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onthevirgeofdestruction · 3 years

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35 Q’s for Fanfic Writers

From this post

I’m having a shitty, rude alter-y, crap night so I’m just going to answer all of these to distract myself and focus and to not bother anybody just making my own post and putting it under the cut btw, notice to anyone not aware: since I’m moving I won’t likely be updating anything until I’m done doing so.

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!) 3/5? Could use more editing and description and can be weirdly paced.

2. Why do you write fanfiction? Because it’s better than focusing on pain 24/7.

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works? I don’t seem to have a specific narrative voice that people recognize but I’m pretty proud of mostly organic dialogue.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you? as a rule i never look up to anybody for inspiration but there’s some stuff in my ao3 bookmarks I fawn over.

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of? Right now, none of them. It changes normally, anyway. If get too proud then I’d get my ass kicked by RSD if someone didn’t like it so it’s safer this way

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily? Dialogue.

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most? Organic description, poetic language kind of stuff. I can paint a scene but I’m not so great with bring out out a feeling with description alone.

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write? Janus and Virgil are probably tied. They both have things I struggle with but I don’t have to go back and do much adjusting of language and tone with them. Though admittedly my Virgil is signifigantly more foul-mouthed than canon and I tend to prefer pre-AA feral asshole Virgil.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write? Patton. I write him the least, so people can probably tell. I love Patton, I really do, but it’s so hard to keep away from fanon Patton.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for? Angst w/ H/C obviously. Or if you’re talking about regular book genres, Fantasy. I fucking love fantasy world building.

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most? Trauma. I blame Daeram. As if Ayri isn’t a giant Angst Demon.

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about. Slopes. I’m really into it. I’ve got three one shots running right now. Patrons can read the first part of the unnamed cat remus one, there’s also a coffeeshop au tropey nonsense one like eglantine & lycoris, but Slopes is addiction angst. Mmmmm. Virgil is addicted to coke and alcohol and will listening to his friends even be in time? Who knows, especially not me, but there’s already over 30k.

13. First fandom you ever wrote for? InuYasha. Or was it Harry Potter? Or shit, The Blue Sword? Fuck, I’ve been writing for a long time, I really have no idea.

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for? Sanders Sides. The characters are the perfect dynamic for writing since they exist in balance of each other and the popular, easy to project on archetypes featured are incredibly fun to do basically any scenario with.

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for? Weird storywise? Kingdom Hearts? I can’t even follow the plot anymore. Weird Fandomwise? Sanders Sides. Its simultainiously the fluffiest and angstiest nonsense at the same time.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)? Vampires. Gay ones. Gay Vampires. I also love calm tol and angy smol.

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for. Any tropes that normalize incredibly toxic behaviour or tropes that are inherantly ableist, but I can’t think of any.

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written? Incorrigible continues to be complete nonsense.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between? AUs. I mean closest I even have is canon-divergence other than a single short.

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff? I like it when there is gay nonsense along with a plot that is treated as more important than the relationship the most. But I like both. There’s more shippy stuff in tss so i read more shipping action by default.

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!) Anxceit/Sleepxiety, but in general, give me darksides or give me death/j

22. Do you listen to anything while you write? Almost everything I write has a special playlist I listen to to help me write it, but otherwise I listen to my Nyan playlist, an alter is picking the tunes, or a voidfam playlist. I never have music off. When my internet is down I just listen to the songs I own or Anxiety’s theme on loop.

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas? I’m fine with all of them. I love working with prompts but I tend to deviate. And I’ve never done a challenge since I can’t do deadlines and bad things happen bingo never sent me a card and I applied three times.

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works? I am generally multi-chaptered stuff, but I’ve been working on a few one-shots lately that are much longer than most one shots.

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them! I was originally thinking of doing some little 13-year-old Dreaming!Roman (y’know, the one with a job) shorts but it turns out I just had an alter of that little bastard and that’s why I inexplicably know more about him then I ever even considered. I still might do them after Dreaming is done. But that’s paced so slowly who knows when that might happen. Otherwise I put stuff in my notes and just do shorts of it if I’m like “oh you know what’s cool???” but since I can’t daydream maybe this question doesn’t apply to me.

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try? I want to do more autism stuff, and I’ve had it demanded a few times, but I’m scared of being that explict about it for some reason. Possibly because I might be, possibly because I’m scared of doing it wrong even though I’ve accidentally coded multiple characters autistic. I’m scared of explictly tagging them as such, too.

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received? That I can remember off the top of my head? I’m going with one from @a-genz-with-trauma-and-kins. It really helped me out and was just so kind and literally the best christmas gift I got in 2020.

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing? I can handle it alright but Daeram is a little fucking pissbaby about it. Constructive criticism helps people get better, so I appreciate it. I can’t handle critism that is incomplete, though. “i just don’t get it” or “I don’t know I don’t like it” kind of things. If I can’t understand the why to fix it then things get out of control. And then I spiral and RSD for like four days minimum. If it came from an anon or a troll, too, It might not bother me for as long. Things that are just like “this is shit and you should feel bad” just make me laugh. Couldn’t even bother to read it long enough to insult me proper? I don’t care.

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out? I have a few times. Mostly in shorts and prompts, I think. I think they turned out okay. They’re not particularly inspired or anything.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst? Depends on my mood. Am I triggered? give me the fluff. Am I vibin? Angst.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them! Fuck, fam, no, I can’t, I have so many. I have multiple original stories and some of them have very large casts and like holy fuck. Or do you mean in Sanders Sides fandom? Um, Morgan and Thorn in PD. The lesbian and her himbo dynamic. I love them. They’re dorks. Morgan is strong person with sharp tongue and soft romantic heart and Thorn is just so kind and so dumb and so exciteable he’s like a puppy. They were just filler characters and I got attached to them. Felton even gets redemption for being an ass later in PD, like oof i never intended to include so much OC content, especially for names I just picked randomly.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less. nope I’m doing all of them because these are fun plea for my new self: 2 gay vampires, 4 humans, 1 braincell dreaming while I wake: trauma child needs therapy and so do you break: big oof, oh dragons, oh why, go virgil go rebuild: virgil is so not okay there’s more virgil to deal painful death: gay teens drink themselves into a new religion stargazing: whoops we didn’t realize people actually cared whole castle: everyone will throw down for kid!patton, even you incorrigible: found family with a shot of psychological horror and crack dangerous instincts: wholesome crime syndacite action slopes: addict gets mugged and thinks that’s just fine with him conflagration: logan avoids everything ever like a champ cat!remus: bored fae shifts gay pining from one person to another caffeine cyptids: caffinated gay panic goes faster than regular gay panic eglantine & lycoris: more tropes than you can toss a shoe at storytime: overpowered virgil also overreacts literally always

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process? an alter and I write together and I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen, what I’m writing about, or even what year it is. I often don’t even remember what I wrote. There’s no outline. I have an idea and I pick things at random for it. There’s just notes and an evil gleam in a demon’s eye. The only reason I know more than readers is because I take a long time to edit and some of these stories have fucking alters up in my head who can tell me things. Daeram tells me nothing. The writing demon supposedly has all this knowledge but I have absolutely no clue because he does not talk to me, he just fronts and slams out 9k in a few hours or we cofront to write and I’m like “oh no she didn’t” while typing

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of. i’m fond of the entire painful death series and I tried to find something I really liked without spoilers in stargazing and I couldn’t so here’s a random thing from incorrigble: “So, what do you do with your friends?” Patton continued on with a megawatt smile. “Grand larceny,” Virgil deadpanned and glared at Patton, who was taken aback. Remy and Andy just broke out laughing while Virgil tentatively sipped his still-too-hot-cocoa.

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want! slopes my dudes slopes i have learned so much about cocaine! like wow! I thought for a minute it was going to end with MCD around 30k but it swtiched from whump to hurt/comfort and I still don’t know if it’s going to be MCD but look at that funky little coke/alcohol addict go, it’s a medical wonder he’s alive! It’s not like there’s what seems to be a little talked about interaction between alcohol and cocaine that causes a toxic chemical to build up in the liver which can result in liver failure and sudden death at basically any moment! Which is part of why it may result in MCD but this time no ghosts! maybe it’ll be h/c with whump elements or maybe it’ll be whump with h/c elements we can’t know for sure

#ayri writes #tw drug mention

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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

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SPEECH FOR CIVIC ORGANIZATION

February 4, 1949

“Speech for Civic Organization” (aka “Liz Debates Alaska in Town Forum”) is episode #29 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on February 4, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ Liz, anxious to win the approval of an important dinner guest, simply agrees with everything he says. The guest is so impressed with her intelligence that he invites her to be a speaker at his next civic forum.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benadaret was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

REGULAR CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born as Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) and Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) had not yet joined the cast as regular characters.

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Mr. Barton) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.” Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.

Steve Allen (Scott Campbell, Expert on Alaska) was a talk show and variety host as well as a published composer. Although he was seen with Lucille Ball on awards and quiz shows, their first time acting together on screen didn’t come until 1978′s “Lucy Calls The President”. In 1980, Ball appeared on the premiere of “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour”. He died in 2000 at age 78.

TRIVIA: Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. were writers for the Steve Allen radio show and left that job to write for “My Favorite Husband.” They paid Allen to write his own show one week so they could focus on creating a script submission for “My Favorite Husband.”

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers tonight, they’ve settled down for a quiet evening at home. Liz has discovered an intelligence quiz in a magazine, but she’s having George’s attention, because he is lost in a gripping, blood-curdling murder mystery.”

George is reading “The Mummy’s Tummy” but Liz spoils the ending to get his attention. George can’t seem to answer any of the IQ questions correctly.

Q: “What is the name for the chemical formula H2S04?”

A: Sulfuric Acid

Q: “What does it say on the lid of a United States mailbox?”

A: Pull Down

Q: “For what was Ma Ferguson noted?”

A: The first woman Governor of Texas

George decides to quiz Liz, asking her a few questions.

Q: “What is the poop deck of the ship?”

Liz’s Answer: “The deck where the sailor’s rest when they’re pooped.”

Real Answer: “A raised portion of the rear deck.”

Q: “Does sound travel faster or slower in water than it does in air?”

Liz’s Answer: “Next question.”

Q: “Chicle is the main ingredient in chewing gum. Where is the largest deposit found?”

Liz’s Answer: “Under theatre seats.”

Liz realizes that they aren’t very smart and should probably do something about it. Dr. Guilfoyle, author of the quiz, suggests that a score under 50 needs to be addressed.

Liz is going to send for his book “How To Improve Yourself.”

LIZ: “Look at the people who recommend this book: Truman and Goldwyn.” GEORGE: “Harry Truman and Sam Goldwyn?” LIZ: “No, Sam Truman and Harry Goldwyn!”

Harry Truman (1884-1972) was the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953, succeeding Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death. He implemented the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, and established the Truman Doctrine and NATO. Sam Goldwyn (1879 -1974) was a film producer best known as the founder of several motion picture studios in Hollywood.

A few days later, the book has arrived and Katie the Maid notices Liz is engrossed in it. Liz states that the Doctor has three rules to impress people:

Learn Ten New Words a Day

Be a Good Listener

Have One Subject Down Cold So You Can Steer The Conversation Around To It

Liz’s has already got her ten new words and has put them in a sentence.

LIZ: “By assiduous application, I have promulgated a plethora of altruistic ubiquity and lugubrious perspicacity.”

The telephone rings, it is George telling Liz he is bringing home an important person named Mr. Barton, to dinner.

LIZ: “How important is he, George? Sirloin, T-bone, meatloaf, or hash?” GEORGE: “Strictly sirloin.”

George explains that Mr. Barton is the one who picks the speakers for the open forums in town. George wants to get picked to be one of the first speakers so he can impress his boss, Mr. Atterbury, and possibly land a raise. George warns Liz to be herself and not try to impress him.

Liz decides to enact rule #3 and cracks open an encyclopedia to pick the subject. Much to her surprise, the subject she randomly picks is bees! Walking up to the house that evening, Mr. Barton (Frank Nelson) confides in George that he is looking forward to meeting a simple housewife, since in his line of work the women are always trying too hard to impress him with their intellect. George introduces Liz to Mr. Barton, who immediately notices that her vocabulary is amped up. Unfortunately, Liz is using the wrong words most of the time, saying ‘plethora’ for ‘pleasure’ and ‘diversify yourself’ for ‘divert yourself.’

George assures a nervous Mr. Barton that Liz is ‘just an old fashioned girl’.

MR. BARTON: “Sounds like she’s had too many Old- Fashioneds!”

An Old Fashioned is a cocktail made by mixing sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey or brandy, and garnishing with orange zest and a cocktail cherry. It is traditionally served in a special glass called an Old Fashioned glass. A variation on this wordplay was used on “I Love Lucy” in “Million Dollar Idea” (ILL S3;E13) in 1954 when Lucy (disguised as an average housewife selected at random) describes the taste of Aunt Martha’s Old Fashioned Salad Dressing to deliberately encourage buyers to cancel.

LUCY: “Looks like Aunt Martha had too many Old-Fashioneds!”

In the kitchen, George tells Liz to stop using fancy words, so Liz moves on to rule #3 - her special subject: bees! She no sooner starts buzzing about bees when she is chided by George.

GEORGE (sternly aside): “Liz! Haven’t you forgotten? Mr. Barton’s forum!” LIZ: “Well, I’m for ‘em, too!”

Coincidentally, Lucille Ball was one of several actors known as ‘Queen of the ‘B’s’ - which referred to ‘B’ pictures - films that were done quickly, on a budget, with lesser-known actors. In 1963′s “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) Lucy suggests they sing about bees!

Mr. Barton tells George he is going to sponsor a Shakespearean Company, if they can convince the City Council to fund them.

LIZ: “To bee or not to bee!”

"To be, or not to be" is the opening of a soliloquy by Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide. It is one of the most quoted phrases in all of literature. To Be or Not to Be is a also the title of a 1942 film starring Lucille Ball’s good friend Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, who later became her next door neighbor. The plot concerns a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Poland. The film was released one month after Lombard was killed in an airplane crash.

George drags Liz into the hall again, warning her to stop talking about bees! After telling him to “mind his own beeswax”, Liz reluctantly agrees just to listen attentively and agree with everything Mr. Barton says. This works so well, that Mr. Barton barely acknowledges George, but only talks to Liz! He is so impressed by Liz, he offers to have her on the panel of their very first forum on Saturday night! She instantly agrees!

Two days later she learns that the forum’s topic is “the effect of jet propulsion and supersonic flight on the future of aviation.” But Liz is un-phased. She has been preparing by buying a new dress, which she tells George has ��a dive bomb neckline.’

George and Liz role play to prepare for the forum. Against George’s advice, Liz intends to talk about the Wright Brothers!

Orville and Wilbur Wright were inventors and pioneers of aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight; they surpassed their own milestone two years later when they built and flew the first fully practical airplane.

At the meeting that night, Mr. Barton announces to the assembled crowd that their aviation expert, Colonel Davis, could not make it.

MR. BARTON: “He started her from Los Angeles, but he got slightly mixed up in a snowstorm and has just cabled us from Bombay, India.”

Bombay, India is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formerly renamed Mumbai in 1995 to better reflect the city’s roots and cut ties with its British origins. Coincidentally, a few months after this broadcast, the 1942 film Bombay Clipper was re-released. Although the Lucy gang never traveled to Bombay, it was mentioned in 1955′s “The Hedda Hopper Story” (ILL S4;E21) when everyone was looking for Mrs. McGillicuddy.

