not long enough.

What inspired you to start writing?

I've always been a reader, no TV as a kid = loaded bookshelves, my family are wordy, my degree is in English literature and I work with books, so words are my most constant companion. I've always liked to write, the process of catching an idea or a sensation just perfectly in a sentence is on of the most satisfying things I can think of, but while I was at Uni, it was like a switch flicked in my head. I think it was perhaps the first time in my life I was truly unhappy for more than a few hours, and also the first time I didn't have anyone to talk to that I trusted. I became very isolated, shut myself in my room a lot and all the words that used to be my friends where just fighting in my head, angry or sad or whatever, the noise was endless. And on day I just snatched up my laptop and started writing. I don't even remember what, probably some self-pitying explosion of adjectives, and for a little while I felt better. I wrote a lot of poetry, essays and journaled while I was at uni, my only attempt at stories was curtailed by a creative writing tutor who I despised, but in one form or another I've been writing ever since.

Who is your favorite XF character to write?

Originally it was Scully, I tend to gravitate to female voices and hers is the kind of awesome, no-nonsense, bad ass lady voice I wish I had, but lately Mulder has crept in and I honestly enjoy writing both their perspectives equally, though Scully still comes a little more easily. “Quantico” was the first time I feel like I successfully pulled off a split narrative between the two and kept both their characters completely clear. My absolute favourite thing to write though are the bits in between the characters, the omniscient narrator parts where you get to dig into your vocab to try and describe succinctly the emotional impact of a word, or the desperation of their need etc. But that's not really a character so... Scully!

Are there any XF characters you dislike or find too difficult to write?

Besides Mulder and Scully, I've only ever tried to write Maggie, and that was in letter format which is kind of a cheat, so I don't feel like I've necessarily got enough experience to answer this well. I'm pretty good at writing within a brief, so I'm not adverse to writing anyone, I just don't have any ideas for most of them! I suppose Reyes appeals to me the least, just because I don't feel like I ever properly connected to her or understood her true purpose in TXF universe (especially post-revival). I don't dislike her at all, I just don't get her and so likely couldn't do her justice.

Is there a story you're most proud of or that's a favorite?

I think “Quantico” will always be special because it took me by surprise; it was the little request drabble that grew and I am still overwhelmed by people's response to it... but.. “Trinity” is my baby, and also my great shame, because it's been a WIP for way too long and I'm still dithering. I'm proud of it because it's the biggest risk I've taken in my writing; my first proper case file and my first attempt at crossover. Writing Scully, Stella Gibson, and Blanche Dubois into one canon compliant universe is possibly the stupidest idea I have ever run with, but so far it has paid off and the feedback from those prepared to risk it has been phenomenal. I love writing Blanche, Stella fights me and Scully is my safe place but the mental process of characterizing that story, advancing that plot, is the most satisfying, terrifying, exhausting writing I've ever done. And I desperately need to get on with it.

Where can people find your work, and what's the best way to send feedback?

I have a master list that I update regularly on my blog header and I'm also on AO3 as crossedbeams and everything is indexed there too. Feedback can be via tumblr message, comment or ask, AO3 comment or people can email crossedbeamsfic@gmail.com I'm still amazed that people read what I write so any feedback is the cherry on top! I'm also good with constructive criticism, I'm still new and learning after all.

Do you take fic prompts from fans?

Yes, though it can take a while. There are guidelines to what I will/won't write on the Request A Fic tab on my blog, and a disclaimer too! But I'm always open to discuss it.

Have you written your own original characters outside of fandom?

Yes. I have a few unfinished short stories, a couple of finished ones, and in my previous incarnation on tumblr I wrote a pretty long, often terrible, series that covered several generations of a cast of original characters!

Anything you’d like to share about your writing process?

I'm kind of a messy writer. I write mostly in long sittings and the words just come. Most of my favourite drabbles have been written in a single sitting and posted when the last full stop drops. (Hence the typos in early reblogs!) I find this stops me over working the prose and getting too verbose but it does also backfire at times. I find it much harder to write longer form pieces, because my writing is often emotion driven. There was a six week gap between most of “Quantico” and the final two chapters, a four week gap between parts 3 and 4 of “Close”  partly because I put immense pressure on myself to "finish things well" but also because emotionally I couldn't find the right groove. “Quantico” began in a fluffy, happy place where I was optimistic and not in my head, “Close”… I think I was tipsy and had come in from a date! Trying to finish those fics as they deserved to be finished when a week later I was miserable and self-flagellating, or feeling decidedly unsexy felt almost impossible. I often wish my process were more considered and structured, that I could sit and get down a couple hundred words and edit it better later, but my mind just doesn't work that way, and I've learned that I can't force it to.

Do you have a favorite author? (fanfic or published!)

Only about 9000000! Fic wise, @somekindofseizure on tumblr has a gorgeous way with words I envy and aspire to. I could list so many more but I'll only leave people out so I'll just say that if you check my ficrecs tag you'll find so many people, many of whom I'm lucky enough to count as friends, who do so many things so well. Some of them are plot beasts, others ruin me with beautiful language and some are just steam queens.

My favourite print authors are probably Ngugi, John Burnside, LM Montgomery, Roald Dahl, Alice Hoffman and Oscar Wilde.

Is there any advice you'd give to aspiring writers?

Just do it. Keep doing it. Until you've actually scribbled or typed something down it's only ever an idea. Even if you hate it, keep it, try again. You can't get better at something you're not actually doing and thinking your ideas til you're blue in the face doesn't count! Read, learn what you like and don't, be inspired. Keep writing. And don't compare your work to the work of others, you'll never match "their voice" so don't try. Mark yourself against yourself, if you capture something better every time you sit down and write, you're headed the right way. Just do you, do it regularly, ask for help, and keep going!

Anything else you'd like to share that I missed?

I'd just like to say thank you for asking me to participate, I'm still finding my feet in this strange new fandom place and I am so very grateful to you for asking, to all those who read my writing and to everyone who has embraced me and made this such a great year, I've been a fangirl of many things, but it's my first time as part of a family and it's been such a lifeline.

Thank you so much to crossedbeams for talking with us! We’re always looking for authors both new and old favorites, so if you have suggestions please message us here, hit us up on twitter or facebook.