#and i'd love to read josh's prose ;-;

[thebreakfastgenie]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by @quordleona03! I think everyone I would tag has been tagged so if you want to do it consider yourself tagged and tag me so I can see it!

How many works do you have on Ao3?

29

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

89,648

3. What fandoms do you write for?

MASH, The West Wing, Star Trek TOS

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

'Til Death (Un)does Us Part The Wideness of the World Expenses hills like white elephants Fortune Cookie Wisdom

5. Do you respond to comments?

I like to and I try to but I get overwhelmed so sometimes I don't manage to do it. Positive feedback makes me extremely anxious so it's hard sometimes (I love it, don't get me wrong, but I get itchy).

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

Downpour

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

Probably reconciliation

8. Do you get hate on fics? I never have! I never even get negative comments, although I totally welcome critical comments. I never got hate in the fanfiction.net era, either. I've been fortunate.

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

I don't, but I would like to start! I think I want to start with m/f, even though the experience I have to draw on is f/f, but ultimately I want to do it all. I'm starting with more vanilla stuff, because I'm not so much interested in writing erotica as I am in being able to depict sex in prose. I'm open to writing kinkier stuff eventually but for now I'm just trying to add a tool (hehe) to my writer's toolbox.

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

I wrote one once; it was actually the first fic I posted, and it was an Ace Attorney/NCIS crossover. I was in middle school. It's still out there but I will not be linking it. I like crossovers but it's very hard to make them work, so I mostly play around with them in silly posts and bullet points, not full fics.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I would be honored if someone did translate one.

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

I don't think so! I've co-developed ideas with friends but it's always one of us ultimately writing it. I don't know how good at co-writing I would be because I'm a perfectionist control freak and also very slow.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Fic wise, probably Kirk/Spock. There are other ships I love a lot and outside a fic context I'm not sure I could ever pick, but I actually write very few ships and I think Kirk/Spock is the One. Runner up would be the Doctor/Rose Tyler, I wrote them once and I have fic-y feelings about them. I've never read or written them because I don't do fandom for this series but Indiana Jones/Marion Ravenwood have had my heart since I was twelve and I'd sell most of my ships for them. Also House/Cuddy is a ship of all time but I don't really like any House fic. I love CJ/Danny and Josh/Donna as well as some other West Wing ships but they're not the main attraction to me and most of the fic I write does not focus on them.

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

I was planning to write more of The Wideness of the World and at this point I doubt I'll write Hamilton fic again but I had some really good ideas and I like that fic enough that it bugs me. Still, it stands fine as it is.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, characterization, restraint, attention to detail. Hopefully pacing, I'm very aware of it but I don't know if I'm successful enough for it to be a strength. I'm playing a lot with structure and literary devices right now but I'm not sure they count as a strength yet. I guess willingness to experiment is the strength.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action, description, sex. Sex is the worst because it's action involving body parts we have stupid words for. Being slow, horrible writer's block because I'm too much of a perfectionist to write a rough draft.

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

It's very, very hard to do well. I think in most fic cases, either the POV character knows what's being said and you can just write it in English (or whatever language the rest is in) or the POV character can't understand it and you can just say "they were speaking x language and they didn't understand." If I felt I really needed to include dialogue in another language I'd find someone who could help me translate and credit them.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

NCIS

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

The Emergency Room but if I actually manage to finish my time loop WIP....

[meyhew]

do u have a top reads of 2022 so far? i'm looking for new things to add to my tbr and i trust ur taste

yes here's my progress so far <3

cemetery boys; aiden thomas ★★★☆☆ 

normal people; sally rooney ★★★☆☆ (i like the storytelling style so it's a higher rating than i'd give it otherwise. "plot" did nothing for me)

the bone houses; emily lloyd-jones ★★★☆☆ 

josh and hazel's guide to not dating; christina lauren ★★☆☆☆ 

the raven boys ★★★★☆ (reread) 

the dream thieves ★★★★☆ (reread) 

the ocean at the end of the lane; neil gaiman ★★★★★ 

the cheat sheet; sara adams ★★★☆☆ 

dairy of an oxygen thief; anonymous ☆☆☆☆☆ 

these violent delights; chloe gong ★★★☆☆ 

our violent ends; chloe gong ★★★☆☆ 

daughters of sparta; claire heywood ★★★★☆

twice in a blue moon; christina lauren ★★★☆☆ 

to love jason thorn; ella maise ☆☆☆☆☆ (could be 2 stars but jason gave me an ICK 🤮 and it’s unforgivable) 

