#but reading back through this i actually find myself warming up to the story line again
Text
I re-read Good Omens via audiobook and I just collected my favorite details
"Crowley rather liked people" is a quote I still love so much. Even though he is a demon with the job of making people upset each other, he likes humans. The contrast between what they make him do and how he experiences Earth.
That scene with the ducks where Crowley almost drowns a duck and Aziraphale is like "I say, my dear" and Crowley is like "Oh yes I forgot myself" and allows the duck to return to the surface. Crowley is usually very polite about the most unhinged things which I just find endearing
All the times Aziraphale calls Crowley "dear boy"
The fact Aziraphale has "exquisitely manicured" hands lmao. I like to think he does go to the manicurist, same as he has a proper barber in the show
Aziraphale blushes sometimes and often gives mean looks to customers to push them out of shop
I like the on-going theme in the Good Omens universe of wanting to build a better world for loved ones, but how that drive, when taken to an extreme, is self destructive. Adam says he'll make the earth good for the Them, and will make sure the Them will be protected and happy in it. But the Them don't want it, they understand Adam is acting out and is not thinking things through. There is no point in trying to possess something and bend it to will forcefully. It wouldn't be good. It wouldn't be of free will. It would make them just another of his whims and no one, either the Them or Adam, actually want that
Aziraphale thinks Crowley is a creature of God when you "get right down to it", which is a thought both meaner and kinder than he realizes
Crowley is described to have "a voice so laid-back you could lay a carpet on it"and it's my most favorite thing ever lmaooo
"You're seducing women here!" /"I think perhaps you got the wrong shop" is always a brilliant line
Even though everything in the Bently turns into Queen's Greatest Hits, I love that Crowley actually loves music, and keeps his collection of records highly organized
Also love the fact that Crowley keeps his apartment orderly, though that's probably in big part because he doesn't really live there
I do appreciate that Crowley sleeps because he wants to, not because he needs to. Truly a relatable guy.
There's a big HOLY SHIT moment in the audiobook - the speech the American evangelist gives about the apocalypse. It's fucking incredible. The actor is amazing, delivering fire and brimstone and absolute hatred and certainty until Aziraphale pops inside of him.
Death really is Azrael, literally the angel of death
Aziraphale comes up with the solution at the end but ONLY because of Crowley, who challenged Aziraphale about the difference between the great plan and ineffable plan at the very beginning of the book
There are many moments where both Crowley and Aziraphale are thought to be a gay couple, but it really made me laugh that they are at the end of the world, telling each other it's been a pleasure to know each other all this time, and then Shadwell interrupts to call them "Nancy Boys"
Everyone in the Good Omens fandom is right, I do love that in the book, the wings of demons and angels are the same color
Crowley thinks the biggest battle will be heaven and hell vs humanity. This has got me thinking a lot. I figure this is because at some point humanity will rebel against any divine intervention, once we figure out that heaven and hell have been playing dice with us. But we'll see.
It does warm my heart that the story begins and ends with a garden and with the eating of the apple - Adam doesn't know why the old man hates people touching his apples so much, but the world would be a lot less interesting if he didn't. It's a fitting end for a fitting beginning.
482 notes
·
View notes
Text
Read It and Weep- Part 3
Pairing: NFL!Player!Rafe Cameron x Journalist!Reader
Summary: After a game following a win against their rivals, Sports journalist Y/n is resting out in the tunnel, planning an interview when the team exits from the locker room, Rafe immediately spots her and sparks up a conversation that ends with a phone number and something that makes the team go crazy.
Word Count: 1.7k
Warnings: Swearing, sexual tension, slow burn guys, stay focused.
Song: "All American Bitch" by Olivia Rodrigo
A/n: I'm back and it's returned! Please go get caught up on parts 1 and 2 that are in my Rafe masterlist. Now that NFL season is started back up again, I'm so so so interested in writing this again.
It’s almost as if he took as much time away from the game, during the game, as he possibly could. He’d score a touchdown and make his way over to me in the endzone, checking in on me, making sure ‘no other attractive football players took me down since the last time we spoke’, his words, not mine. He’d fling his helmet down and toss me a wink from across the field which caused the other reporters around me to start asking pestering and invasive questions about my possible love life- a love life that didn’t concern them in the slightest yet they acted as if they were entitled to my whole life story just because of my sudden closeness with Rafe.
They won the game, it was a no-brainer from the beginning, with Greg and Rafe working like a well-oiled machine and knocking out touchdown after touchdown while our defense held back the offensive side from the other team. We killed it- they killed it collectively and beat the opposing team 30 to 0 without mercy.
My goal was to interview some of the more quiet members of our team today following their celebration in the locker room, needing their opinions on the game and how they feel about their winning season. I know that it’s not what I’m supposed to do, I’m supposed to be gaining the attention of the two star players, Greg and Rafe, and how they feel but since everyone twists every piece I do on Rafe, it’s nearly impossible for me to write about him and actually be taken seriously.
My eyes linger from my bag and my notes in my lap, catching Rafe and Greg out of the corner of my eyes, along with the rest of the players that spill out of the locker room to my right with a cheer, cigars tipped off their lips as their happy smiles shine. This game was important to them beyond belief, with it being against of NFL rivals of this season, one that we just kept losing to but today was finally a comeback for our underdog team. I imagine that they’ll all go out to the strip clubs tonight and get overly hammered like they usually do.
Except for the men that are married, they go home to their wives and kids.
Hopefully.
Rafe sees me almost immediately as he turns his head and spots me sitting in a pile of my own notes and I watch as his nimble fingers pull the cigar from his smile as smoke billows out from between his lips, his feet carrying him towards me in slow, nervous steps.
I try to act busy, to bury myself in my bag as I shove my equipment back into the mesh but I can’t keep my eyes off of him for long, watching the way the fabric of his t-shirt stretches around his biceps, sweat lining the collar around his neck. He looks so happy, eyes so eager as he finds himself right before me, towering over me with confidence as he reaches out to help me stand up from the ground.
“Hi.” He says sweetly, eyes raking up and down my figure, briefly catching on my bare legs.
“Hi.” I breathe, soothing my hands down my thighs in an attempt to seem put together but with the wind blowing through the tunnel, I nearly blow over but Rafe’s quick to steady me by the waist. “Nice game. How does it feel to be America’s sweetheart?” He grins at my question, eyes flickering away from me and back at the team momentarily to catch them ogling us with bright smiles and the attention makes my cheeks warm.
“Pretty damn good.” He sucks in a breath, eyes flickering towards the end of the tunnel at the reporters lined up like wild animals, calling out his name in a desperate attempt to get his attention. If I listen hard enough, I hear my name too after his own and it makes my heart stop.
“Are you going out to celebrate?” I ask, blue eyes beaming down at me as he gives me a simple shrug and a nod, chuckling at the whooping behind him from the boys calling his name, urging him to hurry up but his eyes are on me.
“Yeah. Wanna join?” He asks with a hopeful look but my shoulders fall, the stinging in my temples reminding me that I have much-needed duties to attend to in the form of self-care and maybe a bottle of Pedialyte.
“I’m really excited just to go home and rest, honestly. I’ve got a pounding headache.” I frown, tapping a finger against my forehead as another zap of pain shoots up the back of my head, pulling a worried look from the wide receiver in front of me, his brows furrowing and lips fanning out into a thin line as I pout.
“Are you okay?” He asks, eyes flickering back and forth between mine and I give him a half-assed nod, trying to convince him well enough to leave it alone. “You sure?” He sounds so soft and so concerned at the tone of his voice makes me fold, my hand reaching out to rest on his bicep, giving it a gentle squeeze and pulling his concerned eyes away from my face, to my small hand that rests on his skin.
“Promise, Rafe.”
“Well, look who is it-” An annoying voice from behind Rafe has me pulling my hand away from him and Rafe lets out a dramatic groan, reaching behind him and grabbing Greg by the shoulders, pushing him away with a decent amount of force, enough force to have Greg stumbling backward.
“Bye, Greg!” Rafe calls out with an eye-roll and turns back to me with a frown, muttering a small ‘sorry’ under his breath and I just shrug, knowing that Greg’s main goal is to annoy the living shit out of his best friend.
“Ouch,” Greg mutters and rubs his shoulder with a huff. “Don’t injure my throwing arm.” He holds his arms up in surrender and backs away from us with a pout and I bite back a much-needed giggle, almost relieved that he went away and left the two of us alone.
“You’re getting good at that.” I chuckle and he nods with tired eyes.
“Yeah, I’m busy- he should know that by now.” He says, his voice dripping with something more meaningful and I feel my stomach flip, my eyes widening briefly before I remind myself to be cool and to not completely fawn over every attractive word that escapes his plump lips.
“Fans are starting to claim the only reason you’re coming to the endzone is to see me.” I flirt with a devilish smirk, fighting the urge to reach up and start twirling my hair because that would make me look like every other bimbo who throws themselves at him. But what can I say, I’m not that much different at this point.
“May or may not be one of the driving factors.” He shrugs sheepishly and I feel my cheeks warm.
“Yeah?” I pause, biting at my lip as his blue-green eyes stare down at me, a heavy, heated pause between us, one that makes my toes curl and head spin as we stare at each other. “It was nice to see you so often. Four whole touchdowns in one game?”
“What can I say, my motives are motivating.” He reaches out, brushing his hand against mine before locking his pinky with my own and I laugh breathlessly, now definitely making a fool out of myself with how heavy I’m breathing.
“You’re sweet.” I’m flushing I’m sure, I can feel it, the heat crawling up the back of my neck as I slip my hand out of his and check the time on my wrist, not wanting to leave but knowing that it’s time to go and with how the boys are yelling at him to come on, he has to go too. “I have to go but I’ll catch you later?” I smile, going to walk away from him but he reaches out to grab my upper arm.
“Hey wait.” He fishes for something in his pocket and pulls out a small piece of paper, slipping it into my hands without warning before pressing a simple and surprising kiss to my cheek. “It was nice seeing you again, Y/n.” The boys are screaming down the tunnel from us and he laughs coyly, backing up slowly and leaving me in a puddle. “Text me.”
-
Tucking myself into bed, I stare at my phone that sits on the nightstand beside me with my lip between my teeth, thinking about texting him and the consequences that could come from bridging that gap. I could just go to sleep, ignore the pounding in my skull and the nausea sitting at the back of my throat, but instead, all my brain wants me to do is pick up my phone and ask Rafe how his celebration went.
I could text him just a simple hi, turn my phone off, go to bed, and hopefully wake up to a message from him. Or I could text him and get a ‘who’s this’ response and cry myself to sleep out of pure embarrassment. Who’s to say that he doesn’t do this often? Maybe he just wants to get in my pants so desperately that he would flirt with me and make a huge spectacle over it just to gain media attention and publicity. Maybe all I am to him is attention.
Saying fuck it, I grab my phone, log in and find Rafe’s contact without hesitation, pressing the new message button with butterflies in my stomach. My fingers are shaking as I type something out, hesitating before pressing send with an excited squeal. Me: Having fun and getting into trouble without me?
#rafe#rafe x reader#rafe cameron#rafe cameron x reader#outerbanks#outerbanks fic#rafe cameron smut#rafe smut#rafe fic#rafe cameron fic#outerbanks series
281 notes
·
View notes
Text
Poet
@prongsfoot-microfic
January 23, 1977
James lies with his eyes closed on the dusty bed in the Shrieking Shack, his nose buried in Sirius's waist. His left hand casually rests on his friend's thigh. Sirius, leaning against the headboard, is flipping through the pages of some yellowed book, faintly illuminated by the dying light of sunset seeping through the cracks of the old windows.
"What's that you're reading?" James mumbles sleepily into his friend's shirt.
"Some muggle poetry. Lily gave it to me," Sirius responds.
"Why does Lily give you books?" James lifts his head slightly.
"Because, unlike you, I'm not a toerag. I can actually talk to her without making a fool of myself, you know?"
"Oh, shut it," James exhales, lightly hitting Sirius's book with his hand before rolling onto his back. "She likes me."
"Of course, she does," Sirius agrees, without looking up from his book. "Everyone does."
