#trying to muster up enough energy and focus to finish my current project

[fereldanwench]

im so glad this is my last day of work for the week and i have monday off

this week has been ROUGH

[tryingtimi]

Author Questionnaire Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @tc-doherty, this is going to be fun <3 Apologies in advance because I tend to ramble about random stuff besides the answer when I get personal questions, so it might get long.

About Me

When did you start writing?

If we count the bad horror story we created with my cousin then since I was 6 years old, lol. On and off mostly, though I dreamed about being a writer when I was around 8 or 10, so around 2005. After that I kind of strayed to painting and drawing more, but got back to writing at the age of 16. Then a little gap again, and around 19 I took up writing again and never stopped since (just turned 27 this may, so a while now).

Are there genres/themes you enjoy reading different to the ones you write?

Literary fiction for sure. I wasn't the person who started reading very early, though my family is full of bookworms and always thought me weird when I said I don't like reading. Then, I found the perfect book (The Man With The Golden Touch, a hungarian classic we needed to read for school), read it in one sitting almost, and fell in love eventually. My teenage years books were satires and serious family dramas alongside the heaviest stuff that connected to real life and you could find it on the market. I just realised recently (when I finished a litfic book in two days again, after not reading any for years) that litfic is probably my go to, or palette cleanser if you will. But I wouldn't be able to write in it for the life of me. Otherwise I'm an omnivore genre-wise, reading what gives me inspo for current projects plus trying out every genre I haven't read yet.

Is there an author you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

Usually I would get compared to an author who's work I'm currently reading, because I'm too naturally absorbing style when I'm invested. Not always, but frequently enough. Once a friend said my writing is a bit Brandon Sanderson-like and that made me happy because he's one of my favourite authors and writing icons. (another gigantic praise would be telling me it reminds them of Fonda Lee’s writing hehe)

Can you tell me a little about your writing space?

It's literally anywhere, lol. I live in a very small space (two half rooms), so I have a small desk and an armchair (yes, not an office chair or anything, no it's not comfortable even though you'd think so) where I sometimes write. If I can steal my partner's gaming chair, I use that space, but most times I write on the bed, lying on my stomach and putting something under my chin to keep my head higher lmfao. Also going to cafés if I really can't focus at home or using our foldable bed when it's in sofa shape. Our space is always insanely dusty because of it’s size, so that annoys the hell out of me and makes me incapable of focusing on writing so I can't start working on anything at the desk before I cleaned it thoroughly.

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Going through my pinterest boards. I have separate boards for could-be characters, weapons, items, places etc. But it's really rare that I need to find a muse or inspiration. If I can't write it's mostly because of burn out or irl stuff that take up my emotional and creative energy, not the lack of ideas, haha. That, I have way too many.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Yes, definitely. Even when I thought they didn't, I needed to realise they do, very much so. Since then, I try to do it consiously enough. I love realising stuff about real life people or our dynamics and whatnot throughout my writing. Plus learning about places, workings of our world help me build up mine coherently. And I’m a sucker for family dynamics so I put a lot of “Easter eggs” in it that was inspired by my family/ childhood.

Are there any recurring themes of your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Giving dead parents to the protagonists count as a theme? Because that is what I noticed once, and suprised me for sure. Since then, they get parents but then the whole story is more like a family drama than anything else. Plus emotionally distant/unavailable parents (especially mothers), finding your place in the world and found family are definitely topics that will appear in all my stories.

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favourite character?

Given that I'm neck deep in Project Sasin, my east asian-inspired urban fantasy mafia story, I could go with all of the main family members. They're all favourites, but if I really need to choose one, then it would be always Grey Fang, who is the head warrior woman of the clan, and the clan leader's right hand. She's a gigantic woman, a true amazon, bestest fighter of the clan, and great at managing the lower ranked warriors. She's blunt, confident, charistmatic and always have a harsh but helpful advice for the main kids. Most of the clan look up at her (not only because she's 190 cm), admire her skill and recite her achivements, and even the enemy clans whisper her name a bit warily. For the main kids though, she's also a fun aunt. As much as she is serious, and can be outright dangerous, she is easy to deal with if you're not acting too shy around her (she believes being shy is always either poor parenting, or a straight up act to gain something, therefore not honest and trustworthy), or breaking any tradition openly. As the clan, she is very fond of traditions and the way of life their ansestors have lived for hundreds of years, but she can be convinced that development is necessary, if someone is determined enough or a master at persuasion. Her first and foremost goal in life is to preserve the clan's good reputation, and prevent corruption or downfall – at all costs. Therefore she would break traditions, or go behind anyone's back if that would achieve it.

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

Not many lol. Most characters I write are fun to work with and explore but mostly because I wouldn't even go near them irl. I think I would be on friends term with Kil, the main borther who wants to be like Fang, and maybe Yune who's a fairly anxious and talented healer with little confidence yet. Plus, Fang herself, obviously. But both Kil and Fang are extroverted like hell so they would adopt my introverted ass, which I don't kow if counts. I have other works where are some characters I could be truly friends with (Avelyn from Metalsea for example but she's a similar category like Yune). I could probabyl go to those lengths only with my fellow introverted characters whom are the MC's usually, but not the majority of the characters lol.

Which of your characters would you dislike most if you met them?

Every living mother, uh. It sounds horrible, but it's true. All the mothers who were likeable or fair at being mothers are dead in my stories. Plus most of the men too, maybe. I have a sci-fi story where the MC (Dane) is a scientist with a very ambitious but definitely arrogant and sharp tongue, whom I would probably hate if I met him. (Though it takes a lot for me to truly dislike or hate someone.)

Tell me more about the process of coming up with your characters.

I usually come up with one key visual trait for them lol. I kind of go backwards, because I first figure out how they look, and vaguely know why they look like that, then create their personality, their story, the world. My mind craves visualisation, therefore I revolve my characters' personalites around visible marks of their experiences.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

What would be a recurring theme is that they’re emotionally closed up most of the time. There’s also hidden but constant anger inside them. Not many likes to talk about themselves and if something is too personal they just shut down and either go away, or stay silent until the conversation strays to somewhere else. There are also the very open, very easy but dangerous and madly loyal person too who is there for these previously mentioned ones. I also tend to give a dynamic to love intrests that is the "silent understanding" type. They just know each other enough, I guess.

How do you picture your characters?

Fairly clearly. I need visuals to keep working on my stories, so that's why I have so many stuff on my pinterest. Also sometimes I try to draw them, paint them, but I don't have the skill YET to completely bring them to life. But I will one day.

My Writing

What's your reason for writing?