RICKY (Into phone): “Do you have any flights numbered 930? You do? Where's it coming in from? Bombay?” LUCY: “Bombay?” RICKY: “Well knowing your mother... No, even she wouldn't fly from New York to Los Angeles by way of India.”

Instead, Mr. Barton announces that the guest speaker is a famous authority on Alaska, Mr. Scott Campbell (Steve Allen). Unfortunately, Liz knows nothing about Alaska - so she starts to talk about the Wright Brothers instead!

In 1949 Alaska was not yet one of the United States, but was a US territory. The statehood movement gained its first real momentum in 1946 and Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on January 3, 1959. To mark this event, Desilu created a special episode of “The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” in which the Ricardos and Mertzes travel to Nome to cash in on a land deal, although no actual filming was done in the 49th state.

In 1952’s “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (ILL S1;E32) Lucy presciently (but incorrectly) answers the question “What was the last state to be admitted to the union?” by saying Alaska. At the time, the correct answer to the question was Arizona, admitted on Valentine’s Day 1912.

MR. BARTON: “No! When are you going to get to Alaska?” LIZ: “Let me get the plane invented and I’ll fly up there!”

With nothing else to talk about, Liz starts to talk about bees, but Mr. Barton quickly cuts her off and turns the podium over to Mr. Campbell, who launches into a serious speech about the welfare of the children of Alaska. He suddenly turns to Liz and asks “Who is responsible for these children, Mrs. Cooper?”

LIZ: “You really want me to answer that? Wilbur and Orville Wright!”

In the bedtime tag, it is 4 o’clock in the morning and Liz is eating crackers in bed. Wrestling them away from her, George gets cracker crumbs all over the bed. A few seconds later, Liz is eating an apple! George takes it from her. He hears her eating a third time and goes to grab whatever it is away from her.

GEORGE: “Whoah! What was that!” LIZ: “A glass of cold milk. Goodnight, George.”

End of Episode

Bob LeMond reminds listeners that Lucille Ball will soon be seen in the Paramount Picture Sorrowful Jones.

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broken-clover · 4 years

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AU-gust Day 21- Professional Rivals (Very, very late)

...yeah. I am. Very behind. But I’m trying to work on it

I wasn’t entirely sure how to interpret this prompt. I ended up going with something a bit superhero-esque again, but a lot more lighthearted than the last one, sort of inspired by Dr. Doofenschmirtz and Perry the Playpus. Nothing too dark or serious, just kind of dumb.

Sin let the weight of his body more than anything else push the door open to his apartment as soon as he felt the lock click. He managed to avoid stumbling over and hitting the carpet face-first, but only barely. At least he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him in the state he was in. Though he did notice a pair of slip-ons by the door, which made his shoulders sag further with an emotion he didn’t have a word for.

“Hey, Mattie.” He called into the empty space, slumping against the door behind him. “I’m back.”

Soft footsteps echoed somewhere in the bathroom. “Sin? You’re home already?”

He managed to stand himself up again and take a few tentative steps, clinging onto the gash on his arm that had just barely begun to clot. “Yeah, ran out of tasks to do so they let me out early. Bridget on the night shift again?”

“No, he should be home in a few minutes, hence why I was so surprised it was you and not him.” Sin sat down on his bed and watched as the silhouette in the bathroom moved towards the doorframe. “He’s bringing pizza with him, though, so at least we have that to look forward-

The two of them paused in place, completely halted by the sight of each other’s state.

“...Wow.” They said, in perfect unison. “You look terrible.”

Sin ran a hand through his hair, immediately regretting it when he realized he was staining it with blood. “Hehe. Yeah, rough day at work today.”

“That looks remarkably painful.” Bedman limped over, a hand hovering over Sin’s cut arm. “You’re all scraped up...what happened?

++++++

Sin soared over the cityscape in a ball of lightning, sparks crackling off his skin in iridescent arcs. He wiped the blood running from his nose and tried to focus on the dark cloud hovering up ahead.

“You’re gonna have to hit harder than that to do me in, big guy!” He shouted over the rush of wind. With a few more sharp bursts, he was at eye-level with the peculiar contraption. “Brought a new toy today? Hope it’s sturdier than the one I trashed last week!”

His taunting was interrupted by a series of metallic clicks. A dozen or so little objects were ejected from the hovercraft, which unfolded into hovering metal discs that immediately began chasing after him.

“W-whoa- !” Sin shouted, barely managing to dodge their sharp blades.

“Don’t be getting cocky, dear Mr. Raiden!” A warped, mechanical voice resounded from the main machine. “You look so cute scared out of your mind!”

Sin grinned back at him. “Y’think I’m scared, Oneiroi?” He fired off another bolt, making one of them explode. “I’m just hoping these ones are an actual challenge this time!”

Heroics weren’t quite where he’d seen himself ending up, but he couldn’t have been happier. Saving the day, stopping the bad guy, and getting out a bit of extra energy. It wasn’t the most high-stakes hero town, he was the only one there, after all (and he couldn’t remember the last time Oneiroi had made a fully serious plan as far as he knew) but Sin was perfectly happy where he was.

Well, most of the time. In his distraction, a blade whizzed by, drawing blood and leaving a mark Sin didn’t even feel until a few moments later.

The remote drones immediately freezed in the air, bobbing harmlessly. “Oh- oh shit.” The electronic voice’s tone suddenly shifted, from aggrandizing and pompous to concerned. “That wasn’t supposed to do that. You okay?”

“Nggh- I’m fine.” He wasn’t done for the day, and he certainly wasn’t going to throw in the towel as soon as he’d gotten nicked! That was just pathetic, for both of them.

“Are you sure? I can give you a minute to sit down-”

Grinning under his mask, Sin grabbed the nearest drone and spun before hurling it right back at where it had come from, wreathed in electricity.

“Sit on this!”

++++++

“Bit of a funny story.” Replied Sin, grinning with a bit of cheek. “Was helping deliver another truckload of slate across the 4 & 15, and I guess they did a shitty job blowing up the tires or something, whole thing toppled right into some poor old lady’s backyard!”

His roommate seemed to find it much less funny, mouth opening in quiet shock before he uneasily sat down on the nearest bed.

“A car accident?? And you didn’t think to tell Bridget or I about this? Not even a text?!”

Sin threw up his hands, immediately wincing and going back to grabbing his arm. “Easy, man! I was fine, It wasn’t a big deal! Besides, you didn’t mention whatever happened to you.” He gestured to the other, a lot more carefully. “What’s with that ding on the back of your head? And why’s your wrist bandaged up?”

++++++

“DANGER. DANGER. SHIELD TAKING DAMAGE.”

“ -agh!” the projectile had managed to knock his ship’s gyroscope off a bit when it struck, throwing him into the far wall console. He winced at the sore, and not to mention wet spot on the back of his head when he went to touch it. He’d seen much worse, but it would definitely take a few days to heal.

He knew he was vulnerable, but a second hit didn’t come. “Uh, you okay in there?” A slightly muffled voice came through the speakers. “Too much?”

After making sure it hadn’t been damaged, Bedman patched through to the speaker system with his helmet. “Are you being facetious? That hardly scuffed my outer plating! You’re going to have to do better than that to damage- khh- ow-” He winced, immediately sitting back down as soon as he’d tried to prop himself up with his free hand. Had he twisted it? At least it wasn’t his writing arm…

“Seriously, need a breather?” The other said.

“N-no! I’m perfectly fine!” He managed to scrabble to his knees with one arm, clinging onto the control panel for support as he pulled himself up, panting with effort. He tried to grin wickedly. “But while you were distracted, Raiden, you have unwittingly lowered your guard! Take this!”

He slammed a fist down on one of the large, brightly-colored buttons (a bit cliche, but they were helpful for his astigmatism). The sound of rockets firing off was supposed to sound, but he found himself tilting his head at the silence.

“Uh...Oneiroi?” Raiden’s voice came through again. “Tech error?”

“No! No, I’m sure I just hit the wrong-” He smacked it again, but still nothing. “Um…”

A little sigh followed it. “Yeah, let’s- let’s take five, okay?”

++++++

“Well, erm, there was a bit of an incident down at the office.” He shrugged innocently. “Shiina asked me to refill the printer trays, and I thought it would be a good idea to bring the paper bundles up the stairs- you know, exercise and building muscle and all that- but I wasn’t as careful as I could have been, I suppose, and I...erm, fell down from the top step.”

Sin cringed. “Yikes. That’s gotta hurt. Definitely made a good call, wrapping it up.”

“And it looks like you should do the same.” Bedman walked off and came back with the first-aid kit and a wet washcloth, the latter of which he pressed against Sin’s arm. “Just sit still. So aside from that, was the rest of your day okay?”

“Yeah, totally, everything was fine. You?”

“I was having a bit of a rough patch, but I had a nice talk with one of the other coders, that was nice.”

“Oh, really?”

++++++

The front panel of the hovercraft had folded over into a neat little platform that now hosted a cooler and a foldout chair.

“You don’t drink, right? Lemon-Lime Fizz?” The villain asked, offering a can to his rival. Raiden continued to hover a few feet away, though in a perfectly comfortable lounge.

“Ooh, yeah, toss me that.” He cracked the can open as soon as it hit his fingers. “So what’s up? You seem out of it.”

Oneiroi tapped fingers on his helmet. “I guess I just feel a little off today. Didn’t expect you would notice.”

“Aww, don’t be like that, man! You’re my nemesis! I notice these things.”

He supposed that was true, and it was nice. He could remember nervously typing up a memo on Heroes4Villains.com (‘M25 evil engineer, coder and aspiring megalomaniac seeking monogamous hero rival, serious applicants only, please!) at a fellow villain’s behest. He’d never had a real nemesis, but he was happy having Raiden. A bit dense, but he was a skilled electromancer and he made for an excellent enemy to battle on a regular basis.

He thought a moment before speaking. “Am I not adequately menacing? I’m worried I’ve gotten...a bit out of practice, as it were.”

Raiden blinked in shock, before shaking his head and waving him down. “Nah, man! You’re totally menacing! Those new drones of yours were super scary!”

“You really thought so?”

“Yeah!”

“Maybe I should commit to the motif a bit more?” He pulled out a roll of blueprints and unfurled it. “I had a concept saved for an army of robotic sheep with laser eyes, but the outer casing was complicated and I wasn’t sure if it was too...what’s the word…’hokey?’ I’m no Terumi or anything but I’d like to avoid coming across as too silly, you know?”

“I get you, totally.” Raiden nodded. “I think a lot of villains aren’t into the whole ‘motif’ thing anymore, but I totally get wanting to have a theme. And those tend to be some of your most creative plots! Remember the time you flooded city hall with nightmare gas during the benefactor’s dinner? That was iconic!”

Oneiroi looked down at his blueprints again. “Perhaps I could give this model another go...I know I didn’t exactly have a whole plan thought out for next tuesday. Maybe I could use my laser sheep to kidnap the mayor…?"

The other man smiled in approval. “Sounds good to me! Mayor Whitefang sounded like he needed a break from desk work too, he could probably use another kidnapping-for-ransom. It’s been a while since you did that!”

As he went to say something, a light began to blink and beep on Oneiroi’s gauntlet. “I wasn’t expecting that to pop up so soon.”

“Got a call or something?”

“Promised I’d help another villain remodel their evil lair, I wanted to cancel but they couldn’t get anyone else to help out. Is it fine if I leave early?”

Raiden nodded again. “Sure, sure man, by all means. I get it. Uh, and this is why you never underestimate the power of the good guys?”

“Of course. Curse you, Raiden? I’ll beat you next time?”

++++++

“...Yeah. It was nice.”

“Well, guess it wasn’t that bad of a day after all!” Sin beamed, throwing his bandaged arm around his roommate’s shoulders as soon as he had finished. “And now, all we’ve gotta do is chillax and wait! Hopefully Bridget ‘ll be back soon with dinner.”

“I don’t suppose we would happen to be getting garlic knots, as well…?

“You know it!”

“Excellent.”

#AU-gust #writing #guilty gear #Sin Kiske #Bedman

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emjenwrites · 4 years

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Updates 3/15/20 (posted un-proofread because its 4am and I need to sleep)

So I have a number of requests (like three) that I need to write. The next one on the list is a (probably fairly long) one for an AU where Kaz and Jordie both survive the Reaper’s Barge but each thinks the other is dead until Jordie returns to Ketterdam several years after CK. While I was at work today, I realized that given current world events this might not be a good time for this fic, so I think I’m going to table it for a couple months.

Good news is that means you’ll probably be seeing Roeder’s Fic in the next couple weeks and then I’ll probably start the post-s5 Tommy and Frances fic I’ve been wanting to write for ages. I was also thinking about actually writing the Jace Squared Fic too, so we’ll see what happens.

I’m currently planning to write my Fandom Trumps Hate gift during Camp NaNoWriMo in April, so maybe you’ll hear a bit more about that as I start outlining it. I’m not sure how much I should say about it, so for right now I’ll just say that its a Six of Crows fic set in a slight CK AU. I also don’t think its possible to write it well in the 5-10K I offered in the auction. I’m thinking it’ll end up being 20K, hence why I’m going to use Camp NaNoWriMo to the write it.

Tentatively, I’ve set myself the goal of getting to a particular fightingverse fic by next October. Counting Roeder’s Fic, I have to write eight 5K+ fanfics in this verse between now and then, which should theoretically be possible given how quickly I wrote most of what I currently have. Hopefully I won’t do something ridiculous like try to write the equivalent of Roeder’s Fic for every one of the Crows because that would add more fics to this lineup. There are more BLANK’s Fic style pieces planned (Minna, Espen, Baas and Vasilyev are all going to get one and I’m planning to adapt another fic in the outline into one for Kaz), and I have locations planned for a hypothetical Inej’s Fic and a hypothetical Wylan’s Fic though both are chronologically before What Are Words. I haven’t thought about where to place a Nina’s Fic or a Jesper’s Fic at all. Writing a fic for Nina might be hard given anything I do will be contradicted by KoS2 (I’ve actually been trying to write this series in a such a way that it can survive KoS2, but I’m probably still going to fail on that front), so I might put her fic off as long as possible.

Tbh I’m a bit annoyed by how linearly I’ve been writing the fightingverse. You’ll recall that when I wrote the Kaz Gets Pneumonia Fic last summer I was vehemently against continuing the plot I set up in the Kaz and Nina Bonding Fic because I didn’t think I’d ever finish it. However, once I committed to writing it what interested me was the idea of writing it in disconnected sections which eventually fit together to form a coherent whole. That’s obviously not what’s happening, because apparently I’m not a good enough plotter to figure out how to write a short story series in that way. Hey, at least I’m trying to mix the style up a little.

Long tangent short, I really hope I can get back into the swing of working on the fightingverse, because I really love some of the fics I have planned for later on and I want to see them finished.

First order of business, though, is a short (at least for me) fic where Ada cuts Tommy’s hair, though. I’m counting it as a request, though it’s going to be a thing more as a result of a conversation on the Peaky discord server I started about who cuts Tommy’s hair than as the result of a formal request.

