#writingamarie answers

[writingamarie]

does your rosekiller fic have a background jegulus?

i know this won’t be everyone’s favorite thing but no other characters are really featured enough to know what is going on with them unless they say it directly to evan or barty.

now reg does seem to disappear a lot —so if a reader wants to imagine he’s disappearing for a relationship they can.

but since a jegulus relationship isn’t something reg would confirm to evan or barty in this timeline they simply don’t know…

[thejeguluslibrarian]

Jegulus Classics

so in honor of zeppazariel/bizzarestars re-uploading their works to ao3, i figured that i’d make a list of fanfictions that are essential to the jegulus fan-canon. of course, zar’s works are a huge part of our fandom, and i hope that I’m honoring that with this list. i will add fics to this list if you have any you’d like to see featured.

Art Heist, Baby! by otrtbs (M, 219k) - When James Potter answers a mysterious ad in his local coffee shop, the last thing he expects is to be thrown into a world of white collar crime, but how can he resist when the mastermind behind the operation has dark hair and brooding eyes and promises wealth beyond James' wildest imagination? He would do anything for that boy named after a star, including stealing millions of dollars of fine art.

Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars (E, 865k) - Regulus Black was fifteen the first time his name was called at a reaping. He's twenty-five when it happens to him again. A lot has changed in that time, and one of them is that he's ready to do whatever it takes to make it home. Nothing or no one will stop him, not even James Potter.

James Potter has no plans to stop Regulus Black from making it home. In fact, his plans revolve around the opposite. He has his reasons, but he's made his choice to get Regulus out of the arena, even knowing it'll be the last thing he ever does.

Sirius Black was sixteen when he volunteered to take his little brother's place in the arena. At twenty-six, without the option to do it again, he has no choice but to be a mentor to his brother and best friend, knowing that only one of them can make it back out.

Two names called, a mentor on the verge of falling apart, and more secrets and grief between all of them than they know how to handle. None of them are prepared for what comes next, or how far they'll go to make it through.

just lovers (like we were supposed to be) by bizarrestars (M, 321k) - Or, the one in which James Potter wants to prove he'd be a good boyfriend to Lily Evans and comes up with the brilliant plan to fake date Regulus Black his way into falling in love. It doesn't quite go as anyone expects.

Task failed...successfully?

Best Friend's Brother by bizarrestars (M, 329k) - Regulus hates his brother—this is fact—and as his best friend, Remus would never betray him by falling in love with aforementioned brother.

Sirius hates his entire family—this is also fact—and as his best friend, James would never betray him by falling in love with a member of it.

The problem is, none of them are even aware that it's happening.

Only the Brave by Solmussa (E, 646k) - Regulus Black is angry. He wants revenge. He wants to watch the world burn for all it's done to him. He also wants to make out with James Potter, but that's a secret he'll take to the grave. Vengeance is more important than... whatever it is that chokes him when he lays eyes on Potter.

James Potter is confused, because Regulus Black is, all of a sudden, hot. And it's unfair because Sirius is going to kill him if he doesn't get his impulse control in line.

Meetings That Start In The Dark by writingamarie (E, 656k) - Regulus is concerned about Sirius after their mother orchestrates a horrible attack. And with Sirius out of reach he relies on James Potter to know his brother is okay. Except their meetings keep happening, and their conversations keep falling away from Sirius. Falling for James Potter might just be the most reckless thing he's ever contemplated.

Choices by MesserMoon (E, 624k) - People make mistakes, but they also make choices. It’s important to James, that difference. He does his best not to confuse the two.

Thank you to all the wonderful writers in our community! Your works are life-changing and incredible. You make what I do possible and I appreciate you every single day.

Love y’all!

-The Librarian

[writingamarie]

is ur rosekiller fic posted

i will be posting the first chapter by the end of the month! i literally just finished writing chapter 14 (half-way through 7th year)

i am so excited to post this fic. i just wanted to read a story that was all about rosekiller moments and their friendship and how it became more.

