#tww author

[callixton]

just read a leverage fic and went hmm. this style feels like a west wing writer. and if not that then someone who's dabbled in a sorkin work and if not then there r other writers who have a similar style which i could identify. but like surely i'm just projecting. checked their profile and Guess What

[mihrsuri]

Any The West Wing fic recs? Namely for either CJ x Danny or Jed x Abbey. Please & thank you.

I love anything by @miabicicletta for CJ/Danny of course (thee foremost CJ/Danny writer) but I think a lot of the West Wing fic I currently have bookmarked is mostly ensemble/gen which I can share some of.

I love love love this Star Trek AU so much. it’s a beautiful beautiful CJ and Donna fic - there’s so much to explore in it.

ETA: this one! (I remember it being good when I read it age 15!)

[guilty-shot-au]

So, if you’re The World’s Will, does that mean you aren’t the only world spirit? Or like not the entire world spirit? Like, are there other beings that collectively embody the mind of the world, and alone you’re just it’s will? Or do you embody the entire world and The World’s will is just what you call yourself or others call you?

// …Komi I’m sorry this is probably the stupidest ask I’ve ever sent but I just had to ask it I just need to know if I’m on to something or just overthinking this.

The chains! The strings! The whips! They loom over me! It looms over me, for it is me!

Forever stalked by that thing from the inside, the inside!

And it hurts! Hurts! Do you not see it?

Controlling all I could have ever done, and hurting me more than itself!

I was made to protect! It was made to bring joy! Is it really a being that equaled me before? What did I not get? What does it not get?

[twwpress]

Weekly Press Briefing #29 - January 8th - January 14th

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from January 8 - January 14, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing! 

Challenges/Prompts:

The following is a roundup of open challenges/prompts. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

@thefinestmuffin and @JessBakesCakes are hosting a casual Josh/Donna Rom Com Fest that will reveal on February 14. Prompts and claims are open; details here. 

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from January 8 - January 14. 

Josh Malina posted a screenshot of an email about his donation to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

Marlee Matlin posted photos of herself with the late David Bowie in honor of his birthday.

Marlee Matlin posted a selfie with makeup artist Brett Freedman.  

Marlee Matlin posted a memorial post for her friend Vae who has passed away. 

Mary McCormack posted a star-studded group photo from a To Leslie screening party at Courteney Cox’s house. 

Rob Lowe posted a trailer for his new movie Dog Gone, which came out on Netflix January 13. 

Janel Moloney posted a video from a performance she attended at STREB in Brooklyn.

Donna Moss Daily: January 8 | January 9 | January 10 | January 11 | January 12 | January 13 | January 14

Daily Josh Lyman: January 8 | January 9 | January 10 | January 11 | January 12 | January 13 | January 14

No Context BWhit: January 8 | January 9 | January 10 | January 11 | January 12 | January 13 | January 14

@down_brad_: January 9 | January 10 | January 11 | January 12 | January 13 

@janelmilfoney: January 9 | January 10 | January 10 (2) | January 11 

 Edits/Artwork:

The West Wing | Holy Ground by @dark_timeline_ [VIDEO EDIT]

#CJTOBY: we had it good there for a while by @zieglercregg [VIDEO EDIT]

Creator Spotlight:

Each week, we will talk to a fandom creator and interview them about their work and their process. We’ll also give you the opportunity to ask them questions, too! Want to be a featured creator? Find us via one of the methods listed at the end of the briefing!

This week’s creator is worldsofdreamers on tumblr and on ao3. You can find the spotlight on tumblr or on twitter.

 This Week in Canon:

Welcome to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 1, Episode 12: He Shall, From Time to Time aired on January 12, 2000.

Season 2, Episode 11: The Leadership Breakfast aired on January 10, 2001.

Season 3, Episode 10: H-Con 172 aired on January 9, 2002

Season 4, Episode 12: Guns Not Butter aired on January 8, 2003.

Season 5, Episode 11: The Benign Prerogative aired on January 14, 2004.

Season 6, Episode 11: Opposition Research aired on January 12, 2005.

Season 7, Episode 10: Running Mates aired on January 8, 2006.

Editor’s Choice: 

This week brought us the anniversary of two big Josh and Donna hurt/comfort episodes in Guns Not Butter and The Benign Prerogative. We thought there was no better way to celebrate than to share some of our favorite Josh/Donna hurt/comfort fics this week!

so cover me up and know you’re enough to use me for good by sam_writes_fics | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “I need to learn how to not be so… how to keep things at arm’s length.”

“I hope not.”

It’ll be a cold day in hell before he lets this city turn his Donnatella into a hardened, soulless political operative, he decides right then and there. He’ll quit his job and drag her out the door with him before she even comes close.

 all we know is don’t let go by mikaylawrites for defendingtheearth | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Donna nods, but a tear slips down her cheek. Josh reaches for her, wishing he weren’t wearing gloves so she could feel his skin on hers. She grabs his hand with both of hers, clutching onto him with surprising force until the anesthesiologist puts her under and her grip slackens. He watches her eyes close, unable to tear his gaze from her face.