transcendent kingdom; yaa gyasi ★★★★★ 

a place for us; fatima farheen mirza ★★★★★ 

little weirds; jenny slate ★★★☆☆

anatomy: a love story; dana schwartz ★★★★☆ 

lean your loneliness against mine; klara hveberg ★★★☆☆ (ONLY bc the prose is decent. plot is like 2.75 i hate infidelity) 

these violent delights; micah nemerever ★★★★★ 

the atlas six; olivie blake ★★★★☆ 

the roommate; rosie danan ★★★☆☆ 

#currently making my way thru briefly gorgeous & burnt sugar... both are dealing me unimaginable psychic damage #anonymous #answered

[midnights-til-dawn]

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang Book Review

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang My rating: 5 of 5 stars Twisted Hate Page Update: 224/504 So far, Twisted Hate has made me NOT HATE reading again! I can't believe I've read half a book in the span of 2 days (it's a lot for me, okay…). This book is so good, I now understand the TikTok hype. Just to clarify, I haven't read any of Ana Huang's previous books so going into this as a standalone is definitely an option :D It's steamy, mysterious, well-written and the characters are actually complex. Page Update: Finished Firstly, I'd like to share some highlights -- these romance scenes were swoon-worthy! And this book really was a spicy rollercoaster.

Page 322: "But when I opened the third book, a slip of paper fluttered to the ground. I picked it up and a smile burst onto my mouth when I read the words scribbled in Josh's neat scrawl. Your favourite food but you have to make it. B3, s4. #10."

This is SO adorable, he organised a bookstore scavenger hunt for their first date!! I love how Ana Huang writes their romance in a way that is true to their 'hatred' for one another yet so goddamn sweet. The banter in between heartfelt scenes like the one before truly made for an amazing, intense, I-can't-put-this-down-and-it's-now-2-am--, reading experience.

Page 344: "I had closure, but no one told me closure was such a bitch. It clawed at my bones and ripped a bloody gash through my heart until every breath became a battle. But instead of trying to assuage it, I embraced it. Because even though pain hurt like a motherfucker, it proved you were still alive, and it was only after it faded that you could finally heal."

This scene of Josh visiting his father in prison and leaving after realising how his dad was beyond redemption in his ways, well, really hit hard. The perspective of his grief really added depth to his characterisation, and I assume maybe more insight into his perspective during Twisted Love? I found the exploration of this theme of grief and growth very touching, Ana Huang writes with such prose that allows readers to feel as if they're experiencing the characters as if they truly were real, flawed, beautiful and stupid (at times), human beings. The only gripe that I had with the book was honestly, the painting fiasco. I understand the importance of the painting being a symbolic plot device, a metaphor of wealth and a life Jules was desperately striving for, but it was awfully coincidental. This didn't detract from the fun I had whilst reading the climax of the novel. The part where

Jules steals Josh's painting for her ex-boyfriend who was manipulating and blackmailing her. See page 357 for the reveal. And the boy was the breakup painful after that all went down. How Josh treated Jules during page 402 really was shitty, but also at the same time Jules did do something shitty and stupid and the situation was quite nuanced. Not to say that Jules didn't deserve an apology, because she did! And I love how Ana wrote that scene (see pages 443-444) was ugh, so. heart. wrenching!! On the other hand, there were so many moments within this book where I was in love and overjoyed and not sad and heartbroken! For instance, I loved the characterisation of Jules - she's the kind of MC I love to see in New Adult novels. She's independent, witty, driven, smart and learning about her past slowly throughout the novel really added a layer of suspense. I could go on for ages, but honestly I would 10/10 recommend this book - the happily ever after and those spicy scenes are so well-worth the drama.

Tropes and Themes If you love these, you'll love Twisted Hate as much as I do! 1. Enemies to lovers 2. Forced proximity 3. Best friend's brother

View all my reviews

#twisted hate #book review #bookblr #ana huang #twisted series #readers of tumblr #booktok #book community #book recommendations

[nolafleurdelit]

2022 Reads

You can also friend me on Storygraph!

