#on something of a role these days when it comes to writing asoiaf fic in the blackfyre rebellions era

[kazz-brekker]

*emerges from my writing cave once again* well, here's my 3rd asoiaf fic in as many days, this one being about daeron the drunken and daemon ii blackfyre drowning their sorrows together and talking about prophetic dreams

[hilarychuff]

Top five fics you’ve written

top five fics i've written!!!! ok these are not necessarily recs because i am not saying they are the BEST and they are certainly not FINISHED or some of them even ACTIVE, but in terms of faves that are my little babies.......

i carry it in mine

this one has been slow on updates lately, but this was one of my first forays into writing jonsa and not just reading jonsa. i always like a soulmate au but i liked being able to do this one on my own terms, figuring out what it would mean for them personally. also honestly one of the inciting ideas was what would've happened if sansa had gone to dragonstone instead of jon, so it's been really fun playing with that and fitting them into each other's roles in those parts of the storyline.

howl

ok i love scream!!! love scream. and i LOOOOOOVE making aus. as i've said before, my brain is a constantly generating au machine. i'm watching something new for the first time and already trying to see which of my blorbos fits in and where. but it's been really fun fitting sansa etc into the scream stories, especially with the challenge of not necessaaaaaaarily thinking it all through ahead of time and then having to work within the constraints i've created as i go. i've been letting howl 3 percolate, but i've been doing some really good thinking about it lately and i'm excited to get to it soon!

things we lost in the flames, things we found in the ashes

agents of shield was one of my major fandoms before i really meaningfully joined the asoiaf fandom, and as a major jemma simmons stan, i didn't always love how her storylines were handled in the show. i wanted to write this one to sort of fill in what felt like missing material after jemma came back from hydra and rejoined the team. it's just a lil thing but i think i started rewatching the show at some point in the earlier pandemic days because i'd been a season 1 appreciator and had fallen off at some point around season 5? season 4? and when i got to season 2 this just basically poured out of me. anyway!! i love jemma but i also love mack and i wanted them to be friends but also to SEE how they got there, so that was important to me.

but god can be funny

hdjghdflkgjhdkjgh tragically i never had a strong idea for the plot here. i just watched resurrection on abc and was like "what if my fave harry potter characters started coming back to life at some point in the indeterminate hp future." the drama of that!!! the emotions!!! it was too much to resist even though i didn't have a plan where i was going. i still think about some of it and still don't have any idea of what i would do with it plotwise. but sometimes i just want to have the EMOTION!!! you know????

real is a subjective concept

lmao ok i did actually start rewriting this one at some point in the pandemic and then fell off of that too and i am not necessarily proud of the writing in here (hence why i started rewriting it) BUT again i love an au!!! and i love lily evans and i love the mediator series and i loved playing with how those two things would fit together. i had/have?? ideas for multiple stories ala the different books in the series. but mostly i just loved the idea of a mediator lily, ghost james, how they might start to get to know each other and clash or help each other or become allies or friends or whatever. idk i still just love thinking about the scene of them sitting on the roof of his former frat house. i think it's special.

[klarolinefanclub]

Klaroline Fan Club Rec List : Game of Thrones AU's

Winter is coming? Winter is here! Haven't seen the show and worried these fics are not for you? Worry not! These ten talented KC authors have written enjoyable AU's for everyone. Join Klaroline Fan Club as we slip into the complex world of GoT, but Klaroline-style.

💍a lover's concerto by @highgaarden

“Would it make you feel better,” he said, “if I named one of my dragons after you?”

“It would not,” she said primly, but Klaus hardly missed the little flare of curiosity in her eyes

.“Qeldlie, I think I’ll name her,” Klaus decided. “It means golden. After your hair.”

Caroline, who had not yet started to learn High Valyrian, had to take his word for it.

Fan Club: Taking a break from the canon-typical violence that GoT and TVD share, but_seriously has crafted an AU that is a triumph. The writing is so well-balanced that even if you are not a GoT fan, you will still love seeing the familiar moments of Klaus’s initial attraction to Caroline in this sweet arranged marriage fic.

🤝burn your kingdom down by @definedareasofuncertainty

When Caroline Forbes, the Wardeness of the North, decides to start a war against the King of the Seven Kingdoms, she finds an unlikely ally in the rightful heir to the throne.

Fan Club: On the smuttier side, Burn Your Kingdom Down explores KC as allies turned lovers, who are prohibited from being together due to their shared political goals. Pick this fic up for Caroline being a total badass and Wardeness of the North. And stay for chemistry so palpable you cannot help but root for them against impossible odds.

💑growing strong by @xxafterthestormxx [ao3]

The War of the Dawn has ended, and Niklaus Lannister sits the Iron Throne. He wants nothing more to rebuild the six kingdoms of Westeros. Short on money, the Hand, Elijah Baratheon comes up with an elegant if not unwelcome solution; marry Caroline Tyrell, the daughter of the richest man in the kingdom. A GoT AU

Fan Club: As with all of their fics, xxredwineandambiencexx puts so much care and attention into fleshing out characters and having their thoughts and emotions drive the fic. The development of Klaus and Caroline’s feelings for one another feels natural and makes for one satisfying conclusion. 

👑his queen of love and beauty by @maevelin

"You are mine Caroline, no man or God could ever change this; Not now not ever. You were always meant to be my Queen." He had given up everything in fire and blood for the promise of a kiss. It only took a spark of light, an act of betrayal, and blood rained. Klaroline AU. Inspired by Asoiaf and Game of Thrones.

Fan Club: Inspired by the Rhaegar and Lyanna romance, maevelin depicts the intimacy and eventual tragedy of Klaus and Caroline's relationship through interweaving flashbacks and present-day scenes. The prose in this fic is superb and flows so smoothly that the fic is over before you know it.

⚔️poison under her skin by @deathsweetqueen

In which Caroline takes up a spear and manages to hit the smug Prince of Dorne. 

Fan Club: In only 3000 words is deathsweetqueen able to build a world where Klaus assumes the role of Oberyn Martell and Caroline is Lyanna Stark. As Klaus teaches Caroline how to fight, details emerge, revealing the heart-breaking reason why Caroline is in the foreign territory of Dorne. This fic touches upon the harsh mistreatment of women in the GoT universe, so be mindful of the tags!

🐉something so magic (about you) by @lynyrdwrites [ao3]

Caroline as Khaleesi and Klaus as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.

Fan Club: Queen Caroline, better known as Khaleesi in this fic, carries herself with grace and confidence in lynyrdlionheart’s one-shot about forbidden love. The connection between Klaus and Caroline is inescapable, and the appearances by Rebekah, Bonnie, and some friendly dragons are perfectly timed.  

