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hobiebrownismygod · 6 months

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Let's talk about Miles G./Prowler Miles and his characterization in fanfics/headcanons

I'm gonna refer to him as 42-Miles throughout this analysis btw

Fairly short post, about 1.1k words with pictures and gifs to help explain <3

Summary: I'm gonna analyze his characterization as being angry/aggressive, I'm gonna talk about his backstory a little bit and compare him to the original Prowler and then I'm gonna rant about his sexualization a little bit as well.

1. Characterizing him as angry/aggressive

Most of the fanfictions/headcanons that I've read treat 42-Miles like a thug. They act like he would be overly aggressive toward the reader/y/n and often characterize him as slightly misogynistic and a bully. One question. HOW? I genuinely don't understand where people get these headcanons from. You're telling me that this guy, who is literally the exact same person as Miles Morales, would be a cheating, narcissistic asshole who needs to be fixed by some random girl? Are you kidding me? Do y'all think RIO MORALES would've allowed that to happen to her son? HELL NO.

This hispanic lady?? BFFR

In the scene between Miles and 42-Rio, we see her asking him to get groceries, cracking jokes with him and just having an absolutely lovely mother-son dynamic. Its because of this that I think that he's actually a sweet, kind boy who's just trying his best to take care of his family. This little thing that he and his mom have going on proves that 42-Miles is not a bad kid. He's a genuinely nice guy who was thrown into a crappy situation.

As for his whole "You can call me the Prowler" persona, that's obviously just a setup. Miles did the same thing in the first movie when he met Peter B. Parker. He tied him up to a punching bag and put on a slightly deeper voice to confront him. 42-Miles did the exact same thing. He tied up Miles to a punching bag and did his best to intimidate him with the claw and the voice. He's just trying to look cool in front of his twin, guys. He's not that way normally. If anything, he's just gonna be a slightly more depressed version of Miles, but he's still Miles.

Its practically the same scene.

This type of characterization happens a lot towards edgy black males in the media. The same thing happens with Hobie Brown. He's portrayed as cool, a rule-breaker and a punk and immediately, people characterize him as dirty and violent which are nasty stereotypes targeted towards African-Americans. 42-Miles is portrayed as intimidating and edgy and immediately people are quick to say that he would be an asshole and that he would be a bad boy which are also horrible stereotypes. This is blatant racism and its not cute or fun to read. If you want him to be aggressive in your fanfictions, give him an actual reason to be aggressive. Don't just assume that he would be, because if you really think about it, he wouldn't.

2. Calling him a murderer (The original prowler didn't kill people)

A lot of the fanfictions/headcanons that I've read that involved 42-Miles treat him like a murderer and romanticize the idea of him being a criminal. Authors write stories about him violently murdering thugs and beating people up for no reason. Any f.f. involving his identity as the Prowler usually has a killing scene written in or an implied murder scene.

It has been confirmed that 42-Miles is gonna be an anti-hero. Now the Aaron Davis version of the Prowler did kill people. However, he wasn't an anti-hero. If we're going to compare 42-Miles to a Prowler, we need to compare him to Hobie Brown, who was the original Prowler.

Hobie Brown was also an anti-hero who actually helped Spider-man multiple times throughout the comics. He never killed anyone and after trying to lead a life of crime, he actually ended up quitting. This suggests that 42-Miles would be similar if not the same, because its confirmed that he's fighting against the Sinister Six, and isn't a "villain" and therefore would not kill anyone.

He's also 15 years old. Why are people acting like a 15 year old would be a murderer? There is no way this 15 year old kid is going out into the streets and beating up thugs. This guy was supposed to be Spider-man, remember? He fights for justice and he fights against real villains, like Doc Ock, Scorpio, Rhino, all villains who are confirmed to exist in Earth-42.

This headcanon is extremely inaccurate and people really need to chill out on the whole "Prowler" aspect of his character, because he's still Miles. He isn't a whole new character. He's literally Miles Morales in a different font, and he's not gonna be a murderous maniac.

3. Sexualizing him (he's a minor!?!?!)

I'd say about 70-80% of the 42-Miles fanfictions that cross my feed contain smut. People age up Miles, not for the plot, not for the headcanons, but just to write smut.

Personally, when I read a fan fiction or a headcanon about a character, I imagine them in my head when I do. I genuinely read the fan fiction like it would be played out with the character. So to me, people who are writing these smutty fan fictions are imagining a minor in their head while doing these things. This is absolutely insane to me.

Now I know a lot of people are gonna come for me for saying this because "if you don't wanna read it then just scroll" and "he's aged up so its okay" but this is normalizing pedophilia.

Once again, I see the same thing happening with Hobie. Why? Once again, casual racism. People see an edgy black male and they immediately assume he'd be super sexual. The people writing smut about Miles are the same way. They see an attractive black teen and the first thing that pops up in their mind is "I'd let him fuck me." He's 15 years old. No one should be writing smut about this kid. He doesn't do anything sexual in the movie, he doesn't have a confirmed love interest, he was literally on screen for two minutes. Stop treating black characters like sex toys and enjoy their damn storylines.

I explained more on the sexualization of black characters in the media in this post here if you want to read more into it or still feel a little unsure about my analyzation. I included sources as well <3

This guy is a tired CHILD. LOOK AT HIS EYE BAGS

As for the whole "aging up" thing, aging up a character for a fan fiction and aging them up for smut are two very different things. I've read 42-Miles fanfictions where they age him up, but they actually add to the plot. This one fanfiction I read (I'll link it if I find it) aged him up to create a officer x criminal trope, which I found absolutely adorable. They were able to write an amazing story with zero smut. Compare this to people who are saying "I'm aging him up to 18 <3" and its just 4000 words of straight, gut-wrenching smut.

This genuinely disgusts me. I don't know if its just me who feels this way about his sexualization, but its so icky to think about. You're taking a literal child and imagining yourself doing all these things with him and posting it for the rest of the world to see. A lot of the people who write these fanfictions are 18+ which baffles me as well.

Stop sexualizing minors and stop aging up characters just for smut. It's messed up.

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wistfulrat · 3 years

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this week’s fics! feat. bakeries, bookshops, bisexual awakenings of the angsty and fluffy sort, wolfstar goddads being tender as hell, desi harry reconnecting with his culture, domestic drarry, a lap dance set to akon’s smack that, and more!

But That’s History by @ebbet - 54k - T Harry Potter starts his first year as Muggle Studies Professor only to find that Draco Malfoy has been hired to teach History of Magic.

listen to me. this is one of the funniest drarry fics i've ever read. i was cackling in my bed at 2am because harry’s internal monologues throughout this fic are unhinged. insanely quotable. “what was he, a lothario” and “you were crushing me with your muscular thighs!” are lines that live rent free in my empty head. harry has never played anything cool a day in his life. there’s a faculty meeting where the teachers are planning the yule ball and debating the merits of a DJ when harry decides he must defend his muggle-music-loving honor by dancing seductively to akon’s smack that while a blushing draco loses his mind. i fucking screamed. and the best part is that in between the comedic scenes threading the overall story, you have extremely tender moments of like, padma patil helping harry become a more rooted desi by sharing their cultural traditions, harry proudly donning his sherwani. draco wrestling with his past, going to harry’s lgbtq+ club for students, being sheepish with ron and hermione. ugh, comedic writers with emotional depth are clever and talented as hell!!

Realities, Unfurling by @ebbet - 45k - M Draco Malfoy is released from Azkaban into a changed world.

incredible collage-fic told from multiple povs. 8yrs post-war and everything’s changed. the current state of the magical world unfolds via slice-of-life snapshots from a truly stunning cast. non-binary harry whom is running a non-prof org dedicated to building tolerance and establishing equality for marginalized identities. post-prison-release draco whose life will be changed by the internet. neville’s tender relationship with blaise. andromeda’s fiercely protective mothering. remus and sirius being alive and very hot and just, the tender goddads harry deserved. cho chang being brilliant. baker pansy’s softened edges. found families abound. harry being flustered by their crush on draco and making personalized playlists on an iPod nano.

that all might sound narratively cluttered but the author more than pulls this off. glorious, start to finish.

Knead by @jovialobservationanchor (an @hd-erised fic) - 83k - E This is not a story about Harry renovating Grimmauld Place. This is a story about coffee shops and brewpubs, about Ginny and Luna on a farm with creatures, about magical Oregon, coastal road trips, flying, friendship, and Draco Malfoy's lean arms.

cinematic. a love letter to oregon’s expansive landscapes and lively cities. it’s harry finding home in unexpected places and people. in the vast silence of rolling fields, endless coasts, and starry night skies big enough to feel like you’re adrift in space. and it’s also the lingering, intimate quiet of early mornings in a bakery, sitting on a park bench overlooking the city as you eat ice cream next to your crush. it’s harry watching ginny and luna dance and work around each other like bees. it’s the slow unfolding of harry and draco’s relationship as they fill each other’s quiet. finishing this fic is like waking from a good dream. transporting, immersive, lovely.

Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening by @writcraft - 20k - E Harry is perfectly content being single, heterosexual and living in Godric's Hollow with his very clingy rescue dog, Snitch. When Draco Malfoy turns up on Harry's doorstep demanding that Harry teach him how to drive, things quickly become a lot more complicated.

first of all, i feel very seen by draco being a gay-who-can’t-drive. it’s called representation. but mostly i love the ease of harry and draco’s banter, a flustered harry discovering his sexuality, and the way this fic addresses biphobia. also very emo over this exchange: “I think I might be scared of you, but probably not for the reasons you think.” “Yes.” Draco stares at Harry. “I think I might be scared of you too.”

Forged through flowing water by @tedahfromtayla (an @hd-erised fic) - 40k - E When Hermione sets up a diplomatic mission to begin repairing the damage British colonisation did to Indian magical communities Harry isn’t going to pass on the opportunity to visit and help his family’s home country. Maybe he should have asked a few more questions about the personnel she had recruited for it before signing on because Malfoy surely has an ulterior motive to be there.

so much to love about this fic. the beautiful settings, from kolkata to mumbai, to the holi festival and colorful lively streets, to remote cave settlements and old intricate temples. it’s harry in the homeland, reconnecting to his family’s heritage and confronting the weight of imperialism in his history. it’s nipping the white savior complex in the bud. this part: That is what England left behind. That is what it still stands for, despite whatever mask of respectability and honour it presents. . .You don't get to step aside and let someone else deal with the mess. You have to listen and learn and then act, Malfoy, you need to learn how to fix your own mess. This is why we're here. my indigenous ass cheered. HP certainly sells the british fantasy but HP fanfic?? fuck jkr, fuck the crown. i love that this fic doesn’t romanticize england’s history. i love that we get to see the vast resilience and beauty of post-colonial india.

Purity Control by yrfrndfrnkly - 28k - T In which Harry tries to ignore his trauma with fantasy Quidditch but Malfoy's Thereness™ is distracting and all his classmates want to talk about are unicorns, virginity, and Muggle music.

tender 8th year fics where they go from bristly as fuck to understanding and soft 100% guaranteed to make me emo as hell. all the teens have traumas and no one wants to talk about it but eventually Things are Talked About. it’s good of the adults to finally notice. everyone just wants someone to hold their hand. and this part: “You’re the only person around here who’s a bigger mess than I am.” “I thought maybe we could be a mess together,” pls don’t look at me as i weep over their gentle empathy.

Advent, a comic by dustmouth - WIP - T It's Harry and Draco's first Christmas together and Draco is determined to live his full yuletide fantasy, come hell or high water.

dustmouth, patron saint of whimsical drarry. whose illustrations singlehandedly reinvented wizarding fashion. whose cheeky and tender comics are like a soothing balm to the utter depravity of this carnal world. harry and draco being domestic, draco’s xmas spirit brand being “traditional unhinged”!! extremely my shit. we’ll absolutely be reading this all december.