Immediate Goals (aka rest of March goals)

Ada cuts Tommy’s hair Fic

Finish Roeder’s Fic (this fic has gotten unexpectedly long on me, what I have is currently 6K)

Post-s5 Tommy and Frances Fic

Outline FTH Fic

Beta-reading for @ravencyclebigbang

Less-Immediate but Still Immediate Goals (aka April goals)

Write FTH Fic

Get back into the swing with fightingverse (in a perfect world I’d make progress on it like I was making progress last summer, but I’m not sure I’ve got that level of insane productivity in me right now)

Continued beta-reading for @ravencyclebigbang (continuing onward until posting in June)

Long-Term Goals (aka May and after goals)

The Jordie Lives AU

Get to fightingverse Kanej Fic by October 2020

@grishaversebigbang 2020

Pipe-Dream Goals (aka this is an awesome idea but probably won’t happen goals)

I’d really like to write some Call Down the Hawk fanfic. I have an idea for a fic about Gansey and Blue chaining themselves to a tree, as well as something about Hennessy and sleep deprivation.

The Jace Squared Fic. I’d really like to write this before The Wicked Powers comes out, which doesn’t seem like it’d be hard but I have a poor track record with writing fics before they’re rendered obsolete by canon (something I should probably be worrying about with the Tommy and Frances fic too, tbh).

Finally write a Warcross fanfic 😒(it’s going to happen someday...maybe)

I can’t decide if I want to write a platonic s5 Tommy and Jessie Eden fic or if I want someone else to write a platonic s5 Tommy and Jessie Eden fic so I can enjoy reading it.

I want to adapt a Declan hurt/comfort fic idea I came up with before cdth came out to be cdth compliant. I can’t decide if I want it to be pre-cdth and just be the Lynch brothers or post-cdth and therefore have Jordeclan.

Also one of the prompts submitted to @ravencyclebigbang asks for the story of Declan’s relationships with his three girlfriends named Ashley. As a person who used to ship Declan/Ashley (before Jordeclan and, you know, realizing “Ashley” is actually three different people), I feel like I am obligated to write this thing (even if it probably needs to be humor which I am no good at writing.)

Alright, fine, now that I have laid out my plans and goals so it can be clearly seen when I do not meet them, I will shut up. I wouldn’t expect this to be a regular thing given how poorly I’ve done at keeping up on Sneak Peak Sundays.

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bottseveryflavorbeans · 5 years

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Masterpost of my fics on AO3

So I wanted to have a place to show off all my fics and I have finally gotten around to puttting them all on a list here so I can share it.

I hope some of you read my stuff and enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing these, especially the memoir-esque on (Harry Potter and the Sexual Awakening) and my current WIP, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in Strange Magic becasue it’s sort of detective-noir/urban fantasy.

If you read any and like them, stop by and say hi!

1. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in Strange Magic (37K WIP update weekly, M/E)

Summary: It’s been five years since the Battle of Hogwarts and Harry Potter is an auror, who catches wind of a series of magical surges that he thinks are linked to something insidious, but with a mildly tarnished reputation, he has a hard time convincing people of the problem especially so soon after the war. Harry joins forces with unexpected allies to help him find the source of the magical surges and save the wizarding world again, even if it means going against the very Ministry for which he works.

Main Tags: auror!Harry, potionsmaster!Draco, case fic, slow burn/slow build, lots of angst and sadness (be warned), some triggers like mention of past rape/abuse, mystery, suicidal thoughts, detrustive behavior, EWE, bi!Harry, gay!Draco

2. A Series of Unfortunate Ghosts (26K, E)

Summary: It’s sixth year and Draco Malfoy’s life is about to change thanks to some meddlesome ghosts who show him the path he is on is not the only path for him. Between their ghoulish advice and some deep soul searching, Draco regains some of the hope he lost.

Main Tags: sixth year au, Christmas carol themed, established relationship, angst, mention of past abuse

3. The Beginning of Something to Savor (5K, M)

Summary: Draco is out to blow off steam when he spots Harry Potter, crying, at the bar. He goes over, like a good partner should, to check on Harry completely out of a sense of what is right and not at all having to do with Draco’s little crush.

Main Tags: auror partners, sexual tension, post Hogwarts

4. Say it Again (9K, M)

Summary: After Yule Ball (in 8th year), Draco finds himself at an after party on the Durmstrang ship locked in the headmasters bathroom. He is trying to calm himself down, manages it, but then Harry Potter throws a wrench in things.

Main Tags: 8th year, second triwizard tournament, Yule ball, first kiss, drinking games

5. An Invite to Dance (3K, T)

Summary: This is a Western AU where Draco (Drake Mal) has stolen a gun, his gun, back from Harry ( Golden Harold Potts).

Drake has been on the run, trying to stay ahead of Golden Harold Potts, but each time he thinks he’s outrun the sheriff, he finds himself face to face with his foe. Golden Harold caught up to him and interrupted his drink, so they duel.

Main Tags: western au, auror partners, POV Draco

6. Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Harry J. Potter (6K, T)

Summary: Draco Malfoy is on the outside of society life after his family was tried for aligning themselves with Voldemort. The only thing that saved him was the intervention of one Mr. Harry J. Potter, the wizarding worlds most well-regarded man. Draco, who has been smitten with Mr. Potter feels rejected and when meeting him at a ball, decides to manintain his dignity and refuse to engage with Mr. Potter. *This is a Pride and Prejudiuce inspired piece*

Main Tags: pride and prejudice au, dancing, banter, angst with a happy ending, fluff, one shot

7. Snow Falling on Us (5K, T)

Summary: This is a (belated) Christmas fic...I hope you all are still in the mood for it. It is Christmas Eve, Draco has roped Harry into helping him break into Snapes potions stores for an ingredient. Harry agrees because he owes Draco for all his help in potions. So invisibility cloak in hand, they head off to Snapes stores, but things go wrong and they end up in detention on Christmas Eve.

Main Tags: Christmas Eve, fluff, snowball fight

8. Seeker’s Games (7K, T)

Summary: Harry and Draco met on the pitch to play a seekers game. It turns into a regular thing and while it started as a way to get out frustrations and play quidditch since 8th years weren’t allowed on the house teams, it grew into something more.

Main Tags: 8th year, one shot, flirting, quidditch, seekers, midnight meetings, friends to lovers

9. Threats and Promises (11K WIP, E)

Summary: This is the Voldemort wins AU that no one asked for, and yet...Voldemort wins the war and takes Harry, Hermione, and Ron prisoner because he has decided they are more valuable alive, at least for now. They are kept at Malfoy Manor since Lucius has proven to be a resourceful and reliable minion. The task of torturing the trio for information on the whereabouts of any remaining rebels falls to Draco. This duty is one Draco willingly accepts. His other duties are much less pleasant. At least in the cellar, Draco has control and power over his captors—it is especially alluring when it comes to Harry.

**This is a WIP that is currently on pause while I finish other things

Main Tags: au Voldemort wins, prisoner Harry, torture, hate sex, violence, abuse

10. A Night on the Town (1K, M)

Summary: This is a fun, short one-shot where Draco and Harry are on their way to a party being thrown in Harry's honor. And Harry doesn't know if it's the fancy limo Draco got them, or the excitement of officially becoming Draco's boyfriend, but he can't keep his hands off of him.

Main Tags: smut, limo sex, dirty talk, established relationship

11. When Desire Comes Calling (3K, M)

Summary: This is a one-shot based off of a prompt. "I'll be right back with your drinks," Harry mumbled, avoiding Draco's gaze and thanking the gods that he pretended not to know him. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge Draco just yet anyway. Almost getting caught & biting.

Main Tags: post Hogwarts, past relationship, Harry is a bartender, exhibitionism, public sex

12. Always Some Madness in Love (9K, T)

Summary: This is a collection of conversations that Harry has with people. I wanted to try and write a story from Harry's perspective, but only focused on one person at a time and have the story unfold that way. So each chapter is a just Harry and that person talking about his situation with Draco, in one form or the other. Harry is in love and doesn't know what to do, but when Ginny figures it out, he realizes he is in deep and needs adivce on how to deal with the fact that he loves Draco Malfoy, whom he get's reaquanted with two years after The Battle of Hogwarts because they both play recreational Quidditch.

Main Tags: slow burn, angst, fluff, post Hogwarts, auror Harry, unspeakable Draco

13. An Unrelenting Hunger (Under 1K, T)

Summary: Just a small, slightly erotic drabble about our favorite neighborhood wizards, Harry "I am so suave" Potter and Draco "I am so oblvious" Malfoy.

Main Tags: seduction, flirting, one shot

14. The Bet (1.5K, T)

Summary: It's eighth year and house unity is at it's peak. After an evening of drinking firewhiskey, Harry and Draco get into a disagreement about which of them is more seductive. Draco claims that Harry wouldn't know what to do, even if he tried. However, Harry knows there is at least one person who cannot resist him; Draco Malfoy. The bet is on. Who will emerge the victor?

Main Tags: 8th year, bets, dirty talk, seduction, drinking

15. Girls Just Wanna (6K, M)

Summary: This takes place two months after Harry and Draco get together (See: Harry Potter and the Sexual Awakening). They are throwing an engagement party for Neville and Blaise, but Draco is still in "I want Harry all to myself" mode, so when Ginny interrupts Draco littering kisses all over his new boyfriend, he convinces Ginny to go flirt with Pansy. After all, Ginny did say Pansy had a nice arse.

Main Tags: bathroom sex, spin off from series, female slash

16. Harry Potter and the Sexual Awakening (33.7K, M)

Summary: Harry Potter gets outed by Rita Skeeter in a recent Daily Prophet article and decides to take matters into his own hands. He decides to write a tell-all that everyone wants, the story of how he came to terms with his sexuality. What no one, especially Draco Malfoy, expects is this book doubles as a love letter to someone Harry calls, L.B. In the midst of being assigned to read and review Potter's new book, Draco realizes that some of the stories Potter tells in his book seem a little too familair. Thus, bringing up old feelings about the man.

Main Tags: slow burn, angst, lots of sex, past relationships, new relationships, memoir esque, POV switches, Draco pines a lot, Draco is shy

17. Hot for Teacher (15K WIP, M)

Summary: The students at Hogwarts are playing a dangerous game with Love Potions. Harry Potter is the Auror assigned to deal with the recent thefts from Hogwarts' Potions Professor and find the person behind the Love Potions. What Harry is not ready to deal with is his resurfacing feelings for none other than Potions Professor, Draco Malfoy.

**This is a WIP that is currently on pause while I finish other things

Main Tags: post Hogwarts, hogwarts professors neville and Draco, smut, auror Harry

18. Professor Malfoy Likes it Dirty (2.2K, M)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts newest Potions Professor, has a crush (a sex-dream-induced-crush) on Hogwarts very own Herbology Professor, Neville Longbottom.

Main Tags: a flirtation that leads to something hot, hogwarts professors

19. Song of my Soul (26.5K, T)

Summary: Harry is having nightmares again and just when he thinks there is nothing to help him, he hears a song. The song is coming from the Room of Requirement and it is beautiful. Without realizing it, the song helps Harry fall asleep. Harry finds he is desperate to know who is playing the song and Hermione thinks up a clever way to help.

Main Tags: slow burn, 8th year, romance, talent show, anonymous love

20. A Taxi, an Old Enemy, and Valentine’s Day (2.8K, T)

Summary: Harry, recently dumped, is being set up by Ron and Hermione and on Valentine's day no less. Harry of course is sort of sad and needs time to think before arriving at the Valentine's dinner, so he takes a cab which he ends up sharing with Draco Malfoy.

Main Tags: fluff, Valentine’s Day, one shot

21. Seven Minutes with Draco Malfoy (25.6K, M)

Summary: Harry was scared. Scared that he didn’t quite hate Malfoy anymore and wondered when that had happened and how he had not noticed it. Scared that he like being in this situation a little too much.

Main Tags: drinking games, 8th year, seven mins in heaven, slow burn

#drarry squad #drarry #harry potter #draco malfoy #drarry feels #drarry fanfic #drarry slowburn fic #drarry case fic #drarry au #drarry endgame #drarry fanfiction #drarry one shot #drarry drabble #drarry fic rec #my writing #my writing on ao3 #drarry ao3 #drarry fandom

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the-canary · 6 years

Text

Pastel Colors - B.B (14/15)

Summary: If only the cute teacher would stop pestering you for a pen.(Library/Teacher AU! Reader/Bucky Barnes)

Prompt: you’re always asking me for a pencil because for some damn reason you don’t know that there is a whole store for stationary—happy birthday here’s a gift card to that store. wait, you work there? what the hell?

Masterlist

A/N: This is for @bithors writing challenge. Aside from the epilogue and a few strays drabbles, this is sort of the end of these two fools in love! I am going to be honest and say I wasn’t the happiest when this series started, but I ran with it and as my 2nd Bucky series, I’m pretty happy with results. Thank you to Kumi for allowing me to take part of her challenge. Thanks to @isavuu for being my beta and general support from the middle of the series and letting me see its full potential. Thank you to my other two friends for being fucking soundboards.

Thank you for taking the time to read it and appreciate my little high school!

Feedback is always appreciated.

March rolls away softly with sweet dates and eager kisses. April is a bit cooler, but just as sweet with ending of your first semester. Yes, there are setbacks and things you still have to learn, but you enjoyed everyone’s research presentations and some of the students had been kind enough to give you feedback on how you could better yourself– they were a wild group, but you knew they were good kids. From that point forward, you move towards adding the finishing touches to the science and book fairs. Both would be held near the end of the school year, though students had been told two months in advance in order for them to prepare their project, since they would be judged by the Board and Tony Stark himself.

So, here you were on weekend, discussing the final details with Mrs. Potts-Stark.

“And with that, the event will end with a mini fireworks display, per the request of Mr. Stark,” you explain the last bit of your notes, as the redhead shakes her head lightly at her husband’s dramatics though there is still a bright smile on her face, the love evident on her face. You laugh, catching her off-guard, as she coughs lightly before going back into work mode.

“That sounds perfect,” she says as you nod, “I know that you’ve done a lot of things out of your usual job, but thank you so much for the help. I look forward to working with you towards the new school year as well.”

“Ah,” the sudden praise now catches you off-guard, as you nod your head at her gratitude, “Thank you for taking the chance at me. I’ve grown a lot this past school year.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Potts-Stark exclaims, as you give her a questioning look, “You should thank Mr. Philips for that.”

“Ummm…what do you mean?” you ask curiously. Mr. Phillips was someone you looked up as a mentor because while he was rough around the edges, he was a kind-hearted man that often spent the time telling you about his WWII background and fishing adventures when he wasn’t sending you to do the chores for the library since his back often went out due to a previous injury. You even got postcards from him and his wife every so often since they had started their RV adventures a little over two years ago.

“He said, ‘ That’s kiddo is a spitfire if you give her the right work. She just needs to move on from her mourning, is all ’” she explains, trying her best to imitate his voice near the end, which causes you to laugh, though you understood where he was coming from – you had mourned your mother for a long time and it wasn’t until you became the Head Librarian that you were pushed out of it. This whole year had gotten you to past that it seems.

“He’s just like a noisy grandpa,” you giggle, as she shakes her head. Her expression a bit more open before, “But, thank you, Mrs. Pot–”

“Pepper,” she cuts you off, as you look at her in confusion.

“Excuse me?”

“You can call me Pepper,” she smiles and you do as well, a little prouder than before at the privilege she has given you, something you would have never thought you deserved last July, but you had gained and grown so much thanks to her – you owed so many things to everyone and you only hope that things would get better from here on out. She grins and taps her pen on the desk before going to the next stack of papers you had handed her at the start of the meeting.