"Right," James pretends not to hear the irony in Sirius's voice. Or maybe he genuinely doesn't.
"Muggles can write beautifully, did you know?" Sirius asks a few minutes later.
"Nah," James answers lazily, yawning and stretching. Today he had to get up even earlier than usual – Stone had set a penalty training for their team for "improper conduct on the field."
"Listen to this," Sirius starts reading, sliding his left hand into James's hair.
Sirius twirls a lock of James's hair around his finger while his voice fills the room with the dramas of human lives, clothed in rhymed lines. James looks at the log ceiling, studying the patterns of darkened grooves and scratches, listening.
Sirius has a beautiful voice. He even makes poetry sound interesting. Poetry? Since when did James care about poetry? But with Sirius, even poetry seems fascinating.
Well, it's not like he's genuinely into poetry, but he likes how Sirius reads them – like he's the hero of these stories, not just a bystander. If any of them has a refined soul, it's definitely Sirius, though he'd never admit it.
This boy has a knack for finding the hidden poetry in the prose of life – something James has always lacked. Sirius – a lyrical child of the night. Daunting, dark, and dangerous, but only to those who haven't yet learned to understand it, who haven't seen that he is a reflection of the most dazzling white light.
"Do you like it?" Sirius asks after a while.
"Yeah," James whispers, turning back towards Sirius and pressing his face against his side, slipping his hand under the shirt to rest it on Sirius's chest. "Write me a poem," James looks up, smiling slightly.
Sirius laughs softly and clears his throat dramatically.
"Oh, James the Magnificent, greatest of the great, brightest of the bright..." he begins theatrically, extending his hand in a caricature of a gesture.
"And who's making a fool of themselves now?" James sighs, suppressing a chuckle, and lowers his head back to Sirius's waist. Sirius flicks him on the head in response.
They lie like that for a while. James hears the rustle of turning pages and the howling of the winter wind. He feels the warmth of Sirius's body under his palm. They're always warm, both of them. Moony often jokes that they can use them instead of warming charms for their dorm.
"Actually, I found a poem here," Sirius suddenly says, "just needs a little tweaking..."
"Tell me."
Sirius pauses for a moment, then flips through the pages and stops at the right one. James raises his gaze to him, looking up – Sirius has always dubbed this particular expression as 'the deer look'.
Sirius thoughtfully shifts his gaze from the book to James, smiles with one corner of his mouth, ruffles James's hair, and, returning his grey eyes to the book, quietly says:
"He is my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I think this love will last forever: am I not wrong?"
"What did you change?"
"Just the last line. It's originally about loss. 'I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.' But I like my version better. You?"
"Me too," James lifts himself on his elbows, presses against Sirius's ear, and whispers, "I think this love will last forever," then kisses him, moving lower down his neck and deeper, sliding his hand under the shirt. "You are not wrong."
___
October 31, 1981
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden
#sirius black#james potter#prongsfoot#james and sirius#prongsfoot microfic#the marauders#prongs#padfoot
72 notes
·
View notes
Text
i found you | rúben dias
💘 synopsis: it's rúben's and isabella's first valentine's day together.
warnings: fluff and gratuitous valentine-cute-themed smut becasue why not. (can be read as x reader cause i forgot to mention the oc name in the story) (this is a sequel to between the lines, but can be read as a standalone; since there's no actual smut in the original story, i figured i should give my oc a nice epilogue) (W.C. 1.5K)
Once upon a time, I was convinced that romantic love was nothing more than an annoying distraction. It was like a stubborn pebble in my shoe, constantly irritating me and diverting my focus from what truly mattered.
With great ambitions driving me forward, I embraced the life of a workaholic sports journalist. I'd dreamed of this career for as long as I could remember, and I was determined to make it to the top. Nothing and no one could derail the carefully plotted course I had set for myself. Or so I thought.
But then, love snuck up on me when I least expected it, turning my world upside down. I found myself falling for someone who challenged my carefully constructed plans and made me question everything I thought I knew about myself. And as much as I tried to resist, I couldn't deny the magnetic pull drawing me closer to him.
As Valentine's Day approached, I reflected on how much had changed since that time when I thought love was nothing but a nuisance. Now, it is the very thing that brings color to my life.
And as I prepared for a romantic dinner with the person who had stolen my heart, I felt nothing but gratefulness for the delightful chaos he had brought into my life.
We stepped into a cozy restaurant, the aroma of delicious food enveloped us, and I felt a flutter of excitement in my stomach. Valentine's Day dinner with Rúben – it is still surreal, like something out of a cheesy rom-com.
We plopped down at our table, and Rúben dove into the menu like it was a puzzle. Couldn't help but poke fun at him.
"Can't make up your mind, huh? Let me guess, torn between the steak and the seafood pasta." I teased, a smirk playing on my lips.
He glanced up, "Actually, I was thinking of going all in and ordering the entire dessert menu. You know, for research." He joked, his laughter contagious.
After dinner and a couple drinks, we decided to head back to Rúben's place. As we walked out of the restaurant, the crisp evening air hit us. We strolled side by side, our steps matching in rhythm, exchanging playful banter along the way.
Eventually, we reached Rúben's apartment building, and he held the door open for me with a charming smile. I followed him inside. As we stepped into the elevator, the atmosphere shifted, a sense of excitement mingled with nerves. Our eyes met, and in that silent exchange, we both knew what was coming next.
The elevator ride felt like it lasted an eternity, the anticipation building with each passing floor. And when we finally reached Rúben's floor, the door to his apartment swung open, and we stepped inside.
We stood there for a moment, taking in the scene before us, the air thick with anticipation. And as Rúben turned to face me, his eyes sparkling with desire, I knew that this was where I was meant to be.
"I'm so happy." He whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
"Yeah?" I replied, a smile spreading across my face. "Well, there are plenty of ways you can show me just how happy."
"I'll do my best." He answered, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he leaned in and planted a tender kiss on my forehead.
His touch sent a shiver down my spine, igniting a fire of desire within me. I nodded, unable to find the words to express the storm of emotions raging inside me.
The atmosphere was charged with electricity, every glance and touch sending jolts of excitement through my veins. Rúben's eyes sparkled with desire as he guided me further into the room, his hand warm against mine. Our lips met in a passionate kiss, igniting a fire between us. We lost ourselves in each other's embrace. This was where I belonged – in Rúben's arms, surrounded by love and desire.
We surrendered to the intensity of our connection. Rúben's hands moved with purpose, exploring every inch of my body as if committing it to memory, each touch igniting a new wave of desire within me.
With practiced ease, he lifted me off my feet, his strong arms holding me close as he carried me towards the bedroom. I wrapped my arms around his neck, lost in the sensation of being so close to him, my heart racing with anticipation.
As he gently lowered me onto the bed, our eyes locked in a silent promise of passion and devotion.
His kisses became more intense, I could hear the rhythm of his breathing growing more rapid. His fingers curled around my hips, pulling me closer, pushing me further onto him. I whimpered as pleasure surged through me.
His hands continued their journey southward, tracing the curves of my body with skillful precision. The look in his eyes told me he was feeling the same wild need I was.
I arched my back, grinding my hips against him, letting him feel my desire. And the sensations only intensified as he teased my clit with his tongue, coaxing it into bloom. With every touch, with my body under his mercy, the room around me began to spin.
He parted my legs with his knee and buried his face between them, moaning as he kissed my inner thighs. In that moment I realized I could reach orgasm with just his lips caressing my most intimate flesh. I lost control. I cried out as ecstasy overwhelmed me.
Without warning, his mouth descended on mine again, seeking out the sweetness of my lips, inserting one finger inside of me. Then another one. I cried out in delight, pushing myself deeper onto his digits. His fingers worked relentlessly at their task. I let go of my inhibitions and gave myself over to his expert ministrations, gasping as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me.
Finally, after several moments of total bliss, I collapsed under him, breathless and spent.
He pulled away and smiled, cupping my cheek tenderly, gazing deeply into my eyes.
My eyes were heavy as I stared into his; dark pools that bore an intensity I'd never seen before. There was a strange expression on his face, a combination of curiosity and wonder. It didn't take me long to realize that he was looking at me with complete adoration.
Cuddling with him, I could feel just how hard he was, laying on top of me. I smiled, still feeling a bit shaky after such a harsh orgasm, and placed my hand on his member. He looked at me with wonder.
"Are you sure you're ready to go on?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Mmm, not really." I admitted, rubbing the bulge tentatively.
"Maybe I should give you a rest first." He leaned forward and licked my earlobe playfully.
"Oh, but I've been dreaming about this all day." I breathed into his ear.
He whispered back, "Well, who am I to deny you your dreams?"
His words sent a shiver down my spine, turning my knees weak. I reached up to pull him closer, craving the feel of his skin against mine. Then, before I knew what was happening, he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head.
It was like he possessed me. With just one swift motion, he pushed me backwards, then pressed himself firmly against me. He let out a low moan as he lifted my leg higher, curling me around his waist, penetrating me with one forceful thrust. The sensation was incredible. He reached behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tight.
As he slowly moved in and out of me, I heard the same soft sound of pleasure escape from both of us. I found myself getting lost in his deep brown eyes, forgetting where I was and everything else around me. My head fell back against his shoulder as he moved ever so slightly faster. It wasn't long before I came again.
But instead of slowing down or stopping, he picked up speed even more.
My heart raced as I surrendered to the whirlwind of sensations coursing through me. With each powerful thrust, I felt myself edging closer to the brink of losing my mind, my body trembling with ecstasy.
He whispered my name like a prayer, his breath hot against my ear as he drove me to the edge and beyond. I clung to him desperately, my nails digging into his skin as I rode the waves of pleasure crashing over me.
And then, in a crescendo of bliss, we reached the pinnacle together, our cries of release mingling in the air.
We lay entwined in each other's arms, spent and breathless. In that moment, there was no past, no future, only the intense connection between us, binding us together. With him by my side, I was ready to face whatever challenges life threw our way, knowing that our love would always be our guiding light.
57 notes
·
View notes
Text
Writing comments for fanfic
tl;dr -- Write one thing you liked about the fic (a phrase or moment) and how you reacted or made you feel! Also, keep it fun! Make no demands of fic authors who write out of love and Owe Us Nothing.
It took me a while to figure out how to write comments. I went through an evolution. There's lots of stuff on how to write stories, probably even giving crit and feedback, but commenting? Not nearly as much. So here's my not so short ramble on writing comments for fic. Includes my Ways of commenting and Tenets of commenting.
Examples here will be T-rated (by AO3 standards) and most are taken from or newly written with specific fics in mind. They are, ahem, almost all Genshin Impact.
Commenting is, I believe, a personal thing. I've been told I have a bit of an enthusiastic presence, so what feels true to you may vary. I also like to write words (can you tell?). And smash keyboards.
Leaving comments is, in fact, effort! But it's also a skill that can be learned and honed. And honestly, I think my fic experience is improved by it. I don't always leave a comment. But, I don't know... that random internet person authored a Whole Thing. For Free (likely). And I just get to read it?? Yeah, I'm going to leave a little appreciation. Just a little snack in return for this fulfilling meal you have fed me.
I also find writing a comment is also a way for me to just bask in a fic a little bit longer, linger in that feeling of oh, wow, this was so good, and I don't want to leave yet. (And then sometimes there's a response, and then I get a bonus dose of nostalgia!)
Ways of commenting
These are roughly ordered by amount of effort required. I would say the comments I leave are a mash up of these, really. There aren't actual hard lines between them.
1. An extra kudos.
Kudos are nice. Knowing the kudos button isn't enough is one layer deeper! Comments like
"Thanks for writing!" "<3" "i mash kudos button but no more kudos come out what's wronnnnggg????" "yay an update!" "this is so good"
Level of effort: slightly more than a kudos.
Honestly, copy-pasteable. Personally, I would always write these out. Somehow, to me, as a commenter, feels more real if I tippy tappy the letters myself even if Author can't tell. It's a nice way to let an author know you're coming back chapter after chapter when we can only kudos once on a fic. I like to leave a little something more, but I still often start or end with this.
