#to quote so much (for) stardust: i think i've been going through it

[crunchycrystals]

the amount i'm listening to fake out this week is honestly concerning lol

[vincentmatthews]

50 Random Quotes for a micro-story:

Rules: Give me a number and I'll write a small story based on that quote. If you have a specific character you want for the writing, feel free to add them.

"I miss you."

"Why won't you kiss me?"

"I never planned on living this long."

"Bathe me in moonwater and stardust."

"I wish our lips would dance as one; yet you wouldn't have me, and I became obsessed."

"I hate you, but I love you."

"Kiss me."

"Dance with me in the flames."

"I want to be anywhere else but here."

"Stay the night."

"Don't run from me."

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Will you marry me?"

"Why."

"Do you ever miss me?"

"I love you." "Don't lie."

"I just want to float in starlight until I feel like myself again."

"Do you ever miss them?"

"I'm sorry."

"What do you want from me?"

"I hate everything about you."

"Are you drunk/high?"

"I don't know how you did it, but you're still here, and I'm proud of you."

"Nothing is more beautiful than watching our relationship go down in flames."

"Sunsets always remind me of you."

"The holidays have gotten harder since you've been gone."

"What do I have to do, to get you to love me?"

"I just want to lay down, in the dark, with the A/C on full blast, and use the radio to drown out my emotions."

"The hardest thing for me to learn as a child was that no matter how hard I tried, I'd never be worthy of love."

"You're addictive. I crave you. No matter how hard I try, I can never get enough of you. I desire you. You're like a drug that I'm hooked on. I need you."

"I call myself religious, because you're the only thing I can see myself worshipping."

"They say if you swim in the lake at night, you're begging creatures to drag you down and feast on your soul. I wonder how much of those stories are true."

"I'm pregnant."

"Healing takes longer for the broken. My dear, and I am shattered."

"Stay the night, please, I can't sleep without you."

"The hardest thing I had to learn when I was a child, was that no matter what I do, I will never be worthy of love."

"I am doing this, not because I love you, but because I have to."

"I guess, I can learn to love you."

"Ever since you've died and came back, you haven't been the same. You're staring at the walls, mumbling to yourself, watching static on the tv. Where are you?"

"Why didn't you leave me?!? You could've saved yourself!!" "BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO DIE!!"

"Tell me you love me, and I will finally let you go. I won't hurt you anymore. Say you love me -make me believe it- and I will untie you."

"I will NEVER forgive you. But I can learn to live with you."

"I promised that I wouldn't turn you, but your neck look very tempting, and I can't stop thinking of your blood dripping from my lips."

"I wish I could remember what it was like to be human again."

"Will you still continue to love me, after I tell you all the awful things I've done?"

"I'M SO FUCKING TIRED!! NO MATTER WHAT FUCKING HAPPENS, I ALWAYS END UP BEING THE FUCKING ASSHOLE!!! I'M FUCKING DONE!! ALL OF THIS BULLSHIT THAT YOU FORCE ME THROUGH!! I'M FUCKING DONE!! I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!!"

"You scare me. More than anything. I have nightmares that one night you'll kill me. I'm so scared of you; but what scares me more is if you leave me."

"What is it you fear most?" "Myself."

"When where you going to tell me?" "Tell you what?" "That you were a monster."

"Every time you touch me, I feel a piece of myself die. I'm addicted to your attention, your hands, yet I can taste your disgust you have for me. The toxic bile of your sneers as you dig your nails into my face as you grip it, hard enough to puncture the sensitive flesh and draw blood. I wish I didn't care. The moment you grab me, the only thought going through my shattered mind is Kill Me."

[mittensmorgul]

Can I vent about writing for a second?? I'm having the hardest time coming up with a title for my story. I want something that fits the genre and grabs attention but also isn't generic and makes sense in the context of the story. I know you can't convey everything with just the title, but i've never had this much trouble coming up with something i like:/

Hi there! I’m always happy to try and help anyone out with writing-related things, but I feel I need to lay out some information about myself for two reasons. First off, I... am not good at titles. But second, the fact that I think I’m not good at titles might make you feel better about your own titling issues. :’D

Lets start with some facts about Mittens Titles:

You know how google docs tries to make you give something a title before you close the doc or send a link to someone (beta reader, etc.)? Yeah, I’ve forced myself into the habit of giving all docs “working titles” even if I end up changing it before I post. Sometimes I go through a LOT of different titles, sometimes the working title I thought was dumb ends up being the best thing I can think of and it stays as the title.