“So, you wanted to make some changes to Mr. Barnes’ classroom?” she tries to go back to her regular business mood, but can’t help but grin at the sight of your plans. Ah, fools in love, she thinks as it almost reminds her of another person with a passion for science and wonder.

“Ah, yes! I was hoping to…” you explain your plan under watchful blue eyes.

Pepper Potts-Stark can only hope she gets an invitation to a certain event in the near future, as she sees your bright eyes full of love and adoration. It was still too early, but she had a gut feeling for the both of you, one that had never been wrong – as Tony would like to say. And I mean, she was the one that pushed you together from the beginning, no?

“Now what are you planning?” Steve questions as he sees you leaving Bucky’s classroom on a Thursday, one of the two days that he doesn’t have tutoring or any clubs to deal with. You had promised to meet him later on for dinner with the excuse that you still had some work to deal with.

“Something, something,” you answer, as he shakes his head.

There was a huge grin on your face, as he watches you enter the room before following you. In the past couple of months, Steve had seen you break out of your shell and become a completely different person that didn’t hide behind Mr. Philips’ shadow, but he had also seen Bucky –the romantic and never ending optimist– come back from the dead after several years.

At your surprise shining bright in front of him, Steve couldn’t help but grin and that’s when he knew you guys were perfect for each other – maybe, even like Andromeda and Perseus, without the whole sacrifice and rescue motif though.

The whole school festival celebration ends up being a 3-day event that starts with a book fair, which you are quite busy running and showcasing several different works of the students throughout the different classes. Mr. Rogers’ classes hold a mini art gallery, Ms. Romanoff’s students showcase their digital art in the same space. In the second day, Ms. Hill replicated her earlier success with a school-wide poetry slam, and there were sports events with prizes thanks to Mr. Barton. However, the crown jewel was certainly the science fair on the last day.

This time around Bucky was busy showcasing his students to the board members and Mr. Stark, as you run around making sure everything is in place. It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that you both had a break since everyone was celebrating Peter’s win with his webbing, that quickly caught the former CEO’s attention, along with a visiting princess that had come along with her older brother to visit Stark Industries. You pull the man away from the festivities and drag him to his room, as he gives you a curious look.

“Doll, what are you planning?” he questions, as you laugh though without telling him anything. You shake your head, as he can’t help but smile at what silly thing you might be up to because since you started dating Bucky had come to realize you could be a tease and prankerster when you wanted to be.

“It’s not a secret, if I tell ya, Bucky,” you shake your head as he sighs. You tell him to close his eyes before opening the door to his classroom. You wait one, two, three seconds before opening the door and telling your boyfriend to open his eyes.

“Damn,” is all he can breathe out at the sight of his classroom cloaked in darkness close to his desk, but speckles of stars and familiar constellations scattered throughout the classroom ceiling. As it moves further out from his desk, the skies starts to lighten up with the farthest wall in an array of warm, pastel colors in its own artificial sunset.

“So, where are they?”

“What is, starlight?”

“Where the hell are those pens you took from me, James?” you question and hit him on the right shoulder as blue eyes widen. He lets out a nervous laugh, fully knowing that they are stored safely in one of his desk drawers back home where he used them for his own journaling – not that you were going to figure that out anytime soon. You pout waiting for answer. Instead, he chooses to grab you by the waist and spin you among the stars before planting a sweet, long kiss on your lips.

However, that doesn’t stop your plight.

“You better by me some new ones, Mr. Barnes,” you pout, as he sways you back and forth to some old song you have realized he had become fond of humming, though you don’t know which one yet.

“I’ll buy you the whole damn store, Ms. Librarian,” he grins before peppering kisses throughout your face. Your shared laughter echoing in the room full of stars.

Because while you could thank a lot of people for this happening in the end, it was really just a pen –your precious stationery— that caused all this to happen.

Finale (Part 15)

#kumis5kchallenge #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fan fic #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes library au #series: pastel colors #fabiola trying to write #bucky barnes teacher au

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freedom-shamrock · 6 years

Text

Catching Chances - Chapter 4

Also on AO3 Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Marichat May day 15 prompt, ridiculous romantic gestures.

Marinette stepped into her apartment and briefly wondered if she'd somehow gotten into someone else's. The lights were on low, soothing, and the smell of Chinese food made her stomach growl. She stepped farther in and realized her tiny table was adorned with a tablecloth she'd never seen, candles, and settings for two. Oddly, there was no black cat superhero to be seen.

It was Friday, and it had been a long week of preliminary women's fashion week planning. Chat had promised to stop over this evening, and she was looking forward to finagling a back rub out of him. That young man's hands were magic, and she kind of hoped that a massage could push the envelope on whatever their relationship had become. They were dancing on a precipice, and she was more than ready to leap off, but only if he was, too. They hadn't really talked about his claiming her, or her acceptance of his possessiveness. She suspected he was a little embarrassed to have let his cat nature take over so fully.

"Kitty?" she called, shucking her shoes and shoving her coat on it's hook. "You here?" The candles were lit, so she didn't think he would have left. She heard her bedroom door open.

"Princess!" he said brightly, swiftly crossing the room to take her attache case. "Let me help you settle in."

She let Tikki out of her purse to hide in her castle while Chat Noir was turned away settling he work belongings at her desk. He knew right where everything belonged, which shouldn't surprise her, but it did. Or rather, the intimacy she felt at that knowledge surprised her.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked. "If not, you can go change. I can wait."

She looked down at the table, her favorite Chinese dishes steaming and filling her apartment with its lovely and distinctive fragrance. "Oh my god, I love you," she blurted, feeling only the tiniest bit of heat in her face when she realized what she'd said. She turned to him, delighted to see pink in his cheeks. "You are my absolute favorite person right now."

He smiled, looking so happy that he seemed to be an almost literal ray of sunshine in that moment. "I can heartily get behind both of those sentiments, my Princess."

She adored the peculiar mix of bold and shy that made up her Kitty. She held out her hands to him, and when he was close enough, she stepped in and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm your Princess, and you're my Kitty."

His purr kicked in while he gently nosed at her hair. When her stomach growled again, he stiffened and stepped back. "You're hungry. Let's eat first, then we can talk."

"What's the occasion?" she asked, settling herself in her usual chair. They ate together most Friday evenings now. It had been an appallingly easy routine to adopt. He had his chair and she had hers. The fact that he so smoothly fit into her life and her home was something sweetly domestic that she couldn't help dwelling on it when he wasn't there.

"Do I need an occasion to spoil my Princess?" he asked, grinning as he seated himself.

She thought for a moment. "Not really, I guess." She snatched an eggroll from the plate. "This just seems… more than the regular amount of spoiling."

"It is," he admitted. "Blame my cat nature if you like; I'm trying to please you with gifts, but I know you don't want to be showered with extravagant things. I have this ridiculous urge to prove that I can provide for you." He reached out and gently ran one claw over the back of her left hand, resting on the table.

"So this isn't just my friendly neighborhood Chat Noir?" she teased. He'd modified the Spiderman catchphrase, using it regularly in his earlier visits.

"I think you know I don't want to be just your friend, Princess." He met her eyes, his expression hopeful. "Though if that's what you wish from me, I can accept that."

She flipped her hand over to grasp his. "I love being your friend," she said. "But I would like to be more."

30 minute speed write

I'm hoping to hit prompt 17 next, possibly yet today, as it's also in this series.

#Miraculous Ladybug #fanfic #marichat may 2018 #Catching Chances #my writing #Marichat

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fanatic-writers · 6 years

Text

Master List

I finally got my shit together and made a master list. Characters are bolded, series and titles are in italics, summaries are in regular type. (If the fic isn’t a series the link is the title)

Loki

Questionable Intentions

Reader is big into mythology and knows Thor from New Mexico, moves to New York to meet up with him and gets introduced to Loki. Realizes she has feelings for him and isn’t sure his he shares the same feelings. (.5 parts are in Loki’s POV)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 2.5

Part 3

Part 3.5

Part 4

Part 4.5

Part 5

Part 5.5

Part 6

Part 6.5

Part 7

Part 7.5

Part 8

Part 8.5

Long Live the King

Request: @winterrsschild Could you, please do a Loki x reader based on the prompt “if the world isn’t ready for us, we’ll just destroy it”? Preferably set in the first Avengers? I would love to see what your writing can do with this, I love your work!

Young God

Based on the song by Halsey takes place during the events of the first Thor movie, reader is in love with Loki but arranged to marry Thor.

Can’t Buy Me Love

Request: @firewolfkelly For the drabbles maybe an AU type thing where reader is working at a car show and Loki keeps coming back to buy tickets or something so he can talk to her because he likes her. Xx

The List

Reader has a list of things she doesn’t like about herself and Loki finds it while she’s away.

Part 1

Part 2

15 Day Writing Challenge

Reader takes it upon herself to introduce Loki to Midgardian fall traditions such as pumpkin spice and apple picking.

Pumpkin Spice

Falling Leaves

Hot Cocoa

Mittens

Pumpkin patch/field

Scarfs

Leaf Pile

Hayride

Scarecrow/Cornfield

Hoodie

Fireplace

Harvest/yellow moon

Bonfire

Candy/Candy corn

Apple cider

Don’t Mess with Me

Request: hi, can you write a Loki fic on Mischief Night? I just think it would be really cool to see him pulling pranks in the Avenger's tower, maybe even as part of a prank war with somebody (not an Avenger) who works there. Its cool if you cant or don’t want to, it’s just an idea I got with Halloween coming up @couldbeloved

As You Wish

Request: Can I request a reader x Loki where the reader hasn’t been sleeping well worrying about the Avengers who have been on a mission. And Loki, (who doesn’t go on missions) notices and get’s her to watch a movie with him in which she falls asleep on his shoulder? Thanks! I love your work!

Tony

Not My Choice

Request: Please 2,44 and 88! Choose whatever you prefer! But please… m/m not m/f!

Prompts: 2.“Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore.” 44.”You need to see a doctor.” 88. “STOP INTERRUPTING ME”

Ink and Grease

Soulmate AU where writing and other things like dirt and bruises and such show up on your soulmates skin too.

Carry On

Based on the song Carry On by fun. Tony recounts his best memories the person that means the most to him.

Part 1

Part 2

Bruce

Your Mess is Mine

Bruce goes to one of the reader's therapy sessions to help them calm down, what happens next surprises the both of them.

Sticks and Stones

Request: Hi! I just discovered your blog, and I LOVE your work! I was wondering if I could request a fic where the reader is in an abusive relationship and Bruce who has secretly loved her discovers it and helps her out of it? Thank you!

Part 1

Part 2

Give It A Rest

Request: Hi! Congrats on 500!! For the prompt list, could you do 15, 21, and 22? (M/F, preferably) Thank you and congrats again!

Prompts: 21. “I’m bulletproof…but please, don’t shoot me.” 22. “Did you just hiss at me?”

Challenge Accepted

Request: Could you do a Bruce x Reader fanfic with the prompt “you’re a doctor, and my friend has been trying to get me a date for weeks she just fake fainted to get you over here she’s fine I promise” love your blog btw :))

Control

Based on the song by Halsey, reader sticks by Bruce’s side even though he thinks he’s a monster.

Blacks and Blues

Same AU as Ink and Grease only this time reader is paired up with Bruce which means some mornings she wakes up covered in bruises.

Part 1

Part 2

Thor

Short Stuff

Request: @milleniumxhan Heyyyyy!!!! Could you do a Thor x reader where you’re really short (okay me like I'm 5'1) and like he finds it hella adorable and the when the other Avengers tease you he gets all defensive and yeah. Thanks <3

Peter Parker

The Language of Love

Peter confesses his love for the reader… in Spanish…

Wade Wilson

Unconditionally

Based on the Katy Perry song, reader tells Wade how much she loves him and convinces him to let her see his face

Voices In My Head

Reader tells Wade about her anxiety after he finds her in the midst of an anxiety attack.

Don’t Let Me Get Me

Based on the Pink! song, Wade finds reader cutting herself.

(Let me know if I’m missing anything. Updated 11/17/2017)

#loki x reader #tony x reader #bruce x reader #bruce banner x reader #Thor x reader #Peter x reader #Peter Parker x reader #Wade x reader #Wade Wilson x reader #deadpool x reader

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revwinchester · 6 years

Text

Centerfold - Part 4

Summary: Dean stumbles across an interview and photoshoot starring his high school crush (and younger brother’s friend) Castiel. He decides he’s going to stop at nothing to get back in touch with the boy with the blue eyes who used to sit in front of him in homeroom.

Genre: Mostly fluff with a touch of angst

Pairing: Destiel

Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel

Word Count: 1218

Series Warnings: AU - No Supernatural, Porn Star Cas, Mentions of Sex (but no depictions), Bastardization of SPN Lines, Scenes, and Episode Titles

A/N: This whole series came out of a prompt for @thinkwritexpress-official‘s Back To School Challenge! The fic is based on the J Gelis Band song “Centerfold” in which a man finds his high school crush on the pages of his favorite porn magazine.

Find it on AO3

Centerfold Masterlist

Centerfold - Part 4 -

Over the next few weeks, it seemed to Sam that Dean was back to himself and his regular schedule, all thoughts of Cas pushed from his mind.

So, when Cas texted the younger Winchester one Friday to tell him he’d be in town, he didn’t think much of it. The pair set up a dinner and, just to be on the safe side, Sam didn’t tell his brother. He often stayed at the office late, working on some case or another, so he knew Dean wouldn’t think twice about his absence.

As Sam and Cas caught up over an appetizer, Sam contemplated telling the man that he knew what kind of modeling he had been doing. The right moment never seemed to present itself, though, and ‘Hey, Cas, how’s the porn industry been treating you?’ felt way too abrupt.

Their meals arrived and Castiel’s entire demeanor shifted as he cut into his steak. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have an ulterior motive for this dinner,” Cas confessed. “I am in need of some legal advice.”

Sam leaned forward, going into “lawyer mode” as Dean liked to call it. “Sure Cas, what’s up?”

Cas took a deep breath and confided, “I think I have a stalker; it’s part of why I came back here this time. I’ve been getting weird phone calls for the last month. It’s always the same number at about the same time each day and there’s always a person on the other end but they never talk, not really anyway.” The words were pouring out of Castiel’s mouth and he couldn’t have stopped now if he had wanted to. “I’ve been zealous in keeping my professional life and my private life separate but all of the calls are coming from Kansas to my work phone. There have always been some weird fans of my work but nothing that raised any red flags before.

“Only one of my brothers knows that number and he swears that it’s not him and he hasn’t given it to anyone or talked about the, uh, finer points of my career with anyone.” Cas paused and took a deep breath, looking his friend in the eye, “Sam, I work in the porn industry. On camera. I’ve made a name for myself on screen. It’s not something that I’m ashamed about but I know that the majority of my family would not be able to handle that knowledge so you and my brother Gabriel are the only ones from my Kansas life that know this.”

Sam let Cas get everything out with what he hoped was a supportive look on his face. When his friend finally stopped talking, Sam held his gaze. “I already know, Cas,” Sam admitted, “and I think I have an idea about who your stalker is.”

Castiel’s eyes went wide with surprise but Sam didn’t find any embarrassment in them or in his voice when he spoke.

“How?”