👸that i give you not my hand but my heart by @erica-dreams-in-colour [ao3]

Sold as wife to Legatus Niklaus Mikaelson in exchange for the command of ten thousand soldiers, Caroline Salvatore resigns herself to a political marriage where her husband sees her merely as another pawn in the game of war. But on the brink of a looming rebellion, the two stand to learn a valuable lesson: love isn't based on gratitude, and respect isn't based on debt.

Fan Club: A riveting Spartacus and GoT fusion which explores the politics and emotional calamities of an arranged marriage. she.daydreams.in.colour skillfully weaves together two different universes, Roman times with the gladiators and GoT with their dragons, into this well-written fic.

♟the queen and the wolf by @supernutellastuff

"The happiest day of Caroline’s life was when she was wed to the King of the Seven Kingdoms. The saddest day of Caroline’s life was when her new husband called out another woman's name in bed." Stuck in a loveless marriage, she may be on her own in court, but Caroline Forbes of Casterly Rock is far from a naive player in the game of thrones. Amidst the lies and intrigue, she finds herself forging a connection with Klaus Mikaelson, the Wolf from the North, a formidable swordsman and sworn protector of her own husband, King Stefan.

Fan Club: A treat for GoT and non-GoT fans alike. For non-GoT fans, expect a bodyguard AU that oozes sexual tension between our favorite couple. For GoT fans, be amazed by the number of Easter eggs supernutellastuff slips into this perfectly-paced fic.

🌅when the sun has set by @accidental-rambler

Caroline Tyrell wants to be the Queen. Married to Stefan Baratheon, who carries on a much closer relationship with her own brother than her, she's set on a path leading straight to the Iron Throne. Until she meets Niklaus Stark - the young King in the North, seeking revenge for the death of his father and leading the Northern army to free his sister Rebekah from the Red Keep. Fascination brews between the two from the moment their paths align. But nothing ever comes easy in the land of Westeros.

Fan Club: This fic captures the power dynamics and battle for the throne that we love so much about GoT. Accidentalrambler writes a clever, cunning Caroline with astute perspectives on the backwards nature of politics in Westeros. Please join us in the comments to ask for more of this multi-chapter!

💨white winds blow by @helpless-in-sleep

Caroline Forbes waits anxiously in the Riverlands to hear of the return of her betrothed, Elijah Mikaelson, from the uprising against the mad King Silas. Instead, a letter arrives from his younger brother, Lord Niklaus, telling her of Elijah's death and offering to uphold the joining of their houses himself. She will become the Lady of Winterfell, but Lord Niklaus, waiting at the heart tree, is a stranger.

Fan Club: Perfectpro captures the initial tension and discomfort that arises as a result of an unexpected arranged marriage in this beautifully written fic modeled after GoT’s Ned and Catelyn Stark relationship. A mature, poignant read.

A Note from Klaroline Fan Club

While our February rec list is set, our March theme will be Supernatural AU’s, so please submit your recs to our Ask Box as soon as possible!

We hope you enjoy reading these fics! A warm thanks to those who submitted their own recs. Please support these writers with your comments, reviews, and kudos!

💗Klaroline Fan Club

Craving some KC to kick off your 2022? Check out Fan Club's previous fic rec lists:

All-Human High School & College AU’s

Klaroline Through the Decades

Halloween Rec List

Coffee Shop AU's

Winterfest Rec List

[virareve]

I too have Imposter Syndrome, buddy. Let's power through! Tell me more about the MLBAU!

hi @forbiddenfantasies1! Sorry I’m so late, work has been terrible (which you’ve heard me say) but I’m here now to distract you from the elections for a bit <3 (and then write up about my other wip per another ask hopefully soon)

MLB is for Miraculous Ladybug and not Major League Baseball. XD I started this fic baby awhile back and have been working on it here and there for a year/year and half. This is one of my more extensive pieces that is far from being finished T.T

I’m hoping that maybe in….three years(?) ill be done.  Rough estimates at this point have it at 150-200k words.  In case anyone is wondering why I don’t post it now, I learned from my baby writing days under another pseud I get a lot of performance anxiety and freeze if I post something before its done. 

Some things about it::

It has a JB focus as they are the main miraculous holders and my fave ASoIaF ship (XD) but it has multiple viewpoints and storylines

Bc there’s varying aged characters, some will be in high school, university, or grad school and mentions, influences on the plot bc of the school year lol

We catch brienne at what she believes is going to be the end of her superhero career. With that comes some major questions like the relationship she has with her masked partner and what it will mean if she does leave behind the city she’s been protecting for years.

Margaery is also a miraculous holder, and jaimes a jackass who riles her up lol

Some characters who are set to play some role in the story at this point include, sansa, arya, robb, jon, young griff, daenerys, catelyn stark, and allyria dayne

The martell family factors into this story but they don’t make an appearance until the end

A few specific miraculous (2) are family heirlooms, being passed down generation to generation. I’ve only seen around 20% of MLB episodes but I kept it that way bc I wanted to take the idea I got from the show and run it my way without too much external influence so I took what I know and then just started deciding my own limitations, etc. 

The story while taking place in the present does have a multigenerational plot 

There may or may not be twincest bc i lowkey enjoy delving into the repercussions effects, and influences that started it (im a hoe for external and internal conflicts)

There’s some discussion of targaryen madness and dany is getting her gd red door and lemon tree bc i'm out here for my girl having a place to call home

Jeyne Westerling and Talisa Maegyr are in this

some characters who are miraculous holders at the beginning, are nor the ones the ones who hold the same miraculous at the end

One of the first notes I wrote when outlining this story was: “robb sticks his hand in his backpack looking for his keys when he gets home when he finds a box meant for ********-his instant response is “oh hell no” (after all the shit he’s so not down)” so make of that what you will :P

This was such a haphazard mix of things to put down, but I feel like anything concrete I put right now might be too revealing(?) so I wanted to save it for later when this story appears a century from now and no one is prob around the fandom anymore XD. 