I just love it. I can't picture myself not writing, and I also recently realised that how all my mental health and overall life improved since I accepted that this is what I need to and will always do.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Look, I'm already owing you my life if you've read anything I've written. I'm very grateful and happy from that simple thing. Though, keysmashes and caps shouts are one of the bests, and if someone throws a little analysis or theory of why the character does, says what they did my way, then I'll propose them on the spot. That's a rare one, but a treasure for me for sure.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

I don't want to, lol. Please don't keep me on the same page as my work, because as much as my heart is in it, it's still my work, my baby, but not my life or personality. It has it's own value without me, and it should be.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Creating atmosphere and showing emotions. Since my ideas are very vague and mostly feelings during my process, I think these also intangible concepts I can thrive in. I can't tell you a city's political standing but I can tell you how it smells, tastes, sounds, how your dreams will change if you move there, how people swear and look at you, and how it feels to have a bad and a good day there.

What have you been frequently told by others is your greatest strength as a writer?

I got more than a few times now that I write fight scenes well, haha. They said it's exciting and well paced. I'm glad because I love them (big martial arts enthusiast here), but also friends said that I can create atmosphere well too. What stayed with me was when they said that they felt like they were at that place I wrote about.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Depending on the day. I'm my bigget critique too, as I imagine all of us, so when my mood is a bit low, I feel that it's gods awful. Sometimes it is, and that's okay. But most of the time (especially recently) I really like the results. I write what I want to read, after all.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Without question. As I mentioned before, it's just something I'm not able to abandon. Probably because I'm bad at articulating my feelings and thoughts so writing is just essential for me to communicate, even if only with myself. Personally, though, without anyone reading it, it would be so much easier to be honest, lol.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? if it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

Tricky question for a recovering-people-pleaser. Recovering because I grew a lot the last two years thanks to some bad but valuable experiences, so I was way worse earlier in my life. I got back to writing by writing fanfiction for a friend because she ran out of the stuff she liked, so I offered to create stories tailored especially for her taste. And as more people started reading my stories (because of course I shared them after a while), I tried to appease for the most enthusiastic readers to show my immense gratitude. External validation is a dangerous thing for me, so yes, if someone seems to enjoy my work very much, I will unintentionally go directions that they seem to enjoy. However, readers are readers, they are not entitled to finish a story or like it, so they disappear at some point (which is fine), so when there was no one left reading my stuff, I learnt to continue for myself instead. That's why I'm less and less online, or sharing specifics about my writing, because I want to write purely what I enjoy. Be a tiny bit more private with it. So now, I'd say I do that, but external validation is a bitch that will hold on to you with tooth and nail, so I will probably still go directions people enjoy if I get any input. But I'll manage it better, because now I can catch myself before I form a fully different story just for others.

Tagging @bloodlessheirbyjacques, @the-void-writes, @aninkwellofnectar, @dyrewrites, @aalinaaaaaa, @forthesanityofstorytellers, @bebewrites, @barbex, @circa-specturgia, @odysseywritings, @italiangothicwriteblr,

No pressure, though I love these questionnaires so would love to see anyone's and everyone's.

[runaway-horses]

Rainbow Colored Love

Word Count: 1,765

A/N: Me? Self-projecting? Never. (Read; I absolutely am) This took me in a lot of directions in one day before I settled on what I have now. (Yes, I wrote this in one day, and yes, I am exhausted.) Happy Pride to everybody! This fic means a lot to me just because I made Virgil non-binary, like myself, and I hope y’all enjoy it.

Warnings: One use of the F-word, Sympathetic Deceit but he’s only mentioned twice and both times off-screen. I think that’s it? Un-beta read, all mistakes are the result of writing this past midnight.

Tags: @pippippippin, @a-cure-for-sentience, @stormcrawler75, @princeyssash, @quoth-the-sparrow, @theresneverenoughfandoms, @queer-guineapig

Virgil sits at the end of their driveway, head tilted back, eyes shut. The harsh June sun beats down on them, but Virgil is enjoying it. Normally, they would find the heat oppressive. It made wearing their signature hoodie uncomfortable (and according to Patton, dangerous) and the Florida sun was not kind on their pale skin.

But it's hard to muster up any sort of negative feelings today, not even towards the sun.

A smile splits their face as they hear the distinctive rumble of their boyfriend's car making its way down the road. Virgil sits up and squints at the dark blue van rolling to a stop in front of them. Their boyfriend steps out and runs a hand through his blue hair, missing it up. Virgil feels a pang of fondness in their chest at the very sight of him.

"Logan!" They call, standing gracefully. Logan looks over to them and he smiles big, dropping his hand. “Hello darling,” Logan greets, his eyes bright behind his glasses. Virgil walks up to him and tilts their head back to look him in the eye. As much as they liked to grumble about it (and as much as Roman teased them about it), they loved how Logan was just a head taller than them. It meant Virgil could tuck their head right under his chin and breathe in the familiar scent of their boyfriend. (It also made them feel safe, when Logan would wrap his arms around them and press a kiss to the top of their head- yeah. That was nice too.)

Logan’s hands are cool against Virgil’s warm skin as he gently cups their face and kisses their forehead. “Are you ready to go, starshine?” Virgil hums in affirmation and bounds over to the passenger side of Logan’s door, sliding into the car and ignoring Logan’s fond chuckle. Virgil tries not to bounce in their seat as Logan backs the car out of their driveway, and they reach into their pocket for their fidget spinner. They spin it around and enjoy both the motion and the whirr before turning to Logan.

“I want to dye my hair,” They say, abruptly. They’re surprised by Logan’s smile (Logan is extra smiley today, usually it takes a bit more to get their stoic boyfriend to show emotion. Although Virgil supposes they’re feeling particularly stimmy and happy today as well.)

“I had a hunch, or a hope, that you might say that. I re-did mine last night,” He gestures to the vibrant color atop his head, “And I purchased some extra dye. Did you have a particular color in mind?” Virgil hums and flicks the spinner again.

“I was thinking purple?” They say and Logan nods.

“I have a bottle of it at home. Would you like me to do that before we leave for the parade?” Virgil hums again and nods before turning to look out the window. Logan reaches for the radio and the playlist that Virgil made him for their anniversary fills the car, which causes Virgil to glance over at Logan.

I need to know

That when I fail you'll still be here, mmm

'Cause if you stick around, I'll sing you pretty sounds

And we'll make money selling your hair

He’s smiling, and after a moment he starts to song along.