The last thing he wants to do is let go of her hand, but one of the nurses gently tells him he has to leave. They guide him out of the room, and the moment the door closes behind him, Josh knows.

He’s in love with Donna.

In which the events of the Gaza arc bring Josh and Donna together rather than drive them apart (and Donna’s mental health gets the attention it deserves).

if you’re feeling small, i will love your shadow by scullymuldrs | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | The one consistency in her life was that: Donnatella Moss could take care of herself.

 often a sweetness by thefinestmuffins for hufflepuffhermione | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Josh and Donna cope with a series of increasingly intense and unsettling events in the only way they know how: by turning to each other.

*Or; a fic to fill in the emotional gaps in late season 4*

 now and at the hour of our death by aeoleus | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | Who was with you, Stanley asks.

Everyone was with me, Josh replies.

I thought we agreed not to lie to each other, Josh, Stanley says.

 Coda to Noel.

 home, in varying degrees by joshatella (shuuuliet) | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | After Amy asks Josh a question he doesn't really want to answer, he calls Donna for comfort. But Donna, unbeknownst to him, needs a little comforting, too.

Set after the events of 3x08: "The Women of Qumar".

 stood on the cliffside (screaming ‘give me a reason’) by hanyolo | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | And she’s glad she isn’t there to see the doe-eyed look of concern she knows he is giving her right now. It’s the same look he gave her when she told him about her car accident, right before she told him she wouldn’t stop for red lights and left him speechless in the doorway of his dimly lit office; as they sat together on a park bench on a cold October night waiting for Cliff Calley to return her diary; as he held her hand in the operating room because she’d been scared and disoriented and needed him to tell her she was going to be okay.

It’s a look she’s seen plenty of times before and she knows it has the power to break her.

// josh trying to take care of donna while she deals with the aftermath of gaza

 On Joyful Mornings by JessBakesCakes | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | “Are you afraid of me?”

What she wants to say is Joshua, sweetheart, right now you’re about as terrifying as my neighbor’s new puppy. But there’s a palpable sadness in his voice when he asks her. So instead, she can only say “Of course not, Josh,” and put down the carton of eggs before joining him on the other side of the counter. 

Or, Josh and Donna wake up on the morning after the events of "Noel".

Fics:

 Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own. If you are so inclined, please be sure to leave the authors some love in the form of kudos or comments. Be mindful of posted warnings/tags for each story.

 Josh/Donna

The California 47th by pipisafoat | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

To Our Women by Prof_Frink | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

to live for the hope of it all (the folklore drabbles) by flowersinapril | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Do You Have Room For a Turncoat On Your Coatrack? by TemperanceCain | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car by phos3 | Rated M | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

that's the kind of love i've been dreaming of by hanyolo | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

A Dream is a Soft Place to Land by StealtheRest | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

but i knew you by swancharmings | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

For As Long As You’ll Give It by Bric_a_Brac | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Thanks, for Noticing by TemperanceCain | Rated M |  | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

 Other Pairings/Gen Fic

walk it for you anytime (thin, thin line) by jazzjo | Rated G | C.J. Cregg/Andrea Wyatt | Complete

No Matter What by All_That_Jazz_93 | Rated G | Kenny Thurman/Male OC | In Progress

Where The Hell…? by dumbchemist | Rated T | No pairings listed | In Progress 

Figures of Speech by Darsynia | Rated T | Toby Ziegler/Original Female Character | In progress 

bartlet for president! by buddyhollybenhur | Rated T | Josh Lyman & Sam Seaborn, Josh Lyman & Leo McGarry, Sam Seaborn & Toby Ziegler, C.J. Cregg & Josh Lyman | In Progress

almanac by jazzjo | Rated T | Amy Gardner/Andrea Wyatt | Complete

A Different Life by PreppyPrincess5103 (JAG crossover) | Rated M | Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie/Sam Seaborn | In progress 

Multiple Pairings

Children of the Apocalypse by murph283031 | Rated T | Leo McGarry/Annabeth Schott, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Mallory O'Brien/Sam Seaborn, Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

There are no second acts in American lives (except when there are) by norahb | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Original Female Character, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Sam Seaborn/Original Male Character(s) | In Progress

Paradise City by casliyn | Rated E | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Amy Gardner/Josh Lyman | In Progress

THE WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING TEAM CAN BE REACHED VIA THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

Twitter: @TWWPress

Email: weeklypressbriefing@gmail.com

 Feel free to let us know if we missed something, if you have an event you’d like us to promote, or if you have an item that you’d like included in the next briefing!

