#once i'm finished researching all the muses i plan on picking up

[wind-becomes-lightning]

Ivy

It is OC ship week and I actually got something finished, I'm so proud of myself. Anyway, some Modern AU stuff for my babes. :3

Sarutobi Sora, art, info, [clickerino]

Modern AU - Escort Service

Yamato | Tenzo x OC

PG 18+

5731 words

vaginal sex, oral sex

for @narutoocshipweek Day 1: Modern AU.

In a desperate attempt to finally get it over with Yamato hires an escort from a popular service.

Ridiculous as it was, Yamato found himself waiting back leaned against a lamppost on a monday evening, hand pressed tightly around the phone in his hand, trying hard not to stare too hard at the displayed clock. His “date” wasn’t late, he had just arrived incredibly early, too nervous to sit still a few minutes longer, at least not with the plans he had for tonight. He had been so resolute in the morning, set out to right a wrong that had always existed  in his life, or at least in the last 26 years of it. 

It had become unbearable around his guy friends,  with them constantly talking about their sexual exploits and mocking Yamato for his lack of. It had not been for him not trying, he had tried, he had even kissed others before, but nothing more had ever come of it. Maybe he was too emotionally stunted to continue, maybe he just wasn’t attractive enough, whatever it was, he found himself a virgin at 26, with all his friends already much further advanced in life.

Coworkers had invited him to mixers and other events, but he had always been busy, working maybe a little too hard in his corporate office job as another slave to society and capitalism. It left him empty and yearning for a type of physical touch he’d never felt before. He wanted sex. He wanted to have it and to have had it. He wanted what his friends told him about.

So in desperation and in a lack of other options, he had contacted an escort service to hire someone. He knew how that looked and how his male friends would snicker at him, but he didn’t have issues with sex work personally and they could provide him with a service he needed, so why not try it? After a thorough research online he found a very reputable agency that also had a proud price for that, and called them.

There was a call, and a meeting over video chat, and a survey, and another survey. The Heart to Heart  agency wasn’t the best in the business for no reason at all. Yamato tried his best to present himself, explain his hygiene, the job and his preference in partners (which was pretty much none). All through he had been very nervous, playing with a little wooden figure that he had once made when he was much younger. 

Finally, they found someone for him. Codename Ivy, about his age, good with beginners, free on evenings he was free and comfortable with all the sexual activities he was willing to do (which he just guessed on, because he had no idea in the first place). “Can I see a picture of her?” he asked carefully. One of the specialities of the Heart to Heart agency was that the client did not get to choose the partner, rather the partner was matched to the client. And as far as Yamato could tell from online reviews, this approach worked very well. 

“Uh, yes, we can send you a headshot now that you booked the appointment”, his contact told him as a reply. His hands were shaking when he opened the email and loaded in. A young woman smiled at him, wide, open green eyes flashing from his computer screen. Her hair was light red and her skin, at least as much as he could see, looked like nothing he’d ever seen before. A date was arranged for Monday night after work. He was waiting in front of the shopping mall to be picked up.

Which brought him to where he was now, staring down on his phone’s clock by the second. Yamato was shivering and pulled his collar up so that it covered his chin like he so often did. Maybe if she didn’t come he would get his money back, he mused. Maybe if she didn’t come it would be better this way. But then he shook the thought away. All the hoops he had jumped through to get here meant that it was worth sticking around, after all Ivy wasn’t even late yet.

The clock struck one minute after eight and she was officially late, he thought, still staring at his shoes. He didn’t have the chance to look at his phone again, because someone tapped him on the shoulder: “You must be Yamato right?” He snapped his eyes up. She was a little smaller than he had imagined, though he had gotten her exact size, her hair fell long over her shoulders and now that she was close to him he could see some freckles on her nose. There were many piercings in her ears on both sides and he wondered immediately if she also had piercings in other places. She was incredibly pretty, even more than her picture was. 

“I am - yes”, he said, stuttering a little. She put her head to the side so that it almost fell on his shoulder: “I’m Ivy. Very nice to meet you. I will be in your care.”  Ivy moved her arm under his to hold it. Yamato blushed immediately at the intimate touch. “A-and I in yours.”

She moved her body closer to his, wrapping around his right arm and pressing it to her body. He could feel her boobs even through the layer of jackets she was wearing and his breath hitched. “Are you ready to go?” Ivy asked with a warm smile. She made it sound like they were on a date, made it look like one too. Maybe that was the way they always did it to ensure people kept coming back.

Ivy knew a Love Hotel to go to that wasn’t too far, maybe it belonged to the agency, Yamato did not know for sure, though he did not have to pay for a room. They just went into the elevator and up and into a room. All the way through the woman did small talk with him, asking about his health and his day at work. Taught well in pleasantries he did ask questions back, but Ivy only replied in non descriptive answers. She was doing fine now that she was with him, she had been busy that day and was glad to unwind, a lady did not reveal her age and such. Well they had code names for a reason.

On first view the hotel room looked sparse, a barred up window, a big bed, a big mirror right on the other side of the bed, a door to the bathroom and that was it. It smelled clean and Ivy immediately peeled herself out of her coat and hung it up on the door. Yamato wondered for a moment how often she had been here and with how many people, but he let it go. “We should clean ourselves”, Ivy said with her sweet smile, walking over to help him get out of his own jacket. “Do you want to bathe together?” 

