1, 4, 17

1. What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for? 

I have some old-old notebooks that have unpublishable content for an antique show that lasted one season on NBC, Earth 2. I had a website for a show called Profiler, which was more focused on meta and character studies (under the handle Zarah back in the day). The first fic i wrote for was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I spent a few years writing there (back on Twisting the Hellmouth) and on various stuff on livejournal.

4. Do you outline before you start writing? If so, how far do you stray from that outline? 

I tend to have the outline for the big plot points in my head by the time I start writing, but the details flesh themselves out as I write, as well as some amount of characterization (esp. for OCs) and the humour of it all. 

So, for example, in my Hands of Clay story, I knew that Steve and Bucky were going to have a big misunderstanding about why Steve never told Bucky that he was bi after they met again as adults, but it didn’t occur to me to have it be the [redacted spoiler] that I mentioned in the second chapter, until I was writing like chapter 19.  

That moment of realization was glorious.  

17: What fic are you most proud of? 

I think as a complete piece? Hands of Clay, it stands together really well. And, abnormally in my writing, has a really solid ending. 

As an artistic piece? I’m partial to Marking Time, my “Neal Caffery is the Doctor’s great-grandson out of time” Doctor Who/White Collar story – it has a nice take on the non-linear flow of time from a Gallifreyan perspective.

From a sheer ‘fun’ perspective, Hour of the Wolf. That one is just fun to write. Weary time-travelling Allison is my favourite disaster. 

(from the Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing meme)

tagged by @stars-inthe-sky, thank you Alli!

name: Steph

pronouns: she/her

where do you call home: Cali, baby!

favorite animal: I went through a red panda phase about ten years back, still love them.

cereal of choice: Honey-Nut Cheerios. My mom used to slice bananas into our cheerios growing up and as a adult, I find myself doing the same.

visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner: Visual. I need to see it being done!

first pet: We had cats when I was really little but I don't remember them. The first pet I do remember is a hamster called Coochi (my youngest brother named it. Why my parents allowed him to name it that I dunno but it was the 90's and they were tired)

favorite scent: Lavender

do you believe in astrology: No

how many playlists do you have on your music service of choice: I use youtube for my playlists and its mostly fanvideos of tv show couples. I probably have like twenty depending on my mood and what show I'm currently binge watching.

sharpies or highlighters: Sharpie

song that makes you cry: Hole in the Floor of Heaven by Steve Wariner. Always makes me think of the people in my life that have gone too soon. We played it at my grandma's funeral and I lost it.

song that makes you happy: Dancing Queen by ABBA

and finally, do you write/draw/create: I write a bit, but I am mostly a reader. I like to consume words. I do enjoy drawing and building puzzles. Sometime I would like to learn how to use a sewing machine (I learned in high school but its been awhile) and make things. I would love to make clothing for myself.

tagging some recent activity on my dash @mrgaretcarter @dollsome-does-tumblr @aprylynn @jicklet @onekisstotakewithme and whoever else wants to do it, consider yourself tagged!

Visiting Colombia as two non-Spanish speakers. Went to a restaurant called La Vieja Guardia. Spouse asked if I thought it meant The Old Guard. I assured him I knew it did. He gave me a questioning look, and then a very knowing one when I clarified it’s also the name of one of my favorite fic writers. So, thanks!

Ayyyyy 😂 qué fantástico!!!! This makes me so happy, I love it so much!! Moments where fandom and irl cross are always great but also across languages and countries!!!

I hope the food was good and Colombia treats you both well!! Eat lots of seafood I hear it's fantastic there 😁

Apparently today (March 31) is the 10th anniversary of the HIMYM finale. Also the 10th anniversary of the last time I watched an episode of HIMYM.