[sam-loves-seb]

i’ve got a blank space baby (and i’ll write your name) — a joshdonna soulmate au

chapter 9: stolen kisses, pretty lies

for @jessbakescakes on her birthday 🥳💗

[heathtrash]

⚠️ last weekend to sign up for the TWW Drabble Exchange!! ⚠️

we're getting towards the final few days of the sign-up period! if you haven't already begun your sign-up, do have a look before this weekend so you know what to do, and so you have the chance to dm me with any questions you have! link here!

a summary of the event in case anyone missed my (possibly annoying) reblogs:

ao3 fic exchange event of single (100), double (200), or triple (300) drabbles

each person will be matched with a compatible request and get to write them a secret gift

all requests will be visible after the sign-up so that additional treats can be written if desired

LONG writing period from 16th september to 28th october, so you can do the minimum and very leisurely write 100 words. but there is no maximum number of drabbles you can submit 😏

fics will go live on hallowe'en and the authors revealed on 4th november

please make sure you're really generous with the amount of prompts you give. it's so useful to give your gifters options, because not everyone will vibe with one particular idea and might with a different one that you also like! and it gives everyone a chance to possibly write you more than one thing!! you can still edit your requests at any point up until the sign-up closes.

i'm getting so hype for these requests to go live!!! i think we're all going to have so much fun with them ehehehehe

(i for one am planning to write every participant at least one treat drabble!)

[romana-after-dark]

AHHH OH MY GOD NO IM THE LAST ANON AND IM WASNT BEING SARCASTIC IM SORRY!

I'm also the same anon that gave you the really long reviews of tww and the alternate ending to tww a few months ago, so clearly, I can ramble a lot too.

I sent those reviews during the drama you referenced in your last response... so if you don't remember them cos you had other things on your mind, then nvm.

Anyways, I was just asking, cos I'm really eager to read it! I love everything about tww, but I still want to read the dark romance version you said that you're writing. (and I hope that after you publish stolen lullaby you leave tww up cos I want to be able to reread it... but obviously thats your choice)

Sorry for the confusion lol. I usually read most stuff as sarcastic as well, so I understand what your thought process must have been when you got my last ask. Sorry, I didn't consider that other people might have that issue too. I assumed that was just a me problem.

Anyways, I'm really excited for both books! Your writing skills and work ethic are admirable 😅👍🏻

ITS TOTALLY OKAY!!’

I just wasn’t entirely sure and I was a little on guard, but I like to assume the best out of anonymous messages so I just rolled with it!

I do actually very much remember your in-depth reviews and sometimes I go back and find them because hearing that people actually pay attention to the themes and the details and stuff like that and not just wanna eat. The smut really makes me happy.

Probably the wrong way up because it’s all gonna be different enough I think and I don’t want people to buy stolen lullaby because they can’t read the wrong way. Plus, I wanna be able to see all the nice comments and content that people made about it because that genuinely makes me so happy.

It all started just because I wanted to double in a little bit of non-con, but the story became so much more to me sorting out relationships with Joel Tommy Lorenzo little when and how they all interact with each other, made me fall in love with writing in a way that I can’t describe

If you’re curious, the title comes from Taylor Swift, my tears ricochet. I’m not a Swifty and I don’t listen to a whole lot of her music, but the playlist has a lot of Taylor Swift. That song just so fully encapsulates Joel and little ones relationship. I don’t know if I’ve explained it to you yet or on here, but the title references several things references ones innocent stolen at such a young point in her life by her dad the things that Jamie forced her to do. it references Joel, who, in the story will be called Abel and how the loss of his daughter affected him. People have also drawn connections between Joel’s wires, getting crossed with his need for parental authority and his lost for little one is created a fucked up mismatch of everything in his head of how he views her. And finally, of course, is referencing the fact that little one, or Clementine in the story, will never get to raise her child, and those lullabies have quite literally been stolen away from her because of Joel.

Thank you so so so much for saying such a nice things about me and my writing.

If you haven’t yet, I put up a bonus chapter that kind of explore Lorenzo jack and Tommy’s dynamics for my one year anniversary. I can’t remember if you read that or not, but that will give you a little hint into character stolen lullaby.

Appreciate you so so so much!

[unseenacademic]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by my dear, talented friend @mihrsuri Thanks, friend! 💜💜💜💜 1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 13 at the moment 😅

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 28,823

3. What fandoms do you write for? The West Wing.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? The First Lady - my ongoing fic where I answer the most important question in the world: what was Abbey Bartlet doing during the episodes she didn't appear in?

Josh and the Jackass - what happened right before Governor Bartlet decided to follow Josh to the airport in In the Shadow of Two Gunmen.

Breathe - a post-ep for Dead Irish Writers. Her birthday party is over, and Abbey Bartlet must face the New Hampshire Medical Board.

A Bit Desperate - part three of a series of three-sentence fics about Abbey and Jed in the aftermath of Zoey's kidnapping.

