#so same writing style vastly different content

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Wilde: *reading Zolf's smut kinky fanfic* Oh to have a glimpse of your mind! And it is so wonderfully shameless! I'm blushing *is not* Who would've guessed eh? Truly impressive.

Zolf: *reading the RQG version of Salomé* Your mind is a terrifying place. Impressive. But terrifying.

[hailqiqi]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the ask!! Also thank you for the ask @womaninwinter and @menina89 -- yes I have three of these (sometimes I think with us lot it's now a game of 'who gets to tag everyone first' ak;ljd;akd)

I'm scanning my list on AO3 now...

the world is out there, my dear, but we're in here (VLD) This fic is really short & I'm a little bit surprised it gets my #1 spot, to be honest, but every time I look at even just the title I hear the rain. It's an inspired bit of writing, and I have no idea how the hell I did it. (Trivia: Somebody wrote it a comment that was longer than the actual fic and I adore that person.)

these secrets beneath your fingertips (Lockwood) I really enjoyed writing this, but i have no idea how it ended up like this. I think it's known by people as the murder fic? But I really enjoy how much tension there is in the first part, and how meltingly, exhaustedly warm the second part is by contrast. Funnily enough I thought it was just a very tense detective/action sequence but didn't think the content was too bad; then the ladies beta-ing for me said 'Qiqi, what the fuck is this' and a lot of the comments also said 'Qiqi, what the fuck' so apparently I watched too much SVU as a teenager.

Worse (Lockwood) This was close with secrets for #2, but I reread secrets more often so I think that gets the higher spot for enjoyability. I'm extremely proud of this one; I'd always been a bit scared to attempt a George POV but I think I did really well, and I also think I nailed the action here (which VLD friends may remember that I was always a bit too nervous to attempt action!). Trivia here: Worse contains the line ‘Lucy! Please, come on! The place is tearing itself apart!’ and literally everybody who beta-read this fic said 'Hey, that line's a bit redundant. It's such a weird thing for him to say. You should cut it.' Alas, I couldn't cut it as that line is lifted directly from The Hollow Boy (and, funnily enough, Lucy immediately points out in her narration that it's a bit redundant). This little factoid always makes me giggle.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Christmas Carol (VLD) Ahhhhhhh I think we knew this had to be on here, right? This fic was so much fun to write, it was like a fever dream. I still can't believe that @sp4c3-0ddity, @rueitae and I co-ordinated and banged out almost 20,000 words of fic in the space of what, five days?? And yes, that five days is from 'Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we...' to posting. And we all have vastly different writing styles and slightly different characterisation habits, yet somehow we managed to share a single POV and keep it pretty cohesive. At the time I was proud of us, now I'm older and (supposedly) wiser I'm even more proud of us. We did great. @fromageinterrupted likes to say she reads it every year in the holiday season and I do the same (and then just every so often...) because it's a fun fic.

A Handy Excuse (Lockwood) | Sunshine and Phone Lines (VLD) | so it turns out I kind of missed you (VLD) | Here (VLD) OK I'm kind of cheating here, because I couldn't pick a favourite for fifth. - A Handy Excuse was a blast to write -- it was fun having 6 people in the same google doc, all writing out separate parts -- yep, we all wrote in the same doc to put our shame on full display. Which was really cool (I think most of us have the instinct to write in a separate doc and only contribute to the shared doc when we have a finished draft to polish, but we were all very brave and wrote from scratch in the one). I love how the pieces come together; my part was an absolute blast to write (can I admit publicly now that I did Kipps? I got to find out the name of the circus tune!) and the story itself is a really cute read that always makes me smile. - Sunshine and Phone Lines is my one foray into a modern AU and I had a lot of fun writing it. It's probably the one thing that I can throw at somebody with no knowledge of any fandom and say 'hey, I wrote this'. I like how it feels sunny, just the vibes are very positive in the whole piece, and I am an absolute sucker for a bit of dramatic irony. I always end up smiling when I reread this, too. - so it turns out I kind of missed you is another really fun piece. It's short, it's funny, it's sweet -- honestly it's another one I could probably file the serial numbers off of if I wanted. Lance's brother makes me laugh every time I read it, it's another one of those stories that you reread and end up smiling -- though this time it's the big, the-sun-just-came-out type smile. - Here is going to ruin the vibes of all these sunny fluff fics I have in at #5 becuase it is angst. But it's angst with a lot of love and comfort. Evidently I had a thing with water falling when I wrote plangst, because the world... has rain and this one is in a shower. I love how quietly intimate it is, and how it demonstrates how strong the bonds of friendship and care can be. (I feel like it was originally supposed to be a shippy fic but part-way through writing I threw that out the window? It's Gen, really, but I tagged it with the ship so my friends would see it.)

This is supposed to be an ask game but I've now got two hours to knock out about 8 hours' worth of work so.. tags it is!

@rueitae @sp4c3-0ddity @uptoolateart @fromageinterrupted @almostlikequake @worldofkaeos

[findyourrp]

Alright I am throwing my hat 👒 in the ring.

I usually do not advertise, but I am craving something very specific. I am 25+AFAB nonbinary (she/they). I prefer to RP with women. Minors and anyone under 20 Do NOT Interact.

OCxOC Fandomless.

This could be MxM, FxF, MxF (nonbinary and trans are absolutely acceptable. LGBT characters to the front of the line please!)

(If MxF I would be the female unless you make a very convincing argument.)

I will not double for this RP.

This RP includes Whump, that is gonna be the main theme so if that isn't your thing you need not apply. My character will be the Whumpee. I am looking for a caretaker. (Or possibly a whumper turned caretaker)

Hero X Villain

The hero (MC) show's up on the villain's (YC) door step injured saying "I didn't know where else to go" because it was the hero's organization that tried to kill them.

This trope has been living in my head rent free.

Themes: Whump, Whumpee /caretaker, enemies to lovers, found family. Supernatural powers.

We can take it from there, I am very loose on the details because I want us to build a story together. I am looking for critical thinkers and a passionate RP partner. Someone who loves to gush over our character. Make playlists and build a world together. I have some backstory world building. But I need someone who will be an equal contributor.

Someone who is literate but we don't need to write a novel every post, but I am looking for 2-3 paragraphs minimum. I will probably have some spelling and grammar mistakes, so if you are a stickler for that I am not the partner for you.

Full disclosure I am on EST, I don't mind RPing with vastly different time zones. I know some people are picky about that.

I am a stay at home mom, so pretty active during the week (I try to post every other day). The weekends are hit and miss. Sometimes I am super busy, other times I have nothing going on. But if you love to OOC chat like I do I will greet you good morning and bid you goodnight. I will probably let you know if I am gonna be busy. My blog has some of my writing so you can get a sense of my style. My RPs are separate from my blog, the content is not the same.

If all of this sounds like something you would be interested in Apply Now! To apply you must message me with:

1. An idea for the type of villain you would play.

2. A pitch of the sort of world we would be in. (Modern day, fantasy, a specific time period in history)

3. What are some elements you would want to see in the RP. (Romance, intense recovery, stealth missions)

4. Favorite Whump guilty pleasures. (Weapon preferences, illnesses, shaking, groaning, ect.)

.

[sparrowsgarden]

so i watched the new hbomberguy video late last night and i have just a few too many thoughts to write a mini tag essay about so here's my separate post. this is the only thing i'm planning to say or reblog unless something is really funny

1. it's a shame that the best """drama""" videos (for lack of a better word coming to mind atm) have to be made be people who don't usually do that. like yeah i would probably watch way more videos of that sort from him very easily but i also do not want him to make more, because that would make him a guy who does videos like that regularly. that would almost certainly make them lose impact regardless of any other factors. and anyway, a rabbithole is most fun to go down when whoever is giving the tour fell down it accidentally!