Little Spaces by @dracoladon and @lazywonderlvnd - WIP - E Draco's back from France and working on the spell damage ward at St Mungo's with Hermione, who invites him over for dinner. Without telling Harry. This is a roleplay, which means Harry is written by one author (lazywonderland) and Draco by another (dracoladon).

the switch in distinct character voices works so well for this fic!! tonally i feel like i'm watching an episode of the office. i personally love harry and draco being Pissed Off at how much they want to bone each other. the battle of the tapenade was the most riveting dinner scene i've read in a minute. clever, hilarious, emotionally tense. can’t wait until that inevitable moment post hate-sex when they’re gonna be like “oh noooo it’s a Heart Boner as well!! >:((” hell ya we’re subscribing for chapter updates.

Dragons Don’t Know Paradise by @teacup-tai - WIP - E In 2004, when Remus spends two scary weeks in the ITU due to complications of pneumonia and his HIV condition, Sirius walks around the house like a ghost and Harry finds comfort and strength in Draco through a chat in an online LGBT forum. Harry falls for him, but Draco has a lot of secrets and, before long, will need to come clean—even if he believes that no one is able to understand a dragon.

non-magical bookshop AU. remus and sirius’ relationship is a marvel. the ease of their affection with harry makes me so emo. draco’s friends being insistently present even as he tries to isolate himself. this is a story about acceptance, found families, and falling in love at a distance. the intimacy, the longing, the tenderness. what a fic!! i keep coming back to this part:...he looks at ease, inside his body, a body he needed to fight for. He’d made peace with his struggles and his scars. And Draco realises he wants that. He wants to be at ease inside his body, the body that now carries a virus. He wants to be at peace with his own existence. you hurt for draco so deeply but you get moments like these where he affords himself a kindness that feels foreign and it’s just!! the boys navigating grief and learning to be vulnerable. so good.

#drarry fic rec #drarry #we live and die for desi harry aka hari poddar bc fuq jkr #a lot of soft drarrys this week but in my defense ive been reading hella angst and my depression was not finding that cute #weekly drarrys

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odetothestars · 3 years

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(Big tw for mentions of sexual assault)

This is a heavy topic but I feel like it’s important to put this out there

(Please excuse any typos in this, I’m not proof reading it and I’m literally rage typing)

I don’t know who told you guys that it’s okay to romanticize sexual assault, but all of y’all need to cut that shit out immediately. This is something that’s been bothering me a lot on this app recently because people continue to write it into their fanfics as a romance arch, and it literally makes me so sick.

Do you know how many people experience sexual assault in real life? Do you understand how fucking terrifying that is? Do you know how much that actually messes up so many lives? And yet you still continue to write that into your fics for entertainment? Are you kidding me?

Sexual assault is never ever something you should be using for a fucking hurt/comfort trope! You cant just be like “lolz I’m just an angsty writer so here’s 3000 words of me romanticizing this fucked up thing” babe, sexual assault is not just angsty it’s literally traumatic and you shouldn’t be using it as a fucking writing trope!

And some of you have the absolute audacity to write graphic non-con scenes? That is not okay at all. Ever. Never ever. Literally educate yourself because this is disgusting and I have no clue how you ever came to the conclusion that it’s okay? Stop it!

Just to make it crystal clear, that kind of shit will not be tolerated on this blog. This is a place where we understand the severity of sexual assault and will not put up with it being romanticized as a plot for writing. This is a safe place for victims of assault to feel heard and comfortable. If anyone ever needs to talk, my pms are always open.

Obviously, yes, sexual assault is something we should be talking about. Conversations about it can help victims feel more comfortable speaking out about what happened to them and seeking help, so talking about it in a respectful way is necessary! That is not at all the same as romanticizing and fetishizing it in writing for entertainment.

Maybe writing it is a way to cope with your own trauma? I don’t know? In that case I’m very truly sorry that you’re going through that!

Major point of this is, STOP ROMANTICIZING AND FETISHIZING REAL PEOPLE’S TRAUMA! It’s not okay, never has been, stop it!

#harry potter #remus lupin #sirius black #wolfstar #marauders era #hp marauders #marauders headcanon #wolfstar au #james potter

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benjaminhuntjens · 3 years

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Writing advice for those that don't do well with writing advice

We’ve all heard about how one cannot write a good first draft without first plotting your novel. So you sit down, you plot and plan with vigor. You create characters, a story, all the beats, emotional moments, and escalations. And when you sit down to write there’s just…

Nothing.

You hate this story now. You no longer want to write it.

Does this sound like something you might do too?

Then this piece of advice is for you.

Forget all of that. Just write.

Just sit down, start writing. Look up a prompt or create a character or two if you have to to get direction. But just write.

Because if you’re anything like me, you are a pantser.

No, that does not mean you like to wear pants, although you might. But what that means is you like to write stories by ‘flying by the seat of your pants’. You like to discover your story as you write it, it keeps things fresh and interesting. And especially in a first draft where you just need to get words on paper? That’s a useful thing, especially if your brain constantly craves that dopamine.

Are there downsides to this method of writing? If you want to publish, then yes. Because writing as a pantser usually means a lot of editing in other drafts. And that does suck, but it is a necessary inconvenience if this is the way things work for you.

I know some of you might think, but isn’t the other way better than? Should I just slog through? You could, if you think that works for you. If you know, it’s not going to though, keep reading.

Because they cater a lot of writing advice to plotters. The people that absolutely love, or really need, a well-plotted novel and characters to keep them focused and excited to write. That’s a completely valid strategy. But pantsing is a valid strategy too, and that’s what I’m focusing on.

There are four types of writers out there.

You have the methodological plotters, the intuitive plotters, the methodological pantsers, and the intuitive pantsers.

These four types are categories on a sliding scale. Think of an audio mixing board and on it are sliders. You have two of these sliders installed on your board as a writer, but how these sliders are set or how fast they are sliding might dictate on what kind of advice you need to focus on. To get your first draft written.

Ellen Brock, an editor with a YouTube channel, explains these four types of writers in this video. I highly recommend you watch it.

But just in case you don’t feel like doing that, here’s a quick rundown:

Methodological plotter: This is the extreme planner type. You have everything broken down, from your scene structures to your story structure, to your character’s arcs. You need to have everything spelled out and planned out before you can write your story from beginning to end. If you don’t, you lose focus and interest. This is the type that edits everything in advance before they write the story. Making their first drafts clearer and more cohesive. A good sign that you’re not this type is if you plot everything and then you don’t want to write this story anymore. You just lose interest.

Intuitive plotter: This type still needs some type of plot, like a summary, or some characters plotted out in order to get their story written. Yet their way of writing and solving problems is not structured or logical, but comes from their gut. From their own intuition. You just know what works for your story and you don’t need to shuffle scenes or plot around in order to make it seem natural.

Methodological pantser: This type can seem like an oxymoron because their two greatest needs, pantsing vs thinking through everything on a logical level. And that feels very contradicting. But it’s the type of writer who needs to see something written in order to spark their creativity. So what you might do as a methodological pantser is you do some planning, you do some writing; you go back to planning a few things, and then you write them down, and you edit as you go along. You keep switching back and forth. This is the most chaotic writing process for anyone outside looking in, but for the methodological pantser, this is completely natural. And it is something that you need to do in order to get your story written and for it to make sense. I have found that this type suits me the best. It’s also the type that is frowned upon in most writing advice. But your writing style is not wrong, it’s just as valid as the others.

Intuitive pantser: This is the most romanticized type of writer. Where you have someone who can just sit down, write an entire story without plotting and who intuitively knows when something is not working and also knows just how to fix it. Without applying the usual logical way of structuring a story. And yet these writers make it seem completely natural. It’s the type of writers most of us want to be, yet it’s also the rarest type. This type also spends most of their time in editing.

The two slides I talked about earlier are the plotter vs pantser slides and the methodological vs intuitive slides. These slides usually stay within one side of the spectrum, but can also slide around a little. Plotters might find days where they need to just write, and pantsers might find days they need more structure to keep going. The trick to discovering your type, though, is to try them all and find out what works for you.

In short, you just need to write.

Discover what type you are, and use it to write that first draft.

But how do I keep motivated during that process? What if there are other stories that pop up and that I want to write?

As someone with ADHD, I have struggled with those days too. What I found helpful is to sit down for a day, write all those ideas for later, maybe even work a little on one or two, and then come back to the story you were working on. There’s nothing wrong with that.

You are human. And yes, you would like to publish that book and just get it written. You might just have to accept that some days are very distracting. That’s okay. Be kind to yourself and discover what works for you, is perhaps the best writing advice you can get. Try everything and learn. And if you find it doesn’t work, discard that advice.

Some tips I found helpful for my ADHD writing brain:

Create a reward system for yourself to keep your brain on that dopamine surge. This can be anything, from rewarding yourself with snacks/drinks to rewarding yourself with other fun activities. Keep it fun.

Treat your own first draft as a fanfic you’re reading and write enthusiastic comments to yourself. Mail them to yourself if you have to. (Don’t post your first draft online, just keep it to yourself.)

Write fanfic for writing practice and fun! Post chapters as you go and get feedback or likes/kudos.

Learn to love the process of writing, and if it becomes too much of a chore, take a break. It’s okay.

Keep a notebook or an app on your phone for all those pesky little thoughts that come up during your day. Write them down.

Use prompts from prompt blogs or other sources of inspiration to fuel your first draft. Just make sure you can either edit them out later or may use them in commercial works if you want to publish.

Just have fun and write a story you love. If you don’t love your story or have no investment in it. Your readers will know. This doesn’t mean that you can never write when you’re not motivated. You will have days when you’re not as invested. But it means that for the majority of the time, you should enjoy the story you’re writing.

Practice gentle writing. Try to write every day but don’t set hard word count goals, try to write daily on set times and just have fun with it. Even a hundred words a day will eventually become a novel if you just keep writing.

#writing advice #writerblr #writing #tips for writers #writing tips #writing tips for neurodivergent people

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maxbegone · 4 years

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AND WE ARE BACK!

Part two of the Schitt’s Creek Community Fic Rec is here! This time, we focused on celebrating our favorite AU’s! Once again, this is dedicated with love to the the authors of this community! Every participant chose one AU (which was a little hard to do for some) to share and why they enjoyed it.

Thank you to everyone who submitted!

@bestwisheswarmestregards // @brighter-than-sunshine // @danieljradcliffe // @devilstelephone // @fishyspots // @imargaery // @justwaiting23 // @patrickbrewsky // @rockinhamburger // @roguebabyinyourstore // @rosebuddsmotel // @stuck-on-your-heart // @the-13th-wheel // @thedidipickles // @thisbuildinghasfeelings // @yourbuttervoicedbeau

And a very special thank you to anyone who has ever written anything in this community!

Everything is posted below the cut, and you can check out part one here!

**As always, if I missed an author’s tumblr handle, please let me know!

@bestwisheswarmestregards

Odd Man Rush by @samwhambam

It’s David and Patrick and Hockey! Three of my favorite things! Also the ending is one of my favorite endings. It’s so sweet! It’s part of the series score and all of the stories are so cute but this one is my favorite!

@brighter-than-sunshine

Thanks For Choosing Bagged! by dinnfameron

I love this one because the dialogue is so adorable, and true to David and Patrick! I can totally see the characters getting involved in something like this, like a different version of a rom-com.

@danieljradcliffe

Going Down by concannonfodder

This is one of the best stories of NYC!David and recently out Patrick while they're both trying to find themselves. It's beautifully written and my favourite part is that each chapter switches between David and Patrick's POV. It does a great job of highlighting the aspects of their personalities that we know and love but shows them to us in a new light.

@devilstelephone

sustineo by @rockinhamburger

The contemporary art discussions between Patrick and David are interesting and important to the story. Patrick still cares for and emotionally connects with David In a world that is so different than Schitt’s Creek. I liked that Sebastian Raine was the evil force without being included as a character.

@fishyspots

Welcome to Cabaret by @vivianblakesunrisebay

It's lovely from start to finish! In this 'verse, Christmas World didn't pull out, so David didn't get the lease for the general store. Instead, he gets roped into helping Moira with Cabaret, and meets Patrick (kind of) through that. I love the way this author writes. The dialogue is in-character, and the plot is wonderful and pulls out moments from canon and reimagines them in some truly inspired ways. I'm such a fan of all of this author's works; this was the first one I read, and it remains my favorite.