Sam wasn’t sure if Cas was asking how Sam knew about his career or how he already might know who his stalker was but the answer was essentially the same. “Dean, my brother, he came across your spread in, uh, Hot Rod Hotties and he recognized you from high school.” Sam noticed a small smile on his friend’s face at the mention of his brother. Deciding to use this to his advantage and hoping to get Dean out of some of the trouble he could - deservedly - end up in, he leaned in conspiratorially, knowing his brother would kill him for what he was about to share. “He was really excited to come across the interview, Cas. I’m pretty sure he had a crush on you in high school and seeing you in one of his magazines rekindled some of that.”

Sam braced himself before he told Cas the rest of the story. How Dean had pestered Sam for his number for a few weeks before trying something more drastic and how he had followed his brother into the city and listened in while Dean had managed to sweet talk his way into getting Castiel’s phone number from the magazine. Sam was glad when Cas laughed at the part where the receptionist had mistaken him for a model but he steeled himself for the end of the tale. Sam confessed that he had overheard Dean’s first call to Cas.

“I should have told you right then, Cas, but he floundered so much and then never brought it up again so I assumed it was over.” Sam looked down at the table, staring at his meal. “I’m sorry.” Sam fidgeted for a moment, feeling uncomfortable with the silence that lingered between him and his friend. When his eyes returned to Castiel’s, though, Sam found that the man had an incredulous look on his face.

“Dean had a crush on me in high school?” Cas asked, his voice full of awe and disbelief.

If that was where Cas was going to focus his attention, instead of on Dean’s creepy behavior, Sam wasn’t going to stop him. “Yeah,” Sam confirmed. “I mean, he wasn’t out yet and he never really talked to his kid brother about it but he’s always been awkward with the guys he’s liked. With the girls, he can be super cool and smooth but the guys get him flustered. I remember the stories you used to tell me about how he’d act towards you and they fit his M.O., I just didn’t realize it as a kid.”

Cas sighed. “I was practically in love with your brother,” he shared. “My first film… The script was great, or as great as it gets in porn, but one of the reasons I signed on to Lazarus Rising was because the lead reminded me of Dean.” Cas was blushing and, if he was being honest, Sam was too, but for a completely different reason.

The conversation had not gone where Sam had been expecting and, while Sam had no issues with knowing his friend was working in porn, he didn’t care to imagine Dean - or someone who looked like Dean - having sex. Sam turned the conversation back to a topic that was both safer and more volatile all at once. “Cas, let me see the call log on your phone? I want to make sure that it was Dean who was calling you.”

Cas fished his phone from his pocket and held it up so that the facial recognition software would unlock it. He tapped the screen a few times and then passed the device across to Sam.

Sam scrolled through Castiel’s incoming calls. Every day right around 5:15 there was a call from a number that was nearly as familiar as Sam’s own. It was Dean, alright, and he seemed to be calling Cas while he was on his way home from the garage. As he looked at his brother’s number repeated daily in Castiel’s call log, Sam began to form a plan.

“Do you want to get back in touch with Dean?” Sam asked. He knew the answer already but needed to hear Cas say it. His friend agreed readily and Sam continued, “I think you need to mess with him a little first, to get him back for freaking you out with all of his calls.”

If you would like to be added to (or removed from) one of my tag lists, please send me an ask and let me know! The lists I’m tagging for this fic are story specific and then my forevers and my Destiel tags (if anyone signs up for that one).

Centerfold Tags: @shutupiminlooove

ALL THE TAGS! (forevers): @deathtonormalcy56 @supernaturalyobsessed @roxy-davenport @sumara62 @ginamsmith @gallifreyansass @samwinjarpad @hexparker @thinkwritexpress-official @atc74

Destiel Tags from @mrswhozeewhatsis: @mrswhozeewhatsis @thinkwritexpress-official @deandoesthingstome @manawhaat @thegleegeneration @SinceriouslyAmellPadalecki @ferferelli @fangirling-instead-of-working @chrisatplay @faith-in-dean @mamaimpala @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @curliesallovertheplace @skybinx-blog @purgatoan @impossible-box @deansleather @faegal04 @sunriserose1023 @dr-dean @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @saving-things-hunting-family @jotink78 @i-dont-know-how-to-write @notnaturalanahi @howmanytuesdaysdidyouhave @mysaintsasinner @besslincoln-bruh @shelovesallthethings @klaineaholic @hexparker @rockhoochie

#twx school challenge #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #Destiel #dean winchester x castiel #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #castiel #fics by Rev

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velkynkarma · 6 years

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Get to Know the Author

@bosstoaster has been tagging me all night :P

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

I’ve had the name ‘Karma’ for about 17 years now? I don’t even remember where it came from. The ‘Velkyn’ got added a little over 10 years ago when I decided I wanted to get back into fic writing. But I was still in that phase where you think you’re supposed to ‘grow out’ of fandoms and writing fanfiction, so I didn’t want any of my friends to know I was doing it. I was embarrassed. It was silly. I picked a different handle, VelkynKarma, which actually means ‘hidden Karma.’ Later I just liked the name and also got over my embarrassment for fic writing and just started using it everywhere.

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos).

No matter what statistic you look at, Routine Maintenance wins across the board by a large margin. Parasite Knight only has 1 less subscription, though, so I guess it’s a fair contender on subs.

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

Same as my tumblr icon, it’s one of my OC’s, Morrigu Lovel. He is a little smartass and I love him.

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

Oh for sure, there’s a few lovely readers that come back every time and always have something to say. I love you guys :) And a few others that don’t comment on every chapter or every work, but the comments they leave are always phenomenal and make my day.

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

Depends on my mood, and I don’t necessarily read the entire fic, just the paragraphs/scenes/chapters that really stick out to me. But yeah, I’ve got some favorites I return to a lot.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

Oh geez. This one’s hard to say since I watch stuff on AO3 and FF.net. A lot? I think a lot of those fics are dead now though.

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

Mmmm I don’t really have a tendency to stick to any particular series or AU for very long? I guess in terms of general themes I’ve done zombie AU’s the most, between Age of Heroes for Young Justice and Road Trip to End Times for Voltron...something about zombie apocalypse scenarios just fascinates me, especially since it can be done so many different ways.

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

252 user subs, 444 work subs, 2039 bookmarks. I didn’t even know that until now, huh

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

There’s some character interactions that are such hot-button topics in the VLD fandom I’m cautious about approaching them because I don’t want to deal with people complaining or begging for things to get escalated. Like, I love Keith and Lance’s interactions in canon, but don’t have much fic centered around them because ship lashback is real.

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

Short fic. What is brevity even? I can’t do zines or commissions because I can’t figure out how to manage a damn word count.

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

Nope! I don’t write any ships at all. I just write platonic interaction. Though I guess I wouldn’t be adverse to a platonic ‘rarepair’ as long as I liked the characters’ interaction potential.

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

So far, 25. 23 of those are Voltron, 1 is Young Justice, and 1 is Supernatural (experimenting with cross-posting on both of those last two, some fandoms are just hard to break into or not on certain sites).

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

Oh boy. In progress? I wanna say 3. Notes? A lot, lot more.

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

I jot down notes! Or email myself ideas if I’m at work/out and about. Or speak them into a little portable digital tape recorder I keep next to my bed, if it’s the middle of the night and I have an idea, but lack dexterity to type.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

Not in a long, looong time.

16. How did you discover AO3?

Through TVTropes. Every time I finished a new series I’d swing by to read tropes pages and see if there were any decent fic recs. At first they all went to Fanfiction.net or livejournal but, over time, this ‘Archive’ thing kept showing up. I made an account to lurk or subscribe to things but didn’t actually start posting to it until at least a year later.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

Moderately well known in the platonic corner of it probably assuming people know bosstoaster and I are not actually the same person lol but probably not well known outside of that. Once upon a time I was a Big Name in the One Piece fandom, but after the timeskip I fell out of the fandom and lost my pirate king throne. That’s okay, it was fun while it lasted.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

No but you all are too kind

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

In terms of ‘official’ authors, Brandon Sanderson is everything I ever aspire to be as a writer, and I take a lot of inspiration from that. For fic? My buddy BlackFriar was super helpful during the Young Justice era. More recently in the VLD fandom, @maychorian was big for just...getting me to stay in the fandom at all? One of her fics got me hooked and I stuck around, and then felt compelled to write, instead of just drifting off to the next interesting thing. And the Think Tank ( @bosstoaster @butteredonions @ashinan @mumblefox ) have all been huge for getting me to keep writing, between writing sprints and interesting discussions and a lot of encouragement, so that’s been huge for me this past year.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

At the risk of sounding like that one video...just do it. It’s scary to put yourself out there, but just do it. You learn by doing. You also learn by absorbing new things around you, so read a lot and try new stuff; you never know when something completely random or a personal experience might actually add a lot to your story. And finally, write for you, first. Write the stories you want to see. Writing for comments/bookmarks/reblogs only goes so far. It means your motivation is reliant solely on people liking your work, which means you start writing for other people and not for yourself...and if reception is lackluster, it can kill your ability to finish a project, which hurts your practice at follow-through. It’s a slippery slope and starts to make the whole thing a lot less fun and a lot more of a chore. Write things you want to read, and if you feel like sharing them after, other people might like them too, but it’s important that you like it, first.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

Has to be plotted completely. If I try to wing it I meander or get hung up on trying to keep track of details. Turns into total garbage.

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

A few times, sure. Happens to everyone. Most often, it’s people begging, demanding, or insinuating that my platonic fics should include a ship, especially if the fic focuses on the interactions of two specific characters. Those are very frustrating because I’m always upfront about the fic being friendship only, and there are usually a million other ship fics already out there. Leave my platonic fic alone! I usually ignore the comments, or just politely remind people it’s friendship only and will remain that way. In one bewildering instance in a different fandom I had somebody who had been thoroughly enjoying the fic up until the climactic battle, whereupon they were furious at how it was resolved, and took great pains to tell me just what they thought. That one stung. I had to sit on it for a few days before I worked up the nerve to respond, and chatted with a few friends over it too. In the end I realized that it was more comparable to a fan really enjoying a canon work but being mad about a sudden twist that just didn’t seem right to them. It happens. I thanked them for reading, explained that I disagreed with their comments but did hear them, and thanked them for their time. Best I could do.

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

I am straight-up incapable of romance, period. Even so far as to slide into ‘fake’ romance (I once got prompted for fake marriage/dating and literally couldn’t envision how to do it? It’s just so foreign to me). Or flirting. I can’t even identify flirting IRL. Basically anything in that general area of writing is completely out of my league. I can write intense scenes that are intimate in non-romantic, non-sexual ways, but those are really difficult for me to do too and I’m constantly second-guessing myself in case it’s maybe too much.

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

If I told you I’d have to kill you. But no, srsly, I don’t like to share ideas in progress until it’s almost done, just in case. Sometimes I share and then immediately lose interest, but I’ve already raised peoples’ hopes, and that’s just a dick move.

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

I’ll have outlines, or sometimes need to plan around prompts. I don’t usually do series, so I never really need to plan too far ahead though. Sometimes if I’m plotting a crossover/AU I’ll obtain the source material and read/watch/play it to start gathering notes for that fic while working on a different fic, so that by the time I’m done writing the current story, the AU’s skeleton is plotted out and I have a place to slot in all the characters.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

No. I’ve gotten better habits since working with the Think Tank but I still tend to be more of a ‘burst’ writer (no activity for days or weeks, and then suddenly word vomiting 100K in a month).

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

By a HUGE margin

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

Oooh, that’s a toss-up between Phantasmagoria and Prince of Memory. The former because I love writing horror and it’s an idea I’d wanted to tackle for a while. The latter because it was a personal writing challenge to myself that I honestly wasn’t sure was going to go over all that well, but the response was stunning, and I was quietly surprised.

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

Caged Bird, from a different fandom. I make it a personal rule to never delete stories that I’ve posted, but ooh man, I wanted to get rid of this one really bad. I was happy when LJ gutted it. I actually don’t have any real dislike for any of my Voltron stuff.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Still writing because I’d die if I stopped. Like a shark. But with writing.

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

That flash of inspiration, when you get an idea and suddenly it’s building itself almost too fast for you to keep up. Dialogue. Action sequences.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Getting started. Titles. Editing. Research. Any particularly emotional moment.

33. Why do you write?

Because fandoms are fun but I have so many questions after. “What if X happened? What if Y was a factor? Why not Z?” I try to hunt down answers to these questions in fandoms and if the fic isn’t already written, I write it. Also to challenge myself to do things that haven’t been done in the fandom yet, or to tackle things I haven’t tried yet.

I think everyone’s been tagged already so...feel free to play if you want, I guess!

#memes #fanfiction #fanfic #writing memes

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shootmesenpai · 6 years

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Question tag for AO3 writers~~

I found the original questions on AFF a while back, and I thought since I’ve been tagged in so many meme things lately, I’d also tag a bunch more people in this one XD Since the questions were designed for AFF, I’ve reworked some of them to fit for AO3 writers. I also removed two questions rather than trying to translate them to AO3 terms. So, I’ll fill out my answers first, and then put the blank questions again at the bottom for you to easily copy and paste!

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

I came up with "Shootmesenpai” for my Tumblr originally a long time ago. It was pretty much a play on the whole “Notice me senpai” thing. Pretty basic and not very witty but it just ended up sticking so I even used it for AO3.

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos)

Happy Birthday Aomine

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

My icon is Aomine Daiki. I choose it because he is my favorite boy and almost all the fanfics I have written are from his perspective.

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

I’m not a very popular writer and my stuff is pretty low key so the commenters are fairly random. I have some friends that comment so I suppose they count....kinda.

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

Blackbird or the Ladder series by @emungere is amazing and I have reread them a number of times. I also have a huge soft spot for Across the Way by @gintamajustaway and that is not even finished yet.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

I am only subscribed to two stories at the moment since a couple just finished recently, but I have 29 bookmarks for things that need to be read. I’m kinda bad about actually doing this instead, I just leave 100 tabs open on my phone.

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

I haven’t actually written any AU’s yet but I like reading student/teacher ones, yakuza AU’s or college AU’s. I would like to write a college AU one day as it’s not too far from reality so I think I may be able to handle it.

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

Oh, an embarrassingly small amount....I think I only have 29 subscriptions and 44 bookmarks...definitely, nothing to write home about.

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

Honestly, I don’t really have much. I would like to write something really aggressive and complex but I don’t do well with long stories. A yakuza story with some rough subject matter (similar to Harada) would be amazing but....that's a bit much for most of the ships I enjoy.

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

I would like to finish my one long story and possibly rework a lot of it. It was the first one I wrote and looking back I can see a lot of flaws. I need to honestly just start writing more and learn the fundamentals of good storytelling. Even though I enjoy writing smutty one-shots the most, I still have ideas for long stories that I’m not confident enough to begin.

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

I mainly write for AoKuro or AoKuroKaga which I guess is a bit rare for the KNB fan base. I also love ultra rare pairings like NijiHai.

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

5 total works with one unfinished.

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

I have the next chapter started with Realization and Loss but it’s only a paragraph....that’s it at the moment.

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

A little bit of both, my friend and I talk story ideas every once in a while so some of those are permanently locked in my head. There are some I came up with on my own that I have written down in a sketchbook somewhere.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

Nope, I come up with ideas with a friend sometimes so it kinda feels like it has been co-authored at times.

16. How did you discover AO3?

Just following the links of the fanfic rabbit hole.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

Oh god no, I am extremely casual in my writings. I freak out for having like 5 kudos on a fic. I bow down to the famous authors.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

Not that I’m aware of, again I am bottom of that totem pole.