2. i genuinely felt really inspired to create stuff after watching it, in a way that is distinct from the whole "spite as a motivator to Do It Better" thing which is a solid 80% of my motivation for most things because that's how i am. i think this is notable because of how well that translated outside of the video essay niche - my goal is to make informational content of a very different variety, but i came out of it thinking "hey! what i do is a skill that has value, synthesizing and presenting information is a really cool thing to do and also i have more in common with these vastly different styles of creators than i realized!"

like, capital e Educational video is a different beast with a different set of pitfalls but that is fundamentally what it is! that's what i love doing and what i want to keep doing! it's extremely cool for me to have it expressed so plainly that people making other types of things i love are doing that same thing but just in a different direction, about different topics, and i think that's why the video is going to continue having value for me personally outside of the general entertainment of watching a brutal evisceration.

[lostcraeft]

Lost Craeft Starter Pack:

🐴🐑🧶✨🦄🐉🍁🌨️

1. thelaurelcrowned on Instagram, lostcraeft on Youtube

2. Your notsonormal late 20-something burnt out probablyautistic graphic designer and illustrator from NorCal with a dozen or so hobbies and a real life spent living in the woods doing yarn and horse stuff.

3. I have an obsession with everything historical in a 'where did we come from?' kind of way. I think it's so interesting how we follow the same patterns throughout history (specifically with textile production and fashion trends) and that people are largely the same today as they were yesterday. The environment may be vastly different, but we still hold to the same wants and needs as people 500 years before us did.

4. There will be no rhyme or reason to what I post or reblog. After spending years carefully curating instagram feeds and writing copy in specific styles I'm ready to just be as random as possible. But it'll probably relate to fibre arts, horses (specifically relationship based training styles), my faith, writing, Narnia, or a plethora of other fantasy fandoms I've been a part of since early childhood. There won't be any 18+ content because that's not really my scene.

5. I spin yarn, knit, train horses, make spindles on a lathe, and dabble in weaving. I try and tag my personal posts with #Lauren makes stuff and my crafting posts with #my craefts

[jon-mcbrine-author]

I began “seriously” writing in 2018, which seems like an eon ago. Even further back in time (maybe during the Triassic Era), I, like many authors, wrote here and there. Early, unreadable drafts that will never see the light of day but pages the way for projects I’m confident (this terms is used loosely) enough to release out into the wild. Among simply taking a long time to complete, the consistency with all my writing up into that point is that I was working on one project at a time. Since it takes me long enough to complete even one manuscript, it seemed ludicrous to take on multiple stories at once. My debut full-length YA sci-fi superhero novel Unsecret Identity: Eric Icarus - Book One took from 2018-2023 to be (self) published. Considering this, I still ventured into ludicrousness.

Writing different projects simultaneously is fairly easy to break down: a little here, a little there. Authors starved for spare time typically learn to adapt to having to write in short doses, and switching from manuscript to manuscript is essentially the same thing. Juggling genres can be disorientating, but I find shifting around tone and style to be a beneficial writing exercise. I don’t always hit mountainous word goals, but short as they may be, what I do type is more than zero. Plus, spending less and less time to mentally prepare to jump into a world that vastly different from another story is what I’d consider a valuable skill.

In addition to novel-hopping, bursting out bits of content when you can is rewarding when you see progress being made. Again, it may not be a meteoric rise in words, not I find it to be highly satisfying to watch my little projects grow over time. After spending so much time grinding away at one book, writing a few new stories at a time is a welcome break from what can’t help but be monotonous at times.

Spicing things up is nice, but there still needs to be discipline. There are weeks where I will designate a day for each project. Of course, if those pesky “real life” commitments get in your way, then the reality is that there will be days where you just too busy. Days dedicated to a particular short story or lengthier novel have been a great way to get me into a groove but I have discovered that I write better when there is a bit of spontaneity. As an indie writer, there are no specific deadlines other than “as soon as possible.”

Doom scrolling and aimless refreshes of the sand social media feeds will always cry out with their distracting sirens’ call, but lately I have been getting more and more into the habit of tapping into my favorite writing app and revisit whatever universe I am creating.

Stay in the loop for more details by following Jonfiction Blog on Substack and be sure to check out jonmcbrine.com for more info about this and all my books.

Unsecret Identity: Eric Icarus - Book One is available now from the Amazon Kindle store.

https://a.co/2XAtxvH

[daquanshell]

The Business Model

One thing I love about being an independent agent is that I largely have a choice on how I do business, provided I am smart enough to take full advantage of my employer(s) compensation plan, adhering to compliance in marketing and advertising, and making enough money to both take care of myself and grow my business.

Currently, I feel as though I’m maximizing the last category, but there are opportunities to improve in the first two categories. So, the purpose of this post is increase my professional exposure, by becoming a little bit more transparent about the business model I use, my general approach, and the type of content you guys can expect on here.

Introduction Letters

I work on a personal introduction basis, usually opening with either a letter (like my last post) or a handshake and an exchange of business cards. This personal style of doing business makes it really to filter out who I’d like to do business with since it always boils down to me asking the following five questions:

Has anyone endorsed or nominated this entity?

Have I ever introduced myself to said entity?

Do I have enough information to write an introduction letter?

How should I deliver the letter?

How should I follow up?

As long as the answer to the second question is yes, I compose and deliver the introduction letter, once the letter is delivered, we move on to the first step.

Step 1: Gathering the Facts

The first step centers around gathering the facts and feelings about the person while laying the foundations of our relationship. During this step, the goal is to begin regularly meeting the person face-to-face, gather both the facts and their feeling regarding their financial situation, and obtain a nomination: the approval of the suspect from a trusted advisor.

Usually, a face-to-face meeting is a video call unless the prospect lives close enough to visit at some point throughout the week. Personally, I love in-person business meetings since you have the advantage of eating or drinking together, and I've learned to apply that to virtual meetings, and it's one of the reasons I still dress up and go to coffee shops or restaurants even if the meeting is not on-site.

Step 2: Completing the Financial Analysis

The second step, once enough information has been gathered, is to complete the financial analysis worksheet, and to complete a written report that contains multiple packaging options for the potential client. The goal of the report is to explain the advantages AND shortcomings of the different packaging options while offering the client a choice.

Think of the packaging like a starter Pokemon, where the different packaging options all have similar value, yet appeal to different personality traits.

For example:

Packaging A: $54,000 Whole Life Insurance

Packaging B: $25,000 Whole Life, $200,000 Term Life

Packaging C: $500,000 Term Life

All the options would have the same annual premium, yet vastly different payout amounts and requirements. The first option offers the lowest payout, but the payout is guaranteed. The second option offers a higher payout but only a smaller portion is guaranteed, and the third option offers the highest payout but neither the payout nor the premium rate is guaranteed, and its likely that the premium will increase over time, assuming the client wanted to maintain the same level of protection.

Step 3: Regular Face-to-Face Reviews

The final step is continuous, yet a little more nuanced. At it's core, the third step is just repeating the first two steps. There are a few different scenarios that we call "Automatics", or scenarios in which we automatically reach out to the client to schedule a meeting. Some examples are a birthday, anniversary, birth, death, graduation, in addition to inquiries and client requests.

What I love about this step is that its about more than just selling or presenting different products to the client, but it's all about deepening the relationship and serving not just the client, but the communities in which the client is a part of. This is what ties everything together.

Closing Statements

One of the hardest parts about launching a career in any industry is how easy it is to get distracted in the beginning, at a point where it's critical to build the persona required to sustain client builder activity.

The persona, is the key. In my opinion, the persona of a financial representative is that of a person who is groomed, well dressed, and chooses their words carefully.

With that, I feel that while this post is not enough on it's own to give a person a full picture of what I do, I don't think that's the point. I feel as though its enough to give a person an idea, which can be built upon (or deconstructed) as our relationship continues to develop.