[dwellordream]

I’ve been reading haunt/hunt and I absolutely love how you wrote Nell and her story as well as how you flesh out all the female characters in your fic! So far chapter 45 probably made me the most emotional that I have a lot of feels about it. I’d love a Director’s Commentary and your thoughts writing it, especially the dream Nell has about Bethany and the whole grief and rage and pain that comes with it. Also, Walda’s side during her conversation with Nell would be interesting.. thank you!

thank you! I really dreaded all of Nell’s chapters at the Twins because I’d already gotten some backlash over the plot that culminated with Robb’s ‘death’ and her ending up a captive, and I figured frustration was just going to build the longer I spent writing Nell basically treading water at the Twins trying to figure out how she was going to escape. ultimately I’m pleased with how these chapters turned out but at the time I was always a bit anxious and tense when writing and posting them, because I was worried it was just going to be people in the comments going ‘this sucks. why am I reading this, again?’ (not that there isn’t room for criticism of those plot points, I think the pacing of Haunt/Hunt is a bit janky overall, but... not all that much I can do about that at this point haha) I knew the major setpiece of the chapter would be the sept at the Twins, the same one where Edmure and Roslin were just married, the same one that at the Freys presumably pray in... septs are always foreign places for Nell because she wasn’t brought up in that faith, never had a septa, and there was never a sept at the Dreadfort or Barrowton.  the obvious contrast here is that the sept is a holy place but it’s also at the site of a massive betrayal, and in the midst of this service Nell is plotting and scheming. there’s also the fact that this takes place shortly after Joffrey’s death, and so the Freys are mourning one boy-king after having just slaughtered another. Nell is so shocked and in grief that she can’t even summon up much triumph at Joffrey’s death, as she acknowledges that they will just crown Tommen instead, who is just a child being manipulated by the adults around him. I think it also highlights a main point of the fic- Haunt/Hunt is not a retelling of the entire ASOIAF story, it’s just narrowly focused on the North and the prominent characters there. I feel bad sometimes because I sometimes think readers are expecting me to suddenly pivot to characters like Dany or Cersei or the Martells, and while obviously their actions have consequences for everyone in Westeros, they’re not really the focus here. finally we get to the convo between Fat Walda and Nell. Walda is obviously very wary of Nell, given recent events and the fact that she’s married to Nell’s father. Nell sees Walda dressed in Bolton colors and thinks about how she used to take such pride in her house, and how when she first met Robb she was pretty snotty and felt him childish and beneath her. she feels horrific guilt over even being married to Robb in the first place, wondering if he’d married someone else he might still be alive and winning the war. she also feels so lost without the one person in her life besides Dana who she felt like really chose her and loved her in spite of her flaws.  Nell and Robb’s love story is really crucial to the story as a whole and it obviously still plays a major role even after he’s dead.  we then flash back to Walda, who, despite everything that’s happened and her torn loyalties, does genuinely sympathize with Nell and promises to keep Lysara safe. Nell is less than impressed with this, but does warn Walda about Ramsay- although it’s not just from concern for Walda, but fear for Lysara’s safety. she also warns Walda that Roose loves no one and nothing but himself, and whether he treats her well as his wife or not, he can’t be relied upon to keep her safe from Ramsay. Walda does, to her credit, take Nell seriously, and reveals her pregnancy, while confessing that Roose hasn’t, in her opinion, been all that cruel to her, adding that he is a much finer match than she could have ever hoped for as a Frey. many people acknowledge that canonically Walda seems quite pleased with Roose as a husband, praising him in her letters and seeming eager to have children with him and rule the Dreadfort. I wanted to keep some of that while acknowledging that, well, this Walda was also friends with his daughter... who’s just been betrayed and imprisoned and had her husband murdered... and is about to have her daughter taken from her.  Roose isn’t a good or kind person and I think Walda recognizes that while at the same time feeling that, well, he may be a murderer and a rapist and a traitor, but he’s not constantly bullying and insulting her, he doesn’t beat her, and any children she has with him will have a claim to the at-present most powerful house in the North. so is she in love with him? no. but she is used to having to be very pragmatic, given her upbringing. jumping to the dream sequence (actually the last time we’ve seen Bethany in a dream in this fic, I believe) it’s kind of a call to arms? it’s just the culmination of all Nell’s rage and pain and sorrow, triggered by the new loss of her daughter. she dreams she is back in her mother’s bedchambers in the Dreadfort, watching her waste away from illness, and for the first time she really goes off on dream!Bethany, voicing the pain and fury she still feels at being left motherless. to have Bethany die after promising Nell that they’d be happy and go live with her aunt if Roose died in the Greyjoy Rebellion was especially brutal for her. Bethany apologizes to her- something that never happened in real life, as Nell never had any adults apologize to her for her upbringing or the trauma she experienced- and encourages Nell to keep fighting and not give up, pointing out that she tried to teach her to be strong and determined, even in the face of evil.  to be honest, “I died for nothing, aye,” Bethany acknowledges faintly, too shrouded in smoke to be visible clearly to Nell now, although her voice is longer than before. “Yet before I died I lived for you. I lived for a child I thought could be more than the sum of all my rage and pain and regret. A child I thought could grow into a woman who might do things I had only dreamed of. And I have been wrong on many counts, my Nell, but never that one.”  is one of my favorite parts of the entire fic. I think the ‘oh, *insert character* died for nothing’ or ‘the moral of the story is the world sucks and kindness is weakness’ is something that gets thrown around a lot in the ASOIAF fandom, maybe due to the influence of the TV show, maybe not. but I really disagree with that. for all the horrible things that happen in the series I think the ending will be one of hope, not defeat or ‘accepting the world as it is’. change can happen and it can be positive, and not all sacrifices are in vain. Ned Stark didn’t ‘die for nothing’- he died to save Sansa’s life and he taught his children really important things about respect for others and keeping your promises and protecting those weaker than you. we see his influence in Robb always trying to do what’s best for his people, Sansa being kind to others in spite of her suffering, Arya still defending the weak even at risk to herself, Bran trying to use his powers for good, Jon always trying to make the hard but fair decision at the Wall. they may not always make the right choices and they do fail, frequently, but the point is to try, not to always be victorious.  in the same token, Robb didn’t ‘die for nothing’ in this fic- he dies fighting a war to return home and help his people, he dies with Nell and Lysara’s names on his lips, he dies always trying to protect the ones he loves, and I think that’s the actual point, not that he was ‘stupid’ or that Roose ‘outplayed him’. life isn’t a game and it’s not supposed to be treated as such. what matters is what Robb did while he was alive, the people he helped and the lives he changed. Nell is 100% a better person for her relationship with him and the growth she went through as she matured and took on more responsibilities. she is 100% a kinder and more compassionate person because of her relationship with the Starks, and Dana, and her ladies at Riverrun. she had to choose to change and step into her role as queen, but Robb really gave her a lot of confidence in herself and her abilities.  so yeah, I think the overall message of chapter 45 and the fic in general is “it doesn’t matter how you die, it’s how you lived.” Robb’s death doesn’t wipe out everything he did before that. the loss of Lysara doesn’t erase the love Nell feels for her. even when things look dire and life is shitty you can still take it one day at a time and keep striving for something better. Nell has to recognize that while Bethany’s death was painful and tragic and unexpected... she did help shape Nell into the woman she would become and her ultimate wish was not that Nell would be exactly like her, but that Nell would be better than her.