@imargaery

David.; or, a Tale of Misapplied Sense by Siria

A Jane Austen D&P AU and it is BRILLIANT. If you're an Austen fan, you will be able to immediately pick up on how well this author adapted Austen's style, wit, character descriptions, and ability to whack you over the head with romance when you're not even ready for it yet. Siria is a very experienced fanfic writer, but writes for many fandoms, so I think that's maybe why it doesn't have that many hits? I'm so glad I clicked on it. I want to wrap myself up in this story. I want to make a podfic out of it. I want to put it on a t-shirt and wear it every day. Also, it's in a regency AU where homophobia isn't a thing, so you don't even have to worry about that. I want to tell you more, but that would spoil it. Just read the damn thing and thank me later.

@justwaiting23

You Were the Ocean, I Was Just a Stone by @al-ex-an-d-er-hamiltons

The image of a curly haired fisherman Patrick is enough but this whole fic is such a sweet concept. Their interactions in this are so reminiscent of the show but also so different because they already know each other vaguely, and I come back to this fic over and over just because it's the perfect mix of angsty miscommunication and fluff.

@maxbegone

Known and Be Known by ahurston

As someone who tends to lean toward canon/canon-divergent stories, this was a refreshing take on an AU. Beautifully written and wonderfully raw, ahurston conveyed the vulnerabilities between both David and Patrick so wonderfully. “The mortifying ordeal of being known,” personified in fanfiction format. With humor and some wonderfully hot scenes peppered throughout, this fic was just brilliant from start to finish. I love when authors explore Patrick's insecurities and vulnerabilities - they aren't written about as often as David's are. I implore you to read this, if you're able.

@patrickbrewsky

Bound by Symmetry by barelypink

They say write what you know. I instead read what I know. David is the accidentally fantastic teacher we all wished we'd had in high school, and some of us wish/hope we are or might be one day. This fic is a great exploration of combining everything David knows he is (creative, bright, v.knowledgeable about art) and all the things he thinks he's not (empathetic, a role model, great with kids, selfless, kind, & big hearted) The selling point quote: "And it feels good, David realizes, to have a job that means something, a purpose beyond himself. A place where he feels like he belongs, just like his students." (David Rose proves he is both a good and nice person).

@rockinhamburger

Blackbird, Fly by distractivate

This is a post-apocalyptic story about love, connection, and hope, with a central theme of growth from destruction. I could not put this one down; I read it feverishly in one sitting, desperate to soak up every word. I love this fic because it is what I like to think of as an exemplar for transformative works (one of ao3’s top values). I love the way the fic stretches toward the light in the dark. It makes me think: about the quintessential elements of these characters, what remains the same despite changed circumstance, and what inevitably shifts when these characters we know and love are faced with a situation far outside their experience or comfort. This story likely hits differently in 2020, when post-apocalyptic narratives feel much less distant than they might have just a year ago. And yet, all the more reason to read an incredible work about hope and resilience and transformation.

@roguebabyinyourstore

Fifteen Hundred Miles by MoreHuman

Where do I even begin with this fic? I was at first skeptical about what reason David Rose would have to willingly subject himself to a trek through the wilderness out of his own volition. Well I’m so glad I ignored that admittedly stupid part of me because this is one of the mostly beautifully crafted stories I have ever read. Patrick and David are individually on their own journeys of self-discovery, but the way they help each other find what they sought... It’s breathtaking. Their feelings for each other bloom so organically over their time together that despite the circumstances laid out before them, the miles that they stumble and walk and run bring them miles closer to each other. Closer to the love that they both didn’t know they needed. The characters come alive and are identical to their canon selves. The dialogue and banter are spot on David and Patrick. The writing itself is superb. The tropes are incredible, the pining and *oh no there’s only one tent.* The slow burn is tantalizing but in a way that feels true to a genuine love story. The way the setting somehow breathes in tune with the characters, the way they leave messages behind in the trail register—conveying more than they can utter aloud— and the way their families communicate with them throughout their time on the trail through letters. All of the elements of this story ground it in universal truth, in feelings that are not only relatable, believable but demand to be felt. I can wax poetic until I am blue in the face, but really... Read this story. And then reread it a million times.

@rosebuddsmotel

I Carry These Heart-Shapes Only to You by @ladyflowdi and @ships-to-sail

There are over 180,000 words in this WWII AU, but not one of those words is wasted. It is gorgeous in its prose, and incredibly romantic without romanticizing the very real pain and tragedies of the era in which it exists. It's not an easy read by any means, but it's the kind of cathartic emotional journey that is more than worth it in the end.

@stuck-on-your-heart

kiss from a rose by mihaly ( @davidroseshusband )

What can I say about this very special fic that would do it justice? In this story, Alexis stars in a Bachelorette-style dating show and it’s every bit as brilliant as it sounds. On top of the incredible characterization, there are little surprises at every turn, there’s pining, and of course, there’s love. Secret love, even. This fic is truly addicting – I promise you won’t be able to stop once you start reading, and it will leave you feeling so satisfied (and if you’re like me, a little misty)!!!

@the-13th-wheel

Hold Me Like You’ll Never Let Me Go by @mooodlighting

It is a wonderful short AU where Patrick and David where they meet at an airport after they get snowed in. It is cute, there is longing and pining that just make it a wonderful read!

@thedidipickles

Beneath the Winter Snow by Distractivate

The writing is so utterly gorgeous all the way throughout that I frequently needed to take breaks to breathe. The author *perfectly* builds an Olympic world that I can totally see my favorite characters inhabiting, and the resolution is gorgeous. All of Distractivate's AUs are amazing, but this one still stands out.

@thisbuildinghasfeelings

How Do We Get Back by @unfolded73

This one deals with a literal alternate universe, which is the first thing I loved about it because I had never read a fic quite like it before. It's a beautifully written 60,000+ word masterpiece that definitely makes me feel ALL the feelings. In addition, it is absolutely riveting. I could not stop reading until I got to the end.

@yourbuttervoicedbeau

Make It To Me by figmentof ( @rosesdavid )

Epistolatory fic is SO hard to pull off and the author does such an incredible job with the way the characters shine through even though we only see them interact via text message. This fic is my comfort food and I reread it regularly <3

Anonymous Recs:

Just Breathe by olivebranchesandredwine

I love this one because it's got Patrick as a yoga teacher (hot!) and shows David being proactive about anxiety and it's just such a lovely story.

Shall I Stay? by alladaydream ( @maybewecandreamalittle )

This is so worth the 100k wordcount. 18-year-old David and Patrick sweetly leaning into first love, a lot of angst and pining in the middle that allow them both to heal and grow, and a heartfelt reconciliation. Plus, two bonus cherries on top with artist!David and a beautiful epilogue in which they (spoiler) live happily ever after. The tone and pacing of this fic is so good, and I always go back to it when I want to read something comforting.

Your Heart is Keeping Time with Me by @yourbuttervoicedbeau

I haven't seen 50 First Dates, but this fic is better than the movie could ever be. The author's writing is so beautiful and her David who has amnesia and her Patrick who wants to help him are just PERFECT. I want more and more and more of this.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated and thank you to every single person who has written something in this community! It would be wonderful to do a part three, but for now, enjoy some alternate universe fics!

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fromtheashesofvalyria · 4 years

Text

They were both too young to know how to love.

Of course leave it to Harry Potter to be what drags me back into writing fan fiction. Apologies to people who follow me already since this is pretty different from posts I’ve done in the past, so feel free to ignore.

I just wanted to try and get some thoughts out about a fanfiction I’m currently writing, specifically the relationship between Harry and Daphne. Or the lack of one right now anyway. ;)

The basic background is that this is a soulmate AU with soulmate marks and empathy/semi-telepathy (I’m not sure what to call it honestly). The three main ships are Dramione, Ransy, and Pottgrass, and it’s a slowburn enemies to lovers starting from Goblet of Fire on. Emphasis on slowburn and enemies considering two of the involved are Draco and Pansy.

Before I started writing again, the only ones of those three I shippped/read fanfiction of were Draco/Hermione and Pansy/Ron. I originally picked Daphne because I’d read fics that had her as a character and liked her in them; after that I read two fanfics that made me really ship them, because the amount of ships I have due to fanart/fanfic is huge. (Previously I was, and actually still am, a Nottgrass shipper because I am a multi-shipper a lot of the time.)

I’m going to put the rest of my rambling under the cut.

So there are a couple different things going on here. The most superficial was that, when I had started writing, I’d been re-watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries so I was a bit influenced by Pride and Prejudice when writing Daphne at first. Specifically the inspiration was Matthew Macfaden’s Darcy from the 2005 movie and Daniel Vincent Gordh’s William Darcy from LBD. (And as an aside Astoria was slightly based on Georgianna from the 2005 movie and Gigi Darcy from LBD.)

The inspiration became less strong the more I wrote, but her being standoffish/cold/rude to non-Slytherins (except Astoria) and the scene where Daphne tries to make a deal with Harry was inspired by Darcy's first, horrible proposal to Elizabeth. But that’s the shallower reason, let’s get into the meat of it, which is background vs appearance.

Harry Potter was orphaned at the age of one years old, was raised in an abusive family who didn’t even give him a room for ten years, had no friends until he got to Hogwarts, and was lied to by the Dursleys’ about what his parents were actually like. There were no pictures of his parents, he wasn’t told they were a witch and wizard, and he didn’t even know they were murdered. When he is told about his parents, he is given the romanticized view of James and Lily and their relationship. He thinks they were the perfect picture of soulmates, as he hasn’t been told that James was once a jerk that Lily really disliked. His first real experience of familial love was with the Weasleys and thinks of them as the best family in the world. Daphne knows nothing of this aside from the fact that he was raised by muggles; I don’t think she thought much about Harry at all outside of times parts of his adventures were found out by the school. Like the flying car incident. As she said in the fanfic, Harry just sort of existed to Daphne.

Harry is only fourteen years old at the start of the fic, and has only had a crush on Cho at this point, but he does know that he wants to have the real love and respect his parents had. He wants to have a family of his own that would actually be loving. He doesn’t want his potential future children to grow up without love. And, most importantly, he doesn’t think Daphne is capable of that.

What Harry knows about Daphne’s background is that she’s part of an old, wealthy pureblood family a la the Malfoys or the Parkinsons. (He wouldn’t know the term Sacred Twenty-Eight.) That’s pretty much it and would be about the amount of knowledge all the students from the other houses would know (except for Astoria, the Ravenclaw little sister, who is just as uncomfortable as Daphne when asked to talk about their parents). Harry is also generally dismissive of Slytherin house as a whole thanks to Draco and his gang; he thought they looked like a “pale and unpleasant lot'' at the Welcome Feast in first year.

Here’s how Daphne comes across to the kids outside of Slytherin: standoffish; doesn’t seem to talk much outside of class participation, and is often sarcastic when she does; doesn’t seem to have friends outside of Slytherin and the only non-Slytherin she is consistently genuinely affection towards is her little sister, and not everyone sees that; while not a member of Pansy’s gang is still known to be a good friend of Pansy’s, and is also close to Blaise who is seen as equally snobby.

(Speaking of Blaise, Daphne still wants to know why she’s the only one to get an insulting nickname like Ice Queen when Blaise and Theo are often just as anti-social towards the other houses as she is. In Theo’s case, more so. XD)

Of course, it’s easy to sympathize with Daphne when you know what her background is really like. Her parents, despite being soulmates, have an absolutely toxic relationship that their daughters had to witness: “Daphne Greengrass hadn’t been a fan of the soulmate concept for years now. She could even pinpoint the exact moment her disillusionment started: the night before her sixth birthday when her father finally told her mother that, soulmates or not, he had never loved her and had only married her out of both obligation to the bond and to the alliance with her family. This had then turned into a screaming match in her father’s study accompanied by the sound of glass being thrown at a wall.” This is just one incident.