[medicalconference]

Acquire intensive knowledge about Scopus Indexed journals

In the rapid pace of the technical globe, Scopus journal publication creates an impact among scholars and researchers. Typically, technical analysts can explore various journals in the enormous Scopus database. On the other side of the flip, it also serves as a gateway for the intellectual literature. Among the global institutions, Scopus-indexed journals are given top-notch priority. The scholars could easily access exceptional journals through the Scopus citation database. 

The overall importance of Scopus journal publications 

Enhanced visibility

Generally, Scopus indexes content from various domains like health care, arts, science, engineering, etc. If the research is processed systematically, then the work receives enhanced visibility and attains a better reputation. At the same time, indexing automatically augments the reach of the scholar’s research work. In terms of academics, Scopus Indexed Journals 2024 plays a vital role. 

Citation influence 

Most institutions, industries, and research analysts vastly use Scopus journals. If an individual’s work is published in the Paid Scopus Indexed journal 2024, there are more chances for the citation. It reinforces the concerned person’s academic profile and increases typical impact. 

Assured prime quality

While conceding journals in the fast Scopus publication database, Scopus follows protocols like the examination process and editorial attributes. Typically Scopus-indexed journals employ a set of ethical standards. 

Terms of metrics

Scopus Indexed Journals 2024 Fast publication affords a list of metrics like SJR, SNIP, and Cite Score. By adopting standard metric units, one can easily make well-versed decisions. 

What are the steps to publish in Scopus Journals?

Choose the apt journal

Initiate the publishing process by spotting the Scopus-indexed journals that more or less match the research area. Ideally, it affords an apparent journal dashboard where the filtering process is carried on. This typical procedure relies on the area of expertise & standard model.

Plan the typescript

After selecting the right journal, confirm that an exclusive typescript accumulates with the journal’s guidelines. Lists of protocols for each journal vary from scratch. Scopus’s style and formatting structure differ from that of Web of Science & Google Scholar. Hence, the instant-step review process is more important.  

Conduction of peer review

After submitting the journal successfully, the typescript undergoes the most demanding review process. After accomplishing the review process, it is mandatory to gather the comments. Capture the reviewer’s feedback to boost the quality of research work.  

Taking into account ethical standards

From end to end, implement ethical standards like well-defined source citations, and write plagiarism-free content for quick publication journals. At the same time, it is also essential to upgrade scholarly rectitude.  

Endurance

There is a high level of competition to publish the journals in Scopus. There may be selection or rejection. So, it is better to learn from failure and do the best in the upcoming work. 

End note!!

From the above note, it is clear that publishing the journals on Scopus is one of the superior ways to widen the research process, and one can also attain more reach. By giving the best of their ability, the journals can earn prime fame in Scopus. 

Visit Now - https://www.bioleagues.com/guidelines-institutes-publication.php

[zuluc]

summary: the names you call him depend on the situation and he finds it endearing and meaningful when he hears each one

pairing: childe x gn!reader

style & genre: written; angst & fluff

warnings: mildly explicit content (it’s like 1% explicit) at the end

notes: he, xiao, and diluc are my comfort characters and i really wanted to write this once the idea stuck in my head. i noticed that childe/tartar/chillday/ajax goes by a few names that idea made this fic. these scenes are little snippets of life with childe so they happen over the span of many months, years, etc., you choose

this is self-indulgent i need comfort during this time 😀 but i went a little overboard with the last part, oh well get hit with feelings

The playfulness of his name...

"Childe!” You yelp when you feel cold fingers graze your sides and plant themselves firmly. He doesn’t make a move to remove them so you’re left squirming from the sensation. You can hear his soft chuckles in your ear, ones that were only heard in the earliest of mornings when he first wakes up.

“Sorry, but I’ve waited so long to do this...” he mutters and kisses your neck before pulling his hands away, “What are you making?” He hooks his chin over your shoulder and stares down at the ingredients you’ve chopped up. 

“Breakfast. We have a job today, remember?” Even if he is pretty punctual on most occassions and can watch out for himself on the battlefield, Childe forgets most things when they should happen and doesn’t realize just how much he works his body. In this case, he thought the mission was another day and was fully prepared to spend the whole day in bed with you.

“Isn’t it tomorrow?” He lifts his head and checks the small notebook left on the dining room table. “Ah, man. Sweetheart, when are we going to get a day for ourselves?” He whines out loud with you laughing at the actions of the manchild. He returns to wrap his arms around you and bury himself in the collar of your shirt, that was essentially his. 

“Soon, Childe. Soon.”

--

Drowns out of the worries and sorrowness attached to this... 

Your heartbeat echoes in your ears through the silence as you stare him down. Sure you knew that he had questionable missions and affiliations, but like this? They lay injured at his feet and while they were the enemy, to you and him both, there was that look in his eyes that screamed something vastly different to the ones shown to you. 

He doesn’t notice your presence right away, dispelling his dual swords and causing the droplets of blood mixed with them to disappear as well. But when he lifts his head, the same eyes shown unto the enemy were present. 

And you stay frozen.

Walking into this scene was something you never wanted to do which was particularly difficult seeing as you both had gone on numerous missions together. Was it different this time around? Were these people even more sinister than the ones you’ve had to deal with?

His heavy steps take you out of your thoughts and you see that he is coming closer and closer to you. You aren’t afraid, you tell yourself, but he completely passes by you. Something urges you to open your mouth to call out to him. The reason why, you didn’t know.

He summons his swords and you can see their residue fly over your head and to your sides, red mixing with blue. His name slips by your lips and you call your weapon to join him.

“Tartaglia.”

--

But most of all he trusted you to say this one to his face.

He isn’t unaware of the looks you give him when he fights. And he isn’t aware of how that not only affects how you act around him, but the way you see him. After days like that you tend to be the slightest bit apprehensive and give him his space just in case he needed to cool down. 

As mentioned, it isn’t like you are afraid of him. Rather, you’re worried. 

You’re worried that he’s carrying too much on his shoulders with responsibiliites related to his work and personal life. You feel that anything that might send the balance off could crack his usual persona and show a side that you’ve never seen him show you before.

You aren’t afraid, right?

You’re drying the plates when he arrives into the small kitchen the two of you share. You already freshened up and wanted to finish off last minute chores before heading off to bed. He on the other hand had taken a bath and wanted to see you.

You can hear the faintness in his steps as he presses his chest to your back, wet tips of his hair dangling in your peripherals. You don’t tense, you never do with him, and he takes the opportunity to relax. It’s quiet for a few moments, then he decides to speak.

“Do you love me?” Those four words make you stop completely but you don’t take more than two seconds to turn around and embrace him. His arms come around you gently as if he were scared to break you.

You don’t know exactly what he’s thinking but you are aware that it has something to do with those specific instances. When you lift his head up from your neck, his blue irises are glassy but as bright as ever. There isn’t a word said between you both but the actions, the touches, and gazes are there.

This man was who you fell in love with. 

He laid himself out to you after gaining your trust and now he worries that it could all be taken away. Fighting was a part of him that he was afraid you wouldn’t accept and the misunderstanding of your actions was more proof of that.

His fighting wasn’t for nothing, you knew that. It was for protecting the ones he cared about.

A twinge of guilt surfaces in your chest and you tell him everything. He listens and listens and listens. 

You tell him of your worries, of the reasons of your wariness, and you apologize for the way you’ve made him feel. He may be strong and charismatic, but he is a human being who cherishes you so close to his heart. He wants to tell you that you don’t need to but you tell him it is all necessary.

Because you love him.

The words bring him happiness and assurance but he’s ever the impatient one, too. He asks for permission and you grant it to him.

The following motions are unclear to you until you feel yourself meet with the softness of the bed. His body lays on top of yours but he holds himself up as to not crush you under him. He’s made jokes of that before but now this is a moment when holding you like this is never close enough.