[janiedean]

No one is obligated to understand or like your ship though. It's really frustrating when shippers feel the need to insult everyone who isn't into a ship and call them stupid, say they don't understand the series, etc. Maybe they just don't like the thing and that's ok.

... I never said everyone is obligated to GET it or something, and no one called anyone stupid over ships. I just said that the usual dynamics found in THAT ship’s fic betray a fundamental misunderstanding of the original text OR a willingness to ignore a fundamental part of the original text and as to ME, personally, the fact that in asoiaf there is more than one ship where nonstandard attractive people are canonically interested/meant to be with attractive people who don’t give a fuck about their looks is one of the series’s selling point AND brienne is the only single character I ever ran into to which I personally 100% related to for personal experience, I can’t stand that when it comes to js the only way people can find to make it work is, uh, pretending she never existed when those two wouldn’t have a rship post canon if it wasn’t for HER. also as stated the usual approach to js includes ignoring catelyn’s role in jaime’s sl (and brienne’s too) and guess what catelyn happens to be my second favorite female character in those books and I’m quite done with how fandom has basically ignored her or treated her like shit since the beginning, so if someone asks me the reasons why I dislike that ship that much I will tell the truth also because I quite honestly am done with being diplomatic about this topic especially in light of the fact that the show 100% failed to deliver on getting THAT across and these books are important to me also because of this one issue (ie: that they’re not shallow and physical beauty is not what matters in romantic relationships).

now, no one is stupid for liking a ship for aesthetics or whatever, but the moment it’s that big AND I had to spend years hearing it actually had canon chances or that it was as likely to happen as jb from people who have spent years writing shit meta about jb and have been assholes to 90% of this fandom, and guess what those people’s takes notoriously betray that they’re extremely damned shallow (just takes seeing what they write about brienne), sorry but i’m done not saying it’s a problem. also I never said anyone can’t ship what they want and I’ve been here since 2011 and whenever I saw that the stuff I liked had no content even if it made more canon sense than things that DID have content I went and made it for myself instead of complaining that other people didn’t write enough of that, so excuse me if for once I’m stating on my blog on an untagged post that I hate that trend/that ship when someone asked in the first place. like, I never hid that I dislike jc but I would never dream of saying that c isn’t important when it comes to jaime’s storyline/personality and contrary of what people think I don’t erase her presence in it or smth, it would be nice if people had the intellectual honesty to not pretend that brienne doesn’t exist in these books same as they pretend that nonstandard attractive heterosexual women who have always been shamed for their looks don’t get issues because of it. and thats exactly what most of js fic looks to me and i’m not there for that ESPECIALLY when I’ve had to get anons from this enchanting fandom asking me if I really went to therapy because people insulted my looks. thanks and have a good day.

[joannalannister]

I had a question about ladies in asoiaf. I recall Lady Bulwer being young and I was curious about what age it would be usual to go attend to a lady from your liege's House? Similarly around what age do you think young girls would start getting companions? Is it possible that Margaery was part of her mother's group and that when she was old enough some of the younger women went to her and the older ones are Alerie's? Or that several Targ princesses shared companions and be in large groups?

Hi @shoot-the-smiles! First, you probably already know this, but just so that everyone is on the same page when I post this: 

GRRM uses the terms lady-in-waiting and companion and lady (as in “Margaery’s ladies” etc) interchangeably. 

GRRM uses the term handmaid (sometimes shortened to maid) to refer to a position similar to what we would think of as a lady-in-waiting, but handmaids in ASOIAF often have a lower social status than the noblewoman they’re serving, and there’s an expectation of obedience. For example, Lady Rosamund Lannister is referred to as Princess Myrcella’s handmaid, because House Lannister of Lannisport is a House distinct from, and much lower in status than, House Lannister of Casterly Rock. I think the way GRRM uses the terms, handmaid and lady in waiting could be interchangeable, but I don’t think they’re perfect synonyms, if that makes sense.

Like, for example, I do not think that Rhaella would have called the Unnamed Princess of Dorne her “handmaid”; indeed, in the text, the noblewomen around Rhaella are referred to as her “ladies” or “companions,” reflecting their similar social status.

(Also, a maid may simply be referring to a maiden. Also, handmaids may or may not be virgins.) 

Ok, now that we have the vocab down,

I was curious about what age it would be usual to go attend to a lady from your liege’s House?

Alysanne Bulwer was 8 years old when we first see her as Margaery’s lady-in-waiting, but we don’t know exactly when she entered Margaery’s service. Catelyn makes no mention of any ladies around Margaery in ACOK, but I’m not sure that means anything, considering how absent-minded GRRM is when it comes to ladies-in-waiting. 

A girl or woman serving as a lady-in-waiting is a way to forge alliances between Houses, similar to the way that boys serve as pages, cupbearers, squires, or wards, which usually happens around age 6-8. 

(This is probably not the example anyone else thinks of but, for example, Kevan Lannister because a page at Castamere at age ~8. And Tywin of course became Aegon V’s cupbearer at 10. Ned Stark was fostered at age 7. And for a more recent example, Edric Dayne became a page to Beric Dondarrion at age 7. Jon Arryn was making plans to foster Robert Arryn when Robert was 6 or so.)

(See also: @asoiafuniversity‘s tags for #fostering and #squires, or @nobodysuspectsthebutterfly‘s tags for #wards and #cupearers) 

So anyways, I think it would be safe to assume that girls may (may!!) start serving as ladies in waiting as early as ~7 years old. But that’s definitely on the young side. For example, Joanna Lannister was around 13 years old when she became Rhaella’s companion. In contrast, the Unnamed Princess of Dorne was in her 20s or 30s when she became Rhaella’s companion. 

So there’s a lot of variation. Like, if you’re a 35 year old married woman, I doubt you want a whole lot of 10 year olds as your attendants. Maybe one 10yo, fine, but you also want older women to actually be your companions. So I think it just depends on who the lady is who’s getting the attendants, what the political climate is, etc. It would be a case by case basis. 

I suppose the usual age to first become a lady-in-waiting in ASOIAF is anywhere from 8 to 16, but I’d argue that the age distribution is skewed to the left. That’s just a rough guess, though. (FYI, in real life, the minimum age to become a lady in waiting was usually at least 16, and often older. Love that ~~historical accuracy~~, @ GRRM!!)