Yamato almost dropped the shoe he had just taken off and his face suddenly felt very hot. “I- I don’t really-” he started, feeling stupid for stuttering so much. After all he was going to have to undress in front of her sooner or later, so what was the issue with a bath together? 

“Don’t worry, we can do that another time. You can go first if you like. I will set everything up”, she said to save him out of his indecision, a hand softly stroking his back. He breathed out hard, wondering what it was that had roped him in so easily. The eyes, it must be the eyes.

When he exited the bathroom he noticed that she had changed some things, ruffed up the sheets a little to make them more comfortable and also there was tea ready for him to drink. Now, on second view, he could see all the little drawers all around which when he opened it he could find clothes, toys, lube and other nicknacks. Of course, he thought, this was a love hotel after all. He felt skirmish at the idea of what could be done with all of them. His nerves returned with a vengeance.

Not sure what to do with himself Yamato sat down on the edge of the bed. After the bath he had only put on a robe and his underwear, acutely aware that he would need to take it off sooner or later anyway. He bit his lower lip until it bled and listened to the water splashing from the bathroom. His mind’s eye played theatre for him, showing him Ivy running her hands over her body under the water. He shook it off. Why fantasise now when he could see her in reality in just a few short minutes. But then the idea of it made his stomach turn again.

Ivy walked out also only dressed in a robe, and by the amount of clothes she was carrying folded to the bedroom he could also guess that she was naked underneath. He would have probably been immediately turned on by this, but his heart fluttered with nerves still and so his brain could not stop thinking about, well, everything. 

Yamato let out a sharp breath when she sat down right beside him, her skin still damp from the bath. He could see down her top opened robe easily and felt indecent at even taking a peek of her naked breasts. “So”, she said sugar sweet, “what would you like me to do? I am at your disposal.” 

“I- I don’t really know..” he replied and felt like a total idiot. She did not stop smiling and instead circled with her fingernail in his nape. “Would you like to kiss me?” she asked, her nose touching his shoulder softly. He felt the blush on his cheeks deepen, but then he nodded slowly. Kissing was something he had done before, he knew how it worked. 

Ivy moved forward but he met her in the air, soft, wet lips touching his for the first time in years. Her mouth was a little smaller, her lips a little thinner, but he melted under her anyway. The hand in his neck now moved up into his hair to scratch his scalp and he groaned a little against his will. He let her tongue meet hers when she tapped his lips and asked for it and tasted in her mouth that she too had had tea before, probably with a lot of sugar. She tasted as sweet as her smile looked.

She let her free hand fall down on his leg, moving the robe out of the way just enough so she could stroke over his naked skin. Yamato felt the goosebumps run up the side of his body like little spiders and drew back a little, the insecurity suddenly there again. Salvia was dropping down between them as their tongues moved away from each other. 

“You’re really good at kissing”, she praised him and though he immediately thought she was lying to him he could not stop feeling happy about being complimented. Her hand was now running along the inside of his naked leg up to where his boxers were and back down. His heart beat in his ears. “Do you wish for me to touch it?” she asked, kissing his jawline softly. He breathed out and in and out again, trying to regain his composure. He wanted her to touch it, but he wasn’t even half hard yet, his nerves torpedoing him at every angle.

Ivy noticed his hesitation and took a finger to move his head so that she could look at him: “I will not do anything you don’t want to do, alright? I would never force you to do anything.” She kissed him. “But if you trust me, I will help you relax. Will you at least let me try?” she asked, nose again touching his arm.

“Y-Yes,” Yamato said as a reply. Ivy smiled wide again. She let go of his shoulders and sank to her knees. He swallowed hard. “That is a strange tattoo that you have on your shoulder,” she said, now settling between his legs, pushing them apart just slightly so she could angle herself. “Does it stand for something?” 

He tried to keep it together, trying not to think too hard of her fingers diving under the hemline of his pants. “I- I got it with friends. It’s j- just a symbol we connected with our time together” he replied, stuttering more than he’d ever wanted to. 

She hummed a pleasant almost song-like sound and then she let her hand move over his cock for the first time, a flat hand just pressing over it, touching and feeling it and he held his breath. It was like a magic spell had been cast. The entire time they’d been together Yamato had been too nervous to even get an erection and now, with just one touch, even if there was a thin layer of clothing in between, she had gotten him full hard.

“Do you want me to touch you further?” Ivy asked from between his legs and when he looked down at her he could almost read the eagerness in her face. This time he nodded and she immediately hooked her fingers under his pants to pull them. He let her, breath come out quick and nervous as she pulled the pants down and helped him out of them.

“You can always tell me to stop,” she clarified another time, pressing a kiss to the inside of his leg. Yamato put his hand into a fist and let his fingernails bury into the insides of his hands: “U-understood.”

Not waiting another second she let her lips grace over him. He felt the movement like an electric shock. Fantasy could not compare to reality. In his wildest dreams he could have never imagined how it felt like when another human being ran their tongue along his shaft and over his tip, how absolutely thrilling it felt when one licked down over his balls and back up. And nothing, absolutely nothing had prepared him for the view. Seeing a pretty woman lick all around his cock must be the most beautiful sight in the world, he thought.