Anything Else I Need to Know - Five times the staff of Bartlet for America interrupted a barbecuing session and one time CJ interrupted a different kind of session. Takes place during the First Bartlet Campaign.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes, I do. I do my best to respond to every comment I get, as fast as I can. It's a two-way street, we, as fic authors, often complain (and rightly so) about the lack of feedback, the lack of comments and kudos, but we don't respond to comments. As a reader, I am more likely to comment on a fic from an author who's replied to my comments earlier. But I guess I get so few comments that I can easily respond to all of them 🤷‍♀️ and since there are like 7 people who care about what I write, the least I can do is respond to their very kind comments 💜💜

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I guess it's Anything Else I Need to Know. The ending isn't too angsty by itself, but if you put it into context and you know the overarching plot of first few seasons of TWW, it's definitely angsty. Honorable mentions: With Pomp and Parade & And the Silence Haunts our Bedchamber - they both deal with the aftermath of Zoey's kidnapping.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? White Christmas. And Something for Us to Remember too also qualifies. You have to read them to know why 😊😉

8. Do you get hate on fics? Luckily, I'm not popular or interesting enough for that 😅

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes! Oh, all kinds! The worst thing I've ever written came before I started my fanfic writing career (I used to be involved in forum RP, I'm less active there now) and... nope, I'm not going to write about it here. Too cursed. 🙈🙈 If you want to see some sane smut I've written, check out Game On, Boyfriend! I hope I'll write another barbecuing fic soon, so stay tuned.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I don't. But I'd love to see a TWW/NCIS crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I hope not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but if anyone's interested, go ahead.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, I haven't. The closest thing to co-writing fics was RP-ing which is sort of similar, but not really lol. It might be fun, so if anyone's interested in writing with me, let me know.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Abbey/Jed! There are many ships I love, but I have to go with my horny nerds.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? There was a WIP I started last year, the first fic I posted, but I ended up deleting it, so it's not very likely that I'll ever finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths? I'm really, really good at research lol! If I'm writing a fic set in the 1960s, I'll make sure that they're eating food, wearing clothes, listening to music etc. that was popular in that period. You won't catch any of my characters wearing historically inaccurate shoes. I'm also really good at digging up random canon details and writing thousands of words around them.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Plot lmao. I write fics about nothing, it's just banter and nerdiness, with the characters and/or the author showing off 🤣🤣

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Hmmm... I don't know, don't think I've ever needed to do it, but I guess it depends on what I want to achieve, I might write it in English and add a dialogue tag like "she said in French" or something.

19. First fandom you wrote for? The first fandom I published a fic for was The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, but the first fandom I wrote for was Harry Potter.

20. Favorite fic you've written? Can't choose only one, so have a few of them:

Breathe: Once again, Abbey is reminded how cruel the world can be towards women. 

No one asked Jed what he was wearing when he took the censure. 

Anything Else I Need to Know: Josh finally opens the door to his room and slumps on his unmade bed.

Next time, he’s going to pay attention. He’s going to pay attention to Mrs. Landingham’s notes on the Governor's schedule. And he’s going to pay attention to Mrs. Landingham’s instructions, so he’ll know what her notes on the Governor’s schedule actually mean. Next time, he’s going to pay attention.

Had Josh been paying attention, he would’ve noticed when the Governor dashed across the hall and up the stairs right after lunch. Had he been paying attention, he would’ve noticed Leo’s smirk that followed the Governor’s departure. Had he been paying attention, perhaps he would’ve noticed the soft, rhythmic squeaking of the bed and muffled gasps and groans coming from the Bartlets’ suite right before he opened the door.

Well, too bad that Josh wasn’t paying attention.

And Something for Us to Remember too: “I take it your conversation with Doug didn’t go well?”

“I spoke slowly and I didn’t use big words, but I couldn’t talk him out of marrying Liz. Maybe I should’ve taken him on a hike. A six-hour hike through Vermont wilderness in the dead of winter would’ve changed his mind.”

“It wasn’t a six-hour anything! I was there, Jed, you were only gone for two hours.”

“You weren’t there, Abigail, you were baking with your mother, while I was fighting for dear life, braving the cold and wolves and bears.” He sighs and adds, “Guess it’s too late to take Doug hiking now and leave him for the bears.”

White Christmas: “’She – New Hampshire – is one of the two best states in the Union. Vermont’s the other’, said Robert Frost, your favorite poet, who also happened to be the poet laureate of Vermont.” Abbey made a dramatic pause and gave Jed a pointed look.

“She’s one of the two best states in the Union. Vermont’s the other.” She continued her performance. “And the two… the two lie like wedges, thick end to thin end and thin end to thick end.”

Jed chuckled.

“Sweet Knees, we’ll lie like wedges, thick end to thin end and thin end to thick end any time you want,” he leered at her, “on our bed, in front of the fireplace, on the kitchen table…” his smirk grew when Abbey’s lips curved into a little smile and her cheeks flushed, “but Robert Frost named his poetry collection New Hampshire, not Vermont.”

“Well, I’m going to write the words ‘Freedom and Unity’ on the pie and you’re going to eat them!”

The First Lady: “Mrs. Landingham withholds food from me,” he complained.