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

I mean @humanitys-shortest-soldier kinda encouraged me after I continued to bug her about showing off her amazing writing skills. Other than that though @gintamajustaway was a huge inspiration, they are so amazing that I really have no words.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

I don’t think I’m qualified to give advice but I guess I would just say, don’t be afraid to put your ideas out there. Even if you think it’s weird, or you think your writing skills aren’t up to par, just do it! There are people out there who will encourage you and make your whole day with their kind words. I promise you.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

I do basic plots, mainly just large points that I want to hit. Everything else just slowly forms around those foundation pieces.

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

No, I haven’t gotten any bad comments yet but I am always open to them. I handle criticism well and I think bad comments can help a person grow to become a better writer.

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Ummm.....probably really serious stuff. I love writing smut and I read a lot of garbage so it helps but the serious stuff requires a build up on top of a solid foundation. Those are definitely weak points for me.

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

I have Realization and Loss....which I will probably finish...one day. Other than that though I don’t have anything in the works, although I was prompted today to write more Brotp for AoAka.

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Yeaaaa, I really shouldn’t but sometimes the idea is too fun to wait.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

Nope, I just write when I have the time or a burning idea. It has been a while since I have done anything though.

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

I think I have improved a bit, there is still a lot that I need to work on. I would love to eventually get back into it and improve my fundamentals and basics storytelling abilities.

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

Haizaki’s Day Off, it was just a lot of fun to write and I really enjoy writing for Haizaki since he is a huge asshole.

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

I don’t really have a least favorite but if I had to say...it would be Realization and Loss. It was my first one and I still need to finish it, but looking back I see a lot of errors and crutches throughout the story.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Probably close to where I am now, I love writing but I don’t think I am cut out for anything serious within the field. I love drawing and a lot of my free time is spent trying to improve there, while also finding the courage to post it.

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

Coming up with the basic plot and all the fun bits that it involves.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Actually sitting down to write it.....also in-character dialogue!

33. Why do you write?

I write because sometimes an idea is too fun to keep to myself or between my friends. I write so that hopefully other people get some enjoyment out of the weird stuff I create.

Anyways that’s all the questions, so I’ll put them here as well without the answers to easily c+p.

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean? 2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos) 3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it? 4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters? 5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again? 6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked? 7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most? 8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page) 9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!) 10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc. 11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often? 12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)? 13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program? 14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head? 15. Have you ever co-authored a story? 16. How did you discover AO3? 17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3? 18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers? 19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write? 20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author? 21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go? 22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do? 23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..) 24. What story(s) are you working on now? 25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)? 26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself? 27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started? 28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written? 29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written? 30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years? 31. What is the easiest thing about writing? 32. What is the hardest thing about writing? 33. Why do you write?

Tagged by: @humanitys-shortest-soldier

I tag @emungere @gintamajustaway @criscura and other amazing writers who want to tell all us beginners how it’s done.

#long post #shootmesenpai #shoottheask #i really love doing these stupid things #i am not a writer though #don't let this fool you

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rpedia · 7 years

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[Ask RPedia] Post-Long Time RP Shutdown Advice?

Anonymous asked: Hey, do you have any advice for people who have been in roleplays for 1 year+ that have just closed down? Feeling kind of lost & in a funk now I've lost contact with people I was close to & enjoyed writing with. Not sure if this is the right place to come and ask but figured it was worth a shot

Oh no! Another lost lamb. I see this happening a lot, and boy experiencing it was no happiness either. It’s like finishing a good book and having the world slowly fade in. Everything’s different, and empty, it’s horrible. Unfortunately, no matter how long your RP friends have lasted, sooner or later it starts falling apart. It’s always good to have interests and accounts in other places in case of loss like this, because you’re gonna have to build from scratch one way or another, paralleling it with growth takes away some of the ‘waiting’. Let’s talk about some likely ways to handle this though from the beginning!

You can go to somewhere new. Explore! There’s a whole wide web of sites that want to encourage you to roleplay, from forums to chatrooms. I keep a list here that anyone can reply to and add places to check out, and that I add to whenever I move sites. I haven’t for some time actually, because each new fandom I move to, and each new group has been found and expanded on that very large very open site. (Thanks F-list!). When you join a new site, you can usually find someone, somewhere, willing to chat with you. They may not be the kind of partner you want right that second because they aren’t what you’re used to, but talk to them anyways. Work your way to RP for the sake RP with a new person, and you can find people you didn’t realize you’d be so close to, because you simply were busy with people you already were close to! Offer enough chances, and something will pan out.

Try speed dating. Like the sound of quick semi-meaningless RPs to check for Chemistry? Omegle, Cherubplay, MSPARP, even Chatroulette in an emergency. Just set your standards to how you like, make sure you suggest “roleplay” and your fandom name of choice on Chatroulette and Omegle, and then play out random little abstract tidbits about your characters meeting. You can find really interesting people like this, who might be willing to toss a Tumblr handle or Skype handle your way where you can find each other again and start roleplaying in a bigger way. Many of the users on these sites either don’t have a solid constant flow of RP elsewhere (which means they may be open to a tighter bond with someone) or they’re shopping for neat people to share with others. You can build patter, and teach yourself to be more social through these cold start prompts. It’ll force you to drop some habits you’ve gotten used to with other people, and open your mind to new people.

Try going out and doing other things, or finding new fandoms. Oh look, personal growth! You’re free, instead of lost. You’ve got no roots and therefore can meander into anything you find interesting. Something maybe your past partners were tentatively interested in, or not interested at all so you set it aside. Watch a new series, get addicted, get fresh ideas and try new OCs. Do something you’ve never done before, and you’ll find people who were connected to those things the whole time. When you finally get into those things, you’’ meet people you’ve never met. The RP world is basically a giant net, and everyone is connected via interests, threads, and other people. If you put yourself out there on a thread or in a chatroom and just talk about something new, you’ll be visible to new people, and if you share interests and chemistry with these new people... Well the obvious happens. You’ll end up chatting, possibly making friends, and since you both like RP if you stick to RP sites, you might actually get into another group. Just because your group is dead, doesn’t mean there aren’t living ones looking to suck in someone of interest who used to be busy! Don’t be afraid to approach people just to talk, or to work out a plot.

Hang out on Public Chats/Forums. Be yourself, in front of other people! Related to all of my points a little, if you’ve been in a private chat, or a private Skype, a closed tumblr, or a private forum you haven’t had much time to get out and be seen. You’re basically a stranger to the internet. Someone who hid themselves in the ancient caves to practice their art, unseen for centuries before bursting onto the scene. If you become seen, people will check you out. People who may not approach you at first until they get a nice sense of you. If you’re nice to whoever comes to you, no matter their RP quality, you’ll have people who may be really good, but really shy, find you safe. If they find you safe, they’ll approach you, and you can bond with them. If you play long enough in public, you’ll get regulars, and friends. When you have friends and regulars, they may play with each other in public using you as a jumping off point for why they are interacting. You’ll help them greet people they would never meet on their own. As that gets bigger, this Katamari of Roleplay will build and build until you have your own little niche/clique/community within the larger landscape. All this, just by being visible, and good natured/interesting in public, regularly.

Roleplaying wasn’t hard to get into the first time you did it, I have a feeling. Sure it was big and new and a little intimidating, but you didn’t know what to expect. You wanted to learn, interact. You didn’t have any solid ideas of what was going to happen, or memories of people who were fantastic players you were really close to. Your friends mean something, and they always will. But you’re allowed to have more friends. You’re allowed to open up, socially, and try everything as if it’s brand new again.

Let yourself be hesitant, but don’t be afraid to jump in! Jump into everything! Everywhere! Explore your new characters through writing fanfics or short stories. Work on profiles. Design worlds. Design life. Come up with concepts. Play with yourself, by writing by yourself. Maybe in public. Let yourself do crack-play, or bullshit you wouldn’t do because you have a higher standard now. If it’s fun, it’s fantastic! It doesn’t matter what other people think. You’ll find somewhere, as long as you openly invite interaction in your posts. No hanging out in corners sipping tea, no yawning, no sitting by yourself hoping someone will get curious.

Name drop, in narration not vocally for your character unless they know the names. Interact with other posts. Someone do something silly? Laugh about it. React to the people around you. Invite them to react back. Allow them to see you want to play with them. As long as you actively seek out other people, and actions instead of trying to lead everything yourself you’ll end up getting the ball rolling on new RP friendships.

Interest can be anything from playing a character that is unique, to playing a character doing something other people haven’t seen a thousand times which has something that they will notice. Be it sound, visual stimuli, smells, emotions, or even sense of touch. Don’t be obnoxious and grab strangers or attack people out of no where. For the love of god, poking will annoy a lot of people. But maybe, sit down and set up a board game. Roll some dice loudly. Start laughing at something on your cellphone, and look around for someone to share it with. People will jump on open interactions like that. Especially if you make a note you’re looking for someone to do so. Glancing around for help, literally calling out, ‘Hey anyone wanna join me?’ shit like that.

Pretend you’re in public in the real world, in New York. They pretty much ignore things that are wacky and abnormal unless they explicitly involve them in the action. Not by touching, so much because that’s kind of creepy and assault in some cases, but by vocalizing and calling out. “Hey! You!” yelled at the big guy in the corner will get their attention. Emotion and shit, tone of voice. Are you curious, snappish, excited, angry? It brings elements to RP to draw new people in.

And of course, skim their profiles if they have any. OOC sections and ‘likes and dislikes’ and other important ‘Please don’t do this’ things should be known if you are approaching someone new. It takes 15 seconds, and could save you from calling out someone, and demanding a fight, from someone who doesn’t like fight RP. Or who doesn’t want to play anything you find interesting. Everyone’s different, and honestly, it takes a few extra seconds to make things so much easier on everyone else.

I also suggest the tag #RPediaRP for everyone trying to find partners! Look, the tag’s empty right now. But if you use the tag on here, on Omegle, on Twitter, anywhere you can use a tag system? People looking at it because I just advertised it to over 6.5k people, might see you. Say hi! Mention that you’re looking for asks, or replies. Say you’d like to chat about stories. Give a summary of you and your character. See who shows up to the party. #RPediaRP is 100% user generated, not me, but it’ll let people find each other. I get a lot of fucking asks about advertising and finding each other. Using that tag to post open starts, and stuff like that will get that community participation in a smaller area. Ya’ll are good RPers right? GET OUT THERE. GET SEEN!

Advertising a tag to help ya’ll find other RPedia readers who want RP aside, that’s great advice and I’ll repeat it 30 thousand times. Get seen. Make friends. Interact. You got this, it’s all a matter of self advertisement and trying.

Emotionally, I would like to touch upon recovery. You have just experienced a major loss. An RP network is a support network. It’s friendships, and building a world that feels real and unique. Even though it’s fictional, it still has the same value as face-to-face relationships in terms of support, interaction, social ties, and emotion. You still feel love for them, kinship, understanding. You’ve learned their tics, and how they interact with one another. You’ve gotten close to these people, and having those ties severed feels like shit.

Reach out to them, some of them may be feeling the same way and you can continue on your journey with people who already understand you. People who care about you, and don’t want to lose contact. Maybe some of your friends are more healthy by going on their way? But sharing your life with someone you’re used to, and who will remember things can make the loss less sharp. Just don’t hyperfocus on them and force them to be your entire social network, they’ll get tired, resentment will brew. Remember to keep reaching outwards, and never focus all your attention on just one person. It’s unhealthy and ends up making everyone kinda upset in the end.

You still matter, even though you’ve lost things. You’re a person, and roleplaying means something to you. It’s an interest or hobby that can help you grow as a person and really see the world, and meet people. You’ll do things you can never hope to do in real life. So, in a way, roleplay can heal what roleplay has harmed. Don’t abuse it, and make yourself the center of every sad story, but you can hint as losing friends, or missing people and get a little bit of coddling. Here and there, a light dusting of sad spice. It can be cathartic if you’re not heavy handed.

Give yourself time to heal. Rest up, you’ve been through something. It might take you 5 minutes to be fresh as a daisy, or months or years to get over that loss. Everyone’s different. You might go through all the stages of grief, or you might go ‘well.... time to move on’ and find something to distract you entirely. It’s okay, no matter what you choose to do, or well, not choose, but have to experience because your brain is a mean little thing that pushes various chemicals whether you ask it to or not.

You’re going to be fine, experiencing pain and loneliness is normal. It’s normal to feel both loss and grief, and love and sentimental warmth. Look back on it as something amazing, something you loved, and look for new challenges. New purpose, relief, and happiness is in your future. You are not lost for good, you’re just... in-between roleplay partners. You’ll get new ones, the urge to write and tell stories never leaves you entirely.

Good luck, and happiness on your path to finding this shit. Gooey and lovey-dovey as I sound, and as hard as this feels for some of you? You’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.

#roleplaying #roleplay help #finding partners #roleplay partners #RPC #RPH #Ask RPedia #RPedia #RPediaRP #Looking for partners?#Use RPediaRP as your first tag

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wonderlandselfshipping · 3 years

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Fuck it I’m doing the self ship ask with Sam and no one can stop me

1. What kind of blog does your f/o have? Do they selfship on main? Do they look like a regular fan? Quiet reblogs or lots of gushing? Lots of analyses of your character and your source or incoherent blabbering? Do they have a headcanon blog? Do they try to roleplay as you?

He’s more of a secretive type because no one would believe that he’s that weird??? Right? Wrong, Hyper Dimension Traveller Koi is like the one thing besides his brother that keeps him from arson. Quiet reblogs but he becomes a little more vocal when someone adds him to the “official group chat.”

2. Do they prefer selfshipping by inserting themselves into your source, or by daydreaming about you in their own little / personal world, or by imagining you by their side during their daily life?

Both. Sometimes he could be looking all stern and calculating before an interview but could literally just be thinking about just holding her hand and no one would realize it.

3. What’s their self insert like? Is their s/i literally them? Is it basically them but with just a few changes - to be more like the person they’d like to be, or to “fit in” your source better? Is their s/i totally OP or extra or more realistic? Is it an OC that’s totally different from them?

Her series is all about dimension hopping so why should he change a thing about himself?

4. Do they spend more time on wikipedia, on your fandom wiki, on your TV tropes page? Looking for official content they might’ve missed, like fun trivia? Looking for fanart, for fics? Looking for information and details and references for fics or art or other fancontent they’re making because they want to make sure they get everything right?

He has a special skin on his phone that makes everything look like scholarly articles so he can hide his tvtropes. He eventually combined enough references from the official Twitter to make an “official reference.” That’s used by the widespread fandom. He literally cannot read any fics because he can’t insert himself into them and like 90% of the x readers are f/f. Help him

5. Do they create anything inspired by you and/or their ship with you? Fanart? Fanfics? Gifsets? Moodboards? Edits? Songs? Dances? Crafts? Playlists? Cosplays? Do they post them (or pictures of them) online? Do they sell any merch (online, at cons, etc)? Do they make pics of their selfship in dollmakers? Do they spend hours on otp prompt generators? Do they commission art of their selfship?

No, he’s subtle about it. See he has this folder titled “Homework and Interview stuff.” And while normally you’d just find stuff, it’s where he hides his self ship stuff. Just doll makers because he’s too shy to commission art and doesn’t have time to comitt to writing anything. Once he joins the server, they get art for him. He also got a signed autograph from Koi’s va in character as her during some event and it’s his most prized possession.