Rating Explanation:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A favorite. LOVED IT.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was really good!

⭐⭐⭐ It was good, but not for me. Still recommend!

⭐⭐ It wasn't good. Would not recommend. Likely problematic in some way.

⭐ Hated it (extremely rare, don't think I've ever given 1 star).

LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS BY RYKA AOKI ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - It's really hard to pull off aliens, demons, violins, AND donuts, plus intense content AND hopefulness, but this book does it. *chef's kiss* TW: transphobia, racism, child abuse, serial assault, deadnaming, rape, self harm

THE CITY INSIDE BY SAMIT BASU ⭐⭐⭐

ARC/BOUND MANUSCRIPT - Had to put this one down a few times because it was immersive & horrifying & SO realistic. Hard for me to read in current times. Superbly written, good for lovers of literary leaning sci-fi like Station Eleven.

MASTER OF POISONS BY ANDREA HAIRSTON ⭐⭐⭐

ARC - Superb prose, beautiful book. Character driven. I did get bored in the middle, but overall really appreciate that this book exists. Great for lovers of prose and character over plot.

DEAD SILENCE BY S.A. BARNES ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - Great neurodiverse rep, super spooky, ragtag found family, unreliable narrator. Had a LOT of fun with this one! TW: Death, suicide, blood, body horror, gore, forced institutionalization

HENCH BY NATALIE ZINA WALSCHOTS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - Really enjoyed this creative take on the superhero genre! Good neurodiverse & queer rep. If you like The Boys, you'll probably like this, too. TW: Body horror, medical trauma, PTSD/anxiety/panic attacks, confinement, torture

JADE CITY BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Legitimately one of my favorite books ever. And Andrew Kishino KILLS the audiobook. Think Hong Kong gangsters but with MAGIC. Fascinating worldbuilding, politics, & society. Compelling plot & prose. Amazing characters. This book has it all!

NETTLE & BONE BY T. KINGFISHER ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - A fairytale (like the dark Grimm fairytales of old), & it's basically if NPCs/side characters went on the main quest. There's a bone dog, a demon chicken, a goblin market, a third princess, and fairy godmothers, and it's just lovely.

CREMA BY JOHNNIE CHRISTMAS & DANTE LUIZ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - A graphic novel lesbian love story with ghosts & LOTS of coffee. Beautiful visuals exploring Brazilian culture created by Dante Luiz, a Brazilian artist!

LEGENDS & LATTES BY TRAVIS BALDREE ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK (Self Published Version) - Cozy fantasy with a lesbian love story, found family, lots of coffee & pastries, & extremely accurate depictions of what it's like to build a business. A lovely, nice, cozy story to be enjoyed with coffee, of course.

JADE WAR BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE

THE LEAST WE CAN DO BY JOSH COOK ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - Well thought out & informative look at bookstores, white supremacy, & free speech.

JADE LEGACY BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Fonda Lee NAILS the ending of this beautiful trilogy. The only time I've ever cried because a series is over. This has jumped to my #1 favorite series EVER. READ IT. Also Andrew Kishino is amazing & I'd like him to read me to sleep every night.

IRON WIDOW BY XIRAN JAY ZHAO ⭐⭐⭐⭐

HARDCOVER - Really enjoyed this book! Super fun, & a lot more intense than I expected. Give me bisexuals & disabled folk abolishing gender roles any day.

HOW TO KEEP HOUSE WHILE DROWNING BY KC DAVIS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - This book is SO HELPFUL for anyone who is not neurotypical. Although it talks about care tasks, the advice can be used in any number of ways. It's short & to the point, & I'll be trying my best to incorporate the tips into my life!

NONA THE NINTH BY TAMSYN MUIR ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - Can't say much since I read the ARC, but this was by far my favorite of this series so far. Nona is pure & a blorbo & you will absolutely love her. It's weird & wonderful & I will fiercely protect Nona & Noodle with my life.

LAZINESS DOES NOT EXIST BY DEVON PRICE ⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - I really vibed with the first half of the book. For the second half of the book, I agreed with the general ideas & concepts, but I disagreed with a lot of the advice the author gives. I do still think this book is absolutely worth reading!