Similarly around what age do you think young girls would start getting companions?

Cersei recalls getting her first ladies after The Incident when Joanna separated Cersei and Jaime: 

Though Cersei often slept alone, she had never liked it. Her oldest memories were of sharing a bed with Jaime, when they had still been so young that no one could tell the two of them apart. Later, after they were separated, she’d had a string of bedmaids and companions, most of them girls of an age with her, the daughters of her father’s household knights and bannermen.

So Cersei started having companions when she was about seven or eight, and her companions were around the same age as she was. When Cersei was 10, her companion Melara was about 11, and Jeyne Farman was younger. Also, I think this is worth noting here, Jeyne Farman may have been taken to Casterly Rock as a hostage against the rebellious Lord Farman. So hostages are another factor in determining companions. 

Sansa, who is eleven in AGOT, had Jeyne Poole and Beth Cassel (who is about 8 or 9 in AGOT) as companions, although neither seem to have been Official Ladies In Waiting, because GRRM is careless like that. They seem to have been friends for a while. Also, these relationships aren’t really about strengthening alliances, as we see in the South; it’s more that these girls were all living in the same castle together and just became friends. 

Arya, who is nine in AGOT, doesn’t seem to have highborn female companions at Winterfell, but this may be related to Arya not fitting into the role expected of her and (again) GRRM’s carelessness. Alternatively, perhaps the adults at Winterfell had hoped that Arya and Beth would become friends, but it just didn’t work out that way. The AWOIAF app suggests something maybe along those lines: “Though closer to Arya in age, she [Beth Cassel] tends to hover amidst Sansa’s more glamorous retinue.” 

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen was about eight years old when the two daughters of Lyonel Strong because her “handmaids” in 105AC. 

So I think it’s safe to assume highborn girls tend to get companions somewhere around 7 to 10 years old, and probably on the younger side of this age bracket. 

In fanfiction I’ve written, I went with 7 years old as the age to start getting companions. However, keep in mind, I’m writing about southron courts (specifically, Casterly Rock and King’s Landing) in fic, and most of the strong courtly tradition GRRM has in the books is in southron courts. The North looks down on the pomp and glitz of the South, and there may (may!! possibly!!) not be as strong a tendency to have ladies-in-waiting, although we have so little information here that’s it’s hard to say. It would be really nice if GRRM would ever release the D&E story about the she-wolves of Winterfell but anyways. If you’re more interested in the North than the South, keep in mind that it’s less formal and less structured. Also, I’m sure the political climate at the time plays a part in girls getting companions or not, so keep that in mind. 

Is it possible that Margaery was part of her mother’s group

We have very little information, so I may be wrong, but I personally don’t think there’s a strong tradition in ASOIAF of a daughter acting as her mother’s lady-in-waiting. In real life, mothers were more interested in “placing” their noble daughters in an advantageous position in someone else’s household. Young women “would be sent to the household of a family of equal or higher rank to their own, where they would act as attendants on the mistress of the house, and learn her role” [x]. Often the girl/woman who is serving as a lady in waiting is going to marry someone in her foster household. For example, Melara Hetherspoon had dreams of marrying Jaime one day (so Cersei killed her); I’m not sure these dreams were realistic considering Tywin, but Lord Hetherspoon may have been overly ambitious. 

and that when she was old enough some of the younger women went to her and the older ones are Alerie’s?

It doesn’t work like that in ASOIAF. GRRM has said that a noblewoman’s ladies may vary significantly in age, where some may be much younger than the woman they are in service to, while others may be much older. 

I think something to keep in mind is that GRRM really simplified court life. In the same way that he doesn’t have a whole lot of titles like Duke and Count and Marquis in ASOIAF, his system of ladies-in-waiting doesn’t have a lot of structure and definition, and a lot of it seems informal. (In real life, there were all these titles and Rules for ladies in waiting. GRRM doesn’t even have gentlemen of the bedchamber in ASOIAF as a formal male counterpart for ladies-in-waiting.) 

So I think the way it worked with Margaery is that, as a very young child, she was ~unattached~ so to speak, and she would play with her brothers and any visiting cousins, and she would observe her mother with her own ladies. And then when Margaery turned six or seven or eight, thereabouts, Mace and Alerie invited various ladies to become Marg’s attendants.

Or that several Targ princesses shared companions and be in large groups?

Possibly. In the days when there were lots of Targaryens, there may have been large groups of shared companions. As I said, GRRM’s concept of ladies in waiting isn’t well defined and structured, so they may have all been thrown together. For example, after the first Blackfyre Rebellion, when men like Eustace Osgrey had to surrender their young daughters as hostages,

“I bought my head back with my daughter’s life. Alysanne [Osgrey] was seven when they took her off to King’s Landing and twenty when she died, a silent sister. I went to King’s Landing once to see her, and she would not even speak to me, her own father. A king’s mercy is a poisoned gift. Daeron Targaryen left me life, but took my pride and dreams and honor.“ 

Before she became a silent sister, Alysanne Osgrey may have been a companion to a Targaryen princess, although that honor may have been reserved only for those of higher rank. But the way Alysanne turns away from her father so completely … that suggested to me an anger at not only Eustace but also at his cause, his dead Rebellion, and I felt like she would get that - that disgust for Daemon’s supporters, from living within a staunchly pro-Daeron household ie a Targ household. 

So anyways, there may have been a lot of “””“companions”””” at certain points in Targ history and there could have been large groups.   

As another example … well, whenever we get the last D&E story, I’m very curious about learning more about Aegon V’s family, his sisters Rhae and Daella that GRRM won’t tell us about, whether Duncan the Small had any children, etc. Because I think young Princess Rhaella had various companions who were her cousins, second-cousins, etc, and all these girls/women – all her friends / relatives – died at Summerhall, and that’s one of the reasons you get girls like Joanna invited to be one of Rhaella’s ladies. (This is My Theory™ about Joanna, but there’s more to it than that.) 

(One day I should write out all of my theories about Rhaella’s companions.) 

(I am so eager to see all the death and devastation after Summerhall, I wanna see a young Gerold Hightower as the last Kingsguard left standing, I wanna see Jaehaerys II’s face, but mostly I wanna see all these people rising phoenix-like from the ashes, it’s gonna be great.) 

I think the idea of sharing companions might be more for younger princesses tho? As Targ ladies get older, I don’t think you really want to share, because you’re competing for status and influence. 

I hope that helps! I recommend you check out this post where I go into a lot of detail about background info about ladies in waiting in ASOIAF. I also have a tag for #ladies in waiting, if you want more. 