2. Fic reaction.
Sometimes a fic just leaves me a certain way. Invoked a particular mood or visceral reaction. So, I let the author know!
"Awww, my heart is warm!" "Jaw on ground. WTF!" "Literal chills." "My eyes are wet. How did that happen?" "This fic is pure comfort." "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" "Heart on floor, smashed." "WHOLESOME!" "This has left me completely feral and ready to punch something."
Level of effort: you need some emotional intelligence or other awareness of you reactions.
As a starting point, was the fic -- wholesome, sweet, chaotic (in a good way), funny, heartwrenching, sad, delightful, shocking, calm, peaceful, I just want a hug now, terrifying, creepy, comedic?
How do you then turn this into a comment? "This was so ___!!"
Honestly, my crutch here is to just keyboard smash. What does it mean? Your guess as good as mine. I'm speechless, and I cannot words properly, but please participate in these Feels I'm having.
3. One detail I like. (My default comment style)
This one covers a lot of scope. If I read to the end of the fic, there's probably something I liked. Maybe
a turn of phrase. "Diluc drinking grape juice like a man chained to an interrogation table. sfjfskkdz" "Bedsheets twisted up like cooked spinach is SO accurate." "Itto-to is such a cute mashup name!" "We have years ahead of us. That was just one day in the past. The feeeeeelllssss" ":) as punctuation" "Barbatos and Nobles as a bookstore. Sdjjsfjdw I love it"
a particular character moment, action, interaction, or dialogue. quote or paraphrase it! "Diluc kicking Childe into the water was hilarious." "Childe is such an adrenaline junkie. I can't believe he would lean out the window while he was driving." "I'm so proud of Zhongli for actually admitting his feelings!"
some specific moment you emotionally reacted to. I've only recently trained myself out of stoic facing through fic. I mean, it's a useful skill, don't get me wrong (especially in public), but it's less useful when it's just me by myself. I now laugh at 3am reading fic, and my life is brighter for it. Comedy fic writers, you are my fave. "Can't get over when Diluc walks in on Kaeya and Childe. AHHHHH!" "Qiqi drying Childe's hair was so sweet!"
Level of effort: you have to actually remember something you liked or reacted to.
The number of movies I watch and number of times someone asks how's my week, and I just stare blankly because I know it was good but don't know anything else? High. So yeah, this isn't trivial.
I've gotten to the point where usually while reading I notice a moment of "wow I love this!" I don't go looking for them (because I want to stay in fic headspace not comment material hunting headspace), and I don't spend much effort trying to remember. If I forget, that's fine. Not like I'm not writing a book review for a grade or anything.
Just, what's a moment you just got to call out? (And bonus, what's your reaction?) Authors out there seem to like to make us feel things. Show them we're just dangling from their puppet strings!
I usually leave comments like this. Just popcorn style, as many things as I remember, whatever comes up as I recall it. I'm aware that sometimes I end up basically quoting a fic back to its author completely out of order interspersed with commentary or keyboard smashes. I'm occasionally embarrassed by how much I'm smashing into their comments, but the reception seems overall positive.
4. Between the lines and spin off thoughts.
Sometimes fic make me think. I mean, canon makes me think, and then people go and make fanworks off of that, so of course I'm bound to run into fic that makes me think. Sometimes the things I notice or think about aren't directly in the text, but implied or spin out thoughts. An interpretation, a mini analysis, or a reflection. Like,
a new thought or take on a character. "Aro-ace Venti! I like this take!" "Please don't break Klee. She's just trying her best to hold all the adults together. Oh no. You've already broken Klee. T_T" "I bet Jean is the only person who could have kicked Diluc's ass, and he really needed it." "Kaeya what are you doooinggg?? Why is he like this???" (An extra note, it's cool to disagree with a character, but not the author. Character did that makes you want to scream? Go for it. Author wrote the character in a way you disagree with? Don't comment. Leave the fic if it bothers you that much.)
noticing foreshadowing or a detail that isn't fully explained / only alluded to. "Is that Scara working at Scarabucks???" "Wait, something about what Venti said makes me think this isn't just a modern day AU ..." "Did that count as a geo construct for the purposes of the contract?"
some sentence or moment somewhere that just hits you in the brain. This one I don't actually know if author's like. On the one hand, I can imagine it being flattering. On the other, maybe it's too personal? I'll usually center these on the characters, kind of like character analysis. "Diluc sharing his anxiety with Kaeya, and that being what made Kaeya look at his own anxiety... really hits. Like, I don't even think Diluc could have said something sooner without Kaeya running, which says so much about how Diluc loves Kaeya. And the fact Kaeya can see this as a mirror of what he's doing and learns something from it. Just. Oof. Wow." "The conversation between Zhongli and Childe is just so real. Like Zhongli is trying so hard but his ass just can't understand Childe just wants him to tell them things and his not telling things is Not Helping even though he just wants to protect the boy!"
Level of effort: some amount of analytical thinking, reflection, or willingness to share when you get sucker punched by words.
This one I absolutely never go looking for, so I don't leave many such comments. When it does come up, it usually smacks me in the face, and I let it (roll with the hit and into the comments). On occasion I am wailing in the comment box when the revelation (like having broken Klee) just dawns on me. Am I Feelings Processing in comment boxes? Uuuhhhhhh, no comment. (Don't mind the lack of delivery on the pun.)
I'd like to think authors appreciate when we reflect back to them we get their interpretation, but I can also imagine it might be a little too much for authors if we get too personal. In which case, sorry. Your work is great! Please take it as my intention to flatter you since you've touched my heart or brain or soul with your words.
5. Craft appreciation.
This one, *head scratches* yeah, I don't often end up here. But sometimes it's not one moment, but something about all the moments, something underlying, or something in the way it was all put together. If I do end up here and write a general statement, I like to point to specific bits that made me think that (which is where I lean back on One Detail I Like). Actually, yeah, usually I use this as flavor to One Detail I Like, but I think it's sufficiently different to pull out separately. It's a writerly meta layer. What falls here?
dialogue. "Your dialogue is so good. I can hear it in in the VA's voice." "I love the contrast between how Zhongli talks and Childe talks."
imagery. "Can't get over the imagery of Childe releasing dandelion scenes. Such a kid!" "Childe sleeping with Tranquil Statlight is just so peaceful."
characterization. "The little nuggets you give characters like Rosaria doing community service at the church for Crimes just gives me life." "I love the way you write Childe. He's so aggressive!"
setting, world building (more for AUs but wow there are some authors good at expanding on canon lore). "Your world building is so cool. Like the abyssal graffiti on the walls?? HNNG!"
writing style. "Your style is very dreamy. <3" "This is genuinely so heartwarming, and yet at the same time what is this underlying feeling of something is wrong????" "I feel like people appreciate the art of comedic one liners but you've got angst one liners. AND THEY SLAY."
pacing, timing. "This fic reads like a high speed express train. It just never stops or slows down!!" "What is this cRaFT! Like. Para 1, comedic. Para 2, thoughtful. Para 3, WHY DO MY HEARTSTRINGS HURT."
use of language. "Using he for POV character and they for the other is LINGUISTICALLY MIND BLOWING." (Please, I want this to catch on more. I do absolutely respect people's pronouns. These fictional characters (and people who have pronoun flexibility)? She and they instead of she and she?? THE CLARITY WE COULD HAVE??!? I'm incredibly greedy for it.)
premise. "Pierro Dad gives me so much life." "The Bachelor but it's Diluc?? Let's go!!"
plot twist, or cliff hanger. "The reveal!!! *screaming*" "I can't believe you would do me like this." (No, I can't in good conscience leave a specific example and give a fic away. Yes, I am thinking of specific fics still.)
Level of effort: be able to map details you like to writer's craft.
Let's not pretend we're here to do crit. Even if we're using writerly words, we are not here to do crit. Well, I am not because I don't believe the comments box is the right time or place for it, but I am happy to lay on the praise and point out the things that worked for me.
Usually, I think it's harder to look across a fic and be like, yeah, the dialogue hit, or this writing style or pacing really does it for me. It's more nebulous. And sometimes it kicks you out of fic reading headspace and into a writerly meta land to notice, so I don't, and I just let the fic wash over me. And if something here strikes me, I will offer my praises. Again, I think it helps to think of this more as an additional kind of One Detail I Like.
Tenets of commenting (and a little of reading)
Okay, so those were some do's, but I also have don't's. These are my boundaries that I keep. Maybe yours are different. I suspect most of these stem from the place, Author did this for free and Owes Me Nothing, so that's the one real tenet. I keep these in mind so that I can keep fic a nice, fun, safe place for me (and hopefully the authors too).
1. I will never ask for updates. I never expect a next chapter.
I've seen enough content creators stressed out and burnt out about putting something out over and over again. I feel for them. That sucks. They probably just started doing it for fun, and now ... The demand and expectation they continue to perform for free? Yeah, it's not going to come from me.
Once upon a time, because of this and a desire to have complete stories, I wouldn't read incomplete fics. I now am The Biggest Fan of incomplete fics. Yes, hang me off the side of a cliff. I will scream at you. And if you don't haul me back up? Well, fine. I'll live. Some other author's got my back. Probably. There's still so much to love between world building, characterization, good moments, jokes -- and you sometimes get the experience of seeing familiar faces screaming at the fic with you update after update. It's precious. It's fleeting. I could go on, but maybe a different day. Back to commenting!
Flip side, as an author, I will say the desire for more is, in one case, why I plan to continue a fic from years ago. I was very firm at the time I would not be extending the one shot, but I guess time changes things, and the fact people were like, I would read more story contributes to that.
So this one is very much a personal tenet. There's some line between I love this so much I want it to continue, and expecting there to be more. Where is it? I don't know. So I just stay away. Surely Author will get I want more if I just say how much I love everything and have commented on their latest chapter. Rather than leave snacks that taste like burn out to some authors, I will focus on other flavors of comments!
2. I will not say what I dislike.
Not my ship? I probably won't read. Not my preferred ship dynamic? Tropes I don't like? Characterization not hitting it for me? Paragraph formatting not doing it for me? I just x out of there, find something I do like. People be writing things for free! Let them have their fun!
If I did read it, snd I stayed, something else must have grabbed my attention. I'll focus on that. Writing style not quite doing it for me but I love the details added to the world? "Wow, the world you flesh out is so complex." No mention about how much of a drag it is to read, because hey, I still read it, and I had reason to not put it down!
3. I will not give corrections.
Authors (and maybe a beta) have put in tremendous effort and time, and to be like, "you missed a typo" or "actually, the canon lore says X" often detracts from the beauty of the shared fic experience. I interpret random grammar and misspeaks and typos in daily conversation and texts all the time. Surely I know enough to employ this skill. And if I figured it out, other readers probably will figure it out too. If I can't, I usually assume the author was too big brain for me and skip merrily along to the next sentence. (And if it's too much for me to handle, I click out.)
Yeah I get it! I get the urge to want to be helpful and contribute to other people's experience! I know that feel! Because, well, I learned this one from experience. I tried once. Watched an author wilt a little when what I wanted was to be helpful. Yeeeaaah, not doing that again.
So, I suspect this often comes off as a little entitled that just by that bit of you say something and kinda underlyingly expect the author to do something about it, and again, Author Owes Me Nothing! Even if the author is asking for a beta, I'd reach out first and make sure they are now in a headspace to be expecting beta thoughts from me.
Wrapping it up
I love fic, the world is rich with it, and I am full of love for authors and their craft. It fills my heart with joy to know I can return a little smile to someone who has let me hop on their ride for free.
It does take effort. Writing comments, turns out, is writing. Writing is a skill, therefore writing comments is a skill. And writing takes practice to improve, so, guess what, writing comments takes practice to improve. Who would've thunk. (Not me, I assure you.)
I've wanted to write this for me for a while, capture what I've learned because I noticed my ability to write comments change over time. Then recently, I was rec'd a fic and told to definitely leave a comment because the author deserves it and I write good comments. Dispatched because I write good comments! Now my commenter feathers are fluffed up, and so I have actually written this. But I definitely didn't start out the comment writer I am today, so I wanted to share that, surprisingly there is a progression path! (Maybe this is only surprising to me.)