TREAD OF ANGELS BY REBECCA ROANHORSE ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - I really liked this murder mystery historical fantasy novella! Roanhorse's Catholic school & religious studies/theology background really shines in her take on Virtues, demons, Orders, & Fallen. A fun, quick read!

A MARVELLOUS LIGHT BY FREYA MARSKE ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - I've been unbusheled! If you've always wished Downton Abbey was SUPER GAY & also had MAGIC, this is the book for you!

THE EMPRESS OF SALT & FORTUNE BY NGHI VO ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - A beautifully written gut punch that you don't realize until it's over about the power of story, resistance, resilience, & friendship. Just what I needed right now.

THE JADE SETTER OF JANLOON BY FONDA LEE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Really loved returning to Janloon in this novella! And it gave me the appearances of some old friends, which was great! And as always, Andrew Kishino kills the audiobook.

ACES WILD BY AMANDA DEWITT ⭐⭐⭐.5

ARC - Despite the marketing, this isn't a heist book. This is a YA story featuring a cast of asexual characters. We need SO MUCH MORE of this! I loved the found family & how this book takes internet friends seriously. The voice is strong & the book is fun overall!

P.S. There were some ableist issues with the ARC that have been corrected in the final published version, so I left that out of my review.

HEARTSTOPPER V. 1 BY ALICE OSEMAN ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - Watched the TV show so had to read the comic. So sweet! The show did a really good job adapting it!

BURNOUT BY EMILY & AMELIA NAGOSKI ⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Geared towards women but useful to any gender, this book goes into the science of burnout & how to deal with it. It's practical & introduced me to many useful concepts. Recommended if you're feeling burned out!

THE UNDERTAKING OF HART & MERCY BY MEGAN BANNEN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - This is going to be my favorite rec for folks who loved House in the Cerulean Sea. Romance with ZOMBIES & talking animals & DEATH & gods & demigods. Grumpy/sunshine, rugged cowboy, sexy penpals. Sobbing in a good way. A great getaway!

PAPER GIRLS V. 1-6 BY BRIAN K. VAUGHAN ⭐⭐⭐⭐

E-BOOK - Rereading while watching the new show. Love this comic, & the show is pretty well done! 80s kids on bikes + time travel.

Added Note: I'm SO MAD this show got canceled! UGH

PATRICIA WANTS TO CUDDLE BY SAMANTHA ALLEN ⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - I don't know how I feel about this one. Listened to the audiobook & readers were great! But I didn't find the story as funny or compelling as others seem to. It wasn't bad though, just maybe not my thing.

A RESTLESS TRUTH BY FREYA MARSKE ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - Excellent followup to Marvellous Light. 1900s lesbians on a boat solving murders! With magic!

SISTER, MAIDEN, MONSTER BY LUCY A. SNYDER ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC/BOUND MANUSCRIPT - I've never said WTF so many times. It was genuinely the grossest, weirdest, most revolting book I've ever read. Folks who are really into cosmic & body horror will have their socks knocked off. It will be haunting my nightmares for years to come.

THE OLEANDER SWORD BY TASHA SURI ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Better than The Jasmine Throne, and I LOVED that book. More sword lesbians. More magic. More love. Taking the story in a whole new direction. SO MUCH EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. I got to "Epilogue" & literally screamed. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?? Anyway everyone should read it.

BEETLE & THE HOLLOWBONES BY ALIZA LANE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PAPERBACK - Loved this adorable queer graphic novel about goblins & witches & blob ghosts in malls. Perfect for the season!

THE BALLAD OF PERILOUS GRAVES BY ALEX JENNINGS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Legit the most NOLA book I've ever read. Also one of the most imaginative. The audiobook is AMAZING. I live in NOLA, & this book made me miss it anyway. Beyond happy for Alex and can't wait for he does next!

A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE UPRISING BY RAYMOND A. VILLAREAL ⭐⭐⭐⭐

AUDIOBOOK - Listened to the audiobook bc some of my favorite readers did it. I enjoyed it! It did feel like it ended in the middle, but it was fun & the readers are phenomenal.

BLOODMARKED BY TRACY DEONN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - AHHH definitely just as good, if not better, than Legendborn. Love the way the author challenges systems & how Bree really comes into her own. And if you ask if I'm team Nick or Sel, I will say BOTH this deserves polyamory, they all love each other.