IM SO FUCKING SORRY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT ABOUT YOU THAT IS NOT TRUE. YOU ARE A BRIGHT SHINING STAR INTHE SKY. I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL SOMEONE

I was tagged in this "get to know you" meme by both @booksandabeer and @stars-inthe-sky - but it has slightly different questions! I've synthesized them, LOL. Thanks for the tag, you guys!

last song: "The Letter," The Box Tops, followed by "The Letter," Joe Cocker. No one make me choose! The former is a perfect, crisp, driving little pop/soul gem; the latter is a live performance that you've probably heard so often that it's easy to forget just how good it is. It feels like everyone on that recording is operating at the height of their powers, and the result is this towering, ecstatic, howling, joyous track that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day if you're lucky.

currently reading: a manuscript for work that I wouldn't pick up if it wasn't for work, LOL. Last few books, though: Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood (def recommend, I keep thinking about this one); Thomas Mallon, Fellow Travelers and Up With The Sun (sometimes you have Questions about an author and the only thing to do is to read more of their work; more on that eventually maybe).

last film: Never Let Me Go. Quite simply, I had trouble entering into the spirit of the thing (the concept doesn't really hold up upon examination and I'm not sure I buy the larger analogy), but the book is supposed to be fantastic, of course. I did enjoy baby Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield though.

currently watching: The final season of The Crown, more out of curiosity than anything else. I'm finding it very...mid? Is that what the kids are saying? The show peaked a while back, but Elizabeth Debicki's performance as Diana continues to be shockingly good and worth the price of admission. Also, as per my recent reads, watching Fellow Travelers, on track to finish up next week. Waiting to say more about that til I've seen the whole series, but I will say that I have gained a lot of respect for Jonathan Bailey!

three ships: I feel a bit like I'm between fandoms right now, but I can always be talked into reading some good Betty/Jughead, Steve/Bucky, and, uh, *looks at her bookmarks* Crowley/Aziraphale.

favorite color: purple!

currently consuming: About to consume some homemade spinach tortellini soup. (Well, okay. Mostly homemade. The tortellini isn't my own. There are limits.)

relationship status: old married :D

first ship: Hmm! I guess maybe Rachel/Tobias, way back to my preteen Animorph days? Although I certainly did not get into fic for shippy purposes, as @stirringsofconsciousness can verify.

currently working on: desperately needed post-holiday cleaning, honestly. And a bunch of little art projects!

tagging (as ever, with no obligation): @lurker-no-more , @jandjsalmon , @pantsaretherealheroes, @ballroompink

New Tag Game Questions

Tagged by: @amillcitygirl and @gardenarcana

Age when you joined Tumblr: 30-something

Favorite coffee mug or tea cup: For our Christmas cards one year, a digital illustrator friend of ours did our portrait. It was me riding my Vespa and StPauliGuy on his motorcycle. And when we had the cards printed at Shutterfly we also had the design put on some coffee mugs. Because why not?

Morning showers or night showers: how are y'all showering at night at then going to bed with wet hair? I wake up with the worst bed head every day that I have no choice but to shower in the morning.

Pets sleeping on your bed, yes or no: prefer not because dirty. When I'm feeling indulgent I will put her dog bed on the floor next to my bed (she doesn't normally sleep in my bedroom). If my dog tries hard enough she can jump up onto the bed by herself, and I don't have the heart to push her off.

Favorite type of vacation (relaxing, adventure, educational, staycation): adventure/educational. Give me some enrichment! I love museums. I want outings and activities. I want to come back feeling like I've accomplished something.

Can you keep plants alive: yes, and especially now that i use self-watering planters

Type of kid you were (sport kid, art kid, music kid): reading kid (stealing this answer from gardenarcana)

Your current ringtone: umm... whatever the default iPhone ringtone is?

Tagging: In the spirit of boop I'm going to tag lots of folks to play, but of course no pressure! @majoris @mariavlc82 @clubgetright @stars-inthe-sky @arleney @wildlingoftarth

Bonus:

This was the prior year's Christmas card. We were living in Chicago so this is us in front of the Sears Tower.

made the cast of TNV using this windswept picrew (ty @mjjune)! here are my kids in order, featuring some characters i haven’t introduced before! they’re all trapped in a cursed castle together, what could go wrong??

everly: the girl who stole the stars, the should-be queen, fell for a trap and got her kingdom cursed, the only one who can break said curse.  vega: lady knight, member of the king’s elite calvary, everly’s bff and self-appointed royal guard, turns into a disaster gay around arden. asher: step-son of the king of anverion, adventure boy who sneaks into the cursed kingdom to search for a cure for an epidemic.

arden: princess of anverion, youngest of the royal family, smartest person in the room, bookworm, and sneaky sneaks into asher’s caravan.  landon: asher’s best friend and bodyguard who gets dragged on all of asher’s adventures. loathes magic. gets trapped in a castle full of magic. cassia: an enchantress, nature spirit earth child, caught in the brewing tension between the unnamed antagonist and everly’s kingdom.