“Because I asked her to.”

“Yeah, cause you don’t want me eating real food like steaks or hamburgers. She won’t let me have a banana.”

“I’m sure you did something to piss her off.” Abbey shrugged.

“Do you two enjoy torturing me?”

“Yes,” she said innocently.

Tagging (no pressure!): @claudiajcregg @onekisstotakewithme @hondagirll @miabicicletta @librarianmouse @holy-ships-x-red-lips

💜💜💜💜💜💜

[onekisstotakewithme]

🥤🥝☁️🪐🐝

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

the obvious answers are my darling friends @claudiajcregg and @miabicicletta when it comes to TWW stories... superior work. I was so lucky to have my first two new creggcannon friends be these two. Nothing but the best for me!!

but also I would be WRONG not to tell y'all to read Musings from the Fishbowl. Nothing is wrong that cannot be cured by reading through (almost) all of TWW from Gail's POV. It's technically not done, but where it ends is emotionally satisfying enough that you won't be disappointed!

🥝 ⇢ do you lie a lot? what’s the most recent lie you told?

I don't? I guess. little white lies, same as anyone. couldn't tell you the most recent lie i told.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

Answered!

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

new show brainrot (thanks @blue-ravens) 🌟

looking at getting author credit on an academic paper (first one! but it's still pretty hush hush)

maybe getting a vacation in the spring!

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

most of the people I'd tag are already tagged in this post in one way or another so I'll just tag @theangelshavethephonebooth who is a terrific human being, a superior beta (and a really incredible writer too!!) 💜

[snicketstrange]

The Leech, the Letters, and the Lurking Lies

Beatrice Jr. attempted to locate Lemony Snicket while he was writing "The Wide Window".

This theory seems simple, but gains plausibility if one accepts that the ASOUE books were written over many years. It's easy to believe that Beatrice Jr. was familiar with Lemony Snicket’s work. In BB to LS #2, she says she's heard of his research. She later states that the Baudelaires' accounts differ from Lemony’s own reports in some details. Dante even argues that Beatrice Jr. represents fans of Lemony Snicket, passionately seeking answers from their favorite author; an interpretation closely aligning with her portrayed character.However, in BB to LS #2, Beatrice Jr. reveals she didn't recognize a paperweight shaped like a leech. How could a fan not recognize this, given that TWW contains detailed descriptions and illustrations of leeches? The most likely explanation is that the book hadn't been published yet.

Further supporting this is the fact that Lemony still lived in an apartment in the City when these books were written, and he wasn't yet being pursued by authorities.

Interestingly, both Lemony and Beatrice Jr. believed that Beatrice Sr. was alive and in hiding. Imagine Lemony's confusion upon receiving those letters! Beatrice subtly hints at this belief in BB to LS #1, indicating she knows of at least one other person with her initials, likely referring to her belief that the Baudelaires' mother was alive.

For a long time, I struggled to understand BB to LS #1. I wondered, "How could she know so much, when she only joined VFD after sending BB to LS #3?" It struck me that BB to LS #1 might have been written after she joined VFD, and the letters are out of order. However, Dante pointed out that in BB to LS #1, Beatrice Jr. implies she's never been to Lemony’s office before, but she had been there in BB to LS #2. I tried to justify this, but wasn't fully satisfied.

With the clarity of the previous theory in mind, a coherent solution appeared.

To recap: When Beatrice Jr. wrote BB to LS #1, she was far away from Lemony and wasn’t in VFD yet. She knew about the challenges of training bats and assumed Lemony would understand the reference. She received information on Lemony, including his location and office details. She also believed that Beatrice Sr. was alive.The right questions are: Where was Beatrice Jr. during this time, and who could have informed her about Lemony and Beatrice Sr.?

Given the evidence, the simplest and most logical answer is that Beatrice Jr. was in Winnipeg. She likely received information about Lemony from the Duchess of Winnipeg, who unfortunately had been coerced into a scheme to capture Lemony.

In a way, Beatrice Jr. was an unwitting agent to expose Lemony to his enemies. The Duchess must have used her network to ensure Beatrice Jr.'s letter reached Lemony, and likely provided the information about bat training, or perhaps the information about bat training was provided by an imposter posing as Beatrice Sr. After all, Beatrice Jr. had never seen Beatrice Sr.'s face to refute any claims about her identity.

Even though the cards landed in Lemony's hands out of order, there is chronological consistency in BB to LS#1 actually being the first card. But evidently the rest of TBL needs to be understood by the obvious truth that someone who grew up with Lemony passed information to Beatrice Jr. After all, she even knew who Lemony's teacher was many years before. She was told details of Lemony's relationship with Beatrice that only an eyewitness could have passed on to her. And even that gives relevance to the character of R, who interfered in Lemony's story not only during her childhood and early adulthood, but also years later she continued to interfere.