6. Does your f/o have a selfship wedding with you? Do they celebrate it on their blog or more privately, with their fellow selfshipper friends? Do they make any content (like art, fics, etc) to celebrate?

He’s not comfy with that stuff and he sure as hell can’t get a ring because he knows the fans will be apeshit over it.

7. Does your f/o have fankids with you? If not, maybe pets?

Not comfy, plus in the current arc, she just had a birthday in the height of the Hawk Virus and wasn’t able to celebrate it so everyone’s debating if she’s 18 or not because she certainly doesn’t look it. They’re all still wanting an official confirmation on it.

8. Do your f/o and your friend’s f/o plan for double dates since their f/os (you and your friend) are from the same source? How would that go?

Koi’s the only main character plus 1, he doesn’t have friends and I don’t have friends.

9. If you have multiple f/os (romantic, platonic, anything), imagine them making or joining a Discord server or a group chat about you or your source. Who gushes, who shares art and fics, who analyses everything, who sends memes?

Sam’s quiet, Ingrid basically lore connects everything, Bernie basically has 100000+ ways to gush.

10. Does your f/o have very creative ship names, or are they bad with finding tags / ship names, or do they just use regular fandom tags?

He is exactly like me. Sometimes creative, other times not

11. What’s your f/o like when they read / watch / play your source? Do they reread / rewatch / replay their favorite parts over and over? Do they make comments aloud? Which parts of your story made them laugh? Made them cry?

He has to secretly gush and react since “he can’t be a fan of stupid shit like that, he’s too smart for it.”

12. Do they post any videos related to your source? Like AMVs? Or reaction vids (with them reacting to your source as they read / watch / play / etc)? If your source is a game, do they make a walkthrough? Is it a perfect walkthrough, a more casual one?

No, he’s gotta be on the dl about this, he’s supposed to be an outstanding member of the community

13. Which of your f/os has “y/n’s husband / wife / partner” as a username online?

He doesn’t but Bernie does

14. Do they have merch of you? What kind of merch? Posters? Keychains? Stickers? Stuffed toys? (And if they have a plush of you, do they kiss it and sleep with it?)

Actually he got a surprise plush from a creator he follows online, not realizing Bernie gave it to him bc to her, everyone needs a cuddle buddy.

15. What kind of content do they like / make the most? Is it fluff? Angst? Hurt / comfort? (btw: imagine your f/os going to you when they need comfort, because they love you and you’re comforting to them.) Do they respect canon or do they make lots of AUs? What kind of AUs do they like?

Soft all the way bc they both have trauma and need to work through it with cuddles

16. Which of your f/os has 1341 pics of you saved on their phone / laptop? What kind of pic did they choose as their phone / laptop background? Is it a canon pic of you, or fanart, or art of their selfship with you?

Has one image and that’s a commission Ingrid got him from Ignatz.

#Self Ship AU 🔮

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hballou · 4 years

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Nonprofit Fundraising in our COVID-19 World with Martin Leifeld

Martin Leifeld, author, coach, consultant, and public speaker directed the raising of over $500 million dollars during his 24 years of fundraising leadership in the St. Louis region. Martin authored the book, FIVE MINUTES FOR FUNDRAISING - A Collection of Expert Advice from Gifted Fundraisers. MartinLeifeld.com provides nearly 125 video presentations about leadership and fundraising matters.

Martin served as vice chancellor for university advancement at UMSL for 10 years. He led a dramatic increase in fundraising, averaging $26.4 million per year. University Advancement had 140 employees and a $16 million budget focusing upon alumni engagement, community relations, fundraising, marketing and communication, university events, and St. Louis Public Radio.

Previously, Martin was associate vice president for university development at Saint Louis University and director of development for the Diocese of Belleville, Ill.

Martin was named the 2018 Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the AFP St. Louis Regional Chapter. Martin was selected as the 2020 Millard S. Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award from St. Louis Public Radio (KWMU).

Read the Interview

Hugh Ballou: Greetings. This is Hugh Ballou. Welcome to The Nonprofit Exchange. Every week, we have a guest who has knowledge and wisdom, and experience in a topic. They have been there and done it, and they have some things to share with you. You’re sitting in the seat as clergy, nonprofit leader, or board chair. Maybe you’re a business person thinking about launching a nonprofit. This series is here to help you think out of the box, think of some new paradigms, and learn from some people who are experienced.

Today, my guest is from St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of this book, Five Minutes for Fundraising: A Collection of Expert Advice from Gifted Fundraisers. Martin Leifeld, welcome. Would you tell people a little bit about yourself, and why is it that you do what you do?

Martin Leifeld: First of all, it’s an honor to be on your program today, and I appreciate your audience. I hope I can be helpful.

I’ve been in various leadership roles for around 45 years. 25 years of those were in small and larger universities. 25 years, although they didn’t overlap exactly with the universities, I have been involved in fundraising. About two years ago, I retired after 10 years as vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, which is our local urban land grant university here in St. Louis. I had a wonderful run there.

Long story short, here in the St. Louis region, which is where I spent my 25 years of fundraising, over $500 million raised, that’s a lot of money for St. Louis. It’s not about the dollars raised; it’s about the involvement, the lives changed, and the impact because of the dollars raised. Two years ago, I retired. It wasn’t my timing, to be honest with you. I had health issues. My handle in the last couple of years has been author, coach, consultant, and speaker. A little bit of everything. I think you know what I mean. I have a website, MartinLeifeld.com. There are over 120 videos there on fundraising and leadership. You were kind enough to point out the book. I have been doing podcasts, a couple dozen of them, and regular postings, particularly on LinkedIn.

I am trying to give back. This is all about trying to give back to a profession that has been such a blessing for me, so good for me in so many respects. Certainly developed professional skills. I have grown as a person by doing this extraordinary work of fundraising.

Hugh: We have in the audience two fundraisers who are CFRE. They’re here because they heard about you. We’ll let them ask questions later.

Martin: I’m beginning to sweat, Hugh.

Hugh: They’re very nice people.

Martin: I hope so.

Hugh: I had a funding professional last month. He said he reads a fundraising book a week. My area is transformational leadership and the conductor. The best leaders I worked with in corporate or nonprofits are the people who are always working on themselves. The famous speaker Jim Rohn always said, “Work on yourself harder than you work on your business.” I wrote that down and have been working on it ever since. 73, and still working.

Martin: I’m impressed by somebody who would read a book weekly. There is a chapter in the book called, “The Three C’s of Fundraising.” The first is competence. If you want to be involved in fundraising, being somebody of impact who makes a difference, you have to develop competency. There are two ways to do that.

One is lifelong learning. You are a student of the game, of the practice. That can include certifications and the like. You mentioned CFRE, which makes me nervous. You go to webinars like this, podcasts, so on and so forth, to remain educated and current in the field. But book-learning alone doesn’t make you an impactful person in the work of philanthropy. You have to add to that experience. In any profession, if you’re working diligently and are learning, being humble as you work your way through successes and failures, you should acquire the kind of experience that makes that study you do come to life and be most virtuous. That’s just competence.

You have to have confidence. Confidence is not bravado. It’s not fake it until you make it. Real confidence grows alongside the development of competence.

But to get to your point, the third C is character. What donors want is someone who is competent. They want to recognize a competent professional who is doing their work with excellence and to have that quiet confidence that comes over the course of time. But what they are really looking for is people with outstanding character, people who are virtuous and trustworthy, people who you might say they know they can do business with. They can shake hands and make something happen.

If you don’t have all three operating, I don’t think you can be a master in any profession.

Hugh: Absolutely. I have earmarked a few things. I want to talk to you about the correlation between leadership and fundraising. Did you just sit down and say, “I want to write a book?” What was the inspiration, and how did you connect with the people in there, who are all experienced fundraising professionals?

Martin: You might find this story curious. Since I turned 30, every consecutive decade since, on the 9th, the 29th, the 39th, etc., I would use that year very deliberately to reflect on my life up to that point, trying to look at success and failure, places for improvement. To look at the next 10 years and try to project what I can do to have an impact. I should say every decade, I got more intense about this, too.

Six years ago, when I was 59, I was really working through that year. I decided in that spring to take 100 days and really drill down about the future. Every day in my journal, Day 1/100, Day 15/100, I began my journal. Journaling is part of my morning ritual. Seeking ahead, you might say. Believe it or not, around day 72/73/75, I have what I call a small I, inspiration. The inspiration, as I referred, was to give back to the profession. I wanted to start there.

I thought, Well, I had done so much mentoring and coaching and fundraising with staff and volunteers. I was very good at doing something briefly. Somebody asked a question, as you can tell, I can go on for five minutes. Five minutes, I can give a good answer that would be appreciated. Maybe I could do some brief videos. Then I thought, Well, not everyone wants to watch a video, let alone look at me for a few minutes. People prefer to read. Let me do both.

So the genesis of the book logistically was transcribing my first year and a half of videos on these very subjects. Hugh, you may know this, and your audience may also. Seven minutes of video, especially the speed at which I talk, only translates to a few pages. I got into this and thought, I am not going to have a book. The other part of this was I never tried to give a comprehensive answer about something. It was more stuff I noodled about, experimented with, discovered that I thought was helpful.

That is what prompted me to go out and recruit 26 others to join me as collaborators in this. It was a fun experience because maybe 60% of them I knew, some very well, but the others I went out and recruited based on word of mouth and reference. I had to establish a relationship with them, like a donor, and ask them for their assistance. I found overwhelming willingness to be supportive.

Hugh: Wow. 26 of them here, all by name. Each chapter says, “Collaboration.” Speak a little bit about how collaboration works for you, and how it manifested itself in the book. It’s interesting how you have each section with dots and italics to stand apart, where there is a dialogue.

Martin: What I was trying to do was say something about the particular subjects, insight and angle. I had come to realize through experience and effort and training. Then I wanted to enrich it. I tried to find people. I called them collaborators. In other words, I wanted to start with what I had to say about a particular subject and ask them to add to it. Nobody really directly contradicted me as a collaborator. But they collaborated in the sense that they took the content seriously and enhanced it with their own reflections. Many of them added stories that put the flesh on the bones of the point of the chapter. It was interesting. If I had asked people to write it, they wouldn’t have written it because they were too busy. I had somebody help me interview them. We came to it in different ways based on the needs and availability and interest of my collaborators. I tried to collaborate logistically and practically in order to have them help, but they were generous about their time.

The thing about this word “collaboration” is the goal is a joint thing we do together. The goal is to bring the best of more than one person to bear in order to, as you talk about with synergy with your organization, to get that synergistic gain, to get that exponential gain that you can’t get with just yourself necessarily. Even if you have the authority with CFRE.

Hugh: People introduce me sometimes as Hugh Ballou, an expert in leadership. I say, “I’m Hugh Ballou, a serious student of leadership.”

Martin: Hear, hear.

Hugh: The title of this episode is, “Fundraising in COVID-19.” And the post-COVID-19 world. There are some consistent things and some new thoughts. That chapter with leadership, the Three C’s, your collaborator said, “ABC: Authenticity, belief, and confidence.” You and I were talking before about how fundraising is terrifying for a lot of us. I don’t want to go. It’s like when I was a teenager calling a girl for a date. I didn’t want to get turned down, so I stood by the phone and sweat. Is that like people wanting to make a money call? What is it about trying to raise money that is so fearful?

Martin: I don’t know. It’s all about fear. It’s the fear of the unknown. It’s the fear of being rejected. The fear of fumbling your way through it. The fear of someone being rude to you. If you will be embarrassed in front of them or embarrass them. It’s something new. I haven’t done it before. For those in religious work, it’s unseemly. I shouldn’t have to do that kind of thing as a pastor. Leave that to someone else to do. There is a lot of things.

When I first got into major gift fundraising, in the St. Louis area, I would criss-cross southern Illinois, a larger rural area, sometimes driving an hour or an hour and a half to see someone. Talk about sweating bullets. I would rehearse half the trip, “Hugh, would you and Mary consider a gift for the education of poor elementary kids, a gift of $10,000? You could even pay that over three years.” I would say that over and over again because I couldn’t trust myself. When I first began to do it, and I fumbled, it was a long drive back, knowing I hadn’t done what I set out to do. I began to rehearse very seriously. Once I got in the home or the office, who knows what might happen? It might be something I couldn’t predict. All I had to do was say, “Hugh and Mary,” and out would come the rest because I had rehearsed it. For those of you being called upon to raise money, practice makes perfect. You can do it.

But let me shift into something more serious. Fundraising is a privilege. Fundraising is the most honorable of work. Fundraising is a spiritual work. Fundraising is actually a vocation. I came to this once I was talking to a very wise woman about fundraising and the struggles. She said, ‘Martin, you’re in a helping profession.” A helping profession? I had never thought of it that way. I thought, Especially now, physicians, nurses, first responders, educators, oh my gosh, the young families. Two of my kids are educating kids at home. They have a manifold of appreciation of what it takes to be an educator now that they are trying to do that in their living rooms and around the kitchen table.

But I hadn’t thought of my profession of being something that was actually about helping. That’s what it is. What we do as fundraisers are facilitators in effect. I like to refer to myself as a facilitator of philanthropy. What we do is on behalf of worthy causes. In effect, what we want to do is come alongside, almost put our arm around someone’s shoulder, and say, “Look, there is an opportunity that makes sense to you as I have gotten to know you, and through which you can demonstrate great impact on this world. Here is the idea. Would you consider it?” That kind of work is very powerful and honorable work.

I have had the privilege, as many of your audience have had, of interacting with some people of extraordinary success, Fortune 25 executives. I have had some of those people say to me, “Martin, I could never do that job. That is too hard a job.” Some of them knew it first-hand because they were chairmen of nonprofits or board members. They were called upon to go out and do it. They knew first-hand what I was doing full-time. They respected it. We underestimate the value, the contribution we are making in this work.

Hugh: Wow. That’s a paradigm shift. Somewhere, and it may be in this chapter, “Five Generous Fundraisers,” before we talk more about donors, let’s consider you as the fundraiser. Somewhere, you talk about the impact it has on donors to actually donate. There is a point of philanthropy that releases something in you to make that donation, to see something happen. Talk about that. That is an inspiration that we don’t think about, the impact that it has on the donor.

Martin: First of all, it’s all about the donor. What we tend to do is focus on ourselves. In one sense, we should because we want to be professional and effective and do the job with excellence. We also want to represent our organizations with integrity, as effectively as we can. It’s all about the donor. What we’re into is a business of building lifelong relationships, not just after a transaction. We want to build and support the relationship that the donor has with the organization for their lifetime hopefully. In that relationship-building process, there are opportunities for financial exchange. What this is about is not a transaction although writing a check or giving away stock or a document with a commitment is part of it. But what it’s really about is helping people to influence the world for the better, and to demonstrate their values and what matters most to them.

In that process of a donor taking their eyes off of themselves and looking outward, looking at, “Okay, I have been fortunate enough to have accrued these assets,” rather than being preoccupied with how I could take care of myself, I am going to give it to others or to the world to improve it. As they do that, they become greater people. Biochemically, by the way, we change. Enzymes are released. One person called it the family bonding enzyme. I used to notice that somebody would make a big gift to one of my organizations and suddenly they would be everywhere. They would be at every event, bringing friends and colleagues, talking about the organization with great enthusiasm. What’s this all about? By their making a serious commitment, a gift of greater significance, there was something that happened within their entire being. A wise man, as you know, once said, “It’s better to give than to receive.” There is something we receive as an internal, spiritual, reward by giving of ourselves generously. One of the ways we give ourselves generously, certainly in this contemporary age, is with financial resources in addition to our time and talents.