I do find commenting adds to my fic reading experience. And I love reading other people's comments. Sometimes other people notice things I didn't or have very cool interpretations, and that is an extra wow right there. (And look at all these other people who like the thing I like!)
And if I leave a comment, sometimes I get a reply! Author noticed my little comment! Extra dose of happy for everyone!
And sometimes, sometimes, (and again I would never expect it, but it is a gift much like fic itself is) an author will write back full of their notes and what they were thinking about writing those moments, and I treasure that so, so much. It's both a delight because of the usual Author saw my effort commenting and I get an extra behind the scenes! The craft behind the craft! (Now how do authors leave good replies? That is still a mystery to me.)
Sometimes I write a lot and then it goes into a black hole, and that's sad. Hmm. I'm pretty sure this is what authors feel when we don't leave comments. Hmm. Guess it's time to write more comments! (Sometimes, like fic updates, replies show up months later, and that's honestly <3)
So, let's go leave some comments and show those authors love and tell them how much they delighted us! Or ... how they smashed our hearts into the ground with angst/no comfort because sometimes that's just what one wants to read.
#fanfiction#ao3#fic commenting#fandom#fandom meta#a few too many genshin references#shavynel scribbles
91 notes
·
View notes
Note
How do you begin the first chapter of a story you already have planned out?
Always with an action!!
I personally don't believe in telling people there are wrong ways to do a thing, but I will describe what I personally think is best for the opening scene of a new story/novel.
A really common pitfall, in my opinion, for any fictional narrative is getting caught up in exposition. It makes sense that we get the urge to do things this way, because it's how we tell stories to friends about things that have happened to us.
"Okay, so let me give you background so you know who is who or whatever..." or "Okay, so for context..." are how I start a lot of tea spilling sessions, and its great for colloquial storytelling, but not a great way to get readers engaged from the start.
Whenever I start a book, I think of it less as a historical account and more of myself as the writer arriving to the character's life at a specific point in time, and leaving it at a specific point in time. Because of this, I think the best way to start a story is in the middle of something in their day. Here are some of the first paragraphs from my vampire story:
I scraped another jagged line in the already-worn paint on the wall, marking another tick among the other tidy rows of carved lines in the wall. I relished the feeling of old paint and soft, decaying wood sliding beneath my too-long fingernail. It hurt, but at least I was feeling something.
The first thing they did to me when I arrived at The Tower was glamour my name away.
One moment I was a person, and the next I wasn’t. All I was left with was the milk-warm feeling of the glamour on me dissipating too quickly, leaving me cold and without a sense of self. I could remember everything about my life—everything that had led me to this horrific moment, but not the core of my being. Not the most basic of identifiers. Not my name.
And another from my Unseelie Court Meets Peaky Blinders WIP:
I pressed my back against the cold, damp brick outside the public house on Main and Besom. My heart raced so fast that I could feel the steady thump of it painfully in my neck. I didn’t know how far I’d run, but I knew I’d done it faster than I ever had before.
How many days late was I now? Five? No wonder Thomas had two others in tow.
I panted, my ribcage straining against my corset, even with it only loosely laced. I felt like I could hardly get a breath in at all. Closing my eyes and forcing myself to slow, I looked down the alleyway behind the pub. If I dodged down that way, I’d have to walk through some of the dodgier areas of The Strid, but it would be better than risking running into the Half-Blind Barber’s men.
I’d heard about Thomas’s proclivities from my friends in the Rose Garden, and I knew that he would relish the chance to carve me up like a roasted pheasant.
I like starting stories this way because 1) it's way more fun to write for me than to spend hours trying to come up with an engaging, yet exposition-y opening and b) I get to lead with character instead of trying to find some way to shoehorn them into the lore.
The thing that's really awesome about your reader? They usually read a lot and can fill in a lot of the blanks. I found when I was first writing I always panicked about the reader seeing my story EXACTLY how I saw it in my mind. But at the end of the day, that's not actually that important and over-explaining anything can actually ruin reader immersion.
I try to never write two thousand words of description where a well-placed metaphor or comparison will do. Let your reader's mind do the heavy lifting.
Could I describe a castle in thousands of words talking about the period of architecture and the way that the buttresses look? Yes. I can. You know what's faster and more entertaining to read?
"The castle has the austere elegance of a sacred temple, and was nearly as quiet as you would expect one to be, too."
You have an image in your mind, reading that, right? See, in my head, I see a mormon temple; not because I am mormon, but because I have been to a mormon temple and I find their structures beautiful but also incredibly, deeply haunting.
Someone else may think of the time they visited the Sistine Chapel. Or of the Wayfarer Chapel in Palos Verdes, because they had an aunt who got married there. Yet another person may thing of their local jewish temple. Another person may think of Wyrm's Crossing in Baldur's Gate. At the end of the day, it doesn't truly matter what they see in their heads or understand is going on based on the text--what matters is that they can glean what this place looks, sounds, and maybe even smells like because they have linked it to a place that they have ALREADY experienced IN REAL LIFE)
All of those tangents to say--I don't worry about backstory until I need it. I like to try to make the reader feel like they're getting to know the characters at the same time they're getting to know each other.
Sorry for this very long winded answer--thank you for asking me about writing! I LOVE talking about it (as you can tell rip)
#writing community#writers on tumblr#writing#writeblr#authors#my writing#bg3#romantasy#craft tips#writing craft#writing tips#writing help
19 notes
·
View notes
Text
Happy 1st day of the year!!!
Mutuals, friends, people of the fandom and lovely Ghidzilla shippers( to anyone is accepted and cherished)
Here your Gremlin, at my 1.200 post to say hello to you and wish for you all the best things to come.
As for me my wish is that this would be the year I would finally start putting myself at work and share with whoever will be, my works (and the mind and heart, mostly heart behind them).
I have to thank the fandom for being the safe harbor during the pandemic. The wonderful people that inspired me and still does and the ones I feel I can call friends (@1giulia4 @the-fallen-starr love you guys)
Now it's time I give something back. While also grow as a writer to be always better.
Under the cut a little one-shot I wrote during the holidays.
Tw: The content gets a little suggestive, but not much. It's more implied that outright explicit.
So procede with caution, listen to your level of tolerance.
And Enjoy!!!
- We need to find a new story to tell people when they ask us how we got together- announced Ichi.
It was late in the morning, the sun was at peaking, its light pouring generously into their apartment's kitchen through the window.
Ghidorah sat right below it, in the breakfast nook adjiacent to the sink area. On the table, was a magazine that had only been skimmed through while the hydra waited for his interlocutor’s answer.
No answer followed, the only noises in the air was the chop-chop of the knife on the cutting board and the oil sizzling in the pan.
Slicing onions, peppers and celery was no one but Godzilla, their sweetheart of three years, of which one they’re been living together.
The saurus gave no indication of having heard them; he took the cutting board that now ,looked more like the palette of a painter and throw the contents in the boiling pan, the high splashes of oil captured by the warm light that came from the cooker hood.
All under their 3 pairs of eyes they observed, delighting in the sinuous line that Goji’s tail drew in the air.
Ghidorah stretched on the heated surface of the table, until the tension cracked away from his back. Uh, maybe it was time to get back to do stretching in the morning.
Godzilla kept ignoring them and cooking, now stirring the sizzling vegetables with a wooden spoon.
He then opened the fridge and took out a transparent plastic bag, containing large pieces of rosy meat, chicken probably as San pointed out through their telepathic link.
Now he was rummaging through the tool drawer, filling the air with the rattle of the steel cuterly- What happened to the meat tenderizer? - he asked them.
- We’re holding him hostage until you give us your answer- replied San jokingly.
He turned toward them and looked at them deadpan; shooking his head and mumbling something; then he lowered the flame under the vegetables and approached the sink, looking over it.
- I don’t see why we should. It’s a funny story, and it's true.-
He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to create suspense, or give sacredness to the thing- I’m fond of that story, you know. We wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for that. So, do you really want to give it up? - he concluded before returning to the stove.
The brothers looked at each other; it was not easy to associate Godzilla with something romantic, nor he looked the part.
And yet, one how the many things that has surprised them, the more they knew each other, was that Goji actually cares. For the most banal, small, easy-to ignore things. He hold those things to the highest regard and he gets protective over them.
Just like he was doing now.
Ghidorah put a hand to their heart.
They had read, not long ago, about a research, which estabilished that when in a relationship, the partners' hearts begin to beat at the same frequency, almost tuning in.
A belonging without compulsion, natural. A bit like the course of their and Goji’s relationship.
It had developed in a way so natural, like dominoes falling into place.
But the kick-off have been... awkward.
They slipped out of the breakfast nook, turn around the sink and placed themselves behind Godzilla. He was pounding the meat with a ladle wrapped in a cloth. He was ignoring them again. This wouldn’t do.
They stretched their arms behind their back, as if they were to start a set of weights before threw them around Godzilla, enveloping him in a strong embrace; operation a little complicated because of the spikes on his back, but they have grown accustomed to them in time.
Which rose is without thorns after all?
Godzilla found himself stuck, his arms pinned down, while the ladle still in his hand. There was no risk he was going to hit them with it, but never say never. Better act fast.
- We love that story, don’t misunderstand us- said Ichi nuzzling his cheek. -But in short-
- We make ourselves look like totally idiots - echoed Ni.
- And it’s not great when you introduce yourself to someone new. Remember the Christmas party at Anguirus? People were refraining themselves from laughing in our faces- concluded San.
- I don’t see the problem- argued Godzilla, trying to loosen the grip of Ghidorah- My vegetables are gonna burn, we can talk about it, like never again? -
In response, Ghidorah loosened his grip, sliding a hand to caress his side. Under their touch they felt Godzilla shrudder gently, the hand holding the ladle trembling slightly.
- The problem is that, as we have already told you, it does not make us look good. And it seems to us that this makes you look bad in return- continued Ichi, their hand now moving down, to play with the elastic waistband of the shorts Godzilla was wearing.
San and Ni, instead, in perfect synchrony, had started to nuzzle and kiss his exposed gills.
Now Godzilla was panting, resting his weight completely on Ghidorah’s chest; the vegetables in the pan had turned brown.
Too bad he suffered from a severe case of stubbornness- Don’t be immature- he tried to reprimend them despite his shaking voice, - it’s just a story. If you let that stop you from winning the audience then... shit!!! -
Ichi’s hand had slipped a lot further down and was poking at something very sensitive, while with the other one they busied themselves with caressing and groping alla round his body.
At the nuzzling, they had replaced more lascivious kisses and bites (courtesy of Ni), on the throat and shoulders.
An orchestra of need, between groaning and sighing, Godzilla who moaned heartfely , holding with both hands at Ghidorah’s hips while they purred. The ladle had falled with a loud clank, completely ignored
Their hand, not the one busy ravaging in his underwear, now squeezed his throat, lifting his head, forcing Godzilla to look into Ichi’s eyes, darkened with desire.
- You’re really sexy when you’re stubborn- he whispered seductely- but I’m sure that once you listen to all our motivations, you’ll be much more open to our proposition- in the meantime they continued to touch him, making his body grow hotter and hotter.
Godzilla, for his part, had little intention of listening to anyone; he had far more urgent needs to be meet with at the time.
He could only mutter a faint- Pan- pointing to the stove where the vegetables were now blackened.
With a very quick movement for someone of their size, they pulled Godzilla up in their arms to carry him bridal-style and turned off the stove with a sharp movement.
And with the with their beloved they went into their bedroom, where they would plead their cause.
THE END.
If you are seeing this, thank you so much for reading this.
If you like, please consider leave a like or a comment. If you even reblog Thank you in advance. It would means a lot!!! To me, to keep the (digital) ink FLOWING!!!
If you don't, that's ok. I wrote this most catered around what I like.
But inappropiately mean or offensive comments will not be tolerated.
Nobody wins for having the best ship.