[claudiajcregg]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by both @mihrsuri and @unseenacademic 💜💜💜 Thank you so much! I actually wrote up most of the answers the day I was tagged, and then forgot to post them. For over 10 days, probably. Me bad.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 23! (One of them is a 'collection' of short ficlets, and has 6 chapters. So 28 stories in 23 works so far. Probably about to be more stories in still 23 works.)

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 156,597 words. For now.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently? Just TWW. Who knows in the future!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

They have about 35% of my total kudos, but the first two are ~21% alone. (The first one is the only fic that has over 100 kudos. Then again, any of them getting above 30 is a miracle.)

maybe everything's just turning out how it should be (Big Block of Cheese 2008; CJ & Josh. Posted Feb 2021) [121]

say it's here where our pieces fall in place (Vignettes, 1998-2008. Posted Jan 2022.) [66]

just your smile lit a sixty-watt bulb in my house that was darkened for days (Thanksgiving 2006. Posted Dec 2022.) [55]

nobody knows how to get back home (Missing scene from ITSOTG. Posted April 2023) (wait what. top 4?!) [50]

we could be the way forward and I know I'll pay for it (B4A Campaign Fic, spring 1998. Posted May 2021) [47]

5. Do you respond to comments?

YES. I don't take them for granted, and I like interacting with my readers. Sharing is nerve-wracking and makes me feel so exposed, so any comment makes it worth it. I like to thank peeps for their time! As of late, it's taking me weeks to get back to comments for Brain/spoons reasons (and because I try to do so in order, though not always). I sometimes feel bad I have fallen behind on leaving my own comments, so replying to what I get makes me feel bad. I love getting the rare, long, thoughtful comments, because I love seeing what people pick up on (had to restrain myself from commenting on everything), so if that one's up next… It'll delay everything. I have a harder time letting go of those.

I know replying or not is a hot topic, and I fall on the side of 'whatever the author does is fine' (I see them as being voluntary gifts to the author, kinda, but I understand why some authors can't or won't reply! Especially those who get dozens.). It does feel weird(ly demoralizing) when you see that yours is one of a couple of comments they haven't replied to, though. (Selfishly, as someone who tries to write medium-long comments, lack of anything can sting. It's irrational, it's not what I'm after, but it'd be nice to know whether that hour plus of my time was worth it. It's not transactional and I hate that c4c idea or whatever. Just. weird feelings.)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

As we've established in previous similar memes (lol, I think I've answered these questions before), my fics don't really have angsty endings! For the most part. I think I said don't want you to go but I'll be okay then, and I can still buy that/definitely popped into my brain. I think some of my late S7 fics have an ominous feel to them, with some references/buildup to the angsty parts of IM, but I wouldn't call them angsty endings.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Um. The opposite is true! still you never took your hand from mine was my first thought, but I feel like oh, and I will be with you to feel the California sun is pretty darn happy. I could have picked almost any of them and I could make a case for them!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I luckily do not. I have gotten a couple of comments that have messed with my brain, and made me second-guess things, but they were not hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, but not regularly and not that well. It's usually short, mild scenes at most, but I did challenge myself to write a more explicit one last summer, especially after I got those 'one bed' tropes in the Wheel but didn't go there in the 500-word limit. Streets say it's hot. IDK. I also wrote a smutty continuation to the exchange fic. Best if we forget parts of that one happened. I also started writing one that would be in my S5 pregnancy universe but 🤐

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't. But this question confirms to me I have answered this before because I know I've joked about how TV has already done that for me, lmao. See: Bones/Sleepy Hollow.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? (I had to track down this question because it wasn't anywhere.) I don't think so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope! I'm having déjà vu here. I know I have answered this before: I could do it myself! But I have a feeling it wouldn't be as easy as one might think, but I'd be honored.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I don't think so…? If I have, it was years ago, in my forum/LJ days. I've been trying to make it happen for a while now, but who knows if it'll ever happen. WE HAVE IDEAS. We want to make it happen. (Wink wink, nudge nudge. You know who.)

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Spaceships are so cool. Atlantis was the first space shuttle I saw in person (and also the one I've seen the most) and it and its exhibit are awesome. I'm only missing Discovery out of the four space shuttles, because I didn't go to the second National Air and Space Museum location in Virginia back in 2015. And once the new exhibit center is completed, I'd love to see Endeavour again.

(In all seriousness, I don't have one. Booth and Brennan will forever and always hold a special place in my heart, but I love CJ and Danny so much, writing for them, their journey. Pls don't make me pick.)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I am a big 'never say never' person, because I end up picking stuff up (and maybe rewriting it to fit my current style/ability) if I remember an idea… But I'm guessing many of them won't get finished. Probably some of those that are deep in my notes app or on the drive.

16. What are your writing strengths? I (try to) dig into the emotion of a scene as best as I can.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Everything else? I know it sounds like an excuse (at least to my ears), but writing in your second language is hard. I know my writing sounds limited because of it – my descriptions will never be as evocative as I wish they were, my dialogue won't be there. I am not the most imaginative person, either.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If it makes sense, and won't take the reader out of the story, go for it! (A few words, or a line or two, might work if there's appropriate context.)