[writingamarie]

what's the rosekiller you keep talking about?

i will always talk about rosekiller! so the blood of hyacinthus is my version of canon rosekiller. it has slytherin evan, regulus, and dorcas, and ravenclaw pandora and barty. but the story really focuses on evan and barty --the side characters are there, but they are just that -side characters.

it will follow them from first year until the end of barty's story. right now the plan is 14 chapters for their school years and 6 chapters for the war and aftermath. I have 11 chapters written so far! each school year will follow one of them so we have alternating POV but it's only every two chapters -with barty's POV taking control completely after they are done with school.

evan is a youngest sibling that wants to please his father even though he's mostly ignored by the family. barty is an only child that hates his dad but loves his mom.

we get to see how they get mixed in with the death eaters, we get to see why barty would target the longbottoms, we get to see their friendship develop into more even though they both know it can't last because of family expectations. we see friendships fall apart and new friendships develop.

it isn't the type of story where they are good guys that get pulled into something they don't want to be a part of. it's for sure sad, and it's canon compliant so it isn't a happy ending. but i am loving writing this and exploring these characters in more depth.

this whole thing started as a little idea, 50k max and only 7 chapters, and it's grown into something so much bigger than that. i honestly think it will be between 150-200k for the 20 chapters.

i think i'm going to finish writing the chapter i am currently working on and then i might start posting slowly. 1 or 2 chapters a month until i am actually done writing the story. but i might also try to wait and get more written before i start trying to post. idk.

[writingamarie]

I can't remember the number anymore but what r some stories ur reading? (I think I remember that on the list at least)

AHH! So many things! Most of my reads at the moment are WIPs so I won't include something if I have finished the entire story. These aren't necessarily every WIP I am subscribed to but I get very happy when these update.

1 New Match! (mcplestreet)

5500 (Anonymous)

All The Lonely People (tinyscales)

ATWS (Propheciesanddreams)

All WIPs by im_still_trying_to_find_it

Crimson Rivers (zeppazariel)

Disintegration (moonymoment)

DASS (anauro)

En Avant (bluerosebouquet)

Here's Looking at You Kid/ Kill Your Darlings (MesserMoon)

l'ephemere (anouri)

pink lemonade (moonysbookshelf)

SUGAR HIGH (IvyCore)

Tender Curiosities, Baby! (otrtbs)

The Blood in Your Mouth (moonysmirrorball)

The Highest Form of Betrayal (star boy Lyn)

The Marauders and the... Series (SilverShadow1)

The Past is The Present, The Future is The Past (DearOurMoony)

The Sun & Wayward Stars (TheBiButterfly)

Unbreakable Heaven/WYWM (battlehamster)

When I Kissed the Teacher (slut_for_moony) *college aged

[writingamarie]

i just finished meetings that start in the dark and i desperately need to know what the other two potential endings were please 🙏

the other endings were the sad options. and honestly there were more than two if i think about some side things. so i guess kinda spoilers if people haven’t finished the story yet…

one ending was to end it canonically. (peter would’ve killed marlene and they still would’ve had the “from cradle to grave” moment but all sinister)

a side path was evan dying from the werewolf bite. barty would’ve spiraled and gone way darker. but when i tell you i couldn’t do that to my baby evan. i love him. but the main end would’ve remained pretty much the same…

another end was just stopping with reg in azkaban. like never knowing what would happen when he got out…

but in terms of big things it all comes down to the lake…

there was one path where reg was honest about what he was doing and james went to help him and died. could you imagine james dying? the pain. i couldn’t.

there was another path where james went with him and evan died in the lake but james joined the hunt for items. (evan is my favorite why did i want to kill him so badly?) but again the main ending would’ve stayed happy for jegulus but would’ve looked real different from what the ending became.

[writingamarie]

hey! I was just wondering if you were going to be participating in the jegulus author's strike?