ARC - This novella packs an emotional punch! It's about love and obsession and the entwining of the two. With large birds and manticores. But who are the monsters really?

UNTETHERED SKY BY FONDA LEE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END BY C.L. POLK ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC - Another emotional & entertaining gut punch of a sapphic, magical novella with the most perfect final line: "I'd be grateful, even though I knew the end." 😭 Perfect winter read with a nice cup of tea & warm blanket.

#booksbooksbooks #book review #books

[quolant]

3, 4, 9, 16, 20, 23, and 39 for the fic asks if that’s not too many :)

thanks so much!

3. yes!! there are so many lovely fics and amazing authors that inspire me but for brevity, i'll list three lol

- a form in wax by @scientia-rex / kristophine. holy shit this fic. if you hear about the 70k+ sports night fic on tumblr it's probably going to be this fic. there are so many things i love about this fic but one of the parts that gets me the most is how it's not afraid to dig into casey's flaws and realistically depicts how he could learn to be happier. also the romantic/friendship dynamics are so good and really invoke the show while also progressing past it and being better (also the fics in dan's pov for this fic are also so so good)

- send a postcard from down the street by @cauldronoflove / thegoodthebadandthenerdy. the prose in this fic really, really gets me. it's winding and intimate but not tangenty and it's like the donna&sam fic if not the donna fic period. i love how it depicts the changing nature of their friendship and donna's professional life and is probably one of my favorite depictions of donna hands down. this is very much a gen fic but the romantic elements are also executed amazingly and integrated into donna&sam's convos super awesomely.

- the family amidala by @ink-splotch. / dirgewithoutmusic. ok i love this fic for the way it warps and changes canon — like it's based on the premise: "what if padme survived rots and escaped with the twins & obi-wan?" and it really intertwines that with their eventual involvement in the rebellion, the return of padme's handmaidens, and anakin/vader. one of my favorite parts of this fic is that it deals with complicated emotions and peels back the layers in them like, for example, padme's emotions regarding vader/anakin and reconciling them with her raising luke and leia to fight against him and what he caused. also padme and obi-wan in this fic are incredibly lovely and the depth of their friendship is also explored! it's awesome

4. i'd probably go w a form in wax, killing elvis by david hines (a hilarious epistolary alien fic about a bunch of weyland-yutani scientists getting screwed over) and an avalanche of detour signs by @gyzym (a gigantic, lovely molly hooper character study)

9.

- @giidas (her tenet protagoneil stuff IS SO GOOD we need more tenet fic but i just. Her fic is lovely)

- @princesspatria / shewho (the two fics in the '98 campaign series are amazing and the characterization of josh is so good)

- @sarapod (circle game and don't know when i'll be back again are genuinely amazing and break my heart)

16. it... depends? like i think it depends on the scope of the fic! in general, if i'm reworking canonical events i tend to rewatch the material or do a lot of wiki research. for outside research uh... like for, bifurcate i did a little research on saturday night live and sketch comedy shows and how they work, but for a dawning day unfurling @thxngam and i have unexpectedly done like a ton of research. i think one of the farthest rabbit holes we went down was like when we were trying to figure out timelines and i had to rewatch (and still watching!) a bunch of s6 so i would know what happened and thxngam had to remind me of stuff that happened earlier and later in the show so the timeline can stay as consistent as it probably can. oh and we had to find out where the dnc took place in either 2000 or 2004? @thxngam has a running joke that she's got a list of all of the stuff we looked up so yeah, it depends

20. i love brainstorming, outlining, and coming up with dialogue! it helps to kinda get me in the mindset for a fic if i have the general plotline/key lines already plotted out.

23. best friends to lovers! i love reading/writing fics about people with an established close friendship falling in love (cough cough all my sports night bookmarks) probably because i'm a sap, but yeah i love it!

39. i think i really like the way i write internal dialogues of characters! when i write a fic i like to try to understand the characters and where they're coming from and how their minds work a little, and how that can come to play with their relationships with other people! i also really find dissecting emotions (esp complicated emotions) pretty interesting so i think that helps! i think that also helps with setting the tones of my fic because i don't think my fics have like a distinct style or tone or something and are pretty dependent on the characters!

#ask #callixton