IT'S JUST A SHIP, NO REASON TO SHRED BLOOD OVER IT
#godzilla#writers on tumblr#one shot#slight suggestive#godzilla x ghidorah#ghidzilla#monsterverse#godzilla x kong: the new empire#godzilla: king of the monsters#king ghidorah#godzilla: minus one#kaiju#anthro au#fluff#my writing#writblr#gojira#kingu ghidorah#godorah#toho monsters#legendary godzilla#ghidorah kotm
28 notes
·
View notes
Note
Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍
thank you!! ❤ sooo @actingcamplibrarian also sent me this one, and i'm going to take this opportunity to cheat (shamelessly!) and just. give another five fics. because there are more than ten of them on ao3, and because i can.
so again (mhuahaha), from five different fandoms, in no particular order:
-
Silly wrong but vivid right [sga, john/rodney]
i adore this now, but i went through a weird thing while writing it where i really loved the first half, and then i had to end it somehow and i came up with something that i didn't like very much, and i ended up posting it anyway because i still liked the first half a lot and felt it deserved to see the light of day. which is interesting to me because when i reread it now it doesn't feel wildly out of balance at all, and it all fits just fine, and i just still really really like the idea of 1) gay john getting some freedom and actually taking it, 2) rodney on the sidelines having Weird Feelings about it and drawing a very wrong conclusion, and 3) both of them still being idiots, at the end of the day.
-
Tell me the sky is falling now [starsky/hutch]
i like the way i opened this! and the way it ended too, and nearly all of what's in the middle. most of all though i like starsky Finding Out and being confused and maybe trying to freak out but hutch is right there, and he loves hutch, and he doesn't want to freak hutch out, and then he comes to some other conclusions, because it's hutch, and he's starsky, and that's the important part. this is one of those fics that i keep sort of almost rewriting in the sense that i have very similar ideas for a story and then have to try to figure out how to bend that new idea into a shape that's at least slightly unique so i don't actually end up writing a pale imitation of this one.
-
Cause if we’re all gonna die (Now’s the time to be alive) [h50, steve/danny]
in terms of my h50 fic this is definitely on the older side, but i still firmly stand by the headcanon behind this, i like that it has a good dosis of team banter, and it has some lines that i think of fondly from time to time, like this: He tumbles until he’s kissing Danny, awkwardly boxing Danny and his soft heat in against the cold and rough wall, not quite sure yet if this big bang is a creation myth or a mass extinction event. and, of course, taking the sappiness a step further still: Everything that comes after this point in time will forever be witnessed by eyes that have to send images off to be processed in a brain that also stores the memory of this kiss, which logically and inescapably prevents anything from ever being experienced the same as before.
-
Coming Up Aces [911, eddie/buck]
i don't know if i'd call this one a favorite writing-wise (at least overall - there are definitely parts that i do really like), but it does rank on a list of favorite fics i've written in the sense that, just. the way people connect with fic like this means something to me. and one of the things it means is that there should be more ace rep in (mainstream) media so people don't have to have these huge epiphany-like moments only while reading fic, but another is just feelings, big and warm and human.
-
Abandon your sad history (and meet me in the fire) [top gun, iceman/maverick]
top gun is A Movie, for sure, and i'd been trying to write some fic for it for a while when this finally came together. i loved playing with identities here, and the extended metaphors pretty much wrote themselves (iceman!), and every time i reread it and come to the line that mentions iceman is drinking an old fashioned while trying to fend off maverick's very queer advances i give myself a little pat on the back for subtle jokes.
#my fic#i was going to give the mr. blandings fic as the last one but then i came across the top gun one and that edged it out#but mr. blandings is here too in my heart. you ask me for five fics and i give you eleven#*#tag stuff#h50#starsky and hutch#top gun#911#sga
16 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hello Hello and the Happiest of Fridays!
I'm thrilled to have @shealwaysreads in the library today! I've followed her for a long time and am always delighted by her posts on my dash. She has excellent taste, and has picked an incredible fic to share with us. Without further ado, I'll let Bella take over!
I did a slightly ridiculous gasp and wiggle when the lovely @thedrarrylibrarian reached out to ask me to share a fic rec for their brilliant Happy Hour, and was beyond delighted to be chosen to open the new year with a story I loved.
I haven’t actually been able to read much fic over the last year, except for short pieces, which has really crystallised for me how much I really do love short fic. The skill, choices, focus, and subtle characterisation that’s so necessary for a fantastic short read is intense, and I find myself endlessly full of admiration for writers who can take on that challenge and create something beautiful.
Contretemps by @moonflower-rose is one of those brilliant stories—written for @hd-erised it was the last fic I read in 2022 and it was everything I hoped for, so I thought it would be the perfect story to share with everyone to kick off 2023!
Contretemps by @moonflower-rose (8,488 words, rated T)
Draco Malfoy has been living like a model citizen. If only he could convince Potter.
In less than 10k Rosie manages to create such a full feeling world, with brilliant cameos from Ron and Hermione, brief but sharp and defined OCs, and a Pansy I adore beyond measure (a running theme in her work, do check out her back-catalogue and ready yourself for falling in love), along with a delicious Harry—dimpled, earnest, and transparent (or so Draco thinks), and a Draco pov that is positively sparkling (if slightly misguided).
Just the opening two lines shows you so much about Rosie’s deft world building, and fantastic sense of humour. By the third paragraph (full of brilliant characterisation) you are completely in-world, immersed in the tale she’s woven, and ready to be delighted.
I sat and highlighted a ream of quotes from the fic, and then realised I was essentially sharing every single bit of it. So I’ve given myself a stern talking to and settled on just one, which made me laugh out loud and captures perfectly Draco and Harry’s dynamic at the beginning of the fic:
“Draco imagined wrapping his fingers around Potter’s throat. Sometimes he even imagined strangling him. Sometimes.”
Draco’s perspective, and Harry’s characterisation, make the misunderstanding and miscommunication work so perfectly, so believably, that along with the urge to give them both a gentle slap I also found myself grinning away while they fumbled.
Rosie’s fics always leave me bone-deep satisfied. She has that innate talent and well-honed skill to spin a world full of characters that feel so real you could reach out and hug them, and to guide you gently along emotional journeys to a resolution that leaves your heart warm and light every time. Short, or long, her stories are rich and generous, full of subtly crafted details that build a world (Contretemps is full of these—Hermione’s recent laws, Draco’s pirating choices, the queue outside Harry’s office) and even moments of sadness are leavened and balanced by the absolute gift she has for humour in her writing.
Every fic of hers has made my day better, has lifted me up and set me on my way with a smile.
A special note: Rosie always undoes me with her food descriptions, and by undo I mean ‘wake up my appetite but ONLY AND SPECIFICALLY for what she has just laid down in words before me. I have once and will likely again actually gone and bought what she’s written about simply to sate my fic-induced hunger. If you’re anything like me you will find yourself reaching for a snack about halfway through this fic, and find yourself desperately wanting meringues and apricots.
I’ll stop myself there, before I spend the next thousand words singing the praises of this fic and @moonflower-rose’s writing, and hope that you all click the link and read Contretemps. I guarantee it will make your day if you do!
Thank you so much to @thedrarrylibrarian for inviting me to be a part of Happy Hour, and for all of your brilliant recs. As a Library Person™ it just brings me so much joy to be part of this project and the gift it is to the Drarry fandom.
Happy 2023 everyone, I hope it’s a beautiful one, filled with fic and art! ❤️
Thank you once more, to @shealwaysreads for joining us today! Be sure to check out her own writing on her AO3!
❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please remember to leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️
Lots of Love and Happy Reading!
#friends of the library#the drarry library happy hour#happy friday#fic rec friday#harry potter#draco malfoy#drarry#happy hour#lots of love and happy friday#shealwaysreads#thank you bella for joining us!
59 notes
·
View notes
Text
Doing What You Love
Hi again,
There's an old adage that says if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. It's one of those things we've all heard and pretty much any variation on it is attributed to one great intellectual or another and it was probably actually said by someone trying to sound profound or someone who was high or someone who was both! And as anyone who has ever worked in their life knows, even if you do enjoy what you're doing for work, it is work. Like, that's why as artists, we like to be paid for our labor because while we may have a drive to create, we also are expending great time and energy and care and years of built skills to actually make the things we're asked to or even just want to make.
And, for myself and for a lot of other creators I've talked to over the entirety of my life, there is a compulsion to create. It isn't something you can easily turn off and just walk away from--even when you aren't being paid or recognized or sharing your work, you're creating it because it's important to you.
What I want to talk about, briefly, today is feeling the burnout of having your leisure and your work be so overlapping.
Sonic Superstars
In my free time the past week or so, I've been picking up Sonic Superstars. I've been having a lot of fun with it, except for getting that darned 5th Chaos Emerald! And it's nice to play a game and have fun with it. But as I play through, I also feel a burden at the back of my mind that this thing I am doing for my own enjoyment in my off time is also work. It's important that I know the story of Sonic Superstars. It's important that I can draw the connections from the game to the prequel comic SEGA released on socials (it's a lot of fun) to the characterization of Fang in our recently announced Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter series that'll be kicking off Sonic comics in 2024!
Because so much of my work is tied to the creative impulse--to finding interesting storytelling angles, to finding new licenses, to using my knowledge to help my creators better tell their stories--I have a really hard time shutting it off. And while I have the often enviable position of getting to work on things like Sonic or formerly Transformers or Samurai Jack or whatever, being an existing fan of those things often does blur the lines when I continue to engage with them between my job and my interests.
And it goes to so many other things. The movies and shows I watch, the other games I play, the podcasts I listen to, the prose I read. Sometimes, I just have a bolt of inspiration. I feel like I know how to translate it into the comics medium. Or I read another comic and have an idea off of that. And for as much as that can be lovely, it can also be really hard because you don't want your free time to feel like work time in any way. And that burns you out.
There're different ways of dealing with it. Honestly, a big thing for me since starting to work in comics has been trashy reality TV because it can scratch my itch for something to enjoy in my relaxation time, while also not really engaging the storytelling part of my brain in the same way. It's a palette cleanser in a lot of ways, like a little piece of pickled radish. I know a lot of artists who make sure that for their warm-ups, they're drawing not just something for themselves, but that is so wholly different from whatever it is they're drawing for work. Maybe that's a stylistic change or if you're drawing a funny animal book, it's practicing your humans or vice-versa, or doing object studies or photo or model studies that're just wholly different. And I know some folks who use that time to work on their personal projects or commissions and--honestly--I think sometimes that burns them out faster too because they're switching projects, not switching from pleasure to work.
Like so many things at this moment, I don't know that I have a good solution other than to really try to separate these things out in your life. It can be extremely hard, especially if you use the same location or technology or whatever for both work and leisure, but keeping interests that're wholly separated from your job and doing things to care for yourself away from work is so important.
Support for Palestine
As the horrific destruction of Gaza continues, I just want to share some resources that hopefully might make some difference. It's frustrating living in one of the 14 countries that in the U.N. voted against a truce to provide treatment and healing. It's surely frustrating living in one of the 45 countries that abstained. And it's surely frustrating living in one of the 120 countries that won and passed a resolution to try to end the violence and to know that while there is international support--that there are so many people in so many places fighting for Palestine--their governments won't listen to the will of the people who are asking to end a genocide.
Ceasefiretoday has a lot of resources all collected in one place--protests, petitions, phonebanks, etc. Jewish Voice for Peace has a form letter you can use to email your representatives. There's an auction, Prints for Palestine, that's open through November 3rd. I'm a particular fan of Shoujo Beat, A Roll in the Hay, and Madame Piggy. Once again, game makers on itch have come together for a huge bundle, Games for Gaza.
Just to have this all mentioned too: SAG-AFTRA's still on strike and therefore folks still aren't working. The Entertainment Community Fund is there to help. Organizations that're on the ground--or trying to be--in Gaza are often international and servicing other areas too. I know Doctors Without Borders is also providing support to Ukraine, Afganistan, and Congo right now. KOSA is still in the Senate and still a bill that has had proponents say the quiet part out loud about using it as a tool to further limit trans, queer, and marginalized voices online. And there is so much else still wrong with the world that I want to be hopeful and say working together, we can do something about.
See you next time.