[sanrionlove]

I posted 236 times in 2021

6 posts created (3%)

230 posts reblogged (97%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 38.3 posts.

I added 441 tags in 2021

#sanrion - 104 posts

#sansa x tyrion - 82 posts

#tyrion lannister - 62 posts

#sansa stark - 53 posts

#got - 48 posts

#game of thrones - 35 posts

#otp: you were the best of them - 16 posts

#asoiaf - 16 posts

#tyrion lannister appreciation week 2021 - 14 posts

#peter dinklage - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 128 characters

#if something like veritaserum existed in the got universe you know that sansa would have just blurted this out when interrogated

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

About me

Thank you @attonitos-gloria

Favorite color: I love every color out there, but I'm currently in a big ocher phase.

Currently reading: Sensor, by Junji Ito.

Last song: Page twenty eight, by Sleeping At Last. I've been listening a lot of love songs (they are my writing fuel) and been playing on repeat Por Amarte Así by Cristian Castro most of all.

Last series: The Terror, absolutely incredible series. A must watch.

Last movie: The Lord of the Rings, the animated 1978 adaptation directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was really fun to see those early depictions of Legolas, Boromir, Elrond and Aragorn, how distinct they were from the images we have today of those characters.

Sweet, savory, or spicy: Savory AND sweet. What do we say to spicy food? not today.

Craving: To be a better person, more responsible and committed with my life and the people around me. To make more art, produce produce produce.

Tea or coffee: Coffe AND tea. Coffe with milk always and forever, happiness in the form of a beverage. However, tea is also a great companion and I end up drinking it more often throughout the day.

Currently working on: I should be working on a couple of paintings that I have to submit before October to compete in a contest. Hope I'll make it! And of course I have my sanrion fic waiting, All He Could See was Her Face... It will return, your honor, I swear.

Tagging: @xprettypoppyx @escaily and @demelzatheshipper

A big hug to @attonitos-gloria and hope your week got a lot brighter! (also, SO excited for 'till kingdom come and it's sequel to come!! yay!)

Sending good vibes to all my sanrion peeps out there.

4 notes • Posted 2021-08-26 05:39:40 GMT

#4

Experience the greatest love story ever told. Watch the official trailer for #CyranoMovie now, from director Joe Wright and starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. – in theaters this December.

So excited for this! Love to see Peter on a proper leading role.

5 notes • Posted 2021-10-13 21:51:09 GMT

#3

Think about me It's antidote and poison for the heart Think straight That burns and soaks That comes and goes Where are you? Stuck between the lines of a goodbye Your memory lingers here Like a cloudburst in May It hits me hard And it falls so hard it almost Burns my skin Burns and soaks all the same And I don't know what to think anymore If your memory is good or bad for me

(x)

26 notes • Posted 2021-09-20 06:25:51 GMT

#2

Jon Snow and Tyrion at the Wall.

- For the Tyrion Lannister Appreciation Week 2021 -

Day 5 – “He is a giant among us, here at the end of the world.”

Meereen/The North

28 notes • Posted 2021-06-12 02:32:35 GMT

#1

-For the Tyrion Lannister Appreciation Week 2021-

Day 3 – “A little kindness, everyone deserves that much...”

The Shy Maid/Marriages

"What happened to your family was a terrible crime. I didn't know your brother, he seemed like a good man but I didn't know him. Your mother, on the other hand, I admired her. She wanted to have me executed but I admired her. She was a strong woman and she was fierce when it came to protecting her children."

29 notes • Posted 2021-06-10 09:03:11 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[gotgifsandmusings]

Quick asks roundup

I’m going out of town this afternoon for labor dabor, and probably won’t be around much during the weekend. Thought I’d answer a few asks below--just a grab bag, with a vague focus on S7. Should be able to do a video one of these next week, and Julia and I are eyeing a UBS podcast episode pretty soon too.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: Have you read David Benioff's book City of Thieves? I'm curious how it compares to GoT.

I haven’t, no. I’m not sure if that’s something I want to subject myself to (it has been mostly positively received from what I know, though not across the board) when there’s so much I’ve been putting off reading as it is.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: Is cerseï pregananant in the boox?

She’s actually gregnant.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: Just read your criticism about Fair Game and wholeheartedly agree. You touched on the core of why your (and Julia's and Caroline's and Jess' and Turtle's) GoT analysis are so great: they understand the intersection of narrative flaws and social issues. Sure, some people may complain that they don't want "SJW" stuff, except, y'know, you don't stop being a feminist when you write a review. As you say, media is not produced in a cultural vacuum. Sadly, I admit I feel reluctant to...... Actively criticize GoT with people around me because the ones who dislike it also dislike ASOIAF and fantasy/sci-fi ("The show is bad because GRRM is a bad writer who isn't really character-driven, but it's not surprising since genre stuff is awful"). That sucks :(

Yes, exactly! This is in reference to this piece by myself and Julia, btw. That’s really depressing about that perception of genre fic, especially given what Martin does being so unique. I’ve never particularly understood that attitude; I want to read about cool places and stuff happening as much as I want to read about weighty character journeys, and why scoff at any that pull off both? Though Julia has a piece on that too. 

But absolutely, as we said, it’s asinine to ignore the ways culture shapes media and vice versa, and often the reason the writing is so poor is because it’s so sensationalist or reliant on shitty tropes and stereotypes. “Just enjoy it (or critique) without focusing on social issues” is the ultimate sign of privilege, and it drives me crazy because it’s tossed out as an appeal to “objectivity.” IF YOU’RE IGNORING PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES YOU’RE ALREADY NOT BEING OBJECTIVE.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: I'm curious why you guys interpret Cersei's internalized misogyny as nothing to do with gender dysphoria. All because Cersei doesn't break down during her period doesn't mean you must read her as cisgendered. She treats femininity like her least-favorite subject in school, not like part of herself. You're welcome to read her story as about women internalizing misogyny, but her thoughts feel familiarly trans, and outright denying that reading closer-to-earths her

This is really interesting, and my assumption would definitely a result of my own distance with that experience. Are there any metas on it? I haven’t really considered this before (I’ve seen the case argued for Brienne), and I’m not very convinced Martin had much intentionality here, but that’s a reading of her character I’d definitely like to learn/think more about.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: How can Euron "Crow's Eye, Terror of Pentos" Greyjoy come across as such a wimpy villain that I'm missing Ramsay? Hell, effing Joffrey could have torn that cuddly pooh bear a new one.

But...he’s the storm. You weren’t quaking in your boots when his fleet armada magically descended on Yara’s?