Hugh: That’s so good. The other thing I earmarked is you wrote this chapter about the donor development cycle. There is a transaction, and there are those who never ask for the sale. I have been there many times. One higher net worth person asked me, “You didn’t ask for the sale.” It was my first conversation to get acquainted. But he was a businessman, “What do you want?” Another one, I am packing up to leave after I told him about what I was doing. He said, “Don’t you want a check?” Then he wrote me a check and handed one to me a lot bigger than I thought. That was about relationships.

But this cycle, you go through steps, identification, qualification, and more. Talk about the process. There is a transaction, but there is a lot more to this process.

Martin: The bottom line is this is about a relationship. In the course of a relationship, you go through seasons. In this particular cycle that we use in our fundraising business, you identify. Then qualify, which means are these people of capacity? Are these people who have an interest or potential interest in what we represent?

Then we cultivate, which is about building a relationship and involving them in the organization. That can include charitable giving, but not a gift of greater significance. As we get to know them, we are able to think about, Okay, given what they are interested in, how does that align with what we are about as an organization? What dimensions of our organization would be something that would make sense to them, that they would desire to support?

Then we have the conversation about asking. Some people are proponents of never asking for money. They just listen their way to a gift. I have always believed to have conversations about money, about scale, about impact, about size. That might be, with this amount, you can do this and that. Provide some options. But I always want to be working with numbers. People want to know what we would like them to do. My experience has been perhaps more often the opposite of yours. If I don’t ask, I get something smaller than what I had hoped for. I have always been one to say, “Let’s talk about money.” It’s a part of life. It’s how we carry on in this world. Most people want to get to the bottom line, “How much do you want?” They can say yes, no, maybe so. They want to make that happen, but they can’t make that happen now, or they will have to think more creatively about it. They can’t write a check.

I have always taught our people the 80/20 rule. Listen 80% of the time. COVID-19 has brought us to a hard stop here in some respects, but when you think about the frenetic pace of life that has only gotten faster and faster during our adult years, it has reached the point of sheer lunacy. Was anyone listening to anybody? One of the reasons we are such a divided nation is we completely lost the ability to listen, and listen with respect. What I found in fundraising, and I think many professionals in other fields would say the same thing, if you want success in your life, in your business, in your endeavors, you listen. It wouldn’t be that I would listen 100% of the time. But what I found is people desperately wanted to be heard. They wanted to be listened to attentively, appreciatively, and respectfully. Honestly, when I think about to what extent I was a great fundraiser in my career, it’s because of the power of listening. I have to ask for money, too. But listening puts us in that best position to understand.

What I would do is retain, record, and retrieve. Three R’s. Retain. Somebody had something to say during the course of the conversation. I was listening closely and thinking, That’s important.

Record. I would get in the car, call my assistant, and tell them, “Start taking notes.” Or I’d get back to the office and start typing at my computer. I would record all the various things I thought would be insightful and helpful, not just for me, but for anyone in my organization who would have reason to engage with those people.

This is all about preparation. When I would prepare for my next visit, I would retrieve. The thing is in work like this, we are in front of different wonderful people each day. If a month has passed, there is no guarantee I would remember what someone said was important to them a month ago. One way I would respect them is I would retain, record, and retrieve, so that when I would return to them, I could say, “Hugh, so how’s Mary Alice doing? You were talking about her facing that surgery.” Or, “Hugh, how’s that billy goat dog of yours doing? You were worried about this.” Or, “Hugh, you said you were going to be marrying off your son Charlie. How’d it go?” People know I am representing the organization, but they love the fact that I listened to them as people. I cared about them as people. Do you think when it came to talking about a gift eventually, that put me in a better position to be taken seriously? Without question.

It seems like, Geez, this is common sense, isn’t it? We have lost a lot of common sense.

Hugh: The problem with common sense is it’s not very common.

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Let’s pivot. You talked about some brilliant reframing of some old scripts we tell ourselves that minimize ourselves. I am guilty as anybody else, maybe more. That’s not my job. I teach leadership.

We have been in an era of lockdown. We are going back to work in Virginia. Churches are a sort of meeting with very limited engagement. No children. No singing. There is a new paradigm of how the exercise classes are in the parking lot with rain all week. People are getting paychecks from unemployment. What if that money runs out? Then what? We are facing some new challenges. How does that impact fundraising going forward?

Martin: If you look back to the great recession, some sectors did better than other sectors in terms of fundraising. In the great recession, I had just come to the University of Missouri to take a campaign that was already underway public. I was there a month, and the economic sky fell. The world was thrown in the craziness. It doesn’t exactly line up with our situation today, but there are some similarities certainly. Long story short, we decided to go ahead with our campaign. In my first year there, we raised 54% more than any other year in the history of that institution. When I hear someone say, “Boy, we can’t ask for money now. People don’t have it,” I immediately say, “That’s not necessarily true.”

One thing I would say is this: If somebody is philanthropic, and they have less money, are they less philanthropic? I don’t think so. Philanthropy is a part of a value system. Let me ask you this about the organization you represent. Has its value proposition changed because of this pandemic? No, it hasn’t. Now, if you are a food bank, there might be more urgency, immediacy. Crises bring out people’s desire to try to do something for others, whether it’s by cutting a check or by cheering on the streets for the first responders and nurses. People want to be supportive. One way they are supportive is certainly with their philanthropic support.

Hugh: Love it. Would you like to have some questions from our audience?

Martin: As long as they’re all soft balls.

Hugh: No guarantees. There’s Jeffrey Fulgham from Richmond, Virginia. He is a CFRE and has done many good things. Used to be in Lynchburg, but moved just a couple hours away. Do you have a particular observation or question for our guest today?

Jeffrey Fulgham: I don’t really have a question, but I love what I’m hearing, Martin. The first thing when I came on (I missed the very beginning) is the part you were talking about studying, and that’s only part of the equation. You can glean all this information, but if you started moving through your presentation, you were talking about relationships, which has always been the meat of this business. It’s never more important than it is right now of letting folks know we care about them, and you hit that nail right on the head. That’s what I have been preaching to my clients and associates: how important it is to stay connected to people and let them know that this relationship is a personal relationship before a financial relationship.

I really liked what you said about character because I think that’s the core of what we’re doing. It’s the core of leadership. If you don’t have the character, you probably shouldn’t be a fundraiser or in leadership either.

The other thing that you mentioned about evaluating, that was so good. I didn’t start doing it early enough. I wish I had done it the way you did it. The last five years, I have taken the month of December, or January because we are so darn busy in December that we don’t have the time. I did a post-mortem on the year and on my life. How could I be better? This is great stuff. I’m glad I connected today.

Martin: Jeffrey, pleased to meet you, and thanks for your great comments. I’m glad I’m in the ballpark with mine. One of the things, in fact, I just did a podcast on this, writing a chapter on someone’s book on morning rituals. Every morning, as part of my morning ritual, I have one page in my personal/professional planner (I call it that), and I review what matters most about my life. That is a way for me to get locked and loaded for the day, in order to go forth and have the greatest impact possible, as a professional, but as a person. What am I all about as a person? Being able to define that, have it clarified, reviewing it every day has been amazingly powerful.

One other thing I would say around the word “authenticity” is people want to be authentic, and they want authentic people in front of them. We don’t have to be perfect in our work, but we want to be respectful, thoughtful, and do it the best way we can. Fundraisers come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities, and they understand that. But they don’t want a fake, a snake salesman. They want a human being that they can respect and look up to. That’s what they want from us.

Jeffrey: I definitely agree with that. That authenticity and character and genuineness, people would ask me about having these relationships with people. I said, “You have to be in a genuine relationship. You can’t have a relationship where you want someone to think that it’s about the fact that you like them and want to be in a relationship, but it’s really about the money, so you are clocking it so that it looks genuine. It might work for a little while, but it won’t work for you forever. If you really want to have successful fundraising, it’s about long-term relationships with people.” I’m fortunate that I am connected to people who I am three or four organizations removed from now. I still have relationships with them, and I still talk to them, especially right now with everything going on. Staying in touch. That’s the fun part of this business. It’s the most fun.

Martin: The relationships is the most gratifying part of the deal. It’s not about the dollars raised although that’s great, too, because it can accomplish great things. In our business, we get to meet the most wonderful people. Phenomenal people. When I think about my own personal and professional development, a lot of it was profoundly stimulated by the people I have gotten to spend time with in this work of fundraising.

Hugh: And I have gotten to spend time with Jeffrey and Bob Hopkins. Bob, you’ve been quietly listening. Do you have a question or comment for our guest today?

Bob Hopkins: I’m in my backyard outside. Didn’t know I had any airwaves back here. Beautiful day in Dallas by the way. I am loving listening to you. After 40 years of doing this kind of thing, you think you know it all. While I might say I do, it’s so much fun to remember some of the key aspects of the fundraising process. When you first started talking, I thought, Why doesn’t he talk about listening? Sure enough, 15 minutes later, you talked about listening. I am so grateful for that conversation. I teach speech, and I’m teaching people how to talk. But there is a chapter in my book called “Listening.” I spend about five minutes on listening because I don’t think people need to know anything about it, and I am so wrong. As you said, the 80/20 thing is so true. I have so many great stories of when I didn’t listen, and you know what? I didn’t get the gift. Or when I listened and waited and patiently took my time about receiving, that I got about six times more money than I would have gotten had I asked earlier when the person wasn’t ready.

Martin: It’s such a great comment. Pleased to meet you. We talk about this in a lot of fields, the blending of art and science. As I said, developing competency is about education and experience. Maybe that’s the better way. This is a work you learn on the job; it’s on the job training. As we stick with it, it saddens me when I think about the turnover in the profession. If something is willing to stick with it and keep at it, as you all know, the satisfaction is phenomenal to be in this work. To become competent at it over time is immensely gratifying. Beautiful horse by the way, Bob.

Hugh: That’s not his current one. He has one he is really proud of. That’s his passion. One day, I was having lunch with him in Dallas, and he went off on this horse thing when I asked him about his passion.

The principle is 80/20. 80% of your results are produced by 20% of your people. 80% of your inventory only produces 20% of your profits, but 20% produces 80% of your profits. It goes with donors; it’s a repeated principle. When I wrote my first book, Moving Spirits, Building Lives, it’s about church musicians and transformational leaders. That is when I moved into leadership. It took me 40 years to write this and 30 days to put it on paper when I was leaving the profession. I determined in that book the Ballou 10/90 principle. As a music director, 10% of my job was music; 90% made that possible. I am thinking as far as a professional fundraiser, the 10% is what people see, but 90% is under the iceberg. 90% is relationship, staying in touch, that allows that 10% to happen. There is a lot that happens that is invisible to most people, but that is where the hard lifting is.

Let’s hit real hard on this. We still have money in the economy. The fed printed more digital currency. Money didn’t go away. Some people are struggling to make ends meet, but some companies are doing really well. Google had a record-breaking quarter. Grocery stores are slammed. There are some ministries that are challenged. Some restaurants are out of business. There is still money out there and people who want to make a difference. What is the change of mindset for addressing the new normal here?

Martin: In some ways, the mindset hasn’t changed. In other words, we have an organization worthy of support that is doing important work in this world. We are engaging with people who want to make a difference with their lives and resources to the extent that they can. They may have taken a hit financially, so they may not be able to do something right now. They may have to structure it differently. Back in the great recession, we mentioned we raised 54% more than any other prior year in the institution’s history, that wasn’t people writing a bunch of huge checks. People were writing smaller checks, making pledges over longer periods of time, putting gifts in their estates, and so on. Bundle it all together, and it would be a number that was not insignificant for them, but they couldn’t do it. Even today, a year ago, someone might give you a large number with checks over a couple of years. Now, they still want to give you that number, but it will be put together in a different kind of package.

What we need to do is be sensitive to people. We are all talking the same talk here. We have to put the concern for the people first. There are relationships. If we treat them that way, whether they can make a gift now or later, we are building the relationship for the long term. We are doing our job with the relationship by putting them and their concerns first. We all have stories and connections, a degree or two away from us, of people who have been profoundly impacted by this. We should know it firsthand, and be sensitive as we engage with others.

To raise major gifts, it’s typically a face-to-face, labor-intensive business. Up until very recently, there hasn’t been any face-to-face work. Difficult to have a talk with a donor ten feet apart. Tools like Zoom, even my sister who just turned 80 years old knows how to use Zoom. We can all use Zoom. People welcome Zoom calls or the equivalent. They desire that human interaction. If we get on a call like this, we just have a conversation, and we listen to them, that’s powerful.

Hugh: whoever thought of this term “social distancing,” it’s physical distancing. We are still social. Anti-social distancing. This book is chock-full of stuff that is not rocket science. It’s a solid experience when people have been there and done it. Stuff that most of us don’t know. You have been around and done this for years; you’ve practiced this. I’m a musician. We rehearse. You have rehearsed a lot. What I am so appreciative of is you put it in a book to share with people. Why should people have this book? Where can they get it?

Martin: Why they should get it is it’s a way of staying current in the work. If you are a beginner, it’s an insightful introduction to the work. It’s getting 27 seasoned professionals’ input, not just one’s. I call it Five Minutes for Fundraisingbecause each chapter is about a five-minute read. They are stand-alone chapters. You don’t have to read it in consecutively. You can go to what resonates or what you need right now.

In terms of the book, if you want an autographed one, 15% off, no shipping and handling, go to MartinLeifeld.com and order it there. You can get it on Amazon as well. Like any book, it’s available on multiple channels.

Hugh: It’s not an expensive book.

*Sponsored by EZCard* *Message about a Youth Philanthropy Conference on 6/27*

This has been a very helpful interview. Lots of good sound bites. What do you want to leave people with today? What is a challenge or thought as we go into the unknown?

Martin: Every day we are going into the unknown. That was six months ago, too. It’s new every morning, as it says in the Book of Lamentations, for those of you who look at the Bible. What we’re after is helping people become greater through philanthropy. We’re doing that through putting them first, respecting who they are, helping them to demonstrate their value system to the world. Hopefully, by working with our organization as part of their way of doing so. We are privileged. It’s honorable work. It’s worth people devoting their lives to.

Not to highlight myself, but this is powerful. When I retired two years ago, they had a party for me, which was very nice. A number of the donors were there who I had worked with for years. Unbeknownst to me, they had a video. If you go to YouTube, it’s there. This couple who were the first alumni in this young university to reach a $5 million-level gift of cumulative giving was on the video. This is what they said, and I think it pulls it together and certainly represents so much my gratitude for the work of philanthropy in my life. They said, “By teaching us about giving, Martin, you have given us a great gift. Our philanthropic involvement with the university has enhanced our lives on many levels. We owe that to you. Martin, because of your professionalism, expertise, and friendship, you made something that is truly enjoyable even more rewarding. You showed us the way to contribute in a meaningful manner, and this resulted in our receiving so much in return.”

Hugh: What a great summary.

Martin: Isn’t that amazing? That’s what it’s about.

Hugh: It is amazing. You have touched people’s lives on both ends of the spectrum. Martin, thank you for sharing your wisdom and time with us today.

Martin: Thank you.

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#Nonprofit Leadership

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