He barely lets you breathe, though when allowing time for air, his lips never leave your body. Like he can’t get enough of you. If he were to ever lift his hands he feels like you could just disappear. The path his fingers take leaves you to shiver in their midst as he takes care of you so carefully.

But you touch him as well. Showing him that you want to take care of him as much as he does you. The span of his skin is both smooth and rough and he sighs in your ear when you softly graze over the scars on his back. His grip on you is tight but never enough to hurt as he slowly brings you both to your highs. You gasp his name in his ear and he closes his eyes at the sound.

It isn’t the one you casually call him and it isn’t the one that challenges his doubts.

It’s the one that’s left him vulnerable to your every ask and whim. One that never fails to grow his love for you every single time he hears it.

“Ajax.”

When your mind clears up he’s already staring at you. The haziness of uncertainties slowly dissipating as you reach your hand out to lace it through his own.

He squeezes it back just as tightly.

[volterran-wine]

Maybe I just have the problem of unintentionally mirroring the people I’m around, but as a writer, how do you maintain your own voice when tumblr and other sites are filled with many different interpretations of the Volturi and vampires in general?

Do you ever find yourself having to rid yourself someone else’s ideas before writing? Do you just write what makes sense at the time and accept that your lore and worldbuilding is about to be changed? Or are you just that strong with how you see the characters that you view other interpretations as completely separate of your own?

𝐎𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 —𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞.

The great thing about writing for The Volturi is that there are so many nuanced points of view you can go with. Are they the villains? A morally grey force in the world? The good guys? Or perhaps Aro truly is a Machiavellian Mastermind that murdered his own sister in order to control the world? ... well, all of these stories can exist at the same time and be written by different people.

To me the only person who can truly claim ownership over any sort of concept, headcanon or interpretation when it comes to The Volturi or Twilight for that matter; is the author Stephenie Meyer. Everyone of us who write fan fiction are simply having fun with a universe that we all saw something special in, and I think it gives us a lot of freedom.

The wonderful thing about fan-created content is that all of us have vastly different views on ideas who has flourished for years at this point; 'The Volturi being justified', 'Aro actually being a decent person', 'The Volturi being a functional and ok place to work', 'Aro having a vault of valuables', 'Aro & Carlisle being in love', 'Felix being a gladiator in his human life', 'Caius being a soldier in his human life'; These are all concepts and headcanons that have been around for so long. The Twilight fandom is 17 years old, that is almost two decades of fan-content being created and people coming up with their own ideas and theories.

I certainly am not the first blog on here to really deep dive into the historical aspects of The Volturi and writing from that perspective. But sadly many of those other blogs are no longer active, or do not write fanfiction anymore. Personally I would kiss whoever coined the 'Caius is an Artist' headcanon; because that was inspired. But at the end of the day, nobody truly owns a headcanon either.

Some might not know this, but I work in the creative industry. And because of that I have met writers, artists, illustrators, copywriters, designers and all sorts of people who work within the sphere of creativity. And there is something everyone says; 'There is no such thing as a original idea anymore'. By that I don't mean we all plagiarise one another, but that we all drive inspiration from similar things and that so many concepts have been explored it is difficult to come up with something truly unique. But what makes our work special then? Well, that is the way you piece a story together to create the greater picture. The concepts can be explored in an infinite amount of ways, your life experiences and opinions will colour the way you write and create.

But to answer your question; no, I am not afraid of sounding like another creator on here or anywhere else for that matter. First of all because I do not plagiarise which is the most important thing in my opinion, second of all; the characters are quite ingrained in me at this point so I know how the overall story will unfold. We all have vastly different writing styles as well, I admire some of my mutuals who can write is such a concise manner yet portray so much emotion and information in only a couple of sentences. Meanwhile I tend to write very flowery language from time to time, and am able to write action sequences very well. Others on here write wonderfully cozy stories that are just filled with so much warmth in their writing, while on the other end we have some who are really great at portraying the darkness and horror elements that can haunt The Volturi.

At the end of they day I believe what makes every author unique in their own way is how they choose to tell the story. Whose point of view are you writing from? Do you focus on action or emotion? Is describing environments important to you? Do you enjoy the historical aspects? Do you adjust certain facts from canon? Do you embellish it? We are all people writing about similar concepts and headcanons, but it all comes across in such different ways.

For what it's worth, if someone looks at a headcanon or a take of mine and believes it only belongs to me; please do not think that way. If you think I pointed out something really cool and want to create something out of it; please do! That is how a fandom lives on, us sharing different opinions and thoughts with one another; but do tag me because I would Love to gush about it with you.

[i-eat-deodorant]

21.

[ask game]

21. Do you prefer writing chaptered fics or one-shots?

one-shots, though more out of necessity than out of choice.

growing up, i always wanted to write chapter stories! i'd tear through massive library hoards of 10+ thick chapter books per week and dream of writing the same detailed words, histories, and character arcs authors are able to flesh out over the course of a book series. all my early stories took that form: long, drawn-out plots with major scenes and plot beats and pivotal moments of character development.

but when it came to to actually putting those on paper, i found that i just...couldn't. i'd get to, ah, 2k or 3k words and stop dead. there seems to be an upper limit to exactly how much of one story i can handle before my writing legs give out. i've tried pushing it over the years (my record is 24k, which i am very very proud of) but it's still abysmal to other fanfic writers who can churn out 100ks on a whim while my average still hovers around 3k. i eventually decided to focus on wrapping up pretty little oneshots instead of leaving a warpath of unfinished multi-chapter fics everywhere i go, lol. more focus on style than plot. emphasis on immediate in-the-moment punch more than gradual buildup.

writing oneshots is vastly different than writing chaptered fics. you're only able to squeeze a certain amount of content within so many words. and while fanfic oneshots are freer than original short stories because i'm able to reference the knowledge of canon without actually mentioning specific details (for example, since everyone knows about narinder's relationship with shamura, i can mention a bundle of silk and have that symbolism understood by readers without even needing to explain the background), it's limited by scope and reliance to canon. i have to whittle down my ideas until they can fit within several short scenes, or one long scene. and the ones that're too long get discarded.

and it sucks! i do really really want to write plot. i want to write slowburn. i want to write big drawn-out battles of the old faith's bishop era. but unless i get some kind of breakthrough those things are near the realm of impossible for me.

so i stick to oneshots.

[minor-solemnity]

Hi, you’re writing is so beautiful, thank you for sharing it :)

Can I request a Tom x Reader where they take a mini vacation somewhere really secluded and they’re so happy to be finally spending time with eachother and they’re both just being super domestic and sweet.

Thank you! 🤍

Thank you my love! This prompt is giving me life istg, sweet and domestic Tom is my jam <3 I hope you like it (also am I basically writing what my dream holiday is? it's definitely possible)

Tag List : @mainlynonsense @cakesarecute @jinxqsu​  @naps-and-lemons​  @riddles-wifey​ (send me a message if you'd want to be added to the tag list!)

We are Mosaics

Tom turns to look at you and you recognise the determined glint in his eye and the set line of his lips which lets you know that a plan is forming and he won’t be dissuaded easily. “The Malfoy’s have a cottage in the Dolomites. I’ll talk to Abraxas.” He says it with such finality that you’re almost surprised before you remember that this is Tom. Tom who’s had his Slytherin cohort eating out of the palm of his hand for years, Tom who had marriage offers from a few of the lesser-known pureblood families, Tom who puts the fear of God into the hearts of most men. Of course, Abraxas would give him his family cottage.

You’re sitting on your sofa in the small flat you’ve rented above Flourish and Blotts glaring at the letter that sits innocently on the coffee table in front of you when Tom apparates through your wards. Your mood, which has been growing increasingly dark with the setting sun lifts somewhat when you see him. His jacket folded neatly over his arm and his white shirt slightly rumpled from the day, his hair, which he styles with care every morning is falling in soft waves across his forehead. In short, he looks like every one of your daydreams and you’re filled with a contented sort of triumph that it’s you who he comes home to most evenings. Your flat is small and certainly not big enough for you both to live comfortably, but he spends more time here than he does at his own, equally poky, abode.