Ivy must have noticed that he eased into it because she moved onward without asking for permission a second time. She broadly licked over him and then she took him into her mouth fully. Yamato was sure he saw stars just a flicker of a second as she closed in warm and wet all around him, sucking at the tip and licking the bottom with her tongue. She could go in deep without pulling back, taking all of him easily.

When she moved his brain turned off. He let out a moan that he had not been able to hold back and threw his head into his neck. Ivy moaned too, a little muffled, each time his cock hit the back of her throat and maybe he would have finished right there, in just a matter of seconds, if she didn’t stop the movement just short before he could get there. 

“This is not what you have come here to do, is it?” Ivy asked friendly, her breath on his cock making him shiver. He was desperate for his finish now, but he knew she was right. Not waiting for a reply she straightened her back and got up. “I’m glad you got to relax a little, I hope you enjoyed it.”

Yamato almost said: “Of course I did!” but his words stayed stuck in the back of his throat as Ivy opened the robe she was still wearing and let it sink to the ground. She was so beautiful it took his breath away for a moment. Hair long enough to cover her nipples at the front, hips smaller than maybe other women but perfectly balanced out with her figure and the skin- the thing he had noticed about her headshot immediately- looked breathtaking on her fully naked body.

It was like vines, crawling up her legs and arms, her torso and neck up to her face. Strings of lighter skin than the rest of her. Like she’d been tied up and sunbathed wrong. He let his eyes wander up and down the little swirls and didn’t notice that his mouth hung open until he let out a breathed: “Ivy.” 

She smiled and bowed down to kiss him softly: “That’s right. I was born like this. Wrapped up in leaves.” He looked at her with half opened eyes, lips slightly parted and he knew that his body language was telling her everything she needed to know about him. That he wanted her now, that he wanted her more than he’d already gotten her. She put a finger under his chin and kissed him again.

When she drew back her moss green eyes were lit up with excitement. “Do you know how a condom is to be used?” she asked sweetly and his heart did a flip inside his chest. Right, that was what he had come here for in the first place. Yamato nodded and looked to the bedside drawer in which he had found condoms before. The choice was almost overwhelming. They had all kinds of sizes, colours, shapes, tastes… Faced with yet another choice he suddenly felt insecure again.

He could feel red hair fall over his shoulder and then felt Ivy’s hands on his back. “Standart is probably fine for today, don’t you think?” she asked and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. Again, he could do nothing but nod, feeling very dizzy under her soft touches and warm skin.

Fortunately the nerves hadn’t ruined what Ivy had spent so long building up and so he had no issues pulling the condom on. He took a deep breath to calm himself, this was after all the moment he had been waiting for so many years, the very reason he had even gone to such desperate lengths, but then Yamato turned around.

“Lie down on your back”, Ivy said, patting the bed sheets below her, “Make yourself as comfortable as you can.” He felt so hot looking at her like this, completely naked, hair long and wild over her wrapped up skin, inviting him to come to bed. It was all a lie of course, all paid for and arranged, but still, the fantasy was enticing. “Oh, and take the robe off”, she added with a laugh that sounded so cute that he almost made an “aww”-sound before he could stop himself.

The robe landed on the floor, there was nothing to hide about himself anymore now. Next time, he thought, he would definitely go to the bath with her. He immediately after that scolded himself for already thinking about the next time. He hadn’t even successfully finished the first one.

He laid down on his back, head on the pillow behind him. He tried to keep his eyes away from Ivy, who watched him closely. “I- I think this is fine”, Yamato said eventually, a little stuttery about it all. She rewarded him with her best smile and a hand on his arm.

Ivy swung her right leg over his hips and then held his cock up so that she could angle herself. He could feel his heart beat loud against this rib cage. “We can always stop if you want to, yes?” Ivy checked with him one more time. He nodded weakly to indicate that he had understood and she smiled again. “Let’s start then.” She moved him a little to lead his tip to her entrance and then, slowly, lowered herself down over him.

She sighed once he was in her fully, letting her arms fall back onto his legs to take in the length and size of him with her eyes closed. Yamato, on the other hand, was losing his mind. He had thought nothing could compare to the feeling of his cock in her mouth and certainly it had been a heavenly experience, but this - this - was too much. Even through the fabric of the condom he could feel how wet she was, how warm she was and how well she fit over him.

“You certainly have a good size”, Ivy said after a moment of quiet in which he revelled in the encompassing feeling of what he was doing. “Fills me completely.” He bit his lip a little, squirming away from the compliment that she was only giving him because he paid for it. Then he lifted his eyes to look at her directly. From his angle he could see the way her boobs were formed, her hair falling long over her arched back, the thighs on both sides of him and then the vines running over her body like a protective coating. He wondered subconsciously if he’d ever met a woman that was this beautiful.

Straightening out her spine she readied herself and then she started rolling her hips into him. Yamato’s mouth fell open as if it was evading his control. He let the moans out and threw his own head back into the pillows. Ivy steadily lifted her body up just so that only his tip remained inside of her and then went back down and he realised suddenly why people called this “riding”. “You can hold on to me if you like,” Ivy’s voice came to him as if through a thick curtain and he didn’t let her offer it twice. His fingernails duck into her thighs to his sides and now she moaned a little too.