What I enjoyed this week:
Blank Check (Podcast), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon--just finished the Heart of the Creek arc, so I guess we're very close to the end), One Piece (Manga--somehow, over the last month, I've managed to catch up on all 1100 chapters), Sonic Superstars (Video game), The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon (Book), Reverse 1999 (Video Game), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video game), Wipeout (TV show), Last Week Tonight (TV show), The Simpsons (TV show), The Traitors (TV show), One Punch Man (Manga), Crimehot (Webcomic - Adults only), Thirsty (Comic - Adults only)
New Releases this week (10/25/2023):
Brynmore #4 (Editor)
Final Order Cut-Off next week (10/30/2023):
Best of Godzilla, Vol. 1 TPB (Editor)
Godzilla: Best of Gigan (Editor)
Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam (Editor)
New Releases next week (11/1/2023):
No new books from me this week.
Announcements:
Final weekend! I'm still doing a member drive over on my Patreon! You can read about it in a public post there! If you join, renew, or updated to the Feature Fan ($10) tier or above, you're going to get a Mystery Comic Grab bag! And as a patron, you're going to have a bit more choice on what all it is! This deal ends 10/31, so get on it now!
I'll be a guest tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. PST at Sonic Revolution's online convention! I believe our panel will be streamed on Twitch, but the majority of the con is on Discord! I'll be there with a big section of the IDW Sonic team!
Wanna support me? Buy physical copies of my comics at the webshop. If you want digital comics, or to just support me, there's Kofi. You can get some cool stuff from Ebay. You can support Becca from their shop, Patreon, or watching them stream on Twitch.
Also, plugging because I like good comics and if you read this blog, you probably do too. The ShortBox Comics Fair is almost over for the year, and there's a ton of good stuff available there.
Pic of the Week:
Nadja was giving Tiansheng a bath and it was very cute. But upon realizing she had been photographed being nice, Nadja almost immediately stopped and Tian was so sad, he was chirping in distress. That lasted like 20 seconds and then he forgot what he was doing and they both just sort of started licking themselves. Cats are dumb.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Dramatic Lit project.
I turned this in for a grade. For my final. This is my semester final. The prompt was: Make a scene continuing the story of any of the plays we read this semester. I chose Death of a Salesman. My group was very supportive of my choice of scene. I love them <33 sm. This is the final product. We called it Birth of a Fruitcake.
There is a bar called “The Crowbar”. What it lacks in width it makes up for in length. It’s set far back into the building it shares with other establishments. The lights outside the bar are warm and soft, the glowing orange of late afternoon. There are silhouettes of the other buildings on the street, and the rest of the building where the bar is located. Inside the outline of the house, there are hanging lightbulbs covered in green glass bulb covers, creating a soft green glow. It’s furnished with a bare bar, with stools lining the right side. Behind the stools, small round tables are scattered throughout the bar. There are dirty glasses and very few chairs actually surrounding the tables. It appears as though the patrons have to steal the chairs they need from other tables. On the left side of the bar, there sits a sparse few bottles of alcohol, all cheap, and glasses for pouring. To the right we see a corner of carpet peeking out from backstage, where the bathroom is located. The forestage is bare, but with a spotlight shining on it for now. Loud incoherent voices are heard off-stage. Bernard exits his home and waits on his patio contemplating if he should go in or not. Biff opens the door to his house and slams it closed while walking to his car.
BERNARD: Hey, Biff! Didn’t know you were home, thought Willy crawled back up.
BIFF: No, just Happy and me, but with the way he's going we're going to get Willy 2.0.
BERNARD: What do you mean?
BIFF: It's. . . Too much.
BERNARD: You wanna grab a drink? It’s been a while, we should catch up.
BIFF: You know what? Yeah. I could use a drink.
The lights on the forestage fade out. BIFF and BERNARD walk to the bar (the main stage)
JASON: Welcome to The Crowbar, fellas. What can I get for ya? [Cleaning two glasses]
BIFF: What’s your poison?
JASON: We got a house special called the Lazarus if you’re interested
BIFF: What's so special ‘bout it?
JASON: It’ll get a good night started.
BIFF: Alright, then, I’ll take a shot a’ that
BERNARD: Make that two, would you?
JASON: You sure you can handle it? [Looking BERNARD up and down]
BERNARD: What? What makes you think I can’t? Why didn’t you ask Biff that?
[BIFF tries and fails to hide a laugh]
JASON: No reason in particular. Just thought there would be a designated driver [Lying through his teeth]
BERNARD: [With exaggerated annoyance] You’re both insufferable. You know what, make that two for me.
JASON: Okay, buddy. [Smiling at BIFF]
BIFF: [He smirks at Jason and nudges BERNARD] Careful, there. Don’t wanna ruin that big brain of yours.
BERNARD: [Pointedly ignoring JASON] A few drinks won’t hurt me. I just won a big case, anyway, the firm won’t care what I do for a day or two.
JASON: [Pouring two shots] here’s one for the big guy and yourself, and I’ll get the next shot in a second. [Cleaning another glass]
BERNARD: So now you know what I’ve been up to, what’s going on with you? What’s with the hat, I thought you were a New Yorker?
BIFF: I was, I was very much a city boy for a while but over the years I came to find out I much prefer the outdoors and more handy work than desks and phone calls.
BERNARD: [He chokes on his drink] You’re a- a cowboy?
BIFF: [Chortling] Something of the sort.
BERNARD: You seem… much more sure of yourself now than you did last time I saw you. At least, before, y’know… [He fidgets nervously]
[JASON raises an eyebrow in curiosity]
BIFF: My dad’s funeral? Yeah… after he died, I realized that he had been controlling how I lived my life- directly, indirectly, what-have-you. But then I realized I had to do something with myself, and I wasn’t about to let him continue to do that from beyond the grave, so… [He trails off, leaving the bar to awkward silence]
BERNARD: Does that connect to what happened at the house? Thought it might have been Happy and Linda but seeing as you are here is there something going on? [He starts to reach for Biff’s hand but stops himself]
BIFF: I came home to see mom. To help her around the house and just to catch up, but when I walked through the door Happy had a briefcase in hand saying he is going to Boston to make some sales, and for a minute there all I see is Willy. I couldn’t handle it. I can’t watch my own brother go down the same path we watched our father go down, so I just started yelling. I knew I should have stopped but it was just too much seeing him like that.
BERNARD: Happy's been pretty serious about succeeding for Willy. He even went to my father to get a job. Even when Charley offered him a high starting position he refused insisting that he be a traveling salesman like his father.
BIFF: And that's what kills me. I should have taken him more seriously at the funeral when he said he was going to follow pop’s dreams. I should have listened more in general. I knew he was unhappy with where his life was going. It's just [He stops talking and lets out a sigh] I’m sorry I just can’t keep talking about this. Let's talk about something more lighthearted. We are two buds reunited after all.
BERNARD: [Clearing his throat after a moment of heavy silence] Right, uh, well… I remember you mentioning there wasn’t anyone… special, in your life at the moment, when we talked. Is that still true?
BIFF: Yeah, I mean, no girl I’ve been with has ever… I haven’t really felt anything “special” with any of them, to use your words, and I really don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Why do you ask?
BERNARD: Yeah, uh, no reason… [Very noticeably blushing] Hey, I’ve gotta use the bathroom real quick… watch my drinks, would you? [He exits to stage right and is no longer seen] Why is the bathroom carpeted?!??!?!?!?!?!
JASON: Mind ya damn business! [sliding in] And the plot thickens, tell me how long have you two been doing this dance?
BIFF: [Visibly confused] What dance?
JASON: Oh, come on, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve been around the block with love a couple times before, so I know it when I see it.
BIFF: Love? Me? US? [Now getting upset and panicking] Where did you get that big idea? What’s going on in that head of yours?
JASON: Oh trust me, friend, you don’t want to know. But what you do want to know is that if no girl has given you a special feeling, then maybe it’s not a girl your heart desires.
BIFF: [Defensively] Like Hell it isn’t! Look, I just haven’t… met the right girl, that’s it. [Sounding unsure of himself, as though he doesn’t quite believe it, but is trying to convince himself]
JASON: Like hell it is, my good sir. I see the way you two act with each other, and I see the way ol’ toothpick looks at you, the connection is there. Now are you gonna do something about it or not?
BIFF: The way he… But Bernard’s not… there’s no way!
JASON: Look, pal, I got a queer family member, I’m practically an ace at recognizing a friend of Dorothy when I see one, I must admit. [Now pouring himself a drink]
BIFF: But that’s not… I’m not, I swear…
JASON: Oh, drop the act, will ya?... Hey, you alright there, bud?
BIFF: [drifting away from the bar towards the forestage, not appearing to hear JASON] I don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t!
JASON: Oh, man… I didn’t realize this was a sore spot for you. Look, I’ll just get you another drink, how about that? [He moves farther down the bar, getting another glass for BIFF ready, glancing at him every so often]
[BIFF has crossed into the forestage fully now. BIFF’s theme plays as HAPPY exits stage right. BIFF joins HAPPY, now appearing much more happy, but still tense, as if he knows what’s about to happen. HAPPY and BIFF begin chatting. They’ve just gotten back from school. WILLY appears from stage left, and bends to pick up a discarded football. He notices the boys making their way to him, and he waves]
BIFF: Pop! Didn’t know you’d be back so soon
WILLY: Got done with business in Brooklyn, so thought I’d have some time with my boys. How ‘bout a game of catch to get you ready for the game on Friday?
BIFF: Sounds good, pop.
[BIFF, HAPPY, and WILLY start to throw a ball around]
HAPPY: Did ya hear about the boy at school?
BIFF: Which boy at school?
HAPPY: David W. and Joseph M.
BIFF: Nah, didn’t hear anything about them. What did they get up to?
HAPPY: Well, apparently, they were caught in the bathroom together doing more than washing hands.
BIFF: That's not that crazy. Linda and Peter were caught doin’ the same just last week.
[At this WILLY stumbles with the ball caught off guard by BIFF’s response. He continues to throw the ball but is noticeably less concentrated on the game]
HAPPY: Yeah, but they have been hands all over each other since spring break. David and Joseph together is just weird.
BIFF: There not harmin’ anyone and in the end-
[BIFF gets cut off by WILLY who now seems to be forcing himself to stay calm]
WILLY: Happy, go inside.
HAPPY: But-
WILLY: [cutting off HAPPY and yelling] I said get in!
[HAPPY looks at him then runs off stage. Everyone has stopped throwing the ball around leaving it on the yard. WILLY walks to BIFF]
BIFF: What was that about, pops?
WILLY: You can't just go about spewing that nonsense.
BIIF: What nonsense? We’re just talking about the guys at school.
WILLY: Do you talk to those fruitcakes?
BIFF: Only a bit. We're all in the same geometry class. And don’t call em’ fruitcakes, they’re my friends. We play ball sometimes.
WILLY: I'll get you switched out of that class, and stop talkin’ to them. They are not your friends, they're just trying to infect you.
BIFF: Infect me with what! They are good people and I won't let ya-
[Cutting of BIFF, WILLY gets closer to BIFF and grabs him by his shoulders]
WILLY: You have to listen to me! I'm just trying to protect you from their illness. You have a good future ahead of you and they are trying to ruin it for you.
BIFF: They’re not ruining anything, you're just being cra-
[WILLY slaps BIFF and as the sound rings out the sound of a glass being set down on the bar can also be heard]
WILLY: I'm doing this for you. Remember that.
[WILLY walks off stage. BIFF walks back to his seat at the bar holding the cheek that WILLY slapped. In front of him is now a drink]
JASON: Here's some water. You looked a bit out of it, so I thought you should refresh yourself.
[BERNARD exits the bathroom and crosses back to the bar. He does a double-take when he sees the state BIFF is in. He takes a seat cautiously]
BERNARD: What happened? Did Jason give you another Lazarus?
BIFF: Is it true?
BERNARD: What are you talking about? Did something happen while I was gone?
BIFF: I was jus’ thinkin’ about what our friend Jason said, and was just wondering are ya a homosexual?
[JASON pauses behind the bar, where he was previously nervously cleaning glasses. He slowly sets the glass down, placing the cloth back down on the counter. He’s clearly listening, but BIFF and BERNARD don’t seem to notice]
BENARD: I don’t know what you’re saying. I have a wife.