His gaze flickers over the letter on the coffee table and you can see him putting the pieces together. “Bad news, I take it?” He asks in a slightly cautious tone that tells you he’s waiting for your imminent breakdown. You nod and sigh as you push yourself up from where you’ve been sulking for most of the afternoon. You gravitate towards him like a moth to a flame, the same way you always do, the same way you always have, and nestle yourself against him, allowing yourself to feel comforted and protected by the feeling of his arms around you.

“I just don’t understand why no one will give me a chance. I had the best marks in Arithmancy in the year,” You grumble into his chest. “Did you hear that Pearson got that Potions Mastery? He got an A in his NEWTS, Tom. Why does he get to do a Mastery and all I get is rejection letters?” You sigh because you know the answer. It’s the same reason that Tom wasn’t offered any of the prodigious jobs at the Ministry despite being the most talented wizard you’ve ever met with a resume that proves it. Wizarding society might be more progressive than the muggle world in some ways, but in the ways that matter to you and Tom, it was still stuck in the Middle Ages.

Eventually, you disentangle yourself from him and you spend the rest of the evening curled up on the sofa with him, reading and chatting idly about the stranger aspects of your respective magical theory texts. “Did you know about the coven in the Dolomites from the 1450s?” He asks, eyes trained on the page in front of him.

“Mmm, they’re the first known herders of thestrals, weren’t they?” He nods and you smile softly, “I’ve always wanted to visit there, you know? Ever since we learnt about thestrals in fourth year.”

You don’t think anything of it but Tom turns to look at you and you recognise the determined glint in his eye and the set line of his lips which lets you know that a plan is forming and he won’t be dissuaded easily. “The Malfoy’s have a cottage in the Dolomites. I’ll talk to Abraxas.” He says it with such finality that you’re almost surprised before you remember that this is Tom. Tom who’s had his Slytherin cohort eating out of the palm of his hand for years, Tom who had marriage offers from a few of the lesser-known pureblood families, Tom who puts the fear of God into the hearts of most men. Of course, Abraxas would give him his family cottage.

“The perks of having rich friends, I suppose,” You say with a small laugh and the smile he gives you in return is indulgent.

***

When Tom had first told you about Abraxas’ family cottage, you had imagined that your definition of a cottage and the Malfoy’s would be vastly different. You’d gone with Tom to one of the Malfoy Christmas parties once and had almost cried at the luxury and decadence. You’re pleasantly surprised though to find that the cottage is exactly as you’d hoped it would be: sturdy white stone, lattice windows, and a multitude of wild mountain flowers that make the place look like a fae dwelling. “This is gorgeous,” You murmur as you wander through the garden, letting the warm summer mountain air fill your lungs. “I never would have thought that the Malfoy’s would own somewhere quite so homely.” Behind you, Tom laughs softly.

“I think there’s a distant cousin who fancied herself a Marie Antoinette figure,” He says, stepping closer to you and resting his chin on the top of your head. “Are you happy?” He asks and you hum in response, bringing your arms up behind you to card through his hair. You twist around pull him closer and his hands drop to your waist as he kisses you.

You spend most of the rest of the day exploring the paths and trails close to the cottage whilst Tom sets up the wards. The worries and stresses of London seem so far away and you relish in the slight breeze against your bare arms and the feeling of long grass and wildflowers against your legs.

You think back to your childhood, to the holidays spent in English seaside resorts with your parents; when the war broke out, the holidays stopped. Your father disappeared into a trench somewhere and your mother had taken you back to her parents home and left the muggle world for good but she was never quite the same after. Hogwarts and the wizarding world, in general, offered you an escape. A home away from the sorrow of watching your family drift and sink into unspoken grief and sadness. You’d found Tom somewhere along the way, both of you finding some kind of solace and familiarity in each other. A tentative friendship had formed that had turned to a tentative romance.

You wonder sometimes, why he sticks around. Unlike the boys he surrounded himself at school with, you can’t offer him money or power or glory. You’ve had to fight for every opportunity given to you, just the same as him, and it’s still not enough. In your more anxious moments, you think about his future and your uncertainty over where you fit into it. Now, under the clear Italian skies, you think that maybe the answer is obvious: you fit together like pieces of a mosaic. Each of your broken and jagged edges finding a home next to his.

***

“You’re aware that you’re a witch, aren’t you?” Tom’s voice floats through the open doorway and you chuckle from where you’re standing on one of the kitchen workbenches. You glance over your shoulder and find him watching you with a mix of exasperation, confusion, and mild amusement. He walks over to you and stares at the pile of dough you’re kneading, his eyebrows knitting together. “I’ll get Abraxas to send one of his house-elves.”

You roll your eyes and shake your head fondly. Tom’s disdain for all things muggle has diminished since you’ve known him, or at least, he’s less likely to voice his opinions to you. “That’s not the point, making bread is meditative. Come on, here,” You gesture for him to take over and watch with poorly hidden amusement as he frowns and takes a step back. “You once made Peeves cry out of fear, Tom, you can’t honestly be intimidated by some flour and water.” You raise an eyebrow and try to smother your grin with an unimpressed expression. You’ve found that the easiest way of getting Tom to do anything is to suggest that he can’t.

As expected, he glowers and rolls his sleeves up. “I’m not intimidated, darling, I just don’t see the point in slaving away over something that could easily be accomplished with magic,” He says smoothly even as he approaches the dough and gingerly pokes it. This time, you don’t manage to hide your laughter and you cover his hands with yours and begin to guide him through the motions. A companionable silence falls upon the two of you and you relish the feeling of his chest against your back, his soft breathing in your ear, his hands moving under yours. Sunshine filters through the open window and you listen to the distant birdsong in quiet contentment.

Once the bread has baked, the two of you wander along the mountain trail that leads to a secluded lake. The water is crystal clear and the kind of icy blue that you’ve only seen in paintings. Tom leads you to a small jetty and conjures a pile of blankets and pillows that you quickly set about making a nest out of. You sit cross-legged, Tom’s head resting in your lap as he reads passages from the book he’s brought with him out loud to you. “According to legend, the Monti Pallidi used to be formed of dark looming rock face and the lakes were murky and black, but there was a princess from the moon who took refuge in the Dolomites and to ease her homesickness, the mountains remade themselves with pale stone and clear waters.”

“She must have been lonely, being so far away from home,” You murmur, carding a hand through his hair as you tilt your head to stare at the pale mountains that surround you. “You know, I sometimes think of you a bit like that, like you’re a moon and I’m a satellite in your orbit.” He hums softly, and you’re not sure if it's in agreement or contemplation. You shift slightly and reach for the food that you’ve packed: fresh fruit, cured meats, hard Italian cheese, a bottle of wine that you’d found in the cellars (no doubt worth more than Tom makes in a year), and of course, the bread you’d made earlier.

You tear off a couple of chunks of bread and pass one to Tom, who takes it and sniffs it delicately before he takes a small bit. You breathe a huff of laughter at his behaviour and he lazily reaches up to cuff the side of your head. “See, it’s good, isn’t it? This kind of thing is always better when you make it yourself,” He rolls his eyes but tears off another chunk, which you take to mean he is, in fact, enjoying it.

The afternoon fades into evening, and twilight descends upon the mountains. You rearrange yourselves so that your sat side by side, gazing up at the moon that is just becoming visible. “You know, I would do more than remake a mountain range if you asked.” Warmth settles deep in your bones despite the chill in the night air. Tom turns to watch you and you don’t bother hiding your smile. “I would remake the entire world for you.” You don’t doubt him either, Tom is a force of nature, always has been. He’s a visionary and you’re not always sure if that’s a good thing, but, years ago, he saw something in you and now he looks at you as though you are everything that he wants in the world.