Daphne was so used to her parents arguing (and to be really clear, I’m not talking about normal arguments couples have; I’m talking about full-blown trying to verbally/emotionally hurt the other as possible or just arguing to try and win against the other person) that she was already making it her job to comfort Astoria, who “was still a baby, and upset by it”. Daphne has grown up with a very dim view of romance and romantic love.

Now, Daphne does know that people can be genuinely in love. For all their many, many faults, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy are devoted to each other. Pansy’s parents aren’t on the same level, but are loving/affectionate enough with each other. However, she doesn’t think love and happiness are guaranteed so it’s better to have something more solid like respect or trust. However, that is hard to get across to Harry because she’s grown up to think being emotional is bad/a weakness and it’s hard for her to open up to people she doesn’t know well. (Pansy was her first friend at five years old and is still her best friend up until this point; it’s also the reason her other friends are the Slytherins she’s known for years at this point. People she’s used to.)

She could have approached Harry differently, flirted, or suggested dating, or tried to be romantic but she would have thought of that as dishonest/manipulative. Because Daphne knows love isn’t guaranteed for soulmates. Because Daphne knows she’s not the most likeable person. Because Daphne isn’t sure she could love Harry and doesn’t want to lie about it. Yes, Slytherins are all about cunning and clever ways to get what they want, but this is one of the areas Daphne would not even consider something like that. For all her issues, Daphne does have some standards.

Self-control and (just control in general) is something Daphne clings to because her parents were often unpredictable and she had to create a sense of being in control of her life. Her father is not a warm or empathetic person and he looks down on people being too emotional. (Yes, this is supposed to be hypocritical considering he’d get into screaming matches with his wife.) He would be out of the house a lot for both work and to get away from his wife. Her mother was emotionally and mentally in a bad place for a long time and withdrew from her children a bit. She improved by the time Daphne was at school, but her favorite is clearly Astoria for reasons that will be expanded on later. Daphne tells herself she gets it because Astoria is her favorite family member too. (Also I just want to make this clear, Daphne and Astoria are close siblings who genuinely love and care about each other. Daphne is also Astoria’s favorite family member. Their relationship, as I like to see/write it could be another post though so moving on.)

This need for self-control also was because of the stutter she had growing up. She was already self-conscious about it and she was very aware that her parents (her father in particular) saw it as a problem, which stressed her out more and made her stutter worse. The more emotional she’d get, the more likely she’d stutter. Whereas the more comfortable she was, the less often it happened. Pansy already mentioned in one of her POV’s that she barely heard Daphne stutter around her after a while; not a huge spoiler or surprise, but it was the same with Astoria. One of Daphne’s pre-Hogwarts tutors was essentially a wizard speech therapist, so she had it under control by first year but it was still recent enough at the time that she was pretty afraid of slipping up at school. Also consider the fact that some students (not just Slytherins either, but from all houses) made fun of Quirrell's stutter, and he was a teacher. (Yes he was evil, and only pretending to have one, but they didn’t know that then.) How much worse would the teasing be for a first year student? So as her father told her, sometimes it’s better not to talk at all.

Harry doesn’t know any of this.

Before things really started in the fanfic, Harry’s one interaction with Daphne that really stood out to him was that time she was sarcastic to him in first year after his first Quidditch game: “You know my family made the snitches used at Hogwarts. Please try not to choke on another of them next time.” When fourth year started, she ignored him completely in the Great Hall, and didn’t help her friend in a way he didn’t recognize/understand.

The next day, Daphne sends him a note ordering him to meet her during lunch, after not acknowledging him in public. (As Harry says, she didn’t even write please. It also didn’t ask him for a date and time to talk, just told him to meet her in a specific location.) When he asked if she was proposing to date him, she “made a truly exasperated sounding noise” which definitely hurt his pride a little. She also tried to approach a relationship (not necessarily even a romantic relationship, just in general) with him, someone she has barely spoken to, like a business deal, which he thinks is a cold way to look at it and he loses his temper. However, it should be noted that she asked him why when he rejected her out of hand and well, don’t ask a question you wouldn’t want an answer to.

Later on he sees her picking on a second year for seemingly no reason. In reality, this is a girl who did something to her sister and Daphne doesn’t let things like that slide when it comes to people she cares about.

Now afterwards things get murkier because Daphne is wanting to freeze him out/ignore him, but he is the one to poke at her. The soulmate bond is like an outside force that pushes down on two people to try and force them together, which can be downright unbearable if you really don’t like the other person. Harry finds the pressure it puts on them very hard and is stunned when she acts like she’s not affected at all. (He’d feel better if he knew she was feeling it just as much as him. Sort of like how Hermione and Ron both take comfort in the fact that Draco and Pansy are having as bad a time with the bond as they are.) He’s already under stress from the situation with his scar hurting and Sirius leaving his hideout to come back to England because of it, now add on to that the stress of an outside magical force trying to bond him to a girl he doesn't like and who doesn’t like him. No, he’s not handling it in a great way, but he’s young.

And Daphne could always try and talk to him about things good (sending him a song through the bond to help him sleep when worry for Sirius was keeping him up) and bad (the incident with the second year), but she doesn’t try. Partly it’s out of pride, but largely it’s because she’s developed unhealthy coping skills that she doesn’t realize are unhealthy.

#self indulgent #fanfiction #pottgrass #dramione #ransy #lions among the snakes #i think getting my thoughts down like this helped my muse #might ramble about my fanfiction again sometime #can you tell I’m an over thinker

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thesunnyshow · 4 years

Text

Name: Chai

Writing Blog URL(s): @theleemark (but my main is @sippinchai)

What fandom do you write for?: nct!

Nationality: American (but ethnically I’m Indian!)

Languages: English & Telugu

Star Sign: Aries

MBTI: ENFP

Favorite color: Yellow

Favorite food: Chocolate

Favorite movie: I don't think I have one but I’m a sucker for Aladdin and Mulan (and some indian movies as well)

Favorite ice cream flavor: Coconut with dark chocolate chunks

Favorite animal: Whales & Tigers

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering?: Tea! I love chai or honey oolong milk tea!

Dream job (whether you have a job or not): Psychiatrist

Go-to karaoke song: Super Bass by Nicki Minaj

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?: Controlling all the elements (like Avatar the Last Airbender)!

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you?: Hmm this is hard but I think I would!

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?: One horse sized chicken

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been?: I think I would probably be the main character’s best friend!

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures?: Yes!! There’s still so much we don't know about space or even earth so I think there’s a chance they exist!

What are some small things that make your day better?: Reading & writing, taking naps, listening to music, dancing, baking, playing the guitar, talking to my friends, watching youtube

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?: My hair used to be two and a half feet long (but I donated a lot of it hehe)!

When did you post your first piece?: Jan 2020

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why?: I usually write fluff but I have written angst! I personally adore fluff and just happy endings (but I’m also really bad at writing angst so ahah)

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc?: I write x readers!

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr?: I was really inspired by all the other nct writers on tumblr and thought that it was a good way for me to practice writing!

What inspires you to write?: Poetry, other people’s works, and just reading in general

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most?: Fluff! I love lots of aus as well like coffee shop, high school/college, hanahaki (even tho it hurts), and etc!

What do you hope your readers take away from your work?: All I hope is that my readers feel something. I feel like a big part of writing is sparking emotion & I just want to do that for my readers!

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively?: Take a break- watch some videos or take a nap. I just need to reset and clear my mind before getting back into writing.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful?: My favorite work is something I'm still working on- it's a longer fic and is inspired by my “delivery boy” blurb. I just think the idea is really cute and it makes me smile. My most successful is probably my “nct boyfriend series”- specifically jaehyun's.

Who is your favorite person to write about?: Any of the dream members but probably mark lee? He’s really fun to write about!

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose?: I think there is- for fanfic you have characters that you can use but in original prose you have to create them. But in both, you have the opportunity to write something wonderful!

What do you think makes a good story?: Having a good plot and being able to spark emotions in the reader. To me at least, when a story makes me feel emotionally invested, I know it's good

What is your writing process like?: Sometimes it's spontaneous- like I imagine a cute scenario and I write it down. Or it can start with an idea and I build an outline for it and go from there.

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story?: Yes! Similar to this, I've repurposed an original story into a fanfic!

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand?: I love love love enemies to lovers (I talk about it all the time on my fic rec’s blog). I really just love anything fluffy- f2l, coffee shop/flower shop, etc. a trope I can't stand is anything too harsh- like bully love, romanticizing incidents that are toxic, etc.

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you?: A lot!

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)?: I wouldn't really say i'm successful but probably my nct boyfriend series? It’s been done before but I think I do it just a little differently.

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged?: Yes. I see a lot of unnecessary hate, and it's really sad because fanfic writers put a lot of time and effort into their writings!

Do you think art can be a medium for change?: For sure! Art is a way of expressing thoughts or emotions and can definitely be a medium for change!

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself?: There are many times where I feel that way, but not all the time!

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times?: Not really.

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr?: Maybe like three of my friends know I write on tumblr, but that's it.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers?: I appreciate all your support, and I'm sending lots of love to each and everyone of you!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there?: It’s okay to be scared- if you need to, take some time to think it through. However, there isn't much to lose, and I know it's simple, but just go for it!

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr?: Only when tumblr has distracted me from getting things done irl, but to be honest, not really.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey?: All of my mutuals are absolute sweethearts and I would tag them all if I could!

Pick a quote to end your interview with: “Step into a scene and let it drip from your fingertips.” - MJ Bush

BONUS ROUND: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

#@theleemark #thesunnyshow #featured author #episode 34 #nct #nct u #nct 127 #nct dream #wayv #nct 2020

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fifi-uchiha · 4 years

Text

Stop using rape for sexual fantasies

Hey, you all remember that one horrible fanfic I told you about where Sasuke abducted Sakura and raped her countless times for months? Sakura suffered horribly and reading those rape scenes was heart breaking. This fanfic broke my mind, my spirit and my soul, but you know what? Screw that. I take everything back, this fanfic was not the worst, you know why? Because it was at least realistic. The way Sakura suffered, the way she hated herself because her body was sometimes reacting which actually happens to many rape victims-

The author didn't try to make it romantic in any way.

And then there was this one fanfic where Sakura saved Itachi's life and he told his men to capture Sakura because - oh wow - he wants her as his mistress.

The author has impeccable writing skills and damn, Itachi sounded hot and cool but then... I don't know, I'll try to sum it up for you.

First, Sakura's abducted by Deidara and the others who take her to Itachi where he sexually assaults her, pins her down and presses a gun against her most private area. And she... is a little bit aroused and I was like

But okay, let's say it's her body that betrays her but afterwards, she is still ATTRACTED to him! To a mf asshat no less.

Anyway, Itachi touches her inappropriately many times, threatens her, shows her a genjutsu where Deidara and Kakuzo rape her - and he asked how she was able to make it somehow enjoyable omfg- and spanks her hard. Like... He forces her on his lap, lowers her pants and spanks her really, really hard. Not to mention that Kabuto and other men enter and see Sakura's rear. Just like that. And I was like...

Because she still feels attracted! I mean, what does it take to get her off?! Like, are you fucking kidding me?! Oh and apparently, everyone finds Sakura hot. Let me sum this fuckery up for you. This is how I reacted.

Well... Yeah.

Look, I too use rape in my fanfics but I certainly don't romanticize it. Rape is a horrible experience for every individual and a highly sensitive topic.

There was that one guy who tried to rape me and it's an experience I will never be able to forget. Don't get me wrong, this piece of shit couldn't end it and I don't consider myself as a victim, especially compared to real victims, but I still know how scared one can be when someone wants to hurt you like that. There is nothing romantic about this, absolutely nothing.

An asshole like that doesn't necessarily or usually desire you so much he just can't help himself, those fuckers are just trying to prove they're boss. They want to hurt you and get rid of their lust, you are in no way special to them. In most cases at least

Reading how a few authors romanticize rape like that disgusts me and those fanfics... Should be deleted because many readers could get a very wrong impression.