I don't care what's in your hair

I just wanna know what's on your mind

I used to say I wanna die before I'm old

But because of you, I might think twice

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

+++

The two of them are still singing along to the playlist when Logan pulls up to his house, and they wait in the driveway until the current song finishes for Logan to turn off the car. Virgil opens the car door and follows Logan into his house. They like Logan’s house, it smells like peppermint and cinnamon and Logan’s dad is always kind to Virgil. Logan leads him into the bathroom, where there’s bottles of hair dye on the counter. Virgil spots the purple and picks it up to look at the color more closely. Vibrant Violet, the label reads. They smile at Logan and hand him the bottle. “This is good, I hope.”

Logan reaches for the latex gloves on the counter and urges Virgil to sit up on the edge of the sink so he can start on their hair.

45 minutes later, Logan is blow drying Virgil’s hair as they discuss Doctor Who and Logan is making Virgil laugh with his Intense Focus face. (Your eyebrows scrunch together and you get this really serious look on your face; it’s adorable! Sometimes you even stick your tongue out a little-hey! I’m just telling the truth!)

“All done!” Logan announces, peeling off his gloves and dropping them in the trash can. Virgil hops off the counter and turns to look in the mirror, gasping at their reflection. Their hair is a vibrant shade of purple, the bangs fluffier than usual due to its recent blow drying. They run a hand through their hair and study their reflection for a moment longer before turning around and hugging Logan.

“I love it! Thank you, Logan,” They say into his chest, and they feel themself melt a little when Logan drops a kiss on their head.

“You’re welcome dearest. Now, are you ready to get dressed? I don't want to be late.’

Virgil nods and looks at themself in the mirror one last time before grabbing their bag and darting into Logan’s bedroom, pulling their outfit out of the backpack. They’re pulling their shirt over their head when Logan enters and they smile at his tank top, which has the words “Everything is gay and nothing is binary” printed on it in blocky letters.

(It also highlights Logan’s impressive biceps and shoulders, so in no way is Virgil complaining.)

He lifts up a pallet of face paint and shakes it. "Would you paint my face for me, dear?" Virgil nods and reaches for the pallet, swatting Logan's arm when he lifts it up out of their reach. Logan laughs and hands it to Virgil, who flips open the lid with a huff. "You're lucky I love you," they mutter as they swipe color across their boyfriend's face.

"Indeed I am," Logan murmurs, leaving forward and kissing Virgil gently, trapping their hand between their chests as they melt into the kiss.

"Fuck you, Logan. Now I'm soft," They object weakly, fighting back the blush that's painting their cheeks red. "You weren't supposed to make that romantic!"

Logan pulls them closer and kisses their cheeks. "Roman must be rubbing off on me," he says. Virgil pushes him away gently, certain that they'll explode if Logan keeps kissing them.

"He's a bad influence on you, that Prince."

Virgil finishes the last swipe of blue on Logan's face, having painted two identical bi flags on either side of Logan's face.

"You're all set!" They say, admiring their work. "I can't believe I painted straight lines during this Good Gay Month."

Logan's laughs as he pulls on his combat boots. "Now who sounds like Roman?"

Virgil doesn't respond, preoccupied with their task of painting yellow, white, purple, and black stripes on their own face. When they catch Logan's eyes in the mirror, he's smiling at them.

They smile back at him, and pull back from the mirror.

"Ok, I'm ready." They say, picking up their backpack and slinging it over their shoulder.

"Let's get our gay on, shall we?"

+++

The entire drive, Virgil is vibrating with excited energy. They spin their fidget spinner for the entire ride, trying to settle their emotions somewhat.

When Logan parks the car at their destination, Virgil reaches into their backpack and digs around for a moment before emerging with a small pin that they fix to their shirt.

My Pronouns Are they/them/theirs.

Logan reads the white text over the non-binary flag and gives Virgil a smile filled with pride. Virgil smiles back. They've come a long way in two years, two years ago they never would've imagined being comfortable enough with themself to wear a pin like this, to have the flag so visible on their body.

They step out of the car and grasp Logan's hand as the two of them walk towards the loud and joyful sounds of the crowds. There's glitter and color and sound everywhere, and Virgil feels the tight grip of anxiety for a terrifying moment, but then Logan squeezes their hand and the crowd parts and they can breathe again.

They hear a loud shout to their left, and when they look they see Roman and Patton hanging off of each other, each decked out in Pride regalia.

"Oh my stars, Virgil! Look at you, you look wonderful!" Patton says as they get closer. Virgil smiles shyly and squeezes Logan's hand again.

"Thanks Padre. You look pretty pan-tastic yourself."

Patton screeches with joy and slaps at Roman's arm, smiling huge.

"A pun! What a pun-derful pun, thank you Vee!" Virgil smiles at their friend as he flaps his hands a little and Roman looks at his boyfriend like he hung the sun. Roman is wearing his “No Romo” shirt that Virgil gifted him when he came out to the group. (Later that night, he also admitted his squishes for Patton and Dee, and the three of them have been together since. It’s a memorable day in their friendship history for a couple reasons.)

"We're looking for Dee, but we'll see you guys once the parade starts?" Roman asks, questioning gaze lingering on Virgil.

"You will, for sure." They say, happiness bubbling in their chest as they answer. Roman smiles at them before leading Patton off, presumably in search of their third QPP.

Logan and Virgil walk hand in hand through the crowd, and they find what they deem to be a good spot to wait in for the parade to begin. Virgil takes their backpack off and reaches into it again, pulling out the finishing touch to their outfit.

The demiromantic flag unfolds, and they tie it around their shoulders resolutely. They look at Logan, pride in their eyes, and Logan kisses them.

And as Logan's fingers sink into their hair, with the rumble of people around them and their flag fluttering at their back, Virgil feels at home.

And when they break apart to walk, Virgil says a silent thank you to all those who walked before, and gave them the opportunity to be here, walking hand in hand with the boy they love.

[forever-more-never-again]

Unspoken Fear (A Wanda Request)

Requested: Anonymous

I had a little trouble with this one, and I’m sorry if its not any good.

Pairing: Wanda X Reader

word Count:2165

Warnings: Torture mentioned, swearing, fighting

Italics are thoughts

Request: Wanda x fem!Reader where R is like a really powerful mutant and she's on the run from Hydra who she just escaped when she literally runs into Wanda and Natasha who are out running errands. Wanda accidentally reads R's mind and decides to help R so she follows R with Nat tailing trying to spot the Hydra agents, Wanda and Nat get there just in time to see R smash the agents through a wall and pass out from her injuries and exhaustion.

Masterlist

Your breathing reflecting the steady pounding of your feet hitting pavement. You didn’t remember how long you had been running, or where you were. All you knew, is that you had to lose the agents on your tail or else you would be brought back to Hell.