You reach over and hold his hand, letting his touch ground you, “For now, this is enough.” You mean this moment, sitting here with him. You also mean the life you are slowly patching together, one mosaic tile at a time.

[cinnamonest]

I see you mention writting for kakashi?👀 what kind of yandere do you think he'd be? Love all your writting byw! Thank you for the brain rot💖💖💖

Ty ty :3 I'm glad you enjoy!!

God I love Kakashi bc he's been in my life for... like 2/3 of my life now? The first characters I ever remember being attracted to were Kakashi, Inuyasha, and Zuko lol. I was like 6/7 years old for all of them. Kakashi absolutely gave birth to my sensei/mentor figure kink lmao. I'll probably write a profile for him eventually but have some HCs in the meantime!!

- It would depend a bit on reader-chan tbh. Like, if he's in a position of authority over you, he's gonna kinda feel guilty and struggle with that a lot. Me inserting my teacher kink ngl but I feel like he would kiiiinda have a guilty pleasure for it, gets off a bit to the power he has over you. (Obvs adult reader-chan, but an authority nonetheless).

- Definitely a guilty yandere. He's just lucid enough to feel like what he's doing is wrong, to know there's something wrong with him, and it eats at him at first, but it's just too good. You're just too good, he wants you too bad, and he ultimately consciously chooses the selfish desire over the voice in his head telling him he's doing something wrong. Again, he'd feel guilty, it would really bother him, and it would tear him apart if he ever kills for you or feels like he's forcing you, but it's just not enough to stop him.

- He would be protective as all hell. He's not a super delusional type but I can see him vastly overestimating the threats to y/n. Ooooh and it gets so much worse is y/n is ever in actual danger. Remember how protective he was of team 7 back in the OG series whenever they were in real danger? He's just - he would be like a guard dog tbh. If you get annoyed or creeped out by it, he will stop... visibly. He'll just be more secretive about it, and trust me, if he doesn't want you to detect his presence, he'll do a damn good job of making sure you have no idea he's there. He's patient and has a lot of restraint, and would hold back for a long time, content with stalking, fantasizing, and keeping you isolated from other people. It would probably take some kind of significant event, something where you were almost badly hurt or even killed, or someone threatening you, or perhaps some guy persistently chasing after you, for him to finally snap, delusion-style, and become convinced that you need him to take you away, that he needs you to be safe, you need HIM to keep you safe.

- It's not that he wants to be overbearing, it's just... he's lost so much. He's on the paranoid side of delusion, he just doesn't want anything to hurt you, he can't take that anymore. The man has lost so many things in his life and has suffered psychologically because of it. He generally would keep people kinda distant to begin with, so if you earn a place in his affection he's going to be insanely protective. Rejection wise, interestingly, he just kinda... ignores it. In one ear, out the other. He's one who can convince himself that you'll come around, even if it takes a lot of self-convincing, as he's not super delusional enough to automatically believe it. He'll likely just correct you, tell you no, he's just a guardian figure for you, nothing more.... for now.

- He can summon a pretty intimidating presence when he tries to, and he clearly has a ferocity deep down when he needs it. Enough to drive off people - and that's how he'd utilize it, he'd be one of the ones that very quietly and subtly, slowly scares off any perceived competition. He's not blatantly aggressive - no, he'd be very subtle as he goes about getting rid of people that he sees as being in his way. You won't know it's him, he won't be aggressive towards anyone in front of you -- when you're there, he smiles and nods and treats your friends very well. Hell, they probably won't even know who's behind it, they'll receive subtle warning signs, likely written things, with clear threats to back off. He's smarter than to directly confront them, and have them know who he is. He can eliminate them without needing to do it personally. He's not entirely above killing, but it would be a last resort.

- What's really difficult about him is that, even in a snapped, delusional state, he maintains his demeanor, the bored-sounding, laid back, low energy, and very competent, serious guy he usually comes across as. That's what ultimately will break your own mind -- usually, delusional yanderes are fairly obvious. It's clear they're out of their mind, their facial expressions and nearly hysterical mannerisms make it clear they're crazy and give you at least the reassurance that you're in the right and that they've lost it, that you need to be saved from them, not the world. With Kakashi... you feel like you're the crazy one. After all, he maintains that same demeanor he always has, he doesn't look, sound, or seem crazy or delusional in any way. He just sounds exasperated when you panic, like you're being ridiculous, as if you're a whiny brat and he's just... tolerating your tantrum. He says everything so calmly, in such a matter-of-fact manner, you can't help but feel like... maybe he's right. Maybe everyone was really out to get you. Maybe you really were too naive to see it. Maybe he really is just looking out for you, and maybe you really are being horribly ungrateful. Maybe you're crazy and he's perfectly sane, and once you start to believe that, he'll feed that idea until you're too afraid to leave even if he let you.

- Sex wise, I feel like he'd actually be very sweet and loving about it all, definitely a passionate kind of lover. As time goes on and he gets more comfortable, though, he gets into anything that gives a sense of control and possession. People who are into bondage on the giving end often like having a sense of control, of stability, and it puts them at ease, and he's no different. He likes the feeling of knowing you can't move, even if you try, of having complete and total dominance over you. Would definitely get into shibari -- not only does it contribute to the control factor, but he likes the aesthetic beauty of it all, seeing the bright red rope in contrast against your skin.

- Possession ties into marking kink -- bites, hickeys, scratches, he just wants to see evidence of him on you. It's reassuring, even. Edging as well, he likes feeling like he controls not only your environment, but your very body itself. He can get rough if he's in a certain mood, particularly stressed out from his responsibilities, and would probably very much be a brat-tamer as well, so don't piss him off... Unless, you know, you *want* him to get a lil rough with you.

[mrepstein]

The Beatles Book Monthly (No. 5, December 1963)

‘A TALE OF FOUR BEATLES’ by Billy Shepherd

PART IV (PART I // PART II // PART III)

Part IV opens in June, 1961 and charts Brian Epstein's early involvement with the Beatles.

And so the Beatles, with two experience-garnering trips to Germany behind them, got back to Liverpool. A swingin’ scene... and they were very much a part of it. It was the end of June, 1961.

But though they liked having more money to spend, they hadn’t the foggiest idea of just how much they were worth. The offers came in. Anything between £6 and £14 was the pay-packet, to be shared between Messrs. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and drummer Pete Best.

“We just didn’t know,” admits George. “We loved the work, the excitement. We didn’t realise we were often being exploited. But it was hard work and somehow we didn’t seem to have much money in the kitty after we’d kept our equipment up to scratch...”

July, 1961, could go down as a summit meeting in Merseybeat history. A steamy, summery, shimmery night at Litherland Town Hall. A young promoter named Brian Kelly announced his attraction: The Beatmakers.

George Harrison was on lead guitar. Paul McCartney on rhythm. John Lennon on piano. Drummers were Pete Best and Freddie Marsden. Les Maguire operated on saxophone, Les Chadwick on bass guitar - and Gerry Marsden nipped on and off behind a big grin to take the vocals.

Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Beatles had linked up. For one night only and for a fee which is the smallest fraction of what they’d command for such a show now.

It led to friendships between the group members... but it didn’t seem to be leading to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the Beatles.

Says John: “We went on knocking ourselves out night after night but somehow there was a bit of frustration creeping in to it all. It didn’t seem to be leading anywhere.”

But the audiences were greatly appreciative.

Says Paul: “We started accepting dates further south. We got pretty near London on some of them. No change of material for us - still the stuff that went down so well in Germany. But we were veering away from the leather gear. Don’t make this sound big-headed, but the fact is that a lot of other groups were copying the way we looked on stage. So we changed to more ordinary clothes for a while.”

But in September, depression set in. Paul and John took themselves off to Paris for a holiday. They remember being flat broke. Remember having to search through every pocket to rake up enough francs for a Coke. Now, of course, they can go where they please and not count the cost.