(also i love mtsitd so fucking much you don't even know like i can't stop thinking about it lmao)

okay so i took a second so i could think of my response. this short answer is no, so if that’s all someone wants to know they can stop reading.

but the “long” response is that i respect the strike -and i understand the effectiveness of strikes can be diminished when people don’t participate. i have seen a whole lot of hate to jegulus authors and while i try not to get involved in the drama it is hard to comprehend how attacked some people are getting over a hobby.

i started reading fanfiction way too young -like mature fanfiction. i can remember on other websites how nothing got tagged to avoid having stories flagged -sometimes reading was a gamble. i love the filter system on ao3 and while there are some wild stories on the site that go beyond what i am personally comfortable with i follow the DLDR mentality. i don’t recommend things without specific parameters to make sure i’m not offering someone a story they’d be uncomfortable with. but in general i have seen how the marauders fandom -especially the jegulus fandom can get wild… no one’s mental health should ever be at risk because of attacks from anons online -and i respect the people that are able to step back.

but for me personally. mtsitd was honestly a therapy assignment. a way to control the narrative of things that happened in my life in a manner that felt safe. and i know myself. if i stop posting for a whole month the story will fall apart. like i know that my motivation will fall. i can take small breaks but something as long as a month won’t go well with my set up and how my brain works.

my plan is to take a week off over thanksgiving. i may also limit my posting to twice a week for the month. i want to support the strike, i want to stand by the other authors who need this strike, i want people to be able to write and enjoy fanfiction.

[writingamarie]

I am here to tell you that meetings that start in the dark changed my life

thank you so much!! love to hear that

[writingamarie]

James could hear footsteps moving near him, heavy against the stone and so close the sound echoed in his ear. There was a ringing in his ear like an alarm. He turned, ready to confront whoever had snuck up behind him but there was only the hall and the students walking around like normal. No one was overly close, or walking towards him at all. Everyone was so far away that it made no sense to him when something knocked into him; there was nothing in front of him and yet he'd been knocked back on his ass. He looked around the hallway quickly and hoped none of the other students had noticed, the last thing he wanted was to have a rumor spread about his inability to stand.

Hi. is this ever going to be explained? I mean, did you have something in mind about this scene?

so slight spoiler for some part one and part two things if you haven't read that far. cause i'm just gonna tell you it won't be explained in the story but the answer is below.

the reason it can't be explained in the story is the only person that knows is dead. when mulciber was stalking reg under his father's orders he did a lot of cloaking spells and would try to follow him. he 100% started noticing james and reg disappearing at the same times but never got proof. so this was mulciber essentially rushing past james while cloaked with a spell.

but james killed him so he'll never know. i liked the idea of not every single thing getting tied up nicely. some mysteries in life remain mysteries. so james just really thinks he was stupidly clumsy. mulciber can't tell him any differently since he beat him to a pulp.

[writingamarie]

For the WIP Game: A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime (Outline)

Thanks. I loved Meetings That Start In The Dark so I'm excited to read anything that comes next :)))

hi!

thanks so much. i loved writing mtsitd so i’m always glad to hear when people liked it.

reason, season, lifetime is one i’ve planned for a while and it keeps shifting. sometimes it’s a golden trio fic, sometimes it’s a marauders fic… i can’t pick the trio i want, i’m indecisive like that.

since it’s just an outline i don’t have a snippet but i’ll give you a premise:

person A is widowed with a small child, years pass and they don’t think they’ll love again because their spouse was the love of their life and their childhood sweetheart. but unexpectedly they find themselves gravitating towards person B who is closely connected to the dead spouse, a relationship forms between A and B… then person C begins to make themselves a fixture in person A’s life, they were connected to the wrong side of the war and person A isn’t sure if they can over look that. but a relationship still forms and now person A has a decision to make.

the whole plot is based on a quote from When Calls the Heart. “People come into our lives, some for a reason, others for a season, and some for a lifetime”

[writingamarie]

You just know I have to ask about the Schitts Creek AU!