#sasusaku #boruto #naruto

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1358456 · 4 years

Text

Review Response, Sep 27 - Oct 3, 2020

Now that I’m stable once more... weekly response time. I think there are at most 3 responses left.

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Heart #007

1) Hey! Really liked this story. One of your better fics imo. I saw your tumblr post today and I know it's really late but I'd like to thank you for providing me with plenty of entertainment and emotions over this summer. I hadn't found your page until this quarantine and Special Events was the first fanfic I've ever read. You really got me back into Pokespe after a few years of forgetting about it and ngl I teared up a bit after I saw your tumblr post. I just want to let you know that you've really left a mark on many people's lives with your writing even if it's just a fan-fiction and I don't think I'll forget these works for years to come.

Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear that :)

Well, the last chapter is no longer tied for the absolute worst. It’s now second worst.

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Destiny #031

1) This is still Mel, I just got the genius idea to actually create an account since I use so much. Anyways, I just- wow. That is so depressing. I still can’t properly think about what happened to Y, because it’s just so much... but I’m glad she’s still the same. Sort of. Personality wise, I mean. After she’d resurrected I was afraid she was a completely different person, tainted. But this meeting with Blue made me realize that she’s still a kind girl, but come to think of it I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. She would suffer more that way, no? Or would it be worse to be a shell of the person you were? It’s a tough question. I don’t think I can answer it. As for X, I am not excitedly anticipating his meeting with Y. That’s a lot of angst right there. But I’m still hoping for a happy ending? Or at least as happy as an ending it can get. I’m sure it’s possible. Although, maybe you’ll pull another alternate ending and that’ll technically count as a “happy ending”, just that it’s not the true one, haha. Would X kill her on the spot? Would Y kill *him*? Will he still be brainwashed at that point? There are so many outcomes, so many possibilities. And I thought it was sweet, the moment with Blue and Dia. I can imagine them being great comrades. Especially since he was so physically affectionate towards her and that’s exactly what Blue needed. It’s also great that she’s made yet another connection! I can’t wait for her to be acquaintances with all her juniors! She won’t be so lonely then when she has so many friends and that’s all you can really hope for Blue :’). That and the possibility between her and Red (*wink, wink*). There were some mighty big hints in this chapter, will anything come of it? Perhaps Red is too dense for any of those things (how is it possible that a person can be so dense?). I’m more of a specialshipping person, but that ship is a mixed bag (they all are tbh), and this between Red and Blue is really sweet. Also, poor Surge lmao. Just wanted a cozy tent, but here comes three scary ass women and an unconscious squirt who kick him out into the cold. Life just isn’t fair for old Surge, is it. I sincerely hope you are doing well. Love, Mel

Hmm. Would X and Y get a happy ending? ... Maybe? Happy-ish?

Hehe. Red & Blue... Ohoho! More hints coming as the pairing shift fully transitions. ... Which of course, spells disaster for a certain blonde girl, but... ehn. Hehe.

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Destiny #032

1) Haha, those alternate lines at the end were funny, but that didn’t do much to lift my mood. Dammit, I knew I would get this reunion and I was right. How could I have thought there was any chance of a happy ending? ‘Cause there is no way this is a happy ending despite it ending without X and Y murdering each other! I honestly don’t know what I expected. A tender moment between the two? Forgiveness and peaceful moving on? Wtf? There are too many bitter feelings, and there isn’t really a way that Y can move on peacefully with the whole deterioration thing. But anyways yeah, definitely not happy. I suppose the whole “live and be happy” can be taken as a good thing, but in all honesty we all know deep down that X won’t live that way. Who would be able to move on after *that*? He loved her! She blamed him (Justifiably, but in the end it truly wasn’t his fault. I mean she was being hypocritical “I will always go after you, but I’m blaming you, because you went after me.”? He was concerned? Can anyone help it? Even if in the past it was the cause of a bigger problem?). It’s just not plausible. There’s truly something noble and amazing in moving on and living, but there are some times that dying is sort of the right thing to do? I dunno how to explain it, and it’s honestly a rare occurrence. I don’t want to romanticize suicide or dying or anything, but it’s not a cowardly thing in certain circumstances. X wouldn’t be living if he stayed alive. Anyways, that’s all I can really say besides, hot fucking damn. When I read the similarity in this fight scene and the first one between X, Y, and the Mega Hunter, I couldn’t help but remember a happier time. Well, I use happier hesitantly, ‘cause it wasn’t exactly “happy” per se, but it was certainly a *better* situation than this one. Y was still underestimating her value to X, but it still wasn’t such a hopeless situation. If only the damn boy had confessed. Maybe things wouldn’t have gone so downhill.

“It’s just a flesh wound.”

Dying is sort of the right thing to do? Well, human emotions are absolutely irrelevant to being right or wrong, so dying just because a lot of sh*t is happening is by no means “right”. It’s times like this I really wish I was able to put in a lot of my thoughts into my writing and stories. But I’m not a professional writer by any means, so I can’t quite cram in specific themes into the plot and story without making it far too obvious.

Poor X and Y, eh? There was never quite a happy time for them. ... Well, not in this story, anyways. According to the Legacy spoiler post, they do get a very happy ending in the good ending. So... they get to be very happy together... in another story. Hahaha.

Well, there are now 11 Destiny chapters left for you, and 3 weeks left. Do you think it’s possible to finish before I disconnect my FF.net account? I would’ve really liked to see you move on to SA afterwards (you would probably like that story a lot more too), but I simply don’t have the time for that anymore...

#qna

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ehc-on-ao3 · 4 years

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What if everything that happened to Chloe happened to Max and vice versa?

(Warning: long post)

I sometimes visit r/lifeisstrange on Reddit and I found this question posted by a MisterMeoww. Here’s how I replied:

There are a few fanfics out on AO3 that explore this scenario, though I haven't read them. However, I'll postulate that absolutely nothing in the game would have happened if this really happened.

Max, shy introvert that she is, would likely close off even further. I don't think she'd be the kind of person to maintain her interest in photography as it would be a constant reminder of her father, Ryan. So, no photography. But in the game, she's also a skilled artist and can play guitar. If she dumped her focus into either one of these, perhaps she'd still earn a scholarship into Blackwell, a school with a focus on the arts (more on this below). If not, since there's no way she'd be able to afford admission into a private academy, she'd probably attend a public school and never set foot in Blackwell, eliminating the entirety of the game's plot.

Perhaps she'd occasionally lash out but turn punk? Unlikely for her. zerosixhundred hypothesized she'd go emo and that's more likely. Maybe she'd have an incident where she seriously contemplates/attempts suicide, or maybe she instead romanticizes the notion.

No Blackwell means no game, though. So, how do we change that?

Let's say that Max does maintain her art. With her dark and grim outlook on life and constantly thinking about death, her art would definitely go into a different direction. But perhaps it's this focus that allows her to win a scholarship to Blackwell. Maybe she'd still take Photography and be in Mark Jefferson's class. After all, Kate has an art focus but is taking Photography as well. However, I'd still maintain that she'd avoid the class completely (too many bad memories and associations) which means no encounters with Victoria, Taylor, Jefferson. She might still get in with Kate, though, as there's a decent chance both of them would be taking the same art classes, whatever those might be.

Would shy, introverted, dark, grim, emo Max ever fall into the Vortex Club, Nathan, or any of that? No. Would her potential friendship with Kate be enough to keep the Christian girl from attending a Vortex party and getting drugged by Nathan? Maybe. If not, and Kate fell into a deep depression over what happened and the video that spread around, would Max be in a position to help, considering her own dark outlook? That's the major question. Would seeing a close friend become suicidal (Max has read all about it and can definitely see the signs) finally snap Max back to reality and allow her to become Kate's savior?

What if witnessing Kate's suicide is what ignites Max's time traveling powers? What if she goes back in time 5 minutes, and is able to rush over to the dorms and talk Kate down? What if finding out the truth about Kate, and doing everything she can to help, leads to Max discovering all sorts of insidious stuff about Nathan? Who'd have her back in this version of events? Would Max find herself in the Dark Room, or would she instead just become a target to be eliminated?

Kinda sounds like a game, doesn't it? ;-P

But what about Chloe?

She'd never come. If she pulled the same stunt as Max and ghosted her friend, she'd remain in Seattle. Since she seemed more focused on science, there wouldn't be a reason for her to ever apply to a private arts academy in a completely different state. Instead, and taking a look at her in the alternate timeline in the game, where she was pretty much a straight-A student prior to the accident that put her in a wheelchair, I'd say it's more likely she'd stay in Seattle, perhaps winning a scholarship at a school there. Being a year ahead of Max scholastically means that Chloe would graduate high school, likely with honors, and be starting college by the time Max is a senior in high school, further separating the two. In this timeline, she'd be completely out of the picture, having never reconnected with Max, never having a reason to come to Blackwell, and having never met Rachel at all.

~~*~~

The poster of the question then asked about Chloe getting time powers instead of Max, as that was part of their what-if scenario. My response:

I treat the scenario you've laid out, with Max's dad dying and Chloe moving to Seattle, as a completely separate from gaining time powers.

If the Price family moved to Seattle, Chloe would never come back to Arcadia Bay and wouldn't ever be in a position to gain time powers the same way Max did in the game. The way I see it, since Chloe would remain in Seattle her entire high school career, she and Rachel would never have met. That means that when Rachel dies at Nathan/Jefferson's hands again (I don't see why this would change), no one would be looking for her. No one would be constantly pressuring Nathan by hanging up Missing Persons posters everywhere. No one would try to extort Nathan for money. Therefore, the bathroom scene wouldn't have happened. At all.

So, no bathroom scene means no one gains powers. Unless it takes witnessing a traumatic event to trigger someone gaining time powers. In the above, I explained how Max would gain powers even in this altered timeline. What could trigger the same with Chloe?

Anything. Take your pick of events. But if Chloe does gain time powers, it wouldn't be at Blackwell, wouldn't happen in Arcadia Bay, and wouldn't involve Max at all.

The problem with this scenario [meaning OP’s] from what I've seen in various fics is no one takes into account the age difference between Max and Chloe. If Chloe ghosts Max and continues to do well in school, she'd graduate before Max would become a senior, and have no reason to attend Blackwell. The only reason she's still in Arcadia Bay in the game is she's a dropout, hasn't graduated, doesn't have a future without Rachel, and is stuck trying to find her. Without any of that, she'd never come back to the Bay.

If this Chloe gains time powers anyway, I don't think she'd abuse them, not like the Chloe we all know. Game-Chloe is a punk who thrills at thumbing her nose at authority, and would gladly abuse these powers something fierce. But your Chloe, the one whose father lived and didn't suffer that trauma, who moved to Seattle and graduated high school, who may or may not remember Max as she starts college in Washington state or elsewhere, is not the same as game-Chloe, and wouldn't approach her newfound powers the same way.

~~*~~

What do you guys think?

#Life Is Strange #AU #writing prompt #Max Caulfield #Chloe Price #role reversal AU

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tr33-g1rl · 5 years

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"You've... you've done something," he accused, fingers finally finding their ways into fists. "You've ruined me."

From ‘Can’t Fucking Stand You’ by frozenCinders on AO3

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7354351

Pairing: ShigaDabi

Reason I love this quote: This is so in character for Shigaraki and I adore it. Just everything about this story was perfect, and this quote made me both laugh and say “awwww!” Just tsundere!Shigaraki makes my day, especially when it’s so in character!

Do not fret... I've never presumed to think of you as mine.

I only know that I am yours.

From ‘Show Me...’ by CrazyLabRat on AO3

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16278545/chapters/38068457#workskin

Pairing: KakaIru

Reason I love this quote: How could you not love a quote as powerful as this?!?! It’s so open and vulnerable, but the context in which it’s said is so guarded that you can’t help but crave more! And when I say more, I mean you want everything to come to light. You want the open wound unwrapped so you can look at it and marvel at it before cleaning it and stitching it back up and letting everything be alright. This story is a classic and completely gives a new take to the ‘secret admirer’ trope. It’s easily one of my top three fanfictions ever!