And George and Pete stayed on in Liverpool, virtually lost to the Beat scene. Ray McFall, owner of the Cavern Club remembers seeing Messrs. Harrison and Best around the lunch-time sessions but they seemed dispirited. They took a lot of persuading even to join in on the impromptu roar-ups.

Let well-known Liverpool show compere Bob Wooler fill in the background to this black spot in the Beatles’ history.

“I’ve known the boys since the early days. I’ve been a long-time admirer. What they really needed was a manager in those far-off days. They seemed content not to argue about the fees they were offered. And they didn’t seem to realise that they were pulling in crowds on the strength of their own name and performance.

“After all, they had to live. They had to look after their equipment - and they often had travelling expenses to pay. It’s all very well being popular and enjoying your work, but you should be paid what you’re worth as well.

“Ray McFall at the Cavern was different. If the crowd was good, he upped the fee. That’s why the boys have always been so loyal to the Cavern. But you can understand them being puzzled at the lack of hard cash from their other venues where they were so often doubling the attendances.”

Paul and John were meanwhile spending a lot of time on their song-writing. You’ll see how much they’d already achieved in this direction as the story pushes on to the first recording days.

John and Paul could never sit down and simply write a song to order. They admit: “We have to wait for the ideas to arrive. It can happen anywhere. On a bus, or a train, or backstage at a dance-hall or theatre. Sometimes the title suggests itself first. Then we get going on the words and music. Sometimes we’ve finished a very successful seller in less than an hour.”

But their most pressing need was for a manager. Paul has told me “When we first started on paid jobs, we honestly thought we weren’t manageable. We thought nobody would want to bother with us. We were a pretty off-beat bunch of characters, to say the least. And we had a sense of humour which somehow involved us all and which was hardly in the interests of discipline. So, for a long time, we just didn’t take any notice of the advice that we should be properly handled. ‘Who’d WANT US,’ was the way we thought...

“And that’s where we were wrong...”

A MANAGER. Liverpool man Allan Williams took on the chore for a while... he now runs the Blue Angel Club on Merseyside.

But the man who was to make show business history with the Beatles knew nothing about the group in that September of 1961. That man, of course, was Brian Epstein, one-time drama student, member of a family which owned a chain of furniture and radio-TV stores in Liverpool.

He was not exactly WITH the beat scene. But he WAS in touch with the public taste through his work in the record department of the stores. He’d been there for five years, building up the business, enlarging the staff roster and increasing the turnover.

And in September, 1961, he was a puzzled man. Fans kept approaching him with: “Have you any records by the Beatles?” Brian mused. Pondered. Wondered. One young lad was particularly persistent in his demands. Brian dug deep into the record-lists. And found reference to that “My Bonnie” single, recorded in Germany, on which the Beatles played a strictly supporting role to guitar-star Tony Sheridan.

“I became Beatle-conscious for a while,” he says. “I always tried to work on the theory that the customer was right - and if they wanted the Beatles, well... I’d do my best to supply the Beatles. Eventually I traced the source and ordered some 200 copies for the record-stores. They sold quickly...

“Then out of the blue I heard they were Liverpool boys, had a rapidly-growing following - and were actually playing in a club near the store. It was a place that I’m sure I’d visited before, a sort of teenage gathering-place, but I really didn’t know much about it.

“After a while, I thought I’d better pop down there and see what all the fuss was about.”

Brian Epstein went to the Cavern. Met the Beatles. And things really started happening for the ambitious but not-too-sure group.

There are two ways of looking at this near-historic meeting. Brian Epstein’s. And the Beatles’ viewpoint.

Beatles first. Said George: “He started talking to us about the record that had created the demand. We didn’t know much about him but he seemed very interested in us and also a little bit baffled.

“He came back several times and talked to us. It seemed there was something he wanted to say, but he wouldn’t come out with it. He just kind of watched us and studied what we were doing. One day, he took us to the store and introduced us. We thought he looked rather red and embarrassed about it all.

“Eventually, he started talking about becoming our manager. Well, we hadn’t really had anybody actually VOLUNTEER in that sense. At the same time, he was very honest about it all - you know, like saying he didn’t really know anything about managing a group like us. He sort of hinted that he was keen if we’d go along with him...”

Brian, quite honestly, thought that the Beatles looked a mess. He wondered what exactly they thought they were trying to be. Their strange jackets, the rather scruffy jeans, the hair-styles, which could only have been styled on something called “chaos.”

“But there was something enormously attractive about them,” he recalls. “I liked the way they worked and the obvious enthusiasm they put into their numbers. People talk about the Liverpool sound but I sometimes wonder what exactly they mean. These boys put everything into their routines but they didn’t use echo. That struck me as being a very good thing.

“It was the boys themselves, though, who really swung it. Each had something which I could see would be highly commercial if only someone could push it to the top. They were DIFFERENT characters but they were so obviously part of the whole. Quite frankly, I was excited about their prospects, provided some things could be changed.”

And Brian told his friends: “This could easily turn out to be the biggest show business attraction since Elvis Presley.” It’s a tribute to his foresight and intuition that that is precisely what has happened.

Brian decided to get the boys together at a round-table conference at his store. A time was fixed and the boys agreed. But Beatles are not always the easiest of people to organise. Brian sat waiting... and waiting... and waiting. He was trying to cope with the vastly complex figures of Christmas orders for the store and minutes were precious to him.

Eventually THREE Beatles arrived. George, John and Pete. No Paul. Story goes that Brian got George to ring through and see what had happened to the left-handed guitar-star. And that Paul admitted he was still in the bath... but wouldn’t be long!

Brian was rather on his high-horse. He felt it was not the right thing for someone who wanted to talk business to be kept waiting. He pointed out that Paul, the cherubic one of the four, would be extremely late. “Yes,” said George, forcing back a grin. “But he’ll also be extremely clean.”

Says Brian: “That sense of humour is invaluable. You could hardly feel annoyed at their lack of business ability. They were just four individual and off-beat characters.”

Prior to Brian taking such an interest, there was great concern among Cavern people that there was a chance of the Beatles packing in all thoughts of show business careers. Bob Wooler had tried hard to get BBC television producer Jack Good interested in the group. Jack had produced beat shows, like “Six-Five Special” which had been the stepping-stone to success for artistes like Cliff Richard. But Jack was also in demand in the States... and he’d gone there to further his own career long before Bob could get any decision from the telly-folk.

Brian, having eventually assembled all four Beatles in the same room, put his propositions to them. He went through a process of brain-washing, though he did it all very tactfully. He didn’t like their manner of dress. Wasn’t knocked out by the unruly hair-cuts. Was singularly unimpressed by the way they casually drank tea on stage while in the middle of shows.

He pleaded with them rather than ordered them. He knew they were a valuable property and he was knocked out at the way their personal following was growing through the Merseyside area.

Said John: “He’d tell us that jeans were not particularity smart and could we possibly manage to wear PROPER trousers. But he didn’t want us suddenly looking square. He let us have our own sense of individuality.”

He added: “We respected his views. We stopped champing at cheese rolls and jam butties on stage. We paid a lot more attention to what we were doing. Did our best to be on time. And we smartened up, in the sense that we wore suits instead of any sloppy old clothes.”

It was a master-plan. A long-term plan if necessary but it was aimed at making the most of four young men who clearly had that star quality in them... even though a recording contract was still more than nine months away.

Obviously, Brian Epstein’s main job was to get the group on record. He knew the strength of their popularity in Liverpool and he felt it wouldn’t be a hard job to interest some of the London companies. But that was where Brian was wrong.

He even delayed any sort of action until the results of the 1961 “Mersey Beat Poll” were announced. That came up at the end of the year. And the Beatles were high and dry in top place in this important survey of how the public felt about the myriad groups operating in the scene. Said Brian: “I thought this was the ‘Open Sesame’ to the recording scene. I felt that Liverpool was important enough to have London executives falling about to sign the boys. I was wrong...”