It was clear that he wouldn’t be able to hold it for long. Not with his little experience and the preparations Ivy had done with her mouth before. He crawled himself a little tighter into her flesh and pressed his eyes shut, because the view of her bouncing over him just sped up the process. He tried to summon all the willpower he had to keep it going. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he was trying to find it anyway.

“Don’t force yourself”, Ivy’s sweet voice said into his ear. She had leaned forward to kiss his jaw and face and ear, “You can let go. You can let it go for me.” He groaned and did as she asked, finishing with a furor while she was still rolling her hips unrelenting over him. He wasn’t surprised that masturbating didn’t compare to this at all, but the intensity of it still almost knocked him out. He looked up to Ivy as she was slowing down, his lips again parted and needy and she granted him his wish, bowing over to give him her sweet lips again.

Ivy gave him a moment to collect himself, to reach for some paper and wrap the condom up in it before walking first to the trashcan and then to the bathroom. Yamato had read that the first time could be a bit quick, but he still felt a bit bad about it. No way she had enjoyed any of that, he thought, but then again he was the paying customer anyway.

When he returned she was laying on the bed, still naked, and her head was propped up on her flat hand. She smiled as he slowly crawled back next to her, insecure if he was even allowed to just lay with her or not. She wrapped her arm around his just like she had done earlier when they were still fully clothed and put her head on his shoulder.

“Are you a little less stressed now?” she asked, her breath warm against his neck. He replied with a hum. Ivy softly stroked over his arm and his body eased into hers. “It will only get easier with time”, she continued, her fingers drawing on his chest, “There will come a time in which you won’t be nervous at all.”

“Maybe”, Yamato mumbled. “Maybe next time will already be better.” He tried to bite his tongue when his brain caught on to what his tongue was saying, but it was too late. He had again insinuated that he would book her again, and fairly soon too. He shook himself a little and then acted as if he hadn’t just said that.

For a while they just lay there together, her head in the crook of his neck and her fingers wandering over his naked front side, while he admired the vines on her skin and her hair and wondered how much time they had left together. Then as if to pull him out of a trance Ivy said: “Do you want to do it for me too?” He blinked down into her green eyes. “Help me lose myself?” 

He considered this for a moment. Then: “I don’t know how.” The words tasted bitter on Yamato’s tongue and he wished his reply would be a different one, but unfortunately his experience was so very limited and only encompassed touching a woman’s boobs one or two times. 

“But you would?” Ivy pressed on, her nose touching the side of his cheek. He nodded and shrugged his shoulders, which got her smiling even wider. “That’s very good of you. Let me teach you how.” He could feel goosebumps on his arms as she said this and his breath hitched a little.

Ivy wrapped herself up in his arm, snailing it around her shoulders so it rested under her head like a pillow, then she softly took his free hand and set it on her abdomen. Yamato was now laying sideways facing her and before he could say anything else she had touched his chin and pulled him down to her.

He was glad to have her mouth on his again, the taste of her sweet tongue touching and caressing his. It drew him back into her instantly, his fingers behind her head finding the loose strands of her hair almost on instinct. She let her hand trace down the arm that was hanging over her chest and pulled it up to her breasts. “Try yourself out”, she breathed as she drew back and let his hand go. Yamato tried to remember how it was the last time he had done it and he cupped her right boob between his hands. It felt surprisingly fitting, as if the size was made to be held by him. Then he rolled the nipples between his fingers, eyes opened just a little so that he could look at her face. 

“Give me your hand”, she demanded and he did, parting his fingers from her breast and putting it back into her hand. She led it to her mouth and he gasped a little as she put two inside to suck on it, coating both his middle and pointer finger in thick saliva. “Do it again”, she instructed, green eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made him feel hot. He did as she had told him, moving back to the nipples to pinch them lightly, now with the wet fingers. His movement was rewarded with a sighed “Just like that” and he continued moving forward.

Yamato found her mouth again, feeling the way her tongue now seemed more wanting than it previously had. Her hand on his arm was lightly scratching him in pleasure and he kept going, switching from the right to the left boob and back at his will.

Eventually Ivy placed her hand on top of his and showed him in that way that he needed to stop. He let his finger be led further down her body until they settled between her legs. His heart beat in his own ears when he noticed how wet she was. That was almost as arousing as seeing her head around his cock.

Ivy let his hand go just for a moment so she could feel between her own legs, then she picked his up again. “Right here, I want you to stroke in circles over this spot” she said and he had to set himself up a little to reach it fully. Her legs opened up a little wider for him to gain access and he once again followed her instruction.

She moaned as he circled her clit first, still wholly unaware where everything was. So he decided to keep his eyes open and locked on her, watching the way her body reacted to each little swirl of his hand. Ivy’s cheeks were flushed red now, her breath hard and expecting. He loved drinking that view. She was so beautiful. 

“You can pinch it too”, she pressed out and he did, which rewarded him with her eyelids fluttering close.  “That’s it.” 