“Hey! Watch it!” An older man yelled as you ran into him. You fell onto the ground with an umph. “Kid, are you okay?” His anger immediately replaced by worry as he took in your state.

You were dressed in black combat pants, and a gray shirt. Both were covered in grime and blood. Your [h/c] hair was tangled and matted and your [e/c] eyes dulled.

You glanced behind you, seeing the agents, you scrambled to your feet and continued running, ignoring the man who shouted at you. You couldn't let them catch you. You couldn’t go back to the cell that Hydra had kept you in for years. You couldn’t let them use your mutant gene to hurt people.

You were a very powerful mutant. Your parents had abandoned you once you showed your gene, claiming you were a mutt.

You slowly realized that you had control over ambient electromagnetic energy. Meaning you could use the microwaves in the air and transform it into heat, energy, radiation, basically anything you wanted.

Hydra had found you, and managed to create a cell that blocked your mutant abilities and had been experimenting on you for years, trying to figure out how to isolate your mutant gene so that they could use to to create an atomic bomb and other weapons of mass destruction.

You had finally managed to escape a week ago, when the base you had been kept in, had been under attack from an outside force. You didn't stick around to see who was attacking or what they wanted, you got out as fast as you could and ran.

You haven’t stopped running since. Everywhere you turn, there’s another Hydra agent. After your first incident in a cafe in Georgia, you didn’t stick in one place for too long.

~~~~~

“So then Thor kept placing Mjolnir in random places. Like on top of one of Tony’s suits, or on the lid of a toilet. It got out of hand!” Wanda’s soft sokovian accent laughed as she finished telling Natasha what had been going on in the tower during her last mission.

Natasha joined in on the laughter as the pair walked to the small strip mall in downtown New York.

Today was an errand day, and Wanda and Natasha both needed new clothes, so they had decided to go shopping while the sun was out and the day was nice.

Especially since Natasha had just returned from a mission. She needed some girl time.

Keep running, keep running, don’t stop.

Wanda tilted her head, lips forming a small frown as the unexpected thoughts intruded in her mind. She hadn’t been actively trying to read anyone, so that meant this person was projecting without realizing it, and was someone powerful enough to get through Wanda’s mind barrier.

“Wands? What is it?” Natasha went on alert, looking around for a threat the moment Wanda had stopped walking and tilted her head.

Wanda shook her head at the red head, “I thought I heard someone’s thoughts for a moment, even though I wasn’t trying to read anyone. But it’s gone now.” She was worried but tried to brush it off.

Natasha quirked an Eyebrow, but didn’t push the young woman. They started walking again, turning a corner and BAM!

“Woah! Where are you in such a rush, kid?” Natasha placed a hand on the kid in front of them to steady them.

~~~~

You had lost sight of the agents, and you didn’t know fi that was good or bad. You ran around a corner and ran into someone, again, because you were focused on running. You glanced up frantically, hoping they weren’t Hydra.

A red headed woman placed a hand on your shoulder to stop you from falling over and a strawberry blonde, younger woman, looked concerned at your appearance.

“I’m sorry! I’ve...I’ve got to go.” You shook off the red head’s hand and took off running again, thoughts swirling.

I’ve lost the Hydra agents. Where do I go now? Keep running. Find new clothes... So hungry. No don’t focus on that. Keep running. Gotta keep going or else Hydra will catch me.

~~~~~

“That’s something I don’t think we can ignore.” Natasha mused as she watched the young person running away from them down the street. They were covered in blood and grime and were obviously running from something or someone.

Wanda leaned to Natasha, her lithe fingers catching her attention as she grabbed her arm, Natasha looked over and saw that Wanda’s eyes were glowing red.

“Their thoughts...Natasha...They’re running from Hydra.” At the mention of the group, Natasha got defensive. Wanda kept going, running through what she had heard when she had actively read the person’s mind. “They’re a mutant. Hydra has been tracing them for days since they escaped. Natasha…?”

Wanda’s eyes faded back to normal as she furrowed her eyebrows, “Weren’t you on the mission that attacked that Hydra base in Canada last week?”

Natasha’s eyes widened, she shot a look down the street but couldn’t see the young person anymore, She took off down the street Wanda matching her speed, “Are you saying they were in the base being experimented and tortured on and we didn’t see them?”

Wanda kept her breathing even and scanned the area as her and Wanda ran, “From their thoughts, I gathered that they had escaped when you guys attacked the base. They don’t know who was attacking, but you guys provided the distraction needed for them to escape. When you cut the power, the power of the cell that was limiting their abilities was broken.”

As Wanda finished talking, Nat saw a flash of movement in her peripheral. “There!” She pointed. Wanda and her watched in horror as the person ran into an alleyway, followed by three men in all black.

~~~~~

You ducked into an alleyway and relaxed for a moment. You groaned as you felt the full extent of your injuries. You had scrapes and bruises and bumps, plus you were exhausted from running and hadn’t eaten anything in almost 72 hours.

“Well, well, well. Looks like we caught a little [Y/n] boys.” The russian accent sent a trail of ice down your spine as you slowly turned and saw three Hydra agents stalking you into a corner.

“Now, be nice and we won’t have to use these on you.” One of the men pulled out a collar, one that you knew would shock you and mute your powers, while the others pulled out guns equipped with tasers and nets lined with the same stuff as the collar.

Your eyes were wide as you slowly walked backwards, looking for an escape. Suddenly you felt a anger rise in you that you had never felt before.

“Leave! Me! Alone!” You screamed, you raised your hands, feeling the waves in the air and pulled them to you, creating a ball of heat radiation softly.

“Get her!” The leader yelled as he saw what you were doing. The men ran towards you, firing. You threw your hands out and the ball hit one of the agents. Throwing him through the brick wall on the side of the Alley.

You pulled on the waves again and formed a shield of light and energy, blinding the agents long enough for you to jump on a garbage bin and jump and kick another agent through the hole in the wall.

You turned to face the last agent. Your chest heaving and your face twisted in anger. He slowly backed away before turning and trying to run.

You brought up a blockade of energy, stopping him from leaving the alley. You stepped behind him, fighting the exhaustion that was brought on by using so much of your power after not touching it for so long.

“I want you to remember me. I want you to run back and tell your commandeers to leave me alone. I will not hesitate to use the abilities you guys want to use against you.”

With that, you pulled on every wave and energy you could muster and plowed them into the agent, sending him flying over the buildings, landing who knows where.