Brian, though technically still in charge of important parts of the family business, threw himself into the job of getting the Beatles known nationally. He had the backing of the Beatles’ parents and it was to be no holds barred for the major break through.

He started visiting London. Hopefully. Optimistically. But record executives showed an alarming tendency to register non-committal gloom. Brian had to keep reporting apparent failure to the boys - by now riding higher than ever in popular acclaim in Liverpool.

Cont’d next month in No. 6

[meerschweinchen-archive]

(hopefully this is open for discussion?) i consider listening to audiobooks reading because i personally put the same amount of effort and focus into it as i do when i read. i don’t listen to it like a podcast, i put everything else off and sit down and immerse myself as i would with a book. the reason is that i don’t always have the money for physical books (bc of shipping and the fact books in english are rarely available here) and i don’t like reading via epub/pdf bc i find it extremely strenuous on the eyes. if someone had told me what i was doing didn’t have the same intellectual qualities, despite everything i try to learn and the time i invest, i would be kinda upset (and i think we should also consider people who rely more on their hearing than sight here for whatever reason, from learning style to visual impairment). however!! i do agree that Actively listening/reading is vastly different than putting something on in the background, and the reason people probably give more merit to Reading is because you can’t do anything else while you’re doing that so it requires more commitment. but i think the end result is still the same - if you’ve retained the content and we can have a conversation about it for example idrc How you did so. (sorry if this got long, i think it’s an interesting conversation though!!)

(belated, but it is!) and yeah! although I do have to admit that when I was reading a lot I noticed a big improvement in my ability to write versus now that I pretty much only listen to audio books I don't notice the same effect on my ability to speak well haha... content wise I agree with you! but it does probably have a different like. physical effect on the brain reading versus listening.... in general though yeah it's not That Important and beyond of Improving Yourself (which I think we're all too obsessed with but that's for another day) like reading is fun and audio books are fun so it's all good!

[greycappedjester]

HI IM OBSESSED WITH ALL YOUR HAIKYUU STORIES I LITERALLY LOVE THEM ALL YOUR CHARACTERIATION AND STORY WRITING AND STYLE IS SO AWESOME AND PLEASING TO READ I FEEL SO MANY EMOTIONS WHILE READING and because i am in love with him, i wanted ot ask if you have any random headcanons about hinata and his random friendships with people? it can be any characters or comething i just always love hinata content. i also especially liked him and hoshi friendship in hogwarts and how kagehnas understood ech oth

Thank you so, so much :)

Sorry this one's taken a bit to answer; but, I am soooooo glad you like the series and the characterizations and just, ahhh, thank you so much!

So, random friendship headcanons we go....

Hinata and Aone:

-So, Aone is one of the current Prefects where he's amazing and everybody loves him. But, earlier than that and back in first year when Hinata was trying to figure him out a bit because "wow, he's huge and kind of scary but he plays Quidditch so he has to be cool and he's a Hufflepfuff so that's probably good but he also kinda looks like he wants to murder me but maybe he means that in a good way". Anyway, Hinata had a habit of getting lost on his way to Quidditch practice and weirdly almost always ending up next to bathrooms. Until one day, he came back to his room and found a carefully drawn little map with a lot of the major hallways detailed on it. It didn't have a name but, months later, he recognized it as Aone's handwriting and it was one of the kindest things that had ever happened to Hinata at that point. After that, they had an unspoken bond and Hinata only got lost 83% of the time.

Kageyama, Yachi, and Kenma:

-I don't know if I've ever mentioned; but, I need these three as my socially anxious "oh, fuck, someone's talking to me ABORT ABORT how tf do I make small talk" friends. Sure, they all have vastly different responses (Kageyama: Yell at it or glare until it goes away; Yachi: Hide or maybe mutter anxiously; Kenma: grab nearest book and hope they go away) but every now and then they'll have a moment when Lev and Hinata are being particularly Extroverted (TM) when those three just look at each other and go "right, they're the crazy ones here" (No shade to all my extrovert friends, ya'll got Hinata and Lev over there being like "I think our friends need more company!!!!! :D" while the social anxiety trio hiss like angry cats in the corner)

Iwaizumi and Bokuto:

-Voted (in their friend group) "Most Likely to Go the Longest Without Getting Into Any Kind of Mortal Peril" for four years running. I honestly think that except for having the friends they do that the worst trouble Iwaizumi and Bokuto would ever get into would be Quidditch related. That said, I also think both of them would be bored out of their minds since all of them are some kind of brand of danger prone. However, on the days that Bokuto and Iwaizumi are left to their own devices, two things happen: (1) absolutely nothing and it's a peaceful day; (2) everyone comes back to the two in some strange competition--including arm wrestling (Winner: Iwaizumi), orgami (Winner: Bokuto), card stacking (Tie as they decided to work together to combine card stacks into the ultimate card castle....everyone was as disturbed as they were impressed). Idk how to describe it but in terms of energy Iwaizumi and Bokuto have the low-fi version of bro energy where it's equally strange but somehow nothing's on fire...like it would be for any of the other pairings

Daichi and Noya (or also the beginning of the Crows)

The story of how Daichi looked at those crazy Gryffindor first years and went "well, someone's gotta make sure they don't die": Daichi's second year was a strange one. He'd finally made it to the reserve Keeper on the Quidditch team and there was talk that he could take over next year while at the same time that batshit wild first year with the crazy hair turned out to be some kind of flying prodigy and was immediately made Seeker.

Who's a good person to keep an eye on him? "DAICHI," cheers the rest of the Quidditch team. "Wait, what," says Daichi who was late to the meeting. And, thus, Daichi became the father of one (soon two as he learned Tanaka and Noya were a package deal). "Well, at least I'm not doing this alone," said Daichi. "W-what do you mean," said Victim #2-also-named-Asahi.

And, thus X2, Noya and Tanaka (plus Ennoshita who was dragged along with), got two live-in babysitters...one more effective than the other since Asahi got an immediate crush and was completely unhelpful in actually stopping anything since he just kind of blushed and stuttered whenever Noya smiled at him.

Chaos reigned.

Noya and Tanaka friends with the centaurs, made beginning plans to ride the Giant Squid (didn't actually make friends with it until second year), and gave Daichi a lifelong fear of acromantula.

You see, our poor hero Daichi was very fed up and more than a little exhausted. But, at least he had Asahi. "They're really not that bad," Asahi insisted. "I gave Noya a Butterbeer earlier and he said--" Nevermind, Daichi was completely alone.

However, while Daichi debated the pros and cons of child abandonment, he happened to come across an unusual sight.

The sight was Noya, dirty and slightly bruised like he always seemed to be, but holding a small little thing in his hand that took Daichi more than a few seconds to realize what it was.

"Is that a bowtruckle?"

Noya grinned. "Yeah. Little guy fell out of his nest." He nodded up at a tree. "Took me forever to get him to come over. Bowtruckle's are skittish and don't trust people much."

Daichi blinked. "Aren't those nearly extinct and used for lockpicking."

"Yeah, probably why they don't trust people much."

Theoretically, Daichi knew that bowtruckles were incredibly, incredibly rare and that there was more than one magical creatures student that would cry just seeing one, let alone knowing there was a whole nest on campus.

...But, that would also mean that everyone else would know about it, too, and somehow Daichi didn't think that everyone else would handle the little creatures with the same care and patience that Noya did. Actually, come to think of it, Daichi wasn't sure that even he could. Funny enough, Daichi had never seen Noya actually quiet before.

In the end, Daichi helped Noya out with a good Levitation Charm and decided that maybe it wasn't that bad being a single parent at the ripe old age of twelve years old. At least he had some pretty good kids.

.....he has since vocally regretted that roughly 2,012 times and actually regretted it 0.