BIFF: We both know what you were like when you were younger. Why do ya think that Willy didn’t want you around all that much? He knew and he was just tryin’ to protect me.
BERNARD: Willy was never trying to protect you. He was just trying to control you. I thought you’d realized that by now.
BIFF: Maybe he wasn’t right about being a football player, but in the end he just wanted what was best for me.
[BERNARD moves towards BIFF, starting to put his hand on his shoulder when BIFF smacks his hand away]
BIFF: Keep your hands away from me! [He swings and punches BERNARD in the face. BERNARD stumbles back, holding his face. BIFF brings his arm back to strike BERNARD again while he’s still shocked]
JASON: Hey! Hey! Break it up, the both of you [Grabbing the back of their shirts] Now I have a strict no fighting rule in my bar, so if you keep this up I’ll have Bruce handle this. Now he won’t kill ya, but he’s completely fine with traumatic brain injuries.
BIFF: Stay outta this, scarface!
JASON: Alright, get the hell out of my bar!
[BIFF and BERNARD are tossed out of the bar. They move to the alley way that is located in the forestage]
BERNARD: What the hell was that for?
BIFF: First time getting kicked out of a bar?
BERNARD: It isn’t funny, I liked that bar, and we fought! [He gently pokes his cheek to assess the damage, and winces]
BIFF: Sorry ‘bout that. Life’s just been so messy recently.
BERNARD: Seriously, what’s going on with you? You looked like you'd seen a ghost when I got back. And don’t give me some half-assed excuse– you can’t just punch people out of nowhere!
BIFF: I kinda have seen a ghost. Ya know how Willy had those outbursts talking to people who are not there and all, well I kinda had one for myself.
BERNARD: What did the old man say?
BIFF: Happy and me came back from school and were just playin’ a game of catch with Willy when Happy started talking about the incident in 10th grade.
BERNARD: You are gonna have to be a bit more descriptive. I wasn’t very social in high school.
BIFF: Just two guys were caught in the bathroom and Willy just went crazy at the thought of me bein’ around them. Even slapped me. I got the message from him and started avoiding anyone who Willy wouldn't like. Even you.
BERNARD: That's why you stopped talking to me?
BIFF: Yeah, sorry about that. Even after he died I wanted to reach out. I wanted to start talkin’ to you again, but I thought that you hated me, that you stopped liking me.
BERNARD: Look, I loved you, and I don’t think I ever stopped.
BIFF: But… you have a wife?
BERNARD: Appearances. We both… swing a different way.
BIFF: Oh.
BERNARD: Yeah. Oh.
BIFF: And the kid? Your son?
BERNARD: We’d both wanted a kid for awhile, and we’re real good friends, even if we’re not… in love. It’s not like we’d be able to raise one with people we loved, so why not?
BIFF: I see.
[They stand in awkward silence for a moment, before BIFF speaks up]
BIFF: Why don’t I take you back to where I’m staying? Uh, patch you up, and maybe… talk?
BERNARD: Talk? [He gives him a small smile]
BIFF: I’ve spent my whole life hiding an important part of myself. Maybe it’s time I gave someone a look into the real me.
BERNARD: I’d be honored.
BIFF: Oh, don’t get a big head about it.
BERNARD: I don’t know, Biff. [He steals the hat from off BIFF’s head, putting it on his own] Seems about the same size as your’s.
BIFF: [He smirks] You know what the rule is, right?
Fin.
@sir-gwaine-my-man as promised
#cowboy hat rule#death of a salesman#classic literature#dramatic literature#biff loman#Willy loman#Linda loman#happy loman#Bernard#jason todd#bruce wayne#batman#batfamily#red hood#internalized homophobia#homophobia#fruitcake#if you’re wondering why Jason Todd and Bruce Wayne are tagged#it’s because three out of four of us (including me) are dc fans#Jason and Bruce are undercover#jason feels bad for the poor repressed gays#Tim is the queer family member#tim drake#red robin
11 notes
·
View notes
Note
Fanfic questions… 7, 17, 40, 66 and 91 please 😊
7. Tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote.
The first time I ever wrote fanfiction, I think I was about 12? Maybe 11. I didn’t have access to fandom spaces the way I do now, so I posted each chapter as video clips on my YouTube page, where I had a small following for my fanvideos. (I was also a little brat who thought threatening people to comment or give it a thumbs up in order to receive the next chapter was appropriate.)
The story was called The Letter Elle for the show Ghost Whisperer, pre-Jim’s death. I gave them a child (a little girl named Elle) who was exploring her own understanding of her inherited abilities. I probably still have it somewhere in my stuff, but I’m sure it was Not Good. Hilariously, the show gave the main characters a child a short while later and then did a time jump to allow for an exploration similar to the one I’d been writing about. Maybe they should’ve hired me.
17. What is your favourite line you’ve ever written?
I don’t think I could narrow down one specific line; I have a tendency to forget what I’ve written once it’s posted. First to come to mind is most of She Will Still Love You because it was so cathartic and my first soirée into second-person point of view.
“When, really, what you should’ve been doing was rebuilding. Taking the chopped down limbs of your trees and building a log cabin out of them. Rubbing out the knots and sanding down the rough edges and turning it into a place you could call home.
You need to learn how to call your body home again.”
40. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.
There’s been a lot of good stuff through the years. The one that comes to mind most often was from a teacher when I was 14, who handed back an assignment that I’d earned 99% on (the highest grade she ever gave out) and then told me I wasn’t finished. She pushed me to go beyond in my writing and I owe a lot of my drive to her. The quiet pride in her face when I was published for the first time a couple years later is a core memory.
In the fanfiction realm, a reader reached out a few years ago regarding Extraordinary Measures and said some things that made me cry. She pops up every now and then, as our fandom paths have crossed a couple times, and it feels like a warm hug each time.
I’m incredibly grateful for any person who has ever reached out to me about that fic, especially when they tell me it made them cry or feel something they weren’t expecting. It was one of the most challenging writing endeavours I’d ever embarked on at that point in my life and I’m so proud that I completed it.
I also love when a reader leaves a comment in a different language. That you took the time to read something in English and then still write me a message after, even if you’re not sure I’ll be able to understand it, means so much. It’s like opening a little surprise bag when I go off to translate them. I’ve been getting Spanish and French most recently.
66. When have you felt the most confident in your writing?
For fanfiction, the most recent confidence boost was actually you commenting on my Hygge Universe stuff. Knowing that what I’m writing is not your vibe in the slightest, but that I was still able to reel you in… pretty impressed with myself. I’m also always more confident when I’m getting lots of comments or kudos emails, or the hit count is rising quickly, like most writers, even if that isn’t why I write...
In terms of school, a professor telling me to pitch a show to network because she wanted to watch it was pretty fulfilling. And professionally, holding my own in my first writer’s roundtable was intensely gratifying. As well as finding out my favourite thing I wrote for them was picked up by network, after the root concept they’d given me to work from had been denied by that network the year before. I’d love to see that story become a television series.
91. How has your writing style changed over the years?
Oh man, where to begin? Early on in my fic-writing career, I wrote primarily in first-person point of view. Usually past-tense, I think. Over time, I began to explore different tenses and then had a period where I really played with writing second-person point of view. I also wrote much shorter pieces – if I got to 1000 words, that was good enough for me. Editing was minimal. Story content was very dark and angsty.
Nowadays, things are much longer, obviously. I’ve been mostly writing in third-person point of view for a couple years now. I think I’ve settled into a tense that makes sense for Hygge Universe, which is the lump sum of my fanfiction writing right now. I spend a lot more time editing than I ever did before and the story contents are heaps more uplifting and positive. I also think I just have a better understanding of human emotion than I did years ago, when I was trapped in a fog of depression and physical pain. Screenwriting has made me ruthless in terms of cutting things out that aren’t working and I think that’s reflected in my work in terms of like, anything present in a story is there because it’s integral to the overall plotline. I also appreciate that my writing now is not riddled with the same word six times a paragraph, haha. I hope my growth over the last ten or so years is obvious in my work.
fic writing asks
#thank you friend#janelle's asks#englishstrawbie#fic writing asks#looking back on baby-me's fics is a total trip wow
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
2022 Fanfic Meme
tagged by @northernscruffycat! and since i wrote some stuff this year, i‘m gonna treat myself and do this :D
Word count for the year: 16,853 words, which is more than most years! (and also i’ve written 2 more technically finished chapters i haven’t posted yet, which makes this my most productive year in ages :D)
Number of stories posted to Ao3: four fics!
Pairings written for:
DekuBaku
IzuOcha
Mitsuki/Deku
Fandoms I wrote for:
BNHA owns my soul
Most popular story: your hands around my neck (dkbk) - it’s the least niche one, but i’m still very suprised by how much love and attention it got 💕
Story I’m most proud of: Contact High (dkbk, izuocha, infidelity) - not just because it’s my first multichapter I actually finished before posting, it’s also based on the first idea I was really into when getting into dkbkdk but thought I could never write. Look at me now, past self! :D
Funniest: they are all silly because bkdk are silly ❤
Kinkiest: they are all just a bunch of kinks in a trenchcoat, but Bunny Mating 101 is the most unfiltered in its horniness.
Saddest: Hunger is just grief and survivor’s guilt rolled up in kink
Least Popular: Hunger, since it’s most niche with regards to setting and kinks. Deku wanting Bakugou to eat him is for very refined tastes only ;)
Most Cringe-Worthy: i don’t know any metric of how to measure cringe. it all is. nothing is. be free.
Favorite Opening Line(s):
"Please," Deku gasps, and Bakugou’s hand tightens around Deku’s throat.
Favorite Closing Line(s):
Right now, Bakugou’s thumbs trace the freckles covering his shoulders and the faded bruises at the nape of his neck, slowly, carefully, like he's never touched anyone before, and something warm and unbearably fragile flutters in his chest when Deku ever so slightly leans back into his touch.
-
For a blinding moment, he thinks of nothing but Deku's cock buried deep inside his cunt where it belongs, and all falls into place.
-
Convulsing under the violent, visceral sensation of being torn apart, Izuku moans breathlessly as Kacchan’s teeth rip through fat, tissue and muscle fibre, until there's no distance left between them, until every part of Izuku inevitably becomes a part of him, forever inseparable.
Top Scenes from Anywhere You Would Choose to Have Illustrated:
I’d say Deku crying and sobbing while pounding Bkg, but it’s inspired by so many good artworks already ❤
any art for my fics would make me cry but here’s what i can think of on the top of my head:
- bkg tending dk’s bruises on his neck in your hands around my neck
- feral zombie!bakugou with deku’s blood dripping from his face
- tiny wolf bkg spooning tiny bunny dk really wanting to bite his neck
can’t spoil anything from contact high but i’m very much considering commissioning scenes from the second/third chapter dkflkgk
Story I haven’t yet written, but intend to: almost finished wips (some still from 2021, but at least i made progress on them 🙈)
- t4t dkbk with cuckholding fantasies
- dk who’s rly into blowjobs deepthroating bkg’s strap on
- my blood on your lips (middleschool bkdk with dk being a weirdo)
- ulterior motives (dk fucking bkg’s brains out so he can as schmoopy with him as he wants)
Fic-writing goals for 2023:
same as last year: find some time to write fics & have fun! also read more fics - i really want to get through my reading list and comment fics i’ve been hyped to read for months now.
Tagging (but no pressure) @hehebread @antarestyl @illwynd @philomayo and @yellowballpoint (and anyone who wants to do this! :D)
8 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hey so I know you’ve just come back from a long break and you have so so many asks to get through but I just wanted to say that your work is actually changing my life.
So a few months ago at work, we got this temporarily promoted coworker who only slotted in to my level because we were so understaffed. I’m nice to the kid because he seems shy with the other women in my department, and we’re closest in age and both fluent in English. He warms up quickly and then the weirdest thing happens. We pass by each other and he flashes a smile and smt in me is reminded of OY JK. Not kook himself, but specifically OY jk. At this point he hasn’t done anything alarming, but there’s a gut alarm going off in me and I cannot shake the image of OY jk out. After that, I’m still friendly, but I stay on high alert, dropping discouraging hints when I can, and avoiding hanging out with him alone.