As the power left you, you felt the drain. You fought to stay up and awake. Knowing you needed to run and hide. But your feet were unsteady and suddenly your vision was black as you felt yourself falling into oblivion.

~~~~~

Wanda and Nat had reached the alley you had run into and watched the confrontation, eyes wide and frozen in shock at the display of your mutant gene. When you passed out and fell onto the pavement, Wanda ran forward and lifted you into her arms.

“They need medical. The tower is three blocks from here, call Bruce, tell him what we’re bringing.” Wanda issued the orders to Nat in a rare display of authority. Natasha quickly dialed on her cell and told Bruce they were bringing an unconscious mutant in.

They made it to the tower quickly and passed you off to Bruce who quickly hooked you up to fluids and a monitor.

“And you say she could alter energy waves in the air?” Tony scoffed. Wanda and Nat had called everyone together in the common area to discuss the Hydra agents in New York who were tracking down the mutant they currently had in the medic bay.

Wanda glared at Tony, “Yes.” She turned to the rest of the group, “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen or felt in my life. They are really powerful. It’s no wonder Hydra wanted them.”

Steve stood up and paced, thoughtful, “We should contact Charles Xavier and see what He knows. Ultimately it will be up to them, but we can offer them protection here or at his mansion. It is strange that we didn’t see them on that last mission.”

Natasha nodded, “I know. When Wanda told me that thought, I was shocked. I swear I should’ve noticed that much energy and power.”

~~~~

You woke up slowly, a headache causing you to wince. As you became more awake you became aware that you were on a bed, and looking down you saw a needle, and a monitor attached to your finger.

The steady beeping in the room became erratic as you started to panic.

Hydra has me. I’ve been caught again. Escape, escape, escape!

A door burst open and the strawberry blonde woman from the street ran in, eyes wide. She saw you struggling to pull out the needle and rushed over to you, “Here, let me.” She gently pried your fingers away and pulled out the IV gently. You watched her warily, unsure if this was a trap.

She smiled warmly at you, “My name is Wanda. What’s yours?”

“[Y/n].” You answered quietly.

Wanda’s smile grew as you answered. She guided you back onto the bed, as you realized your clothes were gone, you were wearing a hospital gown, and you were cleaned up.

“Where am I? Who are You? Are you part of Hydra?” You shot off rapid fire questions, fingers twitching, ready to use your abilities at the slightest sign of danger.

Wanda’s eyes looked down at your hands, seeing the twitching, “This is the Avengers tower. You are still in New York. No, we are not Hydra. We are actually the people fighting them, trying to take them down.” Wanda caught your gaze with hers as she told you something that made you break, “We were actually the people attacking the base the day you escaped. I’m so sorry for what you went through, [Y/n].” She grabbed a hand, clasping it in hers as tears streamed down your face and your breathing became ragged, “What you went through, was horrible. And I promise, I promise, to protect you.”

Staring into the strange woman’s eyes, you knew she was telling the truth, and honestly, you were tired of running.

“Wanda.” you tried out her name. She reached up and wiped away your tears as you calmed down.

“I’ll go tell the team that you are awake.” She stood up, releasing your hand.

Suddenly you didn’t want to be alone. You reached and grabbed her hand back, as she turned to look at you, you  blurted out the first thing, “Stay. Please.”

Her eyes softened, she crawled onto the hospital bed with you, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb on the back of your hand, “Of course.”

You fell asleep to the sound of that soft accent singing songs in a language you didn’t recognize, but you knew one thing for sure, this woman made you feel safe. You would stay with Wanda, you would finally be free.

FOREVER Taglist:

@sxph-t @littlestfangirl @rainydaysrnevergrey @not-jk-rowling @sociallyawkwardcircus-freak-hi

Avengers Taglist:

@jadepc

[madminniefics]

2017 writing in review

all answers should be about work published in 2017

@nocontrolforlouis tagged me in this about my 2017 writing 💕 i added the title bc i like when posts have a title lmao purely aesthetic reasons anyway here we go list of works published this year:

on pins and needles

now that you’re here

resolutions

hot chocolate with a side of you

across mountains

glass slipper

when time froze

can’t pretend anymore

stargazing

bright eyes

still life

teasing

it escapes definition

below zero

icebergs in ireland

evergreen

work you are most proud of (and why):

i’m most proud of everything that came after glass slipper. those are all things i wrote after i finished writing my first book and, honestly, it felt like i turned the corner in my writing ability. there’s more depth and nuance and voice in those pieces than in my other pieces. if i had to pick one out of those specifically it would have to be still life. i was rereading it today in preparation to write a drabble and i was just amazed at how well it stands up and how much i still like it. that, alone with when time froze, are some of my favorite things i’ve written this year.

work you are least proud of (and why):

ugh don’t do this lmao. i’m going to go ahead and say my baby on pins and needles or glass slipper. with opan i got stuck into a certain way of writing and it reads back now as slightly juvenile. and glass slipper just feels very rushed. i should have taken more time and maybe written two more chapters instead of just the four.

a favorite excerpt of your writing:.

i shared some favorites earlier today so i’m gonna pick some other favorites lmao.

this part from chapter 1 of it escapes definition:

Frowning, Daphne stood only to fall back onto the chair due to her weak legs. The Man In Red walked forward and held a hand out to her. She took it because she knew she wouldn’t be able to walk without help after being attached to that chair for so long. When their hands met, an electric shock passed between them. Brown skin met tan skin with a red spark aligning them together. It was unlike anything Daphne had ever experienced. The spark left her open mouthed and blinking rapidly.

“Sorry,” His voice sounded robotic. “I’m still trying to figure the whole superhero thing out.”

He laughed and it hit Daphne straight in her chest. His laugh sounded familiar. It was the only thing that had passed his lips so far that didn’t sound mechanical. Daphne tilted her head and watched him, hoping that he would let his guard down. His vague features shifted from a smile to a straight face as he cleared his throat and held his hand out to Daphne again.

“I promise I won’t shock you again,” He tilted his head from side to side. “Actually, I can’t promise that but I need to get you to safety so can you please…”

He wiggled his fingers and Daphne took a deep breath before placing her hand in his. It was there before they even touched. The red spark moved back and forth between them until, finally, their hands touched. It made Daphne feel faint. She blamed it on the blood loss.

and this part from the teasing one shot

Or, continued. Clem couldn’t see the end of this relationship like she had with all the other relationships she’d been in. They’d all had a clear beginning and end dates. This thing with Liam? This thing that they’d been cultivating for years, that they treated like the precious gift it was…Clem grinned. She loved being with Liam. Loved it more than she loved reading the next installment of her favorite graphic novel about the group of magical girls that kicked ass and trailed glitter behind while they did it. Loved it more than she loved seeing the look on her parents’ faces when she surprised them with a visit. Loved it more than she loved the feeling of lying in her bed after a 12-hour shift.

In short: Clem loved Liam.