“You were amazing today, mophead.”

That’s it. No mockery, no sarcasm. There’s a little breathiness in his voice and Tomura wonders where it’s coming from. He wonders whether today’s one of those days when Dabi likes to take his time, pretend to court him before shoving him against the nearest surface and kissing his mouth like he can never get enough of it.

From ‘special’ by chuuyafucks on AO3 (Rated E)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052693

Pairing: ShigaDabi

Reason I love this quote: I love the image of Dabi as the same cool, badass character but he’s got this little obssession with crush on Dabi that he doesn’t even bother hiding! It’s everything I ever wanted! Especially in this allies-with-benefits kind of relationship! The author writes the characters so well and I’m in love with it!

“Thank you,” he mutters, nearing incoherence. “Thank you so much, mophead. I’d worship you like this every day, if you’d let me.”

From ‘special’ by chuuyafucks on AO3 (Rated E)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052693

Pairing: ShigaDabi

Reason I love this quote: Yes I’m putting another quote from this fic! It’s so nice to see Dabi like this, especially when he’s showing it so willingly to Shigaraki! The author writes him so well and keeps him in character that these little bits of adoration feel not just real, but like they’re even part of his character! Not to mention, quotes like these just make me swoon.

"I do, but I mean it. So unless you do too, I'd appreciate it if you would refrain."

And that just made no sense at all.

"What is it that you mean when you do it, then?"

His eye curled up into a smile as his fingers released my wrist.

"You already know."

From ‘Like A Brat’ by CrazyLabRat on AO3

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16717613

Pairing: Kakairu

Reason I love this quote: It’s such a pivotal point in the story and it’s handled so well! The short sentences and subtle actions make really creates a tension in the scene that hits the scene home and clues the reader in as to what’s going on! While Iruka is only further submersed into darkness onto what Kakashi means, the reader finds everything becoming clear as day, and it makes the reader fall even deeper in love with Kakashi, who is just too clever (in a unique way). This is a very cute take on a simple act that I thought I’d always hate.

“Ever Slytherin knows that there are two ways two control a scandal,” Yamada answers, slumping back into his chair. “One way is to keep it a secret. The second is to announce it to the world.” Hizashi gives Shōta a sharp smile, and for the first time Shōta truly sees the Slytherin in him. “And I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut.”

From ‘Star-Bright’ by KuriKuri on AO3

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7805674

Pairing: EraserMic

Reason I love this quote: This entire story is a gem, but I can’t help but love just how well this quote explains Hizashi’s seemingly thoughtless actions throughout the entire story. It also shows just how good of a Slytherin Hizashi makes, and it’s now an idea I adore. This story is a really good read with an ending so sweet and satisfying that I can’t even find anything to compare it to.

"Stop that," Iruka commanded, a little rattled from his behaviour. If OOC for Kakashi meant he was back to teasing Iruka, he was having nothing of it. "And your mask, it's almost off." Without thinking, Iruka re-sheathed his kunai and stepped forward, grasping the edge of the stretchy black material, hauling it up back over his nose. Kakashi blinked at him and then grabbed Iruka's hands, staring at them intently. Then, he rubbed his face against Iruka's palms, and made a sound like a large, contented cat.

From ‘Responsible, forever, for what you have tamed’ by megyal on AO3 (Rated M)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111529

Pairing: KakaIru

Reason I love this quote: This scene is just too cute for my dead, cold heart. I can’t help but giggle and blush like a kid with a crush when I read this scene. I love this little paragraph with my entire body and just how it shows Kakashi’s adoration for Iruka.

This ninja had naturally bronze skin that had been darkened further by the sun. His black eyes, black hair, and black eyelashes looked like accents added to an ink drawing, but overall his features were blunt and square. Compared to Kakashi, he had a core like a tree trunk. If he appeared in Icha Icha, it would be as a virtuous farmer. Kakashi would have been happy to follow him home.

From ‘The Full Umino Experience’ by pentapus on AO3

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2772086

Pairing: KakaIru

Reason I love this quote: Unlike most fanfics, this author takes a more lifelike approach to their writing, and doesn’t absolutely romanticize the characters into models. This description is just so realistic and perfect to the character! It doesn’t make him absolutely gorgeous and, to me, that makes the story itself even more beautiful. Though this quote isn’t the only thing I love about this story, this part really stuck with a younger me who was definitely the type to romanticize everything. It’s definitely the paragraph from any fanfiction that’s had the most impact on my own writing, and I really appreciate all it’s done for me. I highly recommend this story to everyone, but especially writers who want to really improve!

He bends over into a half-bow over him, which confuses Morisuke to no end. Does he want him to bow back? What? Morisuke glances at Kuroo, who makes a petting motion.

Really? He wants to be petted? Morisuke reaches up to ruffle Lev’s hair—it’s silky, even with sweat dampening it—and Lev jerks a little but then stills. “You did well,” Morisuke says, ignoring the way Kuroo’s sniggering.

From ‘Yaku and the Beanstalk’ by Mysecretfanmoments

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2765213

Pairing: Yakulev

Reason I love this quote: This is wayyyy too cute for me, and I can’t help but coo at this scene like it’s a newborn puppy. This is too precious and pure and adorable and it makes my heart happy.

(Might add more later)

#writing #fanfiction #fanfic #kakairu #shigadabi #erasermic #yakulev

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farfromsugafanfic · 5 years

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glitteringconstellations interview

Before we get started with the interview, do you mind introducing yourself (whatever name you are comfortable with) and telling us a little about yourself?

Hi everyone! I’m glitteringconstellations, Glitter or GC for short. I’ve been writing fanfiction for well over 15 years now, though I only started sharing it around 2005. I minored in Creative Writing in college and I love writing in pretty much any capacity! When I’m not headcanoning one new story or another, though, I’m either adulting (ugh, adulting) or playing video games. These days it’s mostly Skyrim. I’m fluent in Korean and passable in Japanese and Spanish. I drink way too much pop to be healthy and I hate most fruit (though, give me any kind of melon and I’ll be a happy girl). Oh, and I’m a fledgling figure skater! I’m just a hodgepodge of random hobbies haha!

Q1: What kind of fan fiction do you normally write? Have you ever written fan fiction for other fandoms other than your current one?

A1: I tend to gravitate toward angsty fics. It’s long been my outlet of frustration, to put the character I love in harm’s way. The more pain, the better, haha! Though I do love the hurt/comfort aspect of it. Recently (as in, the last year lmao) I’ve been writing for the Voltron fandom almost exclusively (and sometimes YURI!!! On Ice), but before that I was in the k-pop ficdom (Super Junior, for the most part) for a looooong time, nearly 10 years. I won’t be opening that particular can of worms, though--I have Feelings and Opinions lmao. Before that I jumped around from anime to anime.

Q2: I see in addition to fan fiction that you do commissioned fan art! I’m not an artist myself, so I find it really interesting and cool. Do you want to talk a bit about that? And, feel free to plug yourself!

A2: This is actually a common misconception--I can’t draw to save my life!! I took commissions for fan fiction back in late June as a last resort to pay my rent. Typically though I’m horrible on a deadline so I don’t like to do it too often because I feel terrible making my commissioners wait. The art you’re referring to is the comic spread for The Parting Glass, if I’m not mistaken? I actually commissioned another artist by the name of Cota (@ccooooostuff on tumblr, go check her out she’s amazing at what she does and super sweet!) for that comic with the money I got for my birthday this year.

Q3: Do you write anything outside of fan fiction?

A3: I do! I journal a lot, or I try to anyway. This year I’m hoping to tackle an original novel for Nanowrimo, but more than likely, that particular project will start as fanfiction and we’ll see if I turn it into original fiction or not. I spend more time thinking about the things I want to write than… actually… writing them lolsob. My notes will be this gigantic document but when it comes to putting things together in a cohesive manner? Haaaaaa….haha…. The blinking cursor mocks me, I swear.

Q4: I see on your profile that you are 26. I think when most people think of fan fiction writers they think of someone younger, usually a teenager. Do you encounter younger writers a lot? What do you think of this assumption?

A4: I do encounter younger writers a lot! Surprisingly, though, most writers I know are either in their late 20s or late late teens (say, 15~19). Most people tend to think I’m young anyway just because I look a lot younger than 26, but as far as fandom goes, it doesn’t really bother me if people think I’m younger than I am. Usually I’m pretty forward with how old I am on my profile anyway! But yeah, I’ve been around the fanfiction scene a while. The k-pop fandom in particular had a way of reminding me just how long on a pretty frequent basis lol.

Q5: Why did you begin writing fan fiction? If it was for a fandom, why did that particular thing make you begin writing? And, for your current fandoms?

A5: I used to tell myself stories to get to sleep or on long car trips as far back as I can remember, and most of the time they involved characters from my favorite shows of the day. Pokemon and Digimon were two big ones for me before I hit those fun preteen years. As far as what got me started actually putting those stories to paper, it was born of frustration with shows not going the way I wanted them to, so I’d write the ending I wanted to see. For Voltron in particular, it’s just SUCH a fun sandbox to play in, be it by utilizing the incredible world-building or the plethora of interesting characters to play around with. So many possibilities! *3*

Q6: Do you ever want to be published in a professional capacity one day?

A6: Yes and no. I flip flop on this ALL the time. I’d LOVE to see my stories on shelves, but I’m actually very insecure and sometimes the thought of people reading my stories makes me want to die of embarrassment and sink to the center of the earth. That said, if I win Nano this year, I may run it by some publishers, even if only to get feedback. (Although if you want to get TECHNICAL I am officially a published journalist; I was an assistant editor for one of The Big 3 kpop news sites for a while. The one that starts with S. Also another can of worms.)

Q7: Has writing fan fiction taught you anything? About writing? Reading? The fandom? Etc.

A7: Oh absolutely. I definitely would not be the writer I am today without fan fiction. I wouldn’t say I’m super skilled, but the critique I’ve received over the years has helped me more than I have words for, honestly. Not even just in the capacity of writing fiction; my academic and professional writing has improved too. Also, just like reading anything in high volume, reading fanfic has helped me learn to read like a writer, how to pick out things that authors do that I admire and try to emulate that, and conversely what doesn’t work for me so I can avoid those things.

As far as fandom goes, fanfiction can be quite polarizing, as I’m sure you’re well aware. Just in my experience by and large it can be kind of toxic, to be quite honest. The particular issue Voltron faces that I experienced to some extent in other fandoms but not quite to this degree, is fandom policing. I find that certain members of the fandom (which, in my experience, tends to actually be mostly among those younger demographics, though not exclusively so) see certain topics as morally wrong and therefore anyone who writes those topics are 1) romanticizing said topic and 2) automatically a disgusting, horrible person and they have no problems telling you about all about it. The number one thing I try to put out there in my interactions is live and let live, ship and let ship. If it makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay! But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong, and it’s definitely not okay to go around purporting hate in the name of “morality.” Sorry, didn’t mean to go off on a tangent there haha...

Q8: What is a piece you’ve written that you’re most proud of?

A8: Just in the Voltron fandom, I’d say the fic I’m most proud of is The Parting Glass, by far. Funny story about that one; I’d never heard the titular song before I came across a cover of it on Facebook one day around St. Patrick’s Day, and let me tell you something. The reaction I had was almost a spiritual experience, it was so visceral. I was in tears when I heard it, and the story came so hard and so fast that I wrote it in 2 days. It stayed with me until I got it down in writing. It was an interesting challenge for me, exploring the grief part of a character death fic while almost entirely omitting the actual dying part. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had such a vivid vision of exactly how a fic is going to go from start to finish and I’m quite happy with the way it turned out. Which is why, when I had the money to do so, I commissioned Cota to illustrate what had to be the hardest and yet my favorite part to write. She brought the scene to life so beautifully too, I’m really happy with how it turned out. Months later I still go back and stare at it!

Q9: Do you notice any stigma surrounding fan fiction or fan fiction writers?