olia: the royal chamberlain, they keep the castle functioning, even during the curse when everyone is trapped and there is no kingdom to rule. daelyn: everly’s attendant in waiting and close friend, from a noble family that was very close to the king & part of his court/advisors. drayce: his father was on trial for dark magic crimes, so drayce happens to be in the castle at the time of the curse, trapping him there as well.

add the old taglist under the cut, message me to be added or removed! ✨

@nectargrapes @stand-inthe-rain @ardawyn @pinespittinink @lyssthewriter @pen-of-roses @septemberliterature @eluari @starry-sky-stuff @achilleid @houndmouthed @mr-writes @laufire-writes @thebluesthourcommunity @flowerprose

The ever-lovely @knoepfchen tagged me in this one -- thank you! 💟

last song: according to Spotify, it was High by Sivik

currently reading: In the middle of a full Murderbot series reread to celebrate the release of the newest installment, and simultaneously reading The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (omg. so much graphic description of surgery.)

last film: I haven't been to the theater in a very long while. We did watch Elf over the holiday. There probably has been something else in the meantime, but I genuinely can't remember what.

currently watching: In terms of an ongoing tv experience, I'm tuning in weekly for the Percy Jackson series and Reacher. I'm also doing a very very slow Frasier rewatch.

currently craving: A walk, which I'm gonna take after I finish my current job task that I'm procrastinating on lol.

currently consuming: Coffee, of course. Although there is an enormous sticker-covered Nalgene full of water next to me 24/7, also.

three ships: This is such a broad and potentially definitive category, it stresses me out, so I'm just going to list the major ships I've written for recently-ish -- Joe/Nicky (TOG), Leela/Narvin (Gallifrey), Doctor/Rose (DW)

first ship: The first one I really remember getting worked up over was Robin/Marian from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves when I was a wee childe. The first one I was serious enough to hunt down fic for was John/Aeryn from Farscape.

favourite colour: Any shade of purple, but I wear black most.

currently working on: Scraping together enough energy to finish a job task lmao, I do NOT want to be doing career-related things today.

Not sure who has been tagged in this one yet, so @stars-inthe-sky @captainshakespear @laviejaguardia @seanchaidh7 @regina-del-cielo and anybody else who sees this and wants to do it -- consider yourself tagged!

Ted/Trent?

Ooooh, I don't personally ship them because I am too far abroad the SS TedBecca to ship Ted with anyone else but I see it. I totally see it. I think they complimented each other well and Trent's journalistic integrity is something Ted really respects. Plus, Trent's hair! It's a majesty all its own!