The notion hit her like a turtle shell in Mario Kart. She? Loved? Liam? His face flashed in her head as she welcomed a group of barely legal, giggly teenage girls into the store. The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed at one of her corny knock knock jokes. The way he could go from playful to sexy in a split second, that smile and crinkly eyed laughter traded in for full-on smolder and the smirk that never failed to make Clem need to change her panties. She thought of him that morning, as she was leaving for work shortly before noon when he sat at their tiny dinner table for two watching her get ready. The way his eyes seemed to light up from the inside out. She looked down to avoid eye contact with the customers as she grinned widely. Yeah. She loved him.

share or describe a favorite comment you received:

this one lmao just bc of how bold that anon was like reading when time froze at work??? with the door open??? i think about that ask a lot lmao

a time when writing was really, really hard:

there was a while there, intermittent months, where i just couldn’t muster the energy to sit up on the couch let alone pick up the computer and start writing anything. and then after i started working at the store and had less time to write that’s hard, as well, but in a different way.

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

rey from still life surprised me. so far, she’s the most like me and i didn’t set out to write her that way. she has so much sadness inside of her that i hinted at in the one shot but didn’t have space to add into the piece. a lot of the feelings i had while in college came out while i was writing it. also, kaia from when time froze and her outspoken self really surprised me as well.

how did you grow as a writer this year:

like i said before, i finished a book. i feel like that pushed me to my limits and seeing that i had space past my limits (if that makes sense) made me realize that i can do so much more than i know.

how do you hope to grow next year:

in original fiction, i want to finish two books i started writing late last year. in fic, i want to continue in the trajectory i’m currently on. i love everything that i’ve been producing. i think it’s good quality and if i can stay on that level, or rise above it, that’s good enough for me.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

it would definitely have to be @marisa-writes. she’s always there when i need some encouragement or an extra kick to get over my writing worries. i love her. also!! @janellewrites has been there for me in the form of messages about my writing and general writing talk. she’s amazing.

anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

lmao what from my real life didn’t show up in my writing this year dang. family dynamics, relationship dynamics, locations, universities--so much from my real life makes it onto the page.

any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

nothing is ever as bad as you think it is. in writing or in life. cut yourself some slack and deadlines are made to be broken.

any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year

HRAU!!!!! i cannot wait to have more time to focus on the two mini fics in that series. y’all might not know this about me but i love a good historical romance novel and i can’t believe that it’s taken me this long to write a fic set in my favorite era to read about (regency england). 

tag three writers/artists whose answers you’d like to read

@marisa-writes @fromherlips @lifesbetterasamermaid

[ashekirk]

Have typed up a document to give to my psychiatrist at my appointment at the end of the month. I don’t want to leave any doubt that I need ADHD treatment immediately.

The Case For Me Having ADHD

Using a list of symptoms from the Mayo Clinic for Adult ADHD, I will elaborate on the ways each symptom applies to my daily life.

I cannot stress enough how much of a problem my ADHD symptoms are for my daily life. I neglect all basic tasks, including showering, brushing teeth, cleaning my cat’s litter box, cooking, cleaning, and that’s just things at home. I have been unemployed for many years and I don’t think that I could get it together enough to actually hold down a job.

Mayo Clinic website:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878

Adult ADHD symptoms may include:

Impulsiveness I am very impulsive when it comes to eating. I have a major sweet tooth and once I start eating something sweet, I cannot stop myself from eating all of it – for example, an entire pack of biscuits, lollies, or chocolate. Paired with an inability to make myself prepare meals and my complete lack of interest in bland foods, I have a very unhealthy diet. Additionally, many people would call me an impulse buyer when it comes to hobbies. It’s true that I am very often buying things online, though I have managed to keep a lid on my spending enough to get by on a Newstart allowance for many years.

Disorganization and problems prioritizing In my head, I can prioritise just fine, but when it comes to actually doing things, very often the most pertinent tasks are the ones I cannot bring myself to do, so I instead end up doing anything else. Organisation is one of those things I want to do, but then when I try to do it, I hate it. So, my room and workspaces are a complete mess, and although I wish I could keep them organised, I just don’t want to think about it, and it’s easy for me to ignore. The mess just becomes part of the scenery. I have to step over clothes to go in and out of my room, because somehow it’s easier to step over them multiple times a day than to pick them up and put them on hangers. The clothes I have that ARE on hangers, I ignore because that isn’t where I’m conditioned to get my clothes from. So I just use a very small pool of clothing that gets stored in plain sight. It’s almost an “out of sight out of mind” situation.

Poor time management skills The time does get away from me a lot. There are times where all I have to do is post something, but it takes me a couple of days to actually get to the post office during opening hours because it takes me so long to start my day and muster up the motivation to go anywhere. Other times, I am so absorbed in a task that I have no idea how long I’ve been there and suddenly I’m starving or my bladder is almost in pain from fullness that I’ve not even noticed until it was this bad.

Problems focusing on a task Tasks are virtually impossible for me to focus on if I’m not very interested in the subject matter. I cannot read books, haven’t been able to so much as pick one up since I was a teen, and even then there were times I would read a page and none of it was actually absorbed, so I had to read it again. Sometimes if I can manage to initiate a task, I am so disinterested in it that my depression and anxiety kick in, making mundane tasks such as exercising and browsing job listings actively harm my mental health for the whole time I am doing them. As such, I avoid these tasks as much as humanly possible. In the workplace, I have been known to have panic attacks if I am forced to do things I don’t want to do. By far the hardest thing for me is to physically begin to do tasks my brain has decided it won’t do. It just puts up a barrier that I cannot penetrate. I believe this is called executive dysfunction. It prevents me from doing almost all everyday chores a majority of the time. It is my biggest problem with functioning in life and is the reason my freelance businesses have failed.

Trouble multitasking While I can happily play a video game and listen to a podcast simultaneously, switching between tasks is an issue. For example I am writing this currently, and cannot do anything else until I’m finished, because if I do, I don’t think I’ll ever get back to doing this because my interest will be broken. Heck, I can spend months doing a hobby every day, and as soon as I let myself have a break from it, I no longer want to do that thing, sometimes ever. And for things that I really loved doing, it is heartbreaking to find I can’t get even a little excited about it any more. Many times I can be engaged in an activity, and having my concentration broken is an ordeal – I could have all these interconnected thoughts running in my head, then bam, they’re gone in a split second and I no longer comprehend the complicated thing I was doing a moment ago. I think this is why I have not been able to reach full competence in coding, and why I had a lot of trouble with high school maths.