A9: Without a doubt. People hear “fanfiction” and they think one of two things: the pudgy neckbeard who lives in his parents’ basement, or the rabid tween/teenage fangirl. It’s a rather unfortunate stereotype, because some works of fanfiction are truly works of art, more masterfully crafted than some novels I’ve seen published. Yet they get dismissed simply on the basis of being fanworks and not “original” (which, let’s be real, nothing is truly original anymore). One such example that comes to mind of a beautiful fic is those glittering instruments in the EXO fandom, which was based on the real-life destruction of the Library of Alexandria. If you can find a copy of it floating around the interwebs I HIGHLY recommend giving it a chance no matter what fandom you’re in!

Q10: If so, how do you feel about this stigma?

A10: Like I said, it’s really a shame. The thing, too, is that as young girls we’re often shamed for the things we’re passionate about, like boy bands and, well, fan fiction, while boys don’t get that kind of shame to such an intense degree (at least, not about the usual suspects, like sports and girls and such). Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but there’s something terribly sad about seeing more young people afraid to talk about a hobby that makes them happy because they’re afraid of being perceived as weird or gross or something like that. Hell, even to this day I have very few friends from outside the fandom sphere that know I write fanfiction, because they still talk bad and make mean jokes about fic writers. It’s such a silly thing, because a lot of famous works are derivative fiction and people don’t even realize it! So I hope the day comes soon that we can get over this silly stigma and just enjoy what people share (for free!! Seriously!! FULL NOVEL LENGTH WORKS. For FREE.)

Q11: Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to talk about or be asked that no one has asked you about or given you the opportunity to talk about? (And if so, feel free to answer/talk about it).

A11: I really had to think about this one! I couldn’t really pick one topic that I’ve really wanted to talk about that I haven’t already discussed, but no one has ever asked me if I was okay with having fanart of my work. Which I would answer with a resounding YES. I am more than okay with it QuQ

Oh, I guess I do have something!! It’s unrelated to writing (well, I guess it could be related, depending on how you look at it) but since I have your attention, if you’re an American citizen GO OUT AND VOTE. The midterm elections are one week from today in the USA and it’s important you go vote!! I won’t tell you who to vote for (a third can of worms I’m not opening up. WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY WORMS) but I assure you, your vote matters, now more than ever. I believe in you!! Go vote!!!

Q12: What is your prefered site for writing/posting fan fiction?

A12: These days I prefer to use AO3. It’s a work in progress, but it’s far and away the superior fic platform of the time. Back in ye olden days (circa 2010~2012) Livejournal was my platform of choice, and FF.net before that. A surprising number of people prefer to post their fic on tumblr, to which I say, are you out of your flipping MIND?!?! Tumblr is soooo temperamental, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to restart a post or go into the HTML editor because the rich text editor decided to be stupid. Noooooo thank you. I’ll stick to AO3 thanks ahaha!

Check out Glitter’s Tumblr and AO3.

Interviewer Note: Glitter used her free question to encourage everyone to vote and I would just like to stress the importance of this, especially if live in the US. Young people are the demographic that votes the least, despite being the demographic that will have to live the longest with the outcome of the vote. If you are currently not registered, please register as it is important for all of our futures. And, remember the deadline for the upcoming US election is Nov. 6th, so make sure to get to those polls and/or turn/send in your ballot. If you need information on how to do any of these things, do not hesitate to reach out to my page and I will point you to trustworthy resources.

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aikainkauna · 6 years

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Fic mehm

This was shortish, so might as well post it here. Snurched from the lovely @trelobita .

-What is your total word count on AO3?

-1 421 808. That little?!? I thought I would've gone past the 2 million mark a long time ago. What with Connie whipping me on the way he does.

-How often do you write?

-When the right mood/inspiration comes, and when I'm healthy enough (both mentally and physically) to be in writing condition. Which is not often enough; I hate it when I do want to write, but brain fog and/or physical fatigue mean I can't keep my brain going or my body upright. That's mostly for fiction, though. I can type bloggity waffle like this, and could just about proofread a sex toy review today despite it being a brainfog/tireded day. The deadline for the review was today, so I did it under duress and must've left something out or fucked up some grammar as consequence. Finnish conjugations are hell when your memory is shot to pieces; English is much easier to write because you don't have to remember how to conjugate a word to denote it's in the past tense for a plural with a conditional towards place A, signifying inclusion. No, I'm not joking. Sauvallanikinkos? ("Also with my wand, too, maybe?")

-Do you have a routine for writing?

-My body isn't good with routines and schedules, so no. The only pattern I have is to try and get 1000 words done at least and then to email myself the latest draft after I've finished writing.

-What are your favourite tropes?

-Have you got a month? (This question foolishly asked about your favourite kinks and tropes and pairing types all in the same question, BTW, so I split it up into three questions, because... c'mon.)

Tropes:

-Flawed characters who are still somehow understandable and appealing; not the typical Asshole Protagonist or antihero thing so much but more of an... well, I guess it's just good characterisation I prefer, in the end. Not that kind of squickily obvious macho power fantasy sold as "grittiness" just for the sake of being an asshole (funnily enough, that kind of crap usually comes from the kinds of people who have too much privilege in the first place). So, yeah, good characterisation that's still got some shreds of humanity left is my jam.

-Telepathic lovers. Exactly because it hurts so much when the person who's supposed to love you the most and to understand you the best doesn't, and vice versa. So that's a big RL trauma and squick I prefer to fix, because in fic, I CAN.

-That's a major one, actually. Fix-its not so much on a plot level but on a human level. Especially sexism/gender bullshit-breaking fixes. Fix-its get a bad rap, but that kind of thing, just like the bashing of romance and fanfic, sets off my "ah, this wouldn't be the devaluing of something considered empathic and female/feminine again, now would it?" alarms.

-This overlaps with the pairing thingy, but the Depraved Bisexual is my favourite character type to write. All the Connies, Tennant!Peter Vincent, Captain Renault, Zainab, Laura, etc... YES.

-Male character gives up some masculine privilege he doesn't fancy anyway for the sake of love and empathy/female character gives up stereotypical female things she doesn't fancy anyway in order to be herself and free herself as much as she can from society's chains. Give Torsten all the pwetty dwezzez he wants and for Falcon!Yassamin to remain childfree, dammit!

-Man cuddles and medicates woman during her period and actually empathises/feels how awful it is. As I was saying about the fix-its...

-Funny banter, even if I can't write it as hilariously as I'd want to.

Favourite kinks?

-Poetic prose and Romanticism. It's word porn or nothing, baby.

-Historical detail, accuracy preferred but depends on how the story wants to go (the Barmakids DON'T get butchered horribly by Harun al-Rashid in 803, TYVM).

-Anal! That's almost too obvious to mention.

-Androgynous, genderbending, sex-bending, femme men. Why do you think Connie is the love of my life?

-Lots of arousal-drippage.

-Some way for the bottom to see themselves being banged. Mirrors or telepathy or magic or video camera projecting it before their eyes or whatever. Unfff.

-Orgasms. Always orgasms to complete satisfaction. Orgasm denying or writing it badly or so vaguely that characters/readers can't get any catharsis/release for the arousal is a huge squick. That's a hard limit. Fuck characters who tease and don't let someone get off.

-Psychological/emotional depth. That's such a no-brainer it shouldn't even be necessary to mention (although in these days, it seems to be, because apparently wanting that is now a repressed sexual minority instead of normal human, especially female, sexuality. Oh, fuck off). Yeah, these memes do bring out the pet peeves about internalised misogyny, don't they? Especially the sort that manifests itself in sputter-inducing ignorance. Even my medieval characters and their somewhat dated and essentialist ideas of sex and gender are ahead of Tumblr in the very basics, FFS.

-BDSM that's based very much on extreme care and healing, the sort that uses the intense sexual activities/sensory overload as a kind of way to heal the sub's anxieties and to help the sub let go, achieve catharsis and release. And for the top's love to be the guiding, ravishing, then healing and comforting force that contains the sub and the sub's anxieties in a fiercely loving and protective way and absolutely, so that not a drop spills over. So, yep, BDSM as therapy is my kink in both RL and in fic. Not so much a desire to humiliate or to be humiliated, but on the contrary, to value and to honour the other half. The top finds strength and validation through being the healer, through their power being able to do something good (instead of tearing someone down and having power over them through that). Yes, I know that's not everyone's idea of BDSM, but it's mine and that's what you'll get if it's a healthy relationship I'm trying to portray. (The Barrings and Zainab and Fadl don't have the healthiest ideas of sex, anyhow; Jaffar/Pwinzezz usually do.)

And I'm leaving out so many. You only have to look at my Ao3 pages to see the recurring themes:p

Favourite pairing types?

-Experienced Depraved Bisexual Character/Less Experienced and/or Repressed Character, GIMMIE. Fucking love that shit.

-Similar: Older, More Experienced Man/Younger, Horny Woman.

-Horny couple, usually M/F, seduce someone into a threesome. The Rosesverse and Devilry are full of this, so might as well admit it.

-Do you have a favourite fic of yours?

-I do have a soft spot for the first two fics in the Falconverse. As if you didn't all know that already! They do have some noticeable flaws here and there, especially the first one (I still insist that weird lube choice was HIS and not mine; I do know better and yelled at him at the time), but they still contain my deepest and most profound writing both erotically (and I mean that in the widest sense of the word, encompassing all things Love) and spiritually and character-wise. Defy Not The Stars also turned out better than I expected, considering I had never attempted so much plot and a traditional historical romance novel before. But I guess that Roses, what with its length, has allowed me to explore more aspects of the characters and their lives than anything else I've written. And of course, considering Devilry is my most-read saga ever, I do have a soft spot for that pile-up of a car crash. If only for the sheer intensity of the ride; I was just thinking yesterday how it really was aghori sadhana done through writing. Meditating in a graveyard is for wimps; try spending months in Torsten Barring's fragrant boypussy.

-Your fic with the most kudos?

To no one's surprise, Because The World Belongs To The Devil, at 234 kudos.

-Anything you don’t like about your writing?

-I suck at pacing sometimes. The sex scenes tend to run overlong if I write them in several sessions instead of just one go. It's not that the characters want to try different sex acts and shag more than once during a night, but more that the tension is spread out unevenly ("JFC, why did they change position again? I want them to just fucking come already, damnit!") This is obviously a result of how many things *I* see in my mind's eye during a wank; it's always more of a clipshow of different sex acts and pairings and orientations than one straightforward scenario. I'll be more mindful of that in the future and have been watching out for it in the past few fics already; I don't think the shags in The Guardians of Samarkand overran, for example.

-And sometimes my kinks get too obvious and repetitive for me, too, the way any porn gets tedious and repetitive. But on the other hand, I know very well that fanfic *is* about us imposing our kinks on our darlings, no matter how much we may go on about our dedication to characterisation and such. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: what's key is to get away with your kinks *but* in such a way that they can also engage the reader and that they become interesting and enjoyable not just for you, but for the readers, too. And you need good characterisation for that, and it's a really delicate balance to juggle your kinks and believable characterisation.

-Something you *do* like about your writing?

-I can write immersively and deeply and engage all the senses (sight, touch, scent...) in rich detail, as well as go deeply and profoundly into the emotions. And write some fucking hot porn ;) Those are the things I've had praise for, at least. Maybe my spiritual bits aren't as relatable or something, because people hardly ever remark on those (interestingly, my mum is the only one to have taken up those bits! But I skim over the sex scenes when I read the fics to her, so she only gets the gen). Or then it's the fact that most of the time it's Thief of Bagdad fic, and thus in an Islamic context, and most readers aren't familiar enough with, say, Sufism, to feel like they're qualified to comment without making arses out of themselves. But of course I like my spiritual bits; I'm an ex-religions major!

This had a taggity thing at the end, but I hate doing those because it always puts pressure on them even if you say they don't have to (come, now. The pressure is there, the moment you mention someone by name). I don't own the meme or you, so, as always: do what thou wilt.