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: I haven't seen anyone else comment on this, but did you notice Cheryl says "You expect me to command our troops to fight beside foreign scum?" almost immediately before telling Jaime she's bringing the foreign Golden Company from Essos to fight beside their troops? Do you think the writers ever make it to second drafts or do they just knock out the first on the back of a Hooters napkin over Natty Ices and fist bumps and say, nah, we're good bro?

A showpologist would tell you it’s clearly demonstrating what a horrible hypocrite she is and actually rather cutting commentary.

It’s really, really hard for me to imagine a world where Operation Capture a Wight received a look-over. A whole lot of what they do feels thoroughly unedited.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: Hey, I really appreciate all your GoT analysis. 1) Is Cheryl's assistant actually Ezri Dax? 2) Did you see Linda's episode review where she called D&D "smug idiots?" 3) Is it possible to enjoy GoT as schlock? I can't and don't, but It is certainly bad enough and dumb enough. Thanks!

Thank you :)

1) According to wikipedia, Ezri Dax’s actor is currently starring in “Corrupt aka Trust No One” and “Where’s my Baby”, but I’m glad you made me look her up, because the resemblance there is quite uncanny. The maid is played by Sara Dylan, and has actually been a consistent, recurring character since Season 2. Apparently her name is “Bernadette” because why not.

2) Was it her newest review? I do listen to those in the background of work when I’m doing spreadsheet kind of stuff, so I may not have caught that exact phrase, but I did hear the part where she basically said “just don’t even bother writing a plot. Only write battles because everything else is terrible.”

3) I mean, the people enjoying GoT are watching schlock, so it must be possible. I happen to think the ardent defenders/honeypotters aren’t the majority, and most people turn it on to watch dragons for 60 minutes, then talk about how cool the dragons looked the next day at work. It’s just that GoT comes with a stamp of “SMART ADULT SHOW” for reasons that will never cease to amaze me. So yeah, totally, but for me, I have a hard time enjoying something when the more you think about it, the worse it gets.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: I would bet my right hand that someone in the GoT writers' room probably rewatched season 1 which is why there's so many callbacks to it like Arya's "that's not you", Dany's infertility, Bran's "I told you not to trust me", etc etc. Like it just seems so obvious that they realized they ran out of content and decided to just revisit past seasons to make themselves seem smart and like they planned ahead so much.

Oh 100%. Season 1 was this year’s Lord of the Rings, which they had obviously binged before last year. I love it because then all the critics are like, “ohh my god it’s so well-planned and deep.” But no. It’s essentially grinning into the camera going “remember when?”, completely on par with Gendry’s boat joke.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: The writers gave up 3 seasons ago, but it feels like no one was really trying this year. The cast looked bored. The wigs were trash: Dany's fire-proof wig is also boatsex-proof and freezing wind-proof. The costumes were either too anachronistic for a so-called prestiege Medievalesque Drama or straight up uninspired: Cersei's modern office wear, Dany and LF are shopping at the same department store, Lyanna S dressed up for a college roman-themed party. I guess the special effects were ok.

I’m very, very hesitant to call out costuming because I know Michele Clapton is like, making up these immaculate honeypots and ordering the finest fabrics from Lithuania to pull everything together. But...yeah, as a viewer everything was kind of clearly ridiculous (Euron’s jacket), and EVERYTHING WAS BLACK with the exception of Deadpan’s coat, that was, I’m sorry, objectively hideous. The reason people fawned over it was because it was actually contrasting the blah they had been seeing all season.

As for the cast, I mean...I think these guys are decent actors who get into their roles when they can. But who could get into anything happening at this point? Stuff happens, don’t question it. The directing was probably fine (I don’t know enough about that stuff), but when the script is fundamentally lazy and uninspired, it’s going to bleed into everything.

Anonymous said to gotgifsandmusings: (Regarding episode 7) So the only leak that didn't come true was "Cersei's" bed of blood prediction and I'm wondering if she'll miscarry next season because morally evil incest women like Cheryl don't deserve babies while morally good (with the help of our friendzoned Saint T🙏) incest women like Deadpan get to conquer infertility and birth a Targ with the help of Jonny Cardboard's magic seed. That would be one boring Aegon 2(3?) infant. Thoughts?

Honestly, I can’t make heads or tails of why she was even pregnant. Larry didn’t need that to stay on her side at all, and the only thing I can think was that it added an extra TWIST for us. Haha, viewer! You thought she might have actually wanted to fight the threat because of her unborn kid and how many times we’ve told you her only redeeming quality is her motherhood, but now she’s EVHUL and even idealized motherhood can’t save her!

I guess it’s...kind of trope busting?

I kind of agree though, I don’t see them letting a BAD woman give birth and mother. At the same time, I don’t see how enough time can even pass where this would be a relevant plot-point to anything. So...I just, I don’t get it. I’ve gotta figure out how to structure my sexism & s7 analysis, and going back and revisiting Cheryl is probably going to be one of the most confused parts of it. I see many paths for how this unfolds, and none of them are really too promising.

Alrighty, gotta cut it here for today. Everyone have a safe labor day weekend (I guess there’s no heightened risk for non-Americans, but a safe weekend all the same), and I’ll talk to you guys later!

[doublehex]

Critiquing Criticisms

So guys, I want to talk about criticism today.

Wow, i thought that this story couldn't get any worse. Apparently i was wrong. I actually keep checking in, to stare at what an absolute piece of shit story you're writing here.

You try to give it some conflict, but at heart this is just another wank fic. 'Hey, i don't want anything actually BAD to happen to our precious heroes, so let's just scratch out that whole incident at Winterfell for no real reason.' 'Wait, Robb Stark is LOSING the war? Well, better give him an army of 100,000 men and smoking hot beautiful wife to stop that happening' 'Hmm, do you think Tywin Lannister might be inconvenient? Well, better just scratch him off - not his son though, because i quite like that Jaime, but Cersei is a bitch so she better die. Joffrey definitely needs to die, that can happen as a passing mention.' 'Hmm, Theon is a complex, conflicted character - i don't want to hurt him, but don't want him to screw anything either. Oh well, off to the Wall Theon goes! Yeah, instnt redemption arc minus the actual crime!'

Can you not see the clear author fiat there? Or have you deluded yourself into thinking its good storytelling?

Asoiaf is a complex world, and you're just pissing on it because you want characters you like to live. You don't want any morally grey actions, so everything has to be super clean good guys and bad guys. Your bad guys in Essos are all caricatures. You've absolutely horribly stole all of the depth from your good guys just because you don't want them to make mistakes.