But also, as a non-native speaker, I'll always recommend using pals who might be fluent in that language and checking with them! I know that, throughout my many years in fandom, I've read quick things in Spanish within English fics that weren't entirely correct in the context they were being used (i.e. character's fluency, smaller details), and they took me out for a second. (I know, I know – pot, meet kettle. If anyone has read an unedited story of mine, they've found me making up English phrases.)

19. First fandom you wrote for? Bones. In Spanish. (I also think I wrote some ficlets in English that are probably hidden in some random LJ comm I created for my writing. They're probably 14-15 years old.)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I honestly cannot pick! And maybe it's yet to come. But basically, if I've gone through the embarrassment of having someone edit/beta a fic and catch all the avoidable mistakes, it's because it genuinely has something I like about it and that I think others will like, too. (Perceived quality aside.)

Off the top of my head, and out of the posted fics (obvious recency bias, sorry). I have a story for all 23… Also, let's consider I've mostly not read them since they were posted so I might be off. (Would love to hear what everyone's favorite is, if you've read any and are reading this!) Obviously, that top 5 by kudos has great ones. There's a reason

don't want you to go but I'll be okay: I just remember finishing it and knowing it was something special. Felt like many things coming together. I wanted to write angstier, a break from the endgame of the IM AU I've yet to post, and I think it works. I had had that quote as inspo for a while, and I think the trip to Berlin put it back on my mind. (The first haunted by the notion draft is from around this time, too!)

your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep: the structure is likely a tad repetitive, maybe (but also, the point of 3+1s, sort of?) but I love writing in that s7 period, and there should be more fic with the press corps. I think the stuff I wrote while editing (which included an overhaul of the +1) is even better than what was there.

oh, and I will be with you to feel the California sun: recency bias, yes. I love a good early Cali story, and even if this was nowhere the story I sat down to write originally, I love how it turned out. It's silly but fun, and so sunny.

still you never took your hand from mine: I will always have all the soft spots for my memoir stories, even if two of them have yet to be posted. This one doubled its size a year and a half after “finishing” it because I realized what it was missing. It's sappy, probably unrealistic re: the publishing industry, but damn it if it's not one of those that have made me cry while editing them.

we could be the way forward and I know I'll pay for it: I had to include an oldie but goodie from my first year, and this one is so special to me. (Along with BBC 2008, which I also absolutely adore. That was the fic I always wanted to post. Hilarious it was third. But it's also my most popular fic by a huge margin.) Seeing it recommended on Tumblr? God. I love campaign stories and all their potential. I love that I took a random line from some unposted story and it evolved into this fic.

nobody knows how to get back home: I almost added the most recent one because of how fun it was to write (or, as I mentioned above, Big Block of Cheese) but I like how bittersweet this missing scene one is. I find CJ's internal struggle so interesting to explore, and this is one of her most vulnerable moments. I also wanted to see a hug so badly.

[callixton]

hey why was raedbard so good. riddle me that. how was every single thing they wrote heartwrenching and deeply compelling on every level. i should reread basic principles of relativity

[stars-inthe-sky]

For the fic asks meme!

For your TWW fic: 5.

For any/all of your Natasha MCU/fics: 10 & 11

5. What's a piece of lore you haven't shown in your fic or don't think you'll be able to add in?

I specifically thanked @scullyseviltwin for helping me kill my darlings in the author's notes for The Seconds Before I Jumped, and I went back to the email thread from nine years ago to answer this question correctly. The thing I remembered cutting was the opening verse and chorus of "You Better You Bet," a song by the Who that I was debating using for the story's title. But the massive chunk of lyrics was distracting and added nothing.

The main actual thing that didn't make it into the final fic was more of a formal resolution to the Donna/Josh thread; apparently the line that she (100% rightly) made me cut was a tag at the very end: "About eight months later, Josh takes credit for the whole thing, and Donna elbows him in the stomach." It's probably accurate in the little universe of the fic, but I couldn't make a scene work at all around that single sentence. And, as a good beta should, @scullyseviltwin helped me realize that the fic didn't need it—it's about C.J. and Danny.

10. What is your favourite au? Have you written anything for it?

I don't have a favorite AU premise, because what a writer does with the premise matters so much more than whether it's a coffeeshop or a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

For my own work, though, it's probably the post-apocalyptic setting, since I covered that in Momentum Building and tell me where your strength lies ages well before I ever thought to write anything Marvel-related. how to get back there fits right into that category, to answer your question—though very loosely inspired by Terminator: Salvation, it's not a fusion (Every Part a Flame is, albeit of the original Terminator movie), and it's from Natasha's POV.

All that said, Making Your Way is still probably my favorite proper MCU AU I've written, although it's a bar/pub setting and not remotely related to the end of the world.