Excessive activity or restlessness For me, this manifests in somewhat hidden ways. See I have a chronic lack of physical energy. However, my mind races almost all the time, I have to always be doing something even if it’s just scrolling Twitter or listening to a podcast. Normally it’s both. Or playing a video game. When I’m sitting on a couch or chair, my leg will bounce up and down involuntarily, especially if my mind is engaged in a stimulating activity. If I’m standing, I might pace. If I’m in bed, I will be tossing and turning. Sometimes I will have insomnia, other times I will sleep 12 or more hours at a time. I get bored very easily, which is why I am always keeping myself occupied. However, when I’m doing nothing I will often start thinking about all the problems in my life and get quite depressive. I am known to cry out of seemingly nowhere when I am having those thoughts, so I distract myself with podcasts all day and night.

Poor planning For me it’s more like planning is as far as I get. I can plan things until the cows come home, but never put the plans into action. I dream and plan and sketch things and figure out details of some creative thing like a story or comic book, but then the doing just becomes an insurmountable barrier and I give up.

Low frustration tolerance I certainly experience this when it comes to doing things that take a lot of practice or repetition. Learning an instrument, playing particularly hard video games, doing jobs that involve unending repetitive tasks (such as working on checkouts). Anything I do where I feel like I’m getting nowhere – even if I’m not, in the case of learning something; if it is taking too long, I get sick of it and eventually come to hate it. Fortunately I am a fast learner, so there are plenty of skills I have been able to learn – just not things like a guitar or a new language, things that take years to even get a basic level of competency.

Frequent mood swings Fortunately I do not experience this much. However I do get panic attacks from time to time, which can appear sudden to the outside observer. I am on mood stabilisers, however, so I can’t really say either way. Currently though, I merely experience a consistent tired, sad mood with the occasional respite of laughing at a funny meme.

Problems following through and completing tasks I have countless creative projects I’ve started and abandoned because I lost the excitement I had for them. It’s one of the hardest parts of my life. I even spent years on a video game that I can’t bring myself to work on any longer even though I have the whole thing planned out and even a demo released. This is repeated again and again throughout my life.

Hot temper If I feel anger, it is almost always in response to injustices I see in society. I believe it is a justified anger. Other than that, I would say I am an unusually even-tempered person. If I do get annoyed or frustrated with another person I am most likely to vent about it on the internet instead of acting out.

Trouble coping with stress Since I have anxiety, yes, my stress reaction tends to involve panic attacks, insomnia, and misery. I cannot deal with stress, which is the only reason I’m glad not to have had a full time job since 2011. I was fired from that 2011 job for venting on Twitter about how stressful and unfair my job was at the time, who had been forcing me to stay back late into the night to help finish a publication.

[ds4design]

5 New Productivity Techniques You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

The pursuit of greater productivity is an unending treadmill. No matter how productive we are today, there’s always room to improve, always another system or method out there that can crank us up another notch. The goal, of course, is to waste less time and get things done.

A practical technique that complements your personality and workflow style really can boost your productivity. On the other hand, the search for such a technique can warp into a “grass is greener” mentality that wastes more time than it saves 10 Time-Wasting Habits You Should Quit Today 10 Time-Wasting Habits You Should Quit Today A minute here or there doesn't feel like much, but it all adds up! Could it be that you're wasting time on meaningless habits? We'll show you daily tasks you can quit. Read More . Don’t fall into that trap.

At the end of the day, you have to be content with finding a technique that’s “good enough” The Best Productivity Tool Is The One You Actually Use The Best Productivity Tool Is The One You Actually Use In a world chasing productivity, each new and shiny productivity app promises something new. But do we lose something when we change our productivity apps too often? Read More — if it works, accept that it works and stop looking for something better. But if you haven’t found one yet, then here are a few that you may not know about. Hopefully you won’t have to look any further.

Image Credit: kanchana_koyjai via Shutterstock

1. The Flowtime Technique

I’m a huge fan of the Pomodoro technique and highly recommend trying it. We’ve already covered how it works and why it’s so effective. But even though it works for a lot of people, it doesn’t work for everyone. If you’ve been burned by the Pomodoro technique, then the Flowtime technique may be what you need instead.

What’s wrong with Pomodoro? For some, the constant threat of a timer can prove distracting and the perpetual interruptions can be disruptive, especially when you’re “in the zone.”

The Flowtime Process

Flowtime tries to provide the same benefits as Pomodoro (i.e. time tracking, unitasking, and regular breaks) without the accompanying stress or disruption. This is how you do it:

Pick a task.

Start working, but first record your start time.

Stop when you need a break, and record your stop time. If you want, you can note whether you were interrupted or not.

Set a timer and take a break.

Repeat.

Instead of strictly alternating between, say, 20 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest, the Flowtime technique allows you to work for as long as your brain wants. In the morning, you might be able to pull off 90 minutes of work before your first rest, whereas in the afternoon you might need to switch between 10 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest.

This is also a great way to discover what time of day you’re most productive Discover Your Most Productive Hours with This Simple Method Discover Your Most Productive Hours with This Simple Method Build your perfect workday around your energy levels. This simple Excel spreadsheet and a few seconds of work each day could help you change your habits and get more done. Read More , which is good to know so you can schedule your days in such a way that maximizes your efficiency.

2. The Autofocus Method

Most productivity tips and systems suffer a glaring flaw: they focus too much on getting organized not enough on getting things done. Don’t get me wrong, I think organization is an important part of productivity, but would you rather spend an hour completing your tasks or managing your to-do list?

This is where the Autofocus method shines. It’s designed against the pop-science productivity advice we hear every day — you know, those tips that sound good but are actually detrimental to your workflow and progress. It does away with rigidity and overhead. It promotes real progress.

The Autofocus Lists

Start by creating three separate lists:

New

Recurring

Unfinished

Begin by filling out the New list with all of the tasks you need to complete, then draw a line under the last task. All tasks above this line are “old tasks.” Any time you need to add another task, do it under the line — these are “new tasks.”

Entering Autofocus Mode

Now, go down the list of old tasks one by one. If you can work on the current task now, start working.

Once you finish it, cross it off.

In case it’s a recurring task, write it on the Recurring list.

Should you not finish it, write it on the Unfinished list.

If you get to the end of the old tasks, ignore the new tasks and go back to the top and repeat. Once you reach the point where you can’t complete any of the old tasks right now, you can start on the new tasks. When you can’t complete any of the new tasks, move to the Recurring list in the same way, then the Unfinished list.

It becomes even easier if you use a list-based task manager like Trello A Guide to Trello for Life and Project Management A Guide to Trello for Life and Project Management Trello can help you get organized. It's a free tool to manage any kind of project. Read this guide to understand its basic structure, the navigation, and how Trello can be useful to you. Read More .