He felt emboldened by her reactions, so he lifted his finger away from her clit to put it into her entrance instead. Ivy didn’t hesitate for a second to lightly slap his wrist. “Not there.” It was an order and he obeyed. He returned to the more familiar place between her legs, moving his thumb over her now.

Without opening her eyes she felt for the hand that was still behind her head and placed it on top of her right breast, moving closer to his body so he could. “Touch here”, she said and he did as was asked of him. It wasn’t as easy to figure out the rhythm of two different hands doing different things, but he got the hold of it eventually.

Ivy’s mouth opened lightly and Yamato imagined that this was how he must have looked just an hour earlier. He bowed down so he could kiss her, forcing her tongue to obey him. it was a different way of arousal to feel her breath in his mouth, the way her sighs tasted when he moved or pinched her. It gave him a new position of power he had never found himself in and there was this second when it crossed his mind that this might be the reason it was so popular among some people. Sex was nothing but a power play.

She drew back before she came and gave him a foggy look from below low eyelids, then her body jerked a little backwards, back arched up into his touch. It took him a moment to realise what was happening to her having never seen an orgasm outside of a porno movie before and so he almost took his hand away out of fear of hurting her. Ivy caught his wrist as it moved back, holding it steady where it was and he kept circling his thumb like she had shown him, ewen when her free hand scratched his arm so much that it hurt. 

“Good job”, she smiled at him after she had calmed a little and he had cleaned his hand with a piece of paper. “You did that terribly well. Fast learner.”

“That’s what my teachers always said”; Yamaot mumbled in reply.

Ivy rolled over to touch him again, fingers tracing up into his face and brown hair. He couldn’t hold the gasp back, couldn’t stop himself from wanting to kiss her again, but as he leaned forward her phone rang. 

As if she had been stung by a bee she let go of his cheek and moved back: “Time is up.” Her voice was still sweet, as sweet as it had been the entire time, but she was in business mode now, finding her underwear in the pile of clothes she had left on the drawer to their opposite.

Yamato had totally forgotten how much time had passed since they entered. He had paid for two hours in total and at least twenty minutes of that was spent showering (which to their credit the agency did warn him about and suggested booking more time, but he decided against it). He too got up to find his clothes and his eyes fell over the bathrobe that was laying on the floor next to his feet. The way Ivy had peeled it off her made his skin prickle, but fantasising needed to wait until he was at home. Unfortunately.

“You can book me again through the app, if you wish”, Ivy said as she closed the button down she had been wearing under her thick coat. She looked good with it, the white and mind green complimenting her hair colour and skin perfectly. “You should know now how it works. You can also, obviously, book one of my colleagues if you wish, plus in the app you can also add a person.”

“Add?” Yamato’s head swirled a little at the prospect of adding a third person to these sessions. “Yes, a man or a woman, as you wish. It can be fun with three people, but it would obviously cost extra,” Ivy reached for her coat and he handed it to her, watching her wrapping herself back up into the warmth of it. She seemed much more informal now, less sweet talking and more conversing like a normal person at work. He figured that this was the genuine person behind the codename shining through and it made him interested to know more, though he knew that was against the rules.

Instead he asked in genuine worry: “It is rather late and dark out. Do you have to get home on your own now?” Part of him wished that he could accompany her home to make sure nobody could hurt her, but he also knew that would never be allowed. If they had met organically and hooked up as actual lovers maybe he could have had that privilege as to know her address and her apartment and to take her out on dates that did not involve a love hotel. But they were not and so he had to keep it together. “I have to”, she replied with a smile and sounded genuinely thankful for his concern.

They said goodbye in front of the hotel quickly and painlessly so that nobody could spot them standing around there. Yamato was glad that he had chosen this escort agency, no matter how embarrassing it ended up being. Ivy had been a good first partner and he found himself browsing the app for free appointments during his train ride home already.

#narutoocshipweek2022 #naruto oc ship week 2022 #oc: sora #au: modern #helloooooooooo guys i actually wrtoe something im so happyyy ehh enjoyy i guesss or not whateverrr #fanfiction things

[ahiddenpath]

Hiya Hidden, I hope your day is going well! I want to improve my writing, but I don't have a beta and I'm not ready to join a group, right now I'm a bit to thin-skinned for that. I picked up Stephen King's book and that's been helpful, are there any other resources you'd recommend?

Hey there, glad to hear you're exploring your options in a way that works for you!

For other readers, Stephen King's On Writing is the one writing book I recommend because it teaches editing quickly and effectively. Your local library almost certainly has it, if you're interested.

And speaking of local libraries, I've read pretty much all of the writing books mine carries. About 70% of them are mostly cheerleading/support books, without much in the way of practical advice or exercises. Of these, I recommend Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, as it's masterfully written.

I always recommend reading the best of what's out there, too. Obviously this is highly subjective, but if you are interested in my picks: here. Read diversely, seek out view points that are new to you (I love biographies for this reason).

I recommend Googling around for what's out there for free or low cost right now, in terms of lessons. Your fave authors might have a podcast or a lecture series for a fee. These days, people tend to use socials to promote themselves, so you might be able to learn direct from your favorite horse's mouth, so to speak! There are also online class series for a fee, but obviously you'll want to google those for reviews first.