Then, like two days later, things start escalating like crazy. He finds my number from the company payroll and texts me constantly, expecting me to respond immediately and accusing me of being angry at him when I don’t respond for ten minutes. He offers to do things for me but then turns around and guilt trips me with it, and gets crazy mood swings whenever he senses me “rejecting” him in any way. Ofc I’m terrified and frustrated, but I also want to stay professional and give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s just immature and lonely. I also just tend to take the path of least resistance, so normally I would just pretend everything’s fine and placate him more to avoid upsetting him.
BUT because he set off some OY alarm in me, I was like “ok I have to shut this shit down fast before I get in the habit of shifting my boundaries for him.” And persisted with setting boundaries and letting my friends know what was going on, so that if anything happened, police would know where to search. I managed to keep things professional while never being somewhere alone with him, and blocked his ass fast after his time in our department was over.
I know that when we explore taboo/toxic/dubcon/noncon themes in literature/art it can be hard to toe that line of exploration and condoning that behavior. Most women who write about and consume these themes have been victimized by it before, so I always saw it as a way to heal and take control back, to spread awareness and highlight these red flags while being completely safe. Still, there’s a stigma about all the media in these genres encouraging and condoning toxic, abusive behavior. Even for authors who know they are intending the exact opposite, with creative work, there’s always going to be some anxiety about not being able to control how others interpret your work and your intentions. So I just wanted to let you know that your work—how vividly you’re able to capture OY jk and the others in all their flaws, idiosyncrasies, subtle and overt manipulations, intentions, and mindsets—has given me the ability to instinctively spot red flags much quicker, and the determination to not let myself get trapped in them again.
I still love your fucked up characters and I’ll still joke about wanting an attentive bf like OY jk on hard days, but I know better irl. I just thought it might be worth something to you to know that you’re one of the authors who can explore these themes in a way that keeps their readers safer, instead of grooming them to fall for these traps. I seriously don’t know when this super oddly specific OY jk alert system got installed in me, but I’m very thankful for it. Thanks for keeping me safe, and I hope the people you choose to keep in your life are doing the same for you ❤️
I have read this ask in my inbox many times and I can finally answer. Thank you so much for supporting OY and also for recognizing that my stories are purely fantasy. In real life, these situations are extremely dangerous to the point that it can become often times life-threatening. I can't say enough how proud I am of you for recognizing the red flags and cutting this man off immediately. This is the kind of impact every writer hopes to have on their readers.
Thank you so much for sharing, for your insight, and your understanding of how dark stories are useful for women like us. I hope you are staying safe!
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
March Writing Thoughts
Well this ended up being a disastrous month for creating. I didn’t really write or design much outside of my required work! I’m trying to not be too hard on myself for it because in the meantime, we did find a new place to move to and moving to a new state is a lot of work. So obviously that has to come first! I also have to be forgiving to myself: I purposely chose to not give myself deadlines this month because I knew I’d be too stressed to follow through. And I was right!! It would have gone terribly! So even though I don’t feel great about it, I have to give myself the grace to accept that it was the correct choice to make.
Main WIP Check In (aka why the hell haven’t I finished these yet)
I’ve seen a lot of others doing this (sorry for tagging anyone specifically), but I thought it was a cool idea! Pretty much go through your current WIPs and figure out what exactly is holding you back and possible solutions. Putting below a read more because I definitely am going to ramble.
Unnamed Collaborative/Celebration AU [status: currently writing, 75% written] – for as far along as I am on this oneshot, it’s taking me ages to get to the finish line. I overall like it but I don’t think it has the energy it should. I think this might be the first fic that I finish writing and then actually have to heavily go back and edit. It needs some more personality! Also it probably has to do with needing a lot more dialogue. That always holds me back.
Bellarke Sci-Fi/Hanahaki AU [status: posted, 2-3 chapters remaining] – the definition of a story where the lore and world building got too big. I also was on such a writer’s high when I wrote the first two chapters, but now it’s been ages and I’m super overwhelmed by what’s left. I also don’t love my meager outlines for the remaining chapters. I think with this one, I need to sit down and figure out the core plot points and work from there. I’m getting too bogged down in little details when I don’t even know where I’m going. I desperately want to finish this fic so I want to make these a priority.
Bellarke Dystopian Mythology AU [status: posted, 3-4 chapters remaining] – I actually have the summary of the story written out pretty succinctly and shockingly like it. I think this one is largely an issue of just sitting down and actually writing it. Since I’m winging some of the mythology already, I don’t think I should get too caught up in the details. The vibes are pretty cool too so hopefully this one won’t be hard to finish outlining and then write!
Bellarke Shadow & Bone AU [status: posted, unknown chapters remaining] – Torn about this one. I like the premise and what I’ve written and the chance to make the Grishaverse interesting to me personally. But... it also doesn’t really spark anything in me. If I’m honest with myself, this is one I want to discontinue and just leave it at that. Writing that out is probably the answer I needed.
Bellarke PNW fluff AU [status: posted, 2 chapters remaining] – Definitely a story I like more in theory than in writing. I think I don’t feel connected to it very much as an actual story. Probably another one that, if I’m honest, I should just discontinue. But it’s also kind of a sweet easy story, so it could work as a warm up? Eh, we’ll see. I feel like my interests have shifted a lot since then.
Bellarke New England Angst AU [status: posted, 4 chapters remaining] – the definition of why you have to pick vibes or story, not both. I feel kind of lost with this one and not sure I can pull of the direction I’d like it to go in. Also a big case of the outline shrinking as it goes on, I clearly don’t know how I even want this story to end. Very much a part of my era of not planning as well, which isn’t something I can do anymore. Who knows about this one.
Bellarke Dark Fantasy AU [status: posted, unknown chapters remaining] – This story deserves SO MUCH better. I have a solid idea for the whole story and where I want it to go. It’s definitely a tone I’m excited by. I just need to approach it with new eyes and a fresh outline I think. I’d love to spend some time diving back into this one even though I don’t think anyone else really cares about it!
Clurphy Pirate AU [status: posted, 2 chapters remaining] – this one was so fun to start?? It shouldn’t be too hard to get back into. I think the biggest thing is to just finish outlining the last two chapters, I have a pretty good idea of how I want it all to go. It is, however, low on the priority list.
Bellarke Guest Ranch AU [status: posted, 2 chapters remaining] – another one that I just don’t think I care about anymore. I’ve really lost interest in strictly fluffy pieces. I even have most of it outlined but eh. I just think it’ll never really grab me again. Might have to Marie Kondo it and discontinue.
Honorable Mention WIPs:
Nina/Matthias Horror AU for belated Troped: wildly unfinished outline that doesn’t make any sense
Inej/Kaz Ice Skating AU: I just haven’t committed even though I love it
Stranger Things Zombie Rewrite: tbh mainly waiting to see how the final season goes so I can truly flush out the military angle and then fly through it (also I’m definitely doing way more backstory so that takes a while)
A million other plot seedlings that I shouldn’t touch after looking at all of the listed above
If you’ve made it this far, congrats! I think the conclusion is I need to be more honest with myself about when a project should be abandoned and then spend a lot of time outlining. There’s nothing wrong with that! It helped me write a 78k fic because I knew where the story was going!!
Anyway back to the drawing board, hopefully April is a better month overall.
#boy this got long#kathryn chats#kathryn writes#this was a bit cathartic though??#I do genuinely feel a bit more organized#and determined lol gotta go decide to officially abandon those fics#that'll probably make me feel even better
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Away from home - chapter 4
Y/N is an actress, filming for her first lead role in the film adaptation of her favourite childhood book, produced by maximum effort.
She bonds with Ryan Reynolds over their share Love of the Korean pop band Stray Kids, and he has a surprise for her.
When she starts missing home and the darkness creeps upon her, her hotel neighbour comes to her rescue.
Trigger warnings- mentions of depression, self harm and anxiety
Stray kids fan fic
Mainly staring 3ratcha
But the other boys do make appearances it's just easy to keep to minimum of characters lol
Chan x oc
This is my first ever fan fiction so if it's shit soz.
He's gonna be here in like 20 minutes, so I'm cleaning up my room. Well shoving things into my wardrobe, but that's practically the same thing. I get dressed in some comfy clothes, and organise all my character work and script work on the table. I have a lot of thoughts about Tabby and her story. She's allowed me to tap into something more confident and almost powerful. I need to be more like her.
There's a knock at the door. He's five minutes early. I look through the peephole and there he is. Dressed all in black with his laptop and files. He looks so gorgeous. I hype myself up before opening the door. Don't fuck this up Y/N. You've got this!
"Hey!" I say it just a bit too loud, but he walks into my room ignoring that.
"Hey" He smiles. I lead him to the coffee table and sofa in my room. We sit down, our knees touching. That damned spark again.
"So ive had a read through the script and i think i understand most of the subtext theres a few places where id love your help!" He starts rifling through his copy of the script, hes marked places he thinks would be best paired with something unique. It looks like my script, all covered in highlighter and markings. I cant help but smile at how much he seems to be enjoying this job.
"Can i just ask why you took the job?". I ask, "not that youre not equipped for it, its just im sure you and the kids are always busy." He shifts in his seat to face me.
"I loved doing deadpool. And Ryan asked if we'd like to this film and we read the script and loved it. Unfortunately only the 3 of us could find the time to make it out here. Minho and seungmin have long-standing MCing jobs, I.Ns filming his acting debut," he leans in,"which you didn't hear from me. Hyunjin is creating a fashion line with versace, and Felix has gone back to Australia for a few months."
"Didn't you want to join him? Felix, I mean. Go back home and enjoy being with your family?" I ask
"A part of me did Yeah, but my sister Hannah's out here anyway and I've planned to see her a few times. She may even spend sometime on set with us if I can sort that out."
"Oh I'd love that!! Weirdly enough I actually found your guys music through Hannah's YouTube channel. People kept mentioning her brother so I checked out your music. Think Maniac may have been the first song I listened too." I admitted.
"I was gonna ask you about that actually. I heard you and Ryan bonded over your love of our music?"
"Yeah", I said shyly. "Kind of embarrassing, but yeah. During preproduction rehearsal for the dance scenes we'd blast your music for warm up. We actually almost used Thunderous for one of the dance routines!"
"You were really good before by the way. I forgot to say before. Me, Han and Changbin all thought you could give danceracha a run for their money." I blush. I don't know if this is him flirting but I bloody hope it is
"That's very sweet of you," for what feels like hours, but is merely seconds we hold eye contact. He then looks down at my lips and back to my eyes. I must be imagining that.
"You know what you want?" I break the gaze by pulling out the hotels room service menu.
The next few hours we spend talking about the script and characters. It feels like we've known each other for ages. He's so inspiring with his passion for his job, he's fueling the passion I have for my own. Everything we say in agreement, totally understanding the story in the same way. Dissecting the relationships and themes with such glee.
It's almost midnight by the time he leaves. I walk him to his door, a total of 4 steps from my own.
"Goodnight," i say, "I had a lot of fun!"
"Me too" He replies opening his door. "What time is your call time tomorrow?" He asks leaning against the door frame.
"Keith's picking me up at 9" I reply
"I'll message Sara to say I'm joining you, if that's cool with you?" He queries, running his hand through his slightly curly hair.
"I meet you out here at 8:50?"
"It's a date. Goodnight Y/N."
"Goodnight Christopher"
"I like that. You using my full name."
"I'll keep that in mind". We kind of just hang there in our respective door frames.
"Goodnight....I think that's the 3rd time I've said that." I laugh "ill see you in the morning" He nods and we close our doors.
I go to my bed and ring my mum to tell her about everything that's just happened. She answers but can't stay on the call for long, she's about to head off to work. I hate time differences.
#chan x reader#bang chris#christopher bang#bang chan#seo changbin#3racha scenarios#stray kids fanfic#stray kids
19 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
inthebrooklyn99
NINE-NINE!
michaelsuttonlong
Michael Sutton-Long
kawaiitrashpost
Unbetitelt
supermancomicaday
Superman Comic a Day
allsimsyt
AllSims