Send me a ship and I’ll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it

Milky Way found to be more unique than previously thought Is the Milky Way special, or, at least, is it in a special place in the Universe? An international team of astronomers has found that the answer to that question is yes, in a way not previously appreciated. A new study shows that the Milky Way is too big for its “cosmological wall”, something yet to be seen in other galaxies. The new research is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. A cosmological wall is a flattened arrangement of galaxies found surrounding other galaxies, characterised by particularly empty regions called ‘voids’ on either side of it. These voids seem to squash the galaxies together into a pancake-like shape to make the flattened arrangement. This wall environment, in this case called the Local Sheet, influences how The Milky Way and nearby galaxies rotate around their axes, in a more organised way than if we were in a random place in the Universe, without a wall. Typically, galaxies tend to be significantly smaller than this so-called wall. The Milky Way is found to be surprisingly massive in comparison to its cosmological wall, a rare cosmic occurrence. The new findings are based on a state-of-the-art computer simulation, part of the IllustrisTNG project. The team simulated a volume of the Universe nearly a billion light-years across that contains millions of galaxies. Only a handful – about a millionth of all the galaxies in the simulation – were as “special” as the Milky Way, i.e. both embedded in a cosmological wall like the Local Sheet, and as massive as our home galaxy. According to the team, it may be necessary to take into account the special environment around the Milky Way when running simulations, to avoid a so-called “Copernican bias” in making scientific inference from the galaxies around us. This bias, describing the successive removal of our special status in the nearly 500 years since Copernicus demoted the Earth from being at the centre of the cosmos, would come from assuming that we reside in a completely average place in the Universe. To simulate observations, astronomers sometimes assume that any point in a simulation such as IllustrisTNG is as good as any, but the team’s findings indicate that it may be important to use precise locations to make such measurements. “So, the Milky Way is, in a way, special,” said research lead Miguel Aragón. “The Earth is very obviously special, the only home of life that we know. But it’s not the centre of the Universe, or even the Solar System. And the Sun is just an ordinary star among billions in the Milky Way. Even our galaxy seemed to be just another spiral galaxy among billions of others in the observable Universe.” “The Milky Way doesn’t have a particularly special mass, or type. There are lots of spiral galaxies that look roughly like it,” Joe Silk, another of the researchers, said. “But it is rare if you take into account its surroundings. If you could see the nearest dozen or so large galaxies easily in the sky, you would see that they all nearly lie on a ring, embedded inthe Local Sheet. That’s a little bit special in itself. What we newly found is that other walls of galaxies in the Universe like the Local Sheet very seldom seem to have a galaxy inside them that’s as massive as the Milky Way.” “You might have to travel a half a billion light years from the Milky Way, past many, many galaxies, to find another cosmological wall with a galaxy like ours,” Aragón said. He adds, “That’s a couple of hundred times farther away than the nearest large galaxy around us, Andromeda.” “You do have to be careful, though, choosing properties that qualify as ‘special,’” Neyrinck, another member of the team, said. “If we added a ridiculously restrictive condition on a galaxy, such as that it must contain the paper we wrote about this, we would certainly be the only galaxy in the observable Universe like that. But we think this ‘too big for its wall’ property is physically meaningful and observationally relevant enough to call out as really being special.” IMAGE....A lonely Milky Way Analogue galaxy, too massive for its wall. The background image shows the distribution of dark matter (green and blue) and galaxies (here seen as tiny yellow dots) in a thin slice of the cubic volume in which we expect to find one of such rare massive galaxies. Credit: Images: Miguel A. Aragon-Calvo. Simulation data: Illustris TNG project

New Tag Game Questions

Tagged by: @stars-inthe-sky

Age when you joined Tumblr: Older than you need to be to run for POTUS.

Favorite coffee mug or tea cup: I actually don't have one, but I do like my old Television Without Pity Gilmore Girls mug with a big and little Tubey on it .

Morning showers or night showers: Morning, though on weekends that might be 11:45 a.m. depending on errands.

Pets sleeping on your bed, yes or no: I don't have any, but our family dog when I was a kid never did. So I'll say no.

Favorite type of vacation (relaxing, adventure, educational, staycation): Educational. I love knowing stuff. I also like sharing what I know, hence my love of playing trivia on cruise ships. But museums, touring old houses, city bus tours? Yes please.

Can you keep plants alive: No. I haven't had a plant in years, and my record was 6 months. I don't have the instinct to take care of things.

Type of kid you were (sport kid, art kid, music kid): Book kid. I played outside when I was little and watched TV, but I read lots of books.

Your current ringtone: According to my Samsung, "Puddles." I chose it because it's distinct but not annoying.

Tagging @ballroompink @running-rabbit

Something magical happens when you put all these tracks together. The entrance of the titular saxophone becomes a moment of pure delight, a fist-pumping cheer at the long-awaited appearance of the star of the show. From understated to center-stage, from headline to punchline, here is an ever-growing collection of tracks that were missing a little something, until....

Many thanks to @kvarenje, @pyratenemo-thesequel, @casa-anachar, @allthe-lights-inthe-sky, @wabblebees, @hanicchy, @fishy-strawberries, @rihs-rice-rhys and all the others who contributed to the construction of this wild and wacky thing.

15 questions for 15 friends

Thanks for tagging me, @vivelarevolution13!

Are you named after anyone? My brother's middle school crush. Which he didn't 'fess up to until after he'd suggested the name and my folks chose it.

When was the last time you cried? Probably about a week or so ago—just feeling stressed and needing the catharsis.

Do you have kids? Nope.

What sports do you play/have you played? Soccer, although not for years and years. I used to enjoy hockey and volleyball in gym class!

Do you use sarcasm? Reflexively. Although these days I try to pitch it broad enough that I'm inviting people into the joke.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? I notice people? (Kidding. See? I told you about the sarcasm.) Their general mien, I guess. What vibes are they giving off?

What’s your eye color? Brown.