I'm going to quickly toss some practical things that work for me beneath the cut, but disclaimers apply (I'm a hobbyist, what works for me might not work for you, etc).

1.) Drafting is one small part of writing

I get the sense that, when folks say they are writing, they are referring to drafting- getting words down on paper. Drafting is a small part of creating a finished piece. There's also planning, researching, editing, and inevitably scrapping/rearranging/rewriting/retooling/etc. These days, I personally spend about a month out of the year making a 50,000 word draft in Nanowrimo, about a month planning and researching before that, and the rest of the year editing/rearranging/retooling/discovering what my story actually is. Of course, I do end up drafting new scenes and filling gaps in there, too.

From listening to other creatives and watching how they track progress (mostly word counts), I get the sense that editing and refining are often overlooked in favor of further production. Basically, quantity over quality.

I don't know what the correct percentages are, and I doubt they exist. It's totally possible to obsess over every word to the point where you don't draft anymore, which is equally a problem. Just remember that there's so much more to the process than drafting, and it's normal/common for your draft to be taken apart and reassembled before completion.

Which leads me to...

2.) First draft are bad

Don't sweat quality in draft one. Draft one is always trash compared to the final product. Perfection anxiety can remove the joy of writing and paralyze writers. Worry about polish when you edit, but you can't edit something that doesn't exist. Bang out that bad first draft and nurture it from there.

I have a little essay on combating writing paralysis with successive drafts here. My advice always changes over time, lol, so who knows if I'd still agree, but it could be worth giving a read with a critical eye.

3.) Make working on your writing project a habit

In my opinion, the best thing you can do as a creative is make creating a daily habit. "The muse" and "inspiration" are fickle. Putting your butt in the chair and making stuff because it's make stuff o'clock is reliable. My advice is to show up for a set amount of time every day (start with as little as 15 minutes) and make stuff, with no care for quantity or quality. Just show up and do the thing and call it a win. It takes time, but once you establish the habit, you will become a creative force. People I think tend to underestimate how far you can go taking one small step a day. The time will pass regardless, so why not break down the thing you want to do into tiny, daily chunks?

I have an essay loosely about this here, although it's from the perspective of self care through daily creative habits.

4.) Leave distractions behind when you create

Turn off the internet on your computer and leave your phone in another room if it is safe to do so. If you sit in a room with nothing else to do but write, shockingly, you tend to write much more than if you have Tumblr within arm's reach.

Obviously some distractions can't be helped, and my goal is never to shame anyone for those. But try reducing those you can control. For me, it makes a huge difference. I adore distraction free writing tools for this reason! The most affordable I know is an AlphaSmart neo2 used (aim for about $40 total, ignore the price gouge ones, make sure it has the printer cord to connect to your computer, and you will need 3 AA batteries). There are modern alternatives, but they are pricey, and frankly I hate the company that makes them (yes, I'm talking about Astrohaus).

5.) Strive for completion

It's common in both fanworks and original projects for new writers to have 5+ fics or novels with a few chapters on their hard drive, effectively generating a graveyard of stories that never progressed past the opening portion. All this teaches us is how to start a piece.

I'm not suggesting that anyone torture themselves over a piece they don't want to work on anymore, but the only way to learn how to craft narratives is to... Well, craft complete narratives.

My advice is to make sure you know how you want your story to begin and end, and some idea of the dreaded middle bits, before you put too much effort into drafting. It's so easy to get excited and launch yourself into a frenzy, only to hit a wall and drop things completely when that initial inspiration fades.

But as mentioned in 3, inspiration is fickle. Habit is not!

Those are my favorite bits of writing advice, but I do have more! As I mentioned above, I tend to change my mind over time, but that leaves room for you to be critical about what I say and take and leave things as you choose.

-A video of my editing process

-Combating writing paralysis with successive drafts

-Dishing with an artist

-Tips for Fanfic Authors

-More Tips for Fanfic Authors

-Tips for Winning Nanowrimo

-Even more tips on writing fics

-Digimon Adventure/02 references

I hope something in this mess is helpful, lol!

Also, you mention being thin-skinned. My dear (I know using that may sound condescending, but I mean it with kindness and affection, because I have been there too), that is so common, especially for very young people. I was thin-skinned myself and only began... shedding? Toughening??? That skin around age 30. I am absolutely nowhere near being 100% tough yet, lol!

But I do want to say that moving in that direction is so, so wonderful. For me, personally, being thin-skinned was part of my upbringing. I was raised to assume everyone was dangerous, so of course I had a tendency to take everything personally and in the worst way possible. With time, therapy, and good 'ol 'no longer having the energy to get up in arms about everything,' I began to see that being thin-skinned is actively damaging to me. Like, it can hurt the people you snap at who were genuinely trying to help or joke around, yeah, but it always hurts me.

Being thin-skinned stands between people and the help they might need. It causes people to reject advice that might help them grow. It can make other people afraid to be real with someone, because that person might respond so negatively to an honest attempt to help or connect.

Literally everyone has these feelings sometimes, so I'm not saying this to attack or condescend. In fact, it's mature that you recognize this aspect of yourself. But I might gently suggest that working on this could be as helpful to your writing as the best writing book in the world, whatever that book may be.