Revenge of the Subtext was titled “Fuck Titles” for MONTHS. Because I couldn’t think of anything to call it. I almost published it with that for a title.

The fic I’m currently working on was called “Untitled document” until a few days ago. I’ve been writing it since... September... 9 I think? Nearly two months to throw a couple words up there so gdocs wouldn’t save it as “Chapter 1″ (since gdocs will default to the first line as a title, and if it had its way, every fic I’ve ever written would just be called “Chapter 1″ which is obviously not useful for filing purposes). I have no idea what I’ll eventually call it, but it’s a pinefest fic, so that’s a problem for Future Mittens.

I think Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic was called something like “Little Truths” or something for the longest while, which I hated completely.

The Exception To Every Rule was originally called Project Stardust. Lifetime Piling Up was called, incredibly creatively, “dcbb 2019″ for a while. “It’s Destiny” and “It’s Lily Dale” were both titled at one point or another “Miserable Moose.” Until I Know This Sure Uncertainty was originally called EVERYBODY SWAP. Ultraviolet was just called NYOOOOOOM for the longest time.

Winchester 275 wasn’t supposed to be the title. I just stuck it up there because I didn’t want to forget that’s what I’d named Dean’s ranch while I was writing, because I’d gone through about six different names for the thing by that point. I figured I wouldn’t forget if it was in big bold letters at the top of the page. By the time I was halfway through writing the fic, I realized I actually liked it as a title.

Project Beyonce just... got out of hand. :’D

So as soon as I think of anything better than “Untitled document” to call a fic, I slap the title on there. Then I continue to stare at it and hope I come up with something better before I post the thing. Sometimes they change many times. Sometimes I decide the original title is good enough. Mostly the titles I end up posting with are just whatever happens to be in the title spot on the day I post.

I honestly don’t even consider whether it’s attention-grabbing or not. Mostly I think my titles are either little personal jokes or references that probably nobody else gets, but I find amusing (lol I should probably post explanations of all my titles, because some of them are really wackadoo), or just... something that sounded good enough to me to slap it on there. Which is making me think of my current writing project (and feeling like I should be working on that now whoopsie), because I didn’t think the words I put in the title box last night would ever in a million years be the final title (and they still might not be), but the longer I look at them the more I like it.

Generic is FINE! I have fics posted called “Sunset” and “Makeshift” and “Eleven.” Because I couldn’t think of anything better. Pretty generic stuff.

I’m not even sure all my titles seem to “fit” with my fics. I mean, do most people get the Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic reference, and how it fits perfectly with that fic? It’s a little bit obscure. I mean, all the fics I’ve titled after songs kind of are that way. Ultraviolet and Lifetime Piling Up, possibly. Did anyone get that The Terminal Job was a Leverage reference? *shrug emoji*

For Pinefest, I wasn’t even trying :’D

I’ve quoted Shakespeare for titles, Jules Verne, Led Zeppelin, The Talking Heads, U2, Bob Dylan, Soundgarden, Jensen Ackles for a stupid pirate joke he likes to tell, and Supernatural itself. Sometimes I use cliches or common phrases (like Working out the Kinks, or Two for the Price of One), and well-known concepts (like Rule 34 or Plotbunny), and simple plays on words (like Oh, Hell No, or In Jeopardy!).

Is there a concept or phrase you repeat throughout the fic? If so, play with that. A song you associate with the story, or imagine playing at some point during the story? Maybe pull a relevant line from it? Or do what I do and just throw something up there for now, and see if it grows on you. I usually find that by the time I’m ready to post, SOMETHING will seem relevant and thematically on target to feel right.

Seriously, anything can be a title, and I have no idea how to magically come up with one, aside from just playing around with words until something just clicks for you.