So this is totally built off of the conversation @im-still-tryin-to-find-it and I had. Where basically the Blacks are the Rose family. Sirius is David, Remus is Patrick. Regulus is Alexis, and James is Ted. All the main Marauders are people throughout the town that the Blacks run off to when they lose their money. I'm still not sure if i'm any good at writing funny but I'm having fun trying.

[writingamarie]

3 and 6 for the ask game!

3. word count i want to surpass

so it feels like cheating because i wrote like all of mtsitd in 2022 but i think it would be really cool if i could pass 650k on that one.

for a new story i don't see myself managing to write something quite this long again, but i think i would like my next long story to hit 100k like i'd be impressed with that.

6. au i want to write

so i have my college au which i swear at one point started as a kind of chill modern au and has shifted into more of a psych eval of my high school and early college trauma. but it's like a modern/american au where jegulus gets closer because of a class but regulus is struggling a lot with internal battles. like this is the story i keep going back to and thinking: if i could write it well it would be powerful but it'd have so many heavy themes that idk if i'd get it to the point of publishing...

[writingamarie]

I love your writing style. Anything else coming up?

Hi! I have a few different ideas! I also have a lot of stories that I had started writing before I joined Ao3 that I lost when my old computer broke that I could rewrite. But I am trying not to think of them too much because I don't want to lose motivation for MTSITD. I've still got another 100,000 words or so to write and with work starting back up this week it has been much harder to find time to write/edit. I have a few Golden Trio era stories in my mind but the Marauders have my heart at the moment. So I can't promise anything maybe these will never be written but some ideas that bounce around:

Muggle Band AU: They hadn't meant to go their separate ways. James was locked into the contract with the record label but Remus and Sirius were ready to settle down, and Remus' health didn't agree with touring. Peter followed James and Regulus couldn't walk away from his brother. 10 years was a long time so it didn't make any sense to Regulus that old feelings would resurface when James was suddenly back in their lives and needed help hiding from an ex and the record label.

Muggle Bodyguard AU: Regulus didn't need protection. That's what he'd told his bother and father at least. It had been a misunderstanding, an accident -John loved him even if Regulus didn't love him back. But Sirius and Orion insisted on a restraining order, and when that failed to keep John away they insisted on 24/7 security. Regulus fought them the entire time, he said no in five different languages until he walked in the room to meet his head of security and was introduced to James Potter. Regulus had always loved a challenge.

Magical AU: Regulus had never felt as free as when he ran away from Grimmauld Place to live with his friend. He was safe and could finally be himself... only 'himself' was hiding a pretty big secret. Captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team big. James had an image he wanted to protect and loving Regulus wasn't something he could do out in the open. Hogwarts was supposed to be magical but Regulus spent his sixth year watching everything tarnish around him. A Romeo and Juliet/Bare the Pop Opera style love story that could only end in tragedy.

[writingamarie]

Top 5 marauders era characters (had to)

regulus

james

remus

sirius

evan

[writingamarie]

I am absolutely IN LOVE with MTSITD like,,,,, it has single handedly become my new hyperfixation, the way you have characterized both James and regulus as well as how each character handles their own traumas..... it hits so hard, but so good- coming from someone who has dealt with many of the same issues (albeit not as intense)

That being said, I felt the need to reach out and ask personally-- could I possibly have your permission to bind a physical copy of the story? I feel so connected to it I would absolutely love to be able to see it on my shelf

omg thank you! that is so amazing to hear!

this story was so much about working through a lot of my issues so i’m glad that it is connecting with others as well!

and i don’t mind at all if someone prints and binds the story as long as no one is paying someone for the book. so if you are personally binding it that is fine -or if you research someone to make sure they aren’t making a profit from it. i just don’t want to end up being a part of some fanfiction legal battle haha i have no money for that type of thing

[writingamarie]

I came here to ask for a clue? Or just a vague idea? So, will the kidnapper release their victim? Will the victims views change on their kidnapper?

idk why this confused me so much but my brain really couldn't put the pieces together.

to continue the vague nature. the victim will end up right where they want to be. there will be a good understanding.