Scary movies or happy endings? If these are my only two options, happy endings. I'm not a scary movies person at all and in fact am definitely on the "easily creeped out" side of the ledger.

Any talents? I have a good memory, especially for words and lyrics and trivia, and I'm a very fast reader.

Where were you born? The East Coast.

What are your hobbies? In addition to reading and writing, I like art that I can move. Ceramics, textile arts, flower-arranging, jewelry.

Do you have any pets? Only pet peeves!

How tall are you? 5'3, but I've been told that I give off taller vibes, for what it's worth.

Favorite subject in school? History, literature, language.

Tagging (always as an invitation, never a demand...) @stars-inthe-sky, @jandjsalmon, @scrumptiousperfectionwizard, @booksandabeer

tag game!

tagged by: @winterrose527

name: Bonnie

pronouns: she/her

where do you call home: I am a member of the International Fraternal Order of Former Minnesotans. I moved away many years but all my family are still still there.

favorite animal: this dog who thinks the pope parade is for him

cereal of choice: Life

visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner: vis 👏 u 👏 al 👏, please

first pet: a dog named Duke

favorite scent: a lei being placed around your neck when you arrive in Hawaii

do you believe in astrology: it has never been something that resonates with me

how many playlists do you have on your music service of choice: 110. But most of them are just albums or soundtracks or artists I want to remember, not all curated compilations.

sharpies or highlighters: sharpie

song that makes you cry: It's Quiet Uptown from Hamilton. Also Kelly Clarkson's version from the Hamilton Mixtape. Bonus tears!

song that makes you happy: Cut to the Feeling by Carly Rae Jepsen

and finally, do you write/draw/create: I wish! The most I do is dabble with calligraphy sometimes.

tagging @mariavlc82, @stars-inthe-sky, @ballroompink and whoever else wants to do it

Tagged by @asmuchasidliketo thank you!! 💕💕

1. Are you named after anyone?

My first name no but my middle name I'm named after an aunt.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmmm I think a few weeks ago watching a movie maybe

3. Do you have kids?

Nope but I've got a bunch of nieces and nephews I see all the time.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

It depends on who I'm with. My family yeah a fair bit, but with most people not so much.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Either hair, eyes, or clothes.

6. What’s your eye color?

Like a light brownish hazelish color

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

Happy ending (I actually am fine without a happy ending but I don't love scary)

8. Any special talents?

Idk if it's special but I'm a pretty decent cook

9. Where were you born?

Midwest usa

10. What are your hobbies?

Cosplay, traveling, cooking, watching movies/shows, writing, gifting, biking/walking, giffing, photography

11. Do you have any pets?

Four cats 💕

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

I've never done anything organized I used to play football and baseball with my sisters and cousins and I took krav maga for a little while (idk if that counts?)

13. How tall are you?

5'3"

14. Favorite subject in school?

Maybe English

15. Dream job?

Anything where I could get paid and travel the world

Tagging under the cut

Tagging @jar3  @sidebyside-withafriend @spookyvoidangelskeleton  @amillionwips    @vampswillhurtyou @the-fit-law-student @king-author @kinda1938 @eylittlered    @usbournejez @4-the-chaotic-one @aconfusedwriter @sofiastars04 @energievie @falyakonmp3 @minnie-bby @boudoirwriter @hamster981 @thevashta-narada @fire-in-her-blood @legobrickcow @fuinixe @highvoltagecenataur @flamingbluepanda   @bandthatyoulove @dinlukedyke @fandommaniac123 @readergirl1013 @flyingsnail-art  

@resuscitateme20 @the-constellation-collective @ineedmoresleepahhh  @captain-grammar   @mom-friend-socko @quynndestructable @autumnsoldier13 @imjustapeachpeachingaround @veryoldmuchguard @therenegadesexualmystic @leilimds @megloveslokitoomuch @goldheartedsky @luadehades @strawberriesnscreams  @searchingforserendipity25 @butterflymarvel @drxxmingofblue @winterequinoxx @winterhopeinferorose @littleoddball @lionpower98 @almondkoala @julianababu-blog @hanigramslay @stars-inthe-sky @ongreenergrasses @electricalmayhemical feel free to ignore it's just a suggestion. If you've read this far consider yourself tagged just tag me back so I can see it. If you would like to be added or taken off my tag games list interact with this post 💕💕