11. Is there anything important in your fic you think readers have missed/overlooked?

I'm struggling to think of an answer! Just about everything I've written that wasn't a short prompt-a-thon response was beta-read (typically by the brilliant @angstyteenagesam and/or @redrackham87), in part to make sure things worked the way I meant them to.

The stuff that probably get missed/overlooked in most of my stories is probably the same obscure research items everyone ends up with that don't really matter but that, for the author, must be exactly correct (e.g., when seatbelts were invented relative to the events of Every Part a Flame, since they bounce around—accurately—in a Jeep).

Alternatively, I also have a habit, as I'm sure many others do, of seeding my own little in-jokes with myself into fics. The bit about junior CEA staffers in the West Wing fic, for instance, and just about every location in that story are pulled from my own D.C. years.* Kaliningrad and Szeged (from shapeshift and trick) were places of significance relative to a summer program I did in Hungary in high school, and the Glenn Miller namedrop in that fic was for Rose Tyler.

There are also several instances across several fics of Natasha wearing my clothes, or preferring my coffee order at the time!

[hydr0phius]

TWW December Gift Exchange 2023

Seeing as authors have now been revealed, here's my little Lampbroom piece for @heathtrash

[twwpress]

We’re excited to announce that our featured author for the Creator Spotlight this week is @worldsofdreamers! Drop your questions for them here and we might include them in the spotlight! If you’d rather not reply to this post with your questions, you can feel free to send them to us as a dm or ask instead. And the ten questions we will be asking are under the cut for reference, so we can avoid double asks!

1) What are your top 5 desert island fics by other authors? 

2) Do you have a favorite character to write? Favorite ship(s) to write? Are there characters or ships you'd like to write more of? 

3) Tell us about your writing process (setup/location? Night or day? Snacks/beverages? Computer/phone/notebook? Music or silence? Anything else you want to share is welcome!) 

4) What writing advice do you have for others who may be reading this? 

5) From where do you usually draw your inspiration? (Other forms of media, music, tropes, etc?) 

6) What is the fic you've written that you're most proud of and why? 

7) What's the fic trope/concept/AU you'd read 1000 of? What's the fic trope/concept/AU you'd write 1000 of? 

8) Is there anything you'd like to try writing-wise that you haven't yet? 

9) What's your go-to Starbucks/coffee shop/other drink order? 

10) Do you have any current projects you'd like to promote or anything upcoming you'd like to tell us about?

[bonesstiel]

Hi!! i'm asking a bunch of people but do you have any destiel au best friend to lovers fic recs???? pleaseeeeee (no abo) thank youuuuu!!!! or just any destiel AU (no abo) if you don't have any best friend to lovers fics? thank you so much!!

you bet your ass i have au recs!! i love to put those guys in situations. i tend to read longer fics because im insane, so most of these are over 100k. i feel like i have more best friends to lovers fics that are hiding in my bookmarks, so this might get updated later

Friends to Lovers

More Than Kisses - epistolary, two-person love triangle where dean and cas have been friends since they were teens. my Ao3 notes: "the penpal one!! book nerds!!! baltimore!!!"

alone together - quarantine fic, dean and cas are roommates, now forced to be around each other 24/7. cas pines, thinking that dean is straight

Carry You Home - non-linearish baseball AU, starting when dean and cas are in college. also: secret relationship! my AO3 notes: "i don’t understand baseball but OH FUCK I LOVED THIS SO MUCH"

Starstruck - dean and cas were childhood best friends, and now cas is a single father to claire and jack and dean is a movie star. dean comes out, and in the process references a childhood crush that sounds a lot like cas.

Playing With Fire - best friends to fwb in a D/s relationship. part of a larger series with other ships and there's a threesome, so watch out for that if its not your cuppa.

General AUs

Breathe Easy For A While - country musician dean starts working with producer cas. technically friends to lovers, but more of a meet-cute.

Prince Of My Heart - 400k+ words of a royalty/the bachelor AU. my AO3 notes: "red tbis entire thing in less than 24 hours while sick <3," which i consider a rave review

FROTUS (wip) - it would not be a bonesstiel rec list if i didnt include this fic it scratches my little tww and rwrb loving political science major brain right. cas is the president of the US and dean is a restaurant owner in Kansas. if u read nothing else on this list read FROTUS

The Way to a Man's Heart is Through Chlamydia - exactly what it sys on the tin. after a one night stand, dean has to track cas down to let him know he has an STD.

Let Me Come Home - the author's summary says it best: "It would be very inconvenient for Castiel to get a crush on Claire's foster parent."

Any Little Heartbreak - fwb to partners hospital AU, so so good i literally have quotes from this on sticky notes on my wall

What I Need - i love hospital AUs and i think this is my favorite. cas is a surgeon and dean is the only surgery tech he's willing to work with.

I have a million more, so just ask if you want more of a certain trope!! in going through my bookmarks for this i have discovered that i apparently hoard bdsm aus, hospital aus, kid fics, and two person love triangle fics.