I'm no therapist, but a cognitive behavioral therapy technique helps me a lot with this. If I feel a strong spike of emotion, I stop to question it before acting on it. Why did I feel so upset when Bob said x? According to my therapist, events don't cause emotions (such as Bob's possibly problematic comment). What causes emotions is how our belief system processes the event, which is why different people respond to the same event differently. Often, in the process of translating events to feelings, our belief systems sort of... Distort the message, or make it far more personal than the speaker intended.

Practicing this skill is easy online- just walk away from the computer for a bit. In person... Not so much. It's a difficult, active, not-fun process. I personally think it's worthwhile, even though I have a long way to go, myself.

But do also remember that some advice is just... bad. Some of my advice might be bad, or simply wrong for you. Never turn off your critical thinking!

I'm rooting for you, my dear! Please take care and keep writing and growing, you are amazing!

#ask hidden #writing talk

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes

Sequel to A Forgotten Memory

Roach's stealth skills are put to the test as he sneaks past an alleged Augustus base to capture him and gather intel about the recent EMP based attacks. Will Roach be able to impress Captain Price?

Previous Chapter : Soap - Experiment 001

Chapter 9 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

"A SurPRICE Visit"

Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141

400 meters outside Augustus' Mountain Base

Germany

The winds were picking up when they landed and Roach flew about a few more meters away from Price.

"This EMP blast is messing with my signals. Captain, can you find Roach?" Ghost spoke over comms, his voice crumbled over the static.

"He landed not too far from me. Come on boy, let's get a head on." Price replied to Ghost as he helped Gary get up and untangle himself from his mess. Gary nodded and followed his Captain into the edge of the mountain.

"There it is. Augustus' base." he mused as Gary scoped through his supressed silencer. Trucks were leaving the area filled with armed hostiles.

"Ghost, you see this? They're leaving the hive." Price informed the recon man.

"Aye, sir. Looks like they're headed to Alex's direction. If we time this right you'll have less people inside there." he replied. Gary wondered why they were leaving. It didn't make sense to back-up an already reclaimed base back at Alex's.

"Let's go Roach. I'll take the one on the left tower, you take the one on the right. I'm currently spotting four Tangos by the gate. Fire when ready." Price instructed. Roach took a deep breath to steady his sights, quickly pulling the trigger once the crosshairs aligned with their heads.

"Good kill. Your sniper skills are improving, Sargeant." Price mused as he signaled them to move forward. For a Captain who's left him a solid first impression as a strict angryman, Roach didn't expect the kind words from him. It almost felt overwhelming.

"You go ahead and take what's important inside that guardhouse. I'll cover you from this position." he commanded and Gary sprung safely into action, switching to his suppressed pistol and into the guardhouse.

It was simple, a few cameras, some photos of people who they let in and a few map layouts. Gary quickly snapped all of them for Ghost to see. Roach also grabbed the radio and placed it near his ear. Gary set his sights on an AK-47 lying on the ground.

"Roach, be careful when using unsuppressed weapons. It might reveal our existence." Price muttered to which he nodded. It just made sense.

"Jäeger, kopierst du?" the radio muttered. Roach's German wasn't on point and any non-reply from the other end would result in an investigation.

"Ja, alles klar." he replied, trying to replicate the accent. There was no more reply on the other side which meant Gary actually nailed his reply.

"Captain, behind that door is heavily guarded. I suggest a reroute to the back door just a few meters east of your position. This isn't Augustus' base, it's a remote research facility studying plant life by the border and he seemed to take it over." Ghost informed after gathering the photos, Gary waited on the edge of the wall covering his Captain's six. The duo proceeded as suggested and climbed over an unguarded fence.

"We're at a greenhouse. Labeled 6." Price whispered.

"Do you see any cameras?" Ghost asked.

"Yeah. Looking at the plants." he muttered.

"Circle around it and find cover behind the safehouse labeled 5. If my German is correct, the central area should have 2 scientists on their way in there." Ghost informed.

"Right on schedule." Price nodded to Roach as they both knocked them down quietly and non-lethally as they were civilians. Gary quickly slung his weapon and hid it behind the huge white lab coat the both of them now wore.

"Keep your weapons hidden, until I say so. Okay?" Price said as he pulled the bodies somewhere hidden. Gary nodded as they confidently waltzed inside the base, using their fake ids pinned on their coats for entry.

Gary watched a lot of sci-fi fics and most of them depicted labs as white walled, glass-divided rooms with hundreds of scientists working on some random machineries. Except here, it's plants. It seemed normal as if they infiltrated the wrong base. Price seemed to worry too, his steps were further apart and he seemed to be in a hurry. They were losing hope on a lead, until one armed guard, different from those outside started climbing up the stairs.

"Finally. Some good news." Price muttered as they made their way up the stairs.

"Authorized personnel only." an armed guard stood by the steps blocking the duos way. It was too crowded and too risky to engage him and press through and they both needed a new plan.

"Es tut mir leid." Gary replied as he pulled Price to the restrooms.

"It's no use. We can't go guns ablazing right here." he noted to his Captain.

"Bollocks." he cursed.

"We need a diversion." He added.