The key to the Autofocus method is that you only focus on one task at a time Single- vs. Multitasking: What's Best for Productivity? Single- vs. Multitasking: What's Best for Productivity? Multitasking is a common method to increase productivity. Turns out it's not necessarily the silver bullet for productivity. The key is to know when to multitask. Read More — the system simply makes it easy to know which task is next, hence the name “autofocus.” There is absolutely no prioritization of tasks in this system. You just cycle through and complete tasks.

Image Credit: Rawpixel.com via Shutterstock

3. The Stoplight Method

The Stoplight method has a similar feel to the Autofocus method above, but its greatest benefit is its more simplified process. Whereas the complexity of the Autofocus method makes it useful for big projects with lots of tasks, the Stoplight method is better when you only have a few tasks every day.

The Stoplight Process

All you need are three lists:

Red list for tasks that require immediate attention.

Yellow list for tasks that you need to complete within two days.

Green list for all other less-urgent or macro-oriented tasks.

Only focus on the red list. When the red list is empty, move onto the yellow list. When that’s empty, move onto green. At the start of every day, shift tasks from green to yellow or yellow to red as necessary. This is obviously a lot easier if you use digital lists.

I first found this system on Reddit and haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else. It’s not an entirely unique or innovative system, mind you, but it can be extremely helpful — especially if you tie it in with a note-taking app that can handle color-coded lists, such as Google Keep (which is awesome for many other reasons too 7 Tips for Taking Better Notes in Google Keep for Android 7 Tips for Taking Better Notes in Google Keep for Android If you use Google Keep for Android, these tips will make your experience a much better one. Read More ).

4. The 10-Minute Rule

If there’s one “rule” that has contributed most to my own productivity, it would have to be the 10-Minute Rule. To be clear, there are actually two different 10-Minute Rules floating around on the internet — I only use one of them, but I’ll cover both of them here for your convenience.

10 Minutes vs. Procrastination

The first variation is for when you’re procrastinating on a task How To Stop Procrastinating: The Only New Year Resolution You Should Set How To Stop Procrastinating: The Only New Year Resolution You Should Set Kick the habit of procrastination and start taking action without waiting for the right time. Stopping procrastination is the only new year resolution you need. Here's why. Read More : you only need to commit 10 minutes of effort to the task, then you can stop if you want. I actually adapted this from my novel-writing days when I used to tell myself that I only had to commit to writing 100 words. If I wanted to stop after that, I could stop without feeling any guilt.

This rule works because 10 minutes is usually enough time for you to get “into the zone.” If you can make it through the initial 10 minutes, chances are you’ll realize the task isn’t as bad as you thought and you’ll be happy to keep going.

10 Minute Tasks

The other variation is for when you have too many tasks and feel overwhelmed: every task on your to-do list should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. If a task doesn’t adhere to this rule, you need to break it down into smaller tasks that do fit the rule.

This rule works because it puts you in the right mindset for proper goal setting. If you know that a task won’t take longer than 10 minutes, you won’t feel overwhelmed by it — it becomes easier to muster up the energy to sit down and tackle it. Psychologically, it’s much easier to tackle six 10-minute tasks than one 60-minute task.

Image Credit: A. and I. Kruk via Shutterstock

5. The Productivity Journal

This last technique is a bit unusual compared to the ones above. Instead of using a carrot or stick to drive you towards greater productivity, it aims to get you thinking about productivity in a different way. It doesn’t demand more of you. Rather, it’s designed to make productivity more enjoyable. I’m talking about maintaining a Productivity Journal.

The Journaling Process

At the end of every day, take five minutes to record all of the things you accomplished. On a good day, maybe you completed 15 tasks. On a bad day, maybe you only finished one or none. All that matters is that you record honestly.

The benefits are two-fold. First, it takes away the stress of deadlines and the guilt of an unchanged to-do list. Second, it provides a history of your productivity. When you feel lost or unmotivated, you can look back and see that productive days are possible for you, which can even boost confidence.

This method is perfect if you’ve tried all kinds of productivity apps, tips, methods, strategies, and found that none of them have been helpful How to Be Productive When Productivity Apps Don't Work for You How to Be Productive When Productivity Apps Don't Work for You You should noticed that the past few years have been about an obsession with productivity. But what if productivity apps don't do it for you? Then what do you do? Read More . Some people just aren’t wired for to-do lists and deadlines. If you feel that way, then a productivity journal could be the perfect alternative.

How Do You Stay Productive?

A productivity system can only do so much. Like a personal trainer, it can help you stay motivated and it can set you up for success, but it can never do the actual work for you. And even after finding a system that works, your productivity could be harmed by other factors.

For example, a bad workstation setup 7 Hacks to Make Your Work Desk More Efficient for Maximum Productivity 7 Hacks to Make Your Work Desk More Efficient for Maximum Productivity Do you feel sore or fatigue? Do your eyes ache or is your neck killing you? An optimized work desk might cure your ailments and boost your productivity. Read More and poor workplace habits 9 Bad Habits That Are Making You Tired at the Office 9 Bad Habits That Are Making You Tired at the Office Do you often feel tired at the office? The problem could be in the few bad habits that you've picked up. Remove exhaustion from your office life with these health building tips. Read More can ruin your energy levels. You really need to use your computer the right way Use Your Computer the Right Way to Increase Productivity Use Your Computer the Right Way to Increase Productivity Given the time we spend with our computers, you'd think we'd all master them like craftspeople masters their tools. The problem is, we rarely commit to learning. Let's change that! Read More to maximize the length and intensity of your productivity, and you can take it one step further by adding multiple monitors to your setup How to Be More Productive with Dual Monitors How to Be More Productive with Dual Monitors You need space for several documents, to get an overview and swiftly shift between tasks. What's true for your desk also applies to your virtual workspace. We show you how it matters. Read More .

Sleep is also a factor you can’t ignore. You don’t necessarily have to sleep early — not everyone is a morning person How to Stay Productive If You Aren't a Morning Person How to Stay Productive If You Aren't a Morning Person Have you realized waking up early sucks and you aren’t doing it anymore? Relax, you are not alone. You don’t need to be an early riser to be successful. Read More — but you do need to sleep well. Use one of these sleep tracking apps 10 Android Apps for Tracking and Improving Your Sleep 10 Android Apps for Tracking and Improving Your Sleep These apps will surely help you get a better night's sleep. Read More to see how much “good sleep” you’re getting and, if lacking, what you can do about it.

How do you feel about your own productivity levels? What tips or tricks have you used to solve procrastination and distractions? Share with us in a comment down below!