#writing #meme #meta #personal #i guess #ao3 #fic

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avadaniels · 6 years

Text

notes: all the things she said

Table of Contents

Inspiration & Overview

Things this fic includes

Chapter Summaries

‘I thought this was about Buzzfeed!’

Anxiety

The Bold Type

“All the Things She Said”

“Moving Parts” and One Stone

Socialist Flower Power: Soviet Hippie Culture

Fashion References

Anxiety (spoilers)

“Moving Parts” (spoilers)

Read all the things she said here!

Inspiration & Overview

My philosophy about media and art and comedy is that everything is a product of everything that came before it, so I could literally list every Trixya fic I've read as inspiration for this. I do subconsciously pull elements from other people's stories, but I think everyone does. Consciously and unconsciously, this combined a whole bunch of things: wanting Katya to be the one with a dude who doesn’t know she’s gay, wanting Katya to be a nerd about Russian gymnasts, listening to One Stone on repeat, The Bold Type, my own struggles with anxiety and sexuality. I also sort of see this as a love letter to myself about listening to your body, connecting with the people around you, and not settling.

I’m just going to say it: this is not that good. I don’t know anything about L.A.. But it has a beginning (which I love) a middle and an end, three (3) whole smut scenes, jokes, gay shit, the works. If I was writing a novel to be published, I would make the themes and structure so much more consistent and yada yada yada… I love writing and a lot of this was hard to write but it’s also been very rewarding. So thank you for reading it!

Things this fic includes

(some elements of real life & some fun fanfic things)

Digital news outlet Everything.com (because i am what? creative)

Bob the music column editor

Alyssa Edwards and Blair St. Clair

Brianna Cracker liking baseball

Minimal Violet Chachki and Pearl, mentions of them together

Mentions of Kim Chi the beauty vlogger

Editor in chief RuPaul

Mentions of Ross Matthews the sports writer

'honey' unironically being Trixie's go-to pet name

Gratuitous explanations of things that aren't that important to the plot, just because I write like I'm transcribing a movie and I'm obsessed with operations & how things work

Katya's love for Russian gymnasts and studying video in college

Trixie's music, country music, current music likes, hippie fashion sense

Thorough depictions of anxiety and panic attacks

Throwaway original characters

Chapter Summaries

I wanted the chapter titles to be a line of dialogue that Trixie says when the chapter is written from Katya’s POV, and vice versa, to reflect the idea of “all the things she said,” but I couldn’t get some of them short enough to make sense. So I gave up and stuck them in the chapter summaries.

‘I thought this was about Buzzfeed!’

I did describe this as a 'Buzzfeed AU' occasionally without thinking too much about how people would interpret that. They're all writers for a digital news site—think less ‘Unsolved’ and more The Bold Type. If you want Trixie and Katya goofing off on camera UNHhhh style, there might be something in the works. The mores kudos and comments you leave, the more I write :) And that’s not a challenge! Just psychology!

Anxiety

The only other thing i’ll say about anxiety here is that it manifests in a way that people perhaps don’t usually associate with anxiety, but it makes sense to me, and I’ve tried to show how it works.

This section is continued with more detail below, but it does contain spoilers for the plot.

The Bold Type

I love this show! It’s about people who work at magazines and digital news outlets, so I took a lot of the operations of Everything.com from that.

“All the Things She Said”

“Ya Soshla S Uma” (or “All the Things She Said” in English) is a song by Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. about a gay awakening. The music video features the two women of the duo, who have never been in a relationship together and are not gay, dressed in schoolgirl uniforms and making out. The song has been released in Russian and English. You can see Katya recreate the video here and lipsync to it solo here (both with the Russian lyrics). Here is the English lyric video (that I used to jam to in 2012).

When I wanted to write Katya not knowing she was gay, I liked the idea of her obsessing over things that friendly neighbourhood lesbian Trixie Mattel said to her. All the things [Trixie] said, running through [Katya’s] head, as the song says. I ran with it.

“Moving Parts” and One Stone

I absolutely love “Moving Parts” and the idea behind it. Trixie presents it in a karmic way, that good and bad things literally move in and out of our lives. I think there are many real-life experiences that could be explained by this idea. I also believe it in more of a psychological sense that has to do with perception. I think we will always perceive good and bad, no matter how good our lives gets. We will always find something to complain about.

This section is continued with more detail below, but it does contain spoilers for the plot.

“Soldier”: I love this song. While writing the later chapters, I had to skip this song when it came on shuffle because I kept getting distracted by my emotions. This song is used in this fic, in exactly the way you would expect it to be used.

“Red Side of the Moon”: I love this song, and how similar the lyrics are to “Soldier” 👀 Anyways, I talk about Dolly Parton and Judy Ogle in the fic, only because I listened to this song and wanted to know what it was about.

Socialist Flower Power: Soviet Hippie Culture

This is a real exhibit at a real museum in LA right now. I described it as true to the real thing as I could. I think it works.

Fashion References

You probably know the outfits I’m referring to, but here they are anyways, in order of appearance. I literally spent two hours just looking at Trixie’s instagram for fun, and then another two hours trying to find these links for no reason at all, and I regret all of that equally. It was also so worth it.

Katya’s hair (atomic bland / this)

long-sleeved jumpsuit in a purple 70s print, with a matching strip of fabric

red dress, a knee-length corduroy thing with long sleeves (not exactly what I dreamed up in my mind, but close)

short, yellow and pink paisley print dress with poofy sleeves that gathered in elastics at her wrists

four large pink flowers crowned her brow

white shirt wrinkled underneath sleek black dress...thick-soled combat boots

short, silk dress with long sleeves and peplums in a soft blush (my absolute favourite trixie look now) (it’s actually a shirt that she wears the pink pencil skirt under but my dream is that it’s a slim dress with like 4 peplums)

flowy blouse and pencil skirt

short dress in a busy red flower print

short-sleeved white cotton “dress”: i literally can’t find what I mean but you know how trixie wears just nightgowns all the time

NYE Party: Katya Alyssa Brianna (1) (2) Bob RuPaul Trixie (below, just easier to upload this one) (there are spoilers below this picture!)

Anxiety (spoilers)

I am going to try and warn you against romanticizing the role of anxiety in this story. I put a similar warning on my other fic ‘Soldier’ and people still missed the point, but here goes nothing. This is NOT a story about how a declaration of love cures someone's anxiety, and I did my best to depict that. This is a story about a romance, and how one person's journey with an anxiety disorder affects and is affected by that romance. The romance ultimately sees a happy ending because Katya eventually treats and manages her anxiety, made possible through medication, psychiatrists, immense personal effort on Katya's part, and ongoing support from Katya's friends and loved ones, including Trixie, her parents, her work friends, etc.

“Moving Parts” (spoilers)

I absolutely love “Moving Parts” and the idea behind it. Trixie presents it in a karmic way, that good and bad things literally move in and out of our lives. I have deliberately employed this in a very literal sense in this story. When Katya realizes she’s falling in love with Trixie and attempts to pursue a relationship with her, her anxiety begins to negatively and drastically affect her everyday life. This is a major part of the plot because I want story to explicitly reflect the song, NOT because I want to conflate suffering with being bisexual/being gay/falling in love with a woman. On that note, I have personally experienced a lot of anxiety trying to figure out and navigate my sexuality and gender.

#notes

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mild-lunacy · 6 years

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The Romance ‘Missing Scene’

I really don’t want to complain, not least because it won’t do any good, and also because I’ve actually addressed this before. Nevertheless, I wanted to explore why I feel so cheated and irritated when romance novels (fanfic or not) that focus entirely on the couple getting together don’t include the sex and merely refer to it happening.

Part of it must be that I’m spoiled by now, or maybe a simple desire for more titillation, but the world (and the Internet) is full of things to titillate you. Nor am I necessarily titillated by many (or even the majority) of sex scenes, which are often not that well-written even in otherwise well-written books. When a writer is painting by numbers and not imaginative or interested in the scene, it certainly shows, so you may (and people have) argued we should all be glad to be spared from more awkward and unfortunate attempts at sex scenes. And I’ll admit I’m most acutely or personally disappointed if I really like the writing otherwise, and would look forward to seeing the characters in an intense, intimate moment because I trust the author. However, I’m always vaguely irritated by the kind of sex scene fade-out that clearly was important to the relationship and was not just another lay.

On the one hand, I certainly understand that writer's perspective. On the other hand, I have two objections: one, this implies that sex scenes are a unique and different sort of scene, one that you don’t really have to improve at, unlike action scenes (which many people also aren’t naturally good at, but work to improve). Two, this further implies that sex scenes aren’t necessary. Even when they’re important to the characters, they’re not important to the readers. They’re treated almost like the sort of fade-out you may get when a character goes to the bathroom, where either one ignores it altogether or it’s barely mentioned. After all, one pee is much like another. On the other hand, no one ever had an emotional breakthrough that way, precisely, although I think stories underestimate how many emotional breakthroughs do happen on the toilet as well as in the shower (though that’s neither here nor there). Anyway, my point is that sex is not like peeing, or even like eating good food. To say (or imply) ‘they had a great night of sex’ is not equivalent to saying ‘they had a great dinner out at the Mexican restaurant’, not in a story about a relationship rather than a casual hook-up.

Part of it is probably that good writers are still human, and they have hang-ups about sex and/or writing sex. It’s not like I don’t understand that. There’s certainly no rule that one has to write about it in any detail. Still, to dismiss it is to leave holes in the romantic dynamic of the characters. Of course, these holes may be filled more or less easily by the readers. As a reader, I’m usually more than happy to fill in the blanks, and I think that’s part of the joy of reading: using one’s brain, one’s own imagination. At the same time, like I said, I feel cheated. I feel like a romance novel and/or any story that’s focused on a romantic relationship has the goal of a close focus on all the major aspects of the central dynamic. That sort of close attention to the emotional interplay is the main draw for me as a reader. And you can’t talk about romantic emotional interplay without talking in some detail about sexual interplay, at least in a sexual relationship.

The sexual dynamic shifts and is shifted by the emotional dynamic. They aren’t separate, and the mess of feelings are ultimately too internal and too central to be guessed at and implied, in my opinion. The end result is that there’s an artificial limit being set to the readers’ level of insight into all the details of the characters’ dynamic. It’s a sort of privacy barrier that’s intolerable when you become so deeply intimately acquainted and bonded with the characters’ inner lives.

In a romance novel, I expect and require absolute intimacy with the characters in a way I wouldn’t in a mystery, say. You really can’t construct some ‘privacy’ with the POV character of romance in a satisfying manner, at least for me. Sometimes the interest becomes prurient, and so the argument is muddled. But there are ways to write about sex in less than explicit detail that nevertheless portrays the important dynamics. I’m just talking about the fade to black in the beginning or in the middle. The way that’s presented invariably makes me feel like it’s a bout of satisfying exercise, and yet it’s simultaneously presented as important. Sometimes there’s a fade out and the sex isn’t that important; you get the sense that it was nice, but nothing really changed emotionally. Nothing happened except an outlet for some sexual tension. And that may or may not be realistic, but in the context of a romance, it’s just very hard to believe.

I think I wouldn’t be that happy if I got the sex scene but it was pure porn, badly written or not. In fact, what bothers me is the implication that this is the only thing that the missing scene would entail. That wouldn’t make me any more satisfied with the book as a whole. What I generally want is the emotional context, the interplay. Not everyone writes sex scenes with that kind of weight or intensity, and to be honest, a lot of times it is overly drawn out to be romanticized and titillating wish-fulfillment. Sometimes it’s mind-numbingly predictable or vapid. Bad writing comes in many forms, and in many ways you could argue this is certainly more problematic than a missing scene. Like I said, the missing scene issue only really bugs me when I’m already enjoying the love story otherwise. When I’m really enjoying a certain couple, I can’t help but need to know all the juicy details. In the end, it’s hard to see a good reason why that’s a bad idea and easy to see why it would only work to support and improve the story, even if I understand that anything from the writer’s disinterest to lack of experience or aptitude may be responsible.

#pointless rambles #me myself and i #sex writing #writing #characterization

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