"Way ahead of you, Sir." Gary smirked and showed him his c4 trigger, pushed it and an explosion followed.

"Nice. By the guard house?" Price asked while they waited for reinforcements to assist the blast.

"Yeah."

"Quick thinking lad. I like that."

Several armed men came rushing down the stairs, yelling in a different language, all going to the exit. They stomped to the stairs and carefully breached the second floor of the building, shooting armed tangos using suppressed weapons. They had to act fast and stomp on their comms as soon as they're down so that the others outside will not fall back.

Ten guards were left behind to protect the second floor, and with the help of stealth, Gary and Price took them out smoothly. All that's left are the intel waiting to be harvested.

Gary snapped all possible evidence, every nook and cranny was investigated while Price tapped his heavy fingers on the keyboard.

"Looks like they're going large. They're planting something by the major cities cell towers. Here's one in Berlin." he muttered, printing a copy of the blueprints.

"Price! R-ch" Ghost's static crackled across their comms.

"Th- found- guards!

Get. Out. There. NOW." he added.

"Kill every civilian in there. That will let our little friends out of the shadows. I know they're after us…" a menacing voice said over Roach's stolen receiver.

"Shite. They're killing civvies." Gary said, worried.

"I'm sorry Roach. But we can't save them. It's a trap. Now protect that camera and let's get the fuck out of here." Price consoled as they continued pressing on toward the exit.

Screaming people followed by gunshots echoed across the white halls of the research facility, Gary didn't want to look back, Gary didn't want to hear any more screaming but it was all around him. Whoever commanded this act to be done must be eradicated from this world.

LOCAL MILITIA SETTLEMENT

Alex greeted the duo as soon as they stepped inside the village. It felt lively as everyone was celebrating their victory.

"Captain." Alex nodded and Price returned the gesture with a handshake.

"This is Blitz. Their leader." he added, introducing the man to Price.

"Thank you for helping us." Price acknowledged.

"No. Thank you for helping us. You have good men fighting for a good cause." he remarked, nodding at Alex and Gary. Gary also got acquainted with the leader, exchanged a few words and got offered soup.

"Tough day, huh?" Alex nudged over Gary, who's still sad about the situation earlier.

"You and me, both." Gary muttered as Alex patted his shoulder.

"We'll get him soon enough, Roach. Justice will be served." Alex consoled as Gary took a deep sigh.

"They're planting EMP bombs on major cell towers. Maybe incorporating it with them to perform large scale blasts." Gary pondered, taking a sip off the delicious soup.

"Yeah. That's our go signal. It's now a terror activity. Imagine a day without communication. International trade would crumble." Alex explained to which Gary nodded in agreement.

"Global cripple. People's minds get hurt, Economy gets hurt and we aren't focused enough to defend ourselves."

"That's what he's up to." Gary finished.

"And we have to stop it. Whatever It Takes." Alex looked at Gary with determination, that kind of pep talk that makes him a little less sad.

"Yeah." Gary agreed.

~

Another briefing, but this time, it was going somewhere. Operation Burn, the task is to eliminate Nero and all his allies, if possible. Funny enough, the real Nero burned everyone else. Whoever thought of this name was smart enough to connect the dots.

There's another person added to the team, the redhead leather jacket agent, Alexandra Ryder. An interpol agent tasked to destroy all traces of said EMP machinery. She looks tough, acts tough and basically is tough. France seemed to be going along well with her. That's a bonus for alliances such as these.

"So, I heard Price noted your sniper improvement." Ghost nudged.

"Yeah. Thanks Simon. Your training sucks but it helped a lot." Gary complimented.

"Tried talking to France and the new girl today." Ghost reported. Gary turned to him, clearly interested about his story.

"It was actually good. They're both intimidated by the mask and that's why they can't initiate conversation with me. But the talk went pretty well so I guess you needed to update your scoreboard or something." He muttered.

Gary chuckled. "That's one step towards her."

"I'll let the Interpol handle Berlin. Since it involves just the weapon, as for other news. I think it's time to transfer our two hostages back to the USA." Gary quickly turned his head back to the screen. No. It can't be. He had to stop this decision.

"With all due respect sir. I do not agree with this!" Gary stood up and all eyes were on him. He's still concerned about the welfare of the two plus he didn't want Maxine to leave. Not yet.

"I've read the report on their case sir. And it's not that I don't trust the system there but what if there's still another one in there with ties to Nero. He was able to slip by under our noses once or more times than that but let's consider the possibilities here." Gary explained as he looked around. Alex seemed to agree with him.

Shepherd let out a soft sigh.

"We'll discuss this possibility Sgt. Sanderson. You can sit down now." he said and resumed briefing.

"Brave move you did there, soldier." Ghost remarked as Gary let out a sigh. He wasn't sure on he's really concerned, the IP Address being extracted from Samantha or Maxine's smile that he will be missing if she left.

Next Chapter : The Heart Knows what the Brain doesn't

Notification Squad, my beloved

@samatedeansbroccoli @smokeywhalee @whimsywispsblog @enderio @beemybee @ricinbach

#horRAYfic #whateverittakes #codmwfic #alex echo 3 1 #john price #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #gary roach sanderson #why is the next chapter pink?!