Even this whole Dany and Jon seperation is pure shipping angst. 'Hey - lets make Jon a savage but handsome gladiator while Dany becomes a hot dragon queen mother, and then they can pine over each other from a distance rather than being next to each other'. I'm sure that throwing some arbitrary obstacle into a shipping story has never been done before. Anything as an excuse to give them a saucier sex life, right - because it was just at risk of becoming too tame when Drogo died. Oh, and then Jon will escape and Dany will conquer the city with three dragons, a son, and dozen armies, and they'll be happy ever after, because actual conflict and moral dilemma is only for other stories, right?

Of all the things you've done, Jon as a gladiator is just one of the worst. The angsty, brooding gladiator too. There is a whole genre of sexy gladiator-AU fanfic stories, but you seriously think that yours orginal and ok? Guess what - every time a fanfic writer wants to make thier characters more 'edgy!' and 'exciting!', they put them in as gladitors - it's right up there with the high school AU. Which just shows where this fic rates.

Don't even get me started on how apparently every man and his dog (Aegon, Arya, Sansa, Barristan, wolfguard, whatever his name is) is suddenly massively obsessed with finding your super-duper, golden pair, and travelling all around the world just for them. Yep, Dany and Jon are so good for each other that they've randomly become the most important couple in the world, and everybody has to run to help them be together.

Everybody knows that Jon and Dany are going to end up together, but you're still trying to stretch it out as if there might be a modicum of doubt.

This is worse plot structure than the TV show ever. This is blatant shipping and wish fulfillment that the author tries to disguise as a decent story.

Obviously, right off the bat, we know that this is a terrible piece of criticism. Like, there is no beating around the bush. The guy just wants to troll and flame under the guise of commentary. I don’t want to talk about the specifics of why this comment is so toxic, but make this a teaching moment for how you can better frame your comments.

First off, it is never a good idea to say “This is what the creator should be doing”. That’s because it is boring, and oversteps your bounds as a critic. Your job is not to propel your desires for the type of book, movie, game or show that you are reviewing. You should be trying to connect two different ideas – what type of story if the creator trying to tell and how well does he accomplish that?

Or in simpler terms, “review on what the X actually is, rather than what you think it should be”.

Using this review as an example, the commentator does not like two types of fics. Fics were shipping has any kind of major emphasis, and fics that deviate from canon. Those that have read chapter 15 now knows that pretty much the opposite of everything in ACOK has happened. Stannis wins Battle of Blackwater, Edmure allows Tywin to pass and Robb crushes him in the Westerlands, and Winterfell still stands. I pretty much wanted to explore what would happen if the roles were reversed in ACOK.

Instead of talking about the ways in which I mishandled the foundations of these “what if” scenarios, he instead decided to bash the very fact that these scenarios exist in the first place. That is not good criticism, that is not an interesting review to read, it says nothing about the quality of the chapter; it is just bad writing.

Also, hyperbolic language is not going to get your message across. And this review is RIDDLED with over the top language. It is going to be hard to take any comment seriously if all you do is portray X or Y story as the worst or best thing in human history.

As an example, his comments on how Jon is a gladiator/bloodsworne. He throws several assumptions out there – that there is a whole genre of sexy gladiator AU, that my idea is original, and that it is right up there with high school AU. I am pretty certain that the first point is false, that I stated on several occasions that Spartacus gave me the idea for Jon’s arc. But the point of his discussion on how it is at the same tier as high school AUs is what I want to focus on for just a second.

Let us dispel with the notion that because something is popular does not mean it does not have merit. Apparently, Jon as a gladiator is a popular basis for an AU. That’s news to me. That does not mean, however, that it cannot be done well. I am not saying I am doing Jon’s gladiator arc well, but the potential is still there. It would be comparable to saying that just because someone has a love triangle in a fantasy or space opera narrative that it cannot add to the story.

Essentially, at the end of day, proper criticism comes from a place of love and respect. You love whatever it is you are talking about, and that should come through in your words. This guy has no love at all – he just wants to hate on me. And his comment is very boring as a result. He is not saying anything interesting, because pure hate does not allow you to say anything interesting.

Review what you see, instead of what you WANT to see, and your comments will be all the more meaningful.

[hilarychuff]

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

4) favorite character you’ve written

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

8) favorite genre to write

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

hmmm i would say baaaasically chronological. but it also kind of depends on what i'm writing. when i'm just coming up with notes for something i'll hop around a lot jotting down sentences or ideas sometimes as i have them and i'll work out lil plot details here in the future and then circle back to lil plot details here in the present basically. but when it comes down to like my main document and sitting down specifically to write prose, chronological

4) favorite character you've written

hahahahahahahah i just feel obligated to mention that back in my harry potter role playing days i created an oc who was me with my exact real legal name so i feel like i should say she's my favorite

but also!! the way i interact with fandom is always by just like picking one fave. obvs in asoiaf it's sansa, and she's def the pov i've been most into recently

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

jon i think!! not that i was surprised i would write his pov ever because obvs as a jonsa shipper he is a very important character but that i would write it as much as i do is very surprising to me!!! it's always interesting even to approach other aus/drabbles/ideas than just i carry it in mine and see which ones naturally feel best with a jon pov

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

lots of people were upset that i kept the sansa/ramsay storyline in i carry it in mine, but i was really not prepared to take on the challenge of how to connect all the dots from the books to the end of the story without relying on the show canon as source material. i think if i had waited to try and come up with answers, i never would've gotten around to writing — but i've talked about one day going back and doing a no ramsay au (and then i can sort of use my own writing as source material) and maybe i'll still one day do that

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

very much depends! i have like very little shame these days when it comes to fandom stuff but if anyone in real life was like "can i read your fanfic" that would be different. i have and do share with some real life friends!! but like i'd mention a lot more to casual acquaintances than i would be willing to actually share with them specifics

8) favorite genre to write

i find!!!!! that i write a lot of angsty stuff as it turns out. idk this isn't a genre but also i am really mainly interested in stories not so much for plot but for like emotional relationships between people and like big love, romantic or platonic, and how that informs people's actions. also!!! lots of yearning lmao

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

hmmmm i would say if it's self-generated inspiration it probably comes from like reviewing my own notes and ideas and just having fun thinking about them. if it's a new au idea, i'm probably watching something or saw a gifset. but also worth mentioning re: getting inspiration is when someone comments on a fic you haven't updated in a while, just because it gets the gears turning again

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone

i haaaave done all of the above, but i think my brain generally works best in silence and alone when it comes to writing. graphics, though, i need to have something on the tv or i'll get bored and change tasks like if something is not on the silence is so loud!!!